Smylie Kaufman flagged Collin Morikawa as a sneaky win target because he’s debuting legendary looper Billy Foster on the bag this week. Kaufman noted that Morikawa already owns a solid record at Renaissance Club and that Foster—fresh out of "retirement" after stints with major champions—gives Morikawa a different, more direct voice on club selection. Kaufman argued that Morikawa’s old-school, spin-manipulation approach with his irons can be tough for a new caddy, yet history shows players often pop in the first outing with a fresh bagman. Given Morikawa’s precise iron game and Foster’s proven major-championship pedigree, Kaufman believes the duo has immediate upside for an outright ticket or top-finish play at the Scottish.

After Mike Carver floated Sam Burns as a sleeper, Smylie Kaufman backed the idea, explaining why Burns profiles as a strong outright or each-way play this week. Kaufman emphasized Burns’ two biggest weapons—elite driving and a hot putter—both of which are amplified on the firm Renaissance Club turf that yields plenty of wedge approaches. Burns has flashed form with several high finishes over the past six weeks and owns positive history at this event. Kaufman added that firm fairways should help Burns’ penetrating driver find extra rollout and set up scoring irons, giving him realistic win equity in a field loaded with stars.

Smylie Kaufman said Tommy Fleetwood sets up perfectly to contend, and possibly break through for his long-awaited PGA-Tour-sanctioned win, at the Scottish Open. Kaufman highlighted four top-10 finishes for Fleetwood at Renaissance Club, noting that the Englishman is as comfortable as anyone on firm, coastal setups and will enjoy massive home-crowd support. The course offers plenty of wedges and rewards precise driving—areas where Fleetwood has excelled all season while compiling multiple top-10s worldwide. Kaufman conceded Fleetwood has been hard to bet outright but called this "a really, really good week" for a top-finish ticket or win sprinkle because of the track record, current form, and familiarity with links-style conditions.

Smylie Kaufman backed Cameron Young for a bounce-back showing at Detroit Golf Club. Even after Young "laid an egg" on the weekend at the Travelers, Kaufman noted that Young’s track record in Detroit is excellent and the setup is tailor-made for bombers. Young averages north of 315 yards off the tee and ranks top-10 on Tour in strokes-gained off-the-tee, both key stats on a course where fairways are wide and greens are receptive. Kaufman expects putting inside 10 feet to separate the field; Young gained strokes on the greens in two of his last three starts, signaling his flat stick is trending. Pair that with a weaker-than-usual Rocket field and Kaufman believes Young has legitimate win equity, making him viable for outrights, top-5 bets, and as a high-ceiling anchor in DFS lineups.

Smylie Kaufman said Luke Clanton is his favorite sneaky play for the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Kaufman emphasized that Detroit Golf Club is a relatively soft Donald Ross design where driving distance plus a hot putter inside 10 feet is usually the winning combo. Clanton, whose ball-speed numbers rank among the longest hitters on any tour he’s played, fits that profile perfectly. Kaufman added that Clanton finally avoids the pressure-cooker pairings he drew in his first two PGA Tour starts (Rory McIlroy in Canada, Jordan Spieth at the Travelers). Teeing off in an afternoon group with fellow rookies Kevin Velo and Brett White should let the rookie settle in and attack a course he can overpower. Kaufman expects Clanton to contend for a top-10 and is comfortable taking outright tickets and DFS shares at his depressed price because the course rewards exactly what Clanton does best—hit it miles and make short putts.

Smylie Kaufman chose Scottie Scheffler as his one-and-done play, noting Scheffler has been "trending" and is poised to "get back in the major circle." Listed at +425, Scheffler is the betting favorite, and Kaufman expects the elite tee-to-green form that produced top-5s in four of his last five starts to translate into a Quail Hollow shootout with Rory. Kaufman is willing to hold Xander Schauffele for the U.S. Open, believing Scheffler’s ceiling is highest right now.

Smylie Kaufman flagged Keith Mitchell as a must-have salary-saver at only $6,200 on DraftKings. Kaufman rattled off that Mitchell owns a 66.0 first-round scoring average this season, putting him on the first-page of leaderboards almost every Thursday. He added that Quail Hollow (host course for the most recent Wells Fargo era) is a perfect fit, citing Mitchell’s fourth-lowest career scoring average there—bettered only by Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Max Homa, all of whom have won on the track. Kaufman believes the early-lead tendency plus the proven Quail performance gives Mitchell legitimate win equity in a week where most sub-$6.5K plays are simply hoping to make the cut.