Connect with us

Opinion & Analysis

In defense of adult autograph seekers and vendors

Published

on

Recently, Jordan Spieth put adult autograph seekers at the 2017 Pebble Beach Pro-Am in their place by telling them to “get a job” and to stop profiting from his success. Fair enough. It’s his autograph to either give or not to give.

Here’s his entire rant.

It’s easy to see where he’s coming from, but before we praise Spieth for standing up against these losers, creeps, vultures, or whatever else you want to call them, let’s take a look at the autograph industry and who suffers from Spieth’s stance.

Essentially, you can put autograph seekers into five different buckets. I’ll go through each category with the perceptions and reality of each before ultimately getting to the point.

1) Kids

No one in their right mind is going to argue with kids who want an autograph. In the world of autographs, it really is all about the kids. Have you ever seen a kid get an autograph from their favorite athlete? Then you know what I’m talking about.

2) Adults getting the autograph for their kid

This one is also tough to take a stand against. There’s a number of reasons why a parent is at a sporting event without their child, but still wants to provide them with an awesome souvenir. Let’s say an 8-year-old had school and couldn’t miss, but the father went to the practice round at Pebble Beach and had the opportunity to get a Jordan Spieth autograph for him. Any concerns here? Not from me, but maybe you disagree.

3) Adults who want the autograph for themselves

OK. I see your point. Maybe this is a little weird. Especially when the adult is years, if not decades older than the athlete. But let’s say a middle-aged man wants a John Daly autograph for his man cave, or a middle-aged woman wants an Adam Scott autograph. Still as weird? There are certainly stranger things for adults to collect than autographs, so maybe we shouldn’t judge too heavily.

4) Those seeking autographs to sell at charity events

This one could be sticky for some to rationalize, and easier for others. Let’s say you’re running a charity event to raise money for ALS Research. At the event, you’re giving away a number of different items to raffle off and the profit goes to the research fund. Among those gifts is a Jordan Spieth autograph that was obtained at the AT&T Pebble Beach practice round by an adult. So yes, the autograph was obtained and sold, but the money went to charity. Hmm….

5) Adults with the intent to sell the product on Ebay

This is far and away the easiest group of people at which to point the finger and tell them they’re morons. Specifically, Spieth’s case against this group of people is that they have no intent to give the autograph to a kid or a good cause. They’re simply profiting off of his name…literally, and Spieth has a point. But what if we think about this group in a different light?

Imagine yourself as the parent of a 10-year-old kid who idolizes Jordan Spieth. You can’t afford to fly the family out to Pebble Beach to see Spieth play and hopefully get an autograph, but your child’s birthday is coming up and you really want to give him a signed Pebble Beach golf flag. So what do you do? You go straight to eBay and see if anyone is selling a Jordan Spieth-signed Pebble Beach flag.

You buy it.

It was $125, but hey, not that bad for an awesome gift. It comes in the mail five days later, just in time for the birthday party. And when your child opens up that gift, his eyes light up. He hangs the flag on his wall and looks at it everyday. Maybe he even starts to play golf every weekend because the autograph got him so excited.

Now, is it really that big of a deal that the person who provided the kid with the autograph made a few too many dollars off of it? Would you rather the 10-year-old Jordan Spieth fan never get the autograph?

The point is, there’s a demand for Jordan Spieth autographs. Whether it’s kids, adults, grandparents or dentists who want it for their waiting room, there’s a market. And there’s a short supply. Jordan Spieth is the only person in the world who can provide a Jordan Spieth autograph, and someone somewhere down the line is going to make money off of selling that autograph to the parent of the 10-year-old kid who wants it.

If it wasn’t for the autograph-selling adults, some children would never have access to their idol’s autograph.

What would you do?

Your Reaction?
  • 72
  • LEGIT25
  • WOW6
  • LOL7
  • IDHT3
  • FLOP23
  • OB21
  • SHANK434

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

55 Comments

55 Comments

  1. JThunder

    Feb 17, 2017 at 2:30 am

    Having something autographed by an athlete (or celebrity) who didn’t autograph it for you is like having a love letter from a beautiful girl (or guy) that wasn’t written to you. As a kid, I didn’t see the point, and I certainly don’t now. That $125 spent on some piece of junk for a kid could surely have been spent better (for one thing, waiting for a chance to obtain a personalized autograph, if that’s the ultimate goal.) The autograph hounding – and the ludicrous high-fiving – is the relatively harmless but still ugly side of our worship of celebrity. The income and adulation they receive is entirely disproportionate to their comparative value. But then, the same is true for most corporate CEOs, and in essence part of that same culture.

