This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
WGC-CADILLAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Purse: $9.25M
Winner's Share: $1,572,500
FedEx Cup Points: 550 to the Winner
Location: Miami
Course: Trump National Doral (Blue Monster)
Yardage: 7,528
Par: 72
Tournament Preview
The World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship marks the second stop of the Florida Swing where the entire top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings are present along with other prominent players to comprise an elite 75-player field that checks out as the best of the young year. The relatively small field will be granted four tries at the brutish Blue Monster course given there's no cut this week, which may or may not be a positive for some. Aussie Adam Scott will make his first PGA Tour appearance; Tiger Woods will again be absent, this time in part because he failed to qualify for a WGC event for just the second time in his career. Donald Trump calls the shots at Trump National Doral, which last year completed a $200 million course upgrade and bared its teeth as the toughest course outside of the majors last season. All said, this will spell a third straight week where we'll see PGA professionals earn every penny of their lavish winnings by surviving a course laden with water on 14 of 18 holes.
Key Stats to Winning at Doral (Blue Monster)
• Driving Distance
• Proximity to the Hole from 175-200 yards
• Three-putt Avoidance
Last Decade of WGC-Cadillac Champions:
2014 – Patrick Reed (on newly redesigned layout)
2013 – Tiger Woods
2012 – Justin Rose
2011 – Nick Watney
2010 – Ernie Els
2009 – Phil Mickelson
2008 – Geoff Ogilvy
2007 – Tiger Woods
2006 – Tiger Woods (The Grove, Hertfordshire, England)
2005 – Tiger Woods (Harding Park, San Francisco)
With little history on the newly redesigned course, past champions hold less weight than normal on the longer and more penal Blue Monster course that includes three par-4s over 470 yards and three of four par-3s over 200 yards. Given the lengthy holes, the ability to hit it long off the tee (with only a mild concern for accuracy) is clearly helpful to shorten the approach shots into the green. For all players there will be many approach shots from 175-200 yards; last year's winner, Patrick Reed, easily led the field in this stat with an average proximity of 19 feet, 10 inches versus the field average of more than 40 feet.
WGC-CADILLAC DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Bubba Watson - $12,400 (Odds: 14/1)
Jason Day - $10,900 (14/1)
Jordan Spieth - $10,900 (18/1)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Henrik Stenson - $9,500 (Odds: 28/1)
Phil Mickelson - $9,000 (22/1)
Matt Kuchar - $8,700 (28/1)
Hideki Matsuyama - $8,600 (33/1)
Brooks Koepka - $8,300 (28/1)
Martin Kaymer - $8,200 (40/1)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Keegan Bradley - $7,900 (Odds: 50/1)
Paul Casey - $7,900 (40/1)
Graeme McDowell - $7,800 (40/1)
Jamie Donaldson - $7,100 (40/1)
Ryan Palmer - $7,000 (50/1)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Charl Schwartzel - $6,800 (Odds: 66/1)
Ryan Moore - $6,400 (66/1)
Shane Lowry - $6,300 (66/1)
Joost Luiten - $5,700 (80/1)
Hunter Mahan - $5,600 (75/1)
WHO I'M ROLLING WITH THIS WEEK
Optimal Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Jason Day - $10,900
Henrik Stenson - $9,500
Brooks Koepka - $8,300
Paul Casey - $7,900
Jamie Donaldson - $7,100
Shane Lowry - $6,300
In a smaller field with no cut this week there are no "safe" lineups given four guaranteed rounds, so the optimal strategy is to pick a few studs and take chances on some lower-cost contrarian options who could surprise with a great finish. Jason Day is my headliner this week as he can hit it long and has no real weakness in his game. Stenson is a bit under the radar as he generally brings his game to the bigger events, and Koepka is a trendy pick with plenty of talent to make a run at the lengthy Blue Monster layout. Casey is almost a must-have at $7,900 coming off two top-3 finishes to earn his way into the field this week. Donaldson may be a popular sleeper this week as he nearly won at Doral last year (T-2) and posted a top-10 at the Honda Classic last week. Shane Lowry likely will have low ownership but is a great value as he's quietly churned out a top-10 at Torrey Pines and a top-25 at Pebble Beach in his two most recent starts.
