Opinion & Analysis

Best Ball-Strikers (Part 1): Tommy Bolt and Moe Norman

Published

9 years ago

Feb 24, 2015

I was asked by the editorial staff of GolfWRX to write about some of the “names” I’ve played with during my 40 years in the golf industry. Initially, I declined. I was uncomfortable, because it sounded like an excuse to name drop. They told me if I wrote it they would give their review and if it didn’t sound right they wouldn’t run it.

So as I proceed, I don’t know whether this story will publish or not.

Editor’s Note: Who wouldn’t have published this? Read on.

To start, one doesn’t enter the golf equipment industry with dreams of playing a lot. I have known a few salesmen who always found time to play, and they also found jobs outside the industry. Personally speaking, for the better part of 10 years, I averaged less than 5-to-6 rounds a year. At my skill level this meant ceremonial golf, an occasional decent shot and no overall quality.

I have come up with a foursome I played with in a variety of situations over the years and they each left a lasting impression for different reasons. I’ll start with a disclaimer: I did not include Arnold Palmer, who I have played with 5-to-6 times. It’s because he is Arnold Palmer, the King of my era and my personal golf hero. I was so enthralled by the opportunity to play with him that it wasn’t really golf. All I can remember is being in his presence and that was enough.

So in alphabetical order, here it goes.

Tommy Bolt

Tommy Bolt won 15 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1958 U.S. Open.

Prior to the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Florida, my good friend Jim Achenbach of Golfweek would contact me and Bob Cantin from Ping to set up a game with Bolt at Black Diamond, a 36-hole facility in Lecanto, Fla., about 90 minutes northwest of Orlando. My weak memory would place this in the late 90’s when Bolt was older than 80.

When I flash back, I always have the same memory and that was his swing. Bolt didn’t so much as swing the club back as he placed it in a perfect position at the top. There was no unnecessary movement, just this magnificent swing that produced a shot quality I could only dream about. I remember asking him if he minded my standing behind him because I just wanted to watch every detail of that swing. He was a joy to play with, told us stories… I’ll never forget that swing.

Moe Norman

Moe Norman won 55 times on the Canadian Tour and in other Canadian golf events.

Back in the 90’s, there was a club in Titusville, Fla., called Royal Oak Golf Club and it was owned at the time by the Canadian PGA. As such, Moe had access and it became his winter headquarters. My mom lived adjacent to the 13th hole, and with Titusville being about 40 miles from Orlando I made it a point to go to the PGAM Show early (and sometimes stay) so I could hang out with her and two of my brothers who lived nearby. The driving range was a short walk from her house and there was Moe.

Moe has been described as autistic and a savant, but neither is correct. If you’re interested in his life I suggest you secure a copy of “Moe and Me” by the excellent Canadian writer Lorne Rubenstein.

I believe there are two kinds of ball strikers, related but slightly different. The first is the player on the course envisioning and hitting one shot, then moving to a completely different shot. The second is the guy on the range who hits tens, maybe hundreds of shots at a target with the same club. Obviously there is a relationship, as Moe was a great on-course player, but on the range he was otherworldly. We used to play nine holes in the late evening and he would play two balls, worst ball and break par — and he wasn’t a great putter. I say “we” played, but half the time I don’t think he realized I was there. Still, I never missed the chance.

I see his name used on the Internet as exemplifying some kind of mythical golf swing that, if emulated, would be “the answer.”

I made Moe’s clubs. If a standard swing weight is D2, his would have been F-something and the grips were jumbo plus. You see, Moe was strong and I mean freaky strong. It was as if his body was protecting the damage done in his childhood sleighing accident. He could grab you by the upper arm and with seemingly little effort take you to your knees. So for all those Moe Norman aficionados, I suggest starting with clubs four times heavier than normal and being abnormally strong.

There are a million ball-hitting stories, and I’ll give you a few.

Moe was at a different range, Jonathan’s Landing, and I happened to be there. He was hitting drivers off the deck and would announce draw or fade and how high. He always told me he played by height! Now, I’m not saying when he called for a slight draw at 40 feet it went exactly that height, but it drew and it was about twice as high as the one he called at 20 feet and this was off the deck!

When Moe hit drivers off a tee, he would literally hit a bucket and never move the tee. Like all great ball strikers, his shots had a different, quiet sound. Maybe my favorite happened one evening at Royal Oak. It was dusk and he was there alone hitting little pitches at a flag stuck in the ground (the place was not plush). I was the only other person and as he hit shots he talked to me, as he often did while hitting balls.

“I play by height,” he said. “This one 4 feet, this one 8 feet.”

