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What is CBD, and why are so many golfers using it? A roundtable discussion

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Our John Lahtinen discussed CBD’s soaring popularity in the golf world in a November piece. Based on feedback to that feature, GolfWRX’s editors thought a deeper dive into the elixir was warranted.

We talked to key figures at three companies that produce CBD products for more perspective—Ed Donnelly, founder of AmourCBD, Jay Hartenbach, CEO of Medterra, and Dr. Steven Kraus, President and COO of Functional Remedies.

You can find our conversation below.

GolfWRX: Clearly, CBD is exploding in popularity in professional golf, both in terms of golfers using products containing the substance and sponsor involvement. What makes CBD appealing for golfers in particular?

Ed Donnelly: There are two main areas where golfers are discovering tremendous satisfaction from our AmourCBD products. These areas would be pain relief and anxiety management. On the pain front, conditions like strains, sprains and especially arthritis are greatly helped with our FDA registered AmourCBD Advanced Pain Relieving cream. If I am representative of a 60-year-old golfer, I always have aches and pains before and after a round of golf. CBD has been scientifically shown to offer 30 times the anti-inflammatory relief of traditional pain relief creams or oral products like Tylenol and Ibuprophen. Personally, my hands and wrists can talk to me the entire round and let me know they are uncomfortable. I started using our AmourCBD cream after a round and the pain was relieved rapidly due to the combination of CBD and Lidocaine. AmourCBD Advanced Pain Relieving Cream is the only FDA registered CBD cream on the market today. Then I got smart and applied the AmourCBD cream BEFORE a round and it was my most comfortable round in as long as I can remember.

Jay Hartenbach: With CBD’s ability to help a golfer loosen up before the round and support recovery after a long round, golfers of all ages can benefit from CBD in multiple areas. And with golf being as much mental as it is physical, CBD’s ability to help support mental calm throughout the round is helping give even recreational golfers an edge.

Dr. Steven Kraus: Golfers are searching for a natural wellness product that helps their recovery and preparedness in any activity. It just so happens that golf, like most any activity in life, gets better results when a person is well-rested, focused, calm and relaxed.

GolfWRX: It’s interesting that given the stigma (declining, but a stigma still) associated with consuming something derived from the cannabis plant, and given the relatively conservative nature of golf, we’re seeing such rapid adoption. Can you speak to that?

Ed Donnelly: Excellent question, but in addition to what you say about golfers, many are very smart and also desperate for solutions to our discomfort so we can keep playing and even play better. Bottom line is that our AmourCBD works. Also, our cream is FDA registered giving our intelligent golfers the confidence that they are using a product that complies with FDA Registration requirements. It is formulated in an FDA certified facility according to FDA standards and has been tested to ensure safety.

Jay Hartenbach: Despite being more conservative in nature, golfers are always looking for ways to improve their game. Based on our feedback, CBD is helping lower scores without any significant drawbacks.

Dr. Steven Kraus: Not only is the golf world rapidly adopting hemp oil CBD, all of America and the rest of the world are also rapidly adopting the use. It’s simple: People want natural, effective products without the side-effects like you see on TV with pharmaceutical drug commercials.

GolfWRX: Can you dig a little deeper into the science behind CBD?

Ed Donnelly: As mentioned previously, there have been scientific studies that demonstrate that CBD contains 30x the anti-inflammatory properties of traditional pain relievers available over the counter. People try it and are amazed at how AmourCBD cream works and works fast. And there is no odor, another blessing.

As for anxiety and stress reduction, the reports are all subjective with people suggesting that they feel more relaxed, concentrate better are less stressed, but there are no traditional double-blind medical studies that I can point to.

Jay Hartenbach: Our body produces compounds called endocannabinoids that help maintain the body’s natural equilibrium. This homeostasis controls a variety of functions in the body including stress response, sleep, runaway inflammation, and so much more. There are a variety of factors that can disrupt the body’s production of these endocannabinoids including our diet, high-stress levels, and genetics. CBD, which is a phytocannabinoid, is a way to supplement the endocannabinoid system and help the body get back to its normal levels.

