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Chamblee sticks to his ‘F’ for Tiger, then apologizes

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Update: 9:05 p.m. ET: Brandel Chamblee issued a series of apologetic tweets starting around 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. They are included at the end of the piece.

Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee insinuated that Tiger Woods cheated and gave the world’s No. 1 player an “F” for his five-win season in a column he wrote for Golf.com because “ethics matter more than athletics.”

The sentiment underlies the analyst’s rationale and is supported by his controversial opinion that the golfer “was a little cavalier with the rules.”

In bringing up the ethical issue, Chamblee tips his hand. It’s long been believed that the 1998 Greater Vancouver Open champion has a vendetta against the world’s No. 1 and his coach Sean Foley. In placing ethics ahead of athletics, it’s clear that Chamblee still has a problem with Woods for the way he conducted himself off the golf course prior to 2009.

Chamblee may have a problem with Woods, but he’s not concerned that he’ll have any legal problems with the golfer: The analyst shrugged off the suggestion that Woods might take legal action against the analyst.

Should Brandel Chamblee have apologized to Tiger Woods?

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As a sidebar, Woods’ legal action would create an almost surreal situation in which the golfer—alleged to be one of the most monumentally unfaithful husbands in history—sues Chamblee for defaming his reputation as an honest and trustworthy golfer.

Regardless, any legal action is down the road a bit.

About the matter at hand Chamblee said:

“I’m paid to have and give an opinion, and I work hard to form those opinions based upon facts, not agenda.”

Many will disagree with Chamblee’s assertion that he doesn’t have an agenda, both with respect to ragging on Woods and as a polemicist and incendiary agent on television and in print.

The “facts” Chamblee refers to mostly surround Woods rules incident (or lack thereof) at The Players Championship this year. The golfer and playing partner Casey Wittenberg agreed that Woods’ ball crossed a hazard on the 14th hole during the final round. Many online—with the benefit of video footage—disagree with their judgment.

Chamblee disagrees, too, and clearly believes that Woods knew his ball did one thing and disingenuously acted as if it did another at the Players. Ditto at the BMW Championship. Woods’ other rules infractions this year (including most visibly at the Masters) seem to be less of an issue for Chamblee.

There’s has been a definite “What’s the big deal?” flavor to Chamblee’s post-column comments. For example, the analyst said:

“I suspected there would be the usual assortment of divisive banter about me giving Tiger an ‘F,’ but as it turns out, it was a slow week in golf, so with not much to do, my column got more attention than it should have.”

Should he be worried? I don’t know, but I’ll throw another log on the fire: Chamblee’s assessment of Jason Dufner’s season is dumb, inappropriate and sexist. Further scrutiny of the analyst’s column might thrust the following passage to the fore.

Jason Dufner: Married to one hot woman, became a verb, won a major, has celebrating down “pat” — see the hot woman.

Either way, it will be interesting to watch the next episode of Woods v. Chamblee unfold. We’ll see where things go from here for the golf media’s bad-haired Bayless. 

Screen shot 2013-10-22 at 9.04.39 PM

 

related article: Chamblee takes on Tiger: Brandel, meet Bayless

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37 Comments

37 Comments

  1. Tyler

    Oct 30, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    Chamblee was a poor golfer on the tour and he is an even worse reporter why would anyone listen to him in the first place.

  2. Bob

    Oct 28, 2013 at 9:29 am

    Actually, It is contained within the PGA code of ethics that being a PGA member precludes us from expressing derogatory comments about fellow PGA members. I guess this specific code only applies to certain PGA members!!

  3. JACKSON HOLLOWAY

    Oct 28, 2013 at 7:55 am

    All of Chamblees negative comments reveals where his negative head’s at.

  4. Rus

    Oct 26, 2013 at 9:33 am

    Does the premier golf god “Brandel” owe Tiger and apolgy? NO….. But he needs to be prepared of the fall out of his remarks against Tiger… Especially from Tiger! Good luck with that one in the future.