He hit shots from very mediocre lies to this flagstick in the dusk. He hit maybe 30 or 40 balls and 11 hit the flag and I thought another 20 were going to. It was incredible, and I’ll never forget it.

Moe had a few great lines, and one afternoon he said one of the wisest things about practice I’ve ever heard. It was probably the mid 90’s, PGAM Show time, and I’d talked the Haney Ranch gang — all the instructors and Hank — into coming over to Titusville to watch Moe hit balls. I was the club fitter at Haney Ranch at the time.

Moe was hitting 6 irons, just one perfect shot after another, and then hit one a bit fat. He was rapid fire, so when one of the instructors, Tracy Philips, asked him about what he thought about the fat shot, it was two or three balls later. Moe stopped, took a swig of his ever present Coke and said:

“What did I think?” Moe said. “That was a bad shot. I don’t think about bad shots. I only think about good shots.”

He put down the Coke and went on with perfection.

He actually repeated himself, as was his syntax in those days, but I’ll never forget the words. How many of us get tied up analyzing our bad shots and don’t learn from the good ones.

Thanks, Moe!

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Barney Adams

Barney Adams is the founder of Adams Golf and the inventor of the iconic "Tight Lies" fairway wood. He served as Chairman of the Board for Adams until 2012, when the company was purchased by TaylorMade-Adidas. Adams is one of golf's most distinguished entrepreneurs, receiving honors such as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 1999 and the 2010 Ernie Sabayrac Award for lifetime contribution to the golf industry by the PGA of America. His journey in the golf industry started as as a club fitter, however, and has the epoxy filled shirts as a testimony to his days as an assembler. Have an equipment question? Adams holds seven patents on club design and has conducted research on every club in the bag. He welcomes your equipment questions through email at [email protected] Adams is now retired from the golf equipment industry, but his passion for the game endures through his writing. He is the author of "The WOW Factor," a book published in 2008 that offers an insider's view of the golf industry and business advice to entrepreneurs, and he continues to contribute articles to outlets like GolfWRX that offer his solutions to grow the game of golf.

56 Comments

Brian

Mar 16, 2015 at 6:47 pm

I remember following the final group, which included Moe, at the 1977 or 1978 (can’t remember which, it was a long time ago) Quebec Open. On one of the final holes, a par 4 or 5, there was a lengthy wait for the landing area to clear and the 3 players in the final group were just standing on the tee, chatting, the spectators milling about and waiting for play to begin.

While the players were waiting on the tee, Moe started to bounce his ball off his driver, and chatting. Bounce, bounce, bounce… I think they must have waited 5 minutes, Moe just chatting away, and bounce, bounce bouncing his ball off the face of his driver (for those of you who remember, the old tiny, persimmon type). At one point, everyone, players and spectators alike, just went silent watching Moe, seemingly in his own world, just chatting away, and bounce, bounce, bouncing the ball off the face of his driver – and he was the only person of the thousand or so standing on that tee that was seemingly not even aware of what he was doing. he was not paying attention at all, just reflex and subconscious controlling his actions.

I’ve been playing golf for 50 years, have been inside the ropes at multiple PGA Tour events and a President’s Cup, but I’ve never seen anything like that. Totally otherworldly…

Reply Report comment
Tony Cassimatis

Mar 5, 2015 at 1:57 pm

Dear Mr Adams,
Great article on Moe Norman. A friend of mine told me about the swing back in 2008 when I was about to give away golf. The swing resurrected my game and I fully believe in the Physics of the swing. I also don’t suffer from bad back problems now. I may not get distance like conventional but I sure as heck have had a massive reduction in bad shots and an increase in more accurate shots. So here’s to Moe a true golfing legend….

Reply Report comment
Jeff

Mar 1, 2015 at 6:03 pm

Thanks Mr. Adams. The only folks who didn’t love reading that story have spent money on Todd Graves Moe Norman scams. Great story, fascinating.

Reply Report comment
- Larry
  
  Mar 1, 2015 at 10:49 pm
  
  I loved the story and the Todd Graves scam has me playing the best golf ever….once you under stand what the Graves is giving you the fairways and greens are all yours…just learn to putt. In 25 years never found an eaiser way to play golf.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Barney Adams
    
    Mar 1, 2015 at 11:54 pm
    
    I do not know Todd Graves or his teaching methods. The story was strictly on my experience with Moe and absolutely he was unnaturally strong and played heavy clubs when I made them. I was not a fan of Natural Golf but as I understand that isn’t the Graves program. Just a general FYI.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Randel
  
  Mar 7, 2015 at 1:05 am
  
  Been doing the Graves Moe Norman type swing years now….11 handicap 59 years of age..it works so well for us older guys that have a hard time moving all the parts at the right time in the normal golf swing… distance is no problem you just move your arms faster and us older guys can still do that..
  
