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Using beauty (and social media) to break down sexism in golf

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“You know what ‘golf’ stands for, right? Gentleman Only, Ladies Forbidden!”

Hang around a golf course long enough, and you’ll undoubtedly hear a male golfer say that. Then you’ll hear an obligatory chuckle from fellow male golfers who pretend they haven’t heard the joke before.

It’s no secret that golf has been an inherently sexist, male-dominated sport since its beginnings. The proof isn’t difficult to find. Augusta National didn’t allow its first female member until 2012 (it was founded in 1932), and private golf clubs scattered across the country and world remain male-exclusive. But while men haven’t always been welcoming toward women golfers, many women haven’t been drawn to the game like men have, either.

“For girls, [golf] isn’t that cool thing to do,” SAID 2015 Miss America Kira Kazantsev.

Kazantsev won the Miss America Beauty pageant in 2015, and she plays golf in celebrity events around the country carrying a 19-handicap. While she says golf hasn’t always been popular for young girls, social media is helping to shift that paradigm. Women such as Paige Spiranac, Elise Lobb and Blair O’Neal frequently post videos and photos of themselves playing golf, becoming popular figures in the game — maybe even role models in the process. It’s not a stretch to say they’re as popular, if not more popular, than the leading money winners on the LPGA Tour.

“This is making [golf] part of everyday culture for girls,” Kazantsev said.

Kazantsev also uses Instagram and Twitter to post photos and videos of herself on the golf course, among her other everyday interests such as fashion. To her, golf helps to build work ethic and discipline, and also opens doors in business. She says she wants to use her position to help encourage young girls to play golf.

“If you’re smart, beautiful and good at golf, You can do anything,” Kazantsev says. “A lot of business deals get closed on the golf course… and for a female to actually be able to play [golf], it’s totally different.”

Kazantsev told a story about a charity golf event she recently attended, which captured the essence of the paradigm shift regarding gender in golf.

“I was on one of the tees for a charity golf event doing a celebrity shot,” Kazantsev said. “One group of guys came up and started making jokes about me, you know, because I’m a woman… they bet me $500 I couldn’t put it in the fairway.”

She did hit the ball in the fairway and collected $500 for the charity.

Maybe those familiar sexist golf jokes will become a thing of the past as more and more young girls take to the course. It’s also possible that women like Kazantsev, by sharing their golf escapades on Instagram, are exactly what golf needs to brighten the future of the game.

If you’re curious about Kazantsev’s latest golfing adventures, here’s a brief gallery as posted on her social media accounts.

Not bad, Maui ???????? #Hawaii #Kapalua #Shwing #TheBay #WellDeservedVacay #Maui @adidas @callawaygolf @golfdigest

A photo posted by Kira Kazantsev (@realkirakazantsev) on

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He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

26 Comments

26 Comments

  1. Mat

    Mar 29, 2016 at 8:37 pm

    It may add participants, but waiving one’s sexuality around doesn’t end sexism. What would go 1000x further would be more mixed events between the PGA and LPGA. Make a much bigger deal about how women can play in a shorter time. Encourage the +3 pickup for ALL golfers. If you miss your double bogey, you get a triple. Move on, and don’t overly penalise players for pace.

    In fact, if you want to break down sexism, help women get handicaps. In fact, for all new players, they should have a “novice index” which is simply that you get a first handicap of not shooting a triple on 14/18 holes. It’s a yes/no step-through that speeds up the game. Achieve that mark, and you’ve hooked a player!

  2. kevinricci

    Mar 10, 2016 at 6:44 pm

    You people are so screwed up. At my club on Cape Cod, we play in mixed foursomes all the time. Women are humans, not sex toys.

  3. DB

    Mar 2, 2016 at 10:28 pm

    Mr. Tursky, I come here to read about golf, tour news, equipment, etc.

    I’m so sick of hearing about “isms” everywhere. Please don’t bring it here.

  4. Stymie

    Mar 1, 2016 at 10:03 pm

    …All a bit OTT really!

  5. Matthew Bacon

    Mar 1, 2016 at 7:46 pm

    I think the article was to be taken a little less seriously than most are taking it. Golf is unappealing to most young women and any way to get people exposed to the game can’t hurt. Will she change the landscape of golf, I don’t think so, but she may bring a few people in.

