This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
Puerto Rico Open – Rio Grande, PR
Coco Beach Golf & CC (7,506 yards, par 72)
$3.0M Purse
$540,000 and 300 FedEx Cup points to the winner
Tournament Preview
Playing opposite the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the PGA Tour swings south for a short week in the Caribbean for the 10th installment of the Puerto Rico Open. With the top 70 players in the world playing in Austin or not at all this week, the field for this week's stroke play event is strongly diluted, to say the least. The top-ranked player in the field is Wesley Bryan, who is 73rd in the world and enters 44th in the FedEx Cup ranks. Beyond Bryan there are just five others from the world top 100, most notably Graeme McDowell, Chris Kirk, and Danny Lee. Seven of the nine events at this venue have been decided by one stroke or in a playoff, so expect some nail-biting moments despite the weak field.
Prior Decade Champions
2016 – Tony Finau
2015 – Alex Cejka
2014 – Chesson Hadley
2013 – Scott Brown
2012 – George McNeill
2011 – Michael Bradley
2010 – Derek Lamely
2009 – Michael Bradley
2008 – Greg Craft
Key Stats to Winning at Coco Beach
• Strokes Gained: Total in 2017
• Top-25s in 2017
• Course History at Coco Beach
Champion's Profile
With limited stats (ShotLink does not pay Puerto Rico a visit) and a perennially weak field, over-analyzing what we know seems a foolish ploy, and the mixed bag of champions further backs that notion. In such circumstances, it's best not to overthink and target players who are trending well recently and/or have a strong history at this course. For many, this event is the best shot to breakthrough for a win all season. I've chosen to focus on Strokes Gained: Total in 2017, recent top-25s, and course history, as these are simple high-level stats that help define form and propensity to play well this week.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Graeme McDowell, $9700 – The proven McDowell is a first-timer at Coco Beach, but he has quietly posted a pair of top-15s this season. In addition, he previously capitalized on a weak-field event to win the Mayakoba Championship less than two years ago.
Graham DeLaet, $9400 – DeLaet has notched four top-25s in seven starts this year and has earned a top-25 in each of his four starts at this event. He brings a great blend of talent, form and history this week.
Wesley Bryan, $8900 – Strung together three-straight top-10s prior to a 69th place effort at Bay Hill last week. Bryan is also the highest-ranked player in the field, and would love nothing more than to earn his first win in an opportune week.
Peter Uihlein, $7200 – Youngster of 27 years has made just 1-of-3 cuts at Coco Beach, but his lone made cut turned into a tie for sixth. Enters with three top-7 finishes in 2017 on the European Tour.
Longer Shots Worth a Risk
J.T. Poston, $6500 – Poston has put together a pair of top-25s to go with a 27th place finish in the last month, and represents a good bet to make the cut and perhaps contend.
David Hearn, $6300 – Hearn has three top-25s in three appearances at the Puerto Rico Open, and despite being very average this season, he's riding a streak of three consecutive cuts made and has knocked on the door in events like the John Deere Classic and the RBC Canadian Open in past years.
Matt Jones, $5700 – At a bargain price this week, Jones has one PGA Tour win to this name – the 2014 Houston Open – and has made 2-of-2 cuts this season. Jones is 44th this season in Strokes Gained: Total, averaging 0.804 strokes gained over the field per round.
Brandon Hagy, $5400 – Riding the coattails of three consecutive cuts and was T16 in his first and only appearance at the Puerto Rico Open two years ago in 2015.
Strategy Tips This Week (based on 60k standard salary cap)
With so few studs in the field, salaries for even the best players in the field are low. This allows plenty of opportunity to build diverse lineups and easily differentiate in big tournament games. Feel free to take a chance on a few young players who are playing well and hungry for their first PGA Tour win.
In H2H or smaller contests, sticking to guys with a good blend of history and recent form are critical. Though not always a good "bang for the buck", players like Scott Brown or Graham DeLaet, who have long and consistent track records of success at this venue, are good anchors for a lineup.
