Fantasy Golf Predictions
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – 2022 US Open
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the 2022 US Open
US Open Fantasy Preview
After three years away, it’s no surprise that the patrons present at the St. George’s club in Canada were so passionate and vocal in their support of the players.
And they were treated to a fine spectacle as Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas – two of the very best in the business – did battle with the not-the-best-but-still-very-good Tony Finau for the RBC Canadian Open, which is essentially the country’s national championship.
In the end, it was McIlroy who powered away from the rest – a final round of 62, which saw him play his first 12 holes in -8, seeing the Irishman streak clear to defend his Canadian Open title, albeit one won three years ago at a different venue.
It was the 21st PGA TOUR victory of McIlroy’s career, taking him level with an eclectic bunch on the mark that includes Davis Love III and Lanny Wadkins. Only Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson have more as far as players still active in the sport are concerned.
Perhaps a more pressing matter for the 33-year-old will be adding to his major title collection, and he’ll get a chance to do exactly that at the U.S. Open this week at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Last Week’s Fantasy Results
Last week we ran with Corey Connors as our horse and the Canadian ended up finishing T6.
Impressive week for Rory holders, and if you had JT and Rory on the same roster, you certainly cashed in!
Chris Kirk was another shining star last week as our Top Fantasy Sleeper pick from our Tuesday Sleeper Report.
The veteran finished with all sub-70 scores and an impressive 66-66 over the weekend to notch up some crucial fantasy points.
US Open Field
It perhaps won’t have escaped your attention that there’s something of a civil war in golf right now.
The likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have pledged allegiance to the rebel LIV Golf Tour, and while they have been suspended from competing in PGA TOUR events, it’s actually the USGA that presides over the U.S. Open – all that have defected are still allowed to play in the third major of 2022.
Aside from that morally questionable lot, the great and the good that have remained loyal to the PGA TOUR will be in town. Scottie Scheffler could become just the sixth man to win the Masters and the U.S. Open in the same season, while the in-form McIlroy, Thomas, Sam Burns and Will Zalatoris will be hoping to ride out the crest of their wave.
Jon Rahm defends the title he won at Torrey Pines 12 months ago, while other former U.S. Open winners such as Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose – fresh from nearly breaking 60 at the Canadian Open on Sunday – will have a chance to join an exclusive club of multiple-time champions in this event.
That group includes Tiger Woods, although sadly the Big Cat misses out in 2022. He suffered an injury at the PGA Championship, and hasn’t sufficiently recovered in time.
This Week’s Course Preview
It’s that time of year when professional golfers take to social media to post their ‘look how long the rough is at ….’ videos.
There’s plenty already out there relating to The Country Club, with DP World Tour star Guido Migliozzi one of the first to reveal the depravity in store for those who miss the fairway.
The Massachusetts venue has been given a makeover by Gil Hanse, and as we saw with his work at Southern Hills – the home of the PGA Championship a few weeks ago – he isn’t afraid to make the players work for their win. Justin Thomas battled round in -5 there, and some of Hanse’s hallmarks will find their way to The Country Club.
Those include small, postage stamp style Poa Annua greens, many of which have unique contours and some devilish false fronts and run-offs. Those, allied to the lush rough as already mentioned, confirms that this will be a U.S. Open course in both name and nature.
It is expected to play at around 7,254 yards for its Par 70, which will have just two Par 5 holes on which to make birdies or better, while water is very much in play on at least four holes on the real estate – allied to 75+ bunkers.
The tight fairways are tree-lined and, while not necessarily doglegging in nature at first glance, will still require some shot shaping to keep balls out of the rough stuff.
All in all, The Country Club should provide the archetypal U.S. Open test this week.
Weather Forecast for Brookline, MA
Even on a calm, sunny day, The Country Club is a tough nut to crack.
But look at these predicted wind speeds for Thursday through Saturday – 16mph, 14mph, 15mph, 12mph. Those are considerable enough to change the dynamics of this tournament.
It will be pretty warm too, with temperatures ranging from 75-87˚F from Thursday through Saturday, and then down to an estimated 69˚F on Sunday.
The only other noteworthy mention is for Friday, where the dreaded ‘scattered thunderstorms’ are in the forecast. As ever, it will be worth keeping an eye on the radars later in the week to predict how much rain will fall and when.
