Pat Mayo strongly cautioned against playing Nicholas Dunlap at the 2025 Houston Open due to alarming issues with his driving accuracy. Mayo highlighted Dunlap has lost an average of six strokes off-the-tee per event across his last five tournaments, calling this statistic 'incredible' in how poorly it positions Dunlap for success. Despite Dunlap's previous strong putting performance at this event last year, Mayo is hesitant to roster him until significant improvement is evidenced with the driver.

While not personally advocating strongly for Ricky Fowler at the 2025 Houston Open, Tyler Tamboline acknowledged Fowler as a potentially viable DFS punt option due to his pricing tier. Tamboline advised DFS players who personally back Fowler to confidently differentiate lineups by including him, especially considering Fowler's ability to score and perceived low ownership compared to others in his price range. This approach can create lineup uniqueness even if Fowler may not have been Tamboline's own primary choice at the price.

Pat Mayo indicated enthusiasm for Kevin Yu in PGA DFS ahead of this high-profile week, likening it to the Super Bowl of PGA DFS due to extensive coverage and participation. Although Mayo did not provide extensive statistical specifics directly in this segment, he implied a strong expectation for Yu as a viable DFS option, featuring Kevin Yu prominently on the cheat sheet being published tonight. Mayo's focus on sharing Yu's DFS value through his newsletter and social platforms underscores his confidence in Yu's potential performance and the leverage available by rostering him.

Tyler Tamboline discussed emerging speculative concerns regarding possible off-course personal issues affecting Tony Finau's potential performance at the 2025 Houston Open. While unclear on exact specifics, Tamboline referenced a discussion about potentially impactful personal distractions surrounding Finau that currently remain unclear and speculative. Tamboline encouraged some caution given the uncertainty about how significant personal stresses can impact a player's game, comparing the situation loosely to other athletes historically impacted by off-field issues.

Pat Mayo spotlighted Si Woo Kim as an ideal high-risk, high-upside showdown PGA DFS target specifically for Sunday rounds at the 2025 Houston Open. Mayo explained Kim aggressively attacks pins during final rounds, frequently resulting either in excellent finishes where he's making multiple short putts or terrible rounds where he's constantly scrambling. Mayo underscored that such volatility is precisely what makes Kim a compelling DFS showdown play, giving players the potential to capture a top-scoring round on Sundays despite potential downside risk.

Tyler Tamboline reinforced caution regarding Aldrich Potgieter at the 2025 Houston Open despite Potgieter's appealing ability to 'bomb' drives. Tamboline emphasized that merely being a bomber isn't enough at Memorial Park, stating golfers need to display competency in other essential aspects like approach shots, chipping, and putting. He argued that Potgieter's considerable short game deficiencies, including chipping and putting struggles, make him undesirable for this setup despite his undeniable distance off the tee.

Pat Mayo strongly recommended fading Aldrich Potgieter at the 2025 Houston Open. Mayo cited Potgieter's severe struggles around the greens, describing it as 'embarrassingly' bad. Additionally, Potgieter is ranked 134th in approach play over his past 24 rounds, making him unsuitable for this course setup. Mayo pointed out that even though the course has wide fairways and less penal shaved areas around the greens, Potgieter's combined weaknesses in both approach and short game significantly outweigh any advantages his driving distance might provide.

Pat Mayo highlighted Aaron Rai as a viable DFS consideration for the 2025 Houston Open. Although Rai struggles on the putting surfaces, Mayo pointed out the course fit specifically rewards golfers who excel in hitting long irons and have the short-game ability to manage challenging scrambling scenarios when greens are missed. Rai fits the archetype Mayo prefers for Memorial Park, with long-iron prowess combined with above-average around-the-green play mitigating his weak putting. Mayo advised carefully slotting such players into lineups, considering the event's distinctive demands and the risk of putting struggles.

Tyler Tamboline echoed Pat Mayo's skepticism concerning Jake Knapp's DFS viability at the 2025 Houston Open, highlighting significant short-game risks. Tamboline suggested DFS players need to factor in Knapp's inability to consistently scramble effectively, notably at this course featuring challenging chipping surfaces. He compared Knapp to volatile high-risk options (though clarifying he wouldn't group him fully with Theegala-type plays), stating that at $7,700, Knapp's price and boom-or-bust nature may look tempting but have potential downside overlooked by players chasing recent strong performances. Tamboline advised careful lineup construction around Knapp, recommending avoiding pairing too many risky, short-game-challenged golfers together in single-entry contests.

