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My journey to swing like Ben Hogan

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Ben Hogan humbly said in an interview that he wanted to give back to the game much more than he subtracted, and he left behind two books: Power Golf and Five Lessons.

When I think about what Mr. Hogan left behind, I’m reminded of the Greek myth about Theseus who entered the labyrinth to slay the Minotaur. Theseus faced a second challenge that was just as daunting: How would he find his way out of the maze if he succeeded in slaying the Minotaur? Well, it turns out all he needed was a spool of thread. He tied the thread to the entrance of the maze and unspooled it as he ventured into the darkness. Thus, he was able to accomplish his goal, and eventually find his way out of the labyrinth. Like Theseus in the labyrinth, Ben Hogan left us these books to help us on our way. All we have to do is follow the thread of the hero path.

As I look back over the past few years, I have to laugh because I’ve never been as good at golf as I wanted to be. I’m sure many people could say the same thing. I started playing when I was 8 years old, and today I’m 47. I was willing to work on my game and I spent a lot of money on clubs and lessons, but I did not get better. My average score was in the high 80s. I often shot in the 90s, and I sometimes shot in the 100s. The worst score I can recall was 126.

Then one fine day, I was in the checkout line at a golf store and saw Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons on a rack by the cash register. I bought that book, and it changed my life. Around the same time, I got a Flip video camera and I saw my swing for the first time in decades. Well, suffice to say, I didn’t look like Ben Hogan. I realized I needed to improve my swing, and Mr. Hogan’s books gave me a path to follow. Over the course of the next five years, I would undertake the challenge of trying learn how to swing like Ben Hogan. Along the way I started a YouTube channel, and began rebuilding my swing and sharing my work with the world. Today, I have more than 9 million views on my channel and I can even shoot under par.

Taking on the challenge of trying to rebuild my golf swing in the manner of Ben Hogan probably sounds a little crazy. At first, it seemed like a preposterous goal. I had been a martial arts champion and professional ballet dancer in my past, however, and it was by studying Bruce Lee and Mikhail Baryshnikov that I was able to achieve a respectable level of mastery in each of those fields of study. So, I thought “How hard can it be?” Well, it was the most complicated of all of my pursuits due to the counter-intuitive nature of the golf swing.

It didn’t take long before I could make golf swings that bore some of the hallmarks of the Hogan golf swing. The first year, I flattened my backswing plane and I learned to use my body well enough to create a good amount of lag. My scores quickly improved and I achieved my initial goal of being able to break 80. In fact, I did it 14 times that first year! To be honest, that was all I wanted from my game at the time. I just wanted to be able to shoot in the 70s, and not feel like a buffoon when I stood on the first tee box. But the goal of mastering the Ben Hogan golf swing began to fester in the back of my mind, and being in my mid-40s, it seemed like an age-appropriate pursuit since my days of combat and theater were far behind me.

After some initial successes, the greatest challenge I faced moving forward in regards to learning how to swing like Mr. Hogan was how to use my lower body correctly. Years of playing the game with my weight too far forward had caused me to develop some bad habits that seemed impossible to break. I’m right handed, and as soon as I started my downswing, my right heel would immediately pop off of the ground. This led to early extension of my hips and my spine angle would rise through impact. These are common maladies in the world of golf, and it took me years before I could get “over the hump.” Mr. Hogan said many times that what really separates world-class players from everyone else is the use of the lower body.

I would spend years trying to overcome my early extension, and sometimes I convinced myself that it was just how my body worked. But then I learned about a teacher named Gregg McHatton in my area. I began taking lessons with Gregg, who was known for being an expert on Ben Hogan’s swing. Once I arrived, Gregg pointed out something that many folks on YouTube had also noticed. He told me I resembled Mr. Hogan until just before I released the club head. At that point, I would lose my angles and I looked like an average Joe. The truth is my swing was really just a poor imitation of Mr. Hogan at that point. I had to tackle my impact and release.

bad-hogan-swing

Gregg first helped me to understand what a proper impact position actually looked like. The first time he asked me to demonstrate what I thought the impact position should be, I was flummoxed. I didn’t really know. He wanted me to keep more flex in my knees through impact, especially my front leg, with my hips open and forward shaft lean. Gregg has an interesting way of teaching. It seems to me that he prefers not spilling his guts about everything right away, but he rather enjoys leading students down a pathway that causes them to have their own epiphanies. At least that was the case with me.

Gregg and I enjoyed a number of conversations about Ben Hogan and baseball, and I like to practice swinging a bat to feel my hips leading on the downswing. I’ve always had a tendency to overpower the golf club with my hands and arms, but the weight of a bat makes this harder to do. But it was after I took a look at pitching that helped me to really understand how to use my feet and legs better. Once I started to imagine feeling my back foot against the rubber, I realized how inefficient it was to allow my right heel to pop off of the ground. I knew I needed to use my leverage against the ground. This caused my lower body to work in a much more efficient manner, and also helped to deepen my hips and to stop me from early extending. By mimicking a sidearm/underhand throwing motion like Mr. Hogan showed in his book, I really started to feel how the swing builds from the ground up. Today, I have a consistent move that allows me hit the ball farther than I ever have before and my consistency has vastly improved.

staying-planted

We all know there is only one Ben Hogan, and his swing was one of a kind. Mr. Hogan was so modest he didn’t even believe his swing was the perfect swing to copy. But he did say the ultimate judge of the golf swing is the ball itself. I do not believe I will ever perfectly match Mr. Hogan’s swing, but I have received so much enjoyment just from the pursuit, not to mention the benefit from my tremendously improved golf game. I certainly hope to keep improving at this wonderful game, but judging from my ball flight I can say that I made it much farther along than I ever thought possible.

I’ve slain the Minotaur and lived to tell the tale.

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After playing average golf for more than 30 years, Christo Garcia began working on Ben Hogan's 5 Lessons and learned to break par. Along the way, he picked up millions of YouTube followers and tens of thousands of subscribers.

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  29. surewin73

    Jun 8, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    I can’t believe how much negativity is being displayed over some communicating their golf swing change using his translation of Ben Hogan’s thoughts from his books.

