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 $700K Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]

The Field

The PGA TOUR has just three events left on its regular season schedule, and, for some golfers, these events will be huge starts depending on where they sit in the FedEx Cup rankings. Only the top 70 players at the end of the regular season (Wyndham Championship in two weeks) will have full eligibility for next season and access to the elevated events in 2027. Anyone outside of that will have to play in the Fall series and see if they can move up or maintain their standing to get into the top 125 when all is said and done.

The field this week has plenty of solid players sitting just on the top 70 bubble as well, with names like Taylor Pendrith, David Lipsky and Stephan Jaeger all currently just outside the top 70. All three men are also in the field this week and will look to make some noise and get back into the top 70 before the final two events. The cut this week goes back to its regular occurrence of only the top 65 and ties, making the weekend.

The Course

TPC Twin Cities—Minneapolis, Minnesota

Par 71, 7,431; Greens: Bentgrass

TPC Twin Cities was designed in 2000 by Arnold Palmer and redesigned by Tom Lehman in 2018. On top of hosting the 3M Open in 2019 and 2020, this venue also hosted a PGA TOUR Champions event between 2001 and 2018.

Twin Cities was redesigned to accommodate its new spot on the PGA TOUR rotation in 2018 and now plays as a Par 71 but at well over 7,400 yards. The venue was one of the easier stops on the Champions Tour and has continued to cede a lot of birdies to the PGA pros, despite this venue also being one of the leaders in water balls every season.

Water is a massive feature of TPC Twin Cities and comes into play on nearly every hole. However, while the water does bring in a variable element, the rest of the course is relatively straightforward. The parkland course is very flat and offers big fairways and larger-than-average greens. Additionally, while there are a lot of fairway bunkers strewn around the course, most don’t come into play for the pros due to their somewhat inefficient placement. That means that players can be aggressive off the tee (if they don’t mind gambling over water) and generally can be very aggressive on approaches, especially since the course features well-manicured bentgrass fairways that will almost always produce a great lie.

We typically see GIR% and Driving Accuracy numbers here that are well above average, so even with the water lurking, this event often turns into an iron-and-putting contest. It’s no shock that aggressive iron players like Tony Finau, Matthew Wolff, and 2023 winner Lee Hodges have all gone low at this course, or that four of the first five winners at TPC Twin Cities have gained over 7.0 strokes on approach for the week. In 2024, Jhonattan Vegas shot 63 in Round 3 and went on to win by a stroke over Max Greyserman. Vegas gained over 3.0 strokes OTT and over 6.0 strokes on approach. 2025 winner Kurt Kitayama, who like Wolff and Champ is also a great driver, also gained over 1.7 strokes OTT and over 9.6 strokes on approach. 

The greens and fairways are pure bentgrass and can get a little firm, but around the green play itself has meant little at Twin Cities, with winners gaining most of their strokes on approach and putting. Vegas himself even lost strokes ATG last season. As far as course correlations go, TPC Scottsdale looks like a solid comparable, and it’s worth noting players like Alex Noren, Tony Finau, and Louis Oosthuizen have all landed top-six finishes at both venues over the last five seasons. Additionally, there is a decent link with the Glen Club, a course that hosts the NV5 Invitational event on the Korn Ferry Tour and is also built around houses and man-made water traps.

For stats, there is little doubt that players who have showcased big upside with their irons of late should be keyed in on at this venue. While we have had several longshot winners, most of them (Hodges, Champ, Thompson, Vegas, and Wolff) had shown some kind of upside with their approach game, in a recent start, before their win.

2026 Weather Outlook: Twin Cities should once again provide ideal scoring conditions. Warm temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s are forecast throughout tournament week, with generally light winds on Thursday before a modest increase into the 10–16 mph range over the weekend. There is a very slight chance of showers on Friday and again late Sunday, but prolonged rain or major weather delays are not expected.

The manageable winds should allow the PGA TOUR’s best ball strikers to attack pins, although if the warm weather sticks, it could make greens drier than we normally see at this event. Still, another birdie-filled week is likely at one of the circuit’s lowest-scoring venues. At this stage, I don’t see a meaningful wave advantage developing, although the Thursday morning tee times may enjoy the calmest conditions before afternoon breezes pick up slightly.

Last 5 winners

2025 — Kurt Kitayama -23 (over Sam Stevens -22)

Other notables: Matt Wallace (T3), Pierceson Coody (T3), Jake Knapp (T3), Chris Gotterup (T10), Wyndham Clark (T12).

