News
Quest for a Tour card: Dollar$ and $en$e
By Jordan Holley
Special to GolfWRX
Jordan Holley, 28, is a mini-tour player pursuing his dream of earning a PGA Tour card. He graduated from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., where he was an NCAA All-American and a member of the Cleveland Golf Academic All-American First Team. He qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2008, and since turning professional has played on the NGA Hooters and eGolf tours, as well as other minor league tours.
Hey golf fans!! It’s Jordan Holley again with a little perspective on what kind of life the Tour hopefuls lead from week to week. As much as I would love to say that I spend every waking moment out on the course or on the range, the truth is that when you are playing a rich man’s sport with a poor man’s wallet, you have to make allowances. I have always found a way to be as best prepared as possible heading into any given tournament, but when you are playing on your own dime and without sponsors, you stack the already huge odds just a little bit bigger against yourself. That being said, let’s take a look at an unusual week for me.
Monday — I received a return phone call from an informal audition I did last week for a Dicks Sporting Goods commercial. After I drove an 1.5 hours south from my apartment (and spent $30 in gas), I reached the driving range to find more than 15 golfers ready for a second audition. The guys lined us up in front of the camera and had us hit some beat up range balls and pretend we just hit the best feeling ball ever made — pretty hard to do with very little acting experience. Long story short, I got the job but after food, gas, etc. I’m down $65 for the day.
Tuesday — I signed up for the Minor League Golf Tour’s stop at Ironhorse Country Club. I brought a good friend of mine to help navigate the course (I didn’t play a practice round as they were $75). The event cost me $220 and although I went out with every intention of winning my third event in the last two months (I’ve played six times these last two months) I didn’t do what I wanted to do and shot 73. I did made four birdies and an eagle on the back nine to close on a positive note! I made $87 on the day, but after the entry fee and buying lunch for my caddy I’m at a net loss of $155.
Wednesday — I was invited to a pro-am at Old Palm Country Club and played with an amateur partner in their annual Pro-Member tournament. I shot 68, won nothing, but spent nothing (and got a free lunch). After the round, I met with the owners of Planet Golf in Miami and they were blown away by a new product I use and endorse, a Piretti putter. I became involved with this high-end boutique putter company this summer and have taken over as the Southeast representative for Piretti golf. The guys at Planet Golf put an order in for eight putters and have become the first of many golf shops to carry the product in Florida … check them out if you’re in the area!! So, after the meeting, my commission and the four hours of driving I made $135 on the day.
Thursday — So I got the job for the commercial and drove down to Weston Hills Country Club in Weston, Fla. (another 1.5 hour drive). I had to leave my house at 4:30 a.m. to get there for a 6 a.m. line up and breakfast. After more than 12 hours, five location changes and countless takes and re-takes later, we left the set only to find out the $800 I was set to make wouldn’t be sent to me for another 60 days. Bummer, I was down $50 on the day.
Friday — I practiced all morning and got an offer to bartend for a wedding in downtown Miami. I accepted and drove the two hours south to the city. I was there from 4 a.m. until 1 a.m. bartending for a huge Indian style wedding. Yes, there was a lot of curry and fantastic looking Indian dresses. By the time I got home around 3 a.m., I hit the sack with a $150 profit.
To recap:
I made more than I spent, but not by much. Each week is different and when I am playing golf every day (tournaments or just gambling games), I’m making more money. The problem always comes down to how much of an already depleted bank account am I willing to risk in events that can cost more than $1200 even when I know my game is good enough to win. Decisions come down to gut feelings. I will be getting out on the road with the guys soon, as the first eGolf event started this week.
People may have a misconception of the life a professional golfer lives, and although this may not apply to all the guys in my shoes, I know my passion for competition, my love of the process, and the ultimate goal of playing the PGA Tour all drive me to continue beating one ball after another down life’s fairways, always trying to avoid the rough.
I’ll be qualifying for the Honda Classic this week so keep an eye out!
Click here for more discussion in the “Tour talk” forum
Keep following me on Twitter @j_holley6under or on www.jordanholleygolf.com.
