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PGA President Ted Bishop calls Poulter a “Lil Girl,” loses his job

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Editor’s Note: After this story was published, the PGA of America Board of Directors voted to remove Ted Bishop, the 38th PGA President, for insensitive gender-based statements he posted on social media toward Ian Poulter. The Board deemed the remarks to be inconsistent with the policies of the PGA. 

“The PGA of America understands the enormous responsibility it has to lead this great game and to enrich lives in our society through golf,” said PGA Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua. “We must demand of ourselves that we make golf both welcoming and inclusive to all who want to experience it, and everyone at the PGA of America must lead by example.” 
Under the Bylaws of the PGA Constitution, Vice President Derek Sprague was appointed Interim President until Nov. 22, when the election of new national officers takes place at the 98th PGA Annual Meeting. PGA Secretary Paul Levy will assume the dual responsibilities of Vice President and Secretary until the election.
“The Members and Apprentices of the PGA of America must uphold the highest standards and values of the profession, as well as the manner in which we conduct ourselves at all times,” said Sprague, the PGA General Manager and Director of Golf at Malone (New York) Golf Club. “We apologize to any individual or group that felt diminished, in any way, by this unacceptable incident.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem released a statement on Saturday.
“We understand and respect the PGA of America’s decision regarding Ted Bishop. During Ted’s presidency, he accomplished many positive things and the PGA of America and the PGA Tour have worked in a much more collaborative and positive way as a result of his leadership. While his remarks on social media were unfortunate and inappropriate, Ted’s apology was heartfelt and sincere. We will always appreciate Ted’s commitment to the game of golf.”

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Ted Bishop, the President of the PGA of America, is on a scorching hot seat for using a schoolyard diss against Ian Poulter on Twitter on Thursday evening. Well, it’s not recess anymore Mr. Bishop — you’re the PRESIDENT of the PGA of America.

“Faldo’s record stands by itself. Six majors and all-time RC points. Yours vs. His? Lil Girl.” Bishop said in a Tweet directed toward Poulter, while Bishop was reportedly with Nick Faldo at the Greenbrier for the Faldo Series junior program.

Poulter put President Bishop in his place and said what everyone with a brain was thinking.

“Is being called a ‘lil girl’ meant to be derogatory or a put down?” Poulter said in the statement. “That’s pretty shocking and disappointing, especially coming from the leader of the PGA of America. No further comment.”

What spurred on the attempted “lil girl” insult? Poulter recently dropped his book entitled “No Limits,” where he was critical of both Nick Faldo, the losing captain of the European Ryder Cup team in 2008, and Tom Watson, losing captain of the 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup captain.

In 2008, Faldo called Sergio Garcia “useless” and said that he had “emotional and physical problems.” Things were so bad that at one point, Garcia told Faldo he that didn’t want to play.

“Faldo has lost a lot of respect from players because of what he said,” Poulter said in his book, regarding Faldo’s comments to the media that day. He also pointed out that Faldo captained the only losing team in 15 years. “So who’s useless? I think Faldo might need to have a little look in the mirror.”

Poulter also said that Watson’s decisions as Captain of the 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team “completely baffled” him.

Bishop, along with his Twitter post, took to Facebook as well, coming to the defense of Faldo and Watson, saying Poulter has an inferior major championship and Ryder Cup record. He noted that Watson has won eight major championships and has a 10-3-1 Ryder Cup record, while Faldo has six major championships and the record for most Ryder Cup points.

“Really? Sounds like a little school girl squealing during recess. C’MON MAN!” Bishop posted on Facebook in response to Poulter’s comments in his book.

Bishop’s two-term as president ends next month, and he appears to already be checked out. The PGA of America, within its Play Golf America initiative, brings young golfers of both genders into the game of golf. The “lil girl” comment used in a demeaning context is not a good look for Bishop or the PGA of America.

“Obviously I could have selected some different ways to express my thoughts on Poulter’s remarks.” Bishop told the Associated Press in an email. “Golf had always been a sport where respect was shown to its icons. That seems to have gone by the wayside.”

Respect shown to icons? How about some respect for the youth of America, Mr. Bishop.

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He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

151 Comments

151 Comments

  1. Jem

    Dec 6, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    Good thing Hans and Franz aren’t around anymore. Their “girly man” needling would probably get Saturday Night Live pulled off the air.

  2. howie

    Nov 6, 2014 at 5:04 am

    lil’ girls around the world are p.o.’d for being compared to ian “in a bunch” poulter.

  3. Mad-Mex

    Oct 26, 2014 at 11:46 pm

    Gee, wonder why golf is loosing players,,,,,

    • SBoss

      Oct 27, 2014 at 8:02 am

      If that comment keeps somebody from playing golf, then I hope that kind of soft person stays away from golf. Our society is soft enough. They’re treating Bishop like he killed somebody. It’s an old school yard saying that is probably past it’s time, but it’s not a hanging offense.
      The PGA of America not only fired him, they decided to eliminate all mention of Bishop in the history of the PGA. They’re going to pretend he never happened! In effect, the records will show NO President for the last two years.
      I challenge everyone to think about if YOU’VE ever said something like it…or, said something that you regretted? Said something that wasn’t smart or had time to think through? If you have, then STFU about Ted Bishop. He didn’t kill anyone. He made a comment that wasn’t smart. But, his punishment has FAR exceeded the crime.
      Pete Bevacqua better hope he is as pure and clean as he’s pretending to be in this situation. What a bunch of hypocrites. You wanna know why golf is in trouble? “Leadership” like Bevacqua and his cronies. Grow up and toughen up people. Somebody’s comment shouldn’t have that much power over you…unless you’re WEAK. USA=United Softies of America.

      • Mad-Mex

        Oct 28, 2014 at 8:21 pm

        Maybe this page needs emotion icons, my post was SARCASM, the PGA and the rest of the “governing” bodies need to get the proverbial stick out of their behinds! If they did this to him, why have they not applied the same “toughness” when Tiger yells out some choice words? This type of attitude displayed by the PGA is why the United Softies of America (love that) keep losing Ryder cups, because we have forgotten it is a GAME and not a matter of life and death. By the way, I agree 100% with your post.

  4. Golfing

    Oct 26, 2014 at 10:01 am

    Hope something good is in line for the game.

  5. Ken

    Oct 26, 2014 at 7:33 am

    Unfortunate comment by Mr. Bishop, but good grief, we elect people to responsible positions after having said much worse. In other sports this kind of stuff is exalted.

  6. Bainz

    Oct 26, 2014 at 3:06 am

    Political correctness gone mad – if somone is moaning on like a small child why not call it like that??
    To get into sexism debate over this is a joke, pretty soon no-one is going to say what they think and the world will be a sterile boring place.
    Poulter has a book to sell and will no doubt do well out of this, Faldo will always tell you what he thinks – thankfully. And Gracia was out of sorts in 2008 and played poorly – stats don’t lie we lost.
    With all the vitriol posted on internet the fact someone is sacked for calling someone a lil girl is a joke, and Faldo criticised for being honest shows how nuts the world is right now.

    • snowman

      Oct 26, 2014 at 11:24 pm

      Agree… the comment was not sexist… cannot believe all this PC crap about Golf needs to be inclusive and wanting to attract more females to the game etc,etc. The comment was not sexist or anti-female. It’s a figure of speech. Bishop was saying Poulter was Whining like a Child (yes, a female child; so what!) Poulter has always been and continues to be a shameless a self-promoter. Clothing line that no one wears, spiky hair, I’m sick of him. He gets way to much “ink” considering that he is a mediocre talent. When Poulter is rightfully forgotten, Watson and Faldo will still have 14 Majors. Poulter is boring anyway,

      • Colin Gillbanks

        Oct 28, 2014 at 10:12 am

        Is this your application for the vacant PGA Presidents job?

        You might want to re-think it.

    • Gautama

      Oct 28, 2014 at 8:48 am

      Couldn’t agree more. The whole thing just completely astounds me, to the point that I’m embarrassed for the media people who are talking about it as if it were a legitimate story. Yeah, odd decision for a person of his position to get into a personal battle on Twitter, but the sexism angle feels completely fabricated. Sad really.

