Paulie’s Picks: 2019 Safeway Open

The Tour stops by California this week for the Safeway Open at Silverado Country Club. Silverado is a great test of skill, and we typically see elite ball-strikers succeed here. The course is demanding enough off the tee and has firm greens that force players to be precise with their approach shots.

Let’s look at a few players who are good fits for your DraftKings lineup this week:

Sungjae Im $10,100

Im has been knocking on victory’s door and is past due for his first win. He has finished 26th or better in 10 of his last 12 starts. Last week at the Sanderson Farms, he narrowly missed out on a victory, losing to Sebastián Muñoz in a playoff. Im’s game is firing on all cylinders right now: he gained at least 2.5 strokes in each of the four strokes gained categories last week. He now heads to a course where he finished fourth a year ago. A win at the Safeway Open would all but assure him of a captain’s pick for the President’s Cup as well. Im’s consistency, combined with his high birdie rate, makes him an excellent player to have in your DraftKings lineup this week.

Collin Morikawa $9,400

A California native, Morikawa would like nothing more than to win in his home state and jumpstart his 2019-20 season. His game is predicated on impeccable ball-striking, which should suit him well to Silverado. At this point in the wraparound season, Morikawa has more than enough motivation to bear down at the Safeway Open. He currently sits at 87th in the world and would love to climb the rankings to ensure that he will compete in all of the WGC and majors this season. If Morikawa can win once or twice this fall, he may also find himself on the President’s Cup team as a captain’s pick.

Cameron Tringale $7,200

Tringale has quietly made nine of his last 10 cuts, so his game has been trending in the right direction. Last week at the Sanderson, he gained 7.2 strokes combined off the tee and on approach. Tringale is known for having a solid short game but a long game that can sometimes go awry. If he can match last week’s ball-striking performance with his usual performance around the greens, he can contend. At $7,200, he is a great value at the Safeway Open, as rostering him allows us to pay up for some top players.