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Opinion & Analysis

Hit it like a girl for more distance

Published

9 years ago

on

This story was selected as one of the 15 best GolfWRX stories of 2015!

Did you know that your club speed is much more likely to resemble that of an LPGA Tour player than a PGA Tour player? Sure all golfers want to swing like Rory, Tiger, Jordan or Jason, but due to differences in swing speed that may not be optimal for you. In fact, less than 2 percent of all amateur golfers, regardless of handicap, have a driver club speed that is equal to or greater than the PGA Tour average of 113 mph.

So… what can we learn from LPGA Tour players that can help all golfers perform better? EFFICIENCY. As a whole, LPGA Tour players are the most efficient group of golfers on the planet. This article will look specifically at the driver and how you can attain greater distance.

First, see the following chart, which shows the distribution of driver club speed across all male amateur golfers, regardless of handicap. Over 50 percent of all male golfers have a driver club speed between 87 mph and 103 mph.

GolfWRX_Chart

Next, we will overlay the ranges of the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players onto that same chart. It is easy to see that the male golfing population is much more similar to the LPGA Tour than the PGA Tour in swing speed. In fact, the club speeds seen on the LPGA Tour represent more than two-thirds of the male golfing population.

GolfWRX_Chart

Now let’s look at what makes the LPGA Tour players so efficient. The first thing to notice is smash factor. Smash factor represents how efficiently club speed is turned into ball speed. And more ball speed means more distance. Both the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour players average a 1.49 smash factor. That is very efficient.

On the other hand, the average smash factor for all male amateurs is 1.41. Even though 1.49 versus 1.41 may not sound like a big difference, it equates to 15 yards for someone with a club speed of 94 mph, which is the average club speed for both the LPGA Tour and the male amateur. The following chart shows how much distance is lost versus the average LPGA Tour player based only on smash factor.

Screen Shot 2015-09-11 at 4.05.51 PM

The other main reason for LPGA players’ efficiency is their attack angle. Club speed and attack angle dictate a golfer’s potential distance with the driver. TrackMan first started collecting data on the range at PGA and LPGA Tour events in 2007. During that year, we worked with more than 100 players on both the men’s and women’s side. It quickly became apparent that the women did something that most men did not — they hit up on the ball with the driver. The LPGA Tour averaged a positive attack angle with their driver, whereas the PGA Tour averaged a negative attack angle. That holds true still to this day.

How does attack angle translate into potential distance? We will use a club speed of 94 mph again to illustrate the differences. The following chart shows the optimal launch, spin, and carry based on the club speed and attack angle.

Screen Shot 2015-09-11 at 4.06.41 PM

The average attack angle on the LPGA Tour is +2 degrees and the average for the male amateur is -2 degrees. This difference in attack angle means the LPGA player can carry the ball 9 yards farther than the male amateur if both players create the optimal launch and spin. Also, keep in mind that this 9-yard difference is in addition to the 15-yard difference that we saw earlier due to smash factor.

Now, neither group has the perfect launch and spin, but let’s look at what each group does produce on average.

Screen Shot 2015-09-11 at 4.07.25 PM

The average LPGA player generates nearly ideal spin, but launches it slightly low side for optimizing carry. This combination reduces maximum carry slightly, but allows them to create a little more bounce and roll. On the other hand, the male amateur has a good launch angle but produces more spin than desired. This combination will slightly reduce the carry, as well as the bounce and roll.

It’s important to note that having a positive attack angle and high smash factor doesn’t automatically mean you will maximize distance. An efficient impact position as well as a properly fitted club are critical pieces of the equation. That is why it is important to find a Certified TrackMan Professional who can help you achieve your optimal values.

To review:

  • Create a positive attack angle to maximize potential distance.
  • Generate a high smash factor to create maximum ball speed.
  • Produce an impact position that delivers the club efficiently to the golf ball.
  • Get fit for a driver that allows you to take full advantage of your swing.

Don’t be afraid to hit like a girl because that is the standard that we should all try to achieve!

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Justin Padjen, business development for TrackMan, has worked with more than 200 PGA and LPGA Tour professionals, including multiple world No. 1's. His knowledge of the science of golf has led to audiences with the top players, coaches, universities, and manufacturers in the world. Justin studied Electrical Engineering at North Carolina State University before earning a Master’s in Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University. His current focus is TrackMan University, which is revolutionizing the way golf is taught and understood.

29 Comments

29 Comments

  1. devilsadvocate

    Sep 19, 2015 at 10:44 am

    Low points for the comments today… Great article and good points made….