Dr. Steven Kraus: The term CBD is for one specific molecule called Cannabidiol. However, the effectiveness and wellness properties of the hemp plant is due to far more than one molecule. Some CBD products only provide just the singular CBD molecule, which still has benefits but are limiting. The true benefits are within the entire array of cannabinoids and terpenes found in the hemp plant. There are over 100 cannabinoids in the hemp plant. Our body has the endocannabinoid system and is taught in every physiology textbook in medical school. There are cannabinoid receptors in our brain, musculoskeletal system, skin, and immunologic systems that all have various cannabinoid receptors that the various cannabinoids react with. CBD has antipsychotic effects. These naturally occurring chemicals can impact our neurotransmitters in a positive manner in the brain and in the various systems of the body. For example, the neurotransmitter serotonin, which can impact mood, digestion, bone density, and sexual function. If our body is not producing the correct amounts of these biochemicals leading to resultant chemical imbalances, that can affect body functions. CBD influences certain receptors that involve the regulation of serotonin. CBD also shows promise in the treatment of anxiety disorders according to a 2015 review of studies in the journal Neurotherapeutics. According to the investigators, CBD demonstrated a potent anxiety-relieving effect. There is a need for much more research. The National Institute of Health (NIH) database shows that there are over 160 trials involving CBD at the present time. The simple thing to remember is that cannabinoids are also produced in the human body. Due to stress, anxiety and other social and physical forces in today’s lifestyle, sometimes our body does not produce enough. Balancing the deficit with the correct array of phytonutrients and cannabinoids can help balance the wellness we all are searching to achieve in a natural, organic fashion without the synthetic side-effects.

GolfWRX: There are two lanes of skepticism here, right? One is “all of this stuff is snake oil” and the second is “while some of it might not be, you don’t know what you’re getting when you buy from a particular manufacturer.” Can you address these positions?

Ed Donnelly: This is an excellent question. I am a 35-year health care company executive who has worked in big companies working with the FDA. When I decided to enter this market, I was committed to doing it right! We took a year to develop our product and voluntarily put it through the FDA registration process. We are the only FDA-registered pain-relieving cream with CBD and Lidocaine. Lidocaine is an “active ingredient” by the FDA definition, but so is menthol that is used in other CBD creams; yet other companies ignore the FDA requirements to go through the time and cost of the FDA registration process. This was never an option for us. We want to be and are rapidly becoming the CBD brand that the consumers can trust. I want to be clear that the FDA registration process is currently only required for products that contain active ingredients like Lidocaine and Menthol. The implication is that our oils, pills, and gummies are pure CBD, do not have an active ingredient, and therefore are not FDA Registered, but we manufacture to the same FDA standards, utilize the same broad-spectrum CBD oil with 0.0 percent THC. Consumers can trust AmourCBD.

Jay Hartenbach: I will be the first one to agree that CBD cannot cure everything. In fact, it can help with a lot less than people give CBD credit for. What we do know is that CBD has shown potential as being an anti-inflammatory agent and a serotonin modulator. There are a variety of conditions that have some tie into inflammation and therefore any compound that can help with that inflammation has the potential to be beneficial. In addition, research shows that imbalanced serotonin levels can create a variety of issues like anxiety.

From a quality standpoint, consumers should be informed as to where there CBD is coming from. There are a fair amount of fly-by-night CBD companies looking to cash in on the short term hype that may be cutting corners on quality and contaminant testing. One of the easier ways for consumers to tell if the CBD company is legitimate is to look for the U.S. Hemp Authority seal, which is an orange “H” on packages. There are over 30 companies certified with this seal and consumers can be confident that the product they are buying is legitimate.

