NOTE: Sleeper Picks did not appear in Rob’s Power Rankings, but each presents value for the bet specified.

Outright

Davis Thompson (+4500) … This will require him to solve his woes in final rounds of late, but he’s almost assured of taking you for a ride until then. Most recently, he faded to finish T18 at the John Deere Classic where he was the 54-hole leader in what was his first title defense on the PGA TOUR. Despite the result, it was a great sign that he had compartmentalized the process and didn’t try too hard to go back-to-back, at least for three rounds. He puts himself in position to score more than most, and he has one start under his belt at TPC Twin Cities. Even though that resulted in a missed cut in 2023, he’s now among the subset in the field of 156 that can extend the trend referenced in the Power Rankings; that is, all five winners after the inaugural edition of the 3M Open in 2019 had appeared at least once before.

Top 5

Taylor Pendrith (+650) … Very easily could have appeared in my Power Rankings, but this’ll do just fine, too. Last year’s solo fifth at TPC Twin Cities (where he led outright at the midpoint) occurred amid a short-term goal to qualify for the Presidents Cup, which he did for the second time, but he’s managed to parlay the perks of the boost by qualifying for the TOUR Championship in 2024 into another fine season this year. The Canadian has scattered four top 10s and another three top 15s this year, the latest of which was a T13 at the Genesis Scottish Open. I considered slotting him as the outright above, but these odds are juicy enough given his firepower at his elevated level relative to others.

Top 10

Patrick Fishburn (+500) … You wouldn’t aspire to rely on the second half of the season to make hay, but it’s been working for the PGA TOUR sophomore. It wasn’t until this time last year when he caught fire to climb from outside the top 150 in the FedExCup all the way to 81st at the conclusion of the season. The onrush included a T6 in his debut at TPC Twin Cities. A few weeks ago, he was outside the top 125, but he’s 104th now thanks primarily to a T18 at the John Deere Classic and a T6 at the ISCO Championship. He also sat T10 after three rounds of the Barracuda Championship before backpedaling all the way to T52, but it’s OK to let slide one bad round at the wrong time. Of course, it never feels good when you’re holding a ticket with a payout promised for a top 10, but he’ll be fine.

Top 20

Doug Ghim (+280) … Constantly gliding under the radar, he’s one of the most reliable in the long-term, but with a pair of top 20s in his last three starts, and in fields comparable to the competition at the 3M Open, it’s time to step onto the bandwagon if you haven’t already grabbed a seat. A veritable machine from tee to green, he’s also 4-for-5 at TPC Twin Cities with a pair of top 20s.

Top U.K. & Ireland

David Skinns (+320) … The 43-year-old Brit was the only golfer who connected for a top 10 at both the ISCO Championship and the Barracuda Championship, yet he’s third-longest in this cozy market of four. Matt Wallace (+125), Seamus Power (+270) and Danny Willett (+450) are the others. Skinns’ surge was foreshadowed by a T9 at the RBC Canadian Open, so he’s officially in a groove now. He’s also 2-for-2 at TPC Twin Cities with a T24 alongside Wallace last year. Wallace’s odds reflect consistency and smart business by FanDuel, but he’s not hot like Skinns. Power still hasn’t locked into form before and after the mystery malady that grounded him at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

Odds were sourced at FanDuel.

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