Opinion & Analysis

Slow play is all about the numbers

Published

5 years ago

Aug 17, 2019

If you gather round, children, I’ll let you in on a secret: slow play is all about the numbers. Which numbers? The competitive ones. If you compete at golf, no matter the level, you care about the numbers you post for a hole, a round, or an entire tournament. Those numbers cause you to care about the prize at the end of the competition, be it a handshake, $$$$, a trophy, or some other bauble. Multiply the amount that you care, times the number of golfers in your group, your flight, the tournament, and the slowness of golf increases by that exponent.

That’s it. You don’t have to read any farther to understand the premise of this opinion piece. If you continue, though, I promise to share a nice anecdotal story about a round of golf I played recently—a round of golf on a packed golf course, that took a twosome exactly three hours and 10 minutes to complete, holing all putts.

I teach and coach at a Buffalo-area high school. One of my former golfers, in town for a few August days, asked if we could play the Grover Cleveland Golf Course while he was about. Grover is a special place for me: I grew up sneaking on during the 1970s. It hosted the 1912 U.S. Open when it was the Country Club of Buffalo. I returned to play it with Tom Coyne this spring, becoming a member of #CitizensOfACCA in the process.

Since my former golfer’s name is Alex, we’ll call him Alex, to avoid confusion. Alex and I teed off at 1:30 on a busy, sunny Wednesday afternoon in August. Ahead of us were a few foursomes; behind us, a few more. There may have been money games in either place, or Directors’ Cup matches, but to us, it was no matter. We teed it high and let it fly. I caught up on Alex’ four years in college, and his plans for the upcoming year. I shared with him the comings and goings of life at school, which teachers had left since his graduation, and how many classrooms had new occupants. It was barroom stuff, picnic-table conversation, water-cooler gossip. Nothing of dense matter nor substance, but pertinent and enjoyable, all the same.

To the golf. Neither one of us looked at the other for permission to hit. Whoever was away, at any given moment, mattered not a bit. He hit and I hit, sometimes simultaneously, sometimes within an instant of the other. We reached the putting surface and we putted. Same pattern, same patter. Since my high school golfers will need to choose flagstick in or out this year, we putted with it in. Only once did it impact our roll: a pounded putt’s pace was slowed by the metal shaft. Score one for Bryson and the flagstick-in premise!

Grover tips out around 5,600 yards. After the U.S. Open and the US Public Links were contested there, a healthy portion of land was given away to the Veteran’s Administration, and sorely-needed hospital was constructed at the confluence of Bailey, Lebrun, and Winspear Avenues. It’s an interesting track, as it now and forever is the only course to have hosted both the Open and the Publinx; since the latter no longer exists, this fact won’t change. It remains the only course to have played a par-6 hole in U.S. Open competition. 480 of those 620 yards still remain, the eighth hole along Bailey Avenue. It’s not a long course, it doesn’t have unmanageable water hazards (unless it rains a lot, and the blocked aquifer backs up) and the bunkering is not, in the least, intimidating.

Here’s the rub: Alex and I both shot 75 or better. We’re not certain what we shot, because we weren’t concerned with score. We were out for a day of reminiscence, camaraderie, and recreation. We golfed our balls, as they say in some environs, for the sheer delight of golfing our balls. Alex is tall, and hits this beautiful, high draw that scrapes the belly of the clouds. I hit what my golfing buddies call a power push. It gets out there a surprising distance, but in no way mimics Alex’ trace. We have the entire course covered, from left to right and back again.

On the 14th tee, I checked my phone and it was 3:40. I commented, “Holy smokes, we are at two hours for 13 holes.” We neither quickened nor slowed our pace. We tapped in on 18, right around 4:40, and shook hands. I know what he’s been up to. He understands why I still have a day job, and 18 holes of golf were played—because we both cared and didn’t care.

There you have it, children. Off with you, now. To the golf course. Play like you don’t care.

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Golfers: Go easy on yourselves!