  Reply Report comment
Jw

Mar 1, 2015 at 1:08 am

this is the type of article that keeps me checking back on golfwrx on occasion

Reply Report comment
Mini Smizzle

Feb 27, 2015 at 8:15 pm

There’s a guy in my neighborhood named moe norman
He don’t look like goldmember tho

Reply Report comment
Jay

Feb 27, 2015 at 3:22 am

Barney, I’ve read the book you mentioned about Moe and have taken single plain golf lessons at Graves Golf Academy. The book and the lessons were a wonderful experience. While I was at Graves Academy taking lessons from Todd Graves, he (Todd) would tell stories about Moe. I could tell that Todd really liked Moe and above all, respected him. I’ve never met Moe personally, but, wish that I’d had the opportunity. Your article is another wonderful story about Moe that I enjoyed very much. Everything that I’ve ever heard about Moe from people that have met him and spend time with him have all be positive. Thanks Barney for your story. I would love to hear/read more about your experiences with Moe.

Reply Report comment
CairnsRock

Feb 26, 2015 at 11:05 pm

I asked Moe why he used such huge oversized grips?

Answer…Control, control.

He says everything twice.

Reply Report comment
Trevino Smizzle

Feb 26, 2015 at 7:18 pm

I’ll say this about moe…he proves what I believe in
It’s not got to be pretty, it’s got to be repeatable
I’ll take the guys that win over the guys that should win anyday. I heard Butch Harmon on TV say “a good shot comes from a good swing, I don’t care what it looks like”

Reply Report comment
Tiger Smizzle

Feb 26, 2015 at 7:12 pm

Moe could activate his glutes better than any other golfer ever

Reply Report comment
Moe Smizzle

Feb 26, 2015 at 7:11 pm

The real key to hitting it straight is to just top it real bad. Catch it as low on the face as possible. It’ll only go about 40 yards at best but it’ll be the straightest ball you ever see

Reply Report comment
Barney Smizzle

Feb 26, 2015 at 7:05 pm

I remeber moe telling me one time..
Popularity is like toothpaste, it’s overrated

Reply Report comment
- Eli Yates
  
  Feb 27, 2015 at 1:57 pm
  
  I see what you did there.
  
  Reply Report comment
Barney Smizzle

Feb 26, 2015 at 7:04 pm

I remember moe telling me one time…
Popularity is like toothpaste, it’s overrated

Reply Report comment
Greg V

Feb 26, 2015 at 11:48 am

Tom,
Before the 1956 Masters, Moe had just come down from Canada where he had been setting pins at a bowling alley all winter. He had hardly enough time to practice, and setting pins is tough on the back.

I am not saying that Moe was the best ball-striker of all time; there were some other guys who were really great in their day like Hogan and Byron Nelson. But one would have to agree that Moe was very accomplished.

Reply Report comment
Roosterredneck

Feb 26, 2015 at 8:34 am

I liked the story.Consider that Moe slept in sand traps at times because he had no money. Dare say how well we could play after sleeping in a sand trap.. I would like to read more about Moe.

Reply Report comment
RG

Feb 26, 2015 at 2:27 am

Great article Barney. You are sorely missed running you company, but at least I got some good reads out of it. Keep up the good work!

Reply Report comment
RG

Feb 26, 2015 at 2:25 am

Takes one to know one.

Reply Report comment
Robert

Feb 26, 2015 at 1:18 am

In 1992 I was 16 and worked at a golf course in Saskatchewan , Canada. Moe was doing a tour at the time, doing exhibitions across the country, and he did our course one evening passing through. I was fortunate to meet him and had the pleasure of picking the range that night after his deal.
I’ll never forget he hit every club in his bag to the 150 yard sign, every shot from every club was all over it. There was 50-100 balls in a 10′ radius around that sign when I was shagging that evening. Incredible and something you never forget.

Reply Report comment
Mark H

Feb 26, 2015 at 12:12 am

Thanks for the great article, Barney!
Sad to read so many mean spirited comments about Moe, but I guess everybody is entitled to their own opinion. In the year 2015, such a high functioning person who suffers from aspergers would be celebrated, not relegated as a “weirdo”. As far as Sam Snead “getting in to Moe’s head so bad”… They played golf together for decades after that, and Snead openly referred to Moe as the best ball striker in the world.
Ask Lee Trevino about Moe.
Why did Tour pros line up on the driving range to watch Moe hit balls?
Anyway, Those who know don’t need an explanation, those who don’t know will always be skeptical

Reply Report comment
jon

Feb 25, 2015 at 11:13 pm

that is a great story Barney!! Thank you for sharing. Great story telling. I have sent this to a few buddies and that rarely happens.

