After the treacherous conditions (par wise) for PGA Tour golfers at the US Open last week, participants head to paradise this week. The Puntacana Resort & Club Championship will take place this week at Corales Golf Club in the Dominican Republic. The course is long, a Par 72 playing at 7,666 yards. Most of the world’s best golfers will take the week off, inflating the DFS salaries of mid- and lower-tier guys in this field. Here are five I’m picking for my rosters this week.
Mackenzie Hughes ($10,300 on DraftKings, $11,500 on FanDuel)
Before he missed the cut at the US Open, Hughes was on a roll. Not only did he card three consecutive top-15 finishes in the FedEx Playoffs, but Hughes also made nine straight cuts. He also enjoys good course history, finishing second last year at Corales.
Sam Burns ($10,100 on DK, $11,600 on FD)
Burns’ seventh-place finish at the Safeway Open two weeks ago represented his fifth top-30 finish in his past eight events. He ranked eighth in driving during the 2019-20 season, which will help on the long Corales track. He also finished in the top 30 in putting, which could prove important in the expected birdie fest.
Patrick Rodgers ($8,000 on DK, $9,300 on FD)
Rodgers shares two important traits with Burns: he drives it long and he putts well. Rodgers ranked 18th on the tour in driving last season, while ranking 11th in strokes gained putting. Rodgers has also been consistent, making six straight cuts. That bodes well for his chances of playing on the weekend at Corales.
Will Gordon ($7,600 on DK, $8,400 on FD)
Gordon ranked 17th in driving distance on tour last season. Sense a theme? But like the other golfers on this list, he doesn’t just hit it long – he also plays consistently. The young golfer made eight of 12 cuts last season (including in each of his final three events), and enjoyed two top 10s.
Akshay Bhatia ($6,900 on DK, $8,200 on FD)
To afford two golfers in the $10K range on DK, we’ve got to dip below $7,000 in salary somewhere else. Bhatia may be worth the spend. The 18-year-old may have missed the first seven cuts at the start of his career, but he tied for ninth at the Safeway Open, making him the youngest golfer in 12 years to finish in the top 10 of a tournament.
