Great news sports fans! The world’s best golfers will tee it off this week at the famed Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China for the 2015 staging of the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament. All eyes will be on world no. 2 Jordan Spieth who will play this event for the first time as a major champion.
Even though Spieth will be the man to beat in this event, it definitely won’t be a walk in the park for the reigning Masters and US Open champion. With the world’s 78 best golfers competing in this event, it promises to be one heck of a tournament. Read on below as we break down three high-value sleeper picks who we think can pose the main challenge to the world No. 2. While you’re at it, you can check out our complete preview for this event here.
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2015 WGC-HSBC Champions Sleeper Picks and Predictions
Where: Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, China
[sc:Golf240banner ]One golfer who can definitely make a run at the title this week is American Rickie Fowler. The 26-year-old has found his range in 2015 with two victories and a second-place showing this season. Fowler grabbed impressive victories in the Players Championship and the Deutsche Bank Championship with both tournaments featuring world-class fields. The experience he got from those wins will serve Fowler in good stead ahead of the HSBC Champions event this week.
Key to Fowler’s resurgence last season was his incredible driving. He was 39th in the PGA Tour in driving distance, averaging 296.8 yards per drive last season. Fowler also averaged 3.96 birdies per round last season, good for 17th in the PGA Tour. That will come in handy when tackling the long 7,261-yard, par-72 Shensha course. Fowler knows his way around this golf course as evidenced by his performance in this event last year. He finished tied for third in this tournament last year, shooting a 10-under-par total of 278. Look for Fowler to contend this week.
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Martin Kaymer
If you’re looking for a solid pick to bet on this week, then Martin Kaymer is definitely your guy. Based on his previous accomplishments, it’s safe to say that he is one of the most successful players in this event’s history. The two-time major champion has finished in the top 10 in five of six appearances, including a victory back in 2011. He’s finished no worse than ninth in his past four HSBC appearances. He nearly grabbed his second HSBC crown last year but Kaymer stumbled with a final-round 73 and ended up in a tie for sixth.
Kaymer’s vast experience in this particular golfing set-up will be a major weapon for the German as he looks to continue his dominance in this event. Look for Kaymer to excel in this week’s tournament.
Graeme McDowell
If there’s one golfer primed for a breakthrough win at the HSBC Champions this week, it’s got to be Graeme McDowell. He has had plenty of close calls in this event, finishing in third place in three of the last four seasons. McDowell came so close to finally grabbing the tournament win last year but he was unable to hold on to his 54-hole lead and lost to eventual champion Bubba Watson.
McDowell will be hoping that luck will finally be on his side this year. With his familiarity with the golf course and his past success here, it isn’t far-fetched to see McDowell finally capture that HSBC Champions trophy this week. If he can successfully navigate the narrow fairways of Shansha this week, then the sky’s definitely the limit for the former US Open champion.
