GPP Data Review: RBC Heritage Classic

Fresh off the physical and mental strain that Augusta National demanded, us GPP bros took no time off in stepping up to the plate for another week. Knowing without a doubt that there is an impact that a major has on players, what I wanted to explore was how the field reacted to it. Famously, Davis Love III said he played so well at the RBC Heritage through the years because his game was in peak form for The Masters, but mentally, the moment was just so big for him that he could not calm down enough to play well that week. The impossible fact of the matter is we do not have enough information behind the scenes that shows how much of a toll certain players feel or who takes the momentum forward from a big finish. But what is certain is that the narrative in the lead-up until lock was how much or how little to react to The Masters.

We’ll start with the four clear contenders of last week. With The Masters being a small field as well, the stark salary jumps on all four absolutely stand out. But that didn’t fend off projected ownership for the flagship contests. Scottie Scheffler was a conundrum itself with the baby looming and the price tag, so I do believe those are two factors that held his ownership in check. We’ve yet to see him above $13K in a field as strong as the Heritage, but I doubt we’d be getting him near 20% again in this spot, especially now after racking up another win. Ludvig Aberg believers didn’t bat an eye and even brought more on board after his Augusta debut. His second-place finish was more of a triumph than looked upon as a letdown, and with his unflappable demeanor to this point, the popular opinion is Aberg will build off that strong week. Max Homa and Collin Morikawa get lumped in together for the third week in a row, as both were low owned in the bad side of the draw at the Valero as well. Ownership came in quite under expectation on both, and I’m hard-pressed to not think their performance in contention didn’t have hand builders questioning themselves at their now-elevated salaries.

There’s a laundry list that could fall into the eye catcher bucket, but these four hit mine. Patrick Cantlay was the one where everyone had questions heading to Augusta and, despite a T22 finish after a Sunday 76, he absolutely did enough to get back on people’s radar. A combination of a pop on the leaderboard plus strong history at Harbour Town made him an easy click for many. Tom Kim’s Sunday round of the day was enough to get him quickly bet in the opening markets at triple digits, but the momentum didn’t carry on as much as I anticipated in the DFS streets. He’s one I look back on this week and think there should have been an overweight stance on Kim, as we’ve long been betting on his return to form in 2024. Both Cameron Davis and Adam Schenk finished tied for 12th last week, earning a spot back in The Masters next year, and were welcomed with a price jump into the $7Ks. Like Cantlay, Davis has a strong history in Hilton Head, and that likely correlated with his ownership 10x’ing in the span of seven days. Schenk’s jump is of no surprise either, as his solid run is not being overlooked anymore.