Justin Thomas announced via social media that he has undergone microdiscectomy surgery and will miss the start of the 2026 PGA Tour season. Thomas had suffered from nagging hip pain for several months and an MRI revealed a disc problem that was treated with a procedure at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. The 32-year-old is currently ranked eighth in the Official World Golf Ranking. His most recent win came at the RBC Heritage and he was a member of the United States Ryder Cup team in 2025. Thomas didn't put a timetable on his return, but we can conservatively expect him to miss some events at the start of the 2026 season.

Through 24 events this year, Sami Valimaki has recorded seven top-25 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the World Wide Technology Championship last week. He will look to keep that momentum going at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, where he is making his tournament debut. Port Royal Golf Course is short by PGA Tour standards, measuring just 6,868 yards, and will emphasize precise short approaches and overall strokes gained, especially with the high winds that typically come into play. Valimaki ranks 50th in total strokes gained (+0.476 strokes per round), 18th on approach (+0.505), and an impressive 11th in putting (+0.496). He also ranks first on tour in proximity from inside 100 yards out of the rough, but just 101st from the fairway for the same distance. Valimaki is riding momentum from last week's runner-up finish, and at $8,200 on DraftKings, he can be trusted as a solid piece of fantasy lineups.

Matthieu Pavon has struggled through 2025, recording just one finish inside the top 40 in 24 events, which came last week at the World Wide Technology Championship with a T31. He'll look to find some form at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, where he is making his debut. Port Royal Golf Course is short by PGA Tour standards, measuring just 6,800 yards, and will emphasize precise short approaches and overall strokes gained, especially with the high winds that typically come into play. Pavon ranks 163rd in total strokes gained (-0.939 per round), 163rd on approach (-0.421), and 84th in putting (+0.076). He's also 174th in par-4 scoring, averaging 4.10 strokes, and sits in just the 16th percentile in proximity from 50-100 yards, a key range on this shorter layout. While he posted his best result of the year last week, Pavon remains a very risky play, even at just $6,700 on DraftKings.

After two top-12 finishes in three events, Taylor Montgomery has taken a step backward, missing the cut in two straight starts. He'll look to get back on track at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, where he is making his course debut. Port Royal Golf Course is short by PGA Tour standards, measuring just 6,800 yards, and will emphasize precise short approaches and overall strokes gained, especially with the high winds that typically come into play. Montgomery ranks 65th in total strokes gained (+0.379 per round), 146th on approach (-0.239), and sits in just the 30th percentile in proximity from 50-100 yards, a key range on this shorter layout. His biggest tool is his putter, as he is second on tour in strokes gained putting (+0.899 per round). At $7,300 on DraftKings, Montgomery's short game boost value, but it may not be enough to put him in contention in a week where strong putting is expected across the field.