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Golf Fight! Golfer gets KO’d in Alberta

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Warning: This video contains explicit language

[youtube id=”xtf3qvhU_Mw” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Warning: This video contains explicit language

I had a high school friend who wrestled in the winter and golfed in the summer. He wanted to find a way to combine the two sports. Fortunately, I wasn’t around when (or if) he succeeded. He was a good golfer and a great wrestler, so you understand my reticence.

In the normally-agreeable country of Canada, where fights are restricted to frozen ponds and involve sticks, pucks and the dropping of gloves, a situation happened at the Elk Point Golf and Country Club in the province of Alberta. It can only be described, in the immortal words of Ron Burgundy, as “Wow, that escalated quickly.”

We have no names to attach to the gents involved in the one-punch bout of pugilism. The audio is sketchy at best, so what we can detect are threats, reactions, a sickening thud and apologies (and the giggles of the camera man.)

It seems that white-polo guy attempts to goad neon-green shirt dude into a debate by hurling the words “just walk away” in some sort of “you’re not a man” way. Neon-green guy decides to stand up for all luminescent shirts everywhere and returns to the fray.

“Making it right” somehow enters the picture, as both white-polo guy and neon-green shirt dude agree that something must be made right. Unfortunately, “making it right” involves a haymaker of a right cross from neon-green shirt dude to the jaw of white-polo guy.

There’s something strangely Hollywood about this segment. Smoke (possibly from the camera man’s cigarette) sets a murky scene, trailing across the screen from right to left at least five times. Two damsels run to the aid of the now-unconscious white-polo guy. Immediately remorseful, neon-green shirt guy emphasizes his contrition with a few F-bombs, as all repentant folks have done throughout the ages.

Given the state of the world, with violence exposing itself seemingly everywhere, it should come as no shock that the normally placid, genteel game of golf has fallen victim to such a passionate outburst. We’ve seen professional golfers stalk off greens when slowed down by playing partners, we’ve heard tales of locker-room dress-downs for too-long nails (metal spikes.) It seems the natural course of things that a brief fist fight should occur on the golf course.

Was alcohol involved? Were strokes shaved? Was a swing disrupted? Did someone play into another foursome? In this particular case, we don’t know. For all those posers who have threatened to bury a wedge in someone’s…something, use this as a cautionary lesson. Once executed, you can’t take it back. Golf doesn’t need this. None of us needs this.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

60 Comments

60 Comments

  1. YevKasem

    Sep 28, 2013 at 11:53 am

    As Elaine Benis would have said:

    Fake…fake…fake…fake..

  2. D

    Sep 18, 2013 at 10:23 am

    So does anyone actually go to youtube to see what this was about? This wasn’t about golf at all……….

    From youtube.

    golfcrazy6969 2 weeks ago

    Guy in green had a party at his house and the guy who got laid out went into his bedroom and was watching his women sleep naked. no one knew this occurred until the next day on the course when the guy went around bragging watched her naked. this info got back to my friend and after hearing this his 15yo niece also admitted that he came into her room twice trying to we assume catch her in bed. he deserved to be knocked out and im sure a lot of people who have not? stopped with just one punch.

    • D

      Sep 18, 2013 at 10:25 am

      My bad, didn’t scroll all the way down before posting. But agree with what others said. This has no business being on GolfWRX.

  3. Doug

    Sep 17, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    Not a proud moment for either of them.

  4. Zach

    Sep 13, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    Reminds me of that srixon commercial with gMac getting owned by the UFC fighter.

  5. TheLegend

    Sep 13, 2013 at 12:32 pm

    The white shirt guy made a threat, and he was following him so green shirt turned around and gave him what he was looking for! Good job green! This is nothing iv had a gun pulled out on my buddy b4. Some guy stole his clubs and ran. Golf can have some violence sometimes.

  6. Mike Leether

    Sep 13, 2013 at 8:28 am

    Who called the morality police?. If you don’t wanna watch it, don’t. if you’re offended, leave the site. You’re free to have your opinions. Both camps. Bottom line this is this act of violence DID happen on the golf course and in turn IS relavent. That’s not “IMO”, that is fact!….

  7. J

    Sep 12, 2013 at 2:56 pm

    Here’s the lesson in that one. Don’t ever let anyone get inside kicking or punching distance.

  8. Burke

    Sep 10, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    The youtube uploader said this in the comments….Guy in green had a party at his house and the guy who got laid out went into his bedroom and was watching his women sleep naked. no one knew this occurred until the next day on the course when the guy went around bragging watched her naked. this info got back to my friend and after hearing this his 15yo? niece also admitted that he came into her room twice trying to we assume catch her in bed. he deserved to be knocked out and im sure a lot of people who have not stopped with just one punch.