    If you don’t like his thoughts, don’t read his articles, view his YouTube channel or buy his DVD.

    People (internet trolls) are just sad nowadays.

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  31. Lord Vader

    Jun 8, 2016 at 11:38 am

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    • Dana

      Jun 8, 2016 at 7:54 pm

      It’s really sad that you have to air our dirty laundry on the internet. I will send you the $40 for the sweatshirt, but please please let me back in the program! I need to learn to CP from elbow plane with a pitch elbow. That guy Gankis is stealing all of my students!

      • lord vader

        Jun 9, 2016 at 1:08 am

        You clown, what use is a CP pattern for you? All you do is get steep and swing left and gas bag on about MORAD CP being wipey with too much ball spin.
        News flash dude, you have LOFT issues and can’t shift out whilst getting on the elbow plane early enough or is that being captain obvious!

        • Dana

          Jun 9, 2016 at 1:14 pm

          Maybe you should film yourself hitting another 120-yard 7 iron?

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            How short would you like my shorts to be? I know you love my hairy legs…..

  32. Cary Schoen

    Jun 7, 2016 at 10:28 am

    I think a match between Scheinbloom, Iteachsnooker and Cristo would settle the issue.
    3 snake oil salesmen ferreting around in the scrub on every hole looking for their balls!

    • Slicefixer

      Jun 7, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      Hey dude, I could take them all. Their best ball versus my worst ball and it will be obvious who the real Hogan guru is.
      And throw that other clown Mike Maves into the ring, I will have him for dessert.

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        Jun 8, 2016 at 12:02 pm

        DUDE YOU STOLE MY ORIGINAL MORAD INFO ALONG WITH THAT PENCIL NECK JOHN F ERICKSON.
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  33. Tim

    Jun 5, 2016 at 11:37 pm

    No one is ever going to look just like Hogan. Using Hogan’s principles to create a Hogan ball flight is what it’s all about. I’m very impressed by the progress Cristo made by focusing on Hogan, and his ball flight speaks for itself. So only listen to or buy from Cristo if you want his ball flight. What’s more important to you anyway, how his swing looks, his pga status, or the ball flight?

    • Monte Sheinbum

      Jun 6, 2016 at 8:36 am

      Like the duck hooks and block cuts into the trees every other hole when he played with the other hack Devore?

      • Christo Garcia

        Jun 6, 2016 at 9:38 am

        Generally, I don’t respond to baseless criticisms like this but I will in this case because it is a “teaching moment.” Out of hundreds of videos on YouTube that show me working very hard to improve my game to the point that I have now shot 2 under on 18 holes twice, all you can focus on is a poor round I had while I was going through the most recent swing changes. These changes I made are what gave me the greatest breakthroughs of my journey, in fact I have not gone through any major changes in 2016. If someone wants to overhaul their swing, you will have to face the fact that you might be taking a few steps backwards at times. During my years studying Judo and Jui-Jitsu at the Florida School of Judo under Black Belt Hall of Fame member, Ed Maley, I was only submitted 4 times out of hundreds of sparring matches. Yet, those 4 losses were the most important. You do not learn anything new if you are not pushed to the limit. I can tell by your hater attitude that you are unaccomplished, not only in golf but in life as evidenced by your personal attacks on myself and my friend who I played against. This accomplishes nothing for you except give you a brief moment of satisfaction while you try and hide from your painful and obvious inadequacies. Please, let me know where I can find your body of work on the game of golf if I am incorrect. I’m sure your fragile ego will have to respond with some sort of personal retort against me. I don’t know you, so why do I care? I care about golf, and my friends – not you. So, the test will be if you can read this response to your flippant insult against me and another fast growing YouTube star (Be Better Golf), who is willing to share his game warts and all with the public in the hopes of helping other golfers get better. If you can read this and let it sink in without lashing out, I’ll be slightly impressed. If you can’t, I’ll be laughing very hard at you while feeling very sorry for what you have live with when you look in the mirror.

        • Monte Sheinbum

          Jun 7, 2016 at 8:12 am

          All I saw was 2 separate 9 hole matches where neither of you broke 45 on short goat tracks. I doubt whether you’d break 100 on a tour set up course so why would anyone want your ball flight?

          • Christo Garcia

            Jun 7, 2016 at 2:23 pm

            Haha! Just as I thought. You’ve spammed my article with numerous negative posts and you don’t know a thing about my channel or my game. What a nice life. BTW – where can I see your swing or your work in the game of golf, Hotshot?

            • TCJ

              Jun 14, 2016 at 11:33 am

              So, your “body” of work consists of “studying” a book by a true legend of golf, and now conveying those techniques as some evolution of your design in exchange for money? Some might call that plagiarism…

            • Nohacks

              Feb 18, 2019 at 3:04 pm

              Lol what a hack, stay away with your cringe buddy Brendan

        • hater

          Jun 8, 2016 at 2:14 am

          ” I was only submitted 4 times out of hundreds of sparring matches. Yet, those 4 losses were the most important. Yet, those 4 losses were the most important.”

          That is true so you should be tapping out every single class. If you aren’t tapping you either have too much ego and shitty training partners or in a shitty environment with meat heads you don’t trust. If you are owning your training partners, take the opportunity to try some more advanced techniques. There are things that will get you tapped out during your first 20 attempts before you finally get it. If you are afraid to fail, you will never get to the 21st time when you nail it. You also need to put yourself in near-submission situations to practice escapes and learn how close to the edge you can go. If you only tapped 4 times, you missed out on a lot of jiujitsu.

          • Christo Garcia

            Jun 9, 2016 at 6:32 pm

            In the mid-90’s that was the best competition in town. Today, when I train with Eddie Bravo I tap all the time because the talent there is stellar. Also, golf is my focus now.

        • surewin73

          Jun 8, 2016 at 2:01 pm

          Keep doing what you are doing, Cristo.

