News
Tour Rundown: No Fooling! Kisner, McDowell, McCarthy and more
We had too much fun with yesterday’s April Fools Day version of Tour Rundown. We hope that our fictions weren’t as convincing as, say Hayden “Sidd” Finch was, so many years ago in Sports Illustrated. In this week’s true Tour Rundown, we look at Kevin Kisner match-play work in Austin, while Graeme McDowell returned to victory lane with a title in the Dominican Republic. Elsewehere, the LPGA crowned Nasa Hasaoka queen of Carlsbad, and the European and Champions tours recognized Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and the USA’s Kevin Sutherland as rightful claimants to the Savannah and Rapiscan titles.
1. Kisner’s WGC Match Play title caps head-to-head run
With the exception of a little international friendly last fall in France, Kevin Kisner has been the match-play story of the past 365 days. The South Carolinian finished as runner-up to Bubba Watson in 2018. In 2019, he returned to Austin and went one step farther, claiming the coveted title. Kisner defeated Matt Kuchar in the final, closing with stellar grace under pressure. His composure had European Ryder Cup stalwart, Lee Westwood, chirping earlier in the week that Kisner’s match-play game would certainly have shone well
at Le Golf National, for last year’s Ryder Cup matches. Both finalists survived harrowing finishes in Sunday morning’s semifinal matches. Each pulled out a 1-up victory over Francesco Molinari (Kisner) and Lucas Bjerregaard (Kuchar.) In the final match, Kisner took the lead on the 1st hole with birdie and never gave it back. Kuchar returned to all square on one occasion, when he made par to Kisner’s bogey at the 5th. Kuchar would win just one more hole (the 9th) and his only birdies would be halved by Kisner. On a day when he needed more, Kuchar did not produce and Kisner’s 2-under effort through 16 holes, brought him a 3-and-2 victory. The match play never fails to deliver some good, some bad, and some unusual. Have a look.
A shirtless hole-out eagle from the water. ????
Tiger's amazing recovery from the bushes. ????@JJWatt stops by @DellMatchPlay. ????And much more in the Good, Bad and Unusual. pic.twitter.com/2hLqPKNENo
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 1, 2019
2. Graeme McDowell claims fourth PGA tour title at Dominican debut
Beginning in 2010 with the US Open, Graeme McDowell has spaced out his 4 PGA Tour victories nicely. Wins in 2013, 2015, and 2019 put him on the verge of joining a solid group with 5 titles and 1 major. The majority of his success came earlier in his career, on the European tour, where he claimed 10 titles from 2002 to 2014. This week, McDowell made the most of the event opposite the WGC Match Play, holding off Mackenzie Hughes and Chris Stroud by one stroke for victory in the inaugural Puntacana Championship. McDowell positioned himself as the target with twin, middle rounds of 64, then opened Sunday with 4 birdies through the first 7 holes to preserve his lead. Hughes, Stroud and others were relentless, but McDowell survived a bogey at the turn and came to the last with 2 strokes in hand. He played the final fairway calmly, closing with bogey for -18 and his welcome margin of victory. A playoff wouldn’t have fazed the Northern Irishman, as he holds a 5-1 record in pro extra time. With the Masters around the corner, victory gives the one-time major champion an extra boost of confidence on the road to Augusta.
From 119th to 42nd in the #FedExCup.
A closer look at @Graeme_McDowell's impressive performance @CoralesChamp. pic.twitter.com/Xkbiq9j50f
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 2, 2019
3. Hataoka holds off handful of pursuers to claim LPGA’s Kia Classic
After a clean card of 8 birdies and 0 bogies produced a 64 and a healthy lead on Saturday, Nasa Hataoka found herself in a common position in professional golf: in need of a strong final round to fend off the chasers. The young Japanese golfer had many pursuers on Sunday, and 5 of them reached 15-under par at day’s end. Hataoka simply gave them no chance at recovery; she posted 5 more birdies through 15 holes in round 4, and when she finally made a bogey at 16 (only her 3rd of the week) she immediately rebounded with birdie at 17 to reach -18 and secure a 3-shot win over the quintet. Keep in mind that her pursuers included Inbee Park, Sung Hyung Park, Danielle Kang and other, worthy opponents. The trophy was Hataoka’s 3rd in 2 years on tour, marking her as yet another young stalwart with a chance at victory each week on the women’s tour.
