Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2020 Safeway Open

The Safeway Open 2020 Fantasy Sleeper Report

As one door closes, another opens….

Barely has the dust settled on the winning putt at the TOUR Championship to draw a line under the 2019-20 season and we’re up and running with the 2020-21 campaign with the Safeway Open in Napa Valley.

As described by the PGA TOUR, this will be a ‘super season’, encompassing all of the normal tournaments plus the 14 that were lost last term to coronavirus. Some – including the U.S. Open and The Masters – will be played twice.

It’s a shame to say it, but what an underwhelming way to start the new campaign. The Monday finish at the TOUR Championship, and the small matter of the 2,500 mile trip from Atlanta, has meant that a number of big names have withdrawn from the Safeway Open, leaving the event with that ‘alternate’ feel….

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As if that wasn’t enough, the field that will tee up will have to cope with some extraordinary conditions. The thermometer could peak at more than 100°F in Napa this week as a heatwave takes hold, and while mercifully those temperatures will cool off by Thursday’s first tee, the grounds team at Silverado are going to have their work cut out keeping the North Course in good order.

Will they be able to get enough water on the greens to keep them lush….or maybe they will over-water them deliberately? Will the heat kill off the rough? Sadly, these are questions we will only know the answers too as the action unfolds, but we can make some assumptions when placing our wagers this week.

It’s funny, because the question of green speeds is key at Silverado. Traditionally, the Poa Annua surfaces run pretty slow, and that is a defining character here as the fairways are pretty tough to hold. So, the idea is that the greens are receptive to those scrambling from the rough – if they are scorched and running quickly, this tournament could play out rather differently to the norm.

The perception of early season golf is that it is easy and played at wide-open courses, but Silverado bucks that trend somewhat with those narrow fairways and some pretty deep bunkers, and so the greens will need to be receptive if the typical winning score here of around -16 is achieved.

With a lack of quality at the head of the betting market, there is a clear and open opportunity for an underdog to lift the trophy this week – with that in mind, here’s our Safeway Open 2020 sleeper report.

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The Safeway Open Fantasy Sleeper Report

Brendan Steele – Well, why not?

It’s been a while since Brendan Steele won back-to-back at Silverado but he’s still a solid enough campaigner, making the cut in 14/20 starts last season with three top-10s.

Ironically, he really caught the eye in his last outing at the BMW Championship where he ranked fifth for SG: Approach, and if he combines that iron play with his traditionally straight hitting off the tee then chances will be created.

When players return to a happy hunting ground they tend to putt better too – Steele’s achilles heel, and if the TOUR Championship participants do struggle this week then he could be among the chief beneficiaries.

Cameron Davis – A lack of consistency seems to be holding Cameron Davis back at the moment.

But he has made steps to address that lately, and since golf’s restart suddenly he is starting to connect three and even four good rounds – hence his T12 and T15 returns from the 3M Open and Wyndham Championship respectively.

The Australian ranked 46th on Tour last season for SG: Tee-to-Green, and this field that baseline sets him apart as one of the better performers taking to the tee. Can he capitalize on that add to his collection of two worldwide victories?

Joel Dahmen – Given his quality, it’s a surprise that Joel Dahmen hasn’t opened his PGA TOUR title account as yet.

Last season he finished inside the top-25 in 50% of the events he entered, but its actually getting into contention where Dahmen is falling down.

Here’s the good news – he’s fantastic off the tee and hits some excellent irons too, and the main weakness in his game (chipping) will hopefully be negated at Silverado.

Comfortable on Poa Annua, Dahmen heads to the west coast with a T20 finish at the BMW Championship and a top-10 at the PGA Championship under his belt – could he finally make the breakthrough this week?

Tom Hoge – An excellent iron player and scrambler, Tom Hoge delivered three top-10 finishes in the season just gone and that already puts him on a higher plain than most in the field this week.

And the fact that two of those top-10s came on west coast soil only serves to increase the appetite for a wager on the 31-year-old this week.

Hoge’s form since golf’s resumption hasn’t been the best, but there have been flashes – he opened with an outstanding round of 62 at the Wyndham Championship, and a return to California, where he was solo fifth in the Farmers Insurance Open and T6 in the Desert Classic, will appeal.

Carlos Ortiz – Followers of the PGA TOUR may just recall the golden period in the Fall when Carlos Ortiz was a factor at the top of the leaderboard in three separate events.

He really could and perhaps should have won at the Sanderson Farms Championship, losing his way on the Sunday while in contention, but followed up with excellent top-fives in the Mayakoba Classic and the Houston Open.

Patchy form since has been a concern for something really clicked for the Mexican in tough conditions at the BMW Championship – his T25 there is worth plenty when compared to the rest in this field.

A decent ball-striker capable of grinding out scores, Ortiz is certainly worth a second look in this company.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for The Safeway Open here.

Sleeper Report Predictions Last Season (2019-2020)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”3.12%” bar_text=”5 out of 165 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “6.875%” bar_text=”11 out of 165 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”28.12%” bar_text=”45 out of 165 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=6.25%” bar_text=”2 out of 33 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”0%” bar_text=”0 out of 33 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”60.62%” bar_text=”97 out of 165 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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Cover photo via Instagram