The Power Fade: 2023 wells fargo championship
The Approach to fading big names for the Wells Fargo championship 2023
What’s going on TJ Nation! Allen Klutts here with another addition of The Power Fade: The Fades 8k and Above that will help you smash your GPP's.
The Mexico Open produced a 1-1 record for The Power Fade last week. Tony Finau winning the tournament made fading him a losing proposition. My call of fading Alex Noren was a victory, as he trunk slammed on Friday night after an unimpressive performance.
Quail Hollow and the Wells Fargo Championship brings us to another elevated event. Rory McIlroy, the number 3 ranked player in the world headlines a field that is minus the world's top two players (Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler).
I will be focusing on the following stats this week. Driving Distance, Driving Accuaracy, and Strokes Gained Approach. Furthermore, I will be mixing in course history as a factor into my research for the week. Without further adieu, let's get into the Power Fades for the Wells Fargo Championship!
Xander Schauffele ($10,700)
Xander Schauffele kicks off our Power Fades this week. With a steep $10,700 price tag on DraftKings. It is my belief that a choice between Xander and Rory McIlroy will have to be made when starting lineups.
Why The Fade Works:
As I delve into the stats on Xander this week, he comes up short in two major categories for Quail Hollow: Driving Distance and Driving Accuracy.
Xander isn't a bunter by any means, he also would never be considered a bomber either. Coming in ranked 91st this season for driving distance, Schauffele will be at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the 10k range. Driving accuracy can also be a problem for Xander, as he ranks 118th on the PGA TOUR this season.
Quail Hollow has been described by Viktor Hovland as score on the Par 5's and hold on for the other holes. Having to constantly play out of the rough on this long, difficult golf course can limit Schauffele's scoring upside, even in a tournament where the winning score should be between -11 to -14.
I am strong in my conviction that DraftKings points are going to be at a premium this week. Based on his off the tee struggles, mixed in with a course history not ideal for his price point, I am not confident in a 10.7K Xander Schauffele returning the value that we will need to be profitable in GPP's.
Sungjae Im ($9,100)
Sungjae Im comes in as our next Power Fade this week. Much like with Xander Schauffele, driving distance is the main concern I have with Im this week.
Why The Fade Works:
At $9,100 on DraftKings this week, Sungjae is priced appropriately. As we look at the range around him, we find Rickie Fowler and Jason Day, both with outstanding course history and better driving distance.
Ownership in the low $9,000 range should be flat across the board. In a situation like this the leverage play is to fade the player with the lesser skill set. Therefore in this situation a Sungjae fade makes sense. I'll take my chances that Rickie and J-Day outperform Sungjae from the low 9K range.
Im controls his golf ball quite well there is no debate on this topic. Sungjae is incredible at keeping the ball in the fairway which is a strong skill, especially at Quail Hollow. Basically it's a lackluster course history with a lack of driving distance creating a recipe for an underperformance from the South Korean phenom.
That's it folks for this week's edition of the Power Fade! I will return to you next week for the AT&T Byron Nelson! Until then Be Bold, Be Brave, and Let's ride the Power Fade!
“ Having to constantly play out of the rough on this long, difficult golf course can limit Schauffele's scoring upside, even in a tournament where the winning score should be between -11 to -14." Â
— 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.