DFS PGA PLAYBOOK - ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

What a win for Adam Hadwin!  He was able to hold on and win the Valspar Championship and even better, he was featured in my playbook last week.  I just wish I had him in more of my lineups but nothing I can do about that now.  It is time to move forward to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  

There will be a different feel to the tournament this year, knowing that the “King” won’t be there.  It will feel just a little empty without him roaming the grounds talking to the pros and greeting all of his adoring fans.  Arnie was truly one of a kind and one of the most popular golfers in the history of the game.  The working-class hero from Latrobe, Pennsylvania became a household name in 1958 when he won his first of four Masters titles.  The legend finished his professional career with seven majors including one U.S. Open and two British Opens.  He never did complete the career grand slam finishing second in the PGA Championship three times.  I apologize for the history lesson but I felt like it had to be said as we head into the event named after him, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

This is an invitational which means only a select group of golfers were asked to participate.  We will have a total of 120 golfers in the field this week.  There will be 18 of the Top 30 golfers in the world participating in this event and side note, only four of those 18 are from the United States.  We will have 28 of the Top 50 players teeing off at Bay Hill this weekend, with last week’s winner Adam Hadwin sitting at No. 51 in the world.  Now, let’s take a closer look at the course ...

I have a personal list of golf courses that are on my bucket list and this would definitely make the cut.  Bay Hill Golf & Lodge is a par 72 that reaches out 7,419 yards.  The track went through a redesign in 2010 and another one to the greens in 2016 to help out with the muddy spots around the course.  One of the first things I take a look at for this course is the average fairways hit which usually lands around the 65 percent mark.  If you look at the players in the Top 10, they are usually right around that mark or even better.  There are exceptions to every rule especially when you look at Tiger Woods (8-time winner of this event) history, he usually ranked at the bottom in fairways hit but he can't be compared to anyone else.  There is a thick rough around this course which means the smart players will club down off the tee to hit the fairways.  Driving distance is nice but not something you have to target on this course.  As these players attack these small and firm greens for birdies, you'll want players who have good proximity numbers as well as being a good scramblers and putters.  You'll be able to tell rather quickly whether your golfer has his "A" game as the first three holes at Bay Hill are considered the toughest opening three holes on the Tour.  

The weather will not be a factor this week, unlike last year.  We’ve got sunny skies and temps in the 70s throughout the weekend.

FANDUEL STARTS GOLF! 

So, you’ll notice something new in my playbook, we’ve got Fanduel pricing listed.  Fanduel opens their new Golf game to the public this weekend and like all of you, I’m going to be learning on the fly this week.  Fanduel made their game completely different to DraftKings and I’m not sure why but here is how it works.  You will play a total of eight golfers in your Fanduel lineup, four of your golfers will participate on Thursday and Friday (Rounds 1 & 2) and the other four will play on Saturday and Sunday (Rounds 3 & 4).  The basic strategy will be to play your riskier plays in the first two rounds knowing that they will get to play at least the two rounds.  The last two rounds, you’ll want to play your top tier or safer guys who you fully expect to be there on the weekend.  This will be a learning process for all of us, but it should be a fun experiment.

If you want to chat with me throughout the weekend, feel free to tweet me at @Drew_Phelps83.

DFS PGA PLAYBOOK:

DRAFT KINGS OPTIMALS:

FANDUEL OPTIMALS:

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