Connect with us

Opinion & Analysis

The struggles of balancing golf and family

Published

on

Golf is not only about making the shots, or making the putts. No, before that, golf is about making the time, especially if you have a family.

“If I never played golf,” Dave told me between nines at Goose Creek, “my wife would probably be happier. Would definitely be happier. But I wouldn’t be.”

Few of us live in a bubble. “I don’t waste time when I golf,” 32-year old Flavio said at Mountain Meadows. “I play early. I play fast. I don’t hang around and drink after the round. And I don’t say anything at all when my wife goes out on Wednesday night for her yoga class.”

If you tee off at 8 in the morning on a Saturday, you probably left the house at 7 and won’t return before 1 pm, at the earliest. And that’s if everything is on time. “I’m going to ref my daughter’s AYSO game at 3 this afternoon,” Riley told me matter-of-factly on the 13th hole, checking his watch.

“They’re at church this morning,” Darrin, a mid-thirties low double-digit said one Sunday morning on an LA County course. “I’ll be home before they are.” He teed off just after daylight after getting out of bed at 4:30. That’s 4:30 A.M. “I set my clothes out last night and I brushed my teeth and shaved in the guest room, and I’m quiet so I don’t wake anybody up.”

Not everyone has to pay attention to the time during the round. “I’m gonna take a nap this afternoon after I get home,” Scott said. “My fiancé is away this weekend.”

“You’re not gonna do a replay?” His brother-in-law-to-be Patrick asked, “Dude, what’s up with you?”

“I will if you will,” Scott answered.

“No man, I got the honey-do list later,” Patrick said longingly.

Some golfers carve out time from their family obligations; some are able instead to carve out time from their jobs during the week.

“I had a breakfast meeting early today and spent the rest of the morning in the office.” Efron is in sales and apparently he’s doing well since he was playing a pricey course on a Thursday afternoon with one of his friends. “I’ll be home by 6 tonight just like usual. My wife knows where I am, and my boss just cares about my numbers.”

“Two days a week I don’t go in until 1,” Dale told me after finishing 18 one Tuesday morning at Jurupa Hills. “I live right over there,” he said pointing. “I dropped my girl off at school at 7:15, my wife is at work, so I just need to leave the course no later than twenty-after-twelve.”

For some golfers, time is relative. Kent was hanging out on the clubhouse patio reading a golf magazine at 11:30 one weekend morning. “I got done early. We played in under four hours,” he said. “Can’t go home yet, don’t want my wife to expect me home this early every weekend. I’ll stay here until noon because that’s what time we’re usually done.”

When the kids are very young and they spend their days sleeping or crawling or watching videos, time isn’t as important. “I’m not hurrying so I can get home to my girls,” Kevin told me at Strawberry Farms. “They’re with my mother-in-law, and my wife is out hiking with her friends this morning so there’s no rush.”

But when the children are involved in extra-curricular activities like sports or dance, tutor sessions or music lessons, and parental support is measured by attendance even more than monetary donations, that’s when the time it takes for a round of golf can lob a wedge into family relations.

“I quit playing golf from the time my oldest was five until my youngest was 13,” Harry, now a doting grandfather, told me. “And that’s why I never got to single digits…no, really, it was worth it to watch the kids grow up. My wife tells me that, anyway.”

It’s all about the choices we make, and the priorities we set.

“I’m not ever going to play golf for my living,” Jared told me, “so I play when it’s convenient, and I don’t play when it isn’t. That said, I’d play more often if I had the time, and my wife knows I’m in a better mood all week when I play.”

There were eight guys in two foursomes in front of me on the Babe at Industry Hills a few weeks ago. They told me they’d known each other since middle-school, almost 30 years ago. “We used to go out drinking, or drinking and eating at least one night a month,” said Lee. “Now once a month we play golf together on a Sunday morning. The girls think that’s better even though we probably spend more money than before.”

“And we drink just as much,” his companion Jay added.

“I play back nines early on the weekends,” Kelly told me as he finished his day on the links before 9 on a Saturday. “I’m home before the kids are done watching cartoons.” That’s one way to satisfy the golfing Jones.

“The club has childcare so while I’m playing, my wife leaves our son in ‘Kids Court’ and she does what she wants for a few hours. Then she picks him up and we rendezvous for lunch in the grill room.” With a slight wave of his hand to the private club bag-boy taking his sticks back to storage, Jake reminds me there is more than one way for lucky young men to take to the tees.

Then there is the future to look forward to.

“It’s hard now with three kids under 10,” Lawrence said. “But the two older ones are taking lessons, and we play the par-3 course together some. In a few years maybe I’ll have my own family foursome.”

It’s clear that balancing the time that golf takes with the demands of raising a family can be difficult., at least at some ages. But one morning at Hidden Valley, Edward laid out his blueprint for the years ahead: “My wife loves golf, too,” he said. “Someday when the kids are grown and out of the house, she and I will be playing together every weekend.”