    Seriously, though, stop high-fiving players too. I cringe every time – one ill-timed move could end a career, especially with all the drunks at the tournaments.

  2. jc

    Feb 13, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    I get them to sign their book…that way, they know I spent some money that they got…I have Jack, Phil, Leadbetter….Chick Evans…(old golfer)….

  3. Bob

    Feb 13, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    There was only one autograph I ever wanted…Arnie’s. And that was just to get close enough to shake his hand…

  4. KoreanSlumLord

    Feb 13, 2017 at 11:01 am

    Kids only. The athletes should ignore the adults and the problem is fixed. I dont understand a lot of United States culture. The one thing that confuses me is adults who wear NFL/MLB/NHL jerseys with another guys name on it. In Korea and Japan, this is for the guys who have certain feelings for other guys. I think of same thing when I see grown azz men waving a piece of paraphanalia to another man to sign. Maybe they want the sex with that guy. Spieth is right on this one.

  5. Ronald Montesano

    Feb 12, 2017 at 5:34 am

    The sheer number of comments is astonishing…I want Andrew Tursky’s autograph now!

    If a professional athlete sees the same people at multiple events, she/he certainly might suspect that a profit-maker is in attendance. In a case like that, I see no problem with not granting an autograph. If the athlete gets a bad vibe (these are superhumans, after all, with powers of sensitivity beyond my own) from the autograph seeker, again, deny the scribble.

    If Jordan Spieth moves the needle, then his moves need to be considered for an article. This is newsworthy, as it involved an interaction with the gallery and a subsequent, public statement (in an interview.) I like how Tursky laid out a hierarchy of seekers, and gave each a level of ethical justification. I wouldn’t give him a shank on this one, lads.

  6. moses

    Feb 11, 2017 at 12:51 am

    LOL look at the Like to Shank ratio. It’s EPIC.

  7. James Wallace

    Feb 10, 2017 at 11:16 pm

    I forged Jordan’s signature to give to my dad for Father’s Day, when the US Open was at Chambers. All to get revenge for when I was young, I got an “autographed” JT Snow baseball that was done by the guy at the gas station they bought the baseball from.

    Sure, it was 15 years ago, and sure I’m now a grown man, but that taught him.

  8. Someone

    Feb 10, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    Also, you don’t stop people from buying stuff cheap and fixing it up and selling it for more. Just like an autograph seeker, they gotta do the leg work to get that autograph like travel, tickets, and hotel. It’s just ridiculous. You don’t sell your car to someone and then dictate how they are to use it. Payment was made by the seeker in the form of ticket to the event at a minimum, not to mention other costs. Reward is seeing the event and possibly getting an autograph.

  9. Someone

    Feb 10, 2017 at 4:02 pm

    The fans paid to watch and paid to get in. They are ultimately responsible for people becoming famous and making all the money that they do. Arnow signed for adults all the time. Even had conferences where people stood in line and waited. He sat there knowing full well that without them he wouldn’t be who he is or where he is. What’s the difference? You know jordan signed a full beer bottle for a “guy” and everyone posted that he was cool for doing it. That beer isn’t for a kid for sure. And also, you don’t sign and then get to tell people what to do with your autograph. It’s just like giving a homeless person money. You don’t control what they do with it because you have the money to them because they don’t have any. If you want them to buy food or clothes, give them food or clothes instead. Your good deed ends with what you handed off. Celebrities do not need to sign anything, but for their reputation and livelihood, it would behoove them to reconsider any stance against signatures. Regardless of intention, someone paid, watches them, follows them, and does the legwork to wait in line to get that signature. America is the world’s symbol of capitalism, in that people can find almost any way to make money or succeed or be whatever you want to be. A person who puts in the legwork to chase after autographs, can do what they please with their collected autographs, just like how a kid keeps a signed player’s card and may end up selling it in the future for money when it’s of more value. Who are we to judge other people ? It’s ridiculous for a celebrity to think that giving an autograph is unreasonable. Asking for autographs has been a long time way for celebrities to show appreciation to their fans. Doesn’t matter if they plan to sell it or not, that autograph belongs to that fan. They did the legwork to follow and such, why shouldn’t they be rewarded? That’s how you build up a fan base. Tin cup anyone? The other player was a douche…not many douchebags make it far and eventually they lose it all one way or another “no friends, loss of respect in community, loss of status, gambling, bills, etc.”

