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The Players Picks 2023: All you need to know

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
The Players Picks 2023 include some value longshots this week

The Players Championship. The 5th Major. The PGA Tour’s flagship event. Call it what you will, it is known by both the PGA professionals and fans alike that this tournament matters a little more than most. Perhaps due to the list of winners, perhaps due to the iconic TPC Sawgrass course, and perhaps due to the dramatic finishes we have come to know and love from this event. Those dramatic finishes and volatility that comes here help guide our Players picks this year.

It what was another great week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where we scored a huge hit with winning ticket on Kurt Kitayama at +6000. We added Kitayama live in-play in the WinDaily Discord. His overall metrics were good. The telling factor was, having followed his game closely since 2018, that Kitayama has massive boom or bust potential. When he gets in contention, he doesn’t shy away from competition and tends to stick around despite the names surrounding him. We saw this when 2nd to Rahm at the Mexico Open, 2nd to McIlroy at the CJ Cup, and 2nd to Schauffele at the Scottish Open. Where others shy away, Kitayama has shown he can hang around with the best. We also secured a full place payout on Tyrrell Hatton. He also had his winning chances, as did Schauffele who faded over the weekend.

Finally, before we get into our Players picks, in the alternate event we had 6/6 make the cut at the Puerto Rico Open with 5/6 ending up 33rd or better. 80/1 shot John VanDerLaan the brightest of those to finish 7th cashing both Top 10 and Top 20 tickets. A correct weather prediction in 2022 saw us score big on 225/1 shot Russell Knox securing a full place payout. All promising signs for our Players picks in 2023.

Weather is a factor for your Players picks

Will weather be a factor in 2023 for our Players picks? Last year, we were one of few in the industry to get the weather right. Where all others predicted a Thursday PM/Friday AM, we were contrarian and recommend the opposite. Reasoning was that Thursday PM was likely to face substantial delays due to thunderstorms in the area. This would lead to the perceived weather edge flipping. This indeed happened, and we found ourselves on the right side of a huge weather edge of more than +3 strokes on average.

Although the weather does not appear to be as significant as in 2022, there does seem to be a potential advantage developing. Thursday AM looks to have marginally higher winds than Thursday PM, which are forecast to drop throughout the afternoon. Friday PM winds do look to be increasing on current forecasting models. Gusts Friday PM now look forecast to consistently hit over 30mph.

This will not be the same weather edge we experienced last year. However, it should form part of your process making your Players picks. It should absolutely be used as a tiebreaker if deciding between two specific players. We currently predict the edge to fall around the 0.5-0.75 strokes range given current weather predictions.

Latest weather forecast click here

Key Course Stats and Comp Courses

Course Analysis for our Players Picks

TPC Sawgrass provides a stern test and, perhaps the reason the tournament holds such allure, is that it serves as a great leveler. The key statistic I keep coming back to his driving accuracy. This has been a great predictor of success on this course in years past. It is also worthy noting that the rough has been grown out another full extra inch in 2023. With rough at 3.5in, finding the rough will be even more important this week.

The penalty of rough plays one part and so does the large amount of water in play here. Water features of 17 out of 18 holes. TPC Sawgrass ranks as 7th on tour for most penalty strokes incurred. Missed fairway percentage sits at 13th most on tour. As such, this is one of the most volatile stops on the PGA Tour calendar so do note this when interpreting our Players picks.

Dispersion of approach shots also bears interest. This is the 5th most difficult course for approach shots under 150 yards. Specifically, the 50-125 yard bracket sees a disproportionate number of shots. On the other end of the scale, there are a larger number of shots over 225 yards. This is a combination of going for par 5s in two, but also golfers clubbing down off the tee to gain accuracy and avoid penalties. It is the latter which is why driving distance seems to be an advantage here. For our Players picks, personally would rather delve into the actual meaningful statistics which are the approach metrics from those key distances.

Comp Courses for our Players Picks

Wyndham Championship host Sedgefield Country Club is the key correlated course this week for your Players picks. Si Woo Kim has won at both including an additional 2nd, 3rd, and 5th for good measure. Additionally, Webb Simpson and Henrik Stenson have won at both. This, though, extends to more than tournament winners. Anirban Lahiri followed his 2nd at The Players with 8th at the Wyndham. Then there is Adam Scott who has 5 Top 15s at The Players and a 2nd around Sedgefield. The list goes on ad infinitum.

Other guides are Harbour Town: another Pete Dye designed short, positional course with premium on accuracy and approach. Then, you have the similar TPC tracks to consider. Most notably TPC Potomac along with TPC River Highlands and TPC Twin Cities. The Valspar Championship also shows parallels. It benefits both from similarly requiring accuracy off the tee and rewarding approach, btu also sharing very similar putting surfaces.

The aforementioned volatility shapes my Players picks. The three winners from 2019-2022 (2020 cancelled due to COVID) have been studs: Cameron Smith, Justin Thomas, and Rory McIlroy. That could so easily read: Anirban Lahiri, Lee Westwood, and a 50 year old Jim Furyk. There are opportunities to be had here if you can find the right combinations. Hence, the lopsided selections towards value at longer odds this week.

2023 The Players Picks

Suggested Staking

Note several of the below players were provided early in WinDaily Discord to obtain the best odds for our customers. Unfortunately, several of these have now ended up on the wrong side of the developing weather draw. Tee-times are noted accordingly.

Tom Kim (AM/PM)
2pts WIN +4100 Fanduel
2pts Top 10 +360 DK
or 2pts E/W +4500 Unibet (with 7 places 1/5 odds)

Chris Kirk (PM/AM) – Our Players Picks Favourite
2pts WIN +8000 Draftkings
2pts Top 10 +650 Draftkings or +700 Bet365
or 2pts E/W +7500 Bet365 (with 8 places 1/5 odds)

Tom Hoge (PM/AM)
1pt WIN +13000 Fanduel
1pt Top 10 +850 Fanduel or +1100 William Hill/Unibet
or 1pt E/W +12500 Unibet (with 7 places 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 20 +360 Fanduel or +400 Unibet

Russell Henley (AM/PM)
0.5pt WIN +11000 Fanduel
0.5pt Top 10 +750 DK
or 0.5pts E/W +15000 Unibet (with 7 places 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 20 +360 Fanduel

Davis Riley (PM/AM)
0.5pt WIN +18000 Fanduel
0.5pt Top 10 +1100 DK
or 0.5pts E/W +17500 Unibet (with 7 places 1/5 odds)
1pt Top 20 +550 Fanduel or +650 Unibet
3pts Top 40 +350 MGM

Webb Simpson (AM/PM) – Our Players Picks Best Value
0.5pt WIN +15000 MGM
0.5pt Top 10 +1000 DK
or 0.5pts E/W +25000 Unibet (with 7 places 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 30 +250 Fanduel

J.T. Poston (PM/AM)
0.5pt WIN +22000 Fanduel
0.5pt Top 10 +1100 MGM
or 0.5pts E/W +20000 William Hill (with 9 places 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 30 J.T. Poston +240 Fanduel or +300 Bet365

David Lipsky (PM/AM)
0.5pt WIN +45000 Fanduel
0.5pt Top 10 +2200 DK
or 0.5pts E/W +40000 William Hill (with 9 places 1/5 odds)
1pt Top 20 +850 Draftkings
3pts Top 40 +250 Draftkings

Thank you reading our 2023 The Players picks. For an article with insights on my golf analysis process, check this link here!

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Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks: All You Need To Know

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
Tom Kim Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks
We are all aboard the Tom Kim train at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

The PGA Tour returns to what almost feels like “regularly scheduled programming” with a third elevated event in just four tournaments. Of course, we should still appreciate that these fields are anything from the norm experienced in previous seasons. 44 of the worlds top 50 golfers will descend on the always tricky Bay Hill Club & Lodge. It is a venue comparable to a US Open setup and with the same caliber field to boot. An interesting backdrop as we dissect the selections for our Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks.

Despite being an “off” week for the stars of the Tour, the Honda Classic provided a highly entertaining tournament. In contrast, the fact that the LIV Golf opening tournament at Mayakoba barely made a blip on the radar is telling. LIV will be shocked their Saturday ratings only hit 0.2 (here), which was some 5 times lower than at the Honda Classic. The simple fact is viewers want not just stars, but a reason and purpose for them to win and not just their paycheck. Undoubtedly, Chris Kirk’s victory in the playoff win over Eric Cole provided all the narratives for the week.

Our 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks

We hope our Arnold Palmer Invitational picks are as well received as last year. At this event in 2022, we went agonizingly close with three of our six selections all looking likely title charges. Viktor Hovland (16/1), Gary Woodland (80/1), and Lucas Herbert (200/1) all presented likely winners during the tournament. They eventually finished 2nd, 5th, and 7th respectively. Woodland was actually the most likely, until finding a bunker and a double bogey on the 17th followed by another bogey down the last.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7696AUCkrIo
Gary Woodland reviews a tough finish to his 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational title tilt

That stumble allowed Scottie Scheffler to surprisingly snatch victory. Let’s hope our 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks produce more of the same with some better fortune.

Course Analysis

It is first essential to note that Bay Hill Club & Lodge possesses some of the highest correlation of prior course form to success on the PGA Tour. Only Augusta National and TPC Scottsdale hold a higher correlation. This unique and difficult test does have a few nuances which identify this and should guide our thinking entering our Arnold Palmer Invitational picks.

You will hear a lot on driving distance being a predictive factor this week. This, however, does require a little more scrutiny than simply accepting that fact on face value. The true reasoning for this is not simply that a bomb and gouge approach will work here for our Arnold Palmer Invitational picks. Rather, the extremely juicy 3in Ryegrass rough requires some strength to escape.

The distance off the tee also comes into play with the disproportionate number of approach shots that will occur from over 200 yards. Notably, the par 3s play as the longest on the regular PGA Tour stops. Simply, those longer hitters will be holding more loft in their hand for those long iron shots when approaching these firm and glassy fast greens.

Fairways are decently wide with an average width of 33 yards at the 300 yard mark and 39 yards at the 325 mark. Green complexes are also very large at an average of 7,500 sq ft. SG: PUTT is highly correlated to success here. This is predominantly due to where you are on the greens matters above simply GIR, as well as the lengthened approach shots into many holes.

2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks – Key Metrics

For our Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, this all leads to a profile of heavy emphasis on approach. Driving distance is a bonus, but my key is finding value by honing into the 200+ yard approach metrics. SG: PUTT receives a boost given the inclement weather and large green complexes. SG: ATG is minimized due to thick rough surrounding the greens meaning the natural variation of lies mitigates those with excellent pitching ability.

Course Comps

As previously mentioned, course history should form a large part in your Arnold Palmer Invitational picks. There are another few courses which can guide our thinking. Do take a look at round 4 from last year’s tournament. That round suffered significant winds, which we expect to see here on both Friday and Saturday.

As mentioned, the US Open like setup should mean the majority of those venues can provide guidance. Host of the PGA Championship last year was Southern Hills, which has similar metrics with the added benefit of being a wind affected event. TPC Scottsdale also shows similarities to here. That occurs both on long approach play but also reasonably large fairways with significant penalty if straying too far. Trump National Doral is a fantastic guide for anyone whose form goes back that far.

Weather

Already well canvassed across many tipsters, it does look that a firm weather edge is forming. Friday afternoon in particular looks to feature some significant winds with gusts reaching over 35 mph. These high winds are then expected to remain through the 3rd round before easing slightly Sunday. A Thursday PM/Friday AM stack looks to be the play.

As always, this does come with risks. There is a chance that this particular front will arrive earlier than expected. This could result in any advantage being negated, and missed opportunities in the other half of the field. However, I always like to take an aggressive approach in these situations. We have tangible data to action here. And the closer we have got to tee time, the certainty of the Friday weather remaining exclusively in the afternoon has also increased.

https://www.windy.com/28.465/-81.510?27.913,-81.510,8,m:esBadTk

2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks

Golf Betting Tips & Suggested Staking

Xander Schauffele
2.5pts E/W $23.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Tyrrell Hatton
2pts E/W $36.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Tom Kim
2pts E/W $51.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Gary Woodland
1pt E/W $81.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.20

Patrick Rodgers
0.5pts E/W $176.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 20 $7.00

Will Gordon
0.5pts E/W $301.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds) *available at 350/1 or longer without the places
3pts Top 20 $8.50

Player Profiles

Xander Schauffele – Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks Favourite

With Chris Kirk becoming the umpteenth golfer to win a week or two after featuring in our selections, I’m happy to take Xander here again to headline our Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks. Last time in our tips was at the correlated WM Phoenix Open, where he was just one shot off the lead heading into the final 9. A cold putter saw 6 of 9 putts missing by 25in or less. He finished just one shot outside the places for us. And not without some controversy too.

https://twitter.com/Top100Rick/status/1624793261545070593?s=20

Over the past two years, Xander ranks out 2nd of all PGA Tour players with over 300 measured approach shots 200+ yards. He sits only behind Sungjae Im. I prefer Xander for a couple reasons.

