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Tiger Woods completes arguably the greatest comeback story in sports history

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Sports have an uncanny way of teaching us about life. And there’s no greater life lesson than the athlete and the man who goes by Tiger Woods.

I first fell in love with golf while watching Tiger play the 1997 Masters with my father. Tiger is the reason that I, like millions of golfers throughout the world, including some of his professional contemporaries today, started playing and loving the game.

For basically his entire life, from the moment he appeared on The Mike Douglas Show at 2-years-old, until his world came infamously crashing down on Thanksgiving 2009, he was “perfect.” He was dominant, impactful, charismatic and invincible — what the world uncovered, however, was that his persona was a carefully crafted facade.

While he continued to play great golf despite injuries and surgeries through 2014, his Superman cape was tarnished, and his respect as a man was all but diminished.

From 2014 until 2017, the world watched Tiger Woods the athlete decay. He’d make minor comebacks after major back surgeries, but the letters “WD” replaced the number “1” next to Tiger’s name on leaderboards for years. And he also developed what was either the chipping yips, or an utter breakdown in his once-superior chipping technique. To all observers, aside from Tiger apologists, it seemed his golf career was likely over.

What was tragic for Tiger the athlete looked as though it’d turn into a tragedy for Tiger the man after his very public DUI in 2017 following his spine fusion surgery earlier that year. Tiger was completely vulnerable, and seemingly, completely broken. He was whatever the opposite is of his former self. Had he faded into oblivion after that, it would have been understandable, if not recommended.

But that’s not what happened. Despite every talking head in sports media saying Tiger was done (not that I didn’t agree at the time), Tiger waited for his back to heal upon doctors orders, then began his comeback to golf. It started with videos on social media of him chipping, then hitting irons, then his patented stinger.

In December of 2017, Tiger finished T9 in the 18-player field at his Hero World Challenge… a respectable finish considering what he had been through. As the season continued, he pieced together 4 consecutive rounds on many occasions, actually giving himself a few chances to win tournaments (the Valspar, Arnold Palmer, Quicken Loans and the Open come to mind). But his late-tournament confidence was clearly shaken; he was struggling to close the deal.

At the 2018 PGA Championship, Tiger had the attention of the entire sporting world when it looked that he had a serious chance to win his 15th major. But ultimately, he finished runner-up to a superior golfer that week in Brooks Koepka. All things considered, the week was a win for Tiger and his confidence… but it wasn’t a win.

The questions changed after the PGA Championship from “Can Tiger win again?” to “When will Tiger win again?”

Well, that question has been answered. Tiger Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship. Is it a major? No, it’s not. Some say the event itself is essentially just a money grab for the best 30 players of the season. But that’s the thing; the tournament hosts the best 30 players of the season all competing for big money. And you can bet it matters to the players on top of the leaderboard.

Tiger’s Tour Championship victory doesn’t mean he’s going to beat Jack’s record. Because he probably won’t. And maybe he won’t even win another major, although he’ll surely be the betting favorite at the 2019 Masters now. But, to me at least, his win marks the completion of the greatest comeback story in all of sports. And not only that, the conclusion to an important life lesson — don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.

No athlete has been written off more than Tiger Woods, especially in the era of social media that gives every critic in the world a microphone. No athlete has reached a higher high, and a relatively lower low than Tiger Woods. He went through it all — a broken marriage, public shaming, legal issues, a deteriorated skill set, surgeries, injuries, and arguably most impactful of all, humanization.

Tiger Woods came back from not just a 28-3 deficit on the scoreboard (Patriots-Falcons reference), and he didn’t score eight points in 9 seconds (Reggie Miller reference, sorry Knicks fans and sorry Dad), and he didn’t get hit by a bus (Ben Hogan), but he got hit hard by the bus of life, and he now stands tall in the winner’s circle.

Maybe that’s why sports teaches us so much about life; because sports is life. Not in the way that nothing else matters except sports, but in the way that sports is played by imperfect humans. When the ball goes in the air, or onto to the tee, or the starting bell rings, nothing is certain and nothing is given. And when things are looking bad, like really really bad, it’s how you respond that truly matters. Isn’t that what life is?

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

142 Comments

142 Comments

  1. Ayahuasca Retreat

    Oct 28, 2018 at 11:19 am

    Allow you to ultimately welcome the feeling.

  2. H?ng Phát Blue Star

    Oct 23, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    The content is great

  3. Ell

    Oct 3, 2018 at 1:22 pm

    The greatest comeback ever was Ben Hogan. Woods was not hit by a bus but by a 9 iron. Hogan also won 3 majors in one calendar year after coming back from a life threatening accident.

    • JH Holliday

      Oct 30, 2018 at 12:58 pm

      1000% right about Ben Hogan… no one comes close to him in regard to comebacks…. no one.

      But liberal pc writers have to obey their agenda.

  4. GetRichOrTyTryon

    Sep 27, 2018 at 10:48 pm

    Regardless of your thoughts on Tiger as a man or golfer, it’s good for the game. I knew he wasn’t done done but I guessed a win next year. It is pretty damn amazing as everyone knows this is the hardest game in the world to consistently dominate.

  5. William Elliott

    Sep 27, 2018 at 8:22 pm

    No. It was Ben Hogan.

  6. Pete

    Sep 25, 2018 at 8:16 pm

    Arguably the greatest comeback story in sports history? I disagree. “And there’s no greater life lesson than the athlete and the man who goes by Tiger Woods.” No, not too sure about that one either.

