This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
Open Championship – Southport, Merseyside, England
Royal Birkdale (7,156 yards, par 70)
$10.25M Purse
$1,845,000 and 600 FedEx Cup points to the winner
Tournament Preview
The third major of the season is already upon us as Northwest England's Royal Birkdale hosts for the 10th time in Open Championship history. Founded in 1889, the elegant club is framed by towering sand dunes scattered about the course, sheltering the wind where players stand and misleading them into underplaying the howling winds off the Irish Sea. The Open Championship was first hosted here in 1954 where Peter Thomson won his first (and last) of five Opens. In total, six of eight Royal Birkdale champions are World Golf Hall of Famers in Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, and Mark O'Meara. This year, something must give as a conglomerate of talented 20-somethings heed the venue that has seen just one player raise the Claret Jug under the age of 29 (Thomson in 1954). With plenty at stake, expect both nerves and weather to play a major role in the outcome of the season's third major.
Prior Decade Champions
2016 – Henrik Stenson (Royal Troon)
2015 – Zach Johnson (St. Andrews)
2014 – Rory McIlroy (Royal Liverpool)
2013 – Phil Mickelson (Muirfield)
2012 – Ernie Els (Royal Lytham & St. Annes)
2011 – Darren Clarke (Royal St. Georges)
2010 – Louis Oosthuizen (St. Andrews)
2009 – Stewart Cink (Turnberry)
2008 – Padraig Harrington (Royal Birkdale)
2007 – Padraig Harrington (Carnoustie)
Key Stats to Winning at Royal Birkdale
• Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
• Driving Accuracy
• Scrambling Percentage
Champion's Profile
Though you can't ever rule out young superstars, there's something to be said about the lack of 20-somethings winning at Royal Birkdale. Furthermore, seven of the last nine Open champions were over 35 years old. This speaks to experience on links courses being a big factor, but beyond that it's about managing the mental game and tee-to-green game. Summertime at Royal Birkdale is characterized by chilly 60s weather and regular winds of 10-20 mph, making the flat-but-narrow fairways difficult to find. The unpredictable wind is the major x-factor since the greens must run slower to remain playable in such conditions. Bunkers front most of the greens to prevent low running approach shots, while just one hole has a bunker behind its green (par-3 seventh). All said the Champion Golfer of the Year in 2017 will need to drive it straight, hit some creative and controlled approaches, and scramble for par often when greenside bunkers gobble up their approach shots.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Dustin Johnson, $10400 – The favorite this week despite not playing a weekend of major golf since last year at Royal Troon, Johnson's six wins in the last 13 months and strong Open Championship record are enough to remove any worries about him. Johnson leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and is 31st in scrambling percentage.
Rickie Fowler, $9600 – Fowler has made 6-of-7 Open Championship cuts with two top-5 efforts. The 28-year-old won earlier this year in Florida and enters off a top-10 at last week's Scottish Open, showing that everything is going his way heading into Royal Birkdale.
Sergio Garcia, $9400 – Playing in his first Open Championship as a major winner, Sergio's ironclad record of 10 top-10s at the Open has a good chance of becoming 11 by week's end.
Justin Rose, $8700 – It was 19 years ago that Rose pounced onto the golf scene with a T4 finish at Royal Birkdale as a 17-year-old. He now returns as a 36-year-old with one major under his belt and a near-win at this year's Masters.
Henrik Stenson, $8700 – Last year's record-breaking champion returns to defend with four top-3 finishes in his last eight Opens. Stenson is a strong wind player who excels with his 3-wood off the tee and ranks among the best iron players in the game.
Adam Scott, $8600 – Scott endured a heart-breaking runner-up in 2012 which kicked off a run of four straight top-10s at the Open through 2015. Scott is perennially ranked among the best tee-to-green players in the game (16th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green this year) and is currently ranked 15th in the World Rankings. With his multitude of successes on links courses, look for Scott to be well in the hunt come Sunday.
Longer Shots Worth a Risk
Paul Casey, $7800 – Casey's last great Open finish was a T3 in 2010, but don't let that fool you: the Englishman is experienced and in great form. In nine of his last 10 starts on the PGA Tour Casey has been inside the top 26.
Marc Leishman, $6800 – An afterthought runner-up at the 2015 Open Championship, Leishman has proved he's capable of a big-time victory with three close calls in majors to go with his two PGA Tour victories. Having won the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year, Leishman appears primed for another breakthrough.
Zach Johnson, $6500 – Frequently underrated at the Open Championship despite his win at St. Andrews two years ago, Johnson enters off a top-5 finish at the John Deere Classic where he led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. Johnson has an impressive six top-20s at the Open Championship the last 10 years and hasn't missed a cut at this major since 2006.
Padraig Harrington, $5600 – Now 45 and nine years removed from his 2008 triumph at Royal Birkdale, Harrington can still compete on an Open venue. Last week he notched a T4 at the Scottish Open. At $5600 there aren't many better bargains given Paddy's links experience and feel good history at Royal Birkdale.
Strategy Tips for this week (based on 60k standard salary cap)
Though you shouldn't completely avoid young stars because of Royal Birkdale's history (and Open history in general), try to limit rostering inexperienced players under 30. There are around 10 young guns with warranted major experience in their 20s, but beyond those higher-priced options take a strong look at straight drivers off the tee who fall inside the top 30 or so in the World Golf Rankings.