First, there are couple of par 4s here under 400 yards where Xander’s much better approach from 50-100 yards will come at an advantage. Secondly, Xander’s approach play of late has been nothing short of incredible.

Schauffele arrives here after four consecutive tournaments gaining 4+ strokes on approach. Over the last three months, Schauffele also tops the list for SG: APP in this field. He has never finished worse than 14th at a US Open, with 5/6 of those finishes an incredible 7th or better. And in his sole appearance at Bay Hill, he gained +6.5 strokes putting.

Tyrrell Hatton

Past champion Tyrrell Hatton was somewhat disappointing for us when selected last time at the Genesis Invitational. I’m willing to forgive him and go back to him here on a track obviously suited to his game. The real difficulty for Hatton last time out came simply not getting his entire game firing at the same time.

Thursday he was 14th SG: PUTT and 23rd SG: ATG, but 115th SG: APP and 91st SG: OTT.
Friday he was 27th SG: APP and 9th for SG: OTT, but 95th for SG: PUTT and 93rd SG: ATG.
Saturday he was 3rd SG: OTT, 5th SG: ATG, and 15th SG: PUTT yet 67th SG: APP.
Sunday he was 3rd SG: APP, but 46th SG: OTT, 39th SG: ATG, and 66th SG: PUTT.

You can see where I am going with this; he really just needs to put this all together at the same time and he can win. For SG: APP on shots 200+ yards, he sits 4th on the PGA Tour since 1 January 2023.

We saw shades of this at the correlated WM Phoenix Open, when finishing 6th in the elevated field. He gained a massive +6.72 SG: APP at that event and also holds a 15th in his only other appearance. Where course history matters most here, he sits 4th in this field for any golfer who has played 6 rounds or more.

I also love that last year he was one of only four golfers to shoot under par in a very windy final round. Complimenting that is a strong performance at a very windy Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which is a Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour. With wind again a factor this year, he looks a great fit on a course he loves at a reasonable price.

Tom Kim

It is easy to come up with all manner of superlatives to describe this talented 20 year old. And, equally, easy to forget how young he still is given all he has already achieved in the sport. To snag him back at a price of 50/1 is great value, especially when you consider he is shorter odds than that at all 4 majors this year.

The only reason I can think why bookmakers rate him 30% less likely to win this event than a major is driving distance. However, even this is a tenuous position. Masters typically rewards driving distance as does the US Open. Further, the main interest for me with distance comes from the approach play.

Tom Kim sits in the Top 10 of this field for SG: APP over the last 12 months. He also sits 5th on the PGA Tour over the last 2 years for SG: APP over 200+ yards. He holds onto 5th if we look at the same metric since 1 January 2023.

Given he is plenty long in this field for me, the fact he is significantly positive for driving accuracy is another big tick. Keeping on the short grass will be a big advantage here if hitting approach shots from distance. We all know what he can do with the putter, including during the Presidents Cup hosted at Quail Hollow which features similar greens to here.

Gary Woodland – Arnold Palmer Invitational Best Value

As mentioned in the preamble, Woodland really should have won this tournament for us last year. Holding a one stroke lead with two holes to play, a double bogey-bogey finish in the wind was a disappointing end to an overall valiant effort.

Woodland’s approach play looks to be back to its best of late. He arrives here ranked 5th for SG: APP over the last 30 days. This includes gaining an insane +10.48 SG: APP in his last tournament. That sat only behind winner Jon Rahm and Luke List, with a substantial distance to the pack. To secure him here again at 80/1, as we did last year, seems a steal for a golfer whose two most recent victories have come at the correlated US Open and WM Phoenix Open.

The issue for Woodland, as it is in most cases, will come down to the putter. The fact he has gained strokes putting here in 4/5 of his most recent appearances makes this one of the better spots for him.

Patrick Rodgers

We enter the somewhat speculative plays, but hopefully with sufficient equity in the top finishes markets to justify a couple of flyers here. Rodgers heads those picks. Data Golf currently have Rodgers ranked as 59th in the world versus an OWGR of 140th. Disparities like that often have a way of eventually correcting themselves, and it could well be here.

Rodgers has a decent record at Bay Hill, making 6/7 cuts and finishing 7th in 2018. Correlated form includes 14th, 16th, and 17th at TPC Scottsdale and a perfect record of made cuts in the US Open.

Patrick Rodgers arrives here hitting his long irons well, sitting in the Top 10 on the PGA Tour for SG: APP 200+ yards since 1 January 2023. He has plenty of driving distance and consistently gains strokes both ATG and putting. This includes gaining SG: Putt in 6/7 appearances here.

Rodgers was T11 in round 4 scoring here in 2022, which was played in those torrid windy conditions. Recent correlated form of 14th at the WM Phoenix Open elevated event suggests the 175/1 price is simply too long.

Will Gordon

Finally, we round out this week’s selections with another dive down the board to Will Gordon. The PGA Tour returnee had a stellar amateur career and holds some good correlating form on Florida tracks particularly from the Korn Ferry Tour.

Gordon has gained strokes on approach and driving accuracy in four straight events. He sits 30th for SG: APP and 40th for SG: PUTT in this field over the last 30 days. But it is again the long iron performance which holds the most appeal. Gordon currently sits 17th on the PGA Tour over the last 12 months for SG: APP over 200+ yards. Having gained on the field for driving distance at every event since March 2022, he does so without often compromising driving accuracy so ticks the SG: OTT box in a big way.

His sole appearance here came in 2021 during his first full season. It was a tough year for him in general, so the 49th finish should be read in the light of coming during a weak period of form. Rather, I’ll focus on the positive that he gained +4.00 SG: PUTT during the tournament to sit 12th in that metric. Arriving here with much improved approach play and undoubtedly a more rounded player, he is worth a gamble at huge odds.

For an article with insights on my golf analysis process, check this link here: https://windailysports.com/golf-betting-101/

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WM Phoenix Open Picks: All You Need to Know

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
Xander Schauffele leads our WM Phoenix Open Picks at TPC Scottsdale
Xander Schauffele can turn his elite course form into another PGA Tour victory

Another week and it was a consecutive runner-up finish for our picks! That keeps our run of selecting a golfer in the Top 5 or better at every PGA Tour event in 2023. It truly has been a great start to the year. In this instance, it was Brendon Todd who secured 2nd behind Justin Rose in a heavily wind delayed Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Another runner-up, this time at 70/1, and we are well in profit for the year. The hot streak shows no signs of stopping any time soon with our WM Phoenix Open Picks!

The WM Phoenix Open represents the first full field of the designated events since the PGA Tour meetings in 2022. Chiefly, this was a direct attempt to negate the effect of LIV Golf on the tour. This sees a field of Major championship calibre competing for a generous $20m purse. Let’s get into it!

Course Analysis

TPC Scottsdale plays host to this event as it has done since 1987. Do note some substantial redesign work was completed in 2014. The course now provides a sterner test which has become renowned as an all around test of a golfer’s game. As such, the cream often rises to the top here. The winner has been priced at 50/1 or less at every tournament since those renovations. 5 out of 8 of those winners have been at 30/1 or shorter.

Trends are nice, but not always informative. Therefore, this should not be the sole influence to your WM Phoenix Open Picks. Remember, we are looking for value not necessarily winners. For an article with insights on what this means and my golf analysis process, check this link here: https://windailysports.com/golf-betting-101/

Ball-striking is well-linked to success here. Somewhat overlooked by others in the industry this week is that this course is also a major factor. Solely looking at SG: T2G would exclude one of the key indicators for potential success. The greens here are very large at over 7,000 sq feet on average. Ideally, we want elite ball strikers who can then give us a chance of making putts. Especially, the putting statistics might come into play with some long putts required. The greens are playing ultra fast and firm, as are the fairways. Rough is not overly penal at just 2 inches ryegrass.

Comp Courses for our WM Phoenix Open Picks

This course is one of the highest correlations between prior course form and future success. In fact, the only courses with greater correlation are Augusta National, Waialae, and Bay Hill. As a matter of fact, Bay Hill is a decent course comp for this track, as is the 2022 PGA Championship host Southern Hills and Houston Open host Memorial Park. Those three said courses have played a key role in determining our WM Phoenix Open Picks.

Weather

Alongside a dry course with no rain in the forecast, there is wind to contend with here. Consequently, this should add to those aforementioned firm and fast conditions. Expect higher missed fairways per usual, as holding the short grass becomes more difficult. It is also forecast to be cold all week, particularly in the mornings.

The winds at this stage have not resulted in any discernible edge for a weather draw. Generally, increased winds are expected both on the afternoon of the Thursday and Friday. Overall, gusts look to be at a similar strength across both days. However, Friday AM may end up windier than Thursday AM. Accordingly, it may be worthy building some lines with exclusively Thursday AM/Friday PM tee-times to cover an eventuality where Friday AM ends up particularly tumultuous.

https://www.windy.com/33.640/-111.915?icon,33.117,-111.915,8,m:eBfac2D

2023 WM Phoenix Open Picks

Suggested Staking

Xander Schauffele – Your 2023 WM Phoenix Open Picks Favourite Play
2.5pts E/W $17.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Alex Noren
2pts E/W $67.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Shane Lowry
2pts E/W $71.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Keith Mitchell – Your 2023 WM Phoenix Open Picks Best Value
1pt E/W $76.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 20 $3.60

Lucas Herbert
1pt E/W $81.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.50

Chris Kirk
1pt E/W $91.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.50

Jhonattan Vegas
0.5pt E/W $201.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
1pt Top 20 $6.50
2pts Top 40 $2.70

Golfer Profiles

Xander Schauffele – Your 2023 WM Phoenix Open Picks Favourite Play

Firstly, Xander Schauffele leads our WM Phoenix Open Picks. Xander emphatically shook off his (somewhat undeserved) reputation for having difficulty crossing the winners line. Wins at the Zurich Classic, Travelers Championship, and Genesis Scottish Open all contributed to a stellar year in 2022.

At 17/1, there is real value in the number on offer where fair odds would place him more in the space of a 14/1 chance. Correlated form bounds off the page for Xander. Across his obvious course form here, at Bay Hill, and at Southern Hills, he has never finished worse than 24th in those 7 starts.

In fact, he ranks 2nd in true SG at this course for any golfer with more than 4 rounds played. Leading that is Matsuyama, who I can easily fade this week given his indifferent form and possible long-term lingering injury concerns. Scheffler and Rahm follow closely

Notably, this form includes a 3rd and 2nd here in his last two appearances. Previous fears of a neck injury for Xander at the Sentry Tournament of Champions look to now be gone. He returned just two weeks later to finish 3rd at The American Express and followed that with a 13th around the tougher Torrey Pines course at the Farmers Insurance Open. He is fit, in great form, and arrives at a course which is one of his favourites on the PGA Tour.

Alex Noren

Alex Noren looks to be back at his best having finished in the Top 5 in his last three starts. In November, Noren finished 4th at the Houston Open where Memorial Park presents strong links to TPC Scottsdale. That result came from nowhere after a very indifferent 42nd in a weak field at Mayakoba, suggesting the type of track that suits his eye.

He has kept that recent form at other desert courses in the Middle East. A 2nd at the DP World Tour Championship behind one Jon Rahm, when we had Noren in our tips at long odds, and a 5th at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship both present elite form in two Rolex Series events.

Alex Noren ranks 1st in this field for SG: PUTT and 26th for SG: APP over the last 3 months. Those two metrics together provide a nice recipe for success on this track of pin seekers who can then make putts when needed.

The course history and comp course performances are stout. A 6th here last year alongside a 44th and 21st when in worse form in 2018/19 both joining the 4th place at the Houston Open. He was an obvious must include for our WM Phoenix Open Picks.

