The PGA TOUR has two events left on its schedule now, with this week’s event going on over in the island of Bermuda. The Butterfield Bermuda Championship is now in its sixth year on the PGA TOUR. It will again take place at Port Royal GC, a short little Par 71 that measures in just over 6,800 yards and skirts the ocean on several holes.
The venue is almost completely unprotected by wind. So while there are plenty of birdie holes along the track — which will not require players to use a driver much, if at all — it can still play somewhat unpredictable thanks to heavy winds off the coast. Past seasons have seen winners get in the clubhouse at 15 under par twice (2020 and 2021). This season, we may see a worse score from the winner. Winds are expected to be 20-plus mph on Day 1, with gusts well over 25 mph. The conditions are set to improve slightly as the event wears on. But 20-mph winds are still expected for the final day.
This course would normally be all about great ball-striking, iron play and timely putting. But, the wind is going to make short games a big factor, as well. Scrambling for an extra par here and there will make a huge difference. Those who don’t have deft touch around the greens will likely get left behind this week.
For our DraftKings Pick6 lineups, we have to stop ourselves from being too bullish in Round 1, even with some higher stroke totals and lower birdie or better totals on tap. This is an easy course but the conditions are likely to make birdies and low scores hard to come by in Round 1.
With that in mind, let’s get to this week’s picks.
Patrick Rodgers Less Than 4.5 Birdies or Better
Rodgers is a player who I expect may be able to hold serve this week in windy conditions. But, he will likely have trouble thriving. He doesn’t have elite approaches or iron play, which will make hitting these small greens tricky in the wind. His scrambling is OK, which could help on the par 5s. But he hasn’t thrived as a scorer of late and comes in ranked 55 in Birdie or Better percentage over the last 24 rounds, which is just a hair better than Kevin Kisner and Sean O’Hair in the recent form metrics.
Bermuda has some shorter par 5s, but there are only three on the course. With the wind, some of these holes may actually end up playing quite tough. Rodgers 4.5 birdie total also looks daunting considering he’s recorded scores of -2 or worse in six of his last eight rounds. I like the idea of him going for 4 or fewer birdies in Round 1 given the conditions.
Jhonattan Vegas More Than 69.5 Strokes
Vegas is grouped with a lot of the top names in the Round 1 totals market for Pick6. But I’m not sure it’s warranted. The Venezuelan is coming off a missed cut last week in Mexico. He ranks just 32nd in Birdie or Better percentage and 58th in Bogey Avoidance. He’s also got a terrible short game that has seen him lose strokes around the green in five of his last six starts.
It’s possible that Vegas comes out of the gate hot, hits a high number of greens and gets his putter going, but the conditions are likely to put more pressure on his short game and lead to some bogies along the way. His round total doesn’t look daunting but, again, the high winds on tap suggest that unless you’re a skilled around the green player, just surviving with an even-pat round may end up being a “good” score. Vegas could struggle in this spot, making the more than on this total the way to lean for Round 1.
Maverick McNealy Less Than 4.5 Birdies or Better
McNealy is coming off a solid performance last week in Mexico. But in general, I don’t mind fading him after a big week. The American is inconsistent with his iron play, ranking 79th in strokes gained on approach over the last 24 rounds. His elite short game can make up for missing a lot of greens. But, it’s not going to help him make birdies (outside of the par 5s) in the windy conditions where ball control will be even more important than usual for players looking to hit it close.
Overall, McNealy has also just been maddeningly inconsistent after a big week. He finished T45 at the Valspar after a T9 at the PLAYERS and was T45 at the Wyndham after landing a T3 at the 3M Open in July. He could make some magic from the off the green and approach 5-6 birdies. But, the more likely scenario is that his iron game forces him to scramble for par on many of the tougher holes, and he creeps in with less than 4.5 birdies in the tough Round 1 conditions.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing between 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
Apple DraftKings Pick6 App
Google DraftKings Pick6 App
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is wavegoodbye) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recomm
