RADIO
Jens Christenson Round 3 PGA DFS showdown slate picks for the 2025 Open Championship. His top in-tournament DFS lineup picks and top plays for DraftKings and FanDuel.
Hello, Rotoballers! I hope everyone is doing well and is ready for another exciting year of PGA DFS. Showdown has returned for another season on DraftKings alongside the PGA Tour, and we’re here to help guide you, whether you’re looking to continue your journey from where you left off in 2024 or are new to this particular DFS format.
Scottie Scheffler delivered the best round of the day, moving to the top of the leaderboard at 10-under. Matt Fitzpatrick has continued playing well and is just one stroke behind at 9-under. Following closely are Brian Harman and Haotong Li, who are both at 8-under. Rasmus Hojgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre, Harris English, and Chris Gotterup are tied for fifth at 5-under. As expected, the weather has played a significant role in scoring, setting the stage for an exciting finish worthy of the last major.
Unlike standard golf DFS, which covers the entire tournament, Showdown focuses on each round as an individual event. It's crucial to find players who excel on approach shots, but it’s also important to make roster decisions that provide ownership leverage by selecting riskier players who may not have been performing their best recently but could have a strong bounce-back round. In other words, this is a sprint, not a marathon.
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Weather, Course Conditions, and Tee Times
Tomorrow's weather is expected to be similar to today's, but changes can occur quickly in Portrush. In the first round, the course played 2.04 strokes over par, while in the second round, it played 0.41 strokes over par.
Round 3 Strategy
The key to success in showdowns is to look for ball strikers who can have a standout putting performance. Having two exceptional putting days in a row is quite challenging, so we should focus on golfers who have been consistent with their approach shots and created birdie opportunities but fell short in converting them.
It’s also beneficial to target players who need to improve their position on the leaderboard, as they often push harder on moving day. Additionally, golfers who have shown some positive form in the first two rounds are great candidates to consider.
Keep in mind that ownership levels tend to decrease as the morning's first tee time approaches, so identifying players who are likely to bounce back is crucial for achieving significant wins.
$10,000+
Favorite Play: Scottie Scheffler proved why he is the number one ranked golfer in the world by shooting a 7-under in Round 2. He has showcased his exceptional all-around game, gaining 4.16 strokes on approach in the first round and 3.03 in the second. Additionally, he gained 2.15 strokes putting in Round 1 and 3.99 in Round 2. Most importantly, Scheffler has made 13 birdies and only recorded three bogeys over the two rounds. I plan to include him in most of my lineups tomorrow.
$9,000+
Favorite Play: Shane Lowry had a disappointing second round, but he's still capable of scoring low on this course. In Round 1, he gained 2.16 strokes on approach and 1.41 strokes putting. However, in Round 2, he lost 1.11 strokes on approach and 0.06 strokes putting, struggling to find any rhythm throughout the round. Including a frustrating double-bogey on the par-5 12th, one of the easier holes on the course. Lowry has still managed to record only three bogeys over the two rounds, making him a strong bounce-back candidate for tomorrow.
Other Options: Tyrell Hatton, Xander Schauffele
Cut finalised. Bring on the weekend.
Watch Inside The Open on YouTube.https://t.co/C6otKj5mdk@MastercardUK | #InsideTheOpen pic.twitter.com/m2tt5NpIMn
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2025
$8,000+
Favorite Play: Justin Thomas has played consistent golf through the first two rounds. He has dropped seven birdies while carding only four bogeys. In Round 1, he lost 1.74 strokes on approach but gained 2.23 in Round 2. He gained 2.67 strokes around the green in the first round and 0.39 strokes in the second round. Thomas has shown how well-rounded his game is by finding various ways to make birdies and minimize bogeys, regardless of the situation. He is definitely someone I'll have in my lineups.
Other Options: Sam Burns, Robert MacIntrye, Corey Conners
Inches away from the first hole-in-one of The 153rd Open.
Corey Conners goes close on 16. pic.twitter.com/kChIMQMqR1
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2025
$7,000+
Favorite Play: Maverick McNealy didn't look as sharp today as he did in Round 1. He gained strokes off the tee in both rounds, gaining 2.79 strokes in Round 1 and 0.15 in Round 2. While he gained 0.71 strokes on approach in Round 1, he lost a 2.03 in Round 2. His putting has also been a struggle; despite being one of the better putters on tour this year, he lost 0.21 strokes putting in Round 1 and 1.59 in Round 2. Overall, McNealy struggled with both his approach play and putting today, but he could be a lower-owned option with the potential to bounce back.
Other Options: Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Jordan Spieth, Aaron Rai
$6,000+
Favorite Play: Dean Burmester has recorded a 71 in both rounds and playing solid golf. He has gained strokes off the tee and around the greens in each round. In Round 1, he gained 0.74 strokes off the tee and 1.36 strokes around the greens. In Round 2, he gained 0.23 strokes off the tee and 1.10 strokes around the greens. However, he has lost strokes on approach in both rounds, losing 0.33 strokes in Round 1 and 1.31 strokes in Round 2. Throughout the two rounds, Burmester has dropped eight birdies and one eagle. If he can improve his approach play, even slightly, we'll want him in our lineups.
Other Options: Matti Schmid, Romain Langasque, Dustin Johnson, Akshay Bhatia
Build a links golfer from the field at The 153rd Open.@NTTDATA | #ShotView pic.twitter.com/N25OmxZnYN
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2025
Guy I'm Playing That You Shouldn't
This will be an every-week addition to my article where I'll pick a golfer who I believe has shown he can go nuclear but has every chance he could dud and should generally be reserved for the largest field GPP tournaments.
Jhonattan Vegas hasn't made many birdies so far, but he has gained strokes on approach and tee to green in both rounds. In Round 1, he gained 1.91 strokes on approach and 2.76 strokes tee to green. In Round 2, he gained 0.38 strokes on approach and 2.44 strokes tee to green. In this section of the article, I’ll take my chances on a player who has gained strokes tee to green in both rounds but has struggled to convert birdie opportunities.
This lineup is for demonstration purposes only.
Showdown Optimizer
The optimizer works nicely with the projected ownership from the model. If you are unsure how to use it, there is a video at the top of the "PGA Lineup Optimizer" page on how to get my projected ownership and/or projected points into your optimizer.
Good luck, and may the odds ever be in your favor.
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