RADIO
Aaron Rai Withdraws From CJ Cup Byron Nelson
In perhaps the least shocking news of the week, Aaron Rai has withdrawn from the upcoming CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The Englishman captured the first major championship of his career last week at Aronimink in longshot fashion and will take some time to properly celebrate the unexpected victory. With his entry into golf's biggest events now secure for the foreseeable future, Rai's schedule will likely continue to shift throughout the rest of 2026.
Source: PGA Tour - Rob Bolton
Source: PGA Tour - Rob Bolton
Can Wyndham Clark Find Form at CJ Cup?
Wyndham Clark is set to tee it up in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson for the first time since 2022. The former U.S. Open winner will look to shake off a missed cut in last week's PGA Championship. Before coming up short at Aronimink, Clark had put together some encouraging outings, including a T21 at the Masters and a T16 at RBC Heritage. Though his game is nowhere near its 2023 peak, his distance off the tee and streaky putting still make him a dangerous DFS option in this week's ho-hum field.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Si Woo Kim Looks To Stay Hot at CJ Cup
Si Woo Kim will look to keep a stellar 2026 campaign on track this week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The South Korean has produced six top-10 finishes this year. Kim also boasts elite course history at TPC Craig Ranch, finishing T15-or-better in each of his last three CJ Cup appearances. He profiles as one of the few truly high-end options in this week's watered-down field, and should be heavily targeted in both DFS and betting formats.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Scottie Scheffler to Defend CJ Cup Byron Nelson Title This Week
Before the poor Sunday last week at Aronimink, it had been over a month of seeing Scottie Scheffler in the mix coming down the stretch. It was the first distinctive tournament this season for the world number one in which the putter was simply ice-cold. He averaged -0.39 strokes gained on the greens and was vocal about his displeasure with the course setup. He gets another defense opportunity this week in Dallas, as he is the only player inside the top 20 in world rank to make the trip. The 29-year-old blew the field away last year with his incredible iron play, but while season-long statistics rank him high across the board, it's evident that there are more issues this time around compared to 2025. Still, he's by far the most talented player in the field and will command a heavy price tag and ownership percentage. It's really a Scheffler vs. the field scenario this week, and there are cases to be made for both.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Jordan Spieth Looking For Victory at TPC Craig Ranch
Playing in this event nearly every year since 2010, Jordan Spieth never played the greatest in this event until it moved to its current host site at TPC Craig Ranch. In the four years played since moving venues, the 32-year-old has finished top 10 or better in three of the four years he has competed. The native Texan has hit the ball really well here in years past, with a combined average of 1.91 strokes gained ball striking over the last five playings. Coming off a respectable T18 finish last week, Spieth seems poised to find himself in the mix again at some point, and this feels like a great week for that to happen.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Matti Schmid Looks to Keep Recent Momentum Going at TPC Craig Ranch
In a somewhat shocking week, Matti Schmid found his way into the final group on Sunday at the PGA Championship. After a respectable round of 69 that looked like it had all the makings of a breakout victory during points in the day, the 28-year-old settled for a T4. It was the highest major championship finish of his career and marks a fourth top 10 in his last eight starts. He'll make his way to Dallas this week for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, an event he's missed the cut in for three years running. His game from tee to green has left much to be desired outside the four events mentioned, as Schmid isn't the ball-striker that many of his peers are, which is a lot for the putter to overcome. It worked last week, as many players struggled to figure out the greens at Aronimink, but scoring is too low for everything else not to be a huge factor. Despite the solid showing in Philadelphia, it's wise not to give the German too much DFS rope this week
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Brooks Koepka a High-Upside Play at CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Chances are good that Brooks Koepka is pleased with how his 2026 season has fared thus far, and if not for a sick flat stick, it could be even better. However, things are looking a little more shaky as of late, with the iron play becoming a little more inconsistent lately than it was earlier in the year. He's still more than capable of providing solid weeks in this department, but the deeper dive shows much more of a struggle beyond 200 yards than there is before it. TPC Craig Ranch will give him a mix of both, as 175-225 yards is the predominant approach yardage this week. At an event with the birdie-fest stigma, it also helps that the 36-year-old is the seventh-ranked player this season in birdie-or-better rate on par 5s (55.56%). It's all about putting for Koepka this week, and while it may be hard to stomach on such a putter-centric venue, he's doing enough elsewhere to be a DFS option come Thursday.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Chris Kirk Continues Search For Putting Form at TPC Craig Ranch
Chris Kirk caught lightning in a bottle in Round 3 of last week's PGA Championship, posting a 65 and eyeing a top-10 finish. It wasn't to be, as he went backwards on Sunday to fall outside the top 40. The tee to green play hasn't been terrible for the 41-year-old, but his putter has been MIA all season. He's making the start at this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson for the first time since 2011. The ball striking form is always a bright spot on the surface, but deeper digging shows a vulnerability outside of 175 yards, which will be in play a lot around TPC Craig Ranch. Plus, the incredibly high importance level that strokes gained putting has at this golf course isn't favorable for a player who ranks 131st in that metric for the season. Consider Kirk a risky DFS choice with very limited upside.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Rasmus Hojgaard Looking to Shake Off Poor Major Showing at TPC Craig Ranch