The final round of the @LPGAKiaClassic was full of eagles, clutch shots and low scores!
Check out the highlights from the exciting conclusion to the 2019 Kia Classic!
HIGHLIGHTS ?? pic.twitter.com/YogUUpci3H
— LPGA (@LPGA) April 1, 2019
4. Gallacher claims victory on the moon at European Tour’s Hero Indian Open
The USA’s Julian Suri let another title slip away in India this weekend, but his story is not the compelling one. The headlines belong, rightfully so, to Stephen Gallacher. A 40-something pro from Scotland, Gallacher made a name for himself mid-decade, with back-to-back wins at the Dubai Desert Classic. Tournament titles have been sparse for the Scotsman in his 20 years on tour. Sunday’s victory at the course from the moon, aka Boulder City, was a complete surprise, and an inspiration for those still grinding in the late stages of their careers. What made the win even more unlikely for Gallacher was the marking of a quadruple-bogey 8 on his card in round 4. The 7th hole gave him fits all week, despite a birdie there in round 1. Rather than simply disappearing into a fog of frustration, Gallacher recovered with 6 birdies over the next 11 holes. A birdie at the last was enough to push him past Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, to -9 on the week and victory. With a 1-2 record in European Tour playoffs, outright triumph certainly suited Gallacher better than extra holes.
WOW!! ????
Could that be the moment that wins @stevieggolf the title?#HIO2019 pic.twitter.com/MBzLd5Lzot
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 31, 2019
5. McCarthy’s return complete with Web.Com tour triumph
If you followed him in 2016, Dan McCarthy was the dominating force on the PGA Tour’s Canadian circuit. He was poised to repeat this success in 2017 and 2018, but caution following injury slowed his progress. Fully healthy in 2019, McCarthy reclaimed the mastery with a first Web.Com victory at the Savannah Championship. The champion opened with rounds of 67 and 65, but faced a test with 4 bogeys on Saturday. Still in a tie for the lead on Sunday morning, the Syracuse native played consistent golf on day four. His 4-birdie, 1-bogey effort separated him from 3rd-round co-leader Scottie Scheffler. The UTexas alum played the first 12 holes erratically, then caught fire with birdies at 14-16. Bogey at 17 dropped Scheffler from the lead, and he was unable to birdie the last to force a playoff. With the win, McCarthy moved inside the top 10 on the season’s chase for 25 PGA Tour cards.
Scottie Scheffler vs. @DMcCarthyGolf.
It came down to the 72nd green @WebTourSavannah.
How things played out … pic.twitter.com/19w2ipEEhi
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) April 1, 2019
6. Seven-hole playoff finishes Monday at Champions Tour
Scott Parel has played very good golf the past 2 years on the Champions Tour. He did so again on Sunday, finishing at -7 through 3 rounds. Kevin Sutherland played terrific golf on Friday-Saturday, but not so much on Sunday. His closing 75, lowlighted by 0 birdies on the day, dropped him to -7, into a playoff with Parel. The two headed off to extra holes, but were unable to decide a winner through 5 attempts. Return to the course on Monday, they did, and two more holes were needed before Sutherland dropped a decent putt for birdie and the title. The victory was Sutherland’s 2nd on the senior circuit, coming two seasons after he closed 2017 with a win at the Charles Schwab Cup championship.
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Kevin Sutherland makes birdie on seventh playoff hole to win @RapiscanClassic. pic.twitter.com/C5Y1QQrjSM
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 1, 2019
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News
Morning 9: Tiger confirms playing schedule | Player: This caused Tiger’s downfall
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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News
Vincenzi’s 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting preview: International talent to shine
As anticipation mounts for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla in a few weeks, the PGA Tour makes a pit stop in McKinney, Texas to play The CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
Last year was the third time TPC Craig Ranch hosted the Byron Nelson. Prior to 2021, the event was held at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.
TPC Craig Ranch is a 7,414-yard par-71 that features Bentgrass greens. The event historically plays relatively easy, and that has remained the case in the three editions at TPC Craig Ranch.