Tyler Tamboline notably dismissed emerging injury concerns regarding Tony Finau heading into the 2025 Houston Open, explaining he frequently disregards speculative injury chatter unless it's definitively severe. Tamboline argued minor injury discussions within the DFS community historically tend to suppress ownership, creating leverage opportunities. Tamboline cited examples where golfers previously flagged as injured or in poor form—like Viktor Hovland or Alejandro Tosti—have surprised people with strong finishes despite questionable narratives pre-tournament. Tamboline reinforced that he maintains DFS exposure regardless of minor injury concerns, emphasizing his approach and willingness to seize these market-overreactive leverage opportunities.

Tyler Tamboline strongly endorsed including Sungjae Im in DFS lineups for the 2025 Houston Open at the $9,300 price range. He noted Sungjae is going overlooked likely due to public skepticism and minimal general interest this week, despite previously excelling at courses like Torrey Pines and Augusta—potentially comparable courses to the Houston Open. Tamboline acknowledged the validity of skepticism about course comparisons, yet emphasized his ongoing DFS use of Sungjae due to upside and a tendency to perform well regardless of comps. Tamboline considered Sungjae an excellent pivot, likely to bring leverage and potential strong finishes at lower ownership than similarly priced golfers.

Pat Mayo expressed caution on rostering Jake Knapp at the 2025 Houston Open despite Knapp's streak of four consecutive top 25 finishes prior to one poor showing recently. Mayo's concern stemmed primarily from Knapp's vulnerability around the greens, fearing that if Knapp fails to consistently hit greens in regulation, he lacks the short-game skills to recover properly. Mayo also highlighted Knapp had recently experienced a hot stretch on the greens, implying this could regress negatively, making Knapp a riskier DFS proposition than his consistent finishes might indicate.

Pat Mayo considered Victor Perez a solid DFS play, noting Perez's strong performance at the recent Valspar Championship after his withdrawal from The Players Championship. Mayo implied Perez is now healthy and playing well again, making him an appealing lower-cost DFS choice likely flying under the radar due to recent uncertainties around his health and game readiness.

Tyler Tamboline flagged Lee Hodges as an appealing and potentially overlooked DFS option at the 2025 Houston Open due to minimal ownership after he missed two months of action. Despite uncertainty surrounding Hodges' reason for his absence, Tamboline believes he offers valuable differentiation in tournament lineups, creating advantageous leverage if he returns strong, especially considering most DFS players are unlikely to take the risk given the unknowns surrounding his absence.

Tyler Tamboline suggested Alex Smalley as a target in DFS lineups, highlighting previous excellent performances at the Houston Open (4th and 15th places) despite a recent missed cut largely due to being negatively impacted by poor weather at a recent event. Tamboline points out Smalley's recent finishes (14th, 18th, 10th, 21st, and 11th), reinforcing his consistent overall play and attractiveness as a DFS selection. He anticipates Smalley regaining popularity among DFS players once they fully contextualize his recent missed cut.

Tyler Tamboline called out Jason Day as a valuable DFS choice at the 2025 Houston Open, dismissing recent health concerns about Day being sick at The Players Championship as inconsequential given his quick recovery. Day has historically succeeded playing in Texas and is coming into the tournament in decent form overall. Tamboline indicated Day's past success in this region coupled with dismissed health concerns provides a savvy ownership-reduced opportunity in DFS.

Pat Mayo favored Ben Griffin as a DFS pivot away from the potentially higher-owned Alex Smalley despite comparable or even superior results. Griffin recorded an 11th, 22nd, 24th recently and notably finished top-10 at last year's Houston Open. Mayo projects Griffin to come at about half the ownership and a cheaper price compared to Smalley, making him an appealing leverage play in DFS tournaments.

Tyler Tamboline highlighted Si Woo Kim as a great DFS option, emphasizing his consistently strong recent performances that have been slightly overlooked due to the lack of top-10 finishes. Kim's recent results (21st, 12th, 24th, 19th, 13th, and 38th) were only a few strokes away from top-ten placements, suggesting he's playing much better than many realize. Tamboline considers Kim an opportunity to gain leverage and upside in DFS tournaments since public perception isn't fully accounting for his solid behind-the-scenes form.

Pat Mayo expressed intrigue towards Lee Hodges as a DFS tournament option at the 2025 Houston Open, noting that prior to his extended injury layoff—he hasn't played since Phoenix—Hodges displayed sustained impressive form. Although acknowledging significant rust risk due to the lengthy break, Mayo emphasized Hodges' potential as an interesting low-owned play, underscoring strong pre-injury performances. He views Hodges as a viable high-upside DFS tournament leverage candidate, especially valuable given projected minimal ownership attributable to his clear injury uncertainty.