  7. Dumb old golf pro

    Oct 25, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    The PGA of America is a weak organization that does not support their membership in any way. the overwhelming majority of Club Pros are making less money than a McDonalds Manager. They give up holidays, weekends any any chance at a normal life. not a shock for them to throw Bishop out. Right or wrong, the PGA just wants their Members to pay dues to support the upper echelon in Palm Beach. They don’t care about anything but money, born on the backs of their Members. PC is ridiculous. Screw the PGA of America.

  8. Brian

    Oct 25, 2014 at 8:03 pm

    Let’s not forget, Ian is well know for some unsavory name calling on twitter

    http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2014/3/9/5488298/ian-poulter-twitter-hideki-matsuyama-wgc-cadillac-championship-2014

  9. Jeff

    Oct 25, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    The old white men will be flaming on about reverse discrimination and how sad this is for Ted Bishop. Everybody else is held to some standard of accountability in their lives so we all get it. Can’t do stupid stuff when you represent more than yourself.

    • Pat M

      Oct 26, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      Ae you speaking English? Try a refresher course in 4th grade grammar.

    • SBoss

      Oct 27, 2014 at 8:15 am

      The “old” White Men represent a time in the country where men were actually men. Where people stood on their own two feet without putting their hands into another “mans” pocket. When the USA actually was the envy of the world. When prosperity was at an all time high….
      Accountability was the cornerstone of the “old” White Men.
      You’re the generation of soft and sniveling little boys that whine and shirk accountability. The generation of believing that you’re entitled to have you’re hands in another’s pocket….grab a piece of his work.
      You’re right, “old” White Men don’t see the big deal here. Because they’ve got enough sense to know that somebody else’s words only have power over you if you’re weak. They weren’t smart comments. But, everybody makes stupid comments. EVERYBODY. Today, you’ve got to act like you’re perfect, that you’re above it. What BS….grow up. Move on. Don’t ruin somebody’s professional life over something so stupid. The times today are changing and the country is in big trouble.

      • ChrisG

        Oct 27, 2014 at 12:47 pm

        Maybe we are soft compared to 50 years ago. Or maybe society has changed and we have decided to stand up against bullying, oppression, and discrimination. When you represent the PGA of America, the simple reality is that you are not allowed to do or say stupid things, because the people you represent do not want you to.

        I think you are right that the country is changing. Though the only reason it is in trouble is because of the so called “old white men” who still think its 1950 and oppression, bullying, name calling, and discrimination are all okay, and “just part of life’ and that people need to get over it. You sir, and all those that think like you, and refuse to accept that comments like this are no longer tolerable, are the problem, as you continue to perpetuate this cycle of oppression.

        And don’t talk about hand outs when corporate America and the super rich receive far more welfare than the average American ever will.

        • Jeremy

          Oct 27, 2014 at 3:31 pm

          Boom. Well said.

        • SBoss

          Oct 28, 2014 at 8:00 pm

          I guess I just don’t understand why calling somebody a “LIL Girl” requires an impeachment and expunging of his tenure from the record. It’s a soft society no question. It’s not a better society and you wouldn’t know the difference because you weren’t around.
          We’re stuck now with a bunch of creampuffs who complain about everything and who moan about all of the bad things that happen to them.
          You know, you actually called Lil Girl “bullying” and “oppression” so we can all see how weak minded that you are…also, when you complain about “corporate welfare” I’d suggest that most corporations keep sniveling little boys like yourself employed with benefits throughout your mediocrity.
          Maybe you should stop complaining about all of the “evils” of the rich and take a look in the mirror. You should also understand that the super rich are simply doing more for the economy and other people than you are…they do things DAILY that wouldn’t do ONCE. Some guys work hard in golf, some work hard in business. It’s unbecoming to complain about the success of others when they work at it harder.
          Life and golf are intertwined. You don’t always get what you deserve. But, you typically get what you deserve in the end. And, if you complain about the other guys “breaks” or the “super rich” or whatever…it doesn’t help YOUR OWN game. It distracts from the main issue, which is that you’re making your own bed. Worrying about the other guys score won’t help you even a little bit. Keep your eye on your own ball…and mind your own business. And words only hurt if you’re soft…

      • Captain Oblivious

        Oct 27, 2014 at 12:52 pm

        Amen to that! Well said!

        • John

          Oct 28, 2014 at 11:09 am

          I am an “old white guy” and Mr. Bishop should know better than to engage in petty name calling on social media. He’s the president if the PGA not the Saturday morning skins game. The US is not going to hell in a hand cart, the opposite as a matter of fact. I was around 50 years ago and things weren’t so great especially if you were a person of color, a female, gay, or eligible to go to Vietnam. We, as a country, have grown up a great deal since then. Mr. Bishop apparently hasn’t. I have a daughter BTW who is a stand up young lady who hasn’t whined about anything since she was about four years old.
          She’s a good golfer too…just saying.

  10. TheLegend

    Oct 25, 2014 at 2:09 pm

    “Lil girl” is really not that bad a comment. This is crazy to me. That comment is said all the time. Poulter is a lil girl. Everyone knows it now!

    • rer4136

      Oct 27, 2014 at 10:08 am

      He is headed the way of Colin Montgomery. What should we expect from a country that thinks same sex marriage is an important issue. Political correctness run a muck. Am I allowed to say that?

  11. wineyax

    Oct 25, 2014 at 10:45 am

    I hope this quietens down Poulter’s twitter account for a bit.

  12. Dick

    Oct 25, 2014 at 9:08 am

    Sounds like Faldo and Watson are the real culprits.

  13. MikeH

    Oct 25, 2014 at 8:47 am

    Whether you like Poulter or not, what Bishop wrote was unacceptable and he had to go, period! Folks, the man was the President of the PGA!!! What on earth was he thinking or drinking? To be erased from history is brutal,no doubt, but it sends a very strong message that discrimination and sexism will no longer (because it was for a very long time) be tolerated. It was a sad week for American golf because Bishop’s comments undermined a lot of the progress that has been made to grow the game among women and minorities who were excluded because they were not considered equal. What a mess…deeply disappointing to say the least.

    • TheLegend

      Oct 25, 2014 at 2:04 pm

      This is America. He should be able to say what ever he want’s. The Man just lost his life over a comment. I just lost respect for the pga.

      • SB

        Oct 25, 2014 at 2:59 pm

        The man hardly lost his life….. He’s always held his well paid Professional position at his club in Indiana. Don’t shed a tear for this guy….. shed it for the thousands of PGA/LPGA Professionals that had years of hard work of growing the game of golf ruined on twitter….

        • TheLegend

          Oct 25, 2014 at 11:58 pm

          No one cares about this comment. Its not going to hurt golf.

          • SB

            Oct 26, 2014 at 11:03 pm

            Golf doesn’t need any more negative press… It’s obviously been in decline for years and this doesn’t help. You are likely right that the average golfer won’t care about his comments though….. because fewer and fewer care anything about golf at all.

        • SBoss

          Oct 27, 2014 at 8:17 am

          Really? Years of hard work ruined on Twitter? Man, you’re a drama queen. LOL.

        • pcv

          Oct 27, 2014 at 8:04 pm

          explain to me how the game of golf was ruined? It’s not stopping me from playing

      • Manny

        Oct 25, 2014 at 5:29 pm

        You mean “Merica” They took our jobs!!!

      • papichulosteve

        Oct 25, 2014 at 8:57 pm

        hahaha ‘WHAT ABOUT FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS!!! DUUURRR!!!!’

        the man, just like everyone else is free to say whatever they want, but that doesn’t mean what they say doesn’t have a consequence.

      • Jeremy

        Oct 25, 2014 at 8:59 pm

        This is America, and he is free to say whatever he wants. But that freedom does not come with a freedom from the consequences of his words and actions. Of course he has a right to say what he wants. And the rest of us have a right to hold him accountable for his words and actions in the court of public opinion.

        • Jeff R

          Oct 26, 2014 at 9:34 pm

          Freedom is speech gives you the right to speak about our government without action being taking against you. It does not apply or give you the right to say anything you want without consequences.

      • Will

        Oct 25, 2014 at 10:21 pm

        Golf is loosing players in part because it is run by too many out of touch people. Like it or not America is changing and the old mentality that sees no problem with this comment is going to push even more people away. Good for the PGA. The game needs inclusive leadership. It’s not about freon of speech, it’s about attitudes that make people see golfers as cultural dinosaurs.

