Pat Mayo recommended caution in betting Nikolai Hojgaard at the Masters, specifically due to Hojgaard's significant driving accuracy deficiencies. While acknowledging Hojgaard possesses immense shotmaking talent, previously defeating elite players like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, Mayo pointed out his frequent struggles with erratic driving accuracy, something likely to be severely punished by Augusta National's challenging layout. Mayo predicted Hojgaard indeed has major championship potential long-term, but at this year's Masters, his current driving inconsistency poses too great a risk.

Pat Mayo expressed caution betting on Nicolai Hojgaard due to significant driving accuracy struggles—mentioning he tends to wildly spray the ball off the tee—which Mayo thinks will particularly hurt him at Augusta. Mayo does acknowledge Nicolai has immense raw talent, having previously beaten top players like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, and predicted he'll one day win a major. However, at this year's Masters and at current odds, Mayo ultimately sees too many red flags with his unpredictable driving to comfortably bet him at Augusta, despite occasional flashes of brilliance.

Pat Mayo advised choosing Nicolai Hojgaard rather than Rasmus Hojgaard in fantasy drafts for majors because of Nicolai's superior qualification schedule. Nicolai Hojgaard is currently qualified for the Masters and PGA Championship, while Rasmus is qualified only for the Masters and Open Championship. Mayo explained that having earlier guaranteed appearances in the Masters and PGA is preferable strategically because good performances in those earlier events provide more immediate pathways into subsequent majors. Even if Rasmus has perceived higher potential, Mayo emphasized Nicolai's qualification certainty makes him a more strategic fantasy selection heading into the earlier majors of the season.

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.

David Barnett enthusiastically endorsed Nicolai Hojgaard at 90-1 odds as a strong longshot pick, citing his powerful ball striking and driving distance as well suited for Memorial Park's demands. Despite struggling at times with chipping and putting, Barnett emphasized Hojgaard's significant upside and exceptional long iron play, suggesting he is severely mispriced in this weaker field event.

Wes Reynolds is backing Nicolai Hojgaard again at 105-to-1 odds despite him missing the cut last week. Reynolds thinks Memorial Park Golf Course fits Hojgaard well, emphasizing he ranked sixth in strokes gained approach and 20th in putting in this week's field, two critical stats at this venue. Reynolds views last week's disappointing result as an opportunity to bet Hojgaard at longer odds because of a potential bounce-back performance given the strong statistical profile match with this course setup.

Brady Kannon sees value in Nicolai Hojgaard as a high-odds play at Memorial Park, focusing on his exceptional distance off the tee and proven strength with longer iron shots. Hojgaard previously displayed his talent at similarly lengthy venues like Torrey Pines, finishing second in 2024, and has top finishes at the Scottish Open. Notable metrics over the recent 36 rounds include ranking 6th in SG: Approach, 4th in Bogey Avoidance, and 10th in proximity from 200 yards or more. Kannon highlights that course winners Tony Finau and Stephan Jaeger have also excelled at Torrey Pines, bolstering confidence in Hojgaard's prospects this week.

Wes Reynolds is returning to Nicolai Hojgaard despite a missed cut last week, believing Houston Memorial Park is better suited for him. Reynolds cites Hojgaard's strong statistical profile—sixth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and top 20 in putting—as a compelling reason to back him again given the success of golfers excelling in these areas historically at this tournament.

Brian Giuffra is betting Nicolai Hojgaard as a longshot at +10000 odds despite two recent missed cuts. Giuffra loves Hojgaard's fit at Memorial Park due to his excellent long driving, strong putting, and ranking 15th in approach on tour. Recognizing the attractive odds as an overreaction to recent struggles, Giuffra expects Hojgaard to rebound at this event ahead of Augusta, a course where he previously placed within the top 20.

Kenny Kim advises betting Nicolai Hojgaard at 80-to-1 odds, despite Hojgaard's recent collapse on the back nine on Friday last week. Kenny acknowledges the meltdown but emphasizes key stats tailored for Memorial Park Golf Course that position Hojgaard fourth overall in his model. Specifically, Hojgaard ranks best in the field with his long irons (shots from 175 yards and longer), excels significantly on par-3 opportunities (which Kenny highlights as critical given the presence of five challenging short holes at Memorial Park), and generally avoids costly bogeys outside of the unusual recent collapse. Kenny believes it's worth overlooking an aberrant half-round performance due to this solid statistical fit and compelling odds, recommending gambling again on Hojgaard this week.

Matt Gannon strongly recommends betting Nicolai Hojgaard outright at roughly 90 or 100-1 odds in the Houston Open. He disregards recent poor performances in Florida and highlights Nicolai's extremely high ceiling when striking the ball well, describing him as capable of being a top-10 player globally at his peak. Memorial Park’s forgiving layout, where Nicolai can unleash long drives aggressively without consequence, plays perfectly to his strengths. Gannon expressed confidence in continuously betting Nicolai at high odds, convinced he'll eventually capitalize given his elite ball-striking potential. Wes Reynolds concurred emphatically, pointing out Nicolai's impressive victory over elite competition at the DP World Tour Championship, asserting Nicolai's true high-caliber upside, especially with Ryder Cup motivation looming.

