DFS PGA PLAYBOOK - THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Updated With Weekend Lineups!!!

Before we get to the golf, I want to start by congratulating Drew Phelps and his wife on the birth of their son. While Drew takes some much-needed family time, I am thrilled to bring to you the Open Championship PGA DFS Playbook. Hopefully, when he sees who I took as the one-and-done pick this week, he still invites me back the next time he needs a pinch hitter. I’m sure there is no truth to the rumor (that I started) that Drew skipped this Playbook because he didn’t want to have to sort through all of the competing forces at play for The Open.

When he won the U.S. Open, Brooks Koepka became the seventh consecutive first-time major winner. Most of those first-timers have been quite experienced, even though the sport as a whole seems flooded with young players winning at every turn—most recently Bryson DeChambeau at the John Deere Classic.

On the other hand, it has taken experience to win The Open. The average age of the last five winners is 38 years old, and that includes Rory McIlroy winning in 2014. Yet another factor to consider: The Open has been held at Royal Birkdale, this year’s venue, nine times. Of the nine winners, only Ian Baker-Finch is not a World Golf Hall of Famer. That would seem to indicate the winner will likely come from the cream of the crop, and the run of first-time winners could be over.

The problem with that is all of the top players enter the tournament with huge question marks. Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day are coming off back-to-back missed cuts.  Henrik Stenson has missed the cut at both of the year’s majors and said basically said he doesn’t think he can contend at The Open based on the way he is playing. Phil Mickelson enters the week without his longtime caddie, without playing in the Scottish Open as he normally does and without his driver. Jordan Spieth has finished better than 30^th just once at The Open. Jon Rahm finished 59^th at his only Open last year. And yet, nobody would be surprised if any of those players won this tournament.

Royal Birkdale should play tougher than the last few Open Championships, though the weather is not expected to be as punishing as the last time it hosted, in 2008. Padraig Harrington won that edition at +3, and while the winning score will probably be under par this time around, it almost certainly won’t be -20, which is where Henrik Stenson finished last year at Royal Troon.

Birkdale is a par 70, and there will be a premium in hitting the ball low and straight. Par will be a good score on most holes, and if you can mostly stay out of trouble, you will likely be in contention on Sunday. 

Post-Cut GPP Lineups:

Zach Johnson $7,700

Gary Woodland $7,400

Steve Stricker $7,600

Justin Rose $9,200

Rickie Fowler $9,500

Matt Kuchar $8,600

Sergio Garcia $9,400

Hideki Matsuyama $9,000

Brooks Koepka $8,900

Gary Woodland $7,400

Webb Simpson $7,300

Daniel Berger $7,700

Pre-Cut DFS PGA PLAYBOOK:

 OPTIMAL LINEUPS:

ONE & DONE PLAY: