Opinion & Analysis

10 things to do (and not to do) before your next fitting

Published

11 years ago

Sep 26, 2013

In the last 10 years, there have been major advancements in both golf equipment and golf equipment fitting technology. Systems such as FlightScope and TrackMan have given fitting professionals the data they need to maximize every golfer’s performance, regardless of their skill set or technique.

As a result, a good fitting professional can help just about any golfer make gains in distance, accuracy or both simply by dialing in their equipment. But the process isn’t completely foolproof. There are several common, completely avoidable things I’ve seen golfers do before, during and after a fitting that will compromise their results.

Take note of these 10 things to do (and not to do) before your next fitting, and you’ll be on your way to an enjoyable, productive fitting session.

No. 1: Do Your Homework

The biggest mistake golfers can make is not doing the research necessary to find an accredited club fitter. There are various club fitting resources that enable consumers to find club fitters throughout the United States. One of them, Golf Digest, publishes a list each year including the Top 100 Club Fitters in the US. The list is based on three criteria:

Location: Must be easily accessible to the public.
The facility must fit clubs from the top manufacturers.
The fitter must receive high recommendations from their America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses ratings panelists and industry sources.

Another great way to find a good fitter is to ask your friends, golf league members or even a good player in your area where they were fit and what their experience was like. You can quickly get some honest feedback and make an educated decision on whether or not that particular fitter might be a good option for you.

No. 2: Have Realistic Expectations

Before, during and after your fitting, remind yourself that there are no shortcuts in golf. It’s not realistic to expect 30-or-40-yard distance gains just from changing equipment.

On the other hand, most first-time customers gain around one-to-two clubs of distance from a complete fitting, while also minimizing their common misses. As a result, most customers that do full bag fittings often find themselves hitting two clubs less into greens. Hitting a 7 iron into a green is a lot easier than a 5 iron, right?

No. 3: The Pro Can Wait

I think it’s hugely important for golfers to take lessons to improve their games, but I wouldn’t recommend it immediately before a fitting. Think of it this way: Would you take a lesson the morning of the club championship? Unfortunately, many golfers come to me for a fitting and say:

“Well, I just finished my lesson, so I should be hitting it great.”

I cringe when I hear them say that, because the golfer is typically going to be focused on their swing instead of producing quality shots. It’s important to give your fitter an accurate representation of your game, which means you shouldn’t try to mask your flaws with a lesson immediately beforehand. If you regularly take lessons, a good clubfitter will ask you about your golf goals and what you’re working on. Depending on your situation, he might fit you to new equipment that allows you to grow into the planned advancements in your game.

No. 4: Play Your Game

A good club fitter has worked with golfers of all different abilities, from professionals to people who are just learning how to play golf. What I’m getting at is that they’re not going to be overly impressed or discouraged about your skills, because they’ve seen it all. If you normally hit a fade and, don’t try to use your “draw” swing during the fitting. All you’re doing is getting fit to a swing you don’t normally make.

Even if you think you’re lousy, your swing is likely a lot more consistent than you think. Play your own game to see the most improvement from your new sticks.

No. 5: Gear Up!

A lot of our customers forget to bring their current equipment with them to a fitting, which can be a problem for a fitter. The intention is to find something that is better than your current equipment, right?

That’s why it’s important for a fitter to see the shots you typically hit with your old clubs, as well as the improvement you get from the new gear. Hearing you talk about the shots you hit with your old clubs is helpful, but it’s nowhere near as valuable as being able to analyze the numbers the clubs produce on golf radar.

No. 6: What you see is what you get

It is extremely important when you get fit to make sure you have full visual ball flight whenever possible. Hitting indoors or into a net won’t provide you with the necessary feedback to get a solid overall view of the club.

Golfers often tend to swing slightly different when hitting indoors due to the lack of feedback. Having four walls around a golfer will also change the sound of the ball at impact, which for many players is the main source of “feel.” It often alters their ability to accurately judge if a certain club feels good or not.

Even in our outdoor hitting bays, I will often have players step out of the bay and onto the range to hit a few balls in order to give them an accurate measure of sound. In any fitting, half the equation should always be subjective measures like look and feel. Even if the golf radar results are great, if a golfer hates the looks and feel of the club it’s likely not the one for them.

No. 7: Try The Exact Equipment You’re Getting

It’s important that golfers are able to try the exact club their fitter recommends for them.

Let’s say a golfer wants to try different shafts for his or her driver because theirs is too “spinny.” They head down to their local club fitter with their TaylorMade R11s driver only to find out that the custom fitter only has shafts with TaylorMade’s R1 driver tip. The simple solution is to try some shafts in the R1. Whatever shaft works the best in the R1 should work well in their R11S, right? Wrong!

Most driver heads perform differently with different shafts, even if they’re made by the same company and are only one or two generations apart. The R1 is going to spin less than R11s for most players, and finding a shaft that works well in the R1 means just that–it will work well in R1. Sure, PGA Tour players like Tiger Woods and Adam Scott tend to play the same shafts in their woods year after year, but their drivers are hand-picked to have the loft, face angle and weighting they prefer.

The only way for a golfer to find out what works well for them is to hit the models that they intend to play. There are exceptions to this rule, like when a custom fitter doesn’t have a specific grip, shaft flex or shaft weight, but avoid buying a head/shaft combo that you haven’t tested at all costs.

No. 8: You Can’t Try Everything

It’s unrealistic to think that you’ll be able to hit every club head and shaft combination. A thorough driver fitting session should last around an hour, and typically takes at least 60 balls to dial in the right head and shaft combo. That’s a lot of physical and mental stress packed into an hour, and it’s more stress for golfers who decide to get fit for other clubs on the same day.

That’s why it’s important for you and your fitter to be efficient. Let’s say you wanted to test a Titleist 913 D2 on every setting (there’s 16) and each of Titleist’s six stock shaft options (there’s six not counting the different flex and weight options). If you hit one ball on each setting with each of the different shafts, you’d hit 96 balls, and that’s if you only tested one loft. Typically it takes at least five shots to get a dependable average, so now we’re talking about upwards of 480 shots. If you wanted to try all the different lofts (there’s five) that number swells to 2400 shots, and you haven’t even tried the smaller, lower-spinning D3 model or any aftermarket shafts.

It’s important to try things you’re interested in, but trying everything just isn’t an option for most golfers. Trust that your fitter can recognize what will and won’t work for you, and will tailor your testing accordingly.

No. 9: Embrace The Fall

Getting fit in the fall is an option many golfers overlook. Around that time, the new equipment photos are starting to leak out on GolfWRX. That’s why many golfers want to hold out until the spring, when they can swing the latest and greatest from the manufacturers. But getting fit in the fall actually makes a lot of sense, especially for golfers who live in cold climates.

Here’s why: By fall, most golfer have a full summer of golf under their belt. Their swing is grooved and their game is as sharp as it’s going to get that season. And the fact that the 2013 equipment has dropped significantly in price is another bonus.

Many club fitters’ schedules also slow down in the fall, which means he or she will be able to spend more time with you during your fitting and may let you sneak back onto golf radar for tuneups afterward. I know that new club releases are enticing, but how many of us are sharp for a fitting when there’s still snow on the ground?

No. 10: Just Peg It

So you followed my advice, and now you have new clubs that have you hitting the ball farther, straighter and more consistent. Don’t expect your scores to drop immediately, though. Regardless of how good your golf radar numbers were with the new clubs, it’s going to take a little time to adjust.

A fitting will often allow golfers to hit the ball into places they were unable to reach in the past. Getting used to your new yardages, turf interaction, ball flight and course strategy may take some time. Don’t surprised if you find yourself reaching some hazards or flying some greens you may not have had issues with in the past.

At the end of the day, golf is a game of hard work and patience. New clubs can be a huge help, but it’s still up to you to execute the shots. Take the time to learn the distances each of your new clubs fly and do your best to trust those yardages. Be patient with yourself and your clubs, and you’ll find that the game will start to become more enjoyable.

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Pete Farner

Pete currently works at Carl's Golfland in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., as a Certified Performance Club Fitter. He is one of 33 TrackMan Masters worldwide, and has spent almost four years focusing on advanced club fitting techniques to properly fit equipment for golfers of all levels. "I've been fortunate to learn from some of the best club fitters, instructors, and various industry leaders in and around the golf business," Pete says. "I continue to learn each and every day and strive to be the best." Pete can be reached at [email protected]

27 Comments

Doc

Dec 19, 2014 at 2:09 pm

These are my comments based on what I have learned regarding fitting:

Money drives golf, money drives everything here in the good old USA.

So why would anyone be amazed that money drives golf equipment and the industry involved with golf equipment.

I’m new to this club fitting industry, 10 years now, and know diddly squat compared to the gurus here that even I am in awe of when they produce an equation that I can really follow and understand, much more get something out if it for my customers. My hats off to them always.

BUT:
I have fitted golfers/hackers/duffers/high handicappers almost exclusively since day one simply because 90-95% of all golfers fall into this category. At 63 years of age, they are my ‘peeps’.

According to the PGA the average round of golf is still @ 100. So equipment has not helped the average golfer at all except to lighten their wallets.

What I have seen help golfers that I have built clubs for is what has made a second pass these days. It’s the idea that the standard half inch increment per club is/was wrong for the ‘average’ golfer. This goes back to that 50-70 year old ’38-24 rule’. Don’t know where it came from but back in the late 70’s/early 80’s when I first got interested in working on clubs just for fun, it was told me by a pro at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. It’s simple. The average hacker (the 90-95% group) cannot regularly hit a ball consistently with a club over 38 inches in length or with less loft than 24 degrees. Hitting consistently is meant to mean hitting a specific club a specific distance and straight (within a 10 yard right or left of dead center of the fairway). And it’s true still today! Now isn’t that amazing? (Sure if you are 6 foot 6 inches you would require a longer club. We’re talking about the average height golfer.)

