Opinion & Analysis

Does golf need a shot clock?

Published

10 years ago

Oct 23, 2014

We all know the “golfers’ stance.” Not the shoulder-width apart, knees bent, back straight stance at address, but the other golf stance — the one where you obnoxiously stand on the teebox, leaning on your club with your right leg crossed over your left and hand on your hip.

Nothing is worse than looking back and seeing a guy/gal taking the “golf stance,” but slow play is brutally prevalent in golf — especially at the professional level. That’s due to the obvious factors of big purses and demanding conditions — in an era where people want information and entertainment within a few taps on a touch screen of their iPhone 6+.

People like Netflix because they can chain-watch their favorite TV shows without commercial breaks. They like apps because information can be obtained with one click instead of two or three on a browser. Most people can’t bear to read a 1,400-word news story, because it takes too long — they’d prefer to read a 200-word snippet with images and a video or take a poll to see what “color” their personality is.

Life is different. The media is different. Sports are different. Less and less people want to chew up their whole afternoon playing a 5+ hour round of golf. Most millenials would rather play six hours of Call of Duty than watch six hours of the Frys.com Open coverage on Sunday afternoon. I’m not judging them. That’s just the way it is.

The Kevin Na’s, Ben Crane’s and Keegan Bradley’s of the golf world make viewership more difficult and frustrate some of their fellow players. Golf is a game of patience and concentration, but we’re reaching a limit — and the PGA Tour has taken notice.

Starting at the Frys.com Open, the first tournament in the 2014-2015 PGA Tour season, a new pace-of-play system was put into effect. According to Golf Digest’s Dave Shedloski, the rules state that the first player who has the honors in each group must complete his stroke within 50 seconds (10 seconds less than the old rules), and all others in the group get 40 seconds.

The new rules also state that a group must tee off on a par-5 before the group ahead leaves the green. The fines haven’t changed, but the restrictions have gotten stricter.

The player receives a warning for his first “bad time” of the round.
If he records a second bad time in the same round, he gets a 1-stroke penalty and $5,000 fine.
If he records a third bad time in the same round, he gets a 2-stroke penalty and a $10,000 fine.
If he records a fourth bad time in the same round, he is disqualified.

The public was upset about a slow-play penalty against 14-year-old Guan Tianlang in the 2013 Masters, but that’s life in the big leagues nowadays.

“You talk to players, and no one complains when they play in 4.5 hours and they’re not standing around,” Andy Pazder, the PGA Tour’s executive vice president and chief of operations, told Golf Digest. “They wait on every shot and even if it takes the same 4.5 hours they get frustrated because it feels slow.”

And golf isn’t the only sport experimenting with ways to speed up their respective game.

An Arizona Fall baseball league has implemented a shot clock: 20 seconds to deliver a pitch, 2 minutes and 5 seconds between innings, and 2 minutes 30 seconds for pitching changes. The first game under the new rules lasted 2 hours 14 minutes. The average major league baseball game in 2014? Three hours and 2 minutes.

Although a shot clock in baseball may take some getting-used-to, it seems that it will have a positive effect on speeding up play.

A shot clock in basketball is old news, but the sport has had some problems of its own with games running too long. In a pre-season game between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, the NBA experimented with 11-minute quarters, which brought total game minutes down from 48 minutes to 44 minutes. The NBA also dropped mandatory timeouts in the second and fourth quarters from three to two.

The Nets vs. Celtics game was played in 1 hour and 58 minutes under the experiment. The average game time in the 2013-2014 season (in games that did not go to overtime) was 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Other sports are making strides, and golf is attempting to join the speed parade. Golf, however, seems to be at a disadvantage, since it’s played over the course of 18 holes, hitting (sometimes) unreasonably demanding shots in constantly changing conditions under indescribable pressure for unimaginable sums of money.

See the problem? I think the PGA Tour is putting up a fight with new rules for pace of play, but it’s battle that can’t be won.

The NBA mandates only 24 seconds for each shot, and baseball (or at least its new experiment) allows only 20 seconds. Maybe 50 seconds is still a little generous, but putting a 1.6-ounce dimpled sphere into a 4-inch cup from 450 yards in four shots or less with $1 million on the line takes time.

That being said, let’s speed it up out there guys. I have six episodes of House of Cards to watch on Netflix, and only three hours before Sunday Night Football. Maybe the NFL should fine refs for exceeding a set maximum on penalty flags while we’re at it.

Quick note: If you find yourself in the “golfers’ stance,” please stop. We get it.

GolfWRX recently published articles on pace of play

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

65 Comments

Pingback: Shooting Down Slow Play- The Shot Clock - The Golf Shop Online Blog
JB

Oct 27, 2014 at 9:03 am

I do agree that some golfers need to speed it up, but a shot clock is a little much. Imagine having a 150 yard shot in the wind; throw up grass, trying to find the right trajectory, the wind shifts, do it all over again. Plus you add in the “I gotta hit this before the shot clock goes off”. Makes my head hurt just thinking about all that.

