Ben Griffin is One of the Biggest Names to Watch This Week at Sedgefield
Source: PGA Tour
It will be an important run of golf over the next few weeks for Ben Griffin, both in the monetary and historical sense. Sitting seventh in the FedEx Cup race, there is little fear of him falling short of East Lake; however, his hopes to play for Team USA at Bethpage are still up in the air. The 29-year-old was one of the hottest players over the last several months, but has missed his past two cuts. Sedgefield has been a good spot for him thus far, with 4th and T7 finishes in two of his three previous appearances. As long as the putting and driving that tanked his last two starts have been rectified, the former UNC Tarheel is a name to keep track of come Thursday. Boasting a 69.31% greens in regulation rate and ranking 21st in strokes gained tee to green (+0.844), Griffin could prove a lot to his potential captain over the next few tournaments.Tony Finau Making First Career Start at Wyndham Championship
Source: PGA Tour
It has been a poor season for Tony Finau from the standpoint of not having many high finishes to speak of, since a T5 at the Genesis in February. That isn't to say he's missing cuts, though, as his absence from the weekend last week at the 3M was his first since the masters. The point-and-shoot nature of Sedgefield and its demand for accuracy don't really lean into the strengths of the 35-year-old, sitting outside the top 100 in both driving accuracy (57.37%) and greens in regulation (65.34%). Finau is sitting at 60th on the FedEx Cup points list, which is well inside fully-exempt status for next season. However, he is getting close to missing out on important Signature starts if he continues to struggle through the playoffs. It would be good to see him round back into some resemblance of form, but for DFS purposes, it's best to look elsewhere.Luke Clanton Looking For Spark Since Turning Pro at Wyndham Championship
Source: PGA Tour
It's been a struggle out of the gate for Luke Clanton, who is making his seventh start since turning pro in June. The flat stick has let him down, as he's averaging -0.593 strokes gained putting over the six previous starts. The ball striking is still staying fairly positive, though, so it isn't like the 21-year-old is that far off from returning to the form that intrigued us last season. We are at Sedgefield Country Club this week, where he finished 5th last season, when a third-round 62 let the golfing world know what the kid from FSU was capable of. Even with his recent struggles, Clanton still averages a 17.71% birdie or better rate on par 4s and ranks somewhere in the top 45 range of strokes gained tee to green (+0.484). He could be an exciting name to watch come Thursday.Keegan Bradley the Only Top-10 Player in World Rankings at Wyndham Championship
Source: PGA Tour
As the commanding leader of this year's U.S. Ryder Cup Team, Keegan Bradley is making the start this week in Greensboro, where he otherwise would likely skip given his place in both the FedEx Cup race and world ranking. However, he is here to compete nonetheless. Accuracy both on approach and off the tee has been what's given the 39-year-old such staying power. He's never played particularly well at Sedgefield in three career starts, though faulty approach play has thwarted likely chances. That area has become a strength, ranking 33rd on the season in strokes gained on approach (+0.398). The ceiling is a bit unpredictable, but the floor is solid enough to warrant consideration.Thorbjorn Olesen a Low-Risk, Low-Reward Play at 3M Open
Source: PGA Tour
Thorbjorn Olesen has had a very up-and-down year, recording two top-10 finishes but also missing six cuts in 16 events. Notably, he hasn't missed back-to-back cuts all season, and after falling short of the weekend at The Open Championship, he'll look to bounce back once again at the 3M Open. Success at TPC Twin Cities depends on total driving, approach play, and the ability to convert birdie chances. Olesen ranks 86th in strokes gained off the tee at plus-0.101, 61st on approach at plus-0.200, and is a solid overall driver, ranking 65th in distance and 68th in accuracy. He's a prolific putter, ranking 17th and gaining 0.429 strokes per round, but he struggles to convert opportunities, sitting just 115th in birdie or better percentage. At $7,300 on DraftKings, expectations for the 35-year-old are modest. He has a good chance to make the cut, but his upside appears limited.Kurt Kitayama Riding Momentum Into 3M Open
Source: PGA Tour
After an inconsistent season marked by just two top-25 finishes and eight missed cuts, Kurt Kitayama has recently found better form, recording back-to-back finishes of T14 or better in his last two starts. He'll look to keep that momentum going at the 3M Open, where he finished T6 last year. Success at TPC Twin Cities depends on total driving, approach play, and the ability to convert birdie chances. Kitayama ranks 12th in strokes gained off the tee at 0.519 per round, 54th on approach, and 10th in driving distance. Accuracy has been an issue, as he ranks 141st in driving accuracy, and he's also struggled on the greens, sitting 155th in putting at minus-0.375 strokes per round. Still, he's 17th in birdie or better percentage, and at $8,700 on DraftKings, Kitayama has a strong chance to continue his form in a weaker field.Maverick McNealy a High-Upside Option at 3M Open
Source: PGA Tour
Maverick McNealy has put together a steady season, recording nine top-25 finishes and missing just three cuts through 20 events. He enters the 3M Open with three straight top-23 results and will look to build on that at a course where he finished T3 last year. Success at TPC Twin Cities depends on total driving, approach play, and the ability to convert birdie chances. McNealy ranks 38th in strokes gained off the tee at plus-0.282 per round, 43rd on approach, and 60th in driving distance. He's also 72nd in birdie or better percentage, 31st in putting at plus-0.304 per round, and ranks in the 63rd percentile in proximity from 150-200 yards, a distance that made up 34.7% of approach shots here last year. At $10,300 on DraftKings, McNealy is the second-most expensive player in the field, and his upside reflects that price.Jake Knapp Riding Hot Putter Into 3M Open
