ANA Inspiration: Five Sleeper Picks

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Apr 4, 2015; Rancho Mirage, CA, USA; Moriya Jutanugarn tees off on the sixth hole during the third round of the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills CC – Dinah Shore Tournament Course. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

What if the Jutanugarn sisters are the final Sunday pairing at the 2017 ANA Inspiration?

Over the past two years Moriya Jutanugarn has been largely overshadowed by her younger sister, Ariya. There are signs that Moriya is ready to make a move of her own.

Let’s just look at Moriya’s 2017 season to date. She made 6 Tour starts and played the weekend at all 6 starts. More impressively, she’s finished inside the top 15 six times!

What’s changed in Moriya Jutanugarn’s game? Her putting has tightened up. Going into the ANA Inspiration she ranks 9th on the Tour in overall putting average (28.38 putts per round), but it’s not just her putting. She’s not particularly long off the tee, but she’s hitting more than 80% of the fairways with her tee shots and she’s getting to greens in regulation just about 75% of the time. That’s keeping her competitive.

Moriya has a mixed history at Rancho Mirage. She’s finished inside the top 15 twice in the last 5 years and she’s also missed 2 cuts. But she has experience with the golf course and she’s playing a new and stronger game this year.

While she’s a long shot for the win, don’t ignore the fact that she outperformed her sister last week at the Kia Classic. Her game is trending in the right direction.

Moriya Jutanugarn could become a first time Tour champion this week, and wouldn’t that be something!

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