Shane Lowry

Shane Lowry had statistically the best year of his career in 2022, surpassing even his 2019 season when he won The Open Championship and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Lowry was perhaps unlucky to secure just the one win, although it was a big one in the BMW PGA Championship when he backed him for the win as he secured the flagship event on the DP World Tour. We also had him as our favourite play when he finished 3rd at The Masters, and somehow he continues to be overlooked despite being amongst the true elite players of this era.

I believe leading people astray was a missed cut at the Dubai Desert Classic last start. It should be noted that event was severely weather affected, including losing a full day of play, and there was a significant draw bias that formed as a result. However, strike a line through that and his form reads beautifully. Over the last 12 months, he ranks 8th in this field for SG: APP.

In terms of correlated form, a 23rd at Southern Hills in the PGA Championship was better than it looked again suffering from a large draw bias. He also holds a 11th at Memorial Park and a 6th and 16th here at TPC Scottsdale from 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Lowry is a better golfer now and, despite being a stronger field, he simply should not be as long as 70/1. He also recently fired his caddy, due to losing their competitive spark. Given he is playing so well, that is promising to his confidence in his game at the moment. And we have often seen a golfer make such a change and immediately spike in performance, which may well happen here.

Keith Mitchell – Your 2023 WM Phoenix Open Picks Best Value

It was close between Lowry and Mitchell who would earn the tag of “best value” for this week. Keith Mitchell will typically give you some excellent driving, with gains both on distance and accuracy.

He is also gaining significantly on approach lately, finishing in the Top 30 for SG: APP in his last two starts. Entering here on the back of a 22nd and 4th, both coming at shorter courses which for me are not Mitchell’s best fits, is certainly promising.

Again, the comp course form really pops here. Mitchell was 9th in November at Memorial Park, finished 34th at Southern Hills when in dreadful form of MC-MC-76 in his three prior starts, and has a 5th and 6th around Bay Hill. To boot, he finished 10th at TPC Scottsdale at last year’s edition.

As always with Mitchell, it will come down to his putting for the week. Given his recent form filling him with confidence, and his prior form on these greens, it presents a promising opportunity for Mitchell to secure his 2nd PGA Tour victory.

Lucas Herbert

Our WinDaily family will know I have a soft spot for Lucas Herbert in windy conditions, which we may well encounter this week. Irrespective of that, Herbert simply presents as a golfer in great form with excellent results at similar events.

Herbert arrives off two stellar tournaments in the desert. A 3rd at the Dubai Desert Classic continued his rich association with that event (and makes the 250/1 on offer for him at The Masters even more absurd). He followed that with a 3rd at the Saudi International. That was not necessarily a weak field as the Asian Tour’s flagship event, won by Abe Ancer with Cam Young in 2nd.

Other correlated form comes at Southern Hills when finishing 13th, where we had backed him at 300/1. He also finished 7th around Bay Hill at the Arnold Palmer, when we also had him at 200/1. Although we sadly can’t find him at those juicy triple figure odds here, that is largely down to his more obvious recent form than the more nuanced indicators in his game I look for.

Lucas Herbert is the inverse of many profiles we look for. He is one of the best putters in the world, ranking 4th over the last 2 years and 2nd in the last 12 months for SG: PUTT from this field. What we want to see from Herbert is a spike round with his irons. Given his recent form, he looks to be hitting the ball beautifully and could well contend on this desert track.

Chris Kirk

The numbers around Kirk are rather absurd for a golfer who arrives here following two consecutive 3rd place finishes. It becomes even more baffling when we deep dive some of his prior form on related courses.

Kirk finished 14th here in 2022, to compliment prior performances of an 11th and 24th. In 2022, he also finished 5th at Bay Hill as well as a 5th at the PGA Championship around Southern Hills. Those were his two best finishes for the year, and the fact they both came at correlated courses to here whilst in elite fields is extremely promising.

He is not the longest off the tee, which is not overly detrimental. This is a course played at altitude which will also be playing very firm and fast. In fact, his superior driving accuracy could prove beneficial as will his excellent iron play. Kirk ranks at 9th for SG:APP over the last 3 months, 10th for SG: PUTT, and 12th for SG: T2G in this field. Those are outrageous numbers considering the strength of field on offer, as well as his price.

Jhonattan Vegas

Finally, we go back to Jhonny Vegas here having not done much wrong for us last time out at the Farmers. Vegas secured a Top 40 place for us there, as he returns from planned shoulder surgery in August of 2022.

Vegas look to be straight into it. He gained on the field for driving distance and accuracy in his two tournament starts this year. He has also gained on SG: APP in both appearances. If we take a longer term look at his form, we find a player who ranks 16th in SG: OTT and 23rd for SG: APP in this field, as well as 32nd for SG: TOTAL, over the last two years.

Jhonattan Vegas finished 10th at his last appearance here in 2019, as well as holding a 23rd at Bay Hill that same year. Overall, that is a lot of value for a player at 200/1 who has been largely forgotten about in fields of late due to a planned absence he looks fully recovered from. We won’t and happily go right back to him here at a big price.

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2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tips: All You Need To Know

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
Brendon Todd is great value at the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am picks
Brendon Todd is great value at the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Last week’s Farmers Insurance Open and Torrey Pines provided a tough test as it always does. Keegan Bradley was well in contention when selected at 66/1. Going for the par-5 18th in two, Bradley found the greenside bunker and was unable to get up and down for a bogey. With thicker rough than previous iterations and a bit of wind, a score of 13-under was enough for Max Homa to secure a two shot victory over our charge. That marks Homa’s 4th victory in his home state of California, where we remain for the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

It has been a fantastic start to 2023 for our selections, with at least one golfer finishing in the Top 5 or better at every tournament. The 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am presents another course rotation tournament with a 54 hole cut and a slew of celebrities playing alongside the professionals for the first 3 days of play.

2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am Key Course Stats

The three courses presented this week are Pebble Beach, Monterey Peninsula, and Spyglass Hill. All the courses are short by PGA Tour standards, but cannot be overpowered due to the the unique topography along this stunning coastline.

Pebble Beach in particular, where two of the three rounds will be played for the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am, requires players to play to a particular yardage perhaps more-so than any other course on Tour. This does see a significant increase in approach shots from 100-150 yards. The greens are also some of the smallest you will see all year, measuring in at just 3,000 sq ft on average. Putting and ATG are also significantly correlated with success.

Monterey Peninsula similarly also has a large emphasis on both approach, around the green, and putting. It will likely play the easiest of the courses on offer this week. It also has received a lot of rainfall in the past 6 weeks, meaning it may play a little softer than the course directors desire.

Spyglass Hill differs slightly, in that it still requires those three metrics but also sees an uptick in driving distance being a predictor of success. Given this represents only one course out of a possible four rounds, it is best to focus on the main metrics common across all courses. Find the fairway and hit a good wedge shot. If you miss the green, get up and down, otherwise make the putt.

Weather

The weather has been very changeable leading into the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which comes as no surprise for a coastal course setup. Thursday presents as calm for most of the day. Some wind may arrive late afternoon. However, it is worth noting that given the courses in rotation that all the groups will tee-off within a 2 hour window. Even with longer rounds playing alongside amateurs, I don’t see the wind being a major factor unless it arrives significantly earlier than forecast.

Friday presents us with rain all day and some moderate gusts throughout the day. I’d prefer to be on either Monterey Peninsula or Spyglass Hill on this day. With Pebble Beach the most exposed, approaching those very small greens could prove difficult despite the rain softening the course.

Saturday is currently forecast to be overcast and reasonably calm, although winds and rain are expected in the evening. These should intensify into Sunday, leading to a forecast very high winds and rain for the final round. It could provide a dramatic end to the tournament.

As at previous course rotation tournaments, predicting the weather and best rotation to be on is a tough task. I suspect avoiding Pebble Beach on Friday is the best play. Beyond that, we would really be guessing to provide any firm advice of a strong preference either way.

https://www.windy.com/36.565/-121.939?36.060,-121.939,8

2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am Picks

Suggested Staking

Alex Smalley
2pts E/W $46.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Nick Hardy – Your 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am Favourite
2pts E/W $61.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Davis Riley
2pts E/W $61.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Scott Stallings
2pts E/W $67.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Brendon Todd
1pt E/W $71.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.00

Austin Cook – Your 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am Best Value
0.5pts E/W $226.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
4pts Top 40 $3.50

For an article with insights into my golf analysis process, check this link here: https://windailysports.com/golf-betting-101/

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Dubai Desert Classic Picks: All you need to know

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
Dubai Desert Classic Picks are headlined by Ryan Fox
Ryan Fox can secure another DP World Tour victory at the Dubai Desert Classic

The DP World Tour moves from Abu Dhabi to the neighbouring Emirate of Dubai for consecutive Rolex Series events to start the season proper. I must admit that this tournament holds a special place in my heart. It was around this course that I first developed in the game of golf and I worked at this tournament for 8 years. Undoubtedly, it gave me incredible access to some of the best in the game and some amazing memories. And here we are, analyzing that same tournament and providing our Dubai Desert Classic picks!

Hence, this tournament is my favourite in the world closely followed by The Masters. Interestingly, there have been strong links between those two events which I will discuss later in the article. This tournament has always had a habit of identifying some of the best in the game. It should make for entertaining viewing. Surprisingly, it already has, with LIV Golf defector Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy having an icy encounter on the range including throwing a Team Aces tee at him:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9Kpr-Vx6KDQ

Course Form Should Guide Your Dubai Desert Classic Picks

Emirates Golf Club has played host to the Dubai Desert Classic since 1989, other than two years in 1999-2000 before returning to its rightful home.

This course is long by DP World Tour standards, sitting at a 7,428 par 72. The back 9 certainly plays the easier of the two. It features very good birdie chances on the par 5s with the 10th, 13th, and 18th hole all reachable in two. The par 4 17th is a sharp dogleg right that is driveable over waste desert area and the par 5 18th 2nd shot is over water. Both ensure to provide an enthralling finish with true risk-reward shots and the opportunity to gain 2 or 3 strokes in a final charge.

The front nine also has a driveable par 4 2nd and the par 5 3rd is reachable in two. It is then about minimsing damage through the toughest section of the course, with holes 4 through to 9 all proving tricky tests.

It is no surprise then that strong drivers of the golf ball have always done well here. Distance is a key factor, especially when teamed with elite approach play. It is worth noting that this course is the 2nd most correlated on the DP World Tour for prior success as a predictive factor. This should be key in your Dubai Desert Classic picks.

I would also add an asterix to last year’s results. The greens were completely overhauled in September 2021, increasing in size by an average of 33%. They has unfortunately not bedded in fully by tournament start and a few regular top performers struggled to find consistency with putting. Having settled for another full year, I expect business as usual will resume in time to not stymie our Dubai Desert Classic picks.

Comp Courses

Other than prior course form, there are a couple of other courses we can use as guidance for our Dubai Desert Classic picks.

As mentioned, there are some strong links between here and Augusta National Golf Club. Both Sergio Garcia and Danny Willett won the Dubai Desert Classic the same year of their Masters’ victories. Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara, and Rory McIlroy are winners at both. Clearly, those three have such large winning records that drawing a clear link between the two is somewhat strained. Charl Schwartzel and Adam Scott have both performed well at both, as has Paul Casey.

Golfclub Munchen Eichenried is a great comp course. Overall, there are strong correlation between the two courses. Haotong Li won the BMW International Open for us in 2022 at 65/1 and is a winner here. Viktor Hovland won there in 2021 prior to his Dubai Desert Classic victory. As identified by others that Chris Paisley, Brandon Stone, Alex Levy, Richard Bland and Niklas Fasth help strengthen those bonds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2rcZndjkL0

Weather

Rather strange weather presents itself in Dubai this week. Obviously, rain in the Middle East is a rarity, usually resulting in some chaos as the drainage systems are not used to rain actually occurring. Even more rare is for the rain to make it all the way to the end of January as it does here. Rain is forecast for the first two days and could be heavy at times. A little rain could help scores by shortening the course. However, a lot of rain could make an already long course play even longer.

