Opinion & Analysis

10 reasons to add performance-tracking to your game

Published

9 years ago

Jun 9, 2015

There’s simply no denying the fact that statistics have taken over the game of golf. ShotLink has become as much a part of a PGA Tour event as equipment trucks, corporate tents and tournament-goers yelling “get in the hole!” after nearly every shot.

Indeed, it’s quite clear that the data revolution is here.

Thanks to affordable and quite useful technology, there are also a number of products that make it a reality for any player to access the kind of ShotLink-quality data and analysis that was previously only accessible to Tour pros. But, now that you have access to your data, what are you supposed to do with it? How does that help you play better and enjoy the game more?

Those are two questions we aim to answer day-in and day-out at Arccos Golf. One of our charges is to make “performance tracking” as much a part of the game as hybrids and spikeless shoes.

With that in mind, here are 10 reasons to add performance-tracking to your game.

Know Your Distances

Understanding your average and longest distances are the obvious benefits of tracking your performance. Whether factoring in your average distance for a tee shot or seeking ultimate distance control on an approach shot to a tucked pin, knowing your distances is incredibly powerful.

Club Usage

How often do you use your 3 iron? Should you swap out a fairway wood for a hybrid? Are you considering adding an extra wedge to your bag? When factoring club usage into performance tracking, the information gained is usually surprising and always insightful.

Mark Your Misses

Most golfers will agree that big changes often require little action. A simple alignment issue could very well be the reason you’re missing more greens than normal. Understanding percentage of misses — whether left, right, long or short — can help diagnose what’s causing them in the first place, letting you worry about the tweak needed to return you to the right path.

Hole History

We all have that hole. We either love it, or we despise it. Unfortunately for most of us, it’s usually the latter. Regardless, performance-tracking can give you a clearer picture of past performances on any given hole or course. Local knowledge is one of the most valuable tools of the trade in golf. Knowing how you’ve performed on a hole takes that knowledge one step further.

Goal Setting

We all want to get better, don’t we? When it comes down to it, you’ll never improve — or even maintain — in this difficult game without fully understanding where you need to get better. Performance-tracking allows you to better understand where you need to improve and makes measuring that improvement a breeze so you can focus on achieving your golf goals.

Bragging Rights

Did you blast a drive? Have you recorded your lowest round? Are you achieving your golf goals with help from performance tracking? Feel free to tell the world by sharing some of your progress on social media or showing your achievements to your friends.

Finding Your Ball

If you’re having trouble finding your ball, a performance tracker can aid in finding it. Put the guessing and aimless wandering to a minimum. Use your average distances and internal rangefinder functionality to find your ball quicker by zeroing in on the likely distance it traveled. The course rangers and everyone playing behind you will thank you.

Category Breakdown

Handicap indexes are great to summarize your complete game based on course slope and rating. Adding performance tracking to your game will unlock in-depth statistics and handicap information for all areas of your game, again helping you hone in on improvement areas and identify your strengths and weaknesses.

In-Depth Analytics

With all that data captured seamlessly during play, you’ll receive concise and measurable statistics and analysis that go beyond the age-old methods. Performance-tracking captures every shot and aggregates your complete game.

Data Not Habit

Too often, we rely on habit to pick a club and hit a shot. The data acquired on your game when tracking your performance can help you make informed decisions while on the course all for the betterment of your game.

The easiest way to understand performance-tracking is to start at the beginning. It’s actually a concept that’s been in golf for quite some time. Charting your putts, fairways hit or missed and greens in regulation aren’t new techniques.

It’s how you gain that information that’s changed. It’s what you do with that information that’s new.

Whether using scorecards, spreadsheets, Arccos, or one of the many other shot-tracking apps or products, ensure that performance-tracking becomes a key part of your game. Your game will thank you.

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Hole 1: The day I met Ben Hogan

Ben Larsen

Ben Larsen serves as Strategic Content Manager at Arccos Golf. Prior to joining Team Arccos, Ben spent more than a decade in the sports media as a writer, editor, columnist and managing editor, including stints at ESPN, AmateurGolf.com and Back9Network. Having been bitten by the golf bug nearly 20 years ago, Ben takes great pride in honing his daughter's swing, saving par and never, under any circumstances laying up.

