RADIO
Jens Christenson Round 3 PGA DFS showdown slate picks for the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. His top in-tournament DFS lineup picks and top plays for DraftKings and FanDuel.
Hello, Rotoballers! I hope everyone is doing well and is ready for another exciting year of PGA DFS. Showdown has returned for another season on DraftKings alongside the PGA Tour, and we’re here to help guide you, whether you’re looking to continue your journey from where you left off in 2024 or are new to this particular DFS format.
Cameron Champ took an early lead after shooting a bogey-free 8-under in Round 1. He followed that with another bogey-free round, shooting a 4-under 66 in Round 2, finishing 12-under through the first two rounds. Champ will head into the weekend with a two-stroke lead. In second place is Andrew Putnam, who sits at 10-under, while Thorbjorn Olesen, Richard Lee, Nick Taylor, and Victor Perez are tied for third, each at 9-under. One of the biggest surprises from the first two rounds was Rory McIlroy, who carded an 8-over 78 in Round 2, missing the cut for the first time this year. We can expect an exciting finish as we approach the U.S. Open next week.
Unlike standard golf DFS, which covers the entire tournament, Showdown focuses on each round as an individual event. It's crucial to find players who excel on approach shots, but it’s also important to make roster decisions that provide ownership leverage by selecting riskier players who may not have been performing their best recently but could have a strong bounce-back round. In other words, this is a sprint, not a marathon.
Weather, Course Conditions, and Tee Times
Tomorrow's forecast indicates that we will experience similar conditions to those observed in the first two rounds. The course played 1.23 strokes under par in Round 1 and 0.46 strokes under par in the second round.
Round 3 Strategy
The key to success in showdowns is to look for ball strikers who can have a standout putting performance. Having two exceptional putting days in a row is quite challenging, so we should focus on golfers who have been consistent with their approach shots and created birdie opportunities but fell short in converting them.
It’s also beneficial to target players who need to improve their position on the leaderboard, as they often push harder on moving day. Additionally, golfers who have shown some positive form in the first two rounds are great candidates to consider.
Keep in mind that ownership levels tend to decrease as the morning's first tee time approaches, so identifying players who are likely to bounce back is crucial for achieving significant wins.
$10,000+
Favorite Play: Shane Lowry dropped seven birdies and one bogey in the first round on his way to a 6-under 64. In the second round, he finished with a 2-under 68. Lowry has been nothing short of excellent with his approach play in the first two rounds. In Round 1, he gained 3.744 strokes on approach and in Round 2, he gained 1.409. In Round 1, he gained 1.068 strokes putting but lost 0.130 in Round 2. Lowry's approach game has been dialed in and if he can bounce back with the flat stick tomorrow, we'll want him in our lineups.
Absolute chaos…And we ❤️ it.
Welcoming a pair of @thepwhlofficial LEGENDS to The Rink, @pou29 & @nursey16! 🇨🇦🏒 pic.twitter.com/8IWLVM9BcW
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 6, 2025
$9,000+
Favorite Play: Ludvig Aberg has put together two solid rounds, and he was cruising in his second round before carding a quad-bogey on the par-3 11th. Outside of this blemish, he had six birdies and had the flat stick working, gaining 2.265 strokes putting. Through the first two rounds, Aberg has gained 0.669 strokes on approach and 2.246 strokes putting. He's also gained 1.386 strokes off the tee through the first two rounds and he's someone I'll have in my lineups tomorrow.
Other Options: Harry Hall, Sam Burns
$8,000+
Favorite Play: Ryo Hisatsune has played steady golf through first two rounds. He started his first round with three straight birdies and finished with one-bogey on his way to a 2-under 68. In Round 2, he dropped three birdies but carded two bogeys and finished at 1-under 69. His scores haven't reflected how solid his game has been and he's someone who could be setup well to go low tomorrow. Through the first two rounds, he's gained 1.000 strokes on approach, 0.989 strokes off the tee but he's lost 0.851 strokes putting. I'll take my chances on someone who has also hit 86.11% of greens in regulation through the first two rounds but just hasn't found it with the flat stick.
Other Options: Wyndham Clark, Thorbjorn Olesen
𝙍𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 2 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/BUirLgezNY
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 6, 2025
$7,000+
Favorite Play: Matt McCarty has only carded three bogeys but has dropped 10 birdies through the first two rounds. In Round 1, he gained 0.473 strokes on approach and 1.059 strokes putting. In Round 2, his approach play wasn't as dialed in, losing 0.796 strokes on approach but his putting was solid, and he gained 2.298 strokes putting. Through the first two rounds, he's gained 1.645 strokes off the tee and 3.357 strokes putting. He's clearly got the flat stick working and shown he can put himself in good positions off the tee and execute on approach to give himself birdie looks. That's someone I want in my lineups.
Other Options: Thomas Detry, Cameron Young, Jake Knapp, Kevin Yu
$6,000+
Favorite Play: Justin Lower has put up 11 birdies and one eagle through the first two rounds. Despite this, he's sitting at 4-under after posting a 2-under 68 in each of the first two rounds. Through the first two rounds, he's been outstanding on approach, gaining 3.423 strokes on approach and 0.151 strokes off the tee. He's also been one of the most accurate off the tee through the first rounds, hitting 75% of fairways. I'm taking my chances on someone who's been able to find the short grass and dropped 11 birdies in the first two rounds.
Other Options: Dylan Wu, Jackson Suber, David Skinns, Peter Malnati
Top man atm: Cameron Champ
📈: https://t.co/1ViQ6CPlrg pic.twitter.com/zBT80hox2I
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 6, 2025
Guy I'm Playing That You Shouldn't
This will be an every-week addition to my article where I'll pick a golfer who I believe has shown he can go nuclear but has every chance he could dud and should generally be reserved for the largest field GPP tournaments.
Paul Peterson finished with an even-par 70 in Round 2. HOWEVER, in Round 1, he dropped six birdies and one birdie, finishing with a 5-under 65. He's gained 2.640 strokes on approach and 3.877 strokes putting through the first two rounds. On top of this, he's hit 78.57% of fairways. In Round 1, Peterson gained 4.012 strokes putting and that's EXACTLY the type of spike putting day we're looking for in this section of the article.
This lineup is for demonstration purposes only.
Showdown Optimizer
The optimizer works nicely with the projected ownership from the model. If you are unsure how to use it, there is a video at the top of the "PGA Lineup Optimizer" page on how to get my projected ownership and/or projected points into your optimizer.
Good luck, and may the odds ever be in your favor.
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