For Bleacher Report’s Michelle Bruton, one name immediately jumps into mind when it comes to the sleeper front for this week’s British Open. And that name is Tommy Fleetwood. The Southport native is in a rich vein of form, nabbing top-10s in each of his last four starts, including a victory at the HNA Open de France earlier this month. In fact, only two players have earned more world ranking points this year than the local favorite has (Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm). Fleetwood, who finished fourth behind Brooks Koepka at last month’s U.S. Open, is pegged at +2,000to win the Claret Jug this week.
Henrik Stenson is another golfer who has caught the eye of Bruton. Yes, the Swede’s the defending champion but Stenson’s a sleeper in Bruton’s books because there are 10 players ahead of him in the Vegas odds. Stenson captured the imagination of golf fans everywhere with his stunning performance at last year’s Open Championship. Stenson shot a final-round 63 to outlast Phil Mickelson in a gripping duel at Royal Troon. His odds of winning back-to-back Open titles are priced at +2,200.
CBS Sports (Kyle Porter)
Sleeper Picks
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Zach Johnson
Kevin Kisner
J.B. Holmes
Peter Uihlein
For Kyle Porter’s sleeper picks, he went with golfers with odds of +5,000 or better. Topping his list of longshots is Matthew Fitzpatrick. He’s hitting the ball beautifully, placing in the top 30 in driving accuracy in the European Tour. That skill is vital especially in a difficult setup such as Royal Birkdale. He is pegged at +6,000to become the first Brit to win the Open at this course.
Zach Johnson’s another guy who can surprise this weekend. He loves playing in this major tournament as evidenced by his top-10s in three of the last five Opens, including a victory at St. Andrews in 2015. Johnson’s one of just three players to accomplish that feat (Adam Scott and Masters champion Sergio Garcia are the others). He’s priced at +7,000to win his second Open title this week.
TopBet
Sleeper Picks
Shane Lowry
Chris Wood
Ian Poulter
Looking for a worthy sleeper? How about Shane Lowry? Yes, the Irishman has missed the cut in the past two Open Championships but he did finish tied for ninth in the 2014 edition of the British Open. Of his previous 18 major starts, Lowry has had three top-10s. He’s more than capable of springing a surprise at Royal Birkdale this week. Lowry is pegged at +5,000to end his major duck at Merseyside.
Rounding out TopBet’s sleeper picks are Chris Wood and Ian Poulter. Wood (+10,000) tied for fifth the last time the Open was held at Royal Birkdale (2008). Poulter, on the other hand, is starting to make waves again after a barren stretch the past couple of years. The Englishman tied for second at the Players Championship last May. Can he win his first major title this week in his native land? Poulter’s odds of winning the Open are priced at +4,000.
