These 3 overlooked players could thrive at Royal Troon

3. Akshay Bhatia

How about a 22-year-old winning in just his fifth major appearance? Sound familiar? It should -- Rory McIlroy won his first two majors at just 22 years old.

Many will cite Bhatia's inexperience as a reason why he will not be in the mix this week. I would offer a different perspective: his innocence could be used to his advantage. Both McIlroy and Jordan Spieth won their respective majors at such a young age, and it is certainly not a coincidence.

Fast forward a decade later, and they can no longer expect to walk out to the first tee and dominate for four rounds because they have experienced all the highs and lows of this sport. Bhatia, like Spieth and Rory at that age, has not previously failed or succumbed to the pressure of a major championship; there is no scar tissue. He should use that to his advantage.

Also going for Bhatia is that he is coming into this major in sharp form, with his last four events being T2-T5-T16-T22. The lefty is also an incredible ball striker -- he ranks 17th in strokes gained: approach on the season. With a bit of showmanship and swagger to his game, Bhatia could shock the world at Royal Troon.