This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
CAREERBUILDER CHALLENGE
Purse: $5.8M
Winner's Share: $1.044M
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: La Quinta, Calif.
Course: PGA West Stadium Course (7,113 yards, par 72), PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course (7,204 yards, par 72), La Quinta CC (7,060 yards, par 72)
Defending Champion: Bill Haas
Tournament Preview
Back to the continental United States moves the PGA Tour after two weeks in Hawaiian paradise to play the CareerBuilder Challenge, formerly known as the Humana Challenge. The unique pro-am style event traverses three courses over four days: PGA West Stadium Course, PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta Country Club. La Quinta is a mainstay from previous editions, but PGA West Stadium Course returns to the schedule after a 29-year absence while the PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course makes its debut. Once labeled too tough for PGA Tour pros, the PGA West Stadium Course will provide plenty of fanfare and challenge as Golf Digest's 40th-ranked public course, highlighted by "Alcatraz," the par-3 17th with an island green that mimics TPC Sawgrass' 17th hole. The field consists of six players in the world top 30, the highest-ranked being Patrick Reed at World No. 10. Fan favorite Phil Mickelson, two-time winner Bill Haas and Zach Johnson will also join Reed in what is widely known as a birdie-fest for PGA Tour pros, though a venue change may change difficulty subtly. In any case, look for plenty of birdies to be holed and drama to unfold in the new rotation.
Key Stats to winning at PGA West
• Par-Breakers
• Bogey Avoidance
• Recent Form (namely last week's Sony Open)
Past Champions
2015 - Bill Haas
2014 - Patrick Reed
2013 - Brian Gay
2012 - Mark Wilson
2011 - Jhonattan Vegas
2010 - Bill Haas
2009 - Pat Perez
2008 - D.J. Trahan
2007 - Charley Hoffman
2006 - Chad Campbell
Champion's Profile:
The new rotation may stifle scoring just a bit due to fewer par-5s over 72 holes, but the two new courses in the rotation will still yield birdies as both are 7,200 yards or shorter. There appears to be a strong correlation between Sony Open success and success at this event, in part due to a "go low" mentality, recent form and comparably short venues. It goes without saying that most of the previous champs are average length off the tee, but similarly great ballstrikers. With birdies being a necessity to survive, great putting will be at a premium, both to convert par-breakers and keep bogeys at bay.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard - $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Patrick Reed - $12,400 (Winning Odds: 11%)
Matt Kuchar - $12,100 (6%)
Zach Johnson - $11,900 (5%)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Phil Mickelson - $10,400 (3%)
Webb Simpson - $9,600 (3%)
Charley Hoffman - $9,200 (2%)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Luke Donald - $8,400 (2%)
Russell Henley - $8,300 (2%)
William McGirt - $8,000 (2%)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Si Woo Kim - $7,400 (1%)
Patton Kizzire - $7,200 (1%)
Ollie Schniederjans - $7,000 (1%)
Martin Laird - $6,800 (1%)
Chad Campbell - $6,600 (1%)
Pat Perez - $6,600 (1%)
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Charley Hoffman - $9,200
Charles Howell III - $9,100
Kevin Chappell - $8,100
Tony Finau - $7,800
Harold Varner III - $7,600
Si Woo Kim - $7,400
Although quite a stretch in logic, I'm harnessing the power of three this week: Charles Howell and Harold Varner represent the third generation of their namesakes, Charley Hoffman looks to add to his three PGA Tour victories, and Kevin Chappell seeks his third runner-up finish (or better) of his career. Beyond those, Si Woo Kim is denoted by three names and Tony Finau has no inherent connection to the number three.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Patrick Reed - $12,400
Russell Henley - $8,300
William McGirt - $8,000
Si Woo Kim - $7,400
Ollie Schniederjans - $7,000
Martin Laird - $6,800
Seven consecutive top-10s worldwide for Patrick Reed as a former champion of this tournament is the perfect blend of history and recent form. Russell Henley has a knack for stringing together birdies and might be overlooked this week coming off an MC at the Sony Open (a tourney he won three years ago). William McGirt is an aggressive player who finds himself in good form coming off three consecutive top-15s dating back to October 2015. Twenty-year-old Si Woo Kim wooed the crowds for a fourth place effort last week and will look to continue his early-season momentum. Lastly, Schniederjans and Laird round out a solid bang-for-the-buck lineup with either youthful talent (Schniederjans) or history (Laird) with four top-25s the last five years.
