Jonny Leighfield spotlighted Brandon Robinson-Thompson at +6500 as his preferred outsider, citing the Englishman’s adaptable game and red-hot 2025. Robinson-Thompson owns four top-10s and two additional top-20s this season, including T7 at the Joburg Open and T17 at the Indian Open—both on similarly claustrophobic layouts. Leighfield noted the rookie is gaining strokes in every category for the year, evidence he can adjust to Rinkven despite zero course history. The writer expects the steady all-around profile to yield another top-10, with upside for more if the putter cooperates.

Jonny Leighfield made Laurie Canter his primary play at +2500, arguing the course fit and recent evidence trump any putting concerns. Rinkven demands accuracy and premium ball-striking—traits Canter showcased with a T7 here last year while Jordan Smith, another profile match, limped to 71st. Leighfield also reminded readers that Canter won the Bahrain Championship despite losing strokes on the greens, proving he can triumph even with a cold putter. Ranked 4th in strokes-gained tee-to-green across the European Swing, Canter’s ability to keep drives in play and flag mid-irons should position him for another Sunday run.

Jonny Leighfield advocated running it back with Davis Riley at +5000. Riley’s Colonial record is eye-catching—victory in 2024, a T4 in his first start, and only one missed cut—proof the layout fits his eye. He rolls in after a T2 at the PGA Championship, showing his ball-striking has caught up to an already polished short game. Leighfield believes a merely average week off the tee will keep the defending champ in the hunt and that 50-1 is generous for a player with obvious course horseshoe and red-hot form.

Jonny Leighfield endorsed Tommy Fleetwood at +1800, arguing bookmakers are under-rating the Englishman’s quietly elite 2025 campaign—three top-10s and only two finishes outside the top-25 all year. Fleetwood has historically struggled with the flatstick, yet he gained strokes putting in both prior Colonial appearances, a trend Leighfield deems significant. Add a new driver that is producing above-average distance without sacrificing accuracy, and the recipe for his long-awaited first PGA Tour victory is there. Leighfield views the course’s emphasis on precision and recent putting spike as the final pieces for a breakthrough week.

For a deep play, Jonny Leighfield selected Wyndham Clark at +9000. Clark owns elite length off the tee and reliable short-game touch, but his iron play and putting are wildly volatile. Leighfield likened betting Clark to "playing with fire," yet cited two key edges: Clark won the 2023 US Open, proving he can close a major, and captured his maiden PGA Tour title at Quail Hollow earlier that same year. Leighfield envisions either a top-10 bid or a missed cut, but at near 100-1 odds finds the upside worth chasing.

Jonny Leighfield endorsed Rory McIlroy at +450, arguing the Masters champion’s only barrier is "his own mentality" after finally winning at Augusta. McIlroy holds the Quail Hollow course record (61) and has multiple Wells Fargo/Truist titles, prompting Leighfield to joke the venue could be renamed "McIlroy's Hollow." Although McIlroy’s driver was wild at last week’s Truist Championship, he still finished T7, underscoring current form. Leighfield expects a tighter driving performance and believes the combination of confidence, course history, and high-end ball-striking makes Major No.6 "extremely likely."

Leighfield’s favorite outsider is Brian Harman at +6000. The 2023 Open champ won the Valero Texas Open three starts ago, finished T36 at Augusta, then surged to a solo 3rd at the RBC Heritage where he gained strokes in nearly every category. Harman owns a steady US Open record—an indicator Leighfield uses because Wissahickon could demand similar patience and precision. With confidence high and the field minus Scottie Scheffler, Leighfield sees Harman back-dooring a top-10 with realistic win equity if scoring hovers around single digits under par.

Jonny Leighfield chose Xander Schauffele at +1600, noting the track’s US Open flavor meshes perfectly with Schauffele’s record of seven top-10s in eight US Open starts (worst finish T14). Leighfield reported the two-time major winner is past a rib injury and trending upward in SG: Approach while still possessing above-field driving length. He believes Schauffele only needs a modest putting week—about +0.50 strokes gained on the greens—to cash outright tickets and break his Signature Event drought.

Jonny Leighfield highlighted Nicolas Echavarria as a deep sleeper at +12500. The Colombian leads the PGA Tour in SG: Putting this season, a skill Leighfield deems critical on Craig Ranch’s pure Bentgrass greens. Echavarria paired with Max Greyserman for a respectable T28 at the Zurich Classic and was T24 here last year thanks to elite driving. Leighfield expects similar tee-ball proficiency and, combined with Echavarria’s red-hot putter, sees a plausible path to a top-10 or better at juicy odds. He advises a small outright and top-10 wager.

Jonny Leighfield tabbed Sam Burns at +2800, emphasizing putting and prior event success. Burns ranks among the Tour’s elite with the flatstick and Leighfield expects that advantage to be magnified in a birdie-fest. The LSU product finished runner-up at the 2021 Byron Nelson before missing the cut in 2022 when iron play collapsed. Leighfield sees signs the ball-striking is rebounding and notes Burns remains a prolific driver. If the irons cooperate even modestly, Leighfield believes Burns can push Scottie Scheffler for the trophy at a palatable 28-1 price.

