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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the PGA Championship

The PGA Championship will be played at Quail Hollow Club (par 71, 7,625 yards, POA trivialis greens) in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week, which is the second of four major championships this season. Except in 2017, 2020 and 2022, Quail Hollow Club has hosted every Wells Fargo Championship since 2003. Furthermore, this par 71 hosted the 2017 PGA Championship that was won by Justin Thomas (-8). Xander Schauffele (-21) won last year’s PGA Championship and Rory McIlroy (-15) is the last player to win at Quail Hollow, after winning the Wells Fargo Championship last year. There will be 156 golfers competing at the PGA Championship this week and there will be a top-70-and-ties cut following the first two rounds.

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
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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

Rory McIlroy ($12,200)

McIlroy is having arguably the best season of his career and he boasts an unmatched resume at Quail Hollow. In eight starts this season, McIlroy has won three times, including his win at the Masters last month to complete the career grand slam. The Irishman leads the FedEx Cup standings this season and at Quail Hollow, McIlroy has notably won four times, including a five-shot victory just last season. The 36-year-old has finished inside the top 10 nine times in 13 starts at the par 71 and when we compare this field’s histories at Quail Hollow, McIlroy ranks first in strokes gained per round by a mile. McIlroy is the best bet to win this major and building around him for cash games is a no-brainer.

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

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Justin Thomas ($9,900)

Thomas is a two-time winner of the PGA Championship and his first victory at this major came at Quail Hollow in 2017, when he won by two strokes. Thomas has finished inside the top 25 in five of his seven starts at Quail Hollow and ranks fourth in strokes gained per round at the course among this week’s field. Plus, Thomas enters this week’s PGA Championship in incredible form. After winning the RBC Heritage, Thomas finished runner-up at the Truist Championship last week, both of which are Signature Events that feature the PGA TOUR’s best players competing for a $20 million purse. Thomas has produced six top-10 finishes in 11 starts this season and he ranks third in Total Strokes Gained. Thomas warranted a $10K salary this week and he is a great target at $9,900.

Tommy Fleetwood ($9,100)

Fleetwood has finished inside the top 15 in three of his five starts at Quail Hollow and he has finished T7th at the RBC Heritage and T4th at the Truist Championship in his last two starts, while gaining strokes in every major category at both these Signature Events. The Englishman has finished T16 or better in six of his nine starts this season and his ball striking has been his calling card, with Fleetwood ranking 13th in SG: Approach. Each of the last four winners at Quail Hollow has finished the week top-12 in SG: Approach and Fleetwood is a very safe investment for a top-20 finish this week.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Corey Conners ($8,300)

Conners has been one of the most reliable players on the PGA TOUR this season, with eight top-20 finishes in 12 starts, including a T11 at the Truist Championship just last week. The Canadian has gained strokes on approach at seven straight tournaments and he has finished T8th and T13th in his last two starts at Quail Hollow. Conners was just priced up to $9,800 on DraftKings for the RBC Heritage in his second-to-last start, which also features a world-class field, and he is a tough fade for cash games at this reasonable $8,300 salary.

Sepp Straka ($8,000)

Straka won last week’s Truist Championship, which is his second win and 10th top-15 finish in 14 starts this season. The Austrian ranks second only to McIlroy in the FedEx Cup standings and Straka ranks second in SG: Approach this season. Straka finished T8th at Quail Hollow last season and playing the best golf of his career this time around, he could contend and is a steal at this $8,000 price tag. Straka currently sits at a career-best No. 9 in the world golf rankings, which is a big upgrade from the No. 25 spot he held when he competed at Quail Hollow a year ago.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Daniel Berger ($7,900)

Berger’s salary has dropped $700 since last week’s Truist Championship, despite the veteran finishing T11th at the Signature Event. This performance comes after Berger finished T3rd at the RBC Heritage and he has impressively finished inside the top 30 in 10 of his 12 starts this season. Berger ranks ninth in Total Strokes Gained this season and the former top-12 ranked player in the world has made 4 of 5 cuts at Quail Hollow, with two of these finishes being top-30 results. Berger being this cheap is inexcusable and he is a cash game staple for this major.