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News
Morning 9: Tiger confirms playing schedule | Player: This caused Tiger’s downfall
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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News
Vincenzi’s 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting preview: International talent to shine
As anticipation mounts for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla in a few weeks, the PGA Tour makes a pit stop in McKinney, Texas to play The CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
Last year was the third time TPC Craig Ranch hosted the Byron Nelson. Prior to 2021, the event was held at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.
TPC Craig Ranch is a 7,414-yard par-71 that features Bentgrass greens. The event historically plays relatively easy, and that has remained the case in the three editions at TPC Craig Ranch.
The course structure may provide some additional intrigue with the par-3 17th featuring a stadium setup called “Ranch 17” which is reminiscent of the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. The course also has both long and difficult par-4s mixed with drivable par-4s, which should create some exciting moments.
There are 156 golfers in the field this week, and many stars will be taking the week off to prepare for 2023’s second major championship in a few weeks and a “signature event” at Quail Hollow next week. Notable players in the field include Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Stephan Jaeger, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Alex Noren, Adam Scott and Will Zalatoris.
Past Winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson
- 2023: Jason Day (-23 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2022: K.H. Lee (-26 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2021: K.H. Lee (-25 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2019: Sung Kang (-23)
- 2018: Aaron Wise (-23)
- 2017: Billy Horschel (-12)
- 2016: Sergio Garcia (-15)
- 2015: Steven Bowditch (-18)
Key Stats at TPC Craig Ranch
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for TPC Craig Ranch to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach remains the best measure of current form.
Hot iron play will be at a premium this week. Last year, Jason Day gained 6.4 strokes on approach, which was fourth in the field. In 2022, K.H. Lee was ninth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.2 strokes. In his 2021 victory, he was second in the field and gained 8.3 strokes on the field in the category.
Strokes Gaines: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Keith Mitchell (+1.02)
- Henrik Norlander (+0.99)
- Ryan Moore (+0.98)
- Ben Martin (0.80)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Fairways are wide at TPC Craig Ranch.
Distance will certainly be helpful, and there aren’t too many difficult holes on the course. Golfers who put themselves in position off of the tee this week should have a sizable advantage.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds
- Peter Kuest (+0.93)
- Kevin Daugherty (+0.91)
- Alejandro Tosti (+0.83)
- Keith Mitchell (+0.82)
- Kevin Tway (+0.74)
Birdie or Better %
There aren’t many hazards on the course, and all of the par-5s should be reachable in two for the majority of the players in the field. I am anticipating a birdie fest, and this statistic should be helpful in finding the birdie-makers.
Birdie or Better % Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Wesley Bryan (31%)
- Kelly Kraft (26.2%)
- Peter Kuest (25.9%)
- Matti Schmid (25.7%
- Jimmy Stanger (25.2%)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
Many golfers on TOUR have some major putting surface variance in their statistics and prefer Bentgrass to other surfaces.
Bentgrass is common in Texas, and we often see golfers who play well in Texas continue to do so, finding a great feel around the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Maverick McNealy (+0.92)
- Aaron Baddeley (+0.87)
- Callum Tarren (+0.86)
- Harry Hall (+0.81)
- Nick Hardy (+0.69)
Course History
This statistic will tell us which players have performed the best at TPC Craig Ranch over the past three seasons.
Course History Over Past 12 Rounds:
- Jordan Spieth (+2.69)
- K.H. Lee (+2.59)
- Seamus Power (+1.84)
- Ryan Palmer (+1.76)
- Adam Scott (+1.72)
CJ CUP Byron Nelson Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: OTT (24%), Birdie or Better % (18%), Course History (17%) and SG: Putting Bentgrass (16%).
