News
Club Junkies!
Humans are naturally acquisitive creatures. We all have an inbuilt urge to collect things. Back in the dim and distant past, this was probably a smart survival strategy to get us through lean times. If you have all this ‘stuff’ then when it all goes pear shaped, you’ll be alright. If it breaks, you have a backup. If it stops working, you have a new one to hand. It simply makes sense to us, whether it’s food or building materials or anything else. Whatever we can own, two is always better than one.
Men in particular also have a fascination with the minutiae of things. If it’s not stamps (and for your sanity I hope it’s not!) then it’s cars or sports or stereo equipment or something where knowledge of the technical details marks you out as an expert – or a dangerous obsessive! A friend who says that he didn’t do well at school is still nevertheless able to remember the exact engine size the BMW M3, the effective frequency range of Bang & Olufsen speakers and the result of every football match involving Sheffield Wednesday since 1982 (this last one is easy for him as all they seem to do is lose). Why we find trivia like this fascinating is unknown but it seems to hold pretty much true for all men of all ages in all walks of life.
There is also the more general appreciation of well made and finely crafted object. Things are no longer just things when they have been made with such elegance that they become works of art, where just looking at them is an act of pleasure.
Now, wouldn’t it be terrible if there were a sport where the technical specifications of the equipment combined with the quality of construction had an almost direct effect on your performance. Where these pieces of equipment have been loving shaped and formed, forged and milled by craftsmen of the highest order into objects that almost demand to be cosseted and revered. To be displayed in cabinets (or in photo galleries on the web) almost the exclusion of their original mundane sporting purpose.
Golfers have the curse and blessing of playing a sport where all these urges and desires combine. Added to the fact that golfers tend to have a little bit more discretionary income than your average sports fan it leaves us pray to one of the great temptations of any man: the collective urge to ‘ho’. Women golfers seem to be a little less at risk of this condition, possibly due to their being distracted by shoes and handbags – but more probably because they are not quite so stupid.
Golf needn’t be an expensive sport. Perfectly good equipment can be had at a reasonable price, either in sales or second hand, and their durability means that years could go by without them needing replacement. Yet some people change their equipment with such regularity you could mistake the money they spend for the budget of a Forumula One racing team.
These people are club junkies. Also known more commonly as ‘club ho’s’
There are two main types of club ho’s. The first are the collectors. Their motto is ‘He who has the most toys wins!’ – providing that said toys are expensive, have limited availability, are preferably tour or prototype only and cost as much as a small house. Fanatics follows certain brands – most commonly putter manufacturers like Scotty Cameron or Bettinardi, and try to amass the definitive collection of that brand. These are people for whom golf equipment has passed from the everyday piece of sports kit and into the realm of art. For them, these creations are as valuable as any Damien Hirst or Banksy
Sometimes the anticipation of getting something can be greater than actually getting it. This is what drives the second type of club junkie, the one who believes in the dream that a particular new club will straighten their drives or improve their wedge play. These dreams are of course dashed when they actually buy it and they realise that what stops them being a great golfer is them and not the equipment. How else can you explain the unloading of almost brand new equipment on the BST boards so soon after a product launch?
‘To much club for me’, ‘Looking for something different’, ‘Clearout sale’, or even the honest ‘Bored with this’. These are the code words for someone who has let their dreams open their wallet and bought something (or more likely several things) that is either no better than what they already have or just wildly inappropriate for their ability or swing.
You even see people who admit to admiring a set of irons/driver on the BST boards which they consider buying until they realise that they have already bought and sold them before! While not madness, it must be maddening to those around them. There is even a thread on this site devoted to reforming/celebrating club ho’s – the GEAK (Golf Equipment Addicts Kounseling) Group. The posts in GEAK are a slightly tongue-in-cheek mix of acknowledgement that they spend too much money on golf equipment, a chance to tell others what’s in the bag (while promising not to buy anything else really!) and a sympathetic ear for those looking for justification of their purchases and their bizarre habit of spending more time on ebay than on the golf course.
No golfer is immune; we are all at risk of this urge. I first succumbed to it when a manufacturer offered to send me something after we had been chatting online (where else would this happen but golfwrx!). What it would be was not mentioned. All I knew was that this manufacturer only made top end kit so it was going to be something that you find in major winners bags, not just some ‘Joe Golfer’ improvement shovel. For about 3 weeks I was as giddy as a schoolgirl: waiting by the front door for the courier to arrive and drop off this gift, anticipating the moment I could rip open the box and find out what is so great about their equipment. That they turned out to be even better than I imagined seemed to trigger my inner ‘ho’. Suddenly it seemed that whenever I was able to, I sneaked a peak to see what was out there that would be an improvement on my setup. Loft, lies, COGs, MOIs, torque, carbon versus stainless, kickpoints, weights, flexes, compositions, 2 piece versus 3 piece, urethane/surlyn/rabalon, I could suddenly hold conversations that would normally be reserved for people who worked in the golf manufacturing industry. Friends would either be wary of bringing up the topic of golf equipment around me for fear of being bored to death or would actively ask my opinion as they realised that it was cheaper than buying a handful of magazines to find out what the latest and greatest on the market was. I would scour ebay and the BST boards of various forums looking for a bargain or that special something to make me a better golfer. Fortunately the urge to actually play golf rather than ‘buy golf’ reared its head strongly enough that I spend far more time on the course than looking for new equipment. At least for now…
Ultimately, as long as you are not spending the rent money on buying new equipment, the urge to ho is a harmless one, providing satisfaction and enjoyment even when not on the course. But remember, the most flaw-ridden, imperfect and unreliable thing in the game of golf is the person holding the club and if you really want to improve your game, minimize ebay, step away from the presentation case of putters, avert your eyes from the BST board and go and get some lesssons!
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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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News
Morning 9: McIlroy, Lowry win Zurich | Green repeats on LPGA | Steele victorious down under
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David
Oct 2, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I think Club Ho’ing happens because many of us are addicted to golf as a lifestyle. If I can’t be playing, at least I can be searching, reading, and buying. The problem occurs when people like me fail to realize that we are using golf as an escape from the rest of life.
There is a fine line between recreation and escapism. An individual needs to know the difference. I spend too much time and money on golf. Is it really worth a stroke or two off my HC? Nope. But my priorities change as my life changes.
I hope one day I won’t care as much about spending money on equipment. I’ll spend more time just enjoying the game, because the rest of life will be more satisfying that searching eBay for used Callaways.
Know thyself! – I wish I did.
Mossy
Sep 26, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Very good!
Jesse Gonzalez
Sep 9, 2007 at 4:10 am
If I could afford 8 cars and 3 motorcycles I’d have them. For now, I’ll just have 8 drivers and 3 sets of irons and I don’t know the freq. range of B & O’s but my Kraco quarter watts go from 80-9000 hz. Great article…
Derek McDermott
Sep 7, 2007 at 9:29 pm
GREAT READ. but i dont have money for lessons…
… spent it on my new driver!!!! =-)