Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – Shell Houston Open

The Sleeper Report: Fantasy Golf Sleepers, Long Shots, and Undervalued Picks for the 2017 Shell Houston Open

The 2017 Shell Houston Open Sleeper Preview

We’re just one week away from The Masters, and the stars are aligning for Dustin Johnson.  He laid waste to the field at the WGC-Dell Match Play last week, and fully deserved to complete a unique WGC grand slam.  For so long the world’s top four players have battled it out for supremacy, and finally one of the elite group has stuck their head above the rest.  DJ will be dreaming of slipping into that Green Jacket come Sunday April 9.

But first we have this intriguing warm-up event, the Shell Houston Open.  Considered an entrée to Augusta’s main course, the Houston Open dates back to 1946 but for the past decade or so has taken on a more prominent position in the PGA TOUR schedule as The Masters’ support act.

Johnson has decided not to take his place in the field at the Golf Course of Houston, and so instead a fine opportunity awaits others in the field.  Jordan Spieth, Texas born and bred, will be looking to build upon his runner’s up finish in this event back in 2015, while Jon Rahm and Rickie Fowler will be looking to continue their fine recent form.

Those like Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, and Adam Scott are in desperate need of a spark ahead of the year’s first major, while Phil Mickelson – something of a Houston specialist – will hope to enhance his own claims ahead of his annual tilt at the Green Jacket.

Perhaps a new name will be etched on the trophy.  The distraction of The Masters seems to derail the big names in this event, with the last four winners – Jim Herman, J.B Holmes, D.A Points, and Matt Jones – are not exactly at the forefront of the sport.

Herman, who just about bested Stenson and Johnson 12 months ago thanks to a miraculous chip in from the rough, earned his place in The Masters field courtesy of victory, as had Points and Mahan before him.  Maybe this is the week to seek out a shock winner.

To do so, they will have to tame the Golf Course of Houston, a rather to-the-point name for this 7,441 yard, Par 72 track.  Designed by Rees Jones from scratch, the average winning score here in the past five years has been -16, and so if the weather stays fair as predicted another low one will be expected.

This Houston test has been handpicked for its similarities with Augusta, so players can expect wider-than-average fairways and water in-play on more than half of the holes.  The Bermuda greens will run at around 13 on the stimpmeter, so plenty fast enough.

We’ve witnessed bombers win here in the past and more accurate types, so less attention should be paid to tee work here.  Instead, focus on players with a penchant for hitting greens; five of the last six champions have ranked in the top ten for GIR.

Herman gained the bulk of his strokes on the field from tee-to-green and with his putter, while unusually he played the Par 4s in the same score as the Par 5s at -7, so doing the basics well is key.

So who are the key fantasy sleepers to watch this week?  Let’s take a look.

2017 Shell Houston Open Fantasy Sleeper Report

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

Already a member?  Sign in Here.

Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the 2017 Houston Open here.

Cover photo via Instagram