    Reply Report comment

  2. devilsadvocate

    Sep 19, 2015 at 10:11 am

    Wow low points for the comments section today… Upward attack angle favors distance over accuracy which is why lpga tour players tend to hit up on the tee ball. Downward attack angle puts more backspin and less sidespin which favors accuracy at the cost of distance which is why MOST pga tour players hit down on it, read MOST not ALL… Some pga tour players do hit up on it for more distance ala spieth bubba j Thomas etc

    Reply Report comment

  3. marcel

    Sep 16, 2015 at 9:22 pm

    great article. i have always known I am an average lady golfer 😉

    Reply Report comment

  4. Larry

    Sep 16, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    Not sure what the author is trying to say. Other than club head speed what are the key differences between page and lpga players? Are they doing something different technique wise? If they are its not clear to me what it is.

    Reply Report comment

    • devilsadvocate

      Sep 19, 2015 at 9:55 am

      Lol the entire article is dedicated to answering that question

      Reply Report comment

    • devilsadvocate

      Sep 19, 2015 at 4:16 pm

      Technique – play the ball more forward, tee it higher, stay behind the ball on your downswing as much as you can and swing out to the right more to counter gear effect with your new upward attack angle… Remember that with the ball teed higher you should address the ball towards the toe if you ground your driver before you swing because it is slightly closer to you than it would be if it were on the ground…. Enjoy your added carry and roll

      Reply Report comment

  5. other paul

    Sep 15, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    I will stick with hitting it like a man. Far and offline (Almost got the hook beat by turning it in to a push draw)And hitting down a little. Nothing screams hack like hitting the ground before the ball when its on a tee which is what happens when I try to swing up at it. Swinging level is much easier.

    Reply Report comment

    • Cliff

      Sep 22, 2015 at 1:08 pm

      You can’t beat a hook with a push draw! Good try tho lol!

      Reply Report comment

  6. jakeanderson

    Sep 15, 2015 at 4:56 am

    i am sorry, but i find this article terribly misleading. while it is true that swing speed-wise the average male golfer correlates more with the average lpga-professional, the differences in flexibility and strenght must not be understated. a great many amateurs swing the way they do, because they lack flexibilty. in contrast lpga-players are extremely flexibel, even compared with pga-tour players. therefore the best role-models for average players are champions tour players, because they share the same physical limitations.

    Reply Report comment

    • Jack

      Sep 16, 2015 at 12:05 am

      If amateur golfers could really swing like LPGA players, then they’d all be scoring below part, even from the white tees. It’s not even close. But I get what the article is trying to say. We should try to emulate the technically proficient swings of the LPGA players. We’re more likely to match their swing speed the the PGA guys. Most guys like to say they have 120mph swings etc, but the truth is most swing in the 80’s and can at most hit 90’s with some training.

      And the key point that’s lost is that their swing is a lot better than any of ours. That’s what we need to improve on.

      Reply Report comment

  7. Dpavs

    Sep 14, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    Good article. This is something that most PGA teachers I have spoken to have said for a while now… most amateurs should be watching and emulating the LPGA, not the PGA players because characteristically they are closer to the gals than the guys.

    Also anyone who thought this was sexist at all… all I can say is good grief… there’s a line that is simply not acceptable and should not be crossed we all know that… but maybe its high time to get off those all too too politically correct soap boxes and lighten up already.

    Reply Report comment

  8. Philip

    Sep 14, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    Don’t you think the title and context of the article is misleading? You are obviously not telling average male golfers to emulate the swings of young “way more flexible” women with different body structures – that’s like asking an older male elephant to gallop like a young female gazelle – traction anyone? As far as the four points you conclude with, they are also used by PGA Tour golfers – nothing to do with swinging like a “girl”? Besides, a great swing is a great swing due to technique – not sex! Based on trackman data PGA players smash factors from as low as 1.424 to as high as 1.539 and launch angles ranging from -2 to almost 20 degrees. I think the average male golfer would be better off studying PGA players – not just watching them play – and consider trying out technique that they notice quite a few different type of players doing in a similar way, as there is likely a very good reason why.

    Reply Report comment

    • Nomnom

      Sep 15, 2015 at 3:12 am

      I’d say swing like Bernhard Langer for the rest of your life

      Reply Report comment

    • other paul

      Sep 15, 2015 at 1:29 pm

      Good points. Why swing like an average player on tour though? Why not try and learn the swings of the elite players instead?

      Reply Report comment

      • Philip

        Sep 15, 2015 at 2:41 pm

        Agree – since I do not have a TV I use PGA Tour Live as my source and so far I have improved my grip for my swing, my driver, my putting setup and how I approach playing a course from studying the best players shown to-date as they play the entire round. I find marquee coverage a great learning aid.

