Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions

The Sleeper Report: Fantasy Golf Sleepers, Long Shots, and Undervalued Picks for the 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions

The 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions Fantasy Sleeper Preview

The dust may have settled on the inaugural hosting of the CJ Cup, but we’d wager that the wind is still ringing in the players’ ears days later!

Conditions on Jeju Island were challenging, to say the least, but in some ways it was nice to see those involved have to grind out par rather than taking the course to shreds.

As it was, class very much shone through in the end as Justin Thomas and Marc Leishman became embroiled in something of a dogfight. Perhaps it was Thomas’ indefatigable spirit that got him over the line in the end, as he out-grinded Leishman to take home yet another trophy for his bulging cabinet.

JT has decided to have some much-needed rest and relaxation time, so he won’t take his place in the field for this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions event at Sheshan International in China. But not to worry: this is a field jam-packed with star quality.

Justin Thomas of the United States reacts after making a birdie on…

Justin Thomas of the United States reacts after making a birdie on the 17th green during the third round of the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills on June 17, 2017 in Hartford, Wisconsin. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

The lure of a prize fund of some $9.75 million has clearly helped to make up the minds of the players, hence why defending champion Hideki Matsuyama returns to Asia to take on a glittering array of stars: Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Jason Day, Henrik Stenson, and Brooks Koepka the obvious standouts.

In truth, think of a top lass performer and he’s probably in the field, so punters will have to go the extra mile to find a winner this week.

The easy conditions won’t make that job any easier. The first two days at Sheshan will be picture perfect for low-scoring golf, and while the wind should pick up in time for the weekend it will be a mere sigh compared to the howls that met the players in South Korea last time out.

This layout is idyllic for the players: tree-lined, but with plenty of room off the tee, and undulating greens that are far less complex than those experience last week. These are made up of the more familiar Bentgrass too, which naturally gives the Westernised players a huge advantage.

The winning score at Sheshan is routinely -20 or better, and given the mostly benign weather forecast we would anticipate something similar once again. So who are the sleepers ready to outscore the field in China?

2017 WGC-HSBC Champions Fantasy Sleeper Report

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