Sleeper Picks: Fortinet Championship

C.T. Pan (+140 = Top 40) … His 2022-23 season has consisted of experiences he’d rather forget and the kind of grit on which confidence can be restored. Having sat out four months with an injured left wrist, he was poised for a medical extension in 2024, and he still is, if necessary, but a 4th-T3 burst spanning a month into June eliminated immediate concern for the long-range future. He’s 120th in FedExCup points without registering enough rounds to qualify officially for PGA TOUR statistical rankings, but analytics aren’t required to elevate expectations for the tee-to-green tactician on a course that rewards it handsomely. Since 2020, he’s 3-for-3 at Silverado with a T6 in 2021.

Doug Ghim (+100 = Top 40) … If a PGA TOUR member can’t peak for the FedExCup Playoffs, the next objective is to play the slow game for which the goal is membership in 2024. At 117th in the FedExCup standings entering the FedExCup Fall, the 27-year-old is properly positioned to fulfill Plan B, yet he’s reached this moment in time without a top 10. His body of relative success occurred in the second half and he arrives at Silverado having gone 7-for-8 with seven top 40s in a little over four months. His ball-striking is sublime and he finished T14 in his Fortinet debut in 2020.

Sam Ryder (+120 = Top 40) … After leaking oil for far too long to feel safe, he righted the ship with a T7 at the 3M Open and another pair of top 40s to secure his card for 2024 with a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs. Consistently strong execution on approach late took the pressure off the putter, which is his strongest weapon, but it’s reasonable to consider that he was going about his business with more to lose than to gain. Hey, sometimes playing it safe is smart in the long run. The mental challenge of that is over but the improvement with his irons carries forward as he preps for his seventh appearance at Silverado. It’s been a minute but he finished T4 here in 2018.

Davis Thompson (-135 = Top 40) … The PGA TOUR rookie just missed qualifying for the FedExCup Playoffs but he’s a virtual lock to secure membership as a sophomore. This prop isn’t terribly attractive but he hasn’t connected for a top 20 since January. He opened last season with a T9 at Silverado and concluded with three top-35 finishes in his last four starts. Where there are whiffs of converging trends, there’s reason to multiply the unit.

Hayden Springer (+275 = Top 40) … The 26-year-old non-member earned a sponsor exemption as the season-ending leader of the Fortinet Cup standings on PGA TOUR Canada. It was just this past Sunday when he prevailed by five strokes at the Fortinet Cup Championship for what was his second title in three weeks. That surge yielded Korn Ferry Tour membership in 2024 and sets him up to be a force at PGA TOUR Q-School where the top five and ties will earn PGA TOUR membership in 2024. But for now, it’s all about piggybacking the momentum with fantastic value at BetMGM.

Odds were sourced on Sept. 12, 2023. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

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