Opinion & Analysis

Is a PGA Golf Management program for you?

Published

9 years ago

May 1, 2015

Editor’s note: Henry Stetina is the Program Coordinator for the PGA Golf Management Program at New Mexico State University.

You’re a senior in high school, and if you’re anything like I was, you’re scared, nervous and uncertain of what to do next. Assuming that you love golf, I am going to guess that you’ve probably dreamed of playing golf in college and ultimately playing on the PGA Tour. As good as that sounds, unfortunately for most of us, it is just that: a dream.

I believe in following your dreams, but the chances of actually making the PGA Tour are very slim from a statistical standpoint.

So now what? What are you going to do with your life and/or college education? Well, there is still hope for being around the game that you love, while simultaneously making a comfortable living. Becoming a PGA Golf Professional who manages the operations of a golf facility, coordinates tournaments, merchandises and gives golf lessons is a viable option for anyone with a passion for golf.

The Program

The PGA Golf Management University Program is a 4.5-year program, offering students the opportunity to earn PGA membership while earning a bachelor’s degree in a field relevant to the golf industry. Students complete Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the PGA’s PGM Education, 16 months of internship under direct supervision of a PGA professional, and the PGA’s Playing Ability Test, thus earning membership into the PGA of America upon graduation and eligible employment.

Pictured above: PGA Hall of Fame instructor, Michael Hebron, hosts teaching seminars for PGA Golf Management students.

Not only do students complete the necessary coursework for the PGA, but they also have access to seminars taught by some of the industry’s leading experts in teaching, club repair, rules of golf, club management, and other specialties within the golf industry.

The program provides students with hands-on experience teaching golfers of all levels, through group and private lessons, as well as learning how to fit and repair golf clubs, including re-gripping and re-shafting. Many of the university programs have teaching facilities that are equipped with the industry’s leading launch monitors, video equipment, and motion analysis software, which teaches students how to utilize technology for teaching and club fitting.

While a large part of the curriculum is based on developing golf instructors, students also have the opportunity to better their own games through player development programs taught by expert golf instructors and tournament programs that allow students the opportunity to test their game in competition.

Winners of the PGM “Ryder Cup” Trophy

The Mentor

One of the most useful resources for the students is the faculty and staff who run the PGA Golf Management Programs. The directors are educated and respected within the golf industry, and their relationships and expertise help turn students into professionals.

[quote_box_center]“The opportunity to help mold these young students into professionals and find out what they want as a career has been gratifying and challenging,” says Pat Gavin, PGA member and Director of the PGA Golf Management Program at New Mexico State University. “Most students come to NMSU knowing they love golf, but my job is to help them decide that they want the golf industry as a career.”[/quote_box_center]

NMSU PGA Golf Management Program Director, Pat Gavin, playing golf and mentoring his students.

The Student

As an incoming freshman, you can expect to complete the Qualifying Level and begin Level 1 of the PGA’s PGM Education. This includes, but is not limited to: Intro to the PGA Golf Management Program, Constitution of the PGA of America, Rules of Golf, Business Planning, and Customer Relations. At the completion of freshman year, students embark on a three-month internship at a green-grass facility under the supervision of a PGA member.

Note: 99.9 percent of internships are paid internships, and many include free housing. Students are never expected to work without pay.

Above is a typical classroom setting for the PGA Golf Management Program.

Most PGA Golf Management Programs use a schedule where students attend school in the fall and spring, and then begin an internship during the summer.

Many students get the opportunity to teach junior golf clinics as well as group and individual lessons for adults while on internship. Students also get the opportunity to meet leaders in the golf industry and influential people in the business world.

The Alumni

One of the greatest benefits of the PGA Golf Management Programs is its fraternal-like atmosphere, and the networking opportunities that are associated with it. After graduation, many students will pursue a career in the golf industry.

[quote_box_center]“I receive emails on a daily basis regarding job openings, and I immediately forward them to our database of over 700 alumni and 150 current students,” Gavin says. “We pride ourselves on 100 percent job placement on internships as well as permanent positions upon graduation.”[/quote_box_center]

Questions to Ask

Q: What degree will I earn, and does this degree carry any weight outside of golf?

Some universities offer degrees in Business, while others are in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Managment (HRTM), or even in Parks and Recreation.

Let’s say that you complete the PGA Golf Management Program, and five years into your career you realize that the golf industry isn’t for you. At that point, the degree becomes really important. Changing careers and getting a new job may be dependant on the degree that you earned in college. Also, there are some universities that don’t even write “PGA Golf Management” or “golf” anywhere on the diploma. This is to protect the graduates in the event that he/she wishes to make a career change and leave the golf industry.

Q: Can I become a golf professional without entering this program?

