Hideki Matsuyama (-16) ran away with the WGC- Bridgestone Inviataitonal winning by five shots and tying a course record with a final-round 61. He eagled the second hole on Sunday and never looked back.
Anyways, I'll be looking to get back on top the PGA Expert leaderboard providing you with my DraftKings PGA DFS lineup picks for the PGA Championship. My goal as always is to help put together your optimal daily fantasy golf lineups.
If anyone has lineup questions before the start of the tournament Thursday morning, feel free to contact me via Twitter @Seth_Fink.
Reviewing Last Week's Pick
Dustin Johnson ($11,800): T-17, 3-under. I thought he was fully back and would win.
Jason Day ($9,400): T-24, 2-under. Couldn't capitalize on his second round 66.
Daniel Berger ($8,300): T-17, 3-under.
Marc Leishman ($8,000): T-41, 3-over.
Gary Woodland ($7,500): T-63, 8-over.
Kevin Chappell ($7,500): T-13, 4-under. Chappell looked great and I really like him this week. More on him below.
Brendan Steele ($6,700): T-24, 2-under.
PGA Championship
The final major is here and did it come upon us quickly. It felt like yesterday when Sergio Garcia was donning the green jacket at Augusta. The golf season went by so fast, and this is the last time casual fans will pay attention because NFL preseason kicks off Wednesday night and that's it. Football will take over America and golf will be forgotten until next year's Masters. While many average fans diss the PGA Championship for being the fourth major and because it doesn't feel like a major, it is STILL a major. If you win this tournament, you are a MAJOR tournament winner. Perhaps the PGA Championship moving back to May will garner more interest and people will respect it. I sure hope so.
Quail Hollow, which has hosted the Wells Fargo Championship and Wachovia Championship, will host the PGA Championship. The course is a par 71, 35-36, playing to 7,600 with four par 3's, three par 5's, and 11 par 4's. This will be the first ever major Quail Hollow will host and they are surely excited with the major renovations the course undertook. The first five holes are completely different; the first two holes have been combined into one hole, a 540-yard par 4, making it the longest par 4 in major championship golf. The old third hole, has been changed to the second hole, a 452-yard par 4. The fourth hole is brand new, a par 3 and the fifth hole has been changed a ton. For a complete hole-by-hole rundown, click here. The grass is also brand new; Champion Ultradwarf Bermudagrass, while thousands of trees have also been cut down and removed. The last three holes are still the same making one of the most dramatic finishes in golf known as the Green Mile. I can write about it, but this video is much much better.
I will be looking at driving distance because the course is enormous, par 4 efficiency 450-500 yards, and strokes gained: approach because of the long approach shots many players will face.
Fantasy Golf Lineup Picks for DraftKings (PGA DFS)
High-Cost Players
Jordan Spieth ($12,000) is the highest-priced player and is looking to become the youngest player ever to complete the grand slam. This will be his only chance to do so. He can't be counted out, but his price is too high and I guarantee he will be at least 25% owned. Not worth it. Unless he wins that is.
Rory McIlroy ($11,800)
*European Tour* Driving Distance: 7 (European Tour does not provide other two stats)
This has been one tumultuous season for McIlroy from changing clubs and firing his caddy that it would be fitting for Rory to end the year with a major win. He loves playing on this course; five straight top 10's and two wins. He was fifth last week at Firestone and fourth at The Open so he's in perfect form. He was driving the ball beautifully last week so all signs are pointing to another top-five finish for McIlroy. That's if he can execute and stay out of his own head.
Rickie Fowler ($10,700)
Driving Distance: 32 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 8 Strokes Gained: Approach: 14
Fowler had his chance to win his first major at Erin Hills this year, but couldn't convert on Sunday. He finished fourth here last year at the Wells Fargo and won in 2012. He's been on a tear of late; five straight top 25's including four top 10's, and fresh off a 9th place finish at Bridgestone last week.
Justin Rose ($9,000)
Driving Distance: 39 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 42 Strokes Gained: Approach: 97
Rosey's price seems a little too low. He finished 3rd at the Wells Fargo last year and 5th in 2014. He has not had a good last two outings with a T-54 at The Open and T-63 last week at Bridgestone, but Rose is a veteran major winner who can turn it around at any moment.
Middle-Cost Players
Matt Kuchar ($8,800)
Driving Distance: 154 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 24 Strokes Gained: Approach: 88
I wanted Kuchar to win so badly at The Open. Not because I picked him, but because he is 39-years-old and he's never won a major. You don't get many chances like that to win a major especially when your age gets up there. Can Kuchar rebound after an incredible performance at The Open? I sure hope so and I think he has an outside chance to win the PGA. He has not played here since 2010 and he's not a long player but I'll take my chances on the seasoned veteran. He has not missed a cut since the Shell Houston Open, which was the week before The Masters, and has been playing nicely of late.
Daniel Berger ($7,700)
Driving Distance: 55 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 21 Strokes Gained: Approach: 6
I picked him last week and wrote he, "but now has the chance to play with the big boys on a huge stage and prove he belongs." He did just that finishing T-17. Berger has competed at the Wells Fargo twice placing 28th and 17th the past two years. He's been cut one time since The Houston Open in late March.
Charley Hoffman ($7,600)
Driving Distance: 50 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 25 Strokes Gained: Approach: 67
Hoffman has been having an incredible year and has been near the top of the leaderboard in all three majors thus far; T-22 at The Masters, 8th at U.S. Open, and T-20 at The Open. He has not competed at Quail Hollow since 2011, but finished 2nd at the Canadian Open and 3rd last week at Bridgestone. This could be his chance to win his first major.
J.B. Holmes ($7,400)
Driving Distance: 15 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 88 Strokes Gained: Approach: 103
He won the Wells Fargo back in 2014 and has not missed a cut in the past seven tournaments. Holmes can bomb the ball evidenced by his 12th place finish at the U.S. Open on what was a bombers course.
Brendan Steele ($7,300)
Driving Distance: 33 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 120 Strokes Gained: Approach: 36
I chose him last week and he didn't disappoint finishing T-24. He's played at the Wells Fargo the last six years only missing one cut and placing 9th in 2015 and 14th last year.
Low-Cost Players
Tony Finau ($7,000)
Driving Distance: 6 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 84 Strokes Gained: Approach: 30
Finau can pound the ball as his driving distance rank shows. He's been playing great of late with a T-5 at the Canadian Open, T-27 at The Open, and T-7 at the Greenbrier. He's competed here the past two years finishing 16th and 28th.
Kevin Chappell ($7,000)
Driving Distance: 23 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 84 Strokes Gained: Approach: 31
Chappell has made five straight cuts at the Wells Fargo, only missing the cut his first time competing at that event in 2011. After missing cuts at the Quicken Loans and The Open, he's rebounded with a T-8 at the Canadian Open and T-13 last week at the Bridgestone.
Lee Westwood ($6,900)
*European Tour* Driving Distance: 13 (European Tour does not provide other two stats)
Here's another player who I really hope wins a major before his career ends. He's always been right there at so many majors and usually has a very solid first round before a bad second round. Westwood has had a 4th and 5th place finish at the Wells Fargo back in 2012 and 2013.
Gary Woodland ($6,700)
Driving Distance: 14 Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 yards: 40 Strokes Gained: Approach: 21
He was awful last week, but his stats and past performance– 6-for-6 in cuts made and a 4th place finish– at the Wells Fargo make him a great sleeper.
Best of luck!