However, if an edge develops, it is likely to be Thursday PM/Friday AM with Friday morning providing the calmest conditions that day. But, the weather is very changeable and may even lead to some disruption of the tournament.

https://www.windy.com/25.086/55.163?24.518,55.163,8

Dubai Desert Classic Picks

Suggested Staking

Adrian Meronk
1.25pts E/W $31.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Ryan Fox – Your Dubai Desert Classic Picks Favourite
2.5pts E/W $46.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Rasmus Hojgaard
1.25pts E/W $51.00 (5 places, 1/4 odds)
Also available at 40/1 with 8 places if you prefer

Jordan Smith – Your Dubai Desert Classic Picks Best Value
2pts E/W $56.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Antoine Rozner
2pts E/W $61.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Sami Valimaki
0.25pts E/W $76.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $5.00

Adri Arnaus
1pts E/W $81.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $5.00
Also available at 100/1 if you prefer to go with less places

Ashun Wu
0.25pts E/W $101.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $5.00

Paul Waring
0.5pts E/W $276.00 (5 places, 1/4 odds)
3pts Top 40 $3.60

Ross Fisher
0.5pts E/W $301.00 (6 places, 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 40 $4.00

For an article with insights into my golf analysis process, check this link here: https://windailysports.com/golf-betting-101/

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Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: All you need to know

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
Adrian Meronk can secure a 3rd DP World Tour victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Adrian Meronk can secure a 3rd DP World Tour victory in Abu Dhabi

DP World Tour is back baby! After an epic 2022, the DP World Tour starts off with a bang at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. This is a Rolex Series event, one of just 5 such events in the year, which consists of some of the biggest tournaments on the calendar. That means inflated prize pools, additional ranking points, and a star-studded field from all over the globe.

We hit a massive 16 outright winners in 2022 and returned an ROI of +24% for the DP World Tour. Rating above a 20% ROI places our tips within the best tipsters on the market. The DP World Tour continues to offer an amazing value from both a betting and DFS stand-point.

The PGA Tour is becoming extremely saturated in terms of content with sharper players in DFS and keen eyes of bookmakers ensuring markets are tight. The DP World Tour still has plenty of softer spots and represents some of the best value available in golf. Let’s get into it!

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Course Analysis and Comp Courses

This will be the second year at Yas Links. This is worth noting, as prior course form before 2022 can be discounted. Last week’s Hero Cup tournament was also at former host Abu Dhabi GC. However, having some links to prior Middle East form is never a bad thing, as it is important to have comfort on these unique sturdier grass types and sandy soils.

Yas Links is a Kyle Phillips design. Although not sharing all the hallmarks of a true links course, the general concept and style of play is there. Ultra exposed to the elements with no protection from trees, tussock grass with uneven edges on bunkers, and undulating fairways and greens greet players this week.

It is worth noting that the 2nd round of last year’s tournament featured extremely high winds. It is well worth deep-diving (this is @deepdivegolf of course) a few of your favourite players performances at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship last year. If their performance was somewhat hindered following a bad 2nd round but they played well otherwise, that is worthy of some attention this week.

Comp Courses

There is very good correlation between other Kyle Phillips designed courses and the leaderboard from last year. This architect was involved in the remodelling of the famous Valderrama amongst an impressive portfolio of elite course design.

Most notably, the Qatar Masters is another Middle Eastern links-style course designed by Kyle Phillips. It should be a key guide entering this week. Kingsbarns, part of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, is another Phillips design. This tournament is also simply a great indicator of links form.

Bernadus, host of the Dutch Open, also displays strong links here (pun intended). This is another atypical course which has links style features although not in your traditional setting. Verdura GC presents another exposed links coastal course by Kyle Phillips. Finally, The Grove was host of the 2016 British Masters.

General links courses you can use for reference include Himmerland, Hillside Golf Club, and the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews. Emirates GC provides another high profile Rolex series event, with a Middle East course just an hour away played at the same time of year.

Weather

There does look to be a tangible weather edge in play this week. The Middle East coastal courses suffer from very predictable onshore breeze, which arrives off the Persian Gulf nearly every afternoon around 2pm. This is something I am well aware of, having lived in Dubai for 8 years. Playing golf, I would often find myself struggling into the wind in the afternoon.

This week, Thursday actually looks to be windy all day. If anything, the wind looks to settle a little as the day goes on. Friday morning present some of the best conditions for the week before the consistent onshore breeze arrives in the afternoon. At such an exposed course like Yas Links, this can make a huge difference to the course’s scoring. As such, I am playing a Thursday PM/Friday AM stack almost exclusively.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Golf Betting Tips

Suggested Staking

Adrian Meronk
2.5pts E/W $34.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Eddie Pepperell
1pt E/W $76.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.50

Alexander Bjork
1pt E/W $81.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.33

Justin Harding
1pt E/W $81.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.50

Richard Mansell
1pt E/W $81.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $5.50

Ewen Ferguson
1pt E/W $91.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $5.00

Maximillian Kieffer
1pt E/W $111.00 (8 places, 1.5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $5.50

Golfer Profiles

Adrian Meronk – Your Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Favourite

Of those at the top of the board, several own legitimate claims to this title. Both Hatton and Noren possess the best chances to my eye. However, at odds of 11/1 and 18/1 it is hard to see any real value within those numbers. Ryan Fox always has to be in consideration, and even more so that his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship victory included a round at Kingsbarns.

So we end up just outside the top of the card with Adrian Meronk. Meronk finally had his breakthrough year in 2022. He won his debut DP World Tour title at the prestigious Irish Open. He then solidified the year by winning the Australian Open on a links style course played in the Melbourne sand-belt. Although a weaker field, he defeated Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert, and Adam Scott enroute to victory.

Meronk was well in contention at the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship before a mysterious WD. It has never been revealed the exact reason for the withdrawal, but he finished 4th the next week in Dubai so there is speculation this was COVID related. The strokes gained data indicates he was gaining across the board and he was sitting at -4, with eventual winning total being -10. An opening round containing 7 birdies is particularly eye catching.

https://twitter.com/AdrianMeronk/status/1614898124832604160?s=20&t=KpYGJm8wwWbBgzbR6KjG6g

Meronk is a resident of Dubai and complimenting the 4th place Dubai Desert Classic finish was a 7th at the season ending DP World Tour Championship. Further, he was well in contention at the Kyle Phillips designed Qatar Masters and Dutch Open, where he finished 3rd in both.

It is hard to see any presenting stronger credentials than Meronk, so he presents great value at the 33/1 on offer here.

Eddie Pepperell

I have grown slowly on Pepperell this week. However, the more I have looked at his claims the more I like the 75/1 on offer.

Pepperell has excellent form on Phillips designs. He is a winner at the Qatar Masters, alongside a 4th there in 2015. He also holds a 14th in his sole appearance at Bernadus Golf as well as at Verdura and has finished in the top 30 in 4 of his last 5 appearances at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Other links form is easy to come by. A 2nd and 11th at Hillside, a 4th and 18th at Himmerland, and a 2nd and 16th at the Torrance Course are the most notable. Sitting on the right side of the weather draw only adds more to his credentials as that edge solidifies.

Alexander Bjork – Your Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Best Value

Alexander Bjork, like Pepperell, possesses the same abilities of accurate driving and excellent putting. That is always a recipe for success on links courses, so it is little surprise that his links form is obvious.

Bjork finished 20th here last year. He has played the Qatar Masters 3 times in his early career, making the cut on all three occasions with a best finish of 19th. He also finished 7th at Bernardus last year, 6th and 18th at Himmerland, and 20th at Hillside.

The other factor is Bjork’s excellent performances at neighbouring Dubai. His runner-up finish at the season ending DP World Tour Championship is the most eye-catching, finishing alongside Matthew Fitzpatrick and behind Collin Morikawa. He also holds a 12th and 17th in his other two starts on that course and a 6th and 20th at the Dubai Desert Classic for good measure.

Justin Harding

Reading the incoming form of now LIV Golf players is basically impossible. We get no stroke gained data at those events, at tournaments that didn’t even have a leaderboard on their website when the tour first started.

What we rely on here for Harding is his prior and correlated form. Harding finished an admirable 25th here last year, an even par 2nd round in the high winds proving difficult to overcome. Harding is another Qatar Masters winner, champion there in 2019 alongside a 5th last year in his two appearances. A 9th in his sole appearance at Bernadus sits alongside an impressive record at the Dubai Desert Classic of 7-37-27-4.

I’m also conscious these LIV golfers need to take advantage of their rare opportunities to earn OWGR points. This is an elevated Rolex Series event and carries some decent ranking points. Given there is currently a temproary stay on their ban from the DP World Tour, taking advantage of weeks such as this is vital for players like Harding.

Richard Mansell

Mansell began his 2nd year on the DP World Tour in fine fashion, with his first 3 top 5s on the main European tour. A record of 9th and 6th playing Bernardus is a good indication leading into this week.

Additionally, Mansell was leader throughout much of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2022. In that title chase, he opened with a 66 at the Kyle Phillips designed Kingsbarns which included 7 birdies and just one bogey. He eventually finished 7th following a poor final round at St Andrews.

He will be better for that experience in a season that saw him improve greatly throughout the year. A maiden DP World Tour victory is certainly possible in 2023, and he possesses the upside to see that victory occur at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship this week.

Ewen Ferguson

It was an outstanding display from Ewen Ferguson in 2022. Having advanced through the Challenge Tour in 2019 to earn his card, he unfortunately lost this after an indifferent 2020. He earned his DP World Tour card back immediately in a 2021 season where he finished in the Top 5 in 23% of his starts. This included a start on the main tour at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he finished 17th.

Having returned to the Tour proper, he proceeded to secure his maiden victory. Of course, this was at the 2022 Qatar Masters. That was a windy tournament on Sunday with another of our tips Adrian Meronk well in contention. He also managed a 2nd at the links course at Himmerland for good measure. Ferguson then went on to secure his 2nd victory shortly thereafter, again on a links style course in Ireland at the ISPS Handa World Invitiational.

Another great season beckons for Ferguson, and I expect to see him contend at some of these Rolex Series events as a potential future Ryder Cup player.

Maximillian Kieffer

Kieffer represents a positive EV bet this week following securing his maiden victory in 2022. Kieffer has long possessed the ball-striking required to win, but he has never met this with a spike putting week at the same event his irons are firing. He finally achieved this at the 2022 Czech Masters, in a very windy tournament.

Much like Mansell, Kieffer shot a 66 at Kingsbarns last year with 7 birdies and a sole bogey on the card. He has a 14th at the Qatar Masters as well as a 14th and 15th at Bernardus. All are Kyle Phillips designed.

A record in Abu Dhabi of 16-12-MC-22 were all at the other Abu Dhabi course, but at least are complimentary to being comfortable in the area. He also managed a 17th at the Dubai Desert Classic in his debut DP World Tour season, has a 17th at the AVIV Dubai Championship, and a 9th in 2022 at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic just an hour drive away.

Kieffer finished the season strong with an 8th in the star-studded Nedbank Golf Challenge and an 11th in Dubai at the season ending DP World Tour Championship. That should fill him with confidence arriving here this week and places him as one of the best value on the board this week.

For an article with insights into my golf analysis process, check this link here: https://windailysports.com/golf-betting-101/

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2023 American Express Preview: All you need to know

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
Taylor Montgomery can secure his maiden PGA Tour victory at the 2023 American Express golf tournament this week
Taylor Montgomery can secure his maiden PGA Tour victory at the 2023 American Express golf tournament this week

What a start to 2023 we have had! Starting the Sentry Tournament of Champions, we tipped winner Rahm in-play as well as a top 3 finish from Max Homa. We certainly carried on that hot streak at the Sony Open! Long may that continue this week at the 2023 American Express.

Our Sony Open best value play was David Lipsky, who finished 4th, tipped at 150/1 and just 3% owned for DFS purposes. Lipsky was a great chance to win, leading the tournament throughout the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounds. Andrew Putnam also finished 4th with an outstanding putting performance.

Across these tournaments, that means we are already +65.7 points and have an ROI of 131.4%! Will we finish at that figure by the end of the year? No. Being over 20% ROI across both tours last season already places our picks within the top echelon of the best tipsters on the market. However, it is certainly a lovely figure to read!

Especially considering how difficult these first few events of the year can be, with little to indicate what golfers may have improved (or regressed) over the past two months. And it doesn’t get any easier this week as course rotation season and the 2023 American Express golf tournament, which has built a reputation for throwing up some of the longest odds for winners in previous seasons. Let’s get into it.

2023 American Express Course Analysis and Comp Courses

The 2023 American Express utilises a three course rotation. La Quinta, Nicklaus Stadium Course, and the Pete Dye Stadium Course have featured has hosts at this tournament since 2016. One round is played at each course, before a 54 hole cut is made and a final round played at the Pete Dye course.

La Quinta presents as the easiest test of the three. Driving distance is not as much a factor here as the other two courses. That is mainly due to the ridiculously short nature of a few of these holes. There are just two par 4s over 450 yards, sitting at a mediocre 454 and 469 yards. The four par 5s are all under 547 yards and should be reachable in two for the vast majority of the field. Essentially, expect low scoring and a wedge then putt birdie-fest.

