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2019 John Deere Classic picks, sleepers and expert predictions: Which young star will break out this week?
The case of John Deere Classic defending champion Michael Kim illustrates why it’s so tough to bet on golf. Kim has played in 17 events since he won last year’s event by shooting a sizzling 27-under and winning by seven. He has missed the cut in all 17 of those events. The former University of Cal standout was a 300-to-1 longshot when he won last year. He has the same odds as he defends his title, the highest odds of a defending champ in recent memory on the PGA Tour.
Kim proves another reminder that you should expect the unexpected when predicting sports, particularly golf. Such was the case when Bryson DeChambeau’s 72nd-hole eagle proved not to be enough for a playoff with Matthew Wolff and his walk-off dramatics at the 3M Open last week. Half of our panel, and many other golf handicappers, were on DeChambeau. A T-2 is nice if you had an each-way ticket. But other than that, it’s just another close call resulting in nada.
Our experts are ready to recover from the disappointment of Bryson and provide their picks this week, which just like every week, includes a PGA Tour caddie offering insight from the range and putting green of this week's John Deere Classic, thanks to our partnership with The Caddie Network; handicapping advice from The Action Network, which is becoming the leader in sports betting and handicapping analysis, and it's growing its presence in golf; two of the most respected experts in the daily-fantasy community, Pat Mayo of DraftKings and Brandon Gdula of FanDuel; and Columbia University senior lecturer and Ph.D. Lou Riccio, who uses predictive analysis and modeling to forecast winners in golf.
Again this week, we also have insights on DFS ownership and sentiment from FanShare Sports' premium content, a website that curates all DFS content on the web to offer trends and data as to where to find your edge in building your lineups. We're excited about teaming up with them—and you should be, too.
Read on for this week's picks.
2019 John Deere Classic Picks To Win (Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook)
PGA Tour Caddie Guest Picker of the Week: Daniel Berger (35-1) — I think he’s playing better and starting to trend. He’s only missed the cut once in nine starts since April—the U.S. Open—and he’s coming off a T-15 last week at the 3M Open, his third-best finish of the season. He’s a two-time winner on Tour, so he knows how to get it done—he just needs to put four rounds together. He’s currently 117th in FedEx standings, but I feel like he’s trending in the right spot with only a few events left to get points. I think this course is set up for someone who can bang it around. The fairways are wide. This is the best shape I’ve seen it in a long time at Deere Run. The greens were firm and fast during the practice rounds. I think we’re expecting a little weather later in the week, but I think the environment is set for Berger’s game to excel.
Pat Mayo, DraftKings/Fantasy National analyst: Joel Dahmen (85-1) — With all the interest in the young guns this week, how about an internet favorite who’s lights out with his irons and in search of his first career victory? Dahmen has been unusually inconsistent with his irons, by his standards, over the past few months, gaining on approach in only three of his past six events. When he has gained, though, it’s been an average of five strokes on his approaches. Already with a T-2 at this course a year ago, if the putter continues to stay hot, Dahmen’s gained in six of his past eight events on the greens, and the irons trend upwards, the first-time winner at the JFC may be a lot less exciting than people expect.
Brandon Gdula, FanDuel/numberFire editor: Sungjae Im (28-1) — No golfer has substantial win equity in this field, so it’s a week where I’m generally moving toward the back of the field. However, I do like Im at his odds. The field is loaded with up-and-comers, but Im fits that bill for sure, and he’s being a bit overlooked. He grades out well on par 5s and ranks third in birdie or better among the field over the past 100 rounds on Tour, per FantasyNational.com. He can score well enough to win.
Dr. Lou Riccio, Columbia University: Joaquin Niemann (28-1) — You could've caught these same odds last week on Niemann. But the big names—Koepka, DeChambeau, Matsuyama—are not here. So this is a reasonable number. My model gives Niemann the best chance of winning, with projected odds at 20-1, so that's another reason to back him at this number. The 20-year-old has gained more than six strokes tee-to-green in the last three events. He just had a cold putter last week. Before that, he had two straight top-five finishes and gained more than three strokes on the field with his putter. Expect that performance to come back.
