The Power Fade: 2025 Players Championship
The Approach for Key fades at the 2025 Players Championship
What’s going on TJ Nation! Ann Arbor's Own Good Ol' AK Allen Klutts here bringing you another edition of the Power Fade: The Fades 8K and Above You Need to Smash Your DraftKings GPP's!
With Russell Henley's triumph at Bay Hill in the rearview mirror, (Shout out to AK's Betting 6 Pack as we hit a 55/1 Outright)Â we head up the east coast of Florida and Ponte Vedra Beach and TPC Sawgrass.
One of the craziest events on the PGA TOUR Calendar, TPC Sawgrass plays as a Par 72, 7352 yards. With the frequent possibility of water lurking, this event has shown a propencity for high variance. The chalk can certainly die over the last 3 holes at this iconic venue.
Scottie Scheffler rolls into THE PLAYERS looks to 3-peat this week. While he hasn't played to his elite capabilities, he still is playing quite well.
Iron play will be crucial this week, and weighted very heavy in my BTN Model.
With glory awaiting for the winner of the 5th major, let's take a look at who will be our Power Fades for THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP!
Rory McIlroy ($11,500)
Our first Power Fade of the week burned us the last time he was the Power Fade at Pebble Beach. However that never scares off the PF and Rory McIlroy makes his return this week.
Why The Fade Works:
Even thou Rory is a former PLAYERS champion, his other results have been a mixed bag. With three missed cuts included, Rory is the definition of a Boom/Bust play and with Scottie lurking it be wise to pay up for the world number one.
Statistically, Rory does have some struggles that make sense as to why he is very up and down at TPC Sawgrass.
As stated in the intro, iron play will be very important this week. Rory has been shockingly bad from the key ranges of 125-200 yards (135th) and the even more refined range of 150-175Â (118th).
At TPC Sawgrass, Par 5 scoring is a key factor in who has a successful week. Rory has been rather mediocre in Par 5 scoring. With a ranking of 94th, the recipe Rory presents isn't one that breeds success. Obviously Rory can succeed based on his talent, but the stats should point us in a different direction this week.
Hideki Matsuyama ($9,900)
Our second Power Fade of the week is a man many think will one day win a PLAYERS Championship, but this year will not be the one. Hideki Matsuyama comes to us as our second Power Fade, just a shade under 10K at $9,900 on DraftKings.
Why The Fade Works:
Hideki is an interesting enigma. On paper he has interesting results, but those high end finishes have come when he has nuclear rounds with his irons.
Coming into this edition of the 5th major, Hideki's irons are not trending in the right direction. Ranking 114th in SG Approach from the key distance of 125-200 yards is troubling to say the least. Furthermore when it comes to the irons, Hideki has been in the negative for 3 of his last 4 events. With all the trouble lurking, this is not the time to be trying to find your iron game.
Hideki should see some ownership this week as well. With two straight top 6 finishes, people will be intrigued to take a man custom made for TPC Sawgrass. I believe we can do better and pivot down the board to other players whose current stat profiles are trending in a better direction.
That's it folks for this week's edition of the Power Fade! We will return to you next week we continue on the Florida Swing with a little trip to the Snake Pit. Copperhead plays host to the Valspar Championship as Peter Malnati looks to defend.
Follow me on X @AllenKlutts and on Instagram @Allen_Klutts906
Until Next Time.... Be Bold, Be Brave, and Let's Ride the Power Fade!
"Even thou Rory is a former PLAYERS champion, his other results have been a mixed bag. With three missed cuts included, Rory is the definition of a Boom/Bust play and with Scottie lurking it be wise to pay up for the world number one"
— AK
Meet the Author:
Allen Klutts
A long time Tour Junkies fan and Nut Hut Member, Allen has always been an enthusiastic PGA DFS player and is looking to bring that passion to his writing. A frequent participant on the Wednesday Night Live Stage Chat, who DB once compared to Norm from the TV show "Cheers" for always kicking off the live stage segment, Allen lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife and two year old son.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and commentary in this post belong to its author and do not necessarily represent the Tour Junkies as a whole.