We’re just a couple of days away from the opening tee at THE PLAYERS Championship from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where virtually all of the PGA Tour’s brightest stars are set to compete this week.
While the likes of top-tier stars in Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth are heavily favored entering this tournament, you can never go wrong with picking sleeper candidates to win at TPC Sawgrass instead. After all, we’ve seen a different champion crowned at THE PLAYERS for 14-straight seasons to date.
Below is a list are three under-the-radar golfers worth placing some stakes on. But if you’re still in search of other credible sources for all your golf betting needs this week, check out our complete preview and long shot picks for the illustrious event right after this.
2016 THE PLAYERS Championship Sleeper Picks and Predictions
Where: TPC at Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach
When: May 12-15
Lines: view all THE PLAYERS Championship lines
Dustin Johnson
Perhaps no other golfer in this week’s field is as determined to forget his dismal performances at TPC Sawgrass than Dustin Johnson. The 31-year-old native of Columbia finished outside of the top 50 the last two seasons here, and also had to withdraw from play back in 2013.
Then again, DJ is in fantastic shape heading into Florida as we speak. Although he hasn’t seen action since The Masters a month ago (where he ended up with a superb T4 finish), Johnson does have three-consecutive top-5 finishes to date, and finished in the top 20 in all but one of his 10 starts for the season.
Hideki Matsuyama
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama has only seen action at THE PLAYERS twice in his career, but did register top-25 finishes on both occasions at that.
Although two career starts at Sawgrass is indeed a sample size to be considered as a bona fide sleeper at this week’s event, Matsuyama does have great momentum entering the opening round on Thursday. The three-year pro is currently riding a four-straight top-20-finish streak – with Top 10s from Augusta and Bay Hill – and has one accomplishment this season that not a lot golfers can brag about: an actual PGA Tour win (Waste Management Phoenix Open).
Daniel Berger
Another golfer that has been on fire recently is Daniel Berger, who also has a four-start run of top-20 finishes like Matsuyama before him. What makes that stretch even more impressive is that he only had three top 20s in the 10 starts prior to his superb T5 finish at the Shell Houston Open to kick-off said streak.
Even if Berger was cut in last year’s edition of THE PLAYERS, it was an expected outcome from a golfer making his debut on TPC at Sawgrass. Now that the 2015 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year is another season wiser, we wouldn’t be surprised at all if he ultimately takes home the first trophy of his young professional career this Sunday.
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