Geoff Fienberg mentioned Nicolai Hojgaard favorably among longshot golfers he is interested in targeting due to his strong, broad skillset. Although not his primary selection, Fienberg placed emphasis on Hojgaard as an attractive option who aligns nicely with other long-hitting talents matching the desired Memorial Park profile. He included Nicolai prominently in his conversation of appealing mid-to-long odd picks worth consideration.

Wes Reynolds backs Nicolai Hojgaard at 100-1, emphasizing his strengths in iron play (13th SG: Approach), bogey avoidance (9th Tour rank), and putting (17th Tour rank). Despite missing the cut at The Players, Reynolds argues Hojgaard's steady game translates well to Copperhead, where hitting greens and grinding pars are essential. Hojgaard's leading Green-in-Regulation and impressive three-putt avoidance further solidify his potential as a valuable longshot this week.

John Haslbauer favors Nicolai Hojgaard as a DFS and betting value in his debut at Innisbrook. Hojgaard is currently in excellent form, ranking within the top 12 across key metrics like SG: Total, tee-to-green, approach, and ball striking over his last 36 rounds. Haslbauer noted that Hojgaard's putting has recently improved to 18th during this span as well. Despite being known more as a powerful hitter, Haslbauer explained that the positional layout of Innisbrook benefits Hojgaard, who ranks highly (No. 10) in proximity from distances of 175 yards and longer. With three DP World Tour wins, Haslbauer sees Hojgaard as significantly underpriced based on his skill set and form entering the Valspar Championship.

Matt Vincenzi recommended Nicolai Hojgaard (+8000) for first-round leader at the Valspar Championship, noting his impressive recent ball striking. Hojgaard ranks 13th in strokes-gained approach and benefits from a preferable morning tee-time grouping, which could be advantageous with predicted weather conditions favoring the AM wave. Vincenzi believes Hojgaard is flying under the radar and poised for a fast start.

Jonny Leighfield sees Nicolai Hojgaard at +10000 odds as a notable outsider this week for the Valspar Championship, believing the Copperhead Course will suit his game very well. Leighfield pointed to Hojgaard's strong driving distance and exceptional iron play as key components making him suited to succeed on this tough test. Despite missing the cut at The Players Championship, it was Hojgaard's first missed cut in his past ten events—a one-off performance Leighfield expects him to quickly rebound from in a lower-pressure tournament this week, making him a valuable betting proposition.

Pat Mayo identified Nicolai Hojgaard as significantly undervalued in DFS for THE PLAYERS Championship. Mayo pointed out that Hojgaard ranks second in strokes gained approach over the past 24 rounds, behind only Justin Thomas. Although Mayo expressed some concern about Hojgaard's tendency to miss fairways, he emphasized that elite long iron players can thrive at shorter setups like TPC Sawgrass without needing driver often, mitigating his accuracy concerns. Given his strong underlying approach metrics and deep pricing on DraftKings, Mayo considered Hojgaard an appealing, high-upside DFS selection.

Matt Gannon advocated rostering Nicolai Hojgaard at $5,700 due to his noticeable improvement in ball striking, emphasizing his last two starts (T-18 and T-8 finishes). Gannon noted Hojgaard has consistently gained strokes on approach ever since the DP World Tour Championship back in October, demonstrating a sustained uptick in his iron play. This positive trend makes Hojgaard a promising DFS value play for THE PLAYERS Championship, given how critical premium approach play is at TPC Sawgrass.

Brandon Gdula suggested Nicolai Hojgaard as a compelling upside pick in the $8,100 salary range on FanDuel, favoring his aggressive iron play currently trending upward compared with others around that salary. Brandon noted that Hojgaard's recent iron play has been superior even compared to his twin brother, Rasmus, this season. Given his attractive price point, boosted iron play, and upside potential, Gdula recommended targeting Hojgaard in DFS tournaments at TPC Sawgrass over other safer but limited-ceiling options like Denny McCarthy.

Eric Polzin brought attention to Nicolai Hojgaard as an intriguing statistical standout this week at THE PLAYERS Championship, despite limited PGA Tour experience. Hojgaard ranks exceptionally well in the statistical model, equalling elite names in key metrics like strokes gained off the tee and effective birdie-to-bogey ratio. Polzin did caution slightly, noting data accumulated on easier DP Tour courses, but still considered him a worthwhile speculative choice because of his impressive fit on paper and leveraging advantage due to potentially low ownership.

Rick Gehman highlighted Nicolai Hojgaard as a strong DFS option in the $5k range, noting his impressive ball-striking metrics. Nicolai has gained three or more strokes on approach in each of his three PGA Tour events this season. Gehman also pointed out that Hojgaard's strong iron play and solid performance dates back to his DP World Tour appearances. Although both Hojgaard brothers are viable plays according to Gehman, he clearly prefers Nicolai based on his consistent approach play on the PGA Tour, making him an excellent value at his low price point this week.

Pat Mayo sees Nicolai Hojgaard as a potential sleeper at THE PLAYERS Championship due to his strong approach form entering the event. Hojgaard has gained at least 3.3 strokes on approach in every one of his first three tournaments in 2025, which catches Mayo's attention. Although his accuracy off the tee can be problematic, Hojgaard showed encouraging signs at a water-laden course recently, suggesting he's capable of managing accuracy when necessary. Although he missed the cut at Sawgrass in his only appearance so far, Mayo dismisses that initial result as typical first-time struggles. Given his promising iron play and potential to improve driving accuracy, Mayo highlights Hojgaard as an appealing DFS value or longshot bet this week.