Expert Fantasy Golf Plays- 2015 Hyundai Tournament of Champions
Start the new year right cashing in BIG with these expert fantasy golf plays!
Top Plays
Jason Day- $23,150
My top play for the first PGA Tour tournament of the new year isn’t the chalk play, but he’s not far off. Vegas Insider currently has the most expensive DFS option, Bubba Watson, at 11/2 odds to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, but Day is nipping at his heels at 6/1 odds. Both make for strong plays. The Plantation Course at Kapalua is built for bombers off the tee with just three par threes, four par fives, and seven holes north of 500 yards. Watson led the way in average driving distance last year per the PGA Tour’s website with an average drive of 314.3 feet, but Day wasn’t far behind ranking 18th with an average drive of 301.2 feet. Day had an advantage in one putt percentage over Watson in 2014 sinking 40.51% of them (tied for 47th) compared to 38.81% (104th). Day should be able to close the driving distance gap on the greens, but what gets him the nod over Watson for me is their past performance at this course. Watson finished tied for fourth in 2013, but left something to be desired in his previous trips there finishing tied for 18th in 2012 and tied for 25th in 2011. Conversely, Day has only played on The Plantation Course once, in 2009, and he tied for ninth.
Matt Kuchar- $22,900
Kuchar was an easy pick given the fact top-10 finishes at this course are like clockwork for him. He’s played in four of the last five Hyundai Tournament of Champion events (didn’t play in 2012) and has finished tied for sixth twice (2013-14, and 2011), tied for ninth (2013), and third (2010). Speaking of top-10s, Kuchar finished in the top-10 of 11 of 24 events last year, and eight of 23 in 2013.
Value Plays
Geoff Ogilvy- $13,700
If you’re a sucker for track record at a course, Ogilvy is an easy pick for this one. He hasn’t played in this event since 2010, but no one was better than Ogilvy in that tournament. It was the second of back-to-back wins in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Brian Wacker of PGATOUR.COM posted a Q&A transcript with Ogilvy in which they discussed this course among other things such as his poor start to last year and subsequent bounce back by season’s end. The 37-year old Australian will likely be a popular play in DFS games, and his price and history at The Plantation Course make him a must use option.
Scott Stallings- $11,100
Stallings looks like a steal as the fourth least expensive option for this tourney. Vegas Insider currently has him listed at 45/1 to win the tournament, odds that are better than a dozen other golfers. Bovada has his odds at 40/1, but has him ranked ahead of only seven golfers. Regardless, just comparing his price point rank to his betting odds makes him an enticing choice. Beyond that, Stallings’ two top-25 finishes in the three events he played in the fall are encouraging, and his ability to crush the ball off the tee make him a stealthy play. Stallings’ average drive distance of 300.4 yards last year ranked tied for 23rd, and this season he’s averaged 306.1 yards per drive.