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Adam Scott believes the new rules have made the sport a “laughingstock;” Happy to be a martyr in the fight against slow play

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The modernized rules of golf have come under fire from a number of Tour professionals already this year, and Adam Scott is the latest man to join the list of disgruntled pros unhappy with the changes.

Speaking to the New York Times, Scott criticized the USGA and R&A’s rule changes, saying “They’ve just written more gray areas into the game that were not necessary.” The Australian singled out the new drop rule which forces players to drop from knee height as opposed to shoulder height, a rule which will make Scott think twice before taking a drop in 2019 without the consultation of his caddie or a rules official, in fear of violating the new regulation.

Another rule change which Scott discussed was the ability that players now have of leaving the flag-stick in the hole while putting – a rule which Scott believes will change the art of putting entirely.

“To be honest it almost changes the whole aim of the game. It’s to hit the pin, not hole the putt. It takes speed out of your head so much. It even takes some reading of the green out.”

For Scott, officials are changing too much too fast causing detriment to the sport which he believes is now becoming the object of ridicule.

“We haven’t had a lot of changes in golf in the history of the game, and we’ve had a lot recently — rules changing weekly in some cases — and it’s crazy. I think we’re becoming the laughingstock.”

The former Masters champ recently spoke to the PGA Tour’s chief of tournaments and competitions Andy Pazder, who he told that he was willing to be penalized for slow play if it would help fellow professionals speed up. Concerning slow play, Scott believes the lack of penalties enforced, as well as the absence of financial ramifications, is at the core of one of golfs biggest issues.

“Make me the victim. I’ll take the penalty. The only way it’s going to work is if you enforce it. There’s a big media fuss, a big feeling that we play slow, and we do, but the tour is an entertainment business and a big money maker for a lot of people. Until sponsors and TV tell the commissioner you guys play too slow and we’re not putting money up, it’s a waste of time talking about because it’s not going to change.”

Scott, who is in the field this week at the Genesis Open, further emphasised his frustration at the lack of action concerning slow play in the game, stating

“We’ve seen too many years, too much complaining about it. And zero action about it.”

 

 

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

40 Comments

40 Comments

  1. Grizz01

    Feb 16, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    I concur to some degree. I think tournament play they should have to take the pin out. For everyday players, especially on the weekends. If you want to leave the pin in, leave it in with no penalty. Speed up play, and use that score for your handicap.

    • Scott Ivlow

      Feb 22, 2019 at 11:48 am

      The problem with your tournament play argument is what qualifies as a tournament? But a dumb rule change having 2 different rules makes make no sense. If a a pro player wants to leave it in they should be allowed to do it under the USGA rule. There is no single advantage to making a putt with the pin the hole. Just because a player might aim at the flag there is no guarantee that the ball will go into the hole anyway. Leaving it a golfer will still be making a risk of hitting it and not go in the whole.

  2. Greg Marthaler

    Feb 15, 2019 at 3:29 pm

    Dropping from the knee and putting with the flagstick in don’t improve pace of play. The way to speed up play is to institute ready golf, ban the yardage/green books, use lasers. Eliminate pros calling in rules officials simply to make a drop. If a player is slow (JB Holmes, Ben Crane) assess them a 2 shot penalty. The warning comes on the 1st tee, before the round starts.

  3. Sparky

    Feb 15, 2019 at 1:25 pm

    Where were all the complainers during the rule review period? USGA gave us a ton of time and explicitly invited comments. Quityer bitchin.

    In a year everyone will be used to it and we’ll be fine. Jeez.

  4. YouAreWrong

    Feb 15, 2019 at 12:32 pm

    100% spot on.

    Church!

  5. John Barrett

    Feb 15, 2019 at 12:25 pm

    Watching reruns of the wonderful world of golf, I noticed way back during those times that the pros like Byron Nelson on longer puts, putt with the pin in. So I don’t know what the big hoopala is regarding the USGA going back to this rule. Dropping from the height of the knee, means that the ball will less likely move more than the allotted distance from the point of contact with the ground and therefore eliminating multiple drops plus dropping from the knee will less likely result in a bad lie because a ball will drop with less speed and more likely quickly come to rest.

