Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2021 U.S. Open

The 2021 U.S. Open Fantasy Sleeper Report

A sport not shy of emerging young talents, golf may just have another gem on its hands in Garrick Higgo.

This is a guy who, at the tender age of 22, has won five times worldwide in his last 27 starts – the last of those coming at the Palmetto Championship at the weekend.

He’s the first player since 1988 to win a PGA TOUR event in just his second start, and that is a measure of how far the South African has come in a startlingly short space of time.

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Chesson Hadley won’t want reminding of how the Palmetto concluded – he tossed away a three-shot lead with just a trio of holes to play, but for Higgo it could prove to be the day his life changed forever.

Perks including a TOUR card and a spot in The Masters are on the horizon, but for now the 22-year-old can enjoy a first spin in the U.S. Open this week.

We say enjoy, but that term might need to be adjusted as we get a closer look at the South Course at Torrey Pines. You know this course already – it hosts 54 of the 72 holes at the Farmers Insurance Open each year, but it features on the U.S. Open rotation because it can be modified to come up to the USGA’s devilish standards.

So, we know that the layout is already long, but it can be made longer – tee boxes, at their tips, can equate to a Par 72 measure of 7,698 yards.

The fairways are already skinny on the South Course, and they could be squeezed even further if the USGA demands it – rough could be as long as four inches in some parts of the course.

There’s lots of bunkering and tiny greens too – these are Poa Annua in nature and will run slick. Indeed, they are fast in January….so you have to expect them to be glassy come June.

The majors are always interesting for long odds backers. Ordinarily, we expect the best in the world to do the business on the big stage, but there are some quality players available at sportsbook odds of 50/1 or greater….and that is an appetizing proposition.

Ideally we’re looking for grinders this week – those who will hit fairways or make amends when they don’t. You could take the Bryson route – hitting 350-yard bombs into the rough, and while that worked in his triumphant run at Winged Foot last year, it might not have the same successful result this time around.

So with all of the above taken into consideration, who features on our sleeper shortlist for the 2021 U.S. Open?

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

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

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