      • Tim

        Jun 6, 2016 at 2:28 pm

        No, like the ones that start at 0:45 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De7QvPIpQDI

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  35. Ray Bennett

    Jun 4, 2016 at 11:44 pm

    The only thing I got out of Five Lessons was confusion. Some of the swing fundamentals that Hogan described in his book were not what he did. Examples are his grip and setup. His grip was much weaker than the book. He didn’t externally rotate his shoulders as in the book but had his left elbow at the target and his right shoulder rotated inwards (giving him freedom to externally rotate it during the backswing). Before Hogan, swing plane wasn’t an issue. His comments on plane are very confusing, especially when it is subjected to 3D analysis. It does raise the issue of who wrote the book – Hogan or Wind? Did Hogan leave notes for Wind to put into words and Wind placed his own perceptions of what he thought Hogan meant. Doing doesn’t necessarily mean knowing how we do automatic/habitual movements. Tiger is a perfect example.

    My advice is to forget copying Hogan’s swing because he never revealed the hidden movements that made his swing unique. Looking at your swing – you are not even close to Hogan because you are copying this movements you can see, not the movements that he was conscious of making that caused the macro movements.

    • Tl

      Jun 5, 2016 at 2:54 am

      This guy Christo doesn’t care about any of that stuff. He just wants to get famous and make a quick buck from sheep that will pay him to reveal what he’s done on DVDs he’s selling. Don’t take him seriously.

      • Dan Plan

        Jun 5, 2016 at 5:08 pm

        Hmmmm.Sounds like he will have tons in common with all other online instructors than

  36. Dan Iteach Golf

    Jun 2, 2016 at 6:11 pm

    I wear my DC engraved belt buckle for a reason bucko.Ever been slapped by a 4 foot 8 midget in the solar plexes?Keep up this Hogan stuff and I will midget slap you

  37. Monte Sheinbum

    Jun 2, 2016 at 2:01 pm

    Cristo how come you are humping a goat mid downswing? Look at the peak of the cap in reference to the background and your spine is losing its inclination relative to the ground. Hogan didn’t do that.

    • Christo Garcia

      Jun 2, 2016 at 11:10 pm

      If you will notice in frame 1 my cap is 2-3 inches above the background pole. In frame 2 you will notice my cap has compressed down to meet the pole so I am increasing my spine angle without losing my hip depth.

      • Monte Sheinbum

        Jun 3, 2016 at 2:49 am

        I noticed that but just because you are lowering doesn’t mean it’s from the spine angle increasing or adding inclination, your lowering is coming from below your spine whilst your spine is losing inclination.
        That’s a long ways from what Hogan did.

        • Hater

          Jun 3, 2016 at 6:12 pm

          Wow, another fake Monte. I now see why Christo deletes the negative comments from his videos. I thought he was being a baby but this is ridiculous.

          • Monte Sheinbum

            Jun 4, 2016 at 8:19 am

            This Monte knows more though, isn’t that obvious or are you blind like Cristo and can’t see the peak of the cap reversing away from the ball and losing his spine inclination!

  38. John

    Jun 1, 2016 at 3:46 pm

    FWIW… From me, personally, I’m not sending any hate. Maybe others are but I want to be clear that my comments are simply about whether Christo’s swing is like Hogan’s and whether I think he has the ability to teach it to others. I’m not riled up and have no hateful intentions. But I think that if he’s going to claim he learned to swing like Hogan (again, it’s a title he used, not my words) and claim that he can teach others to do the same (again, that’s what his web site says, not my words) I think it’s fair if someone points out to the people looking for advice where he’s mistaken before they spend their money. No hate intended. He said that people don’t know anything about his work and, since I have seen his work, it should be expected that I might give my opinion. In fact, until he got personally snide with me, I had said that I would enjoy this conversation with him over a pint in a very friendly way. He said he enjoys a healthy debate but hasn’t really brought a healthy debate to the conversation yet. He hasn’t offered up a counter-point to my assertion that he doesn’t swing like Hogan. And he hasn’t refuted my claim of his inability to teach with any evidence other than to say that he has a lot of followers. I’m trying to be professional and respectful, very open to a “healthy debate” and definitely not getting riled up with any hate.

    • John

      Jun 1, 2016 at 6:07 pm

      Interesting. In fact, I’ve even defended him in a few comments when I thought he was wrongfully attacked/accused. But, alright. If it comes across that way, I’ll make a note of it.

      • John

        Jun 1, 2016 at 10:05 pm

        Again, I haven’t bashed him. I’m indifferent to him, personally, and just pointing out objectively what I see.

        • John

          Jun 2, 2016 at 3:37 pm

          Uhh….Ya. You’re contributions to this discussion have added a lot of value. Thanks.

  39. BL

    Jun 1, 2016 at 1:50 pm

    The enhanced ball-striking sound effect on the before and after video are overly excessive.

    Swing looks nice though.

  40. Johnny

    Jun 1, 2016 at 7:10 am

    Cristo how many strokes would it take you to get around the course in a US OPEN? More or less than a 100?
    I don’t see a single aspect in your swing that resembles Ben Hogan, wait yeah that hat but it looked way better on Hogan’s head as he was a good looking man with blue eyes!

    • Carl

      Jun 1, 2016 at 10:58 am

      You know Ben Hogan did a screen test in Hollywood back in the day but I get the picture.
      Hogan is like Han Solo and Cristo is Jabba the Hutt in golf swing and looks!

  41. oikos1

    Jun 1, 2016 at 12:06 am

    Hey Christo, remember that one time on the range not so long ago when you were swinging like a hack and “Dave” came along to give you a “few pointers”, since the last time he saw you, and much of it rooted in his love of Nicklaus. How much of that have you incorporated into the “Hogan Code”?

    • Christo Garcia

      Jun 1, 2016 at 12:24 am

      Dave was a Class A PGA teaching pro in Florida and he played on the mini tours as well. He really taught me some interesting things about leverage and helping people fix multiple problems without overloading their mind with too many swing thoughts. He’s as crazy about Nicklaus as I am about Ben Hogan, but Dave actually got to work with Jack on the range a few times. He said Jack hit it farther than anyone back in the day. Very cool!

