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Opinion & Analysis

What putter designers focus on… and you should, too

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david edel

Most of us have our own ideas about what we do and don’t like about putters. Maybe you’re a blade-style player who would never imagine putting a mallet putter in the bag, or maybe you’re constantly switching putters with no real allegiance to any particular design or brand.

I’ve had my own journey with putters and with no conclusive evidence I wanted to know what the engineers and designers focus on when creating putters. Maybe it would illuminate some new concepts to make that ever so difficult decision of picking a putter a little easier.

I sat down and talked with Austie Rollinson, Principal Designer for Odyssey, and David Edel, founder of Edel Golf, and talked about what they focus on during the design process.

You can listen in below, or read through the top-3 things I learned further down.

Alignment

The number one focus you’ll hear these world-class designers talk about is alignment.

“Three percent the golfing population can aim their putter correctly, in terms of lateral and vertical aim,” Edel says.

Of all factors, alignment has the biggest impact on where the ball ends up, and even a single degree of misalignment can result in a shot that is far removed from its target. Even more than MOI (we’ll talk about that next), improved alignment when setting up to a putt should be your main focus.

The reason you see so many different styles of putters — with their different lines, hosels, head shapes, lie angles and lofts — is because we all see things differently, and what works for you on the putting green might not work for me. Each of these variables has an impact on if you see a putter as open, closed when setting up to a shot.

“I believe in the basic premise that my job as a fitter or a putter maker is to make what a person sees is real and what they feel to be real.,” Edel says.

For example, by moving attention backward on a putter, it tends to look open. When you do a laser test you can see it’s square to the target, but to the mind it looks wide open. On the other hand, when you move the attention forward, the putter tends to look closed.

Moment of Inertia

A club’s moment of inertia (MOI) basically tells you how forgiving it will be if you fail to hit the ball on the center of the putter’s face. A high MOI means that the head of the putter is less likely to twist around on impact and potentially affect the distance of the shot.

“Where that face is pointing is going to be more important than if you hit it off center a little bit and you lose a little ball speed because of that,” Rollinson says.

Designers focus on building putters with high MOI so that you can maintain a consistent ball speed even when you hit the ball a little off the toe or heel. How do they do it? By moving the weight away from the center of gravity (CG).

The CG on most putters will be the center of the face of the club and slightly lower on the face.

Austie Rollinson

Austie Rollinson, Principal Designer for Odyssey Golf.

“If you have [the CG] low, you tend to hit the ball above the center of gravity,” Rollinson said. “The putter will twist in a way that will help promote forward roll.”

To get the weight as far away as possible from the center of gravity, designers create large mallet putters to maximize MOI and create putters that twist less and maintain ball speeds on off-center hits for better distance control.

Feel

What is feel? Most would say feel is how hard or soft the ball feels coming off the putter… which we also learn has a lot to do with sound.

“Feel is the sound of it (the ball) off the face… also the ball speed,” Rollinson says. “Making sure that the sound and speed match up in their mind to what they want to see.”

They way to change feel is often with inserts. Odyssey has most notably done this with its legendary White Hot insert, which was made with a urethane material that was originally used in Callaway golf balls. Not only can you get a soft feel and maintain high ball speeds with a good insert, but it also allows engineers to move weight around in a putter design.

“That’s another aspect of the insert, as it enables us to move weight around and make the putter roll better and more forgiving,” Rollinson says.

Should you focus on MOI when making a putter choice? Rollinson says most golfers are better off finding a putter that looks good to them, and one they can align to their target consistently.

What Works for You

There’s no magic putter that will work for every golfer. We all see things differently, and everything from what’s going on with our eyes to how we set up over the ball has a massive impact on quality of a putt.

Don’t ever settle with a putter. Focus on finding one that helps your alignment and gets you in the best possible place to hit consistent putts.

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Cordie has spent the last four years working with golf instructors, helping inform thousands on business and teaching best practices (if you're a coach or instructor check out http://golfinthelifeof.com/). Through that he's realized that it's time for the way golf is taught to be changed. When looking at research and talking with coaches and academics, he's launched the Golf Science Golf Science Lab , a website and audio documentary-style podcast focused on documenting what's really going on in learning and playing better golf.

24 Comments

24 Comments

  1. Scientific Golfer

    Jan 7, 2017 at 6:58 pm

    So…. if you can putt the ball off the sweet spot, or within +/- 1/4″ …. you don’t need a putter with MOI, impact ‘feel’ inserts or face treatment, or even alignment marks if you can control your stroke direction. Static putter face alignment does not guarantee dynamic putter direction… and in fact may hinder stroking.

    Think: Bullseye, Cashin, 8802, Ping A1, others of that ilk ……

  2. Deadeye

    Dec 15, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    Picking a putter is such an individual thing. Myself I prefer mallet styles. They have room for a long alignment line and that really helps. The grip is critical to me as well. After trying the most popular and expensive styles I have gone back to narrower and lighter grips. That returns the weight to the head and restored the balance and feel it originally had. My favorites are any older Bobby Grace design. Get them off eBay under the old Macgregor name. They are a work of art and marvelous function.

  3. Bob Pegram

    Dec 14, 2016 at 6:18 am

    I have watched numerous Edel putter fittings. It is amazing how adding or removing alignment stripes on a putter will change the direction a golfer aims the putter. It is how a person processes (interprets) the information that matters. A laser shows where the putter is actually aiming. It is often different than at the target the golfer thinks he has aligned the putter to.
    As mentioned in the article, the putter head shape will also affect aim.

  4. Ran

    Dec 13, 2016 at 8:04 pm

    My money is on the putter you Want to putt with as being the best one for you…same with irons and woods…best part of golf (besides making the tee time) is using the equipment you want to use…for a lot of us older guys getting to a point in life we can buy the clubs and balls we really want to use is Golfs biggest reward.

  5. Grizz01

    Dec 12, 2016 at 7:50 pm

    Everytime you say MOI in an article it should be followed with, (all hail Ralph Maltby).

  6. Jo Mil

    Dec 12, 2016 at 6:19 pm

    Keep in mind there are 3 rotation axes in a putter and therefore 3 measurements of MOI to consider. Companies only talk about one of those (the vertical axis) because that is the only one that is regulated by the USGA. Greater the MOI on the vertical, greater the reluctance of an object to change its rotation due to a force applied.

    What is often over looked is the rotation axis of the shaft and that measurement of MOI. This is what causes putters to have toe hang or “face balanced”. What is overlooked and quite frankly not discussed by the majority of putter companies( with the exception of 2 of them, one of which was featured in this article) is the deleterious effect of a high vertical axes moi has on the ability to square the putter face at impact. And since upwards of 83% of a putts direction will be dictated by face angle at impact, I would think that increasing the potential to square the face at impact is more important than improving the impact ratio.

  7. Daniel

    Dec 12, 2016 at 4:24 pm

    So, get a mallet?

  8. Tom

    Dec 12, 2016 at 3:08 pm

    The Ping ANSER was introduced 50 years ago and is still the benchmark design. Why hasn’t anything come along in 50 years to replace the ANSER in terms of design impact in the putter market?

  9. Ron

    Dec 12, 2016 at 2:49 pm

    I recently found the putter I used in high school. I couldn’t believe I used something like that. But, I can still put with it. I originally bought it from Sears for $5.00. I won’t say how long ago. It’s the putter, not the putter.

  10. Eddy

    Dec 12, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    Struggling with all types of putters big,small mallet blade just gets in your head.

  11. SV

    Dec 12, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    Mallet putters, I love them. Blade putters, I love them. It’s the actual putting I hate.

  12. TexasSnowman

    Dec 12, 2016 at 1:50 pm

    Alignment is definitely number one, just as it in the full swing. I’d like to see more designs without alignment lines… I prefer to aim the face.

