The PGA Championship was everything we wanted and more.  We had surprises, adversity, tragedy, triumph, a comeback for the ages and a playoff finish.  While I felt awful for Mito Pereira after that 18th drive, I can’t say I was upset to see Will Zalatoris and Justin Thomas battle it out in a playoff.  While everyone is going to look back at his short missed putt, I just see a kid with a bright future and multiple major victories before his career is over.  He is the first player with 5 Top 10 finishes in his first eight career major starts since Ernie Els.  Congrats to Justin Thomas on finally reaching that milestone second major championship.  It’ll be hard to come down after a huge week in Tulsa but we will try at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Colonial Country Club is the longest running non-major event held at the same site, since 1946.  We’ve got a field of 120 invitees but only about half the field have a legitimate chance to win.  The course is a relatively short Par 70 measuring out 7,209 yards.  It is a real test with very tight fairways and small bentgrass greens.  The short hitters are in play on this course and you’ll notice that throughout my playbook.  We’re looking for accurate fairway drivers (Strokes Gained: Off the Tee), good ball strikers (Strokes Gained: Tee to Green) and the ability to get the ball in tight to the pin (Strokes Gained: Approach) and always a solid putting stroke.  You should also take a closer look at Par 4 scoring because there are two more than a typical course.  Jordan Spieth knows this course better than most anyone in the field.  There’s a reason why he’s won here and has three other second place finishes.  He will be extremely popular this weekend in DFS.     

You really need to have a combination of course experience and success before reaching the top of the leaderboard at the Charles Schwab.  Experience is huge for me on this course because of those Texas winds.  We’ve spoken about them many times this season and you’ll see a lot of familiar faces in my playbook.  The temperatures will reach the low to mid 90s but the gusts don’t look like they’ll ramp up until after the cut line on Friday.  Also, the winners of this event with a few exceptions have had Top 20 finishes previously at this tournament.  The average age of the winners over the last 20 years is around 36 years old.  Daniel Berger was an exception at 28 when he won but Jason Kokrak was just one week from turning 36 last year.  

The field is legit this weekend especially if Bryson DeChambeau does indeed tee it up.  Justin Thomas fresh from his victory, Will Zalatoris licking his wounds, and Collin Morikawa in need of a bounce back.  The average score per round in 2021 was 70 and the average winning score over the last five editions is 14 under par.  The players will be tested but the scoring opportunities are out there for the taking.  Seven players have shot 61 at this tournament.  It’ll be a fun week in the Lone Star State. 

ONE & DONE PLAY: Jordan Spieth

 
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GCollin Morikawa1070022.2%1150016.7%

All the attention will be on Jordan Spieth this week with good reason.  You can play him, go ahead but he will be the highest owned player by a mile this weekend.  The two time major champion has a runner up and a Top 15 at Colonial and has a Top 10 at Harbour Town as well.  He is the best ball striker in the world and that makes him a threat anytime he tees it up.  He ranks Top 25 across the board in Scoring Average, Birdie Average, Greens in Regulation, Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, Approach, Off the Tee, and Driving Accuracy.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GViktor Hovland1000024.0%1120019.2%

I do love this sweet swing Norwegian especially this weekend.  He finished Top 25 in his debut at Colonial last year.  Hovland has also made eight straight cuts with three Top 10 finishes including a runner up at Bay Hill.  He has the skill set that fits on this course especially this season ranking 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach, 4th in Birdie Average, 14th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 24th in Greens in Regulation, and 26th in Stroke Average.  The 24-year-old already has three career wins.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GSam Burns970016.3%1020029.5%

So, I guess I should have taken Will Zalatoris last week but Burns did finish Top 20 at the PGA.  Yes, I feel like he’s still flying under the radar because of his mixed results.  Burns has three Top 10 finishes in his last seven starts including a win at the Valspar which is a tough course.  He ranks inside the Top 26 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Bogey Avoidance, Greens in Regulation, Strokes Gained: Putting, Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Strokes Gained: Total.  I know his ownership will be at an optimal level.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GAbraham Ancer930014.5%1000021.8%

