Sleepers: Valspar Championship

Nick Watney … Not everyone can hit the ground running like Pat Perez after a significant injury. Unlike Perez, who won in his third start in the fall after returning from shoulder surgery, Watney has been slow to round into form since sitting out more than eight months last year due to a herniated disc in his back. However, he survived his last three cuts, two of which resulting in a T14. The latter occurred when he polished off his week at PGA National with a 65, his lowest aggregate since August of 2015. Ranks T4 in par-3 scoring. Scott Brown … Didn’t really threaten reaching paydirt at Riviera three weeks ago, but a share of second place (five strokes back) was a fine literal consolation. It’s his only top-40 finish of the season, but he arrived at Copperhead having survived eight consecutive cuts and ranking 24th in strokes gained: putting. Now in his sixth straight appearance, he looks to build on last year’s T7 when he led the field in strokes gained: putting. Lucas Glover … With five missed cuts in his career here, he hasn’t necessarily charmed Copperhead, but he’s making his 14th consecutive appearance. That says something for his affinity for the track and the test. Half of his eight cuts made have gone for top 25s and he’s connected seven straight since opening this season with a missed cut at Silverado. Tied for 21st in his last start at PGA National where he ranked 18th in strokes gained: putting. Currently fifth on TOUR In total driving (including 30th in fairways hit) and third in greens in regulation, so he’s still his old self tee to green. Jason Kokrak … The top-25 machine is at it again this season with four top 25s among six cuts made in nine starts, including in his last two (T23, Pebble Beach; T22, Genesis). Since 2013-14, 31 of his 52 paydays have gone for a top 25, two of which at Copperhead (T14, 2014; T7, 2015). Jimmy Stanger … It wasn’t all that long ago that we’d automatically rule out amateurs from contending in any PGA TOUR event. Sure, you’d see the occasional hot start or rare lurker at a halfway point, but there’s been a steady stream of precocious talents who have made honest-to-goodness climbs up leaderboards. Jon Rahm started the parade with a T5 at the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open. He was followed by Jordan Niebrugge, who earned the Silver Medal at St. Andrews with a T6 in the 2015 Open Championship where another amateur, Paul Dunne, famously co-led after 54 holes. Yet, that same week, Robby Shelton recorded the best finish of the bunch with a T3 at the Barbasol Championship. The latest notable result occurred at last year’s Valspar Championship when Lee McCoy placed fourth. So, Stanger is worthy to watch at Copperhead, which is within an hour from where he was born and raised. And like McCoy, he knows the course well. Stanger currently ranks 21st in the world, a position earned in part by his victory at the 2016 Southern Amateur.

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