Daily Fantasy Golf 2015: Primer and Strategy for DraftKings British Open

There's nothing quite like the British Open taking place at "The Home of Golf" in St. Andrews, and the illustrious third major of the year returns to Scotland's iconic course for the 2015 edition beginning Thursday.

The absence of Rory McIlroy due to an ankle injury has undoubtedly stripped the field of one of the initial favorites, but it's failed to quell the overall hype. Open Championships at St. Andrews have produced a wealth of worthy champions, with seven of the last eight winners already having a major title on their resume.

Major experience—and success—should be among the biggest of pluses, but it will also take impeccably low scores for golfers to threaten victory over the weekend. Of the last five British Opens to take place at St. Andrews, four have included scores of 19-under, 18-under, 16-under and 14-under.

Finding a golfer not just capable, but dangerous to rip off consecutive birdies will be a huge key, but the quirkiness of St. Andrews will also call for the right poise and control on other holes. It will take the complete package for success in Scotland, so let's take a look at strong picks from varying price ranges to help navigate your way to victory. 

Jordan Spieth: $12,000

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Winner of both major championships thus far in 2015, Jordan Spieth will eat up nearly one fourth of your salary—but assured to be by far the most selected golfer, you're likely better off building around him than not. A big deal was seemingly made of him competing in the John Deere Classic the weekend prior, but he went out and won the tournament in a playoff.

Virtually the biggest adjustment to make for Spieth is the speed of the St. Andrews greens, which shouldn't be a big issue considering how he sets himself up on the greens. He ranks first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained total, and eighth in strokes gained on the green. With the chance to win his third major of the year, Spieth will be locked in with his irons and putter again.

Sergio Garcia: $9,500

Stew Milne/Associated Press

Sergio Garcia's value in the British Open just about mimics his finishes thus far in major championships, as he's notched top-20 finishes in both the Masters and U.S. Open. But he turns it on at St. Andrews, where he's finished in the top 15 in each of the last two British Opens there.

Of his last 12 rounds in DraftKings tournaments, Garcia shot under par in nine of them. His seventh-ranked scoring average and fourth-ranked tee-to-green strokes gained will play well to the St. Andrews course again.

Hideki Matsuyama: $8,500

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Hideki Matsuyama is putting up the consistent results that aren't often seen from a golfer in his price range, finishing in the top 20 of every one of his appearances starting with the Masters. With two of his three top-10 performances coming at the Masters and Memorial Tournament, he's stepping up when it matters most. 

Matsuyama ranks a whopping second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained from tee to green, which should play right into the St. Andrews wheelhouse, with a plethora of short holes that will nullify Matsuyama's accuracy shortcomings. 

Ryan Palmer: $7,000

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Getting to Europe one week early and playing in the Scottish Open—where he finished 31st at five strokes under par—isn't the only thing Ryan Palmer has going for him. He's also an impressive 11 of 14 in making the cut in 2015, and his 69.4 average in DraftKings is second behind only Keegan Bradley in the $7,400-$7,000 range.

He's finished even par or better in seven of his last eight DK appearances, with the lone exception coming at the treacherous U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

Morgan Hoffmann: $6,600

Steve Helber/Associated Press

When it's considered that he's cheaper than more than 90 of the names in the mix, Morgan Hoffmann's recent tear looks even more impressive. He's shot scores of 69 or lower in seven of his last eight DraftKings rounds, which includes a 13th-place finish at Greenbrier.

His driving accuracy issues will be stalemated by the St. Andrews setup somewhat and should allow him to utilize his putting strength on the long greens.

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