GOLF

PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Memorial Tournament

For the second-to-last signature event this season, the PGA TOUR is hosting the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club (par 72, 7,568 yards, bentgrass greens) in Dublin, Ohio. This Jack Nicklaus-designed course has hosted every Memorial since the event was added to the PGA TOUR annual schedule in 1976 and Scottie Scheffler (-8) is the defending champion of the Memorial. Outside of Rory McIlroy, who opted to not compete this week, the Memorial features the PGA TOUR’s top players competing for a $20 million purse. This field consists of 72 golfers and after the first two rounds, the top 50 and ties and any player within 10 strokes of the lead will advance.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The Cliffs Notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member
 

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler ($13,300)

Like most tournaments, Scheffler is a cash game building block for the Memorial. Before winning this Signature Event last season, Scheffler had finished T3rd at the previous two Memorials. The world No. 1 is gaining a field-best 2.7 strokes per round at Muirfield Village, and Scheffler has finished first, first, and T4th in his last three starts. Plus, Scheffler ranks first in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with bentgrass greens and it’s not particularly close, as he leads the field by over one stroke. Scheffler is the heavy favorite to win the Memorial with short +280 outright odds and he is a ridiculous -165 favorite to finish inside the top five this weekend on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Patrick Cantlay ($9,500)

Cantlay is a two-time winner of the Memorial and he has finished inside the top 10 in five of his nine starts at Muirfield Village. The key to his success at Jack’s place is that Muirfield Village presents bentgrass putting surfaces, which are without question Cantlay’s preferred green type. Six of his eight PGA TOUR wins have come at venues that present bentgrass putting surfaces and Cantlay ranks third in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with bentgrass greens. Cantlay has produced six top-15 finishes in 11 starts this season and he should have one of his best performances of the season this week.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Si Woo Kim ($8,300)

Kim has finished T18 or better at Muirfield Village for five years in a row, most notably with a T4 in 2023. The 29-year-old returns to Jack’s place this week riding a five-made-cut streak and four of these finishes have top-20 results. This season, Kim has finished inside the top 25 in all five of his starts at signature events, and he ranks 14th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 12th in SG: Around-the-Green. Three of the last five winners at Muirfield Village have finished the week top three in both these major categories and Kim is a great target at this reasonable price tag. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Kim carries +4000 odds to win the Memorial, which are the same odds as Sepp Straka, who costs $500 more for DFS purposes.

Matthew Fitzpatrick ($8,000)

Fitzpatrick has made four straight cuts and he has improved in each start, peaking with a T8 at the PGA Championship his last time out. In the difficult conditions at Quail Hollow Club that week, Fitzpatrick gained strokes in every major category and he tallied two 3-under 68s. The Englishman’s game is ascending right now and Fitzpatrick brings high upside at an affordable cost in his return to Muirfield Village. In six starts at this par 72, Fitzpatrick has produced three top-10 finishes.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

J.J. Spaun ($7,500)

Spaun finished T30th at last year’s Memorial, but he should outdo himself with a much better result this time around. Sitting at a career-high No. 25 in the OWGR, Spaun is having the best season of his career. The 34-year-old finished T6th at last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge while gaining strokes across the board in the process, which is his sixth top-15 finish and 13th made cut in 14 starts this season. Spaun ranks 12th in Total Strokes Gained and fourth in SG: Approach this season, and he is a standout option at this low salary.

Adam Scott ($7,200)

Scott has a long history of succeeding at Muirfield Village. At the par 72, the Australian has only missed one cut in 15 starts and he has tallied seven finishes of T16 or better, including a runner-up in 2019. Among this field, Scott ranks 10th in Strokes Gained per round at Muirfield Village. The 44-year-old is coming off a T19 finish at the PGA Championship and he has made 8 of 10 cuts with three top-25 finishes this season. Scott purposely plays a lighter schedule nowadays to better prepare himself for majors and Signature Events, and his success at Muirfield Village should continue this week with a solid finish.

