⛳ The First Cut: WGC Workday DraftKings & FanDuel PGA DFS Picks & Preview l 2/21

The West Coast swing is officially done, and the PGA Tour heads to Florida for the next month of PGA DFS action. This week we were supposed to be heading down south of the border for the WGC Mexico, but due to some travel restrictions, it was just easier to cancel. However, Workday stepped up to the plate and is now the sponsor of the WGC event. The tournament is known as the WGC Workday at Concession. Let’s get into some PGA DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel to get ready for this week at Workday.

We have to wait for the Players Championship to get our first two Millionaire-Maker contests of the year, but this week is nothing to scoff at, with a quarter million up for grabs.

This is also a rare “Dual PGA Tour Tournament” week, which DraftKings typically puts out contests for both. The rest of the PGA Tour will be heading to the Puerto Rico Open. We will have at least a bit of coverage on that this week. For now we’ll focus on the big event going on in Bradenton, Fla.

Here is what you can expect to find in this article:

• The Tournament and Format
• Course Commentary
• Course Facts and Figures
• PGA DFS Course Summary and Statistical Comparison
• PGA DFS Preview, including sweat sheet and now featuring optimal lineups from last year’s event
• Player Preview

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The WGC Workday PGA DFS Picks & Preview

The Tournament and Format

A long stretch of brutal cut sweats finally ends this week, as we get our first no-cut in almost a month and a half. Not only do we get a no-cut, but we also get a brand new course to boot. It’s always fun to break down a new course and predict who is going to play well on it.

Right now there are 71 golfers scheduled to tee it up this week, which leaves one sponsor’s exemption. I think it’s likely to be given to Jordan Spieth.

The Course(s)

My proximity to an event doesn’t get much closer than this (other than the Valspar Championship, of course). I’m only about an hour north of the course, so I thought I’d venture down there early on the week, but my request to go tour the course from the PGA Tour was denied (shocker).

Situated just inland from Tampa Bay, the everglade natural Florida setting provides a good backdrop for the players this week. Many of the holes will feel like their own little world, with no homes insight to take away from Florida’s gulf coast and beautiful landscape. This also means there are no real bailout holes, as no holes on the course run parallel to each other.

Of many communities down here in Florida that Jack Nicklaus has his name linked up to, this one is the most prestigious in the Tampa area. It was voted No. 1 toughest course in the Tampa area, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. In fact, it has the highest slope of any USGA-rated course, at 155. I’ve counted water in play in at least nine of the holes.

Click here to view the aerial of the course.

It’s almost here! 🙌

5 days until the #WGCWorkday pic.twitter.com/Eqc0UaH5ZK

— WGC-Workday Championship at The Concession (@WGCWorkday) February 21, 2021

Course Facts and Figures

• Par 72: 7,500 yards

Course Difficulty

• N/A

Hole Dispersion

• Par 3’s : 237, 183, 211, 222
• Par 4’s: 428, 476, 478, 374, 434, 410, 349, 422, 442, 486
• Par 5’s: 577, 606, 545, 590

Grass Types and Hazards

• Grass Type: Bermuda
• Rough Length: 2 inches

Designer

• Jack Nicklaus and Tony Franklin

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Course Walkthrough From the Birds Eye

1. Par 4: 428 Yards

   • A generous opening hole provides a wide landing area with something less than driver off the tee. A set of fairway bunkers come into play around 300 yards. Clearing them is a bit risky with native areas, both left and right, but clearing them will create a birdie opportunity.

2. Par 4: 473 Yards 

   • A big fairway bunker on the right side guards the first of many ponds on the course. Staying on the left side where there is a generous landing area could provide another good scoring chance. But trouble looms short and right, as any miss there that doesn’t grab the bunker will find the water.

3. Par 5: 572 Yards 

   • Likely will play as the easiest hole all week. This straightforward, medium-length par 5 won’t pose much trouble for the pros. If golfers avoid the greenside/fairway bunkers, then eagle should be in play.

4. Par 3: 237 Yards 

   • A native area provides a nice view for the players but won’t come into play on this longer par 3. Three greenside bunkers will see plenty of action this week.

5. Par 4: 478 Yards 

   • Anybody that’s fighting a left miss with their driver will likely be hitting three off the tee at some point this week, as a nice-sized water hazard guards the entire hole. Even if you find the fairway off the tee, the approach shot will be tricky as well. One of the harder holes this week.

