THE U. S. OPEN
And, just like that, we are at Major #3!!
This should be a test! Oakmont is not full of water and trees, but it is a bitch! The rough will be thick and long and the bunkers will be, well, a bitch!
The LIV guys are back! Not a bad thing. Pricing is usually softer than regular tournaments simply because of the quality of the field. However, like the PGA with club pros qualifying, you have the regional qualifiers for this. So, there will be plenty of names that you see that will not register with you. Most of them aren’t even considerations for daily fantasy.
Highlights: Oakmont Country Club
- Par 70 – 7,372 yards
- Greens: Enormous (8,500 sf on average)! Poa annua and will be fast!
- Rough? Just watch the fun when they hit tee shots into it.
- Plenty of bunkers (168) and ZERO water hazards
- U. S. Open set-up!! It will not be easy!!
NOTE: This is a 156-player field. Top 60 and ties make the cut!! This will be a brutal cut this week so don’t feel bad if you don’t get 6/6. Many times, 5/6 can cash in a large GPP and can win some of the single-entry contests. DK priced guys in the $5K range but I’m staying away from that.
NOTE: All pricing is based on DraftKings
$10,000 and Above
There are five guys priced in the five-figure range. “Lock and Load” is playing so he must be considered. However, DK continues to try to make it as difficult as they can to play him. You can do it, but it’s a $2,000 premium which takes off $400 of salary cap for each of your remaining picks.
- Scottie “Lock and Load” Scheffler ($14,400) – the best player on the planet right now! It probably won’t pay to fade him even if he doesn’t win, but I wouldn’t put him in more than 10% of your lineups if you play multiple ones.
- Others (in order of preference)
Bryson DeChambeau ($11,000) – I’m not sure the bomber mentality plays well here, but he is the defending champ and historically finds a way on difficult courses.
Xander Schauffele ($10,400) – a little cheaper than Bryson and has been Top 10 in every U.S. Open he’s competed in…except one and he was T14 there.
Jon Rahm ($10,200) – He wants to prove a point. LIV play doesn’t make him a lesser player in the world of golf but the rankings refuse to show it. Still not a LIV fan but skill set isn’t determined by a tour moniker.
Rory McIlroy ($12,400) – until I saw what I say last week in Canada, I would say save the $2K and go with Rory over Scottie. But, I saw what I saw! He may be able to turn it around but I’m not spending $12,400 to find out. I’m fading! Do what you see fit.
$9,000 to $9,900 (Ranking all the guys in my order of preference)
- Patrick Cantlay ($9,300) – typically plays tough courses well.
- Collin Morikawa ($9,800) – a solid shot to win. Last four U. S. Opens: T14-T14-T5-T4.
- Ludvig Aberg ($9,600) – I was hoping for a better price, but it is what it is! The skill set is absolutely there but I’m not sure about the consistency. He was T2 at Pinehurst last year though.
- Justin Thomas ($9,000) – for me, he falls somewhere between Ludvig and Rory as to how much I trust a reliable performance. Personally, I think I’ll pass this week on JT as well…unless I throw him in a Showdown on Thursday or Friday.
$8,000 to $8,900 (Ranking all 5 in this Group)
- Joaquin Niemann ($8,600) – T29 at Masters and T8 at the PGA. He’s on fire at LIV as well. He’s my favorite in this grouping this week.
- Tommy Fleetwood ($8,800) – I’ve always thought he would win a Major. I’m not sure about that any longer, but…we will see him on Sunday!
- Hideki Matsuyama ($8,000) – nothing to say except I don’t expect him to make as many mistakes as some of the guys in this group.
- Viktor Hovland ($8,500) – here’s to hoping the good Viktor shows up this week.
- Brooks Koepka ($8,200) – I’m usually all over Brooks in Majors. However, after missing the cut at both the Masters and the PGA, I’m wondering what’s wrong. He’s older but I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s attitude! He’ll probably prove me wrong, but I can’t justify playing him in my lineups because of that.
$7,000 to $7,900
This is where DraftKings tries to make it feasible for you to use Scottie. They’ve loaded this Tier with viable plays. Most won’t win, but someone has to finish Top 20 and, in this range, Top 20 is awesome! I could list many more in the next two tiers than I have.
- Shane Lowry ($7,800) – he has the game and the demeanor to play a tough course without letting a temper make it worse. Solid play at this price!
- Sam Burns ($7,100) – until last week, I would have seen him going under the radar this week. He looks great! I think Sam shines!
- Russell Henley ($7,400) – he is ranked #7 in the world (excluding LIV players of course)! Talk about “no one talks about that” in a nutshell. He’s been a little up and down and has missed some cuts, but he is EXACTLY the type of player that survives and thrives on a tough course. THIS PRICE IS TOO LOW!!!
- Ben Griffin ($7,200) – a first-timer at the U. S. Open but his form coming in is as good as anyone. 2nd-Win-T8-T46-MC-Win! A missed cut after a win isn’t uncommon…even after a team event. A 2nd at the Memorial (another tough course) after a win and a T8 at the PGA? Hell yes!
Under $7,000
- Patrick Reed ($6,900) – Absolutely Love this Price! This is a guy that could easily play well enough to finish Top 10 (even an outside chance at a win) for a dirt-cheap price.
- Ryan Fox ($6,800) – current form play!
- Harris English ($6,700) – much like a Russell Henley, tough courses are a good equalizer for him. He’s had three Top 10s in his last five U. S. Opens and four Top 15s this season.
- Cameron Young ($6,500) – a few years ago, that “6” would be a “9”. A few months ago, that “6” wouldn’t even make me play him. Now, I think Cameron Young is playing FAR TOO WELL for this low of a price. You want Scottie? Cue Cameron Young & Patrick Reed!
- Denny McCarthy ($6,600) – If you don’t like Patrick or Cameron and still want Scottie, here’s your guy!
- Rasmus Hojgaard ($6,100) – I really can’t figure out the twins. Nicolai seems to be the more gifted player, but Rasmus outplays him. Only one is here and, if his game comes with him, he’ll make the cut.
- Brian Harman ($6,500)
$6,000 & Under
I’m really not interested in going this low, but if you are, I think the following are viable:
- Emiliano Grillo ($5,700) – three straight Top 25s
- Phil Mickelson ($5,800) – with him, you never know. I expect him to spend a lot of time in the rough but, if he doesn’t, you’ll look like a genius!
- Sam Bairstow ($5,900) – playing well on the World Tour.
Longshot(s)
- Sepp Straka ($7,700) – If good Sepp shows up, this could be interesting!
- Ryan Gerard ($6,100) – has only missed two cuts since the calendar turned over to 2025 and he finished T13 here in the 2021 U. S. Amateur.
Ask questions on Discord if you have them. Make sure to tag me so I don’t miss it!
GOOD LUCK!!