  7. David Duke

    Sep 25, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    Your guy’s hoods are showing LOL!!!

    So much hate, Everyone knows DJ loves the ladies and the bugger sugar…but they still love him. Hes in trouble right now for that exact behavior, and if you believe he slipped down the stairs at the masters your a bigger fool. He may have fallen…….but it was off the wagon. PGA tour doesn’t like bad looks.

    • stephenf

      Oct 10, 2018 at 12:59 pm

      What are you even talking about?

    • JH Holliday

      Oct 30, 2018 at 1:00 pm

      Duke, if anyone’s wearing a hood, it’s you. YOu’re pathetic with such comments.

    • JH Holliday

      Oct 30, 2018 at 1:10 pm

      Duke, look who’s talking about wearing a hood !!!!! Typical of your kind, you try to deflect the discussion from someone who you can’t legitimately defend to someone else, and then attack him.

  8. Scheiss

    Sep 25, 2018 at 2:41 am

    No number of wins is going to top the 120 or so women he poked.
    Every f-up he did, he did to himself, he poked them women, went behind his wife’s back, admitted so, crashed his suv into the hydrant, hurt his back from poking said women, then his knee when it got jammed under the steering wheel.
    This is not a comeback at all. Everybody who ever had comebacks had something bad happen to them that they did not do to themselves.
    Everything Eldrick is by his own design. His wins are impressive, I agree, but we all know some of them are also due to PEDs.

  9. Ramm

    Sep 25, 2018 at 2:36 am

    You should all go to https://www.talkspace.com
    and take Eldrick with you, he certainly seems still, to need somebody to really talk to.

  10. Mad-Mex

    Sep 24, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    Rooting for someone ONLY because of the color of their skin is AS RACIST
    as rooting AGAINST someone only because of the color of their skin.

    • Smeagol

      Sep 25, 2018 at 11:21 am

      Nah. They’re just supportive 🙂

    • Brent

      Sep 30, 2018 at 7:56 am

      Being supportive of someone can never be put on the same level as being hateful toward someone. Regardless of the intentions. Insane statement.

      • JH Holliday

        Oct 30, 2018 at 1:05 pm

        WRONG ! ! ! !

        Racism is racism… period.

    • Ell

      Oct 3, 2018 at 1:33 pm

      Not one commenter made a racist remark about Woods. You must be a demoncrat because they also throw up the racist card everytime someone makes a remark about a black person.

      • stephenf

        Oct 10, 2018 at 9:02 am

        Actually the OP made exactly the opposite point.

      • JH Holliday

        Oct 30, 2018 at 1:08 pm

        Ell, once again you’re perfectly right… that commentor is undoubtedly a pc liberal democrat; his words give him away.

    • JH Holliday

      Oct 30, 2018 at 1:04 pm

      You’re absolutely right, Mad-Mex, but the true racists are going to tell you you’re wrong. Pay no attention to them; they’re worthless.

  11. Art Williams

    Sep 24, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    This is what turns fans off about sports reporting these days especially when it comes to Tiger. What about Hogan getting almost killed and then coming back to win majors? I’m sure the author of this BS didn’t even do any research before he or she wrote about this being the best in BEST in sports, not just golf but all of sports. WOW! This is not on Tiger at all. What he has accomplished is super but let’s not get carried away. How old is this person who wrote this? Everything anymore has to be the best, the greatest, etc. etc. STOP ALREADY!

  12. Jon

    Sep 24, 2018 at 7:32 pm

    Sad how quickly people forget about Ben Hogans comeback

  13. Ralph Bowe

    Sep 24, 2018 at 5:40 pm

    You sure showed your ignorance of golf history.

    • Rock

      Sep 24, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      When Tiger first hit the golf scene I said he had African athleticism and Asian brains… I was wrong… he doesn’t have Asian brains…

      • Jim K

        Sep 24, 2018 at 11:13 pm

        And you obviously chose your nickname based on your brains.

        • JH Holliday

          Oct 30, 2018 at 1:15 pm

          Ah, Jim K, a defender of EVERY black person in the world… well done. The pc liberals of the world will give you an award for that. How about you defend the people who deserve it, but not everyone? Or is that racist to you?

    • RB

      Sep 24, 2018 at 5:49 pm

      PS – I just clicked “unsubscribe “ on your emails.

    • RAlph

      Sep 24, 2018 at 5:49 pm

      PS – I just clicked “unsubscribe “ on your emails.

    • Ralph's missing brain

      Sep 25, 2018 at 5:32 pm

      Do you have any clue what the term “arguably” means?

      • stephenf

        Oct 10, 2018 at 9:37 am

        Yup. Do you?

        It means you can raise a _credible_ argument. There is no credible argument for Woods being the best comeback story in sports history. Not even in golf history. Probably not even in the top three in golf history.

  14. Bob Jones

    Sep 24, 2018 at 4:42 pm

    Stop slobbering over Tiger Woods like a 10-year old. This whole premise should be embarrassing for an adult to even think about.

  15. Mike W

    Sep 24, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    Have to agree with a number of the commenters here. People tend to pay too much attention to what’s happening right in front of them right NOW and they forget the past. Tiger’s comeback story isn’t even the best one in golf. Of course, Ben Hogan wins that prize. Back from a near-death experience going head-on with an out-of-control bus and nearly dying, being told he’d never walk again, for goodness sakes, much less play again at an elite level, to winning three majors in a single season. That’s ridiculous, That’s a comeback story.

