February 25, 2025
Making his fourth start in 2025, Shane Lowry returns to the more fruitful side of the U.S. for his golf game over the years, and up first is a tournament he's nearly won three years in a row. Unfortunately, the 37-year-old has failed to get the job done on all three occasions, but, comes to this year's tournament as one of the more favored players to start the week. It will be interesting to see how he responds after competing in TGL on Tuesday night, but his game is trending to be in the thick of things come Thursday. Lowry currently ranks 3rd in proximity from 175-200 yards (26'6"), which made up 23.7% of approaches at the champion Course last year. He also ranks 8th from 200-225 yards (33'10"), making every par 3 on the course in the optimal range for the Irishman. Even at $11,800 on FanDuel, Lowry is as close to a must-play as it gets.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
February 25, 2025
A T9 at the first event at Torrey Pines this season is the only bright spot for Kyounghoon Lee in 2025. The golf game elsewhere has been spotty, at best, with nothing to lean on in terms of strength in any facet. He's only been in the positive in total strokes gained in one event and has missed the cut in three of five. The record around the Champion Course for Lee is just as up and down, with strokes gained on approach being the difference between a good or bad finish in five total starts. What's more concerning for him this week is that the Tom Fazio design is much more penal to players with a right miss than those who miss left. The 33-year-old has dealt with a right miss one-and-a-half times more than a miss to the left (12.27% to 8.59%) through his five starts. If that issue rears its head a few times to start the week, it could be a short one for K.H. Lee.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
February 25, 2025
Nicolai Hojgaard had an impressive week at the Mexico Open, finishing eighth while gaining 4.571 strokes on approach and a career-best 10.463 strokes from tee to green. He now turns his attention to the Cognizant Classic, a tournament he has played in only once, missing the cut in 2022. PGA National is an unforgiving course that demands precision on approach, an area where Hojgaard excels, ranking third on tour with an average of 1.184 strokes gained approach per round. He also ranks in the 91st percentile for proximity from 150-200 yards, a range that accounts for 48.1% of approach shots at this course. In addition to his strong approach play, avoiding around-the-green work will be key to success, and Hojgaard leads the tour in greens in regulation at 77.08%. Given his elite play early in the season, fantasy managers can confidently insert Hojgaard into their lineups at his price tag of $7,400 on DraftKings.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
February 25, 2025
The run of good golf continues for Michael Kim, as the 31-year-old finished T13 in Mexico for his third-straight top-15 finish. The week at Vidanta Vallarta was impressive for him in the long iron department, which has been the lone fault in his approach game this season. The length of the course may be the cause of the -0.03 strokes lost off the tee and the more subdued +0.29 strokes gained on approach metrics as well. While PGA National is not as strenuous in length, it makes up for twice over in the need for accuracy. Expect Kim to put up another solid performance.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
February 25, 2025
Ryan Fox has started just two PGA events in 2025, posting results of T63 and a missed cut. He now turns his attention to the Cognizant Classic, hoping to get back on track at a tournament he has played in once before, finishing T35 in 2024. This success was driven by a strong performance on approach, where he gained 4.121 strokes, a category he has struggled with so far this year, losing 1.244 strokes over his first two events. Over the last 12 months, Fox ranks in the 56th percentile for proximity from 150-200 yards, a range that accounts for 48.1% of approach shots at PGA National. The bigger concern, however, comes with his greens in regulation, where he ranks near the bottom of the tour, hitting just 47.9% of greens on approach shots from that same distance. Given these struggles, Fox may be difficult for fantasy managers to trust at his price tag of $7,100 on DraftKings.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
February 25, 2025
Joel Dahmen has had a rollercoaster start to 2025 with three missed cuts and two top-10 finishes in his first five events, including a T6 finish last week at the Mexico Open. He now looks to carry that momentum into the Cognizant Classic, a tournament he has played in three times, missing the cut twice. PGA National is a very unforgiving course that demands precision on approach, an area where Dahmen excels. He currently ranks 21st in strokes gained on approach and sits in the 93rd percentile in proximity from 150-200 yards, a range that accounts for 48.1% of approach shots at this course. Although Dahmen has struggled to string together back-to-back strong finishes in his career, his price tag of $7,000 and solid approach play make him a worthwhile flier for fantasy managers this week.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
February
25,
2025
Christiaan
Bezuidenhout
has
played
in
five
events
so
far
in
2025,
missing
just
one
cut
and
finishing
in
the
top
40
in
all
other
events,
including
a
T4
finish
at
the
WM
Phoenix
Open.
He
now
looks
ahead
to
the
Cognizant
read more...