Leighfield’s preferred mid‑range sleeper is the American tandem of Jacob Bridgeman and Chandler Phillips at +5000. They quietly posted T19 here in 2024 with minimal buzz and arrive this year riding a string of individual top‑20s and positive strokes‑gained profiles across the bag. Leighfield noted the field’s depth issues—many teams have at least one player slumping—so a balanced pairing like Bridgeman/Phillips could climb the board if the McIlroy‑Lowry super team stumbles. He views a top‑10 ticket or each‑way outright as the optimal angle.

Jonny Leighfield endorsed the chalky McIlroy‑Lowry duo at +350 despite the short price, arguing their ceiling dwarfs the field. McIlroy just completed the career Grand Slam with his Masters win and should play loose, while Lowry has five top‑20s in his last six starts. The pair already proved they can win together by taking last year’s Zurich in a playoff and thrive in Ryder Cup‑style formats. Leighfield believes anything close to their ‘A’ games will see them repeat, making the low odds still worth a wager.

Jonny Leighfield picked Sungjae Im as a promising outsider at RBC Heritage (+3300), citing Im's consistent strong results and improving form with the putter. Im has registered four straight top-21 finishes at Harbour Town, including a T7 in 2023. Though he struggled with the flat stick in previous visits, recent tournaments suggest notable improvement. Leighfield pointed especially to Im's encouraging T5 finish at The Masters, despite average approach shot execution, indicating he's found substantial balance in his overall game. Leighfield expects Im to build upon that showing and translate positivity into another strong performance this week at Hilton Head.

Jonny Leighfield backed Tommy Fleetwood as his favorite for the RBC Heritage at +2500, suggesting that Fleetwood is ready to follow Rory McIlroy's recent major success and end his own winless drought. Although Fleetwood struggled on the greens during a T21 finish at Augusta, Leighfield emphasized Fleetwood's strong ball-striking and short game. A shift in putting surfaces this week at Harbour Town could help Fleetwood rediscover form on the greens and continue Team Europe's impressive momentum in the early PGA Tour season. Leighfield expressed confidence that Fleetwood would step up with improved putting to contend at Hilton Head.

Jonny Leighfield confidently chooses Sergio Garcia as his sleeper pick at +9000 odds for a successful Masters campaign, emphasizing Garcia's significant resurgence in form and outstanding recent ball-striking stats. The Spaniard's consistent driving accuracy and length are complemented by recent marked improvements in approach play, short game, and putting—all key aspects at Augusta National. Leighfield points out that Garcia is a past Masters winner whose game is tailor-made for the course. With a veteran presence hungry for Ryder Cup consideration, Garcia represents substantial betting value and is likely to contend strongly over the weekend.

Jonny Leighfield strongly backs Joaquin Niemann to contend at Augusta, highlighting his exceptional recent form with three victories in his last seven starts, including two LIV Golf titles and one Asian Tour win. Niemann's all-around game is particularly suited for success at Augusta, combining strong distance off the tee with impressive performance in Strokes Gained: Approach and Putting. Although Niemann's best prior Masters finish is only T16, he has consistently improved with each appearance and Leighfield expects this upward trajectory to allow Niemann (+2800 odds) to compete deep into the weekend and potentially capture a significant breakthrough win.

Jonny Leighfield sees Nicolai Hojgaard at +10000 odds as a notable outsider this week for the Valspar Championship, believing the Copperhead Course will suit his game very well. Leighfield pointed to Hojgaard's strong driving distance and exceptional iron play as key components making him suited to succeed on this tough test. Despite missing the cut at The Players Championship, it was Hojgaard's first missed cut in his past ten events—a one-off performance Leighfield expects him to quickly rebound from in a lower-pressure tournament this week, making him a valuable betting proposition.

Jonny Leighfield picked Justin Thomas as his favorite outright betting selection at +1200 odds for the Valspar Championship, emphasizing Thomas's elite ball-striking ability from tee to green. Though Thomas has recently delivered some moderate finishes, Leighfield noted Thomas has generally contended whenever he's managed just average putting performances this season. Thomas's strong history at the Copperhead Course, featuring four top-20 finishes in seven attempts, shows his affinity for the challenging layout. Leighfield asserted that if Thomas brings his typical high-quality ball-striking along with modest putting improvement this week, he will be extraordinarily hard to beat.

Jonny Leighfield positioned Ludvig Aberg as the most reliable favorite among top contenders at THE PLAYERS Championship, highlighting his length off the tee, superb iron play, impeccable wedge game, and historically consistent putting. Last year's T8 finish occurred even without a good putting performance, leading Leighfield to believe a decent showing on the putting greens this time around could easily propel Aberg toward his second win in his past three tournaments.

Jonny Leighfield expressed strong confidence in 'outsider' Sepp Straka at THE PLAYERS Championship, terming the lofty odds (+4500) puzzling due to Straka’s promising current form, FedEx Cup leadership, and past performances at TPC Sawgrass. Despite averaging slightly shorter drives than Tour average, the moderate length at Sawgrass isn't prohibitive for Straka. Leighfield identified key success indicators for the Stadium Course—top-notch ball-striking and putting—both of which Straka possesses. Given his present form and fit for the course, Leighfield suggested it's almost surprising if Straka doesn't make a serious top-10 push by Sunday.