Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – Valero Texas Open

2018 Valero Texas Open Fantasy Sleeper Report

The strength in depth of talent on the PGA TOUR once again came to the fore at the RBC Heritage.

Even without the game’s big names contending on Sunday, those involved still managed to serve up a thrilling climax in the race for the now infamous tartan jacket. Ian Poulter and Luke List blew their chances – the former to add a second trophy to his cabinet in the space of a month, the latter to add some silverware to an otherwise empty collection.

Si-Woo Kim, the immensely talented PLAYERS Championship winner, stayed in the mix and took on his Asian counterpart, Satoshi Kodaira, in a playoff. Incidentally, the South Korean missed three putts inside eight feet on the back nine to close out victory.

Kodaira doesn’t have PGA TOUR status and was playing on an invite in Hilton Head, but the Japanese star took full advantage to clinch his first title at elite-level via the third extra hole.

When asked afterwards about that tartan jacket, Kodaira replied through an interpreter that ‘he probably wouldn’t wear it that much,’ to much laughter from the assembled press.

Satoshi Kodaira of Japan poses with the trophy after winning on the…

Satoshi Kodaira of Japan poses with the trophy after winning on the third playoff hole during the final round of the 2018 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 15, 2018 in Hilton Head… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Onwards the PGA TOUR goes to San Antonio for the Texas Open, often a favorite stop-off for some of the world’s elite – Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy have all finished T2 here in recent years – and yet this year’s renewal is surprisingly lacking in star quality.

Sergio Garcia takes pride of place as the sportsbook favorite, but with the likes of Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman and Adam Scott as the ‘next best’ in the betting you already get the sense that an ‘under the radar’ style winner could come to the fore in TX.

Maybe the fact that TPC San Antonio is so tough to play is a factor for the stars staying at home. A long 7,435 yards with many of its downhill holes playing into a wind, this Greg Norman layout can be a real grind with winning marks barely getting into double figures in recent years.

And that wind….how that could prove to be a factor this week. Texas is rarely shy of a breeze, and with wind speeds reportedly set to reach 23 mph this week it could make life rather interesting for the field.

So who is worth backing in this tough-to-call betting heat?