Last Year’s Results from the US Open
It’s rare that one hole can change the destiny of a golf tournament, but it’s hard to contest the notion that the 71st hole of the 2021 U.S. Open ultimately decided the fate of the trophy.
Louis Oosthuizen, who looked primed to win a second major, bogeyed the fateful Par 4 at Torrey Pines, while Jon Rahm – whose round of 67 would prove to be the joint-lowest on the Sunday – birdied that and the 72nd hole to leapfrog the South African and claim his maiden major crown.
Tough scoring conditions had halted the progress of the likes of McIlroy and Scheffler, while Russell Henley – who looked well placed to become something of a surprise winner – fluffed his lines with a closing effort of 76, which included three bogeys in a row on the sixth, seventh and eighth holes.
Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the US Open this Week
The U.S. Open is a tough nit to crack for the players and DFS gamers alike, with even the best in the business finding it tough to make scores in such conditions. That variance makes it difficult to draft line-ups with complete confidence, so spreading risk – while having a crack at the big one – seems to be the right way to go.
- $2.75M Fantasy Golf Millionaire: First things first, let’s take a shot at the milly maker, which for the 2022 U.S. Open will see 217,464 teams battle it out for the $1 million top prize. So yeah, it’s not easy to win it (a major understatement), but at $15 for an entry it’s a fun and relatively affordable way to back your fancied players.
- PGA $600k Drive the Green: Spreading risk, by selecting multiple line-ups and hoping your core players pop, is the name of the game this week, and this contest allows you up to 150 entries at $5 a turn. The winner banks $100k, and those that finish inside the top 20% or so cash a prize.
New DraftKings Customers – Use Code GOLFICITY at DraftKings.com and deposit $25 to get $100 in Free Bets (This Week Only!).
This Week’s Fantasy Notes for the US Open
Even though the U.S. Open moves home on an annual basis, it’s usually the same skillsets – and the same sorts of players – who thrive in this event.
You have to hit fairways at The Country Club – there’s not going to be any place for dropping bombs and then wedging in out of this rough. And with tiny greens to aim at and a considerable breeze forecast, clearly iron play, perhaps from high angles to hold these lightning-quick surfaces, will be vital.
Those are the tangibles, and of the intangibles we’re looking for players with the strength of mind and perseverance to grind out par and know that a score of (probably) single digits under par will be enough to win this event.
It won’t be a fun week for the players at the U.S. Open, but for DFS gamers it will be fascinating to try and create line-ups that do the business in such treacherous conditions.
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Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the US Open
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Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win the US Open
Top Tier Pick #1:
Rory McIlroy (Odds: 12/1, FPPG: 89.4, GPFP: 111.74 Salary: $10,500)
You may or may not know this, but DraftKings set their salaries in advance of the finale of the Canadian Open – hence why Rory McIlroy is favorite with the betting sportsbooks but only the fourth most expensive player in the field from a DFS perspective.
Sharps will have cottoned on to that fact, and so the Irishman will be a chalk pick as a consequence, but we don’t actually mind that – McIlroy is, make no mistake, playing as well as he’s ever done right now.
That has delivered the win in Canada, three other top-10s and a T18 in his last five starts, and that’s a run built on the back of ball-striking magnificence – something we’re always on the look out for in our picks.
Blessed with advancing years and maturity, you’d like to think that Rory has the nous and experience to know when to rip it at The Country Club and when to club down and take his medicine.
Key Stats:
- Scoring Average – 1st
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 1st
- Scrambling – 22nd
Top Tier Pick #2:
Xander Schauffele (Odds: 25/1, FPPG: 83.6, GPFP: 66.86 Salary: $9,600)
The way his game shapes up, you always suspect that the U.S. Open is the most likely destination for Xander Schauffele’s first major title.
He typically stays out of trouble but, when he does miss a fairway or a green in regulation, he has the recovery powers to salvage the situation.
The Californian is, it goes without saying, comfortable on Poa Annua greens, and the harder the better seems to be his modus operandi – Schauffele was there or thereabouts at the demanding PGA Championship just a matter of weeks ago.