  5. Daniel

    Oct 26, 2013 at 8:08 am

    The Dufner comment is horrible. What does his wife’s looks have to do with his rating for the year? Not only that, but then to post a link to her picture? If I’m Dufner, I DEFINITELY take issue with that and would be much more upset than Tiger should be.
    It seems that Chamblee wants to make himself the story and not the players he’s reporting on.

  6. Nick

    Oct 26, 2013 at 2:58 am

    I’m only going to pick one rules violation. The move as I call it. Anyone that has played golf has moved debri from around a ball, we are not looking at the ball when removing debri because we might hit the ball or move it completely. We watch the twig, leaf, stick, and or whatever. There have been times when I thought the ball may have moved but I could not tell and I was looking 1 inch away from the ball but all focus was on said debri. If you actually listen to what tiger said even after the ball moved is he believed it moved back. Not the camera doesn’t show anything or see it didn’t move. Also the nike swoosh was on the side so the ball may not have had any markings on the top to see.
    90% of tigers rounds are on camera but take a player who is teeing off at 7am and they are barely on the camera if at all. To use video replay on the best players alone you will find some that make mistakes or take wrong drops or whatever. But that player at 7am could do what ever he wants because he’s not on tv. That’s not fair to all players that get coverage like tiger, Phil, Keegan, and Jason or who ever else. People are going to dislike tiger for tiger. I don’t know tiger and I only watch tiger for and because of his GOLF. Most people had he not played golf wouldn’t even know who he was. I don’t watch tiger to see how to be a good husband and or father that’s what my parents were for. I watch because he’s a great golfer and I wish I had half the talent the top teir pros had. On the other rule infractions like the hit into the water and he asked his playing partner where and they agreed. But the camera hold that thought and think how many times well watching golf the announcers said this out is down hill and you think it doesn’t look downhill at all or the announcers saying the camera doesn’t do the slope justice. Many times the angle of the camera is deceiving to the eye when hitting so for people to say it crossed here based on the camera I mean really! Try it next time watching a shot and maybe you will think the same thing I do ” wow he shanked that straight right” only to have the announcer say he hit it straight at the pin!

    • Jose Nunya

      Oct 27, 2013 at 5:22 am

      I agree with you on all except: Upon review of the video Tiger should have said something like “I guess from that angle it did move. Looking down on the ball with no logo it appeared to oscillate”. Denial by him after watching the video is the same as driving home from an affair and rationalizing it to yourself. I’ll always watch him for his golf.

      • dlovely

        Oct 29, 2013 at 3:48 pm

        exactly, people always gloss over the fact that he was shown the video serveral times after the round and he still denied that it moved, got all pissy and walked out after being assessed the penalty.

        i can understand not seeing it during the round but afterwards, you’d have to be blind to not see that thing move. let’s not forget that tiger had lasik eye surgery years ago so his eyes must be fine…

    • JACKSON HOLLOWAY

      Oct 28, 2013 at 7:53 am

      Agreed, well said.

  7. Deaus7

    Oct 25, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    Rules infringement is NOT cheating, Grab a dictionary or look it up in google. Knowingly breaking the rules to get an unfair advantage is cheating. Chamblee is so Anti-Tiger in every way, whether its his swing/sean foley or his lack of winning a major. Chamblee seems to constantly praise Justin Rose and Hunter Mahan’ swings. Fundamentally Tigers swing is much better than Phils yet you hear nothing from Chamblee. Straight up the Guy is a Hypocrite.

  8. donald davis

    Oct 25, 2013 at 7:33 am

    Poor Brandel. Is Tiger a cheat? I do wonder somtimes. With all the rules officials at PGA tour events why does this keep happening? I like the tv guys who question what is happening instead of the crop of “Johnny Tour Pros” that golf channel keeps coming up with. Brandel is at his best talking about swings and changes that the pros are working on. Brandel and all the golf talking heads walk a fine line to try to make the telecasts entertaining . Golf is not much different than other sports . Somtimes it is better with the sound off.