      • MikeH

        Oct 26, 2014 at 9:10 am

        My friend, a position of President, regardless of context, carries with it leadership responsibilities that define the direction of an organization. Bishop’s comments were not in the best interest of the PGA nor golf in general…he had to go.

    • Robert

      Oct 25, 2014 at 10:10 pm

      Gimme a break!

    • dwntnbrown

      Oct 26, 2014 at 2:37 pm

      let it be known that lil girls are more than responsible for the firing. if it were not for what they have between their legs there would be a bounty on their ears

  14. TMElectric

    Oct 25, 2014 at 6:37 am

    100 posts in and nobody is defending the “lil girl” that Bishop referred to. Maybe she didn’t like being compared to Ian…????

    • Pat M

      Oct 26, 2014 at 1:33 pm

      Poulter routinely has kicked America’s arse at The Ryder Cup. Bishop should get over it. They should have done drug testing on US players 15 years ago but they wanted another Lance Armstrong.

  15. travis

    Oct 25, 2014 at 1:33 am

    first time posting, and really wondering why….
    We are still talking about the f***ing ryder cup and the f***ing ryder cup from 2008? Get over it. And both of these guys are wrong.

  16. EvanJB

    Oct 25, 2014 at 12:10 am

    Roger Goodell hid information about a player bearing his wife and nothing happened. The head of FIFA said that female soccer players should play in bikinis to boost ratings, and nothing happened. Ted, a man who has done a significant amount for the women’s game, calls someone a girl and gets fired, and will never be recognised as PGA president. Ridiculous.

    • Joel

      Oct 25, 2014 at 8:12 am

      There is perfectly good reason for this…
      1) Who cares about soccer
      2) Ray Rice averages over 4 yds per carry in his career C’mon MAN!
      3) Who cares about soccer

      • Xreb

        Oct 25, 2014 at 9:00 am

        Who cares about soccer ? – just about everyone in the world minus the USA

      • Guantanemo

        Oct 25, 2014 at 11:06 am

        Who cares about football? (I’m sorry, that’s what pretty much everyone else in the world calls it) What Xreb said, pretty much everyone in the world except for the USA.

    • Jeremy

      Oct 25, 2014 at 11:22 am

      The fact that those other figureheads did those things and didn’t lose their jobs doesn’t mean it’s wrong that Ted Bishop lost his. It’s wrong that they didn’t (at least in Goodell’s case, I’m not familiar enough with the FIFA situation to have an opinion).

  17. Mccance79

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:51 pm

    A man in his position should not take to social media like that nor make such an inappropriate remark as he did. He should of known better.

  18. mrjoe

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:45 pm

    Dumb move, Ted. You deserved to get canned.

  19. B

    Oct 24, 2014 at 10:34 pm

    I wonder if Tom Watson will be commenting on PGA of America firing his buddy Ted Bishop.

    • Matthew Carter

      Oct 24, 2014 at 11:19 pm

      Well done PGA.
      Ian, you are the man!
      Mr. Bishop crossed the line.
      Now he has some time to reconsider his name calling…… What a dork.

  20. Wm

    Oct 24, 2014 at 10:24 pm

    It seems the old boys club is alive and well in America. These derogatory comments are something we expect from inside the confines of a private country club on men’s night. How are you going to grow the game when guys like these are still running the PGA?

  21. Jimbo

    Oct 24, 2014 at 10:06 pm

    White belts may not be “phaggy”, but they are symbol of douchebaggery.

  22. HAHA

    Oct 24, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    The WORLD is laughing at American golf. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!

    • Sodapoppin

      Oct 25, 2014 at 5:25 am

      HAHAHAHAHA so true… First they fail to win the Ryder Cup, and now they have to call the European names… So LOL…

    • Gautama

      Oct 28, 2014 at 8:56 am

      750MM Europeans, 315MM Americans. It actually shouldn’t ever be close, should it?

      • Colin Gillbanks

        Oct 28, 2014 at 11:51 am

        This old chestnut again.

        The numbers are irrelevant. A complete red herring.

        Golf barely has any kind of professional presence in vast swathes of Europe. Over half of that number you’ve mentioned is made up by the likes of Russia and countries that came out of the old USSR. Golf is still considered a minority sport even in some of the western European countries like Spain and Germany also.

        The world rankings tell the true picture. There’s no imbalance here.

  23. gvogel

    Oct 24, 2014 at 8:50 pm

    It appears to me that this affair is casting the PGA of America as an irrelevant organization.

    The sooner the PGA Tour takes over stewardship of the Ryder Cup, the better for everyone concerned.

  24. B

    Oct 24, 2014 at 8:48 pm

  25. Desmond

    Oct 24, 2014 at 7:54 pm

    Never drink and tweet…

  26. Lance

    Oct 24, 2014 at 7:35 pm

    Attack, attack!!!- must protect golf’s unblemished image & “Grow the game”! Drug problem? What drug problem?

    PC gone nuts

  27. Tyler

    Oct 24, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    God the world is becoming over sensitive, there is war, people starving, people dying. But people get mad cause someone called someone else a lil girl, give me a break grow up and get a backbone and if someone calls you a lil girl more then likely your acting like one. Man up.

    • Rwj

      Oct 24, 2014 at 9:57 pm

      Exactly…but it’s only going to get worse. Taylor Swifts new album gets more attention then world problems…it’s all about money

  28. Brian

    Oct 24, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    Wow I can’t believe he actually lost his job over this. When political correctness goes too far……

  29. kloyd0306

    Oct 24, 2014 at 5:17 pm

    Wasn’t Poulter a Faldo Capt’s pick?

    No winners here though. Both Poulter and Bishop look like clowns.

    The PGA can do better and Poulter is desperate for limelight but his lack of talent gets in the way.

  30. No Name

    Oct 24, 2014 at 4:57 pm

    I cannot wait for the day when Poulter finally falls of the face of the Earth. Such a pompous piece of dog excrement.

    • Jeremy

      Oct 24, 2014 at 5:04 pm

      At least when Ted Bishop and Ian Poulter hurl childish insults on the internet they have the guts to offer their names. Seriously dude…

      • No Name

        Oct 24, 2014 at 6:59 pm

        Ahhh…the old internet tough guy. Don’t pretend you are all high and mighty because you used “your” first name. Your username shows no more about who you are than mine. Get over it.

        • Jeremy

          Oct 24, 2014 at 8:34 pm

          Right. The guy anonymously calling people dog excrement is, I suppose, the clever and witty chap adding loads to the conversation, but I’m the “internet tough guy” for calling him out. Tough crowd, sheesh…

          • ashley

            Oct 25, 2014 at 3:38 am

            No name & Jeremy stop being a lil girl! Your as bad as poulter

    • B

      Oct 24, 2014 at 5:15 pm

      I’d say the majority of people worldwide will say that Ian Poulter has far better skills of his trade than Ted Bishop does… Right?

  31. B

    Oct 24, 2014 at 4:54 pm

    Ian Poulter will play this for everything it’s worth. When the media asks Poulter questions about it he’ll take every opportunity to publicly express his dismay at Ted Bishop’s actions.

    Poulter will absolutely love this and eat it up…all at PGA of America and Ted Bishop’s expense.

  32. B

    Oct 24, 2014 at 4:39 pm

  33. Shakers97

    Oct 24, 2014 at 4:31 pm

    Ted Bishop fails to see the irony of criticising Poulter for criticising someone when they themselves haven’t been there and done it.

    • bosse

      Oct 25, 2014 at 4:02 am

      +1 ! never understood why icons can’t be critiqued, or why they should avoid criticism for their leadership because they have x number of individual successes. that basically discriminate anyone but tiger and nicklaus to discuss golf.

      jeez some more 2014 manners to pga please, such as not hiding drug abuse, allowing negative press. not arguing as the old white men they are but taking amore modern stand point to things..

      and using female derogatory comments, is just old and so past due. step up!