  10. ooffa

    Feb 10, 2017 at 3:34 pm

    Stop being an entitled doofus and sign the autographs. You should be thrilled to have the opportunity to do so. And BTW speed up the play a bit will ya.

  11. Brian

    Feb 10, 2017 at 1:53 pm

    Great, you can get autographed gifts for your kids on Ebay. However, those profiteers are doing so using someone else’s name/likeness. Just like any other marketed product using someone’s name/likeness, the athlete should get a cut of those proceeds.

    If these leeches want to profit from someone else’s name, they should pay the athlete for the autograph in the first place.

  12. Shanks for the Memories

    Feb 10, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    Whoops. Used a real name instead of the pen name that goes on all the obviously satirical articles that aren’t funny.

  13. Shanks for the Memories

    Feb 10, 2017 at 12:13 pm

    Crap. They accidentally put a real name on this obviously satirical article instead of the pen name for all the other satirical articles that aren’t funny.

  14. Grizz01

    Feb 10, 2017 at 11:29 am

    I wonder what Arnold Palmer would say to Jordan Spieth?

  15. Bwall

    Feb 10, 2017 at 10:07 am

    Unless it’s on a check, there is no need for a grown man to have another grown man’s autograph.

    • Brian

      Feb 10, 2017 at 1:51 pm

      What about a grown man that has another grown man’s autograph….that he still has from when he was a kid?

      Otherwise, I agree. As an adult, I find it incredibly lame to seek autographs, wear sports jerseys or any other clothing with another man’s name/likeness on it.

  16. mr b

    Feb 10, 2017 at 9:51 am

    if you’re truly getting it for a kid that’s okay.
    but I firmly stand by the ideas that NO grown man should EVER 1. wear another grown man’s sports jersey. 2. Ask for another grown man’s autograph.
    i don’t judge others that do this but these are my personal beliefs

    • Ryan

      Feb 10, 2017 at 6:03 pm

      “I don’t judge others that do this, but I’m gonna go ahead and judge others that do this.”

  17. Patricknorm

    Feb 10, 2017 at 9:13 am

    My son played in the NHL, AHL, KHL and on the Canadian national junior team. It’s scary how people are drawn to a relatively famous athlete. What’s off putting at least for a Canadian from a small town, the lengths people will go to get an autograph from an athlete. Often I’ve seen autograph hounds thrust binders in front of my son to sign pages of cards. Seriously?
    He’s good at signing to a point. He always signs for children or fans that want him to sign his jersey. As parents we don’t especially take the time to collect memorabilia about him, just stuff where he’s played in the Worlds or a playoff finals.
    Maybe it’s me but I’ve never felt the urge to get something signed by a famous person. It doesn’t reflect anything expensive to me and besides , if an athlete is signing say 25 autographs it can’t be worth much. What I treasure is the conversation I’ve had with a prominent person. Personally I can’t fathom a person’s zeal to obtain a signature. Besides, it eventually fades.

  18. birdie

    Feb 10, 2017 at 9:10 am

    simple solution….the athlete ONLY signs for kids…and they make it personal. they ask the kids name and they sign it to him. this way, everything he signs is ” to jimmy, from Jordan”. cuts down on resale.

  19. I'mNotTigerWoods

    Feb 10, 2017 at 12:51 am

    Agree completely with Jordan… I’m sure he’s privey to all that stuff going on, which the average person isn’t. It’s his autograph and if he only wants to sign for juniors so be it.

    • cgasucks

      Feb 10, 2017 at 9:28 am

      Yep…if I was in position, I would only sign for kids and people who really appreciate it.