- Alex Noren
- Adam Scott
- Keith Mitchell
- Si Woo Kim
- Stephen Jaeger
- Jordan Spieth
- Jhonnatan Vegas
- Nate Lashley
- Brice Garnett
- Tom Hoge
2024 CJ CUP Byron Nelson Picks
Byeong Hun An +3000 (DraftKings)
Byeong Hun put together an excellent performance at The Masters, finishing T16, which ties his best ever finish at a major championship (also T16 at 2019 U.S. Open). The South Korean gained 9.16 strokes from tee to green, which ranked 2nd in the field behind only the champion, Scottie Scheffler.
An’s next start at Harbour Town didn’t go as well (67th), but he still had a fantastic ball striking week. The 32-year-old bled strokes both around and on the greens, which was his eventual undoing. In his past three starts, An has gained significant strokes on the field both off the tee and on approach.
Benny had a strong start at last year’s Byron Nelson, finishing in a tie for 14th. With limited challenges on the course, he shouldn’t have to do much scrambling. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 17th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 17th in the field in birdie or better percentage. The putter is up and down per usual, but his ceiling putting weeks with his LAB Golf putter in 2024 are higher than they’ve been in past seasons.
An is starting to become my “white whale” of the PGA Tour, but I believe in his talent and TPC Craig Ranch is a course that should suit his excellent tee to green play.
Mackenzie Hughes +5500 (FanDuel)
Mackenzie Hughes is quietly putting together a very good season. He finished in a tie for 3rd at the Valspar Championship and followed that up with a T14 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
In his past 36 rounds in Texas, the Canadian ranks 5th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total. Last year, he finished in a tie for 14th at this event and gained strokes putting and off the tee. Mackenzie played well that week despite being in extremely poor form. He missed two cuts in a row prior to the event, and four consecutive cuts immediately after. His irons were off that week, but in 2024, we’ve seen an improvement in Hughes’ approach game. He now comes to the event playing some steady golf. He’s gained strokes on approach in four of his past five events and is hitting the ball very well from tee to green.
Hughes has two victories on the PGA Tour, both coming in relatively low-scoring affairs (-17 in each). He will need to go a bit deeper to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson but has the type of putter that can keep pace in a birdie barrage.
Seamus Power +7000 (FanDuel)
After struggling over the past few seasons with injuries, Seamus Power seems as if he is rounding back into the form that made him a really consistent player on the PGA Tour.
Power finished T12 in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage, which is encouraging considering it was a “signature event” with a very strong field. For the week, the Irishman gained 4.4 strokes on approach and 2.8 strokes putting, which is the combination he’s used in the past to contend on Tour.
In his three trips to TPC Craig Ranch, Power is yet to finish outside of the top-20, with his best finish being a T9 in 2019. He ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course. The 37-year-old thrives on easy tracks and has won in 2021 (Barbasol Championship) and 2022 (Butterfield Bermuda) on easier layouts with weaker fields.
Power has the game to go extremely low and I believe he can get back in the winner’s circle for the third time in four years.
Chan Kim +10000 (FanDuel)
Chan Kim has been striking the ball beautifully this season and is a proven winner with two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 as well as eight career Japan Tour wins.
At last week’s Zurich Classic, Kim and his partner Doug Ghim finished in a tie for 28th. Prior to that, the South Korean T14 at the Valero Texas Open and T6 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. His success this season in Texas as well as he propensity to play his best golf on the PGA Tour’s easier courses make him and ideal fit for TPC Craig Ranch.
2024 has given plenty of longshot winners on the PGA Tour, and with a birdie fest like this, I believe there’s a strong chance we get another this week in McKinney, Texas.
Alejandro Tosti +10000 (FanDuel)
Alejandro Tosti is one of the most polarizing players on the PGA Tour thus far in the 2024 season. His antics can rub many the wrong way, but he’s shown on a few occasions that he has what it takes to compete in Tour events.
This season, Tosti has been elite off the tee. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The Argentine hits it long and straight, which works at any course on earth. He got a taste of contention a few starts ago at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, finishing in a tie for 2nd place.