Key Stats:
- Total Driving – 4th
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 7th
- Scoring Average – 25th
Mid-Tier Pick #1:
Tony Finau (Odds: 35/1, FPPG: 68.6, GPFP: 87.19 Salary: $8,200)
Another to benefit from the curiously premature pricing of the U.S. Open on DFS sites is Tony Finau, who is available at a snip of a price at $8,200 despite jousting with McIlroy in Canada on Sunday.
He did very well in contention there – there’s no failure in being beaten by McIlroy playing like a man possessed, and that provides a continuation of Finau’s strong form that also saw him bank top-five finishes at the Mexico Open and Charles Schwab Challenge in recent weeks.
A player who thrives in tough conditions, Finau has an excellent record in majors despite – for the most part – being wayward off the tee. That shows the responsibility and maturity in his game to club down and ‘be sensible’ when the stakes are at their highest.
Key Stats:
- SG: Off-the-Tee – 16th
- SG: Approach – 19th
- Scoring Average – 31st
Mid-Tier Pick #2:
Sungjae Im (Odds: 45/1, FPPG: 79.8, GPFP: 63.76 Salary: $7,600)
With recent improvements in his ball-striking, Sungjae Im’s formline has improved exponentially – he looks to be a solid pick for the U.S. Open accordingly.
The Korean’s line reads 10-15-21-8 in his last four strokeplay starts, and those top-10s came in tougher-than-average conditions at Augusta National and Colonial – a nod to his suitability for The Country Club test.
An excellent chipper and scrambler, Im has the sort of profile we would expect of a major champion in waiting – who knows, he might even get that over the line in Massachusetts.
Key Stats:
- SG: Around-the-Green – 5th
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 9th
- Scoring Average – 15th
Low-Tier Pick:
Justin Rose (Odds: 70/1, FPPG: 67.1, GPFP: 53.70 Salary: $7,100)
That closing round of 60 in Canada was a rather excellent way for Justin Rose to sign off his excursion north of the border, and he will be buoyed with confidence ahead of a trip to a layout he should enjoy.
Generally accurate off the tee and an excellent scrambler, much of his best work has come in tough conditions – he’s a former U.S. Open, Memorial Tournament and Farmers Insurance Open champion after all.
And there’s a swell of positivity in his game right now too, with his Canadian exploits following a T13 at the PGA Championship. While still inconsistent, there’s no doubt that Rose is heading in the right direction.
Key Stats:
- Scoring Average – 40th
- Driving Accuracy – 51st
- Scrambling – 66th
Sleeper Pick for the US Open
Kevin Na (Odds: 150/1, FPPG: 63.3, GPFP: 68.39 Salary: $7,000)
Those that have cashed their chips to join the LIV Golf Tour are unlikely to receive a warm reception from the gallery or their fellow players, and it will be interesting to see who copes with that.
Kevin Na has been around the sport for a long time now, and his under-the-radar approach – both on the course and off it – will perhaps stand him in good stead given that the bulk of the negativity is likely to be saved for more prominent figures like Bryson and Patrick Reed.
Na leaves the PGA TOUR behind on the back of a swathe of decent performances – T7 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, T14 at The Masters and T23 at the PGA Championship to name a few, and as long as his head is in the game following his defection you would assume Na’s neat-and-tidy play is perfect for the travails of The Country Club.
Key Stats:
- SG: Approach – 15th
- SG: Around-the-Green – 42nd
- Driving Accuracy – 62nd
Alternative Sleeper Pick for the US Open
Brian Harman (Odds: 175/1, FPPG: 59.8, GPFP: 54.45 Salary: $7,000)
While not the flashiest of DFS picks as far as breaking par is concerned, trying to get 6/6 past the cut is half the battle in the U.S. Open, and players like Brian Harman at the bargain end of the spectrum offer decent value on that front.
Harman has featured over the weekend in 15 of his 19 starts this term, and he is at his best when exposed to conditions suited to his short but accurate play.
T18 last time out at the tight and testing Colonial Country Club is evidence of that, and all the signs are that Harman should enjoy something of an edge at The Country Club in Brookline too.
Key Stats:
- Driving Accuracy – 12th
- Scrambling – 37th
- Scoring Average – 40th
This Week’s Sample Fantasy Lineup
Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only. Be sure to mix-and-match players to best fit individual contests.
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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2021-2022)
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