👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Round 3 PGA DFS Showdown Slate Picks - the Open Championship 2023

Brian Harman has seemingly signaled the aliens to come take over the earth, as that space-ship putter of his is on auto-pilot and sinking putts to the tune of +8.5 strokes putting. Tommy Fleetwood is also playing some fantastic golf, but he is -5, five shots back of Harman. Only six shots separate T4 and those that made the cut on the number. If Harman faulters over the weekend, anybody could win this thing if they get into a 36-hole birdie trance.

This article is going to take a look at showdown slates after each completed round. You can find me on Twitter an unhealthy amount of the time @TheModelManiac, if you have any questions, compliments, or insults for me. My DFS style is very ownership-centric. More often than not, this can make you feel like an unsuccessful DFS player. Every now and then when a sneaky, low-owned golfer comes through for you, it is all worth it. In this article, we are going to break down the previous round's top performers and duds and use that information to derive a player pool full of upside and leverage.

The general logic to showdown has been to target golfers who played well the day before and particularly those who hit their irons well. This makes sense as you want to roster players who are playing good golf right now. These players will be higher-owned and chalkier than golfers in the same price range who had an off day, particularly with their irons. These are the golfers I am gravitating towards, as they could very easily bounce the following day at half the ownership.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 6 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

Ownership

Going into Round 3, these are the color codes we will be using to identify who we want to target. Think of it as a traffic light with four colors. Stop at mega chalk and go when we see leverage that makes sense.

By taking a look at yesterday's ownership, we can get an idea of where people will be willing to go in Round 2 (DK points include finishing position).

  • Mega chalk: A popular player who played well yesterday.
  • Chalk: a) A popular player who played okay yesterday, b) A less popular player who played well yesterday.
  • Pivots: a) A popular player who played poorly yesterday, b) A less popular player who played okay yesterday.
  • Leverage: A less popular player who played poorly yesterday.

 

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS PGA subscription?

Like what you read today? You can show your support for Byron by using the discount code MANIAC when purchasing a PGA Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium PGA articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer! You also get access to weekly betting picks from Spencer Aguiar, one of the top betting minds in the industry. Spencer absolutely crushed it in 2022!

 

Round 3 Strategy

With weather looming in the PM those that made the cut are rolling out off both tees in threes for the second Saturday in a row. I was looking forward to trying to leverage the Scottish weather to our advantage tomorrow but with these tee times that is now a thing of the past. We will have to try and find ownership leverage as our key difference maker for R3.

Showdown Model

Below are the power rankings of the golfers who we have our eye on for Round 3. The full-field model is available to premium subscribers HERE. It includes pre-event rankings, round-specific scoring averages, birdie percentages, weighted approach ratings, and ownership projections for tomorrow's showdown slate.

***Full disclosure: The ownership numbers are based on the $5 SINGLE ENTRY, which is important to note as ownership in showdown can vary from contest to contest depending on field size and entry fee. However, it should provide you with a guide to who will be the most owned and how those around them shake out.

 

$10,000+

Favorite Play: Cameron Smith is going to be my favorite play, as his putter really has not got into stride just yet. He is one of the leading birdie makers when that putter performs which is bound to happen either tomorrow or the next day! His price and lack luster performance so far will keep him in the single digit ownership and he could be the leading scorer tomorrow with ease.

Other options: Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland

 

$9,000+

Favorite play: Xander Schauffele is one of those guys who usually has that one round that removes him from contention (today), but then has that one round that is so good that it almost gets him back in the mix (tomorrow?). He graded out well pre tournament and hopefully we get one of those spike rounds like we saw in R1 of the US Open.

Other options: Tyrrell Hatton, Rickie Fowler

 

$8,000+

Favorite play: Bryson DeChambeau is more than capable of dismantling a long wet golf course with his length. His price and position down the leaderboard will be more than enough reason to have him as leverage with low ownership and slate breaking potential when he gets rolling.

Other options: Adam Scott

 

$7,000+

Favorite play: Sungjae Im has a R3 SG average of +2.7, and if you look at the last 8 Saturday round's he has played, have averaged +3.5 strokes. His worst two performances in that run were two +0.8 SG total rounds, with the other 6 rounds gaining no less than 2 strokes. If this run of continues on Saturday this $7,700 golfer can break this slate.