2024 — Jhonattan Vegas -17 (over Max Greyserman -16)

Other notables: Maverick McNealy (T3), Matt Kuchar (T3).

2023 — Lee Hodges -24 (over multiple players at -17)

Other notables: J.T. Poston (T2), Tony Finau (T7), Cam Davis (T10).

2022 — Tony Finau -17 (over multiple players at -14)

Other notables: Sungjae Im (T2), Greyson Sigg (T7).

2021 — Cameron Champ -15 (over Louis Oosthuizen -13)

Other notables: Adam Hadwin (T6), Maverick McNealy (T16).

Winning Trends and Course Overview

Kurt Kitayama -23 (2025)

2025 lead-in form: (T5 – T43 – MC – T65 – MC)

SG: OTT — +3.4

SG: APP — +9.7

SG: TTG — +13.8

SG: ATG — +0.7

SG: PUTT — +2.6

  • Kitayama entered the week with inconsistent results but caught fire at TPC Twin Cities, leading the field with nearly 10 strokes gained on approach and over 13.5 strokes gained tee-to-green. 
  • His weekend rounds of 60-65 powered him to a one-shot victory over Sam Stevens at 23-under par.
  • Pure driving distance was helpful for two of the first three winners at TPC Twin Cities (with Wolff and Champ being two of the longest hitters in the field), and it is a driver-heavy course, with the average driving distance being much higher than the average PGA TOUR stop.
  • 2024 winner Jhonattan Vegas is also still a great driver, and the added room off the tee clearly helped him last season as he gained over 3.0 strokes OTT for the week.
  • This week is also very much about good iron play and putting since the greens and fairways tend to be easy to hit. In 2020, the top 11 finishers all gained strokes on approach for the week, while six of the top eight finishers gained +2.5 strokes or more with their irons.
  • Hodges (2023) wasn’t as dominant as some past winners off the tee, but he destroyed this course with his irons and gave himself plenty of birdie chances, which he converted on for a 7-shot win.
  • With high GIR and fairway stats, around-the-green play hasn’t been very important to past winners. Champ (2021) and Vegas (2024) actually lost strokes around the green while winning. 
  • None of the players who finished in the top 10 of the event in 2021 were inside the top 10 in ATG stats.

Finding Values on DraftKings Sportsbook

Odds to win are one factor to consider when picking players (but not the only one, so be careful not to put too much weight on them). This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value compared to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.

Jordan Smith +5300 ($8,300)

Comparables:

  • Sam Stevens +5700 ($8,400)
  • Gary Woodland +6300 ($8,800)

Benjamin Janes +5100 ($8,000)

Comparables:

  • Sungjae Im +5100 and $8,500
  • Max Homa +5100 and $8,600

All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.

HORSES FOR COURSES

1. Tony Finau ($10,600; win – 2022, 3rd -2020): Finau has eaten up easy courses over the last few seasons, and Twin Cities has been at the top of his hit list. He won after shooting 10-under on the weekend in 2022 and finished T7 in 2023.

2. Emiliano Grillo ($7,300; T2 – 2022, T3 – 2020): The Argentine likes this setup, having twice finished inside the top five at Twin Cities. He’s been making more cuts as of late and has a sharp approach game that plays well on this course.

3. Brice Garnett ($6,300; T16 – 2021): Garnett has been very consistent at this venue for whatever reason. The veteran has made the cut at Twin Cities in each of the past six seasons and ranks well in SG: Total at this venue since 2019.

4. Maverick McNealy ($9,900; T3 – 2024, T16 – 2021): McNealy came close at this venue in 2024, finishing T3. He’s got plenty of distance off the tee and is an elite putter, so this venue does line up nicely with some of his strengths.

Recent Form

1. Jackson Suber ($8,900; T28 – T6): 

Suber continues to impress in his rookie campaign, following a T6 at the Scottish Open with a respectable T28 at Royal Birkdale, where he was in contention for much of the weekend. His ball-striking has been trending upward for several weeks, making him an intriguing upside play despite the elevated salary.

2. Hideki Matsuyama ($9,700; T14 – T14):

Hideki has quietly posted back-to-back top-15 finishes entering the week and appears to be rounding into form after an inconsistent spring. If the putter cooperates, his elite tee-to-green game gives him one of the highest ceilings in the field.

