This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
Shriners Hosptials for Children Open
Course: TPC Summerlin (7,255 yard, par 71)
Purse: $7,000,000
Winner: $1,260,000 and 500 FedExCup points
Tournament Preview
After a couple down tournaments talent-wise, a number of highly ranked players will be making their return this week for the opening event of the PGA Tour's new fall West coast swing. Most notably will be U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, who also won in Las Vegas back in 2018. Past Shriners Open Champion's in the field this week include Webb Simpson, Patrick Cantlay, and Kevin Na. PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa will also be in the field, as well of a host of players like Paul Casey, Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler all looking for their first win in over a year. This newly put together fall West coast swing will be exclusive to the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 concerns that caused next week's CJ Cup to move from Nine Bridges in South Korea to Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, and the Zozo Championship to shift from Japan to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. This week's Shriners Hospitals for Children Open will be the only one of the three to feature a full field and a 36-hole cut. Players that play well in this stretch should be the ones that you keep an eye on for the Masters next month. TPC Summerlin has historically been a course that players can take it really deep, so we should see no shortages of birdies an eagles. Winds should be fairly benign with temperatures in the 90s during the first two rounds, while the breezes should pick up with slightly lower temperatures on the weekend.
Recent Champions
2019 – Kevin Na
2018 – Bryson DeChambeau
2017 – Patrick Cantlay
2016 – Rod Pampling
2015 – Smylie Kaufman
2014 – Ben Martin
2013 – Webb Simpson
2012 – Ryan Moore
2011 – Kevin Na
2010 – Jonathan Byrd
Key Stats to Victory
SG: Approach
SG: Putting
SG: Off-the-Tee
Birdie Average
Champion's Profile
The key this week will be maximizing birdie opportunities. The greens are on the larger end due to winds that have a tendency to kick up in this area, so GIR won't be as important as SG: Approach and proximity. I'm usually not high on putting stats most weeks, but on this course it becomes fairly important. The greens will only run at a little over 11 on the stimpmeter, which allows for players to be aggressive from all ranges. Last year's winner, Kevin Na, paced the field in SG: Putting and putts per GIR. I think the third big factor to look at is the rough, which is only two inches this week. This should allow for the bombers to swing for the fences with such a limited penalty for missing the fairway.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Bryson DeChambeau ($12,200)
The only question will be if DeChambeau has any hangover from his first major championship victory at the U.S. Open a few weeks ago, because TPC Summerlin is tailor-made for his game. Last season DeChambeau ranked first in SG: Off-the-Tee and driving distance, as well as top-10 in SG: Putting and one-putt percentage. That combo of driving and putting is a big part of the reason he owns a 67.4 scoring average in 16 career rounds at TPC Summerlin.
Patrick Cantlay ($11,700)
No matter his form coming in, Cantlay has proven to be the man to beat at this course. He has teed it up three times, winning his first PGA Tour event in 2017, followed by narrow runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019. He had somewhat of a disappointing season last year and still ended up 10th in SG: Total and 13th in scoring average.
Matthew Wolff ($11,100)
Wolff has really come on the last couple months with three top-four finishes and six top-25s in his last nine starts. Most notably was his runner-up at the U.S. Open where it looked like he was going to become the youngest winner of that event in over 100 years before Bryson DeChmabeau put together a final round for the ages at Winged Foot. Much like DeChambeau, Wolff has that explosive combination of power and putting that should make him a threat at TPC Summerlin. He finished T18 in his debut in this event last year.
Harris English ($10,900)
English comes in fresh off a solo fourth at the U.S. Open a few weeks back, which marked his ninth top-25 finish in his last ten starts. He is as consistent across the board as anyone on Tour, ranking 18th in both SG: Putting and SG: Tee-to-Green. English posted a pair of top-16s in his last four starts at TPC Summerlin.
Longer Shots with Value
Brian Harman ($9,600)
If you're looking for someone who consistently fills it up on the greens, not many have been better over the last decade than Harman. Last season he ranked top-15 in putts per round, one-putt percentage, and three-putt avoidance. The Georgia product was quietly 28th in SG: Total last year and finished inside the top 50 in both SG: Putting and SG: Tee-to-Green. Harman made his last seven cuts and finished inside the top 20 in his last two tries at TPC Summerlin.
Kevin Na ($9,500)
While the form is not great by any means, his results at TPC Summerlin are too good to ignore. He is the defending champion and this is also the site of his first PGA Tour victory back in 2011. Na also finished runner-up back in 2016. You need to putt well to win this week, and not many were statistically better last season. Na ranked top-five in SG: Putting, putts per round, and one-putt percentage.
Kristoffer Ventura ($8,800)
Ventura played his college golf at Oklahoma State alongside fellow Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff. While he's gotten less media attention, the 25-year-old has developed into quite the player. Ventura won a pair of Korn Ferry Tour events in 2019 and in three starts this season owns two finishes of T7-or-better. Like Wolff, Ventura has that same great combo of power and putting that should line up well for success at TPC Summerlin, as this season he ranks 11th in SG: Off-the-Tee and 27th in SG: Putting.
Tyler McCumber ($8,000)
Why not ride the hot hand for just $8,000? McCumber has gone 2nd-T6 the last two weeks on Tour behind some excellent ball striking. He ranked fourth in SG: Approach and sixth in SG: Tee-to-Green at the Sanderson Farms Championship last week. While some are slightly more rusty due to taking some weeks off the last month or so, McCumber is in top form and is a great way to round out a lineup this week.
Strategy Tips This Week
Based on a Standard $60K Salary Cap
Those at the top of the salary list are in great form and make excellent fits for this course. I think you'll have to be selective after that, however. I'd advise frontloading your roster with three five digit players. I think you can also find some bargains that are under $9,000 this week, which should allow you to make enough room salary wise for everyone you need at the top end. Other good values on the bottom end not listed above include, Henrik Norlander ($8,700), Steward Cink ($8,600), Adam Hadwin ($8,500), and Charl Schwartzel ($8,000). Please note that Tony Finau had to withdraw on Tuesday due to a positive COVID-19 test.