      • oikos1

        Jun 1, 2016 at 3:24 pm

        Thanks for the reply. What I’m asking is it appeared that you had lost something in your swing yet you make the claim of the “Hogan Code” and how you learned to swing like Ben Hogan, even asking for money to fund a book, so it seemed odd that you would go to a Nicklaus guy to find a fix. Are you mixing and matching methods?

        • Christo Garcia

          Jun 1, 2016 at 9:25 pm

          What happened was I was working on my Hogan swing, and Dave was getting off of work and wanted to watch me hit. He had some suggestions and he’s such a great character I filmed it because I thought it’d be a good video.

          • oikos1

            Jun 2, 2016 at 11:38 pm

            Good video? It’s great video! From what I gather, the people want more “Dave”.

  42. Leon

    May 31, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Lots of mixed comments. Sure you guys don’t mind my 2 cents:

    For all the videos, books and information from Mr. Garcia, whether you like them or not, they are commercial products from Mr. Garcia. It’s your decision to buy them or not. But just like Mr. Hogan said: “Dig it out of dirt”. There is no secret, no technical short path, or any holy grail that can help you play better in a short period. The only way is the 10000 hours rule that requires you to keep practicing, keep thinking, keep educating, keep experimenting and keep playing. You will get better for sure. Nothing else applies.

    For the fort worth hogan irons, I have played all of them, the performance and quality are just as good as any brand on the market. The feel is ok (their blade feels a tough firm), but nothing special. The old hogan blade irons feel more pure and soft. Again, everyone has different swing and personal preference, you need to try different equipment head and shaft combination to get the sweet gear that makes you smile

    • Wit

      May 31, 2016 at 7:45 pm

      Yeah, like somebody said, this fake dude is trying to make a quick buck with somebody else’s ideas.

  43. Titleistfann

    May 31, 2016 at 9:36 am

    Good for you Christo- we all want to improve and find ‘the secret for OUR OWN swing’

    Simple is best I believe and emulating Hogan is fantastic, I’m chasing anything right now so will also look at the Hogan book based on this.

    Hogan said he wanted to give back more than he subtracted, a fantastic sentiment.

    As you are emulating him in looks and style maybe you could do similar in a smaller way, for example stating what ‘secret’ you took from his teachings as it could be very subjective with each reader possibly?

    To go from a max handidap player to breaking par is wonderful and I applaud you. What’s your handidap now if you dont mind me asking?

    • John

      May 31, 2016 at 4:09 pm

      I know you asked Christo but I thought I’d just say that I don’t believe he’s ever claimed to know the great secret. I saw another comment in here about “the secret” but in my viewing of his videos, I don’t recall him ever saying he knew what it was. He’s been studying Hogan’s swing and working on emulating it but I don’t believe he would even try to imply that he knows Hogan’s “secret”.

      BTW… From what I understand, the only reference Hogan made to any secret was much later in his life when he said that the thing he never shared with anyone was that he wanted to feel his left wrist cupped at the top of his back swing. And since he said it, I guess it’s no longer a secret. I’m no Hogan historian so maybe there’s another reference since that time that he made to some other secret that people are referring to??

      • Brian

        Jun 1, 2016 at 3:11 am

        I believe you are correct, the left wrist cup or “little twist” at the top of his backswing. Tom Bertrand explains and demonstrates this in his video
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPW8g63DdYM
        I learned to flatten my L wrist at the top of the swing to open the face and counteract a draw or hook – it is something similar to Hogan’s little twist, and I wonder if this was Hogan’s way of countering a draw which he hated.

  44. Peteholly

    May 31, 2016 at 2:04 am

    Is Christo doing anything to harm the legacy of Mr Hogan? I think not. In many ways he is introducing a lot of kids on You Tube to the great man. For that Mr Garcia deserves a pat on the back.

    • Ezra

      May 31, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      So true!

    • Wit

      May 31, 2016 at 7:47 pm

      He shouldn’t sell the ideas that aren’t his. All of his videos and stuff should be given out for free. That’s the problem.

      • Cornfused...

        Jun 1, 2016 at 11:20 am

        So a guy works hours and hours to uncover what he feels is a set of keys to swing better, spends his time working on those skills and then works to put all of that on film, and he should do all of this free of charge? First of all, he is not saying that he is even giving you Hogans swings, he is taking Hogan as a swing model and formulating a technique and teaching based on it. By this logic at least 75% of the coaching professionals in the world shouldn’t be charging people for their time to teach them the swing. Him trying to make a little money off of a lot of hours of hard work isn’t mean spirited or evil. His DVD is like 30 bucks, that might be the cheapest instructional DVD I’ve seen. And the BIG kicker? You don’t have to buy it.

        These are his ideas he’s formed from hours of working with Hogan as a model. The problem here isn’t him monetizing it. The problem is overly entitled jerks like you trying to bring a guy down for his hard work. Get over yourself, for the sake of everyone here.

        • Wg

          Jun 2, 2016 at 2:32 am

          ” The problem here isn’t him monetizing it.”
          Er, yes it is. He’s not a PGA Professional, and has no license to teach and to take money off people for just some random personal experience he felt pounding balls in a way he felt that sort of was based on somebody else’s swing by recording it. That’s just as sick as some kid showing you how to spin hoolahoops in his backyard and asking you to pay him for the trick to do it his way.
          “Get over yourself, for the sake of everyone here.”
          Look in the mirror.

          • surewin73

            Jun 8, 2016 at 1:54 pm

            Being a PGA Pro or USGTF Pro should not be a the only qualification to teach someone about golf. I know plenty of certified pros who suck and many non-certified individuals are excellent teachers.

            Most PGA teaching pros don’t even teach but run the golf shop at their facilities.

  45. oikos1

    May 30, 2016 at 11:18 pm

    We know what Christo is doing. I’m most disappointed with the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company and Terry Khoehler. Here they are reviving the Hogan name and they put Christo as the front man. Pathetic. I still play Eidolon and Scor wedges but I will never touch the Fort Worth irons. Disgusting sell out and poor decision making at the top. What were you guys thinking?