  6. Rilley

    Mar 1, 2016 at 7:34 pm

    Very simple win on PGA tour a few times and your marketable, win on LPGA tour and you better be good looking or you are not marketable…When Lexi Thomson wins how much coverage does she get compared to what Inbee Park gets when she wins…..or how about someone on the level of Natalie Gulbis one win in 15 years and her face is seen hundred times for every time we see Inbee’s….and how much media time has been spent on MS WIE the last 10 years….

    • mike

      Mar 9, 2016 at 1:24 pm

      I am going to disagree with you a little bit. Inbee has gotten a ton more publicity than natalie has in recent years. Women’s golf covers 2 types of golfers: those that win and those that are influencing and bringing girls to the game. Michelle and Paula havent won a ton as of late, but they do bring girls to the game. Ko and Brooke Henderson win a lot and also bring alot of younger girls to the game.

      Inbee gets tons of coverage when she wins, probably 2 years ago you couldnt mention women’s golf without Inbee when she was going for the slam. She is also very well know for her putting and when she is playing well, she is always shown on tv and talked about. I would argue they get about the same about of coverage, the only difference is Lexi has been hotter as of late. We all know golf media is pretty much covers people based on a ” what have you done for me lately” scale, and she has played great as of late. She is also a bomber, and everyone knows people love seeing the long ball.

      As far as I am concerned, aside from the Winn grip commercials, I didn’t realize natalie still played golf.

  7. Golfgirlrobin

    Mar 1, 2016 at 5:01 pm

    Holy crap, that was crap. Not just ordinary crap, but grade A crap.

    If you’re smart, beautiful and good at golf you can do anything? Really, did you just say that women need to be pretty to achieve? Cause I’m pretty sure you did. How about using your position, whatever that actually is, to encourage girls and women to succeed based on brains and ambition and not on flashing what you’ve got on Instagram.

    Men who think the golf course is their personal domain aren’t going to be convinced by pretty girls with a 19 handicap. Are they going to enjoy watching you bend over? Yes, but that’s the only reason you’ll be welcome.

    Plenty of great women golfers out there who can be followed on social media for reasons other than the length of their skirt. Actual success on the golf course is what will increase acceptance.

    • RHJazz

      Mar 1, 2016 at 9:20 pm

      Exactly – and well put! Using sex appeal to fight sexism? Seriously?! It’s not hard to see why golf has an image problem and declining numbers. Just look at how a lot of men treat the “cart girl.” More and more people won’t accept the old boy’s club ways any more. A lot of real work on attitudes and behavior might do something to bring women into golf, not this.

      • TMTC

        Mar 4, 2016 at 10:22 am

        To a certain degree, it works the same with men.
        Look at the attention Adam Scott gets, Greg Norman or Fredy Couples.
        We all like to look at attractive things whether it’s architecture, nature, or people.
        For goodness sakes we even give koodo’s for presentation in food.
        Get over it people, it works both ways and always will, until we all look exactly the same.
        TMTC

  8. ooffa

    Mar 1, 2016 at 2:06 pm

    more T and A please

  9. Dev

    Mar 1, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    White Knight Male Feminist Journalist Spotted. WARNING LONG READ

    First your premise that Golf is sexist because its male dominated. Why is it that whenever men want to keep a hobby to themselves its sexist, but whenever women want to keep a hobby female dominated its empowering? Pro-tip, the answer is not “the patriarchy”.

    Next, using beauty, sexy outfits, and your body to promote golf and breakdown sexism is just inherently flawed. In fact you are doing the exact opposite and showing young girls that once again, being good at something isn’t enough, you also have to look good too. So instead we are just promoting sexism in the fact that women can only be looked up to if they are desirable.

    Finally, I looked at Kira Kazantsev’s instagram and had to scroll way down until I hit the first picture of her golfing. The rest is just her in sexy outfits, expensive fashionable outfits, or her meeting famous people. Its all self promotion, just promoting her own brand. She may indeed like golf, but lets not pretend she actually thinks shes a role model to get girls interested in the game.

    Are we really going to pretend people like Paige Spiranac are popular because they are good at golf? No its because she is incredibly sexy and also happens to play golf and seems like the perfect girl next door. I’m sure she is awesome, but again we are just promoting the same old “girls have to be pretty to be recognized”.

    I’m honestly not sure what disappoints me more about this article, the fact you think its sexist that men have a hobby that they would like to keep mostly male dominated, or the fact that in trying to write a serious article that shows how women “are breaking down sexist barriers” you have written one of the more sexist articles I have read.

    I am seriously disappointed this article was allowed to be posted on the front page. But I guess you have to get views somehow, and it got me talking. So Gold star there I suppose.