Source: PGA Tour
After missing back-to-back cuts to close out May, Jake Knapp has been rock-solid, finishing T27 or better in four straight events, helped in large part by his putting. He gained a ridiculous 10.8 strokes with his flatstick at the Scottish Open and will look to carry that momentum into the 3M Open, where he has played just once and withdrew after the third round in 2024 due to a shoulder injury. Success at TPC Twin Cities depends on total driving, approach play, and the ability to convert birdie chances. Knapp ranks 82nd off the tee at 0.112 strokes gained per round, 76th on approach, and 21st in driving distance. Accuracy remains a concern, as he ranks just 161st in that metric. He also ranks fourth in birdie or better percentage and 12th in strokes gained putting. At $8,900 on DraftKings, Knapp profiles as a solid mid-tier play for DFS managers this week.Sungjae Im's Ball-Striking Must Wake Up at 3M Open
Sungjae Im has been riding the struggle bus for much of the season, capped off by finishing T53 or worse in six straight events. He's in need of a serious turnaround and hopes to find it at the 3M Open, whereMax Homa in Desperate Need of a Bounce Back at 3M Open
Source: PGA Tour
Max Homa occasionally reminds us he still knows how to swing a golf club, as shown by his T5 finish at the John Deere Classic, but overall this has been a rough season. He has just two top-25 finishes through 18 events and has missed seven cuts. He'll look to reverse that trend at the 3M Open, where he last played in 2020 and finished T3. Success at TPC Twin Cities depends on total driving, approach play, and the ability to convert birdie opportunities. Homa ranks 119th in strokes gained off the tee at minus-0.066, 169th on approach at minus-0.648, and sits 78th in driving distance and 100th in driving accuracy. He's also just 132nd in birdie or better percentage. Homa has been brutal this season and can't be trusted in any lineup until he shows signs of consistency.Chris Gotterup Is Red-Hot and Worth the Price at 3M Open
Source: PGA Tour
Few players on tour have been as scorching hot as Chris Gotterup, who has finished T28 or better in 11 of his last 13 events, including seven top-18 results, a win at the Scottish Open, and a third-place finish at The Open Championship. He'll look to keep the momentum going at the 3M Open, where he has played twice, finishing T59 in 2024 and T31 in 2022. Success at TPC Twin Cities depends on total driving, approach play, and the ability to convert birdie opportunities. Gotterup ranks ninth in strokes gained off the tee at plus-0.573 per round, 101st on approach at plus-0.021, and second in driving distance. He also ranks 26th in birdie or better percentage at 23.40%, and sits in the 54th percentile in proximity from 150 to 200 yards, a distance that accounted for 34.7% of approach shots here last year. Gotterup is on fire and well worth the full price of $10,000 on DraftKings.Luke Clanton a Hard-to-Trust Play at 3M Open
Source: PGA Tour
Luke Clanton finished T65 at the Scottish Open after losing more than four strokes with his putter, marking his sixth result of T60 or worse in 10 events this year. He'll look to get back on track at the 3M Open, where he's played just once and missed the cut last year. Success at TPC Twin Cities depends on total driving, approach play, and the ability to convert birdie chances. Clanton is gaining 0.324 strokes per round off the tee and 0.398 on approach, but he's losing 0.295 strokes with his putter and is hitting fairways at just 52.73% accuracy. He also ranks in the 82nd percentile in proximity from 150 to 200 yards, a distance that accounted for 34.7 percent of all approach shots here last year. At $8,100 on DraftKings, Clanton remains hard to trust due to his inconsistent overall play.Joel Dahmen May Struggle Again at TPC Twin Cities
Source: PGATour.com
Joel Dahmen had a decent week at the Barracuda Championship. However, the American golfer has not had a lot of success of late. Before that event, he missed the cut in seven of eight tournaments. Even worse, the John Deere Classic was a tailor-made course for Dahmen but he struggled on the weekend (70-74). One of the biggest issues for the golfer has been putting again. He ranks 159th in strokes gained at -0.422. A deeper dive reveals why Dahmen falters badly in final rounds. He averages 30.71 putts per round on Sundays (173rd). Accuracy is not the problem. It is the finish that keeps Dahmen as a fade even for this weekend in Minnesota. Quade Cummins a Wild Card at the 3M Open
Source: PGATour.com
Quade Cummins is a far-reaching longer shot at the 3M Open. The American golfer did finish inside the Top 20 at the Barracuda Championship. Remember this was not a stroke play tournament. Cummins has several Top 40 events in higher-tiered PGA events. Those include The American Express, Cognizant Classic, and the Charles Schwab Classic. Part of that is because Cummins excels at putting (0.366 strokes gained - 20th). He can scramble out of trouble as well (22nd - 63.37%). It all comes down to hitting good shots and setting up for birdies. From a betting perspective, a Top 40 is a +230 play (DraftKings) but is shortening to +200 on sites like BetMGM for a reason. Haotong Li Tries to Capitalize on Great Open Championship
Source: PGATour.com
Haotong Li has only played two events on the PGA Tour this season. The Chinese golfer did not make the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open. However, an opening 67 at Royal Portrush and a subsequent 67 kept Li on the first page of the leaderboard at the Open Championship. The T-4 was a career best in a major for the golfer. It comes on the heels of winning the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters which was his first tournament win in three years. Li only plays a few events a year and even fewer on American soil. It will be intriguing to potentially utilize him as a DFS play for this week's event in Minnesota.