PGA DraftKings and FanDuel DFS Primer: Worldwide Technology Championship at Mayakoba (2023)

The PGA Tour will remain in the tropical conditions for another weekend of golf, trading Bermuda for Playa Del Carmen, Mexico at the Worldwide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. The course, El Camaleòn GC, features plenty of features paying tribute to the Mayan culture, creating multiple environments across its 18 holes. Viktor Hovland is the defending champion and is seeking to win three consecutive times, which is a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in over a decade.

Last week, Seamus Power hoisted the trophy at Butterfield, beating Thomas Detry by a stroke (-19) to earn his first win of the 2022-23 season. The Irishman delivered six-under-par in his first three rounds, which provided enough cushion to survive a pedestrian one-under-par scorecard in his final round. My recommended picks did not fare as well. Denny McCarthy was the top performer at -16-under-par (T6), while Brandon Wu (T35/-9), Russell Knox (T49/-7), Aaron Rai (T54/-6), and Will Gordon (T35/-9) all fell outside of the top 25. The only player who missed the cut was Mark Hubbard (-5), leaving disappointing results in DFS lineups.

Mayakoba will be an easier test without nearly as much wind, although there is coastline on a few holes, creating plenty of opportunities for golfers to consistently deliver five-under-par outings in each round. I’ve dug into the numbers and have found six of my favorite targets to add when constructing DFS lineups ahead of Thursday’s opening tee time. Let’s bounce back and cash out!

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Previous Winners

2022 – Viktor Hovland (-23)
2021 – Viktor Hovland (-20)
2020 – Brendon Todd (-20)
2019 – Matt Kuchar (-22)
2018 – Patton Kizzire (-19)

Relevant Betting Stats

Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
Birdie Average
Greens in Regulation Percentage

Course Overview

El Camaleòn was designed by Greg Norman and it features numerous tributes to the local landscape and Mayan culture. It’s a par 71 that is relatively short, tipping at 7,039 yards, featuring three par 5s and four par 3s. These par 3s will not be much of a burden, as they were ranked as the easiest holes to achieve par or lower last season.

The surfaces are Paspalum and while the rough stands at approximately two inches, there is plenty of difficulty with the slower greens, which measure 11 feet via Stimpmeter. This is due to the Paspalum that is used to combat coastal winds, but there shouldn’t be much of that to navigate in the four-day forecast. Accuracy from tee-to-green or off-the-tee will be imperative at El Cameleòn, while select cave bunkers create added difficulty on errant tee shots. Players will also have to watch out for the limestone canals that criss-cross throughout much of the course.

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Viktor Hovland ($11,200)
25-year-old Norwegian Viktor Hovland is attempting to defend his title for the third consecutive time. It hasn’t been accomplished in over a decade, but Hovland has the experience, skill set, and confidence after starting this season with finishes of T5 and T21. He’s expensive due to his past success as the back-to-back winner at Mayakoba, but even if Hovland doesn’t secure the three-peat, he’s equipped with incredibly accurate irons and is averaging 4.2 birdies per round. He’s a smash in DraftKings lineups and worth every penny of his salary.

Tom Hoge ($9,500)
Tom Hoge is another player with previous success at Mayakoba, earning a T3 (-17) finish back in 2020. He did crater back to mediocrity in 2021 with a T56 (-7) finish, but Hoge is phenomenal with his irons, ranking tenth in total strokes gained and third in strokes gained approaching the green. Hoge has a strong putter too, which allows him to finish nicely on the green, but it’s his 76.7 percent greens in regulation conversion rate that is most enticing. Add Hoge into lineups at a greatly discounted value and watch the points pile up throughout the weekend.

Keith Mitchell ($8,300)
It’s been a slow start for Keith Mitchell to start the season, but you could do worse in terms of rostering a salary-saver. The 30-year-old native of Tennessee is averaging over four birdies per round, has one of the most powerful and accurate drivers on the Tour, and is ranked sixth in strokes gained off-the-tee. There’s a lot of potential for Mitchell to deliver his best performance, meaning a top-40 finish, which is well within his range of outcomes.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $60,000

Billy Horschel ($11,200)
One of the best players to insert into FanDuel lineups this weekend is 35-year-old Billy Horschel. The Florida native has only one solo event appearance this season, finishing T7 at the CJ Cup two weeks ago. Horschel’s been dominant at Mayakoba in the past, producing finishes of T33, T5, T8, and T21 across the previous four years. He’s one of the best converting greens in regulation at 76 percent, while ranking seventh in strokes gained tee-to-green and first in strokes gained approaching the green. The putter can betray Horschel, but his irons will keep him hovering near the top of the leaderboard at El Camaleòn this weekend. Pay up to acquire Horschel in lineups.

Brian Harman ($10,200)
Brian Harman is one of the veterans on the PGA Tour performing well to start the season. The 35-year-old American has two T25 finishes in two events this year, relying on his total strokes gained, ranked 28th, while converting roughly 75 percent of his greens in regulation. A 4.63 birdie average ranks inside of the top 30, and the driving accuracy is the cherry on top. He’s priced at a good value on FanDuel based on lower finishes at Mayakoba in the past, but Harman has momentum and a good skillset to leverage.

Matt Kuchar ($9,000)
Matt Kuchar is always playing good or great golf. You won’t have to worry about him falling flat and missing the cut at El Camaleòn this weekend, as he’s produced previous finishes of T22, T14, and won outright back in 2018. The 44-year-old Florida native has a great touch with his irons while converting over 75 percent of greens in regulation. Kuchar’s birdie average is under four per round, but he’s finished T12 and T29 through two events to begin the 2023 PGA Tour season. Based on his low salary, previous success, and quality irons, Kuchar is a phenomenal salary-saver to insert into FanDuel lineups this weekend.

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Whether you’re new to daily fantasy golf or a seasoned professional, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Golf Glossary. You can get started with The Stats That Matter Most or head to a more advanced strategy — like How To Use Vegas Odds To Generate Your Lineup — to learn more.

Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.