Daily Fantasy Golf: How Weather Impacts Performance

We live in a world where just about any information you could possibly want exists at your fingertips. Well, information that would help you build a PGA lineup on FanDuel, at least.

You can check out advanced stats for golfers, betting odds, recent performance, course history, and even a particular golfer's feelings on a course even if he hasn't played there often. Simply put: you name it, you can probably find it.

And that can be great. You can sort through every player in that particular field and cross names off the list -- just because someone said he doesn't like how a particular course is set up back in 2008.

The problem with all of this is that having more information can make you more confident (and less accurate).

That's important to keep in mind when factoring in one main variable in your PGA lineup building: weather.

Weather's Impact on Performance

Tee Times

Tee times aren't a meteorological phenomenon, of course, but golfers will tee off throughout the day. You can try to factor that in by targeting, for example, golfers who tee off early on Thursday if weather concerns are likely later in the day.

That does mean potentially passing up on strong plays because of a concern that might never be realized, but it can be a big part of building lineups for the PGA Tour -- if you want to rely on it in your process.

Wind

Wind is -- naturally -- critical for a sport like golf. If you're interested in seeing a bit on how wind actually impacts ball flight, feel free, but it's important to know how to factor it in if you're going to use it in decision-making.

The primary area that will be affected by strong winds is drives. If a particular tournament is projected to feature heavy winds, you'll want to familiarize yourself with golfers with lower apex heights and less hang time on their drives.

Rain

Too much rain can lead to delays and suspensions, so if a storm is anticipated later in the day, you might want to favor players with earlier tee times so that they aren't playing through tougher conditions. Even if play doesn't get halted at all, know that wet courses can cause problems, such as shortening distance and making roughs even more problematic.

Aside from noting tee times, you might want to give extra attention to players who hit the fairway frequently to avoid thick rough made even tougher by moisture.

Wet greens will play slower, as well, making putting overall a bit easier and letting approach shots stick more often. That can make putting ability a little less important -- but just remember that this is one of those situations where too much information could be a bad thing in the long run.

Temperature and Humidity

Hot temperatures, low barometric pressures, and high humidities add distance to drives, and that'll certainly come into play during certain tournaments throughout the tour's schedule. That can help make up the gap for short, accurate drivers, but it'll, in turn, give extra distance to the bombers as well.

If a course runs short and the weather is going to be hot, you could be seeing some really low scores, and birdies are the lifeblood of fantasy scoring on FanDuel.