  9. Ken

    Sep 4, 2013 at 5:15 pm

    If you read the comments on YouTube you will understand the genesis of t his fight. Apparently the guy that got knocked out was “snooping” on the green shirt guys Niece in her bedroom and was caught. That’s why he threw the punch. Listen to what he says at the end…”I didn’t want to do that, he walked in on my Niece”. Kind of changes the way you feel about the video after seeing that, but overall I have to agree with some of the other posters – I don’t feel this fits on Golfwrx

  10. Brian

    Sep 4, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    If you read the YouTube comment this was not a golf argument but something to do with a party the night before. Only thing it has to do with golf is that it happen the next day at the course.

  11. Eric

    Sep 4, 2013 at 9:50 am

    I think this video shows the effects of what can happen when your back side can’t back up your mouth…..even on the golf course. I have a feeling there are a few members on this site that are going to run into a similar situation as this someday with the way they run their mouths in the forums.

  12. tom milhaus

    Sep 4, 2013 at 12:24 am

    words have consequences…I’m sure white shirt dude will think twice before challenging the next green shirt dude he comes across. Wisdom is the better part of valor…you never know who’s going to throw the punch. I don’t mind the post of the video. If you’re going to open your mouth you better be prepared to defend your words.

  13. JB

    Sep 2, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    None of us know what happened before all of this. By the sounds of it, the white shirt guy did something totally wrong. Commenting on what he should/should not have done is unnecessary.

    Well written article BTW…as always

  14. Ronald Montesano

    Sep 2, 2013 at 9:52 am

    Rick,

    Thank you for the compliment. It’s good to be a “so called” writer. Keep reading and keep voicing your thoughts and opinions.

  15. Rocky

    Sep 2, 2013 at 2:41 am

    What do you tell someone itch one black eye?

    Nothing. Your already told them once!

    Those Canadians are violent.

  16. Rick

    Sep 1, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    I expect this kind of stuff from GolfWRX but not Golf Digest. Golf Digest should really vet some of these so called writers.

  17. Ronald Montesano

    Sep 1, 2013 at 7:07 pm

    I doubt it’s the first time someone was decked, knocked out or worse on a golf course. First time I can remember that it was caught on camera and dispersed over the web.

  18. John Mehoff

    Sep 1, 2013 at 12:51 pm

    Well the guy in green can apologize all he wants yet it looks like 2nd degree battery to me.

    p.s. I think the guy in White pissed himself.

  19. Yohanan

    Sep 1, 2013 at 1:11 am

    First off – Canucks will “Go” as one hockey player said at the drop of a hat or gloves. Its why they let them fight so they drops the sticks Eh? Now in this case we got clubs. At least he hit him with his fist? Because it sure sounds like niece to me. And KCCO find is accurate AND If white pole guy did or does have a problem then he might think twice about being a perv next time? And if that is the case, then white polo guy might be the one going to jail?

    It is too bad this had to take place on a tee box and tarnish the game of golf. But it just goes to show you how society has changed and how much golf has changed in the last 20 to 30 or so years.

    Cheers

  20. John

    Aug 30, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    Sounded like it was Tom Green

  21. yo!

    Aug 30, 2013 at 2:02 pm

    Neither guy did anything to cool down the situation … so the guy with the weak chin ended it.

  22. Ronald Montesano

    Aug 30, 2013 at 11:38 am

    I thought it was “walked up on my tee…” or something.

    • Josh

      Aug 30, 2013 at 1:43 pm

      I heard both after trying to listen several times. If it was “walked in on my niece”, well….don’t know all the details but not sure if I disagree with green shirt.

      If it was “walked up on my tee”, well green shirt should be headed to the jailhouse.

  23. Barry

    Aug 30, 2013 at 10:43 am

    Unfortunately-The golf course is not immune to the ugly realities of life, which makes it all the more upsetting when distressing incidents like this happen, as it is often a place we go for therapeutic escapism.It rarely gets to this level-but when two people clash and pride and testosterone are involved-this can happen.I know the feeling I got when my girlfriends head was narrowly missed by an errant shot-by an idiot who never gave a warning shout and offered no apology and smirked at me when confronted-the next level is only a split second away-people do not like like this post on golfwrx because we like to believe golf,our beloved game, and the people who play it are whiter than white-no thugs,cheats or thiefs-reality hurts.Great article.

  24. John

    Aug 30, 2013 at 10:35 am

    Walked in on his what???

    • Big_5_Hole

      Aug 30, 2013 at 11:22 am

      I think he says “Walked in on my niece” which indicates this guy may have deserved the sucker punch knock out…. but then again, he may have said something completely different…

      • John

        Aug 30, 2013 at 6:09 pm

        Thought it sounded like niece too, walked in where though, potra John?