The course structure may provide some additional intrigue with the par-3 17th featuring a stadium setup called “Ranch 17” which is reminiscent of the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. The course also has both long and difficult par-4s mixed with drivable par-4s, which should create some exciting moments.
There are 156 golfers in the field this week, and many stars will be taking the week off to prepare for 2023’s second major championship in a few weeks and a “signature event” at Quail Hollow next week. Notable players in the field include Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Stephan Jaeger, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Alex Noren, Adam Scott and Will Zalatoris.
Past Winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson
- 2023: Jason Day (-23 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2022: K.H. Lee (-26 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2021: K.H. Lee (-25 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2019: Sung Kang (-23)
- 2018: Aaron Wise (-23)
- 2017: Billy Horschel (-12)
- 2016: Sergio Garcia (-15)
- 2015: Steven Bowditch (-18)
Key Stats at TPC Craig Ranch
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for TPC Craig Ranch to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach remains the best measure of current form.
Hot iron play will be at a premium this week. Last year, Jason Day gained 6.4 strokes on approach, which was fourth in the field. In 2022, K.H. Lee was ninth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.2 strokes. In his 2021 victory, he was second in the field and gained 8.3 strokes on the field in the category.
Strokes Gaines: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Keith Mitchell (+1.02)
- Henrik Norlander (+0.99)
- Ryan Moore (+0.98)
- Ben Martin (0.80)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Fairways are wide at TPC Craig Ranch.
Distance will certainly be helpful, and there aren’t too many difficult holes on the course. Golfers who put themselves in position off of the tee this week should have a sizable advantage.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds
- Peter Kuest (+0.93)
- Kevin Daugherty (+0.91)
- Alejandro Tosti (+0.83)
- Keith Mitchell (+0.82)
- Kevin Tway (+0.74)
Birdie or Better %
There aren’t many hazards on the course, and all of the par-5s should be reachable in two for the majority of the players in the field. I am anticipating a birdie fest, and this statistic should be helpful in finding the birdie-makers.
Birdie or Better % Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Wesley Bryan (31%)
- Kelly Kraft (26.2%)
- Peter Kuest (25.9%)
- Matti Schmid (25.7%
- Jimmy Stanger (25.2%)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
Many golfers on TOUR have some major putting surface variance in their statistics and prefer Bentgrass to other surfaces.
Bentgrass is common in Texas, and we often see golfers who play well in Texas continue to do so, finding a great feel around the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Maverick McNealy (+0.92)
- Aaron Baddeley (+0.87)
- Callum Tarren (+0.86)
- Harry Hall (+0.81)
- Nick Hardy (+0.69)
Course History
This statistic will tell us which players have performed the best at TPC Craig Ranch over the past three seasons.
Course History Over Past 12 Rounds:
- Jordan Spieth (+2.69)
- K.H. Lee (+2.59)
- Seamus Power (+1.84)
- Ryan Palmer (+1.76)
- Adam Scott (+1.72)
CJ CUP Byron Nelson Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: OTT (24%), Birdie or Better % (18%), Course History (17%) and SG: Putting Bentgrass (16%).
- Alex Noren
- Adam Scott
- Keith Mitchell
- Si Woo Kim
- Stephen Jaeger
- Jordan Spieth
- Jhonnatan Vegas
- Nate Lashley
- Brice Garnett
- Tom Hoge
2024 CJ CUP Byron Nelson Picks
Byeong Hun An +3000 (DraftKings)
Byeong Hun put together an excellent performance at The Masters, finishing T16, which ties his best ever finish at a major championship (also T16 at 2019 U.S. Open). The South Korean gained 9.16 strokes from tee to green, which ranked 2nd in the field behind only the champion, Scottie Scheffler.
An’s next start at Harbour Town didn’t go as well (67th), but he still had a fantastic ball striking week. The 32-year-old bled strokes both around and on the greens, which was his eventual undoing. In his past three starts, An has gained significant strokes on the field both off the tee and on approach.
Benny had a strong start at last year’s Byron Nelson, finishing in a tie for 14th. With limited challenges on the course, he shouldn’t have to do much scrambling. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 17th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 17th in the field in birdie or better percentage. The putter is up and down per usual, but his ceiling putting weeks with his LAB Golf putter in 2024 are higher than they’ve been in past seasons.
