Sleeper Picks: Shriners Children's Open

Erik van Rooyen (+350 = Top 20) … And just like that, the affable South African is playing for his job again. It was late in the super season of 2020-21 when he broke through at the Barracuda Championship, so it literally has been just over two years since, but that’s remained his only successful run into the FedExCup Playoffs of three straight chances. Injuries have interrupted the flow and ate into playing time, so consider him among the fortunate who have been granted the opportunities of the FedExCup Fall. With a T30 at the Fortinet Championship and a T16 at the Sanderson Farms Championship, he’s now smack on the number at 125th in points, but those performances actually are an extension of a return to impressive form at this year’s Barracuda in July. That T6 was followed by a T8 and a T16 on the DP World Tour.

Aaron Rai (+175 = Top 20) … The 28-year-old from England improved measurably during his second spin with a PGA TOUR card in 2022-23, and that’s saying something given he arrived with a thicker body of work abroad than most rookies when he debuted in 2021-22. At fourth in fairways hit and 15th in greens in regulation, it’s a story only when he’s not in position to strike on a scorer’s paradise, so when he crafted a third-round 62 at TPC Summerlin a year ago (en route to a T20), it made sense. It also remains his career low of 210 rounds on TOUR. Most recently, he punctuated a flourish over the summer with a T20 at the 3M Open (for which he was a Sleeper) and shared runner-up honors at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in mid-September.

Chad Ramey (+320 = Top 20) … He was among those snipped from the short list of considerations for Sleepers for the Sanderson Farms. This weekly franchise caps the crowd at five for many reasons, but he went ahead and finished T16, anyway. With his signature precision on approach, he co-led the field in greens hit and ranked T2 in proximity. It was his second top 20 in as many chances during the FedExCup Fall, third in his last five, fourth in his last eight, and so on. The thing is, in a vacuum, his fit at TPC Summerlin is as good as it is anywhere else, so this prop isn’t as aggressive as it presents. He’s 2-for-2 here with a T14 in his debut in 2021 and a scoring average of 67.50. What’s more, because he’s fully exempt through 2024, he’s targeting the first two Signature Events as bonuses and not feeling the pressure of retaining his card.

Chesson Hadley (+110 = Top 40) … We have the tall drink of water right where we want him, with his back against the wall at 127th in the FedExCup and his card not yet secure for 2024. If only he could bottle the focus and force in the long-term because he brings it when it matters most. Since a T6 at the Barracuda, he’s 5-for-5 with four top 40s. He also opened last week’s Sanderson Farms with a field-low 64. In nine tries at TPC Summerlin, he’s cashed seven times with three top 10s among six top 40s. And in the previous two times he lined up as a Sleeper this season, he finished T17 at the Bermuda Championship last fall and T33 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic over the summer.

Taylor Montgomery (+110 = Top 40) … Everything is relative. Keep that in mind when assessing his possibilities at TPC Summerlin where he debuted with a T15 last year. Given his early trajectory and the fact that the PGA TOUR rookie is all-things Vegas, it’s not as much of an endorsement that he’s a Sleeper with plus-value than it is a disappointment that he didn’t default into the Power Rankings. In his last 11 starts on his own ball, he’s risen for only one top-40 finish, and that was a T37 at the 70-man FedEx St. Jude Championship. That he didn’t advance to the BMW Championship seriously hampered his chance to be the Rookie of the Year for which Eric Cole is the clubhouse leader. Yet, this is a home game where magic can happen and, in fact, magic shows routinely do! While Montgomery’s form isn’t inspiring, he’s still second on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting and first in converting greens in regulation into par breakers. With large targets, the upshot is that he’ll get to use his strongest weapon closer to the hole more than usual.

Odds were sourced on Oct. 10, 2023. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

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