Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – THE NORTHERN TRUST

THE NORTHERN TRUST 2021 Fantasy Sleeper Report

It’s not every week you see a six-man playoff on the PGA TOUR, in fact you very rarely do at all.

The showdown at the Wyndham Championship tied the largest shootout in TOUR history, and it was Kevin Kisner who etched his name in the record books by taking the W.

He defeated his fellow combatants – Kevin Na, Adam Scott, Si-Woo Kim, Branden Grace and Roger Sloan – on the second extra hole after everyone made par at the first….although backers of Scott and Sloan will be left wondering what might have been after they shelled putts to win.

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Kisner made no mistake with a birdie putt of his own at the second, and he not only clinches the fourth win of his PGA TOUR career but also climbs to 29th in the FedExCup standings – that’s what it’s all about right now.

The top 125 of those rankings take their place in the first playoff event this week, THE NORTHERN TRUST, which will continue its annual magical mystery tour around the courses of the US by stopping off at Liberty National, the host in 2013 and 2019.

Patrick Reed won the last time the event stopped by this stretch in New Jersey, and he saw off a fast-finishing Abraham Ancer to win by one at -16. Of course, he won’t be the defending champion – Dustin Johnson demolished TPC Boston in posting a winning mark of -30.

Other than the majors, you won’t find a much better field than this anywhere during the season, with everyone – bar Louis Oosthuizen – taking up the invitation to compete. So, you name them, they’ll be in Jersey City….from Rahm and Rory to DJ and Bryson, plus all of the other big hitters on the PGA TOUR.

What will await them at Liberty National? It’s certainly a fair test of golf, and will provide a decent examination of a player’s all-round game – exactly what we want at this stage of the campaign.

There is some room off the tee, but you don’t want to miss the fairway or the first cut – the rough starts to get a little nasty beyond that. There’s some 98 bunkers on the real estate too, and so there’s place for those errant off the peg this week – hence why plenty will club down as much as possible.

The Bentgrass greens are small in size and quick in nature, and with undulations and different complexes there will be an emphasis on hitting quality irons or getting up and down to preserve your score.

With only three Par 5s, scoring opportunities are slightly fewer on the ground at Liberty National than normal, although a score in the mid-teens under par is expected if the wind stays away as forecast.

As ever, only the top 70 will progress to the BMW Championship, so there is plenty at stake during what should be an outstanding week of golf. But who makes our shortlist of sleepers for THE NORTHERN TRUST?

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THE NORTHERN TRUST 2021 Fantasy Sleeper Report

Corey Conners – 60/1 – There is some rain in the forecast, and if it does come down and soften the surfaces somewhat then Corey Conners could be an excellent shout.

The Canadian is an excellent ball striker with the pedigree to win a big PGA TOUR event, and he has improved significantly on Bentgrass in the past year or so – no longer is he solely a Bermuda specialist.

With top-20s at the British Open and the PGA Championship, Conners’ form should travel into the FedExCup playoffs where we expect big things from him.

Shane Lowry – 75/1 – So good throughout the bag, like many top pros it’s simply an improvement with the putter that separates Shane Lowry from more consistent success.

The Irishman has served up a ball-striking clinic in recent months, and when the flat stick clicks – assuming it does – then he will surely knock on the door of another trophy for his collection.

T4 at the PGA Championship and T12 at the British Open are just two examples of his prowess in recent times, and the FedExCup series playoffs are perfectly poised for Lowry.

Si-Woo Kim – 90/1 – The mercurial Korean continues to serve up quality performances in the midst of otherwise nothingness, and he’s becoming almost impossible to predict on a weekly basis.

Given how well he hit the ball at Sedgefield, and how good his chipping game is, we expect him to be well placed to succeed at Liberty National, and with enough room off the tee for him not be hitting out of the rough stuff continuously, the omens are good.

Of course, predicting his next move is difficult, but all things considered Kim can contend this week.

Kevin Streelman – 100/1 – Here’s something you’ve probably overlooked – Kevin Streelman has finished inside the top-20 in six of his last eight PGA TOUR starts.

That’s not necessarily the recipe for winning bets, but in his last six rounds of golf four have been played at 66 – that is tournament winning form.

It’s been a long time between drinks for Streelman, but he can take inspiration from the likes of Lucas Glover, who have shown that even veteran ball-strikers can have their day in the sun in 2021.

Mackenzie Hughes – 150/1 – If conditions get really tough, which – let’s face it – is possible in this proximity to the Atlantic, then Mackenzie Hughes could grind his way into contention.

The Canadian doesn’t offer much more than a stellar short game, but he is excellent in the wind and the rain and will stick to his task no matter what the elements throw at him.

T6 at the British Open and T15 at the US Open showcase what he is all about, and the complexity of Liberty National – should the weather make it so – will have that complex feel too.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for THE NORTHERN TRUST here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”2.86%” bar_text=”6 out of 210 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “10.00%” bar_text=”21 out of 210 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”23.23%” bar_text=”49 out of 210 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=4.76%” bar_text=”2 out of 42 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”7.14%” bar_text=”3 out of 42 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”61.43%” bar_text=”129 out of 210 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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Cover photo via Instagram