Driving distance does become a factor at the other two courses for the 2023 American Express. With three rounds played across these courses, this is worthy of consideration. Certainly, we shouldn’t expect golfers to be ripping driver on every hole. But, having access to extra distance is certainly beneficial in spots this week. This is especially true on the par 5s, which are vital for scoring, and some drivable par 4s.

Around the green play will also become a factor at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. Most notably, and with greatest hilarity, on the 18th hole bunker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-TU5SDd3OI

Key factors to consider at the 2023 American Express

The ideal combination for golfers is driving distance, approach play with wedges or long irons for the par 5s, and putting. I’m not factoring in SG: ATG in any great amounts, but it is a nice addition to have

Course history can be discounted slightly this week. Of course, prior course history is always nice to have. It is worth noting, though, that this tournament has shown as one of the lowest correlations between prior course form as a predictive factor for success. Therefore, if a golfer has missed a few cuts here, I’m not too disturbed in what is an extremely volatile tournament.

What does warrant some consideration is that this is a Pro-Am for the first three rounds. Some golfers do just inherently struggle at these events, which result in slower pace of play due to being paired with amateurs. It is worth considering prior performance at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Farmers Insurance Open for the 2023 American Express. This combines both the Pro-Am element, but are also two other tournaments in the California region. Further, they also have Bermuda overseeded with Poa Annua on their greens so should be a reasonable guide for potential putting performance.

Weather

There is certainly a chance of a weather edge developing at a tournament such as this. However, actually determining who will benefit is very difficult.

All golfers will tee off within a two hour window across the three courses on offer. Most likely this would be that playing one a particular course on a particular day may yield an advantage.

Thursday morning looks the calmest conditions of the week and Friday looks to have the highest winds of the first three days. My best guess would be starting on La Quinta is preferable. This should allow golfers to take advantage of the easiest course. It also has the added benefit of meaning golfers will play the Pete Dye Stadium Course twice in a row, on both Saturday and final round Sunday.

My second favourite would be facing the sterner test of the Pete Dye Stadium Course in the calm Thursday conditions. This would then see the easiest course La Quinta on the Friday.

For those starting on the Nicklaus Stadium Course Thursday, they would then end up on the toughest Pete Dye Stadium Course on Friday. This would be my least favoured rotation of the three. Again, this is mostly speculation and we will only know the true answer after the conclusion of the tournament.

2023 American Express tee-times can be found here: https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/the-american-express/tee-times.html

2023 American Express Golf Betting Tips

Suggested Staking

Taylor Montgomery
2.5pts E/W $46.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Aaron Wise
2pts E/W $46.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)

Jason Day
1pt E/W $71.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.00

Wyndham Clark
1pt E/W $71.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $4.50

Dean Burmester
1pt E/W $111.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $5.25

Beau Hossler
0.5pt E/W $251.00 (8 places, 1.5 odds)
3pts Top 20 $7.50

Golfer Profiles

Taylor Montgomery – Your 2023 American Express favourite

In his rookie season, Taylor Montgomery has announced himself in a big way. In 8 starts, Montgomery has already finished in the top 15 on 7 occasions.

This success has come on a huge variety of courses and that should hold him in excellent stead for the course rotation this week. Whether the course be long, short, wide, or narrow: Taylor Montgomery has found a way to get to the top end of the leaderboard.

We should have probably predicted such a preeminent arrival given his consistency on the Korn Ferry Tour. Since January 2022, Montgomery has played 26 professional tournaments and finished in the top 15 in 20 of them. He actually began that run at a PGA Tour event. Montgomery received a sponsor exemption for the Farmers Insurance Open and duly finished 11th. It was his second ever PGA Tour start.

Another California based Pro-Am, being held at a similar time of year, and having the same greens should prove useful as a guide this week. A 3rd at the Fortinet Championship, played at Silverado Resort & Spa in the Napa Valley, also doesn’t hurt. Having already found his feet on tour immediately, he arrives at a desert course where this UNLV product and Nevada native should find instant comfort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sJXs53JHw

Montgomery possess plenty of strength to attack those par 5s and drivable par 4s. At the Farmers, he was reaching the 621 yard par 5 in two and he has had another year gaining distance.

For a golfer possessing that power, he has also established himself as a golfer with a remarkable short-game. He ranks as the 2nd in this field for SG: Putting over the last 6 months and is handy around the greens to boot. That combination will hopefully again see him in contention come Sunday.

Aaron Wise

The well-rounded game of Aaron Wise should suit at the 2023 American Express, in an area just an hour away from where he first learned the game.

Raised in neighbouring Riverside CA, it is unlikely Wise would have dreamed he would be playing so close to home ranked as the 35th best golfer in the world. Everything in Wise’s 2022 season suggests he could finish much higher than that rank by year end.

It seems the biggest factor putting people off Wise this week is that he has missed three cuts here. However, we know that prior course form is not a great factor at this event.

And it is hard to suggest that Wise has an absolute distaste for this setup. Wise finished 34th here on debut, before joining the Korn Ferry Tour, and followed up with a 17th the year after. Further, he holds a 15th at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and finishes of a 2nd, 18th, and 9th at Quail Hollow which should have some correlation to two of the three courses here.

Wise’s meteoric rise comes off tangible improvements both with his approach play as well as the putter. He possess plenty of distance off the tee and sits within the top 15 in this field for both SG: ATG and SG: PUTT over the last three months. In a year where he possesses an outside touch of making a Ryder Cup debut, a strong start to the season at the 2023 American Express would be a great starting point.

Jason Day

Towards the end of the 2022 season, Jason Day really began to show signs of resurgence. The fall was great from the lofty heights of World Number 1 in 2017 to a lowly 175th in September 2022.

That was tempered somewhat by two victories in 2018. Notably, they came at Quail Hollow and a 2nd time winning the Farmers Insurance Open, an event he also holds 5 Top 20s. He has also finished 11th or better in 8 of his last 10 appearances at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, so he should have no trouble with the rotational Pro-Am format.

All of those performances should be good indicators here, at an event he has played just once. That appearance was last year and saw a made cut, a 75 in his 2nd round preventing him finishing any higher up on a condensed leaderboard.

What that tournament did provide were the first inklings that his game may be beginning to return. He finished 3rd at the Farmers the very next week. Throughout the year, his approach play began to return in what is one of the best indicators for Day’s performances.

He now arrives at the 2023 American Express sitting 17th for SG: Total and 6th for SG: APP over the last 6 months. Included in those stats is an 8th place at the Shriners Children’s Open on another desert resort course. It is inevitable he will end up in contention again soon should this upward trajectory continue, and it may well be this week.

Wyndham Clark

Wyndham Clark is another golf I have earmarked for a potentially big year in 2023. Based on SG metrics, Data Golf currently rank Clark as 63rd in the world versus a current OWGR of 160th. That is always an indicator of a player “overdue” for a strong performance.

Clark’s aggression and distance are excellent assets to have in the arsenal. He has also displayed the ability to show restraint when needed. This includes in his most recent sighting when 10th at the RSM Classic. The fact this is then matched with proven ability both ATG and with the putter and some much improved iron play towards the end of 2022 shows promising signs.

Given that, it is little surprise that Clark achieved his first ever PGA Tour Top 20 here in 2019. He has since followed that up with a 13th in last year’s iteration. Arriving here as a golfer on the improve, I hold high hopes for his chances this week.

Dean Burmester

Dean Burmester presents great value this week at triple figure odds, when fair pricing would have him more in the 95/1 range.

2022 was a big year for Burmy. He finished 10th at the Scottish Open and 11th at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, two of the strongest fields of the year. Burmester then earnt his PGA Tour card, finishing in the top 5 in 2 of the 3 Korn Ferry Tour playoff events. He then announced himself on the PGA Tour by immediately finishing 4th.

The 56th ranked golfer in the world has extreme power off the tee. He combines that with excellent touch around the greens and the ability to spike with both his irons and putter. He arrives here ranking 28th SG: Total, 27th SG: OTT, and 2nd for SG: ATG. His result this week will come down to his iron play continuing to improve and getting hot with the putter. It’s something he has managed to do previously in 9 professional victories of his career thus far.

Beau Hossler – Your 2023 American Express best value

Raised in Orange County CA, Beau Hossler presents as the best value on the board this week.

Hossler had a 3rd at last year’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am and has finished 9th at the Farmers in 2020. He did manage to finish 20th in this tournament in 2018 during his rookie PGA Tour season. Since then, he has struggled to match all elements of his game at the right time here. He has gained as many as 8 strokes putting and 10 strokes on approach on this course.

That volatility can be somewhat expected at an event coming directly after the Christmas break played across multiple courses. The simple fact that he has shown he can spike with both is what interests me here.

He arrives here ranking 1st for SG: Putt over the last 3 months and 7th in that same metric over 12 months. Ranking 44th for SG: ATG could also prove an asset on the Pete Dye Stadium Course rounds. Those abilities, alongside his excellent driving distance, is a perfect combination for low scoring. Should we marry them all together, he could surprise a few with a ceiling performance at the 2023 American Express.

For an article with insights into my golf analysis process, check this link here: https://windailysports.com/golf-betting-101/

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2023 Sony Open Preview: Everything you need to know

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
2023 Sony Open Golf Betting Tips Russell Henley
Russell Henley can secure another victory at the 2023 Sony Open

Ladies and gentlemen, we are back in Hawaii for the second week of the PGA Tour season for 2023 and the first full field event for the year! Bring back the cut sweat and deep-dives! This is your 2023 Sony Open Preview.

A great start to the year for us at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. We tipped the winner Jon Rahm live in-play in the WinDaily Discord. Rahm was standing in the fairway on the par 5 15th with just 157 yards in for his second shot. For Rahm, that is just a pitching wedge and was a great opportunity for a birdie if not an eagle. Morikawa meanwhile had found the bunker on 14. He had also seen his once 9 shot lead crumble into just 3 shots. We saw value at the $9.50 on offer. Rahm indeed made eagle, Morikawa made birdie, and we cash 5 units @ $9.50.

We also cash in a Top 5 on Max Homa with 1 unit @ $7.60. Tipped at 33/1 pre-tournament, Homa made a sluggish start. Two rounds of 3-under 70 saw him languishing in the bottom third of the field. However, a 10-under 63 followed by a 7-under 66 saw him jump into 3rd place.

This week, the tour hops over to Honolulu for the Sony Open. This historic event has attracted a reasonably strong field headlined by Sungjae I’m, Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, and rising prodigy Tom Kim. Let’s get into it!

2023 Sony Open Course Analysis

Waialae Country Club plays host this week in a substantially different test to what golfers faced last week. Whereas Planatation presented wide open fairways with non-existent rough, Waialae presents a narrow and tricky course.

Multiple doglegs and narrow fairways and overhanging trees which must be avoided to open up access to the greens. It should come as no surprise that driving accuracy is at a premium. In fact, this course ranks within the top 5 where driving accuracy is a predictive factor.

It is also worth noting that the rough has been allowed to grow out to 3 inches from just 2.25 inches last year. That may not sound overly imposing but bear in mind we are dealing with Bermuda grass here. Bermuda rough can really grab onto the club face as well as produce flyer lies. In fact, 3 inches is the longest the tour allows Bermuda rough. Only two other tournaments last year had 3-inch Bermuda rough, the Valspar Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational. You want to put even more emphasis on driving accuracy this week compared to previous iterations of the tournament.

Alongside driving accuracy, SG: ATG is a far more predictive factor than at other courses. Precisely why this may be is somewhat a mystery. Most likely is that Hawaiian tradewinds are one of the main defences to this course. The other being that when puns are tucked away on these relatively large greens getting up and down becomes a premium.

Comparison Courses and 2023 Sony Open Course Form

We are somewhat fortunate this week. It can be really tricky to predict what golfers are playing well after the New Year break. Many have not played competitively since the RSM Classic some 55 days ago.

To our benefit, Waialae has the 2nd highest correlation between prior performance and future success. The only course more correlated is Augusta National. This is perhaps highlighted best by the fact that in 2013 Russell Henley was the first debutant to win this event since its inception in 1965. You want to heavily consider prior form at this course over any recent performances.