Jason Sobel, Action Network senior golf writer: Collin Morikawa (16-1) — Nothing like jumping on the bandwagon, huh? One of the previously “overlooked” players in the recent post-college crop, Morikawa looked terrific in finishing T-2 at the 3M Open last week. He insists he’s always been a strong ball-striker and he’s already proving it at the highest level. For the tourney, he gained more than 10 strokes on the field in approach shots to finish No. 1 in that category. And yet, that was only like the third-most impressive thing I saw from him last week. The first: This is an unbelievably mature 22-year-old. It’s one thing to own plenty of game inside the ropes, but Morikawa seems just as capable dealing with fans and media off the course. Don’t underestimate how important that is, either. Success comes when a player feels comfortable in all surroundings, not just with a club in his hand. The second: Morikawa opened with bogeys on two of his first three holes Sunday and instantly plummeted down the leaderboard. Other young players — or even older players — might get dejected and chalk it up to a learning experience. He rallied to post a back-nine 30 and give himself a chance to win at the end. For more of Sobel's breakdown, click here.
Golf Digest editors: Ryan Moore (35-1) — We've seen this tournament produce a handful of repeat champions: Namely Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker owning this event. Ryan Moore's proximity stats are good enough where he might join that group: Over the past 50 rounds, he's No. 1 in this field in proximity from 125-150 yards (per (FantasyNational.com), a crucial wedge distance that players will find themselves in very often this week. Moore is also No. 1 in proximity from 175-200
Lee Aldrick, FanShare Sports golf expert: Joaquin Niemann (28-1) — The sensation from Santiago ranks first in the field this week for DraftKings points gained on courses with Bentgrass greens over the past 10 events for those that have played more than two. He also ranks first for Average Birdies. Over his past six events, Niemann has not finished outside of the top 31 and has plotted his way to two top-5 finishes in this time. Maybe it's time for another young stud to get his win, ala Matthew Wolff.
(Results on the season: We’ve correctly predicted seven of the season’s 30 events, with three of our handicappers nearly hitting Bryson DeChambeau (16-1) last week at the 3M Open. Brandon Gdula hit Rory McIlroy (9-1) at the Canadian Open, and our Golf Digest Editors predicted Patrick Cantlay (16-1) the previous week at the Memorial. Pat Mayo has correctly picked Bryson DeChambeau (12-1, Shriners); Matt Kuchar (60-1 at the OHL Classic) and Phil Mickelson (25-1 at Pebble Beach). Lou Riccio called Rickie Fowler's win (16-1) in Phoenix and had a runner-up (Dustin Johnson) at the PGA. And our Golf Digest editors also correctly picked Kevin Tway (55-1) earlier in the season.)
Sleepers/Dark Horses That Could Win at the 2019 John Deere Classic (odds from FanDuel Sportsbook)
PGA Tour Caddie: Scott Stallings (140-1) — Again, I think this course rewards guys who hit it really far and guys who will have wedges in their hands. Scott’s a power player and there are a lot more birdie opportunities for guys who hit it long and straight. He’s been lurking at times this season, but hasn’t put four rounds together yet, except for Pebble back in February, where he finished third – one of two, top-10 finishes this season. It’s been a mixed bag for Scott at the John Deere in the past – a T5 in 2017, some missed cuts (including last year) – but I think he might find something this week.
Mayo: Vaughn Taylor (80-1) — Per the numbers at FantasyNational.com, Taylor is one of the most undervalued players in the field. In the midst of the best putting season of his career, Taylor ranks inside the top 10 in this field in proximity gained from three ranges: 100-125 yards, 125-150 yards, and 150-175 yards. No other player ranks inside the top 30 of those ranges. If he just plays to season norms, Taylor should be able to contend in a wedge-fest.
Gdula: Vaughn Taylor (80-1) — Taylor has course knowledge, playing here nine times over the past 10 years. The finishes aren’t necessarily stellar, but his form really makes him a value. Taylor ranks 16th in strokes gained/approach and ninth in birdie or better rate gained over the past 100 rounds.
Riccio: Johnson Wagner (130-1) — This is a bit of a longshot, but hear me out. Wagner putter's been heating up—he gained more than five strokes/putting on the field last week at the 3M Open and over three at the Byron Nelson. Wagner has some solid history at the John Deere—finishing fifth in 2016 and 16th last year. Wagner rates out sixth in my model this week, due in large part to him being 11th in strokes gained/putting over the past 50 rounds and the strength of his wedge play. If my model tells me anything, it's that this week's event is wide open. Nobody has a better than 5-percent chance of winning, but more than 47 players have more than a 1-percent chance of winning. This is your week to take a couple of bombs.
