Tour News
7 best bets at the 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge
The PGA Tour heads back to the mainland this week at the CareerBuilder Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation where 156 players will tee it up in sunny Palm Springs, California. With a new week of competition, you once again have the chance to earn cold, hard cash on DraftKings.
In this week’s fantasy contest, $200,000 is on the line with $15,000 going to the eventual winner. Some of the world’s best professional golfers on the PGA Tour are scheduled to play in the Coachella Valley; don’t miss out on your opportunity to pick, play, and win, especially since I am here to help by highlighting the best bets to consider below.
The Courses
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The 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge field will be tested over three courses: PGA West TPC Stadium Course; PGA West (Tournament) course; and La Quinta Country Club. The Stadium Course was designed by the infamous Pete Dye, measures 7,300 yards and plays to a par of 72. Hole No. 17 is known as “Alcatraz,” while No. 18 is equally difficult, given its intimidating water-lined feature. The Tournament course was designed by Jack Nicklaus, and measures 7,204 yards and also plays to a par of 72. It includes, not one, but two island greens, and has been characterized as forgiving off the tee, with treacherous greens and surrounding complexes. Finally, La Quinta CC is the oldest private club in the city and has been a part of this particular event for 51 of its 56 years. The course has five lakes, which come into play on seven different holes.
Below are the seven players I suggest putting into your DraftKings fantasy lineup this week, and why.
John Senden ($7,200)
2016 PGA Tour season statistics
- Official World Golf Ranking: 85th
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green: 0.440 (78th)
- Strokes Gained: Putting: 0.324 (70th)
- Strokes Gained: Total: 0.764 (57th)
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders: 52.27% (53rd)
- Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage: 34.87% (43rd)
- 2015 finish at CareerBuilder Challenge: DNP
Senden is a two-time PGA Tour winner, having most recently won the Valspar Championship in 2014. In the 2016 season, he’s made 3 of 4 cuts and finished T16 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas back in October. Unlike other players on this week’s list, Senden does not have any favorable history at this event from 2015.
Known as a consistent ball-striker, Senden’s ability to climb the leaderboard this week will inevitably depend on his putter. Don’t be surprised if Senden threatens to win this week, and with favorable odds to post a strong finish (say top-20), it makes $7,200 a sound investment.
Cameron Tringale ($7,800)
2016 PGA Tour season statistics
- Official World Golf Ranking: 73rd
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green: 0.851 (37th)
- Strokes Gained: Putting: 0.343 (65th)
- Strokes Gained: Total: 1.193 (26th)
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders: 40.91% (165th)
- Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage: 30.72% (120th)
- 2015 finish at CareerBuilder Challenge: T30
Tringale played last year in the desert at this event and posted a respectable T30, which he will likely improve upon in 2016. In the 2016 season, he’s made 3 of 3 cuts and finished T2 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. That was the third second-place finish of Tringale’s career and a win seems inevitable before he turns 30 in August 2017.
That said, he will need to convert a lot of birdies this week to find himself on the leaderboard late on Sunday. In the event that Tringale stretches his game to find those birdies, he will be competing to win. At $7,800, he could be a great fit in almost any lineup.
Kevin Chappell ($8,100)
2016 PGA Tour season statistics
- Official World Golf Ranking: 109th
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green: 1.645 (13th)
- Strokes Gained: Putting: -1.245 (219th)
- Strokes Gained: Total: 0.400 (90th)
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders: 24.60% (75th)
- Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage: 30.61% (123rd)
- 2015 finish at CareerBuilder Challenge: DNP
More so than even Tringale, Chappell seems destined to win on the PGA Tour in the next couple years, if not 2016. A Tour veteran at this stage, given his 140-plus starts at almost 30 years old, Chappell finished 2015 calendar year in style with a second place finish at The RSM Classic. In the 2016 season, he’s made 3 of 4 cuts.