        Reply Report comment

  9. Bryan P

    Sep 14, 2015 at 2:32 pm

    “You swing like a girl!” *Sandlot voice*

    …”Thanks!”

    Reply Report comment

  10. KCCO

    Sep 14, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    I’ve always thought and was told I was supposed to hit slightly up on my driver, and have had success. I really don’t know, so that’s why I’m asking. Isn’t that the purpose of having ball on a tee and more forward in your stance? I always thought the idea was to catch the ball on a slight up swing. And I though it was mentioned, but I’ve seen my smash factor all most max out by shortening my driver, and have repetitive or consistent ball marks on the face of my driver. I don’t have exact numbers to prove, but can say 8 outta 10 balls are on exact same location of driver, where I would be lucky to acheive that maybe 5-6 outta 10 on the correct spot of my driver, only by visual and smash factor numbers as proof, but that 3/4 inch shorter driver shaft may have lost a few feet, but higher smash, more consistent sweet spot equals better off the tee for me. Just my .02

    Reply Report comment

  11. Nevin

    Sep 14, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    Very good article. I think that many amateur male golfers would play better by emulating the tempo and swings of the LPGA pros. I know it helps my game more when I watch the LPGA.

    Reply Report comment

  12. Brian

    Sep 14, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    This is EXACTLY why I swing the way I do. I’ve spent so much time this year getting tempo down so that I don’t need to swing hard. Good, solid contact and a shot in the middle of the fairway is much more important to me than an extra ten yards. I’ll just go a club up and be on in two, thanks.

    I left my swing video in the forums the other day and someone said it had some characteristics of Lexi Thompson’s, so I went and watched some analysis of her swing. I have to say that I’m okay with that.

    Reply Report comment

  13. Dudley Rogers

    Sep 14, 2015 at 11:02 am

    What a sexist article! I guess since most of your readers are males, you can get away with saying something like this. Have you not seen the #LikeAGirl campaign that Always is pushing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

    Reply Report comment

  14. mlecuni

    Sep 14, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Hey Justin, very nice article.
    Do you think, we can learn about the shaft/flex/fcm, they use on LPGA to improve too ?

    Thanks !

    Reply Report comment

  15. LK

    Sep 14, 2015 at 10:20 am

    I don’t think anyone would argue that LPGA players are as strong as the average man so I hope people use this as reinforcement of the fact that it is not muscle or effort alone that determines how far you hit the ball. The big difference is that most average golfers really have no idea how to efficiently use their bodies and gravity in the golf swing. I have never understood why so many men refuse to give up the “hack” swing and actually try to retrain their bodies to be efficient. The arms and hands are not the motor of the golf swing.

    Reply Report comment

  16. Tom Stickney II

    Sep 14, 2015 at 10:16 am

    Fantastic article.

    Reply Report comment

  17. AllBOdoesisgolf

    Sep 14, 2015 at 10:13 am

    the hypocrisy of when it’s ok to use certain phrases is astounding…

    Reply Report comment

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Opinion & Analysis

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

Published

1 day ago

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Apr 18, 2024

By

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

1 day ago

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Apr 18, 2024

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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

4 days ago

on

Apr 15, 2024

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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

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
  2. Tom Hoge (+1.27)
  3. Corey Conners (+1.16)
  4. Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
  5. 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

  1. Brice Garnett (88.8%)
  2. Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
  3. Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
  4. Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
  5. 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:

  1. Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
  3. Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
  4. Brian Harman (+1.89)
  5. 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

  1. Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
  2. Taylor Moore (+1.02)
  3. Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
  4. Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
  5. 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:

  1. Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
  3. Corey Conners (+69.0%)
  4. Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
  5. 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:

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
  2. Cam Davis (+2.05)
  3. J.T. Poston (+1.69)
  4. Justin Rose (+1.68)
  5. 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%)

  1. Shane Lowry
  2. Russell Henley
  3. Scottie Scheffler
  4. Xander Schauffele
  5. Corey Conners 
  6. Wyndham Clark
  7. Christiaan Bezuidenhout
  8. Matt Fitzpatrick
  9. Cameron Young
  10. 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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WITB

Whats in the Bag2 days ago

Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)

Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.  Driver: TaylorMade...
Whats in the Bag2 days ago

WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2022 RBC Heritage

At the 2022 RBC Heritage Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole after nearly holing his greenside...
Whats in the Bag3 days ago

Jason Day WITB 2024 (April)

Jason Day what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage.  Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @10) Shaft: TPT...
Whats in the Bag3 days ago

Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)

Ludvig Åberg what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage.  Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)...

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