  13. Gary

    Dec 12, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    No one ever talks about counterweighting the putter. I found that using either a 60 gram counterweight for lighter putter heads (340 grams to 350 grams) or an 80 gram counterweight on heavier heads (360 + grams) produces a smoother putting stroke especially for those players who lack the muscle skills in the hands and forearms when using a shorter / slower back and thru putting motion.

  14. Dave R

    Dec 12, 2016 at 1:42 pm

    Yes agree with Roger best putter ever made . I have tried every putter out there all kinds of scottys all the rest always go back to my 30 year old Anser 2 still squares up the best . Kirsten had it right the first time .

    • Stavros

      Dec 12, 2016 at 6:26 pm

      She was great in Bring It On, wasn’t she?

    • Bert

      Dec 12, 2016 at 7:56 pm

      Nothing compares to my nickel Anser 2. The feel is incredible, no where near the same as the stainless Anser 2. Sad they only made them one year.

  15. Tom

    Dec 12, 2016 at 1:30 pm

    What about how putter feels in the stroke? Some putters I have tried fought my stroke and others are too easy to rotate both cases made it hard to get club square at impact. Sure MOI can be a factor there but it’s not the only one. Also add in putter weight as a big factor.

  16. Darrin

    Dec 12, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    In my opinion, the farther you are from the hole the more MOI matters and the less alignment matters.

    I putt best on short putts with a bullseye style putter and a dot on the top. Long putters were always my issue with this putter. I finally went to a Odyssey Anser style with a line on the top rail, seems to work well on all putts for me. Big MOI putters with lots of lines and circles just screw me up.

    The greatest putters in history, Jack, Tiger, Crenshaw, Faxon etc. all used pretty simple putters. The guys that struggle with putting always seem to gravitate to but fugly designs.

  17. Roger

    Dec 12, 2016 at 1:16 pm

    All these guys try to complicate it for you ! Buy an Anser 2 !One of the simplest designs that has truly stood the test of time.
    Karsten didn’t have any Laser, MOI tester…..

  18. LaBraeGolfer

    Dec 12, 2016 at 1:14 pm

    I just went back to a mallet from playing flow neck blades. My instructor commented on my setup that I set up with the face closed and he wanted me to work on that. Since I switched to the Spider OS I have regained confidence on the greens, I wonder if the alignment being so large forces me to think the putter is more open like the article says, however I am looking at the ball when I putt. Anyway I am making more putts so I don’t care what my putter looks like I enjoy the sound of the putter as well.

  19. Double Mocha Man

    Dec 12, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    The best putter is the person swinging the club. I used some putters in my youth on my high school and college teams that were literally clunky pieces of ugly metal… and I was a wizard at putting. Now, several years later, I can afford the most expensive putters and I can barely keep it under 36 putts per round.

  20. Will Skeat

    Dec 12, 2016 at 11:35 am

    The forces involved in putting are so low (due to the low club head speed) that all the talk of “high-MOI to prevent club head twisting” is nonsense.

    • Double Mocha Man

      Dec 12, 2016 at 12:34 pm

      Obviously you’ve never rolled in a 50 footer…

    • kevin

      Dec 12, 2016 at 2:04 pm

      That is so very true!!! Torque, Twist… it is just marketing. The player controls the club face of the putter at 1 mph. Good putting is pretty simple , unless allowed to be overcomplicated.

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Opinion & Analysis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, what about grooves and face texture?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Golf's Perfect Imperfections

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

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

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19th Hole

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

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

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

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

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

Past Winners at Harbour Town

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

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

Key Stats For Harbour Town

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

Strokes Gained: Approach

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

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

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

Good Drive %

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

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

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

Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

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

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

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

4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)

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

SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds

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

5. Greens in Regulation %

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

Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:

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

6. Course History

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

Course History over past 24 rounds:

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

The RBC Heritage Model Rankings

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

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

2024 RBC Heritage Picks

Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

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