This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
Palmetto Championship at Congaree
Ridgeland, South Carolina
Congaree Golf Club - Par 71 - 7,655 yards
Field - 156 entrants
Purse - $7.3M
The Preview
Serving as a one-time replacement for the RBC Canadian Open, the Palmetto Championship faces a tall task in its upcoming attempt to top the drama that ensued throughout the weekend at Jack's place. Jon Rahm was en route to one of the more dominant victories we've seen on Tour in recent memory, but a positive COVID-19 test sparked pandemonium, as the 54-hole leader by a wide margin was forced to withdraw from the Memorial.
Although this week's field is highlighted by World No. 1 Dustin Johnson and his former pal Brooks Koepka, most upper-tier players will instead be traveling to the West Coast to prepare for the U.S. Open. Congaree Golf Club is no joke on paper as a par-71 stretching to 7,655 yards, but the winning score on this Australian sandbelt-like design figures to reach the mid-to-upper teens in the under-par department.
Key Stats to Victory
SG: Off-the-Tee
Driving distance
SG: Approach
Scrambling
Yahoo Value Picks
Based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Tyrrell Hatton - $47
It's a bit strange paying such a premium for someone who hasn't posted a top-15 finish on the PGA Tour since the Vivint Houston Open in early November, but over his last 24 rounds, Hatton paces this week's field in proximity from 200-plus yards while also ranking third in SG: Approach and 12th in SG: Off-the-Tee. Although he resides just 174th in SG: Around-the-Green this season, Hatton is actually eighth in scrambling over his past 36 rounds. He's even been on the above-average side of driving distance in six consecutive measured starts dating to the WGC-Workday Championship.
Matt Fitzpatrick - $43
Currently maintaining a sub-290 yard driving distance average throughout his 2020-21 campaign, Fitzpatrick might not seem like he'd fit the mold for such a long layout, but venues like Congaree are actually where he tends to thrive. He's second to none in SG: Off-the-Tee over his last 24 rounds, and expanding the sample size to 36, he's second in SG: Putting and seventh in putting from 5-10 feet on Bermuda surfaces. Everyone knows how stout Fitz's short game is, but he's also gained strokes off the tee in eight straight appearances dating to the Genesis Invitational.
Glue Guys
Harold Varner III - $37
A fan favorite in the Carolinas, the former Conference USA Player of the Year out of ECU heads to Congaree fresh off a T47 at the Memorial Tournament where he gained over two strokes off the tee. Over his last 24 rounds, Varner ranks third in proximity from 175-200 yards, 13th in SG: Approach and 26th in driving distance. Such quality ball striking has led to a top-5 standing in opportunities gained over his past 36 rounds, which is especially important for DFS scoring purposes.
Lucas Glover - $30
Glover is one of the few known Palmetto Championship participants with experience at Congaree, given he's an ambassador for the club and spends time practicing here. Course knowledge is nice and all, but he's also top-15 in both SG: Off-the-Tee and proximity from 150-175 yards over his past 24 rounds. Additionally, he's sixth in SG: Around-the-Green and 14th in scrambling throughout his last 36 treks around the track.
Jhonattan Vegas - $28
Vegas pops in the No. 8 spot of my custom model this week thanks in large part to his power off the tee, residing second among this week's field in both SG: OTT and driving distance over his last 24 rounds. He's missed just two cuts through 12 events played in 2021, and he's advanced to the weekend in four consecutive starts dating to the Valspar Championship. The primary concern for Vegas is the putter, but he's at least been statistically better on Bermuda than poa and bentgrass.
Bargain Bin
Luke List - $26
We almost had a chance to snag List at relatively low rostership on the heels of back-to-back missed cuts at the Charles Schwab Challenge and the Memorial Tournament, but then it came to light that he apparently holds the course record at Congaree Golf Club. Nonetheless, he remains the classic ball-striking GPP target who just needs an average week on the greens to return major value in this salary range. He's fourth in SG: Off-the-Tee, fourth in driving distance, sixth in proximity from 175-200 yards and 12th in SG: Approach over his last 24 rounds, but just 131st in SG: Putting on Bermuda over his past 36.
Vincent Whaley - $20
Whaley might be considered a free space at the minimum salary among knowledgeable DFS gamers in the higher-stake entries this week, but casual consumers probably don't yet understand just how reliable of a sleeper he's been with nine consecutive finishes of T50 or better. He most recently picked up his fourth top-25 of the season at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he gained north of five strokes on his approach shots.