Once you weed out past/present/future pros-semipros-college athletes-high school athletes-club pros-students in a pga program; you, end up with the 90-95% percent of golfers (men and women).

I build one club for a person and then send them off for lessons at a really great place here in Arlington Texas. They return with a write up of their results and I tweak the club and have them hit a small bucket of balls and send them back. After 2 lessons and one club built for their ability they are hitting the ball so well they are smiling like a possum eating poop. We then talk about what clubs they really need, not want, and which clubs will help them score the best without putting them into debt for life. Some times I just continue building one club at a time till they feel like they have all distances covered.

It’s not the name brand that makes a good golf swing or game or score. It’s having a person understand their limits, accept those limits, understand their possible scoring accomplishments down the road and having them learn to play golf with the mind as much as with the body. Teach them to take a shot so that the ball ends up where the next preferred shot will be taken from instead of just standing up there and taking a swing at it. This in no way means a high dollar club won’t help a person with a good to great swing and the means to afford a more expensive set of clubs. But this person is in the minority of the 95%. There are always a bunch of guys or gals that just swing naturally and hit the ball better than the rest. Who knows why? In my opinion they are just natural athletes that have a golf club in their hands at the moment.

Bubba Watson said a while back that the club head is the least important part of the club for weekend players. The actual size of the grip fitting your hands in a comfortable manner so that you felt you had control of the club was number one, next was a shaft that was correct for your swing speed and physical ability. He said if these two were correct that any brand would do since these days manufacturing is so close from one to the other that a hacker/weekend player would never be able to feel or tell the difference and performance would not differ.

Same thing for spining and puring, the weekend hobbyist would never feel it until they have a grooved swing they can repeat and can hit the ball with excellent results. And even then they may not feel anything. They may notice straighter shots from time to time and even some greater distance at times. But the average weekend player does not have a swing they can repeat over and over again. That’s why they are high handicappers. And that’s okay, most golfers really are in the 95% group. It’s okay.

A pro? Sure they would/could appreciate and feel the difference, maybe.

According to a club fitting vendor that does puring, Tiger Woods was given several sets, 2 had been pured. He chose two sets that he said felt/hit best, one was a pured set, one was not. So? Here is Tiger Woods and he could not pick out the two pured sets. But for the vast majority of golfers that want to play and enjoy the game, they would never know if it’s a ping or a callaway. They’d only know it was a good or bad shot.

I’m always reading, asking, looking for the best info on golf equipment and places like this forum are great. I just can’t imagine them not being here for the masses to read. You do a great job for golf.

Doc

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John kuczeski

Nov 6, 2013 at 2:59 pm

First off, while I tend to agree that being fitted is not( at every players point an time) worthwhile, I do believe that for most or all individuals who aspire to learn an perform better that it has merit!

The beginner who is just learning needs proper instruction first an foremost before ever considering a fitting. Like what I believe most commenters are saying, unless you work on your game an put in the time a effort a fitting is not going to cure your swing ills. However, for those who like me started out as a 20+ handicap an has continued to read an study an practice the game! I do believe a crossover occurs where the fitting is warranted.

Earlier this year I was fitted(by Pete Farner) who wrote this article. I learned a great deal during this fitting an I did select new irons an a new hybrid. My handicap has gone from a 12 to a 9. Would I say it is all due to the fitting? No, but I also know that once Pete provided the fitting it gave me the confidence to know that I had the proper club in my hands based on my current swing tendencies. My faults were minimized as well(dispersion of my shots) an I am more consistent with my swing.

I truly believe like many people, that we are not able to be knowledgeable in everything an I see fitters as the experts to help individuals like myself! I found the investment to be worthwhile an if through continued effort on my part( time and more lessons) I feel a need for a new set again, I would certainly make the investment again!

For what it is worth, Pete was great to work with an I would highly recommend him!

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Eric

Oct 16, 2013 at 4:18 am

Hi, I work at FlightScope. We have a map called “Find a FlightScope near you”. Here’s the link if you’d like to have a look – http://flightscope.com/index.php/component/option,com_phocamaps/Itemid,83/id,1/view,map/

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Jason

Sep 29, 2013 at 11:22 pm

Great article. Thanks for emphasizing bringing your current clubs to the fitting. I do about 250 fittings on average per year and at least 20% don’t bring their current clubs, which makes it difficult to know whether or not we are really accomplishing our goals.

Also, thanks to the last commenter about committing to a new set of clubs.

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Steve

Sep 27, 2013 at 5:50 am

I’ve been suffering from an elbow injury for many months, and my doctor’s advice was quite simple : either stop playing golf for at least 6 months, or switch to graphite shafts. However, none of the “off the shelf” clubs with graphite shafts worked for me (feel, ball flight way to high, …), so scheduled a 2h fitting with the thought of finding the ideal graphite shaft to put into my Ping i20s – was thinking Aerotech Steelfiber, or some other high-end graphite iron shafts

The fitting itself was an eye opening experience on many fronts. First one was that even though I’d been fitted for the i20s at a big brand golf retailer, the both lie angle and club length were still off. Second surprise was that the clubhead characteristics on the Ping i20 were all wrong for me, independent of shaft (backspin way too high, smash factor too low, …). Third surprise was the impact shaft flex, weight, shaft kickpoint, … have on overall club performance.

