Conor Coughlin shakes up the PGA Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) landscape in his series “From First Tee to Last Call,” where he combines lifestyle advice learned from times at the bar accompanied by friends with his projecting models. Tee off with Conor this week as he reveals his Masters Tournament 2023 DFS core plays.
Masters week is my favorite week of the year. I obsess about it, consuming every ounce of media I can find. The more I learn and absorb every year, the more my obsession grows.
My wife, while a golf fan and avid player, does not share my perspective that the rest of life should be put on hold during this part of every year. We are amidst many home projects, and those will wait for no man. They all are of the utmost urgency, and there is no compromise on these timelines.
Poppin’ Paint Cans
I knew my week would be compromised the second I saw the paint cans and many plastic bags adorned with the Ace Hardware logo coming into the house last week.
“We are going to paint the kitchen!” she said.
Our house was built in 1950 with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
I had questions. First and foremost, who is “we?” Neither of “we” have any formal training in painting and refinishing a kitchen. Not to say I can’t figure it out, but it certainly isn’t going to be a quick process, and more importantly, it will not be without error. Most likely many errors. Also, I see no adult beverages accompanying these painting supplies, so already I’m less than inspired.
The kitchen absolutely needs it. The cabinets are ancient, the countertops outdated and the walls are painted a God-awful pale yellow color that I assume was closer to a tan or light brown several decades ago when it was first applied. Not that I’m lazy, but I am also not the most motivated person you will ever meet. I enjoy relaxing after a long day’s work and not immediately jumping into more “work” at night. That low level of motivation is amplified substantially during Masters week. I have many plans and activities scheduled for this week, and this is not one of them!
Magnolia Homes
She got after it immediately and with little to no research. The cabinet doors and all hardware were removed and scattered about our living room within 15 minutes of her decision to take on this task. The blue tape began screeching as she frantically taped off the trim and countertops. Within 30 minutes, she had the roller out and the Magnolia Homes (Chip and Joanna Gaines from HGTV) white paint ready to be applied to everything, including our dog.
Why Magnolia Homes?
“It’s Chip and Joanna; it’s gotta be good, right?” my wife said.
How much was this paint, you might ask? Only about 25 percent more expensive than store brands, but I didn’t pay for it, so I took no issue with it.
The first and almost immediate lesson I learned about this paint is that it really would have loved to have been applied over primer. Consequently, our kitchen now has several coats of this very nice and expensive paint on the walls. Our cupboards have some sort of finish on them that is not receptive to the new paint and will require sanding. The ceiling has some sort of very fine random texturing, possibly just subpar workmanship that was never finished correctly. That will also require sanding now that we can very plainly see these imperfections post-application of this bright white paint.
Getting Down to Brass Tacks: Masters Tournament
The cupboard doors are also becoming a problem, given the brass accents my wife wants to add in the form of new hinges and handles just not lining up quite right with the previous hardware. Yeah, we’re having a ton of failures and learnings, but all and all, I am always glad to be ready to burn the place down with my best friend by my side.
If anyone is in the business of painting and refinishing and wants to work for whiskey, please email me, and we can make arrangements.
All of this seems very fitting to this week’s tournament at Augusta National. Why? Because this is a course that requires a great amount of course IQ. This is not a tournament, much like my home project, that is best navigated by an amateur or even a first-timer. The golfers who tend to perform well here are those that know their way around and have a strong grasp on exactly what tool to use for each job.
Let’s get into the DraftKings (DK) DFS plays for The Masters Tournament 2023 edition.
Onto the Green: Masters Tournament 2023 at Augusta National
Augusta National Golf Club Course Breakdown
• Par 72
• 7,535-7,550 Yards
• Bent Grass
It’s gonna be wet and maybe a little gusty at times. This course is a true all-around test, but I think the longer hitters may have some edge because of this week’s conditions. Augusta has tree-lined fairways, lots and lots of elevation change and tons of undulation. If you find yourself hitting from a flat spot, you are most likely out of position.
Greenside bunkers surround relatively large green complexes. The difference is that parts of these greens are downright unplayable depending on hole location. There is water in play on a few holes, further complicating difficult and lengthy approach shots. This course can be as lethal as it is beautiful. Looks for the winning score to be somewhere around 11 under once this is all said and done.
Key Stats
• Shots Gained Tee to Green
• Driving Distance and Accuracy
• Shots Gained Approach 200+
• Shots Gained Par 5 (some of the best scoring opportunities on the course)
• Accuracy – Especially on Approach
I am going to have a very condensed player pool. I would pick your golfers and stay condensed. This is not the place to take random shots, in my opinion.
2023 Masters Tournament Picks
Rory McIlroy ($10,600)
Will this be lucky No. 9 for Rory McIlroy? I hope so! When you talk about course IQ it’s hard to look away from McIlroy. He plays well here. He loves this place and respects the level of talent that it requires. Rory finished second here last year, and in his previous four starts, he has two T5s as well. He has knocked at the door of golf’s grand slam before, and I think this is the year the golf god’s let him in. I don’t need to carry on and on about McIlroy’s stats. He rates out No. 1 for me in course fit and modeling. This is his time!
Max Homa ($9,200)
Max Homa has not fared well here before, with T48 and two missed cuts. I’m willing to overlook the finishing placement and look at the lessons learned. This is not the Homa from the last few years, though. He has been putting together one of the best seasons of anyone on tour and has a great tool kit to navigate this course. He rates out in the top 15 in all of the metrics I looked at except for driving distance. Not to say he isn’t a good driver of the ball, just that he’s middle of the pack for distance. I love the accuracy on approach, and he can get a hot putter from time to time. Homa has the type of well-rounded game that Augusta requires. He will be my second man in a lot of lineups.
Min Woo Lee ($7,600)
Min Woo Lee is someone that may get a bit overlooked. People are starting to know his name, but the Aussie hasn’t made a ton of noise yet. He has one start here in 2022 that saw him finish T14. He is someone that won’t model well, but he competes at big events; 27th at the U.S. Open, 21st at the Open Championship, and sixth at THE PLAYERS in the last 12 months. I have been on Woo Lee for a few months now. He scores well in DK and has the chops to compete here at Augusta.
Other Golfers in My Pool
• Scottie Scheffler ($11,100)
• Cam Smith ($9,800)
• Jason Day ($8,700)
• Joaquin Niemann ($7,800)
• Brooks Koepka($7,600)
• Tom Hoge($6,900)
“Last Call” Dart Throws of the Week
• Xander Schauffele ($9,000)
• Dustin Johnson ($8,800)
• Cam Young ($8,600)
• Tom Kim ($7,700)
• Gary Woodland ($6,700)
Cheers! Thanks for reading and considering my 2023 Masters Tournament picks. Good luck this week!
Find me on Twitter, @Cough_DFS.