Following the Mexico Open, the PGA TOUR returns to the United States this week for the Wells Fargo Championship, which will be played at Quail Hollow Club (par 71, 7,538 yards, POA Trivialis greens) in Charlotte, North Carolina. With the Presidents Cup taking place at this par 71 last year, the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship was played at TPC Potomac. Furthermore, this event was unfortunately canceled in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship was held at Eagle Point Golf Club, with the PGA Championship being played at Quail Hollow that year, which was won by Justin Thomas. Outside of these three occasions, Quail Hollow has hosted every Wells Fargo Championship since the tournament’s inception in 2003.
While originally designed by George Cobb in 1961, Quail Hollow can be classified as a Tom Fazio design, with the famous architect making major renovations to the course over the last few decades, specifically in 1997 and 2016. Notably, in the latter year, Quail Hollow was lengthened in preparation for the 2017 PGA Championship, and many holes were completely redesigned.
Given Quail Hollow is one of the longest tracks used on the PGA TOUR and that the course features rough that isn’t overly penalizing, bombers have an advantage at this long par 71. Of the last five winners at Quail Hollow, three finished the event top-10 in driving distance. Now, that doesn’t mean we need to only be rostering long hitters, as we have seen some average length players succeed at Quail Hollow in the past, but if juggling between two golfers, siding with the longer player of the two makes sense.
While putting surfaces at this venue are some of the largest on the PGA TOUR, being dialed in with your irons is still vital if you want to contend at Quail Hollow, with three of the last four victors at this course ranking top-16 in SG APP during their wins. Additionally, targeting golfers who are in good form with their flat stick is also important at Quail Hollow, given the size of the greens at this track. At each of the last four tournaments at Quail Hollow, the golfer to secure the top prize finished the week top-five in SGP.
Lastly, being efficient on the par fours is critical at Quail Hollow, specifically the par fours that land between 450-500 yards. Six of the 11 par fours at this par 71 fall in this range, and three of the past five champions at Quail Hollow have ranked top-five in efficiency on these holes during their victories.
As one of this season’s designated events, 33 of the top 50 ranked golfers in the world will be teeing it up at Quail Hollow this week. This is a full field of 156 golfers, and there will be a standard top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds. On the DraftKings Sportsbook, Rory McIlroy is the betting favorite to win the Wells Fargo Championship at +750, which will impressively mark the Irishman’s fourth victory at Quail Hollow if he comes out on top.
Below, I break down four of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the Wells Fargo Championship that cost less than $7.5K.
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Emiliano Grillo ($7,400) – Grillo has made 4-of-5 cuts at Quail Hollow – including back-to-back top-15 finishes – and returns to the par 71 in impressive form. After finishing T7th at the RBC Heritage, the Argentite kept his foot on the gas at the Mexico Open this past week, carding a T5 finish. At both these events, Grillo collectively gained strokes on APP and with his putter. Notably at Vidanta for the Mexico Open, Grillo led the field with 9.6 strokes on APP, which set a new career high for the 30-year-old.
If Grillo can carry over this momentum to Quail Hollow, he should beat this cheap salary with ease, potentially adding another top-15 finish to his resume at the famous track.
Adam Scott ($7,300) – Scott hasn’t missed a cut in almost a year, advancing to the weekend at 15 straight events coming into this week. Impressively, nine of these finishes were results of T31st or better, and Scott’s driver has been strong as of late, ranking 28th in distance across his past 50 rounds.
Scott’s resume at Quail Hollow reads eight made cuts and five top-30 finishes in 11 appearances, and at +800 on the DraftKings Sportsbook, the veteran boasts the best odds to finish inside the top 10 at the Wells Fargo Championship this weekend among all the players priced under $7.5K.
K.H. Lee ($7,200) – Lee is an outstanding value at this low price point. The 31-year-old has been great this season, making 12-of-15 cuts with six top-30 finishes, and is an excellent fit for Quail Hollow, ranking 17th in 450-500-yard par four efficiency over his last 50 rounds.
Lee has never missed a cut at Quail Hollow in three tries – including a T25 last season – and is a safe, inexpensive bet to make the cut this week.
Byeong Hun An ($7,100) – When excluding his first-round WD at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, An has made 10 consecutive cuts with four top-25 finishes during this stretch. Plus, the 31-year-old ranks sixth in driving distance, 19th in bogeys avoided, and 10th in 450-500-yard par four efficiency over his last 24 rounds, which bodes extremely well for a trip to Quail Hollow.
An has made 4-of-6 cuts at the par 71 - most notably with a T8 in 2017 – and has to be rostered at this cheap salary, which is a massive $2K decrease from his price tag for the Mexico Open last week.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.