Ronald Montesano

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

19 Comments

Jeff Kinney

Aug 19, 2019 at 9:55 am

After reading this, I’m not sure what numbers you’re referring to. I doubt you would have finished in 3:10 if the course was 7,000 yards. It’s pretty simple arithmetic to me, but you didn’t really spell it out, only that you and your buddy kept moving.
My take, play the proper tees. For me, 6800 yards is plenty, and 6400 yards is probably better. If only one foursome plays the wrong tees, it throws the pace of play off for the entire course.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 20, 2019 at 8:24 am
  
  Even if we jump it up to 4 hours from 7K yards, that’s the point you’ve made for me. It’s all about moving. Your other points are salient as well, but we can’t have golf police enforcing where people play from. That’s apocalyptic. As long as humans have pride that develops into hubris, we will have slow play.
  
  Reply Report comment
Roger S

Aug 18, 2019 at 10:14 am

Another commenter had it right – unless the group in front of them did their job, this wasn’t possible. Either that, or they had a five hole head start on your twosome.
My experience is that slow play is rarely about our pace (I think we intuitively know to keep up with the group ahead of us), it’s more about those in front of us.
It’s usually very apparent when you get a view of the 2 or 3 holes ahead of you, and one (or more) are vacant that your goal of a 4 hour round is in jeopardy. Now it’s time for the Ranger to get the train back on the track.

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Bruce

Aug 18, 2019 at 9:59 am

A mid 70’s golfer is a great player, better than 95+ percent of golfers, and ready to play fast. Unfortunately, the rest of us need to think about shots, club selection, and our swing which takes time. A 4 hour round is fine, but pushing for time ALWAYS COSTS ME POOR SHOTS AND MORE TIME. Everyone is a beginner at some time: pushing fast play frustrates the less skilled players and will push people away from the game. Even extreme speed golfers need the slower players to fund the courses and equipment companies. Pushing speed is hurting the game.

Reply Report comment
- Fast Player
  
  Aug 18, 2019 at 12:30 pm
  
  So What? So that’s your excuse to play slowly? Didn’t your parents teach you morals, such as it’s impolite and selfish to impose on others? Sounds to me like you had poor parents.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Rascal
  
  Aug 18, 2019 at 5:05 pm
  
  If you are at least a 100s shooter or better, or in other words you are familiar with being on a golf course, there is no excuse for taking excessive time due to the things you’ve mentioned.
  The time to work those things out is at the practice tee where you can take as much time as you’d like.
  On the course, you reap the benefits or suffer the consequences of the game you’ve brought that day. That’s golf.
  Remember that you can always pick up and move on if a hole becomes unsalvageable.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 20, 2019 at 8:28 am
  
  I think you’re incorrect, Bruce. It’s the thinking about things that slows you down. I will say that the great players do not understand the average and bad players who have no desire to consciously improve. A 120-shooter can improve 20 strokes within 2 weeks, by learning about the short game (2 lessons) and practicing diligently (6 trips to short-game green for practice.) The 150-shooter can do something similar with a 5-lesson series over 3 weeks, and 5 practice sessions. People are busy, and don’t have time/money/desire/both/all three to effect these changes. As a result, they try to make adjustments on course, not having any sense on whether they are warranted or helpful. Their continued frustration pains me.
  
  Reply Report comment
Charlie

Aug 18, 2019 at 9:17 am

I am Starter at my local GC 7-11AM. Every Saturday 3 brothers are 1st off the tee at 7AM. They always play a mulligan off #1 and they always finish 18 holes in 2 1/2 – 2:45. By 11AM rounds of 18 holes are taking 4 1/2 hours+ despite the best efforts of our marshal. Scramble golf tournaments go 5 hours+. If I did not play for free I would not play at all.

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Greg V

Aug 18, 2019 at 8:00 am

Tom Coyne – name dropper! Actually, I enjoyed both the Ireland and Scotland books, so well done.

What a lovely way to play. And CCB West is also one of my favorites for fun round on an historic course.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 20, 2019 at 8:29 am
  
  Ha ha! I’ve not heard it called that before, Greg. And you know me, and you know that dropping names is something I rarely do … but when I do it, I go all in!!
  
  Reply Report comment
JP

Aug 17, 2019 at 7:33 pm

Bryson is still a twit. He should read this stuff and change his ways.

Reply Report comment
Brandon Bolt

Aug 17, 2019 at 4:59 pm

Ready golf is the key. The who is away bs really slows the game down. Leave that to the pros. Just finished a 5 hour round that was so painful. Pace of play is the biggest negative force impacting the game today.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 20, 2019 at 8:33 am
  
  Brandon, you’ve got it. We are not the entertainers. If golfers say “I have my best conversations of the week on the course. I don’t want it to end,” well, hang out on the terrace for an hour and some apps, after you finish. The conversation doesn’t have to end. 4 hours plus 1 hour is still the same 5 hours. I didn’t want to use the cliched term “Ready Golf,” but that is precisely what we did. And we re-hit many a putt, or chip, for practice or understanding. We just kept hitting.
  