But…I do agree some players are slow. The quickest way to kill a round is playing with a guy that take 48 practice swings!

Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Oct 31, 2014 at 4:34 am
  
  Or someone who throws up grass more than once!
  
  Reply Report comment
golfpro

Oct 26, 2014 at 6:32 pm

Not sure what fancy private clubs you guys play, but I’ve never seen a guy shooting 95 check the wind on my course. What slows ppl down is they try too hard to stick together. JUST HIT YOUR TEE SHOT AND SCATTER! Who cares whos turn it is, just hit if youre ready. So what if bobs ball hadnt finished ricocheting off the portapotty. If Bill hits it in the trees go hit yours then maybe help for a minute if its convenient.

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golfpro

Oct 26, 2014 at 6:28 pm

I like the ideas of penalties but they are too soft. Heres what i’d do…. ONE warning, then if you get a second notice and you’re going to dairy queen and you are $10000 poorer. Get DQd twice and you lose your card.

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mike

Oct 26, 2014 at 12:37 pm

I believe that article is relating slow play to people watching televised golf. In that train of thought, since golf is only on t.v. for 3 hours on the weekend (network) I don’t think slow play affects viewing as much the networks showing less actual golf. It seems that only about 30 minutes of every hour show people golfing the rest is showing the announcers, player stats, history of the course or something other than actual golf being played. Show more golf and more people might start watching the telecasts.

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Landbe

Oct 25, 2014 at 3:01 am

Reasons for public golf slow play 1. Five somes 2. Players taking turns to play when playing from completly differnt areas. 3. Waiting for your turn to putt to read and get ready to putt. 4. Stopping for a sandwhich between front and back nine (stopping for anything other then pre-made ready to go snacks should never be allowed). 5. Players playing the wrong tee boxs for thier game (that includes the guys and gals that hit the ball long enough to go for par 5’s in two “move back”) 6. Following the rules of golf to the letter which should be only true for Pro and maybe local tournament play. GOLF WILL NEVER SPEED UP UNTIL SOMEONE BEATS IT INTO THE HEADS OF EVERYONE OUT PLAYING IF YOUR NOT A PLUS HANDICAP YOUR NEVER GOING TO BE A PRO….

Reply Report comment
- Bruce Wayne
  
  Oct 25, 2014 at 11:48 am
  
  I would like to add two more things to your list and that’s course hazards. For example my home course in Palm Desert has a lot of large tumble weed growth just off the first cut of rough which maybe 10 feet from the fairway. The course could remove these ugly monster desert weed growth which would allow golfers to find errant shots faster. Some have suggested on this site making the course easier I think courses just need to make finding your ball easier as golf is a game of recovery. Unless it’s a tour event golfers don’t have spotters of the tee so long rough adds a lot of time to a round. One could argue to tee it forward but I could also argue to keep the rough shorter. Two inch rough takes plenty of spin off the ball but makes it much quicker to find. There are a lot of things golfers can do to speed up play but there are things courses can do. I understand times being tough financially and more golfers is more money especially in season in Palm Springs with rates at the top courses going from $30 to $250 a round but I see some course sending off foursomes off the first tee in 6 minute intervals. The time to play 18 holes goes from 2.5 hours to my longest which was 6 in the winter. To many people is going to jam up a golf course like Los Angeles rush hour traffic no matter how fast golfers try to play as bad shots are part of the game.
  
  Reply Report comment
Ricky Bobby

Oct 25, 2014 at 12:00 am

What I find understand is why sports like NFL, basketball and baseball take so long?
I know cricket can take five days, but they are playing the whole time. What would happen if they had a running clock in basketball and no time outs?

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CD

Oct 24, 2014 at 2:03 pm

If people just hurried up when they weren’t taking a shot and got more aware, they could still line their putts up and get round quickly.

My pet hate is someone ASSUMING you can’t hit it far. So I’m standing on the tee and if I connect and it is at all straight I’m hitting the guys in front. You get hurried up, then hit a poor shot and people look at you like ‘why were you waiting?’ Then on a later hole ‘you’re safe to go’ NO! How do you effing know that? Never met you before? How do you know?!!!!! Then I take three wood, am ten yards short and apologising to the group in front.

I’m not talking about crazy big hits – people hurrying you up at 200 yards

Similarly, you wait on tees

Reply Report comment
- CD
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 2:11 pm
  
  And in the fairway – too far to shout ‘can I play through?’ And to them I must not look like I’m waiting – but I am, for 14 holes plus usually. And the look on my buddies faces when we were slow and I invited a group 250 away to play through…
  
  Slow play is a genuine problem like diving in football (soccer) and gets emulated at club level. Keegan Bradley at the open – he needs help not to be copied! A bit of awareness and haste BETWEEN shots is what is needed. You can still have a relaxing round.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chris S

Oct 24, 2014 at 8:10 am

HELL NO. PICK ANOTHER SPORT TO PLAY OR WATCH IF YOU DON’T LIKE GOLF THE WAY IT IS. Thank you.