    And what of Harry Vardon? Given up for absolute dead with tuberculosis back in the day when it was for most a death sentence, left to fade away in a sanitarium, told he’d never play again, probably not even live, at best as an invalid–he eventually made it out and won The Open twice more to set the all-time record of six. That has to be the #2 comeback story.

    With all due respect (and with full acknowledgment that even if Tiger is not the GOAT, he’s right there with Nicklaus and at least arguably greater), even if Tiger wins a major or two or three over the next few years, he’ll rank 3rd behind those two comeback stories.

    • DPG

      Sep 24, 2018 at 10:06 pm

      I agree with 90% of your post but you lost me at “even if Tiger wins a major or two or three over the next few years, he’ll rank 3rd behind those two comeback stories.” Everyone is talking about comebacks from physical trauma, which in all cases, are amazing. But imagine the emotional and psychological trauma Tiger had to overcome. Now granted, most of that was of his own doing, no question. But nonetheless… an ugly divorce, he lost golf, he lost respect, the yips, the DUI, the ridiculously absurd microscope he lives under in EVERY aspect of his life, etc. Those other 2 guys have never experienced that microscope. Not sure anyone, even today, lives under that same scrutiny. No one is dissected like TW. He *might* still be third after winning majors (because he will) but it’s makes for a more compelling argument. In the end though, I don’t see the point in all this “greatest comeback” talk. Each one has it’s own very unique circumstances and all are VERY impressive. They are tough to compare. Why does one have to be better than the other?

      • Ell

        Oct 3, 2018 at 1:37 pm

        Those other two guys (Hogan and Vardon) did not cause their problems, Woods did. From the cheating on his wife, to the DUI that was all his doing.

      • Scooter

        Oct 4, 2018 at 1:20 pm

        Please stop making excuses for Tiger Woods. Also, please read the story of Ben Hogan’s early life if you want to compare psychological trauma with anybody else’s.

    • Uncle Wiggly

      Oct 4, 2018 at 2:54 am

      Great share here – thanks for posting.

  16. Mark

    Sep 24, 2018 at 3:21 pm

    While not a big Tiger fan, I was rooting for him to win and I hope he gets all aspects of his life in order. Considering his health not that long ago, quite an achievement to win as he did. On the other hand, as stated by many in other posts, Hogan’s comeback was in my humble opinion the greatest in sports history. Doctors thought he may not walk again, let alone play golf. His multiple achievements after all his injuries was amazing. He needed to take extremely hot baths during tournaments to help circulation in his legs, and then wrapping his legs in order to get around the golf course. His one eye was damaged and he often had trouble focusing while putting. And, he never complained or made excuses – he just played the game and found a way to win. Truly an inspiration to everyone.

  17. Matt

    Sep 24, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    Great comeback, he’s been grinding towards it over a year now. Hoping the new GF and years of humbling, bad PR have helped him become a nicer guy too.

    • shawn

      Sep 24, 2018 at 3:03 pm

      … he’s got a new squeeze? another model?

      • TigerFan91

        Sep 24, 2018 at 5:27 pm

        Not a model..no.
        She used to run Tiger’s restaurant in Jupiter

  18. shawn

    Sep 24, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    Tiger’s post-game demeanor was interesting. Humble but questioning his future ability to win again. This may well be Tiger’s last ever win on the regular Tour; his swan song. He almost sounded nihilistic. He’s really aging fast.

  19. Dale Winstead

    Sep 24, 2018 at 1:14 pm

    Article good; title bad. As many others have pointed out, Hogan’s comeback (in golf) is greater than Tiger’s by a wide margin. But, hey, 2nd place in this category is great, and I loved watching it!

  20. matt_bear

    Sep 24, 2018 at 12:59 pm

    The whole thing can be summed up the gallery following him up the 18th fairway.

    • shawn

      Sep 24, 2018 at 2:53 pm

      … and most of the audience was white white white… with a sprinkle of pepper… 😮

  21. andrew charles sturton

    Sep 24, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    So this journo did not believe in Tiger.. He was wrong…. But what the hell.. Now he says he will not beat JN record.. Who should we believe

    • JH Holliday

      Oct 30, 2018 at 1:24 pm

      Believe reality. Woods is finished winning majors, and will never approach Jack. Count on it.

  22. Wally

    Sep 24, 2018 at 12:42 pm

    Greatest comeback in sports history…”come-on-man”.

    • shawn

      Sep 24, 2018 at 2:55 pm

      Some would say the GOAT comeback was Cassius Clay to Muhammed Ali … anybody remember that??!!!

    • shawn

      Sep 24, 2018 at 3:05 pm

      GOAT comeback is Clay/Ali… n’est-ce pas?!!

  23. Adamj

    Sep 24, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    I think what Tiger (and Rose) have shown this year is that the current crop of stars aren’t as good as advertised. One or the other will get hot or find a perfectly-suited course (Reed at Augusta), but they really aren’t all-time greats.

    • shawn

      Sep 24, 2018 at 2:57 pm

      … but the cream will always rise to the top over the season. Few surprises.

  24. GHN

    Sep 24, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    Tiger’s comeback is truly impressive! Since we seem to be talking comebacks another great comeback that no one has mentioned is that of Harry Vardon. First he won the Open Championship while nearly dead from TB and then he did come back after a year or so of recovery to win it a couple of more times with a right hand that twitched during his putting stroke as a result of the bout with TB. Most people in his condition at that time did not survive so his was an all time great comeback imho.

