If you’re coming in new to the FanTeam game or still getting to grips with it, last week’s World Wide Technology Championship provided a great example of how it works.
A key each week is picking a Captain and an Underdog (the cheapest player of your six-man line-up). Why? Because both players score x1.25pts.
Last week in Mexico I manged a nice profit thanks to a 23rd place finish in the £10 buy-in game.
My tally of 719.50pts was boosted heavily by captain Garrick Higgo finishing tied fourth and Underdog Sami Valimaki ending the week in tied second.
But one of my picks, Stephan Jaeger, missed the cut, only securing 32.25 points.
Another 60 points would have lifted me to second place and a chunky payout.
In other words, it’s paramount to get all six players through the cut if you want to land the big bucks.
Before looking through the Butterfield Bermuda Championship field at Port Royal Golf Club – a short 6,828-yard par 71 with Bermuda greens – let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below on the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai!
Okay, back to Bermuda and let’s start building…
Top Tier Picks (18M and over)
Rico Hoey (20.8M): He’s the most expensive player in the game but, given the modest opposition, it makes sense. Hoey ranks 1st for Ball-Striking and four of his last eight finishes on the PGA Tour have been top 10s. They include fourth at the Baycurrent Classic and runner-up in the Bank of Utah Championship in two of his last three starts. Add in 17th on his course debut last year and the reliable Hoey looks a good way of anchoring the team.
Nico Echavarria (19.4M): The Colombian is hoping to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Camilo Villegas, who won this two years ago. Echavarria is 3-for-3 at Port Royal with plenty of good rounds (best finishes 23rd and 29th) and his last two starts show ninth at the Baycurrent Classic and 14th in the WWT last week. Echavarria often thrives by the sea, winning the 2023 Puerto Rico Open and losing a play-off at the Sony Open in Hawaii at the start of this year.
Others to consider: Thorbjorn Olesen (20.2M) is on a roll after finishes of 14-3-9-14 in his last four worldwide starts. It’s his course debut but he has a bunch of good form by the coast. Vince Whaley (18.2M) is a go-to for course backers as the American has Port Royal finishes of 5-8-7. He’s in good form too after third at the Sanderson Farms and 17th in Mexico last week. Oh, and he never misses cuts (made last 17 in a row). Patrick Rodgers (18.8M) is the other course horse option (9-3-4 here). In ideal timing, he arrives off a sixth place in Mexico, his best finish since February.
Mid-Range Value Selections ($14.2m up to 18m)
Matt Kuchar (17.2M) has only played one event a month since June but in those five starts he has a fifth and three other top 20s, the latest an 11th in Mexico last week. Slightly surprisingly given how well this course should suit him, it’s the former Open runner-up’s first start at Port Royal. Based on a bunch of great form on other short, bermudagrass tracks, he looks a great fit.
Victor Perez (16.2M): The last three winners here have all been low-ball hitters which makes sense given how advantageous it is to flight shots under/through the wind. Perez is very much in that mould and used such skills to win both the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the 2023 Abu Dhabi Championship. He needs a good week to secure his card and has the form (11th and 23rd in two of last three starts) to get it.
Justin Lower (14.6M): At the lower end of this price range, Justin Lower jumps off the page. He has four straight top 20s in this event, two of those doubling as top 10s, and was third in Utah two starts ago. He added 31st in Mexico last week when ninth at halfway.
Others to consider: Takumi Kanaya (15.8M) hits it lower than anyone else on the PGA Tour and by quite a margin. That ball flight suggests he can build on some strong recent form which includes fourth in the co-sanctioned Baycurrent Classic. Greyson Sigg (14.8M) has an appealing mix of course and current form. He’s performed better here each year (9-11-22) and is 4-for-4 in the Fall Series, three of those top 25s. Sami Valimaki (16.4M) did this column a big favour last week and a hot putter has helped him finish runner-up twice in his last five starts (European Masters and WWT Championship).
Underdog Options (14m and Under)
David Lipsky (13.8M) offers plenty of reliability if looking for a solid UD. The American has made nine of his last 10 cuts and has a pair of top threes in that run, albeit near the start of it. Port Royal looks a good fit and indeed it is. He was ninth last year and 13th in 2023.
Adam Svensson (13.6M) is the second lowest ball hitter on the PGA Tour so it’s no surprise to see that he finished 22nd on his only appearance here (he was 10th with a round to play). After a poor run, he steadied the ship with a 56th in Utah and then posted 21st in Mexico last week (again 10th after 54 holes).
Others to consider: Brandt Snedeker (13.6M) is rather feast or famine at the moment as he attempts to secure some sort of status for next year. His last four starts show MC-9-MC-19 and although he didn’t make the weekend here last year, he’s a great wind player with a bunch of wins by the sea. Jeremy Paul (13.8M) has made four of his last five cuts and the most recent was l6th in Mexico last week. His other two best efforts this season (runner-up Corales Puntacana and 16th Puerto Rico) were both in events that correlate well. Ben Kohles (14M) has three finishes of 26th or better in his last half-dozen starts on the PGA Tour. A low-ball hitter, he’s cashed twice here, shooting laps of 64 and 65. Adam Schenk (14M) has finished 26th and 29th on his two visits to this event and boasts decent form having made the cut in all four Fall Series events (best of 21st).
That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.
But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.
For this week’s best bet, let’s head over to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
After his stellar 2025, I do like Rory McIlroy to round it off with another win. He’s 4.5 to do so.
ANDY SULLIVAN OFFER!
In the side markets, try Andy Sullivan for a Top 10. The Englishman has managed that in two of his last three visits to the course and comes in hot after 15th in the India Championship, fourth in the Genesis and seventh in Abu Dhabi last week.
Sullivan is 5.2 for a Top 10 which is a must.
But, as you can see above, new customers can get that at a massive 30/1 when signing up.
Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE
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