  6. James Flynn

    Feb 15, 2019 at 12:14 pm

    When a stroke difference could be worth 500k, I’d take my time too.

  7. Matt

    Feb 14, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    Adam Scott is my favorite golfer and he is way off the mark on this.

  8. JohnnyNight

    Feb 14, 2019 at 5:01 pm

    OMG..!! LOL..!! For Adam Scott, the golferwho used a telephone pole for a putter to call anything in golf a disgrace is THE JOKE OF THE CENTURY..!! The guy made the sport look like an activity for the weak and weak minded as he attempted to hole out 6 inch putts with his TELEPHONE POLE..!! And this from what appeared to be the most physically fit man on the tour…

    • Deano

      Feb 14, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      “Telephone pole for a putter” – nailed it.

      And couldn’t agree more. I laughed out loud reading his comments. He’s an embarrassment.

    • Travis

      Feb 14, 2019 at 5:07 pm

      You’re an idiot please never post again.

  9. ChipNRun

    Feb 14, 2019 at 1:50 pm

    ——————
    Quoting OBESITY
    “Golf is the perfect vehicle to fight obesity by making everybody walk who can, except for those who are truly handicapped and have a license indicating so.”
    ——————

    Some golf courses are set up so most people use pull carts; only a handful of riding carts.

    But, you must realize that for some golf is a sport among others. One guy I know also works out at the gym and runs in charity 10Ks. He says that golf is recreation – he takes a cart because he gets his workout elsewhere.

    And licensing the old and handicapped? That is great optics for a sport which talks about being “more inclusive.” It’s bad enough golf has done away for anchored putting, which a lot of seniors with back trouble sorely miss.

    As for LAUGHINGSTOCK? Let’s not forget about learning curve. Whenever you change the processes of an activity like golf, it takes people awhile to get used to it.

    Here in the Midwest, traffic circles – as opposed to t-crossing streets with stop signs – have been around more than a decade. But, some people claim they still find them confusing.

    When things change, even if you can show benefits of the change, you always encounter some who oppose it. After a year or two, I suspect we’ll see a retweak of new golf rules points that didn’t work out well. We’ll have to wait and see.

  10. Brian

    Feb 14, 2019 at 1:27 pm

    Please educate me, but I thought the drop rule meant you could drop it from as low as knee height…not that you had to drop it from knee height.

    • Travis

      Feb 14, 2019 at 5:08 pm

      I’m 99% sure it’s knee height and dropping it from higher can result in a penalty. The rule SHOULD be drop it from minimum knee height to maximum shoulder height and be done with it.

      • KS

        Feb 14, 2019 at 9:48 pm

        Gee i too thought the new meant to lessen the penalty of dropping, where the knee height is the minimum.

    • Tartan Golf Travel

      Feb 14, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      It’s at knee height. Not above or below. Another silly rule brought to you by the morons at the USGA

      • Scott Ivlow

        Feb 22, 2019 at 12:07 pm

        I get why people on here hate new knee height ball drop. Like they never seen a golf tournament where a pro drops a ball at shoulder height and the ball rolls from the drop spot both times and then watch the player place the ball. So from knee height the ball has a far less chance of rolling from the drop and still has a random placement than a player’s preffered position like say your standing next a divet or anything doesn’t offer the best lie. Having a placement of a golf ball just gives the golfer the potential to a spot that offers the best lie.

  11. Jordan

    Feb 14, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    Crossfield recently played with a few of the euro pros. Some tested leaving pin in and felt that it penalized you more than taking it out.

    So unless Adam has done testing to back his claim, or some independent body proves that flag in really is statistically a benefit. There isn’t a problem with it.

