This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP
Purse: $7.1M
Winner's Share: $1,278,000
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Course: Quail Hollow Club
Yardage: 7,562
Par: 72
Defending Champion: J.B. Holmes
Tournament Preview
Quail Hollow, which will play host to the 2017 PGA Championship and 2021 President's Cup, makes its annual stop on the PGA Tour this week. The PGA Tour played Quail Hollow in the 60s, 70s and 80s, but made an official return in 2003 following a Tom Fazio redesign of the greens and course length. The par-72 layout is a firm test that generally plays at or slightly above par for the professionals, with a winning score of about 14-under par. The final three holes are appropriately named The Green Mile, comprised of the 508-yard par-4 16th, the 221-yard par-3 17th and the 493-yard par-4 18th. This closing stretch is among the PGA Tour's toughest, averaging more than one stroke over par. The field consists of 11 of the top-25 players in the world, including World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Henrik Stenson and No. 5 Jim Furyk.
Key Stats to Winning at Quail Hollow
• Driving Distance
• Strokes gained: Tee-to-Green
• Par-5 Scoring
Last Decade of Champions
2014 - J.B. Holmes
2013 - Derek Ernst
2012 - Rickie Fowler
2011 - Lucas Glover
2010 - Rory McIlroy
2009 - Sean O'Hair
2008 - Anthony Kim
2007 - Tiger Woods
2006 - Jim Furyk
2005 - Vijay Singh
Commonalities among the past champions here are defined by one major trait: length. Pros have hit just 49 percent of their fairways here since 2011, the worst on the PGA Tour. However, this has not affected the scoring much, giving bombers a distinct advantage most apparent on the four par-5s. Beyond driving distance, the greens have plenty of undulation and require a good short game if players are missing greens in regulation. Another curious trend is this course's ability to produce first-time winners. Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Derek Ernst broke through at Quail Hollow; with a semi-diluted field that list could grow this week.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Rory McIlroy - $14,000 (Odds: 7/2)
Jim Furyk - $10,800 (18/1)
Phil Mickelson - $10,400 (20/1)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Adam Scott - $8,600 (Odds: 30/1)
Sean O'Hair - $8,300 (50/1)
Kevin Kisner - $8,100 (35/1)
Ryan Moore - $8,000 (40/1)
Hunter Mahan - $7,900 (50/1)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Gary Woodland - $7,800 (Odds: 66/1)
Russell Knox - $7,800 (66/1)
John Peterson - $7,700 (100/1)
Padraig Harrington - $7,600 (125/1)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
George McNeill - $7,400 (Odds: 80/1)
Brendon de Jonge - $7,200 (66/1)
Brian Harman - $7,200 (80/1)
Pat Perez - $7,100 (80/1)
Morgan Hoffmann - $7,100 (80/1)
Chesson Hadley - $7,000 (80/1)
WHO I'M ROLLING WITH THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Jim Furyk - $10,800
Phil Mickelson - $10,400
George McNeill - $7,400
Brian Harman - $7,200
Pat Perez - $7,100
Chesson Hadley - $7,000
With only a handful of heavyweights in the field this week, having two in Furyk and Mickelson is a nice safety net to start with. Furyk just won the RBC Heritage a few weeks ago, is a past champ from 2006 and last year was runner-up to J.B. Holmes. Mickelson is a horse for the course with top-12s in seven of his last nine years, making him safer than a Volvo. McNeill is trending well recently and has a pair of top-20s at this event since 2012. Harman and Perez are in solid form and both have finished well here. Finally, Hadley has limited course history but is riding a couple recent top-10s and a solid T24 showing at The Players last week.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Patrick Reed - $9,100
Adam Scott - $8,600
Kevin Kisner - $8,100
Ryan Moore - $8,000
Hunter Mahan - $7,900
Russell Knox - $7,800
My tournament lineup is based almost solely on value this week and contains mostly modest-priced options, but don't let the discounted price tags cloud the potency of this group. Reed and Scott have somehow slipped down the salary sheet into the extreme value bucket, and both possess the length and world-class games to win here. Kisner has knocked on the door of victory twice in three weeks with two playoff losses, including The Players heartbreaker last Sunday. Moore has a consistent history at Quail Hollow and provides stability while Mahan and Knox are under-the-radar hunches in decent form but are likely lower-owned options this week.
