Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic

The Mayakoba Golf Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

A strange old year comes to an end, golf-wise, with the Mayakoba Classic.

We could have been witnessing the Dustin Johnson victory lap this week, but the Masters champion has decided that he’s rather spend time with Paulina than head to the wind and rain forecast in Playa del Carmen. Fancy that.

It means that Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka take headline honors for the PGA TOUR’s curtain call for 2020, and both men will be looking to sign off with a victory.

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Can they take care of business? You would certainly favor JT over Brooks given the nature of El Camaleon, our host venue this week. It’s short – just 6,987 yards for its Par 71 – and the demand is on keeping your ball in play. For that reason, Thomas might be more likely than Koepka.

That said, just look at the identities of the most recent champions at this venue – Brendon Todd, the defending champion, Matt Kuchar, Patton Kizzire, Pat Perez and Graeme McDowell.

Those are plodders – or plotters, if you prefer – who find plenty of fairways and putt well, and in keeping with that profile it’s not  surprise to learn that the Mayakoba Classic has been good to sleepers and long shots over the years. Aside from GMAC, those four winners were available at odds of 110/1, 60/1, 60/1 and 125/1….food for thought indeed.

Note that the players will be on Paspalum this week, and these greens tend to run a lot slower and grainier. And that’s before we even factor in the possible rain that is expected – that will slow the surfaces yet further. Putting will be key once again.

There’s not a great deal else to say about this Greg Norman design, other than its coastal location and Links look and feel. All players have a chance to win this week, as long as they are comfy in the wind and putt well. Admittedly, that narrows the field somewhat but it does have an open feel to it.

Expect a winning score of around the -20 mark as well, so the question bettors have to ask is who can live with such low scoring conditions by the sea? In our 2020 Mayakoba Classic sleeper shortlist, we run the rule over five plays we think can take care of business.

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The Mayakoba Golf Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

Carlos Ortiz – 50/1 – A winner in his last start who finished T2 here last year….the boxes are ticked for Carlos Ortiz.

There’s more to the Mexican than just those efforts, and it seems as though he raises his game when on home soil – he has a win to his name in Mexico on the Korn Ferry Tour and the WGC-Mexico Championship has also handed him one of his largest paydays of his career.

Blessed with an excellent short game, Ortiz has the profile of a multiple-time PGA TOUR winner….so why not get a head start on that this week?

Brendon Todd – 55/1 – As golf bettors we can find ourselves in anger of following players off the edge of a cliff, but Brendon Todd is tailormade for El Camaleon – that much is obvious – and he is now a proven champion.

There were positive signs at the RSM Classic too where his short game was in outstanding order, and as an accurate driver the ingredients are in place or another title tilt.

It’s no coincidence that his best days have come in the Mayakoba Classic, the RBC Heritage and the Bermuda Championship – they all share the same character of being short, wind-affected tests by the sea. Can Todd do it again?

Patton Kizzire – 66/1 – The pessimists would say that it was only Patton Kizzire’s putting that got him into the mix at the RSM Classic.

It’s true, he was on fire with the flat stick, but a fortnight before at the Houston Open he gained plenty of strokes from tee to green, so we’re waiting for all facets of his game to come together.

There’s a chance that could happen this week at a venue where he has won before, and as a former Sony Open champion we know that Kizzire is perfect for the assignment at El Camaleon.

Emiliano Grillo – 66/1 – There was a slight improvement with the flat stick from Emiliano Grillo at the RSM Classic, and when he combines that with his excellent ball striking high finishes tend to follow.

But there’s more to the Argentine than just the odd T18 finish, and it’s high time he started to show it on a more regular basis.

Putting on Paspalum has given him good times in the past, and really that could be the difference for a player whose tee-to-green game is not in any doubt.

Russell Knox – 80/1 – It was odd that Russell Knox struggled at the RSM Classic in his last appearance because that was a test that seemed perfect for him.

No matter: the Scot has a pair of top-three finishes to his name at El Camaleon, and with strong efforts at the RBC Heritage and on the Links of Ireland and France show that this is where he is most at home.

Good form isn’t that far in the rear view mirror – top-20s at the Bermuda Championship and Houston Open are evidence of that, so a return to a happy hunting ground should hopefully yield results.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for Mayakoba Golf Classic here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”1.81%” bar_text=”1 out of 55 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “7.27%” bar_text=”4 out of 55 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”23.63%” bar_text=”13 out of 55 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=0%” bar_text=”0 out of 11 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”9.09%” bar_text=”1 out of 11 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”76.36%” bar_text=”42 out of 55 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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