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- marty
  
  Oct 25, 2014 at 10:00 am
  
  Thanks for your valuable input mr. Helper.
  
  Reply Report comment
James Harvey

Oct 24, 2014 at 7:25 am

If i play on my own I can walk round 18 holes in less than 3hrs, a three ball takes 3.5hrs (no four balls allowed except in specail comps). Pros take too long.. too long getting yardages (let them use GPS!).. too long on re shot routines (ban caddy lining players up & restrict practice strokes – three practice swings then you must hit or it’s deemed a shot anyway!) Also, yes, bring the ball back so a pro can only just hit 300yrds.. us mear mortals would only lose a couple of yards and it would enable courses to stay shorter = less time to get round! American coverage doesn’t help the game, here in Europe the coverage of European events is much better, in the US you see one or two shots before going to a comercial.. I want to watch golf not adverts!! Should be a maximum of one add every 15mins! And why do US broadcasters think we are only interested in the top pros? I want to see who’s playing well, regardless of who they are! I watched one event were you didn’t see a single shot from the guy at the top of the leader board as the coverage was focused on Tiger & Phil struggling to make to cut!?! The Ryder Cup is not the only thing the Americans could learn a lot about from us Europeans!

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- Jeff
  
  Dec 21, 2014 at 3:42 pm
  
  Those “adverts” are why game checks are in the millions…
  
  Reply Report comment
dapadre

Oct 24, 2014 at 6:32 am

In all honesty its fine with it. Golf on the professional or even semi or college level is what it is. If they want to b more efficient with the time thats fine. When I watch a tournament or major I also don’t mind the time it takes.

NOW ON A HACKER LEVEL…… that’s a whole different story. The problem are three fold IMHO.

One: why make the damn courses so difficult! A very good acquaintance of mine owns a golf course. I was ripping him for this reason. I said look, whats the average handicap here, roughly 20 and thats only for those who have a registered one which is only half. The other half couldn’t break 100 if you let them play all day and took 100 practice swings. Yet the course is too long, the rough to hard and too many obstacles. Shorten it, make it easier, keep the rough in check and obstacles so hackers can find their balls easily and move one. Why create a course like its a mini major?

Second: wrong tees. The frustration of seeing a 110+ hacker teeing up at the back tees, like really dude!

Thirdly: Marshalls need to enforce the rules more. Make sure groups are moving and give correction when needed, like telling groups to let others thru or calling out the guy at the back tees to move up. Sorry but most of the time the ride around and I don’t see them carrying out their authoritative duties.

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- Ken
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 1:46 pm
  
  My only concern with point #3 is that sometimes marshalls never take into account the size of the groups playing. If my foursome is playing in front of 3, of course we are going to be behind. We are never going to keep pace with them. But instead of looking at the groups marshalls will constantly tell us to speed us.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Rich
    
    Oct 24, 2014 at 6:00 pm
    
    Is there a foursome in front of that threesome? If there is and you don’t keep pace you are behind.
    
    Reply Report comment
Mad-Mex

Oct 24, 2014 at 2:21 am

OK, let’s say they do that, WHO is going to enforce it? And will they apply equally? Bet you a dozen Pro-V1’s that it would be applied to the journey golfer, Tiger? Rory? Naw!!!! It would be like when Jordan played, if you got with in a foot as he was shooting, Foul,,,,

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Ben

Oct 24, 2014 at 1:32 am

To me it is a simple calculation. If you take more strokes in a round you should make your pre-shot routine shorter. For example if two players have the same one minute pre-shot routine and one player shoots 75 and the other shoots 95, the player who shoots 95 take 20 minutes more to play his shots. The group goes as slow as the slowest player. Unfortunate but true.

Also, if you have a group that obviously way faster than your group and there is nobody in front of you, it is good etiquette to just give the option to the group behind and ask if they want to play through or not. Some people take offense if the group behind wants to play through when they are obviously faster. I don’t get that.

On the same token, rushing through a round is not fun either or hurrying up and waiting type of rounds. A good steady pace round is always best.

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- paul
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 1:32 pm
  
  How do you expect guys off 95 to get any better if they have to rush every shot. I’m off 7 and play with many friends off mid – high handicaps, I tell all of them to take there time and commit to the shot rather than rush them up the fairway. I’d rather they played well and got faster by playing fewer shots. Maybe that’s an idealist approach, but it’s one I prefer.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Lime Shark
    
    Oct 24, 2014 at 4:17 pm
    
    Maybe that’s exactly what they need to do.
    
    Studies show that the more golfers (especially amateurs) focus on the mechanics of their swing, the worse their swing becomes.
    