Other options: Corey Conners, Robert MacIntyre, Byeong Hun An, Richard Bland, Padraig Harrington

 

$6,000+

Favorite play: Andrew Putnam is $6,700 and is very capable of a spike putting performance that can garner some birdie in a hurry. He also has a solid R3 strokes gained average for somebody in this price range. When he makes the weekend, his Saturday's usually provide a solid return for your showdown investment.

Other options: J.T. Poston, Alex Noren, Zach Johnson, Victor Perez, Alex Fitzpatrick

 

Showdown Optimizer

The optimizer works nicely with the projected ownership from the model. If you are unsure how to work it, at the top of the "PGA Lineup Optimizer" page, there is a video on how to get my projected ownership or points into your optimizer.

Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.



Win More With RotoBaller

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.

Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team: Between all the incredible Premium PGA DFS and Betting content and tools we put out each week, and our Premium Slack Community where we chat with our subscribers before lineups lock, RotoBaller PGA subscribers are armed with the tools, analysis, and advice to win more.

Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks

More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

David Pastrnak

Riding 11-Game Point Streak
John Gibson

Gets Back on Track Friday
J.T. Miller

Bags Three Points Against Blackhawks
Tage Thompson

Picks Up 400th Career Point
Patrick Kane

Collects Two Points in Friday's Win
Nick Lardis

Pots Another Goal Friday Night
Shayne Gostisbehere

Could Be an Option Saturday
Nique Clifford

Could Return Saturday
Marcus Sasser

Probable Saturday
Caris LeVert

on Track to Return Saturday
Deyvison De Los Santos

Marlins Promote Deyvison De Los Santos to Major Leagues
Duncan Robinson

Listed as Questionable for Saturday
Ayo Dosunmu

Questionable to Play Saturday
Myles Turner

Iffy for Saturday
Kyle Kuzma

Questionable Saturday
Moritz Seider

Assists on Two Goals Against the Sabres
Shea Langeliers

Hits Two Home Runs on Opening Day
Kevin Gausman

Picks Up No-Decision But Strikes Out 11 on Opening Day
Mac Jones

Boosts his Dynasty Stock With Solid First Year in San Fran
Alex DeBrincat

Picks Up Three Points Versus Buffalo
Bobby Portis

May Miss Another Game Saturday
Tez Johnson

Could be Buried on the Depth Chart Again in Sophomore Season
Kevin Porter Jr.

Unavailable Against Spurs
Ka'imi Fairbairn

One of the NFL's Best Kickers Heading into His 10th Season
De'Aaron Fox

to Return to Action Saturday
Isaiah Jackson

Exits Early Friday
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Ready to Return Saturday
Michael Penix Jr.

Falcons Think Michael Penix Jr. Will be Healthy "At Some Point" in Training Camp
Al Horford

to Be Re-Evaluated in One Week
Vít Krejčí

Vit Krejci Remains Sidelined Friday
Robert Williams III

Will Suit Up Friday
Khris Middleton

Sits Out Friday's Game
Tre Johnson

Back From Three-Game Absence Friday
Isiah Pacheco

Can Isiah Pacheco Bounce Back in RB2 Role in Detroit?
Jarace Walker

Won't Return Friday
Tristan Vukcevic

Active Friday Night
Tanner Bibee

Day-to-Day, Could Make his Next Start
Alexandre Sarr

Returns to Action Friday
Ausar Thompson

Questionable Against Minnesota
Nnamdi Madubuike

Optimism That Nnamdi Madubuike Will Return From Neck Injury
Dylan Garand

Starts Friday
Noah Ostlund

Won't Play Friday
Connor Zary

Returns to Practice
Samuel Honzek

Won't Return This Season
Damon Severson

Labeled Week-to-Week
Sam Steel

Leaves Road Trip Due to Injury
Mikko Rantanen

Could Return Saturday
NFL

Jordyn Tyson to Hold A Workout for Teams in April
New York Jets

Jets Unlikely to Draft Ty Simpson in the First Round?
Shane Baz

Orioles Agree to Five-Year Extension
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Making Season Debut on Friday Against Angels
Tiger Woods

Involved In Rollover Car Crash
Bhayshul Tuten

Remains a Clear Breakout Candidate Heading into 2026
NFL

Can Jonah Coleman Develop into a Starting NFL Running Back?
Rico Dowdle

Remains Likely to Split Carries in Pittsburgh
NFL

Can KC Concepcion Be a Dynamic Playmaker in the NFL?
Rashid Shaheed

Is Rashid Shaheed Limited to a Downfield Role in Seattle?
Marcus Mariota

Remains an Injury Away from Playing Time in Washington
Najee Harris

to Meet With Raiders Next Thursday
Damar Hamlin

Bills Re-Sign Safety Damar Hamlin to One-Year Deal
Tanner Bibee

Shoulder Issue Not Considered Serious
NFL

Nicholas Singleton Relying on Traits Over Tape for Early Draft Capital
J.K. Dobbins

Positioned for Another Strong Season in Denver
NFL

Malachi Fields' Draft Stock Looks to Be Sliding
Barrett Hayton

Out Week-to-Week
Travis Etienne Jr.