  20. cgasucks

    Feb 9, 2017 at 10:36 pm

    Many many years ago (early 90s) I was an autograph hound chasing hockey players for their signatures not for profit, but for myself. During that time there where a close community of people like me chasing signatures, some like myself were doing it for fun, but some where doing it for profit by selling it to their local sports memorabilia store. The people I knew that did it for profit where mostly respectable to the athletes and some even developed a good relationship with them. If you’re going to chase John Hancocks for profit, be respectful to them and don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

  21. Usher1

    Feb 9, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    I had a first hand account of dealing with the group of individuals collecting autographs for profit. I was an usher for a season while in University for the Blue Jays. I was usually given the seat section that had the visiting team dugout. After batting practice, visiting players would come over and sign for a few minutes. The majority of these individuals are simply ridiculous and would do whatever to get that star players autograph. I dealt with 20 to 30 of these individuals every home game. I could tell you many stories and traits of the autograph seekers but I will sum it up with one incident. The San Francisco Giants were in town…the big autograph was Mr. Barry Bonds. He did not come over and sign the first 2 games of the series. Final game there was about 20 autograph for profit seekers. Everyone went into the dugout so the autograph hounds left. 4 or 5 very young kids were still along the first row seats and Bonds came back out to sign for these few kids. Well the autograph hounds came rushing back. They were crushing, knocking over, and stepping on these children. I was right there and started grabbing these grown men by shirt/jacket collars or their backpack and pulled them over the row of seats and off the kids. Then security staff came and cleared them out of the section. Not sure if they got ejected from the stadium or not.

    My advice like mentioned previously is personalize all your autographs. Then the autograph hounds will not want them but the kid who wants it will be ecstatic or the parent who wants it for their child or the person who wants it for their office or man cave.

  22. Dill Pickleson

    Feb 9, 2017 at 8:56 pm

    from the article link this is my favorite:
    adult males who a) wear professional sports jerseys unironically

    i had a girlfriend where my jersey in high school. but, that’s a little different.

    • Joey5Picks

      Feb 10, 2017 at 12:39 am

      No one over the age of 30 should wear a jersey…and if you do, don’t tuck it in.

  23. RHJazz

    Feb 9, 2017 at 8:55 pm

    The “what if” example about the kid’s cherished memory could just easily be, kids memory is of getting shoved aside by some overgrown man-made child so he can stock his memorabilia “store.”

  24. Mad-Mex

    Feb 9, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    As a former baseball/football card/autograph collector, the simplest way to drop the value of an autograph is to personalize it and sign it something like this “To (name) , Jordan Spieth”.

    A TRUE fan will cherish this, an autograph hound will be quickly disappointed.

  25. RAT

    Feb 9, 2017 at 8:01 pm

    My son played Pro baseball and he always signed for everyone. I got in line for him when he was young because some adults and hounds would push him away not waiting their turn and then by the time he got to the front the STAR would move on or just pass on by. Pros get paid plenty and to give their time to sign things is part of that star package. I would say sign one thing per person and make sure all get what they came after an autograph ! Arnie always did it that way. Besides without fans there would be no BIG MONEY for the stars.

  26. Lob Wedge

    Feb 9, 2017 at 7:12 pm

    Wait..

    So you’re saying that professional athletes don’t sign memorabelia to be sold by businesses agglutinate with them? That the only way we get an autograph without showing up is through autograph stalkers? That autograph stalkers are really doing it for the kids?

    Golly gee..

    • Jack

      Feb 9, 2017 at 10:38 pm

      LOL yeah, good job justifying that. Honestly I’m not sure what an autograph does vs a picture to inspire. I have a few autographed basketballs that I bought, but that’s only cuz I like those players. If it was personalized then it would have been awesome but it was just a generic signature.

  27. Matt

    Feb 9, 2017 at 7:03 pm

    I always applaud Spieth’s honesty but often he comes across as a whiner. I think adults who obtain autographs to sell on eBay or other market is pretty crappy.

  28. Randy

    Feb 9, 2017 at 5:50 pm

    I think Spieth is a crya**, I wouldn’t sell a autograph on ebay but what about the rising cost of golf equipment, largely due to manufacturer’s signing guys like Spieth . We’re spending $1,200 for a set of irons and $500 for drivers!! I don’t think it’s a big deal if someone sells their autograph for a $100

    • The dude

      Feb 9, 2017 at 7:30 pm

      Haha….buy your sticks on eBay

    • Steve

      Feb 9, 2017 at 9:44 pm

      Manufacturers aren’t charging $1,200 for a set of irons and $500 for a driver because they have to pay players like Spieth. They’re able to charge that because we’re willing to pay it. If people stopped spending $1,200 on new irons, prices would drop until people started buying again.

