The PGA Tour heads to Memorial Park Golf Course for the Vivant Houston Open this week, a unique venue that features five par 5s and five par 3s — all of which could have major implications for DFS scoring. Dustin Johnson is returning after recovering from COVID-19, and the world’s No. 1 golfer will also top the salary chart on DraftKings and FanDuel. That said, I don’t plan on using Johnson much this week.
Here are the five picks in my player pool.
Tony Finau ($10,900 on DraftKings, $11,500 on FanDuel)
The long holes should benefit Finau, who excels on Par 5s. Finau has only played once since the start of the 2020-21 season, notching an 11th at the Zozo Championship. That finish represented his fourth trip inside the top 12 in his past six events. Finau is nothing if not consistent, and his high salary for the Houston Open could help to keep his ownership down this week.
Russell Henley ($9,400 on DK, $11,200 on FD)
Henley last missed a cut at the 3M Open in July. Since then, he’s made it to the weekend eight times in a row, including four results inside the top 10. Over his last 50 rounds, Henley leads the field in shots gained: tee to green and on approach.
Zach Johnson ($8,600 on DK, $10,600 on FD)
After an eighth at the US Open, Johnson opened the 2020-21 season with two finishes inside the top 25 – 23rd at the Sanderson Farms Championship and 19th at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open. Other than missing the cut at a major (the PGA Championship), Johnson hasn’t missed a weekend since the RBC Heritage in June.
Wyndham Clark ($7,700 on DK, $9,200 on FD)
Clark just scored a second at the Bermuda Championship after losing in a playoff to Brian Gay. He finished strong, shooting 65 on Sunday. This followed a 13th at the Shriners and a made cut at Sanderson Farms, so Clark’s recent form is strong. Hopefully, that’s more of a harbinger for the Houston Open than Clark’s poor end to 2019-20, which saw him miss three cuts in his last four events.
John Huh ($6,300 on DK, $7,200 on FD)
After an undisclosed injury forced Huh to miss seven months on tour, he restarted his career under a major medical exemption at the Shriners, finishing 19th. Now, he’s back for the Houston Open a month later, he’s looking to continue his hot birdie streak on this track full of long holes.