  The point about preoccupation with numbers has been totally lost here. Why does bad golfer take so many swings? Trying to post a score! Why does great golfer read putts from 20 angles? Trying to post a score. Why does average golfer check the wind/alignment/topography 6 times? Trying to post a score. Not every round needs to be recorded for posterity.
  
  Reply Report comment
Roy

Aug 17, 2019 at 4:02 pm

You played fast and based it on your not caring attitude, but the on.y reason you finished in 3:10 was because the group in front of you played at about that pace. What was their attitude – were they playing for $$ or nothing, caring or not caring. Good read, but does not support your thesis.

Reply Report comment
- Greg V
  
  Aug 18, 2019 at 6:54 pm
  
  got a good feeling that Ron and Alex went through a couple of groups – as they should have. They were playing fast. At Grover, slower groups usually let a fast 2-some through. Everyone knows the score. Or, at least most, in my experience.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 20, 2019 at 8:37 am
  
  Roy…reread what you posted. IF the group in front plays quickly, all it does is afford us the opportunity to play quickly. It was our responsibility to accept that mantle and do it justice … and we did. I don’t know what their attitude was, but I predict it had nothing to do with money nor score.
  
  If golfers get juiced by playing for cash, and their play slows down as a result, they are selfish. Can you disagree? They are not thinking about the greater good. They are thinking about taking money from their friends. That is such an odd point of satisfaction. I’m going to wreck a friendship, or have one wrecked, AND I’m going to hold other people up, exponentially. By doing so, I’m going to ruin their rounds as well.
  
  Reply Report comment
BobbyC777

Aug 17, 2019 at 3:54 pm

I’d give those 4somes in front of you a lot of credit for doing their part!

Reply Report comment
Lawrence Rogan

Aug 17, 2019 at 12:33 pm

Good read. I have just a few golf buds and we enjoy our rounds the same way.
Play when your ready. If someone else is taking an extra few seconds let them take their time. Leaving the flag stick in has helped speed things. Putt when ready. When 3 or 4 of us play we always finish under 4 hrs. As a twosome around 3 hrs. No anger, no splitting of hairs whose away. Just enjoy your friends and the day outside.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Aug 20, 2019 at 8:40 am
  
  Lawrence,
  
  Then you read what some of the other comments reveal, and all you can do is smile. You know those guys, you’ve watched them hang their reputations, their interpersonal relations for the next 48 hours, their budgets, on the outcome of their golf game. In order for them to win money, they need to be on, and their opponent(s), off. What a small chance at victory.
  
  I did pass through the score-matters stage, so I understand where they are in the arc of golf development. Hopefully, they will have the same epiphany as I, and will not concern themselves any longer with scores that will be forgotten by sundown.
  
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Opinion & Analysis

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

Published

1 day ago

Apr 18, 2024

Terry Koehler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, what about grooves and face texture?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Golf's Perfect Imperfections

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

Published

1 day ago

Apr 18, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

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

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19th Hole

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

Published

4 days ago

Apr 15, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

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

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

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

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

Past Winners at Harbour Town

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

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

Key Stats For Harbour Town

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

Strokes Gained: Approach

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

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
Tom Hoge (+1.27)
Corey Conners (+1.16)
Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
Cameron Young (+0.93)

Good Drive %

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

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

Brice Garnett (88.8%)
Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
Sepp Straka (+85.1%)

Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

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

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

Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
Brian Harman (+1.89)
Sungjae Im (+1.58)

4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)

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

SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds

Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
Taylor Moore (+1.02)
Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
Andrew Putnam (+0.83)

5. Greens in Regulation %

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

Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:

Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
Corey Conners (+69.0%)
Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)

6. Course History

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

Course History over past 24 rounds:

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

The RBC Heritage Model Rankings

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

Shane Lowry
Russell Henley
Scottie Scheffler
Xander Schauffele
Corey Conners
Wyndham Clark
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Matt Fitzpatrick
Cameron Young
Ludvig Aberg

2024 RBC Heritage Picks

Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

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