Rickie Fowler ($7,000)

Fowler has been great at Muirfield Village throughout his career. In 15 starts at the par 72, Fowler has made 10 cuts and carded six top-15 finishes, including two runner-up finishes. Fowler just finished T16th at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week, which is his second top-20 finish in his last three starts. The 36-year-old has only missed one cut in 11 starts this season and Fowler is a safe, cheap option for cash games this week.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code FL55. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Christian Bezuidenhout ($6,900)

Bezuidenhout has made four consecutive cuts and his most recent finish was a T16 at last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge. Bezuidenhout gained strokes in every major category at Colonial CC and he shot under par in all four of his rounds. Looking to carry this momentum over to Muirfield Village, Bezuidenhout is a steal at this sub-$7,000 salary. The South African has made 4 of 4 cuts at Muirfield Village and his best performance at this venue came just last season with a T4 finish.

Bud Cauley ($6,800)

Cauley finished T3rd at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week while gaining strokes across the board, which is his fourth finish of T6 or better in his last six starts. This season, Cauley has only missed one cut in 11 starts and he ranks ninth in total strokes. Still, he is only the 47th most expensive player on DraftKings this week. Cauley has made 6 of 7 cuts at Muirfield Village – including a T9 in 2019 – and he is the best value play available for the Memorial at only $6,800.

Matt Kuchar ($6,300)

Kuchar is a viable full punt for cash games this week. The savvy veteran has only missed one cut in nine starts this season with three finishes of T32 or better and at Muirfield Village, Kuchar has been outstanding, making 16 of 18 cuts with 10 top-15 finishes. Kuchar won by two shots at Muirfield Village in 2013 and he ranks seventh in Strokes Gained per round at the par 72 among this stacked field.

Interested in more PGA action? Check out the pick’ems on Underdog Fantasy with Underdog promo code LABS.

Pictured: Patrick Cantlay

Photo credit: Getty Images

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Shriners Children’s Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs THE CJ CUP in South Carolina Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP: Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP on DraftKings

For the second-to-last signature event this season, the PGA TOUR is hosting the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club (par 72, 7,568 yards, bentgrass greens) in Dublin, Ohio. This Jack Nicklaus-designed course has hosted every Memorial since the event was added to the PGA TOUR annual schedule in 1976 and Scottie Scheffler (-8) is the defending champion of the Memorial. Outside of Rory McIlroy, who opted to not compete this week, the Memorial features the PGA TOUR’s top players competing for a $20 million purse. This field consists of 72 golfers and after the first two rounds, the top 50 and ties and any player within 10 strokes of the lead will advance.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The Cliffs Notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member
 

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler ($13,300)

Like most tournaments, Scheffler is a cash game building block for the Memorial. Before winning this Signature Event last season, Scheffler had finished T3rd at the previous two Memorials. The world No. 1 is gaining a field-best 2.7 strokes per round at Muirfield Village, and Scheffler has finished first, first, and T4th in his last three starts. Plus, Scheffler ranks first in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with bentgrass greens and it’s not particularly close, as he leads the field by over one stroke. Scheffler is the heavy favorite to win the Memorial with short +280 outright odds and he is a ridiculous -165 favorite to finish inside the top five this weekend on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Patrick Cantlay ($9,500)

Cantlay is a two-time winner of the Memorial and he has finished inside the top 10 in five of his nine starts at Muirfield Village. The key to his success at Jack’s place is that Muirfield Village presents bentgrass putting surfaces, which are without question Cantlay’s preferred green type. Six of his eight PGA TOUR wins have come at venues that present bentgrass putting surfaces and Cantlay ranks third in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with bentgrass greens. Cantlay has produced six top-15 finishes in 11 starts this season and he should have one of his best performances of the season this week.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Si Woo Kim ($8,300)

Kim has finished T18 or better at Muirfield Village for five years in a row, most notably with a T4 in 2023. The 29-year-old returns to Jack’s place this week riding a five-made-cut streak and four of these finishes have top-20 results. This season, Kim has finished inside the top 25 in all five of his starts at signature events, and he ranks 14th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 12th in SG: Around-the-Green. Three of the last five winners at Muirfield Village have finished the week top three in both these major categories and Kim is a great target at this reasonable price tag. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Kim carries +4000 odds to win the Memorial, which are the same odds as Sepp Straka, who costs $500 more for DFS purposes.

