Sleeper Picks: RBC Heritage

Charles Howell III … Before you think that this is cheating since he’s logged four top 10s, another four top 15s and sits 17th in the FedExCup standings, consider the context that the Harbour Town regular has gone six consecutive appearances with only one top 25 (T23, 2016) while missing half of those cuts. So strong throughout his bag, it’s confounding that he has yet to connect for even one top 10 in 11 career trips, but his current pace presents zero confusion why he has our attention yet again this week. Cameron Smith … Essentially defining this space throughout his second season with a PGA TOUR card. He’s 10-for-13 with just two top 25s, but the T11-T10 burst in the fall laid the cushion on which to build confidence for another strike at any time. His 33 red numbers are tied for seventh-most. The 23-year-old Aussie also ranks eighth in strokes gained: around-the-green, T45 in strokes gained: putting, 13th in birdie-or-better percentage and T8 in par-3 scoring. En route to a T15 in his only prior appearance at Harbour Town in 2015, he ranked fifth in proximity to the hole and led the field in strokes gained: putting, one-putt percentage and birdie-or-better percentage. Michael Thompson … It’s easy to forget that he was positioned inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for four months after winning the 2013 Honda Classic, still his only PGA TOUR title. Since, he’s drifted to as low as 412th (in July of 2016). It was only in the last two weeks when he reentered the top 200 after a T10 at the Puerto Rico Open and a T12 in Houston. Running retrograde to his rise is the fact that he’s also missed eight of his last 13 cuts, but going back to his victory during the Web.com Tour Finals, all of his six paydays are top 20s. In line with that all-or-nothing dynamic in converting opportunity into production, his only cut made in four trips to Harbour Town was a T20 in 2012. There’s reason to buy into a repeat performance, albeit half a decade later, as he’s returned to his roots as a threat on the greens. Currently second on TOUR in strokes gained: putting and T28 in scrambling. So, the question is if he’ll begin celebrating his 32nd birthday on Sunday with a trophy presentation. Zac Blair … The old guard at Harbour Town is loaded with talents not unlike the third-year PGA TOUR member out of BYU. As one of the shortest hitters, he’s arguably best suited to make noise here since the 7,099-yard Pete Dye design yields one of the shortest averages for distance of all drives every year. It’s measured shortest in each of the last three, in fact. He’s already 2-for-2 with six scores of par or better, so experience isn’t an issue. The 26-year-old is currently eighth in fairways hit, T20 in strokes gained: around-the-green and second in scrambling, so he fits the profile of many a former champion. Enjoyed last week off after a season-best T8 at the Shell Houston Open where he placed third in strokes gained: putting and 13th in scrambling, so he’s in command of his strengths right now, too. And if there was any doubt that he was in control of his irons, he also finished sixth in proximity to the hole two weeks ago. Matt Every … A variety of factors led to an 0-for-18 slide over an 11-month period until he survived the cut in March at Bay Hill, site of both of his PGA TOUR victories. He missed the cut in Puerto Rico, but then made the cut in Houston. Chalk them up as baby steps for the 33-year-old slotted 1,100th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He can afford time to regain his balance as he’s fully exempt through next season, but he’s also poised to take a greater stride at Harbour Town this week as he’s perfect in his last four tries with a trio of top 20s.  

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