Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2021 Palmetto Championship

The 2021 Palmetto Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

It’s hard not to feel a tad sorry for Jon Rahm.

The Spaniard would have defended his Memorial Tournament honor – make no mistake – having taken a six-shot lead into the final round, before an unexpected positive Covid test put pay to his hopes.

For neutral observers, Rahm’s withdrawal meant an entertaining three-way dance between Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler could unfold.

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The trio exchanged the lead, and while Scheffler just ran out of holes there was no separating Cantlay and Morikawa, who both had chances to end the tournament in regulation time.

Not taken, a playoff was needed to separate the pair, and a nervy tee-to-green hole was finally ended when Cantlay sunk a clutch eleven-footer to hold par and watched on as Morikawa missed his own six-footer to take the contest on.

It was a timely boost for Cantlay, who might just fancy the task in his native California next week for the U.S. Open.

In the meantime, there’s another engagement to enjoy – although you shouldn’t get too attached. PGA TOUR officials have confirmed that the Palmetto Championship will simply be a one-year fill-in for the Canadian Open, and that there are no plans to add the host venue, Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina to the permanent circuit.

We’ll get a quick glimpse then at a layout which is an almighty long stretch – 7,655 yards makes it the longest Par 71 on the PGA TOUR.

With generous fairways, there may be a temptation for a sort of bombs away approach, however those that know the course inside and out are only too quick to point out its hazards.

Wayward drives will be gobbled up by water hazards, of which there are many, and sandy waste areas which replace the traditional rough. Factor in the speed of the Bermuda greens, the shaved edges and the humidity (which will add distance and make shot judgment harder), and Congaree might not be the pushover it appears on paper.

Should the rain fall as expected, the course will play even longer, and the beastly Par 5s and even some of the Par 4s – 520 yards and counting – will become a nightmare for those unable to send their ball 300+ yards off the tee.

With a quasi-Links and Australian type feel to proceedings, we might see an unusual leaderboard – aided by a scarcity of the game’s big names. Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka will look to find form and fitness ahead of the U.S. Open, but they and Tyrrell Hatton are the only players inside the world’s top 20 in the field.

Conditions are ripe for a ‘surprise’ winner then, so who makes our sleeper shortlist for the 2021 Palmetto Championship?

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The 2021 Palmetto Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

Patton Kizzire – 50/1 – It has been an excellent season for Patton Kizzire so far, with 17 cuts made from 21 starts and five top-10s.

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him frank that form with a win soon, and in conditions that might just suit – success on Bermuda being primary among them – it could just come at Congaree.

Kizzire has modified his game this term, and while the abundant driving power remains in place there’s been a finesse to his iron game – ranking a shade outside the TOUR’s top 50 for SG: Approach is testament to the yards put in.

With a pair of T3 finishes in his last trio of starts, Kizzire appears to be closing in on win number three.

Lucas Glover – 50/1 – There is, occasionally, the willingness to overplay how much a ‘local’ advantage can be once the players cross the white line of battle.

But there’s more to Lucas Glover than just a Congaree membership, and his top-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in his penultimate start was a timely reminder of his talents.

A sublime driver of the ball, Glover is comfortable through the bag from long irons to short wedges, and that will stand him in excellent stead this week.

Harold Varner III – 50/1 – Regular readers know we’re converts to the church of Harold Varner III – a player whose mastery of irons and wedges is still yet to be truly rewarded on the TOUR.

His time will surely come, and Varner’s prodigious length and comfort approaching from 200 yards or 50 is why he appeals on unknown Congaree layout.

Here’s a fun aside too – Varner’s sole senior win came in the Australian PGA Championship, and there are those (including Tom Fazio himself) who describe Congaree as being influenced by the classic Aussie sandbelt courses.

That is food for thought, certainly.

Danny Willett – 80/1 – There’s rarely much wrong with Danny Willett’s short game – even in his period in the doldrums, and so the fact that his ball-striking is improving is worthy of attention.

The Brit will love chipping, gouging and bumping his way around these greens, and a solid turn at the Memorial last time (T26) suggests his all-round game is in decent order.

The heat, and fast conditions, will not faze a multiple-time winner in the desert, and if Willett starts to roll the rock he could go close at Congaree.

Joseph Bramlett – 150/1 – We’re expecting a big step up from Joseph Bramlett sooner or later.

He’s starting to deliver the consistency needed on the PGA TOUR – making seven cuts from eleven this term – and is starting to enjoy bigger paydays too, with T13 at the Corales Puntacana followed by T7 at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

An excellent ball-striker with a long old drive, Bramlett doesn’t mind sultry conditions and instead seems to thrive when the heat is on – could he continue his ascension towards a PGA TOUR title this week?

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the 2021 Palmetto Championship here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”2.50%” bar_text=”4 out of 165 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “10.30%” bar_text=”17 out of 165 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”24.85%” bar_text=”41 out of 165 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=3.03%” bar_text=”1 out of 33 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”6.06%” bar_text=”2 out of 33 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”66.06%” bar_text=”109 out of 165 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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