Tell us how you balance golf and family in the comments section below. And check out Tom Hill’s humorous golf book, A Perfect Lie – The Hole Truth at 7-ironpress.com – use the coupon code GOLFWRX for free shipping of the paperback.

Your Reaction?
  • 86
  • LEGIT18
  • WOW2
  • LOL2
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP1
  • OB3
  • SHANK4

Tom Hill is a 9.7 handicap, author and former radio reporter. Hill is the author of the recently released fiction novel, A Perfect Lie – The Hole Truth, a humorous golf saga of one player’s unexpected attempt to shoot a score he never before thought possible. Kirkus Reviews raved about A Perfect Lie, (It) “has the immediacy of a memoir…it’s no gimme but Hill nails it square.” (kirkusreviews.com). A Perfect Lie is available as an ebook or paperback through 7-ironpress.com and the first three chapters are available online to sample. Hill is a dedicated golfer who has played more than 2,000 rounds in the past 30 years and had a one-time personal best handicap of 5.5. As a freelance radio reporter, Hill covered more than 60 PGA and LPGA tournaments working for CBS Radio, ABC Radio, AP Audio, The Mutual Broadcasting System and individual radio stations around the country. “Few knew my name and no one saw my face,” he says, “but millions heard my voice.” Hill is the father of three sons and lives with his wife, Arava Talve, in southern California where he chases after a little white ball as often as he can.

30 Comments

30 Comments

  1. Mike L

    Apr 17, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    So much of it is having the right spouse. If knew before you even meet your wife (26 for me) you were going to be an early morning, once a week golfer (even after the kids came along) and found someone who understands, your life will be much easier. If you were part of a couple that did nothing apart from when you first started dating, those spouses will never understand. You also need to have the energy when you get home from golf and home from work during the week to make time to do things with your wife and kids to let them know you care. You need to be balance and fair with everyone in your family and make sure golf is your only me time and giving your spouse some too. Also, after a good round, stop off and buy your wife some flowers, so everybody’s happy when you get home.

    • Rich

      Apr 21, 2015 at 7:39 pm

      Great point. My wife and I have been together for nearly 14 years (married for near 7) and she knows that I play once a week at least. My private golf club costs us around $3500 a year as well (in Australia) so if I’m not playing she tells me to go out and play because if I don’t it’s a waste of money. Sometimes I get a hit in afternoon after work as well. She is very understanding of my golf addiction.

  2. Carlos Danger

    Apr 17, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    A few suggestions to you 20 something golf fanatics out there looking down the barrel of an inevitable engagement and family.
    1. Marry a girl who’s father played golf. She is used to dad playing golf on the weekend and it wont be a foreign concept to her.
    2. Join a country club (easier said than done). If golf is that important to you and you have some disposable income, go and check out the local CC’s and see what types of junior membership deals they have. You may be surprised by the affordability if you factor in what you currently pay for public golf and the hours it takes to play public courses, the activities your wife and kids can enjoy like pool, workout, tennis, etc…that may cancel out other membership costs you have, and the social aspect of it. If you dont have kids yet start looking into it now. The younger the better.
    3. Never ever ever ever complain or discourage your wife for going out with her friends, going to the spa, going out of town, etc… you need to encourage it. Once you get in your 30s you will realize that going to the local watering hole with a couple of your buddies so you can have the same fantasy baseball arguments over and over is not really that important if it jeopardizes your chances of playing golf that weekend.
    4. Dont plan your tee times and then plan your weekend spent with the family. Plan the weekend with the family first and then find a window where you could sneak out. Then ask your wife opposed to telling her your going out on “Sunday when the kids are napping.”
    5. Get your family involved. I get my wife involved in little couples things at the club, get her to the pool all the time, get my son in swimming lessons, bring him out on the course with me at night, etc…basically, dont make a membership seem like “your thing”
    6. Get a sales job so you can play at least twice a month during the week.

  3. Dave S

    Apr 16, 2015 at 10:00 am

    Why do you insist on putting a space in front of punctuation marks? How can anyone take a comment seriously that’s so thoroughly riddled with grammatical errors?

  4. Phat

    Apr 15, 2015 at 5:08 pm

    I stopped playing entirely for my firstborn. The relationship I was in dissolved after a couple of years, so decided to focus every weekend on being 100% present with my daughter. Started playing again before my youngest came along (1 & 1/2 yrs now), so golf ground to a halt again. As a couple, my partner and I realised that we do actually become better people when we each ‘choose a poison’ and schedule regular time out. I’ve picked golf (what else haha) so hoping this will be a regular dawn chorus 9 or 18 once a week, weather dependent, as well as an online subscription to follow pga and lpga. All you guys out there that don’t see the importance of being there for your kids, preferring to maintain a single digit cap, need to get your heads read, haha.