Should See Feature Role Following Big-Market Deal
Tony DeAngelo

to Miss 1-2 Weeks
Sam Steel

Makes Early Exit Against Islanders
NFL

Ty Simpson Garnering First-Round Buzz
Damon Severson

Exits With Upper-Body Injury Thursday
Joe Pyfer

Set For UFC Seattle Main Event
Yaroslav Askarov

Suffers New Injury Blow
Israel Adesanya

Returns At UFC Seattle
Maycee Barber

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak To Eight
Alexa Grasso

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Dominic Canzone

a Top Pickup After Two-Homer Game
Niko Price

In Dire Need Of Victory
Michael Chiesa

Set For Retirement Fight
Chase DeLauter

Launches Two Home Runs, Emerges as Top Waiver-Wire Target
Lerryan Douglas

Set For His UFC Debut
Julian Erosa

Looks To Bounce Back
Tanner Bibee

Leaves Opening Day Start Early With Shoulder Inflammation
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Makes a Statement on Opening Day With 10 Strikeouts
Kevin McGonigle

has Four Hits in Impressive MLB Debut
Nico Hoerner

Cubs Agree to Six-Year Deal With Nico Hoerner
Jacob Misiorowski

Shows Off his High-Strikeout Upside in Opening Day Win
Paul Skenes

Greeted Harshly by Mets on Opening Day
Brandon Lowe

Hits Two Home Runs on Opening Day
Ketel Marte

Active, Leading Off on Opening Day
Kevin McGonigle

Batting Sixth in MLB Debut
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Not in the Lineup on Opening Day
JJ Wetherholt

Batting Leadoff in MLB Debut
Jackson Chourio

Placed on Injured List with Fractured Hand
Ryan Fox

a High-Upside Value in Houston
Marco Penge

a Boom-or-Bust Option in Houston
Aaron Rai

Looks to Bounce Back in Houston
Jason Day

a Volatile Option at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Harris English

Eyes a Bounce-Back at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Ben Griffin

Looks for Turnaround at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Rickie Fowler

Brings Strong Form Into Texas Children's Houston Open
Ryan Gerard

Can Continue Rolling at Texas Children's Houston Open
Pierceson Coody

Bounces Back at Valspar Championship
Rasmus Hojgaard

Trying to Get Back on Track at Texas Children's Houston Open
Michael Thorbjornsen

Playing Well Heading to Texas Children's Houston Open
Harry Hall

Looking for Consistency at Texas Children's Houston Open
Brooks Koepka

Continues Building Momentum
Scottie Scheffler

Withdraws From Texas Children's Houston Open
Luke Clanton

Might Have a Problem in Houston
Sam Stevens

Happy to See Houston This Week
Keith Mitchell

Tries to Rebound After The Players Championship
Will Zalatoris

Returning This Week at Houston
Wyndham Clark

Trending in the Wrong Direction Heading to Houston
Shane Lowry

Seeking Better Luck in Houston This Weekend
Lerone Murphy

Suffers His First Loss
Movsar Evloev

Edges Out Lerone Murphy
CFB

Notre Dame Ranks No. 1 in Returning Production for 2026
Michael Aswell

Jr. Drops Decision At UFC London
Michael Aswell

Luke Riley Outclasses Michael Aswell Jr.
Sam Patterson

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Michael Page

Wins Lackluster Decision
Austen Lane

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Iwo Baraniewski

Delivers 28-Second TKO
Tyler Reddick

Overcomes Adversity for Fourth Victory of the Season At Darlington
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Darlington Victory Despite Domination
Ryan Blaney

Recovers From Pit-Road Struggles to Score Career-Best Darlington Finish
Carson Hocevar

Rallies to Finish Fourth at Darlington
Kyle Larson

Decent Performance Ends with Technical Issues At Darlington
Tyler Reddick

the Clear Favorite at Darlington
Kyle Larson

a High-Risk, High-Reward Driver at Darlington
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF