Byron Lindeque tagged Thriston Lawrence as his favorite $6,400 punt. Lawrence finished 4th at last year’s Open and has flashed upside all summer, making noise at the John Deere and Rocket Mortgage before a modest Scottish Open. Byron notes Lawrence grades well in his wind-weighted strokes-gained model and owns a compact, accurate driver that plays on narrow links fairways. With most players gravitating toward bigger names like Cam Smith and Tom Kim in this salary tier, Lawrence gives GPP entrants a low-owned catalyst who’s already proven he can contend for a Claret Jug.

Byron Lindeque said he is "all-in" on Thriston Lawrence for the upcoming links stretch that begins with the Genesis Scottish Open. Lindeque walked more than 25 holes with Lawrence at the John Deere, noting that every time he left – naturally right before Lawrence’s eagle on the par-5 17th – the South African’s ball-striking looked sharp even if the scorecard did not cooperate. More importantly, Lindeque spoke with Lawrence’s girlfriend, who is extremely confident in his form specifically for firm, windy coastal setups. Lawrence grew up on similar turf in South Africa and owns multiple DP World Tour wins on links-style venues. Lindeque believes the tighter fairways and creative around-the-green demands at Renaissance Club will accentuate his strengths, while softer Midwestern birdie-fests mask them. He plans to roster Lawrence heavily in DFS GPPs and sprinkle outrights/top-20 bets before the market catches up.

Pat Fitzmaurice is adding Thriston Lawrence at 65-1, reasoning that the South African’s current form (12th at the U.S. Open and 8th at the Rocket Mortgage) shows his all-around game is peaking. Fitzmaurice argued Lawrence’s lack of elite power is irrelevant at a Deere layout that rewards precise iron play and hot putters. With Aldrich Potgieter winning last week, Fitzmaurice sees a realistic path for another South African to strike if Lawrence sustains the tee-to-green gains he showed in Detroit.

Rick Gehman identified Thriston Lawrence as a confidence-driven upside play in the mid-7K range. The South African has strung together a T8 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and a T12 at the U.S. Open book-ended around a T4 at the Soudal Open on the DP World Tour, all of which were complete-gain performances. Across those four events Lawrence gained five strokes ball striking at Detroit and four in Belgium while remaining positive with the putter every week. Gehman believes seeing compatriot Aldrich Potgieter lift a trophy last week provides an extra motivational spark—‘if he can win, I can win.’ With plus driving, steady putting, and real momentum, Gehman sees Lawrence as a live top-10 candidate who will fly under the radar.

Jason Sobel mentioned Thriston ("Tristan") Lawrence as another player whose current surge at the Rocket Mortgage could translate into a viable John Deere dart. Lawrence, historically a streaky scorer, has gained over six strokes tee-to-green through three rounds in Detroit and owns multiple DP World Tour wins on sub-7,300-yard tracks. If he closes well, Sobel expects odds in the 60–80/1 range, making Lawrence a GPP flyer with top-10 upside and a candidate for FRL (first-round leader) bets given his aggressive birdie rate.

Byron Lindeque doubled down on Thriston Lawrence, grabbing 81-1 outright (five places) and adding a top-10 at +700 and top-20 at +320. Lindeque stressed that Lawrence was never priced below $8k on the DP World Tour in 2024, underscoring how talented bookmakers think he is overseas. He reminded listeners that Lawrence finished runner-up at last year’s Open Championship and owns six worldwide wins, so his current T8-T12-T4 run suggests the form is coming together on U.S. soil. Ball-striking surged last week, and Bentgrass is his favorite putting surface. Lindeque called him a “world-class talent” who simply needs one American comfort week to pay off a full ladder ticket.

Kenny Kim fired on Thriston Lawrence at 75-1, highlighting that the South African gained nearly 10 strokes tee-to-green last week and now owns three top-12 finishes in his last four worldwide starts (12th at Oakmont, 4th at the Sudal Championship, and T8 the week prior). Lawrence has gained in every strokes-gained category in back-to-back events—something Kim noted usually occurs only for Scheffler- or Rory-level players—and Bentgrass is his best putting surface. Kim admits Lawrence carries bust risk because of frequent missed cuts but argues the upside is too high to ignore in an event where long-shot winners are common, especially with soft greens that reward his balanced tee-to-green profile.

Matt Gannon warned listeners not to chase Thriston Lawrence at Detroit despite the South African’s strong finish last week. Lawrence is projecting for roughly 9 percent ownership in the 6-K tier, a level Gannon called "way too chalky" for a volatile player whose ceiling is tied almost entirely to spike putting weeks. While Detroit Golf Club sets up well for his all-around game, Gannon would rather get unique in large-field GPPs and leverage off the crowd by fading Lawrence in favor of lower-owned bombers priced around him.

Rick Gehman labeled Thriston Lawrence a ‘sicko special’ worth sprinkling in large-field GPPs at just $6,900. After an abysmal first half of 2025 that included a string of missed cuts, Lawrence has flipped the switch with three straight strong showings: T12 at the U.S. Open, T4 on the DP World Tour, and a statistically solid warm-up start in between. Gehman highlighted that Lawrence gained across all four strokes-gained categories at Pinehurst and again the week before in Europe, signaling a genuine all-around form revival. In a weak field where ownership will flock to more familiar names, Lawrence’s proven winning pedigree overseas and trending ball-striking makes him a high-leverage punt who can finish inside the top 20 if the putter cooperates.