6 days agoThe stars could be aligning for Tom Hoge to capture his second PGA Tour win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Prior to a missed cut at the Zurich Classic last week, the 34-year-old TCU put together a string of ten-straight made cuts, including seven top-20 finishes during those starts. Notorious for his iron play, Hoge hasn't lost strokes on approach in a PGA Tour event since the FedEx St. Jude Championship back in August of 2023. He also appears to have found something on the greens, having only lost strokes putting once in his last 10 starts. Hoge will also jump off the page statistically over the last 24 rounds, as he projects to have the best adjusted course fit adjusted course fit while 18th from tee-to-green, second on overall approach, and eighth in both opportunities gained and birdie-or-better percentage. With just an average short game this week, Hoge should find himself in contention coming down the stretch on Sunday.Source: PGA Tour
7 days agoDon't let the third-place finish for Mark Hubbard and his partner, Ryan Brehm, at the team event in New Orleans trick you into expecting anything similar out of the San Jose State Alum this week in Texas. The lone highlight of him tapping in a three-footer for eagle amongst a handful of wonderful shots from Brehm is all that is needed to suggest that someone's back is feeling pretty sore to start this new week, and it isn't Mark Hubbard's. That isn't to say that putting him in a lineup is a wasted pick, but it's important to keep expectations heavily modest. His 24th ranking in strokes gained on approach (0.491) and top 70 rankings in strokes gained around the green (0.146) and putting (0.158) will probably carry him enough to continue his impressive streak of made cuts, but anything more exciting than that feels highly unlikely.Source: PGA Tour
7 days agoMost of what Doug Ghim does from tee to green is what many fantasy players look for this week. He's ranked 19th in approaches from 175-200 yards, 27th in strokes gained off the tee (0.383), and 31st in strokes gained on approach (0.425) on the season. He's even ranked 76th in strokes gained putting (0.111), though that statistic has fallen to an average of -0.78 over his last three measured events. The more concerning part is that two were at the previous Texas stops at the Valero and Houston Opens. An added point is that he's only gained strokes on the greens in a Texas event in two of nine starts in his young PGA Tour career. With everything he does right, his surprising shortcomings in this part of the country make the former Texas Longhorn a hard recommendation at $9,400 on FanDuel.Source: PGA Tour
7 days agoIt was a strong three-week push for Nate Lashley before a disappointing second-round 75 at the Corales Puntacana Championship sent him packing early. It would be a big momentum saver to rebound this week at TPC Craig Ranch, where he has put together a decent track record in five starts with only one missed cut. Nothing about his game screams success here, but nothing necessarily screams failure either. He ranks in the top 100 for approaches from 175-225 yards, historically making up 54.7% of the approach shots at this event. In an event with tons of questionable names, Lashley finds himself in a spot that makes him worthy of possible consideration in certain formats at $8,900 on FanDuel.Source: PGA Tour
7 days agoAmid a tough run of three missed cuts in his last four starts before finishing T28 with partner C.T. Pan at the Zurich Classic, Kevin Yu comes to Frisco, Texas, looking to turn things around over the back half of the season and will be starting at a place that calls for everything he is proficient in -- strong play off the tee (ranked third on the season in strokes gained off the tee at 0.862) with a skillset for longer approach shots. However, he'll need to find momentum on the greens, as he is ranked 172nd in strokes gained putting (minus-0.642). He is far from a complete lock at $9,300 on FanDuel, but DFS players looking to find some ownership advantage could give him some consideration.Source: PGA Tour
7 days agoAndrew Novak played well in the Zurich Classic team format last week, finishing T23. This is his fourth consecutive made cut and fifth top-25 finish of the year. Despite a rough start to 2024, Novak has found his rhythm and continues to play brilliantly. TPC Craig Ranch could be a perfect match for Novak's skill set. During last year's CJ Cup Byron Nelson, over 35% of approach shots came from over 200 yards. Over the previous 12 months, Novak ranks in the 88th percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway. Therefore, he could be an excellent addition to DFS lineups this week.Source: Data Golf
7 days agoPatrick Rodgers has withdrawn from this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson without a specific reason. This may be a surprise as he had tied for fifth place at the RBC Heritage, but it is important to note that he had also withdrawn from the Valero Texas Open earlier this month. Rodgers has either withdrawn or missed the cut in four out of his last five appearances. As a result, Sean O'Hair will replace him in the tournament.Source: PGA Tour
7 days agoLuke List, who finished T19 at last week's Zurich Classic, will compete in this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch. List has had a mixed year in 2024, with four missed cuts in 12 starts, one top-five, and two top-25 finishes. However, he finished T34 at last year's tournament and is expected to perform well again. In last year's edition, over 35% of approach shots were taken from over 200 yards. List's proximity to the hole on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway ranks in the 96th percentile over the past 12 months. Even though List may be overlooked this week, he could be a valuable addition to DFS lineups.Source: Data Golf
