Handicapping Hazeltine: The Sleepers

Just like we did with Augusta, Bethpage Black, and Turnberry, we present your Sleepers for the PGA Championship. Hazeltine National is hosting its first major since the 2002 PGA Championship, and has been extended to a ghastly 7,678 yards of pure major championship nastiness. What players do we like to jump out of the bottom of the pack and contend over the weekend? Read on to see your Sleepers for Glory's Last Shot.

John Rollins -- Best Finish: t-40 -- His win last week at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open was his third career victory and second straight top-10 after a t-8 at the previous week's Buick Open. The 34-year-old Rollins can boom the ball off the tee (key at Hazeltine) and is peaking at the right time for his best finish in a major championship.

The last time Hazeltine hosted a PGA Championship, Rollins was teeing off in his first-ever major, where he missed the cut, but some experience will help the nerves. While there is another player more likely to go back-to-back at Hazeltine (cough ... Tiger), don't count out Rollins, the third-ranked driver of the golf ball on the PGA Tour this season.

Oliver Wilson -- CUT -- The 28-year-old Englishman is really becoming a star on the European Tour, and his success is starting to migrate over to the United States. So far in '09, Wilson has played in eight PGA Tour events, making the cut in six and finishing in the top-11 of all three World Golf Championship events. Add that with his top-25s at both the U.S. Open and British and you've got yourself a contender.

Ernie Els -- 3 -- What, didn't think the Big Easy could be a Sleeper? Well, consider this ... from '00-'04, a span of 20 majors, Els finished out of the top-10 only six times. From '05-'09 (19 majors), Els has only finished in the top-10 five times. He hasn't been great the last few years, but he's shown signs of improvement that included a closing 68 on Sunday at Firestone. After missing the cut at both the Masters and U.S. Open, Els was a sneaky t-8 at Turnberry, and has only missed one cut on the PGA Tour since April 12. It might be a stretch to some, but I like Ernie this week.

Martin Kaymer -- CUT -- He was Tiger Woods a month ago, heading into the British winning back-to-back tournaments on the European Tour. While his t-34 at Turnberry wasn't what the young German was looking for, you can't ignore his standings in the Race to Dubai (second) or the fact that in ten PGA Tour tournaments this year, Kaymer has banked a check in eight of them. Kaymer is still young, so it will probably take some time before he can get comfortable in the huge event, but don't look past his ability to come up clutch against stiff competition (he beat Lee Westwood in a playoff earlier this season).

Rich Beem -- WON -- Yes, it's true that the defending Hazeltine champion has only made half his cuts this season. And yes, I know that in his last event prior to the PGA Championship, he withdrew after a first round 80. I'm fully aware that he's only made one cut at this event since that out of nowhere victory in '02 against Tiger, but, COME ON, it's the Beemer! He can shimmy with the best of 'em, and sometimes all you need is a little confidence in this silly game. The Beem has shown signs of life the last few years (a third place finish at the Wyndham in '08 comes to mind), but the man hasn't won since '02. Don't you worry, Beemer. I'm dusting off "Bud, Sweat and Tees" this week as a tribute to your win a few years ago, where you stared down the best in the golf and came out on top (not a lot of people can say that). Let's play well here for old times sake!