Daily Fantasy Golf Course Primer: Safeway Open
It's opening week for the 2017-18 PGA Tour season, and if it feels like last season just ended, it's because it did.
Golf just keeps on chugging along, and we're entering a unique time of the season. Let's just say that Tony Finau is 12/1 to win this week, per bet365, giving him the best odds in the field.
Yeah, it's that time of year, everyone.
It all starts with this week's Safeway Open at Silverado Resort and Spa North (what a name for a course).
Course and Tournament Overview
This week, we'll be dealing with a 7,200-yard par 72 that tends to play pretty easily relative to par, even with a watered down field (sorry, Tony).
| Year | Difficulty Rank | Par | Yards | Avg Score | Avg O/U Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 25 | 72 | 7,203 | 71.704 | -0.296 |
| 2015 | 33 | 72 | 7,203 | 71.107 | -0.893 |
| 2016 | 36 | 72 | 7,166 | 70.827 | -1.173 |
So, the field is weak, and the course is easy. It's also not very long. What stats do we need to hone in on?
Key Stats
You can always dig into strokes gained: tee to green and strokes gained: putting, but these stats matter the most for Silverado based on the three years of data we have to work with.
| Key Stats for the Safeway Open at Silverado Resort and Spa North |
|---|
| Strokes Gained: Approach |
| Par 4 Scoring |
| Driving Accuracy |
| Scrambling |
| Strokes Gained: Putting on Poa Greens |
Historically, the best performers at this course are accurate off the tee and avoid getting into trouble, thus taking advantage of the course's ease. But being able to scramble and save par has also been a key part of success at Silverado.
You can also dig into putting splits on poa greens (available on FantasyGolfMetrics) and familiarize yourself with some of the best poa putters on tour.
Past History Studs
The three prior winners are all in the field this week. Sang-Moon Bae won in 2014 and has finished his mandatory military service in South Korea. Emiliano Grillo won in 2015 and finished 26th last year at this event. Brendan Steele is the returning champion and finished 17th and 21st the two years prior.
Some other players of note have interesting course history as well. Kevin Na finished second in 2015 and seventh in 2016.
Steele (1st in 2016, 17th in 2015, and 21st in 2014), Finau (26th, 32nd, 12th), Martin Laird (8th, 64th, 3rd), Chez Reavie (22nd, 17th, 53rd), and Aaron Baddeley (67th, 55th, 31st) are all in the field and have three made cuts at this course in as many years.
