RotoBaller PGA: One And Done Staff Picks - Open Championship

July 17, 2019

The PGA RotoBaller staff digs into their One and Done selections for the Open Championship. Here are some under the radar plays and picks for this week's event.

Here at RotoBaller, we are always searching for ways to give our readers the best fantasy sports content possible. With that goal in mind, we are very proud to announce the addition of a weekly PGA “One and Done” column. In this feature, our golf staff of Joe Nicely, Spencer Aguiar and Gianni Magliocco will provide their weekly golf picks every Wednesday. The purpose of this article is to present you with alternative options to consider and hopefully make your selection a much easier process weekly. With that plan in mind, let's get started!

It has been quite a run from Joe in the past two months of this OAD contest. He has either had the best tournament total or tied for the best tournament total between the three of us in nine of the previous 12 events. That trend continued last week at the John Deere Classic with a third-place showing from Collin Morikawa, netting him a cool $264,400 and giving him the overall lead for the first time this season.

It has been a heavyweight battle between Joe and Gianni, and with just a few events left in the season, their totals are separated by less than $10,000. With the Open Championship on tap, who will take control and move on step closer to claiming the inaugural title? Let's find out who the guys are selecting this week!

For an in-depth breakdown of the top DraftKings and Fanduel plays, check out Joe Nicely's weekly Horse For The Course that highlights the best fits for the week's course.

And you can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week.

2019 Open Championship

Royal Portrush

7,334 Yards - Par 71 - Greens Bentgrass

With the PGA Championship moving to May, the Open Championship will get its first chance to shine as the last grand slam event of the year. Constructed in 1888, Royal Portrush was re-designed by Harry Colt in 1932 and upgraded in 2017 by Martin Ebert. Listed as a Par 71 that plays slightly over 7,330 yards, the course features massive undulations throughout and can become exposed to heavy winds because of its treeless design and coastal location.

The area has received extensive rain this summer, and the rough will be penal for those that miss the generous fairways off the tee. However, the setup isn't overly complicated if the weather remains calm. The amount of wind will decide just how accessible certain green locations will be this weekend, and players could turn this into a wedgefest shootout if we end up with a neutral weather report. As of right now, gentle breezes are in the forecast but keep an eye on the forecast because it could turn on a dime.

Because of the steep runoffs on the putting surface, strokes gained around the green will be a critical statistic to measure, but it isn't the only vital category for us to pinpoint. If we want a full picture of what to expect, we will need to incorporate scrambling, short wedge proximity, ball striking, strokes gained approach and strokes gained putting into our research. Assuming a little wind comes into play, I'd also try to target golfers who perform well in gusty conditions.

One and Done Selections

Joe Nicely - Henrik Stenson

Alternate -  Matt Kuchar

Ok...still rolling! My new crush Collin Morikawa came through nicely for me at the John Deere Classic and I might finally be making my buddy Gianni sweat a little. However, the Open Championship looms large this week as the year’s final major and a potentially huge payday for one of us.

I greedily burned my Rory McIlroy card what feels like forever ago at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and it’s definitely one I wish I had back right now. I’ve also already gone through many of this field’s elite options like Brooks Koepka, DJ, and Tiger. I have purposefully left myself some outs and had planned on rolling with either Justin Rose or Tommy Fleetwood this week at Royal Portrush.

While both of those guys are excellent options, I keep finding myself drawn to Henrik Stenson in this spot. The Swede is the best iron player in the world right now and has really found his groove over the past month, with top-10 finishes in both the U.S. and Canadian Opens, as well as a top-five outing just last week at the Scottish Open. His Open Championship record is impeccable...he won a classic duel against Phil Mickelson at Troon in 2016 and has three additional top-three finishes against just two missed cuts in 14 career Open starts. It feels like Stenson is turning into a ‘trendy’ pick this week, but there’s a reason for that. I’ve gotten myself back into this OAD contest by putting my blinders on and making the picks that I feel best about, this week at Portrush that’s the Iceman. - Joe Nicely

Yearly Earnings - $9,372,310

Yearly Cuts Made - 23/26

Spencer Aguiar - Eddie Pepperell

Alternate - Jordan Spieth

I have to go outside of the box with my selection, but I've made a mess when it comes to the players I still have available. During the weeks where I went all in to try and catch up, I used mostly everyone who I had considered initially for this spot. I jumped the gun on Rory McIlroy at the PGA Championship and selected Jason Day a few weeks earlier than I should have to try and close the gap.

However, despite not having the top choices at my disposal, it could be worse than holding Eddie Pepperell in my back pocket. The Englishman is a quality links player and has shown the ability to excel in windy conditions over the years. Victories in Qatar and England last season emphasized his prowess in subpar conditions, and the 28-year-old was even able to make a run at the title during this year's Players Championship.

A sixth-place showing last year at the Open shows that Pepperell does have a game that can win this event, and the 35th-ranked player in the world might be able to have his official coming-out party to the casual fan that doesn't know his name if he can breakthrough at Royal Portrush. - Spencer Aguiar

Yearly Earnings - $5,514,824

Yearly Cuts Made - 24/26

Gianni Magliocco - Justin Rose

Alternate - Jordan Spieth

I have a few options this week, but Justin Rose looks like the most solid of the lot. The Englishman has bounced back into form, with a 13th place finish at Memorial followed by a T3 at the U.S. Open. Fully aware that Rose had to lean on his flat-stick that week, but he's an excellent ball striker usually, and I don't see him struggling tee to green too much after a four-week break.

With a solid temperament, the test at Royal Portrush should suit, and his T2 finish at this event last year should give him good vibes as he goes for his second major. - Gianni Magliocco

Yearly Earnings - $9,363,453

Yearly Cuts Made - 22/26

Running Totals

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