Si Woo Kim ($7,700)

Kim has made 3 of 4 cuts at Quail Hollow – including a T16 last season – and the four-time PGA TOUR winner is in terrific form right now, finishing T8th, T15th, and T17th in his last three starts. Two of these finishes came at Signature Events and Kim has shot under par in 10 of these past 12 rounds. Kim ranks first in par 5 performance, 15th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 30th in SG: Off-the-Tee this season. His strong skills with his driver give Kim great upside at the long Quail Hollow, where being efficient off the tee is an advantage. During McIlroy’s win at this par 71 last year, he led his field in SG: Off-the-Tee.

Keegan Bradley ($7,200)

Bradley is a previous PGA Championship winner who has made five of his last six cuts at Quail Hollow, including two top-25 finishes. Also, the veteran is having a stellar season, with seven top-30 finishes and 11 made cuts in 12 starts. Bradley ranks ninth in SG: Tee-to-Green and he is an elite value play at only $7,200.

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

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

J.J. Spaun ($6,700)

On the heels of a T17 at the Truist Championship last week, Spaun has carded six top-30 finishes in 12 starts this season and he has only missed one cut. Spaun ranks sixth in SG: Approach and 22nd in total driving this season, and he has finished T18th and T27th in his two starts at Quail Hollow. Spaun shot under par in five of these eight rounds and he ranks 16th in strokes gained per round at Quail Hollow among this field. Spaun has the potential for another top-30 at this track and he is a steal at this sub-$7,000 price tag.

Keith Mitchell ($6,200)

Mitchell is 4-for-4 in made cuts at Quail Hollow and he contended in two of these starts, with a T8 in 2019 and a T3 in 2021. Mitchell ranks ninth in strokes gained per round at Quail Hollow among this world class field and he is in awesome form. Mitchell has improved in each of his last three solo starts, finishing T18th, T12th, and T7th, in that order. That latter finish came among the stacked field at the Truist Championship last week and Mitchell has nearly gained strokes in every major category in each of these last three starts. The 33-year-old ranks 18th in Total Strokes Gained this season and Mitchell is an incredible punt play at this cheap salary that can be trusted in cash games.

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

Pictured: Corey Conners

Photo credit: Getty Images

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Genesis Invitational PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values Arnold Palmer Invitational Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for THE PLAYERS Championship

The PGA Championship will be played at Quail Hollow Club (par 71, 7,625 yards, POA trivialis greens) in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week, which is the second of four major championships this season. Except in 2017, 2020 and 2022, Quail Hollow Club has hosted every Wells Fargo Championship since 2003. Furthermore, this par 71 hosted the 2017 PGA Championship that was won by Justin Thomas (-8). Xander Schauffele (-21) won last year’s PGA Championship and Rory McIlroy (-15) is the last player to win at Quail Hollow, after winning the Wells Fargo Championship last year. There will be 156 golfers competing at the PGA Championship this week and there will be a top-70-and-ties cut following the first two rounds.

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

Rory McIlroy ($12,200)

McIlroy is having arguably the best season of his career and he boasts an unmatched resume at Quail Hollow. In eight starts this season, McIlroy has won three times, including his win at the Masters last month to complete the career grand slam. The Irishman leads the FedEx Cup standings this season and at Quail Hollow, McIlroy has notably won four times, including a five-shot victory just last season. The 36-year-old has finished inside the top 10 nine times in 13 starts at the par 71 and when we compare this field’s histories at Quail Hollow, McIlroy ranks first in strokes gained per round by a mile. McIlroy is the best bet to win this major and building around him for cash games is a no-brainer.

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

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Justin Thomas ($9,900)

Thomas is a two-time winner of the PGA Championship and his first victory at this major came at Quail Hollow in 2017, when he won by two strokes. Thomas has finished inside the top 25 in five of his seven starts at Quail Hollow and ranks fourth in strokes gained per round at the course among this week’s field. Plus, Thomas enters this week’s PGA Championship in incredible form. After winning the RBC Heritage, Thomas finished runner-up at the Truist Championship last week, both of which are Signature Events that feature the PGA TOUR’s best players competing for a $20 million purse. Thomas has produced six top-10 finishes in 11 starts this season and he ranks third in Total Strokes Gained. Thomas warranted a $10K salary this week and he is a great target at $9,900.