  5. Lou

    Apr 15, 2015 at 11:32 am

    Tom. You obviously have no clue and sound like an awful father and role model. Would hate to be raised and ignored by you . Stick to your day job as you mucked this one up

    • Lou's Dad

      Apr 15, 2015 at 12:37 pm

      Lou, I’m sorry I neglected you when you were a boy. Please don’t take it out on Tom.

  6. Xavier

    Apr 15, 2015 at 11:10 am

    I have a one year old and since our little man was three months old I have been taking him out on the course. Either I strap his car seat to the cart or push him in the stroller and walk nine. Since he’s beem walking I let him walk around the greens while I putt. He loves being out on the course and luckily enough rarely throws a fit! I bring plenty of snacks and stuffed friends to keep him busy. I have had lots of fellow golfers and course staff compliment us when we’re out on the course. The best part is I get to spend quality time with my little man and it keeps the wife happy as well. As a result my son loves bringing his club hitting balls in the backyard and in the house… Who says you can’t balance family and golf?

    • Craig

      Apr 15, 2015 at 11:21 am

      That is messed up man .. 3 months old strapped in a golf cart . Shame on u

    • other paul

      Apr 15, 2015 at 6:57 pm

      My son played his first hole of golf last October when it was a nice warm evening. Manager let us do a hole if we hit a bucket at the range. He was 2 1/2. We had a blast. He shot 14 from the ladies tee. Little guy even 2 putted. Shot 14 from the ladies tee 280 yards. Looking forward to our first round next week. Or may e tomorrow if it warms up enough.

  7. TR1PTIK

    Apr 15, 2015 at 9:41 am

    I’m currently playing in a 9-hole league with several co-workers. Every Monday my wife and I switch duties – I drop our daughter off at daycare so my wife can get to work a little earlier and then she’ll pick our daughter up. I usually wind up having to make up 2-3 hours/week for work because of when our tee times are set, but I’m always home before my wife and daughter get back from the gym. We make it work. When I have the money to do it (I donate plasma twice a week to pay for my golf), I also play on Friday or Saturday mornings – as early as I can. I usually play by myself and walk. Unless there’s someone in front of me holding up play, I can usually do 18 in about 2.5 – 3 hours when I’m scoring well. A bad round might add upwards of 30 minutes – looking for golf balls, making additional strokes that I wouldn’t have to during a better round, etc. I never complain when my wife wants to go to the gym, do a yoga class, or treat herself to a massage. She still isn’t crazy about golf, but she gets it and we don’t have any problems. And my kid is ALWAYS a priority.

  8. Really?

    Apr 15, 2015 at 9:38 am

    Just tell her that you’re playing golf. I don’t see what’s so difficult about it.

  9. GolfWarrior44

    Apr 15, 2015 at 8:18 am

    It’s been a cultural change since I grew up in the 90’s among 3 main factors. 1st, back then dads had the freedom to play in basketball, softball, bowling, and golf leagues multiple nights a week and in tournaments on weekends and wives never cared. Nowadays, wives expect the husbands to be home while they go to a yoga class or spin class. 2nd, the fact that most kids started youth sports in 1st and 2nd grade back then and nowadays it’s pre-school only adds to the time parents have to commit to other activities. And 3rd, the 9-5 workday is long gone. It’s now expected for most workers to work 8-5 (they give you an hour lunch knowing you’ll not take all of it and eat at your desk). Add to that the fact that urban sprawl has made most livable school districts in the suburbs most adults are gone from 7 am to 6 pm everyday during the week for essentially an 11-hour workday. Hard to imagine how anybody has time to golf but I know I’ll always strive to find a way!

  10. Jason

    Apr 14, 2015 at 11:02 pm

    Here’s how to do it: I have six kids under the age of 11, and bring three at a time with me at twilight to play 6 or 9 holes after the final groups have teed off. It’s heaven. They pile in the cart with me, and they love it . . . and I get MORE practice in than I would playing 18 holes in 4.5 hours with golf buddies, because I’m not spending 3.5 hours waiting around for others to hit. Instead, I’m playing several balls on each hole. Meanwhile, if the kids aren’t hitting balls from the red tees, they’re chasing rabbits, rolling down the hills, fetching balls out of the lakes (or beating me at putting contests). As long as you tee off last and you’re not holding anyone up, you can take your time, and still be back home in a few hours. They kids get fresh air, exercise, and bonding time with dad. If you bring your little tribe with you, the wife will be glad to let you go . . . cuz if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!

    • JT

      Apr 15, 2015 at 9:17 am

      Thanks for sharing the blueprint! I’m engaged and soon to be married, and find my obligations require my free time to be more focused time, and like you mentioned, end up getting way more out of it. No kids today, or wife technically speaking, but I’ve already begun settling into the afternoon routine also.

