Gannon highlighted Aaron Rai at $8,300. Rai won at the Renaissance Club when it was a DP World Tour stop and has repeatedly gained strokes here. Although he is coming off a poor approach week, Gannon expects the irons to rebound, making Rai a strong single-entry option.

Pat Mayo flagged Aaron Rai as a sneaky mid-tier pivot at $8,300. Despite winning this event in 2020, Rai is carrying virtually no buzz because the field is flocking to flashier names such as Maverick McNealy, Taylor Pendrith, and Wyndham Clark in the same salary band. Mayo likes Rai’s fairway-finder profile on a course where distance helps but precision still matters, and he noted the Englishman’s linksy background fits the Renaissance Club perfectly. With projected ownership south of five percent, Rai provides immediate leverage without sacrificing cut-making equity—Mayo prefers him straight up over every similarly priced option except maybe Ryan Fox, whose roster percentage is "through the roof."

Farnsworth pointed to Aaron Rai’s pinpoint driving and elite irons as keys to avoiding the Renaissance Club’s penal fairway bunkers. Rai ranks among the most accurate drivers on tour and has historically gained on approach on wide-open links setups. With fairways hard to hit for everyone, Farnsworth thinks Rai’s relative precision gives him top-15 upside at a mid-7K salary.

Matt Gannon highlighted Aaron Rai around 60-to-1, noting that Rai already owns a victory at Renaissance Club—beating Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff when the event was a DP World Tour stop—and added a top-5 here last season. Rai’s steady tee-to-green profile and proven links pedigree make him a strong fit, even if Gannon prefers him more in placement markets. Still, the outright ticket is worth a sprinkle in the 50-to-100 range because Rai’s combination of fairway accuracy and historically solid mid-iron numbers mitigates the bomber bias some analysts see at this venue.

Andy Lack highlighted Aaron Rai as another accuracy outlier capable of thriving at the Renaissance Club despite its distance bias. Under this week’s projected calm weather, the course rewards length, but Lack noted Rai consistently gains off the tee through precision—an edge when the only real danger is finding a random pot bunker. With nearly 60 percent of approaches coming from 175-plus yards, Rai’s reliable long-iron play and previous Scottish Open success make him a high-leverage DFS option at likely modest ownership and an intriguing top-20 or each-way outright bet.

Patrick McDonald reminded listeners that distance is helpful at Detroit Golf Club but not essential. He pointed to last year’s leaderboard, where precision players Eric Cole and Aaron Rai contended alongside bombers. Rai’s track record on Donald Ross designs—highlighted by his T-2 at Ross-built Sedgefield—makes him a sneaky fit. McDonald noted that the subtly crowned Ross greens reward elite iron play and wedge proximity more than raw length, giving accurate fairway finders like Rai upside at depressed ownership and triple-digit outright numbers.

Derek Farnsworth "loves" Aaron Rai at $7,500, citing his top-tier driving accuracy and consistently positive approach numbers. Rai gains strokes off the tee by keeping it in the short grass, sits inside the field’s top-15 in iron play over the last 24 rounds and has shown spike putting weeks on Bent-Poa. On a course where positional play trumps power, Farnsworth believes Rai offers both a safe floor and slate-winning upside relative to salary.

For first-round leader at +5000, Sobel highlighted Aaron Rai’s habit of jumping out quickly—documented by a 65 in round one of the Truist Atlanta event and a 67 to open the PGA Championship. Rai ranks top-10 on Tour in round-one scoring average and excels with controlled iron shots that stay below hole locations, a style that historically produces low Thursday numbers at River Highlands.

Gannon called Aaron Rai a ‘ton-of-sense’ option in the mid-7K range because his game plan is simple: keep it in the short grass and pepper greens. The Englishman ranks near the top on Tour in fairways gained, which should set up wedge looks all week on the positional layout.

