Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – Charles Schwab Challenge

2020 Charles Schwab Challenge Fantasy Sleeper Report

It would be fair to say we all need a lift right now, and the return of PGA TOUR golf is exactly the tonic to raise the spirits considerably!

Assuming there are no major spikes in the coronavirus, the Tour has come up with a packed schedule from now into September, with the FedExCup resolved as normal and the majors moved to a new timeslot. The point is that we have lots of golf to enjoy in the months ahead!

The first cab off the rank is the Charles Schwab Challenge, and early visitors to the course have revealed that the Colonial Country Club is looking in fine order ahead of the first tee.

You will recall Colonial as one of the staples of the PGA TOUR, and it boasts the fine record of being one of the most visited frequented courses on the rotation – this event and Colonial have gone hand-in-hand for decades, dating back to the days of Ben Hogan (coincidentally, this layout is nicknamed ‘Hogan’s Alley’ after his five wins here).

Largely untouched over the years, Colonial offers an old-school test of ball striking and course management, and the biggest clue for our bets is the identity of former champions here – the likes of Kevin Na, Kevin Kisner, Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker and David Toms aren’t going to be winning long drive challenges any time soon.

Hitting fairways is key because these Bentgrass greens are both small in size and quick in speed, and so our winner will have a high Driving Accuracy % while making plenty of sub 20ft putts, you would imagine.

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There is a theme of bogey avoidance taking precedence over birdie-making too, and in last year’s renewal that was a formula that worked well for Na, who made fewer mistakes than anybody else and won by four strokes.

Mind you, that field was a lot more porous than this one, with mot of the world’s top 50 players taking the opportunity to tee up at the first available opportunity.

McIlroy, Rahm, Koepka, DeChambeau and many other classy operators are ready to go, but there are opportunities for sleepers to thrive too given the lack of competitive golf of late.

So, here’s our fantasy sleeper shortlist for the Charles Schwab Challenge.

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Charles Schwab Challenge Fantasy Sleeper Report

Justin Rose – 50/1 – It would be fair to say that break in golf probably came at the right time for Justin Rose, whose hapless run of form leading into THE PLAYERS read MC-MC-56-MC.

A rest will have done wonders for his mind and his golf game, and a split with former equipment supplier Honma may just provide a spark that gets Rose’s confidence back up and running.

Because here’s the thing: it’s rare that you can get these odds about a ten-time PGA TOUR champion, who won a classy event like the Farmers just over a year ago, and who won at this very course in 2018.

We’re taking a leap of faith with Rose given his form in the first quarter of 2020, but given the lack of golf recently you can say there is some risk in betting on ANYONE – at least we have a major winner carrying our money here, and at a value price too.

Billy Horschel – 75/1 – Few players enjoy golf in Texas quite like Billy Horschel.

A former AT&T Byron Nelson champion, Horschel has also racked up top-three returns in the Houston Open and Texas Open as well.

A top-20 here last year confirms what we already suspected: Colonial is a perfect fit for B-Ho’s game, given that he is fairly accurate off the tee, boasts an excellent short game and has nice feel with the flat stick.

He isn’t explosive by any means, but Horschel ranks 18th on Tour for Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders, and his penchant for Par 70 tracks gets us excited for his chances.

Max Homa – 80/1 – These early weeks back could present opportunities for some young studs to enter the winner’s circle as the big guns get back up to match sharpness, and one player as poised as any is Max Homa.

At 29 he may not be a spring chicken anymore, but he is young as far as his golf career is concerned and you suspect he will only improve from here.

A winner at the tree-lined Quail Hollow last season, Homa’s best efforts tend to come at strategic courses where the greens run fast- top-10s at Torrey Pines, TPC Scottsdale and Riviera this season alone are testament to that.

The Californian is naturally at home on Bentgrass greens, and he will be chomping at the bit to get started at Colonial.

Byeong Hun An – 80/1 – How do you solve the problem of Byeong Hun An, the elite-level ball striker with the club hacker putting stroke?

Given that his issues with the flat stick continue maybe you can’t, but bizarrely perhaps he will be less handicapped by that this week given that everyone else will be lacking sharpness on the greens too.

The Korean is phenomenal from tee-to-green and tends to play the Par 4s very well – he ranks 20th on Tour for Par 4 Scoring, and there will be one week when his putter gets hot and he wins a PGA TOUR event with ease. You’ll be sorry if you haven’t backed him when he does….

Joaquin Niemann – 90/1 – When you look at Joaquin Niemann’s young career so far, this is a player that has thrived particularly on Par 70 tracks laid with Bentgrass greens.

A winner at the Greenbrier Classic, top five at TPC River Highlands and T8 here are just three examples of such, and the plot thickens with the knowledge that he was solo sixth at the Texas Open too – golf in the Lone Star State clearly appeals.

Like many of the other young bucks on the PGA TOUR, Niemann’s career is in the ascendancy and he will be looking to add another W to his record as soon as possible.

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

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2019-2020)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=2.00%” bar_text=”2 out of 100 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “6.00%” bar_text=”6 out of 100 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”34.00%” bar_text=”34 out of 100 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=10.00%” bar_text=”2 out of 20 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”0%” bar_text=”0 out of 20 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”66.00%” bar_text=”66 out of 100 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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Cover photo via Instagram