Breaking down picks for Rory/DJ vs. Fowler/Wolff free-to-play pool

The 2020 TaylorMade Driving Relief skins competition will take place on Sunday in Juno Beach, Florida at Seminole Golf Club. This event will feature Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson going up against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff for a $3 million purse that will be donated to charity. Fowler and Wolff will represent the CDC Foundation while Rory and DJ will compete for the American Nurses Foundation.

DraftKings Sportsbook is offering a pool for the competition with fun props that you must answer correctly in order to win prizes. We’re going to go over each question and which is the best way to approach the pool.

Rory/DJ vs. Fowler/Wolff DraftKings pool picks

Which team will win more Skins in the match?

• Rory/DJ
• Fowler/Wolff
• Tie

The easy answer to this is Rory and DJ. You’ve got the world No. 1 and the former world No. 1 golfer. After some consultation from my good friend Reid T. Fowler, I’ve learned that this should be a pretty even matchup. Fowler/Wolff are the sneaky play given all four golfers can bomb it off the tee but that might not matter. Seminole Golf Club is a more wide-open, links-style course. This will mean more wind and an emphasis on the short game. Fowler is the best putter in this group, so he’ll have a clear edge.

Which team will win more money in the match?

• Rory/DJ
• Fowler/Wolff
• Tie

This is interesting because the prize breakdown is proportionate. The first six holes are worth $50K each, Nos. 7-16 are worth $100K, the 17th hole is $200K and the final hole is $500K. So really it doesn’t matter who performs early on, it’s moreso who finishes strong. So Rory and DJ could win, say, the first six holes, split 7-16 and lost the last two holes and still make less than Rickie and Wolff. Rory and DJ haven’t played a ton of golf together, though it doesn’t matter much. I’d still say the value is in Rickie-Wolff.

Which team will win at least two Skins first?

• Rory/DJ
• Fowler/Wolff

Again, Fowler/Wolff is the way to go probably. There’s not much information out there as to how much golf each player has been playing. Rory has claimed he didn’t pick up a club for some time after the pandemic hit. We can assume all four have some way of practicing either at home or at a remote facility they own. Fowler and Wolff have the Oklahoma State connection, so again, I kind of like them in a lot of these.

What will the outcome of the first hole be?

• Rory/DJ win
• Fowler/Wolff win
• hole is halved

Will any player record or be conceded a birder or better on the first hole?

• Yes
• No

Will either team record or be conceded an eagle in the match?

• Yes
• No

Will anyone hole out from off the green?

• Yes
• No

This is a possibility. I’m being told we could see more opportunities off the green with how fast those should play.

Will anyone hit a ball into the water?

• Yes
• No

This pick is easier to make than the one below. The easy answer is “Yes” given the golfers aren’t familiar with Seminole Golf Club. All of them could feasibly hit in the water at some point.

What will be the highest number of skins won on a single hole?

• 0-2
• 3
• 4
• 5 or more

Going somewhere in the middle or 0-2 seems like the play. Again, we could see a lot of skins carry over but 5+ seems steep. 0-2 or 3 will be trendy picks I’d imagine.

Who will be the first player to hit a ball into the water?

• Rory McIlroy
• Dustin Johnson
• Rickie Fowler
• Matthew Wolff
• No one

My gut says DJ but really it can be anyone. Johnson, Rory and Fowler seem like the type in this format who could go mongo and overshoot a fairway or green. It’s an unknown course, so whoever is going to take more risks will most likely hit the ball in the water.

Who will be the first player to hit a ball into the bunker?

• Rory McIlroy
• Dustin Johnson
• Rickie Fowler
• Matthew Wolff
• No one

Same thinking here as the water. Unknown course and some players with ego going after the top prize are the biggest factors. Throw out conventional wisdom a bit.

Which team will have the most skins after 9 holes?

• Rory/DJ
• Fowler/Wolff
• Tie

Fowler/Wolff is the value, though I wouldn’t rule out tie either. Most people will pick Rory/DJ on most of these questions. The more you get right apart from the pool the better.

Who will hit the longest tee shot on Hole 3?

• Dustin Johnson
• Rory McIlroy
• Matthew Wolff
• Rickie Fowler
• 2 or more players tie

All four players can bomb off the tie, so this is pretty tough. If we look at average driving distance on the tour for 2019, Rory ranks second at 313.5 and DJ ranks fifth at 312. Fowler is 31st in 2019 at 303.1, still respectable. In a limited sample size in 2020, Wolff did rank T19 at 310 in 36 rounds. Rory and DJ are the safe picks here. Fowler the value and Wolff the sleeper.

Which player will win the most skins?

• Dustin Johnson
• Rory McIlroy
• Matthew Wolff
• Rickie Fowler
• 2 or more players tie

I really like Fowler overall in this event. I think if you consider his short game and how the field will lean on Rory and DJ, there’s tons of value. I’d hedge a bit with some live odds but Fowler would be the way I go here.

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