Tommy Fleetwood ($9,100)

Fleetwood has finished inside the top 15 in three of his five starts at Quail Hollow and he has finished T7th at the RBC Heritage and T4th at the Truist Championship in his last two starts, while gaining strokes in every major category at both these Signature Events. The Englishman has finished T16 or better in six of his nine starts this season and his ball striking has been his calling card, with Fleetwood ranking 13th in SG: Approach. Each of the last four winners at Quail Hollow has finished the week top-12 in SG: Approach and Fleetwood is a very safe investment for a top-20 finish this week.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Corey Conners ($8,300)

Conners has been one of the most reliable players on the PGA TOUR this season, with eight top-20 finishes in 12 starts, including a T11 at the Truist Championship just last week. The Canadian has gained strokes on approach at seven straight tournaments and he has finished T8th and T13th in his last two starts at Quail Hollow. Conners was just priced up to $9,800 on DraftKings for the RBC Heritage in his second-to-last start, which also features a world-class field, and he is a tough fade for cash games at this reasonable $8,300 salary.

Sepp Straka ($8,000)

Straka won last week’s Truist Championship, which is his second win and 10th top-15 finish in 14 starts this season. The Austrian ranks second only to McIlroy in the FedEx Cup standings and Straka ranks second in SG: Approach this season. Straka finished T8th at Quail Hollow last season and playing the best golf of his career this time around, he could contend and is a steal at this $8,000 price tag. Straka currently sits at a career-best No. 9 in the world golf rankings, which is a big upgrade from the No. 25 spot he held when he competed at Quail Hollow a year ago.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Daniel Berger ($7,900)

Berger’s salary has dropped $700 since last week’s Truist Championship, despite the veteran finishing T11th at the Signature Event. This performance comes after Berger finished T3rd at the RBC Heritage and he has impressively finished inside the top 30 in 10 of his 12 starts this season. Berger ranks ninth in Total Strokes Gained this season and the former top-12 ranked player in the world has made 4 of 5 cuts at Quail Hollow, with two of these finishes being top-30 results. Berger being this cheap is inexcusable and he is a cash game staple for this major.

Si Woo Kim ($7,700)

Kim has made 3 of 4 cuts at Quail Hollow – including a T16 last season – and the four-time PGA TOUR winner is in terrific form right now, finishing T8th, T15th, and T17th in his last three starts. Two of these finishes came at Signature Events and Kim has shot under par in 10 of these past 12 rounds. Kim ranks first in par 5 performance, 15th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 30th in SG: Off-the-Tee this season. His strong skills with his driver give Kim great upside at the long Quail Hollow, where being efficient off the tee is an advantage. During McIlroy’s win at this par 71 last year, he led his field in SG: Off-the-Tee.

Keegan Bradley ($7,200)

Bradley is a previous PGA Championship winner who has made five of his last six cuts at Quail Hollow, including two top-25 finishes. Also, the veteran is having a stellar season, with seven top-30 finishes and 11 made cuts in 12 starts. Bradley ranks ninth in SG: Tee-to-Green and he is an elite value play at only $7,200.

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

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

J.J. Spaun ($6,700)

On the heels of a T17 at the Truist Championship last week, Spaun has carded six top-30 finishes in 12 starts this season and he has only missed one cut. Spaun ranks sixth in SG: Approach and 22nd in total driving this season, and he has finished T18th and T27th in his two starts at Quail Hollow. Spaun shot under par in five of these eight rounds and he ranks 16th in strokes gained per round at Quail Hollow among this field. Spaun has the potential for another top-30 at this track and he is a steal at this sub-$7,000 price tag.

Keith Mitchell ($6,200)

Mitchell is 4-for-4 in made cuts at Quail Hollow and he contended in two of these starts, with a T8 in 2019 and a T3 in 2021. Mitchell ranks ninth in strokes gained per round at Quail Hollow among this world class field and he is in awesome form. Mitchell has improved in each of his last three solo starts, finishing T18th, T12th, and T7th, in that order. That latter finish came among the stacked field at the Truist Championship last week and Mitchell has nearly gained strokes in every major category in each of these last three starts. The 33-year-old ranks 18th in Total Strokes Gained this season and Mitchell is an incredible punt play at this cheap salary that can be trusted in cash games.

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

Pictured: Corey Conners

Photo credit: Getty Images

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Genesis Invitational PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values Arnold Palmer Invitational Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for THE PLAYERS Championship

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.