Matthew Fitzpatrick ($8,000)

Fitzpatrick has made four straight cuts and he has improved in each start, peaking with a T8 at the PGA Championship his last time out. In the difficult conditions at Quail Hollow Club that week, Fitzpatrick gained strokes in every major category and he tallied two 3-under 68s. The Englishman’s game is ascending right now and Fitzpatrick brings high upside at an affordable cost in his return to Muirfield Village. In six starts at this par 72, Fitzpatrick has produced three top-10 finishes.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

J.J. Spaun ($7,500)

Spaun finished T30th at last year’s Memorial, but he should outdo himself with a much better result this time around. Sitting at a career-high No. 25 in the OWGR, Spaun is having the best season of his career. The 34-year-old finished T6th at last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge while gaining strokes across the board in the process, which is his sixth top-15 finish and 13th made cut in 14 starts this season. Spaun ranks 12th in Total Strokes Gained and fourth in SG: Approach this season, and he is a standout option at this low salary.

Adam Scott ($7,200)

Scott has a long history of succeeding at Muirfield Village. At the par 72, the Australian has only missed one cut in 15 starts and he has tallied seven finishes of T16 or better, including a runner-up in 2019. Among this field, Scott ranks 10th in Strokes Gained per round at Muirfield Village. The 44-year-old is coming off a T19 finish at the PGA Championship and he has made 8 of 10 cuts with three top-25 finishes this season. Scott purposely plays a lighter schedule nowadays to better prepare himself for majors and Signature Events, and his success at Muirfield Village should continue this week with a solid finish.

Rickie Fowler ($7,000)

Fowler has been great at Muirfield Village throughout his career. In 15 starts at the par 72, Fowler has made 10 cuts and carded six top-15 finishes, including two runner-up finishes. Fowler just finished T16th at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week, which is his second top-20 finish in his last three starts. The 36-year-old has only missed one cut in 11 starts this season and Fowler is a safe, cheap option for cash games this week.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code FL55. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Christian Bezuidenhout ($6,900)

Bezuidenhout has made four consecutive cuts and his most recent finish was a T16 at last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge. Bezuidenhout gained strokes in every major category at Colonial CC and he shot under par in all four of his rounds. Looking to carry this momentum over to Muirfield Village, Bezuidenhout is a steal at this sub-$7,000 salary. The South African has made 4 of 4 cuts at Muirfield Village and his best performance at this venue came just last season with a T4 finish.

Bud Cauley ($6,800)

Cauley finished T3rd at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week while gaining strokes across the board, which is his fourth finish of T6 or better in his last six starts. This season, Cauley has only missed one cut in 11 starts and he ranks ninth in total strokes. Still, he is only the 47th most expensive player on DraftKings this week. Cauley has made 6 of 7 cuts at Muirfield Village – including a T9 in 2019 – and he is the best value play available for the Memorial at only $6,800.

Matt Kuchar ($6,300)

Kuchar is a viable full punt for cash games this week. The savvy veteran has only missed one cut in nine starts this season with three finishes of T32 or better and at Muirfield Village, Kuchar has been outstanding, making 16 of 18 cuts with 10 top-15 finishes. Kuchar won by two shots at Muirfield Village in 2013 and he ranks seventh in Strokes Gained per round at the par 72 among this stacked field.

Interested in more PGA action? Check out the pick’ems on Underdog Fantasy with Underdog promo code LABS.

Pictured: Patrick Cantlay

Photo credit: Getty Images

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Shriners Children’s Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs THE CJ CUP in South Carolina Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP: Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP on DraftKings

About the Author

Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player who produces NFL and NBA content for FantasyLabs. He has been playing DFS for nearly a decade, dating back to the DraftStreet days and has been in the fantasy/betting content business for over eight years. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has contributed content for some of the biggest outlets in the industry, such as DraftKings Network, Stokastic (formerly Awesemo) and RotoWire, covering NBA, NFL and PGA. Alex is a data-driven analyst that has multiple wins and high finishes in GPPs on his DFS resume, as well as years of being a successful cash-game player. If you have any questions or need any lineup advice, Alex can be found @Hunta512 on Twitter.