Grab your plaid jacket and get ready for an upscale grocery store golf experience: It’s time for the Dean & DeLuca Invitational. From a strength of field standpoint, the D&D Inv (you heard it here first) was 23rd last year, per the Official World Golf Ranking, so pretty much on par with last week’s Byron Nelson. Ten of the top 30 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field, led by Sergio Garcia (No.6), Jordan Spieth (No. 7), Jon Rahm (No. 12), Paul Casey (No. 14), Matt Kuchar (No. 18) and Charl Schwartzel (No. 19).
Colonial isn’t an ancient venue (built in 1936), but it is a classic. One of two “Hogan’s Alleys” on the PGA Tour (Riviera the other), the aforementioned Ben Hogan famously said there isn’t a straight shot at Colonial. Players must work the ball off the tee to find fairways, and precision into the undersized bentgrass greens is paramount. Remember, it was course founder and Ft Worth discount store magnate, Marvin Leonard’s dream that the course would hold a U.S. Open, which it eventually did in 1941. So conceptualizing the place as a traditional parkland layout with a seasoning of Texas winds is useful.
As with all par-70 layouts, where players lose two par 5s, par-4 scoring is paramount. With players facing the smallest greens they see all year AND the high probability of blustery conditions, proximity to the hole is key. Drilling down further, iron play in the 125- to 175-yard range should be your focus.
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If You Want to Go Chalk…
Fade Spieth…again! At $1,000 more than Jon Rahm and $2,000 more than Sergio Garcia on DraftKings, you have no business rostering Jordan Spieth unless you’re convinced he’s winning another plaid jacket this year. And forgetting everything else, as the winner last year, the likelihood of repeat wins on the PGA Tour is virtually nil. A second-round 75 saw him miss the cut at the Byron Nelson as a switch to a mallet-style putter didn’t exorcise his demons. Unless you’re ready to wager the life of your firstborn on a Spiethian victory, keep him off your roster.
Top-of-the-Line Considerations
Sergio Garcia: $10,800
$2,000 cheaper than dear Jordan, as mentioned, Sergio Garcia has flashed respectable form since his Masters’ win and is arriving at a venue where he’s finished inside the top 20 in his last two tries. Garcia is second on tour in strokes gained; off-the-tee, third in strokes gained; tee-to-green, and third in scoring average. Not bad.
Paul Casey: $10,200
Top-25 finishes in his last three starts, Casey hasn’t played well at Colonial since the redesign (2014), missing the cut and finishing tied for 43rd, but he’s just too steady of a golfer to ignore this season. The Englishman is 10th in strokes gained; approach-the-green and 12th in strokes gained; tee-to-green. He’s 25th in proximity to the hole, as well.
Birdie Brigade
Birdies are the name of the game in GPP. Field leaders in birdie or better percentage.
- Jordan Spieth: $12,800 (2)
- Jon Rahm: $11,800 (4)
- Phil Mickelson: $8,800 (9)
- Luke List: $6,700 (10)
- Pat Perez: $7,600 (15)
- Tony Finau: $8,700 (16)
Recommended Lineup
Sergio Garcia: $10,800
Checking the recent form and course history boxes, you don’t need an advanced degree in statistics or game theory to know Sergio is the top play this week.
Jason Dufner: $9,000
Top-10 finishes in three of his last five turns at Colonial? Yes, please. And Duf is hot, firing three of his four rounds in the 60s at the Byron Nelson. 39th on tour in birdie average, 37th in strokes gained; off-the-tee, 25th in strokes gained; total.
Ryan Palmer: $7,900
Just like Duf, a top-5 finisher in three of his last five starts here, the Texan looks poised to play well in his home state. Palmer is solid: 15th in strokes gained; off-the-tee, 13th in strokes gained; approach-the-green, 10th in strokes gained; tee-to-green.
Pat Perez: $7,600
A fifth-place finisher here in 2015, the resurgent Pat Perez is a steal at $7,600. 15th in birdie average. 28th in strokes gained; total. Double P is also 13th in strokes gained; around-the-green, which is good if the wind kicks up and makes the putting surface even more impossible.
Kyle Stanley: $7,400
Lackluster course history will drive Stanley’s ownership down. Don’t let it scare you away from this steady, steely player who’s flashing his best form in years with top-20 finishes in three of his last four starts, including inspired work at The Players. Sixth on tour in strokes gained; approach-the-green. Fifth in strokes gained; total.
Ryan Moore: $7,200
Inexplicably priced at $7,200, Rhino hasn’t played Colonial since the redesign made it even more favorable to shorter, more accurate golfers. 19th in driving accuracy. 29th on tour in strokes gained; approach-the-green.
Ben Alberstadt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Ben, check out his archive and follow him @BenAlberstadt.