There are also heavy correlations between El Cameleon and Waialae Country Club. In 15 iterations of the Mayakoba Championship, 6 have also won the Sony Open. Henley was the most recent to affirm this link. He completed this double with his recent victory in November complimenting the aforementioned win here in 2013. Further, he was runner-up when just missing out to Matsuyama in a play-off here last year.

Other courses with correlation are the RBC Heritage and Sea Island Golf Club. Both are coastal course with wind exposure. They are also positional golf courses, where finding the short grass is further emphasised with wanting to find the correct side of the fairway. There are also tentative links with Colonial Country Club.

Weather for the 2023 Sony Open

A slight advantage looks to have developed for those playing Thursday PM/Friday AM this week.

High winds were experienced on course on Wednesday. Thursday morning now looks likely to suffer from those high winds. This is looking to settle from 1pm onwards, with Friday morning also looking calmer than Friday afternoon.

I have the current advantage at approximately 0.5 strokes on average. As such, this should not be the sole factor in your decision making. However, if you’re struggling to decide between two golfers, you should favour the golfer teeing it up Thursday afternoon.

2023 Sony Open Golf Betting Tips

Suggested Staking

Russell Henley

2.5pts E/W $26.00 (5 places, 1/4 odds)

Andrew Putnam

1pt E/W $51.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $3.30

Denny McCarthy

1pt E/W $61.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $3.60

Aaron Rai

1pt E/W $101.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $5.00

David Lipsky

1pt E/W $151.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
2pts Top 20 $6.00

David Lingmerth

0.5pts E/W $191.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
1pt Top 20 $7.00
2pts Top 40 $3.00

Zac Blair

0.5pts E/W $191.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 40 $3.60

Kazuki Higa

0.5pts E/W $301.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
1pt Top 20 $7.00
4pts Top 40 $3.40

Golfer Profiles

Russell Henley – Your 2023 Sony Open favourite

Given the above, it should be no surprise that Henley headlines our tips. Henley has extremely strong links to Waialae. Prior course form including a win and a somewhat disappointing runner-up finish in the 2022 playoff. The November 6th victory should fill him with confidence arriving at a course that he has previously played so well at.

I’m not a huge fan of trends, but for what it is worth 5 of the last 6 winners of this event have competed the week prior at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. This is somewhat unsurprising, has by its own definition the Sentry comprises some of the best players on tour. More noteworthy for me was that Henley finished in the Top 5 for SG: APP last week and 3rd for Driving Accuracy. That ball-striking in a high-class field is too difficult to ignore.

You can read more of Henley’s love for Waialae in this recent interview here.

As always with Henley, the result will come down to his putter. Anything at field average or better should see him towards the top of the leaderboard for the 2023 Sony Open.

Andrew Putnam

Putnam enjoyed a solid finish to 2022. He followed up of 5th and 23rd in the first two Fed Ex Cup Playoff events with a 12th in Las Vegas and a 2nd in a high quality ZOZO Championship field (an event that last year’s Sony Open winner Matsuyama won in the 2022 season).

Putnam holds a 2nd here from 2019, so ticks the prior course form box. He arrives here a much-improved golfer to 3 years ago.

Denny McCarthy

Having opened at odds of 45/1, Denny has drifted to 60/1. Seemingly, this is only due to money flowing to players like Harman, Poston, and Kuchar near him in the market.

The highly regarded putter is also very accurate off the tee. A recent 6th place at the Bermuda Championship hints at correlated tropical and exposed course form. He holds a 15th at the Mayakoba last year, a 10th and 8th at the RSM Classic, and 13th at the RBC Heritage.

Denny’s approach game has been his weakest aspect since joining the PGA Tour in 2018. 2022 was his first year where his SG: APP was at PGA Tour average. His start to 2023 has seen him gain on approach across his first 7 events and suggests an improving golfer that may go well at the 2023 Sony Open.

Aaron Rai

The talented Englishman has yet to make much of a mark since hopping the ditch to join the PGA Tour. Rai began his debut DP World Tour season with two victories and nine Top 20 finishes. He followed this up with further wins in 2019 and 2020. You would have to think he would be nearing double digit wins had he remained on the easier DP World Tour. However, with a Top 10 finish on the PGA Tour often surpassing the winner’s prize in European events, you can understand the decision.

Rai’s game does continue to show signs of improvement. He has been above PGA Tour average for SG: APP for the last three seasons. Most importantly, he is now also gaining with the putter and in SG: ATG. He has gained in Driving Accuracy on the Tour average at a rate of double digits at most seasons he has played.

A 15th at Mayakoba in 2022 and a 16th at the RSM Classic are further links to here. A 2022 missed cut at his sole appearance here can be somewhat forgiven by the fact it is so hard to tell where a player’s game is at following the off-season. The credentials and profile are there, and at triple figure odds present value for a golfer who should be priced at 80/1 or shorter.

David Lipsky – Your 2023 Sony Open best value

Lipsky presents as one of the best values on the board in my models, currently available at 150/1 when his fair pricing should be in the realm of just 100/1.

A 2022 missed cut can again be somewhat forgiven considering it was his 6th missed cut in a row during a terrible stretch of form. He has been much improved of late with a 22nd at Houston Open and a Top 10 finish at the Mayakoba in November. A 6th at the Mexico Open and 7th at the Corales Puntacana further highlight positive tropical course form.

Lipsky gains on driving accuracy, approach, and ATG in an ideal recipe for this venue. His performance, much like Henley, will come down to his performance with the putter this week.

David Lingmerth

Lingmerth makes his first appearance here since 2017, at a course he finished 13th in 2016. He risked losing his tour card towards the end of last year, where a comprehensive victory in the Korn Ferry Tour playoff event could well stoke the fire.

A 5th at Colonial provides an indication heading into the Sony Open. Further, a fantastic 8th place at the Mayakoba in November and a 10th at the RSM Classic confirm an obvious choice to tee it up this week. The afternoon tee-time Thursday is a further positive for a golfer available at 200/1.

Zac Blair

Having opened at a extremely overpriced 300/1, Blair continues to present value as an outside chance at the 200/1 still on offer.

Blair suffered a long-time away from the game with an injury in 2020. He resumed on the Korn Ferry Tour in July last year, and immediately arrived back with 5 consecutive top 35 finishes and a 12th at the Fortinet Championship.

Prior to the injury, Blair had a 14th at Mayakoba in 2020, 10th in 2016, and 23rd in 2015. He also holds a 3rd and 6th placed finish around Waialae in 2015 and 2016. Now back to full health, he is worth a flyer at long odds for what would be an emotional comeback victory.

Kazuki Higa

Finally, we wind up our picks with the up-and-coming Japanese star Kazuki Higa. Higa won a notable four times on the Japan Golf Tour in 2022. He already proved last year he can jump across to the higher tours, when he played the BMW International Open and immediately finished 10th.

The most recent of those four victories was also the most impressive. The Dunlop Phoenix Tournament always attracts a talented international field. When winning the 2022 event, Higa defeated some big names. That included this week’s favourite Tom Kim, LIV Golf rumoured recruit Mito Pereira, World Ranked top 50 Scott Vincent, Aaron Wise, and Corey Conners.

Higa looks destined to advance to the PGA Tour or DP World Tour shortly. A high finish this week would go a long way to accelerating that progression and at 300/1 he is well worth consideration.

For an article with insights into my golf analysis process, check this link here: https://windailysports.com/golf-betting-101/

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Golf Betting 101: How To Pick More Winning Golfers

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
golf analysis, winning golf bets, how to win at golf betting
Get that winning feeling with WinDaily Sports

An insight into my golf analysis process and key indicators to identify success.

Golf betting can be tricky. The majority of fields have 140+ golfers to chose from, every week there is a different course to study, and it is perhaps the sport most exposed to the elements.

However, this also presents opportunity. With a large number of variables and potential players to select, bookmakers often have a tough time correctly setting golf markets. Likewise, daily fantasy golf providers often produce misprices.

In this article, I will provide a brief overview of my process. I provide some of the tools and key indicators I use to select my golf betting tips. Find out below why I am banned by multiple bookmakers.

2022 Golf Bets Tips Record

16 outright winners
DP World Tour +24% ROI
PGA Tour +26% ROI

The Essentials: Get the WinDaily Sports Edge

To make it easy, we have a fantastic team at WinDaily Sports who are here to do all that heavy lifting for you. With myself (@deepdivegolf), Sia (@sianejad), Joel (@draftmasterflex), and Spence (@teeoffsports) you have some of the best experts in the game to guide and coach you in your golf betting.

WinDaily Sports YouTube Channel & PGA Draftcast

https://www.youtube.com/@WinDailySports

Make sure you SUBSCRIBE and have the NOTIFICATION BELL turned on for our YouTube channel! We run our popular PGA Draftcast show for every tournament at 9pm EST Tuesdays prior to the tournament.

This is the only show where the audience draft a team live to go against the experts! It is essential viewing to hear our thoughts and favourite plays, as well as the iconic first-round leader picks and Spencer’s famous super in-depth course breakdowns.

WinDaily Sports Discord Channel

https://discord.com/invite/windaily

Get coaching directly from our experts, chat directly with our team members, and ask any questions you may have. We can help provide guidance and our expert golf betting tips can help you identify the best selections every week. We also are happy to teach you the skills required to make you a consistent, winning player. Particularly, you will find up to date weather forecasting in the last 24 hours prior to a tournament which can be key to your success (or failure) in any given week.

WinDaily Golf Analysis Website Articles

https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-golf/

Within the WinDaily wesbite, you can find all manner of weekly articles for both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

My articles provide in-depth golf analysis and golf betting picks for the tournament. I particularly see gaps in the market that provide an edge in DP World Tour tournaments, with weather forecasting, as well as player and course analysis. You can view my proven winning record on my Twitter page (@deepdivegolf).

We also have fantastic weekly DFS ownership projections from Steven Spolardi (@spolardi) which are simply the best in class. These articles are on the WinDaily website and are essential for gaining ownership leverage, especially in large GPP tournaments. Example here: https://windailysports.com/the-pga-championship-ownership-projections/

Key Golf Betting Terms

This article works in conjunction with our “Golf DFS 101: How To Win More At Golf DFS” article. If you have not read that article yet, you can find it here.

Before we get started on some of the processes I use, there are some key terms we need to know.

How are odds displayed for golf betting?

There are three main ways to display betting odds: decimal odds, fractional odds, and American odds.

In decimal odds, the amount is the total amount returned for every $1 bet. A $1 bet at odds of $10.00 will return $10.00. This is your original $1 stake plus $9 of profit.

In fractional odds, it is a ratio such as 14/1 (fourteen-to-one). They represent the profit won if the bet cashes. A $1 bet at those odds would return $15, being $14 of profit and the original $1 staked.

American odds vary whether a +/- sign is in front of the odds. Odds with a positive sign in front indicate the profit won on a $100 bet. +700 indicates that a bet of $100 will return $800, being the original $100 staked and $700 of profit.

If there is a negative sign in front of the number, this indicates the amount you would need to bet to win $100 of profit. Odds of -200 mean you would bet $200 to win $300 ($100 of profit plus the original stake). You will not often find these odds in golf pre-tournament other than in match-ups between two golfers.

Being based in New Zealand, I tend to use decimal odds when I provide my golf betting tips. I also denote my bets in units or points (pts). This means you can invest the amount that you feel comfortable spending.

What are the main types of golf bets I can make?

There are a few main markets that make up the majority of golf bets.

Outright Winner: Does what is says on the tin. You are betting the golfer to win the tournament.

Top Finish: Betting on a golfer to finish within specified number of places from the top of the leaderboard. Most bookmakers will release Top 5, Top 10, and Top 20 markets for each tournament. Many will even offer Top 30 or Top 40 markets, which can be a good option for betting outsiders.

Be aware that most bookmakers will apply dead-heat rules to such bets. This means if you place a Top 10 bet and your golfer ties for 10th exactly with 4 other golfers, your odds will be divided by 4.

Match-Up Bets: These bets typically pit two golfers against each other. They can be placed across the entirety of the tournament or occasionally for a single 18 hole round.

Prop Bets: Of course, there are also a large variety of prop (short for proposition) bets to investigate. For example, will there be a hole-in-one at the tournament? It is best to avoid these, especially when you first start in golf betting. They can be fun, but also are more unlikely to be predictable nor profitable.

What are Each-Way Golf Bets?

Many bookmakers, especially outside of the USA, will offer each-way (E/W) bets for golf. This bet actually consists of two bets: the golfer to win the tournament and the golfer to place. The place terms are always displayed. The most common place terms currently are 5 places at 1/4 odds and 8 places at 1/5 odds. Note that dead-heat rules will also apply if your player ties for the exact number of places on offer.