23 Comments

Chris n

Jun 15, 2015 at 9:25 am

I’m actually interested in the arccos system, but having an “article” on the value of shot data written by a paid pr person from arccos doesn’t inspire confidence in the other information on this site. Most other sites that have “advertorial” content label it in some way. You should really have labeled this as sponsored content. I should have to read the author bio to see he works for arccos.

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Hellstorm

Jun 12, 2015 at 5:35 pm

I picked up GameGolf last year and the tapping the club is not really a big deal. In fact, I think it actually helped me develop more of a preshot routine which was much more scattered before. Once I am good with the club I’m hitting, I line up my shot, tap it on the belt and step in and hit. There really isn’t much to it. The stats have actually helped improve my game a little as well, especially on courses I play frequently. I like going home after I am finished playing and looking over the round. for those unfamiliar, you can edit shots out as well….so if you are hitting a 3/4 wedge or something that is not a full swing or a normal shot, you just edit that shot out so its not calculated in the averages. If you remember its a 3/4 wedge or 1/2 wedge, you can save it as that as well.

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ML

Jun 11, 2015 at 8:09 pm

I hit shots with my pitching wedge that range from 100 yards to 140

It does no good for the guy that hits shots IMO unless I’m missing something

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Hunter

Jun 10, 2015 at 11:58 pm

It shows by the comments its not for everyone and that’s ok, but the people who like gadgets and want all the advantage they can get, go for it!! If it can be measured it can be managed has been a management strategy that many employ in day to day living, why not take this to our hobbies or ( obsessions… ) I play in a social group of 12 guys, 2 of us want one and cant wait to get an Arccos system and that probably where the system is in social golf. If 10 of the 12 wanted one they might not be $400

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Sean

Jun 10, 2015 at 10:30 pm

I am one of those that is not a proponent of keeping statistics. I know my yardages, my common misses, and when to take a risk, and when not to. In addition, one can get so caught up in statistics that one forgets to play golf. Also, whether it’s something on a phone, or something on one’s belt, it’s just one more gadget. I like to keep it simple: me, my clubs, and my rangefinder.

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Brian DeBlis

Jun 10, 2015 at 6:15 pm

It would be great if it ever recorded your shots. I have used for a month. Out of 10 rounds it has recorded 2 full rounds! I keep my phone in my pocket the whole time. I know the batteries are all good as I check before shots, but it still does not record! Very big disappointment

Reply Report comment
- Ben Larsen
  
  Jun 11, 2015 at 11:34 am
  
  Hi Brian: Sorry to hear of your negative experience so far. At your convenience, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Experience team, which will diagnose the issue and get things optimized for you. You can reach them here: http://www.arccosgolf.com/pages/contact
  
  Reply Report comment
tony

Jun 10, 2015 at 3:59 pm

Pretty weak to limit it to only iOS platform users. I guess it makes it easier to decide if I’ll ever try it out.

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Tom

Jun 10, 2015 at 7:52 am

This are 10 reasons not to waste your time on timewasting gizmos…play golf with a clear head without thinking of anything.

So you know your misses doesnt guarantee you will miss your next shot there….you hit your 7 iron 163 yards well i can tell you that your next 7 iron aint going that distance.

I putted badly today let me work on my putting or my chipping was off let me work on it.Don t need an app for that.

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- TR1PTIK
  
  Jun 10, 2015 at 8:51 am
  
  You’re right, you won’t always hit your club the same distance – that’s why AVERAGES are so important. This is especially true for those who are new to the game or just bad at eyeballing distances (like me). I don’t understand why so many golfers have such distaste for technology on the golf course. They all moan about how it slows down the pace of play or people get too wrapped up into their phones etc., etc., but those are blanket statements that don’t apply to everyone who turns to technology for help. I’ve had plenty of people try and tell me what to do or not to do on the golf course, and you know what? Unless it’s actually interfering with someone else, or in breach of the rules, it’s none of your business how I play the game. We all have our own way of doing things.
  
