The Cheat Sheet provides DraftKings fantasy golf players with course info, player history and the most noteworthy trends of the week to help them with their roster selections.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $200K Sand Trap [$50K to 1st]
The Field
This is a tiny 20-man, invite-only field. The event is sponsored by the Tiger Woods Foundation and none of the prize money (first is $1M) counts toward the PGA TOUR’s money list. Some OWGR ranking points are awarded, though, which is interesting considering how limited the field is. The good news for fantasy is there is not a cut, but the bad news is that in such a small field, there’s really no room for error with your choices.
Player-wise, we have an incredibly strong field with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and world No. 5 Ludvig Aberg both in attendance (Hovland won this event in 2021 and 2022). Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay are also in the field.
The big news this week, of course, is that Tiger Woods won’t be competing after enduring another micro back surgery a few months ago, but he will still be at the event as host. At 48 years old, Woods is still aiming to tee things up at the big events in 2025, which would be a big accomplishment given the number of injuries he has dealt with over the last decade.
The Course
Albany Golf Course, Bahamas
Par 72, 7,449 yards
This is the ninth time this course will be used for the Hero World Challenge. The Albany Golf Course is an Ernie Els design and is set up as a very exposed, links-styled venue. There’s some serious bunkering on the course too, with over 50 in play throughout the property. Els himself described it as a venue that mimics some of the classic links designs from Scotland — even comparing it in layout to St. Andrews at one point.
The course is also quite dissimilar from most PGA TOUR venues in that it is actually a par 72 but has five par 5s and five par 3s (and only eight par 4s). While the par 5s may give longer hitters a better shot at landing an eagle throughout the week, the lack of par 4s actually diminishes the advantage good drivers of the golf ball have here. Over time, we’ve seen this play out as players like Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson — who rely more on their irons and short game — have all experienced solid success at Albany.
Lots of different styles have thrived at Albany, but one thing that many of the past winners have had in common is good links experience. Two-time Hero winner Viktor Hovland has had some of his best success on exposed, links-style venues, posting top-15 finishes at the Open in each of the past three seasons. Last season’s runner-up Sepp Straka was also an experienced links player having finished runner-up at the Open in 2023.
Wind is almost always a factor at Albany just given its relative closeness to the sea, and with smaller greens in play, solid approach and iron play should get hyper-emphasized once again for statistical purposes.
This is certainly a week not to get too drowned out in stats either. We don’t get shotlink data from this venue and most players will be coming in with varying form, and some with little-to-no competitive practice over the past two months. Looking for players with good strokes gained data in windy conditions, or players who have simply thrived overseas on links-styled venues isn’t a poor idea at all.
One interesting note, each of the past six winners of this event have finished T-7 or better at the Open Championship at some point in their career, and pure links tests like St. Andrews and Carnoustie are great courses to use as comparables this week.
2024 Weather Update: The temperatures this year will be in the low 70s for all four days of the event, so don’t expect excessive heat to play a factor. The wind over the first couple of days doesn’t look like much with gusts set to top out in the 10mph range. However, the wind picks up on the weekend with gusts getting close to the 20+mph range. That could put a little more emphasis on short games this season and likely will help the experienced links players (and players with experience playing this course) in general.
Last 5 winners
2023–Scottie Scheffler -20 (over Sepp Straka -17)
2022—Viktor Hovland -16 (over Scottie Scheffler -15)
2021—Viktor Hovland -18 (over Scottie Scheffler -17)
2020—no event due to COVID-19
2019—Henrik Stenson -18 (over Jon Rahm -17)
2018—Jon Rahm -20 (over Tony Finau -16)
Winners Stats and Course Overview
2023 Winner: Scottie Scheffler –20
(2023 lead-in: T6-T2-T31-T23-T3)
- Scheffler won last year while playing in relatively ideal conditions and his -20 winning score was the best this event has seen since 2018.
- Scheffler had played in this event in each of the past two seasons as well, finishing runner-up on both occasions.
- In terms of past winners, 2021 was Viktor Hovland’s first time playing Albany, which perhaps speaks to how well-suited it is for players who have a fondness for the links, as he took to the venue right away.
