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Welcome to the latest edition of the PGA DFS Hole-By-Hole Breakdown, where Josh Bennett (@JishSwish) breaks down the course the PGA Tour is playing each week. We think this course breakdown is an important slice of the "PGA DFS pie" and will help change the way you do your research for every tournament. A good understanding of the course that's being played is extremely important before diving into individual players. Each week, this article will give you everything you need to know about the course, strategies players could take, and statistics that fit the specifics of the layout.
This week's Breakdown features TPC River Highlands for the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship. There should be a lot of scoring this week, especially by the elite ball-strikers and iron players. Be sure to also read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS and betting articles to help you win big!
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TPC River Highlands: Par 70, 6852 Yards
Hole 1: Par 4, 434 Yards
Off the Tee: Starting off the round with a wide-open tee shot. There isn't much to this one. The fairway is wide and there is no trouble on either side of the fairway. Pretty simple, just swing away and go play it from wherever it ends up.
Approach: A short-iron or wedge for the field into a generously sized green. Bunkers protect the left side, otherwise nothing else is around to play defense. This should be a scoring hole for the field. Green Size: 20x35 yards
Advantage: Driving Distance, SG: Approach, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 2: Par 4, 341 Yards
Off The Tee: There are a few options off this tee. Longer hitters will choose to keep driver in hand and get the ball as close to the green as possible, while also taking most of the trees out of play. Average-length hitters may choose to lay up off the tee to stay short of narrowed fairway and trees while still leaving a wedge in.
Approach: Long hitters will have a short pitch into the green, others that laid up from the tee will have full wedge distances in. There's a small bunker on the left and a larger bunker on the front-right, but neither should be in play except for those going for the green off the tee. Another birdie hole here for the whole field. Green Size: 15x30 yards
Advantage: Driving Distance, SG: Approach, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 3: Par 4, 431 Yards
Off the Tee: Tee shot here needs to stay right so that the trees are not in the way, which means the bunkers on the right side of the fairway will be in play for everyone. The fairway starts to narrow right around the landing area, so an accurate tee shot will be important, but a short tee shot will leave a lot of length into the green so length is important as well.
Approach: A short-iron or wedge approach into another large green that has no protection. As long as the tee shot stays out of the bunkers, this will be a scoring hole for the whole field. This is a great chance for DFS players to rack up a three-in-a-row birdie bonus. Green Size: 25x30 yards
Advantage: Ball-Striking, SG: Approach, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 4: Par 4, 481 Yards
Off The Tee: The difficulty on this hole is the length. With average length, they should be able to cut a good chunk of this hole off by moving the ball left-to-right and over the right fairway bunker. Shorter hitters will struggle with this hole because they can't cut off the hole on the right side.
Approach: A long-iron approach for most, down to a mid-iron for longer hitters that cut the corner. The green is narrow, but only protected by a bunker on the left side. The closer the approach length the better on this hole to get the best chance at GIR. Green Size: 15x35 Yards
Advantage: Driving Distance, Ball-Striking, GIR, Scrambling
Hole 5: Par 3, 223 Yards
Approach: This is a long hole, but it's straightforward. The green is large and only protected on the front corners. GIR shouldn't be difficult, but avoiding 3 putts may be. Green Size: 25x35 Yards
Advantage: GIR, 3 Putt Avoidance
Hole 6: Par 5, 574 Yards
Off the Tee: Length on this tee shot will be important to remove tree issues on the right side, but the fairway is wide enough that it will be hard to miss. Length will also be important to make the green approachable on the second shot. If they aren't long off the tee, they will be forced to lay up between the many fairway bunkers to a wedge length they're comfortable with.
Approach: long hitters will hit fairway woods at this green, the rest will have approaches with wedges. Either way, the green is large and protected by a sliver of a bunker on the left side, so getting the ball on the green in regulation with a good look at birdie is highly likely. After a couple difficult holes, they're back to a birdie look for everyone. Green Size: 20x30 Yards
Advantage: Driving Distance, SG: Approach, Par 5 Scoring
Hole 7: Par 4, 443 Yards
Off The Tee: This is a tough tee shot and requires either accuracy or elite-level power. The bunkers on the right are in play for everyone because the fairway gets narrow near them, and it's important to stay out of those to get a good look at the green.