    • shawn

      Sep 24, 2018 at 3:07 pm

      Vardon played a different game… hickory shafts, gutta percha balls and stymies on the greens… very different.

      • JH Holliday

        Oct 30, 2018 at 1:22 pm

        So that negates the magnitude of his comeback???????

  25. Yawning

    Sep 24, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    Really ? Another example of overdramatization from a motormouth golf journalist I say….just like Rich Lerner, Steve Sands and Mike Torico.
    Ever hear of Ben Hogan, Ernest Jones or for that matter Jarrod Lyle or Erik Compton to name a few ? No, not sensational enough.
    BTW, before you start crying in awe, did anybody notice that the leaders like Rose and McIlroy and even Woods all fell apart and shot over par on Sunday while Horshel at al showed that the course was gettable with their 65s?

    • bill

      Sep 24, 2018 at 2:35 pm

      yeah courses are always gettable sunday morning playing from 7 behind. Get a clue you trash bag

      • Michael W

        Sep 24, 2018 at 3:56 pm

        Trashbag? Really? Look, he may have been a bit snarky, but his underlying point is valid. The article is absurdly sensational, ridiculous to call one win, a fine tournament but not even a major, arguably the greatest comeback ever when Vardon and Hogan are in the mix. heck, Lee Trevino came back from being nearly killed by lightning and with serious spinal problems to win multiple majors. Tiger will probably not even make the top 3 greatest golf comebacks, let alone the greatest ever sports comeback, compared with those. Get a grip, Bill, please, you sound a little unhinged.

      • Yawning

        Sep 24, 2018 at 4:23 pm

        Bad form Billy poddymouth. Stick to the facts. Add Matsuyama and Fowler @ -5 each, in fact all of the top ten finishers shot under par on Sunday except Rose, McIlroy and Woods (+7). The course was getable but not by the 3rd round leaders. They fell down and Woods backed into it…..hardly the greatest comeback in all sport.

      • JH Holliday

        Oct 30, 2018 at 1:27 pm

        I bet your bedroom ceiling is plastered with tiger posters for whatever reasons you have….

  26. Dave r

    Sep 24, 2018 at 11:45 am

    Lots of egg running down my face today,I’ll admit I was not the first to say he would never win again . I was wrong good for him . But will still say a lot of mystery still revolves around this man and the tour.

    • shawn

      Sep 24, 2018 at 5:51 pm

      You might be correct now saying this is his last win… based on how his game was deteriorating in the last 3 holes. Next stop is the Senior’s Tour.

      • DWS

        Sep 24, 2018 at 11:24 pm

        Shawn, really? Dude, stop the hate.

        • JH Holliday

          Oct 30, 2018 at 1:31 pm

          dws, WHAT HATE are you talking about? If there’s ANY hate in the discussion, it’s all from you. I bet you voted for 0bozzo and Hitlery, too.

  27. Scratch

    Sep 24, 2018 at 11:43 am

    Respect your opinion but disagree 100% with conclusion. I truly respect and appreciate Tiger as one if the best ever at Golf. Having seen all of his Masters wins and several other big events in career love I’ve aporeciated his greatness. This being said it’s Not even a close second to several other sports comebacks , for now I will stick to Golf. Ben Hogan near death accident coming back a year later to have the greatest season in Golf is number 1 by a mile. Won every major he could play in ( travel by boat didn’t given him time to get back to PGA from the Open) won 5 tournaments out of 6?played, second in the other. Saved his wife’s life prior to seat belts and air bags along with metal dashboards let alone a head on collision with bus that was driving on wrong side of the road. Soaked his legs in bathtubs and wrapped them every night to be able to play. No pain meds. Medicine in dark ages compared to today Hogan’s 1953 comeback is the greatest in sports , Ali a close second. And If you consider ethics, morals and values it’s separates the conclusion even further. One totally his fault one not. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts .

  28. Old F*rt

    Sep 24, 2018 at 11:43 am

    Just in Golf Hogan dwarfs Woods’ comeback. Within a year, almost dead at least twice, both legs, collarbone, pelvis (on and on) vs. marital, drug and and psychological problems Hogan wins the USGA Open, goes on to win 6 Major Golf Tournaments. Woods has won one limited field event, 2nd in one PGA after 10 years, mostly of his own doing and very bad medical advice. Let’s revisit it in a while.

    Kudos to Woods for what he did, but greatest ever, too early to tell and probably never to be. Such short memories in the Twitter age.

  29. Fille

    Sep 24, 2018 at 11:22 am

    You mean after all the women including his wife that he laid waste to, by how own fault and design, you call this a comeback? Sickos
    #metoo

    • steve

      Sep 24, 2018 at 1:31 pm

      laid waste to? as in divorced giving up $100 million? take that #metoo nonsense and firmly implant it where the sun does not shine. thanks.

    • LetItGoElsa

      Sep 24, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      The guy had consensual sex with women, got divorced because of it and has moved on. Perhaps it’s time you did to? It’s not healthy to spend so much time and effort tearing others down.

      • Mv

        Sep 24, 2018 at 5:32 pm

        Fille is just another nobody that doesn’t mean anything behind an unknown keyboard somewhere trying to voice his or her hate.