PGA Master Professional, Bill Cioffoletti, speaks to PGA Golf Management students prior to the 2014 PGA Jones Cup

If PGA membership is what you seek but you don’t like the idea of a 4.5-year university program, there is another option. You could enroll in the PGA apprentice program, go through the same curriculum as the university program and earn PGA membership. This a great option for individuals who already have a college degree. A disadvanage of the aprentice program is that it does not come with the networking opportunities of the PGA Golf Management Program, and it requires going to the PGA Education Center in Florida to attend various seminars.

The Decision

For all you high school students, ask yourself a simple question: “What job will allow me to look forward to going to work every single day?”

If it’s golf, then maybe you should consider a career in the golf industry. It will keep you connected to the game that you love and allow you to share your passion for golf with others.

For more information regarding the PGA Golf Management Program, click here.

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Why golf industry organizations must do more (and what they can do)

Henry Stetina

Henry is a PGA member and TPI certified golf instructor. Employed by New Mexico State University, Henry spends the majority of his time teaching the PGA Golf Management curriculum. He specializes in teaching golf instruction and player development. Henry also coaches a handful of amateur, elite junior, and professional golfers. GolfWRX Writer of the Month: June 2014

28 Comments

Tom Wishon

May 7, 2015 at 11:13 am

Anyone seriously considering a career in the golf industry via the PGA has to be VERY careful today to diligently investigate their chances for being able to land a good paying position with good job security and opportunity for advancement. There are so many things going on today in the golf business that all add up to the fact that it has become very difficult to make a good living as a PGA professional.

The drop in participation in the game means fewer golfers are playing fewer rounds in total and there is nothing on the immediate horizon to indicate this is going to change anytime soon. More courses are closing each year than are opening. More and more course owners are choosing not to hire a PGA professional to run their operation. More and more course owners are also taking more things away from the position of head pro. The days of the pro owning the shop, getting 100% of his lesson money, getting a cut off the cart revenue, etc are dwindling. And at present there are more PGA members than there are positions for the pros at golf facilities.

No question those who do complete a PGM degree program have a better chance because of the higher level “pedigree” this gives them. But unless you have very good contacts at very successful golf facilities to get your foot in the door, it’s not really the best time for a person to try to jump in new to become a PGA member with a good head professional position.

Sorry to be Johnny Raincloud on this because there is no question the PGM programs are so good in terms of training people to be the best club professional they can be. It’s just not a great time for goof paying jobs in this field.

Reply Report comment
Tara

May 6, 2015 at 2:40 pm

@mike…
if you do the research, the % of college graduates employed within 6 months after graduation hovers around 60% and that employment may not necessarily be in their field of study. The rate for graduates of PGA Golf Management programs seeking employment is nearly 100% and their compensation equals if not exceeds the average wage for a graduate just out of college. Nearly all of the management level jobs for golf faciltiies are not going to be found on Google but a PGA Member-only search engine portal.
In the state of Florida, golf provides $6 billion of direct revenue to the economy, that is 2nd only to Mickey and the amusement arena.
If you calculate the number of facilities at 15,000 and our membership at 22k, that’s approximately 1.5 PGA pros / facility and many sites employ beyond that number.
There is no doubt that STEM education is valuable and provides good compensation post grad. However, you should look at the incoming test scores on the math component of standardized tests, it is not promising. Millennials are not necessarily all going to gravitate nor qualify for those types of jobs.
I suggest you spend a day in the shoes of a PGA professional of a busy daily fee or upscale private club and you will find that we are not lazy by any stretch.

Reply Report comment
- mike
  
  May 6, 2015 at 5:31 pm
  
  Don’t make stuff up for the sake of argument. I don’t consider working at golf shops, golf ranges, etc as jobs that require or necessitate a 4-5 year college degree. 100% employment is a blatant lie. There are 15,000 golf courses but the vast majority are small operations where they need nor can afford a PGA pro on staff. Even if you have low incoming math scores, working hard for a year or two can easily get you into a STEM related field. If STEM is not up your alley then there are plenty of other choices you can make contrary to what many think in the US. Guess what the PGA of America CEO was before??? LAWYER…
  
  Reply Report comment
Jordan

May 5, 2015 at 12:02 pm

As a graduate of Arizona State’s PGM program, I can tell you that there is nothing ‘irresponsible and lazy’ about the program as described above. Earning a bachelor degree while affiliating yourself with the PGA of America is a great accomplishment. Students in this program sacrifice a significant amount of time at their internships while most college students take their summers off. As an employer, why wouldn’t you look to graduates of the PGM to fill managerial positions at some of the top golf facilities? In addition to the connections you make within your PGM program, think about the connections within the membership at the golf clubs you will be employed at, you will be rubbing elbows with some of the most successful business men/women in the world. If you love the game of golf and want to begin a career following your passion for the game, the PGM program is certainly a great option to consider.