  11. kevin

    Apr 14, 2015 at 7:45 pm

    I have a 6 month old at home and have already decided not to renew my membership for the summer (Canadian East Coast winters are not conducive to year round play). I roll putts on carpet in the house while the little bounces in her Jolly Jumper before bed and I’ll hit balls off a mat into a net outdoors this summer. Though it won’t replace playing regularly, I hope to at least be able to get around a course the odd times I will play in corporate events or weekend rounds with family. I look forward to introducing my daughter to the game one day and hopefully we enjoy it as much together as I have with my dad over the years.

  12. other paul

    Apr 14, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    I play at 6:00am most of the time. Or if I get rained out at work. But then I have to play in the rain… Played 9 holes 10 times last year in the wet. Shot 38 one time.

  13. A

    Apr 14, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    “When the kids are very young and they spend their days sleeping or crawling or watching videos, time isn’t as important.”
    -Absentee father rhetoric

    You get out what you put in- just because children don’t acknowledge your presence, they are absorbing everything going around them and surely know if you’re around or not.

    • Tom Hill

      Apr 14, 2015 at 7:53 pm

      Granted A. But just as a parent must parent actively, a golfer must golf actively. I am only trying to point out the way some golfers balance the two. Enjoy both being a parent, and being a golfer.

      • A

        Apr 15, 2015 at 2:10 am

        Understand your point of view on this Tom.

        I just don’t agree with the mindset of guys who bring a child into this world, refuse to mature and perhaps even *gasp* put the clubs away for a year or two to a) help Mama shoulder the load of responsibilities with child and around the house, and b) make a conscious effort to consistently be a part of their child’s life. Your words about the years when the child is sleeping, crawling, or watching videos as not important really struck a chord with me. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

        To anyone reading this with a young baby or one on the way- trust me- you are not “missing out” on anything by cancelling your weekly tee time. If anything, you are gaining an amazing life experience that can never be replicated or recreated. As mentioned earlier- you reap what you sow with child rearing. How about instead of throwing on yet another Elmo video and heading to the club, you take them to the park and watch their face light up when you put them on the swings for the first time?

        Rest assured- the golf course will always be there… your child won’t.

        • Dave S

          Apr 15, 2015 at 9:19 am

          It’s obviously a balancing act, which I think is what the author was trying to communicate. No where in this article does it recommend or glorify becoming an absentee father. At the same time, just because you have a child, doesn’t mean you have to give up something that you truly enjoy and that makes you happy.

        • JT

          Apr 15, 2015 at 9:23 am

          A.. Take a step off your high horse for a moment, this was a well written article and a nice change of pace for the site. Your point is valid that family is important, but other people’s views are worthy for consideration also. Don’t lose sight is the fact that a husband and father still needs to retain his own identity, and having a healthy active hobby (walking 9, or *gasp* 18) is a good thing for everyone!

          • Carlos Danger

            Apr 17, 2015 at 2:35 pm

            Isnt “A” being an absentee father wasting his time commenting on golf website message boards? Jeez man…get of your laptop and go pay attention to your kids!

  14. Jordan

    Apr 14, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    This is a great article. I have a 3-month old son at home and have been trying to figure out how to keep playing. It’s hard to justify being away from home and my family for 6-7 hours on the weekend when my wife and I both spend so much time at work during the week. Playing early back nines was definitely on the radar. Getting up at 5am doesn’t sound that fun, but we do what we have to do to maintain some sort of golf form. Luckily, my father-in-law and all three brother-in-laws play so we try to get out at family gatherings around the holidays when we are somewhere warm.

  15. Golfraven

    Apr 14, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Yep, thats my golfing life at the moment. Playing only Sunday lunch time when Little one is sleeping in the car or I sneak out at 7am on weekends or sometime before the office. Haven’t played 18 holes for years now and only manage after work turnaments and driving range when honey jobs are done – well whey never get done as the list is endless. Looking forward when I can play golf with my son and will make him mu excuse to play more – currently he is my excuse not to play.

  16. Jay

    Apr 14, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    Todd,

    Not sure where you live but at Rancho Park in Los Angeles, playing the back nine early is very common. You shouldn’t feel weird asking about it. The only thing that would make it something they don’t allow is if the 10th hole is not close enough to the club house for you to tee off from there as easily as you would #1. You should call ahead of time to see if your course allows it but also to find out what the cut off time is each morning

  17. Todd Ramsey

    Apr 14, 2015 at 11:47 am

    I really like the idea of playing back nines early. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to make this work at different clubs? I am not a member anywhere, and I don’t want to sound like a crazy person when I call. Thanks.

    • JT

      Apr 15, 2015 at 9:27 am

      Get to know the staff and ask if it’s OK when you arrive. Don’t call ahead to ask you’ll get a canned response.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open betting preview

Published

on

As the Florida swing comes to an end, the PGA Tour makes its way to Houston to play the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course.