        • Homme

          Sep 25, 2018 at 11:23 am

          Don’t worry Fille, these guys have never had done it with women, they like little boys

  30. Jamie

    Sep 24, 2018 at 11:06 am

    The Tiger bandwagon has something to live for again. Congratulations. You’ve been given a another chance to fix your historical illiteracy and intellectual dishonesty.

    • shawn

      Sep 24, 2018 at 5:46 pm

      Tiger is an icon and role model for all young aspiring golfers… money.. models.. misery…

  31. has

    Sep 24, 2018 at 9:05 am

    betting favorite at masters? maybe, but only if spieth doesn’t get back on track.

  32. Brian McGranahan

    Sep 24, 2018 at 8:48 am

    Greg Lemond got shot in the heart and almost died and came back to win the TDF two more times.

    Tiger Woods had back surgery. Just LOL at this title.

    • gunmetal

      Sep 24, 2018 at 10:49 am

      Ben Hogan – got hit by a bus, then a year later won the US open and 5 majors after that.

      Monica Seles – got stabbed in the back during a match went on to with the Australian Open (major)

      Mario Lemieux – missed a season due to Hodgkin’s lymphoma – then lead NHL in scoring back to back years.

      Countless other examples…

      Tigers win was INCREDIBLE and even somewhat emotional. We’ve all been hoping and waiting for it. But to call it possibly the greatest comeback in sports history is a pretty big stretch, IMO.

      • Paul

        Sep 24, 2018 at 11:40 am

        Thanks for writing this so I wouldn’t have to. Real time saver. Only thing to add is that comebacks take different forms: injury, illness, age, performance decline….maybe throw Muhammad Ali into the mix for being banned at the peak of his skills, or perhaps a sentimental nod to Tom Watson almost winning the Open Championship at age 58 (?).

        Tiger’s win was great, no question. The greatest????? Please.

      • Richard Kennedy

        Sep 24, 2018 at 1:36 pm

        AMEN!!!

  33. HATERS

    Sep 24, 2018 at 8:37 am

    You Tiger haters are a joke, you guys are really digging. “The PGA set the course up in his favor”, you are a clown and your commenting privileges should be revoked! I guess its Tiger and the PGA tours fault that 29 of the top 30 players in the game had trouble playing a hard course (that was evidently set up for Tiger) you guys are a joke. Its hard to take you guys seriously. Tigers back, and so are the best haters in sports lol. Losers!

    • Jamie

      Sep 24, 2018 at 11:12 am

      What would a Tiger story be without 10 self-righteous SJWs playing the hate card?

      • JH Holliday

        Oct 30, 2018 at 1:36 pm

        What you wrote, Jamie, couldn’t have been said better.

    • JH Holliday

      Oct 30, 2018 at 1:39 pm

      @Haters, the only one I see doing any hating here is YOU. You had to have voted for Hitlery… WHY do you feel that any comment that doesn’t praise woods to an extreme is hate???? I know why… you’re a pc liberal, that’s why.

  34. Matthew

    Sep 24, 2018 at 5:51 am

    Love the Tiger comeback. I got a little bored when he won so many so quick in his younger days but it really has become a great story. Especially now Jack’s record has become an against the odds situation.

    As far as Justin Rose’s story, many probably forget he missed his first 21 cuts in a row as a professional. Would be interesting to know what percentage of young pros pack it in earlier than that. Great story of self belief and perseverance. Perhaps also support and encouragement from those around him.

  35. Scheiss

    Sep 24, 2018 at 1:56 am

    Not arguably but definitely one of the biggest caaacks in sports or any history.
    Look at the way he talked to his own caddy at the end, grabbing his head and yelling at him like “I told you so” or summin stupid like.
    Joe, you’re too good a human to take sociopath Eldrick’s sordid behaviour. I respect you.

  36. YouDaManTiger

    Sep 24, 2018 at 1:23 am

    Ben Hogan, the guy who won the 1950 US Open after literally getting hit by a Greyhound bus, says hi.

  37. Richard Douglas

    Sep 24, 2018 at 1:20 am

    This was an amazing comeback. Never a Tiger fan, per se, but I’ve always admired his accomplishments.

    Don’t listen to anyone harping about it being a small field. Tiger had to weigh through dozens and dozens of competitors just to get into this thing, then he had to win it against most of the best golfers in the world.

    One complaint: how does a “playoff” go to a guy that didn’t win any of the “playoff” events? Rose is terrific, but how is he the Fedex Cup winner? If you honor winning then either Woods or DeChembeau should have won the Fedex Cup. Justin Rose is a terrific player and is the current number 1. But how does he “win” by not winning?

    • Scott

      Sep 24, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      not even number one now. Rose lost that too.

  38. Terry

    Sep 24, 2018 at 1:06 am

    Great comeback win by Tiger but the PGA set up the course in his favor. He had a 3 shot lead going in and the set up was such that no one would be able to shoot low enough to catch him. With that set up he only had to be concerned with Rose and Rory. Tiger said himself that he knew if he shot anything under par, he would win, because of the difficult set up.

    • Richard Douglas

      Sep 24, 2018 at 1:23 am

      Nonsense. He was just 3 strokes up going into the final round. There were many competitors who were in reach. Yes, the course was difficult, but it’s hard to imagine–and you don’t say–how it favored Tiger.

    • traviss

      Sep 24, 2018 at 2:57 am

      I just bought one last week. Great club. Tried it for 18 holes. I like the way it feels and sounds, but I am thinking to have it re-shafted though. But I am a bit too picky, so have a go at it.

