DraftKings are running a fantasy golf game associated with the Barclays offering a first prize of $100,000 out of a total fund of $425,000. Players can draft up to 100 teams at $3 per entry and must select six players with a salary cap of $50,000 which means the average cost of each player is $8,333. Salaries range from $12,600 for Jordan Spieth to $5,500 for some of the lower order qualifiers for the 2015 FedEx Cup.
Player Salaries
For each player in the tournament DraftKings displays stroke averages, top 10s and cuts made. The FPPG rating measures each player’s fantasy score since the start of the season and the top players will have the best rating. Fantasy players can see detailed statistics for each competitor from over the last two seasons. These numbers analyse scoring on each type of hole and show a player’s stroke average in their last event and from the start of the 2014 season.
Course Features
The Barclays is the first of four FedEx Cup playoff tournaments culminating in the Tour Championship. The event is being played at Plainfield Country Club in New Jersey. At less than 7,000 yards the course is below average in length by modern standards. The layout puts a premium on accuracy over distance and strokes gained putting will also be important. Plainfield was the easiest par 71 when it last staged the Barclays in 2011 and the winning score was 19 under.
The Barclays Team
Brooks Koepka ($9,700) is one of the bright young things of American golf trying to make an impact after spending several years playing on the European Tour. He is now consistently recording high finishes in the States and has the game to score well at Plainfield. Koepka is a top 10 player for greens hit and strokes gained putting. He has made his last five cuts with something to spare and is set for another good week on a course suited to his profile.
Henrik Stenson ($9,600) is the only European to win the FedEx Cup. He doubled up in Europe in 2013 to win both money titles but his form has since dipped. He has yet to win a major but can prove himself at the highest level in a tournament with similar strength. Stenson is a top 10 player driving accuracy and greens hit and is also in the top 30 for strokes gained putting. He is not in great form but a suitable course can see him get his career back on track.
Jim Furyk ($8,800) has been playing consistently on tour for more than 20 years. His ratio of wins has gone down and excellent overall form has taken him into the top 10 of the official golf world rankings. He won the US Open in 2003 so is proven at the highest level and excels on courses that put a premium on distance over accuracy. Furyk has won again this year and more confidence can see become a leading contender for the FedEx Cup which he has already won.
Robert Streb ($7,900) is another emerging talent who looks like a winner about to happen on the PGA Tour. He finished just five shots off the pace in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational against one of the strongest fields of the year. That effort comes as part of a solid run of form in high quality tournaments. Streb is a top 30 player for greens in regulation and strokes gained putting and those skills can compensate for only average driving.
Lee Westwood ($7,900) moved his family to the States to give himself the best chance of winning a major but that has not worked out well. He is the only player to finish in the top three of all four majors without winning one. Tee to green he has been one of the best players in the world but putting has been an issue in the most prestigious tournaments. Winning may be beyond Westwood this week but he can score some points on a course suited to his game.
Kevin Na ($6,900) has an excellent short game and excels on courses that call for accuracy more than distance. He has won on the PGA Tour but tends to let himself down temperamentally when the pressure is at its most severe. Na can prosper this week as he can fiddle his way around the relatively short course and hole enough putts to contend. He is a top 30 player for strokes gained tee to green and is currently 30th in the FedEx Cup standings without winning this year.
Click here for the FedEx Cup standings. Photo Credit
