On January 7, the world’s 32 best golfers will assemble at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii for the 2016 edition of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. All eyes will be on Jason Day and Jordan Spieth as they rekindle their growing rivalry this week.
Day and Spieth might be the odds-on favorites to win this event but a host of other golfers are ready to spoil their party this coming weekend. Read on below as we list down three high-value sleepers who we think can take home the championship this week. While you’re at it, you can check out our in-depth preview of the 2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions here.
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2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions Sleeper Picks and Predictions
[sc:Golf240banner ]Patrick Reed captured the imagination of golf fans everywhere with a stunning victory in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions last year. Patrick Reed erased a four-shot deficit over the final four holes of regulation, claiming his fourth career title when his playoff birdie dispatched the stumbling Jimmy Walker. It was a historic victory for Reed who became just the fifth player since 1990 to notch four wins by age 25, joining golf legends Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Jordan Spieth would later on join that illustrious group.
Reed will fancy his chances of retaining his Hyundai title as he has been playing some superb golf of late. He has finished in the top-10 in his last three starts. He came so close to winning the Hero World Challenge last month, finishing three strokes shy of eventual champion Bubba Watson. With the form that he is in right now and his experience with this golf course, Reed has an excellent chance of grabbing back-to-back Hyundai crowns this weekend. He is pegged at +1,000 to do just that.
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Brooks Koepka
Looking for a great sleeper this week? How about the hard-hitting Brooks Koepka? The American made quite a splash in the PGA Tour last season, recording eight top-10 finishes including an exhilarating victory at the Phoenix Open last February. What makes Koepka such a threat in every golf event that he competes on is his incredible power off the tee.
He finished eighth in the PGA Tour in driving distance last season, averaging a whopping 308.2 yards per drive. This season, he’s fourth in that particular department with an incredible 315.8 yard-per-drive average. That powerful swing will come in handy when tackling the long 7,452-yard, par-73 Plantation Course. This Ben Crenshaw-designed golf course features four lengthy par-5s so expect Koepka (+1,800) to flourish in this tournament.
Bubba Watson
One golfer who can definitely make a run at the title this week is American Bubba Watson (+900). The 37-year-old was in scintillating form in his last start, carding a 25-under-par total of 263 to win the Hero World Challenge by three shots. This was the ninth career victory for Watson.
Key to Watson’s latest triumph was his excellent play in the par-5s. He devoured the five par-5s in the Albany course in the Bahamas, shooting 12-under in the long holes the entire week. He will need to display that same kind of aggressiveness in the Plantation Course which features some of the longest holes on the PGA Tour.
