RotoBaller PGA: One And Done Staff Picks - RBC Canadian Open

Here at RotoBaller, we are always searching for ways to give our readers the best fantasy sports content possible. With that goal in mind, we are very proud to announce the addition of a weekly PGA “One and Done” column. In this feature, our golf staff of Joe Nicely, Spencer Aguiar and Gianni Magliocco will provide their weekly golf picks every Wednesday. The purpose of this article is to present you with alternative options to consider and hopefully make your selection a much easier process weekly. With that plan in mind, let's get started!

If you didn't already know it, the Memorial was a perfect example of just how tough this OAD contest is. Heading into Sunday at Muirfield Village, all three of our picks were tied for third of better. The final round was kind to me, as my man Patrick Cantlay fired a blistering 64 to win the Memorial and $1.6 million. Both Spencer and Gianni also had amazing weeks, with Spencer racking up nearly a million-dollar payday on the strength of Adam Scott's runner-up finish and Hideki Matsuyama coming through with a sixth-place outing for Gianni.

Spencer and I have spent the bulk of this season chasing Gianni - and while he still holds a nice lead - I do have it whittled down to less than $1 million. Not ideal, but definitely within striking distance with two majors left on the schedule. This week we head to Canada for that country's major championship, the RBC Canadian Open. Let's see if me and the guys can stay hot!

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2019 RBC Canadian Open

For an in-depth breakdown of the top DraftKings and Fanduel plays, check out Joe Nicely's weekly Horse For The Course that highlights the best fits for the week's course.

And you can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week.

 

Hamilton Golf & Country Club

6,966 Yards - Par 70 - Greens Bentgrass

The RBC Canadian Open has been primarily played at Glen Abbey Golf Club over the past several years. This week Canada's national championship heads to Hamilton Golf & Country Club for the first time since 2012. Located in Ontario, Hamilton is a Canadian masterpiece that opened in 1915.

We don't often see layouts that measure less than 7,000 yards on the modern PGA Tour schedule. While it doesn't have the length that we are used to seeing, Hamilton won't be easily overpowered, as its layout and variety will present the players in this field with some interesting challenges. A premium will be placed on ball striking this week, with accuracy both off the tee and on approach shots being crucial. Scott Piercy won the last Canadian Open that was held here in 2012 and fired an opening-round 62, so players will need to stack up birdies to be in contention.

 

One and Done Selections

Joe Nicely - Webb Simpson

Alternate - Henrik Stenson

So this is what a hot streak feels like!?! My pick Patrick Cantlay came through for me in a huge way last week at the Memorial. Cantlay won the tournament and a little over $1.6 million, which has helped me close the gap on our RotoBaller OAD leader Gianni. It was my second win in the last three weeks and it feels good to finally gain some traction in this contest.

I've honestly had ZERO doubt when submitting my picks of Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, and Patrick Cantlay over the last three weeks - and I also feel strongly about who I'm going with at next week's U.S. Open. I wish I felt that confident about this week's RBC Canadian Open, but there are factors that make this a tough spot...the Canadian Open is heading back to Hamilton Golf & CC for the first time since 2012, so this isn't a course that we see golfers play each and every year. The U.S. Open looms large on the schedule next week, which always makes things tough to predict.

After looking at this tournament from about 27 different angles, I eventually circled back around to the player that I originally started with. Webb Simpson has been flying under the radar for the most part this year, but that doesn't mean he isn't playing great golf. Simpson has made 12 of 13 cuts this season and hasn't finished outside the top 30 in his last four starts. Two of those starts were major championships that were played on massively-long golf courses that don't really suit Webb's game. This week, he gets a sub-7,000 yard Hamilton layout that requires players to be accurate off the tee and on approach...check and check. While I might not feel that Simpson's a "slam dunk" like my selections of the last three weeks, I feel like he's a rock-solid player that can keep my positive momentum rolling into next week's U.S. Open. - Joe Nicely

Yearly Earnings - $7,449,407

Yearly Cuts Made - 17/20

 

Spencer Aguiar - Kevin Tway

Alternate - Adam Hadwin

We have 32 events to use our 32 best players. In a vacuum situation, that should mean that we attempt to target the 32 best players in the world. That strategy is sound in theory, but unique circumstances tend to take place that sometimes won't allow ideal game-theory to happen. Joe, Gianni and I don't discuss our selections before they are made, but I do have a pretty good understanding of where everyone is based on their articles. I figure Joe is taking Webb Simpson, while Gianni can't choose Henrik Stenson, who is probably the most logical choice left on the board for me.

However, the issue I am facing is that I am trying to write this article from a broader spectrum than just our RotoBaller contest. Stenson would be extremely easy to fill in for a safe payday, but what happens when I hit him with 400 other people? Life is about strategy, and I can either widdle away and accept my 800th place finish in the big Gups contest, or I can take a stand and make a selection that will leave me with virtually no competition. I'm a gambler by nature and believe this is an optimal game-theory choice for my situation. Names can be mixed and matched, but it is crucial to recognize when you need to deviate if you want to give yourself a chance.

