With a field composed of the 30 best golfers this season, the PGA Tour Championship will have no “sleepers.” But with the big three of Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy hogging all of the limelight, there is still a very real possibility that someone comes out of nowhere to snatch the season-ending title from under their noses.
So who will that someone be? Read on below and check out three sleeper candidates who could take East Lake Golf Club by storm this weekend. Meanwhile, find a couple more sleepers, as well as favorites and a long shot in our complete PGA Tour Championship preview.
[sc:Golf240banner ]Zach Johnson isn’t the sexiest pick, but with a price of +2,000, he could be one of the savviest value picks in the 30-man field. The two-time major winner has had another rock solid season in 2015. Johnson has nine top 10 finishes in 24 events, including his British Open win in July.
After stuttering in the next two events, including missing the cut in the PGA Championship, Johnson got back on track by tying for fourth in the Barclays and T13 at the BMW Championship to vault him up to six in the reset FedEx Cup standings. Look for Johnson, who finished T7 at East Lake back in 2013, to be in the hunt for another top honor this weekend.
Brooks Koepka
The form that produced two sixth-place finishes and a fifth-place finish in three consecutive tournaments heading into the FedEx Cup Playoffs has deserted Brooks Koepka.
The 25-year-old struggled mightily through the first three events. He missed the cut at The Barclays and the Deutsch Bank Champion, and was a distant 49th at the BMW Championship. With that dip in form, Koepka’s odds of victory are priced at +5,000.
However, don’t discount this leading rookie of the year candidate from finishing the season strong. East Lake, which requires distance off the tee, looks like a perfect course for him to bounce back as well. Koepka is eighth on tour in driving distance (308.7 yards) and is also 12th in total strokes gained.
Brandt Snedeker
Brandt Snekeder’s playoff performance doesn’t make for fun reading. He missed the cut at The Barclays, finished tied for 44th at the Deutsche Bank Championship, and 66th at the BMW Championship. But despite his shaky for, Snedeker should still be considered a dangerous sleeper at +6,000 to win at East Lake.
It certainly wouldn’t be his first time. He won the Tour Championship back in 2012 en route to winning the FedEx Cup that year. Snedeker is also just a few months removed from a terrific four-tournament stretch from May to June, where he finished second, sixth, eighth and 10th in succession.