    • BoJangles

      May 31, 2016 at 12:52 am

      Dont listen to this guy, I had a great experience with the new Ben Hogan Company and their clubs. They are a great group of guys that treat the customer great and the clubs are worth every penny!

      • oikos1

        May 31, 2016 at 1:01 am

        I had a great experience with Eidolon and Scor. You missed the point entirely.

    • Ezra

      May 31, 2016 at 12:07 pm

      Well, Christo has a lovely swing! And for me, golf is all about pleasure and style. And it should be the same for every amateur player.

  46. Monte Scheinblumh

    May 30, 2016 at 9:44 pm

    I say leave Christo alone.Blame fakes and phonies like Dan Iteach golf.That idiot doesn’t know what is up or down.Buffoon to the highest degree

    • Christo Garcia

      May 31, 2016 at 1:57 am

      Thanks, Monte. I’m not sure if you’ve heard it but I’m a subscriber, student, and great fan of yours.

      • Rex

        May 31, 2016 at 6:48 pm

        I’ll bet my savings account there’s no way in he’ll that was Monte!

    • Tbone

      Jun 1, 2016 at 12:24 pm

      Clearly not Monte. This post should be deleted by the mods. What a tool.

    • Monte Sheinbum

      Jun 1, 2016 at 1:35 pm

      What a muppet!

  47. BoJangles

    May 30, 2016 at 1:57 pm

    Thanks Christo for sharing. I know you understand all the haters are just idiots behind a keyboard.

  48. Matt

    May 30, 2016 at 12:27 pm

    Can’t believe all the criticism. He’s found a way to improve his game, have more fun, and he’s trying to help people do the same. Good on him. So many people forget that the game is meant to be enjoyed.

    • Hater

      May 30, 2016 at 4:13 pm

      Are people criticizing him for trying to improve his game or trying to help people? No they are criticizing him for becoming another golf swing snake oil salesmen. Watch any recent video – its not about him getting better or helping anyone. It just an infomercial for his videos and clinics. I wouldn’t “hate” on him for asking for donations on his quest to get better but he has found the answer and will now sell it to you. There are enough false prophets out there with far better credentials than him. Make money if you can but don’t turn into the golf world’s equivalent of Kevin Trudeau in the process.

      • Faker

        May 30, 2016 at 4:17 pm

        Exactly. Just trying to sell Hogan’s idea without actually being Hogan. Why do we need this Christo guy? He should be offering his ideas for free, since they aren’t his. He’s just another wannabe faker Hollywood bloodsucker type preying on the poor golfers attempting to make money off of somebody else’s ideas and concepts. Horrible.

  49. Stretch

    May 30, 2016 at 11:34 am

    Kudos Christo. I have studied Hogan’s swing for years and when the secret that he said would be obvious when looking at his swing actually is. Steve Wozniak is spot on about Hogan leaving out the key that brought the rest of the book together. It is pretty simple to teach his swing even though each player’s bio mechanical structure will make it look different yet the same.

    • oikos1

      May 30, 2016 at 10:48 pm

      That’s hilarious. Simple to teach his swing. The book is titled “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf”. It was his thoughts interpreted and written by Herbert Warren Wind. Hogan built his swing from thousands of hours of practice. Good luck teaching that…

  50. Alex

    May 30, 2016 at 10:50 am

    Funny thing the haters. I always respect anyone that goes from hacker to build a golf swing to play good golf. Especially because it is a journey that lets you grasp the intricacies of the golf swing. And if you take Ben Hogan as a role model, that’s a really wise decision. I’m sure this guy can teach golf better than the average instructor. He’s been through it. I’ve seen some of your vids, but not in depth. I promise I’ll pop in. Congrats man.

  51. David

    May 30, 2016 at 9:22 am

    Ahhhhh good old golfwrx where everyone on here is on a scratch handicap. You guys make me laugh. Keep up the good work mate a great swing you have there f the haters.

  52. Eric

    May 30, 2016 at 2:07 am

    Why all the hate? People are people. If he’s enjoying his journey, good for him. You don’t have to hang out with him. You don’t have to take his lessons. If you don’t want to watch his videos. Trolling him is pretty lame.

  53. Alex Jackson

    May 29, 2016 at 8:17 pm

    Hogan’s “code” was his work ethic. His swing “code” would have been different if his body ended up growing to different proportions than it eventually did.

    I don’t like that you say you’ve understood and figured out his swing. You haven’t. Hogan thought Snead was a superior swinger, but lacked the ethic or killer instinct. Hogan was a genius, incomparable. He was much more than his swing, which he felt would crumble and decay if he didn’t practice incessantly every day.

    You can also bet Hogan’s swing would be different if he were playing today. He would have been forced to play a higher ball flight. I have no doubt he would have done this seamlessly, but it would have changed his swing.

    What I’m saying is, the golf swing is more than a singular model. I hope you learn this if you keep teaching golfers to play golf.

  54. Korean Slum Lord

    May 29, 2016 at 7:01 pm

    I think there should be a thread Christo v Haters. The haters should post a video of their swings to compare side by side with Christo. My swing is modeled after Tony Lema’s and not Hogan’s, so I don’t really care too much about his videos or blogs, but would love to see his Hogan style swing vs Haters Hogan swing.

    • John

      May 30, 2016 at 12:43 am

      Straw man. Nobody else here is saying that they can swing like Hogan, let alone a better Hogan swing. He’s the one saying he can swing like Hogan and can teach others the same. His YouTube videos have clearly demonstrated otherwise. What does anybody else’s swing have to do with this? Nothing. Like I said, if he’s going to make the claims he’s making, scrutiny should be expected and welcome.

