Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2023 Honda Classic

2023 Honda Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

The best golf courses tend to bring the finest performances out of the sport’s elite, and that’s exactly what Riviera delivered on another super-fun Sunday.

Jon Rahm and Patrick Cantlay are studs beyond doubt, while Max Homa also deserves his place in that pantheon – especially when the action is unfolding on the West Coast.

A golf course that gives away very little, birdie chances have to be fashioned at Riviera, and that’s exactly what Rahm managed to do on the back nine with a huge putt and a classic approach at the Par 3 fourteenth and sixteenth.

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Homa almost brought the house down with a chip-in attempt at the last which wriggled free of the hole, and so it was left to Rahm to convert his par and secure a third PGA TOUR title of 2023 already – you shudder to think how many he could win this year if he remains focused and in form.

The Spaniard will give somebody else a go this week as he sits out the Honda Classic, an event that has delivered glorious variance for bettors in recent years. Since 2019, Matt Jones (70/1), Sepp Straka (125/1) and Keith Mitchell (300/1) have all won at astronomical odds in this event, and given the strength (or otherwise) of the field perhaps something similar will unfold this year.

Straka returns to defend his crown alongside the likes of Sungjae Im, Shane Lowry, Billy Horschel and Aaron Wise, and those involved are perhaps gluttons for punishment given that PGA National – our host course this week – is one of the toughest on the PGA TOUR rotation.

The Austrian was the only player to make it to -10 last year, while the winning scores of Jones (-12) and Im (-6) prove that this is a tough stretch by general PGA TOUR standards – and especially when the wind blows.

The breeze will likely be up this week in hot and dry conditions, and that will serve to quicken the elevated Bermuda greens yet further – increasing the difficulty of the assignment at PGA National.

A Par 70 with just two Par 5 holes, just four of the holes on the whole property averaged under par last year, and with some challenging rough and water hazards genuinely in play on more than a dozen holes, it’s not hard to see why many of golf’s elite have decided to sit this tournament out.

But opportunity knocks for those that can keep their ball on a tight leash and make some putts on slippery Bermuda greens, so with that in mind who has made the grade in our 2023 Honda Classic sleeper shortlist?

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Lee Hodges – 50/1 – After missing five cuts on the spin, Lee Hodges bounced back to form with a T18 finish amongst the elite at the Genesis Invitational.

The fact he served up ball-striking numbers superior to far more decorated players speaks volumes about his high ceiling, and with the switch to Bermuda likely to prove favorable – much of his best putting work has come on the surface – there has to be confidence in Hodges.

T9 at PGA National on debut, can Hodges back up his ball-striking brilliance from Los Angeles?

Robby Shelton – 55/1 – The quality of Robby Shelton’s approach play is such that he will surely be contending at the top of PGA TOUR leaderboards soon.

PGA National could be the ideal springboard for that – he finished T11 here in 2020, and Shelton is certainly trending in the right direction with T6 and T20 finishes at the American Express and AT&T Pebble Beach since the end of January alone.

An accurate sort that won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022, Shelton is a better putting week away from a concerted run at a PGA TOUR trophy.

Justin Suh – 60/1 – Justin Suh has found the step up in grade to the PGA TOUR a tough leap since winning the KFT Tour Championship in September.

But there have been positive signs of late, with better approach play leading to a T20 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open and an exquisite round of 68 at the Genesis on Saturday.

Suh continues to putt exceptionally well, so if he can just find a way to get his ball to the green in more efficient fashion – recent approach play improvements will help – he could have a strong week in hand.

Ben Griffin – 66/1 – Statistically speaking, Ben Griffin’s game is shaping up well.

He’s gained strokes on the field on approach in each of his last eight ShotLink starts and off-the-tee in five of those.

Putting remains an issue but look what happened in his last starts on Bermuda greens: +2.12 and +0.89 strokes gained on the greens at the American Express and Sony Open hint at Griffin’s preference.

One of his best career performances came in Florida on the Korn Ferry Tour, so can Griffin kick on from his impressive start amongst the sport’s elite?

Danny Willett – 66/1 – A Masters winner that has also performed admirably at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, it’s clear that when the going gets tough, Danny Willett gets going.

His T18 finish at the Genesis was his best ball-striking effort in some time, and when all facets of his game come together the Brit is still capable – remember him finishing second at the weak-field Fortinet Championship in September?

There aren’t many major winners in this field, nor are there many that have won nine times worldwide.

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

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2022-2023)

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