Kevin Tway is an intriguing option this weekend. He held a 36-hole solo lead and 54-hole co-lead at the event last season but eventually imploded on Sunday with a final round 76. While the venue has changed and his game might be better suited for a bombers test like Glen Abbey, Hamilton Country Club isn't necessarily a venue that will be impossible for him to find success. His father captured the title at Hamilton in 2003, and with everyone confused by how exactly the course will play this weekend, Tway should be able to use some family insight to his advantage. A share of 19th place during the last time he teed it up at the Charles Schwab Classic was his best result in nearly six months, and he just missed Monday qualifying for the U.S. Open after losing in a seven-man playoff. Tway's motivation is there knowing he will need to win to get into Pebble Beach next week, and his game stacks up nicely for the way the venue is set up this weekend.

*** If I had Rory McIlroy available to me, I think this is a fantastic spot to roll him out. You still get your contrarian option and a player who I have pegged as the favorite to win the title. Unfortunately, I have already used him, so I am forced to swing for the fence and try to hit an opposite field home run. - Spencer Aguiar

Yearly Earnings - $5,110,136

Yearly Cuts Made - 19/20

 

Gianni Magliocco - Matt Kuchar

Alternate - Sergio Garcia

For starters, I believe Rory McIlroy will win this tournament. The Ulsterman disappointed last week and I expect him to flop once again at the U.S. Open next week - but this is a perfect spot to play him in a less than stellar event. Without having the luxury of being able to play McIlroy, however, I have to look elsewhere.

Matt Kuchar is the man that gets the reluctant nod from me in Canada this week. Kuchar played poorly at the Memorial and if the 40-year-old gave one iota what others thought of him, then he'd be fully aware that in the process he also embarrassed himself looking for a free drop during the first round. But he doesn't, so in his mind, he didn't.

A T34 on his last appearance at this track doesn't do much to inspire me either, but when Kuchar is the joint-fifth favorite in the field and as short as 14/1 with one bookmaker, it tells you about all you need to know about how weak the competition is when you look past the top of the board. What that means is that Kuchar should comfortably notch a top-20 or even top-10 finish, as before his dismal week at Muirfield Village the American posted four consecutive top-12 finishes. With the mouth-watering U.S. Open at Pebble Beach to come next week, the Canadian Open is an amuse-bouche at best and playing it safe is the way to go - unless you still have McIlroy to play. - Gianni Magliocco

Yearly Earnings - $8,151,645

Yearly Cuts Made - 16/20

 

Running Totals

	Joe Nicely	Spencer Aguiar	Gianni Magliocco
Sony Open	Gary Woodland  $11,520	Justin Thomas $99,200	Kevin Kisner $12,864
Desert Classic	Jon Rahm $212,400	Jon Rahm $212,400	Patrick Cantlay $159,300
Farmers Insurance	Marc Leishman $21,158	Patrick Cantlay $0	Charles Howell III $79,804
Waste Management	Hideki Matsuyama $113,600	Webb Simpson $76,917	Justin Thomas $482,800
Pebble Beach	Chez Reavie $31,160	Phil Mickelson $1,368,000	Phil Mickelson $1,368,000
Genesis Open	Xander Schauffele $100,788	Hideki Matsuyama $177,600	Dustin Johnson $177,600
WGC Mexico Championship	Justin Thomas $201,000	Xander Schauffele $128,000	Tommy Fleetwood $103,750
Honda Classic	Adam Scott $0	Gary Woodland $25,346	Adam Scott $0
Arnold Palmer	Rory McIlroy $294,613	Justin Rose $19,474	Jason Day $0
Players Championship	Sergio Garcia $125,000	Tiger Woods $77,625	Rory McIlroy $2,250,000
Valspar Championship	Patrick Reed $0	Sergio Garcia $15,209	Henrik Stenson $54,270
WGC-Match Play	Ian Poulter $108,429	Haotong Li $167,000	Francesco Molinari $712,000
Valero Texas Open	Tony Finau $16,275	Rickie Fowler $112,500	Tony Finau $16,275
Masters	Tiger Woods $2,070,000	Bubba Watson $225,400	Rickie Fowler $310,500
RBC Heritage	Byeong Hun An $0	Matt Kuchar $745,200	Brandt Snedeker $17,342
Wells Fargo Championship	Rickie Fowler $311,063	Tony Finau  $17,064	Webb Simpson $99,540
Bryon Nelson	Keith Mitchell $17,301	Brooks Koepka $379,200	Tony Romo $0
PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka $1,980,000	Rory McIlroy $264,395	Brooks Koepka $1,980,000
Charles Schwab	Jordan Spieth $197,100	Francesco Molinari $16,819	Paul Casey $0
Memorial	Patrick Cantlay $1,638,000	Adam Scott $982,800	Hideki Matsuyama $327,600

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