I ended up ordering a set of clubs with slightly smaller head, less offset, and a significantly lighter shaft than what I had before, and given the clubs were on sale and the fitter gave me a good price on my i20s, the total cost was less than if I’d just put the graphite shafts in my existing clubs.

The lofts on the new clubs are stronger than my older ones, but I’ve still gained over 1.5 club lengths comparing a 6 iron in the new clubs to a 5 iron in the old ones (now shoot an 8-iron on a par 3 where I used to be between a 5 and a 6 iron), with a significantly better ball flight and obviously less strain on my elbow.

One final point : if the results of a club fitting is a set that’s completely different from what you had in mind (as it was in my case), you have to be open minded about it, and you have to commit to the new clubs – it took me 6-8 rounds and quite a few range sessions before I was really seeing the benefits of the new clubs.

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Radar

Sep 27, 2013 at 4:38 am

Nick Faldo said something along the lines – you know if a club is wrong after 5 swings. No need to try to force something to work 🙂
Good article.

I feel for you Soul.

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Matt

Sep 27, 2013 at 1:34 am

Hmm I guess I’m just not sold on club fitting. I’ve said this before on another post, I believe it’s just another sales ploy. I remember 20 years ago when I took up the game club fitters would honestly tell you a player couldn’t really be fit until they developed a consistent swing. The thing is once you develop a consistent swing you can or at least should be able to fit yourself simply from knowing what feels good and what to look for. Just out of curiosity I got on a launch monitor to see what my numbers where on the driver I selected through feel and visual reference. It only backed up what I already knew. Club head speed averaged 112, ball speed 166, launch angle 12 degrees, spin rate about 2300, average carry 280, average total 305. I feel the launch monitor exaggerated those last two numbers but they are close to what I see on the course. My point I knew that driver was right for me with out a fitter and the launch monitor only backed it up. I seriously doubt any fitter could improve on that!

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- TJ
  
  Sep 27, 2013 at 10:22 am
  
  Sounds like you have a pretty good swing, if you were a high to mid handy and were in the market for a new set as you are using clubs that are 20 years old (blade or CB) you wouldn’t want some help with purchasing a new set? Talking with A CPGA pro I know had a customer come in that suffered from the Duck Hooks (quack!) his swing was had a severe inside to out move with a lower swing speed. his club had a mature (lite) shaft in it, the only way to get rid of the quack hook was to put a stiff shaft in it. id say in this case the fitting worked as I would assume that most shops including myself would have put this individual in a lite flex shaft just based on swing speed.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Matt
    
    Sep 28, 2013 at 12:43 am
    
    TJ I guess I’m just expecting anyone who’s serious enough about the game to consider a custom fitting to take the time to read the articles on different equipment and how it affects ball flight. That’s what I did when I was new to the game. I remember having a driver that was really ballooning on me and wondering why. I read an article on how shafts affect ball flight. I learned shafts have different kick points and heavier shafts tend to reduce spin. From that I had my driver re-shafted with a Graphite Design YS-7 at the time a real high end shaft. It had a high kick point to bring down launch and was an upper 70 gram shaft to bring down spin, it transformed that driver and I loved it for a long time. Probably around that same time I read an article from some pro I don’t recall who that said he only gives a club 7 swings if he doesn’t like it he moves on to the next. His reasoning was if you swing a club much more than that you’ll begin to adjust your swing to that club. I’ve used that same method ever since. And from what you said about the guy with the quacks I’m not a bit surprised they put him in a stiff that’s what I would expect based on the fact he had a light senior shaft. It sounds like he was probably flipping his hands and the stiffer shaft slowed the club head down.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Andy B
  
  Sep 27, 2013 at 5:52 pm
  
  Are you seriously that naive. You may one of the select few who can just pick up a stock club and play a great game and have great numbers on trackman. BUT, the 99 percent of golfers would benefit from a professional fitting. Height and wrist to floor measurement are almost always different for every golfer. So lets just say that every golfer has the perfect swing, the length and lie angle would still need to be adjusted to fit properly. The best players in the world get custom fit for every single club in the bag. Dont you think if anyone can tell based of feel alone, the professionals would be the ones to do this. Every pro also has clubs based on their height, wrist to floor measurement, and swing characteristics. You may be good enough to pick a club and make it work for your swing and tell which one feels best and therefore produce pretty good numbers. But if a pga touring professional wants to be measured to find the correct length shaft and lie angle, I will probably benefit from the same custom fitting even more due to more swing flaws and less eye hand coordination.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Matt
    