      • Philip

        Sep 4, 2013 at 11:27 am

        I think he said peace…

  25. Ronald Montesano

    Aug 30, 2013 at 9:08 am

    Evan, that is a cogent response. I find nothing remotely flawed in it. Well thought-out on your part and appreciated by us.

  26. Evan

    Aug 30, 2013 at 8:44 am

    I don’t necessarily agree that the world is more violent than it was. Certainly instances of violence are more visible because of Media/ Youtube. I think 50 years ago (talking to grandparents) people were more upfront with aggression and social conduct in general. People were accountable for their words and actions, if someone was out of line it might lead to a challenge. Young men have been fist fighting since young men have been walking the earth. One could argue that people put up with more ‘talk’ these days and have suppressed confrontation, sometimes leading to an outburst or overreaction. Look at all of the inflammatory comments made on the internet because someone is behind a key board and not face to face.

    This video is an example of an outburst, the white shirted guy obviously was confrontational but did not seem to expect it to get physical. If there is a lesson to be learned here it is that you should be ready to take a punch if you’re going to run your mouth.

    • John

      Aug 30, 2013 at 6:15 pm

      Agreed, if more people thought they might get punched in the face, behavior in general would be more civil… Ironic as that may sound…

    • DB

      Sep 2, 2013 at 10:36 pm

      Couldn’t agree more. When will people be held accountable for their actions again? I’m not saying the guy deserved to be punched. But way too many people are offended by the sight of someone being punched right here. I failed a test to get a job when they asked “Is it ever ok to hit someone?” I thought back to a night at the bar and a guy walking around sticking his hand up girls skirt, after a couple good feels he was knocked out. This should happen more, and lawsuits or police calls less.

    • naflack

      Sep 4, 2013 at 4:13 pm

      well said.

    • christian

      Sep 27, 2013 at 10:42 am

      Best response. Thank you

  27. J

    Aug 30, 2013 at 8:21 am

    Posting the video only helps it reach a broader audience. Justify it as a teaching moment all you like… Laud the negativity of the video… Say that this type of behavior has no place… But apply the same principle to other materials…

    You wouldn’t post a pornographic video and then say that’s disgusting would you?

    The articles have gone downhill lately…

    From a writer pigeon holing muni players with alcoholics and drunken stupidity… To a writer saying violence is bad by spreading images of violence…

    Bravo GolfWRX… As the ” Leadership ” of this establishment is fond of saying…

    Way to take the High Road.

    • Ronald Montesano

      Aug 30, 2013 at 6:41 pm

      Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. Pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t make it go away.

      Thanks for the comment, J.

    • Chris

      Sep 28, 2013 at 2:16 am

      I do slightly understand where your coming from , but at the same time, its just an article and i highly doubt the writer meant to offend anyone. It shows how unpredictable some people can be and we all need to be aware of it. For the record, I do not support violence , but it happens everywhere if you like it or not…even on a quiet golf course.

  28. Leftright

    Aug 30, 2013 at 7:49 am

    This incident begs the question though, when is it time to retaliate for something on the golf course? The other guy obviously used some words that really got under the green shirt guy’s skin but he did not throw a punch. I wonder if the green shirt guy gets charged for assault? I think some ETOH was involved in this altercation.

  29. Lenny

    Aug 30, 2013 at 7:37 am

    As someone who has played hockey professionally and has see and been in fights that was not an altercation (fight) it was a sucker punch….if your gonna fight (or GO as we say) square of and get it done. white shirt guy may have been walking over to green shirt guy but his mannerisms certainly didn’t indicate he wanted to GO and when he got KO’d his hands were by his side.. Then green shirt guys say saying “something like ” I didn’t want to do that” ….yup sucker punch. Launcher, great observation on the cart path!

    • Ronald Montesano

      Aug 30, 2013 at 6:44 pm

      These are very good points, Lenny. Once the gloves are off, the bets are off. No honor among brawlers. If you don’t throw the first one, you might not get to throw the second, as we see above.

    • naflack

      Sep 4, 2013 at 4:10 pm

      I agree with your assessment, absolute sucker punch.
      He absolutely wanted to do what he did or he wouldn’t have done it. I have been in this situation, I simply asked the gentlemen if he was here to golf or to fight, them told him that I was indeed here to golf and if he was here to fight he will easily find some takers in the club house bar. Then I went and played my ball…perhaps lucky enough for me the head pro was in the group behind me but either way sometimes people need some calm perspective. In the gentlemans defense when I walked to play my ball he moved on as well.

  30. Johnny 36

    Aug 30, 2013 at 12:53 am

    Neon = Rig Pig, I would assume

  31. Launcher

    Aug 29, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    Someone is very lucky that they weren’t 2 feet closer to the cart path. That could have been really bad.