    • andrew charles sturton

      Sep 24, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      So this journo did not believe in Tiger.. He was wrong…. But what the hell.. Now he says he will not beat JN record.. Who should we believe

    • OyVey

      Sep 24, 2018 at 1:50 pm

      Man…the official Guys that Hate Tiger group is out in full force today.

      I’ve always wondered whether there’s a huge cross-section of people who hate Tiger Woods and people who support Donald Trump. Same excuse=making behavior, same blind devotion to their view of the facts, and same racist undertones.

      • Fed Up

        Sep 24, 2018 at 3:50 pm

        Racist undertones? Please. Good lord you SJWs are tiresome lot. It’s like the sixth sense kid…”i see racists everywhere”

        • Mv

          Sep 24, 2018 at 5:55 pm

          You’re living under a rock then. When Tiger first broke onto the golf scene I remember hearing racist comments in the bar at my course. There were a lot of people rooting against him because of his skin color then and there still are today.
          No matter what her does, they’ll find a way to turn it into a negative.

          • Oh please

            Sep 25, 2018 at 6:53 pm

            And I’ve heard ten cracks abut the evils of old white men this week alone. Yes there are idiots out there, and always have been. But to imply that if one questions that this is the “greatest comeback of all time” they must be racist is offensive, divisive, and misanthropic. And yes, that’s exactly what that comment implied.

      • stephenf

        Oct 10, 2018 at 9:17 am

        If you find somebody here who’s making a “racist” argument, call him out. But if people don’t agree that Woods is the GOAT or that his comeback is best ever, obviously that’s “racist” per se only to the truly dimwitted.

  39. ogo

    Sep 23, 2018 at 11:36 pm

    p.s. … Justin Rose win FedEx Cup and $10 Million…. but not a peep on GWRX… hmmmm

    • BB

      Sep 24, 2018 at 12:43 am

      Tiger is arugably the most important athlete to any sport in history. Nobody has every brought people to their respective sport like tiger has to golf. Congrats to Rose, but nobody gives a crap that he won the cup.

    • Richard Douglas

      Sep 24, 2018 at 1:31 am

      Yeah. He “wins” the Fedex Cup without actually winning any of the tournaments in the so-called “playoff.”

      He’s a great guy and a great player. But how he “wins” the Fedex Cup over Tiger, Bryson, and Keegan–each of whom actually won something–is just amazing. And how does it not go to Bryson? The guy won 2 of the 4 events!

      Only in golf do we avoid losing, to the point that we give the playoff trophy to someone who didn’t actually win anything.

      It would be as if the NBA championship was awarded to the team that did the best overall in the playoffs, instead of the team that came out on top. It’s stupid, and the new changes won’t fix it.

    • Scheiss

      Sep 24, 2018 at 2:01 am

      You actually have a massive point there, Ogo, for once lol
      You notice that the course they chose, this place in Atlanta, has mostly straight to a left-right shot. You know they consulted Eldrick on what course he would be willing to play at the end of the season, and of course, he chose a place where he doesn’t have to hit a draw all day, but only a couple times. Most of the shots, even though some of the holes look dog-leg left, he can still pipe his cut and get away with.
      They should move the final event to some place that requires a tight draw all day through tight gaps through the trees and where the rough is 3 inches deep kikuyu, to truly test the driving accuracy of the players, so that they cannot just gouge it out and move it forward, they should have to play it sideways. And where are the out-of-bounds areas on this course? There are none. Not within driving reach anyway.
      Bias towards Eldrick again.

      • TWFan

        Sep 24, 2018 at 12:41 pm

        This comment is ridiculous if you seriously think the Tour conspired with Tiger to play this event at East Lake. Did they conspire with him last year when they played there (oh, by the way, he didn’t play in it last yr)? They probably consulted with him to play there next year too right?

        And I guess he’s the only person that plays a fade too? He can hit draws just fine with irons or woods. There might not have been a lot of out of bounds in driving reach but Rory found some lateral hazard within driving reach….oh yeah, he plays a draw too which you so desperately want players to constantly hit except that he forgot to hit it on that shot. And where would you like to find this non-existent course where you play a tight draw thru tight gaps in trees all day?

        The course and event has been set for a while now so your conspiracy theories have more holes than swiss cheese. They must have that in Trollville where you live. Congrats though, you win the award for one of the dumber things I’ve read in a while.

    • Travis

      Sep 24, 2018 at 10:29 am

      In next year’s format, Tiger would have won the FedEx cup. I’m not saying next year’s format is necessarily better or worse than what we have now, but when a guy “wins” the FedEx Cup by placing 2nd a couple of times and 5th in the playoff events, it’s not all that exciting. Especially with how bad he played the final round.

  40. ogo

    Sep 23, 2018 at 11:16 pm

    It was a easy golf course for pros as stated by the tv golf announcers. Did the other golfers lay back to bring back Tiger and the viewing audience? Hmmmmm… 😮

    • Richard Douglas

      Sep 24, 2018 at 1:25 am

      Right. There were literally millions of dollars in play, but Tiger’s fellow competitors laid down so he could win? Really?

    • Jon

      Sep 24, 2018 at 7:40 pm

      Normal Sunday pins you clown

    • DWS

      Sep 24, 2018 at 11:36 pm

      OGO, you do realize that these electrons never go away, right? Probably better that you don’t memorialize your cognitive impairment in such a permanent fashion. Its just golf, enjoy the entertainment that it is. Drop some of that negative energy, and I am sure that you will have a better outlook much better Tuesday.

