This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
Canadian Open
Glen Abbey GC (7,253 yards, par 72)
$6.2M Purse
$1,116,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner
Setting the Stage
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA – Organized by Golf Canada in 1904, The Canadian Open remains the third oldest continuously run tournament behind only the Open Championship and U.S. Open. The Canadian Open, along with the two other national Opens mentioned, make up golf's Triple Crown: only two players in history, Trevino (1971) and Woods (2000), have claimed all three in the same year. The amount of pride this event holds for Canadians runs deep, though their collective success in this event has been minimal. It has been 64 years since Pat Fletcher won in 1954, the last Canadian to do so. The longstanding history of this tournament, combined with the ever-mounting pressure for a Canadian to win, brings plenty of anticipation each year. The last to come close to snapping the streak was Mike Weir in 2004, when he ceded to Vijay Singh on the third playoff hole after many realistic opportunities to win. This week, Glen Abbey may host its final PGA TOUR event as real estate developers consider building on the course's footprint, while the timing of this event is switching to the pre-U.S. Open slot in 2019. Despite all the changes, the event itself will remain continuously intact and impart much buildup for Canadians and golf fans alike.
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Recent Champions
2017 – Jhonattan Vegas (Glen Abbey)
2016 – Jhonattan Vegas (Glen Abbey)
2015 – Jason Day (Glen Abbey)
2014 – Tim Clark
2013 – Brandt Snedeker (Glen Abbey)
2012 – Scott Piercy
2011 – Sean O'Hair
2010 – Carl Pettersson
2009 – Nathan Green (Glen Abbey)
2008 – Chez Reavie (Glen Abbey)
Key Stats to Victory
• Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
• Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green
• Greens in Regulation percentage
• Sand Save percentage
Hit it in position and stick it close
Two-time champ Jhonattan Vegas has made a killing on the par-5s, going minus-20 on the 32 par-5 holes the past two years. But there's more to the course than just hitting it long and capitalizing on the scoring holes. Glen Abbey features over 100 bunkers in play and some penalizing water, so precise drives and approaches are key to going low. With the sandy conditions at Glen Abbey, coming in from the proper angle is critical to setting up birdie looks and avoiding some disastrous green-side lies. In 2017, Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green accounted for a whopping 42 percent of the scoring advantage for players. With plenty of rain in the forecast this week, sticking it close with irons may become even more important. Target great overall ball strikers who are especially good at iron play, but also make sure they aren't Canadian: the mounting pressure of 64 straight years without a homegrown champion has made it increasingly difficult for Canadians to win this event.
Yahoo Value Picks
Best of the Best
Dustin Johnson, $48 – Yes, he missed the cut in disappointing fashion at the Open last week, but a few extra days of rest before the Canadian can't hurt the World No.1's chances this week. He's posted top-10s the last two years, including a runner-up in 2016, so there's really nothing that should hold him back this week. He's expensive but also a safe pick despite the recent missed cut.
Tommy Fleetwood, $44 – Fleetwood is among the best ball strikers on the planet. Though he's seeing Glen Abbey for the first time, his talent advantage over most of the field should make up for lack of course knowledge. Winning seems a bit overzealous from Fleetwood, but it's almost certain he'll make the cut and brings top-5 upside.
Sergio Garcia, $40 – Sergio returns to this event for the first time since 2001, when he finished fifth. Garcia missed the cut by one shot at The Open last week, but don't let that deter you from picking one of golf's best ball strikers at a venue that suits his game. There's certainly some risk with Garcia after a nearly two-decade layoff, but his upside makes him a solid value this week.
Bargain Bin
Billy Horschel, $33 – Horschel nearly won the Barbasol Championship that finished Monday, so he enters in solid form this week. Earlier this season Horschel won the two-man Zurich Classic, and he has produced six top-25 finishes over his last 10 events. In a somewhat weak field he will be an asset to many fantasy teams this week.
Joel Dahmen, $26 – It's hard to ignore that Dahmen posted top-5 results in his last two events, signifying he's hitting it great right now and is comfortable in contention. Though it's hard to tell how long his streak will last, this week he represents a great hot hand option for just $26.
Troy Merritt, $20 – Just this Monday, Merritt collected his second PGA Tour win at the Barbasol Championship. Such recent success can only mean he's playing with full confidence, and his ball-striking stats reflect this over the last few weeks. At the minimum price of $20 you can't do much wrong in allying with Merritt off his victory.
Strategy Tips on Yahoo this week (based on $200 standard salary cap)
With few top names in this week's field, it's prudent to claim at least one of the top-5 salaried players and build a strategy from there. Twelve of the top 50 in the world are here, so the field is deeper than normal, but it's still on the weaker side. As such, take a few chances on hot-handed players who have strong Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green numbers and you'll be primed to do better than most.