  34. B

    Oct 24, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Ted Bishop must resign PGA presidency after sexist ‘Lil Girl’ comments aimed at Ian Poulter

    http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2014/10/24/7057123/ted-bishop-ian-poulter-comments-lil-girl-ryder-cup-2014

  35. Kevin

    Oct 24, 2014 at 4:02 pm

    Lost in this little tussle is the concept that maybe Sergio needs to accept his captain’s assessment of his poor performance. I find myself rooting for Sergio, but in the past he has proven himself to be very immature too often. I’m sure Faldo regrets saying it, and perhaps Poulter should have let Sergio fight his own battles. It’s obvious that in defeat, the Europeans don’t handle it any better than the Americans do.

  36. AZ Golfman

    Oct 24, 2014 at 3:59 pm

    Poulter is irrelevant in golf. In 20 years it will be like he never existed in this game. After all the game and previous champions have given him and his family, he should thank them every day. These players forget that before guys like Watson, Nicklaus, Woods, etc., golf was looked at as a country club hobby and paid their players peanuts.

    • Jeremy

      Oct 24, 2014 at 4:14 pm

      What you think of Ian Poulter, and his overall relevance in the game, is besides the point. It’s beneath the office of the president of anything but a high school juggling club to take to Twitter to lob childish insults at a member of his organization.

  37. gvogel

    Oct 24, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    In the locker room, to a bunch of his buddies, Ted Bishop can call Ian Poulter whatever he wants. Why he would do that is beyond me, unless Poulter was talking in his (Bishop’s) backswing or something like that. Often, when we demean someone else, it really reflects upon our own insecurities.

    In a public forum? Ted Bishop should know better. It’s not funny; it’s not even relevant.

  38. B

    Oct 24, 2014 at 3:49 pm

    Ted Bishop needs to be relieved of his position immediately (post-haste). And, the PGA of America needs to issue a public apology to Ian Poulter.

    Sounds like Bishop just can’t get over the heat of Tom Watson’s complete and dismal failure as the U.S.’s Ryder Cup Captain.

  39. Jafar

    Oct 24, 2014 at 3:42 pm

    They make millions of dollars and play golf.

    No one should be complaining about anything.

  40. Jeremy

    Oct 24, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    ‘m certain we all say some pretty insensitive and obnoxious things amongst our friends when no one’s listening.

    It’s quite another thing for the president of the PGA to broadcast such childish behavior on Twitter for the whole world to see. It doesn’t make a lick of difference if you like Ian Poulter or not. Ted Bishop acted immature and unprofessional and Poulter’s response was spot on.

  41. Ty Webb

    Oct 24, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    All this political correctness makes me sick.

    • Gregg

      Oct 24, 2014 at 6:35 pm

      Amen……

      Maybe they should have a cage match on WWE I’d pay to see Poulter get his a$$ kicked

  42. spazo

    Oct 24, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    i like ted bishop a lot more today than i did yesterday.

  43. wendell

    Oct 24, 2014 at 2:10 pm

    I love all the negative comments towards Poulter from all of these golf professionals who play on tour every week. lol

  44. Geoff Martin

    Oct 24, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    Good job Ted, you just got me to buy Ian’s book.

  45. Michael

    Oct 24, 2014 at 1:22 pm

    I understand that people think that people are too sensitive these days and I’m not saying that I disagree. However, someone employed as President of the PGA should not be arguing on a public forum with another person employed by the same organization. The reverse is true as well. Also, when the argument resorts to name-calling of any kind, then that makes it that much more unprofessional.

  46. brian

    Oct 24, 2014 at 1:19 pm

    This is the product of of over sensitive media fishing for a story then trying to turn a sunfish into a whale. I would put this in the category of the ” tiger is wearing jeans” story.

  47. Dpavs

    Oct 24, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    Have to agree and actually not sure Poulter is going to get much sympathy nor will most people find Bishop’s comments that appalling. They were certainly in bad taste but just not that worthy of an article focusing on the event.

    I also have to agree that as a whole America if not the world has become over sensitive.

    … and as for Poulter maybe if he did not agree with Faldo or even took offense with his book, it might have been better for him to just “suck it up” and move on rather than engage in a personal reprisal.

    • brian

      Oct 24, 2014 at 1:23 pm

      Poulter is going to milk this thing for for every thing its worth. Guy loves controversy and drama since his golf mediocre golf game isn’t exactly putting him in the headlines…

  48. Machine

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:57 pm

    Pussification of America. As a female, I can’t stand PC emo sissy boys who cry over nonsense.

    • John

      Oct 24, 2014 at 7:13 pm

      As a male, your opinion is irrelevant. See sexism doesn’t feel so good.

    • ashley

      Oct 25, 2014 at 4:00 am

      Machine don’t pretend to know what p.c means, leave the debating to the men. See i can be sexist to.

  49. Los A

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:46 pm

    People are overly sensitive nowadays. My son was upset that his high school golf coach (absolute legend) told him he looked like a ‘homo’ with a white belt. I laughed and told him coach was right. He could have used a little more tact, but my wife and I were fine with what was said because there was truth behind the statement. Why get upset or complain over silly stuff.

    • Jeff B

      Oct 24, 2014 at 1:24 pm

      Your son is going to kill you in your sleep. Way to stand up for your boy, jerk.

    • mrjoe

      Oct 24, 2014 at 1:26 pm

      Nothing like 3 adults teaming up to put down a high school kid! SMACKDOWN

      Jeez, man. How old are you?

    • blink3665

      Oct 24, 2014 at 1:35 pm

      Wow… Just… wow…

      Please tell me what a ‘homo’ looks like. I didn’t know that a whole group of people had a uniform. The homophobic statement by the coach needed to be corrected, not endorsed. If you disapprove of the sexuality of another human, keep your thoughts to yourself. There is no need to spread hate or inequality.

    • golfiend

      Oct 24, 2014 at 1:44 pm

      Funny comment … because I’m sure many if not most of us guys over 35 years old think the same way.

    • mgm

      Oct 24, 2014 at 1:56 pm

      I’m sure a high school golf coach is an absolute legend. An absolute legendary failure in life more like it.

      • Forsbrand

        Oct 24, 2014 at 3:15 pm

        Ha ha absolute legend, aka frank the tank , keep on chugging and homo bashing! INDEED

    • Phil

      Oct 24, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      Coach, you and your wife are disgusting…

    • AZ Golfman

      Oct 24, 2014 at 4:04 pm

      i would of b-slapped him with that white belt.

    • melrosegod

      Oct 24, 2014 at 4:21 pm

      Great parenting! With a dad like you in his corner, who needs an ignorant playground bully?

    • Shakers97

      Oct 24, 2014 at 4:28 pm

      You’re an utter moron. What a lucky boy your son is to have an idiot like you as his Dad.

    • Rich

      Oct 24, 2014 at 4:57 pm

      You are what’s wrong with this world. I feel sorry for your son that his parents see nothing wrong with some redneck jock insulting him. If that was my kid, I’d be marching straight into the office of the education department in my area and have the guy sacked. He should never be a teacher/coach ever again. You and your wife should be ashamed.

      • ChrisG

        Oct 27, 2014 at 12:56 pm

        Rich, (and everyone else who feels the “homo” remark is unacceptable, and the parental reaction even less so) I thank you for accepting the realities and values of the new millennium. Its nice to see people on a golf forum who are not stuck in 1950.

    • Jeremy

      Oct 24, 2014 at 5:38 pm

      See, sometimes it’s better to keep quiet than share your dumbest moments on the internet.

      Sincerely,
      Hetero with a white belt.

    • ChrisG

      Oct 27, 2014 at 1:01 pm

      How many pros wear white belts? For a coach to call a player a “homo” for his choice of belt color is beyond ignorant and implies that anyone that cares about how they look on a golf course is homosexual is unacceptable. I am pretty sure nobody called Rory a “homo” for wearing a white belt.

      http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/others/no-wearing-of-the-green-for-rory-mcilroy-at-us-masters-as-adam-scott-claims-victory-203386391-238178731.html

      But keep on keeping on the ignorant redneck American attitude.

  50. Jeff

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:46 pm

    Can anyone imagine the President of the European tour making a comment like this? About an American player? Because it wouldn’t happen. It’s always old, white, American men that think popular opinion is on their side and they can be unapologetic and childish, because they think they’re speaking only to like minds. In Bishop’s mind, all Americans feel this way, he’s only saying what the rest of them are too afraid to. Trouble is, its a smaller and smaller group all the time.

