Shenzhen International Fantasy Picks

Peter Uihlein – OWGR 159

Last year Peter Uihlein would have been my sentimental fantasy pick. I have a soft sport for this young American who has chosen to play golf and see the world. But Uihlein is showing signs of fulfilling the promise signaled by his 2013 Madeira Islands Open win and making a move up the rankings. He’s no longer just a sentimental pick. I think he’s positioned now to contend.

With two top 5 finishes in his last six European Tour starts and no missed cuts, the 27-year old American is having a very promising season. Add to that record a T5 finish at the PGA TOUR Puerto Rico Open and a T23 Shell Houston Open and Uihlein begins to look like an emerging contender.

Uihlein is long off the tee but also a little bit wild, so he could be one of the players who gets snapped by Dragon Lake this week. Once he clears the hazards, however, this man is playing very well on the putting surface, averaging 28.87 putts per round.

Can he maintain that level of performance on the Genzon greens? We’ll have to wait and see. He missed the cut at the 2014 Volvo China Open, but that still gives him a 36-hole advantage over many in the field.