This will be the fourth year that Memorial Park Golf Course will serve as the tournament host. The event did not take place in 2023, but the course hosted the event in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Memorial Park is a par-70 layout measuring 7,432 yards and features Bermudagrass greens. Historically, the main defense for the course has been thick rough along the fairways and tightly mown runoff areas around the greens. Memorial Park has a unique setup that features three Par 5’s and five Par 3’s.

The field will consist of 132 players, with the top 65 and ties making the cut. There are some big names making the trip to Houston, including Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala.

Past Winners at Memorial Park

  • 2022: Tony Finau (-16)
  • 2021: Jason Kokrak (-10)
  • 2020: Carlos Ortiz (-13)

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 Memorial Park

Let’s take a look at several metrics for Memorial Park to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds:

Strokes Gained: Approach

Memorial Park is a pretty tough golf course. Golfers are penalized for missing greens and face some difficult up and downs to save par. Approach will be key.

Total Strokes Gained: Approach per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Tom Hoge (+1.30)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.26)
  3. Keith Mitchell (+0.97) 
  4. Tony Finau (+0.92)
  5. Jake Knapp (+0.84)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Memorial Park is a long golf course with rough that can be penal. Therefore, a combination of distance and accuracy is the best metric.

Total Strokes Gained: Off the Tee per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+0.94)
  2. Kevin Dougherty (+0.93)
  3. Cameron Champ (+0.86)
  4. Rafael Campos (+0.84)
  5. Si Woo Kim (+0.70)

Strokes Gained Putting: Bermudagrass + Fast

The Bermudagrass greens played fairly fast the past few years in Houston. Jason Kokrak gained 8.7 strokes putting on his way to victory in 2021 and Tony Finau gained in 7.8 in 2022.

Total Strokes Gained Putting (Bermudagrass) per round past 24 rounds (min. 8 rounds):

  1. Adam Svensson (+1.27)
  2. Harry Hall (+1.01)
  3. Martin Trainer (+0.94)
  4. Taylor Montgomery (+0.88)
  5. S.H. Kim (+0.86)

Strokes Gained: Around the Green

With firm and undulating putting surfaces, holding the green on approach shots may prove to be a challenge. Memorial Park has many tightly mowed runoff areas, so golfers will have challenging up-and-down’s around the greens. Carlos Ortiz gained 5.7 strokes around the green on the way to victory in 2020.

Total Strokes Gained: Around the Green per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Mackenzie Hughes (+0.76)
  2. S.H. Kim (+0.68)
  3. Scottie Scheffler (+0.64)
  4. Jorge Campillo (+0.62)
  5. Jason Day (+0.60)

Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult

Memorial Park is a long and difficult golf course. This statistic will incorporate players who’ve had success on these types of tracks in the past. 

Total Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult in past 24 rounds:

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+2.45)
  2. Ben Griffin (+1.75)
  3. Will Zalatoris (+1.73)
  4. Ben Taylor (+1.53)
  5. Tony Finau (+1.42)

Course History

Here are the players who have performed the most consistently at Memorial Park. 

Strokes Gained Total at Memorial Park past 12 rounds:

  1. Tyson Alexander (+3.65)
  2. Ben Taylor (+3.40)
  3. Tony Finau (+2.37)
  4. Joel Dahmen (+2.25)
  5. Patton Kizzire (+2.16)

Statistical Model

Below, I’ve reported overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed.

These rankings are comprised of SG: App (24%) SG: OTT (24%); SG: Putting Bermudagrass/Fast (13%); SG: Long and Difficult (13%); SG: ARG (13%) and Course History (13%)

  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. Wyndham Clark
  3. Tony Finau
  4. Joel Dahmen
  5. Stephan Jaeger 
  6. Aaron Rai
  7. Sahith Theegala
  8. Keith Mitchell 
  9. Jhonnatan Vegas
  10. Jason Day
  11. Kurt Kitayama
  12. Alex Noren
  13. Will Zalatoris
  14. Si Woo Kim
  15. Adam Long

2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open Picks

Will Zalatoris +2000 (Caesars)

Scottie Scheffler will undoubtedly be difficult to beat this week, so I’m starting my card with someone who I believe has the talent to beat him if he doesn’t have his best stuff.

Will Zalatoris missed the cut at the PLAYERS, but still managed to gain strokes on approach while doing so. In an unpredictable event with extreme variance, I don’t believe it would be wise to discount Zalatoris based on that performance. Prior to The PLAYERS, the 27-year-old finished T13, T2 and T4 in his previous three starts.

Zalatoris plays his best golf on long and difficult golf courses. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the category, but the eye test also tells a similar story. He’s contended at major championships and elevated events in the best of fields with tough scoring conditions.  The Texas resident should be a perfect fit at Memorial Park Golf Club.

