Daniel Berger Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Source: Data Golf
Daniel Berger tied for 20th at The PLAYERS Championship earlier this month. He is now focusing on preparing for the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio this week. So far this season, Berger has only missed the cut twice in eight tournaments and has five consecutive top-25 finishes. Over the past year, Berger ranks in the 75th percentile for greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway. This is particularly relevant because at last year's Valero Texas Open, over 28% of approach shots came from this distance. Given his recent performance, Berger could be a strong addition to DFS lineups this week.Ludvig Aberg Misses The Cut At The PLAYERS Championship
Source: Data Golf
Ludvig Aberg missed the cut at The PLAYERS Championship earlier this month and is now focusing on preparing for the Valero Texas Open, which will be held at TPC San Antonio this week. Last year, Aberg finished T14 at this event and has only missed one cut in six starts this season. Over the past 12 months, Aberg has ranked in the 85th percentile for greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway. This is significant because, at last year's Valero Texas Open, more than 28% of approach shots came from this distance. Aberg could be a valuable addition to DFS lineups this week.Jhonattan Vegas Not A Good Play At Houston Open
Source: PGA Tour
Jhonattan Vegas has not had a great 2025 season thus far. The only finish he has had better than T-40 was his first start of the season at the Sentry. In his other six starts, he has missed two cuts and has zero top 25 finishes. Vegas will be making his fourth start at this week's venue, Memorial Park Golf Course, where his best finish came in 2022 at 26th. The venue measures at just under 7,500 yards and caters to longer hitters. He ranks 94th in total driving and 134th in driving accuracy. Approximately 33% of approach shots will come from 200 yards or more, where he ranks 100th. In addition, play around the green will be imperative, and Vegas has also struggled in that department, ranking 106th in strokes gained around the green. His inconsistencies and poor play this year make him an easy sit this week. Gary Woodland A Dark-Horse Candidate At Houston Open
Source: PGA Tour
Gary Woodland has had an up-and-down 2025 season thus far. He finished top 25 in his first three starts and has missed the cut in three of his last four. In last week's Valspar Championship, he finished tied for 47th. At Memorial this week, players who hit the ball long off the tee will have an advantage. The course measures approximately 7,500 yards and can play longer if wind is present. Woodland is no stranger to crushing the ball off the tee, where he ranks fourth in driving distance. Just under 33% of approach shots will come from 200+ yards this week, where he also excels. He ranks fourth in approach shots of >200 yards. However, players will need to be savvy around the greens, where he has struggled, ranking 136th in strokes gained around the green. Woodland may not be the safest play, but could be a true wild card this week. Keep An Eye On Nick Taylor At Houston Open
Source: PGA Tour
Nick Taylor is putting together a solid 2025 season. He has three top 12 finishes, including a win at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and has only missed one cut. This is Taylor's first start since 2022 at this week's Texas Children's Houston Open. This week's venue, Memorial Park Golf Course, is a monster of a golf course, measuring in at almost 7,500 yards and could play longer if wind is present. Taylor doesn't hit the ball particularly far, but his approach game and putting could play nicely. He ranks ninth in strokes gained approach to green and 78th in strokes gained putting. More of a dark horse play, but he may be worth the risk in DFS this week.Avoid Mackenzie Hughes At Houston Open
Source: PGA Tour
2025 has been a rough year for Mackenzie Hughes thus far. His best finish came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in a tie for 22nd. He has not played his best golf, to put it mildly, and the stats support that. This week's venue, Memorial Park Golf Course, measures almost 7,500 yards and could play longer with the potential for wind. Hughes has struggled driving the ball this year, ranking 157th in strokes gained off the tee and 155th in total driving. Many other components of his game are not clicking as well. He ranks 116th in strokes gained putting and 145th in strokes gained approach to green. It's best to avoid him at all costs this week in DFS formats. Nicolai Hojgaard Looking To Rebound At Houston Open
Source: PGA Tour
Nicolai Hojgaard has gone through a relatively rough stretch of golf in his last two events. With back-to-back missed cuts at THE PLAYERS and Valspar Championship, he looks to regroup at Memorial Park Golf Course. Measuring at just under 7,500 yards, this week's venue caters to longer hitters, which is a strength of Hojgaard's game. He ranks 29th in driving distance and 48th in total driving. Long approach shots are prominent, with just under 33% of them coming from 200+ yards. He ranks 72nd this season in approach from >200 yards. While this may be the case, he's still a hit-or-miss play in DFS this week.Scottie Scheffler Returns To Houston Looking For Year's First Victory
Source: PGA Tour
Given the run he's been on over the last few seasons, it is a bit shocking that Scottie Scheffler hasn't managed to win this event despite giving it incredible chances in recent memory. He's been a bridesmaid at Memorial Park for two of the last three years, and with the slow and frustrating start to 2025, getting back in the winner's circle this week could be exactly what he needs to jumpstart the momentum before Augusta. Unsurprisingly, the work on and around the green has been his issue, as the 28-year-old still ranks second on the season in strokes gained tee to green (+1.685). Compared to someone like Rory McIlroy, who's teeing it up this week to keep the mind sharp and the competitive juices flowing, look for Scheffler to put much more effort into these four days and be a more useful asset in DFS lineups.Rory McIlroy Making Additional Start At Houston Open To Prepare For Augusta