6. Par 3: 178 Yards 

   • A little alligator watering hole will provide nice aesthetics for the tee shot, but this straightforward par 3 with a large green with bunker complexes surrounding it.

7.  Par 5: 606 Yards

   • Plenty of room right on this long par 5. The second shot has a big native area/water hazard on the left side, which could come into play for those taking aggressive lines.

8. Par 4: 375 Yards 

   • Something less than driver will be hit off the tee on this shorter par 4, but it shouldn’t be a difficult shot. The trickiness comes on the approach shot, as anything short or right will be in the water.

9. Par 4: 434 Yards 

   • For those that want to take something less than driver off the tee, it’s a rather straightforward hole with a mid-iron into the green that isn’t that well protected. Those that take a more aggressive route with the driver could have some bunker troubles if they miss left.

10. Par 4: 410 Yards 

    • A massive water hazard separating the 10th and 18th holes will collect many golf balls this week. Any miss off the tee right will end up in from either tee box. But those that can find the fairway safely could have a quality birdie look on a shorter par 4.

11. Par 3: 211 Yards 

    • A miss-hit short and right could end up finding water hazard here on 11. The green sits up above the tee box a bit, but as long as players avoid the water short and right, there isn’t much trouble.

12. Par 4: 349 Yards 

    • A drivable par 4 for the golfers this week provides a massive layup area right. A big miss left will end up in the native area and will likely a lost ball, so there is some trouble on this short par 4.

13. Par 5: 550 Yards 

    • While this par 5 is shorter than the first one, I suspect it’ll play harder, with the tee shot having water all the way down the left side. To fully carry it, golfers will need something north of 330 yards off the tee. Not many can hit it that far.

14. Par 3: 222 Yards

    • The longest par 3 on the course doesn’t have much trouble guarding the front of the green, which should make it fairly easy for these guys.

15. Par 4: 422 Yards 

    • Depending on where the back tees are, there is a possibility that most of the field will be able to carry the water hazard that guards the entire right side of the hole. If the forced carry is pushed over 300 yards, again depending on tee placement, then golfers will take something less than the driver and hit a rather generous landing around about 260 off the tee.

16. Par 4: 442 Yards 

    • While tee to green this only measures about 370 yards, that’s the direct route that goes entirely over water. I don’t think many golfers will be having a go at the green this week. Instead, most will opt for something small off the tee, getting them into position for a shorter iron into the green. The miss left off the tee will be a re-tee.

17. Par 5: 590 Yards 

    • The fairway runs out at about 340 yards, making this likely a 3-shot hole. Even with a perfect drive in the fairway, 310 from the tee, will leave players somewhere around 270 yards of all carry-over water. Missing long is OK, so maybe a few more will go for it this week than I’m predicting.

18. Par 4: 490 Yards 

    • The longs par 4 on the course is likely to be the toughest hole on the course as well. A tight tee shot has water right native area left and features an approach shot almost entirely over water as well. I suspect some big numbers on 18 this week.

PGA DFS Sweat Sheet

Here’s exactly how I did this. I used a baseline average taken from the Waste Management, applied 72 scores per hole her day and then populated what I expect many of the scores to be. If I’m somewhat right, there isn’t a real advantage in terms of Showdown score. The four par 5’s will add up to about 50% of the scoring this week, which is relatively standard.

WGC Workday PGA DFS Slate Preview

We get another big offering from DraftKings this week, though slightly below last week.

Previous Year PGA DFS DraftKings Results

I’ll cover two to three buy-in levels: The large-field GPP, the high-dollar GPP and the single-entry mid-level buy-in. I’ll also provide a couple of notes on the overall scoring of the event.

DraftKings Notes & Lineups 

• $20 Buy-In $800,000 Guaranteed:
  • Total ownership of under 80%.
  • It was not the optimal lineup.
  • The lineup wasn’t duplicated.
  • The cash line for the contest was 504.

• $444 Buy-In $450,000 Guaranteed:
  • Total ownership of over 110.
  • It was not the optimal lineup.
  • The lineup wasn’t duplicated.
  • The cash line for the contest was 510.50.

WGC Workday Player Preview

WGC events with guaranteed paychecks, and a big prize purse always bring the best of the best out to play. All of the golfers ranked inside the world’s top 50 are here to play at WGC Workday.

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