These provide great value and present you with better place odds compared to a typical top finish market. Think of it as a reward from the bookmaker for also making a win bet alongside your place bet.

For example, you pick Rory McIlroy to win a tournament. You take him at $20.00 E/W with place terms of 5 places at 1/4 odds. If McIlroy wins the tournament, you would collect both the win bet and the place bet. However, say McIlroy finishes in 3rd place. You would then win the place portion of your bet. In this instance, $20.00 divided by 4 would return place odds of $5.00. However, pre-tournament his Top 5 finish odds may only have been $3.50. You gave yourself the opportunity to cash an outright win ticket, but also were rewarded with better place odds as a result.

What is Implied Probability?

Implied probability converts betting odds into a percentage. It indicates what the bookmakers believe to be the chance of a result occurring. You can calculate implied probability using the following formula:

(1/ decimal odds) * 100 = implied probability

There are also various websites that will perform this calculation for you.

For example, the odds for Jon Rahm are $20.00 (19/1 or +1900) to win a particular golf tournament. The bookmakers are saying they believe Rahm has a 5% chance to win the tournament.

What is Expected Value?

Every time you place a bet, your selection has an “expected value” or “EV”. In short, this indicates what you can expect the bet to win (or lose) if made over a long time frame at the same odds. A positive EV bet is a winning play. We expect it to return a positive amount over the long-run if made time and again. Conversely, a negative EV bet is one we expect to lose over time.

Tip 1: Look to bet value and think long-term

The biggest golf betting mistake I see is trying to pick the winner every week. This may seem slightly counter-intuitive at first. I mean, we want to pick winning golfers, right? The fact is, you can make a bad bet and win money. You can also make a good bet and lose money. Let me explain.

Pre-tournament, you decide that given your analysis Justin Thomas will play well this week. You place a outright win bet on him to win at odds of $40.00. This bet has an implied probability of 2.5% or one-in-forty times.

Negative EV

Say that the correct chance for Justin Thomas to win was 2% or one-in-fifty times. Whether Thomas wins or loses the tournament is actually irrelevant. This is a negative EV bet. The more times that you place the bet, then the more times you will lose than win over time. Even if Thomas does win the tournament, you still made a negative EV bet.

Positive EV

Let’s look at the opposite. Say that you know Thomas has been working with a new swing coach, he recently shot a low round at a similar style of course, plays well in the wind and you can see in the forecast strong winds are forecast. He is the wrong price with bookmakers and his fair odds are actually $33.00 or an implied probability of 3%.

Again, irrespective of the result, this is a bet that we want to make. It has a positive EV and, over the long-term, will win you money. Even if Thomas doesn’t win the tournament, you made a positive EV bet.

Short-priced favourites

You will rarely find that the top few golfers in the market present positive EV opportunities. The bookmakers know the majority of casual armchair golf punters will tend towards the top of the board. They will bet stars, names that they know, and golfers they want to cheer for. Bookmakers need to mitigate this risk and also boost their profits. Especially when odds are very short, you are unlikely to be getting any value.

My role is helping you to identify positive EV spots. I provide golf betting tips where the actual chance of a golfer winning is higher than the implied probability currently on offer. This is the only way to win in golf betting in the long-term.

Tip 2: Structure your golf betting carefully and precisely

People structure their golf bets in many different ways. You often find people betting a certain amount on every bet they make. Others will bet an amount in order to win a specific value. For example, they bet an amount required to win $1,000 at the odds on offer.

The optimal way to structure your bets should be based upon the difference between the implied probability and the actual probability of the event occurring. If the margin is wider between the two figures, then you should bet more. Your confidence interval will be higher. Essentially, based upon your analysis you are more confident of an edge to true odds existing and you want to push that advantage. If the edge is smaller, then you should bet less.

You will find with my golf betting tips through WinDaily Sports that I provide suggested staking. I will indicate what type of bet to make and how many units or points (pts) I recommend on each option. This makes it easy for you to construct your golf betting card ahead of the tournament.

How do I read the suggested staking provided for golf betting?

Let’s look at the below example of how my suggested staking is used:

Tom Kim
1pt E/W $40.00 (8 places, 1/5 odds)
3pts Top 20 $3.50

In the above, my recommended bet is to stake 1 point E/W (1 unit to Win and 1 unit to Place). The place terms are indicated in brackets. The bookmaker has offered 8 places, with 1/5th the win odds if Tom Kim finishes in the Top 8. I also recommend 3 units on a Top 20 bet at $3.50.

Whatever you choose to make the value of your unit is up to you. 1 unit could be $5, $10, or $100. It really depends on what you are comfortable with and the size of your bank roll.

I would recommend always betting less than a maximum of 5% of your total allocated betting bank roll on any given tournament. You will encounter losing streaks and we do not advocate a “get rich quick” scheme. You will run into cash flow issues if you are betting too much of your bank roll on a given week. Instead, aim for a sustained systematic approach which leads to you growing your bankroll.

Most importantly, never bet more than you can lose. WinDaily Sports is a great community and we want you to be having fun. So, if it no longer is, then stop.

Tip 3: Top Finish Bets and Match-Ups are your bread and butter

I get it. Win bets are sexy. There is nothing better than placing your bets to then see one of your golfers come through to lift the trophy. It is even better when they are paying triple-figure odds!

The reality is that the wins you collect on your place and match-up bets are what will keep your wheels greased. Picking winning golfers is not easy. There are 140+ golfers who play in most tournaments and only one will ever win. And, even when you are regularly placing positive EV bets, it will sometimes be many weeks between win bets. Remember, you are looking at the long-term and following your process.

What you should be aiming for is to regularly be cashing place and match-up bets. One, this will mean that you are usually breaking even or making a small profit every week. When you do achieve a win bet, you will then reap the rewards and a larger profit. This keeps your cash flow positive and ensures you don’t lose your entire bankroll chasing Hail Mary win only bets.

Secondly, if you are regularly seeing your golfers place in the top end of the leaderboard that is a positive sign. There is still an element of luck in golf. The bounce of a ball, a few putts that just lip out, or a random gust of wind can be the difference between 1st and 20th. The more often your golfers are ending up in a position to potentially complete a victory, the better.

Tip 4: Meteorology and Agronomy

Meteorology

When looking at golf betting analysis, you need to continuously monitor the weather. It is baffling that in a sport so affected by the elements that so few golf bettors will even bother to check the weather prior to tournament start. Check the weather when initially analyzing the tournament. Check the weather in the last 24 hours before first tee-times. Basically, check the weather continuously before and throughout the tournament.

As mentioned in my DFS 101 article, you can get an edge depending when golfers tee off. Tee-times typically of two distinct groupings between a Thursday morning/Friday afternoon start time and vice-versa. This can create a weather edge for players teeing off at a particular time. If Friday afternoon is forecast for heavy winds and tricky scoring conditions, you may want to lean towards players starting their first two rounds Thursday afternoon/Friday morning. You will often hear of a AM/PM stack or PM/AM stack providing a potential advantage in a given week.

Not every weather forecast is the same. The weather is inherently difficult to predict as is, but many websites rely on free and basic models which are less accurate.

At WinDaily, we use a combination of the best premium weather forecast models on the market to provide the most accurate weather predictions that we can. I’m here to make this easy for you and provide the best information available. Make sure you are in the WinDaily Discord, particularly in the 24 hours prior to tournament start, to give yourself an edge!

Agronomy

You also want to check the condition of the course. Many courses on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have been on the circuit for many decades. This brings with it a wealth of data that you can delve into (but you still want to pay attention to any changes ahead of the tournament, such as longer rough or reshaping of certain holes).

However, there are always a few new courses to interpret each season. Three of the four golf majors – the PGA Championship, US Open, and The Open Championship (or British Open) – are often played on courses that have not been played on professionally for several years if ever. I always recommend for new courses to find video flyovers, photos, and watch interviews. You want to try to get a feel for the course and what type of player it may suit.

Grass Types

Grass type also makes a difference. This is particularly true on the greens, where different types of golf can see varying performance by golfers. The most common greens are Bermuda, Bentgrass, Poa Annua, and Paspalum.

Bermuda is found commonly in Florida and typically in warmer climates. It can be somewhat easier to read. Bentgrass is typically found in areas which have cooler summers and in coastal areas. Poa Annua has a reputation for getting bumpy in the afternoon and can be tricky to putt on. Paspalum is a very sturdy grass that is highly resistant to salt. It is generally only found in coastal and tropical courses. Being a hardy grass, it can grab the ball more than other surfaces and prove sticky.

You want to pay particular attention to prevailing wind, wind gusts, any rain forecast, and ground condition. A dry, firm course in windy conditions will play a lot more difficult to a soft course in calm conditions. This can influence both tee-time stacks, but also the type of golfer you want to look for.

Tip 5: Look for Live In-Play Golf Betting Opportunities

There remains great opportunities for live in-play golf betting. As mentioned, there are a huge number of factors that bookmakers need to take into account. Not only are there a huge number of players to account for, but bookmakers also need to know where they each are on the course. They are often too slow to react and adjust their odds. Often bookmakers identify the number of holes a golfer has left in the round and not account for whether those holes are potential birdie holes, for example.

Weather can play a factor for in-play bet opportunities. With tournaments typically running over four rounds, the weather can change quickly from a Thursday to Sunday. For example, we spotted a potential weather edge develop recently at the Italian Open. Saturday afternoon was suddenly forecast for very high winds. This meant golfers further back on the leaderboard and teeing off earlier Saturday morning were going to enjoy easier scoring conditions. We tipped Robert MacIntyre live in-play, who managed to take advantage of the conditions and went on to win the tournament at odds of 125/1.

Tip 6: Identify Key Improvements in Stoke Gained Trends

If you’re new to Strokes Gained and have not read my Golf DFS 101 article, head over for a basic run-down on Strokes Gained here.

Per that article, ball-striking metrics tend to be “stickier”. If a golfer has made recent improvement in their approach play, this is more likely to be retained to subsequent tournaments. This is one of the key trends I always look for in players that appear to be a good course fit. I also like to identify whether the increase in SG: APP has been linked with recent improvement in driving accuracy. These two metrics combined give an indication that the golfer’s swing is in good shape and they are striking the ball well.

If a player has made recent improvement in SG: APP, driving accuracy, and if they have previous positive course form, that is a situation I want to pay close attention to. Do be aware to check how recent those performances were, as you will want to give less weighting to tournaments which were a month or longer ago.

Putting statistics are not that important (usually) for golf betting

SG: PUTT, followed by SG: ATG, is the most volatile metric. So much of short-game comes down to touch, feel, and confidence. Putts can be off by a mere centimeter and miss, or a golfer can get hot and suddenly make every putt they see.

Yes, there are better putters than others. But, as a rule, a recent hot putting performance does not necessarily mean they will putt well the next tournament. I prefer to see a longer stretch of improved putting before I start giving credence to the fact that the golfer has actually made some permanent gains with the flat-stick.

Regression to the mean

One of the biggest mistakes I see bettors making is not comparing recent improvements to a golfer’s longer term baseline. If Viktor Hovland is hitting the ball well on approach, that is almost a given as he is one of the best iron player’s in the game. We expect him to hit the ball well on approach. However, if Hovland starts hitting more fairways with his driver or making improvements in his SG: ATG, then I am beginning to get interested.

Likewise, if a golfer has had a great week putting, we would expect the golfer to experience regression towards their mean. As putting is more volatile, we typically also experience this regression more quickly. Basically, we would expect the golfer’s form to return towards their average baseline.

Summary

There are a huge number of factors that goes into successful golf analysis. The majority can’t, or simply won’t, put in the time required to be able to identify positive EV golf betting opportunities. It always pays to remember that it is the bookmakers job to analyze golf tournaments better than you to set fair pricing. At WinDaily, we are here to help and give you that winning edge!

If you’ve made it this far through the article, are you curious about giving WinDaily a go? Join now with a no obligation 1-month free trial so you can test out the website and services available. If you decide to keep the product, it is the best value on the market at just $5.99 for access to ALL sports.

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Daily Fantasy SportsSports BettingPGA

Golf DFS 101: How To Win More At Golf DFS

DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski
written by DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski

Your Essential Guide to PGA Daily Fantasy Golf

Golf season is back baby! Whether you are a Golf DFS rookie or a seasoned veteran just looking for that little extra edge; welcome. These are our Golf DFS Top 5 Tips to make this your winning season.