    Sep 28, 2013 at 12:09 am
    
    Andy I’m hardly naïve and was getting ready to point out the same thing Radar commented on below. Actually most pro’s don’t select their equipment from using trackman, or whatever other radar ball flight systems there are. Most actually use the 10 swings or less method. Basically if they don’t like what they see within 10 swings or less they 86 that club and go to the next. Now I will point out that off the rack equipment fits me pretty well since I’m 5’11” with a normal arm length and hand size but only people significantly shorter or taller will be adversely affected much by standard length, loft, and lie equipment. And like the pro’s I don’t pick a club and make it work for my swing it either fits my swing or it doesn’t and if I don’t like it within 7 swings I move on to the next. I think the point I’m trying to make is people want to believe they can buy a game instead of practicing the right way and if a fitter putts them in equipment that promotes a flawed swing he’s really doing them a disservice!
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Alex
      
      Sep 30, 2013 at 1:11 pm
      
      I fully agree with this. Sorry for my harsh words, but all these hacks are getting fitted, if you are a 20 handiacapper you are not going to be 10 just because you got fitted, you will stay the same 20, that is how it is. Lessons will make you imrpove your handicap and practice after you take the lessons and know exactly what you are doing wrong. Hitting 1000 balls on the range with an incorrect move will not make you any better. Might as well make 1000 putts that will bring down anyone’s handicap.
      Fitting is a huge marketing game. I’ve done that mistake once, i got fitted before i took lessons. I got WORSE. The fitter put my driver into a draw setting, to what they call it “help” my fade. Well my good swings started hooking and then i changed my swing to accomodate then. I got sick of spraying the ball all over, took 3 lessons went from shooting all oover the place to consisntely being in the high 70s to low 80s.
      GET LESSONS, thats all there is to it. Get fit after.
      If anyone wanna prove me wrong, show me anyone who went from 20 to even 15 after a fitting.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Matt
        
        Sep 30, 2013 at 4:22 pm
        
        Thanks Alex you validated my point. A high handicapper simply can’t be fit because their swing is so inconsistent. Say they show up at the fitter swinging a certain way that day, the fitter determines based on how much the toe of their club is digging they need clubs 2 degrees upright. By the time they get their new clubs in the mail due to their inconsistency they don’t realize they’re standing an inch farther away from the ball or they’re dipping more now on the down swing. Now suddenly they’re new clubs are too upright. Even the pro’s swings change a little over time but it’s minor compared to your average 20 plus handicapper. What so many of these high handicappers want to believe is a custom fitting will be that magic in a bottle but its not and never will be. Yes the pro’s get fit because they’re playing for they’re lively hood and the couple of feet closer to the pin of custom fit set makes for them really matters but a custom fitting won’t correct a 30 yard over the top slice and won’t make the difference from not hitting the green to hitting the green. Your right if someone truly wants to get better then they need to take lessons and practice but now a days people are so lazy they look for technology to do the work when it comes to everything. I’m afraid technology maxed out when it comes to golf equipment a little over ten years ago and if anyone doesn’t believe that then just check the stats over the last 15 years on the PGA tour. It’s funny how with every new driver introduction from Taylor Made they claim 5, 10, 17 more yards but yet the average driving distance on tour has actually gone down a little over the last 5 years and the longest average for a season was all the way back in 2004 thanks to Hank Kuene averaging 324. The truth sometimes hurts but you ain’t gonna get it from the big OEM’s or the guys they pay millions to endorse their equipment!
        
        Reply Report comment
    - Mike
      
      Oct 22, 2013 at 8:12 am
      
      A good fitter will pick out several options based on the golfers needs and then the golfer takes some swings with each to see which feel best. From there you can see the numbers and compare models. The pros may put a lot of emphasis on look and feel, but they know the numbers and make decisions based on them. Not to mention the fitting is more than just getting the best swing speed and spin rate. Once the best feeling and most efficient clubs are chosen the length, lie and grip size are adjusted to fit the individuals measurements. Lofts are also adjusted to fill distance gaps. Trackman is only piece of the fitting. Being properly fit is also on piece of total game improvement.
      
      Reply Report comment
naflack

Sep 26, 2013 at 11:36 pm

so what im hearing is that in a driver fitting i need to have the exact model i want decided before i even start.
if thats the case, i wont bother…

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- Nick
  
  Sep 27, 2013 at 12:40 am
  
  I would agree with you that it’s silly to only try one manufacturer’s clubs!
  
  BUT… I don’t think that’s what they intended by the “You Can’t Try Everything” section. It was stating it would be impossible to try every driver permutation from one manufacturer, and that you should trust your fitter to narrow down the variables you end up trying across manufacturers.
  
  Reply Report comment
kloyd0306

Sep 26, 2013 at 10:45 pm

#2: Often hitting two clubs less into par 4s!!!!!!!

What is realistic about that?

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ironhand

Sep 26, 2013 at 10:38 pm

I think you are a little quick to criticize. The author states: “Another great way to find a good fitter is to ask your friends, golf league members or even a good player in your area where they were fit and what their experience was like. You can quickly get some honest feedback and make an educated decision on whether or not that particular fitter might be a good option for you…”

So it would seem that the three fitters in your area you refer to might fall into that category?