Tosti had a fantastic year in 2023 on the Korn Ferry Tour, where going low is a prerequisite to success. If this turns to a shootout, which it likely will, the 27-year-old has the ability to set the pace. Tosti will look to become the second Argentine to win in Texas in the past two seasons after Emiliano Grillo emerged victorious at last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
C.T. Pan +15000 (FanDuel)
Outside of a T3 at the Mexico Open, C.T. Pan doesn’t have strong results this season in terms of finishes. However, over his past two starts, Pan’s iron play has come alive. At The Players, he gained 6.6 strokes on approach. At the Valero Texas Open, he gained 3.7. At last week’s Zurich Classic, Pan and his partner Kevin Yu finished T28. For a player who can get extremely hot with his scoring clubs, I believe he’s playing better than the results have shown over the past month or so.
Last season, Pan finished 4th at TPC Craig Ranch and was spectacular across all the major stat categories. In his past 36 qualifying rounds, he ranks 16th in Strokes Gained: Total in Texas.
Pan has won on the PGA Tour at the RBC Heritage and is always a player that I believe has what it takes to win on a Sunday if he finds himself in contention.
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Nic
Apr 18, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Good Luck Man. Anytime your in the Birmingham Area hit me up. I would love to do what you are doing but with a wife a child that dream is up to guys like you.
Jordan Holley
Feb 22, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I can’t thank you guys enough for the feedback, both positive and negative. I am learning on the fly with what I am writing and can always use some constructive criticism (on and off the course). @stevejones I want to especially thank you because I know you are most likely not the only reader who feels this way. That being said, I feel that I have some interesting insight into a very small section of players who aren’t playing off of their parents/grandparents dime.
I just wanted to mention something I think would benefit anyone reading these articles. The keys to success aren’t given away or sold to the highest bidder. In every walk of life they are earned. The most effective method of practice I have found, as it relates to improved performance is not practicing what you are good at, but instead spend the majority of your tine trying to make yourself comfortable in uncomfortable situations (whatever you struggle with…long bunkers, lag putting, etc). This is where you find out what kind of awesome power the brain has!!
I’ll give a quick example: I began taking lessons for the first time last fall with Mike Adams (Medallist Golf Club). I have always been an above average ball striker and a solid putter. My weakness was always the short game. The weird thing is it was never the hard shots, but always seemed to be the simple, straightforward ones that I would find a way to screw up!! I never wanted to practice them because I felt like it wore on my confidence (by far the most important aspect of the game). What Mike was able to instill in me were not only some technical things, but the idea that if I truly committed myself to the changes and put in the time necessary to make them routine, that I would transform an uncomfortable weakness into a strength. I feel like it was not only a lesson on the golf course but something I could take with me off it as well!!
Anyway, enough ranting for now! Good luck guys and keep an eye out for the next piece!!
Ryan
Feb 22, 2012 at 10:16 am
I’d be interested in a series of these. I’ve often wondered what it took and what kind of path a life of professional golf would entail.
Keep it up!
jerry bollinger
Feb 21, 2012 at 8:17 pm
This is a great place for the article. How many new 3 woods & $ 350 putters does one golfer need to look at ?
Good luck on your journey !
Brent Mann
Feb 21, 2012 at 6:09 pm
@Stevejones I doubt Jordan thinks he is the only mini tour player out there. This is a perfectly acceptable place for this article. From an aspiring players stand point, I found the article interesting. Best of luck Jordan!
russ
Feb 21, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Steve Jones, let’s try and keep it positive. You’re right, he’s not the only guy out there on his own dime (you assume)…but he is taking the time to make some posts and give people some insight on the day-to-day grind that is mini-tour golf. Nice to be able to put a story to a name on the leaderboard, and if he picks up some backing as a result, I don’t see it as a bad thing.
Keep chasing it Jordon…best of luck from someone who knows the grind and now watches from a cubicle!
Tony Mangler
Feb 21, 2012 at 4:56 pm
@stevejones hate hate hate hate hate hate hate…
Steve Jones
Feb 21, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Your not the only mini tour golfer who is looking for backers and is playing on their own dime….I feel this type of article should find a different place, seems like it is only here because this man hopes that someone will donate or sponsor him