How to watch the Ryder Cup

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The PGA TOUR heads to the Sunshine State this week for the first leg of its Florida swing. The venue in play this week is a classic as the players will be visiting PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, a Jack Nicklaus redesign that features “The Bear Trap,” one of the toughest and most famous three-hole stretches in pro golf. The course plays as a par 70, measuring at approximately 7,048 yards, and ranked as the third-toughest venue on the PGA TOUR in 2020-21. We’ll also be switching to Bermuda greens this week, a regular feature of the Florida venues. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1M Pitch + Putt [$250K to 1st] STRATEGY Those teeing up at The Honda Classic include Sungjae Im ($11,000), who is coming off a T33 finish at the Genesis. He’ll be joined by Louis Oosthuizen ($10,800), Brooks Koepka ($10,100) and Joaquin Niemann ($10,600), who is also coming off a win last week. The field at The Honda Classic maxes out at 144 golfers and will again feature a regular PGA TOUR cutline with the top 65 and ties making it to the weekend. We should expect lower totals though for our DraftKings daily fantasy golf lineups as PGA National typically plays as one of the hardest venues of the year. Last season, the scoring average at PGA National ballooned to 71.9, or +1.904 strokes over par, and we rarely see winners at this event get to double digits in scoring. The greens at PGA National are some of the hardest to hit on the PGA TOUR as we often see green in regulation rates trend 5-10% lower at this event than the PGA TOUR average. Scrambling around PGA National is also difficult, as saving par from off the green typically trends 5% lower than average for the field as well. Good approach games and around the green play are what to focus on this week as power at PGA National is de-emphasized for the most part—perhaps more than any other course on the PGA TOUR. Driver isn’t a club players need to hit regularly and that shows by the fact the average driving distance for this venue often comes in a full 10 yards less than the average Driving Distance on the PGA TOUR. Big hitters can still compete though, and the likes of Gary Woodland ($8,200) and Keith Mitchell ($9,100) are two players in the field this week who are good proof of that. Still, this event has been a friendly home to crafty veterans like Ian Poulter ($7,600) and Matt Jones ($9,000). GOLFERS TO CONSIDER Alex Noren ($9,300 on DraftKings) I mentioned above how this venue truly favors veteran players who can grind out pars with good iron play and around the green work. Alex Noren’s entire game is predicated on just such a formula and he comes into this week just two starts removed from a T6 finish at the Phoenix Open. Noren’s best assets are his around the green play and putting, but his approach game has popped in recent starts too and he gained +3.4 on Approach alone last week, his best week in that metric since exactly a year ago at the 2021 Genesis. Noren also has a history of producing for daily fantasy golf at The Honda Classic as he grabbed a solo third-place at this event back in 2018. His price this week is the most expensive it’s been for a while, but as a player with four top-10s in his last 13 starts, the low $9K-salary isn’t as outlandish as it seems. The weaker field and A+ setup for Noren make him a target in daily fantasy golf on DraftKings. Chris Kirk ($7,500 on DraftKings) You’ll see a trend forming quickly in these picks and that’s experience paired with solid recent form in approach and around the green play. Chris Kirk comes into this event having gained strokes around the green in each of his last eight starts. The American has been a little sluggish with his ball-striking to begin 2022 but he’s gained strokes on Approach in each of his last two starts and was hanging around the top-10 for much of the weekend at the WM Phoenix Open (T14). Kirk has played this event numerous times in the past as well, with this year marking his 11th appearance at PGA National for The Honda Classic. He’s clearly a fan of this setup (or he’d not show up this much) and has finished as high as T12 in 2014. The four-time winner looks underrated at this price on DraftKings, especially with similarly skilled players such as Brian Harman ($8,700) and Mackenzie Hughes ($8,300) priced far above him. Kirk is a good mid-tier value to target this week in daily fantasy golf. Lucas Glover ($7,400 on DraftKings) Almost all of the analysis I laid out above for Kirk can also apply to Glover. The 42-year-old grabbed his first win in over a decade last year at the John Deere Classic and has started 2022 nicely, already landing a top-10 finish at the Sony Open (T6). Glover has excelled at tough venues throughout his career so we shouldn’t be shocked to see that he’s found consistent success around PGA National. Glover has finished T21 or better at this event in four of the last five seasons and ranks 15th in SG: Approach stats over the last 50 rounds. The price on Glover also looks too low as he comes in $100 lower than Kirk, despite having out-performed him this season. Looking above him, we see out-of-form players like Ryan Palmer ($7,900) and Rickie Fowler ($7,600) available at much higher prices. It all makes Glover a great mid-tier target to build around for daily fantasy golf lineups this week. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1M Pitch + Putt [$250K to 1st] Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game. Place your golf bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app. All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests. The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). 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Quail Hollow Club, the venue for this week’s Presidents Cup, is rightfully regarded as a big ballpark. But don’t focus solely on the length of this layout that measures at more than 7,500 yards. With two drivable par-4s, a range of more than 60 yards in the par-3s and reachable par-5s mixed in with beastly par-4s, every piece of equipment will be challenged, especially when you consider the variety of formats in use this week. As the International Team looks to win its first Presidents Cup since 1998, and the United States team hopes to continue its winning streak, GolfWRX has broken down the five key golf clubs for each team, with insight from the respective players. Below are the clubs that we think could play a big role for the underdog International Team if it hopes to score the upset. TAYLOR PENDRITH’S DRIVER Ping G410 LST (9 degrees; Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green Small Batch 70TX) 2022 stats: 12th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee; 10th in Driving Distance (316.1 yards) Pendrith says: “It’s