THE PLAYERS Championship is the next stop on the PGA TOUR calendar. The “fifth major” is the biggest golf tournament of the year so far. Almost all of the best players in the world will be at TPC Sawgrass this weekend.
This is a look at the best first-round leader bets to make for the event on DraftKings Sportsbook.
THE PLAYERS Championship: First Round Leader Picks
THE PLAYERS Championship is being played at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. TPC Sawgrass is a par-72 course, which ranges 7,352 yards. The course is one of the best in the world and presents a unique challenge to the competitors every year. This is a 123-golfer field, and there will be a standard 36-hole cut after Friday’s round. TPC Sawgrass is the face of Pete Dye golf. The snaking fairways, perfectly placed bunkers and long water hazards make this one of the best mental challenges on the PGA TOUR. The defending champion at THE PLAYERS is Rory McIlroy. McIlroy’s status this week is questionable after withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a back injury.
Si Woo Kim FRL (+3800)
It’s been an incredible run of form for Si Woo Kim over the past few months. Kim has finished T-20 or better in nine of his past 11 starts. He has made all seven cuts to start this season as well. That includes three top-six finishes in events with very competitive fields. His game is also a perfect fit for TPC Sawgrass. Kim’s approach play has been phenomenal, ranking second on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach to Green this season. Between the bunkers and the water hazards, iron play needs to be so precise at Sawgrass to avoid mistakes. Kim has been brilliant at avoiding those mistakes. He ranks fourth on TOUR in driving accuracy and first in proximity. Those are two massive indicators that Kim will be able to stay out of trouble this week.
Among the four possible rounds, Si Woo Kim ranks the highest in first-round scoring average, ranking 17th on the PGA TOUR. He has had no problems coming out of the gates hot this season. Kim’s biggest problem this season has been his putting. However, over the past two seasons, his best putting surface has been Poa Trivialis, the surface that he will be putting on at TPC Sawgrass. Si Woo Kim is a former PLAYERS champion, winning the tournament in 2017. He should be confident in his ability to score on this course and come out of the gates on fire on Thursday.
Chris Gotterup FRL (+5900)
Nobody on the PGA TOUR has been better in opening rounds than Chris Gotterup this season. He is averaging a score of 66.3 on Thursdays, the best mark on the PGA TOUR. For comparison’s sake, Gotterup is averaging a score of 71 on Fridays, ranking 124th on the PGA TOUR. Whether it is a mental approach, a confidence or a level of preparation that Gotterup is doing differently, it is paying off in opening rounds. Gotterup was the opening round leader at the WM Phoenix Open, which he went on to win. He was also one shot off the opening round lead at the Sony Open, where he also went on to win. Despite going on to finish T-37 at Pebble Beach, Gotterup was just two shots off the opening round lead after Thursday.
Chris Gotterup’s game is a bit too volatile to trust him to win at TPC Sawgrass. However, over a single round, he is more than capable of being the best player in the field. He has shown he can be the best player over a single round against a great field in Phoenix. He bombs the ball off the tee, ranking 10th on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. His biggest issue has been putting. However, his first-round putting stats are much better than in any other round. If Gotterup can keep the driver straight and roll in a few putts, he is more than capable of posting the lowest score on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.
