Daily Fantasy Golf Picks This Week for 2020 Olympics

In 2016, the golf world got the exciting news that it was back in the Olympic games. The first edition took place in Rio de Janeiro, and now there is another Olympic golf slate here in Tokyo. This is an atypical week for a lot of reasons, but there are major DFS prize pools up for grabs on DraftKings and FanDuel. Gamers have to tailor approaches a little with the different conditions, but let’s dive into the course, players, DFS golf projections and daily fantasy golf picks for this week’s 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

The Course

Players head to Kasumigaseki Country Club in Tokyo and specifically the East Course. This is a course not seen on tour before, and most of the field has not ever teed it up at this venue. It is a par 71 measuring around 7,440 yards. Two of the par 5’s stretch north of 600 yards, but like most course there are some gettable holes as well.

A lot of bunkers serve as the main defense, and players will want to drive the ball effectively this week. Despite pretty wide fairways, it could be difficult to get the ball to these greens if drives are off line. Greens are massive, which will put an emphasis on avoiding three-putts and being a solid lag putter. The surfaces are bentgrass, but other than the size of the greens, nothing else stands out.

Like any first-time course, there are a lot of questions and few answers. Some lineups should focus on strong irons and ball strikers, while others take an emphasis on crafty short games. The key will be longer irons and control off the tee, but the layout seems to cater to a lot of different types of golfers.

The Field

This is an Olympic field, which means it is completely different than a normal event for several reasons. Sixty players resemble more of a WGC than a traditional cut event. There will not be a cut this week, so every player in the field will get four guaranteed rounds. Also keep in mind since this is in Tokyo the lock time is 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday night, so get those lineups built before everything starts

Collin Morikawa is the highest-priced player due to Jon Rahm having to withdraw again with COVID. Another major withdrawal was Bryson DeChambeau, so two of the top-end players had to be replaced in the field. After Morikawa there is plenty of star power with Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. Hideki Matsuyama is playing on his home soil, and it would cap his amazing 2021 season if he could grab a medal in Japan.

The field starts to thin quickly, and the bottom ranges are full of players from countries that are not major golf hubs. Most countries only have a pair of golfers, and a lot of these guys are not PGA Tour regulars. One other storyline to note is the situation with South Koreans Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim, who both have the added pressure to medal, as it would absolve them from mandatory military service. Im has another shot in 2024, but this is Kim’s last chance to avoid that stoppage to his golf career. All of these factors are going to make for an interesting build this week.

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Daily Fantasy Golf Picks This Week | Tokyo Olympics Golf

Top Priced: Justin Thomas — $10,900 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel

Just like any field with world-class players, there will be plenty of options to start your lineups. Thomas has not had the best season, but his ball striking has been there even through the rough stretches with his putting. This course resembles Quail Hollow, and that was the site of Thomas’ breakthrough win at the PGA Championship a few years ago. Thomas is built to handle the length of this course and has the all-around game it will require.

Awesemo’s Daily Fantasy Golf Ownership Projections have Thomas at around 15%. In a small field like this, be very cognizant of ownership since the chances for duplicate lineups are much higher. That can be avoided by leveraging with a few spots or leaving a little money on the table. Thomas can even be paired with another $10,000 option for a one-two punch up top.

Also considering – Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy

Mid-Range: Thomas Pieters — $8,100 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel

With a non-cut, the ability to go low is that much more important given the automatic 72 holes. That does not mean just play random players since they cannot get cut, but it makes it easier to roster volatile guys. Pieters is one of the most electric scorers when he is on, but the downside is him flirting for last place. The luxury of three additional rounds after a potential slow start is interesting at this reasonable $8,100 price tag.

Pieters finished fourth in Rio, so he has experience competing for a medal at the Olympics. He also has the game to handle a layout like this, and his form is solid with three straight made cuts. A prolific scorer who is live to outscore his placement points is exactly the type of player to target here, and if he can avoid massive damage off the tee, he could once again be in contention.

Also considering – Tommy Fleetwood, Jhonattan Vegas (Very Popular)

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Lower Priced: Anirban Lahiri — $6,700 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel

Henrik Norlander is a solid play in this range, but Awesemo’s Daily Fantasy Golf Ownership Projections have him projected as one of the most popular players on the slate, which is not ideal. Unless the lineup is leveraged elsewhere, look to some high-risk, high-reward pivots instead.

Lahiri is one of those pivots, as he comes in off a third place at the Barbasol Championship. More impressive than the third place were the two eagles and 23 birdies he racked up. His big mistakes are more palatable if Lahiri can gain streaks and bonuses. At $6,700 he provides some salary relief and should not be nearly as popular as Norlander, who is in a neighboring price range.

Also Considering – Matthias Schwab, Henrik Norlander (Very Popular)

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Author

Ben Rasa

*Ben Rasa (aka Jazzraz)* has been involved with sports and numbers for quite some time dabbling in the poker world , sports wagering and of course finding a home in the DFS world. While he enjoys playing NFL, NCAAF and NBA he has found his best advantage on the links with PGA and the Euro Tour. Jazzraz focuses on GPPs and uses a analytical approach to try and find pricing inefficiencies as well as trying to go against the grain to find those under owned lesser know players that can make the difference in giant field tournaments. You can contact Ben by emailing [email protected].