2022 Genesis Scottish Open Fantasy Sleeper Report
J.T. Poston’s performance at the John Deere Classic got progressively worse as the tournament went on last week, but he broke the back of a second Pga Tour victory with a sublime opening 36 holes of 62-65.
A major improvement in his approach game at the Travelers Championship caught the eye, and Poston took full advantage of his own renewed confidence by blasting his way to the top of the leaderboard on Thursday and refused to budge thereafter.
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That was a second PGA TOUR title for the 29-year-old, and somehow you suspect that is more satisfying – could you imagine ending your career with just one victory to your name? You’d always wonder what role luck had played.
No such worries will present themselves to Poston, who has secured his tour card until 2024 plus invites to the British Open, The Masters and the PGA Championship.
Speaking of the British Open….that is undoubtedly the most eagerly anticipated event of the weeks ahead, with the Scottish Open this week affording those who have entered a timely introduction to Links Golf in cool, windy conditions.
This is a fully sanctioned PGA TOUR event, by the way, and that explains why such a strong field – Rahm, Scheffler, Morikawa, Hovland and co – has assembled in the Scottish town of North Berwick to get a look at the Renaissance Club.
They will be greeted by classic Links fare, with all the hallmarks of golf in this part of the world – pot bunkers, fescue rough, lightning quick fairways and greens – present and correct. As too will be some chilly early round temperatures and a stiff wind….double figures mph is likely for all four days.
The crosswinds, which can confuse the best of players, are the primary defense for the Renaissance Club, and it’s noteworthy that when the breeze doesn’t blow the players have no problem taking the course apart – -18 and -22 have been the winning scores when this event has been played in this July timeslot.
They might find it somewhat tricker this week, but there should still be plenty of birdie opportunities available to those who keep their ball in play off the tee, and those who avoid the pot bunkers and tangly rough protecting the greens as well.
Links golf is very much an acquired taste, and some simply don’t like it. But others do – and they form the bulk of our 2022 Scottish Open sleeper play shortlist.
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Joaquin Niemann – 50/1 – Strife in Hawaii – he has finished second in both the Tournament of Champions and Sony Open, the former in a playoff – could yet pay dividends for Joaquin Niemann.
If nothing else, it proves that the Chilean is comfortable in windy conditions by the ocean – as proven by T5 efforts at Mayakoba and Harbour Town too.
A two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, plenty more will come for Niemann, you suspect, including major glory – he’ll be looking to kick off his British Open challenge in fine style this week.
Tommy Fleetwood – 50/1 – There’s a wide range of perspective about Tommy Fleetwood’s chances this week, with prices ranging from 33/1 to 55/1 available at the sportsbooks.
It’s no coincidence that two of the Brit’s best paydays in golf have come on Links golf courses, first at the Open de France and then at the British Open.
Fleetwood is also a two-time winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and while not a Links event as such, there is still a premium on quality ball-striking and clever short game at these exposed Middle Eastern layouts.
A runner-up at the Scottish Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Fleetwood’s qualities in these conditions cannot be questioned – he was T5 in the PGA Championship a few weeks ago too as if to prove his form.
Alex Noren – 80/1 – A former Open de France, Scottish Open and Celtic Manor champion, it goes without saying that Alex Noren is at his best in Links-style conditions.
The Swede is another who performs well in the British Open too, and it’s his natural play – whether it’s keeping his ball in the short stuff off the tee, or showcasing his excellent short game – that hands him the edge by the coast.
Noren’s current formline isn’t the best, but he was T12 at the AT&T Byron Nelson not that long ago and will enjoy the switch to chilly conditions by the sea in Scotland.
Lucas Herbert – 80/1 – Lucas Herbert was something of a surprise winner of the PGA TOUR’s Bermuda Championship last year, but anybody that has tracked his progress knows how strong of a player he is in the wind.
A winner of the Dubai Desert Classic, the Australian has also prevailed on the Links of Ireland and recorded a pair of top-fives by the ocean in Scotland.
In finishing T13 at the PGA Championship a few weeks ago, Herbert franked his credentials on the major stage – ironically, it’s conditions like those faced this week and next at the British Open where he will produce his best, you fancy.
Harris English – 150/1 – Although he doesn’t have a great record in the British Open or overseas Links courses in general, Harris English’s form by the coast in the US cannot be ignored.
This is a guy that routinely plays well on the Hawaiian swing, who has won at Mayakoba and who finished T3 in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines last year.
A long-time absentee this season due to surgery and injury, English is inching back to form and played well in a T19 turn in the Travelers Championship a few weeks ago.
[/membership]Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the Genesis Scottish Open here.
Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2021-2022)
Tourneys Played '21 -'22
Season Earnings YTD
Total Top 3s
Total Top 10s
Total Top 25s
Total Winners Picked
Total Runners-Up Picked
Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)
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