Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2023 Hero World Challenge

2023 Hero World Challenge Fantasy Sleeper Report

Off we go into the sunset of 2023, a year that has given us plenty of outstanding golf, some shocks, surprises and a sense that the civil war between the PGA TOUR and LIV Golf has plenty more battles ahead.

Bettors have one final chance to haul in a winner at the Hero World Challenge, an event that doesn’t exactly offer much in the way of betting value given that there’s only 20 players in the field – and two of them, Tiger Woods and Will Zalatoris, haven’t hit a competitive golf shot since April.

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The absences are more jarring than those present. Jon Rahm has declined to make the trip over to the Bahamas for Tiger’s tournament, which against the backdrop of those LIV Golf rumors does little to settle the nerves.

Rory too has declined to play, which given that the fallout from the PGA TOUR and LIV ‘agreement’ saw him quit the player’s council, would suggest he’s happy to keep a low profile for the time being.

But there’s still a trophy to be won and prize money to be pocketed, with Viktor Hovland eyeing a three-peat to end his year in style. He’s beaten Scottie Scheffler into second place on both occasions, so the world number one will be looking for revenge this week, while the likes of Collin Morikawa, Max Homa and Justin Thomas are also making the trip to Albany Golf Club on New Providence Island.

The players will be in for a comfy week too. The forecast is good with sunshine and war m temperatures, while a 12-15mph breeze will be a minor inconvenience on a layout with plenty of real estate to work with.

The fairways are generously proportioned at Albany GC, and while it’s a decent size – 7,449-yard Par 72 – some of the additional yardage is gobbled up by the presence of five Par 5s. With wide fairways, relaxed rough and small greens, the key is quality iron play; hence why Hovland and Scheffler, two of the pre-eminent approach players in the game, have thrived here.

Winning scores here have ranged from -16 to -25, which is indicative of how strong – and variable – the wind speeds can be. Otherwise, this is an easy layout where birdies are not in short supply.

Which brings us to our Hero World Challenge sleeper shortlist, which would normally be stacked with five picks at juicy prices. Alas, the absence of Rahm and McIlroy means that the odds are spread evenly across the field – rather than the head of the market – which leaves us which just two at 50/1+ prices: Tiger and Lucas Glover.

Tiger still struggles to walk 72 holes, so his chances of winning seem remote – but then, with the Big Cat anything is possible. As for Glover, he finished T45 and T59 in two low key Fall Series outings lately – not exactly ideal preparation for taking on some of the world’s best.

So instead, we’ve got a handful of picks for you at 20/1+ – that’s still a handsome return if any of them can oblige.

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Cameron Young – 20/1 – When you reach 13th in the OWGR without actually winning a tournament, you know your game is consistently good.

The only thing missing from Cameron Young’s career is a trophy, so motivation will not be in short supply when he heads to the Bahamas this week.

He’ll get plenty of room off the tee, while his approach play can shine on the smaller-than-average greens of Albany GC – the ingredients are in place for a player who was right there on the Links of the British Open after 54 holes in the summer.

Tony Finau – 22/1 – In four trips to Albany GC, Tony Finau has never finished lower than T10 – with a runners-up effort in 2018.

So these are conditions that suit, which is evident in the fact that he’s won on the coast in Mexico and Puerto Rico and previously finished T3 at the British Open.

Finau not’s been seen since the TOUR Championship, so that’s a black mark against his name, but if he’s been working hard on his game in his downtime then there’s every chance he can contend this week.

Jordan Spieth – 25/1 – There was a time when Jordan Spieth was a must bet in Links style conditions.

He’s not the player he was – that’s surely fair to say, but he still has the chops to win in this sort of environment – his second-place turn at the RBC Heritage earlier this year was evidence of that.

Wide fairways, small greens has often been a combination that has brought the best out of Spieth’s game while negating his weaknesses, so there’s no reason why he can’t improve upon his best of T3 at Albany GC.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the Hero World Challenge here.

Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2023-2024)

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