3 months agoMichael Kim has made seven of his last eight cuts leading into the Mexico Open. He has not lost strokes on approach in a measured start during that stretch. He marks third in the field over the past 24 rounds in par four scoring between 450-500 yards, a range which seven of the nine par four's this week fall into. While Kim may not have win equity, he seems to have a pretty high floor.
--Matt Miller - RotoBallerSource: Fantasy National
3 months agoDavis Thompson heads to Vidanta for his first-ever Mexico Open this week, and he's coming off his best iron performance on tour a couple of weeks ago at the Phoenix Open, where he gained 4.2 strokes on approach. The 24-year-old has a couple of top-10 finishes in his career, but a recent jump in his approach game, combined with some putting spikes so far in 2024, has some of the sharper golf minds excited about the Georgia native. It's been the off-the-tee game that's held Thompson back early this season, but past trends indicate those woes will come to pass, which could lead to some more top-10s for the youngster if he can keep his putter and irons in a good place in 2024.
--Tommy BellSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoCameron Champ has missed four straight cuts to start 2024 and hasn't really shown any sign of life since mid-October. That said, Champ has an incredible track record at this event. He finished 8th here last year and 6th back in 2022. Champ's strong off the tee game should be a huge advantage this week. He is a clear boom or bust option, but there's no doubt he likes this course.
--Matt Miller - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoDuring his best run of 2023, Aaron Rai was a ball-striking machine with his irons, and he was able to gain a stroke or two in all other areas en route to a few strong Sunday finishes. However, the 28-year-old has shown nothing of the sort in 2024, losing strokes on approach in all but one of his four events thus far. The Englishman is struggling in all facets of his game right now, and with the lack of firepower in the Mexico Open, he still finds himself priced in the mid-$8k range on DraftKings. Coming off a missed cut in 2023, Rai is an easy fade for DFS managers and golf bettors alike.
--Tommy BellSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoThrough four events this season, Thomas Detry has spent some time near the top of leaderboards but hasn't come through with a win. Detry's statistics show he gains the most strokes with his driver (No. 19) and putter (No. 13). However, he loses strokes on approach, which could be a problem this week. While length off the tee is valuable at Vidanta Vallarta, approach play is also important. If Detry can take advantage of his drives and set up birdie chances, this could be his breakthrough week with a win.
--Rob RoseSource: PGATOUR.com
3 months agoSince securing his tour card last season via the Korn Ferry Tour points list, Chris Gotterup has been hard-pressed to find any momentum yet in 2024. The longest man on tour (with an average drive of 317.8 yards) is a sight to behold with a driver in his hand. He's ranked modestly at 46th in strokes gained off the tee (0.300), but is ranked outside the top 100 in every other strokes-gained statistic. The former Sooner has certainly displayed his ability to compete at a high level, but the bright lights of the PGA Tour take some time to get used to. At $9,300 on FanDuel, he's a little too pricey to take the risk on this week.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoChesson Hadley is back in action after missing the Waste Management Phoenix Open cut two weeks ago. Before his missed cut at TPC Scottsdale, Hadley finished T56 at The American Express and T25 at the Farmers Insurance Open. Hadley may find the Vidanta Vallarta course to be challenging for his skillset. At last year's tournament, over 63% of approach shots were over 200 yards, and over the previous 12 months, Hadley ranked in the 63rd percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway. Hadley is a player worth considering for DFS lineups, but including him comes with some risk.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
3 months agoAustin Eckroat did not participate in the Genesis Invitational last week but played at the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago, where he missed the cut. However, in the first three events of the 2024 season, Eckroat made the cut each time, with his best finish being T25 at the American Express. This weekend, he will play at the Mexico Open, his second appearance at the tournament. Although he finished T49 last year, this tournament was crucial in launching his successful 2023 season, where he made six consecutive cuts, including two top-10 and two top-25 finishes. Despite missing the cut in the previous event, Eckroat could be a valuable pick for DFS lineups.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
3 months agoCharley Hoffman had a great start in the first round of last week's Genesis Invitational, firing a 69. This came after he finished second at the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks earlier. However, his performance declined in the following three rounds, where he carded over 70 each time. This week, Hoffman will be participating in the Mexico Open for the second time, having finished T55 last year. He has been in top form lately and could potentially beat his previous finish. In the last 12 months, Hoffman has ranked in the 97th percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots in the fairway from over 200 yards, and over 63% at the previous year's tournament approach shots came from over 200 yards. Hoffman could be an interesting pick for DFS lineups this week.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
3 months agoDoug Ghim did not participate in last week's Genesis Invitational. However, he had previously secured a T12 and T13 finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and Farmers Insurance Open. Although, Ghim missed the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii and The American Express before these two top-15 finishes. This week, he competes at the Mexico Open in Puerto Vallarta, where he finished T33 in 2021 and missed the cut last year. Ghim has the necessary skills to perform well at this event, and in the previous 12 months, he ranked in the 59th percentile in proximity on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway. This is noteworthy because over 63% of approach shots came from over 200 yards at last year's edition. Ghim has been playing well and could be a valuable addition to DFS lineups this week.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
3 months agoRyo Hisatsune is set to debut at the Mexico Open this week, following his missed cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago. Although he failed to make the cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Hisatsune has performed well in his other three PGA Tour appearances in 2024, securing a top-11 and two top-35 finishes. In all of his four PGA Appearances this year, Hisatsune has gained strokes around the green, but he has lost strokes with his putter in his last two appearances, including the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Hisatsune may be overlooked this week, but including him in DFS lineups may be risky.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
3 months agoIt was a frustrating start to the season for Andrew Novak, as he missed the first three cuts of the season. However, the 28-year-old found a spark at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, finishing T8. His iron play continues to be a strength, as he is ranked 10th in strokes gained on approach (0.844) and 32nd in strokes gained from tee-to-green (0.677). His course history at Vidanta Vallarta (T15 in 2022 and T45 in 2023) is good enough to signal he knows his way around this track. With an average driving distance just short of 300 yards, he'll need some help from a solid showing off the tee, but he should do enough good everywhere else to keep him relevant.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoNicolai Hojgaard's game should fit Vidanta Vallarta's design well. Hojgaard has elite distance off the tee, solid approach skills, and the putter to low scores at a resort course. However, since his second-place finish at Farmers, Hojgaard hasn't been able to put four solid rounds together. The talent is clear to see and in a weaker field, Hojgaard should have a high ownership number.
--Rob RoseSource: PGATOUR.com
3 months agoRobert MacIntyre has created a name for himself with a few high finishes in some of golf's biggest events over the past few years. However, that history has not aided him much in this new season. He has missed three straight cuts since his T52 finish at the Sony Open, and everything it takes to be successful at Vidanta Vallarta is everything the Scotsman is currently struggling with. The McNees State product is ranked 110th in strokes gained off the tee (minus-0.191), 146th in driving accuracy (50%), and 162nd in strokes gained in putting (minus-1.081). With a middle-of-the-road price point of $8400 on FanDuel, it would be wise to look elsewhere until MacIntyre rights the ship some.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoLast season, Emiliano Grillo made significant strides with his putting, but it hasn't stopped there. Through the first few events of the season, Grillo currently ranks No. 23 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting. That's an impressive feat for a player who lost strokes in the first six events of the last season. In both starts at this course, Grillo has gained strokes on the greens so he should be able to follow up last year's T5 with another high finish.
--Rob RoseSource: PGATOUR.com
RADIO
