Daily Fantasy Golf Course Primer: Wyndham Championship
Birdies are fun, and we didn’t get too many at last week’s PGA Championship.
The Wyndham Championship should change that.
Hosted at Sedgefield CC, the Wyndham yields some of the lowest scores on tour since it came around in 2008. That means we need to target golfers who actually make birdies rather than settle for pars this week.
Let’s dig into this short par 70 and see what else matters for our golfer selection this week.
Course and Tournament Overview
Sedgefield measures 7,127 yards and consistently rates out below par -- and as one of the easier of the 50 or so courses on the Tour every season.
| Year | Difficulty Rank | Par | Yds | Avg Score | Avg O/U Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 37 | 70 | 7,127 | 68.972 | -1.028 |
| 2015 | 40 | 70 | 7,127 | 68.858 | -1.142 |
| 2014 | 38 | 70 | 7,127 | 69.209 | -0.791 |
| 2013 | 23 | 70 | 7,127 | 69.972 | -0.028 |
| 2012 | 35 | 70 | 7,117 | 69.373 | -0.627 |
| 2011 | 39 | 70 | 7,117 | 68.974 | -1.026 |
| 2010 | 45 | 70 | 7,117 | 68.183 | -1.817 |
| 2009 | 41 | 70 | 7,117 | 68.871 | -1.129 |
| 2008 | 44 | 70 | 7,118 | 68.753 | -1.247 |
It’s a 156-player field with the top 70 and ties making the cut. Pretty standard stuff.
Stats to Target
Strokes gained: tee to green and birdie or better rate -- especially in recent rounds -- always help to show who is playing well, but these stats have correlated best with success at Sedgefield in the past nine years.
| Key Stats for the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield CC |
|---|
| Strokes Gained: Tee to Green |
| Strokes Gained: Off the Tee |
| Strokes Gained: Approach the Green |
| Driving Accuracy |
| Birdie or Better Rate |
It's a weird list, but basically, the short par 70 requires placement rather than distance. Play off the tee and with irons has correlated well with success in past years at Sedgefield.
And as for the birdies, well, the winners have finished at least 14 under or better in the past nine years, 17 under or better in seven of them, and 20 under or better in three of them. Don't overlook scoring ability.
Course History Studs
Webb Simpson has played Sedgefield well. Since 2010, he's finished 8th, 1st, 22nd, 11th, 5th, 6th, 72nd.
Kevin Kisner has played here four times since 2011 and has consecutive top-10s: 8th in 2014 and 10th last year. But you'd have to think the close call at the PGA Championship factors into his mindset this week.
Bill Haas played Sedgefield each year since 2008, when he was cut. He also missed the cut in 2011. Other than that, the results have been pretty stellar: 10th in 2009, then 28th, cut, 7th, 20th, 2nd, 6th, and 22nd.
Carl Pettersson won in 2008 and has four other top 20s. He finished 4th in both 2011 and 2012, 18th in 2014, and 6th in 2015.
Camilo Villegas' form has some blemishes, notably a missed cut last year and a 70 back in 2012, but he won in 2014 and was 9th in 2011.
Speaking of up-and-down performance at Sedgefield, Davis Love III won in 2015, was 10th in 2012, and was 12th in 2011. Other than that? three missed cuts since 2010.