  9. Marc

    Oct 25, 2013 at 12:11 am

    Brandel Chamblee won the Vancouver open the same weekend the best golfers were at the NEC world golf challenge in Ohio. He has no resume to show for his 12 years on tour. He talks trash about Tiger and his swing coach, even though he has won 8 times in two years, thats 7 more than Chamblee in is career. At some point maybe a discussion as to motive should be had, is this tabloid journalism or is he a racist fixated on bad mouthing Tiger no matter how good a year he has. One has to wonder.

  10. Rob

    Oct 24, 2013 at 7:31 pm

    In spite of great performances and competitions 2013 was a sad year for golf. The problem isn’t the hot ball, high tech driver, slow play, putter length or how someone holds the putter. The problem is people who call other cheaters because others see, act, and interpret differently. The rules of golf were established so that players penalize themselves when infractions occur. They were not established to have have millions of interpreters and high def cameras questioning the players decision. Even worse, the idiots that claim to be protectors of the game continue to make more ambiguous rules that will only lead to more controversy. It is highly unlikely that TW standing over the ball saw what we saw when we looked for the 3rd time at zoomed in high def video taken from a very different angel. Now think about the rule, if he lifts the ball and moves it from where it is to where it is he incurs a 1 stroke penalty. If he doesn’t lift the ball and move it from where it is to where it is he incurs a 2 stroke penalty. The drop at the Master was clearly illegal, in retrospect, but players, officials, and most viewers missed the infraction. It’s time for the idiots at USGA to simplify the rules. The last thing golf needs is for people to be calling each other cheaters.

  11. AJ

    Oct 24, 2013 at 9:15 am

    What’s wrong the the guy’s hair? Pretty slick do for a middle-aged american, and his tailoring looks nice as well, if you are bagging his general appearance.

    At least he doesn’t look like Jim ‘country club’ Nantz, complete with his daily hair-dye routine that isn’t kidding anybody.

  12. paul r

    Oct 24, 2013 at 3:04 am

    hi all
    once a cheat always will be a cheat tiger has been found out at last the biggest cheat in golf

  13. Martin

    Oct 23, 2013 at 7:26 pm

    I think Chamblee was right, Tiger gets and expects special treatment, he cheated…period.

    The Players drop was the worst of them.

    • Pat M

      Oct 24, 2013 at 12:07 am

      Tiger has four dodgy calls and penalties in one year? How many did Jack, Arnold or Phil have in their entire career? Shame.

      • John

        Oct 26, 2013 at 3:49 am

        How many high def cameras did Jack and Arnie have back in not just their prime, but during the starts of their career…..none. Instant replay? Definitely not. This is the same as people saying Tiger’s “transgressions” so monumental. I’m definitely not saying they are good, they aren’t at all. But I’ve heard SO many stories about Arnie sleeping around with different women its ridiculous. As technology changes, players are put under the microscope. And how many different golf tv forums do we listen to today? Every mediocre former pro golfer like Brandel Chamblee want to over step their boundary and make a name for themselves. It’s just the age we live in and players are under the thickest microscope in history.

    • Mike

      Oct 25, 2013 at 9:31 am

      Your comments are pathetic to say the least. You name one other golfer on TV in this era that has EVERY SINGLE shot on TV filmed. We do not know who else made the wrong drop and their ball moved but golfer did not see it (BTW – the rules state it is between the players and official on the course at that time to make best decision where the ball crossed the boundary – they all agreed to not only Tiger but Casey and the official should be under the microscope).

      • Forsbrand

        Oct 25, 2013 at 2:56 pm

        Still made wrong drops and infringed the rules, whether knowingly or not and you know what if any golfer made the mistake once they’d be pretty damn sure they would learn the correct rules /procedures so they didn’t do it again! Didn’t mark omertà have a problem marking his ball at the british open he won?!!!!!!