Reply Report comment
- Barney Adams
  
  Feb 25, 2015 at 11:39 pm
  
  To Robby Wille above; I wrote one The Wow Factor which was the story of Adams Golf. I’m mulling doing another one I’m not a professional writer ( wrote the first one no ghost involved) it’s difficult and I’m old and lazy
  
  Reply Report comment
Christian

Feb 25, 2015 at 7:15 pm

So if Moe was not autistic, then what was wrong with him? He obviously was mentally ill or retarded then? Not brushing you teeth, the constant ego-tripping talking?

Reply Report comment
- Barney Adams
  
  Feb 27, 2015 at 12:47 am
  
  Best to read Moe and Me for the answer. In 1995 Wally Uilhein CEO of Titleist put Moe on staff ( no strings) 5k a month for life Really a class move and testimony to how highly regarded Moe was in the industry.
  
  Reply Report comment
Ken

Feb 25, 2015 at 7:08 pm

That was an enjoyable read. Thank you, Barney.

Reply Report comment
Ritch

Feb 25, 2015 at 6:44 pm

I grew up in Michigan across the river from Canada. I played a lot of golf in Canada and during the sixties and early seventies heard many stories about his “odd swing” and unerring accuracy. In later life, I read mores stories of his “eccentricities”. I never had the chance to see him play. As I recall, Titleist put him on staff in his last years and paid him a monthly stipend to help him make expenses. I thought that was a nice gesture.

Reply Report comment
- Barney Adams
  
  Feb 27, 2015 at 12:23 am
  
  Wally Uihlein the President of Titleist put Moe on staff 5 k/ mo in 1995 No Strings of any kind Moe had played Titleist balls for years . Purely a class move and testimony to how highly regarded Moe was within the industry.
  
  Reply Report comment
barney adams

Feb 25, 2015 at 6:04 pm

I started to take off on the anti Moe comments and then figured why bother. I repeat; if you are really interested read Moe and Me.

Reply Report comment
farmer

Feb 25, 2015 at 4:15 pm

Liked the article. I remember back in the day, Tommy Bolt was judged to have the best swing in the game.

Reply Report comment
Steve

Feb 25, 2015 at 3:53 pm

I love moe. Caddy tells Moe that the hole is just a driver- wedge. Moe hits wedge off the tee, driver from fairway makes birdie.

Reply Report comment
Tom

Feb 25, 2015 at 3:03 pm

At the 1956 Masters, Snead got into Moe’s head so bad, Norman never set foot on US soil again, competitively. He can ‘supposedly’ hit all the great balls he wants on the range (as a professional who can’t do that – seen tiger right?) but if you can’t even compete with guys who are supposed to be your contemporaries who cares? I’ve seen the video(s) where Moe’s hitting all these shots but I’m thinking “who gives a crap”? seriously… if i have 40 years where all i do is sit on the range, live in my car, forget to brush my teeth, etc., and hit balls all day long, then go to florida for the winter months, i had better be able to hit a golf ball. that’s what he did… Snead, and all the others, beat the pants off of Norman. The current day hack looks to youtube and thinks he’s some demigod? like he knew something they could learn from? no thanks.

Reply Report comment
- lance
  
  Feb 25, 2015 at 3:53 pm
  
  Moe Norman: 55 Canadian Pga wins, 17 holes in one, 33 course records and 3 59’s. Snead said he was the greatest ballstriker ever! The current day youtube hack like yourself isn’t smart enough to see the perfect biomechanics of Moe’s swing. The modern swing has legs pushing up and torso moving down to be able to compensate for the distance from the ball. BACK PROBLEMS see Tiger. Being farther away from the ball allows the hips to stabilize the swing so the torso can stay down and through the shot. Lesson learned Tom now go make your game better learning from Moe’s perfect swing.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Tom
    
    Feb 25, 2015 at 4:01 pm
    
    hey lance-i-baby… look at snead’s record, then look at norman’s. done. who cares about tiger… norman is a “what could hvae been” story where snead is a “look at what he did” story. go back to your canadian dreams.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Jay
      
      Feb 25, 2015 at 5:52 pm
      
      Tom – if you knew anything about golf history then you would know why Moe had the record he did. His record, or lack of, still does not diminish his skills.
      
      Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Feb 25, 2015 at 7:43 pm
  
  Wow, who got out of the wrong side of bed this morning? You must remember to take your happy pills before commenting.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Philip
  
  Feb 25, 2015 at 10:34 pm
  
  Snead tried to give Moe a valid tip for long irons. Unfortunately he could never of expected Moe to try and ingrain the change that day and end up blistering his hands raw after practicing into the dark night. He would have expected Moe to consider the tip after the Master’s not make a swing change on the spot and get stuck between two swings.
  
  In addition, Moe did play again a second time at the Masters and for a little while on the PGA tour so you may want to validate your information first.
  
  Reply Report comment
Greg V

Feb 25, 2015 at 2:40 pm

CJ Bell – smooth.

Thanks.

Reply Report comment
Rob

Feb 25, 2015 at 1:45 pm

Moe was one of a kind for sure. “Maybe I should take up fishing.” is the thought that goes through most peoples heads if they watched him hit balls. It was a completely different level.

Reply Report comment
Jeffrey

Feb 25, 2015 at 1:24 pm

Hey Barney how did you get Moe’s club that heavy on the swing weight scale? If Moe had fat grips (which is widely known), it would be ESPECIALLY difficult to get clubs that heavy! How did you do it?? Thank you for your article –

Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Feb 25, 2015 at 6:01 pm
  
  lead tape and lead powder after I had the supplier set aside the heaviest heads he could find , the out of spec stuff.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Barney Adams
    
    Feb 25, 2015 at 11:36 pm
    
    Full disclosure I never put them on the SW scale just got them to where Moe was happy. I do remember thinking ” I could never sell clubs like these”
    
    Reply Report comment
    - b-wall
      
      Jun 15, 2015 at 3:20 pm
      
      Mr. Adams,
      
      There seems to have been an ongoing debate for years if Moe used single length clubs for his irons in his major playing days. When you built clubs for Moe, were they all one standard lie angle to promote this, or was the single length clubs just a myth?
      
      Reply Report comment
J.R.

Feb 25, 2015 at 12:59 pm

Lorne Rubenstein’s “Moe and Me” is really a great read. I also have the audible version. I loved the story of Moe hitting full iron shots off the Practice Green at Augusta National and freaking out members. Picking them clean and leaving no blemish on the greens. It makes me smile every time. First quote that comes to mind is. Question to Moe at clinic – “Moe, can you talk a little about hitting draws or fades?” Moe’s response – “Yeah, I can hit those shots, but why would I? I can hit it straight.”
It went something like that.

Here’s a video of Moe hitting to a pin from about 70yds or so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHmq4xhS_bI

Reply Report comment
- MHendon
  
  Feb 26, 2015 at 12:43 am
  
  Watched the video, no doubt that’s good ball striking but it’s not that impressive considering he had quite the back stop behind the pin that kept bringing his long shots back to the pin.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Rich
    
    Feb 26, 2015 at 4:16 am
    
    Really? Let’s see your video if it’s not that impressive.
    
    Reply Report comment
Scott

Feb 25, 2015 at 12:08 pm

Thanks Barney for the article. I love hearing stories about Moe.
Not to derail the article, but I will, like some posters. I have played single axis for over 20 years now and am a low single digit handicap. I do not think that you need to be freakishly strong to swing single axis. I think that Moe’s swing, or parts of it, would work for all golfers. For example, Tiger Woods was convinced to change the placement of his left hand by Hank Haney, based on Moe. When you break down the few differences between single axis and the conventional swing there is very little to argue about. Most people think that single axis has to look like a 70 year old Moe. There are a few places that you can check out the Moe of his 20s and 30s. You would be hard pressed to find differences in his swing vs. a conventional swing.

Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Feb 25, 2015 at 6:08 pm
  
  actually I agree here when I first saw film of early Moe I saw a great looking swing.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Barney Adams
    
    Feb 25, 2015 at 8:59 pm
    
    To comment further I was aiming at Kukyendall and Natural Golf which I felt did Moe a disservice.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Scott
      
      Feb 26, 2015 at 5:52 pm
      
      Unfortunately, you are right. They also did single axis a disservice. However, I guess that we can thank Jack for increasing Moe’s popularity.
      
      Reply Report comment
Tommy

Feb 25, 2015 at 11:52 am

Great insight to your treasury of experiences, Mr Adams. Please don’t deprive us of more.

Reply Report comment
Don M

Feb 25, 2015 at 11:23 am

Loved the article! I am a big fan of Moe. His swing works for amateurs, especially those who struggle with inconsistency and big misses. If you have more good stories about Moe, please write a Part 2.

Reply Report comment
Larry

Feb 25, 2015 at 11:06 am

I switched to the “Moe type swing” just used the Graves DVD’s for about a month then took a lesson form one of the “Graves Golf” guys, which was very key as I got over “Moeish” just whatching the DVDs. This action works excellent for me (Over 65) and I now hit my driver in play and for the first time ever I can hit a hybrid without hooking it off the course. One note if you try and learn this type swing use a grass range for irons.

