Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – The Genesis Invitational

2020 Genesis Invitational Fantasy Sleeper Report

Come on, show of hands, who predicted that Nick Taylor would hold off Phil Mickelson and Jason Day on Sunday to win the AT&T Pebble Beach?

The Canadian was, until that point, a sole winner on the GA Tour at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2014, which s hardly a foreteller for what was to unfold in the final round there.

But, in the end, it was Mickelson and Day who crumbled – missing clutch putts and chunking chips, and Taylor was able to saunter clear and even had time for a mini-meltdown on the back nine to still win with ease.

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The wind blew a gale all weekend on the Californian coast, and we can file Taylor under the category of future sleeper picks that are comfortable in a strong breeze.

We stay in Cali this week but slightly further in-land at the Riviera Country Club, where the players won’t have to fear a strong wind because a) there won’t be one (according to the forecast) and b) there’s lots of trees on this iconic layout.

This is a stretch with doglegging holes and dense foliage, so the best shot shapers off the tee tend to thrive here. You can miss fairways, sometimes its advantageous even, but generally you want to be approaching these small Poa Annua greens – which run sharp on the stimp – from the short grass.

Driving accuracy certainly wasn’t a hindrance for J.B. Holmes 12 months ago, who took advantage of a rare blip from Justin Thomas with the finishing line in sight to notch his fifth PGA TOUR win.

In the end, a round of -1 at the Par 71 layout was enough to get the job done for Holmes, who rather like the tortoise and the hair allegory just about stumbled home while all around him were caught napping.

The last few editions of the Genesis have been played in damp, soft conditions, which favors the sort of bomb-and-gouge pros who thrive in that environment.

But we’re expecting a return to classic Riviera this week, and with a high-quality field in town we should be able to enjoy a fine tournament as a result.

As such, we’d better put together a formidable shortlist of Genesis Invitational sleeper picks to take us into battle!

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Genesis Invitational Fantasy Sleeper Report

Marc Leishman – 50/1 – With two top-five finishes sandwiched in-between three missed cuts, it’s fair to say that Riviera is a boom-or-bust venue for Marc Leishman.

But some of that will be due to a lack of form in the past, and let’s not forget he goes into this year’s edition on the back of winning at the Farmers Insurance Open.

The Aussie was in fine putting form at Torrey Pines, and while that comes and goes the greens there are also laid to Poa Annua.

Much more of interest is his iron play, especially from long range, which will be a fine asset at Riviera as he seeks back-to-back wins on the PGA TOUR.

Jordan Spieth – 50/1 – Whisper it, but there were some excellent signs for Jordan Spieth in the AT&T Pebble Beach.

He was the best player in the field on Sunday, scoring -5 in tough conditions, and in the 36 holes played at Pebble Beach he led the field in SG: Tee-to-Green.

Okay, so that doesn’t mean a whole bunch in the grand scheme of things, but courses like Riviera suit Spieth and it will be very interesting to see how he goes this week.

Two top-10s and a T12 here indicate his liking for the layout, and its relative similarity to Augusta – to the eye at least – suggests Spieth’s renaissance could continue at pace in the Palisades.

Paul Casey – 55/1 – That link with Augusta, which seems fairly cast-iron, also plays into the hands of Paul Casey.

The Brit endured something of a horror show on Sunday at Pebble Beach, carding an 81, but the wind won’t be blowing as hard at Riviera and he will feel much more at home on the tree-lined Kikuyu grass there.

Second here in 2015, this is a layout that suits his tidy tee-to-green game, and while his putting remains as frustrating as ever he will at least have an advantage on many in the field by delivering a (presumed) high GIR count.

In good form, Sunday aside, Casey looks a meaty price here.

Collin Morikawa – 60/1 – Consistently one of the best tee-to-green merchants around at the moment, Collin Morikawa is better placed than most to tame Riviera.

This is his first visit to the course, and so some caution is advised, but for a Californian playing on home soil at a layout where his skill set is well treated that should be enough to get the juices flowing.

Having ranked inside the top-10 for his ball striking at the Tournament of Champions, Sony Open and the Phoenix Open, Morikawa is simply a good week with the putter away from contending right now.

J.B. Holmes – 70/1 – It was exactly one year ago that J.B. Holmes attracted derision for his slow play on the way to winning this title.

Fast forward 12 months and not a huge amount has changed: he’s still playing extremely slowly, and still playing some excellent golf.

The Kentuckian loves golf on the West Coast, as a swing of 14-16-16 attests, and it’s Riviera of all the courses we have visited of late which perhaps suits him best: that ability to hit booming long drives a real advantage.

A five-time winner on the PGA TOUR, Holmes has the pedigree to win these high-quality events as he showed last year.

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

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2019-2020)

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Cover photo via Instagram