I’ll be sharing my weekly picks for Fanteam’s fantasy golf contests, along with selections for their player matchups and sportsbook offerings. Fanteam, the UKGC-regulated platform and Europe’s largest DFS site, offers an exciting way to engage with golf. Read on to find out how you can claim a free entry to their Valero Texas Open contest – no deposit required!
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After a rather modest first two weeks for this column, we struck oil in Texas last week with a fifth-place finish (out of 333) and some healthy profits in the £12 game.
The strategy there was to avoid paying big money for the two superstars – Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy – and opt to distribute the 100m salary in a more balanced way.
It worked – although, then again, not entirely.
A quick click on the leaderboard and my team was the only one in the top eight not to have either a Scheffler or a McIlroy.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat and all that.
Strokes Gained: Approach and an ability to play well in the wind (forecast to be strong on Sunday) are very much in mind for this week’s test at TPC San Antonio.
Full scoring rules are here.
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Top Tier Picks (18m and over)
Jordan Spieth (19m): There are very obvious reasons to support Spieth in Texas. He’s a local hero, has a win (2021) and a second place here and was 10th last year. And yet there may still be a feeling that he’s still not trustworthy or will have his eyes on next week’s Masters. True, there are still some dips but the triple Major winner was fourth at the Phoenix Open and ninth at the Cognizant while his SG: Approach numbers were outsanding at the Valspar (T28) last time. And, as for having his focus on Augusta, don’t fall into that trap. Spieth has twice won the week before a Major and will be sharp for this challenge in his home state.
Corey Conners (20.2m): He’ll be hugely popular but come Sunday you’ll be glad you had him on board. Conners’ two PGA Tour wins (from 198 starts) have both come in this event. Adding to those victories in 2019 and 2023 are 14th in 2021 and another top 25 last year. Coming at it from a current form angle also leads us to the Canadian as he was superb on the Florida Swing with finishes of 8-6-3. He’s gained strokes with the putter in his last four starts so that previous Achilles Heel isn’t hurting him.
Others to consider: Tommy Fleetwood (21.4m) has reeled off 15 straight top 25s worldwide which is a remarkable level of consistency. Add in a seventh on his course debut last year and the Englishman will be heavily owned and looks a better (and marginally cheaper) option than Ludvig Aberg. Daniel Berger (18.4m) has a pair of missed cuts here but those only two previous starts were in 2015 and 2019. The current version has pieced together six top 25s in seven starts, including second at the Phoenix Open. Despite the evidence so far, this course should suit. We know it suits Akshay Bhatia (18.6m) after his wire-to-wire win last year. The left-hander makes his first PGA Tour title defence after third at Sawgrass and two other recent top 10s at the Mexico Open and Genesis Invitational.
Mid-Range Value Selections ($14.2m up to 18m)
Bud Cauley (16.6m): Cauley’s injury-hit career showed some better signs at the end of 2024 and he’s really kicked on in recent weeks with a fourth (Valspar Championship) and a sixth (Players Championship) in his two latest starts. And there was no smoke and mirrors involved: Cauley ranked 2nd for both SG: Approach and Tee To Green at the Valspar and is 5th for SG: Total this season. He’s in the right shape to take on this course and, encouragingly, he has a 10th and an 18th from the past here and was a decent enough 39th last year when not in the form he’s showing now.
Lee Hodges (15m): Hodges returned from a rib injury to finish 11th in Houston last week and it showed that his impressive early-season play had merely been put on hold. Hodges started the campaign with 10th at the Sony Open and added another top 10 at the Farmers Insurance Open. He has a feast or famine record at TPC San Antonio with MC-6-MC-14 but, on current form (17th SG: Total), it’s fair to predict another strong show.
Others to consider: This is Mac Meissner’s (14.2m) home course and he’s played it way more than most. He was 10th last year and has made his last three PGA Tour cuts (39th Houston, 28th Valspar the last two). I went for Victor Perez (14.2m) at this same price last week and 18th place (his third straight top 25) justified the faith. The Frenchman, who once made the last four of the WGC Match Play in Texas, won’t mind the windy Sunday forecast either. Tom Hoge (14.8m) has cashed in eight of nine starts this year and ranked 2nd for SG: Approach when cracking the top three at The Players Championship last time. The former Pebble Beach winner has a ninth and a 12th here. Rico Hoey (15.2m) was 11th in Houston last week and 14th here last year. Those are part of four top 20s in his last six Texas starts.
Underdog Options (14m and Under)
Ryo Hisatsune (14m): The 22-year-old from Japan has bags of potential as shown by his Open de France win in 2023 that helped him land the DP World Tour’s Rookie of the Year award. Also 18th in last year’s US PGA Championship, Hisatsune has gained strokes on Approach in each of his last three starts while this year he’s already delivered a fourth at the Valspar Championship and a 10th in the Mexico Open. He made the cut here on debut last year.
Erik Van Rooyen (13.6m): Only two starts ago, the South African closed with a 65 to crack the top 10 at the Cognizant Classic in Florida. That was his third pay-day in four starts and missing the cut at Sawgrass with 72-73 can easily be ignored. EVR was 14th here on his course debut in 2021 and if we can get the two-time PGA Tour winner through to the weekend, he enjoys playing in windy conditions so could hang tough in Sunday’s forecast gusty closer.
Others to consider: Joel Dahmen (13.8m) has thrown in some good stuff this season with a sixth (Mexico Open), a ninth (Farmers Insurance Open) and an 18th (Houston Open). Last week’s top 20 made it four cuts in five starts and he’s cashed in two of his last three appearances here. Chris Gotterup (13.6m) is hitting his irons better and has two top 20s (and two MCs) in his last four starts. He improved his score each day (69-68-67-66) when T18 in Houston last week. Matteo Manassero (13m) has made the weekend in five of his seven PGA Tour starts this season which is quietely impressive. He fired in the 60s in all four laps when 39th in Houston last week. Cam Young (13m) is an absolute bargain if judged on his form in the Majors over the last few seasons. He’ll test the form is temporary, class is permanent adage after four MCs and 61st in his last five starts although he was 12th in Phoenix before that horror run.
Yes, there’s a Sportsbook too, covering golf, football, tennis, NBA etc.
Jordan Spieth has won at this venue already and would be my selection at 22/1.
It also wouldn’t be the worst idea to back him now for The Masters. A win, or high finish, this week would obviously impact his odds for Augusta.
That’s week four in the books. Don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE
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