While he did not play last year, Chappell finished T8 in 2013 at the CareerBuilder Challenge, when he posted a final-round 62. Not only a best bet this week, but a steal at $8,100, Chappell is a must for your lineup.
Brendan Steele ($9,000)
2016 PGA Tour season statistics
- Official World Golf Ranking: 79th
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green: 0.818 (40th)
- Strokes Gained: Putting: -0.103 (136th)
- Strokes Gained: Total: 0.715 (61st)
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders: 50.00% (62nd)
- Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage: 34.57% (52nd)
- 2015 finish at CareerBuilder Challenge: T2
Steele is a gamble in that so far in the 2016 season, he’s missed 2 of 4 cuts. Contrarily, in those two events where Steele played on the weekend, he posted a T17 at the Frys.com Open and T3 at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. And it is hard to overlook last year’s T2 at this same event.
All things considered, Steele is a great fit for almost any lineup, given his modest salary of $9,000. When considering mid-range options this week for the CareerBuilder Challenge don’t shy away from Steele, but understand the risk based on his recent play.
Charley Hoffman ($9,200)
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2016 PGA Tour season statistics
- Official World Golf Ranking: 54th
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green: -0.202 (136th)
- Strokes Gained: Putting: -0.768 (196th)
- Strokes Gained: Total: 0.970 (181st)
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders: 16.67% (246th)
- Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage: 24.44% (244th)
- 2015 finish at CareerBuilder Challenge: T2
Hoffman is a former winner (2007) of this event and finished T2 last year finishing 63-69-64 after opening with a 72. Never known as a model of consistency on the PGA Tour, 2016 to date has been no different. In just two events this season, Hoffman has made zero cuts, including missing the weekend in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
As a three-time PGA Tour winner, Hoffman has proven he can close and take it incredibly low for weeks at a time. In order to put him in your lineup this week, you will have to ignore Hoffman’s recent play and have faith that Palm Springs (a place where he has historically played well) will rejuvenate a lackluster 2016 season. For $9,200, there is significant upside, but no guarantees.
Webb Simpson ($9,600)
2016 PGA Tour season statistics
- Official World Golf Ranking: 72nd
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green: 0.996 (30th)
- Strokes Gained: Putting: -0.832 (201st)
- Strokes Gained: Total: 0.164 (112th)
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders: 50.00% (62nd)
- Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage: 30.83% (117th)
- 2015 finish at CareerBuilder Challenge: T7
Whether Simpson will ultimately survive the anchoring ban remains to be seen, but unlike some other PGA Tour players, he made the change early in 2015 to prepare for Jan. 1, 2016. Based on the numbers, the putter is still a work-in-progress, despite making 2 of 3 cuts in 2016 as well as finishing T13 last week in Hawaii.
Simpson’s spot on this list is, in part, due to his strong finish at this same event in 2015 (T7) and history overall (2014: T23; 2011: T13; 2010: T33; and 2009: T5). It is also a result of being a former U.S. Open champion and four-time PGA Tour winner. Simpson offers the real possibility of getting a win at a reasonable price.
Ryan Palmer ($11,000)
2016 PGA Tour season statistics
- Official World Golf Ranking: 57th
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green: 1.253 (19th)
- Strokes Gained: Putting: -0.289 (155th)
- Strokes Gained: Total: 0.964 (40th)
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders: 67.86% (6th)
- Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage: 33.59% (73rd)
- 2015 finish at CareerBuilder Challenge: T10
A three-time PGA Tour winner, Palmer is not necessarily a bargain this week at $11,000, but a best bet nonetheless. He is coming off a strong finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where Palmer finished T13. In the 2016 season, overall, he’s made 2 of 3 cuts and also finished T16 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas.
Long enough off the tee, and a capable ball striker, Palmer needs a hot putter to find the winner’s circle. As between Palmer and say, Matt Kuchar, however, get some value for your investment, and go with the former this week.