Reply Report comment
- mike
  
  May 5, 2015 at 8:32 pm
  
  Go search on any job site and tell me how many hits you get with keywords golf or pga. If you happen to get a hit, can you tell me the salary range? Spending 4-5 years of your life and $100K – $200k in tuition for a degree that probably won’t get you a job. Even in the remote chance you do get a job, the salary will be so low you will still be paying off that college loan well into your thirties. If you want to rub elbows with successful business men/women, why don’t you just become one yourself…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Xander Walsh, PGA
    
    May 5, 2015 at 8:54 pm
    
    Don’t need to do a Google search. Salary range starting out if you work year round is in the 22-33K range. Not great, but read on. Ferris State PGM gets plenty of places looking for alumni from the program and that gets posted for our alumni. The PGA has job postings just for people affiliated with the PGA. Neither will be found on this Google you speak of. I spent 4.5 years of my life in school and on internships. Cost was about $70K and I owe about $40K back. I am, however, a Class A PGA member right out of school and going through the PGM programs is the fastest way to obtain PGA membership. I can’t speak for the other schools, but graduating as a Ferris PGM student it’s not a matter of IF you get a job, it’s where.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - mike
      
      May 5, 2015 at 9:38 pm
      
      I never mentioned Google search. PGA job postings can be viewed by anyone who registers on the site and the pickings are slim at best. There’s a place for PGA Professionals in this world but definitely not as a 4 year college degree program. There are about 15,000 golf courses in the us. Do you really think that number can support the number of graduates? Also, how many of those courses are desirable places to work at? There are probably less than a 1000 that are top tier facilities and how many Ferris PGM graduates work at those places? You probably want to add golf ranges and golf stores but I don’t believe you go to a 4 year college to work at those places.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Xander Walsh, PGA
        
        May 6, 2015 at 9:45 am
        
        There are plenty of jobs in the industry besides golf courses and plenty of good jobs at places that are not top tier courses. If becoming a PGA Professional is what you want to do and you don’t have a college degree, PGM is the best way to go. I do know a pro who did not get a college degree and went through the apprentice program to earn his PGA card. He’s a head pro at a top tier facility, but it took him a long time to get to that point.
        
        Reply Report comment
Mark Reischer

May 5, 2015 at 11:41 am

Glad to see lots of PGA professionals posting and commenting!
A friend of mine who has been a member for over 20 years made an interesting point about the “other” golf training programs which made sense to me:
“The PGA of America and PGA Class-A’s should not support or give credit towards those other programs. They aren’t accredited by the PGA and directly compete with jobs that a PGA member could have had. I don’t understand why any Class-A professional would become a teacher at those schools because you are part of an organization and we have to look out for each other. Those programs don’t support the PGA of America, they directly compete against us. Any Head Professional or Class-A in a position of management (or that hires people) should not be hiring anybody who did not come from a PGM school/went through or going through the PGA program.”

Again, made sense to me. Thoughts?

Reply Report comment
mike

May 5, 2015 at 2:55 am

If you are senior in high school and love golf? It’s not too late so start studying hard in anything related to STEM, then work hard and save your money. As long as you are disciplined, you should be able to start enjoying the fruits of your labor (like playing golf for fun at very nice courses) as early as when you turn 30. Spending (actually wasting) 4 – 5 years in college to become a PGA professional? Not a good idea. Actually, it’s irresponsible and lazy. I know it sounds great that you do “golf” stuff in college but really think about your future. Do you want a job that will get you “at most” about 30k – 50k a year + some free golf? Leaders in golf are exclusively former lawyers. Leaders in the golf industry are mostly businessmen, financiers, entrepreneurs, and engineers.

Reply Report comment
- Andy Nelson PGA
  
  May 5, 2015 at 10:04 am
  
  Graduating with a Bachelors in Business Administration I do not think for a second that I “wasted my time” as you sincerely quoted in your response. There are actually people in this world that choose to follow their dreams and work hard at it to make a decent living. Plus there are countless PGA Professionals pulling in six figures a year. Also there is no guarantees in the job market these days, and your debate with studying STEM, I have an older sister that studied engineering at Boston University, Purdue, and Notre Dame and she still cannot find employment.
  Please think twice before offending the people that truly embrace and love this game enough to devote the better part of their lives to grow the game.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - mike
    
    May 5, 2015 at 8:07 pm
    
    You have an older sister that went to 3 different colleges? Did she graduate any of them? 90% of those who graduates with an engineering degree get jobs immediately out of school and the rest get a job at a later time. Just go to monster.com and search “PGA” or “GOLF” and take note of how few jobs there are. Now go to monster.com and search “ENGINEERING” or “PROGRAMING” and take note of numerous results you will get. Average starting salary for a junior programmer (with absolutely no experience) is $75K – $90k and the average salary for a senior programmer is about $250k. Another important point is that there are plenty of these jobs available. Compare that to PGM and Business Administration type jobs… First of all, there aren’t many jobs available. Even if there are available jobs, you need experience and/or connections. Six figures? You may know a few that make six figures but that’s not the norm (and you know it!). Guess how much those PGA Pro’s at Dick’s were getting paid before they got laid off?
    