  55. Christo Garcia

    May 29, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    I enjoy healthy debates about the golf swing and what I’ve discovered. However, some folks don’t believe a former hack like me could offer anything to the game. I would say they do not know anything about my work. Here’s a third party opinion of my video The Hogan Code.

    http://golfunfiltered.com/review-hogan-code-christo-garcia-2016-03-20

    • John

      May 29, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      A golf blogger with a double-digit handicap giving a review of your video doesn’t really tell us much. Personally, I’m not saying you don’t have anything to offer the game. But you are claiming to have learned Hogan’s “code” and now swing like him. You don’t. And you’re claiming you can teach it to others. You can’t. We’ve seen the videos you’ve made that demonstrate you don’t really know the swing well and we’ve seen the one you made attempting to teach a student. You got him in a worse impact position than where he started. Sharing your journey is great. Totally commendable and every entertaining! Nothing wrong with that at all. It’s when it’s more than sharing and when you’re making the claims you’re making about what you can teach people that you’ll get these “folks” chiming in for a “healthy debate”.

      • Christo Garcia

        May 29, 2016 at 4:01 pm

        First, Adam Fonseca has thousands of followers and has played golf for over 20 years. He has devoted his life to this great game and it’s unfair to discount his opinion because he may not be as good as yourself. Many of the most important voices in golf are not scratch golfers. I am just like Adam. The general offerings and tips did not help me, nor did formal instruction. I’m very happy I could help him.

        Second, I make it clear in the article that Mr. Hogan’s swing was “one of a kind.” I will never duplicate his swing but what I have focused on learning was how he leveraged the club. In doing so I have attracted correspondence from a number of pros on tours around the world. In addition, I am friends with Doug Sanders, Kris Tschetter, and Terry Koehler who all worked with Ben Hogan personally.

        Lastly, it is only your opinion that I cannot teach. And, I will venture to guess that you are a golfer teacher in some regard due to your vehement distaste for my opinions. That is fine and I’m happy you are passionate about the game. I am a TV and film producer so I do appreciate the comment that my videos are entertaining.

        Hit ’em long, and hit ’em straight!

        • John

          May 30, 2016 at 9:37 am

          My comment about the reviewer wasn’t intended to attack or insult him in any way. Stating a person’s handicap isn’t an insult – I have zero issue with anybody’s handicap – it’s a point of reference. You identified him as a way to establish credibility for what you’re offering and my point was simply that a double-digit handicap probably isn’t in the one others should be listening to when trying to decide who to learn golf from. Nothing derogatory intended at all. Just perspective.

          Also, everyone has seen your video of what you taught that kid, Jonah. As well as your videos with Dave. With Jonah you completely misunderstood what needed to be fixed in his swing and ended up putting him in a worse impact position than he already was. And with Dave, you both demonstrate in those videos the lack of knowledge you have about the mechanics of the golf swing. You clearly have spent a lot of time swinging the club and studying others (Hogan especially) but you proved in those conversations that you don’t really understand swing mechanics. So my opinion on whether you can teach isn’t just an assumption. It comes from watching you try.

          You say I have vehement distaste for your opinions. That’s absolutely not true. If we were sitting down over a pint, I’d be having this same conversation with you without any distaste at all – not from me, anyway – and it would be collegial and friendly. I have not personal issues with you and no distaste for you or your opinions. Like you said, you enjoy a healthy debate about the golf swing. So do I. And in a healthy debate, my point of view comes from the evidence that I have in front of me which, in this case, is all the videos you provide on your YouTube channel. If your comment about charging for the DVD’s was directed at me, it was off the mark. I never once said that you shouldn’t be able to do so. In fact, I said it’s commendable and entertaining so I have no idea why you even made that comment. I think you’re mistaking my disagreement with your abilities as a teaching professional with my opinion of you, personally. Don’t do that – they’re completely unrelated.

          • Christo Garcia

            May 31, 2016 at 11:53 am

            John, you disagree with me, with Golf Unfiltered, and now you insult my friend Dave, who was a Class A PGA Teaching Professional, and also a pro golfer in the 1970’s and 80’s. I guess we should all get out of the way and you rule the golf world. BTW – where can we follow your work? I’d love to see what you have contributed to this great game.

            • John

              May 31, 2016 at 3:20 pm

              Was that an insult to Dave? Saying that he demonstrated a lack of knowledge about the swing? If somebody told me the same thing, I don’t think I’d be insulted. Maybe because he’s a teaching professional, he finds the statement insulting. I suppose I can see that but I can’t apologize for him taking offense at it. I watched the video a couple of times and in it neither of you demonstrated a good knowledge of swing mechanics and you made contradictory statements about the swing. Also, my intent wasn’t to bring Dave into it but was to suggest that when you agreed with him in the video, it was more indication of your lack of knowledge of the swing. It really wasn’t intended to take a swipe at Dave but I can see how it did, indirectly.

              And I don’t disagree with Golf Unfiltered. I simply said that using his review of your video isn’t really providing sufficient credibility. He doesn’t have enough knowledge of the swing to be an authoritative voice about that aspect of your video (he’s probably right about it being a high-quality production based on your other videos which are all very well made and entertaining, but not about the swing). You’re completely misconstruing what I’m saying and taking it as an attack against you and your friends. It’s not. Read my words at face value, rather than adding anything personal to them. There’s nothing in between the lines. I’m simply talking about your abilities as a teaching professional.

              And the only place where I disagree with you is about that claim – that you can teach people to swing like Ben Hogan. I also don’t agree that you, yourself, can swing like him. I’ve watched your YouTube videos. And I guess there’s another thing you and I disagree about and that’s whether you improved Jonah’s swing. I assume you believe you have, since you put it up as an example. I think his impact position is actually worse. I’m not alone in that, by the way.

              Finally, why would I have to put up anything for you to follow? I haven’t once made any claims about my own swing like you have. Nor have I made any claims that I can teach people to swing, let alone swing like Hogan. Those were all your claims so you should expect to be questioned on them and asked for the proof by people who would pay you money for this information. I, on the other hand, don’t have to offer any proof since I don’t have any claims to back up.

              • Christo Garcia

                May 31, 2016 at 4:33 pm

                I listened to Dave because I am respectful, unlike yourself. And, just as I suspected you’re all talk, with nothing to back it up.