Dr. Steven Kraus: With over 800 different companies selling “CBD,” some of them are simply trying to make a buck by buying hemp oil from some farmer or garage distillery not knowing if it is safe, tested, or what else was added or modulated. Simply put, you have to do some research to know that you are getting pure, organic, full-spectrum hemp oil that contains the entire entourage of cannabinoids to give the best results for your wellness. We encourage consumers to go with a company that is vertically integrated where they control the seed, plant, manufacturing extraction of hemp oil, and the packaging, including all of the third-party quality and purity testing. Essentially, it’s a seed-to-bottle control over the process to assure there is 100 percent safety and quality assurances. One way to do that is to be sure they are GMP certified. GMP is the set of federal regulations governed by the FDA to assure that a company practices good manufacturing processes for dietary supplements, food, and cosmetics. It is a very rigorous on-site evaluation of the entire process and personnel training of your manufacturing processes.

GolfWRX: A third concern is the possibility of ingesting THC (a psychoactive substance). Can you speak to this?

Ed Donnelly: I had the exact concern when I looked into CBD products. Products would say they contain less than .3 percent THC, which is virtually nothing. My response to our chemists was that I do not want less than .3 percent, rather, I want 0.0000. Absolutely zero THC. It costs me more to buy this zero THC oil, but our customers are worth it.

Jay Hartenbach: We have made the commitment to being a THC-free company. Due to the psychoactive effects and drug testing policies in the U.S., it was an easy decision for us given our belief that CBD should be accessible for all those that can benefit from it.

Dr. Steven Kraus: THC is tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana that gives a person the high effect. The USDA has determined that .3 percent THC is allowed in any CBD product in their interim final rule that was released in October 2019. The amount of THC to elicit any type of “high” effect is far greater than .3. Scientists have shown that it is impossible to get high from that low dose of THC.

GolfWRX: Are there any other common questions you’re hearing from golfers regarding CBD?

Ed Donnelly: The pain-relieving cream speaks for itself and the response we get is “Oh my God, where has this been?” Pain, especially chronic arthritis pain, is manageable, and often goes away when the cream is applied. People ask how much to apply and our advice is less than you think, use sparingly and rub it in.

Jay Hartenbach: How should I take it? CBD can be taken both orally and applied topically. We recommend taking CBD orally if you are looking for more general needs or to help mentally. For those with more localized needs, the topical products are great for quick application and results.

Dr. Steven Kraus: People want to know what ailments does it help with your body. According to the WebMD website, it states that it seems to reduce pain and anxiety. Others like Scott McCarron, 2019 winner on the Champions Tour, have stated that better sleep and recovery resulted.

GolfWRX: What are the most common ways golfers are integrating CBD into their lifestyles? If someone is considering taking the CBD plunge, how do you advise them to begin)

Ed Donnelly: If someone has knee, hand, lower back pain, try the AmourCBD Advanced pain relief cream before and after a round. Many people trying to relax will take gummies, which contain 10mg of CBD, and chew them on the round. If they get comfortable with ingesting and feel the benefits vis-a-vis stress and anxiety, they can utilize oils or pills pre-round.

Jay Hartenbach: My advice, golfer or not, is to start slow with a trusted brand. Try taking a moderate amount between 25-35mg per day to see how your body reacts to it. After a few days, increase or decrease as needed.

Dr. Steven Kraus: Each person’s endocannabinoid system in their body is unique, like a fingerprint. They all seem very similar upon casual observation, but each is unique. The amount or dosage of CBD can be different depending on many variables. The simplest approach is to start with a lower dose and see how that affects you the first two days, then go higher if no effect was noticed. Small incremental dosing usually works. The instructions on the bottle describe what one dose amount should be taken, and persons should not exceed that dose unless prescribed to do so from their health care provider. If somebody is using a poorly manufactured product, it likely will not help at all.

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GolfWRX Editor-in-Chief

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Pingback: Elevating Golf Performance with CBD | Remedy +

  2. Gtaj

    Jan 31, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    What is CBD? And why are so many people trying to make money by hyping it?

    • gwelfgulfer

      Feb 1, 2020 at 10:50 am

      Likely the same reason for making stupid comments on an internet forum, only they are making money…

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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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