Paulie’s Picks: 2019 Mayakoba Golf Classic

Only a few events are left in the 2019 PGA Tour calendar. This week the Tour heads to Mexico for the Mayakoba Golf Classic, held at El Camaleon Golf Club. This is a short, often windy course that puts an emphasis on ball-striking. Many past Mayakoba champions (Matt Kuchar, Pat Perez, Graeme McDowell, Charley Hoffman) are excellent ball-strikers who excel in windy conditions.

Let’s look at a few players to consider for your DraftKings lineups this week:

Viktor Hovland $11,200

Hovland is a ball-striking machine and has the highest ceiling of any player in the field. He has finished 16th or better in eight of his last 10 events. Surprisingly, though, he has not yet won on Tour. It’s tough for rookies on the PGA Tour, as they often have to get acclimated to an unfamiliar course every week. Going into the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Hovland has a bit of an edge, having played two events on this course (the 2018 Mayakoba and the 2016 World Amateur Team Championship). Will Hovland capture his first title this week on a course that he knows?

Harris English $8,000

English, the 2013 Mayakoba champion, is the most underpriced player this week. He has been playing great in the wraparound season, finishing sixth or better in three of his four starts. He has gained strokes off the tee, on approach, and putting in all four events. Not just that, but he has gained at least 11 shots on the field in each of those categories. That shows me that his game is firing on all cylinders. At $8,000, he is an auto-play for me.

Brandon Wu $6,800

If you’re searching for a low-owned play in the large-field Mayakoba Golf Classic, look no further than Brandon Wu. Wu is a promising young star from Stanford who is just starting his professional career. He finished 17th in his only PGA Tour start this fall at the Houston Open. He comes into this event playing very well, having been medalist at Second Stage of Q-School last week.