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CIMB Classic: five sleeper picks

By Mike Randleman

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - OCTOBER 23: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays on the 1st hole during day four of the 2016 CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur on October 23, 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stanley Chou/Getty Images)
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - OCTOBER 23: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays on the 1st hole during day four of the 2016 CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur on October 23, 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stanley Chou/Getty Images) /
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CIMB Classic
WESTBURY, NY – AUGUST 24: Ollie Schniederjans of the United States plays a shot on the second hole during round one of The Northern Trust at Glen Oaks Club on August 24, 2017 in Westbury, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /

Ollie Schniederjans will make his CIMB Classic debut this week as he’s at the beginning of his second year with full PGA Tour status.

The former world No. 1 amateur had a solid rookie season, making 20 of 26 cuts with four top-10s to advance to the BMW Championship in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

He’s had high finishes in recent starts, falling one short shy of a win at the Wyndham Championship in August and posting T17 last week at the Safeway Open. A really low round or two kept Schniederjans from a higher finish at the Safeway, but a final round 70 was one of the better ones under tough conditions in Napa.

More birdies are likely to come this week for the 24-year-old Georgia Tech grad. He was 37th in birdie or better average last season.

Finding fairways will be key for him as he was eighth last year in proximity from the fairway, but 185th in hitting the short grass. He’ll likely have more irons off the tee than normal at this week’s 7,200-yard short par 72. With his length (37th in distance), less than driver should be enough to get by.

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