Sobel, Action Network: Matt Every (125-1) — What I like about Every in this situation is that: 1) he’ll likely be very low-owned in OAD pools and DFS lineups and 2) he’s proven he can win a tournament. I mean, it’s pretty nuts that Every owns just one fewer PGA Tour victory than Charles Howell III. He’s certainly part of the high-ceiling/low-floor gang, but if Every gets things moving in the right direction early, he should keep it going if his interest is piqued on the weekend.
Golf Digest editors: Brian Stuard (100-1) — Fresh off a fifth-place finish in his last start, Brian Stuard's stats are pretty impressive.
Aldrick, FanShare Sports: Beau Hossler (70-1) — The World No. 121 is a Bentgrass specialist. He ranks second in the field this week in strokes gained/putting on Bentgrass greens over the last 12 months. Hossler also ranks third in the field this week for DraftKings points gained over his last 10 events on Bentgrass greens of those that have played more than 2 events.
Players to Fade This Week (who will disappoint)
PGA Tour Caddie: Matthew Wolff (22-1) — These new kids are hard to figure out. In his first pro start at Hartford, he finished T-80 (MDF). He missed the cut the next week in Detroit, but then he went out and won the 3M Open. I just think the guy is obviously used to having a lot of success—Haskins Award winner, great amateur career, but I just see a letdown after last week. There has to be. It was a hell of an accomplishment but doing it that quickly on tour isn’t the norm. He’s going to breathe a lot of excitement into the game. A kid growing up on a driving range and doing what he’s done is a really cool story. I just think he’ll have a bit of a letdown this week.
Mayo: Daniel Berger (35-1) — Berger is just overvalued, even in this field. Having been positive with the irons in just two of his past five starts, Berger has been churning out his middling results with strong play from the tee box. That’s fine, but won’t solve the issue of TPC Deere Run being a second-shot course, especially with a wedge; Berger ranks 147th in the field in Proximity Gained from 125-150 yards.
Gdula: Brian Harman (22-1) — TPC Deere Run requires birdies and scoring, and that’s just not really Harman’s game. He’s trending up, for sure, and his past 24 rounds have been enticing — but not enticing enough for me to overlook the weaker long-term form and fit for this track, especially with Sungjae Im, Viktor Hovland, and Joaquin Niemann available at similar numbers.
Riccio: Jhonattan Vegas (70-1) — Vegas has really cooled off this summer. He has missed three of his past four cuts, losing a bunch of strokes along the way. My model has him as the 72nd most likely player to win, with projected odds over 140-1, making this an easy fade.
Sobel, Action Network: Ho-Sung Choi (400-1) — I don’t usually recommend fades on players who are already easy fades, but I thought this one needed a special public-service announcement. Everybody’s favorite helicopter-swinging, wide-smiling golfer is in the field this week, offering us viral videos in real time. I’ll admit it: The dude owns some pizzazz. If you haven’t seen him yet,, he's all over YouTube. Maybe those clips are just enough to elicit a few smiles and move on with your picks for the week. Or maybe you’re thinking Choi can bottle this fun and parlay it into a big-time result. Even if you’re not betting the ultimate outright longshot, you might be thinking of putting a few bucks on him for a top-10 or top-20. You know, just to give you someone to root for. But we should know by now: Don’t put your money where your heart is. A wager on Choi is roughly the equivalent of a New York Knicks fan picking their team for an NBA title. It’s a cool ticket to show your buddies, but ultimately it’s not going to win you any cash. In his last six starts, all on tours in Japan and Korea, Choi has posted the following results: 50th-MC-55th-WD-MC-WD. In his lone previous PGA Tour start, he posted scores of 72-75-77 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this year, beating just 14 other competitors in a notoriously weak-bottomed field. He’s a fun dude to watch. You might be drawn to the theatrics and want to bet him or put him in a few DFS lineups. Just don’t do it. Enjoy the show – for free.
Golf Digest editors: Kyle Stanley (50-1) — Stanley withdrew last week and missed the cut here last year. Not exactly two confidence-inspiring facts to back someone with some of the lowest odds on the board. You're way better off going with players with higher odds, who we think have a better chance to win (Joel Dahmen, Vaughn Taylor, Wyndham Clark, etc.).
Aldrick, FanShare Sports: Victor Hovland (18-1) — Of the top 3 in the Draftkings slate this week, Hovland is the only one without a PGA Tour top 10 finish. Sure, he’s been close and will undoubtedly get a win, let alone a top 10 very soon, but do you want to pay $10,900 for a player without a top 10 PGA Tour finish to his name? Hovland is also statistically a far worse putter than the other 2 and it’s not even close.