an older model, but I’m comfortable with it. Just when I set it down, it looks great to me. Sits a little open. …I’ve got lots of confidence with it. I’ve been using the same model for three years, probably, now, and I’ve driven it great the last three years. So the numbers, I don’t think, really can get much better. I’m quite happy with it.” GolfWRX says: If there’s an older model driver in a PGA TOUR pro’s bag, it’s probably for good reason. As one of the best drivers on TOUR, Pendrith seems to find confidence with the familiarity of his Ping G410 LST, which hit the market in May 2019. It’s important to remember that if new technology doesn’t provide better numbers than your current gamer in terms of dispersion and distance, then don’t feel the need to upgrade. As a PGA TOUR player, Pendrith has access to the latest and greatest drivers on the market, but he still sticks with his 3-year-old model. When it’s crunch time with a tournament or match on the line, Pendrith has three years of good memories to lean on, especially after a successful rookie season on TOUR that included a runner-up at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and top-10 in a FedExCup Playoffs event (T8, BMW Championship). SUNGJAE IM’S WEDGES Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (48, 54 and 60 degrees) 2022 stats: 12th in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green; 12th in Proximity from the Sand (8’, 1”); 5th in Scrambling (66%) Im says: “I use an SM7, Titleist SM7, which is maybe a couple generations old with 4 degrees of bounce – not a lot of bounce – with a little bit of relief on the back and have used it for about four years. Nothing really special, but that’s the model that I like and I’ve been using for the last four years.” GolfWRX says: With Quail Hollow playing so long, as well as birdie opportunities for those who can get up-and-down on the short par-4s and par-5s, Im’s scrambling could be key. Titleist has new SM9 wedges out on the market now. The company’s SM7 versions came out in 2018. As some of the most personal clubs in the bag, wedges must be selected based on look and feel preferences, but it’s also important to match the sole construction and grind to how you deliver the club to the ball, and to the course conditions you typically play on. High bounce wedges are typically better suited for those with steep angles of attack (i.e. players who take deep divots), or soft conditions, whereas low bounce wedges – like the ones that Im uses – are better for those with shallow angles of attack, or firmer conditions. Higher bounce wedges (10-12 degrees) often provide greater margin for error, so beware of using a 4-degree option like Im. COREY CONNERS’ DRIVER Ping G400 LST (8.5 degrees, UST Mamiya Elements AU shaft) 2022 stats: 5th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee; 78th in Driving Distance (302.7); 20th in Driving Accuracy (66.8%) Conners says (about his swing): “I think just having good rhythm has always been sort of a hallmark of my game and something that I focus on every week. The last few days (at the Presidents Cup), just been feeling the good rhythm. That allows me to hit the ball solidly, and usually it results in it going where I am looking. I … just take some practice swings, try and feel the body moving in sync, (take) a few practice swings … with my right foot kind of behind me a little bit, feeling the body moving, club staying in front of the body, and that helps with my rhythm, as well.” GolfWRX says: Like Pendrith, his fellow Canadian and former Kent State teammate, Conners is one of the TOUR’s top players in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, but he does it differently. He gains strokes with his accuracy off the tee, a hallmark throughout his bag. Conners also was second in greens in regulation last season. Another similarity between Conners and Pendrith is that they both play older Ping drivers. Pendrith’s G410 LST came out in 2019, and Conners’ G400 LST is even older, hitting the market in July 2017. By coupling low-spin technology with a stable design, Ping’s G400 series of drivers was a killer in the market and on TOUR. Clearly, it’s still making an impact half a decade later. HIDEKI MATSUYAMA’S SHORT IRONS Srixon Z-Forged (4-9 iron), Cleveland RTX 4 Forged wedges (46, 52, 56 and 60 degrees) 2022 stats: 6th in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green; 1st in proximity from 125-150 yards (19’, 1”) Matsuyama says: “To be honest, I feel like I wasn’t playing that good. So I’m not really sure about that stat. I wasn’t playing very well.” GolfWRX says: Matsuyama famously has high standards, as evidenced by the many times we’ve seen him hit a shot, hang his head and take a hand off the club in disgust, only to see the ball land near the hole. His above quote also shows that he is not easily pleased with his play, even though it resulted in two wins last season. After triple-checking the stats, Matsuyama did indeed finish sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach – the eighth time in the last nine years he’s finished in the top 10 of that stat — and he finished first in proximity from 125-150 yards. It’s scary to think what it would look like if he hit the ball as well as he thinks he’s capable of. Matsuyama made big equipment headlines when he switched to an unreleased Srixon ZX5 MKII LS prototype at last week’s Fortinet Championship. His irons and wedges are a bit older – his Srixon Z Forged irons came out in 2019, and the Cleveland RTX4 wedges released in 2018. CHRISTIAN BEZUIDENHOUT’S PUTTER Odyssey White Hot OG #7 2022 stat: 6th in Strokes Gained: Putting Bezuidenhout says: “I recently changed to an Odyssey No. 7, that fork one. I actually changed to it five months ago. I used to putt with a similar putter when I was younger. I just changed to that. I feel like I’m starting the ball on-line better, and the stroke of the putter just flows better with that. … I’ve always used a mallet putter, face balanced mostly. What I’ve got now, it’s a face-balanced mallet. So it’s basically the same style of putter that I grew up putting with.” GolfWRX says: To celebrate its 20-year anniversary of the original White Hot insert, Odyssey released a lineup of White Hot OG putters last year. Bezuidenhout’s putter model is part of the White Hot OG family, and his specific option comes with a double-bend hosel. The hosel construction allows the putter to be face balanced, which means the putter face will face the sky when fixated on its balance point on the shaft, i.e. if you balance the shaft on your finger; this helps add stability to the stroke and keep the face from rotating. It’s best suited for golfers with a straight-back and straight-through stroke style (as opposed to having an open-and-closing arc style stroke).

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