THE PLAYERS Championship: top five TPC Sawgrass sleepers

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Apr 23, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; Kevin Chappell reacts after saving par on the sixth green during the final round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament at TPC San Antonio – AT&T Oaks Course. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

Kevin Chappell

Official World Golf Ranking: 23

FedEx Cup Ranking: 23

Best PLAYERS Finish: Runner-up, 2016

Kevin Chappell made what, at the time, was a surprise run up the leaderboard at the 2016 PLAYERS Championship. He wound up finishing second behind champion Jason Day, but that alone belies Chappell’s talent.

Chappell stepped up his game in 2016 in some high-profile spots. He was a four-time runner-up in 2016, including Sawgrass, Bay Hill and the TOUR Championship – top fields, all. 2016, however, was something of an all-or-nothing year for Chappell. He wound up with as many MC’s (eight) as top-ten finishes.

2017 is a new year, and Chappell is riding some solid form into The PLAYERS Championship. A slow start to the season gave way to a breakthrough at Augusta National, where Chappell finished tied for seventh in his second Masters appearance. Two weeks later, he won the Valero Texas Open, his first Tour victory.

The statistics may not be as pretty as some on this list, but I’m banking on Chappell to combine his experiences at Sawgrass over the years with his recently spectacular form. If his Valero win was a jump-start to the season, THE PLAYERS could show us what he’s got left for the rest of the year.

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