RADIO
Ian Christenson's Round 3 PGA DFS showdown slate picks for the 2025 Procore 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.
Weather, Course Conditions, and Tee Times
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: Russell Henley has played exactly how we would expect him to so far through the tournament. In Round 1, he gained 1.693 strokes off the tee and 3.216 strokes putting. In Round 2, he gained 1.010 strokes off the tee and 0.949 strokes putting. Through the first two rounds, Henley’s approach play has been below his usual standard, as he has only gained 1.628 strokes on approach, which ranks 42nd in the field. Considering how strong he’s been off the tee and on the greens, I’m backing Henley because even a slight improvement in his approach play, which is typically one of his strengths, could lead to a very low round tomorrow.
$9,000+
Favorite Play: J.J. Spaun has put together two solid bogey free rounds, and I don't see him slowing down tomorrow. In Round 1, he gained 0.124 strokes off the tee and 3.287 strokes on approach. In Round 2, he gained 1.284 strokes off the tee and 2.239 strokes on approach. Through the first two rounds, Spaun has only hit 50% of fairways, but he's still found a way to get on the green and drop birdies by hitting 80.56% of greens in regulation. Given his current form, Spaun is someone I want in my lineups.
Other Options: Ben Griffin, Maverick McNealy
Two bogey-free rounds for Griffin! pic.twitter.com/Ym09igzbdG
— Procore Championship (@ProcoreChamp) September 13, 2025
$8,000+
Favorite Play: Matt McCarty fired a bogey-free 8-under 64 in the first round, sinking eight birdies. Today, in the second round, he didn't have his best showing, carding a 1-over 73 that included only one birdie. Through the first two rounds, McCarty has gained 0.967 strokes off the tee, 0.936 strokes on approach, and 2.802 strokes around the green. I don't anticipate McCarty repeating either round exactly, but if his performance lands somewhere in between, he could be a lower-owned option who drops 4-5 birdies for our showdown lineups tomorrow.
Other Options: Akshay Bhatia, Emiliano Grillo, Collin Morikawa
Right on the number! pic.twitter.com/ffnkOTfbbV
— Procore Championship (@ProcoreChamp) September 12, 2025
$7,000+
Favorite Play: Mackenzie Hughes started the tournament much like McCarty. He played very well in the first round but struggled in the second. He made 11 birdies in the first round but none in the second. Over the first two rounds, Hughes gained 0.374 strokes on approach, 1.685 strokes around the green, and 4.778 strokes putting. He looks like a strong bounce-back candidate for our lineups tomorrow.
Other Options: Patrick Fishburn, Sahith Theegala, Austin Eckroat, Taylor Montgomery
$6,000+
Favorite Play: Ben Kohles has played steady golf, posting a 3-under 69 in both rounds. In Round 1, he gained 0.530 strokes off the tee and 2.271 on approach. In Round 2, he gained 1.554 on approach but lost 1.193 off the tee. For this salary range, I prefer someone strong on approach, even if inconsistent off the tee, who still makes birdies and saves pars.
Other Options: Brandt Snedeker, Chad Ramey, Seamus Power, Zac Blair
Russell Henley jumps to the top of the leaderboard at -10! pic.twitter.com/jTB6Fa4xLf
— Procore Championship (@ProcoreChamp) September 12, 2025
Guy I'm Playing Who 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.
Anders Albertson carded a bogey-free 6-under 66 in the first round. He made four birdies and one eagle. In the second round, he managed only three birdies and had one bogey and one double bogey. In Round 1, he gained 2.261 strokes around the green, 3.146 strokes putting, and 5.778 strokes total. Round 2 was very different. He gained 0.192 strokes off the tee, lost 0.009 strokes on approach, and gained 0.474 strokes putting. This is a highly volatile play. We're hoping for a spike putting day or anything close to his Round 1 performance.
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.
Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks
More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks
Win More With RotoBaller
Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.
Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team:
If you read my articles @RotoBaller or listen to @TheTurnGolfPod I’ve been telling y’all it was #WinningSeason when golf came back! Shoutout to the entire @RotoBallerPGA squad and all you guys that support my work for all the ❤️ pic.twitter.com/07a4ynvbSU
— Joe Nicely (@JoeNicely) June 28, 2020
Between all the incredible Premium PGA DFS and Betting content and tools we put out each week, and our Premium Slack Community where we chat with our subscribers before lineups lock, RotoBaller PGA subscribers are armed with the tools, analysis, and advice to win more.Congrats @tenndolly2 ???
— RotoBaller PGA (@RotoBallerPGA) August 10, 2020
Thanks for being a @RotoBaller PGA DFS Premium subscriber & checking out all the amazing golf content that @JoeNicely produces every week! https://t.co/tHKZVsPbbt
