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Hello RotoBaller PGA crew! It's great to be back with you guys and I appreciate you joining us here at RotoBaller for the year's last major championship!
In this article we'll discuss some of the standout PGA DFS plays available on FanDuel for the 2021 Open Championship. While it's impossible to hit on every player, we'll touch on some different plays across all price ranges, breaking the groups down into "High", "Mid", and "Low" price options that are worth considering.
Like always, the purpose of this piece is to help you put together your optimal daily fantasy golf lineups for FanDuel, whether that be from a GPP perspective or a cash-game mentality. 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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2021 Open Championship - PGA DFS Overview
Royal St. George's
7,189 Yards - Par 70 - Greens: Bentgrass/Fescue Mix - Designer: Laidlow Purves
It doesn't get more "old school" than this. Royal St. George's was the host of the first Open Championship to be held on English soil in 1894 and has hosted 14 Opens all told, with the most recent being the 2011 edition that was won by Darren Clarke. Royal St. George's is what our friend across the pond refer to as a "proper links" course. It's positioning on the coast of the English Channel makes the elements its biggest natural defense. In addition to the weather, the layout is protected by deep bunkers, huge sand dunes, and a firm layout that can punish even good golf shots. It's basically the textbook course that comes to mind when you think "Open Championship conditions".
For an in-depth breakdown of this week's course, check out RotoBaller's PGA Premium Course Breakdown by Josh Bennett!
Let's Look At The Stats
| Stat | Royal St. George's | Tour Average |
| Driving Distance | N/A | 282 |
| Driving Accuracy | N/A | 62% |
| GIR Percentage | N/A | 65% |
| Scrambling Percentage | N/A | 57% |
| Average Three-Putts Per Round | N/A | 0.55 |
Key Stats
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Total Driving
- Driving Distance
- Bogey Avoidance
- Scrambling
- Event History
Fantasy Golf Lineup Picks for FanDuel (PGA DFS)
We have tons of great weekly PGA articles, DFS analysis, tools and DFS advice. Be sure to read our other fantastic articles regarding this week's event including DFS lineup picks for DraftKings/FanDuel, betting advice and DFS prop picks.
High-Priced FanDuel DFS Plays
Jon Rahm ($12,300)
Jon Rahm enters the 149th Open Championship as both the heavy betting favorite and the highest-priced player around the DFS industry. His $12.3k FanDuel price tag is high, but not a huge obstacle with the fairly soft pricing throughout the scale. A strong argument could be made to simply "set it and forget it" with Rahm this week, as he heads to Royal St. George's in an unbelievable groove, having won the Memorial* and U.S. Open, while taking the Scottish Open down to the wire last weekend. He's elite in all facets of the game and is very familiar with this old-school style of links golf. Perhaps the only legitimate case against Rahm lies in his expected popularity, as he's currently projected to be the highest-owned player on the slate, which makes a calculated fade an intriguing game-theory option in large-field GPPs.
Brooks Koepka ($11,800)
Some tough decisions to make at the top of the board this week, as we simply can't play everybody. So while both Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson are dangerous players that are capable of winning this event, after Jon Rahm my eyes immediately go to Brooks Koepka. While he hasn't actually won a major this year, Koepka has certainly reestablished his dominance in major championships, posting a runner-up finish at the PGA and a T5 at the U.S. Open. In addition to the form, the four-time major champion also sports a strong Open track record, having made the cut in five of six career starts with three top-10 finishes. Koepka came up on the Challenge Tour in Europe, which gives him a familiarity with links golf courses that's unique for an American, toss in that experience with his ability to remain patient and focused over four days, and he should once again be in the mix for another major.
Jordan Spieth ($11,600)
We all know Jordan Spieth's record at the Masters is phenomenal, but his history in the Open is almost as impressive, especially when we consider the rotating venue aspect of the even. Seven career starts, seven made cuts. A dramatic win in the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale. Narrowly missing a playoff at St. Andrews in 2015. A career Open scoring average of 70.39, the best of any player in the field with a minimum of five starts in the event. Heck, Spieth has always managed to play well in the Open, even when he's in bad form. That's certainly not this case this year.
Since making an electric top-five run in the WMPO in February, he's been - for lack of a better word - perfect statistically, gaining strokes T2G in each of his last 12 starts. The most drastically improved facet of his game has been the irons, as he's gained strokes on Approach in 11 of his last 12 starts and ranks fifth in this Open field in SG: App over the last 36 rounds. Spieth also grades out first in this week's field in SG: Total both over the last 36 rounds and in the Open Championship since 2015.
Xander Schauffele ($11,500)
I don't really know how you can fade Xander Schauffele in a major championship at this point. Schauffele has made the cut in 15 of 17 career starts in majors, racking up a hard-to-fathom six top-five finishes among them. His Open record specifically, is just as strong, as the Californian has went 3/3 with a runner-up result in 2018. Xander's strength lies not in one particular statistical category, but rather his all-around excellence in every facet of the game. It's the type of total-package ability that will once again serve him well in this championship and we have to believe that he's eventually going to capture one of these majors at some point.
Louis Oosthuizen ($11,100)
Like the aforementioned Schauffele, Louis Oosthuizen has basically played his way into "auto roster" status in major championships. The South African has logged runner-ups in the last two majors of 2021 (PGA & U.S. Open) and has exhibited sharp form throughout the year as a whole. Oosty is a former Open champion and has the experience/skill to finally grab his second major this week. FanDuel has finally raised his DFS price tag this week, but don't let that scare you...he's once again a rock-solid option.