    NOW enter Poults, a guy that has made his career at least the last few years on the PGA Tour in America. He lives in Florida and has children, has made his life here. Maybe he hasn’t won a major but he’s certainly earned his spot on the Ryder Cup teams, my point is, dudes worked hard to make it here from Europe. It’s offensive as hell to have the American president of the PGA say things comparing a modern player to two dinosaurs in a negative light. I haven’t Poulters book, but I will buy it now.

    You don’t speak for me Ted. In fact you just cost a lot of PGA professionals money, nobody wants to be associated with sour grapes.

  51. Kevin

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:43 pm

    If you don’t like Poulter reminding you of Europe’s success, it’s pretty simple, just beat him. Referring to him as a little girl is however, quite sexist, and wrong on many levels. I have a delightful little niece. I would hate for her to think anything is wrong with being a little girl.

    • west

      Oct 24, 2014 at 1:04 pm

      You’re right, there is nothing wrong with being a girl. He should have called him a: “whinny baby”…

      • Jeremy

        Oct 24, 2014 at 3:30 pm

        There’s nothing wrong with being a baby.

        • west

          Oct 24, 2014 at 5:07 pm

          I like babies, just not whinny ones…

          • Colin Gillbanks

            Oct 28, 2014 at 10:23 am

            You should be fired from this forum for being ‘whine-ist’*.

            *I realise this isn’t a real word. Or a real ‘ism’.

  52. HP

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:39 pm

    It’s what happens to Americans when they go to the UK. They listen to the candid, dry, running commentary from the hoi polloi and it just comes out that way. It’s tabloid banter at its best, and Bishop forgot that you can’t be so blunt in American media. Especially on Twitter or Facebook. Those things are not the Daily Mail or The Sun newspapers!

    But that’s how people talk in the UK. And he’s just carrying on. Poulter should have laughed it off, but he’s Americanized now too much and his attempt to walk the high road isn’t helping him, since he went slagging off Faldo to begin with. They should both shake hands and just say it was all in good fun, all this smack talking! It’s what was missing from the Ryder Cup this time, actually!

  53. golfiend

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    He’s pretty hip referring to “Lil” … Lil Wayne, Lil Kim, Lil John, Lil Bow Wow, Lil Romeo, etc … now Lil Girl

  54. Jeff

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:32 pm

    Ted Bishop is what’s wrong with golf. He thinks he’s right, there’s no point even trying to convince him. His mind is made up. He is also wrong. Poulter obviously has less of a major championship record than Faldo and Watson. So does almost every golfer on the planet. 2 things Ted, Poulter is still reLevant in the world of golf, and he just won the Ryder cup, say whatever you like. you can’t change these two things.

  55. Tank

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    There has been a lot of gossip in the golf world lately! Hahaha I love it all.. Also makes for some amazingly terrible comments and opinions from people who think they aren’t idiots. Lots of laughs these days!! Thank you golf wrx for bringing together all these know-it-alls who collectively don’t have clue

  56. adolfo

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    Everyone knows that IJP will say whats on his mind and people either like it or not. Bishop was pretty much a child on this one. Way to take the low road teddy

  57. Jake Anderson

    Oct 24, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    Ted Bishop’s comment showed a sexist and ageist attitude. He should no longer be president of the PGA of America.

    • SB

      Oct 24, 2014 at 5:30 pm

      100% agree with this comment. This is the real story here. His comments regarding Poulter’s record compared to Faldo are irrelevant. The story that will make headlines is that the President of the PGA of America is exactly what people think he is…. A rich, sexist, ignorant, old white guy in a stuffy suit who out of one side of his mouth says that golf needs more women and girls involved, and out of the other side makes comments that are degrading to the same demographic he claims to value so highly….. Somebody get this guy a PR consultant…..

  58. West

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:56 am

    Yeah, Poulter dresses like a drama queen and lives like a diva. Good golfer, but wouldn’t buy him a beer or ask for his sig if he walked into the same pub…

    Ted has the right to draw his own line in the sand…but should tread cautiously when making his opinion public.

    And since when is GolfWRX now the TMZ of the golf world???

    • Danny

      Oct 24, 2014 at 12:14 pm

      Nobody who is of age to buy someone a beer should be asking grown men for autographs.

      • west

        Oct 24, 2014 at 1:09 pm

        it wasn’t meant to be taken literally, but to represent “admiration.” But now that you have taken the time to be a troll, I want to buy you a beer and get your sig…

  59. mo

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:51 am

    Poulter can seem childish at times but referring to her as a “lil girl” by the leader of the PGA of America was unprofessional. 😀

  60. Cris

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:47 am

    I don’t like Ian Poulter. I admit it. However, Mr. Bishop has crossed the line. The PGA of America should terminate him with cause and issue a statement apologizing to Poulter.

  61. Robert Boyd

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:43 am

    This is out of control. The public figures in this mess should think before they speak or tweet or author a book or whatever. Silly school yard stuff.

  62. Ben

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:42 am

    I don’t care if Bishop wants to call out Poulter but using language that’s demeaning to women isn’t the right way to do it, especially when it comes to golf’s reputation as past-time for prejudiced old white men.

  63. Danny

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:38 am

    Poulter sucks, he is a nobody. Glad someone finally said it, just probably the wrong person, but I’m not going to hate on a guy for a)speaking his mind, b) speaking the truth. Johnny Miller gets slammed for doing the same thing.

    Golf has turned into 2nd grade kids soccer where everyone plays and nobody has anything to say about anything. This is refreshing. I like it. We need more of it.

    • dr bloor

      Oct 24, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      *Please* reassure us and tell us that you don’t have any daughters.

      • Danny

        Oct 24, 2014 at 12:13 pm

        Stop being so sensitive, it doesn’t bring down women. You going to tell me it brings down children for being whiny? It’s a phrase, has been for years. If someone calls me a baby I don’t argue that it puts down newborns

    • mgm

      Oct 24, 2014 at 1:52 pm

      Danny: you suck and you are a nobody.

      I am:
      A) speaking my mind
      And
      B) speaking the truth
      End of story

      Golf used to pride itself on professionalism not just blind idol worship

  64. nikkyd

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:36 am

    Poulter a little girl? Finally! Someone said it! Hes more worried about his image than his golf game

    • MartyMouse

      Oct 26, 2014 at 5:51 pm

      Agreed! He’s a wuss! Uh oh, guess I be sh*t canned tomorrow! Seriously… Fired over this? Stupid waste of everybody’s time. Get some thicker skin folks.

  65. Pccasstpro

    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:05 am

    Does Twitter fall under the PGA of America’s Code of Ethics Bylaws and Regulations ? Would this not fall under conduct unbecoming a Professional? I got pulled up in front of the ethics board years ago because I said , and I admit it , fairly loud profanity after hooking a ball OB during a tournament! Hold Ted Bishop to the same standards that apprentices, Class “A” , and Master Professionals are held to in a public forum ! Public ridicule , is not conduct becoming a professional , not matter how many spokeman you have to come out and correct you own mis-step. It is his Twitter account, not the PGA of America’s !

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Valspar Championship betting preview: Elite ballstrikers to thrive at Copperhead

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The PGA TOUR will stay in Florida this week for the 2024 Valspar Championship.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort is a par 71 measuring 7,340 yards and features Bermudagrass greens overseeded with POA. Infamous for its difficulty, the track will be a tough test for golfers as trouble lurks all over the place. Holes 16, 17 and 18 — also known as the “Snake Pit” — make up one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf and should lead to a captivating finish on Sunday.

The field is comprised of 156 golfers teeing it up. The field this week is solid and is a major improvement over last year’s field that felt the impact of players skipping due to a handful of “signature events” in a short span of time. 

Past Winners at Valspar Championship

  • 2023: Taylor Moore (-10)
  • 2022: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2021: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2019: Paul Casey (-8)
  • 2018: Paul Casey (-10)
  • 2017: Adam Hadwin (-14)
  • 2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
  • 2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)

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 Copperhead

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach grades out as the most important statistic once again this week. Copperhead really can’t be overpowered and is a second-shot golf course.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds (per round)

  1. Tony Finau (+.90)
  2. Nick Taylor (+.81)
  3. Justin Thomas (+.77)
  4. Greyson Sigg (+.69)
  5. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+.67)

2. Good Drive %

The long hitters can be a bit limited here due to the tree-lined fairways and penal rough. Playing from the fairways will be important, but laying back too far will cause some difficult approaches with firm greens that may not hold shots from long irons.