It was poor week at Aronimink for Rasmus Hojgaard, as the 25-year-old failed to post a single round at level par or better any of the four days. The course layout helped the bomb and gouge players in many ways, but it exposed the Dane's lackluster wedge play that was too difficult to overcome, ranking second to last in the field in strokes gained on approach. He'll have a chance for redemption this week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where he finished T48 last season. His length off the tee will again be of great value, but the task of scorable wedge shots and making birdies will also be presented a lot. It's realistic to think he can figure things out on the scoring side of things given his perseverance to continually make cuts and the overall talent, but he's more of a desperate DFS start than an exciting one right now.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Joel Dahmen is of No DFS Consideration This Week in Dallas
For Joel Dahmen, 2026 is going much like most other seasons on tour: a few bright weeks, with many to forget. He hasn't had a finish inside the top 60 since the beginning of the Florida swing, with the major deficiencies coming on and around the greens. Between both strokes gained metrics, the 38-year-old is losing nearly one stroke per round. That simply won't cut it on the PGA Tour, and the ball striking numbers are nowhere near good enough to overcome. Without a huge turnaround in play, Dahmen is a player to avoid at all costs.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Pierceson Coody is Not The Fun DFS Play He Used to Be
For those that rode the Pierceson Coody train throughout the early part of the year, the time to jump off is far overdue. The 26-year-old has only eked out decent finishes in two of his last eight starts, missing the cut last week in Aronimink in his latest appearance. Driving has been the only bright spot during this time, as he's lost strokes on approach and around the green in three of his last four events. He'll be making his fifth career appearance at this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where he made the cut for the first time last season, finishing T25. There is still some value to be had here given the rate and frequency he is able to make birdies and the incredible length he possesses off the tee. He fits the mold for the past champions at this golf course, but the inconsistencies are more glaring now than perhaps they were two or three months ago.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Justin Thomas Trending Well Ahead of PGA Championship Despite Concerning Form
The turbulent season for Justin Thomas has calmed down over the last two weeks, with finishes of T23 and 13th in the two Signature Events coming into this week in Philly. The 33-year-old has been a real liability on the greens, ranking 131st in strokes gained putting (-0.333) and three-putt avoidance. This pitfall has also brought down his birdie average, bogey avoidance, and par-4 scoring. Pretty much everything needed to have success at Aronimink will test everything Thomas has failed to be consistent with this season. With two PGA Championships already under his belt, the former Crimson Tide golfer is known for showing out on this stage, but this year's layout should push his expectations outside of the scope of DFS viability.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
J.J. Spaun Trending Up Ahead of PGA Championship
After a poor start to the season, J.J. Spaun has turned things around, recording a win and three other top-25 finishes in his last five events. He'll look to keep it rolling at the PGA Championship, an event where he has struggled in the past, missing the cut twice and never finishing higher than T35. Despite his early-season struggles, he ranks 43rd in total strokes gained (+0.534 per round), ninth on approach (+0.652), and 41st off the tee (+0.297). The main issue has been the putter, where he ranks 145th and is losing -0.474 strokes per round. However, last week at the Truist Championship, he gained over 1.9 strokes on the greens, a promising sign heading into this week. At $7,700 on DraftKings, he'll likely be a popular option, and for good reason. He's trending up ahead of the second major of the season, and his ball-striking could help push him up the leaderboard.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Adam Scott Riding Strong Form Into PGA Championship
Adam Scott has been on a heater, recording four straight top-25 finishes, bringing his total up to seven on the season. He'll look to keep it going at the PGA Championship, which returns to Aronimink Golf Club. This will be Scott's 99th straight major championship start, the second-most of all time. In 25 starts at this event, he has 14 top-25 finishes and has only lost strokes to the field in six appearances. On the season, he ranks 16th in total strokes gained (+1.069 per round), 10th tee to green (+1.123), third on approach (+0.875), and 19th in total driving. Long-iron play should be a major factor this week, and Scott has been elite in that area, ranking third in proximity from 200+ yards (44'1"). At just $7,500 on DraftKings, Scott brings an elite profile and strong upside at a discounted price.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Patrick Reed Looking to Make Another Run at PGA Championship
The last time we saw him, Patrick Reed put together a strong Masters tournament, finishing T12. He now turns to the PGA Championship, a tournament where he has found plenty of success throughout his career. In 12 starts, Reed has recorded five top-20 finishes, including a runner-up finish in 2017. This year's event returns to Aronimink Golf Club, where Reed previously competed in 2018 at the BMW Championship. In that start, he gained strokes throughout the bag, including over 1.8 off the tee, and finished T19. Reed has been in strong form since moving away from LIV and is always a threat to contend at majors. At $9,000 on DraftKings, he brings plenty of upside, though there is some risk of rust after not competing since The Masters.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
