Sleeper Picks: THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT
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OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 27: Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela reacts on the ninth green during the second round of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club on August 27, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Jhonattan Vegas(+250 for a Top 20) … Yes, Vegas in Vegas. With the requisite acknowledgment of that cute (but tired) connection out of the way, what shouldn’t be cast aside is his fit for The Summit Club. His driver and irons are his moneymakers, and they yielded over $2 million in 2020-21 with a trio of runner-up finishes among eight top 25s. The Venezuelan concluded the regular season with three top 20s and a T16 at the Olympics. Also rested since the entire month of September and first two weekends of October.
Kevin Streelman(+250 for a Top 20) … The 42-year-old arrives having cashed in six consecutive starts, the first two of which top 20s. He has six top 20s in his last 12, three of which in majors. That’s what veteran moxie and taut ball-striking can do even as he embarks on his age-43 season. Completed 2020-21 ranked inside the top 35 on TOUR in total driving, greens hit, proximity, Strokes Gained: Approach and adjusted scoring.
Alex Noren(+185 for a Top 20) … Now as an established fifth-year member of the PGA TOUR, the 39-year-old Swede presents as a threat just about every time he appears and despite having yet to connect for a victory in 112 career starts on the circuit. That’s because he’s a 10-time winner on the European Tour where he finished T12 at the Dunhill Links two weeks ago. Prior to it, he completed the Playoffs by going T4-T9 to land at a career-best 33rd in the FedExCup. For the season, he recorded 12 top 25s in 25 starts, largely on the strength of his patented putter (13th in Strokes Gained: Putting).
Emiliano Grillo(+225 for a Top 20) … Although he’s fallen off the pace in recent months, the 29-year-old from Argentina always makes sense on unfamiliar greens. His tee-to-green precision slotted him 17th in total driving and third in greens in regulation last season. He also co-led the PGA TOUR in proximity to the hole. Best of all, a midseason improvement with his putter swung the needle into positive territory in Strokes Gained: Putting for a couple of months into the summer.
Joohyung (Tom) Kim(+800 for a Top 20) … If you haven’t been introduced to the talent from South Korea, you’ve been missing out. At just 19 years of age, he’s 151st in the Official World Golf Ranking and fourth from his homeland. Only Sungjae Im (21st), Si Woo Kim (46th) and K.H. Lee (59th) slot higher. Nicknamed after Thomas The Tank Engine, Kim is a two-time winner on the KPGA where he’s currently second in Genesis Points (with seven top fives in the last six months) and first in both scoring average and birdie average. He’s also 13th in fairways hit, fifth in greens in regulation and 22nd in putts per GIR. In five starts on the PGA TOUR in 2020-21, he cashed four times, including a solo 64th in THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and a personal-best T15 in Puerto Rico when he still was 18.
Odds were sourced on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. For live odds, visitbetmgm.