  29. ZQ RascalZ

    Feb 9, 2017 at 5:35 pm

    Completely pointless article. WRX scraping the bin with this one

  30. Philip

    Feb 9, 2017 at 5:27 pm

    Where do you draw the line – I’ve seen these adult autograph hounds plow through children. You give someone an inch and they will take your arm. Total fail for an article!

  31. JustTrying2BAwesome

    Feb 9, 2017 at 5:12 pm

    What would I do? I’d kick the professional autograph-selling adults right square in the balls. That’s what I’d do. Should be perfectly acceptable, and in some cases encouraged, for the kids to kick the professional autograph-selling adults right square in the balls.

    • blake

      Feb 9, 2017 at 7:19 pm

      I think you’re living up to your name, but punches would also be acceptable.

    • Jack

      Feb 9, 2017 at 10:39 pm

      I’d recommend a sharp elbow.

    • Brian

      Feb 10, 2017 at 1:59 pm

      Trying2Hard2BAwesome is more appropriate. When will humanity evolve past the point of prescribing violence as the answer to their slights?

  32. Hans

    Feb 9, 2017 at 5:12 pm

    These autograph hounds are asking players to give up their time (for free!) so that they can make money off the players. What person wouldn’t find that annoying in the same situation? Not to mention some of these hounds the players see can be pretty obnoxious to boot.

    Players don’t mind giving back some attention to fans that come see them. But to give up their own time so someone else can make money off their name and even worse to spoil the atmosphere for the kids – good on Jordan for saying something.

  33. Double Mocha Man

    Feb 9, 2017 at 4:57 pm

    I’d be careful telling someone to “Get a job” if they already have one. Sounds conservative/Republican/Tea Party to me. Did Jordan vet each of those requesting his signature to make sure they were unemployed?

    • Mad-Mex

      Feb 9, 2017 at 6:41 pm

      Seriously? You that brainwashed you cant keep your political views off a golf site? Your a cult leader’s wet dream.

      • Double Mocha Man

        Feb 9, 2017 at 8:10 pm

        Sorry pal, when the issue becomes “Get a job” it does become political. I will be watching Speith closely from now on…

        • Mad-Mex

          Feb 9, 2017 at 8:18 pm

          So, Speith be concerned because your “watching” him? Your not that important “pal”.

    • Tom

      Feb 9, 2017 at 7:42 pm

      Nohny Noct is that you? Poor taste in a post

    • Sheriff

      Feb 9, 2017 at 10:28 pm

      Lol! You’re an idiot

    • not having it

      Feb 10, 2017 at 11:39 am

      So are you inferring that the stereotype of liberals not having jobs is correct? Why else would you immediately label Spieth “conservative/Republican/Tea Party”? Obviously, Spieth’s comment is a common cliche’ used in similar context to phrases like “f*** off”. Also obvious, is the fact that you are just trolling, and if you are going to insist on being a troll then at least try to do so with a more intelligent response than, “Sounds blah, blah, blah, political jab because Trump is POTUS and the world is going to end blah, blah, blah, and more nonsense”…

  34. TR1PTIK

    Feb 9, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    I like that you’re trying to provide a different perspective and your opinion is certainly objective. However, the caveat here is that the adult autograph seeker/eBay seller is still profiting off of someone else’s success. More importantly, they are profiting off of kids. You give a great example wherein a mom or dad wants to do something awesome for their kid and get an autographed collectible from their favorite sports icon. What happens when the kid asks how they got it? Doesn’t that completely cheapen the gift? Meanwhile, the guy who sold it on eBay is back on the course stepping over or on top of more kids to get another autograph. I have zero problem with an adult wanting an autograph from someone they admire. It’s perhaps a little weird in some scenarios, but in most cases nothing to be concerned about as long as they are respectable about it. If I were in Spieth’s shoes, I’d absolutely do the same thing.

  35. Fred

    Feb 9, 2017 at 4:45 pm

    You forgot adult autograph dealers who use kids to get the signatures. Yes, they do this, and it is horrible.