    And what causes amateurs to focus on the mechanics of their swing? Taking their time and performing practice swings.
    
    Almost every duffer would hit the golf ball better if they did it quickly–before they had time to think about what hey are going.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - other paul
    
    Oct 26, 2014 at 2:06 pm
    
    People that shoot 95 don’t have a pre shot routine…
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Jeff
      
      Dec 21, 2014 at 3:44 pm
      
      I do to!
      
      Reply Report comment
Double Mocha Man

Oct 23, 2014 at 11:34 pm

This will work. Trust me, this will absolutely work! Each professional foursome is assigned a timer guy. The timer guy carries a stopwatch and an airhorn. Once Keegan Bradley gets an airhorn at the top of his backswing you’ll really see him start twitching. And he’ll speed up to a much quicker pace. Not to mention the beatdown he’ll get in the locker room for ruining half a dozen other shots somewhere on the course.

I have a foursome scheduled for this Sunday… some of the guys are a bit slow. Now where did I put my airhorn…

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- steve
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 10:11 am
  
  Serious? Blow an air horn? The whole course gets the air horn, not just the slow player. Good thinking ruin everyone’s round
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Lime Shark
    
    Oct 24, 2014 at 3:33 pm
    
    You’re right, a starter’s gun would work better.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Lime Shark
      
      Oct 24, 2014 at 3:35 pm
      
      Now that I think of it, the starter’s gun should be used to indicate when their tee off time starts and a loud whistle should be used if their time expires.
      
      Reply Report comment
- Lime Shark
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 3:32 pm
  
  And if the airhorn goes off before they hit the ball, then they don’t get to tee it off at all. They must take a drop at the edge of the green farthest from the ball.
  
  The penalty strokes are whatever par is on the hole (3, 4, 5, etc…) Plus, they still have to put.
  
  Reply Report comment
Jason

Oct 23, 2014 at 8:29 pm

How would the shot clock work? When would it start? Who would be timing it? It would probably be a volunteer and those are usually 70 years old. I’m not saying they aren’t capable, but if a player receives a penalty, we would need to review the video footage to confirm the clock started correctly, yada, yada, yada. Ain’t nobody got time for dat!

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- Lime Shark
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 3:39 pm
  
  How about a system like they have in chess?
  
  Use a standalone clock. When a player is done, he taps the top of the clock and it resets. Use a digital clock and everyone can see it.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Lime Shark
    
    Oct 24, 2014 at 4:22 pm
    
    Actually, you wouldn’t need a digital clock, just a sand filled hourglass. Position it at the back of the tee box on a pole. Just flip it over when the the time starts.
    
    Of course, it would have to be made of something indestructible rather than glass. I’m sure many a golfer would be tempted to beat the **** out of it.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Rich
      
      Oct 24, 2014 at 6:04 pm
      
      You’d have to encase it in concrete and steel.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - other paul
        
        Oct 26, 2014 at 2:09 pm
        
        My local course has a clock on each tee box showing when you teed off. If you get to the 5th hole and it shows after your tee time you need to speed up. Sounds lime a cheap solution to let everyone know the pace. 20$ per clock plus a wood collapsible base.
        
        Reply Report comment
Brad

Oct 23, 2014 at 8:18 pm

make the switch to a ball the Bubba and Rory can barley hit 300 yards and make the maximum course length 7000 yards or so

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Paul

Oct 23, 2014 at 8:01 pm

once again missing the point entirely i’m afraid

it’s not the difference between a 4 or 4.5 hour round and a 5 hour round that’s keeping the “millenials” off the golf courses

it’s the fact it takes 4 goddamn hours in the first place

as much as it pains me to say this as i love a full and seriously don’t care at all if it takes 5 hours (a little frustration on the golf course is better than a day at work)

9 holes is the future, would you play a 5 set tennis match with your buddy? that’s for the pros not for your social or local competition.

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TheLegend

Oct 23, 2014 at 6:11 pm

I play mon- thur and i play in 3 hrs.

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golfisboring

Oct 23, 2014 at 5:41 pm

This slow play has been beaten to death and nothing changes. Expect slow play and you won’t be disappointed. If the round turns out to be at a good pace, then consider that a big plus for the day.

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lance

Oct 23, 2014 at 5:22 pm

I play by the hole-not by the hour.

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Mat

Oct 23, 2014 at 5:05 pm

I don’t care what the pros do. What I care about is easier tees for amateurs.

Flat out, I dare courses to be “too easy”. Show me those courses, and I’ll show you bros playing from the tips. The only thing to do about slow play is to stop making golf harder than it should be for players that aren’t appropriately matched.

If you can’t beat 80, you shouldn’t be beyond white tees. That’s your slow play cure.

