Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic

The 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

Harris English is proof that, just sometimes, nice guys finish last.

You can see in the way his fellow pros refer to him on social media that English is a well-liked guy on TOUR, and having witnessed his game drop deep into the doldrums a couple of years ago he is the perfect advert for golfing renaissance stories….and who doesn’t enjoy those?

English found himself locked in a playoff with another talented ace who has gone through the mill in recent times – Kramer Hickok, another who hasn’t quite fulfilled his potential (as yet).

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But locked at -13, it was into overtime at the Travelers Championship, and it took an extraordinary EIGHT playoff holes to separate the pair, who both came close to winning on a number of occasions.

In the end, English – perhaps with the added confidence of being a PGA TOUR winner this season – found that extra 5% to see off his valiant opponent and claim the fourth title of his career.

Ever the gentleman, English praised Hickok to the hilt afterwards – but this was his time and, up to 12th in the world, surely more rewards will come his way in the near future.

He’ll have the week off as the TOUR rolls around to a different kind of test. You’ll need to make -20 to be in the discussion at Detroit Golf Club, the host for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Birds will need to be made from the get-go at a layout where Bryson, flexing his muscles, averaged 350 yards off the tee to win by three shots from Matthew Wolff in 2020.

Of course, that’s not the only way to get the job done at this layout, and these birdie shootouts often denigrate into putting contests – especially as there is very little to inconvenience the players at Detroit GC.

There are 87 bunkers, but these are shallow and easy to escape, while the rough – typically left four inches long – seems to be easy to play out of if last year’s driving accuracy to GIR transitions are anything to go by.

With just one water hazard in play, there’s a chance for all players to shine no matter what their style this week….but they will have to putt well on these undulating Bentgrass/Poa greens.

These are the sorts of tournaments that sleeper fans dream of. It is completely open – as witnessed by Nate Lashley’s win here in 2019 at incredible sportsbook odds of 500/1!

It will be difficult to hit one of those once-in-a-lifetime bets this week, but there is certainly scope for a long odds winner – if Bryson doesn’t take the course to the woodshed again, that is.

Anyway, let’s see if we can hit a big winner in our 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic sleeper shortlist.

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The 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

Gary Woodland – 50/1 – Here’s an excellent price for a player that has proven chops on Bentgrass/Poa greens.

Gary Woodland is certainly amongst the most capable players in this field, and while his form is patchy he should enjoy himself at a layout where there is less pressure on his ball striking.

Top 10s at the Wells Fargo and Texas Open show he’s not a million miles from his best, and you suspect it won’t be long until he is back amongst the leaderboard frontrunners once more.

Cameron Tringale – 50/1 – An excellent putter of the ball, Cameron Tringale has gone off the boil somewhat since his fine run of form in the spring.

He missed the cut at the Travelers but didn’t stink the place out, playing his second round in -2, a final round of 69 at the Memorial was tied for second best on the day and he opened 67-69 at the Charles Schwab Challenge before running out of steam at the weekend.

So all is not lost for Tringale, and you’d like to think he’d raise his game at a layout where he has finished T5 in the past.

Maverick McNealy – 80/1 – A really impressive young performer, it tends to be boom or bust for Maverick McNealy – in 12 PGA TOUR outings in 2021, he has two top-10s, a T20 and six missed cuts to his name.

But his recent efforts have been solid, and he was in outstanding touch both off the tee and on the greens last week at the Travelers.

T8 here last year with 21 birdies, Detroit GC is a venue McNealy likes and we’re intrigued to see where that comfort takes him this week.

Alex Noren – 80/1 – It would hard to make a case for the notion that Alex Noren is an elite ball striker.

However, he is passable from tee-to-green, and it’s here where he really comes alive.

The Swede has a metronomic putting stroke, and at courses where the fine margins are made on the greens he has a habit of coming to the party.

Noren has finished inside the top-25 in four of his last six PGA TOUR starts, and as a proven winner on the European Tour we know he can take care of business when in the mix.

Phil Mickelson – 100/1 – It has been a fallow time for Phil since he won the PGA Championship.

But the fact he’s even teeing up at Detroit GC, a venue he is yet to visit, sayts a lot about his determination to keep the bombs coming.

And that’s what he’ll be hitting this week, although of course we’re more interested in the scoring phase on and around the greens – here is where the difference will be made.

Lefty is no stranger to success on Bentgrass/Poa greens, and if he rediscovers his PGA form he could be a very dangerous contender indeed.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”2.22%” bar_text=”4 out of 180 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “9.44%” bar_text=”17 out of 180 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”24.44%” bar_text=”44 out of 180 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=2.78%” bar_text=”1 out of 36 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”5.56%” bar_text=”2 out of 36 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”62.78%” bar_text=”113 out of 180 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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Cover photo via Instagram