  36. Matt K

    Feb 9, 2017 at 4:39 pm

    Not a big autograph guy. They’re for kids… not dentists or Adam Scott loving soccer moms. If I walk into some dude’s mancave and he’s got a bunch of autographed memorabilia, my opinion of him goes down a few notches. Get a kegerator and some pennants maybe, a Bobby Orr superman photo if you’re a Bruins fan or ‘insert your teams iconic photos’. I had a great time getting a cap signed at the 1997 PGA championship at Winged Foot. I was in Denver earlier in the summer and my Dad brought me over to Cherry Hills, he bought me a hat that I later got all signed up at the PGA. Still have it… few good ones on there Ernie, Duval, Vijay, think JD signed it. Remember I ran into Nick Price – not in the autograph line, he was just walking from point A to B – he gave me the Heisman, said he’d catch me later lol. Didn’t happen, I still like him, it wasn’t the time for him to sign. Anyway… I was 13! It was fun, the hat isn’t in a special place or anything, but I wouldn’t ever discard it, its a great reminder of that trip. I never really did it again, the autograph thing, once was enough. Adults who do… get a job!

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open betting preview

Published

on

As the Florida swing comes to an end, the PGA Tour makes its way to Houston to play the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course.

This will be the fourth year that Memorial Park Golf Course will serve as the tournament host. The event did not take place in 2023, but the course hosted the event in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Memorial Park is a par-70 layout measuring 7,432 yards and features Bermudagrass greens. Historically, the main defense for the course has been thick rough along the fairways and tightly mown runoff areas around the greens. Memorial Park has a unique setup that features three Par 5’s and five Par 3’s.

The field will consist of 132 players, with the top 65 and ties making the cut. There are some big names making the trip to Houston, including Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala.

Past Winners at Memorial Park

  • 2022: Tony Finau (-16)
  • 2021: Jason Kokrak (-10)
  • 2020: Carlos Ortiz (-13)

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 Memorial Park

Let’s take a look at several metrics for Memorial Park to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds:

Strokes Gained: Approach

Memorial Park is a pretty tough golf course. Golfers are penalized for missing greens and face some difficult up and downs to save par. Approach will be key.

Total Strokes Gained: Approach per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Tom Hoge (+1.30)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.26)
  3. Keith Mitchell (+0.97) 
  4. Tony Finau (+0.92)
  5. Jake Knapp (+0.84)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Memorial Park is a long golf course with rough that can be penal. Therefore, a combination of distance and accuracy is the best metric.

Total Strokes Gained: Off the Tee per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+0.94)
  2. Kevin Dougherty (+0.93)
  3. Cameron Champ (+0.86)
  4. Rafael Campos (+0.84)
  5. Si Woo Kim (+0.70)

Strokes Gained Putting: Bermudagrass + Fast

The Bermudagrass greens played fairly fast the past few years in Houston. Jason Kokrak gained 8.7 strokes putting on his way to victory in 2021 and Tony Finau gained in 7.8 in 2022.

Total Strokes Gained Putting (Bermudagrass) per round past 24 rounds (min. 8 rounds):

  1. Adam Svensson (+1.27)
  2. Harry Hall (+1.01)
  3. Martin Trainer (+0.94)
  4. Taylor Montgomery (+0.88)
  5. S.H. Kim (+0.86)

Strokes Gained: Around the Green

With firm and undulating putting surfaces, holding the green on approach shots may prove to be a challenge. Memorial Park has many tightly mowed runoff areas, so golfers will have challenging up-and-down’s around the greens. Carlos Ortiz gained 5.7 strokes around the green on the way to victory in 2020.

Total Strokes Gained: Around the Green per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Mackenzie Hughes (+0.76)
  2. S.H. Kim (+0.68)
  3. Scottie Scheffler (+0.64)
  4. Jorge Campillo (+0.62)
  5. Jason Day (+0.60)

Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult

Memorial Park is a long and difficult golf course. This statistic will incorporate players who’ve had success on these types of tracks in the past. 

Total Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult in past 24 rounds:

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+2.45)
  2. Ben Griffin (+1.75)
  3. Will Zalatoris (+1.73)
  4. Ben Taylor (+1.53)
  5. Tony Finau (+1.42)

Course History

Here are the players who have performed the most consistently at Memorial Park. 

Strokes Gained Total at Memorial Park past 12 rounds:

  1. Tyson Alexander (+3.65)
  2. Ben Taylor (+3.40)
  3. Tony Finau (+2.37)
  4. Joel Dahmen (+2.25)
  5. Patton Kizzire (+2.16)

Statistical Model

Below, I’ve reported overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed.