Golfers who have a good balance of distance and accuracy have the best chance this week.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+91.3%) 
  2. Zach Johnson (+91.1%)
  3. Sam Ryder (+90.5%)
  4. Ryan Moore (+90.4%)
  5. Aaron Rai (+89.7%)

3. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Adding ball-striking puts even more of a premium on tee-to-green prowess in the statistical model this week. Golfers who rank highly in ball-striking are in total control of the golf ball which is exceedingly important at Copperhead.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds:

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1.32)
  2. Keith Mitchell (+1.29)
  3. Tony Finau (+1.24)
  4. Cameron Young (+1.17) 
  5. Doug Ghim (+.95)

4. Bogey Avoidance

With the conditions likely to be difficult, avoiding bogeys will be crucial this week. In a challenging event like the Valspar, oftentimes the golfer who is best at avoiding mistakes ends up on top.

Gritty golfers who can grind out difficult pars have a much better chance in an event like this than a low-scoring birdie-fest.

Bogey Avoidance Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+9.0)
  2. Xander Schauffele (+9.3)
  3. Austin Cook (+9.7) 
  4. Chesson Hadley (+10.0)
  5. Greyson Sigg (+10.2)

5. Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions

Conditions will be tough this week at Copperhead. I am looking for golfers who can rise to the occasion if the course plays as difficult as it has in the past.

Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1,71) 
  2. Min Woo Lee (+1.39)
  3. Cameron Young (+1.27)
  4. Jordan Spieth (+1.08)
  5. Justin Suh (+.94)

6. Course History

That statistic will tell us which players have played well at Copperhead in the past.

Course History Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+3.75) 
  2. Sam Burns (+2.49)
  3. Davis Riley (+2.33)
  4. Matt NeSmith (+2.22)
  5. Jordan Spieth (+2.04)

The Valspar Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), Good Drive % (15%), SG: BS (20%), Bogeys Avoided (13%), Course History (13%) Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions (12%).

  1. Xander Schauffele
  2. Doug Ghim
  3. Victor Perez
  4. Greyson Sigg
  5. Ryan Moore
  6. Tony Finau
  7. Justin Thomas
  8. Sam Ryder
  9. Sam Burns
  10. Lucas Glover

2024 Valspar Championship Picks

Justin Thomas +1400 (DraftKings)

Justin Thomas will be disappointed with his finish at last week’s PLAYERS Championship, as the past champion missed the cut despite being in some decent form heading into the event. Despite the missed cut, JT hit the ball really well. In his two rounds, the two-time major champion led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach per round.

Thomas has been up and down this season. He’s missed the cut in two “signature events” but also has finishes of T12 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T12 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, T6 at the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am and T3 at the American Express. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking in the field.

Thomas loves Copperhead. In his last three tries at the course, he’s finished T13, T3 and T10. Thomas would have loved to get a win at a big event early in the season, but avoidable mistakes and a balky putter have cost him dearly. I believe a trip to a course he loves in a field he should be able to capitalize on is the right recipe for JT to right the ship.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6000 (FanDuel)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout is playing spectacular golf in the 2024 season. He finished 2nd at the American Express, T20 at Pebble Beach and T24 at the Genesis Invitational before finishing T13 at last week’s PLAYERS Championship.

In his past 24 rounds, the South African ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 26th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. Bezuidenhout managed to work his way around TPC Sawgrass last week with minimal damage. He only made five bogeys in the entire week, which is a great sign heading into a difficult Copperhead this week.

Bezuidenhout is winless in his PGA Tour career, but certainly has the talent to win on Tour. His recent iron play tells me that this week could be a breakthrough for the 35-year-old who has eyes on the President’s Cup.

Doug Ghim +8000 (FanDuel)

Doug Ghim has finished in the top-16 of his past five starts. Most recently, Ghim finished T16 at The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field.

In his past 24 rounds, Ghim ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 5th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. In terms of his fit for Copperhead, the 27-year-old ranks 12th in Bogey Avoidance and 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions, making him a great fit for the course.

Ghim has yet to win on Tour, but at one point he was the top ranked Amateur golfer in the world and played in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup and 2017 Walker Cup. He then won the Ben Hogan award for the best male college golfer in 2018. He certainly has the talent, and there are signals aplenty that his talent in ready to take him to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour.

Sepp Straka +8000 (BetRivers)

Sepp Straka is a player who’s shown he has the type of game that can translate to a difficult Florida golf course. The former Presidents Cup participant won the 2022 Honda Classic in tough conditions and should thrive with a similar test at Copperhead.

It’s been a slow 2024 for Straka, but his performance last week at the PLAYERS Championship surely provides some optimism. He gained 5.4 strokes on approach as well as 1.88 strokes off the tee. The tee-to-green game Straka showed on a course with plenty of danger demonstrates that he can stay in control of his golf ball this week.

It’s possible that the strong performance last week was an outlier, but I’m willing to bet on a proven winner in a weaker field at a great number.

Victor Perez +12000 (FanDuel)

Victor Perez is no stranger to success in professional golf. The Frenchman has three DP World Tour wins including a Rolex Series event. He won the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as well as the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which are some big events.

Perez earned his PGA Tour card this season and enters the week playing some fantastic golf. He finished in a tie for 16th in Florida at the Cognizant Classic and then tied for third in his most recent start at the Puerto Rico Open.

In his past 24 rounds in the field, Perez ranks 11th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 1oth in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Good Drive % and 15th in Bogey Avoidance.

Perez comes in as a perfect fit for Copperhead and offers serious value at triple-digit odds.

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Opinion & Analysis

Myrtle Beach, Explored: February in South Carolina

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As I gain in experience and age, and familiarity breeds neither contempt nor disdain, I understand why people return to a place. A destination like Myrtle Beach offers a sizable supply and diversity of restaurants, entertainment venues, and shops that are predicated on the tenets of the service industry. Greet your customers with a smile and a kind word, and they will find comfort and assurance. Provide them with a memorable experience and they will suggest your place of business to others.

My first tour of Myrtle Beach took place in the mid-1980s, and consisted of one course: Gator Hole. I don’t remember much from that day, and since Gator Hole closed a decade later, I cannot revisit it to recollect what I’d lost. Since then, I’ve come to the Grand Strand a few times, and been fortunate to never place a course more than once. I’ve seen the Strantz courses to the south and dipped my toe in the North Carolina courses of Calabash. I’ve been to many in the middle, including Dunes, Pine Lakes, Grande Dunes among them.

2024 brought a quartet of new courses, including two at the Barefoot Resort. I’d heard about the North Myrtle Beach four-pack of courses that highlight the Barefoot property, including layouts from Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III, and Greg Norman. I had the opportunity to play and shoot the Dye and Fazio tracks, which means that I’ll have to return to see the other two. Sandwiched between them were the TPC-Myrtle Beach course, also from Tom Fazio, and the Pawley’s Plantation trace, by the hand of Jack Nicklaus. I anticipated a bit of the heroic, and bit of the strategic, and plenty of eye candy. None of those architects would ever be considered a minimalist, so there would be plenty of in-play and out-of-play bunkers and mounds to tantalize the senses.

My nephew arrived a few days early, to screen a few more courses. As a result, you the reader will have an extra quarter of mini-reviews, bringing the total of courses in this piece to eight. It was inconceivable that CJR would play four courses that I had never played nor photographed, but that was the case. His words appear at the end of this piece. We hope that you enjoy the tour.

Main Feature: Two Barefoots, a TPC, and Pawley’s Plantation

Barefoot Dye

What Paul “Pete” Dye brought back from his trips to the United Kingdom, hearkened back to what C.B. MacDonal did, some 65 years prior. There is a way of finding bunkers and fairways, and even green sites, that does not require major industrial work. The Dye course at Barefoot Resorts takes you on a journey over the rumpled terrain of distant places. If there’s one element missing, it’s the creased and turbulent fairways, so often found in England and Ireland. The one tenet of playing a Dye course, is to always aim away from temptation, from where your eyes draw you. Find the safe side of the target, and you’ll probably find your ball. It then stands that you will have a shot for your next attempt. Cut the corner, and you might have need to reload. The Barefoot course begins gently, in terms of distance, but challenges with visual deception. After two brief 4s and a 3, the real work begins. The course is exposed enough, to allow the coastal winds to dance along the fairways. Be ready to keep the ball low and take an extra club or two.