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Mid-Priced FanDuel DFS Plays
Tyrrell Hatton ($10,800)
As we head to Royal St. George's, a layout that's about as "old school links" as it gets, it's impossible to ignore one of the finest links players in the world, Tyrrell Hatton. The Englishman grew up playing this type of golf and his two victories in the Dunhill Links illustrate that he can be fairly categorized as a specialist. Hatton has also proved his mettle around the world with a win in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, as well as a victory in heavy winds at Bay Hill in 2020. He's a little reminiscent of Patrick Reed statistically - meaning he can be all over the place - but he's been consistently good with his irons throughout the year and a top-20 last week in the Scottish Open breeds confidence. His Open Championship record is - perhaps not surprisingly - volatile, but he has logged top-six finishes in two of his last four Open starts.
Patrick Reed ($10,600)
This is one of the few tournaments of the year where I'll be throwing stats out the window to a certain extent, which immediately brings Patrick Reed into consideration for me. That said, Reed is actually having a strong ball-striking year from a statistical standpoint and has gained strokes T2G in 11 of 13 starts since winning the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. Toss in the fact that he has perhaps the best short game in the world and is a proven Open Championship performer (three top-20s in six career starts). Reed pops as one of the strongest options on the board for me this week.
Shane Lowry ($9,800)
It feels as though Shane Lowry has been the defending Open champion for a decade and the Irishman enters the week as the "official" defending champ. Lowry actually has a chance to "repeat" at Royal St. George's, as his game has been trending upward for the better part of four months. The portly everyman has gained strokes with his irons in each of his last eight starts and managed four top-10 finishes along the way, including at The Players, Memorial, and the PGA Championship. He grew up playing links golf and has all the tools needed to compete at Royal St. George's this week.
Scottie Scheffler ($9,700)
This one is a bit of a wild card, as basically every "rule" in the Open Championship playbook says we should fade a guy like Scheffler, an American that is making the first Open Championship start of his career. While the trends are stacked against him, I can't stop myself from being intrigued by the rising star this week, as he's continually shown up in majors throughout his young career. Born and raised in Texas, Scheffler has a little bit of Jordan Spieth to him, as he's comfortable playing in the wind and used to flighting his golf ball. He's known as something of a bomber due to his length off the tee (he's got a "stinger" that he hits with the driver that will be come in awfully handy this week btw), but he possesses an extremely underrated short game and can get streaky-hot with the putter. He also put forth a very commendable effort en route to a T13 in last week's Scottish Open which reinforces my notion that links golf might be a natural fit for him.
Adam Scott ($9,600)
The Aussie's ball striking hasn't been up to his normal lofty standards this year, but Scott nevertheless heads to England on the heels of three consecutive made cuts - with a pair of top-16s among those - in America. In addition to that momentum he possesses a wealth of Open experience that's led him to three top-fives and two top-10s over 18 career starts in golf's oldest championship. Scotty also has some Royal St. George's experience, as he notched a T25 here in 2011. Though he hasn't been as statistically impressive in 2021 as he has been in the past, to a certain extent we can toss stats out the window in the Open.
Low-Priced FanDuel DFS Players
Rickie Fowler ($9,400)
After spending a long time lost in the golf wilderness, Rickie Fowler appears to be emerging a bit as of late. Improved ball striking led Fowler to strong finishes in both the PGA Championship (T8) and the Memorial (T11). That trending form, along with his immaculate history in the Open Championship, puts him squarely in value play consideration for me this week. He's a former Scottish Open winner and has made the cut in nine of 10 career Open Championship starts, including a top-five finish here at Royal St. George's in 2011.
Branden Grace ($8,800)
Branden Grace's Open Championship record could best be described as sturdy rather than brilliant. He's made the cut in eight of his nine career starts with his lone top-10 coming on the strength of a record-setting 62 at Royal Birkdale in 2017. In addition to his consistency in the Open, Grace's low ball flight has allowed him to routinely play well in windy conditions and on links-style layouts, as victories at the RBC Heritage and at the Dunhill Links illustrate. Having gained an average of 6.4 strokes total over his last five tournaments, the South African brings a unique blend of trending form and links experience to the table at an affordable DFS price tag.
Robert Macintyre ($8,500)
We shouldn't be afraid to dip into the international player pool this week and Robert Macintyre stands out as one of the best young prospects that Europe has to offer. At just 24-years-old, Bobby Mac has already made the cut in all six of his career starts in major championships with the highlight being a T6 in the Open at Royal Portrush. The big lefty from Scotland is better equipped to handle this links test than most and I expect his world-class talent will continue to reveal itself this week.
Richard Bland ($7,900)
I wanted to give you guys at least one selection from the $7k range and the journeyman Richard Bland stands out as a surprisingly-strong value option. Experience routinely pays dividends at the Open and the 48-year-old Bland certainly has that in spades, having grinded through the Challenge Tour well into his 40's. The Englishman won the British Masters in early May and has been on a tear ever since, including being in the 36-hole mix at the U.S. Open, a top-five at the Irish Open, and a T15 in last week's Scottish Open. It's not a real exciting play, but should nevertheless be an effective way to save salary for "Stars & Scrubs" builds this week.
Win Big With RotoBaller
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If you read my articles @RotoBaller or listen to @TheTurnGolfPod I’ve been telling y’all it was #WinningSeason when golf came back! Shoutout to the entire @RotoBallerPGA squad and all you guys that support my work for all the ❤️ pic.twitter.com/07a4ynvbSU
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