  Btw, your “10 reasons not to waste your time on timewasting gizmos” only amounted to 2. 2 reason not to waste time on timewasting gizmos, and they’re shaky reasons at best.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Tom
    
    Jun 10, 2015 at 10:36 am
    
    I was just giving you a general view of my opinion be free to use a rangefinder or whatever you wish as long as you are not slowing people down.
    
    No great players used these trevino…hogan ….palmer ….woods …..they learnt to hit the ball well by spending hours on the range not disecting their stats on a screen.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Kevin
      
      Jun 10, 2015 at 1:56 pm
      
      obviously those didnt use something like this because the technology wasnt there
      
      Reply Report comment
ParHunter

Jun 10, 2015 at 6:40 am

At first I thought 7) Ball Finder was a brilliant idea and in most cases I expect it to work nicely, however if you play a tree lined course it might not work. If you slice it into the trees it is likely the shot will be a lot shorter as it will have it a tree.

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KK

Jun 9, 2015 at 11:30 pm

Thanks for the insight!

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John Dougherty

Jun 9, 2015 at 11:16 pm

I use the Hole19 app, it’s free and gives me awesome stats! Love it!

Reply Report comment
- TR1PTIK
  
  Jun 10, 2015 at 8:55 am
  
  I use Golfshot and have enjoyed it for quite some time, but I recently switched from Android to iOS so I am having to adjust the way I do things ever so slightly. I do think Arccos and Game Golf have their place and can help you save a little bit of time (no more pulling out the phone to press a button for shot-tracking, then having to press another button when you get to your ball then select the club from a list, and finally hit yet another button), but the GPS apps offered on Android and iOS have really evolved into useful tools for those of us who care to use them.
  
  Reply Report comment
Nah

Jun 9, 2015 at 7:48 pm

$399 is a lot for an App

Reply Report comment
- Brian
  
  Jun 10, 2015 at 7:09 am
  
  $299 on Amazon. $309 with a battery pack/charger combo and benefits The Dan Plan. Just saying. Still pricey.
  
  Reply Report comment
MHendon

Jun 9, 2015 at 6:53 pm

Give it to me for free and I’ll use it. Otherwise I can keep up with my most important stats pretty simply. FIR, GIR, Putts, score.

Reply Report comment
Ben Larsen

Jun 9, 2015 at 6:27 pm

Hi Guys: Arccos doesn’t require tapping. Via Bluetooth and GPS technology, it requires only a one-time pairing process. Indeed, there are lower-tech ways to track your performance. The data and analysis you can gain from the newer tech, however, is what makes “Performance Tracking” a key piece to the puzzle.

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snowman

Jun 9, 2015 at 6:07 pm

it depends on the definition of It….. I think Arccos product does not require the ‘tapping’ and the “Game Golf” Product Does. As the article mentions there are also other lower-tech methods and apps that you can use to do similar tracking.

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Nolanski

Jun 9, 2015 at 4:15 pm

It sounds awesome. Im at work and speed read this article but do you have to tap it against your belt before each shot or something? Cause I’m a scatter brain and I’ll forget that half the time…

Reply Report comment
- TR1PTIK
  
  Jun 10, 2015 at 8:39 am
  
  Arccos does not require you to tap. However, it does require you to carry the club upside down until you’re ready to hit the shot. I’ve read that this can be annoying for some in the beginning. Game Golf requires a tap which I think would be a little easier to remember in some ways, but I don’t like the idea of having to wear something on my belt that could fall off or get in the way. Both have their own positives and negatives, and both require you to change your habits a little bit on the course.
  
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Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1

Published

7 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Terry Koehler

Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.

Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.

But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.

To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.

Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.

If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.

In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.

Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.

While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.

So, what about grooves and face texture?

Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.

Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.

But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?

The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.

So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.

And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.

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Golf's Perfect Imperfections

Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement

Published

7 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.

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19th Hole

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

Published

3 days 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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