After taking a week off and spending it playing golf in beautiful Pinehurst, North Carolina, I'm back this week for the 2022 PGA DFS: Arnold Palmer Invitational FanDuel Picks. Oftentimes, the Arnold Palmer Invitational brings out a very strong field. After all, everyone wants to win Arnie's tournament.
Last season's winner, Bryson DeChambeau, has withdrawn from the event. However, there are some big names still competing like Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Victor Hovland, Hideki Matsuyama, and many others.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational will be played at Bay Hill and it's a beast, measuring in at 7,466 yards this year. Long hitters who are good iron players will be key this week. In order to have a successful week, I'll be focusing on three key stats.
First priority will be strokes gained: off-the-tee. Secondly, I'll be focusing on strokes gained: approach the green. Lastly, as always, I'll be supplementing those stats with strokes gained: putting.
2022 PGA DFS: Arnold Palmer Invitational FanDuel Picks
Danny Willett - $8,000
Former Masters champion Danny Willett feels like he could be the value play of the year this week. Now, last week was the only tournament he's played on the PGA Tour since the turn of the calendar to 2022. A T48 finish felt like a solid start to the season for him.
Willett looks strong in our top two key indicators for success this week. He is currently 36th in strokes gained: off-the-tee and up to 99th in strokes gained: approach the green. His putting has left a little to be desired as he currently sits 191st in strokes gained: putting.
Strong finishes in each of the last two seasons in this event also help to instill some confidence in Willett. He finished T18th in 2020 and T31st in 2021. Selecting such a low-cost pick, with as much potential as Willett, really gives your lineup an extra boost if he performs well.
Tom Hoge - $8,700
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Tom Hoge is becoming a very popular pick for me in 2022. FanDuel keeps putting him at a price point that is too good to pass up for the way he's been performing this season.
Although he missed the cut at The Genesis Invitational, he has three top-10s this season including a win and a runner-up. He also shows well in two key indicators and elite in the third.
Hoge currently checks in at 100th in strokes gained: off-the-tee and 107th in strokes gained: putting. Good enough to put him about the middle of the pack on tour. However, he is elite in his approach game. Hoge is currently third in strokes gained: approach the green.
Hoge did miss the cut in this event in 2021 but finished T15h in 2020, so he has proven he can be successful at Bay Hill.
Chris Kirk - $9,300
Chris Kirk is in good form at the moment. His last two finishes are T14th at The Waste Management Phoenix Open and T7th last week at The Honda Classic. In addition to his good form, Kirk also shows well in our three key indicators this week.
He is currently 41st in strokes gained: off-the-tee, T72nd in strokes gained: approach the green, and 77th in strokes gained: putting.
Kirk didn't appear in this event in 2020 but finished T8th last season. I like Kirk to again crack the top 20 this week and like our first two picks of Willett and Hoge, this will provide great value with a good performance.
Adam Scott - $10,900
Since we have gone cheap with our first three picks, we can start spending some money on our last three picks. It starts with Adam Scott. While Scott has only played in two PGA Tour events since the turn of the calendar, he has played well in both, finishing T38th at The Waste Management Phoenix Open and T4th at The Genesis Invitational.
Although Scott missed the cut at Bay Hill in 2020 and didn't enter the event in 2021, he does show extremely well in our three key indicators this week.
He is currently 71st in strokes gained: off-the-tee. 28th in strokes gained: approach. And surprisingly, 28th in strokes gained: putting.
Scott is typically always a solid play because his ball-striking is typically elite. If his putting stays true to its 2022 form, he has a chance to win this week.
Marc Leishman - $11,000
We're going back down under for our next pick and taking Marc Leishman. Leishman is as steady a player as there is on tour and despite a missed cut in this event last season, he has shown some success at Bay Hill. He finished second in 2020.
Leishman is in great form in 2022 and is looking to finally get in the winner's circle. He has three top-20s in his last four events and finished T36th in the other event.
He also shows very well in all three key indicators for this week. Strokes gained: off-the-tee is his weakest area and he is still above average on Tour at 85th. He currently checks in at 32nd in strokes gained: approach the green. Lastly, Leishman is an elite putter, checking in at 15th in strokes gained: putting.
One other interesting stat, even though it's not a true key indicator, is Leishman is currently 14th in strokes gained: total.
I'm expecting Leishman to be in contention this week at Bay Hill.
Jon Rahm - $12,100
I said it two weeks ago, Jon Rahm is going to win again, and soon, and I'm going to have him rostered when he does. A normally very strong aspect of Rahm's game is putting and it has really let him down this season. He is just 88th on Tour in strokes gained: putting.
Rahm's ball-striking, first in strokes gained: off-the-tee, and fifth in strokes gained: approach has helped propel him to the following finishes this season despite poor (for him) putting:
- T2nd - Sentry Tournament of Champions
- T14th - The American Express
- T3rd - Farmers Insurance Open
- T10th - WM Phoenix Open
- T21st - The Genesis Invitational
As I said, Rahm is going to win again, and soon. He has been about as dominant as one can be without actually hoisting a trophy on a Sunday.
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