Tyler Tamboline advised caution regarding Jacob Bridgeman's rising DFS ownership due to recent strong performances during the Florida swing. While acknowledging Bridgeman's current form and public attention, Tamboline questioned whether his Florida success will translate effectively to the Houston Open, expressing mild skepticism given the elevated expectations and added DFS popularity. Tamboline indicated this sets Bridgeman as a potential fade candidate due to uncertain transferable skill across courses combined with the likely ownership boost.

Pat Mayo highlighted Thomas Detry as a particularly appealing DFS pivot option for the 2025 Houston Open. Mayo pointed out that Detry finished second at this event last year and is entering coming off a solid week (22nd place), yet his ownership will remain notably low, projected around 5-6%. Mayo emphasized Detry's upside relative to the field, despite acknowledging that he doesn't always flash consistently elite skills. He compared Detry's boom-or-bust profile to Min Woo Lee, noting Detry has the added credibility of a PGA Tour victory. Mayo sees Detry as an ideal differentiated play for DFS lineups at an attractive ownership discount.

Pat Mayo advocated using Wilson Furr at his extremely low $6,100 DraftKings pricing for the 2025 Houston Open, especially in combination with elite-priced options like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Mayo noted Furr's surprising previous performance, notably having been first round leader at this same event last year, showing capacity for explosive single-round upside. Due to his extremely low salary and past isolated spike, Mayo found leveraging Furr worthwhile as a punt play, presenting significant DFS salary savings and asymmetric upside for tournament lineups.

Tyler Tamboline acknowledged the public's skepticism regarding Min Woo Lee's elevated DFS price at the 2025 Houston Open due to his lack of top-10 finishes and victories this year. Despite this, he defended Lee's upside by highlighting past strong performances, including contending at major events like the U.S. Open and The Players Championship. Tamboline recommended using Min Woo Lee strategically due to expected reduced ownership at his higher price, providing DFS players with a pivot offering contrarian leverage opportunities even amid justified pricing concerns.

Pat Mayo strongly recommended against including Steven Fisk and Luke List together in DFS lineups for the 2025 Houston Open, illustrating Fisk's struggles with short putting from his recent round at Puerto Rico as resembling List's well-known putting deficiencies. Mayo highlighted Fisk missing multiple short, straightforward putts as a troubling indicator of similar volatility and cautioning DFS players from stacking such high-risk players in the same lineup.

Pat Mayo highlighted Danny Walker as an ideally suited low-cost DFS value play for the 2025 Houston Open. At just $6,500, Walker precisely fits the course profile Mayo is targeting this week, which heavily prioritizes golfers with ample driving distance paired with exceptional play around the greens. Mayo endorsed Walker as a logical, skill-specific roster addition who also projects out favorably from a metrics standpoint, adding further credibility to his value play status.

Pat Mayo recommended betting Luke List outright and using him as a low-priced DFS option at $6,500 for the 2025 Houston Open. Mayo cited that List previously led this event in the past before losing it narrowly at the end. He stressed that List perfectly matches this week's course fit, offering the critical combination of driving distance and strong around-the-green game required for success here. Mayo also noted how List's ball-striking upside makes him an appealing high-risk, high-reward selection despite historical putting struggles.

Pat Mayo advocated pivoting towards Patrick Rodgers rather than rostering high-projection golfer Kurt Kitayama in DFS lineups. While Kitayama continues to generate high optimizer projections despite poor recent form, Mayo emphasized Rodgers' better current form and statistical compatibility, including solid driving distance, strong scrambling ability (34th around the green), and reliable putting. Mayo further pointed out that Kitayama drastically declines in recent form when running shorter sample sizes, making Rodgers a more consistent and reliable option with greater upside for this particular event.

Pat Mayo endorsed Michael Kim as an elite DFS play for the 2025 Houston Open. Despite Kim sarcastically expressing apprehension about the event publicly, Mayo pointed out that Kim perfectly fits this course with excellent driving, short game, and putting statistics. Furthermore, Mayo highlighted the narrative factor, noting Kim needs a top-50 result to secure entry into the Masters. Mayo suggested Kim's public skepticism is ironically a sign he'll likely perform well, emphasizing Kim as a core play driven by favorable metrics, motivation, and contrarian perception.

Pat Mayo proposed pairing Rory McIlroy with Tony Finau as a strategic PGA DFS lineup construction for the Houston Open, emphasizing Finau's noteworthy tournament history and considerable salary savings compared to other 9K-tier choices like Aaron Rai. This roster-building strategy allows DFS players more flexibility, preserving enough salary for better-quality mid-tier options, contributing to overall lineup strength and balance. Mayo demonstrated how this particular build optimizes salary allocation, providing both upside and differentiation.

