News
Woods’ missed cut was a step in the right direction
Any assessment of what Tiger Woods’ missed cut at the Quicken Loans National means must begin with this question: “What did we expect?”
Yes, Tiger Woods missed his fourth 36-hole cut as a professional in his career. However, this missed cut was different than his other three, as our expectations were vastly different.
Until very recently, it was unclear whether Woods would return to competition this year, and it was widely known that he’d only been hitting full shots for less than two weeks heading into the Quicken Loans National.
Thus, with the formula of a major surgery plus a hundred-day layoff plus minimal practice, making the cut was always going to be a victory at one of the longest and most difficult non-major tracks on the PGA Tour.
So what happened out there?
As Tiger himself said:
“I made a ton of little, simple little mistakes, misjudging things and missing the ball on the wrong sides and just didn’t get up-and-down on little simple shots. Those are the little things I can correct, which is nice.”
After hitting 64 percent of fairways on Thursday, Woods was erratic off the tee Friday. He displayed deficiencies in all areas of his game during the second round and had trouble from the approach shot in on Thursday. He was historically bad when he missed the green, going just 3-for-16 in scrambling this week. The 18.8 percent rate of making par was the worst scrambling percentage of his career.
Here’s the full statistical breakdown of Woods’ two rounds, courtesy of PGATour.com:
What does it all mean?
Well, here’s Tiger’s position on his performance: “I came back four weeks earlier than we thought I could. I had no setbacks. I got my feel for playing tournament golf.”
Obviously, the major hurdle that had to be cleared was how his back would hold up. Not only did he not have any issues, but Woods also didn’t appear to be babying anything either. It’s safe to say the back was not a significant factor in Woods’ performance, and he repeatedly attested to being “pain free.” This is huge for the golfer in the short run, as he tries to finish out the season strong, and in the long run, as he tries to chase down Jack Nicklaus over the coming years.
Rex Hoggard of Golf Channel had an excellent take on the situation:
“This wasn’t about a score as much as it was getting a scorecard in his hand. This was about getting ready for the Open Championship in a fortnight at Royal Liverpool. About supporting an event that benefits his foundation and needed a boost after signing a new sponsor. And most importantly about giving his surgically repaired back a test drive.”
Hoggard hits the nail on the head. And here’s more of Tiger’s positive take on his play:
“I hate to say it, but I’m really encouraged by what happened this week. I missed the cut by four shots – that’s a lot. But the fact that what I was able to do physically, and the speed I had and the distance that I was hitting the golf ball again, I had not done that in a very long time. Felt great today. Then, as I said, I made so many little mistakes … all the little things that I know I can fix. But as I said, that’s very encouraging.”
Ultimately, although he never broke character and admitted he didn’t expect to win this week, Tiger Woods came to Congressional to get some reps, test his back, and lend his star power to the tournament his charity organizes and benefits from.
Thus, even though his play was sloppy and his short game was biblically awful, the missed cut is a significant step in the right direction.
The first round of The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool is July 17th. Woods will reportedly briefly vacation with his family next week and then begin his preparations to tackle the course where he won his last Open in 2006.
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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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tlmck
Jul 2, 2014 at 4:05 am
Based on his own comments, Tiger is going nowhere fast. He is obsessed with swinging as fast and as hard as possible which causes most, if not all of his wayward shots. I believe he called it “tournament speed”. Yet on his slower, more controlled swings, he seems to hit good shot after good shot like in his heyday when he was “controlling” his golf ball. Seems like a no brainer to me, but he just does not seem to get it. Either that or he is letting his machismo get the better of him like so many idiots do.
Straightdriver235
Jun 29, 2014 at 8:12 am
He still swings with the same tension problems he had before the injury, and still has the concentration look of a basket case instead of a conqueror. I am sad to say the exciting days of Tiger Woods are over. He may compete once in a while, and even win here and there. It is increasingly clear he will not ever overtake Jack. Is he better historically than Hogan or Jones? He is nearer to their level.
DC
Jun 29, 2014 at 5:44 am
Thanks for providing a realistic analysis and factual context of the missed cut. All other news outlets get caught up in hype and over exaggeration in their goal for ratings and web clicks.
If commentary and opinion was provided in this format, the news and journalism industry would achieve some semblance of credibility and trustworthiness.
Rich
Jun 29, 2014 at 7:50 am
So the most important story out of the tournament thus far is that he missed the cut? If everyone thinks that then golf is truly doomed when he finally explodes for good one day.
Dustin
Jun 29, 2014 at 11:27 am
Where did he say that this was the most important story of the tournament? He merely noted that this type of article, one based on statistics and facts alone, is what the media should strive for.
DC
Jun 29, 2014 at 1:39 pm
More importantly, an opinion or editorial based upon facts, evidence, and statistics. Not just on mere belief.
We’re all entitled to our set of opinions, but no one is entitled to their own set of facts.
Jack
Jun 29, 2014 at 4:19 am
Everyone who makes money in any way connected to golf is running scared! The tour is in big time trouble without Tiger, because the casual fan in really an anti-fan and really just a Tiger fan. Look at golf money before Tiger, look at the Tiger bubble, and consider where golf is headed over the next five years.
Dennis Clark
Jun 28, 2014 at 7:49 pm
BTW, this missed cut is his 11th in 18 years. Phil has 79. Think about it. Good article Ben. DC
Jack
Jun 29, 2014 at 4:21 am
I think Jack missed around 23 cuts total for his entire PGA career.
Rich
Jun 28, 2014 at 7:10 pm
This is ridiculous. HE MISSED THE CUT! Why is there a story and any analysis over it? You know what don’t answer that. It’s just stupid. Isn’t there something more interesting to write about? I guess not.
Todd Turner
Jun 28, 2014 at 8:26 pm
Duh, he moves the meter! It’s understandable you don’t like him, fine, but take blinders off!
Philip
Jun 28, 2014 at 11:38 pm
His comment has nothing to do with whether he likes Tiger or not. The news coverage does not make sense in the context of what it is about. However, the same was true for Arnold Palmer who still drew in crowds and was news worthy long after he stopped winning. Tiger will be no different.
The everyday person is attracted to excitement and distractions. Not the normal situation when watching golfers which is why Arnold and now Tiger get so much attention. They bring showmanship to golf, just like the touchdown dance routines in football. Makes for better TV action.
Pingback: Woods’ missed cut was a step in the right direction | Spacetimeandi.com
Pat M
Jun 28, 2014 at 2:04 pm
He should take the rest of the year off to get well. He is getting old and the knee and back are issues. I don’t think he can win majors without Steve Williams. Steve was vital to Toger’s major wins.
Kyle
Jun 28, 2014 at 3:35 pm
Lol. That was funny to read. Thanks!
brett
Jun 28, 2014 at 12:10 pm
This post could have been said in three word ‘it means nothing’
richard
Jun 28, 2014 at 10:50 am
The missed cut means nothing other than he got to play a couple of practice rounds to sort things out, but under tournament conditions. Let’s not over analyze things here…he needs more rounds under his belt, and he probably got tired of sitting around at home in Florida. He likes being on tour, and that is the best way to round his game back into shape at this point. If he’s not hurting, why not?
Major
Jun 28, 2014 at 5:31 pm
He only plays like 17 tournaments all year when he’s healthy, compared to a guy like Furyk who plays 33 or more. How’s that translating to “liking” playing on the tour for Woods? He obviously only plays for the money or for the Majors.