With PGA Championship fever rising, I thought I would give you a little bonus crop of sleeper options for this year’s 2nd major championship. So, without further ado, here are five outside options who could make you a lot of money at Aronimink.
Joaquin Niemann- To Win (66/1), To Place (13.2/1)
With the entire LIV enterprise teetering on the brink of collapse, you were always going to find some of their less celebrated players at decent prices this week. Joaquin Niemann looks like incredible value at 66/1. The Chilean is one of the world’s elite iron players, able to create insane trajectory when approaching the green. A five-time winner on last year’s LIV tour, Niemann has struggled to replicate that type of form this year (though it’s hard to really judge the LIV players given all the general chaos at this moment in time). He has two top 10’s on LIV this year, finishing in a tie for 8th in Virginia last week. For me, Niemann’s beautiful iron-play make him a sound sleeper pick.
Rickie Fowler- To Win (80/1), To Place (16/1)
I have never really understood the Fowler hype. He was lumped into the same category as the JT’s and Spieth’s of this world despite never winning a major and only claiming six PGA Tour titles. Also, he must be one of the least expressive golfers of the 21st century (you wouldn’t be able to tell whether he was shooting 58 or 82 by looking at him). Still, he has looked resurgent in elite fields this year, picking up four top 10’s in Signature Events. He almost won last week, coming undone down Quail Hollow’s dreaded Green Mile before settling for a T2 finish. Still, Fowler looks like a strong statistical match for this week, ranking 9th for Scrambling, 12th for Putting and 32nd for SG: Approach. He also has some course history, finishing just four shots back of Keegan Bradley at the 2018 BMW Championship.
Adam Scott- To Win (80/1), To Place (16/1)
Currently 19th in the FedEx Cup standings, Adam Scott is quietly putting together one of his best seasons in some time. The Aussie has made all ten of his cuts this year, finishing in the top 25 in seven of those events. Crucially, he has been one of the strongest approach players on tour this season, currently ranking 3rd for SG: Approach the Green (he has been deadly at just about every distance). While he hasn’t been much of a force on the major circuit in recent seasons, Scott still represents exceptional value on current form.
Gary Woodland- To Win (80/1), To Place (16/1)
Former US Open champ Gary Woodland will probably feel slightly insulted that he currently sits at 80/1. Woodland has been the PGA Tour’s real-life Cinderella Man this season, recovering from his 2023 brain surgery to become a true force on the tour once again. Woodland has evolved into one of the big bombers on tour, generating ludicrous clubhead speed to place him 2nd in the current Driving Distance stats. And while Aronimink may not be a bomber’s paradise like Valhalla or Hazeltine, it never hurts to hit the ball a mile at a par-70 that measures over 7,200 yards. More importantly, he has four top 20’s in his last six starts, including a victory at Memorial Park and a T8 at Harbour Town. His sole major win came at Pebble Beach, which puts a premium on stellar approach play. That should once again be the recipe for success this week.
Keegan Bradley- To Win (100/1), To Place (20/1)
100/1 for Keegan Bradley seems like a steal to me. Sure, he only has one major top 10 in his last 14 appearances. But that was a T8 finish in this event last year. Bradley has a bit of a love affair with this event, winning on his major championship debut at Atlanta Athletic Club in 2011. Bradley has enjoyed a career resurgence these past 18 months or so, coming within a whisker of making last year’s Ryder Cup side. While it has been a bit more of a struggle this year, he has been hinting at returning to his best from in recent weeks, picking up three top 21 finishes in his last four outings. Bradley is just one of those class operators who could come right in any given week. More importantly, he won on this golf course the last time it was used for a PGA Tour event, finishing 20-under-par en route to the 2018 BMW Championship title.