Pat Mayo mentioned Ryan Fox as a lower 6,900-dollar DFS alternative pivot at the 2025 Houston Open. Mayo considered Fox as a suitable lower-priced pivot away from popular chalk plays like Matti Schmid. He pointed out that DFS players might naturally gravitate toward Fox due to his pricing flexibility allowing stronger mid-tier constructions, providing differentiation from more common builds featuring Rory McIlroy alongside a more expensive second player.

Tyler Tamboline expects Sam Stevens to gain significant popularity as a DFS roster filler at the 2025 Houston Open due to projections favoring him strongly. Despite recent underwhelming performances, Stevens continues to pop in optimizer-driven projections, potentially making him a high-owned cheap alternative akin to a lower-priced Kurt Kitayama. Tamboline advised caution by labeling this as a situation resembling optimizer-driven noise rather than performance-based confidence. As such, Tamboline implied DFS players should be cautious following Stevens' high projected ownership and mixed recent form.

Tyler Tamboline highlighted Rory McIlroy as the clearly preferred top-tier golfer for DFS at the 2025 Houston Open, outpacing Scottie Scheffler in popularity. McIlroy's consistently exceptional play in 2025 combined with being priced $1,000 cheaper than Scheffler creates a natural pivot toward him. Tamboline noted if pricing were equal, ownership would be more evenly spread, but the significant price difference plus Rory's recent form—objectively making him the best golfer in the world thus far this year—is driving clear DFS preference. This is likely to shape roster construction heavily toward Rory-led lineups.

Tyler Tamboline identified Alejandro Tosti as the potential chalk punt play of the PGA DFS slate for the 2025 Houston Open. Tosti appears comfortable to DFS players due to his solid result at this event last year and has steadily gained popularity within the DFS golf community. Tamboline believes Tosti will attract enough attention to be noticeably owned in lineups, although not excessively so that it should deter you entirely. Alejandro Tosti's previous success at the course combined with positive buzz makes him a logical lower-priced leverage option, despite the expectation he'll carry notable ownership.

Tyler Tamboline flagged Austin Eckroat as an intriguing morning wave play at the 2025 Houston Open due to low ownership and limited public discussion. He acknowledged Eckroat's limited DFS popularity, mentioning only a few peripheral mentions across content. Tamboline saw Eckroat as a viable contrarian addition due to early tee-time positioning, offering potential scoring advantages in calm morning weather combined with inherent differentiation. Tamboline implied interest in selectively allocating DFS exposure to Eckroat to capitalize on overlooked upside in large-field tournaments.

Pat Mayo identified Jhonattan Vegas as an interesting DFS tournament option at the 2025 Houston Open despite his recent putting woes. Vegas has a history of delivering strong approach play periodically, notably gaining 10 strokes on approach at the Sentry Tournament of Champions earlier in the season, placing fourth. Mayo highlighted Vegas's familiarity with Texas greens as a potential upside factor and considered him a periodic risk-reward golfer worth exposure since his approach game consistently pops at intervals. Mayo recommended Vegas specifically as a low-owned, salary-saving DFS tournament play with potential for a spike performance in Texas, provided that his putting sees positive regression.

Pat Mayo cautioned against playing Kurt Kitayama despite his repeated appearance in optimizer builds. Mayo noted Kitayama hasn't finished better than T33 in 2025, with his previous strong showings occurring at easier courses against weaker competition during the swing season. Mayo compared Kitayama's scenario to Anders Albertson years ago, whose single strong performance kept him inflated in projections for weeks but never matched future results. He emphasized that Kitayama's past heater in weaker fields is misleading and his current form badly translates to tougher fields like the one at the Houston Open. Mayo advocated for manually adjusting or disregarding optimizer-driven exposure to Kitayama this week.

Previously advocating for stacking morning golfers due to favorable weather, Pat Mayo specifically recommended seeking value with Min Woo Lee in PGA DFS showdown contests at the 2025 Houston Open. Given Lee's morning tee-time, Mayo expects him to capitalize on calmer conditions, potentially creating a scoring advantage for showdown entries. This strategy aligns directly with Mayo's broader approach for this tournament, emphasizing the potential for significant early-round scoring edges due to forecasted weather volatility later in the day.

