Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2021 BMW Championship

2021 BMW Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

The idea of being crowned FedEx Cup champion will be starting to ferment in the minds of the few, but it will be a decent turn at the BMW Championship that will ultimately lay the foundation for success at the TOUR Championship next week.

So what awaits the players this time out? To be honest, that’s a good question! We don’t know a great deal about Caves Valley Golf Club, which is making its debut as a PGA TOUR host venue this week.

It has only hosted one individual strokeplay tournament of any note as well, and that was the 2017 Constellation Senior Players Championship won by Scott McCarron with a score of -18.

Embed from Getty Images

The general theme at the BMW Championship in recent years has been for low scoring – the anomaly, last year’s shoot out between Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson (won by the former) the only time that this event has had a major-like feel.

Otherwise, editions at Medinah (-25), Aronimink (-20), Conway Farms (-23) and Crooked Stick (-23) have delivered the kind of scoring that suggests the tournament organizers are not too concerned if the BMW descends into an all-out scorefest.

The images and videos we have seen of Caves Valley GC suggest something similar may just be in the offing. The main thing that catches the eye are the considerable elevation changes from tee box to green – sometimes uphill, sometimes downhill – and that may have a disorientating effect on some. But be under no illusions, a quality iron player will find a way this week.

There doesn’t seem to be much danger off the tee. There are thick tree lines, but these seem to be set some way back from the hitting zone, and while some of the fairways are quite narrow the rough looks to have been shaved pretty short – as ever, do your own research for confirmation or condemnation of that.

There doesn’t seem to be a great number of bunkers, and when you look at the routing of the course the lake only seems to be in play on a couple of holes on the back nine – again, there seems to be little to fear.

The greens are a bit up and down with considerable undulations in some areas, but on the whole Caves Valley looks to be a golf course that is there for the taking.

And with so much at stake, the best in the business will take it – but, as we know in these reduced field events, we can sometimes pick up a bargain or two at long odds. So, with that in mind, who makes our sleeper shortlist for the 2021 BMW Championship?

[membership level=”0″]

You must be a Premium Member to view our exclusive fantasy golf picks.

Already a member?  Sign in Here.

[/membership]

[membership level=”1,2,3″]

2021 BMW Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

Paul Casey – 50/1 – A fine end to his campaign at Liberty National – the Englishman was in prime ball-striking form – continues an incredible run of form.

In his last seven starts (prior to the NORTHERN TRUST), Paul Casey finished in the top-10 of two majors, T15 at the British Open, posted a top-five in a WGC and just missed out on the Olympic bronze medal.

So, all things considered, Casey is in prime form – and primed to win. Whether that happens on Bentgrass, far from his best surface, remains to be seen, but he is hitting the purest of irons right now and that will give him a fine chance at Caves Valley.

Corey Conners – 50/1 – There’s every chance that Corey Conners will make it to the TOUR Championship, and that’s just reward for the incredible form he has shown all season long.

Sixteen top-25 finishes from 26 starts is outrageously good, and while it doesn’t put him in the elite category, the Canadian is certainly edging towards that standing.

Top-20s in three of the majors and the PLAYERS Championship reveal Conners’ comfort in elite company, and his ball-striking at Liberty National was so good he can even have notions of winning the BMW Championship this week.

Joaquin Niemann – 60/1 – A player seemingly at his best on Bentgrass greens, it was surprising to see Joaquin Niemann struggle so markedly with the flat stick at Liberty National – despite a huge improvement in his putting this term.

Otherwise, the Chilean was in excellent form from tee-to-green, and those solid ball-striking numbers will surely stand him in fine stead at a layout where breaking par will surely be a priority.

A proven Par 4 birdie-maker, Niemann needs a strong showing to have any chance of making the TOUR Championship, and that will be motivation a-plenty at a layout that should suit his eye.

Sungjae Im – 66/1 – Even though he will progress to the BMW Championship and have a shot at making the TOUR finale next week, you still suspect that Sungjae Im will be disappointed with his campaign.

He has struggled for consistency throughout, and despite a few highlights along the way the Korean will still want to sign off with a strong performance over the next week or two.

His ball striking was much improved at Liberty National, which is a good start, and he has a happy knack of performing at Tom Fazio designed (or renovated) courses – his sole PGA TOUR win came at PGA National, and he was second at Augusta much earlier in the season.

Cameron Tringale – 75/1 – The Californian just keeps on playing solid golf, and that might yet reward him with a place at the TOUR Championship.

That’s not bad for a guy with only four top-10s to his name this term, but it does show how ultra-consistent Cameron Tringale has been.

In our database he has proven to be one of the best players around on courses with stark elevation changes, and that alone – allied to his recent good form – is reason enough to consider him a live contender at a layout that few, if any, in the field will have seen before.

[/membership]

Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the BMW Championship here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”2.86%” bar_text=”6 out of 215 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “10.00%” bar_text=”21 out of 215 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”23.23%” bar_text=”49 out of 215 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=4.76%” bar_text=”2 out of 43 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”7.14%” bar_text=”3 out of 43 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”61.43%” bar_text=”129 out of 215 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

---

Cover photo via Instagram