RADIO
Chris Kirk in Better Form Heading to Bank of Utah Championship
Chris Kirk has seen some periods of much struggle in 2026. The American golfer missed three straight cuts but does have two Top 10 results in his previous three events. That included a T-10 at the Biltmore Championship. One of the bigger keys in Utah is setting up chances to make putts and Kirk can do that. He gained 2.3 strokes in Asheville. It all comes down to making enough putts to keep up with the expected higher scores. The first two editions of the tournament saw scores of 261 and 262. Kirk ended up at 265 in his last tournament. It is not a stretch to see Kirk in contention in Utah come the weekend which makes him a decent Top 10 or Top 20 bet.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Jackson Koivun in Utah Fresh Off President's Cup Victory
The reach to get Jackson Koivun on the US President's Cup Team paid off, as the former Auburn Tiger tied for the fourth-most points earned on the American side after defeating Si Woo Kim in Sunday singles. He had the putter rolling in Chicago, averaging 3.11 strokes gained putting over his three sessions. The other areas of his game will need to be sharper if he hopes to contend this week in the Black Desert, but ball striking is typically at the forefront of his success. Through eight professional starts, his 1.430 strokes gained tee-to-green average ranks second on the PGA Tour. Koivun is one of the most intriguing new prospects this season, and if his putting at Medinah can get in sync with his usual tee-to-green play, he could vie for another win this week.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Tony Finau Looking for Any Confidence in Utah
Tony Finau was one of the best golfers in the world just three or four years ago. The American golfer came off back-to-back seasons where he won twice. 2026 has seen worse and worse results since that lone Top 10 in May (T-6 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson). His last tournament in Asheville was a disaster where Finau lost 5.29 strokes and missed the cut. His world ranking has dropped outside the Top 150 and worse, so much is in the red. Finau's driver accuracy is 54.21% (143rd) and greens in regulation is 135th at 63.71%. Two slight hopes are putts per round and one-putt percentage where Finau is 15th and 31st respectively. However, Finau is one to fade from a betting and DFS point of view at this time.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Pierceson Coody Hoping Final Round at Biltmore Leads to Better Things
Pierceson Coody was having a disastrous time at the Biltmore Championship. The American golfer from Texas turned the tables with a final round 65. It was Coody's best round of golf in over four months. He did have a 2025 best T-3 at last year's event in Utah. Coody improved some putting but the strokes gained off the tee dropped from 1st on tour to 32nd. He has a solid birdie average of 4.08 (25th) which makes Coody a potential golfer to watch when it comes to contention. At the least, from a DFS perspective, the Texan could be worth a look at the least.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Ben James Knocking on the Door Ahead of Bank of Utah Championship
The beginning of Ben James' professional career has been a quick rise, as he burst onto the scene in June, earning three top-five finishes and two top-20 finishes through his first nine starts. The 23-year-old is coming off back-to-back podium finishes and looks poised to assert himself amongst the other young guns who have begun making their own names over the last year and a half. The bread and butter is the flat stick, as he's steadily averaged 0.521 strokes gained putting over his last seven starts. His ball striking is nothing to sleep on either, but it hasn't been as tried and true. However, James has gained over 13 strokes on approach over his last eight rounds. He has enough talent to get the job done on the PGA Tour, and it feels like we could see him lift a trophy sooner rather than later.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Tom Hoge Hopes to Return to Solid Iron Play at Bank of Utah Championship
Sitting 84th in the FedEx Cup standings, Tom Hoge only needs a competent fall to keep hold of PGA Tour status next season. He couldn't hang his hat on much in 2026, as he averaged negative strokes gained in three of the four individual metrics. The fourth, however, was a respectable 0.319 average in strokes gained on approach. He's coming off a missed cut at the Biltmore Championship, where he lost strokes both off the tee and on approach. Expect the iron play to return to the positive side of things, but the game off the tee and on and around the greens may be a different story. This resort-style layout takes some of the pressure off being uber precise, but players need plenty of birdies to stay in it. Despite Hoge not contending much this year, he's still top 30 in birdie-or-better rate. The 37-year-old is far from a safe play, but there is upside if he avoids bogeys on this easier layout.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Luke Clanton Looking For Form in Fall's Second Event
The first full season of Luke Clanton's professional career didn't go quite as smoothly as those of other fresh-out-of-school players who came on the scene over the last year and a half. With only two finishes inside the top 20 and six missed cuts in his last seven starts, the 22-year-old is in do-or-die time. There have been many contributing factors to his struggle in 2026, but putting is the leading cause, as he's lost an average of -1.008 strokes on the greens over his last six starts. We've seen his ability to find a groove in the full swing department, but his total liability with a putter in his hand makes him impossible to put into a lineup right now.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Ryan Fox to Compete in First Career President's Cup
