Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – The Open Championship

The Sleeper Report: Fantasy Golf Sleepers, Long Shots, and Undervalued Picks for The Open Championship

The British Open Fantasy Sleeper Preview

So here we are then: the 146th edition of the Open Championship. It is perhaps your place of birth that dictates whether this is the game’s biggest prize or not, but one thing that’s for sure is that all involved will be desperate to get their hands on the Claret Jug.

Assuming nobody falls down a flight of stairs, a full list of who’s who in world golf will descend upon Merseyside in England for the first tee at Royal Birkdale, a unique Links test that has hosted nine previous editions of this magnificent tournament.

The last time was 2008, where Padraig Harrington bested Ian Poulter to clinch the second Open title of his career and what would become the second of three in total. Or is there another on the horizon for the popular Irishman?

His game is certainly well suited to Birkdale, that goes without saying. His winning score in 2008 was +3, and while we expect a winning mark under par this time around the blustery conditions could yet again turn this tournament into a dogfight. And let’s face it, we all get a kick out of that.

Such unpredictable inclement conditions tend to hand some of the ‘house edge’ back to the outsiders as well; perfect for us as we go sleeper hunting.

On the face of it, Royal Birkdale isn’t that tough a test. As the old saying goes ‘everything is in front of the players,’ which means no blind tee shots or hopeful pumps into the greens. The 7,172 yardage confirms that this Par 70 track is a short but testing assignment, and with more sand than the Middle East on some holes avoiding hazards and traps is a real test of skill.

Patience, defiance, and determination will be as important as traditional ball striking this week, and we like to think our five sleeper picks have those attributes in abundance:

[membership level=”0″]

The Open Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

You must be a Premium Member to view our exclusive fantasy golf picks.

Already a member?  Sign in Here.

[/membership]

[membership level=”1,2,3″]

The Open Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

Mix and match these players with your usual rosters (or play them separately) to get the most out of your picks this week.

Padraig Harrington – Vegas Odds 66/1 – It’s kind of a no surprise selection, but the in-form Irishman is a must back this week given his championship-winning effort at Birkdale in 2008.

The three-time major champion is still only 45-years-old, and he proved he can still get into the mix by winning the Portugal Masters at the tail-end of 2016.

A great shift at the Scottish Open, spoiled only by a third round of 79, ensured yet other top-five finish for Harrington on the Links, and while he might not be an obvious major contender in 2017, his key assets – course management, patience and experience – will be worth their weight in gold this week.

Patrick Reed – Vegas Odds 70/1 – Can Patrick Reed take down a major? His performances in the Ryder Cup suggest he is a big-time player, but those efforts are in team-based events. Has Reed got the go to play as well when his own paychecks are on the line?

He’s a five-time event winner at the age of 26, which suggests he enjoys the thrill of the winners’ circle (who doesn’t?), and has delivered T20 and T12 in his last pair of Open Championship bows.

His form heading into last week’s Scottish Open was outstanding with eight top-25s in nine starts, and while he missed the cut in Scotland it was only by one stroke, with his second round of 70 confirming his Links credentials.

Zach Johnson – Vegas Odds 100/1 – As ever, Zach burst into life at the John Deere Classic – so often his seasonal savior – and now he heads to the Open Championship with a live chance of success.

A two-time major winner (including the British Open in 2015), there’s nothing about ZJ’s game from a statistical perspective that leaps from the page; in fact, you might be thinking how the hell has he won 12 titles worldwide?

The secret is that he is at his best when conditions are at their worst, and few can truly grind on tough courses quite like Johnson. Why else would his Open Championship formline read 12-1-47-6-9-16?

Steve Stricker –  Vegas Odds 150/1 – Any player that ranks inside the top-30 on tour for Driving Accuracy (1st), Bogey Avoidance (18th), and Scrambling (29th) would automatically find their way onto our shortlist for Royal Birkdale, but Steve Stricker’s exceptional CV seals the deal.

The old dog has still got a few tricks up his sleeve as T16 at both the Masters and US Open testify, and a top-five return at last year’s Open confirms that turning 50 has not dialed down his competitive instincts.

And what a turn at the John Deere Classic last time out. Opening with a round of 73, the ginger wizard followed up with 67, 65, and 64 to enjoy a share of the lead on Sunday until Bryson edged past.

Stricker didn’t play in the Open Championship between 2013-2015, but before and after his last seven outings in the event read 4-23-12-55-52-7-8.

Jason Dufner – Vegas Odds 150/1 – As box ticking exercises go for The Open, Dufner is right up there.

A former major winner, Dufner fits the exact age and game profile to succeed at Birkdale. He’s super-straight off the tee (28th on tour for Driving Accuracy), and that enables him to find plenty of greens (43rd for GIR) and score low numbers; especially on the Par 4s (7th for Par 4: Birdie or Better Leaders).

His Links record is mixed, but he’s made the last five cuts of the Open Championship and recorded his best finish in 2016: a handy T22.

[/membership]

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

Cover photo via Instagram