February 25, 2025
Since having two top-15 finishes to begin the year, Beau Hossler's game has taken a giant step backward over his last three events. This has mainly come from the ball-striking side of things. However, last week in Mexico saw him lose strokes across the board —aside from off the tee— en route to missing the cut by one shot. It's difficult to get excited for a player who has only gained strokes on approach in one event this season at a place like the Champion Course. If the saving grace of his putting and wedges don't come back this week, he'll likely be packing things up early.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
February 25, 2025
It's tough to think about PGA National without thinking of Russell Henley's epic playoff win in 2014 that included a young and spry Rory McIlroy. Since then, he's continued to play well here, including a T3 in 2021 and a T8 in 2020. Given the draw-biased nature of the layout at the Champion Course and the bermudagrass surfaces, it fits Henley's game from wall to wall. It's been an impressive start to his 13th year on the PGA Tour with a T5 at Pebble Beach, and a T10 at the Sony Open thanks to strong play with the irons and putter. Ranking 24th in both strokes gained metrics. If the driver doesn't kill him, the former Georgia Bulldog could become a repeat champion in Palm Beach Gardens come Sunday evening.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
February 25, 2025
After a few events of frustratingly poor results with positive metrics, Ben Griffin put everything together for a solid T4 finish in Mexico last week. Ranking third in the field in strokes gained on approach (+1.48), and inside the top 20 for strokes gained around the green (+0.64) and putting (+0.79). The former UNC golfer ranks better with the longer irons in his bag, so it will be interesting to see how his game changes back to a shorter course with much less room for error. The work on the greens is by-far the worst metric this season for the 28-year-old, ranking 114th in strokes gained putting (-0.149). It was luckily much improved last week at Vidanta Vallarta, and being on similar feel for the next several weeks will hopefully mean big things for Griffin if the ball striking form remains.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
February
25,
2025
Rickie
Fowler
has
made
many
starts
at
PGA
National
in
his
career.
His
run
in
the
2010s
was
as
spectacular
as
any
player
could
hope
for
at
a
single
event
over
10
years,
especially
one
as
unforgiving
as
the
Champion
Course.
read more...
February 25, 2025
On one hand, the approach play that Eric Cole has put on display in the past gives many reason to believe he is a good business decision for a course like PGA National. But on the other, how much longer can he live off the ROTY season in 2023 that has given him such credibility? It's an interesting conundrum given that the tournaments where he gains strokes on approach are still incredible (three events gaining a combined +12.14 strokes), but the tournaments where he's lost strokes could be described with the same word but with a much different meaning ( four events losing a combined -14.20 strokes). Perhaps more concerning is the putter sickness he's been dealing with all year, currently ranking 148th in Tour in strokes gained putting (-0.365). Even at $8,900 on FanDuel, Cole isn't someone to have much confidence in right now.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
February 25, 2025
The combination of good course history and two quality finishes will make Daniel Berger one of the highest-owned players in DFS lineups this week. The 31-year-old seems ready to jump back into the upper echelons of professional golf in 2025, gaining over seven and a half strokes on approach and over five and a half strokes off the tee in his last two starts. PGA National is a ball-strikers course through and through, and given that Berger's finished fourth at this event in two of his previous three starts, big things will be expected from him this week. If high ownership is a dealbreaker, then going this route probably isn't the best idea. But don't be surprised if he's the winning ticket come Sunday.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
February 25, 2025
Jhonattan Vegas ran into trouble late in the past two tournaments he has entered. The Venezuelan golfer looked in contention at the Farmers Insurance Open. However, a 78 ended any chances in the final round. After that, a 73 in the third round of The American Express dashed any hopes of a Top 10 or Top 20 result. Vegas is 40 years old but showed excellent form at The Sentry where he wound up fourth after a final round 65. Vegas is 12th in greens in regulation (71.44%). Every part of his game up to the green has been pretty good in 2025. Putting has been missing since Hawaii. Putts per round ranks 164th at 29.87. Bogey avoidance is in the bottom third. Vegas might be risky even for a DFS option.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
February 25, 2025
Sepp Straka had two days not to remember at The Genesis Invitational. The Austrian golfer went 78-76 in an appearance that appeared to go wrong from the beginning. Before this, Straka won at The American Express, and contended at Pebble Beach (T-7) and Scottsdale (15). He ranks third among golfers overall on the PGA Tour through six events. This is the type of event Straka thrives in. He is now +2500 via DraftKings and among the top five favorites. Straka scrambles well enough, ranks 6th in greens in regulation, 5th in proximity, and 11th in approaches from greater than 200 yards. Keeping the ball straight and not making many mistakes should be what to expect from Straka this week.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
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