DraftKings is changing its golf scoring, offering lower points for the rarest events in a golf tournament.
Beginning with the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii, DraftKings golf scoring is lowering the number of points for albatrosses (double eagles) from 20 points to 13 points and for holes-in-one (aces) from a 10-point bonus to a 5-point bonus.
The DraftKings hole-in-one bonus has long drawn the ire of daily fantasy golf players because getting an ace is largely a function of luck. Previously offering 10 points for something like that rare had the potential to dramatically change the complexion of a contest with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line. However, by cutting the bonus in half, DraftKings is acknowledging an eagle on a par 3 is a more special shot than an eagle on par 4s or par 5s.
The same thinking seems to motivate the change in points for albatrosses. Now there is a 5-point jump from birdie to eagle and from eagle to albatross. That consistency seems better than the eagle-albatross gap at 7 points. A 2 on a par 5 is extremely rare, too, so offering that for a lucky shot seemed out of spirit of daily fantasy sports with hardcore players who work to find advantages on the margins of their lineups, not in one-time strokes of luck.
It's unclear if other changes are coming to DraftKings daily fantasy golf scoring, but these changes are certainly welcome.