Approach: A mid-iron approach for most of the field to a green protected on the front-left and front-right by bunkers. Those bunkers are more likely in play from those having to hit out of the fairway bunkers, but they could be in play for others as well. Green Size: 20x30 Yards
Advantage: Ball-Striking, SG: Approach, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 8: Par 3, 202 Yards
Approach: A long approach to this green has to carry a small body of water and also avoid two bunkers on the left and right sides. This is another large green, so GIR should not be too difficult, but avoiding the three putts again will be important. Green Size: 20x35 Yards
Advantage: GIR, 3 Putt Avoidance
Hole 9: Par 4, 406 Yards
Off the Tee: The fairway takes a hard right turn at around the 270-yard mark, and anyone that can bend the ball left-to-right will have an advantage here. When the fairway turns, however, it gets narrow and has fairway bunkers in the way in the front and back from the direction the ball is going. Long hitters can get over the far right corner of the front bunker and eliminate the bunkers at the back/left. We should see many avoid this issue all-together and lay-up off the tee since they will still have a wedge into the green.
Approach: The whole field should have a wedge in hand going after this green. It's hardly protected by a bunker at the front-right and shouldn't be in play at all. As long as they avoid the fairway bunkers, this will be a birdie hole for the whole field. Green Size: 20x30 Yards
Advantage: Driving Distance, Ball-Striking, SG: Approach, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 10: Par 4, 462 Yards
Off the Tee: After they rack up birdies on the front 9 on some wide open holes, they start the back 9 with a narrow and difficult tee shot that also needs some length. A tree is also in the way at about 275 yards, so getting it past that is important. Elite length players will be able to take the trees out of play on the left side, and things open up a little more as well the further down the fairway they get.
Approach: A mid or long-iron approach to a small green compared to the green sizes throughout the rest of the course. The green is narrow and protected along the entire left side by a bunker. We should see bail-outs to the right side and see a lot of short game play on this hole due to the length of the approach. Green Size: 15x35 Yards
Advantage: Ball-Striking, GIR, Scrambling
Hole 11: Par 3, 158 Yards
Approach: This is one of the shorter par 3's they will see on Tour, and they should take advantage. A short-iron approach to a large green with a bunker protecting most of the front of the green. We should see plenty of birdies here. Green Size: 20x30 Yards
Advantage: SG: Approach, Par 3 Scoring
Hole 12: Par 4, 411 Yards
Off the Tee: Another tee shot that would suit an elite-level power hitter, otherwise accuracy will be important so they avoid bunkers and trees. With the trees and bunkers avoided, a short approach is left for an easy birdie chance.
Approach: Assuming trouble is avoided on both sides off the tee, a wedge approach is all that's left into this green that's well protected by bunkers on both the left and right sides, but with wedges they shouldn't be in play much. This should be a birdie hole for most of the field. Green Size: 15x30 Yards
Advantage: Driving Distance, SG: Approach, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 13: Par 5, 523 Yards
Off The Tee: All they should be worried about on this tee shot is avoiding the water on the right. With that, the green will be reachable by everyone and makes this a birdie hole. If they get into trouble off this tee, they will likely lose multiple strokes to the field because of how short of a hole it is.
Approach: The entire field can reach this green in two. Long irons for most and potentially some fairway woods for the shorter hitters will be used and have to avoid more water protecting the green on the left. Some smaller bunkers will also grab some shots that bail-out to the right. There is a lot of room on this green though, so we will see a ton of eagle looks on this hole. Green Size: 20x35 Yards
Advantage: Ball-Striking, GIR, SG: Around the Green, Par 5 Scoring
Hole 14: Par 4, 421 Yards
Off The Tee: There is enough room off this tee to let driver rip, but they should error to the right. Missing right will also give the best angle into the green. As long as they avoid the trees on the left, another birdie opportunity is upcoming. Long hitters may need to worry about overshooting the fairway if it gets windy, so don't be surprised to see guys like Bryson hitting 3 wood off this tee on occasion.