  14. Analyze

    Oct 23, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    Again….in regards to performance doing their job. Chamblee: former golfer, 1 PGA TOUR win? Soon to be former analyst, as bad as miller. Tiger: more wins then Chamblee could dream of, and don’t believe he needs to deceive the game to achieve any of his accomplishments, and knows everyone is watching, so why would he intentionally put his integrity to the game on the line? He could care less about a crumb like Chamblee.

    I think we see who deserves an “F”

  15. Kevin Crook

    Oct 23, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    Tiger was penalized for his rules mistakes was he not? He was dq’ed at Abu Dhabi. He paid dearly for his mistake at the Masters. Yes his drop at the Player’s was pretty suspect. He was also penalized for his ball moving in the trees. I don’t think he cheated, I think he’s too arrogant to stop and ask a rules official do his job. I think a golf rule is not really broken if you have to stop and have a camera put the action into super slow-mo to analyze what happened. I’m not a fan of his, but the game is played by humans, if the human eye is not good enough to see a slight ball movement, then we should deem it not to have moved. As far his personal life being brought into this discussion, yes he was a liar and a cheat as a husband and father, and yes he tried to sell us that he was Ward Cleaver before he got caught in all of his lies, and yes he was alleged to have had a very suspect relationship with a doctor known for pushing human growth hormone and transferring illegal PED’s across international borders…so maybe there is a bigger picture and pattern here, but maybe he had a series of coincidences too. I admire and respect his game, but will never be a fan of his either way.

    • t

      Oct 24, 2013 at 3:55 pm

      there’s no reason to ask a rules official regarding all his infractions. the drop at the masters is a basic drop any player of his experience in competition should know. that infraction was unintentional. and again, his drop at the players didn’t require a rules official. this one was intentional. and tiger’s eyes are good enough to see the ball move from any angle. its obvious. there’s a reason why he stopped moving the twig.

  16. Conrad

    Oct 23, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    who cares… stop giving this guy attention, thats all he wants. I bet tiger could care less.

  17. jonathan

    Oct 23, 2013 at 10:22 am

    Tiger’s first rules infraction came to a “local rule” that he was not aware of. Was Dustin Johnson cavalier when he grounded the club in the bunker? His Masters infraction was an offense, and he should have been scrutinized over that one. And his BMW infraction… We were looking at it from an angle that is almost 90 degrees to what Tiger saw. If one is looking above the ball, how could one tell if it dropped a MM down into some trees? We had to analyze and blow up a video, then play it in slow motion, to see the SLIGHT drop. There is no way he could have seen that from above the ball.

    • nb1062

      Oct 23, 2013 at 12:43 pm

      You’re right regarding his view angle when moving the twig. I think the problem is that he denied that it moved after seeing it from the angle that everyone else saw it from.

    • t

      Oct 24, 2013 at 3:58 pm

      there’s a reason why he stopped moving the twig. he saw, heard and felt the ball move. and since he thought no one was watching, he thought he could get a way with it.

  18. Andrew Cooper

    Oct 23, 2013 at 9:00 am

    Chamblee’s “..a little cavalier with the rules..” comment is spot on-and I say that as a Woods fan. The rules incidents this year have not looked good, and collectively they add up to what could fairly be described as a cavalier approach. At best he certainly showed an ignorance of rules. Woods has a win at all costs mentality and if that involves pushing for a favourable drop, a bit of intimidation of officials and fellow players, then so be it. I think he’s the best golfer of all time, but he shouldn’t be above criticism.

  19. Chris

    Oct 23, 2013 at 1:00 am

    Wow, I think his comment about Duffner is absolutely terrible. But I have always thought he was is a marginal analyst at best anyways. Hopefully he keeps running his mouth to the point that we dont have to listen to him on Golf Channel anymore.