    Reply Report comment
  - mike
    
    May 5, 2015 at 8:49 pm
    
    Your older sister went to 3 different colleges? Did she graduate any of them? 90% of engineering graduates get a job immediately after college and the rest eventually find a job at a later time. You may know of a few PGA Pros that pull in six figures but that’s definitely not the norm (and you know it). Average starting salary for a junior programmer (with absolutely no experience) is $90k. Average salary for a senior programmer is $250k+++. Go to any job site and you will see thousands upon thousands of job openings that are STEM related. Unlike many PGM relate jobs where you need to “know” someone or have some connections, STEM type jobs are purely based on your skills.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Andy
    
    May 6, 2015 at 10:36 pm
    
    Three different schools, one for her bachelors, the next school masters, finally the third PHD
    Just wanted to clarify.
    I also agree with you that you definitely do not need to attend a PGM school to work in the business, however the road to being able to support yourself in this field can be a lot tougher if you don’t.
    I appreciate your input and I can say that a career in the golf business isn’t for everyone but it can be a real blast for the select few that have the right determination and passion for this great game we all love.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Austin
  
  Feb 23, 2017 at 1:33 pm
  
  Mike,
  You should actually do some research on the PGM program and what career paths you can have after you graduate. Guess what, they aren’t all career paths to be an assistant pro at a muni or dicks. There is golf club design/repair, merchandising retail, tournament operations, broadcasting, journalism, the list goes on. Just like anything else, hard work and dedication will lead you places. Do you also know how many students are studying to become engineers and programmers right now? probably about a few thousand times more than those studying to become apart of the PGA. If you want a job as a pga teaching pro, thats exactly what you’ll without a worry. If you want to go into the business or journalism side, being a member of the PGA of America adds tons of credibility. Not everyone wants to slave their lives away for 20 years to try and make 250k a year so they can retire at age 50 and THEN start playing golf. A simpler mindset of trying to actually get something out of your career other than a dollar sign is more common than you seem to think
  
  Reply Report comment
George Jones

May 1, 2015 at 11:26 pm

This was a refreshing article. I’ve often overlooked the gentlemen working behind the counters at local pro shops and golf courses on their affiliation to the pga or what they mean when they say staff taylormade player etc. I wouldn’t mind actually reading what that means.

Reply Report comment
Andy Nelson PGA

May 1, 2015 at 12:16 pm

Great article! I attended a PGM school, Methodist University, and it was the best 4 years of my life! It was like going to college with 300 golf buddies. The education and connections I got are truly priceless and have set me apart in this great business.

Reply Report comment
- Kyle Brannan
  
  May 1, 2015 at 7:16 pm
  
  Andy was my suite mate on my first internship in Minnesota!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Tom Otto
    
    May 2, 2015 at 2:05 am
    
    Hey Kyle! I’m at the PGM Program at coastal carolina and I read that you did your internship in MN! I’m from there and going back this summer to intern at TPC Twin Cities. If you don’t mind me asking, where do you go for your internship in MN?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Andy Nelson PGA
      
      May 2, 2015 at 11:36 am
      
      We worked at Madden’s Resort in Brainerd Minnesota
      
      I am originally from Duluth but a Floridian now 🙂
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Tom Otto
        
        May 2, 2015 at 10:22 pm
        
        That’s awesome! I go up there sometimes in the summer. Great set of golf course out there.
        
        Reply Report comment
  - Andy Nelson PGA
    
    May 2, 2015 at 9:50 am
    
    Hey Brother! Hope all is well!
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Jenny
    
    May 3, 2015 at 9:18 am
    
    Hey guys, remember that time you turned me into Swiss cheese?
    
    Reply Report comment
Brandon

May 1, 2015 at 12:15 pm

But does the industry give you enough to succeed? Are there enough good jobs to where you can make a decent living?

These are the questions I would be interested in learning the answers to

Reply Report comment
- Xander Walsh, PGA
  
  May 5, 2015 at 8:57 pm
  
  The industry gives you nothing. You earn it. Yes, you can make a living in the golf industry. It will probably take time and hard work though.
  
  Reply Report comment
LorenRobertsFan

May 1, 2015 at 12:08 pm

*if

Reply Report comment
LorenRobertsFan

May 1, 2015 at 12:06 pm

I’m in the program at Mississippi State. I couldn’t recommend it enough of you are interested in being prepared for a career as a PGA Professional. The internships, faculties, and seminars give you everything you need to succeed

Reply Report comment
- Josh
  
  May 1, 2015 at 1:10 pm
  
  Hail State!
  
  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

8 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

4 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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