Mr. Farner never says it’s essential for the fitter to be associated to a top rated course. He says this is how Golf Digest assesses the Top 100 Fitters, which is ONE source the golfer may use to determine a fitter to meet his or her needs.

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B

Sep 26, 2013 at 7:48 pm

Wow!!! What a bunch of elitest B. S. I am really said to see that $$$ has gotten in the way of what I use to consider a wonderful place for information about golf equipment. Top rated courses in america to find a good fitter!!! Get real, I can find about three in my area who work from their a small shop and have oem accounts. Get over your self wrx and stop acting like a bunch of elitest snobs!!!

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- Andy B
  
  Sep 26, 2013 at 9:03 pm
  
  First of all, the article clearly stated that GOLf DIGEST selected a list of top fitters, not WRX. WRX simply is writing a story about club fitting and referenced a place to find out where great club fitters are located. They then listed the criteria Golf Digest uses. I also dont think they meant the fitter had to be at a top 100 rated course. They stated that the list is selected by the same panelist and industry sources that selects the top 100 courses. Golf WRX is still a great place to find out new and useful information about golf. Yes, it has grown and changed over the years, but it has been for the overall well being of the website and golf lovers. Their are still great articles and resources about custom fitters and clubs that are not mainstream. Hell, Tom Wishon is a main contributor and he is not an OEM elitist fitter at all. He sells his own brand of clubs, which however well fitted or customized for me, I would never play nor buy. (Wishon is still and encyclopedia of club knowledge) Call me elitist on that, but not Golf WRX.
  
  Reply Report comment
birly-shirly

Sep 26, 2013 at 3:50 pm

What does “The facility must fit clubs from the top manufacturers.” mean?

If someone is fitting and building custom clubs with good quality components, say Wishon, but doesn’t have an account with the major OEMs – can they qualify as a top fitter on the Golf Digest list?

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- naflack
  
  Sep 26, 2013 at 11:32 pm
  
  +1
  
  Reply Report comment
Soul

Sep 26, 2013 at 2:34 pm

I did an iron fitting recently… I got the shanks during it… it was a waste of money, I just got so nervous…. it was unbelievable

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- paul
  
  Sep 26, 2013 at 2:47 pm
  
  I did a driver fitting in 10 minutes. guy had me pegged right away, 913 d3 ahina stiff. i have never hit the ball so well in my life. fitted on a launch monitor indoors into a screen. i have played enough indoor that i don’t ease up like a lot of people do. and feel was great indoor and out.
  
  Reply Report comment
- naflack
  
  Sep 26, 2013 at 11:32 pm
  
  sorry to hear that
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Soul
    
    Sep 27, 2013 at 1:03 am
    
    lol thanks
    
    I was telling the fitter “i swear its not like this on the course” if i could read his mind it’d like “sure buddy”
    
    Reply Report comment
    - TJ
      
      Sep 27, 2013 at 10:05 am
      
      “Sure Buddy”
      you nailed it.
      
      I fully understand though as I get the shanks once in a while, while practicing pitches, “They don’t make grooves on the hosel”
      
      Reply Report comment

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19th Hole

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

Published

1 day 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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19th Hole

Vincenzi: The 6 biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters

Published

1 day ago

Apr 15, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The 2024 Masters offered up plenty of excitement throughout the week with Scottie Scheffler delivering when it mattered to live up to his pre-tournament favorite tag. With the year’s opening major now in the books, here are my six biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters.

Scheffler In a League of His Own

In the most impressive way possible, Scottie Scheffler won the Masters without having his absolute best stuff. For the week, Scottie ranked 19th in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is a category the number player in the world typically dusts the rest of the field in. After a strong approach day on Thursday, the 27-year-old lost strokes to the field on approach on Friday and Saturday, before gaining on Sunday. The iron performance was more than solid, but it was an all-around game that helped Scheffler get it done around Augusta National.

For a year or more, the narrative around Scheffler has been, “With his ball striking, if he can just putt to field average, he’ll be unbeatable.” At Augusta, his ball striking came back down to earth, but his touch around the greens and ability to manage the golf course demonstrated why he is the best player on the planet right now. For the week, Scheffler ranked 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 24th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

For the time being, there is a major gap between Scottie Scheffler and the second-best player in the world, whoever that may be.

The Future is Now

Ludvig Aberg went into his first back-nine at the Masters with a legitimate shot to win the tournament. When he teed it up on the treacherous 11th hole, he was one behind Scottie Scheffler, who had just stuck one to a few feet on the 9th. By the time he approached his tee shot, which was perfectly striped down the left side of the fairway, he was two behind. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old got too aggressive with his approach at the 11th and found the water, making double bogey. Ludvig rebounded nicely and finished the event in solo second place.