I was really excited to see him play well at the PGA Championship last weekend.  After a lot of mixed results this season, I’m going to hope he feeds off that Top 10 finish into a tournament he has never missed the cut and has back to back Top 15 finishes.  I also like him this weekend because it is a shorter course and rewards accuracy which is his forte ranking 3rd in driving accuracy.  He’s top 50 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 61st in Strokes Gained: Putting.  The approach numbers are not great this season but we know he’s capable of being Top 25 in the world.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GTony Finau910012.3%1030015.4%

It has been a lackluster season for Tony.  I feel bad that this is a wasted year for him in his prime.  The two-time PGA Tour winner is consistently on the list of best players without a major.  He has made six straight cuts coming into this weekend with a runner up at the Mexico Open but the other five were finishes of 30th or worse.  Finau has never missed the cut at Colonial in six attempts with a runner up finish in 2019.  The putter has failed him this season because he ranks Top 30 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach and Tee-Green.  I like the price tag as it continues to stay below $9500.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GTommy Fleetwood880014.3%980017.9%

The Englishman is playing really good golf.  He is coming off of a Top 5 finish at the PGA Championship where he closed with a 67 on Sunday.  Prior to that, he had made 7 of his last 8 cuts with 4 Top 20 finishes.  While I normally don’t like guys making their debut at Colonial, I’ll make this exception because he fits the mold.  10th in Scoring Average, 15th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 16th in Strokes Gained: Total, 18th in Strokes Gained: Putting, 33rd in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and 37th in Birdie Average.  I’d only play him in GPPs because of the lack of experience on the course.  

Game Type: GPP
GWebb Simpson87008.4%990013.7%

No, Webb is not playing his best golf but he paid off for us last week at Southern Hills pulling off a Top 20.  He also made the cut at the Masters as well.  Once again, there is no need to go through the stats but he has decent history here.  He has two Top 5 finishes in 2016 and 2017 at Colonial but two missed cuts since then.  This will be a risky play but he should be low owned and if he can keep it going for another week, it could be a GPP winner.

Game Type: GPP
GDavis Riley84008.4%98008.8%

He ended his streak of three straight Top 10 finishes with a 13th at the PGA Championship, just unacceptable.  This 25-year-old out of Alabama is playing some of the best golf of anyone on the PGA Tour.  He also finished runner up at the very difficult Valspar in mid-March.  He ranks Top 60 in Driving Distance, Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Strokes Gained: Putting, Greens in Regulation, and Scoring Average.  He’s proven that he can go low at the Byron Nelson and that he can play on difficult tracks at Southern Hills.  He is not a sneaky play anymore, I think everyone is catching on. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GJason Kokrak820011.2%96005.4%

Kokrak has finished 1st and 3rd in his last two trips to Colonial.  He has also made the cut in five straight events with two Top 20 finishes.  He isn’t playing his best golf but definitely good enough to compete with this field.  Jason won earlier this year at the Houston Open and since has missed just one cut over his last 11 starts.  He has two Top 20 finishes in his last four starts which includes the Masters.  Jason ranks inside the Top 50 in Strokes Gained: Putting, Scrambling, and Bogey Avoidance.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GHarold Varner III78009700

Harold has made the cut in seven straight events and his worst finish over that run was last week at the PGA Championship (48th).  He had three Top 10 finishes over those seven tournaments and another two Top 25s.  This will be his fourth trip to Colonial and has made the cut in back to back trips.  He ranks Top 20 in Birdie Average and Strokes Gained: Around the Green and also Top 60 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, and Scoring Average.  I love his price tag for both cash and GPPs.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GJustin Rose770014.3%990016.0%

I think this is the first time Justin has made my playbook.  I feel like he’ll make for a sneaky play this weekend.  He has back to back Top 15 finishes including last week’s PGA Championship.  Rose won the 2018 edition of this event and finished third in 2020.  He has never missed the cut in six previous trips to Colonial.  This is a purely veteran play, he knows this course and is good enough to make the leaderboard against this field.

