This article is part of our DFS Golf series.
LIV GOLF HONG KONG
Purse: $20M individual, $5 million team
Winner's share: $4M individual, $3M team
Location: Sheung Shui, Hong Kong
Course: Hong Kong Golf Club
Yardage: 6,718
Par: 70
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Tournament Preview
Three events down for the 2024 LIV Golf season, and there have been plenty of fireworks in such a short span. Joaquin Niemann captured his second title of the year in Jeddah by four strokes over the Stinger GC duo of captain Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. The Torque GC captain joined Talor Gooch, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau as the sixth player to win multiple LIV Golf tournaments, and Niemann sits comfortably at the top of the season-long individual table. Speaking of DeChambeau, his Crushers GC won the team event in Jeddah and also find themselves atop of the standings in front of Smash GC and Legion XIII heading into Hong Kong. Lifelong fans saw the return of Anthony Kim, who entered as a Wild Card at LIV Golf Jeddah in his return to professional golf after a 12-year absence, and although he showed some rust with his 16-over finish, he will look to turn things around this weekend.
LIV Golf will make its first appearance in Hong Kong on March 8 at the Hong Kong Golf Club, which will also be featured in the International Series and the Asian Tour. One player who will look to recapture his spark and earn some points toward the individual standings is Majesticks GC co-captain Ian Poulter, who won the 2010 Hong Kong Open. Several LIV golf players participated in the 2023 Hong Kong Open, with reserve Ben Campbell winning the tournament ahead of Ripper GC captain Smith. Others who finished in the top 12 of that event include RangeGoats GC Peter Uihlein, Crushers GC Harold Varner III and Smash GC Graeme McDowell.
The 6,718 yardage at Hong Kong Golf Club is the shortest of the season thus far, so for players like Poulter -- whose 64.29 percent fairway in regulation leads the league over the first three tournaments -- accuracy will be crucial. Driving distance won't be a major advantage for this week. The course is littered with bunkers, particularly on holes 13 and 17 with the greens surrounded by sand. Those who can hit the fairway and green steadily, as well as scramble their way to a par, should fare quite well in Hong Kong. The weather will need to be on the players' radar, as there is some chance of rain (particularly Sunday afternoon) and winds of up to 19 miles per hour.
Plenty of golfers will be looking to move their way up the individual and team standings in Hong Kong, so let's get into this week's picks.
DraftKings Value Picks
Based on a Standard $50K Salary Cap
Tier 1 Values
Jon Rahm - $12,200 (Winning odds at DraftKings Sportsbook: +500)
I've been reluctant to include Rahm in the last two DFS columns, given his high salary. The fact that he has finished in the top 10 in each of the first three events of the season, however, cannot be ignored, and the Legion XIII captain's price is warranted until further notice. Rahm enters Hong Kong third in the individual standings and ranks third in scrambling (74.42 percent) and T4 in GIR (73.46 percent).
Brooks Koepka - $10,400 (+1600)
Koepka scored two consecutive four-under 66 rounds to finish off Jeddah for a share of 12th place. The Smash GC captain has played a pivotal role in propelling Smash GC to second in the team standings, including a team event victory in Las Vegas. Koepka is a respectable T14 in fairway accuracy (53.17 percent), but what will keep him in contention at Hong Kong Golf Club is his scrambling rate (73.33 percent - sixth) and GIR (72.22 percent - T7).
Joaquin Niemann - $10,000 (+800)
Niemann followed up his special invitation to the Masters with a dominant four-stroke victory in Jeddah, and the Chilean golfer was subsequently invited to the PGA Championship following the win. He finished top-5 in six of his last seven professional appearances -- including three victories -- and sits atop the LIV Golf individual season standings. Over the first three LIV events, Niemann ranks first in average birdies per round (5.33) and second behind Paul Casey in GIR (75.31 percent).
Tier 2 Values
Talor Gooch - $9,300 (+1200)
Gooch's individual season title defense is off to a good start, with finishes of T2 and T6 over the last two events placing him fourth in the standings. The American golfer leads the field in scrambling (77.55 percent), third in fairway accuracy (60.32 percent) and T5 in putting average (1.52), which should translate well at Hong Kong Golf Club. He'll look to reverse his fortunes from the last time he played at the course when he finished T42 at the 2023 Hong Kong Open.
Louis Oosthuizen - $9,100 (+2200)
The Stinger GC captain bounced back in spectacular fashion from his 50th-place finish in Las Vegas to share second place with teammate Schwartzel in Jeddah. Oosthhuizen ranks near the top of the ladder in the statistical categories you'd want for the short course at Hong Kong Golf Club, including second in scrambling (76.19 percent), T2 in putting average (1.50) and T5 in fairway accuracy (58.73 percent).
Paul Casey - $9,000 (+5000)
Casey's T29 finish in Jeddah was a tournament in which the English golfer was unable to keep his mistakes to a minimum when needed most. This weekend's tournament is a good opportunity to turn things around, however, especially as he leads the pool in GIR (75.93 percent). Casey also ranks fourth in fairway accuracy (59.52 percent) and T10 in scrambling (66.67 percent).
Tier 3 Values
Richard Bland - $7,400 (+5000)
Bland wasn't able to make much headway with a T31 finish in Jeddah, but he finished in the top-15 in the two prior events. He ranks T9 in GIR (71.6 percent) and T14 in fairway accuracy (53.17 percent), and has held his own in scrambling opportunities as well. In his last appearance at this weekend's course, Bland finished T15 at the 2014 Hong Kong Open.
Henrik Stenson - $7,200 (+8000)
Stenson didn't have a great outing in his last visit to Hong Kong Golf Club (T61 at the 2023 World City Championship), but the Majesticks GC co-captain has the tools to contend this weekend. Stenson ranks T8 in fairway accuracy (56.35 percent) and T9 in GIR (71.6 percent), indicating that he has no problems getting to where he needs to go. He figures to be a sneaky, low-value pick if he can right the ship with the scrambling and putting.
Branden Grace - $7,000 (+8000)
Grace was in contention for a podium finish in Jeddah. He followed up a bogey-free, three-under 67 first round with a five-under 65, including an eagle on his first hole of the day. Grace finished with an underwhelming one-over in the final round to end the tournament tied for 22nd place. He ended up leading the field in GIR (83.33 percent), and if he can get his putting game figured out -- he ranks last in the field this season with 1.71 putts per hole -- the South African could turn out to be a great value pick.
Tier 4 Values
Graeme McDowell - $6,700 (+15000)
McDowell has previous success at Hong Kong Golf Club, including a T12 finish at the 2023 Hong Kong Open and a fifth-place finish at the 2010 event. He has surged in the final round in each of the last two LIV Golf events, including a five-under 65 to help him finish with a share of fifth place in Las Vegas. McDowell is in the top-five in fairway accuracy (58.73 percent), and could be in for a big weekend if he's able to take advantage of his accuracy off the tee.
Phil Mickelson - $6,600 (+15000)
Mickelson's T6 finish in Jeddah was his best placement since the league formed in 2022. He got off to a hot start with a five-under 65 in the first round, and he finished the tournament T3 in GIR (79.63 percent). Mickelson heads into Hong Kong averaging 1.54 putts per hole over this season, which is T8 in the field.
Ian Poulter - $6,500 (+15000)
If there's one course that will help the English golfer rebound from his 51st place finish in Jeddah, it's Hong Kong Golf Club, where Poulter won the 2010 Hong Kong Open. Poulter has just 0.80 points to his name in the individual standings, but he leads the field in fairway accuracy (64.29 percent) and ranks 15th in scrambling (64.91 percent).
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