    • Ronald Montesano

      Aug 30, 2013 at 6:44 am

      Two someones, Launcher. I’m thinking that both guys are in their twenties/early thirties. I remember those days, still a bit hot-headed. Altercations will still easy to come by.

  32. Mat

    Aug 29, 2013 at 11:10 pm

    If you think this isn’t serious, I’d invite you to see what the damage is to something like this:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/05/ricardo-portillo-soccer-referee-dies_n_3219305.html

    • Ronald Montesano

      Aug 30, 2013 at 6:43 am

      I agree with you, Mat. It’s never a lark. This has happened at least twice in soccer leagues, also in fan interaction at professional sporting events. If it had been one-sided, blame would be simple. Both parties put down roots in the altercation. Neither one backed away and both are at fault.

      • Leftright

        Aug 30, 2013 at 7:46 am

        Ron, what is soccer? (sarc) I don’t think I have ever seen a live soccer game. On TV it’s like watching grass grow to me.

  33. Ronald Montesano

    Aug 29, 2013 at 10:11 pm

    SOMEONE took a class on metaphor in school. I wouldn’t read that into it, Vic, but by all means, don’t let me stop you from doing it.

  34. vic

    Aug 29, 2013 at 10:06 pm

    THAT WAS AWESOME! green guy is the best because he represents all the downtrodden underlings yearning to knock out the fat cat capitalist honchos in the world.

    THE BEST!

  35. Matthew Hopper

    Aug 29, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    Totally agree with your assessment mat. And if you buy Ronald’s response I’ve got some swampland for sale.

  36. Ronald Montesano

    Aug 29, 2013 at 9:46 pm

    Thank you, Mat. I disagree with your assessment. It’s a teachable moment. If anyone brings his daily, outside burdens to the golf course, a flare-up might be moments away. Watching this video and reading my words will (hopefully) stop folks from raging on the course and injuring someone.

    • naflack

      Sep 4, 2013 at 4:00 pm

      I completely agree!
      Very teachable moment indeed.

      • Curt

        Sep 11, 2013 at 2:38 pm

        I third that motion!!! A very teachable moment, indeed. Either keep your mouth shut, or learn to defend yourself!! Thats the lesson! Cuz you cant stop someone who is dead set on punching you, if you speak up.

    • chowchow

      Sep 4, 2013 at 4:42 pm

      how many people do you think reads this stuff? I am betting less than .0001 of the golfers will read this. Looks like a hockey match broke out at the driving range.

  37. Mat

    Aug 29, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    And for all the complaining you’re doing about the “given…state of the world”, you’re most guilty of purveying the violence. In fact, you’re sanctioning it. This isn’t an article; it’s simply an excuse to post a video you thought was fun – and very violent.

    This had almost nothing to do with golf other than it happened at a golf course. It’s a shame to stain GolfWRX and GolfDigest with this kind of content.

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Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1

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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.

Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.

But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.

To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.

Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.

If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.

In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.

Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.

While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.

So, what about grooves and face texture?

Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.

Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.

But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?

The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.

So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.

And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.

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Golf's Perfect Imperfections

Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement

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In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle

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Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.

Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.

The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.

Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions. 

Past Winners at Harbour Town

  • 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
  • 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
  • 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
  • 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
  • 2019: CT Pan (-12)
  • 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
  • 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
  • 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
  • 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).

Key Stats For Harbour Town

Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
  2. Tom Hoge (+1.27)
  3. Corey Conners (+1.16)
  4. Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
  5. Cameron Young (+0.93)

Good Drive %

The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (88.8%)
  2. Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
  3. Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
  4. Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
  5. Sepp Straka (+85.1%)

Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.

SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:

  1. Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
  3. Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
  4. Brian Harman (+1.89)
  5. Sungjae Im (+1.58)

4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)

Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.

SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
  2. Taylor Moore (+1.02)
  3. Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
  4. Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
  5. Andrew Putnam (+0.83)

5. Greens in Regulation %

The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.

Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:

  1. Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
  3. Corey Conners (+69.0%)
  4. Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
  5. Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)

6. Course History

Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up. 

Course History over past 24 rounds:

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
  2. Cam Davis (+2.05)
  3. J.T. Poston (+1.69)
  4. Justin Rose (+1.68)
  5. Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)

The RBC Heritage Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)

  1. Shane Lowry
  2. Russell Henley
  3. Scottie Scheffler
  4. Xander Schauffele
  5. Corey Conners 
  6. Wyndham Clark
  7. Christiaan Bezuidenhout
  8. Matt Fitzpatrick
  9. Cameron Young
  10. Ludvig Aberg 

2024 RBC Heritage Picks

Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)

With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.

Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).

Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.

Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)

I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past.  In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.

The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.

Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)

Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.

Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.

Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)

Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.

In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.

Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.

Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)

When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.

Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks. 

Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.

Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)

This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at. 

Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.

Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.

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