Derek Farnsworth is going back to Aaron Rai despite consecutive missed cuts because the Englishman ranks No. 1 worldwide in driving accuracy this season and remains a plus iron player. Farnsworth expects those traits to shine at Oakmont, where missing the fairway often means pitching out sideways and taking bogey. The recent MCs should suppress ownership, giving DFS players a cheap, near-minimum salary golfer who fits every statistical emphasis in Farnsworth’s model—fairways gained, approach, and greens in regulation. If Rai’s putting even breaks even, a top-30 finish would smash value in large-field contests.

Pat Mayo flagged Aaron Rai as the type of deep-odds play who can actually outperform the bombers at Oakmont. Rai ranks second on Tour in driving accuracy and top-10 in ‘Good Drives Gained,’ meaning he almost never has to hack out of four-inch rough. Mayo thinks that singular edge matters because any big-hitting Pendrith/Young/Pendrith profile still loses to Bryson if the event turns into bomb-and-gouge. By contrast, Rai can turn Oakmont into a fairway-and-green contest, shorten the course by playing from short grass, and let his above-average mid-iron play do the work. Mayo admitted the 100-to-1 number feels a bit stingy, yet he still prefers Rai to the other names in that range because the Englishman does one thing—find every fairway—better than the elite players he has to beat. Rai is a live outright each-way or top-20 ticket and an ownership-saving DFS punt in Mayo’s model that weights fairways and GIR heavily.

Brandon Gdula highlighted Aaron Rai as a sneaky finishing-position bet rather than a DFS core piece. Rai ranks 3rd on Tour in fairways gained over the past 50 rounds and is one of only eight players in the Oakmont field gaining strokes both off-the-tee and on approach while hitting at least 70% of fairways. Gdula admitted the Englishman’s putter is unreliable, but argued that a ‘T18-ish’ finish is firmly in play if Oakmont turns into a grind where pars gain ground and fairway finders avoid the brutal rough. With Top-20 odds expected to settle in the +500 to +600 range, Gdula sees Rai as an efficient way to get exposure to Oakmont’s accuracy premium without relying on four straight days of made putts.

Andy Lack highlighted Aaron Rai as a sneaky top-40 wager and low-owned DFS punt because Oakmont is the rare U.S. Open setup where fairways can still be hit. Rai ranks near the top of the field in Distance-to-Edge-of-Fairway, a more granular measure of accuracy than raw driving-accuracy percentage. With the course expected to play soft, players who actually find the short grass will separate dramatically— the missed-fairway penalty here is the highest on Tour. Lack added that Rai’s tidy wedges and streaky putter offer just enough scoring pop if he keeps the ball in play. At a sub-3 percent ownership projection and mid-6K DraftKings price, Rai gives Milly-Maker rosters leverage while also offering a +220 top-40 line worth betting.

Pat Mayo highlighted Aaron Rai as the under-the-radar name who checks every Oakmont grinder box for DraftKings builds and placement props. Rai leads the PGA Tour in fairways gained, hits 70% of greens from 175-225 yards, and ranks inside the top-10 in proximity from 75-125— a wedge zone Mayo expects players to face frequently after forced lay-ups from the rough. While Rai lacks raw power, Mayo argued that Oakmont’s expected 50-yard roll-outs on firm fairways mitigate that weakness and effectively gift Rai distance if he keeps it between the 24-yard corridors. Add a tidy bunker game (22nd in sand saves) and a Poa putting profile that trends neutral rather than disastrous, and Mayo believes Rai offers a live top-20 floor at sub-1% ownership. He advised locking Rai into single-entry DFS lineups and sprinkling top-30/40 tickets before data-driven bettors notice "accuracy is the new power this week."

Aaron Rai offers Lowry-like traits at a cheaper tag: laser-straight off the tee, plus irons, competent around the greens, streaky putter. Farnsworth views him as a strong mid-range differentiator for balanced builds.

Jim Sannes recommended Aaron Rai at $8,600 as a sneaky DFS play. Rai ranks first in this field in driving accuracy over the last six months and continued to gain strokes on both approach and off the tee despite a missed cut at Colonial. Sannes chalked that MC up to a disastrous putter week—an issue that could be mitigated at rain-soaked Muirfield Village, where precision tee-to-green is paramount. With a recent run of 18th, 23rd, and 19th prior to Colonial and the course expected to play longer but softer, Sannes believes Rai’s fairway-finding driver gives him both cut-making safety and top-20 upside at a bargain salary.