  20. Mario Good Times

    Oct 23, 2013 at 12:14 am

    Why is golf so scared of Tiger and to point fingers at him as if he is jesus. Chamblee and Miller are the only people in this industry with a pair of nuts and I love having there opinion. With out them two Tiger would still be mother Teresa and he isn’t close. Tiger is bending the rules and many times braking them with the hole industry turning the other cheek. Tiger was wrong, did wrong, and it needs to be pointed out so, you Tiger faithful followers need to realize Tiger F#Ck3d Up!!! I would say border lined cheated, but lets be honest it wasn’t even border line, he straight out cheated.. For people to argue that its unfair he has camera’s on him from start to finish, must realize that’s why Tiger is a billionare because of those same cameras and I don’t see him giving that back anytime soon. He can always quit golf and never worry about those same camera’s but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

  21. KK

    Oct 22, 2013 at 11:38 pm

    Tiger wasn’t married long enough to be as unfaithful as guys like JFK. But what happens to his rep if he gets penalized one, two or three more times this season?

  22. Joey W

    Oct 22, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    Brandel is Golf Channels shock jock and golf doesnt need him. Tiger has paid more of a penance for his mistakes than any unfaithful husband I know of and he is doing his best to move forward. Giving the clear world #1 an “F” is just plain dumb.

  23. Andrew

    Oct 22, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    Does anyone think that Tiger cares what Brandel thinks about his year?

    I usually like his stuff but this is clearly a push to get a buzz about his work…

  24. DIRK

    Oct 22, 2013 at 7:42 pm

    Ben,

    Think you’re maybe overselling it a little?

    “the most monumentally unfaithful husbands in history”

    If you’re going to go after Chamblee for using bombastic language and reductionist takes, don’t fall over yourself trying to outdo him on the former.

    Seriously–other than getting people to respond to your piece, how is your take strengthened (in a rhetorical sense) by using such over the top language? If you had said something like, “alleged to have committed multiple acts of adultery” or some such, do you think you’d be more or less like Brandel?

    I’m not defending what Tiger did or saying it didn’t happen (obviously what he did was reprehensible), but I am saying that you are taking a swing at Brandel for being “dumb [and] inappropriate” and then you call him “bad-haired Bayless.”

    You cannot occupy both the same level as Brandel while you attempt to take the moral high ground (which I think a golf writer should do, but that’s just my opinion). Choose one. Get down in the dirt or make an effort to elevate the discourse. Your writing will be better for it.

    • Geoffrey

      Oct 22, 2013 at 7:52 pm

      Very well said. Couldn’t agree more. I also happen to believe Brandel is within his right to criticize, just as those who disagree have the right to support Tiger. The truth is always somewhere in between.

  25. mplluis

    Oct 22, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    the most monumentally unfaithful husbands in history….wow we dont need
    Chamblee

    • Deaus7

      Oct 25, 2013 at 3:45 pm

      Unfaithful, Not unlike JFK who people seem to Idolize?!?!

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview

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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.

TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.

Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.

However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.

Past Winners at TPC Louisiana

  • 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
  • 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
  • 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
  • 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
  • 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
  • 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)

2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks

Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)

Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.

This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.

McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.

Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)

Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.

Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.

Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)

Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.

NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 LIV Adelaide betting preview: Cam Smith ready for big week down under

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After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide. 

For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.  

The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory. 

The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second. 

*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*

Past Winners at LIV Adelaide

  • 2023: Talor Gooch (-19)

Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami

Green in Regulation

  1. Richard Bland
  2. Jon Rahm
  3. Paul Casey

Fairways Hit

  1. Abraham Ancer
  2. Graeme McDowell
  3. Henrik Stenson

Driving Distance

  1. Bryson DeChambeau
  2. Joaquin Niemann
  3. Dean Burmester

Putting

  1. Cameron Smith
  2. Louis Oosthuizen
  3. Matt Jones

2024 LIV Adelaide Picks

Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)

When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.

At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.

The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.

Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)

Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.

In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.

For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.

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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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