Game Type: GPP
GMaverick McNealy7500970014.8%

Maverick has missed just one cut since the Shriners which is over 16 events.  Over those 15 pay days, 8 of them were finishes of Top 30 or better.  No surprise that he is Top 55 on tour in Birdie Average, Scoring Average, Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Strokes Gained: Putting, and Strokes Gained: Total.  This will be Maverick’s fourth trip to Colonial and he has improved his finish in each of his three previous trips (20th last year).  I’d feel confident using him in both cash and GPPs.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GTroy Merritt73001.9%85002.7%

Merritt is another one of my go-to value options when it comes to PGA DFS.  He brings you pretty consistent ball striking which is all you can ask from a lower tier play.  He has made the cut in seven straight non team events including last week’s PGA Championship.  He ranks 12th in Scrambling, 20th in Strokes Gained: Putting, and 33rd in Scoring Average.  Merritt has made three previous trips to Colonial with two made cuts.  He finished 17th in 2016 and 7th in 2021.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GIan Poulter72001.2%81002.1%

It should not shock anymore that Poulter missed the cut at the PGA Championship when you look at the dimensions of that course.  When you look at Colonial, you should know why I’m putting him in my playbook.  He has made eight previous trips to the Charles Schwab with three Top 10 finishes including just last year.  The 46-year-old fits the mold for success on this track accuracy and ability to get the ball up and down better than most anyone in the field.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GAdam Long69005.2%86003.7%

Inconsistency has been his problem, especially over the last month of the season.  I will not ignore him when it comes to a shorter course because that’s where he’s had the most success in his career.  Recently he’s had a 12th at the Heritage and a 15th in Mexico.  Long has made three previous trips to Colonial with two Top 20 finishes, which shouldn’t surprise anyone.  He ranks Top 20 in Strokes Gained: Putting and Top 50 in Driving Accuracy.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GKevin Streelman68004.8%82004.1%

There are curtain courses that I’ll play Kevin and here’s another one.  While he doesn’t have a perfect record here, it is solid especially when you are looking in this price range.  Kevin has made the cut at this event in four of his last five trips with two Top 20 finishes.  He has also made the cut in five of his last seven starts with a 7th at the Valspar and 18th at the Valero.  Streelman has always been one of the most accurate off the tee (6th), but he’s also ranked Top 55 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.  Kevin’s one of those guys you can trust to make the cut and hopefully spike on the weekend. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GLucas Glover67001.3%82001.1%

Lucas Glover is an ideal fit for this course.  He ranks Top 20 in Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation but does struggle on and around the greens.  Despite those issues, he finished Top 10 at this event last year and Top 25 the year before.  He also finished Top 25 at the PGA Championship last weekend.  Glover has only missed three cuts in non partner events in his 13 starts in 2022.

Game Type: GPP
GRobert Streb60001.0%73000.8%

Ok, I know that Streb is not a good player.  There is a reason that he’s listed at just $6,000, the minimum price on DraftKings.  I will put him in my playbook as my deep dive of the week because he’s made the cut at this event in six straight trips with a Top 20 finish in 2015.  He did finish Top 10 at the Valspar in mid-March amongst a lot of missed cuts.  Obviously, this is a GPP play only.  