                • Wit

                  May 31, 2016 at 7:53 pm

                  If you had any substance at all as a decent human being, you wouldn’t have to defend yourself here. You’ve been called out, and you know it. You are as fake as they come, and you know you should provide your videos for free, and that you shouldn’t be making money off of your attempt that making your swing better. You’re not a teacher, a PGA pro, or any of that. Why don’t you just leave Hogan alone. It’s obviously not working for you, because if it worked that well you’d be at least on some Tour by now. And that’s sick part – that you’re trying to make money off of it when you’ve achieved nothing, except to wave your hands around trying to get innocent people’s attention and making them believe that the secret is attainable. Go away

                • John

                  May 31, 2016 at 9:44 pm

                  What am I supposed to back up? You’re saying that I need YouTube followers like you have to “back it up”?? I’m not making any claims about my abilities or trying to get people to by my teaching aid – that’s your deal. What do I need to back up and how would I?

                  I really don’t think I’ve been disrespectful at all. I’ve been polite, professional, and respectful throughout this entire conversation. Just because I don’t agree that you and Dave are good teachers means I’m disrespectful?? I don’t agree at all. In fact, you saying that I’m “all talk” is beginning to get disrespectful. I haven’t been personal about this and you hadn’t either until now. I’ve only said that I reviewed your videos and don’t think that you swing like Hogan and that what you taught to Jonah was wrong. Please give me an example of where I was disrespectful.

                  P.S. I disagree with the comment made that your should provide free videos. That’s absurd and, like I said earlier, the work and quality you put in is commendable. Certainly you should be paid for that if people want it. Whether I think what you’re teaching is right and whether you should ask for money for it are completely separate things.

              • Golf Unfiltered

                Jan 7, 2017 at 4:14 pm

                Hey, Fonseca here. Can’t believe I’ve only stumbled upon this thread just now. At any rate, I can assure you I have a substantial knowledge of the golf swing, much like Christo. As any golfer would know, just because you know what to do on the course or in the swing doesn’t mean you score well. I recommend not assuming what I do or do not know when it comes to anything golf related. Or, as an alternative, assume I know more than you (because I probably do).

      • Car

        May 29, 2016 at 5:18 pm

        And trying to take money off innocent people’s hands with it. That’s the problem

        • The Truth

          May 30, 2016 at 12:38 am

          “Trying to make money off of innocent people” LOL. Nobody is holding a gun to their heads, they are seeking and purchasing advice from him voluntarily. Go back to your bureaocrat cubicle parasite.

          • Rac

            May 30, 2016 at 2:58 am

            Its says “trying to TAKE money off” not make. Go back to elementary school and learn to pay attention

            • Hacksaw Duggan

              May 30, 2016 at 1:23 pm

              Hey Poindexter go back to school. LOL. If it wasn’t for the profit motive, none of the freedoms and technologies that you enjoy today would exist. Learn some economics, oh yeah I forgot you’re a Liberal, you ignore reality.

      • Christo Garcia

        May 29, 2016 at 6:43 pm

        I’m disappointed that you would attack the reviewer personally by insulting his game – a low blow. How many golf writers, and bloggers are scratch players? I helped his game and that means a lot to me.

        Also, I make it clear that I will never look exactly like Mr. Hogan and I state that his swing was “one of a kind.” I have endeavored to learn how he leveraged the club and I’m satisfied that I am doing something similar. I am proud to be working with Doug Sanders, Kris Tschetter, and Terry Koehler at the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company since they all personally worked with Mr. Hogan.

        You said that I am incapable of teaching others and yet I have over 9 million views and I’ve received thousands of personal notes of gratitude from golfers around the world. I am enjoying correspondence with a number of professionals on tours such as the European Tour and Asian Tour as well pros here in America.

        I appreciate that you commend my videos and call them entertaining. I am an award-winning TV and film producer. Productions cost a lot of money, therefore, I do not feel there is anything wrong with charging for DVD’s that I’ve produced. You simply don’t have to buy them if you don’t want the content.

        Above all, I wish you well with your game. Hit ’em long, and hit ’em straight!

        • John

          Jun 1, 2016 at 9:23 am

          BTW… Saying that Fonseca is a double-digit handicap is only an insult if you think it’s insulting to have a double-digit handicap. I don’t think a persons handicap is an insult. I think it might say something about their ability to evaluate a swing or someone’s ability to teach the swing but it’s not an insult to them. Why would you think it’s insulting and a low blow to refer to someone’s handicap???

          Also, you absolutely do say that you swing like Ben Hogan. You have a video called “How I learned to swing like Hogan”. And your web site says “Learn to swing like Hogan”, as though you can teach people to swing like Hogan.

        • James Carlson

          Jun 12, 2016 at 9:35 pm

          This video was created to discuss con artists who rip off people with Cash to Gold schemes, but it still seems pretty appropriate and I feel like you’ll enjoy it nonetheless Christo!

          https://youtube.com/watch?v=QQUg4XozVI8

    • mhendon

      May 29, 2016 at 9:06 pm

      I applaud you Christo keep up the good work.

  56. farmer

    May 29, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    If a player dedicates 5+ years to improving their swing, with instruction, that player is going to get better. Has nothing to do with unlocking the Hogan “secret”, wearing pleated pants or the cap.

    • Christo Garcia

      May 29, 2016 at 1:31 pm

      I spent two years working with one of the most famous teachers in the world and it did not help me. I spent a lot of money on new golf clubs as well. However, focusing on the swing of Ben Hogan got me where I wanted. And, it’s true it had nothing to do with the cap or pleated pants. That just made it more fun!

      • Hogan & Garcia Fan

        May 30, 2016 at 8:32 pm

        I am a Ben Hogan fan. I’ve read his books and many others about his swing and the secret. The bottom line is he was spot on and so are you. I have watched your You Tube videos and what you have accomplished in swing development is tremendous. The motion is fluid, athletic and no doubt efficient. I applaud you and I continue to be encouraged to pursue swing perfection in spite of my limited abilities. Best wishes!

  57. The Truth

    May 29, 2016 at 10:03 am

    2nd best golf swing on youtube behind Peter Finch. A close second though, beautiful swing.

    • John

      May 29, 2016 at 11:10 am

      You can’t be serious! You’re trying to be funny, right?

  58. Blank

    May 29, 2016 at 2:34 am

    I met this guy and he’s a total jerk. So fake. Typical Hollywood-LA type who just wants to be famous, doesn’t really have time to talk to you in person, he just wants you to watch his videos on YouTube and subscribe and buy his stuff so he can get rich and just play hobby golf. Don’t feed the dude. He has a personality of a blank salesman

    • Zach

      May 29, 2016 at 3:44 pm

      I have met Christo in person a few times and he has never been anything but polite and gracious. I don’t believe you really met him. Our maybe you did and you’re just lying about him.

      • Eric Mcglashing

        May 29, 2016 at 5:01 pm

        I have not had the pleasure of meeting Christo in person. However I have sent him several emails and he has always taken the time to respond. No way I believe your nasty and obviously untrue comments. I imagine he is nothing but a true gentlemen.

        • Blank

          May 29, 2016 at 5:22 pm

          He promised to send me info on his stuff, I gave him me email and card, he was going to send me a sample disc and other materials on other projects he was working on and I never heard from his again – except that as he was leaving our cordial conversation he repeatedly said I should check his YouTube page, check the YouTube page. I actually initiated the conversation when I mentioned I had seen him on there and thought it could interesting, at which his ears perked up and is why we got into a conversation about it.
          Not a nice man.

          • Christo Garcia

            May 29, 2016 at 6:48 pm

            Hello Blank. I would like to apologize if I misplaced your card or I did not follow up after you met me on the course. I run into many folks on the course that are nice enough to introduce themselves. I appreciate that you mentioned that our conversation was “cordial” and it seems that your are upset that I didn’t follow up with you. Well, I’m here now and if you would like to send me an email at [email protected] I will certainly write you back. My apologies.

            • Rac

              May 30, 2016 at 3:00 am

              You’re as fake all the actors and wannabes in L.A.

              • Really Rac?

                May 30, 2016 at 8:36 pm

                Sounds like you hold a grudge. You should forgive and try not to be so harsh.

  59. M Smizzy

    May 29, 2016 at 12:15 am

    Took me 10. Sorry it took u so long.

    Smizzy

  60. cgasucks

    May 28, 2016 at 10:34 pm

    He is the real deal. I’ve been following Christo’s Youtube Channel for the past 4 years and see him break 80..and then 70 while gaining distance on his clubs..

    • oikos1

      May 28, 2016 at 11:56 pm

      Are you kidding? He’s posted two rounds with “Be Better Golf” and hasn’t broken 40+. He’s an average hack at best who can produce a good show…

      • ders

        May 29, 2016 at 12:38 am

        It would be fine if he was just a guy trying to learn and have fun. Breaking 80 or 70 one time would be considered a great success but thats not what its about anymore. He neglects to mention it in this article, but he has found the secret to the Hogan swing and will sell it to you for $50. If you want to be a teaching pro, there is an established career path to follow. If he has truly improved as much as he says he has, it won’t be that difficult.

        • Fake

          May 29, 2016 at 11:52 am

          Exactly. All this guy wants is money and he’ll sell you his secret. He is so totally fake.

  61. Jake

    May 28, 2016 at 9:08 pm

    Not recommended for the average golfer who doesnt have the time to beat 1000 s of balls .Christo how many hours have you spent on the range working on your swing? Just to put things into reality 99 percent of golfers don t have the time to put in the hours so try for a more simple fix.Well done on your progress so far.

    • Christo Garcia

      May 28, 2016 at 9:54 pm

      I would usually hit a large bucket twice a week and play one round every couple of weeks. I put in a ton of time off the course studying, watching videos, and visualizing what I wanted to do.

  62. M smizzy

    May 28, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    Awesome journey and video. Keep up the great journey. Just curious did u do any work/have issues with flexibility/mobility or/and do some strength training?

    Thanks

    smizzy

    • Christo Garcia

      May 29, 2016 at 1:42 pm

      Today I am actually working a great deal off the course on my strength and flexibility but through most of my work I avoided the gym. I gained a lot of length in my back swing by simply figuring out a slightly different way to turn that changed everything. I discuss that in my latest YouTube video.

  63. Max

    May 28, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    Love the YouTube channel. Makes me want to go out and play. He has some fun videos on Miura and Hogan irons that are sure to be of interest to WRXers.

  64. Steve Wozeniak

    May 28, 2016 at 11:17 am

    Your close Christo,

    But you still have a wipe in your swing that can easily be fixed……first of all, go ahead and throw away Power Golf, Hogan understood that this book was garbage after he started working on the correct information with Sam Byrd a former Yankee and PGA Tour winner of over 20 events, 6 official. While still working with him he came out with his correct book, Power Golf, but he did not give it all to you, just ask Jackie Burke!!!! Let me know if you want to fix it…..keep working!!!

    Steve Wozeniak PGA Director of Instruction

    http://www.stevewozeniak.com

    • Dick Moser

      May 28, 2016 at 12:36 pm

      Steve, Is Hogan’s book “Five Lessons” ok? Since you did not think The book “Power Golf” was accurate, I was just wondering. Thanks!

      • Steve Wozeniak

        May 28, 2016 at 6:55 pm

        Yep sorry no way to edit a post on here…..

        Power Golf – bad……He was dead at address and got worse from there!!!!

        Five Lessons – great…..He learned how to set up correctly and how the arms and body work together correctly……

        He just left a crucial part out, on purpose he was still competing in the 50’s and did not want to give it all away!!!!!

        • Brandon

          May 28, 2016 at 9:46 pm

          Which part was that?

        • oikos1

          May 29, 2016 at 12:01 am

          Well of course you would know the “Hogan Secret”. Why not just tell us? No way average hacks could replicate it anyway…

    • Christo Garcia

      May 28, 2016 at 9:57 pm

      Thank you, Mr. Wozeniak. I’d love to learn more! I’ll look you up on your website. Cheers!

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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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