This week the PGA Tour heads down to Mexico for the final tournament of the 2014 calendar year. The OHL Classic at Mayakoba has a lot to live up to after that amazing finish at the WGC-HSBC Champions what a wild one that was. As mentioned, this is the final PGA Tour tournament of the 2014 calendar year so that means the PGA Tour will be on another hiatus until the new year when we kick things off in Hawaii.
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For this week I really don’t have too many sleepers that I like this week. Most of the guys I do like this week are in the middle and really wouldn’t be classified as sleepers. I do have a couple of really, really cheap picks though that I do like in terms of them producing more than what they are worth. With that said, let’s get into the picks.
Scott Brown– Scott Brown is the cheapest pick of that middle pack that I do like this week. Brown’s style of golf fits El Camaleon Golf Course. El Camaleon is a short course and ball striking is a must. Brown started off the season really hot finishing T-12 and T-10 at the Frys.com Open and Shriners Open, but he’s coming in cold missing his last two cuts at the McGladrey Classic and last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Those are two major red flags. Brown was supposed to play well at the McGladrey Classic considering Seaside Island Golf Course was made to order for his game – much like how this week is supposed to be for Brown – and last week was a weak field considering most of the top PGA Tour players were in Sheshan.
I will say that Brown is a risk and may not be worth the money, however, I do like the fact that this is a ball strikers course and Brown is one of the best on Tour. And as we see time and time again on the Tour one week someone struggles you count him out and all of a sudden they finish in the top five. So, keep an eye on Brown he’s coming off two missed cuts and aside from the fact El Camaleon fits his eye there’s no other reason to pick Brown. That’s a recipe for Brown to maybe compete come Sunday.
Robert Allenby– After a tough couple of years, Robert Allenby is off to a really nice start to this 2014-2015 wraparound season. Allenby has made the cut in three of his first four tournaments which includes a T-8 at the Frys.com Open.
In terms of ball striking, you aren’t going to find too many that are better than Allenby. So far this year, Allenby is hitting 72% of fairways and 78 % of greens. That’s 13th and 5th on Tour respectively and his tee-to-green strokes gained is .900 which is good for 36th on Tour.
If Allenby can put the ball right up next to the hole and sink a couple of putts, he should be right up near the leaderboard come Sunday afternoon. Which wouldn’t be a shock especially here at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba as he’s finished T-16 and finished 2nd the last couple of times he’s played here.
Brice Garnett– When you look at the stats, Brice Garnett doesn’t really stand out at you. But, when it’s all said and done he’s usually making the cut, earning (fantasy and FedEx Cup) points, and making money.
In 28 tournaments last year, Garnett made the cut in 20 of those tournaments. However, one of those eight cuts did come here at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. But, given that Garnett is about the cheapest pick this week I like the value in it. If he makes the cut then he has more than made up his price point and I think he will.
Garnett is a solid player, typically makes the cut, has made the cut in all four events he’s played this year and think he’s a really nice value play.
Michael Putnam– Much like Garnett, Putnam doesn’t really standout to you in terms of stats, but Putnam just grinds it out. Putnam isn’t as cheap as Garnett, but he’s in the same ballpark.
Also, when you look at his play last year, it’s kind of similar up to this point. This year he missed the cut at Frys and Shriners, last year he struggled to a T-62 at Frys and missed the cut at Shriners.
Putnam is coming off a nice T-22 finish at the CIMB Classic which indicates to me that his game is fine. His eye just hasn’t fit at the Frys.com Open and the Shriners Open. Last year, after missing the cut at Shriners, Putnam finished T-48 at the McGladrey Classic and proceeded to follow that up with a T-36 at the OHL Classic. If he does that, he’s more than earned what he’s worth.
Like Garnett, just making the cut works in this spot and given that he made 23 cuts in 30 tournaments last year, I like his chances to make the cut this week.