  12. Obesity

    Feb 14, 2019 at 12:27 pm

    Obesity.
    The USGA and the PGA and all the Tours around the world should get together to fight obesity and get rid of carts/buggies.
    Know why they won’t?
    They’re afraid the courses will lose money and the industry will shrink to half what it is, because they know people are lazy.
    Carts slow down play more often than people think, as bad, lazy players don’t even know etiquette.
    So that’s another problem they should add to the slow play list, if they want to get serious about making it faster for the amateurs.
    Golf is the perfect vehicle to fight obesity by making everybody walk who can, except for those who are truly handicapped and have a license indicating so.

    • Tom

      Feb 14, 2019 at 1:19 pm

      I grew up walking 18 holes and playing in less than 2 and a half hours, (with nobody holding us up)….I now often play in a cart (due to bad knees) and play in less than 2 and a half hours (if not held up)….it has nothing to do with carts, it has everything to do with the player!

      • Obesity

        Feb 14, 2019 at 1:22 pm

        Your course must be really short and have nobody playing on it.

      • Liar

        Feb 14, 2019 at 11:10 pm

        You never walked 18 holes and played in 2.5 hours. NEVER. IF you did, you were playing a par 3 course. I hate idiots that exaggerate for the sake of I’m not sure why. My group is as fast as any players around. All sub par handicaps and we can play in just under 3 hours, RIDING…and that’s flying! I bet people that know you don’t like you.

        • 84425

          Feb 15, 2019 at 1:59 pm

          Nonsense! I’ve played/walked 18 in under two hours (ok, by myself), but even a three ball should be able to play/walk in less than 3 hours.

    • Brian

      Feb 14, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      A round of golf already takes 4+ hours to play when riding a cart. That’s just want I want to do every Saturday and Sunday in the dead middle of 90+ July days…stand in the middle of a golf course for 6+ hours.

      If Carts slow the game down, why is my foursome constantly playing through groups of walkers on the weekends?

      • Steve Shapard

        Feb 15, 2019 at 1:22 pm

        Agreed. It is the golfer, not the cart. Same golfers in carts can play a much faster round than walking if speed of play is the point. The point being, the same golfers and same level of play. That is also assuming that the cart riders do so correctly and efficiently.
        Drives me CRAZY to see guys in their carts sit on their butts, drive from one guys ball, hit it, and then drive to the other players ball, find and hit it.
        Not THAT truly does slow the game down and is slower than walking. Unfortunately you see that happen all the time,

    • Brian

      Feb 14, 2019 at 3:08 pm

      If I show up to a course and it’s CPO, I almost always get back in the car and go somewhere else.

      I walk all the time and frequently play in groups that have carts. I keep up just fine. Straight lines are the fastest way from A to B.

    • tgk

      Feb 15, 2019 at 2:02 pm

      77 years old, would love to walk a course but spinal arthritis forces me to ride. Also, the majority of higher end public and semi private courses are designed to use power carts as walking from greens to tees can take 5-10 minutes and many courses need the revenue from cart fees to survive.

    • Grizz01

      Feb 16, 2019 at 7:43 pm

      If you can out bench me and out squat me, I’ll start walking. (I know you can’t, I’m in the 99.5%.)

      So get to the gym and start strength training… be a real man.

  13. MacAttack

    Feb 14, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    Watching the guys bend over for a “drop” is a complete joke and if you let these guys putt with the flags in you’re going to see 56-57 in the near future. It’s too easy to make the average pro putt like Tiger from 6-8 feet for par. I find the changes disgraceful.

  14. GARYT

    Feb 14, 2019 at 11:36 am

    So putting with the flag in is a bad thing yet Adam putts with the flag in

    • Travis

      Feb 14, 2019 at 5:10 pm

      Because he knows it’s a distinct advantage that can make him more money. He’s admitting it makes the game easier so when millions upon millions of dollars are on the line then why would he not take advantage of it? He’s just also pointing out that it makes the game look stupid as an aside.

      People forget PGA Tour players are only out there to make money. Their lives are not guaranteed. It’s week to week. They have opinions on how the game should be run but priority #1 is their own paycheck and livelihood.