  41. Stump

    Sep 23, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    So, if I don’t agree this was the greatest comeback in sports then I am a hater? I did not give him a chance to even play again with the seriousness of the back injury and then with the fusion…truly amazing he could even swing a club again let alone win.
    Only time will tell if this is the greatest comeback in golf.
    As for greatest comeback ever, my vote goes to Peyton Manning and his neck injury. Not only did he come back from the neck problem where he lost feeling in his hands, he got dropped by his team, went to another and won a Super Bowl.

    • DrRob1963

      Sep 23, 2018 at 10:56 pm

      No, you’re not a hater. And you don’t have to rank comebacks against each other, from one to ten either. Tiger’s comeback is fantastic, and so was Hogan’s. You can just say “Well done Tiger – that is a fantastic comeback after all your problems” and leave it there. I am.

      • Mad-Mex

        Sep 23, 2018 at 11:45 pm

        DrRob1963,,,,,, Stump can rank comebacks as much as he wants,from 1-100 or 1-10, he dosen’t have to say “well done Tiger- that is a fantastic comeback” and he dosent have to leave it at that, he can take it anywhere he wants.

        • DrRob1963

          Sep 24, 2018 at 5:05 am

          And I am very happy for people to play, or not to play, the rating game. With such different circumstances especially with different sports, I feel it is impossible to come to a definitive answer – different people will have different opinions, and come to different conclusions. Ben Hogan vs Tiger vs Peyton Manning vs Gordie Howe vs Muhammad Ali vs ….. Some people want to rank them, but I think its impossible to come to a clear, unchallengible answer. Better to step back, admire each one and just say “Wow! Well done to each of you!”

          • Michael W

            Sep 24, 2018 at 4:01 pm

            OK then, if it’s impossible to reach a conclusion, then I nominate myself for greatest comeback. I took 25 years off from golf, used to be a mid-70s golfer. Took game back up recently and at first couldn’t have hit the water if I’d teed it up on the beach–and finally, after a few grueling months of playing casual golf with friends, I shot 37 for 9 holes a couple weeks ago. That’s the greatest comeback ever! Well done to me–everyone gets a trophy, right? Please, dude, some things are greater and more extraordinary than others. It’s JUST SO.

            • DrRob1963

              Sep 25, 2018 at 5:14 am

              Wow! Well done. I am pleased for you to have reached a personal goal. You are a legend in your own mind. However, I personally see Ben’s and Tiger’s golf comebacks as more significant on the world sports stage. I find them difficult to compare directly as I admire both of their comebacks, let alone trying to judge them against great comebacks in other sports.

              • Mike W

                Sep 25, 2018 at 10:26 pm

                DrRob – I was mocking my accomplishment. I don’t think it’s noteworthy at all. I was pointing out to you that yes, you can rank accomplishments.

                • DrRob1963

                  Sep 26, 2018 at 12:22 am

                  Sure, but to many, personal bests are important. Mine are important to me, but mean little to others, and simply do not rank against the best in sports. But I am still proud of mine, and you should be proud of yours, too.
                  I think my point about ranking events, is that different people will look at the same events, but rank them differently. Both viewpoints and arguments may be valid – they may just value them differently.. For instance, someone who has had bad back problems may feel Tiger’s comeback was better, while another who has had a car crash, suffering major injuries, may prefer Hogan’s. I prefer to say “Wow! Tiger’s was great because a) b) & c), and so was Ben’s due to d) e) & f)”. I don’t personally feel the need to rank them, or separate them.

              • Mike W

                Sep 26, 2018 at 5:55 pm

                I’m responding to your post below, where you talk about “personal bests”, but for whatever glitchy reason the forum won’t allow me to do. So I’m responding here. Actually, 37 would not be my personal best. That was 32, more than once, many, many years ago. But even that was a paltry accomplishment because it was a commonplace muni course and if I strung four of those together for a 36 hole 128, on that course it still probably wouldn’t be enough to play on the weekend had the tour been playing there. I admire Tiger’s drive and determination to make it back in spite of great pain (and back pain’s about the worst, this coming from a guy who once threw his back out so thoroughly that I went down like I was shot and nothing, no power on earth, could’ve enabled me to stand up or even crawl, it was like being paralyzed). So I can respect that, and I am a fan and hope he goes on to win 20 majors and removes all doubt about the GOAT (until another one, perhaps not yet born, comes along who’s just like him)–but still the comeback that Hogan put together was simply hands-down the best.

    • Ironic Millennial

      Sep 24, 2018 at 3:55 pm

      Yes. In fact, if you don’t acknowledge this as the greatest come back of any kind in the history of humanity, you’re a racist.

      • Mike W

        Sep 25, 2018 at 10:24 pm

        Hmm. Somehow I think you missed my point. I was mocking my “accomplishments”. I was trying to point out that it’s illogical to say that accomplishments can’t be ranked. Of course they can. My would rank something like 100 millionth. Tiger’s would probably be third in golf behind Hogan and Vardon.

        • Ironic Millennial

          Sep 26, 2018 at 4:25 pm

          Oh I wasn’t responding to you…more a general poke at those in these comments implying that if one doesn’t love tiger and claim this as “the greatest comeback in sports history,” they must therefore be racists.

          • Mike W

            Sep 26, 2018 at 5:48 pm

            No, it was my bad. I meant to respond to Dr. Rob and accidentally responded to you. Sorry about that.

