2014 RBC Heritage Fantasy Sleeper Picks

Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Masters has now come and gone, and we have to wait another 359 days, or so until next year’s Masters, but hey, who’s keeping track? While we have to wait quite awhile for the next Masters, we don’t have to wait long for the next PGA Tour event.

This week, the PGA Tour heads to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina where the Harbour Town Golf Links hosts the RBC Heritage. The Harbour Town Golf Links is an interesting course and it’s fun to watch how the professionals manage it. Harbour Town is a small, but tough little course. Slim fairways, and small, slick greens make this a bit of a unique course.

With that said, look for players that are accurate from tee to green. Lots of fairways, lots of greens, and of course, makes putts. Here are some under the radar, sleeper picks to consider this week.

Trevor Immelman– Trevor Immelman is a spotty golfer. He isn’t very reliable. He’ll miss a few cuts here and there, but here at Harbour Town, Immelman is consistently good.

Last year, Immelman finished T-9, in 2012 Immelman finished T-29, 2011: T-52, 2010: T-35, and 2009: T-30. Immelman has been pretty solid and given where he is monetary wise in fantasy games, Immelman looks to be a pretty good play.

Now, his spotty play may worry you. Coming into RBC Heritage he’s played in 14 events and missed the cut in 7 of them, but he’s been pretty spotty of late and that hasn’t effected his play at Harbour Town. Last year, coming into Heritage, Immelman had played in nine events and made the cut in five of those tournaments. In 2012, Immelman played in seven events and made the cut in four of them.

I wouldn’t be worried too much about Immelman’s play. I just feel his eye fits Harbour Town, he’s a very accurate player from tee-to-green, and at Harbour Town that is the game you need. I believe Immelman is a pretty strong play and a high value pick.

Rory Sabbatini– What I said about Immelman can be applied to Sabbatini as well. Sabbatini is hit or miss. He’ll finish in the top 25 for a couple of weeks, and then miss three straight cuts. But, here at the RBC Heritage he has been consistently fantastic. Sabbatini has played the RBC Heritage four of the last five years and his worst finish has been a T-17 in 2012.

As mentioned, you maybe worried about his form. He’s played in 13 events and missed five cuts, but on the contrary, Sabbatini is playing some of his better golf of late. In 2012, coming into RBC Heritage, Sabbatini played in nine events and only made the cut in 4 of them. In 2011, (leading up to Heritage) Sabbatini played in 10 events and missed the cut in 5 of those tournaments. And in 2010, his numbers were the same as in 2012.

All in all, I wouldn’t be alarmed by Sabbatini’s play of late. In fact, I would be encouraged, and given his history at RBC Heritage I believe Sabbatini is a great pick; a massively high value pick.

Brendon de Jonge– Brendon de Jonge is a solid, consistent golfer on Tour. He usually hangs around in the top 35, and is usually, always a solid, cheap pick up. And here at RBC Heritage, de Jonge is a great pick up.

In the last five years, de Jonge has been consistent. Last year, de Jonge finished T-9, 2012: T-29, 2011: T-21, 2010: T-35, and 2009: T-68. The last three tournaments de Jonge has played this year he has finished T-36 at the Texas Open, T-37 at the Houston Open, and a T-37 at The Masters last week.

I was surprised when looking at this weeks fantasy games that de Jonge was so low. So, with that said, de Jonge is a nice sleeper pick. You can pretty much expect a top 30 finish from de Jonge and when you’re picking lower tier, cheaper picks, you would like a solid, decent pick, and with de Jonge I believe you will get that. He’s in solid form, and has a very good history at the RBC Heritage.

Marc Leishman– Marc Leishman had a fantastic first 21 holes at Augusta last week. The final 15 holes, however, things didn’t go as planned. Leishman was -5 after 21 holes, but 15 holes later he was 10 over par, and 5 over par for the tournament. As it turned out, he would be one of the many notable golfers to finish Augusta at +5 and miss the cut by one.

It was a heartbreaking turn of events for Leishman, but he can turn things around this week so long as he turns the page. And with that said, I’m banking that he will turn the page. I don’t think last week will effect him. Leishman obviously has the game to compete against the best and so I think he will compete this week at the RBC Heritage.

Leishman has a nice, well rounded game and he has been pretty good this year. In fact, he just about kick started the Aussie year by finishing T-2 at the Farmers Insurance. He’s played in 10 events this year and has missed the cut in only three events, including that heartbreaker at The Masters.

Leishman is a nice pick up on the cheap side. He’s a good golfer, and while he doesn’t have the best history here at Harbour Town, he’s getting closer and closer to consistently competing at the top level. Plus, Leishman is an Aussie and it has been the year of the Aussie so far, so picking an Aussie this year isn’t a bad idea at all.

Brian Gay– To start off, Brian Gay did not finish tied for 9th at last year’s event. He finished T-55. Gay is a former winner of the Heritage. He won here in 2009, but aside from that, he hasn’t exactly lit it up here at Harbour Town. In 2010 and 2011 he finished T-32, and T-36. Which are good, solid finishes, but in 2012 he missed the cut, and last year, as mentioned, he finished T-55.

What I like about Gay, though, is that he has a lot of value. He is a very, very cheap pick up. You have to scroll down quite a bit to find him. Not only that, but he has the game for Harbour Town. While he hasn’t had the results of late, he is accurate, and really good around the greens. Not only that, but Gay has been in pretty decent form.

He started off the wrap around season in really good form. From the Frys.com Open to the Sony Open, Gay missed only one cut in seven tournaments and had a T-4 at the McGladrey Classic. As the fields have gotten stronger of late, he’s struggled, but he’s still been solid and has held his own.

From Humana to now, he’s played in 8 tournaments, he has missed the cut in three of them, but for the most part he has been solid. So, basically, I don’t think Gay is the greatest pick in the world, but I do think he is a solid sleeper pick. He has a lot of value considering that this isn’t the strongest field we’ll see on Tour and he has the game that contends and wins (which he has done) here at Harbour Town.