Stewart took Aaron Rai for a Top-20, arguing the Englishman’s fairway-finding is tailor-made for Colonial where driver is optional. Rai ranks top-10 on Tour in driving accuracy and green-in-regulation, exactly the skill set that won him the Wyndham—one of Stewart’s preferred comps—two years ago. Because Colonial’s renovation tightened run-offs and added penal Bermuda rough, Stewart expects Rai’s "straight and arrow" profile to survive attrition while wild hitters eject, giving the +money Top-20 ticket plenty of equity.

Despite a course fit narrative, Gannon is fading Aaron Rai because projected ownership will be ‘in a ton of line-ups.’ Rai’s accuracy profile is attractive but Matt prefers to pivot toward lower-owned, higher-upside drivers like Keith Mitchell who create more eagle chances. The leverage and game theory outweigh Rai’s safety in Gannon’s build strategy.

Farnsworth highlighted Aaron Rai at $8,100 as a core mid-range DFS target. Rai gained eight strokes on approach last week, fits the model’s 12% weighting on irons, and carries above-average driving accuracy for a course with tight, tree-lined fairways. Farnsworth likes riding a player whose ball-striking ceiling aligns with Colonial’s emphasis on greens-in-regulation and approach play.

Jason Rouslin backed Aaron Rai to win his first-round 3-ball versus Camilo Villegas and Webb Simpson with a 9-of-9 confidence grade. Rai’s strokes-gained metrics have been trending the right way across the bag, while Villegas and Simpson have shown virtually no recent form. Rouslin believes the disparate trajectories make Rai a clear bet despite any price inflation.

Wes Reynolds bet Aaron Rai outright at +3500, arguing that Colonial’s accuracy-centric setup plays directly into Rai’s strengths. The Englishman finished T-19 at last week’s PGA Championship while ranking 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach and 4th in Driving Accuracy, evidence his irons are dialed in. Reynolds noted Rai already proved he can win on a similar positional track by taking last fall’s Wyndham at Sedgefield, a course strongly correlated with Colonial success. Rai has made the cut in all three prior starts here and owns six top-25s in his last nine worldwide events. On a par-70 where length is muted and fairways are tight, Reynolds expects Rai’s combination of precision tee shots and elite mid-iron play to keep him in contention all four days.

Brian Giuffra punched an outright ticket on Aaron Rai at +3300. Rai ranks 16th on Tour in SG: Tee-to-Green and 21st in SG: Approach this season, numbers that ballooned to 9th and 3rd respectively at the PGA Championship where he still managed a T19 despite losing strokes putting. Giuffra also referenced Rai’s improving course history (T32 and T12 last two years). On a layout that penalizes errant drives and rewards precise irons, Giuffra believes Rai’s current ball-striking surge can translate into his first PGA Tour win.

McClure’s SportsLine simulation loves Aaron Rai at 45-1, calling him a longshot with a far better chance to win than the odds imply. Rai’s statistical profile fits Colonial perfectly: he ranks 1st on tour in driving accuracy (73.13%), 16th in greens-in-regulation (69.57%) and 20th in strokes gained: approach (+0.513). Although he lacks elite distance, the model expects his precision to keep him in scoring position all week, giving him a legitimate shot at the title and making his +325 top-10 prop at Caesars an attractive wager.

Mike McClure’s SportsLine model flagged Aaron Rai as a value outright ticket at 35-1. Since whiffing the cut at the Houston Open, Rai has rattled off five straight top-40 finishes, a stretch that includes two majors and two Signature Events, proving he can hang with elite fields. Colonial is missing several top-tier names, further boosting his win equity. McClure noted the ability to shop the number—FanDuel is still dealing 35-1 while DraftKings is already down to 30-1—making the Englishman a true longshot worth a sprinkle.