2019 John Deere Classic picks: Matchups
PGA Tour Caddie: Sepp Straka (+115) over Dylan Frittelli (Sportbet) — Sepp is another power player. I think Sepp has been on the verge of doing something pretty big even if the results don’t line up with that thinking. He’s working hard out there. The T11 at Rocket Mortgage was a good sign – his best finish of the season. He followed it up with a missed cut last week – it was the first round that did him in at 3M, a 73. He bounced back Friday with a 68, but it wasn’t enough to make the weekend. He’s playing well and I think this golf course suits him.
Mayo: Martin Laird (-120) over Nate Lashley (Sportsbook) — Very quietly, the Scotsman has made seven of his past nine cuts and started to put together some excellent ball striking numbers the past three events. The issue: The flat stick just hasn’t cooperated. Laird’s lost an incredible 8.2 strokes on the greens in his past six rounds. A tough look from a player who’s been an average to above average putter in his career. He’s never played this event in his career, however, he’s historically a great Par 3 performer and ranks seventh in this field in Par 5s gained over the past 24 rounds.
Gdula: Lucas Glover (-106) over Charles Howell III (FanDuel) — This is a really close matchup in my books, but Glover has the better long-term approach and scoring numbers than Howell does to help differentiate. He grades out slightly better on par 5s, as well.
Riccio: Daniel Berger (+100) over Charles Howell III (Sportsbook) — Daniel Berger is a birdie machine, and he's heating up. He just needs to find some consistency. He gained more than six strokes relative to the field last week at the 3M Open, including more than six strokes tee-to-green. But his putter wasn't hot. He lost strokes the previous two weeks with his putter, but Berger is one of the best in this field with a wedge in his hand. I'm willing to back Berger over Howell, who has been a little inconsistent with a wedge in his hand since his return from injury.
Sobel, Action Network: Kyle Stanley (-105) over Zach Johnson (Sportbet) — From the years 2009 through 2015, Johnson recorded six top-three finishes at the John Deere. In his last 40 rounds at this event, he’s broken par 38 times. All told, he’s cashed more than $3 million here. Nobody loves this tourney more than the local guy, who’s an absolute Quad Cities legend. And so, of course, I’m fading him this week.
Look, I understand why anyone would find this a foolish wager, but this is a different ZJ than the one who’s been coming here for years.
He recently fell outside the world’s top-100 and in 14 starts this year, he’s yet to finish better than 16th place. Stanley, meanwhile, has been trending in the right direction after a poor start to the year. He’s an above-average ball-striker and while he doesn’t have the course history of Johnson, he has played well at TPC Deere Run before. I like him as the underdog in this one.
Golf Digest editors: Ryan Palmer (-125) over Nick Watney (Sportsbook) — Ryan Palmer is capable of making birdies in bunches. We saw that in his win with Jon Rahm at the Zurich Classic. And in his past 50 rounds, Palmer rates second in the field in birdies gained—proving he's lethal with a wedge in his hands. Palmer said he expected himself to win at least one more time after the lid was lifted by his Zurich win. This might be the place—he should take this match-up easily over Watney, who has had a resurgent year but doesn't make as many birdies as Palmer.
Aldrick, FanShare Sports: Joaquin Niemann (-110) over Matthew Wolff (Bodog) — There is no doubt at all that Matthew Wolff is a star of the future and absolutely has the game to win this week. However, it is always tough for a player to follow up his first win on the PGA Tour the next time out. Historically it normally takes a good few weeks. As well as this, Wolff hasn’t played TPC Deere Run whereas Niemann has so he also has that advantage over him too.
(Matchup results last week: PGA Tour Caddie: 1 for 1 (Viktor Hovland (+110) over Tony Finau); Action Network: 1 for 1 (Viktor Hovland (+110) over Tony Finau); (Riccio: 1 for 1 (Shawn Stefani (-120) over Scott Stallings); GD Editors: 1 for 1 (Jason Dufner (-105) over Luke List); Gdula: 0 for 1; Mayo: 0 for 1.
(Matchup results for the year: Action Network guest picker: 8 for 9; GD Editors: 16 wins, 8 losses, two pushes; Riccio: 13-10; PGA Tour Caddie: 15-11; Mayo: 10-12-2; Gdula: 10-13-2.)
