RADIO
Ian Christenson's Round 3 PGA DFS showdown slate picks for the 2025 Sanderson Farms Championship. 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.
Weather, Course Conditions, and Tee Times
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: Michael Thorbjornsen dazzled in his opening round, carding a sizzling 5-under 67 with seven birdies lighting up his scorecard. The second round told a different story, as he battled to an even-par 72, mixing in five bogeys, two birdies, and a spectacular eagle. His approach game was absolutely dialed in round one, where he gained over four strokes and found almost every green in regulation. While putting may not be the strongest part of his game, Thorbjornsen continues to shine with his off the tee and approach play. If he keeps these parts of his game sharp, he will keep creating birdie opportunities-which is exactly what we’re looking for.
The 10-finger grip is not very common, but @michaelt_1 has used it his whole life 👀 pic.twitter.com/G4ird7KbpA
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 3, 2025
$9,000+
Favorite Play: Kevin Yu strung together an impressive 29 bogey-free holes before finally slipping with a bogey on the 12th today. He opened with a bogey-free 5-under 67, then followed up with a 1-under 71 that could have been even better if not for a double bogey on his final hole. In round one, Yu was locked in, gaining 1.860 strokes off the tee and 2.625 on approach, and hitting nearly 80% of fairways and almost 90% of greens. The second round told a different tale as he struggled on approach but found his touch with the flat stick. Despite the late stumble, Yu still racked up five birdies and has shown he can go low. He is exactly the kind of player I want in my lineups tomorrow.
Other Options: Rasmus Hojgaard
$8,000+
Favorite Play: Vince Whaley has strung together two impressive rounds, highlighted by a bogey-free 5-under 67 in his second round. In the first round, he sank seven birdies despite two bogeys, still finishing at 5-under. Whaley’s putter has been on fire, gaining over a stroke on the greens in round one and more than two in round two. Even with just 28.57% of fairways hit in his second round, he still managed to keep his card clean. If he can find a few more fairways tomorrow, his knack for racking up birdies, 12 so far, he could go even lower.
Other Options: Garrick Higgo, Max Homa
Off the flagstick from 203 yards 👀@MaxHoma is laser-focused @Sanderson_Champ.
📺 PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/9Yy27VZI1y
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 2, 2025
$7,000+
Favorite Play: Taylor Montgomery finished with the low round of the day today, posting a 9-under 63, which included 10 birdies and one bogey. Montgomery finished his first round with five birdies and two bogeys on his way to a 3-under 69. Montgomery has converted 15 total birdies through the first two rounds, and while I don't expect him to go 9-under tomorrow and repeat today's performance, he's someone who could still manage 4-5 birdies, and those are what we're after. Montgomery will be a popular piece tomorrow, but at this salary range, it's worth looking elsewhere to get different with our lineup builds.
Other Options: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Stephen Jaeger, Matti Schmid
Low round of the day 👏
Taylor Montgomery stands No. 147 on the #FedExCup Fall and is T2 into the weekend @Sanderson_Champ, looking to move inside the top 100 across the next six events and keep his job. pic.twitter.com/9aHTunJkq7
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 4, 2025
$6,000+
Favorite Play: Greyson Sigg has been solid with both his approach play and putting through the first two rounds. He gained 0.916 strokes on approach and 1.113 strokes putting in the first round. In the second round, he gained 1.339 strokes on approach and 0.357 strokes putting. Sigg has hit 72.22% of greens in regulation, converting 10 birdies, and this is exactly the kind of consistency and scoring we want in this salary range.
Other Options: Thriston Lawrence, Takumi Kanaya, Carson Young
Guy I'm Playing Who 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.
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.
Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks
More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks
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