2022 was a year full of surprises. From all the LIV Golf drama to some new stars emerging. The 2023 golf season promises to be one of the best yet! We expect to see a large amount of golf interest this year.

With the majority of tournaments spanning 4 days, Golf DFS gives you some of the best value for your entertainment. And there remains a massive opportunity in golf DFS right now!

It is fair to say that NFL, MLB, and NBA markets have reached saturation. Players are the most educated they have ever been, resources and data are readily available, and the markets are sharp. Finding an edge over your competition is extremely difficult. Although golf DFS is heading in that direction, there remains gaps.

And that is where YOU can take advantage.

What makes Golf DFS so difficult?

Navigating your first season of Golf DFS can be confusing!

With fields often surpassing 140+ golfers, the majority of DFS players are simply not going to put the time and effort in required doing a full in-depth analysis of all possible options.

There is a new course every week, which will change the best golfer profile to look for in your players.

It is also a sport heavily affected by weather, perhaps more so than in any other sport.

And with somewhat complicated analytics with data that can be difficult to find, that represents opportunity. Hence, we have given you our Golf DFS Top 5 Tips to get you started!

The Essentials: Get the WinDaily Sports Edge

To make it easy, we have a fantastic team at WinDaily Sports who are here to do all that heavy lifting for you. With myself (@deepdivegolf), Sia (@sianejad), Joel (@draftmasterflex), and Spence (@teeoffsports) you have some of the best experts in the game to guide and coach you.

WinDaily Sports YouTube Channel & PGA Draftcast

https://www.youtube.com/@WinDailySports

Make sure you are SUBSCRIBED and have the NOTIFICATION BELL turned on for our YouTube channel! We run our popular PGA Draftcast show for every tournament at 9pm EST Tuesdays prior to the tournament.

This is the only show where the audience draft a team live to go against the experts! It is essential viewing to hear our thoughts and favourite plays, as well as the iconic first-round leader picks and Spencer’s famous super in-depth course breakdowns.

WinDaily Sports Discord Channel

https://discord.com/invite/windaily

Get coaching directly from our experts, chat directly with our team members, and ask any questions you may have. We can help provide guidance and pivots to plays to help you craft the perfect line-up every week. We also are happy to teach you the skills required to make you a consistent, winning player. Particularly, you will find up to date weather forecasting in the last 24 hours prior to a tournament which can be key to your success (or failure) in any given week.

WinDaily Golf DFS Website Articles

https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-golf/

Within the WinDaily wesbite, you can find all manner of weekly articles for both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

My articles provide in-depth analysis and picks for the tournament. I particularly see edges in DP World Tour tournaments, with weather forecasting, as well as player and course analysis. You can view my proven winning record on my Twitter page (@deepdivegolf).

We also have fantastic weekly ownership projections from Steven Spolardi (@spolardi) which are simply the best in class. These articles can be found on the WinDaily website and are essential for gaining ownership leverage especially in large GPP tournaments. Example here: https://windailysports.com/the-pga-championship-ownership-projections/

Golf DFS Top 5 Tips

Tip 1: Making the Cut is Key in Golf DFS

If you are new to golf, most tournaments will have a cut after the 2nd round in which roughly half the field will take no further part in the tournament. Obviously, you want as many of your players to be making the cut to ensure you are making the most of your point scoring potential.

For cash games and smaller GPP contests, you will want to look for safer players who are more likely to make the cut. You are much better placed to have majority of your players that play all 4 rounds and finish in the middle of the pack than 2 players finish in the top ten but the rest miss the cut entirely.

For large GPP tournaments, you want to look for upside. Looking for players who are a little more volatile may not be a bad thing, especially with heavy prize weightings to the top spots in the tournament. This is where Steven’s fantastic projections come into play, allowing you to find positions to leverage your line-up against the rest of the pack. You will want to look for players likely to make the cut, but also with more upside to finish towards the top of the leaderboard.

Tip 2: Compare Bookmaker Odds to Golf DFS Pricing

Bookmakers are in the business of analysing and projecting likely outcomes of tournaments. It is their job to reduce risk and provide as accurate as possible prediction of who has the most win equity any given week. Chances are, if you are a casual player then they are absolutely doing far more in-depth analysis than you. Use this to your advantage.

You can often find situations where a bookmaker may have a golfer priced as a much better chance to win a tournament than his DFS pricing suggests. For example, we recently identified an opportunity where a regular PGA Tour golfer qualified for entry into a DP World Tour event in Monday qualifying. Typically, these golfers are priced cheaply having needed to win a qualifying tournament to gain entry. As the PGA Tour is typically a lot stronger than DP World Tour fields, the golfer was priced in the top 30 most likely to win the tournament. However, DFS markets priced him as a typical Monday qualifier at just $6,700 and in the bottom 20% in the field. He finished 13th in the tournament and provided huge leverage for your line-up.

The above is an extreme example but provides an illustration of the potential edge that can be gained in looking at odds and comparing to DFS markets. You want to identify situations where there is a significant difference between a bookmakers implied win probability and DFS pricing.

Tip 3: Meteorology and Agronomy

First, check the weather! It is baffling that in a sport so affected by the elements that so few DFS players will even bother to check the weather prior to tournament start. Tee-times are typically grouped between a Thursday morning/Friday afternoon start time and vice-versa. This can create a weather edge for players teeing off at a particular time.

If Friday afternoon is forecast for heavy winds and tricky scoring conditions, you may want to lean towards players starting their first two rounds Thursday afternoon/Friday morning. You will often hear of a AM/PM stack or PM/AM stack providing a potential advantage in a given week.

I use a variety of different resources to provide the best weather forecasting possible in the lead-up to a tournament. Make sure you are in the WinDaily Discord in the 24 hours prior to tournament start for the most accurate information available and to give yourself an edge!

Not every weather forecast is the same. The weather is inherently difficult to predict as is, but many websites rely on free and basic models which are less accurate than other options on the market. We use a combination of the best premium weather forecast models on the market to provide the most accurate weather predictions that we can.

You want to pay particular attention to prevailing wind, wind gusts, any rain forecast, and ground condition. A dry, firm course in windy conditions will play a lot more difficult to a soft course in calm conditions. This can influence both tee-time stacks, but also the type of golfer you want to look for.

Tip 4: Course Analysis, Course Form, and Incoming Form

Each week, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour will move to a different location and hence a different course. Unlike in any other sport, where the field of play remains generally the same, golf courses by their very nature are designed to be completely different to others. You won’t want to play the exact same golfers every single week.

Course Analysis

Some courses will favour a “bomb and gouge” approach. Typically, they will feature wide open fairways with little penalty for straying too wide. This will favour longer drivers, who can then give themselves a shorter (and easier) 2nd shot given their extra distance off the tee.

Other trickier courses with tight fairways and smaller greens will favour a more accurate player who will keep the ball in play and avoid dropped shots. To maximise your golf DFS score, a completely different golfer profile may be required from one week to the next.

Firmer courses will often favour a player with a higher ball flight. They can land the ball softly on the green to allow a shorter putt. Tree-lined fairways to protect from the wind can add to this advantage. Exposed courses may favour players with a lower ball flight that can keep their shot low and away from the higher winds.

Links courses (typically, but not exclusively, found in the UK & Ireland) offer another challenge on their own. These ultra-exposed coastal courses require a unique set of skills. These undulating courses often experience high weather variance, have firmer greens with little rough surrounding, and deep bunkers as protection. You do find a number of links-course specialist. They may present little incoming form but then perform extremely well when returning to a link course.

Course Form

Course form does matter. It may seem self-evident that a player who has played well on a certain course previously may do so again. Many courses have proven to have a high correlation between prior success as a predictive factor of future success.

However, this comes with a word of caution. Some courses display little correlation between prior course form and future success. This can be for a variety of reasons. For example, trickier courses with lots of penalty areas will provide volatility. Simple luck and the bounce of a ball can have a significant effect on outcomes. Low scoring and easier courses may mean that simply whoever putted best that week was able to finish higher on the leaderboard. The experts in the WinDaily team are here to help you identify when course form matters most.

Incoming Form and Golf DFS

Incoming form also plays a factor. If you can find a golf with excellent course form and who has played well recently, this is obviously beneficial. It will likely also come with a high priced golfer with plenty of ownership.

This also comes with many caveats. Many golf DFS players will fall victim to recency bias. They will believe how a player played last week is a sure-fire method to predict how they will play this week. Yet, the next tournament may be played on a completely different style of course. Also, the manner of scoring matters, which is where strokes gained data comes into play.

Tip 5: Using Stokes Gained Metrics

I will provide a more detailed analysis of Strokes Gained data in my Golf Betting Tips & Advice article. But, in short, Strokes Gained is the start of a change in the statistical analysis of golf akin to that which changed the face of baseball.

Previously, using golf DFS stats were somewhat archaic and did not provide an accurate measure of future success. For example, take Greens in Regulation, which is a percentage of greens a golfer manages to hit compared to par and assuming two putts (i.e. a Par 3 in one approach shot, a Par 4 in two approach shots, and a Par 5 in 3 approach shots or less).

This provides a little less information than we may want. Two golfers sharing 70% Greens in Regulation may have hit the same number of greens. However, Golfer A was on average 20’ away from the pin. Golfer B was on average 35’ away from the pin. Obviously, Golfer A has shorter putts and had better approach play.

What is Strokes Gained?

Strokes gained data flips this narrative on its head. We can now accurately identify just how golfers achieved their given scores. Stokes gained provides a breakdown of how a golfer performed compared to the field and where precisely their advantage came from.

Let’s take a basic application of this concept with an example of a golfer who has a putt from 20’. A player in the field may take on average 1.5 putts to get the ball in the hole. The golfer makes the putt, and he has therefore gained +0.5 stokes putting compared to the field.

Below are the most used Strokes Gained metrics:

Strokes Gained Total (SG: TOT)

The total number of strokes gained compared to the field. This will perfectly resemble the leaderboard. E.g. a golfer shoots 65, field average was 70, their stokes gained total would be +5.00.

Strokes Gained Off The Tee (SG: OTT)

The total number of shots gained from all tee shots on par 4s and par 5s. This covers all shots made with drivers and woods (occasionally irons) off the tee.

Strokes Gained Approach (SG: APP)

The total number of strokes gained from all tee shots on par 3s and all shots further than 30 yards from the green on par 4s and par 5s. Essentially, all strokes gained from iron shots.

Strokes Gained Around The Green (SG: ATG)

The total number of strokes gained from all shots within 30 yards of the green without being on the green. Covers chips and bunker shots.

Strokes Gained Putting (SG: PUTT)

The total number of strokes gained for all shots on the greens.

Strokes Gained Tee to Green (SG: T2G)

The total number of strokes gained to the field for all shots excluding putting. This can prove useful given that putting is the most volatile and unpredictable metric.

Strokes Gained Ball-Striking (SG: BS)

All strokes gained from both SG: OTT and SG: APP combined.

Using Strokes Gained for Golf DFS

Using the above analytics, we can use this to assist us in identifying golfers that fit a particular profile which may prove successful on any given course.

In general, statistics such as SG: OTT and SG: APP tend to be “stickier”. A golfer who has made improvement in the two ball-striking categories is more likely to be able to maintain those improvements.

This ties in with the above caution about incoming form. Say a golfer finished in the top 20 the prior week. However, he gained a huge number of his strokes compared to the field with the putter that week. We would not necessarily see this as a strong predictor of future success. Putting is volatile and very difficult to foresee when improvements may happen on any given week. This is not a hard and fast rule, as there are undoubtedly better putters than others. But we are here to assist you in identifying the difference.

Summary

Golf provides a hugely entertaining way to play DFS, providing great value for money once you’ve entered a contest. There are massive opportunities available for those who are willing to put the effort in. But, as you can see above, there are a huge number of factors which come in making these decisions.

With large fields to choose from, there are countless hours of research required with many possible combinations and choices to be made every week. It can be overwhelming when you start! We are here to help by doing the hard yards for you and make it easy.

If you’ve made it this far through the article, why not considering giving WinDaily a go? Join now with a no obligation 1-month free trial so you can test out the website and services available. If you decide to keep the product, it is the best value on the market at just $5.99 for access to ALL sports.

Access this promo link here: https://windailysports.com/sign-up/deep-dive-golf/?ref=31

Want another free article? Check out our “Golf Betting 101: How To Select More Winning Golfers” article. If you have not read that article yet, you can find it here.

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