The whirlwind week at Royal Birkdale for Ryan Fox inevitably punched his ticket to this week's President's Cup at Medinah, as the Champion Golfer of the Year is a solid asterisk for a team that needs all the help it can get. There's still a major question of how the New Zealander will handle himself in this atmosphere and, like most other pairings for this team, who will be an optimal partner to earn points. Players who inconsistently thrive in all four major facets aren't always easy teammates, especially when he ranked no higher than 77th in any strokes gained metric. Outside of his length off the tee, the rest of his game is hard to trust. No one would be surprised to see Fox struggle this week.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Si Woo Kim Looks to Lead International Team at Medinah
On paper, Si Woo Kim is the strongest player in the International Team room. He's the highest-ranked and has been one of the top performers over the last two editions, but he's also arguably the easiest plug-and-play on the entire roster. Outside of what happens on the greens, the 31-year-old was one of the top competitors in the 2026 season. Over his 24 events played, the South Korean led the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach (0.738) and ranked inside the top five in strokes gained tee to green (1.357), birdie average, and par-4 scoring average. It's been a tall task for this squad to defeat Team USA, but especially on foreign soil. However, if it is even a possibility, it will take a strong showing from Kim.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Justin Thomas is Back to Lead Team USA in This Year's Cup Matches
Due to the struggles that surrounded Justin Thomas' golf game a couple of seasons ago, it kept him off of a 2024 President's Cup team that was void of any real veteran leadership. That won't be the case this year, as he's set to be the tried and true points getter he's been in the seven team competitions where he's accrued a 19-9-4 record. The 33-year-old is the most decorated player on the American side, especially when solely looking at this particular event, as he's undefeated in both foursomes and fourball. As the best player this season in strokes gained around the green (0.627 average strokes gained), he makes for a great alternate shot partner. The other two formats don't make as much sense, but as the unquestioned heart and soul of the American team, it wouldn't be surprising to see him be apart of every session.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Sam Burns Set to Make Third President's Cup Appearance at Medinah
After a year that saw him have a chance to win three out of the four major championships, Sam Burns will be a cornerstone piece for the American squad this week at Medinah. He's been on every cup team since 2022, though he's fared much better against the International team than the Europeans, sporting a 3-3-3 record versus 1-3-2. His usual pairing with Scottie Scheffler is the default choice, but his overall record with the world No. 1 is a discouraging 0-3-1. As one of the best putters on tour and the most proficient approach players this season, it's beyond time for Team USA to find the right partner to allow Burns to flourish.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Adam Scott Makes Yet Another Presidents Cup Appearance
Adam Scott will be playing in his 12th Presidents Cup at the age of 46. The Australian golfer had qualified in 10 of his previous 11 appearances. Behind a very good 2026 season on the PGA Tour, Scott qualified yet again for the event at Medinah Country Club. Scott did not win in 2026 but had three top-10 results. He brings a ton of experience to an International squad seeking to turn the tide against Team USA. His approach to the green saw him gain 0.523 strokes (14th) in 2026. The bigger key may be putting, where Scott has been average in 2026 (122nd in putts per round at 29.35). It is the largest concern when it comes to Scott in match play and a big reason why he is under .500 at the Presidents Cup (20-28-6).
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Patrick Cantlay's Match-Play Record at Presidents Cup Speaks for Itself
Patrick Cantlay may not have had the best 2026 on the golf course. The American golfer, however, was picked for the 2026 Presidents Cup on the strength of his 10-4 overall record at the event. Cantlay, most notably, went 4-1 at Royal Montreal in 2024 as Team USA won for the 10th time (18.5 to 11.5). He has also won every Singles match (3-0). Cantlay did not win a single event in 2026 but did have five Top 10 results. His closest brush to victory came at the BMW Championship, where Cantlay finished runner-up to Wyndham Clark. Cantlay tends to putt better in match play, and his 1.01 strokes gained overall still ranked 11th in 2026, which makes him a potential factor at the Presidents Cup.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Russell Henley Seeks Bigger Stage at Presidents Cup
Russell Henley was picked to compete in his first Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal in 2024. The American golfer qualified for the event at Medinah Country Club with an excellent 2026. Henley won a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May, had six Top 10 results, and had five Top 20 results over his final six events of the 2026 season. Henley's all-around game is highlighted by his putting (0.481 strokes gained -- 12th). He went 2-1 at Royal Montreal in 2024 and won his only match at singles, defeating Sungjae Im 3&2. It will be intriguing to see how Captain Brandt Snedeker utilizes the golfer as he could be a potential DFS factor in Foursomes as well.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Collin Morikawa Gains Automatic Presidents Cup Spot
Collin Morikawa navigated a solid 2026 that saw him win at Pebble Beach and finish back up near the top 10 in the World Rankings. The American golfer had seven Top 10 results and heads into the Presidents Cup at Medinah ready to make an impact. His 6-2 record at the Presidents Cup includes excelling in the pairs format. After qualifying in 2024. Morikawa won four of his five matches at Royal Montreal. He is 3-0 in his last three singles matches as well. Match play is always a different animal, but the Presidents Cup does not hold the same pressure as the Ryder Cup. Morikawa, behind a T4 at the BMW Championship and a solid finale at the TOUR Championship, could be a surprising betting factor in favor of Team USA.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
