Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – WGC Mexico Championship

2019 WGC Mexico Fantasy Sleeper Report

When the hot topic of the day on social media is slow play, you can rest assured that J.B Holmes or Kevin Na are going well in a PGA TOUR event.

That was certainly the case on Sunday when the former created a storm of apoplectic rage from the Twitter collective for his admittedly infuriatingly slow play at the Genesis Open.

But then, with $1.3m on the line, you can perhaps forgive him for taking his time over his shots.

Of course, golf is a sport that could do with a boost in popularity, so Holmes taking 90 seconds or more to weigh up a 30-yard chip hardly enhances the game’s profile.

J.B. Holmes celebrates on the 18th green during the final round of…

J.B. Holmes celebrates on the 18th green during the final round of Genesis Open on February 17 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, CA. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Either way, he’s a whole bunch richer now and, quite probably, won’t care less what the masses think of him. And, you might say, why he should he if the PGA’s rule-makers are going to do anything to stamp out slow play.

Enough of that, and on to this week’s action at the WGC-Mexico Championship. This is the first WGC event of the year, with a carefully curated field of approximately 72 men set to battle it out for a rather hefty payday under the sun.

You may recall two years ago when a number of players in the field were laid low with upset stomachs, and while the select few might not have fond memories of this tournament that’s a shame because the host venue is an absolute cracker.

When you think of Mexico you don’t necessarily automatically think of lush green landscapes and thick tree lines, but that’s exactly what Club de Golf Chapultepec has in store for the players this week.

Luckily, missing the odd fairway here and there didn’t stop Phil Mickelson winning here 12 months ago; that was his first PGA TOUR title in approaching five years, an he did so after scrambling his way around the back nine on Sunday like a man possessed.

Two other strings to Lefty’s bow helped. Firstly, he seems to love putting on this grainy Poa/Bentgrass mix greens, given that he has now ranked second and third for Strokes Gained: Putting in his last two trips.

Secondly, his experience in playing in altitude has been a real help. Club de Golf Chapultepec is situated some 7,500ft above sea level, which makes holding onto fairways difficult with balls travelling in the region of 8% longer. Phil’s veteran status has clearly helped him in applying the maths….perhaps Bryson DeChambeau’s analytical mind will help him to victory this week (or he might over-think everything and spontaneously combust).

After the horrendous weather conditions that the West Coast has served up in recent weeks, it will be great to see the best golfers in the business stake to an aesthetically-pleasing golf course with the sun shining down.

With all of the above in mind, here are our sleeper picks for the WGC-Mexico Championship.

[membership level=”0″]

The Genesis Open 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 WGC Mexico Fantasy Sleeper Report

Rafa Cabrera-Bello – Vegas Odds 50/1 – A formline of 25-22-MC-11-6-18-14-3 is tantalizing enough for a player that has never shown American audiences his best.

He plays well on tree-lined courses and has pedigree in upper tier events too, with a trio of top-fives in WGC events – including a T3 here 12 months ago, two major top-10s and a T4 return from THE PLAYERS Championship.

Playing at altitude and on Kikuyu arguably takes some of the advantage away from PGA TOUR mainstays, and indeed Cabrera-Bello, Tyrrell Hatton and Kiradech Aphibarnrat all featured in the top-five here 12 months ago.

Given how well he is playing right now, there’s no reason why the Spaniard can’t repeat that performance.

Ian Poulter – Vegas Odds 55/1 – It’s quite possible that Ian Poulter will go largely under the radar this week, despite being one of the few in the field with three consecutive top-10 finishes to their name!

The Englishman enjoyed a rich vein of form on the European Tour’s desert swing, and he will be looking to cash in on that in this money-spinning WGC affair.

We’ve established that what you do off the tee seems to bear any resemblance to where you sit on the leaderboard at Club de Golf Chapultepec, and as a player who comes alive in the second half of holes that bodes nicely for Poulter’s debut at the layout.

If his approach play is as clinical as ever and he makes some putts, Poulter has a live chance this week.

Tyrrell Hatton – Vegas Odds 70/1 – Sometimes, watching Tyrrell Hatton play golf isn’t a particularly appetizing experience.

The Englishman is one of the game’s great ‘chunterers’, forever berating himself for the occasional errant shot.

But even so, he seems to make it work for him, and even when conditions go against him – Hatton was on the wrong side of the draw bias at Riviera last week – he has a habit of responding well next time out.

And that is handy given that he has banked back-to-back top-10s in this particular event, and so while we see Hatton as something of a Links/wind specialist we’re happy to back him at a course which appeals to his eye.

Matt Wallace – Vegas Odds 80/1 – Bold statement alert: Matt Wallace is the best European Tour ‘regular’ on the circuit.

We’re not including the big names that play on both tours here, we’re referring to those who play exclusively in Europe.

But yes, Wallace’s pedigree speaks for itself. He’s won four times since 2017, and banked second places in two huge events at the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this year and at the DP World Tour Championship.

The Englishman would love to make his mark on another major – he finished top-20 at last year’s PGA Championship, and a strong showing in a WGC would certainly help his confidence.

Lee Westwood – Vegas Odds 80/1 – A winner at altitude and on Kikuyu at the Nedbank Challenge late last year, the best version of Lee Westwood is back.

He has spoken of playing with freedom as he enters the veteran stage of his career, and with his girlfriend on the bag Westy’s performances have improved exponentially.

That victory in South Africa was followed by a top-ten at the Dubai Desert Classic, and lest we forget that form carries him to a course he seemed to enjoy when last here.

The Englishman fired rounds of 66 and 67 when last here, and while he was largely inconsistent back in 2017 now he has found an extra gear to his game.

[/membership]

Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the WGC Mexico here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2018-2019)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”2.74%” bar_text=”2 out of 73 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent=”12.33%” bar_text=”9 out of 73 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”35.61%” bar_text=”26 out of 73 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=”6.67%” bar_text=”1 out of 15 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”6.67%” bar_text=”1 out of 15 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”64.38%” bar_text=”47 out of 73 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

---

Cover photo via Instagram