Reply Report comment
CJ Bell

Feb 25, 2015 at 11:01 am

Greg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htgZt9wLQHQ

Reply Report comment
Greg V

Feb 25, 2015 at 10:41 am

Great article! Thanks for sharing some memories.

Now, if only I could find a video of Tommy Bolt. I actually had the pleasure of saying hello to him one time in an elevator at Pinehurst. Fortunately, I recognized him from pictures.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle

Published

1 day ago

Apr 15, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.

Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.

The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.

Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.

Past Winners at Harbour Town

2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
2019: CT Pan (-12)
2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
2016: Branden Grace (-9)
2015: Jim Furyk (-18)

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 Harbour Town

Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
Tom Hoge (+1.27)
Corey Conners (+1.16)
Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
Cameron Young (+0.93)

Good Drive %

The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

Brice Garnett (88.8%)
Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
Sepp Straka (+85.1%)

Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.

SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:

Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
Brian Harman (+1.89)
Sungjae Im (+1.58)

4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)

Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.

SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds

Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
Taylor Moore (+1.02)
Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
Andrew Putnam (+0.83)

5. Greens in Regulation %

The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.

Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:

Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
Corey Conners (+69.0%)
Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)

6. Course History

Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.

Course History over past 24 rounds:

Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
Cam Davis (+2.05)
J.T. Poston (+1.69)
Justin Rose (+1.68)
Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)

The RBC Heritage Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)

Shane Lowry
Russell Henley
Scottie Scheffler
Xander Schauffele
Corey Conners
Wyndham Clark
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Matt Fitzpatrick
Cameron Young
Ludvig Aberg

2024 RBC Heritage Picks

Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)

With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.

Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).

Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.

Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)

I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.

The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.

Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)

Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.

Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.

Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)

Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.

In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.

Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.

Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)

When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.

Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.

Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.

Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)

This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.

Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.

Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.

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Vincenzi: The 6 biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters

Published

1 day ago

Apr 15, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The 2024 Masters offered up plenty of excitement throughout the week with Scottie Scheffler delivering when it mattered to live up to his pre-tournament favorite tag. With the year’s opening major now in the books, here are my six biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters.

Scheffler In a League of His Own

In the most impressive way possible, Scottie Scheffler won the Masters without having his absolute best stuff. For the week, Scottie ranked 19th in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is a category the number player in the world typically dusts the rest of the field in. After a strong approach day on Thursday, the 27-year-old lost strokes to the field on approach on Friday and Saturday, before gaining on Sunday. The iron performance was more than solid, but it was an all-around game that helped Scheffler get it done around Augusta National.

For a year or more, the narrative around Scheffler has been, “With his ball striking, if he can just putt to field average, he’ll be unbeatable.” At Augusta, his ball striking came back down to earth, but his touch around the greens and ability to manage the golf course demonstrated why he is the best player on the planet right now. For the week, Scheffler ranked 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 24th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

For the time being, there is a major gap between Scottie Scheffler and the second-best player in the world, whoever that may be.

The Future is Now

Ludvig Aberg went into his first back-nine at the Masters with a legitimate shot to win the tournament. When he teed it up on the treacherous 11th hole, he was one behind Scottie Scheffler, who had just stuck one to a few feet on the 9th. By the time he approached his tee shot, which was perfectly striped down the left side of the fairway, he was two behind. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old got too aggressive with his approach at the 11th and found the water, making double bogey. Ludvig rebounded nicely and finished the event in solo second place.

With the Masters now in the rearview, it’s never been more evident that Ludvig Aberg is no longer an “up-and-comer” — he has arrived. The Swede has been an integral part of a winning European Ryder Cup team and has now contended at Augusta National. With a calm demeanor, a picture-perfect swing, and a build and stature that appears as if it was built in a lab, Ludvig Aberg is already amongst the world’s best. I’d be extremely surprised if he wasn’t in the mix at next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Nostalgia Wins

I try to avoid as many cliches as possible, but there’s something about the Masters that brings out the sentimentality in me. Tiger Woods strategically making his way around Augusta National without all of the physical tools that made him arguably the most dominant athlete in the history of sports will always be riveting, regardless of what score he shoots. Woods made it interesting until a tough stretch of holes on Saturday, but he ultimately wore down, shooting 16 over for the week in difficult conditions. It’s remarkable that the 15-time major champion was able to put together a few solid rounds of golf despite barely playing any competitive golf in 2024. As long as Woods tees it up at Augusta, we will all continue to be mesmerized by it.