      • joro

        Oct 8, 2018 at 12:25 pm

        Not a racist and not the greatest comeback in History, leave that for Hogan. Watch what Tiger does and see if his” Magic comeback” lasts, it sure did not in the Ryder Cup where he lost all his matches,,, along with Phil. And while your at it shove you racist comment when the Sun don’t shine.

  42. HKO

    Sep 23, 2018 at 9:12 pm

    i just wish all the haters went to STFU for ever… ok at least for awhile.
    seriously, pulling Ben Hogan here to argue who’s greater? SMH

    • Bez

      Sep 24, 2018 at 9:10 am

      Its not hating to say that coming back for almost dying twice after getting hit head on by a bus and then winning several majors is a better comeback that winning a limited field event after back surgery(s). Tigers win/comeback is impressive, but 2 years ago no one was wondering if he would still be alive today..

    • Michael W

      Sep 24, 2018 at 6:21 pm

      Nahh, you’re right. Tiger winning a non-major event after spinal fusion surgery is FAR GREATER a comeback than Hogan nearly being killed by a bus, then winning three majors in one year. No doubt Tiger’s the greatest comeback of all and anyone who says otherwise,if fact, anyone who thinks every shot Tiger has ever taken in his life, and everything he has ever done in his life (including the stuff with women of the night while he was married and with a kid at home) is not the greatest thing ever, is a full boat HATER of Tiger, probably a closeted racist, a monster. You are just SO RIGHT ON SO MANY LEVELS, HKO!

  43. A. Commoner

    Sep 23, 2018 at 9:03 pm

    Why in the devil is so much of the commentary and writing (like this) about Woods so far over the top? It is tiring.

  44. Bill Jordan

    Sep 23, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    I hope he’s back for a few good years yet. Unlike many of today’s golfers, Tiger is a threat in nearly every tournament he enters, which makes them much more exciting to watch. He is one of the most consistently great golfers the game has seen. Just look at how the other ‘greats’ of today folded around him. I’m guessing Koepka might have had a different result at the U.S. Open had he been paired with Tiger on that last day. Koepka basically got to play the round in anonymity. Glad to have Tiger back in the fold. Hopefully he knows enough about his body now to stay healthy.

    • Bill Jordan

      Sep 23, 2018 at 8:57 pm

      Check that, PGA Championship vice U.S. Open.

  45. Jim

    Sep 23, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    Pretty incredible, an amazing rebound from injuries. But Hogan’s recovery was more significant and if we’re talking all of sports you have to consider the Red Sox coming back from three games down to beat the Yankees in 2004. Still was really amazing with Tiger winning and Justice that Rose won the overall FedEx cop too.

  46. Mad-Mex

    Sep 23, 2018 at 7:00 pm

    I am not a Tiger hater nor Tiger lover,but, Ben Hogan came back from a double-fracture of the pelvis, a fractured collarbone, fractured left ankle, chipped ribs and near fatal blood clots, all without today’s modern medical advances.

    • GolfDoc

      Sep 23, 2018 at 7:10 pm

      The difference is between neuro and skeletal. A pelvis, which is the only of those injuries which you could argue would long term impact a golf swing, will still regenerate. A fusion is much more significant. The loss of ROM is permanent and the body is only able to repair neuro involvement. Repair vs regenerate is huge. On top of that, chronic vs acute is also huge. Hogan did not deal with the body’s compensatory movements over years that Tiger’s did. There is no comparison between them.

      • Bez

        Sep 23, 2018 at 8:10 pm

        Hogan almost died twice, once from the accident and once from blood clots. You talk about losing ROM,yet Hogan essentially lost use of his legs having to wrap then prior to playing. The wreck also impacted his vision which greatly impacted his putting. What Tiger did is impressive, but until he wins 4 or 5 majore (like Hogan post accident) lets not call it the greatest.

        • Pharaoh Bhang

          Sep 23, 2018 at 8:21 pm

          As incredible as Hogan’s comeback was, he wasn’t coming back against the deepest field in history. The number of great players today is far higher than it was when Hogan came back from his accident. I’d also argue that the mountain Tiger had to climb on his way back was as much mental as it was physical.

          • Bez

            Sep 24, 2018 at 9:13 am

            Maybe, but the 1950 US Open wanst a 30 man field

            And I guess you discredit Jones and his Grand Slam sine the fields were week?? Then again, if the fields had been a little deeper in HOgans days maybe he could have focused more on tournament golf and not had to hold down a club job as well

      • Patrick Ryan

        Sep 24, 2018 at 4:48 am

        Hogan was much more than skeletal…..Hogan needed his vena cava tied off bc of a blood clot after the accident. He shouldn’t even have been able to walk again let a long win Us Open 18 months later

        Hogan > Tiger

    • 2putttom

      Sep 23, 2018 at 7:31 pm

      ya and Tiger channeled Ben Hogan to get to this point

  47. dat

    Sep 23, 2018 at 6:42 pm

    Truly incredible.

  48. Johnny Penso

    Sep 23, 2018 at 6:36 pm

    I’ve never been the biggest Tiger fan. But even I got a little choked up at the outpouring of positive emotion from the fans as he walked up 18. Not something you see often in golf and reminiscent of the type of galleries that Arnold Palmer used to gather as he walked up 18 in some majors. Great to see, great for golf and hopefully more to come.

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19th Hole

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

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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.

 

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Opinion & Analysis

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

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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.

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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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