DFS Picks for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open

When filling out a DraftKings lineup (use promo code SGP), picking among the favorites is a fairly safe proposition. It’s when you have to choose between a pool of golfers down the line is where you make or break your chance to win big.

Here’s the critical decisions you’ll face as you fill out your lineup for the RBC Canadian Open (values courtesy of DraftKings).

Golfers Valued $8,000-$8,900

Bubba Watson – $8,900
Jim Furyk – $8,800
Shane Lowry – $8,600
Keegan Bradley – $8,500
Bud Cauley – $8,400
Adam Hadwin – $8,300
Ryan Palmer – $8,200
Austin Cook – $8,100
Lucas Bjerregaard – $8,000
Daniel Berger – $8,000

It had to have been an emotional return to Murifield Village for Bud Cauley, who was involved in an accident in Columbus last year that left him in the hospital. Last weekend he was superb, finishing T9 and gaining 1.5 strokes on the field tee-to-green per round. That extended his streak of good ball striking, as over his last five stroke play measured tournaments he’s gained just under 1.4 shots per round on the field tee-to-green. While he’s not the longest hitter off the tee (an important metric this week at Hamilton Golf and Country Club), his recent form is too good to ignore.

Ryan Palmer checks a lot of boxes of the type of player to target for this tournament. While not as long as he used to be in comparison to the field, his average driving distance of just under 297/drive is more than adequate. He’s hit his irons well this year, ranking 29th in Strokes Gained – Approach on the PGA Tour and gaining strokes on the field in that category in 13 of his last 22 rounds. He also has hit greens in regulation at a high rate this year, ranking 11th on the PGA Tour. Where he’s struggled is around the greens and if his ball striking is a little off then he’ll struggle to get up and down for par. But given all the other positive attributes about him, he’s worth considering for a DFS lineup.

Lucas Bjerregaard will be a boom or bust play in DFS this week. At his best, he’s a long and elite ball-striker capable of solid performances such as in both majors, the WGC Match Play and the Honda Classic. At his worst, he’s not just missing cuts on the PGA Tour, but missing it badly and posting dreadful statistics for the tournament. The stats on him are ugly, but he has the pieces to put up a good performance on this golf course. If you’re looking for a bit of a contrarian play in this group of players, this is your man.

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Golfers Valued $7,500-$7,900

Sungjae Im – $7,900
Jimmy Walker – $7,900
Jonas Blixt – $7,800
Erik Van Rooyen – $7,800
Aaron Wise – $7,800
Kevin Tway – $7,700
Alex Noren – $7,700
Joaquin Niemann – $7,700
J.B. Holmes – $7,600
Brian Harman – $7,600
Zach Johnson – $7,600
Graeme McDowell – $7,600
Russell Henley – $7,500
Corey Conners – $7,500
Mackenzie Hughes – $7,500
Nick Watney – $7,500

Erik Van Rooyen’s missed cut at the Made In Denmark threw some cold water on his recent hot play. Before that, he had four Top 15 finishes in his last five starts, including a T8 at Bethpage Black where longer hitters off the tee had an advantage for the week. That should once again be a prevailing theme at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, so if he can shake off the MC he could be in line for another good finish.

Recommending Aaron Wise last week in the DFS column went very, very poorly, as he had a poor ball striking week and struggled on the greens at the Memorial. It’s a bit of a tough pill to swallow to go back to the well with him, but he’s a talented long hitter and before the Memorial he gained over 1.6 strokes per round on the field tee-to-green. Like Van Rooyen, if Wise can shake off the recent MC he could be a very nice fit for Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Many people forget that Nick Watney was once upon a time destined to be the next great young American golfer, as he had several strong performances in big time tournaments at the beginning of this decade. But his career was derailed by a back injury that robbed him of most of his prime. Now seemingly healthy, Watney is back to posting respectable statistics and finishes on the PGA Tour. He’s a player who’s long off the tee, hits his long approach shots well, hits a high percentage of greens in regulation and is a good scrambler. If he can find some success with his putter, that could be a recipe for a very nice performance at the RBC Canadian Open.

Bottom of the Barrel (Golfers <$7,500)

Trey Mullinax – $7,300: Hamilton Golf and Country Club seems like a golf course that’ll bring out the best of Mullinax. He’s one of the longest hitters on tour, he’s been very proficient tee-to-green on the PGA Tour this year and he hits greens at a very high rate. He’ll have to be better on and around the greens if he wants to make some noise on the weekend, but the strengths of his game should give him a leg up on the field this week.

Dylan Frittelli – $7,300: Frittelli had played very solid golf leading up to the PGA Championship, but he had a miserable performance and missed the cut at Bethpage Black. Still, the pieces are there for Fritteli to have a good weekend at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. He’s just long enough off the tee to have an advantage over the field this week, and he has been efficient tee-to-green this year on the PGA Tour. He should do enough to at least make the weekend and post a respectable finish.

Carlos Ortiz – $6,300: Here’s a hail mary for anyone who is extremely cash strapped at the end of their lineup. Ortiz has not been in good form as he’s missed the cut in four of his last five starts. Nevertheless, he possesses good length off the tee in comparison to the overall field this week, hits greens in regulation at a respectable rate and has been a good scrambler this year on the PGA Tour. He should only be used in an emergency situation, but if one is desperate with their budget he’s as good of an option at this price point in DFS this week.

Others to consider: Talor Gooch ($7,100), Harold Varner III ($7,100), Adam Schenk ($6,800), Sepp Straka ($6,800)