Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – RBC Heritage

The Sleeper Report: Fantasy Golf Sleepers, Long Shots, and Undervalued Picks for the 2017 RBC Heritage

The 2017 RBC Heritage Sleeper Preview

After the storm – literally and metaphorically – of The Masters comes the relative calm of the RBC Heritage from Harbour Town Links in South Carolina.

The Augusta jaunt was one of the most enjoyable in years; maybe not for the players battling 35 mph winds on Thursday and Friday plus ghoulish pin placement, but certainly for all watching on the course and at home.  And few could begrudge Sergio Garcia, so close so often in majors, the chance to slip on the Green Jacket after a beguiling final round duel with the vanquished but honorable Justin Rose.

Those players in Masters mode will need to switch their mindset rather quickly for an altogether different test this week.  The Harbour Town Links are exactly as described, so we can expect a windy, coastal test that will offer an easier assignment than Augusta but only slightly easier scoring; the average winning score here in the past five years is -12.

It’s an intriguing contest because the shorter hitters – so often disadvantaged – can come to the party here.  At 7,099 yards for its Par 71 nobody is going to blow this field away, and with former champions including Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, and Jim Furyk you can already get a feel for how this RBC Heritage week is going to pan out.

The fairways are fairly narrow, the Bermuda greens tiny and the gusts of wind pretty strong, so this is a classic ball strikers test in the mould of the Sony Open, RSM Classic, and the St. Jude Classic.

So who’s in town?  A bevvy of ‘Augusta survivors’ as they have to be known from now on (Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, Charley Hoffman, and William McGirt) as well as those who will be glad to see the back of the old place (Tyrrell Hatton, Danny Willett, Russell Knox, and Rafa Cabrera-Bello).  Defending champion Branden Grace will be looking to follow in the footsteps of multiple-time RBC winners Jim Furyk and Boo Weekley, while some of the PGA TOUR’s ‘nearly men’ – Bill Haas, Kevin Kisner, Kevin Na, and Charles Howell III – will be looking to add some long-overdue silverware to their collection.

It is always an intriguing test of skill this, and the list of most recent winners here would suggest that those looking for a bet with the Vegas sportsbooks would be best off keeping an open mind.  The RBC Heritage has been described as an event where the ‘solid, if unspectacular flourish’, and while that would be a little harsh on those who have prospered here there is a grain of truth to it:

Branden Grace (2016), Jim Furyk (2015), Matt Kuchar (2014), Graeme McDowell (2013), Carl Pettersson (2012), Brandt Snedeker (2011).

So who are the lower-priced fantasy options to consider this week?  Let’s take a look.

[membership level=”0″]

2017 RBC Heritage Fantasy Sleeper Report

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″]

The RBC Heritage Fantasy Sleeper Report

Mix and match these players with your usual rosters (or play them separately) to get the most out of your picks this week.

Pat Perez – Vegas Odds 66/1 – Perez enjoyed a quiet but solid enough Masters – perhaps the best way to enjoy the event – and rounds of 74-74-70-71 ensured he finished T18.  Unlike many in the field this week, his confidence will remain intact.

Perez has already won in windy conditions this year at the OHL Classic, and the fact that he is a fairly recent winner on Tour stands him head and shoulders above most here in South Carolina this week.

Is he an ideal fit for Harbour Town?  Well you’d think so given his most recent finishes here are 26-18-18 (2013-2015) and T6 in 2011, and as an Arizonan playing in the wind will not faze him one bit.

Rafa Cabrera-Bello – Vegas Odds 66/1 – With a Links-style set-up and windy conditions, you might expect the Europeans to be more at home here.  That certainly appeared to be the case last year when Branden Grace (a European Tour veteran) bested Russell Knox and Luke Donald, so why not give RCB a try this week.

The Spaniard has never quite shown his best on American soil, bar a decent turn at the Matchplay and Masters in 2016, so these familiar conditions should suit.

He’s played well at times this season, with a T10 at the CIMB Classic, T11 at the Dubai Desert Classic, and T5 at the Indian Open, and certainly has the game to gatecrash the party here.

Jason Kokrak – Vegas Odds 70/1 – The RBC Heritage is an event where the ‘horses for courses’ mantra holds true, with numerous players connecting several top-10 finishes here.  Kokrak is pretty much another die-hard fan of Harbour Town, with 6-18-12 his last three results here.

In events like these we have to take a bit of a leap of faith sometimes with players out of form (MC-58-58 is his formline), but for a guy who recorded top-25s in February at the Genesis Open and Pebble Beach we don’t have to search too hard for a decent run.

Fourteen top-10s in 141 starts is roughly a 10% success rate; that is very good indeed.

Patrick Cantlay – Vegas Odds 70/1 – It is testament to this young man’s character and ability that after the best part of three years away from professional golf battling a career-threatening back injury, he has been able to come back and perform so admirably.

Cantlay was tied for the lead with Adam Hadwin heading down the back nine of the Valspar Championship, and while he had to make do with a share of second place that was a nice insight into what this 25-year-old can do.

He has made the cut in his other two starts this term (T48 at Pebble Beach, T39 at the Houston Open), hitting an average of 71% of greens in regulation and 62% of fairways.

Lucas Glover – Vegas Odds 90/1 – Neat and tidy golf is the order of the day at Harbour Town, so it’s no wonder Lucas Glover has performed pretty well here in his last two trips.

Those were 33-18, and when you factor in a pair of 7-12 a decade ago and our conclusion is that Harbour Town suits his ‘ball on a string’ approach.

With a trio of top-10s to his name this season, another top five return is not out of the question.

[/membership]

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

Cover photo via Instagram