With the Masters now in the rearview, it’s never been more evident that Ludvig Aberg is no longer an “up-and-comer” — he has arrived. The Swede has been an integral part of a winning European Ryder Cup team and has now contended at Augusta National. With a calm demeanor, a picture-perfect swing, and a build and stature that appears as if it was built in a lab, Ludvig Aberg is already amongst the world’s best. I’d be extremely surprised if he wasn’t in the mix at next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Nostalgia Wins

I try to avoid as many cliches as possible, but there’s something about the Masters that brings out the sentimentality in me. Tiger Woods strategically making his way around Augusta National without all of the physical tools that made him arguably the most dominant athlete in the history of sports will always be riveting, regardless of what score he shoots. Woods made it interesting until a tough stretch of holes on Saturday, but he ultimately wore down, shooting 16 over for the week in difficult conditions. It’s remarkable that the 15-time major champion was able to put together a few solid rounds of golf despite barely playing any competitive golf in 2024. As long as Woods tees it up at Augusta, we will all continue to be mesmerized by it.

Verne Lundquist’s 40th and final Masters Tournament was also a must-watch aspect of the event. The iconic voice of Lundquist and his calls throughout the years still give me chills each time I hear them. Verne is an icon of the game and will be missed in future renditions of the Masters.

The Masters also brings another element that is unique to the tournament. Former champions turn back the clock to battle with the golf course again which creates some amazing stories. There are a few that stick out this year and were an absolute pleasure to witness. 61-year-old Vijay Singh made the cut for the first time since 2018 and shot a pretty incredible even-par, 72 on Sunday. 58-year-old José María Olazábal made the cut as well, reminding us why fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm sought his valuable advice prior to his Masters victory in 2022.

Regardless of who wins, the Masters always delivers.

Bryson Moves the Needle

Plenty will disagree with me on this point, but outside of Tiger Woods, and potentially Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, no one moves the needle in golf as much as Bryson DeChambeau. The uniqueness in which Bryson approaches the game has always been fascinating, and if he gets near the top of the leaderboard at any major championship, whether it’s to root for him or against him, people are interested.

It began on Monday with a pretty bizarre story of DeChambeau using 3D-printed irons that got just got cleared for use by the USGA when the week began. It once again felt like a storyline that would only be possible with a character as eccentric as Bryson. He then raced off to a first-round lead in tough conditions, reminding the world of what made him such a great golfer to begin with. He made some mistakes on the weekend, but still finished a career best T6 at The Masters.

Bryson is more than just quirky; he is a former U.S. Amateur Champion and U.S. Open who I believe will contend for more majors in the future. I will continue to root for DeChambeau, but I’m perfectly content with the fact that plenty will root against him, and I encourage those people to do so. That’s what makes it fun.

LIV Walks Away Empty-Handed

Last year, there were a multitude of questions about LIV players coming into the year’s first major. They had played very limited tournament golf, and critics of LIV questioned whether the 54-hole events were enough to sharpen the players enough to compete against the best in the world on the biggest stage.

The results were fascinating, with LIV players all over the leaderboard. Brooks Koepka held the 36- and 54-hole lead, with Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed finishing T2 and T4, giving LIV three golfers in the top-4 of the leaderboard.

This season, with even more time removed and with some more massive additions to the roster, the intrigue surrounding LIV players at Augusta was once again palpable. While some players, including Bryson DeChambeau, exceeded expectations, I can’t help but walk away from the Masters feeling underwhelmed by the performance of the LIV players.

Brooks Koepka finished runner-up last season and is a certified major championship killer. The 5-time major champ was never involved and simply didn’t have it at Augusta. Dustin Johnson put together a putrid performance, shooting 13 over for his two rounds, making it fair to wonder if his days of contending at major championships are over as he rapidly approaches his 40th birthday.

Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann were both players who were amongst the favorites this week, but Rahm was faced with the daunting duties of defending champion and Niemann proved he was still not quite ready to master the quirks of Augusta National, bleeding strokes both around and on the greens.

To be fair, when all was said and done, LIV had four players in the top twelve at The Masters. Tyrrell Hatton stormed the leaderboard early on Sunday, finishing T9 and earning himself an invite back to Augusta next season. Cam Smith and Patrick Reed put together gritty performances, which isn’t too surprising considering the fact that they both absolutely love Augusta National, but neither ever felt a real threat to win. There’s no doubt the players on LIV are good, and that’s why some encouraging leaderboard positions aren’t enough. They needed to contend.

With no players part of the storyline on Sunday, I view the first major of the year as a disappointment for LIV. The players will head into next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla with a lot to prove.

Rory’s Struggles Continues

Rory struggling at Augusta National is no surprise at this point. The four-time major champion has now had 10 attempts to complete the career grand slam and has never had a chance to win. His T2 in 2022 was deceiving, the Northern Irishman stormed the leaderboard on Sunday, but was never in contention, and never got within three shots of the winner, Scottie Scheffler.

I didn’t expect Rory to win, but I have to admit that this year felt a bit different. McIlroy played the week prior to the Masters, which he typically doesn’t do, and finished third at the Valero Texas Open. He gained 7.56 strokes on approach and 2.0 strokes off the tee, which told me that his visit with world-renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, after the Players Championship paid dividends.

