Ryder Cup PGA DFS Breakdown and Updated Projections

The stage is set, the pairings are finalized, and now all that remains are 150 hand-built lineups. This article will focus on the opening matchups, pairings and what is to come in the proceeding matches.

PGA DFS: Ryder Cup Picks and Breakdown

Ryder Cup Opening Foursomes

Match 1: Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas vs. Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia

Match 2: Collin Morikawa and Dustin Johnson vs. Viktor Hovland and Paul Casey

Match 3: Daniel Berger and Brooks Koepka vs. Matthew Fitzpatrick and Lee Westwood

Match 4: Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele vs. Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter

A lot of the anecdotal information available prior to the groups being announced proved to be quite valid. The U.S. teams were largely set on Tuesday, and all of them are linked to the other. Let’s take a look at the matches set to take place this weekend.

Match 1

Spieth/Thomas and Cantlay/Schauffele were the two sure bets to be paired together. Unless they get clobbered the first two matches, they will go off first and last, respectively, in each session. It reinforces the strategy to get all four of these golfers in the lineup.

Captain Harrington is playing the country card on the European side, even though he said he would not, and has paired Rahm and Garcia together. That is an interesting pairing, especially with how bad of a putter Garcia is, which is nullified in a fourball format but forefront in foursomes. A bad putting round for Garcia in Round 1 likely means he would sit for the second foursome match on Friday. Spieth, Thomas and Rahm will play all four team matches, while Garcia likely will sit at least one fourball and, pending his putting performance in the first match, could sit that second foursome match as well.

Match Result and Strategy

Spieth and Thomas will give it to the Spaniards, with Garcia’s putting coming into focus. If this result holds, it will be interesting to see if Shane Lowry gets the call to partner up with Rahm in the following matches.

Match 2

Contrasting styles of play will come together for Johnson and Morikawa, as the latter will utilize his elite iron play to propel the team and get Johnson close to the hole, where he can utilize his hot putter. On the other hand, Hovland and Casey provide a very formidable duo. Both are superb ball strikers and bad putters, and the hope is that Casey will do any amount of around-the-green work. With Casey’s back troubles over this year and his career, he is unlikely to play all five matches. So Tommy Fleetwood should join Hovland for the afternoon fourball session, keeping a strong second team.

Match Result and Strategy

The putting again will hurt the Euros, but if Morikawa’s irons are not on point, it will go down to the wire. A halved match seems like the most likely outcome given the teams. Morikawa and Johnson will sit, with the team of Finau and English taking their place.

Match 3

In what seems like a throwaway match from Europe, Westwood and Fitzpatrick were deemed by the oddsmakers and salary makers on DFS to be two of the lowest three golfers on that squad, with only Bernd Wiesberger suspected to get fewer points. It is an interesting strategy to have such a weak team, as captain Harrington gives his three studs — Rahm, McIlroy and Hovland — a stronger player, making three formidable teams.

Koepka and Berger were teammates in college, and they play a ton of golf together even now. They will be subbed out for Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler. A good start from them will yield the same pairing Friday morning and possibly a spot for one of them in fourball Friday afternoon if Scheffler and DeChambeau end up bombing.

Match Result and Strategy

The surest matchups always end up being a lot harder to win than it looks on paper. Still, Koepka and Berger should not have to get past hole 15 to close out the Euros here. If that happens, one of these guys will play Friday fourball in place of Harris English to be paired up with Finau. Given the history that Koepka has with Finau in playing together, it will likely be him.

Match 4

This is a pivotal match for the Euros, as it is likely the dynamic duo of Poulter and McIlroy will need to win this to get the only whole point from the morning matches. The anchor teams for the morning wave could provide the best match, as both teams have found tremendous success in cup formats in the past.

Match Result and Strategy

There will be a half in this match as well, with the U.S. going 2-0-2. A couple of anecdotal notes from the press conference would indicate that all 12 European players will play in Round 1. That makes things interesting as to what Padraig Harrington will do with Poulter here. One of either Garcia or Poulter will sit for the afternoon wave, and no matter who sits, Wiesberger will have their place.

Projected Afternoon Pairings

Here are the best guesses on what the pairings will be for each team.

Team USA

1. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas
2. Harris English and Tony Finau
3. Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler
4. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele

Team Europe

1. Jon Rahm and Bernd Wiesberger
2. Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood
3. Shane Lowry and Tyrell Hatton
4. Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter

Updated PGA DFS Projections and Ownership

A few of the early inclinations were reinforced after hearing the opening-round pairings. The seven golfers that will play all four team matches are:

1. Jon Rahm
2. Justin Thomas
3. Rory McIlroy
4. Patrick Cantlay
5. Jordan Spieth
6. Xander Schauffele
7. Viktor Hovland

It just so happens that they are the top seven golfers priced on DraftKings. That will make it difficult to roster six golfers that will play in all the matches. The strategy will be to make a lineup that features four of them, one of them as Captain, and two other golfers that play in three-team matches and win their singles match. As such, projections have updated with who will play four matches, ownership to reflect a higher percentage on Koepka and Berger, and a few other notes. Want the ability to make your own projections for this week? Check out our projections page for a link to do just that.

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