TPC-Myrtle Beach

If memory serves, TPCMB is my first trek around a TPC-branded course. It had all the trappings of a tour course, from the welcome, through the clubhouse, to the practice facilities and, of course, the course. TPC-Myrtle Beach is a Tom Fazio design, and if you never visit Augusta National, you’ll now have an idea of what it is like. You play Augusta’s 16th hole twice at TPCMB, and you enjoy it both times. Fazio really likes the pond-left, green-angle-around par three hole, and his two iterations of it are memorable.

You’ll also see those Augusta bunkers, the ones with the manicured edges that drop into a modestly-circular form. What distinguishes these sand pits is the manner in which they rise from the surrounding ground. They are unique in that they don’t resemble the geometric bunkering of a Seth Raynor, nor the organic pits found in origin courses. They are built, make no mistake, and recovery from them is manageable for all levels of bunker wizardry.

Barefoot Fazio

If you have the opportunity to play the two Tom Fazio courses back to back, you’ll notice a marked difference in styling. Let me digress for a moment, then circle back with an explanation. It was written that the NLE World Woods course designed by Fazio, Pine Barrens, was an homage to Pine Valley, the legendary, New Jersey club where Fazio is both a member and the architect on retainer. The Pine Barrens course was plowed under in 2022, so the homage no longer exists. At least, I didn’t think that it existed, until I played his Barefoot Resort course in North Myrtle Beach.

Pine Valley might be described as an aesthetic of scrub and sand. There are mighty, forced carries to travers, along with sempiternal, sandy lairs to avoid. Barefoot Fazio is quite similar. If you’re not faced with a forced carry, you’ll certainly contend with a fairway border or greenside necklace of sand. When you reach the 13th tee, you’ll face a drive into a fairway, and you might see a distant green, with a notable absence: flagstick. The 13th is the icing on the homage cake, a callout of the 8th hole at Pine Valley. Numero Ocho at the OG has two greens, side by side, and they change the manner in which the hole plays (so they say.) At Barefoot Fazio, the right-side green is a traditional approach, with an unimpeded run of fairway to putting surface. The left-side green (the one that I was fortunate to play) demands a pitch shot over a wasteland. It’s a fitting tribute for the rest of us to play.

Be certain to parrot the starter, Leon’s, advice, and play up a deck of tees. Barefoot Fazio offers five par-three holes, so the fours and fives play that much longer. Remember, too, that you are on vacation. Why not treat yourself to some birdie looks?

Pawley’s Plantation

The Jack Nicklaus course at Pawley’s Plantation emerged from a period of hibernation in 2024. The greens were torn up and their original contours were restored. Work was overseen by Troy Vincent, a member of the Nicklaus Architecture team. In addition, the putting corridors were reseeded with a hardier, dwarf bermuda that has experienced great success, all along the Grand Strand that is Myrtle Beach.

My visit allowed me to see the inward half first, and I understand why the resort wishes to conclude your day on those holes. The front nine of Pawley’s Plantation works its way through familiar, low country trees and wetlands. The back nine begins in similar fashion, then makes its way east, toward the marsh that separates mainland from Pawley’s Island. Recalling the powerful sun of that Wednesday morning, any round beginning on the second nine would face collateral damage from the warming star. Much better to hit holes 11 to close when the sun is higher in the sky.

The marshland holes (12 through 17) are spectacular in their raw, unprotected nature. The winds off the Atlantic are unrelenting and unforgiving, and the twin, par-three holes will remain in your memory banks for time’s march. In typical Golden Bear fashion, a majority of his putting targets are smallish in nature, reflecting his appreciation for accurate approach shots. Be sure to find the forgiving side of each green, and err to that portion. You’ll be grateful.

Bonus Coverage: Myrtlewood, Beechwood, Arrowhead, and King’s North

Arrowhead (Raymond Floyd and Tom Jackson)

A course built in the middle of a community, water threatens on most every hole. The Cypress 9 provides a few holes forcing a carried drive then challenge you with water surrounding the green. On Waterway, a drivable 2nd hole will tempt most, so make sure the group ahead has cleared the green.

Myrtlewood (Edmund Alt and Arthur Hills) and Beechwood (Gene Hamm)

A middle of the winter New Englander’s paradise. Wide open fairways, zero blind shots and light rough allow for shaking off the rust and plenty of forgiveness. A plethora of dog legs cause one to be cautious with every tee shot. Won’t break the bank nor the scorecard.

King’s North @ Myrtle Beach National (Arnold Palmer)

A signature Arnold Palmer course, waste areas, island greens and daring tee shots. Highlighted by the 4th hole Par 5 Gambler hole, if you can hit the smaller fairway on the left you are rewarded with a short approach to get to the green in 2. The back 9 is highlighted by an island green par 3 and a finisher with over 40 bunkers spread throughout. A challenge for any golfer.
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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Players Championship betting preview: Pete Dye specialists ready to pass tough TPC Sawgrass test

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The PGA Tour heads to TPC Sawgrass to play in one of the most prestigious and important events of the season: THE PLAYERS Championship. Often referred to as the fifth major, the importance of a PLAYERS victory to the legacy of a golfer can’t be overlooked.

TPC Sawgrass is a par-72 measuring 7,245 yards and featuring Bermudagrass greens. Golfers must be patient in attacking this Pete Dye course.

With trouble lurking at every turn, the strokes can add up quickly. With a par-5 16th that is a true risk-reward hole and the famous par-3 17th island green, the only safe bet at TPC Sawgrass is a bet on an exciting finish.

THE PLAYERS Championship field is often referred to as the strongest field of the year — and with good reason. There are 144 in the field, including 43 of the world’s top 50 players in the OWGR. Tiger Woods will not be playing in the event.

THE PLAYERS is an exceptionally volatile event that has never seen a back-to-back winner.

Past Winners at TPC Sawgrass

  • 2023: Scottie Scheffler (-17)
  • 2022: Cameron Smith (-13)
  • 2021: Justin Thomas (-14)
  • 2019: Rory McIlroy (-16)
  • 2018: Webb Simpson (-18)
  • 2017: Si-Woo Kim (-10)
  • 2016: Jason Day (-15)
  • 2015: Rickie Fowler (-12)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). 

5 Key Stats for TPC Sawgrass

Let’s take a look at five metrics key for TPC Sawgrass to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach has historically been far and away the most important and predictive stat at THE PLAYERS Championship. With water everywhere, golfers can’t afford to be wild with their iron shots. Not only is it essential to avoid the water, but it will also be as important to go after pins and make birdies because scores can get relatively low.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Tom Hoge (+1.37) 
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.20)
  3. Tony Finau (+0.99)
  4. Jake Knapp (+0.83)
  5. Shane Lowry (+0.80)

2. Total Driving

This statistic is perfect for TPC Sawgrass. Historically, driving distance hasn’t been a major factor, but since the date switch to March, it’s a bit more significant. During this time of year, the ball won’t carry quite as far, and the runout is also shorter.

Driving accuracy is also crucial due to all of the trouble golfers can get into off of the tee. Therefore, players who are gaining on the field with Total Driving will put themselves in an ideal spot this week.

Total Driving Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Rory McIlroy (22)
  2. Akshay Bhatia (25)
  3. Keith Mitchell (25) 
  4. Adam Hadwin (34)
  5. Sam Burns (+39)

3. Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

TPC Sawgrass may be Pete Dye’s most famous design, and for good reason. The course features Dye’s typical shaved runoff areas and tricky green complexes.  Pete Dye specialists love TPC Sawgrass and should have a major advantage this week.