Verne Lundquist’s 40th and final Masters Tournament was also a must-watch aspect of the event. The iconic voice of Lundquist and his calls throughout the years still give me chills each time I hear them. Verne is an icon of the game and will be missed in future renditions of the Masters.

The Masters also brings another element that is unique to the tournament. Former champions turn back the clock to battle with the golf course again which creates some amazing stories. There are a few that stick out this year and were an absolute pleasure to witness. 61-year-old Vijay Singh made the cut for the first time since 2018 and shot a pretty incredible even-par, 72 on Sunday. 58-year-old José María Olazábal made the cut as well, reminding us why fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm sought his valuable advice prior to his Masters victory in 2022.

Regardless of who wins, the Masters always delivers.

Bryson Moves the Needle

Plenty will disagree with me on this point, but outside of Tiger Woods, and potentially Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, no one moves the needle in golf as much as Bryson DeChambeau. The uniqueness in which Bryson approaches the game has always been fascinating, and if he gets near the top of the leaderboard at any major championship, whether it’s to root for him or against him, people are interested.

It began on Monday with a pretty bizarre story of DeChambeau using 3D-printed irons that got just got cleared for use by the USGA when the week began. It once again felt like a storyline that would only be possible with a character as eccentric as Bryson. He then raced off to a first-round lead in tough conditions, reminding the world of what made him such a great golfer to begin with. He made some mistakes on the weekend, but still finished a career best T6 at The Masters.

Bryson is more than just quirky; he is a former U.S. Amateur Champion and U.S. Open who I believe will contend for more majors in the future. I will continue to root for DeChambeau, but I’m perfectly content with the fact that plenty will root against him, and I encourage those people to do so. That’s what makes it fun.

LIV Walks Away Empty-Handed

Last year, there were a multitude of questions about LIV players coming into the year’s first major. They had played very limited tournament golf, and critics of LIV questioned whether the 54-hole events were enough to sharpen the players enough to compete against the best in the world on the biggest stage.

The results were fascinating, with LIV players all over the leaderboard. Brooks Koepka held the 36- and 54-hole lead, with Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed finishing T2 and T4, giving LIV three golfers in the top-4 of the leaderboard.

This season, with even more time removed and with some more massive additions to the roster, the intrigue surrounding LIV players at Augusta was once again palpable. While some players, including Bryson DeChambeau, exceeded expectations, I can’t help but walk away from the Masters feeling underwhelmed by the performance of the LIV players.

Brooks Koepka finished runner-up last season and is a certified major championship killer. The 5-time major champ was never involved and simply didn’t have it at Augusta. Dustin Johnson put together a putrid performance, shooting 13 over for his two rounds, making it fair to wonder if his days of contending at major championships are over as he rapidly approaches his 40th birthday.

Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann were both players who were amongst the favorites this week, but Rahm was faced with the daunting duties of defending champion and Niemann proved he was still not quite ready to master the quirks of Augusta National, bleeding strokes both around and on the greens.

To be fair, when all was said and done, LIV had four players in the top twelve at The Masters. Tyrrell Hatton stormed the leaderboard early on Sunday, finishing T9 and earning himself an invite back to Augusta next season. Cam Smith and Patrick Reed put together gritty performances, which isn’t too surprising considering the fact that they both absolutely love Augusta National, but neither ever felt a real threat to win. There’s no doubt the players on LIV are good, and that’s why some encouraging leaderboard positions aren’t enough. They needed to contend.

With no players part of the storyline on Sunday, I view the first major of the year as a disappointment for LIV. The players will head into next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla with a lot to prove.

Rory’s Struggles Continues

Rory struggling at Augusta National is no surprise at this point. The four-time major champion has now had 10 attempts to complete the career grand slam and has never had a chance to win. His T2 in 2022 was deceiving, the Northern Irishman stormed the leaderboard on Sunday, but was never in contention, and never got within three shots of the winner, Scottie Scheffler.

I didn’t expect Rory to win, but I have to admit that this year felt a bit different. McIlroy played the week prior to the Masters, which he typically doesn’t do, and finished third at the Valero Texas Open. He gained 7.56 strokes on approach and 2.0 strokes off the tee, which told me that his visit with world-renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, after the Players Championship paid dividends.

McIlroy also approached the media quite differently. He cut his pre-tournament press conference short after only 10 minutes and seemed to be laser-focused on just playing golf.

Despite the different approach to the Masters, the results were the same. McIlroy struggled over the course of the week, finishing T22 (+4) and never sniffed a decent weekend position on the leaderboard. It’s back to the drawing board for McIlroy, and I have doubts that he will ever figure it out at Augusta.