Reply Report comment
- Scooter McGavin
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 7:16 pm
  
  Agreed. I see all these hacks come into the store I work at talking about their expensive and difficult courses with lightning fast greens, and then I watch them duff their irons in the hitting bay during their fittings. News flash: you don’t need a difficult course. You think I’m going to feel “less good” if I shoot a really good score at an easy course? I’m sure I’m being generous when I say that 99% of golfers need to play easier courses and/or closer tees. And full disclosure, I am one of those hacks that plays closer tees (like I should)… Just so everyone knows I’m not trying come across as superior or anything…
  
  Reply Report comment
Lime Shark

Oct 23, 2014 at 5:05 pm

Why focus on pros? The pro game is healthy. If it isn’t broken, why fix it.

As far a amateurs go, penalties/punishment will never work. Tell the typical amateur golfer they can’t do something, and they’ll go it just to prove the can.

Rewards for fast play would work better.

Return your cart within a specific time and get a free beer, a free ball, a pen, or just about anything. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s amazing how people will jump through hoops to win something–no matter how cheap.

Give golfers an incentive to finish quickly.

Reply Report comment
- Marshall Brown
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 10:09 pm
  
  Not sure that would work because one slow group could slow everyone down, and groups behind would just have incentive to (often rudely) rush the group ahead.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 6:11 pm
  
  My local course has employees positioned at a 3 key places on the first 4 holes on weekend mornings and it has done wonders. They’ll read greens, give yardages, rake bunkers, and keep groups moving. Getting people off to a quick start really works.
  
  Reply Report comment
Martin B

Oct 23, 2014 at 4:36 pm

One of the biggest contributors to slow play is the once-per-hole treat into the woods to look for the lost ball…usually by all four players. Not only is time wasted in the search, but now the three other players have to find their way back to their balls, find a yardage, choose a club and make their 4-6 practice swings. For the love of God, play Noodles instead of Pro V1’s if you’re constantly slicing it off the tee. If the ball is 30 yards OB in the woods, drop where it went in and move along.

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brian

Oct 23, 2014 at 4:34 pm

Most definitely!

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stripe

Oct 23, 2014 at 3:36 pm

Tee it Forward and if you can’t get to the hole within 4-6 shots, do the world a favor and pic it up and try again on the next hole. You’d be surprised at how fast the pace would be.

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Jay

Oct 23, 2014 at 3:07 pm

That picture is soo true and it makes me LMFAO!! These guy’s striking the pose on the box is so true of a lot of people I see playing the game but these are the guys that are also part of the problem. They should be doing practice swings to keep loose as well as maybe have a ball on a T so they are ready. These same guy’s probably don’t play ready golf either by going to their shot’s they probably do the same as most do and all go to player “A’s” shot and then to Player”B’s” etc. Probably don’t line there put up while the player that is up and putting. I CAN’T STAND SLOW PLAY!!!!!! WETHER THAT BE WATCHING OR PLAYING!! Which is part of the reason why I don’t watch much of it anymore as well as participate as much either. I rarely play weekends but my love for the game get’s me out 50-60 times a year the other 50 times I could be playing I elect to hit balls instead!!

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Dpavs

Oct 23, 2014 at 2:52 pm

From a spectators point of view, what difference does it make if they take 4 or 6 hours unless you are actually at the course watching them? On television you are going to see the final groups or the last 3.5 hours of the day no matter what.. regardless of the time taken if you need to watch it faster you dvr it and play it back as you deem fit.

From a play point of view on the local course on the weekend, it’s too much LOFT that causes the delays usually.

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Tommy

Oct 23, 2014 at 2:32 pm

If they actually enforce a slow-play rule as enthusiastically as they enforce every other rule that exists in golf, this would be a meaningful endeavor. But they haven’t, and they won’t.

No problem with the Guan Tianlang penalty if he was the only offender, but I doubt that was the case. It was just easier to penalize a 14-year old amateur with no standing on any tour than to penalize somebody who might actually protest or lose money.

Reply Report comment
- Rwj
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 4:30 pm
  
  Exactly.
  If you really wanted to speed up play and show the tour boys you mean it, penalize Tiger Woods for one of the many back offs he does for the wind.
  I imagine 10% of his long shots are taken within 40 seconds, yet nothing.
  
  Reply Report comment
John Ray

Oct 23, 2014 at 2:23 pm

Pace of play has a lot to do with how many players are playing in these tournaments. A lot of courses these guys play on were never designed for 180 person fields. When you have to put groups off on both nines it’s inevitable that it will be slow, think your last scramble. I’d like to see the tour take a look at which courses tend to play the slowest and institute some sort of field restriction, or perhaps a fifth day of play, where the newbies and unknowns play their first round on wed’s. Another thing they could do is have a cut after every round.

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ben bertok

Oct 23, 2014 at 2:19 pm

Hey, 10, 20 30 k is chunk change to these guys lets make it a 4 shot penalty

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Philip

Oct 23, 2014 at 2:18 pm

Why would the parties who make money from the TV commercials want the event to take up less TV time and earn them less money.