Alex Noren +4500 (FanDuel)

Alex Noren has been quietly playing some of his best golf of the last half decade this season. The 41-year-old is coming off back-to-back top-20 finishes in Florida including a T9 at The PLAYERS in his most recent start.

In his past 24 rounds, Noren ranks 21st in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 30th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 25th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses and 21st in Strokes Gained: Putting on fast Bermudagrass greens.

In addition to his strong recent play, the Swede also has played well at Memorial Park. In 2022, Noren finished T4 at the event, gaining 2.2 strokes off the tee and 7.0 strokes on approach for the week. In his two starts at the course, he’s gained an average of .6 strokes per round on the field, indicating he is comfortable on these greens.

Noren has been due for a win for what feels like an eternity, but Memorial Park may be the course that suits him well enough for him to finally get his elusive first PGA Tour victory.

Mackenzie Hughes +8000 (FanDuel)

Mackenzie Hughes found himself deep into contention at last week’s Valspar Championship before faltering late and finishing in a tie for 3rd place. While he would have loved to win the event, it’s hard to see the performance as anything other than an overwhelming positive sign for the Canadian.

Hughes has played great golf at Memorial Park in the past. He finished T7 in 2020, T29 in 2021 and T16 in 2022. The course fit seems to be quite strong for Hughes. He’s added distance off the tee in the past year or and ranks 8th in the field for apex height, which will be a key factor when hitting into Memorial Park’s elevated greens with steep run-off areas.

In his past 24 rounds, Hughes is the best player in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Greens. The ability to scramble at this course will be extremely important. I believe Hughes can build off of his strong finish last week and contend once again to cement himself as a President’s Cup consideration.

Akshay Bhatia +8000 (FanDuel)

Akshay Bhatia played well last week at the Valspar and seemed to be in total control of his golf ball. He finished in a tie for 17th and shot an impressive -3 on a difficult Sunday. After struggling Thursday, Akshay shot 68-70-68 in his next three rounds.

Thus far, Bhatia has played better at easier courses, but his success at Copperhead may be due to his game maturing. The 22-year-old has enormous potential and the raw talent to be one of the best players in the world when he figures it all out.

Bhatia is a high upside play with superstar qualities and may just take the leap forward to the next stage of his career in the coming months.

Cameron Champ +12000 (FanDuel)

Cameron Champ is a player I often target in the outright betting market due to his “boom-or-bust” nature. It’s hard to think of a player in recent history with three PGA Tour wins who’s been as inconsistent as Champ has over the course of his career.

Despite the erratic play, Cam Champ simply knows how to win. He’s won in 2018, 2019 and 2021, so I feel he’s due for a win at some point this season. The former Texas A&M product should be comfortable in Texas and last week he showed us that his game is in a pretty decent spot.

Over his past 24 rounds, Champ ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 30th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses. Given his ability to spike at any given time, Memorial Park is a good golf course to target Champ on at triple digit odds.

Robert MacIntyre +12000 (FanDuel)

The challenge this week is finding players who can possibly beat Scottie Scheffler while also not dumping an enormous amount of money into an event that has a player at the top that looks extremely dangerous. Enter McIntyre, who’s another boom-or-bust type player who has the ceiling to compete with anyone when his game is clicking on all cylinders.

In his past 24 rounds, MacIntyre ranks 16th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 17th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 10th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses.

MacIntyre’s PGA Tour season has gotten off to a slow start, but he finished T6 in Mexico, which is a course where players will hit driver on the majority of their tee shots, which is what we will see at Memorial Park. Texas can also get quite windy, which should suit MacIntyre. Last July, the Scot went toe to toe with Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open before a narrow defeat. It would take a similar heroic effort to compete with Scheffler this year in Houston.

Ryan Moore +15000 (FanDuel)

Ryan Moore’s iron play has been absolutely unconscious over his past few starts. At The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field, he gained 6.1 strokes on approach and last week at Copperhead, he gained 9.0 strokes on approach.

It’s been a rough handful of years on Tour for the 41-year-old, but he is still a five-time winner on the PGA Tour who’s young enough for a career resurgence. Moore has chronic deterioration in a costovertebral joint that connects the rib to the spine, but has been getting more consistent of late, which is hopefully a sign that he is getting healthy.

Veterans have been contending in 2024 and I believe taking a flier on a proven Tour play who’s shown signs of life is a wise move at Memorial Park.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 13
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

Opinion & Analysis

Ryan: Why the race to get better at golf might be doing more harm than good

Published

on

B.F. Skinner was one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century, developing the foundation of the development of reinforcement, and in doing so, creating the concept of behaviorism. In simple terms, this means that we are conditioned by our habits. In practical terms, it explains the divide between the few and far between elite instructors and college coaches.