Top 10 (odds from DraftKings Sportsbook)
PGA Tour Caddie: Brian Harman (+350) — Obviously, he had a really good tournament last week – T7 thanks to a final-round 65. He’ll carry that momentum into Silvis this week at the tournament where he snagged his first Tour win in 2014. He’s comfortable on this course and I think he’s comfortable with his game right now. At 100th in the FedEx at the moment, he can sort of have that mentality that he’s playing with house money. Last week’s T7 was his second top-10 finish in his last three starts. Maybe he can free wheel here this week at a place where he’s going to have good vibes.
Mayo: Hank Lebioda (+800) — Ranked 10th tee-to-green over the past 50 rounds, gaining strokes with his irons in seven of his past eight event, Lebioda is far more comfortable at a shorter venue like TPC Deere Run. His wedges aren’t elite, they have improved over the season however, but he makes birdies in bunches, and you’re going to need a lot of them in the Quad Cities.
Gdula: Ryan Palmer (+750) — Palmer doesn’t have the allure of the youngsters, but the ball-striking is there, as he’s top-21 in both strokes gained/off the tee and strokes gained/approach over the past 100 rounds. He gets into scoring chances often with that profile, and if he putts well, he should be in contention.
Riccio: Sam Ryder (+650) — These are really high odds on someone who rates out really well at this course. Ryder is fifth in proximity from the crucial 125-`150-yard distance over the past 50 rounds, according to FantasyNational.com, and he's ninth in opportunities gained. This will be another birdie-fest, and Ryder should take advantage of having a wedge in his hand.
Sobel, Action Network: Brice Garnett (+750) — What I like about this one is that it hasn’t cashed this year—yet. Garnett’s last top-10 result came late last year at Mayakoba, but he’s been trending in the right direction. After finishes of T-17 in Detroit and T-23 in Minnesota, I like him to step on the gas pedal a bit this week and make a stronger charge on the weekend. He’s accurate off the tee (eighth this season) and finds a lot of greens in regulation (28th), all of which should correlate nicely to TPC Deere Run.
Golf Digest editors: Vaughn Taylor (+700) — Just for the reasons that Mayo and Gdula are behind Vaughn Taylor to win, we like these 7-to-1 odds for him to finish in the top 10. Taylor's won on a big stage before (Pebble Beach), so he could get it done, but even if not, it's nice to have these odds to fall back on if he can't quite win but has a good week. And that's what we expect him to do.
Aldrick, FanShare Sports: Joey Garber (+1000) — Of all the players playing again this week, Joey Garber ranks fifth this week for DraftKings points scored at the 3M Open. This is not his only decent showing of late. Over the last two months, Garber ranks ninth in the field for strokes gained/tee-to-green over the last two months. In fact, in his last five events he has recorded four top-30 finishes. In this weak field and fresh off a top 10 in Minnesota, I truly believe he has the game to record back-to-back top 10s.
(Top-10 results last week: Mayo hit Troy Merritt at 14-1 odds; Everyone else: 0 for 1)
(Top-10 results for the year: Action Network: 3 out of 7 (+196, +800, +1000 hits); Mayo: 8 for 24; GD Editors: 6 for 23; Gdula: 5 for 23; Riccio: 5 for 23; PGA Tour Caddie: 5 for 24.)
DraftKings lineups
Mayo: This field is so scrubby you almost have to take a shot at the top, and I prefer Morikawa the best. He just shot -20 and gained less than a stroke on the field putting. He gained over 10 with his irons. Expect some natural regression with the irons, but if he gets a hot week with the putter no one will have more birdie chances, it appears. Fresh off a T7 finish in the Twin Cities and gaining strokes on approach for the first time since the Memorial, Merritt looks to up his game again in the Quad Cities and build off a great week. A notoriously streaky player, he’s made four of five lifetime cuts at the JDC and is one of the few in the field who ranks among the field leaders in proximity gained from 125-175 yards on both easy and neutral courses. His off-the-tee woes should be masked by what this track demands with the drivers, and the short hitter has been sneakily performing on Par 5s this year. Merritt ranks 24th in this field in Par 5s gained over the past 50 rounds. While Bermuda is his best putting surface, both of his career wins have come on Bentgrass, and both have come between May and the end of July.
Collin Morikawa ($10,700); Joel Dahmen ($8,400); Vaughn Taylor ($7,700); Troy Merritt ($7,500); __Hank Lebioda __ ($7,100).
Riccio: This is the rare week where my model's top six picks fit nicely into DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Niemann is my pick to win; Zach Johnson's ball-striking is back, and he always plays well here; Denny McCarthy should be a factor if his putter remains hot; Sam Ryder's proximity stats make him a factory; Johnson Wagner can light it up with birdies—particularly at TPC Deere Run; and Andres Romero has some sneaky history at TPC Deere Run.
