Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – THE PLAYERS Championship

THE PLAYERS Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

As all around him lost their cool, Francesco Molinari barely broke sweat at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The Italian is a suave customer at the best of times, and in his closing round of 64 on Sunday he showed how to take care of business under pressure.

It helped that he came off the pace, of course, having started the day in T17, and it is much easier to win tournaments that way than when leading from the front; as Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood all did, at various points, before crumbling under the spotlight.

If you think trying to win at Bay Hill is pressurized, wait ‘til you try to take down the field in the ‘fifth major’: THE PLAYERS Championship.

Dustin Johnson of the United States lines up a putt on the 16th green…

Dustin Johnson of the United States lines up a putt on the 16th green during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 13, 2018 in Ponte Vedra Beach,… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

With the pressure cranked up as it is, now imagine trying to dissect one of Pete Dye’s most maniacal creations: TPC Sawgrass. There’s tiny, rapid greens, which are protected by sand, water and run-off areas, and these fire any wayward approaches miles away.

There are doglegging fairways both ways, deep British-style bunkers and lots of water hazards; not least the one which protects the famous island green on the Par 3 seventeenth.

There are two saving graces for the field: one, the forecast suggests that the wind won’t be too taxing, not after the first day anyway, while some rain over the weekend should help to soften the greens and make them a touch more approachable.

It’s an event you’d expect the cream to rise to the crop, and you’ll see the likes of Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and defending champion Webb Simpson all on the rollcall of former winners.

Simpson’s -18 was the lowest winning score in more than 20 years, and he laid waste to a Sawgrass layout unprotected by a strong breeze.

If the rain comes this week, we can expect a similarly low winning score, so which of the sleepers make our shortlist for THE PLAYERS Championship?

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THE PLAYERS Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

Webb Simpson – Vegas Odds 50/1 – When you think about how easily Webb Simpson took Sawgrass apart 12 months ago, at a price of 50/1 the defending champion has to feature in the staking plan.

His form is just bubbling under at present, but he’s four top-20s in six starts to his name this season and it’s not ridiculous to suggest another big performance is just around the corner.

The 33-year-old’s campaign has taken a familiar look: outstanding from tee-to-green, brilliant at chipping….pretty ordinary with the flat stick.

But can the memories of a year ago spur him on to find another remarkable performance?

Paul Casey – Vegas Odds 50/1 – With a trio of top-three finishes within his last four starts, Paul Casey is a hell of a price here.

This is the sort of test that’s right up the Englishman’s street: a bit of a grind, a breeze here and there, and the need to play some precise approaches into small greens.

His record at Sawgrass is hit-and-miss, whose isn’t, but there are a trio of top-25s in there. And, let’s not forget, his last Tour win came on the Bermuda of Innisbrook in Florida’s Valspar Championship.

Ian Poulter – Vegas Odds 55/1 – One of the best chippers in the business should come to the fore at Sawgrass once again.

The Englishman has twice been the bridesmaid at this layout, and he will be desperate to go one better this time out.

There was a run of four top-10 finishes in a row prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and even there he didn’t disgrace himself in a T23 finish.

When you watch Poulter play, you’re looking for him to find that fire he gets when playing in the Ryder Cup. If he can find that intensity this week, he could be a real contender.

Matt Kuchar – Vegas Odds 70/1 – We can get 70/1 about a player that has won twice this season already, and that’s good enough for us.

The fact that Kooch has previously won at Sawgrass is also a great help, and he’s one of the very few in the field who has consistent form at this layout: six top-20s in his last ten trips.

Kuchar is a major player, and you sense that these tough tests bring out the best in him. Remember, he’s recorded multiple top-10s in each major, and he’s a FedEx Cup event and, of course, PLAYERS Championship winner.

Si-Woo Kim – Vegas Odds 100/1 – Last but by no means least….well, why not!?

The former champion has been in good form recently, and that should hopefully give him the confidence required ahead of an assignment at a layout that suits his eye.

T4 at Pebble Beach, the Korean followed up with solo third at the Genesis Open, and while he missed the cut at Bay Hill the damage was done in his opening 78; the follow-up 72 would have restored some confidence.

Si-Woo will win plenty of tournaments in his career; could he become a two-time PLAYERS Championship winner this week?

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

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2018-2019)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”3.41%” bar_text=”3 out of 88 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent=”13.63%” bar_text=”12 out of 88 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”42.05%” bar_text=”37 out of 88 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=”5.56%” bar_text=”1 out of 18 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”5.56%” bar_text=”1 out of 18 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”67.04%” bar_text=”59 out of 88 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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