Larry fired two units on Austin Eckroat at 110-1, calling him "Morikawa 2020 light." Eckroat combines fairway-finding accuracy with the ability to lead an event in approach when he’s on—he gained 7.0 strokes on approach at the John Deere and 6.5 at the Travelers. The putter is volatile overall but shows true spike potential (+3 to +4 SG Putting rounds pop up several times a year). On a Sedgefield layout that rewards mid-iron precision, Larry believes Eckroat only needs a neutral driver and roughly +2.5 strokes with the flat stick to win. The recent approach surge, plus a solid T-15 here last season, makes this the exact timing spot Larry chases with triple-digit outrights.

Cody Williams highlighted Austin Eckroat at +11000 as his favorite longshot. Eckroat sits top-21 in both SG: Approach and Driving Accuracy over the past 24 rounds and ranks 6th and 20th in the critical 100-150 and 150-200 yard proximity buckets. Even better, he has gained strokes putting in his last 12 measured rounds, signaling that the flat stick may finally cooperate. Williams believes that combination of trending ball-striking and newfound confidence on the greens provides huge upside relative to price.

Gannon called the 110-1 outright tag on Austin Eckroat a mistake. Since the Travelers Championship he has gained strokes ball-striking in every start, including +5.1 last week despite a T40 finish caused by a cold putter. Eckroat finished solo 6th at Wyndham a year ago, gaining across all four strokes-gained categories, and already owns a Bermuda-grass victory at PGA National. The Oklahoma State product’s accuracy-plus-wedge profile checks every box on a Ross layout that rewards fairways and dialed mid-irons. Gannon is betting the outright and sprinkling top-20s, convinced that a lukewarm putter is the only thing keeping Eckroat from winning.

At 100/1 Bamford played 1 point each-way on Austin Eckroat, citing a recent flurry of low rounds and elite approach numbers (2nd in the eight-week SG Approach tracker, top-25 SG Tee-to-Green). The Oklahoma native co-led the Travelers with a first-round 62, posted 25th there, fired an opening 63 and held 6th through 54 holes at the John Deere (11th finish), and shot four sub-70s on route to 39th at last week’s 3M Open. He sits top-30 on Tour in driving accuracy, a key at tight Sedgefield, and historically putts better on Bermudagrass than Bent/Poa. Eckroat finished 6th here last year—carding twin 64s in R1 & R3—despite arriving in far worse form. Needing points to stay inside the FedEx top-70, Bamford views him as a live long-shot with win equity if the putter behaves.

Gannon circled Austin Eckroat in the low-7K range after back-to-back explosive iron weeks (+5.5 SG:APP at Travelers, +3.5 at Rocket Mortgage). Although Eckroat has never seen Deere Run, Gannon argued the course "asks him the exact questions he wants to answer"—rewarding high-launch iron play and aggressive birdie makers. A two-time PGA winner with documented ceiling, Eckroat’s recent ball-striking uptick plus sub-10% ownership tags him as an ideal single-entry differentiator.

Rick Gehman pegged Austin Eckroat as the ideal $7,000 salary saver to round out balanced builds. Eckroat gained 5.2 strokes on the field across the first two rounds at the Travelers and continues to hold his own in every Signature Event despite ranking near the bottom in putting. Gehman argued that Eckroat’s elite ball-striking will generate plenty of birdie looks at Detroit’s flat greens, and the historical data shows he can catch lightning with the flat stick for one week at a time. Although he missed cuts here in 2021 and 2023, those came before his breakout win at PGA National; Gehman is willing to bet on the improved version as a cut-making floor with top-15 upside if the putter merely breaks even.

Although Austin Eckroat is enduring a down season, Gannon likes the Oklahoma State product for a Top-20 at +350. River Highlands diminishes driver length and accentuates the precision-iron game that powered Eckroat’s breakthrough win at the Cognizant Classic. Gannon noted Eckroat still sits top-25 in fairways gained and proximity from 125-175 despite the overall slump, a profile that historically pops on this TPC layout. Given betting markets pricing him as if the slump will never end, Gannon views +350 as a buy-low tax on proven upside in the exact conditions that suit Eckroat’s strengths.

Gannon closed the 7k tier by endorsing Austin Eckroat at $7,700. Eckroat played collegiate golf in this region, has already proven he can win on Tour, and historically spikes whenever he shows even a flicker of form. At a course demanding fearless wedges and low scores, that volatility is exactly what large-field DFS rosters need.

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.

Byron Lindeque acknowledged Austin Eckroat's volatility but highlighted his elite ceiling potential, particularly given strong Comp course history at Wyndham Championship-type courses. Although Eckroat could underperform and miss badly, Lindeque emphasized the significant upside DFS players could exploit when he is playing well, especially at his low cost of $6,100.