Owen OBrien highlighted Aaron Rai as a 45-1 outright bet after SportsLine’s model spit him out as a value play. OBrien noted that Rai is the most accurate driver on the PGA Tour this season, a key trait at tight Colonial CC. That precision has helped him post the sixth-best Par-4 scoring average on Tour. Form is trending: T19 at the PGA Championship (4-under 67 in Round 1) marked his third straight top-25, and he finished T12 in this event last year. With five top-4 finishes since the start of 2023, OBrien believes Rai’s combination of current form, course history, and a Scheffler-inflated betting board makes him a live longshot.

Wes Reynolds grabbed Aaron Rai at 35-1, calling him a prototype for this week’s tight, approach-heavy setup. Rai finished T19 at last week’s PGA Championship while ranking 3rd in strokes-gained approach and 4th in driving accuracy, numbers Reynolds expects to translate immediately to Colonial’s 27-yard-wide fairways and 5,000-sq-ft greens. Rai has made the cut in all three prior visits here and already owns a win on a comparable positional track (the Wyndham at Sedgefield). With six top-25 finishes in his past nine starts, Reynolds thinks the Englishman offers top-tier iron play without the premium price attached to Scheffler, Spieth or Matsuyama.

Dom Cintorino highlighted Aaron Rai as his favorite target in the low-20s outright range. Cintorino stressed Rai’s elite fairways-gained profile—one of the most accurate drivers on tour—which he believes is critical at tight Colonial. Rai has gained strokes tee-to-green and on approach in three straight starts, including a solid PGA Championship where he was +4.6 tee-to-green. After a cold start, Rai has quietly notched multiple consecutive top-20 finishes, showing form is trending at exactly the right time. Dom thinks the 25-30-to-1 numbers available (and even shorter in the ‘without Scheffler’ market) still underestimate his win equity in this diluted field.

McClure’s model flagged Aaron Rai as mispriced at 45-1, calling him a legitimate threat to win and a strong +325 top-10 ticket. Rai’s precision fit Colonial perfectly: he leads the PGA Tour in driving accuracy (73.13%), ranks 16th in greens in regulation (69.57%) and sits 20th in strokes gained: approach (+0.513). While he lacks Scheffler-level length, the model projects that if Rai continues to find fairways and hit a high percentage of greens, he can replicate the accurate-ball-striker blueprint that has repeatedly produced winners at this venue. Bettors hunting for a big payout are encouraged to sprinkle outrights and heavier exposure on finishing-position props.

Mike McClure’s SportsLine model circled Aaron Rai at 45-1 as the week’s most under-priced bomber. Rai’s calling card is precision: he leads the PGA Tour in driving accuracy (73.1%), ranks 16th in GIR percentage (69.6%) and 20th in strokes gained: approach (+0.513). Colonial rewards fairways and crisp irons, so the model gives Rai a significantly higher win probability than his implied 2.2%. Bettors hunting upside can grab +4500 outright or +325 for a top-10 finish at Caesars. If the Englishman continues to pepper greens, McClure believes he can replicate his breakthrough 2023 Zurich run and contend deep into Sunday.

MacMillan advised betting Aaron Rai outright at +4500 on FanDuel, arguing Colonial’s demand for fairway finding plays directly into the Tour’s most accurate driver. Rai just posted a T19 at the PGA Championship on a bomber-friendly Quail Hollow, yet still ranked 3rd in the field in strokes-gained approach (+1.88). He also logged a T12 at Colonial two years ago. With the course finally matching his skill set and irons dialed in, MacMillan believes it is an ideal spot for Rai to capture his first PGA Tour victory.

Eric Polzin moved Aaron Rai into his CORE column, saying the Englishman checks every box for both DFS and an outright sprinkle. Rai owns finishes of 32nd and 12th in two Colonial starts, and Polzin noted those came before the recent spike in form that now has him trending 39->35->23->19 over his last four tournaments. The 9to5 model grades him 4th in course-specialist score and top-10 in overall stat fit, powered by 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 4th in Par-4 scoring, and 30th in ball-striking. Polzin acknowledged a mediocre 59th ranking in bogey avoidance and one poor Texas finish (Houston Open) but views the shortened 45-1 number as proof books respect the ceiling. He is treating Rai as a mid-$8K salary anchor who lets lineups stay balanced while still preserving win equity.