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Vincenzi: The 8 best prop bets for the 2024 Masters

Published

1 week ago

Apr 9, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

We’ve finally reached The Masters and excitement is at an all-time high. The world of golf has been fractured for the better part of two years, but for a week at Augusta National, all of the outside noise will disappear. All of the best players in the world will be together seeking to make history.

RELATED: Vincenzi’s 2024 Masters betting preview: Niemann to play star role at Augusta National

In addition to betting on The Masters champion. This is one of the few weeks of the year where there are so many more markets to explore, with value to be had in plenty of different categories.

Throughout this article, I’ll discuss all of my favorite props and players for the 2024 Masters.

Placement Bets:

Tony Finau Top 5 +750 (DraftKings):

I badly wanted to include Tony Finau in my outright betting selections, but I simply ran out of room on my card. Additionally, it’s slightly difficult to see him hitting the putts necessary to win the Masters on back nine on Sunday. However, I do strongly believe he will play great golf this week at Augusta National.

In his past 24 rounds, Finau ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach is always amongst the best drivers of the golf ball in the game. Back in 2019, Finau had a great chance to win The Masters. I expect him to be hanging around over the weekend once again in 2024.

Gary Woodland Top 20 +550 (DraftKings), Gary Woodland to make the cut -110 (DraftKings):

Last season, Gary Woodland had his best ever finish at The Masters in his eleven tries. The 39-year-old finished T14 and played incredibly steady across all four rounds.

In Woodland’s most recent start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, he struck the ball incredibly well. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+8.8) and Strokes Gained: Ball Striking (+10.0).

Gary has been working with Butch Harmon and absolutely flushing the ball both in tournaments and during practice.

Woodland appears to be healthy once again and in a great place physically and mentally. If he can build off his impressive performance at Augusta last year, he can place inside the top ten in 2024.

Additionally, the make the cut number on Woodland seems generous considering the number of players who miss the cut will be relatively small this week. Woodland is striking it well enough to make the cut even if he’s hindered by a balky putter once again.

Thorbjorn Olesen Top 20 +400 (FanDuel):

The Thunder Bear, Thorbjorn Olesen, made his Masters debut in 2013 and finished an incredibly impressive T6 for the week. In the two additional starts he’s made at Augusta National since then, the Dane has continued to be incredibly solid, finishing T44 and T21.

This week, Olesen heads into the week playing some good golf. He gained 3.8 strokes on approach and 5.52 strokes around the green at last week’s Valero Texas Open on his way to a strong T14 finish. Back in January, he won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour.

Olesen has the skill set to be successful at Augusta and seems primed for a good performance this week.

Top Nationalities:

Sergio Garcia Top Spanish Player +280 (DraftKings):

I believe Sergio Garcia can get into contention this week with the way he’s striking the ball in addition to his good vibes with a refurbished version of the Scotty Cameron that he used at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah.

I am slightly concerned about the emotional letdown he may face after losing in a playoff at LIV Miami, but I believe a veteran and former Masters champion should be able to regroup and focus on an event far more meaningful.

This is essentially a tournament head-to-head with Jon Rahm at +280. While Rahm deserves to be respected this week, the history of the lack of success of defending champions at The Masters is difficult to ignore.

Joaquin Niemann Top South American Player -230 (FanDuel):

While I hate paying this much juice, I don’t see a world in which Joaquin Niemann isn’t the top South American this week at The Masters. Joaco comes in playing better golf than anyone in the world not named Scottie Scheffler and has a serious chance to win the green jacket.

He only needs to beat two players: Emiliano Grillo and Camilo Villegas.

Tournament Head-to-Heads:

Justin Thomas -110 over Collin Morikawa

JT isn’t having his best season but is playing a lot better than he is getting credit for at the moment. In the past three months, there are only six players on the PGA Tour who have averaged 1.7 Strokes Gained: Tee to Green or better. Justin Thomas (+1.7) is one of the six and is currently tied with Rory McIlroy (+1.7).

Morikawa, on the other hand, has been extremely poor with his irons, which is incredibly uncharacteristic for him. I can’t help but feel like something is completely off with the two-time major champion.

Tony Finau -110 over Wyndham Clark

I explained in the placement section why I’m so high on Tony Finau this week. With how well he’s striking the ball, it seems as if his floor is extremely high. I’m not sure if he can make the putts to win a green jacket but I believe he will be in the mix similarly to 2019 when Tiger Woods emerged from a crowded pack of contenders.

Clark is a debutant, and while some debutants have had success at The Masters, it certainly poses a challenge. I also don’t believe Augusta National suits Clark as well as some of the other major championship venues.

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