US Open Golf 2022: Daily Fantasy Picks and Tips for Friday
The 2022 U.S. Open leaderboard features Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and a host of unfamiliar names.
First-round leader Adam Hadwin has been on the scene for a while, but he has never played this well at a major tournament and holds a single-shot advantage over the rest of the field at four under.
Callum Tarren, David Lingmerth and MJ Daffue were not even in the long-shot conversation entering the tournament at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, but they are among those only a shot behind the Canadian.
Friday's second round will tell us if these players are here to stay for the weekend to compete with the higher-profile names on the leaderboard.
We should also see a few runs from the middle of the pack as the conditions level out for everyone. The weather was better for morning tee-off times on Thursday.
One good or bad round could flip the complexion of the U.S. Open. That happened in the final round last year, when Russell Henley and Mackenzie Hughes slumped from their leading positions.
The best way to predict which players will surge up the leaderboard on Friday could be to evaluate first-round scorecards and the mistakes and recoveries made by players in the field.
A combination of first-round success stories and potential second-round stars should be used in daily fantasy lineups for Friday's 18 holes.
Put Trust in Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy will be one of the most popular additions to DFS lineups for Friday's second round.
The 33-year-old is the most notable player by far in the group of five players that sit one shot back of Adam Hadwin.
There could be some cause for concern with regression for McIlroy, but he is in some of the best form on the PGA Tour.
McIlroy opened with a 66-68 scorecard on the first two days of the RBC Canadian Open, before following that up with rounds of 65 and 62 to win at the St George's Golf and Country Club in Etobicoke, Ontario.
The Country Club in Brookline presents a much more difficult challenge than last week's venue, but the Northern Irishman's form is worth noting.
McIlroy got out to fast starts at three of his last four starts. He carded rounds in the 60s before dropping multiple shots in the second round.
That is the argument against rostering him, but the lessons learned from the drop-offs over the last few tournaments can help the four-time major winner manage the situation better.
McIlroy is the only player at three- or four-under with significant major experience, and he could surge past the other golfers throughout Friday's play.
If that is the case, he would be viewed as even more of a favorite to win the U.S. Open than he was going into the event.
Be Wary of Unknown Leaders
The 2021 U.S. Open could teach us a valuable lesson about what could happen with some of the unknown names at the top of this year's leaderboard.
Nine of the 10 players who shot under 70 last year regressed by at least two strokes in the second round. Eventual champion Jon Rahm was the only one who dropped a single shot from his first-round score in the 60s.
The likes of Adam Hadwin, Callum Tarren, David Lingmerth and others could experience a similar drop-off when they hit the course on Friday.
All you have to do is look at the case of Hayden Buckley to reaffirm any wariness.
The 26-year-old, who shot a two-under 68 on Thursday, went from a first-round 69 to a second-round 82 at last year's U.S. Open and missed the cut.
Not every golfer at the top of the leaderboard will go through something that drastic, but it is a note of caution when approaching those players for DFS lineups.
Even if they turn in decent second rounds, those scores may not live up to the high standard set Thursday, and you can find more success with other names with greater room for improvement.
Look at Players Around Even-Par Mark
The group of players around the even-par mark could make waves on Friday.
Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler are among those who shot an even-par 70 on Thursday.
And many of those names had to scramble throughout the 18 holes just to come home with those scores.
Schauffele had three bogeys and three birdies but created momentum for himself by rolling in birdies on the fifth, seventh and eighth holes.
Scheffler displayed the mettle of a major champion by finishing the front nine with birdies on the eighth and ninth holes.
Small stretches like those above could drum up a ton of confidence in players heading into Saturday and Sunday.
As Rahm proved last year, consistency is vital on a tough U.S. Open course. He hung around the top with a 69 and 70 in the first two rounds and then pounced when others failed to maintain their earlier good play.
Even someone like former Masters champion Patrick Reed and Mito Pereira, who finished tied for third place at the PGA Championship, could make moves because they are familiar with the situation.
It also helps that these players at, or around, even par have the potential to move up the leaderboard and gain more DFS points throughout the round.