These rankings are comprised of SG: App (24%) SG: OTT (24%); SG: Putting Bermudagrass/Fast (13%); SG: Long and Difficult (13%); SG: ARG (13%) and Course History (13%)

  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. Wyndham Clark
  3. Tony Finau
  4. Joel Dahmen
  5. Stephan Jaeger 
  6. Aaron Rai
  7. Sahith Theegala
  8. Keith Mitchell 
  9. Jhonnatan Vegas
  10. Jason Day
  11. Kurt Kitayama
  12. Alex Noren
  13. Will Zalatoris
  14. Si Woo Kim
  15. Adam Long

2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open Picks

Will Zalatoris +2000 (Caesars)

Scottie Scheffler will undoubtedly be difficult to beat this week, so I’m starting my card with someone who I believe has the talent to beat him if he doesn’t have his best stuff.

Will Zalatoris missed the cut at the PLAYERS, but still managed to gain strokes on approach while doing so. In an unpredictable event with extreme variance, I don’t believe it would be wise to discount Zalatoris based on that performance. Prior to The PLAYERS, the 27-year-old finished T13, T2 and T4 in his previous three starts.

Zalatoris plays his best golf on long and difficult golf courses. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the category, but the eye test also tells a similar story. He’s contended at major championships and elevated events in the best of fields with tough scoring conditions.  The Texas resident should be a perfect fit at Memorial Park Golf Club.

Alex Noren +4500 (FanDuel)

Alex Noren has been quietly playing some of his best golf of the last half decade this season. The 41-year-old is coming off back-to-back top-20 finishes in Florida including a T9 at The PLAYERS in his most recent start.

In his past 24 rounds, Noren ranks 21st in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 30th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 25th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses and 21st in Strokes Gained: Putting on fast Bermudagrass greens.

In addition to his strong recent play, the Swede also has played well at Memorial Park. In 2022, Noren finished T4 at the event, gaining 2.2 strokes off the tee and 7.0 strokes on approach for the week. In his two starts at the course, he’s gained an average of .6 strokes per round on the field, indicating he is comfortable on these greens.

Noren has been due for a win for what feels like an eternity, but Memorial Park may be the course that suits him well enough for him to finally get his elusive first PGA Tour victory.

Mackenzie Hughes +8000 (FanDuel)

Mackenzie Hughes found himself deep into contention at last week’s Valspar Championship before faltering late and finishing in a tie for 3rd place. While he would have loved to win the event, it’s hard to see the performance as anything other than an overwhelming positive sign for the Canadian.

Hughes has played great golf at Memorial Park in the past. He finished T7 in 2020, T29 in 2021 and T16 in 2022. The course fit seems to be quite strong for Hughes. He’s added distance off the tee in the past year or and ranks 8th in the field for apex height, which will be a key factor when hitting into Memorial Park’s elevated greens with steep run-off areas.

In his past 24 rounds, Hughes is the best player in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Greens. The ability to scramble at this course will be extremely important. I believe Hughes can build off of his strong finish last week and contend once again to cement himself as a President’s Cup consideration.

Akshay Bhatia +8000 (FanDuel)

Akshay Bhatia played well last week at the Valspar and seemed to be in total control of his golf ball. He finished in a tie for 17th and shot an impressive -3 on a difficult Sunday. After struggling Thursday, Akshay shot 68-70-68 in his next three rounds.

Thus far, Bhatia has played better at easier courses, but his success at Copperhead may be due to his game maturing. The 22-year-old has enormous potential and the raw talent to be one of the best players in the world when he figures it all out.

Bhatia is a high upside play with superstar qualities and may just take the leap forward to the next stage of his career in the coming months.

Cameron Champ +12000 (FanDuel)

Cameron Champ is a player I often target in the outright betting market due to his “boom-or-bust” nature. It’s hard to think of a player in recent history with three PGA Tour wins who’s been as inconsistent as Champ has over the course of his career.

Despite the erratic play, Cam Champ simply knows how to win. He’s won in 2018, 2019 and 2021, so I feel he’s due for a win at some point this season. The former Texas A&M product should be comfortable in Texas and last week he showed us that his game is in a pretty decent spot.

Over his past 24 rounds, Champ ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 30th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses. Given his ability to spike at any given time, Memorial Park is a good golf course to target Champ on at triple digit odds.