3. Tom Kim ($9,300; MC – Win):

Kim bounced back from a poor outing at the John Deere in emphatic fashion with a victory in Scotland before The Open, reminding everyone of his birdie-making upside. He remains one of the best iron players in this field and profiles perfectly for a low-scoring event.

4. Max Homa ($8,600; T28 – T39 – T2):

Homa’s results have steadily improved over his last three starts, highlighted by a runner-up finish that showcased flashes of his old form. At just $8,600, he offers tournament-winning upside at a slight discount from the elite tier.

5. Corey Conners ($8,600; T14 – T52 – T7):

Conners has mixed an off week with two strong finishes over his last three starts, and his elite ball-striking remains one of the safest profiles in the field. If the putter is merely average, he has another top-10 finish well within reach.

DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY

Big Field Punt Plays

Nick Hardy ($6,400): Hardy is beginning to show signs of life after an inconsistent first half of the season, and his tee-to-green game has quietly improved over his last few starts. At just $6,400, he doesn’t need much to return value and has enough birdie upside to outperform his salary in large-field GPPs.

Austin Eckroat ($6,900): Eckroat remains a boom-or-bust tournament option, but his combination of length and streaky iron play fits a birdie-fest like TPC Twin Cities. If he finds a hot putter, he has legitimate top-15 upside at minimal ownership.

Matti Schmid ($7,100): Schmid continues to trend in the right direction after a strong major championship showing earlier this season and has gained strokes tee-to-green with increasing consistency. His all-around ball-striking gives him one of the higher ceilings among golfers priced in the low-$7K range.

Core Plays

Max Homa ($8,600): Homa enters the week with improving form after a runner-up finish and a pair of respectable results in his last three starts. His combination of win equity and sub-$9K salary makes him one of the strongest tournament values on the slate.

Michael Brennan ($7,800): Brennan continues to impress in his rookie campaign with elite ball-striking flashes and steadily improving finishes. He arrives at one of the weakest fields of the season with legitimate top-10 upside and should be one of the best point-per-dollar plays in this range.

Taylor Pendrith ($7,400) – see below

Contrarian Click

Rasmus Højgaard ($7,500): Højgaard has quietly pieced together more consistent ball-striking over the past month and possesses the length to attack this layout. With most ownership likely flowing toward similarly priced PGA TOUR regulars, he stands out as an appealing leverage play capable of making a Sunday run.

MY PICK: Taylor Pendrith ($7,400)

Pendrith was one of the favorites in the field last week but ended up disappointing by missing the cut. The big-hitting Canadian seemed fatigued after narrowly missing his second win the week before at the ISCO, where he lost in a playoff. Despite this setback, Pendrith remains in elite form. He finished with rounds of 66 and 65 at the ISCO, gaining over 3.0 strokes both on approach and off the tee during that event. 

At Corales, however, he struggled, losing nearly all his strokes on the greens with a -4.2 strokes putting over two rounds. The different and slower greens at Corales clearly did not suit Pendrith, but this week brings a significant change with faster bentgrass greens in play. He has also experienced success at this venue, having finished T5 here as recently as 2024. It’s no surprise that Pendrith enjoys this layout, as he is an aggressive driver who thrives in softer conditions where scoring is low (his only win came at the notably easy TPC Craig Ranch).

For daily fantasy sports (DFS), his salary of $7,400 appears very appealing. In terms of betting, I can’t think of many better longshot options for an outright win, especially with odds as high as +9000 on the DraftKings Sportsbook this week.

MY SLEEPER: Aaron Wise ($6,600)

I’ve been tracking and investing in Wise over the last two weeks, and his performance has been impressive. He nearly achieved a dramatic comeback win at the ISCO a couple of weeks ago, falling just one shot short of a playoff. Last week, despite a slow start, he secured another solid finish, landing in the Top 20 with a T15 placement at the Corales event. While he’s not necessarily a big hitter, he has driven the ball exceptionally well over the past two weeks, which should allow him to navigate this course effectively without losing shots. Additionally, with his putter showing promise last week (+4.0 strokes gained putting), if he maintains his sound ball-striking, I believe this is a course where he could go low, similar to his performance in Rounds 2 and 3 last week.

It’s difficult to determine if Wise will regress or if this new level of play is his new baseline. However, at $6,600 for DFS in a weaker field, it feels unwise to overlook him given his value and pedigree, which includes being recognized as one of the best young players in the game not long ago before he took a break for mental health reasons.