Sungjae Im will try to defend his title this week when the 2021 Honda Classic tees off at The Championship Course at PGA National. Im notched his first career victory at this event last season, shooting a 66 in the final round to hold off Mackenzie Hughes. It remains the South Korean's only title, but he comes in as the favorite at 12-1 in the latest 2021 Honda Classic odds from William Hill Sportsbook after Daniel Berger withdrew with a rib injury.
Im enters the Honda Classic 2021 ranked in the top 12 in driving accuracy percentage (69.68), strokes gained off the tee (.707) and total putting (110.9). Is the defending champion one of the best options for your 2021 Honda Classic Fantasy golf picks? Or should you build your Fantasy PGA lineups around another former champion like Adam Scott or Rickie Fowler? Before making any 2021 Honda Classic Fantasy golf picks, check out the latest Fantasy golf rankings from data scientist Rick Gehman.
With his expansive database of golf statistics, course data and betting odds, Gehman creates advanced models and back-tests them constantly. These models have produced 12 outright winners in the past year -- including 30-1 Webb Simpson at the 2020 RBC Heritage.
At The Players, three of Gehman's top seven picks made the top 10, including winner Justin Thomas, who came in at 22-1. "He feels close to breaking through again, and TPC Sawgrass just might be the place," Gehman said before the event.
The result? Thomas went out and shot 14 under par, going 4 under in a tough final round, to get his first tour victory since August.
Gehman has been on fire all season. At the Palmer Invitational the previous week, five of the golf expert's top 10 picks finished T-10 or better, and at Pebble Beach, three of his top four picks finished in the top five.
The Farmers leaderboard looked like a who's who of Gehman's rankings, with five of his top nine picks finishing tied for seventh or better, and at the Sony, the top three in his rankings all finished in the top seven. Anyone who has followed his advice has cashed in huge.
Now, Gehman, co-host of "The First Cut" podcast on CBS Sports, has revealed his top 30 players for the Honda Classic 2021 over at SportsLine so you can crush your Fantasy golf picks.
2021 Honda Classic Fantasy golf picks
Gehman is advising owners to stay away from Rickie Fowler when finalizing their 2021 Honda Classic Fantasy golf picks. That's because Fowler has been struggling in his most recent outings, missing the cut in three of his last five events on the PGA Tour.
Fowler won this event in 2017, but he enters the 2021 Honda Classic ranked 140th in greens in regulation percentage (65.61), 161st in scoring average (71.854) and 180th in strokes gained putting (-.415). Fowler's poor play has been on full display in recent weeks, having shot over par in five of his last six rounds. The five-time PGA Tour champion hasn't finished better than 20th this season, and while Fowler is a household name, Gehman is advising you to stay away from him this week.
How to set your 2021 Honda Classic Fantasy golf lineups
Notably, Gehman is looking for a mammoth long shot to make a run at his first title. This golfer is heating up at just the right time. Gehman is only sharing who it is, and his top 30 golfers in order, right here.
Who wins the Honda Classic 2021? Who are the top golfers to target? And which overlooked player can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Rick Gehman's Fantasy golf rankings for the 2021 Honda Classic, all from the data scientist who's called 12 outright winners in the past year.
