Slate Breakdown | PGA Championship
It's here! The major championship season has arrived. Shortly, the world's finest golfers will commence play at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Numerous intriguing narratives are expected this week as top golfers from global professional tours converge to vie for the esteemed Wannamaker trophy, the pinnacle prize in golf. This article will provide coverage on the tournament, the course, and the competing golfers this week. Additionally, it will highlight a few Reignmakers PGA TOUR targets to enhance your lineups. Let's delve in.
The Tournament
The 105th PGA Championship, once dubbed the "underdog" of major championships, has witnessed a resurgence in prestige and importance over recent years. This revival can largely be attributed to the selection of spectacular golf courses for the tournaments, culminating in thrilling competitions and restoring allure to the event. This now places the championship on equal footing with other major championships.
For DraftKings Reignmakers PGA TOUR players, the event is classified as a "deluxe" event, featuring a total prize pool of $350,000. The top prize of $10,000 is up for grabs at the ELITE, LEGENDARY, and REIGNMAKER tiers. However, those who managed to secure a LEGENDARY card via last week's auction have a chance to win $10,000 in a Gated Core contest. For collectors like myself and many others who meet the entry criteria, there are three additional gated contests, with the first and second prizes being experiences at the Travelers Championship (although for the LEGENDARY tier, only the first prize is awarded). Thus, if you reside in the Northeast and already plan to attend the tournament, this presents a unique opportunity to win a one-of-a-kind experience at a distinguished event. A travel stipend is also included, so if air travel is necessary, it should be adequately covered.
Having set the stage for the tournament, let's turn our attention to this week's host venue, the Oak Hill East Course.
The Course
A major championship golf course typically challenges all aspects of a golfer's game. Oak Hill Country Club is no exception, testing players with demanding tee shots, challenging approach shots, and complex greens. Spanning 7,400 yards and playing as a par 70, the course is exceptionally lengthy, ranking among the longest.
Up until today, with temperatures plunging to a frigid 40 degrees, the area had been experiencing unseasonably warm weather. This allowed the course to dry out, resulting in firmer, quicker conditions, which could potentially favor players who aren't reliant on carry distance off the tee.
Last 5 Winners & Winning Score
- 2022: Justin Thomas - Score: 7 under par
- 2021: Phil Mickelson - Score: 6 under par
- 2020: Collin Morikawa - Score: 13 under par
- 2019: Brooks Koepka - Score: 8 under par
- 2018: Brooks Koepka - Score: 16 under par
- 2017: Justin Thomas - Score: 8 under par
The Golfers
The professional golf world appears to be divided at present, with the LIV Tour gaining momentum and the PGA Tour consistently delivering a top-tier product. The inherent rivalry between the leagues is a compelling topic of conversation, even if the golfers themselves aren't particularly concerned.
For Reignmakers participants, this is inconsequential as currently, no LIV Golfer has a card. Additionally, three of the top 30 favorites for this week's event, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, and Jordan Spieth, have chosen not to participate in the game. However, there's no need for concern, as there is still a wealth of world-class golfers to select from, including Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler.
Their card prices have remained stable, if not increased, across several rarity tiers, while other high-quality golfers have seen their prices drop, in some instances, quite significantly. Consider Max Homa, for instance; approximately a month ago, his ELITE cards were trading around $800, but have now dropped to $320, a decrease of more than 50 percent, as he navigated a slump. However, after a promising performance at Wells Fargo, he could be on the brink of a comeback.
Let's identify a few more "Homas" to invest in over the coming weeks and potentially, throughout the season.
Three-Ball: 3 DraftKings Reignmakers PGA TOUR Targets
Find below a trio of options for this week's PGA Championship.
Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood is still vying for his maiden major, but is among the golfers one might expect to have already clinched such a title during his career. However, he has narrowly missed out on several occasions. He is entering this week on the heels of a stellar finish at the Wells Fargo Championship. He is also expected to compete in the upcoming weeks, having already registered for the Charles Schwab Challenge next week, and is likely to participate in the Memorial Tournament in three weeks. Given his solid performance, reasonable base prices, and good form, Fleetwood should be a prime mid-range target this week. Moreover, he is currently No. 51 in the FedEx Standings, so he will need a strong end to the season to reach the TOUR Championship.
Adam Scott
Adam Scott is among the few golfers competing this week who also played at this course back in 2013, securing a top 5 finish. A steadfast performer on the PGA TOUR for many years, Scott has experienced a resurgence in recent years, particularly with his putting. After a solid start at the Byron Nelson last week, he's expected to be a high utility player over the coming month. Scott is another excellent mid-range target with significant major championship potential.
Hideki Matsuyama
Hideki Matsuyama is indeed a gamble. The highly skilled champion from Japan has struggled with injuries throughout the year. However, when healthy, he's a contender to win any given week. Because of his injuries, he hasn't participated as frequently as he would have liked. Nevertheless, he should play three times in the next five weeks and looked decent in his tune up last week.