Approach: Most of the field should have a wedge into this green, or at worst a 8 or 9-iron. The green is protected in both the front and back, so as long as distance is dialed in, they should be going after the pins here. Another birdie opportunity here with any kind of look at the green after the tee shot. Green Size: 15x30 Yards
Advantage: Ball-Striking, SG: Approach, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 15: Par 4, 296 Yards
Off the Tee: Not much of a choice here. Longer hitters will likely get away with hitting 3 wood and still getting to the green, but everyone should be going for this green off the tee, especially because it is a narrow fairway where irons would be landing. Keep the ball out of the water and yet again another birdie chance is on the way.
Approach: Those that don't find the green will have a short chip or pitch back onto the green. That shot could potentially come from the small bunkers guarding the right side of the green too. No matter what, GIR is not a problem if the ball stays out of the water off the tee, and birdie is in play for the field. Green Size: 20x30 Yards
Advantage: Ball-Striking, SG: Around the Green, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 16: Par 3, 171 Yards
Approach: This is a medium-length hole, but can be made much shorter and more score-able if they move the tee boxes up. They have to carry water almost the entire way to the green, and in addition have to avoid two bunkers on the left and right sides. A long miss is a good miss and one we should see frequently, especially if there is any wind. Green Size: 30x20 Yards
Advantage: SG: Approach, Par 3 Scoring
Hole 17: Par 4, 431 Yards
Off The Tee: The scorecard yardage is much longer than this hole actually is because the fairway hooks around the water at the very end. They'll hit tee shots to steer clear of the water on the right and give themselves good looks at the green from somewhere left of the water. This hole plays as the hardest most likely because of penalties from the water on both tee shots and approach.
Approach: The approach to this green is simple yet difficult. The only protection to the green is the water that they'll have to carry for almost the whole ball flight. It should only be a wedge into the green, but any wind can mess with the shots and send them into the water. The good play is to take it to the back of the green and let it spin back to any of the pins. Avoid the water and likely walk away with a birdie. Green Size: 25x25 Yards
Advantage: Ball-Striking, SG: Approach, Par 4 Scoring
Hole 18: Par 4, 444 Yards
Off the Tee: A medium-length par 4 to finish the round with a tee shot to a narrow fairway (compared to others on this course). They'll need to avoid the bunker on the left to leave a decent look at the green.
Approach: A mid or short-iron to the last green and one of the smaller greens on the course. It's protected by a large bunker in the front and another smaller one just to the right of the other one. We've seen some great shots played out of these bunkers in recent years, but for the most part, they shouldn't be in play for the guys that have short irons into the green. Green Size: 25x15 Yards
Advantage: Ball-Striking, SG: Approach, GIR
Conclusions
Almost every hole on this course can give up a scoring chance with a good mid or short iron assuming the tee shots go relatively straight, so SG: Approach should be a stat that's leaned on heavily.
Good Ball-Strikers should also do well this weekend. A combination of length and accuracy will be deadly on this course. Length will take out many of the bunkers and tree trouble that others will have to face, and that will also mean much shorter and easier approaches to the green.
The greens are large here and do not have a ton of protection, so hitting greens shouldn't be an issue for most. Avoiding 3 Putts will be huge this week because there will be a lot of longer putts on these large greens, and being able to lag them up close and walk away with par instead of bogey is obviously important.
Other stats to consider: Par 4 Scoring, Par 3 Scoring, Bogey Avoidance, Driving Distance, SG: Around the Green
Assumptions
Images and measurements were done on Google Earth. These satellite images can sometimes be up to five or more years old and not show very recent changes to courses if there were any.
Carry distance is used for off-the-tee distances shown in the images. The average carry distance on tour in 2021 was 281 yards, so that is what is used here.
I used a total dispersion off-the-tee of 60 yards. This comes from an article that Jon Sherman wrote for Practical Golf (@practicalgolf) discussing average dispersion, and I took 5-10 yards off from that number.
I assumed a 10-15 yard roll out from the carry distance to start the measurement to the green. Measurements to the green were rounded to the nearest five yards and measured from the center of the fairway to the center of the green.
Green measurements were also measured to the nearest five yards.
Things like weather, rough length, elevation, etc. are not taken into consideration on the measurements. I can only see and assume so much from satellite images. However, I do note where possible on each hole if things like elevation and wind could impact how the hole plays.
Scorecard:
