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2021 Tour Championship: Dark Horses

By Richard McCusker

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 05: Patrick Reed plays his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on August 05, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 05: Patrick Reed plays his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on August 05, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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Before I jump into this week’s tournament, I wanted to do a quick recap for the Tour Championship. My three dark horses were Harry Higgs, Maverick McNealy, Cameron Tringale. Higgs finished -10 in a tie for 38th, McNealy finished -2 in a tie for 63rd, Tringale finished -5 on a tie for 52nd. Overall not the best week for dark horses, in a tournament that had no cuts. This week is the final tournament of the season until the new one starts with the fall swing.

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This week, the PGA Tour is heading to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, GA for the Tour Championship. This tournament consists of the top 30 in FedEx Cup rankings. One Patrick (Cantlay) leads the way at -10, meanwhile the other Patrick (Reed) is at the tail end of things and starts at Even par. The dark horses this week are going to be dirt cheap as some of them are sub 6K. This is to go along with the super high priced top guys that are over 11K and one as high as $13,400. Everyone gets four full rounds which means that if one of those dark horses get hot and running, they can make a charge up the board.

This week I will be providing three dark horses, meaning players that are longshots, but could play really well for their low salary. These dark horses are golfers that are $7,500 and below. Also I use DraftKings, so these prices will be for their website, but the players can be used on FanDuel as well.

Dark Horse Number 1

Patrick Reed ($5,700): Reed is one of my dark horses because even though he is starting from the back, he is still Patrick Reed! This guy can go low with ease and at a course where he has some solid history. He is also sub 6K, which makes me love him even more with his potential of coming inside the top 10 at the end of Sunday. He should not be passed on when looking for some value. Best value with the most potential.

FedEx Cup Standing: 30th

Starting Score: Even

Last Five Finishes on Tour: 31st, 22nd (Olympics), 34th, MC, 32nd

Last Three Tour Championship Finishes: 8th, 9th, 28th

Key Stats:

SG Approach: 43rd

SG Off-the-Tee: 105th

Driving Accuracy Percentage: 69th

Dark Horse Number 2

Daniel Berger ($5,800): Although he has been here once in the past three years, Berger is one of my dark horses for his potential. He starts at the back at even par, but is another guy that has a high ceiling. Also he looks great for the key stats with a super exceptional 5th overall in Strokes Gained Approach on Tour. Also he is sub 6K, which makes sense for his starting position, but also should make him chalky in lineups. Great play to pair with Reed and than grab some of those top guys like Cantlay and Bryson.

FedEx Cup Standing: 26th

Starting Score: Even

Last Five Finishes on Tour: 26th, 56th, 5th, 8th, 34th

Last Three Tour Championship Finishes: 15th, DNP, DNP

Key Stats:

SG Approach: 5th

SG Off-the-Tee: 44th

Driving Accuracy Percentage: 45th

Next. 2021 BMW Championship: Winners and Losers. dark

Dark Horse Number 3

Hideki Matsuyama ($6,400): There is not a whole lot below $7,500, so you have to try to go with your gut feeling and Hideki is one of those. He is a dark horse because in the past he has had some great finishes and even though he doesn’t start at the top, he at least starts one up on the back at 1-under. He has not been playing the best golf overall in the past couple of weeks, but he is a guy that can turn it around at any moment. If the flat stick is working for him, he can post a number. The only problem is that if it is off, he might be stagnant. $6,400 is a cheap price that if you stack with two other guys around that price, you go the “stars and scrubs” approach. This is also my preferred way to go since more likely than not the winner will be one of the top guys.

FedEx Cup Standing: 22nd

Starting Score: -1

Last Five Finishes on Tour: 46th, 43rd, MC, 2nd, 4th (Olympics)

Last Three Tour Championship Finishes: 15th, 9th, 4th

Key Stats:

SG Approach: 10th

SG Off-the-Tee: 40th

Driving Accuracy Percentage: 71st

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