This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
RBC Heritage – Hilton Head, SC
Harbour Town Golf Links (7,099 yards, par 71)
$6.7M Purse
$1,206,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner
Tournament Preview
Held in its traditional post-Masters slot on the schedule, the RBC Heritage at beautiful Hilton Head is a welcome retreat for players who are coming off a draining major championship. For others, it's a return to action after a mini-break. While the hospitality is well-documented, this stroll along the Calibogue Sound – a corridor to the Atlantic Ocean - is anything but easy. Sure, Harbour Town is one of the shortest courses on the PGA Tour at 7,099 yards, but it's also among the narrowest, with fairways guarded by mature oaks and pines that get larger every year. The timeless test has proved itself as a knee-knocking venue of precision over the years, one that is sure to challenge the mettle of each contender down the stretch. The field this week includes Dustin Johnson making a return to his home state's TOUR stop for the first time since 2009 along with defending champion Wesley Bryan and Luke Donald.
Recent Past Champions
2017 – Wesley Bryan
2016 – Branden Grace
2015 – Jim Furyk
2014 – Matt Kuchar
2013 – Graeme McDowell
2012 – Carl Pettersson
2011 – Brandt Snedeker
2010 – Jim Furyk
2009 – Brian Gay
2008 – Boo Weekley
Key Stats to Winning this Week
• Driving Accuracy percentage
• GIR percentage
• Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
• Scrambling percentage
Champion's Profile
Harbour Town grants almost no advantage to long hitters, instead rewarding precision and sound course management. The reasons for this are due to the tree-lined fairways and a course layout that forces players to hit to the corners of doglegs, usually with something less than a driver. Errant shots perpetually get knocked down by trees and create pitch out situations which then puts pressure on scrambling ability to save par. As a par-71, there are only three par-5s with just one reachable in two shots. Great ball strikers have typically reigned supreme at this course because they hit it in position off the tee and find plenty of greens in regulation, but extremely good short-game artists can also grind their way to a great finish as well. Luke Donald is a great example of this, as his below-average driving ability is made up with deft short-game ability on the small and sloped greens at Harbour Town.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Dustin Johnson, $12800 – Yes, DJ missed the cut both times he's played at Harbour Town, but that was 2008 & 2009. Johnson has transformed from a high-potential player to the world's best since then. He's the only player ranked in the top 10 playing this week, making him a no-brainer selection. His price is $800 higher than the second-highest salary, but he's a virtual lock to play well even if he doesn't bring his "A" game.
Paul Casey, $12000 – Casey charged up the leaderboard with a 65 on Masters Sunday and brings plenty of momentum heading into this week. Casey is second on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and 35th in scrambling, making him a phenomenal fit for this week's action.
Matt Kuchar, $11800 – Kuchar is a past champion of this event from 2014 and has not finished outside the top-11 in the three times since then, making him an incredibly safe pick this week. Kuchar isn't necessarily the best ball striker in the field, but his knack for course management and great scrambling and putting have given him positive results at Harbour Town, much like Luke Donald.
Webb Simpson, $11500 – Simpson dropped back-to-back eagles on Masters Sunday last week en route to a top-20 finish, and brings a great record of four top-15s in his last seven trips to Hilton Head. The North Carolina native should feel relatively at home in bordering state South Carolina and is a solid blend of great iron play and scrambling – which should bode well at the tricky Harbour Town layout.
Longer Shots Worth a Risk
Kevin Kisner, $9800 – The South Carolina native should feel very welcome at a venue where he's made the cut the last four years, including a runner-up in 2015. Kisner also recently collected a runner-up at the WGC-Matchplay event a few weeks back, so he enters in good form.
Cameron Smith, $9800 – Riding high after a top-5 finish at the Masters last week, there's a lot to like about the young Aussie's prospects at Hilton Head. Smith has finished inside the top-30 in both trips to Harbour Town and has collected two wins worldwide in the past year, one PGA Tour, one European Tour.
Ian Poulter, $9500 – Recent winner of the Shell Houston Open, Poulter represents a great combination of form and course fit this week. Though he's never cracked the top-10 at Hilton Head, Poulter has made each of his seven cuts at this venue. Given his great current form, it would be no surprise to see him in the mix Sunday to crack the top-10 for the first time.
Ollie Schniederjans, $9200 – Schniederjans tied for third at Hilton Head in his first try last season and enters this week fresh off a three-week break in his schedule. The hatless youngster this season is ranked 55th in SG:T2G and 38th in scrambling, a welcome sight for someone at a salary of just $9200.
Strategy Tips for this week (based on 60k standard salary cap)
A unique profile this week makes for many interesting strategies in FanDuel lineups. Players who excel in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green as well as scrambling are obviously the top targets (and best players in the field), but in the lower tiers there are some diamonds in the rough who hit it very accurately, display great course management, and scramble extremely well. Creating a blend of good ball strikers and short game gurus is a sound strategy to win this week on FanDuel.