Andy Lack urged listeners to hop back on Aaron Rai at Colonial, calling the course a carbon copy of Sedgefield where Rai lifted a trophy. Rai ranks top-10 on Tour in driving-accuracy rate and short-iron proximity, the exact combination Lack weighted heaviest after the Hanse restoration made Colonial a "spike-approach" track with sticky Bermuda rough. Last year Rai disappointed with a T-32 here, but Lack chalked that up to a cold putter and noted that Rai still gained 4.1 strokes tee-to-green. With greens now even firmer and corridors widened to reward straight-ball hitters, Lack expects Rai’s fairway-pounding style and controlled ball flight to surface as a DFS leverage play under $8K and an outright bet in the 40-60/1 range before steam arrives Monday night.

Murphy flagged Aaron Rai as ChatGPT’s favorite longshot at +15000. The Englishman ranks top-5 on Tour in fairways-hit percentage and strokes-gained approach over the last ten events, an ideal profile for Quail Hollow’s elevated, well-bunkered greens. Rai has quietly gained strokes in every major category in five consecutive starts and posted multiple top-25 finishes this season. His nerves were proven when he stared down McIlroy at the 2023 Scottish Open. If the putter cooperates (career best strokes-gained putting the past month), Murphy believes Rai can lurk on Sunday and cash top-10/top-20 tickets as well.

Marc Williams touted Aaron Rai at a whopping 150/1 as a deep-odds dart throw with real upside. The Wolverhampton native has made the cut in four straight majors, including a T27 at Augusta, showing he isn’t overwhelmed by big stages. Rai broke through for his first PGA Tour title at last summer’s Wyndham Championship and already boasts the 2020 Scottish Open on his resume. Williams believes Rai’s fairway-finding tee game and steady nerves can keep him on the weekend leaderboard, making him a viable top-20 or top-40 ticket and a sprinkle on an outright win for bettors chasing huge returns.

Farnsworth "loves the spot" for Aaron Rai, emphasizing Rai’s combination of fairway accuracy and sharp iron play—two skills he believes are paramount on a 7,100-yard par-70 with only two par-5s and heavily bunkered greens. Because the driver is de-emphasized, Farnsworth expects Rai’s precision off the tee and top-20 proximity numbers to translate into plentiful birdie looks, making him one of his two favorite mid-range DFS options this week.

Brandon Gdula recommended betting Aaron Rai at +170 for a Top-20 finish, calling it the perfect market for a player whose skill set screams week-to-week consistency rather than pure ceiling. Rai leads this field in driving accuracy over the last 50 rounds, ranks 10th in strokes-gained per shot from 150-200 yards, and sits 16th in overall ball-striking during the past three months. Gdula expects a dose of positive putting regression—Rai grades in the 51st percentile on putts inside 15 feet but only 35th from longer range—arguing that short-range conversion rates are more predictive. With a no-cut format at the bunker-heavy Philadelphia Cricket Club rewarding fairways and greens, Gdula sees Rai’s low-variance profile as tailor-made for cashing a Top-20 ticket.

Brandon Gdula flagged Aaron Rai as one of his favorite mid-tier DFS plays at a $9,200 salary. Rai owns the best driving-accuracy mark in the entire field over the last 50 rounds and sits 16th in ball-striking across the past three months while still gaining 1.26 true strokes per round. Gdula acknowledged the putter has been ice-cold in Rai’s past three starts but argued fairway positioning will be at a premium on Philadelphia Cricket Club’s bunker-littered layout. That elite accuracy combined with solid recent tee-to-green form gives Rai realistic top-20 equity and roster flexibility for stars-and-scrubs constructions.

Derek Farnsworth identified Aaron Rai as a solid DFS play due to his strong course fit at Harbour Town Golf Links. Farnsworth regarded Rai positively, highlighting the course's demand for tactical and precise shotmaking aligning closely with Rai's skillset. At a moderate DFS salary, Farnsworth found value in Rai for balanced lineup constructions this week.