Joaquin Niemann ($10,600); Zach Johnson ($9,600); Denny McCarthy ($7,500); Sam Ryder ($7,500); Johnson Wagner ($7,200); Andres Romero ($7,000).
Golf Digest Editors: It's easy to go with a balanced approach this week, even if you take one of the top-end guys like Niemann. Starting your lineup with Ryan Moore at $9,200 ensures a true balanced approach, with six guys who could conceivably win. Wyndham Clark had command of last week's tournament for much of the front nine. Joel Dahmen finished second here last year. And Vaughn Taylor's wedge proximity stats are really impressive. Peter Malnati can make birdies in a hurry on a course that doesn't emphasize length, and Brian Stuard is our sleeper pick to win based on his ball-striking stats. This should be a winning lineup.
Ryan Moore ($9,200); Wyndham Clark ($9,000); Joel Dahmen ($8,400); Peter Malnati ($7,900); Vaughn Taylor ($7,700); Brian Stuard ($7,400).
FanShare Sports Under the Radar Pick of the Week: Sam Burns ($9,`100 DraftKings; $10,100 FanDuel). Courtesy of FanShare: The World No. 112 isn’t pulling up any trees right now, however, in a field like this it isn’t going to take a lot to be the tornado in the pack. Delving into the FanShare Pro Research Tool it quickly becomes apparent that the 22-year-old Texan is rounding into form right now. Burns ranks 1st in the field this week for Draftkings Points Gained over the last 2 months. Looking even further back we can see that he has been fairly consistent for a while now. The birdie machine has made 8 of his last 10 PGA Tour cuts and has gained 13.74 Draftkings Points over the field in this time. This has helped him on his way to recording a 6th and 7th place finish in his last 5 PGA Tour events. The 2017 Jack Nicklaus Player Of The Year ranked 12th last week for Draftkings Points Gained and his final round 64 will ensure he enters this week brimming with confidence.
Based on all golf 3M Open preview content as of Wednesday morning, here's how FanShare calculates the most popular plays for this week. To learn more about FanShare's ownership data, click here.
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FanDuel lineups
Gdula: This week, my strategy is basically avoiding the middle of the pricing pool due to the nature of this field. I’ll be keying in on my favorite “studs” at the top, starting with Joaquin Niemann ($10,800) and Sungjae Im ($10,900) due to their prices below $11,000. The $8,000 and $9,000 range has a lot of strong plays, namely Ryan Palmer ($9,300), Vaughn Taylor ($8,900), and Jhonattan Vegas ($8,500). This helps us spend up for just about any option we prefer.
Riccio: Same lineup as above: Joaquin Niemann ($10,900); Zach Johnson ($10,300); Denny McCarthy ($9,000); Sam Ryder ($8,900); Johnson Wagner ($8,200); Andres Romero ($7,500).
GD Editors: We're more apt to go with some high-end players in FanDuel formats, where you just need to find one or two sleepers at the low end of the salary range to round out your lineup. Morikawa, Harman, Niemann or Burns could all win. And we've seen good play by Redman and Hoge recently.
Collin Morikawa ($11,700); Brian Harman ($11,000); Joaquin Niemann ($10,900); Sam Burns ($10,100); Doc Redman ($8,300); Tom Hoge ($7,800).
About our experts
Dr. Lou Riccio, a PhD senior lecturer, teaches rational decision making at Columbia's Graduate School of Business and has served on the USGA's handicap research team for three decades. His predictive analysis and modeling helps him make expert picks for our column.
Pat Mayo is known as one of the pre-eminent experts in daily-fantasy sports and golf handicapping specifically. Mayo is a 17-time fantasy sports-writers association finalist, the most of any writer this decade, and Mayo won the 2019 Fantasy Sports Writing Association Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year and Podcast of the Year awards, along with the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Best Video award. Mayo is on the board of governors at www.fantasynational.com. Here’s a link to watch his complete DraftKings preview of the John Deere Classic.
Brandon Gdula, a senior editor and analyst for NumberFire, a FanDuel daily-fantasy analysis company, recently won the 2018 fantasy sports-writers association Golf Writer of the Year (congrats, Brandon!). Gdula also co-hosts the DFS Heat Check podcast.
Jason Sobel is a senior writer for The Action Network. To read The Action Network's full betting breakdown for the 3M Open, click here.