jason mezrahi 
While the best in the world tee it up in match play, we’re digging for golden PGA DFS picks in the Corales Puntacana Championship, the alternate event!
PGA DFS Course Notes:
- Alternate event (to WGC Match Play) features weak field of 132 golfers
- 2020 Winner: Hudson Swafford
- The course: Corales Golf Club, Cominican Republic (Tom Fazio design)
- Par 72 (7,600+ yards)
- Coastal resort course with wide, easy-to-hit fairways and not much punishment in rough
- Less than driver even works, and it’s largely a second-shot golf course where you can dial in your irons because there’s less run-out
- Slower, paspalum greens
- Wind, when it blows – and it looks to be about 15-20 MPH – favors the better putters and chippers
- Correlative courses include El Camaleon (Mayakoba) and Grand Reserve (Puerto Rico Open)
- Focus Stat Categories: Strokes Gained: Approach, SG: Putting, SG: Off the Tee, SG: Around the Green, Par 4 scoring
The Picks:
Elite Golfers (DK $9,500 and up):
Thomas Pieters (DK $11,100) – The Europeans are led by Pieters and another Thomas (Detry), and while Pieters fares a little better in my admittedly basic and incomplete model (since we don’t have a lot of data from this course to go from), Detry has some experience here. Pieters isn’t a priority for me, especially at this price, but he’s worth a look in GPPs if his ownership stays low.
Emiliano Grillo (DK $10,800) – Grillo is No. 2 overall on my model and the elite ball striker typically plays these resort course well because they don’t have overly complicated putting complexes – and area where he struggles. He’ll be popular but I’m fine using him in single-entry GPP and will be doubling the field % in my 20-max.
Charley Hoffman (DK $10,000) – Hoffman could be the most popular player in the field and he’s pretty safe for cash games, though I’d steer clear in GPPs if you want some leverage. He had a T14 here last year, has a win at correlated El Camaleon and makes for a safe play in wind.
Nate Lashley (DK $9,500) – Lashley doesn’t pop overwhelmingly on the model but he won here in 2017 and finished fourth last year. I like him for GPP single entry and most any format, as he’s decent in wind as well.
Also consider: Thomas Detry, Danny Willett (GPP), Jhonattan Vegas
PGA DFS Mid-Range (DK $7,600 to $9,400):
Brandon Wu (DK $9,200) – Wu might be best deployed in GPPs, and if his ownership stays below 13-15% I think we’re in business. The data I have says he can handle high winds (No. 12 in the field in SG:APP in windy conditions) and he’s a talented golfer who I starting to get some confidence in these events.
Lee Hodges (DK $9,100) – Folks might get turned off the high price on this PGA newcomer, but that should be a big help in GPPs, where he’ll fly under the radar. He played well in Puerto Rico (sharing the first-round lead) and he’s No. 44 on my model.
Sam Ryder (DK $9,000) – Ryder is shaping up to be a popular play but he’s had limited success in this event, finishing T12 in 2017. He’s top 10 in my model and he loves the wind.
Luke List (DK $8,900) – List should eat this course up, as he’s another player who can go low when he’s dialed in with his irons and peppering flagsticks. He finished T8 here last year and is a decent bet for another Top 10.
Justin Suh (DK $8,700) – Suh debuted here last year with a T14 but we don’t have much in the way of high wind data for him. He’s a risky play but e know he can putt and that usually helps in these conditions.
Chase Seifert (DK $8,000) – Folks must be looking at a lot of the same data as I am, because Seifert is fourth overall in my model, just $8K, and awfully popular on the ownership projections.
Brice Garnett (DK $8,000) – Garnett won here in 2018 and his recent form has been interesting, with MCs at the Players and Pebble Beach but a T25 at the Honda Classic and T5 at the Puerto Rico Open in similar conditions. I’m hoping he stays under 15% in GPPs.
Peter Uihlein (DK $7,800) – Uihlein makes for a solid GPP play this week, as his ownership should stay under 5% and he’s looking pretty good in my models. The wind might be an issue for him but if I’m 10% ownership or so he can’t hurt me too badly.
Also consider: Tom Lewis, Brandon Hagy, Sepp Straka, Will Gordon, Patrick Rodgers, Taylor Pendrith (GPP), Joel Dahmen (cash), Adam Schenk
PGA DFS Value (DK $6,600 to 7,500):
Pat Perez (DK $7,400) – He’s fifth on my overall model and I love rooting for him. I’ll try to be around 15-20% in GPPs. Two of his three career wins have come on Paspalum, so0 he’s in play, even for SE.
Kristoffer Ventura (DK $7,300) – Ventura could be the best putter in the field and is worth a look in GPPs. I won’t exceed 10% on my shares but he’ll be in some of my builds. He’s missed tow straight cuts but was T49 at the Puerto Rico Open.
Aaron Baddeley (DK $7,300) – Baddeley should also fly under the radar, and he’s another excellent putter who notched a T7 here in 2019. He’s No, 12 overall in my model and might end up making my single-entry team at this bargain price.
Roberto Castro (DK $6,900) – There are balanced builds and balanced golfers, and Castro fits the later definition with his even-handed approach across the focus stat categories, where he ranks no better than No. 22 (SG:APP) and no worse than No. 56 (SG:P). He makes sense as a value GPP play.
Chesson Hadley (DK $6,800) – This really seems like a course where Hadley could dominate, as he’s No. 1 on my model – even though he’s a value golfer making his first appearance in the Dominican Republic. If his ownership stays under 7-8%, he’s worth a look as a core GPP play.
Brian Stuard (DK $6,600) – Stuard is too good of a golfer to be priced this low. He missed the cut in 2019 but finished T33 at this event in 2020 and sits at No. 34 overall on my model, ahead of guys like RCB, Dahmen and Lashley.
More value golfers to consider: Lucas Herbert (GPP), Fabrizio Zanotti, Bronson Burgoon, D.J. Trahan, Tyler Duncan, Josh Teator, Troy Merritt, Ben Martin, Paul Barjon, George McNeill
Longshot Punts (DK $6,500 and under):
David Hearn (DK $6,400) – Hearn has made three straight cuts at this event, and while he’s struggled lately, he’s worth mixing in some GPPs at this price if that’s where you end up with your last golfer.
Chris Baker (DK $6,300) – Baker, who I’ll have decent shares of in GPPs compared to field, is a solid value this week based on his SG:APP numbers and Par 4 efficiency. He’s missed the cut here twice but he was T30 at the Mayakoba and he could be ready for breakthrough.
Miguel Angel Jimenez (DK $6,200) – I really don’t care how old Jimenez is, because he continues to score well and he’s in the Top 50 of my model. Ownership should stay miniscule, so I’m fairly interested in him despite the fact he plays the vast majority of his events on the Champions tour.
Additional punts: Jonathan Byrd, Shawn Stefani, Sebastian Cappelen, Johnson Wagner, Ricky Barnes