Also, the longer people are physically at the event the more money generated for drinks, food, merchandise, etc. for the golf course hosting the event.

It is a question of balance between the maximum amount of time an event can take before total revenues start to drop from people going there and people watching on TV.

When the rating fall due to events taking too long (not easy to correlate) then the events will pick up the pace. Maybe it is happening now which is why they are doing this.

Reply Report comment
- Lance
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 7:45 am
  
  This! Bingo Philip
  
  Reply Report comment
James

Oct 23, 2014 at 2:15 pm

The Tour needs to get a handle on it. Why? Because many ams emulate what they see on TV as the way to play. Go back to the old TV golf shows of the late 50s and early 60s and watch how quickly the pros of that era played. No messing about. Got up there, pulled a club and hit it. Nowadays, it’s get to your ball, get yardages from 3 or 4 spots, gauge the wind, think about it, discuss with caddie, discuss some more, finally pull a club, 5 or 6 practice swings then hit it. Freaking ridiculous.

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Wally K

Oct 23, 2014 at 1:43 pm

Raise the fine to 10k and 20k and start penalizing. That will wake up the players.

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Wally K

Oct 23, 2014 at 1:41 pm

Andrew, great article, i was talking to members about this and I agree. Yeah they are good and yeah they are playing for a lot of money but playing in a threesome or twosome over 4.5 hours is ridiculous. Pretty soon no one will be watching and the sponsors will stop and then they wont be playing for so much money.

Come on guys you guys are the best in the world and kids are watching. Kids copy the pros so lets set a good example. Pick up the pace.

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Johnny

Oct 23, 2014 at 1:25 pm

You say it’s a battle that can’t be won. I believe it’s more a case of it’s a battle that the PGA Tour doesn’t really care about winning.

I will absolutely be shocked if the PGA Tour ever invokes the penalty stroke for slow play. And, if I’m wrong, I will be shocked if it’s ever one of the big dogs. They’ll pick on the not so big of a name player.

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- adolfo
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 1:30 pm
  
  I agree with you but If they do penalize it will shack things up. bc 1 shot could be the difference winning a tourney and second. and that equals a lot of money lost
  
  Reply Report comment
JoeC

Oct 23, 2014 at 1:17 pm

I dunno about a shot clock but those dudes need to tuck in their shirts.

Reply Report comment
- Wally K
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 1:42 pm
  
  Yes they should.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - paul
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 2:21 pm
    
    Maybe they are on a public course, shirt stays un tucked. More comfortable as long as it fits. Not everyone plays on snobby courses. 300 years ago people played wearing a suit and tie. You want to call people on not tucking their shirt in then lets see you put your suit on.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Rwj
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 4:32 pm
    
    Believe that was negated when they allowed Tiger Woods to wear t-shirts…oh, I mean “mock turtlenecks.”
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Rich
      
      Oct 24, 2014 at 6:15 pm
      
      Duval started that trend
      
      Reply Report comment

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 PGA Championship betting preview: Rising star ready to join the immortals at Valhalla

Published

23 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The second major of the 2024 season is upon us as the world’s best players will tee it up this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky to compete for the Wanamaker Trophy.

The last time we saw Valhalla host a major championship, Rory McIlroy fended off Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and the creeping darkness that was descending upon the golf course. The Northern Irishman had the golf world in the palm of his hand, joining only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as players who’d won four major championships by the time they were 25 years old.

Valhalla is named after the great hall described in Norse mythology where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The course is a Jack Nicklaus-design that has ranked among Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” for three decades.

Valhalla Golf Club is a par-71 measuring 7,542 yards with Zoysia fairways and Bentgrass greens. The course has rolling hills and dangerous streams scattered throughout and the signature 13th hole is picturesque with limestone and unique bunkering protecting the green. The 2024 PGA Championship will mark the fourth time Valhalla has hosted the event.

The field this week will consist of 156 players, including 16 PGA Champions and 33 Major Champions.

Past Winners of the PGA Championship

2023: Brooks Koepka (-9) Oak Hill
2022: Justin Thomas (-5) Southern Hills
2021: Phil Mickelson (-6) Kiawah Island
2020: Collin Morikawa (-13) TPC Harding Park
2019: Brooks Koepka (-8) Bethpage Black
2018: Brooks Koepka (-16) Bellerive
2017: Justin Thomas (-8) Quail Hollow
2016: Jimmy Walker (-14) Baltusrol
2015: Jason Day (-20) Whistling Straits
2014: Rory McIlroy (-16) Valhalla

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 Valhalla

Let’s take a look at five key metrics for Oak Hill to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Valhalla will play as a true all-around test of golf for the world’s best. Of course, it will take strong approach play to win a major championship.

Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Shane Lowry (+1.25)
Scottie Scheffler (+1.09)
Jordan Smith (+1.05)
Tom Hoge (+.96)
Corey Conners (+.94)

2. Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Valhalla will play long and the rough will be penal. Players who are incredibly short off the tee and/or have a hard time hitting fairways will be all but eliminated from contention this week at the PGA Championship.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds:

Bryson DeChambeau (+1.47)
Scottie Scheffler (+1.11)
Keith Mitchell (+.90)
Alejandro Tosti (+.89)
Ludvig Aberg (+.82)

Strokes Gained: Total on Nickalus Designs

Valhalla is a classic Nicklaus Design. Players who play well at Nicklaus designs should have an advantage coming into this major championship.

Strokes Gained: Total on Nicklaus Designs over past 36 rounds:

Jon Rahm (+2.56)
Scottie Scheffler (+2.48)
Patrick Cantlay (+2.35)
Collin Morikawa (+1.79)
Shane Lowry (+1.57)

Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on Very Long Courses

Valhalla is going to play extremely long this week. Players who have had success playing very long golf courses should be better equipped to handle the conditions of this major championship.

Strokes Gained: Total on Very Long Courses Over Past 24 Rounds:

Scottie Scheffler (+2.44)
Rory McIlroy (+2.24)
Will Zalatoris (+1.78)
Viktor Hovland (+1.69)
Xander Schauffele (+1.60)

Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships

One factor that tends to play a large role in deciding major championships is which players have played well in previous majors leading up to the event.

Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships over past 20 rounds:

Scottie Scheffler (+3.14)
Will Zalatoris (+2.64)
Rory McIlroy (+2.49)
Xander Schauffele (+2.48)
Tommy Fleetwood (2.09)

Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens

Valhalla features pure Bentgrass putting surfaces. Players who are comfortable putting on this surface will have an advantage on the greens.

Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens over Past 24 Rounds:

Ludvig Aberg (+1.12)
Denny McCarthy (+1.08)
Matt Fitzpatrick (+0.99)
Justin Rose (+0.93)
J.T. Poston (0.87)

Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways

Valhalla features Zoysia fairways. Players who are comfortable playing on this surface will have an advantage on the field.

Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways over past 36 rounds:

Justin Thomas (+1.53)
Will Zalatoris (+1.47)
Xander Schauffele (+1.40)
Brooks Koepka (+1.35)
Rory McIlroy (+1.23)

2024 PGA Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), SG: Off the Tee (22%), SG: T2G on Very Long Courses (12%), SG: Putting on Bentgrass (+12%), SG: Total on Nicklaus Designs (12%). SG: Total on Zoysia Fairways (8%), and SG: Total in Major Championships (8%).

Brooks Koepka
Xander Schauffele
Rory McIlroy
Scottie Scheffler
Bryson DeChambeau
Shane Lowry
Alex Noren
Will Zalatoris
Cameron Young
Keith Mitchell
Hideki Matsuyama
Billy Horschel
Patrick Cantlay
Viktor Hovland
Adam Schenk
Chris Kirk
Sahith Theegala
Min Woo Lee
Joaquin Niemann
Justin Thomas

2024 PGA Championship Picks

Ludvig Aberg +1800 (BetMGM)

At The Masters, Ludvig Aberg announced to the golf world that he’s no longer an “up and coming” player. He’s one of the best players in the game of golf, regardless of experience.

Augusta National gave Aberg some necessary scar tissue and showed him what being in contention at a major championship felt like down the stretch. Unsurprisingly, he made a costly mistake, hitting it in the water left of the 11th hole, but showed his resilience by immediately bouncing back. He went on to birdie two of his next three holes and finished in solo second by three shots. With the type of demeanor that remains cool in pressure situations, I believe Ludvig has the right mental game to win a major at this point in his career.

Aberg has not finished outside of the top-25 in his past eight starts, which includes two runner-up finishes at both a “Signature Event” and a major championship. The 24-year-old is absolutely dominant with his driver, which will give him a major advantage this week. In the field he ranks, in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and has gained strokes in the category in each of his past ten starts. Aberg is already one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the planet.

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the great hall where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The Swedes, who are of Old Norse origin, were the last of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms to abandon the Old Norse Gods. A Swede played a major role in the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, and I believe another, Ludvig Aberg, will be the one to conquer Valhalla in 2024.

Bryson DeChambeau +2800 (BetMGM)

Bryson DeChambeau is one of the few players in the world that I believe has the game to go blow-for-blow with Scottie Scheffler. Although he isn’t as consistent as Scheffler, when he’s at his best, Bryson has the talent to beat him.

At The Masters, DeChambeau put forth a valiant effort at a golf course that simply does not suit his game. Valhalla, on the other hand, is a course that should be perfect for the 30-year-old. His ability to overpower a golf course with his driver will be a serious weapon this week.

Bryson has had some success at Jack Nicklaus designs throughout his career as he won the Memorial at Muirfield Village back in 2018. He’s also had incredible results on Bentgrass greens for the entirety of his professional career. Of his 10 wins, nine of them have come on Bentgrass greens, with the only exception being the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He also has second place finishes at Medinah and TPC Summerlin, which feature Bentgrass greens.

Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to argue that Bryson isn’t one of the most exciting and important players in the game of golf. He’s also one of the best players in the world. A second major is coming soon for DeChambeau, and I believe he should be amongst the favorites to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this week.

Patrick Cantlay +4000 (FanDuel)

There’s no way of getting around it: Patrick Cantlay has been dissapointing in major championships throughout his professional career. He’s been one of the top players on Tour for a handful of years and has yet to truly contend at a major championship, with the arguable exception of the 2019 Masters.

Despite not winning majors, Cantlay has won some big events. The 32-year-old has won two BMW Championships, two Memorial Tournaments as well as a Tour Championship. His victories at Memorial indicate how much Cantlay loves Nicklaus designs, where he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total over his past 36 rounds behind only Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.

Cantlay also loves Bentgrass greens. Six of Cantlay’s seven individual wins on the PGA Tour have come on Bentgrass greens and he also was one of the best putters at the 2023 Ryder cup at Marco Simone (also Bentgrass). At Caves Valley (2021 BMW Championship), he gained over 12 strokes putting to outduel another Bentgrass specialist, Bryson DeChambeau.

Cantlay finished 22nd in The Masters, which was a solid result considering how many elite players struggled that week. He also has two top-ten finishes in his past five PGA Championships. He’s undeniably one of the best players in the field, therefore, it comes down to believing Cantlay has the mental fortitude to win a major, which I do.

Joaquin Niemann +4000 (BetMGM)

I believe Joaquin Niemann is one of the best players in the world. He has three worldwide wins since December and has continued to improve over the course of his impressive career thus far. Still only 25, the Chilean has all the tools to be a serious contender in major championships for years to come.

Niemann has been the best player on LIV this season. Plenty will argue with the format or source of the money on LIV, but no one can argue that beating players such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith is an unremarkable achievement. Niemann is an elite driver of the golf ball who hits it farther than just about anyone in the field not named Bryson DeChambeau or (arguably) Rory McIlroy.

Niemann is another player who has been fantastic throughout his career on Bentgrass greens. Prior to leaving the PGA Tour, Bentgrass was the only green surface in which Joaco was a positive putter. It’s clearly a surface that he is very comfortable putting on and should fare around and on the greens this week.

Niemann is a perfect fit for Valhalla. His low and penetrating ball flight will get him plenty of runout this week on the fairways and he should have shorter shots into the green complexes than his competitors. To this point in his career, the former top ranked amateur in the world (2018) has been underwhelming in major championships, but I don’t believe that will last much longer. Joaquin Niemann is a major championship caliber player and has a real chance to contend this week at Valhalla.

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Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 2

Published

5 days ago

May 9, 2024

Terry Koehler

In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.

It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.

And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.

I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.

But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.

If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.

To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.

There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.

Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.

The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.

First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.

And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”

So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.

Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title

Published

1 week ago

May 6, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.

After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year.

Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.

Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.

The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child.

Past Winners at Quail Hollow

2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
2022: Max Homa (-8)
2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
2019: Max Homa (-15)
2018: Jason Day (-12)
2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
2016: James Hahn (-9)
2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)

Key Stats For Quail Hollow

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Akshay Bhatia (+1.16)
Tom Hoge (+1.12)
Corey Conners (+1.01)
Shane Lowry (+0.93)
Austin Eckroat (+0.82)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:

Ludvig Aberg (+0.73)
Rory McIlroy (+0.69)
Xander Schauffele (+0.62)
Viktor Hovland (+0.58)
Chris Kirk (+0.52)

Proximity: 175-200

The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.

Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:

Cameron Young (28’2″)
Akshay Bhatia (29’6″)
Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
Sam Burns (+30’6″)
Collin Morikawa (+30’9″)

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs

Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week.

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:

Patrick Cantlay (+2.10)
Rory McIlroy (+1.95)
Tommy Fleetwood (+1.68)
Austin Eckroat (+1.60)
Will Zalatoris (+1.57)

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)

Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:

Taylor Moore (+0.82)
Nick Dunlap (+.76)
Wyndham Clark (+.69)
Emiliano Grillo (+.64)
Cam Davis (+.61)

Course History

This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow.

Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):

Rory McIlroy (+2.50)
Justin Thomas (+1.96)
Jason Day (+1.92)
Rickie Fowler (+1.83)
Viktor Hovland (+1.78)

Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).

Wyndham Clark
Rory McIlroy
Xander Schauffele
Shane Lowry
Hideki Matsuyama
Viktor Hovland
Cameron Young
Austin Eckroat
Byeong Hun An
Justin Thomas

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks

Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)

I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.

Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.

Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.

For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.

I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.

Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)

It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024.

Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.

The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.

Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.

Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week.

Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)

For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.

Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.

The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.

Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.

Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)

Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.

Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.

An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.

Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.

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