Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2023 RSM Classic

2023 RSM Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

So here we are: the final PGA TOUR event of 2023.

There’s invitationals and exhibitions to come before the end of the year, but as far as ‘proper’, full field golf is concerned, the RSM Classic is the last time for bettors to get their wagers into the game.

And what an event this has been for long odds underdogs in the past, with Adam Svensson (125/1), Robert Streb (350/1) and Tyler Duncan (150/1) all taking the trophy here in recent times at mammoth sportsbook prices.

Joining that club on Sunday was Camilo Villegas, the 150/1 shot who took down the Bermuda Championship from Alex Noren, who looked the most likely winner for most of the week.

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The Colombian has experienced personal heartache and tragedy, but he’s stuck at it and finally his game is shaping up to the levels that saw him once reach number seven in the OWGR.

Allaying his fears over his golfing future, Villegas will take his place in the field for the RSM Classic, an event which has typically favored short, accurate types over the years.

And that should come as no surprise. Both of the host tracks – the Seaside Course (three rounds) and Plantation (one round) – are short, tight affairs, with narrow fairways and plenty of sand and water to avoid. The Bermuda greens run pretty slick too, although the main defense is the ferocious wind that tends to play off the ocean; when that gets up, keeping your ball under control becomes even more of a premium.

Brian Harman, the British Open champion, has the perfect game for this test on Georgia’s St Simons Island – he finished second last year behind surprise champion Svensson. So it’s no surprise that he has been tempted to dust off his clubs after a lengthy hiatus; as have similarly nuggety sorts like Russell Henley, Corey Conners and Harris English.

So will one of these accurate types take advantage of conditions to suit, or will yet another long odds underdog come from way downtown and take victory? Let’s find out who we’re taking in our 2023 RSM Classic sleeper shortlist:

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Akshay Bhatia – 50/1 – While you wouldn’t describe the RSM Classic as a technical test of ball-striking, there’s still sense in backing those that do a good impression of having their ball on a string.

Few in this Fall Series have shown that quality quite like Akshay Bhatia, whose last four outings have yielded finishes of T21 or better – his game is travelling from one country to the next, which is always a good sign.

Bhatia evidently enjoys coastal golf, having won in the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour and gone close on the PGA TOUR in Puerto Rico, and there’s no doubt that this rookie has the game to beat good fields at this level.

Adam Long – 80/1 – You may have saw last week that Adam Long broke an old PGA TOUR record for the most consecutive fairways hit – 69, to be precise.

But his T13 at the Bermuda Championship was about more than that, as he also made 80.6% GIR too – one of only three players in the field to surpass the 80% mark.

Given that Long is a solid putter, as a rule, it’s no surprise he fared well given that combination described above – that continues a better run of form of late.

A former runner-up at Mayakoba with a solo fifth at the Corales Puntacana, these coastal conditions and short tracks are obviously something that Long favors.

Mackenzie Hughes – 90/1 – It’s been a year to forget by Mackenzie Hughes’ own high standards, but there’s a chance he’s saving his best until last.

At the incredibly scorable El Cardonal for the World Wide Tech Championship, the Canadian opened up with a round of 71 – a cardinal sin given how easy the layout is. So how well did he play thereafter to finish T7; indeed, rounds of 63 and 65 gave him a chance at the title before a slowdown on Sunday.

He takes that form and confidence to Sea Island, where he has won in the past also finished T2. That seems like a marriage made in heaven.

Ryan Moore – 100/1 – Given his troubled status on the TOUR, but improvements in his ball-striking of late, it always felt like motivation and better swing thoughts would combine to power Ryan Moore along at the Bermuda Championship.

He was there or thereabouts at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday, so a continuation of that that in relatively similar conditions on St Simons Island seems likely enough.

Although he hasn’t played in this event in the past decade, Moore is generally accurate off the tee, generally sound on approach and generally copes well with a breeze – he should enjoy himself despite concerns over his tour card moving forward.

Justin Lower – 200/1 – Admittedly, this is a pick born out of the fact that we’re getting 200/1 about a birdie machine with a top-20 finish last time out.

But there’s little doubting Justin Lower’s credentials, and while he will have to improve off the tee to compete for the title at Sea Island, his approach play and putting should create – and hopefully finish off – plenty of birdie chances.

Solid showings in previous editions of the Bermuda Championship, as well as at the Corales Puntacana and the Korn Ferry Tour’s Suncoast Classic, suggest that these breezy coastal conditions provide no fear for Lower.

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

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