To understand the application, let’s quickly review one of B.F. Skinner’s most important experiments; superstitions in the formation of behavior by pigeons. In this experiment, food was dispensed to pigeons at random intervals. Soon, according to Skinner, the pigeons began to associate whatever action they were doing at the time of the food being dispensed. According to Skinner, this conditioned that response and soon, they simply haphazardly repeated the action, failing to distinguish between cause and correlation (and in the meantime, looking really funny!).

Now, this is simply the best way to describe the actions of most every women’s college golf coach and too many instructors in America. They see something work, get positive feedback and then become conditioned to give the feedback, more and more, regardless of if it works (this is also why tips from your buddies never work!).

Go to a college event, particularly a women’s one, and you will see coaches running all over the place. Like the pigeons in the experiment, they have been conditioned into a codependent relationship with their players in which they believe their words and actions, can transform a round of golf. It is simply hilarious while being equally perturbing

In junior golf, it’s everywhere. Junior golf academies make a living selling parents that a hysterical coach and over-coaching are essential ingredients in your child’s success.

Let’s be clear, no one of any intellect has any real interest in golf — because it’s not that interesting. The people left, including most coaches and instructors, carve out a small fiefdom, usually on the corner of the range, where they use the illusion of competency to pray on people. In simple terms, they baffle people with the bullshit of pseudo-science that they can make you better, after just one more lesson.

The reality is that life is an impromptu game. The world of golf, business, and school have a message that the goal is being right. This, of course, is bad advice, being right in your own mind is easy, trying to push your ideas on others is hard. As a result, it is not surprising that the divorce rate among golf professionals and their instructors is 100 percent. The transfer rate among college players continues to soar, and too many courses have a guy peddling nefarious science to good people. In fact, we do at my course!

The question is, what impact does all this have on college-age and younger kids? At this point, we honestly don’t know. However, I am going to go out on a limb and say it isn’t good.

Soren Kierkegaard once quipped “I saw it for what it is, and I laughed.” The actions of most coaches and instructors in America are laughable. The problem is that I am not laughing because they are doing damage to kids, as well as driving good people away from this game.

The fact is that golfers don’t need more tips, secrets, or lessons. They need to be presented with a better understanding of the key elements of golf. With this understanding, they can then start to frame which information makes sense and what doesn’t. This will emancipate them and allow them to take charge of their own development.

Your Reaction?
  • 14
  • LEGIT4
  • WOW1
  • LOL2
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB0
  • SHANK11

Continue Reading

19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Valspar Championship betting preview: Elite ballstrikers to thrive at Copperhead

Published

on

The PGA TOUR will stay in Florida this week for the 2024 Valspar Championship.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort is a par 71 measuring 7,340 yards and features Bermudagrass greens overseeded with POA. Infamous for its difficulty, the track will be a tough test for golfers as trouble lurks all over the place. Holes 16, 17 and 18 — also known as the “Snake Pit” — make up one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf and should lead to a captivating finish on Sunday.

The field is comprised of 156 golfers teeing it up. The field this week is solid and is a major improvement over last year’s field that felt the impact of players skipping due to a handful of “signature events” in a short span of time. 

Past Winners at Valspar Championship

  • 2023: Taylor Moore (-10)
  • 2022: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2021: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2019: Paul Casey (-8)
  • 2018: Paul Casey (-10)
  • 2017: Adam Hadwin (-14)
  • 2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
  • 2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)

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 Copperhead

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach grades out as the most important statistic once again this week. Copperhead really can’t be overpowered and is a second-shot golf course.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds (per round)

  1. Tony Finau (+.90)
  2. Nick Taylor (+.81)
  3. Justin Thomas (+.77)
  4. Greyson Sigg (+.69)
  5. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+.67)

2. Good Drive %

The long hitters can be a bit limited here due to the tree-lined fairways and penal rough. Playing from the fairways will be important, but laying back too far will cause some difficult approaches with firm greens that may not hold shots from long irons.

Golfers who have a good balance of distance and accuracy have the best chance this week.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+91.3%) 
  2. Zach Johnson (+91.1%)
  3. Sam Ryder (+90.5%)
  4. Ryan Moore (+90.4%)
  5. Aaron Rai (+89.7%)

3. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Adding ball-striking puts even more of a premium on tee-to-green prowess in the statistical model this week. Golfers who rank highly in ball-striking are in total control of the golf ball which is exceedingly important at Copperhead.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds:

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1.32)
  2. Keith Mitchell (+1.29)
  3. Tony Finau (+1.24)
  4. Cameron Young (+1.17) 
  5. Doug Ghim (+.95)

4. Bogey Avoidance

With the conditions likely to be difficult, avoiding bogeys will be crucial this week. In a challenging event like the Valspar, oftentimes the golfer who is best at avoiding mistakes ends up on top.

