Not a bad week at the Valero Texas Open, with 4 of my 5 picks finishing in the top 20, but we still need to move straight on this weeks tournament….The Masters! The best week on the golfing calendar brings us to Augusta, where it’s a mix of traditions, packed galleries and the highest quality golf you’re ever likely to see. Hideki Matsuyama claimed a historic victory 12 months ago, but will defend this week while struggling with an ongoing neck injury. Seemingly half the field is past champions, thanks to the aforementioned traditions, but there is still a who’s-who of the worlds elite golfers in attendance.

The Masters is played at Augusta National, where course history is considered more important than almost any other course on the PGA TOUR. It’s relatively long at 7400+ yards, and distance off the tee always plays an important role here. Approach play is as important as it is everywhere, but around the green is perhaps the standout stat for the week. It’s been a wet start to the week in Augusta, and the wind is forecast to be prevalent through until at least Saturday. I’m no expert on weather impacts, but I expect scrambling will become even more important as the greens dry out and become difficult to hit.

Draftstars has posted a tasty $20,000 prize pool, including $2184 to first place. There is also a $2 Mini, the $150 High Roller, and a $10 Single Entry tournament. The aim in DFS golf is always first and foremost to get as many players as possible through the cut, with the winner usually needing all 6 golfers to still be playing on the weekend. After that it is of course very helpful to pick the winner for the week, as well as some other high finishers.
 

 

Love It- Patrick Cantlay $18,600

In a classy field, there is always going to be some excellent golfers who end up being good value. Cantlay stands out to me as the players who is just as good as everyone above him on the board, but gets the benefit of the sliding salary scale. Of course, that’s not enough, he also has to be able to win. He takes care of that by being a top 5 golfer in the world, and having contended here in 2019 where a bad last couple of holes dropped him back to T9. It’s true that he missed the cut here last year, and has been a little down in his 3 most recent starts after reeling of 4 straight top 10s to start the year. His class is permanent, and I fully expect him to be primed for this event. I’m taking him as my locked in value stud to pair with one or two of the guys above him.

 

Love It- Justin Thomas $22,360

Seemingly one of the consensus picks of the week, JT could be very chalky. I’m still looking to him because he’s been playing great all year, and despite only having one really strong finish here there is absolutely no reason he shouldn’t be able to take this course apart. He’s one of the best approach players in the world, he hits it pretty far (especially for his size), and he’s very strong around the greens. Putting is the key area where he is only slightly above average, and can fluctuate wildly from week to week. If the putts are dropping this week, I’d be shocked if JT isn’t in the running on Sunday. Like I said, he’ll be popular and the top of the board is stacked with legitimate contenders, so sprinkle your exposure around if playing 10+ lineups.

 

Love It- Will Zalatoris $18,280

After a second place finish on his Masters debut last year, I have a feeling Zalatoris is going to continue to love this place for many years to come. It’s a ballstrikers paradise, and he is absolutely elite in that part of the game. The concerning thing is that his putting is actually getting worse from an already bad place, but I’m leaning on the fact that he gained 4 strokes putting here last year and can hopefully maintain those good vibes. It’s been a couple of months since he went T6-2nd to start his season, but he hasn’t been far off the pace and he’s my pick of the more “mid-range” guys to have a chance to win this thing.

 

Love It- Cameron Young $13,200

To me Young feels a bit like this years Zalatoris. He’s burst onto the scene after some strong Korn Ferry Tour victories, and has immediately shown he can contend with the best. He leans heavily on distance off the tee, but can also get hot in all other areas of his game (usually not at the same time). That volatility means it’s hard to know what golfer is going to turn up this week, but the distance is a really nice start and if he does one or two other things really well I think he’s going to like it here. With his irons being the least reliable part of his game, it’s encouraging that he’s gained strokes on approach in 4 of his last 6 events. The price is pretty nice, with Luke List the only other first-timer in that range that I’m tempted by.

 

Love It- Marc Leishman $17,080

If the wind does end up having a big say here this week, Leishamn should be well equipped to handle it. The big Aussie isn’t quite at the peak of his powers anymore, but he’s still churned out 12 made cuts in 13 starts this season, and has a strong record at this venue including four top 10s. Encouragingly his ball striking is better than it has been for a few years, and his short game has stayed red hot all season. With that kind of quality in all areas of his game, he should be able to overcome his lack of distance and contend in any conditions. There are plenty of guys in his range that I’m also willing to take a shot on, but a little Aussie bias and what should be relatively low ownership make Leishman a solid play this week.

 

Hate It- Tiger Woods $16,840

I’m a huge Tiger fanboy and will likely watch every shot he hits this week, but I can’t realistically see how he outplays the many other excellent golfers who haven’t just had a year out of the game with a serious injury. He’s made several other comebacks in this scenario, but I think for this week at least he’s done everything he can just to be here and able to walk around the course, and expecting him to be in contention is a stretch too far. I hope I’m wrong, but I do agree with the idea that making the cut would be a solid week for the GOAT this week. Other guys under injury clouds like Matsuyama & DeChambeau also feel like unnecessary risks with so many quality golfers ready to give it 100% this week.

Suggested Draftstars Line-up

Texas Results

Woodland - T8, Couldn’t quite carry his momentum across the weekend, but nothing wrong with a top 10! 82.5 points.

R Hojgaard - T18, round 1 & 4 were great, the middle two not so much. Still better than what his brother gave us last week! 81 points.

Kizzire - MC, terrible Friday round really let the team down this week. 21.5 points.

Hadwin - T4, really good result thanks to a low one on Sunday, among the best T2G for the week. 96.5 points.

Vegas - T18, another solid week, with the putter costing a potential top 10. 76.5 points.

DeChambeau - MC, As expected was nowhere near his best as he continues to work back from injury, and missed the cut by a mile. 29.5 points.

Always remember to gamble responsibly. When the fun stops, stop. If gambling is having a negative impact on your life, seek support at Gambling Help Online.  18+ only.