NOTE: Sleeper Picks did not appear in Rob’s Power Rankings, but each presents value for the bet specified.

Outright

Rickie Fowler (+4200) … With only 72 golfers in the field, 15 of whom are in my Power Rankings, it’s difficult to justify reaching for anyone outside, say, +4000 in this market, so it’s a nice surprise to see the local native positioned properly for our potential pleasure. He has no better than a pair of T20s in the last four editions of The Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club, but he arrives with no worse than a T19 in his last five starts dating back to the 2025 FedExCup Playoffs. Of course, there’s only one outcome that fulfills the bet, but he’s fourth in the All-Around Ranking. With phenomenal metrics throughout his bag contributing to it, the Southern California connection and his experience on the track, the combination of factors builds a strong argument to lean on.

Top 5

Max Homa (+1025) ... The 35-year-old is scuffling again but faith ignores form in favor of affinity. This is all about "Strokes Gained: Passion." His love affair with Riviera is well documented and it was reciprocated in 2021 when he captured victory, but he’s also finished T5, T10, second and T16 here since 2020. And of course you’re going to make room for Homa where he feels at home. On an aside, Akshay Bhatia, who is +860 in this market in his Riviera debut, reminded us at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am why it’s called gambling. The lefty was my Sleeper in this market pre-tournament at +950 and slept on a two-shot lead after three rounds. Alas, he drifted just enough on Sunday to finish T6. After my endorsements in this market connected five times in 2024 and thrice last year, he would have been my first this season. The kicker is that Homa is a better fit for Riviera than Bhatia presented at Pebble Beach.

Top 10

Sahith Theegala (+570) ... Making his fifth start at Riviera but first as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption. It’s also the site of Theegala’s first PGA TOUR start and cut made in 2017. His best result was a T6 in 2023, so fulfilling this expectation wouldn’t even be unprecedented in this arena. He also arrives on the confidence of a terrific start to this season during which he’s already 5-for-5 with two top 10s. He got healthy but sometimes the reset promised by the turn of the calendar is all a guy needs to reignite. And now he’s further inspired to perform his best following the unique honor.

Top 20

Corey Conners (+235) … First off, props to Jacob Bridgeman for delivering a T8 after he was circled in this market at +245 at Pebble Beach. The outcome wasn’t what he wanted but there was no question that he wasn’t playing it safe as he hunted his breakthrough victory. I’d have zero issue in revisiting Bridgeman in this same market at Riviera. At +184, he’s still tasty even though he’s in his debut, but the objective is to at least double the kickback. That’s where the Canadian steps forward. This is Conners’ sixth consecutive appearance at Riviera, a layout that would seem to mesh wonderfully with his tee-to-green skill set, but it wasn’t until 2024 that he cracked the top 60. Even better, he sat T7 after three rounds before fading for a T24. His strengths yield paydays, so with only 50 guaranteed to make the cut, he’s a veritable coin flip to piggyback on Bridgeman’s performance for us.

Top 30

Tom Hoge (+210) … We’ve reached that portion of the page for which ties no longer are allowed to pay out, but that’s OK. Elevated in this space at +255 in the same market last week, Hoge answered the bell with a T14 for what is his fifth top 20 in his last six starts at Pebble Beach. It’d be unwise to equate that kind of stealing from a baby to Riviera, but the 36-year-old finished T14 in 2023 and eighth in 2024. Given that and the fact that he’s recorded two top 15s already this season, we just need him to keep on keepin’ on with these relatively beefy odds attached.

Top 40

Tom Kim (+106) … If the focus is always on plus money, there are only eight guys who are +100 or longer for a top 40, and Hoge (+102) is one of them, so options are limited. At the same time, Kim is the most obvious with whom to diversify your card. Although his drought without a top 10 has eclipsed one year, he makes cuts. That includes each of his last seven starts. Three of those yielded a top 40 and all were full-field contests. He’s 2-for-2 with a T24 at Riviera in 2024, so there’s enough experience and relative success for him to be the go-to among the subset of guys targeted.

Odds were sourced at DraftKings.

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