Robert MacIntyre +12000 (FanDuel)

The challenge this week is finding players who can possibly beat Scottie Scheffler while also not dumping an enormous amount of money into an event that has a player at the top that looks extremely dangerous. Enter McIntyre, who’s another boom-or-bust type player who has the ceiling to compete with anyone when his game is clicking on all cylinders.

In his past 24 rounds, MacIntyre ranks 16th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 17th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 10th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses.

MacIntyre’s PGA Tour season has gotten off to a slow start, but he finished T6 in Mexico, which is a course where players will hit driver on the majority of their tee shots, which is what we will see at Memorial Park. Texas can also get quite windy, which should suit MacIntyre. Last July, the Scot went toe to toe with Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open before a narrow defeat. It would take a similar heroic effort to compete with Scheffler this year in Houston.

Ryan Moore +15000 (FanDuel)

Ryan Moore’s iron play has been absolutely unconscious over his past few starts. At The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field, he gained 6.1 strokes on approach and last week at Copperhead, he gained 9.0 strokes on approach.

It’s been a rough handful of years on Tour for the 41-year-old, but he is still a five-time winner on the PGA Tour who’s young enough for a career resurgence. Moore has chronic deterioration in a costovertebral joint that connects the rib to the spine, but has been getting more consistent of late, which is hopefully a sign that he is getting healthy.

Veterans have been contending in 2024 and I believe taking a flier on a proven Tour play who’s shown signs of life is a wise move at Memorial Park.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 13
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

Opinion & Analysis

Ryan: Why the race to get better at golf might be doing more harm than good

Published

on

B.F. Skinner was one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century, developing the foundation of the development of reinforcement, and in doing so, creating the concept of behaviorism. In simple terms, this means that we are conditioned by our habits. In practical terms, it explains the divide between the few and far between elite instructors and college coaches.

To understand the application, let’s quickly review one of B.F. Skinner’s most important experiments; superstitions in the formation of behavior by pigeons. In this experiment, food was dispensed to pigeons at random intervals. Soon, according to Skinner, the pigeons began to associate whatever action they were doing at the time of the food being dispensed. According to Skinner, this conditioned that response and soon, they simply haphazardly repeated the action, failing to distinguish between cause and correlation (and in the meantime, looking really funny!).

Now, this is simply the best way to describe the actions of most every women’s college golf coach and too many instructors in America. They see something work, get positive feedback and then become conditioned to give the feedback, more and more, regardless of if it works (this is also why tips from your buddies never work!).

Go to a college event, particularly a women’s one, and you will see coaches running all over the place. Like the pigeons in the experiment, they have been conditioned into a codependent relationship with their players in which they believe their words and actions, can transform a round of golf. It is simply hilarious while being equally perturbing

In junior golf, it’s everywhere. Junior golf academies make a living selling parents that a hysterical coach and over-coaching are essential ingredients in your child’s success.

Let’s be clear, no one of any intellect has any real interest in golf — because it’s not that interesting. The people left, including most coaches and instructors, carve out a small fiefdom, usually on the corner of the range, where they use the illusion of competency to pray on people. In simple terms, they baffle people with the bullshit of pseudo-science that they can make you better, after just one more lesson.

The reality is that life is an impromptu game. The world of golf, business, and school have a message that the goal is being right. This, of course, is bad advice, being right in your own mind is easy, trying to push your ideas on others is hard. As a result, it is not surprising that the divorce rate among golf professionals and their instructors is 100 percent. The transfer rate among college players continues to soar, and too many courses have a guy peddling nefarious science to good people. In fact, we do at my course!

The question is, what impact does all this have on college-age and younger kids? At this point, we honestly don’t know. However, I am going to go out on a limb and say it isn’t good.

Soren Kierkegaard once quipped “I saw it for what it is, and I laughed.” The actions of most coaches and instructors in America are laughable. The problem is that I am not laughing because they are doing damage to kids, as well as driving good people away from this game.

The fact is that golfers don’t need more tips, secrets, or lessons. They need to be presented with a better understanding of the key elements of golf. With this understanding, they can then start to frame which information makes sense and what doesn’t. This will emancipate them and allow them to take charge of their own development.

Your Reaction?
  • 14
  • LEGIT4
  • WOW1
  • LOL2
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB0
  • SHANK11

Continue Reading

19th Hole

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

Published

on

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.

Your Reaction?
  • 16
  • LEGIT3
  • WOW2
  • LOL1
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB2
  • SHANK6

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending