8/5/18

2018 PGA Championship: Six sleepers to watch

Looking for some longshots for the 2018 PGA Championship? Here are six to take a closer look at

by

This week’s PGA Championship heads to Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. The Rees Jones design features narrow, bunker-laden fairways and large green complexes with small tiered segments. Given the summer heat and humidity in St. Louis, expect the golf course to play soft this week, unlike the other major championships in 2018. The soft and penal setup should favor the bombers and great ball-strikers. The last time Bellerive hosted a PGA Tour event was the 2008 BMW Championship. The event saw the leaders succeed in SG: off-the-tee, approach and putting, while most had a negative SG: around-the-green.
Odds provided by Golfodds.com

Webb Simpson – 60 to 1

Simpson is amidst a resurgent 2018 thanks to his renewed putting prowess on the greens. In 2018, Simpson finished in the top 20 of each of the three major championships and won the PLAYERS Championship. Bellerive should be a fit; its tight fairways and small green complexes require precision tee to green, a strength of Simpson’s.

Aaron Wise – 150 to 1

After notching his first career win at the AT&T Byron Nelson, Aaron Wise rattled off five straight MC Hammers. That changed at the WGC Bridgestone, where he finished t6th. Wise is one of the most talented young players in the game, and his tremendous length and putting should suit him well at Bellerive. This might be the last major championship where you have the chance to get the talented Wise at 150 to 1.

Thobjørn Olesen – 150 to 1

In his last seven starts, Olesen has notched a win, runner-up, two other top 10s and a t12th at the Open Championship. The Thunderbear is looking to add to a career year and make his first Ryder Cup team. With five wins on the European Tour and two top-10 finishes in major championships, I don’t expect Olesen to falter if he contends.

Charley Hoffman – 100 to 1

Hoffman has finished inside the top 20 at each of the first three major championships and Bellerive’s setup should suit his elite tee-to-green game. The weakest link in his game comes around the greens, an area the 2008 BMW Championship proved to be less significant.

Kyle Stanley – 150 to 1

Much like Hoffman, Stanley struggles around the green. Off the tee and approaching the green, he is one of the world’s best. Coming off a 2nd-place finish at the WGC Bridgestone, Stanley could be a hot putter away from winning his first major championship.

Byeong Hun An – 100 to 1

An is coming off a runner-up finish at Glen Abbey and ranks 13th in SG: off-the-tee and 35th in SG: approach. Those numbers should translate to success at Bellerive, and An has a track record of success in big events with his wins at the European PGA and the U.S. Amateur.

Ryan Fox – 150 to 1

The Kiwi possesses prodigious length that should pay off at Bellerive. Fox has the ability to bypass a number of the treacherous fairway bunkers by air and is in the middle of a career year. The New Zealander ranks fifth behind Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm on the European Tour’s SG: tee to green.