- During the seasons he won, Hovland had played a busy fall schedule and it has obviously helped him out at this event from a competitive aspect.
- With slightly calmer conditions expected for 2023, there is the potential for a few more names to get in the mix this year.
Finding Values (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Odds to win are one factor to think about when picking players (but not the only thing, so be careful putting too much weight on them). This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value comparative to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.
SungJae Im +1600 and $7,800
Comparables:
- Tom Kim +2000 and $8,400
- Wyndham Clark +1800 and $8,000
Cameron Young +2500 and $6,800
Comparables:
- Robert MacIntyre +2500 and $7,100
- Aaron Rai +2500 and $6,900
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
With most players having limited starts over the past month or so, we’re focusing in on course history this week. This event has been held at Albany eight years in a row now and has seen a lot of the top players become repeat attendees.
RECENT FORM
1. Justin Thomas ($9,600): I mentioned Thomas below as one of my favorites this week. He played well in his only start of the fall (T-2 Zozo) and has generally looked solid over his last few starts. His course experience trumps most at this event.
2. Sungjae Im ($7,800): Im played a lighter schedule this fall but also had a strong showing at the Presidents Cup. On top of his T-13 at the Shriners, he also managed a T-7 at the Tour Championship and looks like a player ready to compete for a win here and early on in 2025.
3. Sahith Theegala ($7,300): Theegala had a monster finish to his playoffs, finishing T-3 at the Tour Championship for a big payday. He managed a T-7 at the Procore in September and also played in his first Presidents Cup. A second win should be coming soon for the 26-year-old.
DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY
Cash Games: Scheffler and Tom Kim a great starting point
Scottie Scheffler ($11,900) is pretty much a must-play in this small field if you are brave enough to play cash games this week. He’s finished runner-up or better at this event in each of the past three seasons. It wouldn’t shock me if he and Tom Kim went neck-and-neck again this week after the two famously competed for the win at the Travelers earlier in the year. Kim is a great links player and while it is his first time playing this event, this course is not hard to figure out. Below those two both Akshay Bhatia ($6,700) and Sahith Theegala ($7,300) look like solid values.
Tournaments: Burns could surprise
Sam Burns sometimes gets forgotten about when talking about the best players in the game, but he has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best in the world and seems like a player on the verge of a big year. He’s also a player who can be carried by his putter for days on an easier course like Albany, making him a potential wild card to win in 2024, and solid GPP add. Below him, I also consider this easier setup great for young players like Bhatia and Nick Dunlap ($6,400).
MY PICK: Justin Thomas ($9,600)
Thomas has a history of showing up at this event and supporting his good friend Tiger Woods. While he’s never won, his results at this event do stick out. Over the past three seasons, Thomas has racked up three straight T-5 finishes and has shot some low rounds on Albany, including a 64 from two seasons ago.
This season he comes in with a bit of a chip on his shoulder having been left off the Presidents Cup team for the first time since 2016. He did play once over the fall, however, posting four rounds of 66 or better at the Zozo Championship, which earned him a T-2 finish.
Just given his recent form, which also saw him gain entry to the Tour Championship in August, and his history of performing at this event, I don’t see any reason why 2024 can’t be the year he finally breaks through at Albany. He’d love nothing more than a small statement win to lead him into 2025 where he’ll look to regain his status as one of the best players in the world.
MY SLEEPER: Robert MacIntyre ($7,100)
MacIntyre will be making his first-ever appearance at the Hero Challenge this season but his lead-in reminds me a lot of last season’s runner-up, Sepp Straka, who played a busy fall schedule that allowed him to post a big week in his first go around the Albany Course.
MacIntyre has played over on the DP World Tour all fall, posting a T-7 at the DP World Championship event just a couple of weeks ago. He also landed T-5 and T-12 finishes early in the season against competitive fields over in Ireland and England. As a player who grew up playing the links over in Scotland, the conditions this week should play in his favor.
This is a positive setup for the Scotsman who has loads of confidence after winning twice on the PGA this season and has a competitive edge this week thanks to his fall schedule. I expect a big week and for him to end up as one of the better value plays for DFS after all is said and done.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $200K Sand Trap [$50K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
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 skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