Game Type: GPP
G
10700
11500

All the attention will be on Jordan Spieth this week with good reason.  You can play him, go ahead but he will be the highest owned player by a mile this weekend.  The two time major champion has a runner up and a Top 15 at Colonial and has a Top 10 at Harbour Town as well.  He is the best ball striker in the world and that makes him a threat anytime he tees it up.  He ranks Top 25 across the board in Scoring Average, Birdie Average, Greens in Regulation, Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, Approach, Off the Tee, and Driving Accuracy.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
10000
11200

I do love this sweet swing Norwegian especially this weekend.  He finished Top 25 in his debut at Colonial last year.  Hovland has also made eight straight cuts with three Top 10 finishes including a runner up at Bay Hill.  He has the skill set that fits on this course especially this season ranking 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach, 4th in Birdie Average, 14th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 24th in Greens in Regulation, and 26th in Stroke Average.  The 24-year-old already has three career wins.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9700
10200

So, I guess I should have taken Will Zalatoris last week but Burns did finish Top 20 at the PGA.  Yes, I feel like he’s still flying under the radar because of his mixed results.  Burns has three Top 10 finishes in his last seven starts including a win at the Valspar which is a tough course.  He ranks inside the Top 26 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Bogey Avoidance, Greens in Regulation, Strokes Gained: Putting, Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Strokes Gained: Total.  I know his ownership will be at an optimal level.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9300
10000

I was really excited to see him play well at the PGA Championship last weekend.  After a lot of mixed results this season, I’m going to hope he feeds off that Top 10 finish into a tournament he has never missed the cut and has back to back Top 15 finishes.  I also like him this weekend because it is a shorter course and rewards accuracy which is his forte ranking 3rd in driving accuracy.  He’s top 50 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 61st in Strokes Gained: Putting.  The approach numbers are not great this season but we know he’s capable of being Top 25 in the world.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9100
10300

It has been a lackluster season for Tony.  I feel bad that this is a wasted year for him in his prime.  The two-time PGA Tour winner is consistently on the list of best players without a major.  He has made six straight cuts coming into this weekend with a runner up at the Mexico Open but the other five were finishes of 30th or worse.  Finau has never missed the cut at Colonial in six attempts with a runner up finish in 2019.  The putter has failed him this season because he ranks Top 30 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach and Tee-Green.  I like the price tag as it continues to stay below $9500.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8800
9800

The Englishman is playing really good golf.  He is coming off of a Top 5 finish at the PGA Championship where he closed with a 67 on Sunday.  Prior to that, he had made 7 of his last 8 cuts with 4 Top 20 finishes.  While I normally don’t like guys making their debut at Colonial, I’ll make this exception because he fits the mold.  10th in Scoring Average, 15th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 16th in Strokes Gained: Total, 18th in Strokes Gained: Putting, 33rd in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and 37th in Birdie Average.  I’d only play him in GPPs because of the lack of experience on the course.  

Game Type: GPP
G
8700
9900

No, Webb is not playing his best golf but he paid off for us last week at Southern Hills pulling off a Top 20.  He also made the cut at the Masters as well.  Once again, there is no need to go through the stats but he has decent history here.  He has two Top 5 finishes in 2016 and 2017 at Colonial but two missed cuts since then.  This will be a risky play but he should be low owned and if he can keep it going for another week, it could be a GPP winner.

Game Type: GPP
G
8400
9800

He ended his streak of three straight Top 10 finishes with a 13th at the PGA Championship, just unacceptable.  This 25-year-old out of Alabama is playing some of the best golf of anyone on the PGA Tour.  He also finished runner up at the very difficult Valspar in mid-March.  He ranks Top 60 in Driving Distance, Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Strokes Gained: Putting, Greens in Regulation, and Scoring Average.  He’s proven that he can go low at the Byron Nelson and that he can play on difficult tracks at Southern Hills.  He is not a sneaky play anymore, I think everyone is catching on. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8200
9600

Kokrak has finished 1st and 3rd in his last two trips to Colonial.  He has also made the cut in five straight events with two Top 20 finishes.  He isn’t playing his best golf but definitely good enough to compete with this field.  Jason won earlier this year at the Houston Open and since has missed just one cut over his last 11 starts.  He has two Top 20 finishes in his last four starts which includes the Masters.  Jason ranks inside the Top 50 in Strokes Gained: Putting, Scrambling, and Bogey Avoidance.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7800
9700