Pat Mayo suggested taking the lower side of 69 strokes in the first round for Sahith Theegala on Underdog Fantasy for the 2025 Houston Open. He highlighted this as a way to proactively target Theegala, hoping to catch him in peak form early. Mayo reasoned that Theegala tends to be volatile but if he starts hot, the wager provides immediate profit, and if not, improves predictability by quickly resolving the outcome early in the tournament. Mayo paired Theegala with Min Woo Lee in a correlated AM-wave Underdog entry, aiming to capitalize on favorable morning scoring conditions.

Pat Mayo recommended Nicolai Hojgaard as an outright bet at 80 to 1 odds with 8 places at the 2025 Houston Open. Mayo humorously admitted he continues backing Hojgaard due to persistent upside that repeatedly entices despite past disappointments. The underlying implication is that Hojgaard's talent and occasional flashes of elite performance justify his odds and probabilities as a high-upside option in both outright and placement betting markets.

Pat Mayo considered Sahith Theegala as a high-upside under-the-radar one and done candidate for the 2025 Houston Open, despite his recent struggles. Mayo believes Theegala possesses superior overall talent compared to a majority of this tournament field. He argued if Theegala returns to form later in the season, he'll become an overly popular pick, making this a good contrarian spot to pick him proactively in one and done formats. While ultimately Mayo leaned Clark for this particular spot, he highlighted Theegala as a strategic leverage opportunity given his talent ceiling.

Pat Mayo advocated for Wyndham Clark in one and done leagues for the 2025 Houston Open, citing that Clark delivered strong ball striking at the same event last year but couldn't make any putts. He noted that Clark's elite driver and iron play were evident, making him a prime buy-low candidate with positive regression likely coming in the putting department. Mayo emphasized the course's wide fairways and shaved runoff areas around the greens mitigate the penalty of missing fairways or greens, providing further confidence for selecting Clark.

Byron Lindeque raised concerns about JJ Spaun upside for tournaments and high-risk formats, noting a consistent pattern of poor weekend performances despite strong early-tournament positioning. Spahn recently lost in a playoff at The Players Championship and finished second at the Cognizant Classic but has otherwise primarily registered top-40 finishes. Byron pointed out that this suggests Spahn consistently fades late in events, limiting his outright DFS and high-stakes appeal, and recommended caution or outright avoidance in tournaments that reward final day performance and high spike potential.

Byron Lindeque expressed noticeable frustration and skepticism regarding Rickie Fowler after witnessing live TGL performance struggles. Fowler failed to capitalize on key moments, notably with multiple poor short-game efforts including a bunker shot and subsequent five-foot putt miss during pivotal points in the match. Lindeque specifically criticized Fowler for repeatedly "giving away holes" under pressure, contributing to an overall negative take on Rickie's current form and mentality. These recent struggles add to previously identified concerns about Fowler's catastrophic rounds at The Players Championship, reinforcing Lindeque's recommendation to fade Fowler in betting and DFS scenarios altogether until significant improvements emerge.

Byron Lindeque expressed concern about Cameron Young as a DFS selection due to his notable struggles on par five scoring. During a critical TGL moment, Lindeque noted Young's frequent mismanagement of par fives, stating Young "just absolutely butchers par fives half the time." Considering Memorial Park's layout typically rewards strong par-five play, this tendency significantly diminishes Young's DFS appeal despite his impressive driving stats and general upside. Byron cautioned against heavy DFS exposure to Young, underscoring this specific weakness as a critical factor in performance analysis.

Byron Lindeque expressed skepticism regarding betting Tony Finau, despite his earlier promising course history at Memorial Park. He acknowledged Finau's historical spike rounds at the venue but raised serious issues about Tony's recent tremendously bad trend, losing strokes heavily in his last three events, amounting to roughly 16 total strokes lost. Recent injury problems and significant ball-striking struggles, especially his approach play at The Players, substantially reduce Finau's viability at Memorial Park this week.

Byron Lindeque shared strong concerns around Harry Hall's mental game and advised heavily against betting him currently. Hall, despite a profitable 2024 top-20 betting record, has drastically deteriorated in 2025. Specifically, his fourth-round performances have suddenly become dramatically worse, dropping by a staggering two-and-a-half strokes in strokes gained compared to his successful round-four performances last year. Byron labeled this significant downfall as a sign of severe mental confidence issues, rendering Hall virtually unbettable until he shows substantial recovery.

Byron Lindeque strongly advised against betting Rickie Fowler, citing very poor recent performances. Fowler currently sits 105th in world rankings and is having a dismal season, notably losing around 14 strokes during the weekend at The Players Championship. Lindeque noted Fowler occasionally makes temporary noise with a hot putter but consistently ends up losing strokes overall as indicated by his struggling strokes-gained rounds. Fowler's recent performances are particularly troubling, including severe single-round meltdowns, making him a clear betting fade.