Following Rory McIlroy’s win at the Scottish Open, the PGA Tour travels about five hours south to Royal Liverpool Golf Club (par 71, 7,383 yards, bentgrass/fescue greens) in Hoylake, England, for the 151st British Open Championship. This course last hosted this major in 2014, when McIlroy won at -17, two shots clear of Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler. This is a full field of 156 golfers, and there will be a slightly expanded cut for the British Open Championship, with the top 70 and ties advancing after the first two rounds. Let’s look at Stokastic’s Top Golfers Tool to find the best leverage PGA DFS picks for the British Open Championship.
Leverage scores compare a golfer’s ownership to their salary-weighted odds to finish in the top 6 of the tournament. It is one of many metrics in Stokastic’s tools that use the fantasy point and ownership projections to find the top PGA DFS plays each week.
PGA DFS Picks & Leverage: 2023 British Open Championship
Royal Liverpool is a lengthy oceanside links track that is home to thick rough, 84 penalizing pot bunkers and massive greens. Being both long and accurate off the tee is going to be essential to winning this week, making elite drivers a priority. While the putting surfaces are large at Royal Liverpool, targeting players who are also in strong form with their irons is a must. Lastly, with five of the 11 par 4’s at Royal Liverpool falling between 450 and 500 yards, golfers who are efficient on this length of hole are savvy targets for this major.
Patrick Cantlay
Stokastic PGA DFS Optimizer Leverage Ranks: DraftKings: 10th, FanDuel: 22nd
Hovering around 10% expected ownership in Stokastic’s projections, Cantlay is not getting the attention he deserves and is a sharp GPP play for the British Open. Cantlay did miss the cut this past week at the Scottish Open, but he only missed the weekend by one stroke and still gained off the tee and on approach at the Renaissance Club. Before this, Cantlay had made 10 consecutive cuts and was in the mix for a win numerous times, with five top-10 finishes coming during this streak.
Plus, he is an excellent match for Royal Liverpool. Not only has Cantlay arguably been the best driver on the PGA Tour this season — leading the circuit in total driving — he also ranks second in 450- to 500-yard par-4 efficiency over his last 50 rounds. Furthermore, Royal Liverpool’s greens are a mix of bentgrass and fescue, which is huge news for Cantlay. Of his eight wins on the PGA Tour, six have come at courses with bentgrass greens. Cantlay has already carded two top-12 finishes in only four appearances at the British Open and should find himself in the hunt for his first major title this weekend.
Cameron Young
Stokastic PGA DFS Optimizer Leverage Ranks: DraftKings: 18th, FanDuel: 70th
Young is a terrific contrarian option this week, particularly on DraftKings, where Stokastic is projecting him to be less than 5% owned. He finished runner-up to Cameron Smith in his British Open debut last season and is coming off a sixth at the John Deere Classic in which he gained strokes in every major category. Additionally, Young finished second in birdies converted and fifth in greens found for the event, with 81.9% greens in regulation — his highest output in the category in 13 starts.
If Young can carry over this momentum with his irons to combine his always stellar driver (he ranks 12th in strokes gained off the tee this season), he should thrive at Royal Liverpool and possibly tally his second straight top-10 finish.
Joaquin Niemann
Stokastic PGA DFS Optimizer Leverage Ranks: DraftKings: 21st, FanDuel: 8th
With Stokastic projecting him for minimal ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Niemann must be included in GPP pools. He has finished inside the top 10 in three of his last five starts for the LIV Golf league and has made back-to-back cuts at the British Open. Overall, Niemann has been a very reliable option at majors, with only one missed cut in his last 12 at attempts, including six finishes of 32nd or better.
Niemann has always been an elite off-tee player, and his skills with the driver should help him produce a quality finish in his first attempt at Royal Liverpool.
Lee Hodges
Stokastic PGA DFS Optimizer Leverage Ranks: DraftKings: 12th, FanDuel: 6th
While this will be his British Open debut, Hodges is worth taking a flier on in GPPs, with him priced near the minimum and Stokastic projecting him for essentially zero ownership on both sites. After missing two cuts in a row, Hodges got back on track at the Scottish Open last week with a 12th-place finish while gaining strokes off the tee and on approach.
Hodges has 10 top-30 finishes this season, and his game sets up well for Royal Liverpool, with him ranking 30th in strokes gained off the tee and ninth in 450- to 500-yard par-4 efficiency over his last 50 rounds. While one cannot expect any high finish, Hodges has the potential to outproduce his low salaries with a made cut, and rostering him allows for multiple studs in lineups.