Brian Giuffra is bullish on Aaron Rai finishing in the Top 10 at RBC Heritage (+270 odds). Giuffra points to Rai's strong accuracy off the tee and reliable iron play (ranked 40th in SG: Approach). Although Rai had an average finish (T48) at Harbour Town in 2023, his game has significantly improved since then, and Harbour Town's emphasis on precision makes it an ideal fit. Giuffra sees clear value at these odds, appreciating Rai's enhanced status and current form.

Gdula identified Aaron Rai (+330) as a strong fit for Harbour Town Golf Links despite only a T-48 finish in Rai’s lone appearance. Rai ranked 14th in ball-striking that week. More importantly, Rai ranks first in field accuracy over his last 50 rounds, a crucial skill for success at the narrow and precision-driven Harbour Town course.

Mayo pointed out Aaron Rai (+330) as a compelling bet for RBC Heritage, highlighting Rai’s impressive high-end tee-to-green ability. Rai led the Masters field in tee-to-green performance in Round 1, endured a brief slump over two rounds, then rebounded convincingly with a +2.3 tee-to-green performance on Sunday. Harbour Town's shorter layout perfectly complements Rai's strengths, and Mayo notes strong event crossover to the Wyndham Championship, a tournament Rai notably won at Sedgefield Country Club last year.

Brandon Gdula identified Aaron Rai as a strong finishing position bet this week, particularly liking his top-10 odds at +330 and even top-20 at +125. Rai showcased good recent form, notably a T-27 finish at Augusta gaining strokes across all four categories. Although Rai missed the cut at the recent Houston Open, that performance ended a streak of three consecutive top-15 events, including strong fields at the Mexico Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Players Championship. Rai leads the field in driving accuracy over the past 50 rounds, ranks top-30 in strokes gained approach and off-the-tee, and previously excelled in ball-striking (14th) at Harbour Town. His balanced skill set and precision recommend him strongly within finishing market bets.

Rick Gehman again recommended Aaron Rai for DFS lineups at the RBC Heritage, highlighting how Harbour Town suits Rai's precise driving and ball-striking strengths far better than Augusta did last week. Rai, despite finishing T27 in his Masters debut, excelled in ball-striking in his previous outing at Harbour Town two years ago, gaining over seven strokes combined off-the-tee and on approach. Gehman believes Rai has improved substantially since that appearance, having become a PGA Tour winner, and anticipates a strong bounce-back performance in a venue better fitted to his accurate and strategic play style.

Elliott Heath highlighted Aaron Rai as a favorable outsider at RBC Heritage at odds of +3300, focusing on how Rai's skillset and recent ascent align well with the demands of Harbour Town. Fresh from a strong T27 performance at Augusta lifting him into the top-30 of the OWGR, Rai is not a long hitter – a trait which minimizes any disadvantage at the shorter, accuracy-demanding Hilton Head venue. Heath noted Rai's accuracy and toughness perfectly suit this tricky course and highlighted Rai's recent T4 result in Mexico as further evidence of form, envisioning another strong outing this week.

Kenny Kim enthusiastically endorsed Aaron Rai for DFS at RBC Heritage, citing his exceptional accuracy off the tee. Rai nearly secured first-round honors recently at Augusta before stumbling late, yet showed encouraging form overall. Kenny highlighted Rai's style, consistently hitting fairways, as highly beneficial for the positional demands at Harbour Town. While cautious of his outright odds at 40-1, Kenny clearly views Rai as ideal for fantasy lineups thanks to steady ball-striking and precision, offering considerable DFS appeal despite popularity.

Matt Gannon recommended Aaron Rai as a potential upside play in DFS at RBC Heritage, based on his solid recent ball-striking performance. Rai excelled in accuracy off-the-tee and gained around one stroke on approach at his previous outing. Although poor putting led to a finish at T27, Gannon believes Rai's accurate driving and good iron play are exactly what's needed at Harbour Town. He views Rai's combination of course fit, recent approach form, and expected low DFS ownership as making him a sneaky attractive lineup choice.