Harold has made the cut in seven straight events and his worst finish over that run was last week at the PGA Championship (48th).  He had three Top 10 finishes over those seven tournaments and another two Top 25s.  This will be his fourth trip to Colonial and has made the cut in back to back trips.  He ranks Top 20 in Birdie Average and Strokes Gained: Around the Green and also Top 60 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, and Scoring Average.  I love his price tag for both cash and GPPs.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7700
9900

I think this is the first time Justin has made my playbook.  I feel like he’ll make for a sneaky play this weekend.  He has back to back Top 15 finishes including last week’s PGA Championship.  Rose won the 2018 edition of this event and finished third in 2020.  He has never missed the cut in six previous trips to Colonial.  This is a purely veteran play, he knows this course and is good enough to make the leaderboard against this field.

Game Type: GPP
G
7500
9700

Maverick has missed just one cut since the Shriners which is over 16 events.  Over those 15 pay days, 8 of them were finishes of Top 30 or better.  No surprise that he is Top 55 on tour in Birdie Average, Scoring Average, Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Strokes Gained: Putting, and Strokes Gained: Total.  This will be Maverick’s fourth trip to Colonial and he has improved his finish in each of his three previous trips (20th last year).  I’d feel confident using him in both cash and GPPs.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7300
8500

Merritt is another one of my go-to value options when it comes to PGA DFS.  He brings you pretty consistent ball striking which is all you can ask from a lower tier play.  He has made the cut in seven straight non team events including last week’s PGA Championship.  He ranks 12th in Scrambling, 20th in Strokes Gained: Putting, and 33rd in Scoring Average.  Merritt has made three previous trips to Colonial with two made cuts.  He finished 17th in 2016 and 7th in 2021.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7200
8100

It should not shock anymore that Poulter missed the cut at the PGA Championship when you look at the dimensions of that course.  When you look at Colonial, you should know why I’m putting him in my playbook.  He has made eight previous trips to the Charles Schwab with three Top 10 finishes including just last year.  The 46-year-old fits the mold for success on this track accuracy and ability to get the ball up and down better than most anyone in the field.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
6900
8600

Inconsistency has been his problem, especially over the last month of the season.  I will not ignore him when it comes to a shorter course because that’s where he’s had the most success in his career.  Recently he’s had a 12th at the Heritage and a 15th in Mexico.  Long has made three previous trips to Colonial with two Top 20 finishes, which shouldn’t surprise anyone.  He ranks Top 20 in Strokes Gained: Putting and Top 50 in Driving Accuracy.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
6800
8200

There are curtain courses that I’ll play Kevin and here’s another one.  While he doesn’t have a perfect record here, it is solid especially when you are looking in this price range.  Kevin has made the cut at this event in four of his last five trips with two Top 20 finishes.  He has also made the cut in five of his last seven starts with a 7th at the Valspar and 18th at the Valero.  Streelman has always been one of the most accurate off the tee (6th), but he’s also ranked Top 55 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.  Kevin’s one of those guys you can trust to make the cut and hopefully spike on the weekend. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
6700
8200

Lucas Glover is an ideal fit for this course.  He ranks Top 20 in Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation but does struggle on and around the greens.  Despite those issues, he finished Top 10 at this event last year and Top 25 the year before.  He also finished Top 25 at the PGA Championship last weekend.  Glover has only missed three cuts in non partner events in his 13 starts in 2022.

Game Type: GPP
G
6000
7300

Ok, I know that Streb is not a good player.  There is a reason that he’s listed at just $6,000, the minimum price on DraftKings.  I will put him in my playbook as my deep dive of the week because he’s made the cut at this event in six straight trips with a Top 20 finish in 2015.  He did finish Top 10 at the Valspar in mid-March amongst a lot of missed cuts.  Obviously, this is a GPP play only.  

Game Type: GPP