PGA DFS Playbook: The Memorial

While Jon Rahm is the story of the week with his revenge narrative, I’m going to let everyone else pay that price tag.  I’d rather pay down for the two time winner and another two Top 10 finishes.  His only start in the month of May was a missed cut at the PGA Championship but he should ramp up his play as the U.S. Open approaches.  The 7 time winner on the PGA Tour ranks 4th in Birdie Average and Top 35 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Around the Green, Tee to Green and Scoring Average. 

Just as steady as he goes, he just keeps racking up those Top 20 finishes.  The latest coming at the PGA Championship following his 5th at the Byron Nelson and win at the Zurich with good buddy Patrick Cantlay.  He currently ranks Top 30 in Scrambling, Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Greens in Regulation and Strokes Gained: Tee to Green.  You know what you’re going to get with the X-man, great ball striking and consistency on and around the greens. 

It should surprise no one that he missed the cut at the Charles Schwab.  He was coming off of a heartbreaking loss at the PGA Championship.  The healing has begun and I could see him making a statement this weekend.  In his last six starts, he’s got four Top 10 finishes and two missed cuts.  Will ranks number one on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, and Top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Strokes Gained: Approach and Greens in Regulation.  He missed the cut in his first trip to Muirfield but it isn’t going to stop me because I actually think you’ll get him at a depressed ownership.  

There are few guys hotter in the world than Matt Fitzpatrick.  The fact that he still doesn’t have a win on the PGA Tour astounds me.  Just look at his last 10 finishes, 6th-10th-9th-MC-5th-18th-14th-MC-2nd-5th.  You aren’t going to find a better player across the board with his statistics.  He is 29th or better in every strokes gained category including first on the PGA Tour in Total.  Matt is also 4th in scoring average and 7th in sand saves.  Finished 3rd at this event in 2020 but missed the cut last year.  He should be a staple in your lineups at his price point.

I’m actually upset that he made his run at the PGA Championship a few weeks ago because he’s no longer under the radar.  He’s got three straight Top 3 finishes coming into this weekend in Ohio.  The son of a PGA professional has proven his worth from the tee box to the putting greens.  Young ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 8th in Driving Distance, 5th in Birdie Average, 7th in Scoring Average, 14th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green.  This 24 year old is on the verge of breaking through and you should ride him while he’s hot.

I guess Riley was upset after ending his streak of three straight Top 10 finishes with a 13th at the PGA Championship.  He bounced back with a Top 5 at the Charles Schwab last weekend.  This 25-year-old out of Alabama is playing fantastic.  He ranks Top 50 in Driving Distance, Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Strokes Gained: Putting, Birdie Average and Scoring Average.  Riley has proven to be course proof over the last month of the PGA Tour season, fire him up and move on. 

Conners made seven straight cuts with four Top 12 finishes before going home early at the PGA Championship.  While he doesn’t have a high finish at the Memorial, Corey hasn’t missed the cut in four trips.  That shouldn’t shock knowing that this course rewards ball striking and attacking greens.  He ranks Top 30 in Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Tee to Green, Greens in Regulation, and Scoring Average.  Putting has always been his Achilles heel which is why he hasn’t scored a Top 30 at this event, but he’s had one of his best seasons on the greens this year.

You know what you get when you roster Keegan Bradley.  It will be a roller coaster ride but sometimes it can pay off in a big way.  He has four Top 10 finishes in his last seven starts on the PGA Tour.  You can’t get much hotter than that but you just know this will be the week that he cools off.  Bradley has very mixed results at Muirfield but does have two Top 10 finishes.  He currently ranks Top 50 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach, Around the Green, Tee to Green, Driving Distance, Birdie Average, and Scoring Average.  I’d save him for your GPPs. 

Power started 2022 on fire with two Top 10s and two Top 15 finishes followed by three straight missed cuts.  It looks like he’s gotten things back on track with back to back cuts made including a Top 10 finish at the PGA Championship.  He ranks inside the Top 25 in Greens in Regulation, Birdie Average, Scoring Average, Strokes Gained: Putting and FedEx Cup Points.  He is also Top 15 in Scrambling which I’ve spoken about how important it is this weekend.  This will be his first trip to the Memorial but don’t let that hold you back from throwing him into your GPPs. 

I know he hasn’t scored a Top 10 finish since the Tour Championship but the price tag is just too juicy to pass up.  When you see a talent like him under $8,000, it is almost like a must play in tournaments.  He knows this course and won here back in 2018.  We all know what he brings to the table, so roster him if you feel comfortable.  

It’s been a career start to Kirk’s season.  Before his missed cut at THE PLAYERS, he finished 14th, 7th and 5th in his three previous starts.  He has added a Top 5 at the PGA Championship and Top 15 at the Charles Schwab.  Kirk has mixed results at the Memorial but has a 4th and two finishes of 26th or better.  He ranks Top 10 in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and Tee to Green.  He also sits Top 35 in Scoring Average, Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Approach.  Despite his mixed results at Muirfield, I’d still feel alright playing him in cash and tournaments. 

The fact that I am putting him in my playbook this weekend proves that any type of golfer can win.  Noren has hit a rough patch missing the cut in two of his last three starts.  He has made the cut in two of his last three trips to the Memorial including a Top 15 last year.  He’s one of the best course managers in the world, ranking Top 15 in Scrambling.  He will never wow you off the tee but he makes up for it in other ways from his ball striking to his touch around the greens.  He is almost always overlooked in daily fantasy golf.

When you look at his record this season, it has been very up and down but when he makes the cut, he has finished strong.  He has finishes of 5th at the Honda, 5th at the Arnold Palmer, 21st at the Valspar, and 8th at the Valero recently.  Gary also has an excellent record at the Memorial making the cut in six of his last seven trips with two Top 5 finishes.  He ranks Top 18 in Driving Distance which is why he’s been successful on this big track.  He’s also Top 60 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Putting, Tee to Green, and Scoring Average.  He can be helpful in cash or tournaments this weekend.

Alex has had a tough run this season but things seem to be improving over the last three weeks making the cut in two of those tournaments.  Those made cuts have resulted in a Top 10 and Top 30 finish.  He ranks Top 50 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Driving Distance, and Greens in Regulation.  One of the young big hitters on the tour and actually keeps it on the fairway the majority of the time.  When looking in this $6,000 range, it’s hard to find consistency but you can find raw talent like this kid.   

While a 35th place is not fantastic, the price tag you paid for him last weekend made him way exceed his value.  He has made the cut in four of his last six starts including two Top 15 finishes.  I will say those high finishes were on shorter courses but the length didn’t stop him from finishing 26th in last year’s Memorial.  This former Duke Blue Devil ranks 21st in Scrambling, 22nd in Strokes Gained: Putting, 54th in Scoring Average, and 55th in Driving Accuracy.  Again, you aren’t going to find a lot of quality in this price tag, you gotta take what you can get.  

This veteran is having a nice run over the last three months.  He has made the cut in six straight starts including a Top 10 at the PGA Championship and a 4th at the Zurich with his Keegan Bradley.  You are not going to find much better success at the Memorial in the $6,000 range than Brendan.  He’s made the cut seven straight times and finished Top 15 in 2020.  This 39 year old can still give the ball a good poke with the driver ranking 8th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.  The ball striking has also been top tier, ranking 50th or better in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, Driving Distance, Scrambling and Greens in Regulation.  I’d play him in cash or tournaments this weekend.