McIlroy also approached the media quite differently. He cut his pre-tournament press conference short after only 10 minutes and seemed to be laser-focused on just playing golf.

Despite the different approach to the Masters, the results were the same. McIlroy struggled over the course of the week, finishing T22 (+4) and never sniffed a decent weekend position on the leaderboard. It’s back to the drawing board for McIlroy, and I have doubts that he will ever figure it out at Augusta.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi: The 8 best prop bets for the 2024 Masters

Published

1 week ago

Apr 9, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

We’ve finally reached The Masters and excitement is at an all-time high. The world of golf has been fractured for the better part of two years, but for a week at Augusta National, all of the outside noise will disappear. All of the best players in the world will be together seeking to make history.

RELATED: Vincenzi’s 2024 Masters betting preview: Niemann to play star role at Augusta National

In addition to betting on The Masters champion. This is one of the few weeks of the year where there are so many more markets to explore, with value to be had in plenty of different categories.

Throughout this article, I’ll discuss all of my favorite props and players for the 2024 Masters.

Placement Bets:

Tony Finau Top 5 +750 (DraftKings):

I badly wanted to include Tony Finau in my outright betting selections, but I simply ran out of room on my card. Additionally, it’s slightly difficult to see him hitting the putts necessary to win the Masters on back nine on Sunday. However, I do strongly believe he will play great golf this week at Augusta National.

In his past 24 rounds, Finau ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach is always amongst the best drivers of the golf ball in the game. Back in 2019, Finau had a great chance to win The Masters. I expect him to be hanging around over the weekend once again in 2024.

Gary Woodland Top 20 +550 (DraftKings), Gary Woodland to make the cut -110 (DraftKings):

Last season, Gary Woodland had his best ever finish at The Masters in his eleven tries. The 39-year-old finished T14 and played incredibly steady across all four rounds.

In Woodland’s most recent start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, he struck the ball incredibly well. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+8.8) and Strokes Gained: Ball Striking (+10.0).

Gary has been working with Butch Harmon and absolutely flushing the ball both in tournaments and during practice.

Woodland appears to be healthy once again and in a great place physically and mentally. If he can build off his impressive performance at Augusta last year, he can place inside the top ten in 2024.

Additionally, the make the cut number on Woodland seems generous considering the number of players who miss the cut will be relatively small this week. Woodland is striking it well enough to make the cut even if he’s hindered by a balky putter once again.

Thorbjorn Olesen Top 20 +400 (FanDuel):

The Thunder Bear, Thorbjorn Olesen, made his Masters debut in 2013 and finished an incredibly impressive T6 for the week. In the two additional starts he’s made at Augusta National since then, the Dane has continued to be incredibly solid, finishing T44 and T21.

This week, Olesen heads into the week playing some good golf. He gained 3.8 strokes on approach and 5.52 strokes around the green at last week’s Valero Texas Open on his way to a strong T14 finish. Back in January, he won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour.

Olesen has the skill set to be successful at Augusta and seems primed for a good performance this week.

Top Nationalities:

Sergio Garcia Top Spanish Player +280 (DraftKings):

I believe Sergio Garcia can get into contention this week with the way he’s striking the ball in addition to his good vibes with a refurbished version of the Scotty Cameron that he used at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah.

I am slightly concerned about the emotional letdown he may face after losing in a playoff at LIV Miami, but I believe a veteran and former Masters champion should be able to regroup and focus on an event far more meaningful.

This is essentially a tournament head-to-head with Jon Rahm at +280. While Rahm deserves to be respected this week, the history of the lack of success of defending champions at The Masters is difficult to ignore.

Joaquin Niemann Top South American Player -230 (FanDuel):

While I hate paying this much juice, I don’t see a world in which Joaquin Niemann isn’t the top South American this week at The Masters. Joaco comes in playing better golf than anyone in the world not named Scottie Scheffler and has a serious chance to win the green jacket.

He only needs to beat two players: Emiliano Grillo and Camilo Villegas.

Tournament Head-to-Heads:

Justin Thomas -110 over Collin Morikawa

JT isn’t having his best season but is playing a lot better than he is getting credit for at the moment. In the past three months, there are only six players on the PGA Tour who have averaged 1.7 Strokes Gained: Tee to Green or better. Justin Thomas (+1.7) is one of the six and is currently tied with Rory McIlroy (+1.7).

Morikawa, on the other hand, has been extremely poor with his irons, which is incredibly uncharacteristic for him. I can’t help but feel like something is completely off with the two-time major champion.

Tony Finau -110 over Wyndham Clark

I explained in the placement section why I’m so high on Tony Finau this week. With how well he’s striking the ball, it seems as if his floor is extremely high. I’m not sure if he can make the putts to win a green jacket but I believe he will be in the mix similarly to 2019 when Tiger Woods emerged from a crowded pack of contenders.

Clark is a debutant, and while some debutants have had success at The Masters, it certainly poses a challenge. I also don’t believe Augusta National suits Clark as well as some of the other major championship venues.

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