7 days agoRiding scorching-hot play with his irons (averaging 1.32 strokes gained on approach) over his last two starts, Tom Kim is a much more appealing name this week given the questionable firepower at the top of the board. Given how the season has gone thus far, it isn't far-fetched to think the South Korean is in the premier range for players that have won this year not named Scottie Scheffler. Kim is an above-average long-iron player and has kept his putter fairly consistent for months. It's also intriguing that he is notorious for occasionally posting some low scores, which is the typical recipe at TPC Craig Ranch. It's a fairly safe bet that he plays all four rounds, but the extent of how close he gets to the lead is a big question mark. He hasn't shown the firepower needed to contend here, but the trend in his game and the undeniable talent says his next high finish is coming sooner rather than later.Source: Data Golf
7 days agoTaylor Montgomery had a disappointing performance at last week's team format, Zurich Classic, as he missed the cut. Unfortunately, this has become a pattern repeated in his previous four appearances. This differs from his performance at the beginning of the 2024 season, where he made five straight cuts and achieved two top-15 finishes. He faces a tough challenge at TPC Craig Ranch this week, considering that over 35% of the approach shots at last year's CJ Cup Byron Nelson came from over 200 yards. Over the previous 12 months, Montgomery ranks in the 16th percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots that are over 200 yards in the fairway. Despite his recent poor performances, he could still be worth considering for DFS lineups this week.Source: Data Golf
7 days agoJason Day is returning to TPC Craig Ranch for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where he will defend his title. So far this year, Day's form has been impressive, with only one cut missed and three top-10 finishes. He finished T18 at last week's RBC Heritage and T30 two weeks ago at the Masters Tournament. Despite his win last year, Day faces a tough challenge this week. Over 35% of approach shots in last year's tournament came from over 200 yards. Over the past year, Day ranks in the 17th percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway. Although his approach game could be better, Day's past success and overall recent form make him worth considering for DFS lineups.Source: Data Golf
7 days agoAdam Scott is all set to tee it up in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch this week. His last appearance was two weeks ago at the Masters Tournament, where he finished at a respectable T22. Scott has had a great year in 2024, with only one missed cut, one top-10, and four top-25 finishes. TPC Craig Ranch is a course that should suit Scott's skills perfectly. He ranks 15th in Total Driving and has been fantastic on approach shots over the past 12 months. Scott ranks in the 76th percentile over the last year in proximity to the hole on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway. It's essential to note this because over 35% of approach shots at last year's tournament came from this distance. Given Scott's recent form and suitability for TPC Craig Ranch, he could be an excellent addition to DFS lineups this week.Source: Data Golf
1 week agoIt may have looked like a week off for Sungjae Im when looking at his PGA Tour schedule, but the South Korean was busy keeping his game sharp by defending his title at the Woori Financial Group Championship on the KPGA circuit. There isn't much statistical data available from that event, and the fact of a much weaker field than what he normally faces is hard to deny. But being coupled with a T12 finish at the RBC Heritage is enough evidence to suggest Im is trending in a very nice direction. Long iron play is a strong attribute for TPC Craig Ranch, and the 37th-ranked player in the world has notoriously been one of the best players in that category for quite a while. Most notably ranked 8th on the season in approaches from 200-225 yards. There isn't anyone at the top of the DFS board this week that's worth falling head over heels for, but at $11,300 on FanDuel, he feels like one of the safer plays at the top of the board.Source: PGA Tour
1 week agoAlex Noren has been fantastic in his three Byron Nelson appearances, improving from 35th to 21st to 12th in his most recent showing in 2022. The putting has been most noticeable, as the Swede has gained at least 2.5 strokes on the green in each of his starts in this event. Noren has really started to find his irons of late, and he's placed 23rd or better in five events in a row since the start of March. Typically $9,500 is a steep price to pay for Noren's volatility, but all signs point to a strong showing from the 41-year-old as he takes on TPC Craig Ranch for a fourth time in his career. Fade at your own risk!Source: PGA Tour
1 week agoMackenzie Hughes has gained a remarkable 14.2 strokes with his putter over his last three events combined. His 3rd-place finish at the Valspar was a glimpse at what can happen when his reliable putter goes nuclear, and the 33-year-old just keeps pace with his irons. The Canadian finally made the cut in his third try at the AT&T Byron Nelson last year. While the approach game still needed work, the 3.6 Strokes Gained: Putting were encouraging. At $8,600 on DraftKings, Hughes will look to gain a couple of from tee-to-green and make a handful of long putts to put him in contention on Sunday, just as he was in Florida a month ago.Source: PGA Tour