SG: Total (Pete Dye) per round over past 36 rounds:

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+2.02)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.90)
  3. Min Woo Lee (+1.77) 
  4. Sungjae Im (+1.72)
  5. Brian Harman (+1.62) 

4. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Prototypical ball-strikers have dominated TPC Sawgrass. With past winners like Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, it’s evident that golfers must be striking it pure to contend at THE PLAYERS.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+2.02)
  2. Tony Finau (+1.51)
  3. Tom Hoge (+1.48)
  4. Keith Mitchell (+1.38)
  5. Will Zalatoris (+1.18)

5. Par 5 Average

Par-5 average is extremely important at TPC Sawgrass. With all four of the Par-5s under 575 yards, and three of them under 540 yards, a good amount of the scoring needs to come from these holes collectively.

Par 5 Average Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Scottie Schefler (+4.31)
  2. Erik Van Rooyen (+4.35)
  3. Doug Ghim (+4.34)
  4. Wyndham Clark (+4.34)
  5. Matt Fitzpatrick (+4.31)

6. Strokes Gained: Florida

We’ve used this statistic over the past few weeks, and I’d like to incorporate some players who do well in Florida into this week’s model as well. 

Strokes Gained: Florida over past 30 rounds:

  1. Scottie Schefler (+2.43)
  2. Erik Van Rooyen (+1.78)
  3. Doug Ghim (+1.78)
  4. Wyndham Clark (+1.73)
  5. Matt Fitzpatrick (+1.69)

7. Strokes Gained: Total on Courses with High Water Danger

With water everywhere at TPC Sawgrass, the blow-up potential is high. It can’t hurt to factor in some players who’ve avoided the “eject” button most often in the past. 

Strokes Gained: Total on Courses with High Water Danger over past 30 rounds:

  1. Scottie Schefler (+2.08)
  2. Rory McIlroy (+1.82)
  3. Tony Finau (+1.62)
  4. Patrick Cantlay (+1.51)
  5. Will Zalatoris (+1.49)

THE PLAYERS Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), Total Driving (20%), SG: Total Pete Dye (14%), SG: Ball-striking (15%) SG: Par 5 (8%), SG: Florida (10%) and SG: High Water (8%).

  1. Scottie Scheffler 
  2. Shane Lowry 
  3. Tony Finau 
  4. Corey Conners
  5. Keith Mitchell
  6. Justin Thomas
  7. Will Zalatoris
  8. Xander Schauffele
  9. Cameron Young
  10. Doug Ghim
  11. Sam Burns 
  12. Chris Kirk
  13. Collin Morikawa
  14. Si Woo Kim
  15. Wyndham Clark

2024 THE PLAYERS Championship Picks

(All odds at the time of writing)

Patrick Cantlay +2500 (DraftKings):

Patrick Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship but is undoubtedly one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour. Since the win at Wilmington Country Club, the 31-year-old has twelve top-10 finishes on Tour and is starting to round into form for the 2024 season.

Cantlay has done well in the most recent “signature” events this season, finishing 4th at Riviera for the Genesis Invitational and 12th at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The former Tour Championship winner resides in Jupiter, Florida and has played some good golf in the state, including finishing in a tie for 4th at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. His history at TPC Sawgrass has been up and down, but his best career start at The PLAYERS came last year when he finished in a tie for 19th.

Cantlay absolutely loves Pete Dye designed courses and ranks 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Dye tracks in his past 36 rounds. In recent years, he’s been excellent at both the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship. TPC Sawgrass is a place where players will have to be dialed in with their irons and distance off the tee won’t be quite as important. In his past 24, rounds, Cantlay ranks in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.

Despite being winless in recent years, I still believe Cantlay is capable of winning big tournaments. As one of the only United States players to bring their best game to Marco Simone for the Ryder Cup, I have conviction that the former top amateur in the world can deliver when stakes are high.

Will Zalatoris +3000 (FanDuel):

In order to win at TPC Sawgrass, players will need to be in total control of their golf ball. At the moment, Will Zalatoris is hitting it as well as almost anyone and finally has the putter cooperating with his new switch to the broomstick style.

Zalatoris is coming off back-to-back starts where he absolutely striped the ball. He finished 2nd at the Genesis Invitational and 4th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational where his statistics were eye opening. For the week at Bay Hill, Zal gained 5.0 strokes on approach and 5.44 strokes off the tee.

Throughout the early part of his career, Zalatoris has established himself by playing his best golf in the strongest fields with the most difficult conditions. A tough test will allow him to separate himself this week and breakthrough for a PLAYERS Championship victory.

Shane Lowry +4000 (DraftKings):

History has shown us that players need to be in good form to win the PLAYERS Championship and it’s hard to find anyone not named Scottie Scheffler who’s in better form that Shane Lowry at the moment. He finished T4 at the Cognizant Classic followed by a solo third place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The fact that the Irishman contended at Bay Hill is a great sign considering he’s really struggled there throughout his career. He will now head to a different style of course in Florida where he’s had a good deal of success. He finished 8th at TPC Sawgrass in 2021 and 13th in 2022. 

Lowry ranks 6th in the field in approach in his past 24 rounds, 7th in Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye designed courses in his last 30 rounds, 8th in par 5 scoring this season, and 4th in Strokes Gained: Total in Florida over his past 36 rounds.

Lowry is a player who’s capable of winning big events. He’s a major champion and won another premier event at Wentworth as well as a WGC at Firestone. He’s also a form player, when he wins it’s typically when he’s contended in recent starts. He’s been terrific thus far in Florida and he should get into contention once again this week.

Brian Harman +8000 (DraftKings):

(Note: Since writing this Harman’s odds have plummeted to 50-1. I would not advise betting the 50).

Brian Harman showed us last season that if the course isn’t extremely long, he has the accuracy both off the tee and with his irons to compete with anyone in the world. Last week at Bay Hill and was third in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.54 strokes on the field in the category.

In addition to the strong iron play, Harman also gained strokes off the tee in three of four rounds. He’s also had success at Pete Dye tracks recently. He finished 2nd at last year’s Travelers Championship and 7th at the RBC Heritage.

It would be a magnificent feat for Harman to win both the Open Championship and PLAYERS in a short time frame, but the reality is the PGA Tour isn’t quite as strong as it once was. Harman is a player who shows up for the biggest events and his odds seem way too long for his recent track record.

Tony Finau +6500 (FanDuel):

A few weeks ago, at the Genesis Invitational, I bet Hideki Matsuyama because I believed it to be a “bet the number” play at 80-1. I feel similarly about Finau this week. While he’s not having the season many people expected of him, he is playing better than these odds would indicate.

This season, Tony has a tied for 6th place finish at Torrey Pines, a tied for 19th at Riviera and tied for 13th at the Mexico Open. He’s also hitting the ball extremely well. In the field in his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Par 5 average and 15th in Total Driving.

Finau’s problem has been with the putter, which has been undeniably horrific. However, this week he will see a putting surface similar to the POA at TPC Scottsdale and PGA West, which he’s had a great deal of success on. It’s worth taking a stab at this price to see if he can have a mediocre week with the flat stick.

Sungjae Im +9000 (FanDuel):

It’s been a lackluster eighteen months for Sungjae, who once appeared to be a certain star. While his ceiling is absolutely still there, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Im play the type of golf expected of a player with his talent.

Despite the obvious concerns, the South Korean showed glimpses of a return to form last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He tied for 18th place and gained strokes off the tee, on approach, around the green and with the putter. When at his best, Im is a perfect course fit for TPC Sawgrass. He has remarkable precision off the tee, can get dialed in with his irons on shorter courses and can get up and down with the best players on Tour.

This number has gotten to the point where I feel comfortable taking a shot on it.

Billy Horschel +20000 (FanDuel):

Billy Horschel is a great fit on paper for TPC Sawgrass. He can get dialed in with his irons and his lack of distance off the tee won’t be a major detriment at the course. “Bermuda Billy” does his best work putting on Bermudagrass greens and he appears to be rounding into form just in time to compete at The PLAYERS.

In his most recent start, Billy finished in a tie for 9th at the Cognizant Classic and hit the ball extremely well. The former Florida Gator gained 3.32 strokes on approach and 2.04 strokes off the tee. If Horschel brings that type of ball striking to TPC Sawgrass, he has the type of putter who can win a golf tournament.

Horschel has been great on Pete Dye designed courses, with four of his seven career PGA Tour wins coming on Dye tracks.

In a season that has seen multiple long shots win big events, the 37-year-old is worth a stab considering his knack for playing in Florida and winning big events.

 

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