Sleeper Picks: Rocket Mortgage Classic

Mark Hubbard … When a course like Detroit Golf Club rolls over for eagles and birdies, anything can happen, but no on statistically is more familiar with going low than the 31-year-old who is making his 100th start as a PGA TOUR member this week. He’s 37th in the FedExCup on the strength of a co-runner-up in Houston and another four top-13 finishes baked into his 13-for-17 record. Contributing to whole is a TOUR-high 37 rounds in the 60s. That leads Sungjae Im by two and a trio in third by six. Hubbard cashed in each of the first three events coming out of the break, but he’s yet to put four rounds together. At 33rd in Strokes Gained: Putting and T26 in par-5 scoring, he could be lighting his own fireworks this weekend. Maverick McNealy … Suffice it to say that the 24-year-old’s decision to choose professional golf over a career in business has been a good one. After two seasons of grooming on the Korn Ferry Tour, he makes his debut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic lurking in the Rookie of the Year race. Currently 58th in the FedExCup with a T5 among four top 20s and only three missed cuts in 16 starts, he’s fourth in his class in points. No question that his scoring club is the putter. Overall, he’s 22nd on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting, 31st in putting: birdies-or-better and 10th in scrambling. Peter Uihlein … With a T14 at Colonial to reopen the season, he proved that he was prepared to play again. It wasn’t the first time he’s enjoyed a solid week in Fort Worth, either, but last year’s T13 didn’t translate into success in the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic. He missed the cut on the number. This means that it’s time for second chance for the 30-year-old on conditional status. Nothing jumps off the page analytically over time, but he ranked T17 in greens hit at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Chesson Hadley … He missed the cut here last year during what largely was a long calendar-year 2019 inside the ropes with 14 MCs spanning 22 starts. He turned it around in the fall, but resumed the up-and-down form that must feel promising and demotivating all at once. That’s the life of a touring professional for ya, but his tee-to-green game is a place of encouragement. Sits 32rd in fairways hit, 28th in greens in regulation and T20 in proximity to the hole. He’s even 40th in converting GIR into par breakers, but when he’s missing his targets, there’s an elevated pressure on his putter that helps explain the inconsistency. Smaller greens like those at Detroit Golf Club benefit ball-strikers who don’t measure up on the greens, and he finished T23 on the similarly sized surfaces of Colonial just three weeks ago. Dominic Bozzelli … Saddled with conditional status this season, playing time is restricted, so he licks his chops at every opportunity. His form in 2020, albeit in only five starts, his last at the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass, is uninspiring, but he was more than comfortable on the greens at Detroit Golf Club last year. He made the most of finishing second-to-last (of 71) in greens hit by ranking ninth in holing par breakers on those chances. This has been his calling card throughout his young career. He’s currently second on TOUR in putting: birdies-or-better. NOTE: Sleeper is a relative term, so Rob uses unofficial criteria to determine who qualifies. Each of the following usually is determined to be ineligible for this weekly staple: Winners of the tournament on the current host course; winners in the same season; recent major champions; top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking; recent participants of team competitions.

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