Source: PGA Tour
There is no other way to explain the Rory McIlroy show making a stop in Houston this week than that he feels as close as he possibly ever has to winning a green jacket. It's certainly the hottest start to a season he's had in quite some time, coming off the second Players Championship win of his career and notching a victory at Pebble Beach earlier in the year. 2025 could very well be the year for the Northern Irishman, which draws concerns for him from a DFS perspective this week. At $13,200 on FanDuel, getting to his pricetag will be hard enough, but how serious he takes this week is another major concern. It feels like he's only a useful asset with a win, which doesn't seem like it would be of much importance given the bigger prize in a couple of weeks.Doug Ghim Looking For Iron Form In Houston
Source: Data Golf
After a hot start to the season from a ball-striking standpoint, Doug Ghim has hit a rough patch over his last two starts, losing over seven shots in this area over his two previous events. For a guy who cuts his teeth on the tee-to-green area of the game, this is concerning at a ballpark like Memorial Park. Especially since getting the ball in the hole on the greens is a mighty struggle for the 28-year-old, ranking 180th in strokes gained putting (-0.975). Given the recent woes in his approach play and the complete absence of confidence in him on the greens, he's not much of an exciting play this week at $8,600 on FanDuel.Keep An Eye On Aaron Rai At Houston Open
Source: Data Golf
Since leaving the West Coast, Aaron Rai has been scaring leaderboards at every turn with T4, T11, and T14 finishes in his last three starts. Those have come on the back of consistent putting and red-hot ball-striking. In his previous three outings, Rai has averaged plus-0.436 strokes gained putting, plus-1.226 strokes gained on approach, and plus-0.876 strokes gained off the tee. His success at Memorial Park also can't be overlooked, with two T7s and a T19 on his resume in three career starts. Difficult par-fours and the need for success on par-fives fit Rai's strength, as he ranks third this season in par-four scoring (3.92) and 25th in par-five scoring (4.52). In terms of safety, the Englishman is about as comfortable as it gets, even at $11,800 on FanDuel.Si Woo Kim Looks To Build On Recent History At Memorial Park
Source: Data Golf
This will be the fourth edition of this event that Si Woo Kim has played at Memorial Park Golf Course after making two previous starts at the Golf Club of Houston. In those three outings, he progressed from a missed cut in 2021 to a T35 in 2023 and a T17 last season. Strokes gained on approach metrics seem to be his make-or-break stat that has spelled out success or not at this event. The three events where he's gained strokes have resulted in a T35 or better, the two he hasn't has led to him not playing the weekend. Given his disadvantage in length off the tee, it's easy to see why his approach play is the key metric by default. The South Korean has gained strokes in this area in four of his last five starts at an average of +0.552, which makes him a decent spot-play at $10,500 on FanDuel. Harry Hall Looking For Consistency At Texas Children’s Houston Open
After a strong start with three straight top-25 finishes to begin the year, Harry Hall has faltered, missing three of his last six cuts and posting just one top-50 finish. He now looks to bounce back at the Texas Children's Houstonread more...
Harris English Looking To Build Off Solid Finish At The PLAYERS
Source: PGA Tour
Since winning the Farmers Insurance Open, Harris English has posted results of T73, T24, a missed cut, and most recently a T30 at the PLAYERS Championship. He now turns his focus to the Texas Children's Houston Open, an event he has played in seven times, making the cut in six of those appearances. To replicate his past success, English will be tested in all aspects of his game, with particular emphasis on his short game. He ranks 122nd in strokes gained around the greens (minus-0.122 strokes per round) but compensates with his putter, ranking 45th (0.325 strokes gained per round). He is also average off the tee, gaining 0.009 strokes, ranking 102nd on tour. While it is difficult to predict lightning will strike twice, English certainly carries momentum into this event. Fantasy managers may want to carefully evaluate their options at the $7,800 price tag he holds on DraftKings.Sahith Theegala A Risky Option At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Source: PGA Tour
Sahith Theegala finished T36 at the Valspar Championship, marking his fourth top-40 finish of the season, and he has now made the cut in eight of nine events. He now turns his focus to the Texas Children's Houston Open, an event he's played three times, with finishes of T28, T22, and T61 in previous appearances. This week, players will be tested in all aspects of their game, with particular emphasis on the short game. Although Theegala has lost strokes from tee to green (minus-0.206 per round), he has been much better around the greens, ranking 74th in strokes gained around the green (0.077) and 51st in putting (0.275). He also ranks in the 31st percentile for proximity from 150-200 yards this season, a distance that accounted for 38.1% of all approach shots here last year. Theegala has the firepower to compete at any event, but including him in lineups at his $8,000 price tag on DraftKings comes with some risk.