Major winners Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson will lead a star-studded field for the 2017 PGA Championship. However, don’t overlook these three sleepers, who also have a decent shot at springing an upset over the big-name favorites in the year’s final major tournament.
Jimmy Walker captured the imagination of golf fans everywhere with his stunning victory in the PGA Championship last year. Walker endured a 36-hole finale at Baltusrol, shooting 68-67 on the final day to hold off Jason Day’s late charge and win his first major title. Walker’s starting to hit peak form ahead of this week’s PGA Championship, racking up top-30 finishes in two of his last three starts. He even held the 36-hole lead at Firestone last week before settling for a 28th-place finish at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
Looking for a worthy sleeper this week? How about Kevin Chappell? The 31-year-old has been in outstanding form of late, notching top-13 finishes in each of his last two starts, including a tie for eighth at the RBC Canadian Open last month. The Fresno native has put together a nice record at Quail Hollow as well, making five cuts in six Tour appearances there and posting top 20 finishes in the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Wells Fargo Championship.
One golfer who can definitely make a run at the PGA Championship crown this week is Jhonattan Vegas. The Venezuelan has been on fire of late, grabbing top-17 finishes in each of his last two starts, including a stunning victory at last month’s RBC Canadian Open. What makes Vegas such a threat in every golf event that he competes in is his tremendous length off the tee. He is 37th in the PGA Tour in driving distance, averaging 299.2 yards per drive this season. That powerful swing will come in handy for Vegas when tackling the tough 7,600-yard, par-71 Quail Hollow course.