An is starting to become my “white whale” of the PGA Tour, but I believe in his talent and TPC Craig Ranch is a course that should suit his excellent tee to green play.
Mackenzie Hughes +5500 (FanDuel)
Mackenzie Hughes is quietly putting together a very good season. He finished in a tie for 3rd at the Valspar Championship and followed that up with a T14 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
In his past 36 rounds in Texas, the Canadian ranks 5th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total. Last year, he finished in a tie for 14th at this event and gained strokes putting and off the tee. Mackenzie played well that week despite being in extremely poor form. He missed two cuts in a row prior to the event, and four consecutive cuts immediately after. His irons were off that week, but in 2024, we’ve seen an improvement in Hughes’ approach game. He now comes to the event playing some steady golf. He’s gained strokes on approach in four of his past five events and is hitting the ball very well from tee to green.
Hughes has two victories on the PGA Tour, both coming in relatively low-scoring affairs (-17 in each). He will need to go a bit deeper to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson but has the type of putter that can keep pace in a birdie barrage.
Seamus Power +7000 (FanDuel)
After struggling over the past few seasons with injuries, Seamus Power seems as if he is rounding back into the form that made him a really consistent player on the PGA Tour.
Power finished T12 in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage, which is encouraging considering it was a “signature event” with a very strong field. For the week, the Irishman gained 4.4 strokes on approach and 2.8 strokes putting, which is the combination he’s used in the past to contend on Tour.
In his three trips to TPC Craig Ranch, Power is yet to finish outside of the top-20, with his best finish being a T9 in 2019. He ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course. The 37-year-old thrives on easy tracks and has won in 2021 (Barbasol Championship) and 2022 (Butterfield Bermuda) on easier layouts with weaker fields.
Power has the game to go extremely low and I believe he can get back in the winner’s circle for the third time in four years.
Chan Kim +10000 (FanDuel)
Chan Kim has been striking the ball beautifully this season and is a proven winner with two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 as well as eight career Japan Tour wins.
At last week’s Zurich Classic, Kim and his partner Doug Ghim finished in a tie for 28th. Prior to that, the South Korean T14 at the Valero Texas Open and T6 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. His success this season in Texas as well as he propensity to play his best golf on the PGA Tour’s easier courses make him and ideal fit for TPC Craig Ranch.
2024 has given plenty of longshot winners on the PGA Tour, and with a birdie fest like this, I believe there’s a strong chance we get another this week in McKinney, Texas.
Alejandro Tosti +10000 (FanDuel)
Alejandro Tosti is one of the most polarizing players on the PGA Tour thus far in the 2024 season. His antics can rub many the wrong way, but he’s shown on a few occasions that he has what it takes to compete in Tour events.
This season, Tosti has been elite off the tee. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The Argentine hits it long and straight, which works at any course on earth. He got a taste of contention a few starts ago at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, finishing in a tie for 2nd place.
Tosti had a fantastic year in 2023 on the Korn Ferry Tour, where going low is a prerequisite to success. If this turns to a shootout, which it likely will, the 27-year-old has the ability to set the pace. Tosti will look to become the second Argentine to win in Texas in the past two seasons after Emiliano Grillo emerged victorious at last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
C.T. Pan +15000 (FanDuel)
Outside of a T3 at the Mexico Open, C.T. Pan doesn’t have strong results this season in terms of finishes. However, over his past two starts, Pan’s iron play has come alive. At The Players, he gained 6.6 strokes on approach. At the Valero Texas Open, he gained 3.7. At last week’s Zurich Classic, Pan and his partner Kevin Yu finished T28. For a player who can get extremely hot with his scoring clubs, I believe he’s playing better than the results have shown over the past month or so.
Last season, Pan finished 4th at TPC Craig Ranch and was spectacular across all the major stat categories. In his past 36 qualifying rounds, he ranks 16th in Strokes Gained: Total in Texas.
Pan has won on the PGA Tour at the RBC Heritage and is always a player that I believe has what it takes to win on a Sunday if he finds himself in contention.
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