  15. Billy B

    Feb 14, 2019 at 10:39 am

    The guy that needed the crutch of an anchored putter is complaining about a flag stick “changing the art of putting”. Funny

  16. John O

    Feb 14, 2019 at 10:31 am

    The exactly knee high drop thing is stupid. Obviously it should have been “no lower than knee height” or just place the damn thing. Pro golfers should still be putting with the flag out – leaving it in should be a shortcut to simplify and speed things up for amateurs.

    • 15th Club

      Feb 14, 2019 at 11:18 am

      Do you not understand why “no lower than knee height” wouldn’t work? I can tell you. It would allow players to game the process by dropping from as high as they could reach, to cause a dropped ball to bounce and possibly roll to a place were a re-drop, and then a second re-drop, would ultimately lead to the player being able to place it.

      The knee height is an easy, sensible compromise to (1) arrange a drop that has some randomness to it, to create a natural lie and (2) reduce (while admittedly not eliminate) the necessity of re-drops when a ball bounds away from the drop point in an unallowable direction or to an unallowable location.

      Thanks for asking.

      Now; as to golf being made a “laughingstock.” I don’t think so; but nobody is contributing more to golf’s problems than the Tours and touring professionals. The Tour pros on the Ladies tours were the ones going psychopathic with caddies lining them up. The Tour pros were teaching all television viewers what golf looks like at a glacial pace. The Tour pros created the business of green-reading books.

      Tour pros: You want to see a “laughingstock”? Look in a mirror. Or just turn on Golf Channel.

      • Troysii

        Feb 15, 2019 at 4:59 am

        Why not just make it hip height. Stand up straight, hold arm slightly away from body

        • 15th Club

          Feb 15, 2019 at 8:27 am

          Because they wanted it lower; for the reasons I suggested. To make drops from a lower height, so as to reduce the number of times that balls drop and bounce or roll into impermissible positions.

          What I cannot understand is what is the problem with knee height, in a game where you place a ball on a tee 18 times, and pick a ball up out of the hole 18 times?

          I’ve seen the videos where people are trying to mock the Rule, and I don’t get it. They all seem completely ignorant of the point of the Rule change. (They most likely never understood it to begin with; they would have created very different kinds of video demonstrations if they had been serious about attempting to rebut the USGA’s reasoning.)

          • Doug

            Feb 18, 2019 at 9:01 am

            Agreed.

            Dropping is an art in my opinion. With the old rule, whenever possible, I would try to drop in a spot that would purposely roll too far outside the required area so as to get to place the ball after two failed drop attempts. Of course, it was not always possible to achieve success if the drop area was not ideal. Flat areas made it less likely to happen. So, I would then look for the most ideal place to drop so that the bounce gave me a good chance to get a better lie. But dropping from shoulder height made that outcome more difficult. Now, dropping from knee height can make your chances of getting a decent lie better, but there are still no guarantees, while at the same time, limiting the chances the ball will roll outside the drop zone. The rule is written to address both situations. And it does, regardless of how some people think it looks.

            If it were the reverse and the rule had always been as it is now and was then changed to drop from shoulder height, the whole golfing world would be up in arms over that. Everyone would be whining that they can’t get decent lies without getting lucky, or that it takes too long to drop twice, when you know full well that the ball won’t stay where you drop it, giving you the option to place it.

            Nobody likes change. Me neither. However, in this case, the drop rule may not initially seem better for pace of play or benefit to a player’s lie, but it is. No matter how funny and awkward it may look.

            And when the USGA changes the rule to allow for removing the ball from old divots in the fairway with free relief, I will support that one too. Bet you won’t see too many complaints about that one, except from those who just like to complain for the sake of complaining.

            Generally, I think the USGA can be a bit dictatorial and/or overbearing. They may be necessary for high-level amateur and Pro competition, but are certainly not in touch with the average public golfer. I’d characterize them as oblivious to our needs most of the time. So, I am not a big supporter of them. But somebody has to make rules, whether we agree or not. In this case though, I am happy with the new drop rule.

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Four books for a springtime review

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One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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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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