2026 PGA Championship: Top DraftKings Showdown Plays & Live Bets Ahead of Round 2
The 2026 PGA Championship is officially underway, with a logjam of 7 players tied for the lead at -3. With over 90 players within 5 strokes of the lead through the opening round, this tournament has a wide-open feel to it and is ripe for the taking from anyone who can catch a hot putter over the next few days.
Looking ahead, we have new data at our disposal to adjust our approach in DFS formats before Round 2 gets underway on Friday. Conditions have been perfect thus far, and should continue to firm up and play more difficult as the week goes on. Ahead, we’ll look to identify the players who have shown they are most due for a Round 2 breakout.
Take a look at some of the best pillar players for PGA Championship DFS contests and live betting opportunities.
DraftKings Showdown Golf Strategy
DraftKings Golf Showdown Golf is a one-round Daily Fantasy format in which players aim to construct the best-scoring one-round lineup while staying within the allotted salary cap. To identify value in Golf Showdown, it’s typically best to focus on buy-low opportunities on players who’ve shown uncharacteristically poor putting in the prior round. There is also an opportunity to find leverage by identifying favorable weather splits and players who are more likely to card birdies-or-better.
Round 2 PGA Championship Showdown Pillar Plays
At the 2026 PGA Championship, the opening round showed a particular focus on consistent iron play and approach putting. Aronimink has done an admirable job of testing players throughout their bags. Elite edge play is needed to generate scoring opportunities on the short par-4s, and the Par-5s and Par-3s have proven to be a bear for players who are not in control of their woods and long irons. To the same end, three-putt avoidance will be pivotal, so the players who master their speeds on these greens stand the best chance to score. Identifying value players who check each of these boxes can provide valuable bonus points in the DraftKings Showdown format. The three players below will be foundational plays in my Round 2 Showdown lineups for these reasons.
Scottie Scheffler ($13,100)
The 2025 PGA Championship winner coasted to an easy 5-stroke victory this time last year at Quail Hollow, and to the demise of the rest of the field and non-Scheffler bettors, he looks to have picked up right where he left off with a share of the lead through the first 18.
The one thing Scheffler faders did not want to see was a hot start with a hot putter. Unfortunately for us, that’s exactly what we got in round 1. Scheffler holed birdie putts from 28 feet and 34 feet to mask what was an otherwise pedestrian ball-striking round (29th SG: BS) from the world No. 1. Time and time again, Scheffler has shown us his performance only improves over time as he familiarizes himself with the course conditions throughout tournament week. Aronimink has proven to be a perfect fit for Scheffler’s game, so after a rare hot start, it seems wise to hitch onto this wagon early.
Patrick Reed ($8,600)
I was strongly considering backing Patrick Reed pre-tournament. He has excellent history on comparable northeast courses, and while he is above-average in driving distance, he’s always held his own on longer tracks like Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines, and Augusta National. The one question that surrounded Reed for me was the rust factor. Reed is free from his LIV obligations, and with two wins on the DP World Tour already, he’s effectively already punched his ticket for a 2027 PGA Tour card. As such, we haven’t seen him at all since The Masters five weeks ago.
As it turns out, there was no rust, just rest for Reed. He fired an opening round 68 and now sits T8 leading into the second round. Reed led the entire field in SG: APP in the opening round, and uncharacteristically left a few more makeable putts out there. As the course continues to firm up, that should cater even more to Reed’s strengths, and if the putting picks back up in round 2, he looks poised to make a charge.
Ryo Hisatsune ($6,700)
The most ethical 67 from the logjam of round 1 leaders came from Ryo Hisatsune, who demonstrated the greatest consistency in the areas that matter most at Aronimink. Hisatsune is the only player in the field to rank top-25 in SG: OTT, SG: APP, and SG: P in the first round.
Cast your bomber narrative aside; it was Histatsune – Tour-average in terms of Driving Distance – who led the field in SG: OTT in the opening round. These firm and contoured greens require spin to hold them, so Hisatsune’s ability to consistently find fairways is very encouraging looking ahead. It’s been a great 2026 season for Histatsune, who’s posted five top-15 finishes over his last 11 starts. There are plenty of reasons to believe he can remain in contention for the rest of this week.
Live Bets To Consider Entering Round 2
Round 2 3-Ball: Morikawa Over Lowry & Hovland
Best Available odds: +148 (DraftKings)
Morikawa’s lingering injury concerns were factored into his price pre-tournament, and after an opening round 69, I’m not quite sure they’ve been adjusted in this Round 2 3-ball matchup. Morikawa continues to pass the eye test as a top-5 player in the 206 FedEx Cup Standings. He was excellent from fairway-to-green ranking top-25 in terms of both SG: APP and SG: ARG, and I expect his off-the-tee numbers to improve in round 2.
Viktor Hovland continues to search for answers with his swing. He sputtered into this week with no top-30s in his last three starts, and that form continued into his first round at Aronimink, shooting an opening round 74. Lowry entered with similar concerns surrounding his form, and while an opening round 70 is respectable, it was buoyed by a chip-in eagle on 9. Expecting some regression there, Morikawa should be the man to beat in Round 2.
Top 10 Finisher: Tyrrell Hatton
Best Available odds: +800 (DraftKings)
We have an unprecedented logjam of a leaderboard after the opening round of the PGA Championship, with over 90 players still within 5 strokes of the lead. That creates an ideal buy-low opportunity on slow starters who can still factor into this tournament.
Amongst that logjam, I love Tyrrell Hatton’s prospects to make a charge the rest of the way. He is an ideal course fit as an approach marksmen with great touch around the greens and proven success in difficult scoring conditions. Hatton currently sits T67 after an opening round 72 and is just five strokes off of the lead. He looked his usual self with the irons (27th SG: APP), but was derailed by a poor showing on the greens (129th SG: P). Assuming we get some regression on the greens the rest of the way, I’m still high on Hatton’s course fit and overall form.
Best of luck with your PGA Championship DFS lineups and bets!
Photo Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