  10. mlecuni

    Mar 1, 2016 at 1:13 pm

    beauty + social media, isnt’it sexist by nature ?
    Was mrs johnson promoting golf by posing for a magazine ? was mrs thomson fighting sexism by posing in a very sexy way for this same paper ?
    When does a girl playing golf is fighting sexism by posting selfies of herself half naked in bed or in mini short from behind ?
    Does it promote golf in a good way for youngters ? does it promote the hard work of the Lpga and all ladies golf associations from around the world ?
    When mrs rice arrived at augusta, she was fighting sexism not by her beauty nor her social media thing, she was fighting with her name made popular by her hard work for usa.
    Want to fight sexism, ask real women athletes about it, show us their skills not their body.

  11. Billy Jean

    Mar 1, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    it all went downhill when we allowed women to vote

  12. M

    Mar 1, 2016 at 10:26 am

    How could you possibly say that PS or EL are role models for young girls? Wear super tight yoga shorts showing a ton of skin and hit a flop shot or two? If I had a daughter that is the exact opposite thing I would want to be pushing to her.

    At least Blair O’Neal has played tournament golf at a pretty high level and Ms. Kazantsev is wearing normal, respectable golf clothing looking very pretty but still classy in the process. I agree that her pictures definitely make golf look appealing in some awesome locations with beautiful scenery.

    The girls that should be “golf celebrities” are ones like Brooke Henderson who won her first LPGA event as a 17 yr old and plays a 48″ driver on tour or Christina Kim who has battled depression but has been open about it the last few years to help bring awareness to mental illness and help with her recovery.

    • Johnny

      Mar 1, 2016 at 11:55 am

      This post nails it!

      PS and EL are far from being role models for young girls who are interested in golf. And to suggest that they are, is downright laughable. And equally laughable is to suggest that they are more popular than the leading money on the LPGA Tour.

      In fact, I would say that the noted philosopher, John McEnroe summed it up pretty good when he said, “You cannot be serious!” Or something like that.

    • mlecuni

      Mar 1, 2016 at 1:23 pm

      Even a kid like Lucy Li at the us open conference, eating her icecream after her round, was promoting golf in a better way than all the girls from this article: combined.

    • Bogeypro

      Mar 4, 2016 at 10:22 am

      I agree. The examples used are not good. Dressing like a stripper and hitting flop shots to get noticed is not the example young girls need to follow. There are many other better examples for young women to follow.

  13. MarkB A

    Mar 1, 2016 at 10:14 am

    I think young high school aged boys are worse then women. They have all the time in the world.

  14. 4pillars

    Mar 1, 2016 at 10:07 am

    If you want to look for female participator you should look at Germany, Austria and the Netherlands where over a third of participants are women.

    This article will do nothing to increase female participation in the game.

    And Japanese women golfers are far more attractive and better dressed anyway.

  15. cody

    Mar 1, 2016 at 10:06 am

    worst day ever to try and get in a round is ladies day. It will end up taking 8+ hours while you stand in the fairway watching 4 women mill about as each one takes their turn on the green. No rush no consideration. I cringe when i walk up to the first tee and see a group of women ahead of me. Sorry just saying what is true.

    • Jordan

      Mar 1, 2016 at 10:13 am

      Plenty of male groups guilty of the same. I’ve got a lot of respect for the women that play at some of my local courses. And don’t leave putts short around them… they can talk trash with the best of them!

  16. Philip

    Mar 1, 2016 at 10:06 am

    I’m not so sure that using beauty (sex) with social media is going to change attitudes towards women on the course in a positive way? Isn’t it the whole point that women want to be treated as individual as men, regardless of whether they are attractive or not. Attractive men face the same stereotypes as attractive women and I see social media as a vehicle to use that asset. I play golf with whoever is on the tee – men or women, I have some women golfers that I enjoy spending the day with and the same goes for men golfers. I don’t care if someone is a pretend single digit or a 25 handicap, just as long as we try to keep up with the group in front. There are days when I want to golf with the guys, drink beer and get away from women. Then there are other days I look forward to the company of women. But I have never thought someone can do or not do something based on their sex. Of course, I have had rounds with men who roll their eyes when a woman joins the group – I just move up to the forward tees and spend the day with her – their lose.

    • shimmy

      Mar 1, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      Women do wanted to be treated as individuals, and that includes using their sex appeal if they want to.

    • Capn

      Mar 1, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      Well said.

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19th Hole

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

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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.

 

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Opinion & Analysis

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

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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.

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19th Hole

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

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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.

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