Gritty golfers who can grind out difficult pars have a much better chance in an event like this than a low-scoring birdie-fest.

Bogey Avoidance Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+9.0)
  2. Xander Schauffele (+9.3)
  3. Austin Cook (+9.7) 
  4. Chesson Hadley (+10.0)
  5. Greyson Sigg (+10.2)

5. Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions

Conditions will be tough this week at Copperhead. I am looking for golfers who can rise to the occasion if the course plays as difficult as it has in the past.

Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1,71) 
  2. Min Woo Lee (+1.39)
  3. Cameron Young (+1.27)
  4. Jordan Spieth (+1.08)
  5. Justin Suh (+.94)

6. Course History

That statistic will tell us which players have played well at Copperhead in the past.

Course History Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+3.75) 
  2. Sam Burns (+2.49)
  3. Davis Riley (+2.33)
  4. Matt NeSmith (+2.22)
  5. Jordan Spieth (+2.04)

The Valspar Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), Good Drive % (15%), SG: BS (20%), Bogeys Avoided (13%), Course History (13%) Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions (12%).

  1. Xander Schauffele
  2. Doug Ghim
  3. Victor Perez
  4. Greyson Sigg
  5. Ryan Moore
  6. Tony Finau
  7. Justin Thomas
  8. Sam Ryder
  9. Sam Burns
  10. Lucas Glover

2024 Valspar Championship Picks

Justin Thomas +1400 (DraftKings)

Justin Thomas will be disappointed with his finish at last week’s PLAYERS Championship, as the past champion missed the cut despite being in some decent form heading into the event. Despite the missed cut, JT hit the ball really well. In his two rounds, the two-time major champion led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach per round.

Thomas has been up and down this season. He’s missed the cut in two “signature events” but also has finishes of T12 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T12 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, T6 at the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am and T3 at the American Express. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking in the field.

Thomas loves Copperhead. In his last three tries at the course, he’s finished T13, T3 and T10. Thomas would have loved to get a win at a big event early in the season, but avoidable mistakes and a balky putter have cost him dearly. I believe a trip to a course he loves in a field he should be able to capitalize on is the right recipe for JT to right the ship.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6000 (FanDuel)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout is playing spectacular golf in the 2024 season. He finished 2nd at the American Express, T20 at Pebble Beach and T24 at the Genesis Invitational before finishing T13 at last week’s PLAYERS Championship.

In his past 24 rounds, the South African ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 26th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. Bezuidenhout managed to work his way around TPC Sawgrass last week with minimal damage. He only made five bogeys in the entire week, which is a great sign heading into a difficult Copperhead this week.

Bezuidenhout is winless in his PGA Tour career, but certainly has the talent to win on Tour. His recent iron play tells me that this week could be a breakthrough for the 35-year-old who has eyes on the President’s Cup.

Doug Ghim +8000 (FanDuel)

Doug Ghim has finished in the top-16 of his past five starts. Most recently, Ghim finished T16 at The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field.

In his past 24 rounds, Ghim ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 5th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. In terms of his fit for Copperhead, the 27-year-old ranks 12th in Bogey Avoidance and 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions, making him a great fit for the course.

Ghim has yet to win on Tour, but at one point he was the top ranked Amateur golfer in the world and played in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup and 2017 Walker Cup. He then won the Ben Hogan award for the best male college golfer in 2018. He certainly has the talent, and there are signals aplenty that his talent in ready to take him to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour.

Sepp Straka +8000 (BetRivers)

Sepp Straka is a player who’s shown he has the type of game that can translate to a difficult Florida golf course. The former Presidents Cup participant won the 2022 Honda Classic in tough conditions and should thrive with a similar test at Copperhead.

It’s been a slow 2024 for Straka, but his performance last week at the PLAYERS Championship surely provides some optimism. He gained 5.4 strokes on approach as well as 1.88 strokes off the tee. The tee-to-green game Straka showed on a course with plenty of danger demonstrates that he can stay in control of his golf ball this week.

It’s possible that the strong performance last week was an outlier, but I’m willing to bet on a proven winner in a weaker field at a great number.

Victor Perez +12000 (FanDuel)

Victor Perez is no stranger to success in professional golf. The Frenchman has three DP World Tour wins including a Rolex Series event. He won the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as well as the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which are some big events.

Perez earned his PGA Tour card this season and enters the week playing some fantastic golf. He finished in a tie for 16th in Florida at the Cognizant Classic and then tied for third in his most recent start at the Puerto Rico Open.

In his past 24 rounds in the field, Perez ranks 11th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 1oth in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Good Drive % and 15th in Bogey Avoidance.

Perez comes in as a perfect fit for Copperhead and offers serious value at triple-digit odds.

Your Reaction?
  • 16
  • LEGIT3
  • WOW2
  • LOL1
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB2
  • SHANK6

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending