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A First-Timer’s Review of the Food at The Masters

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The Masters at Augusta National is a revered event for golfers. Golf fans make the pilgrimage to Augusta, Georgia, to see the magical property and witness what many consider to be the greatest golf tournament in the world.

But what you also may have heard about are the food and drink prices at The Masters, which seem to be stuck in the 1970s. Sandwiches for $2.50, beers for 5 bucks? If The Masters had a gas station, it would probably be less than 50 cents a gallon.

So we know the prices are low, but is the food actually any good?

IMG_3570

While I don’t have a “sophisticated palate,” per se, I did provide my rankings of the famous food items from The Masters below. It was my first time to Augusta, so these reviews are unclouded by previous experience.

Note: Keep in mind that the only thing I’m really qualified to do is play golf and write about it. I’m not a professional food critic, but I have in fact eaten food before.

The world-famous Pimento Cheese Sandwich

IMG_3589

Score: 3 out of 10 Azaleas

It tasted like a mushy concoction of cream cheese, egg yolks, the sharpest cheddar ever and some unknown, vile flavor, which was probably from the pimentos.

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The only reason it didn’t earn a 0 or 1 is because I’ve waited my entire life to try one, as it’s a staple of The Masters, so there was the whole fulfilling-a-dream factor. That was the last bite I took, and probably ever will.

Bar-B-Que Sandwich

BBq

Score: 10 out of 10 Azaleas

Absolutely delicious. The meat was perfectly cooked and juicy. The sauce had a sweet, tangy flavor. A little hot sauce kicked it up a notch, too (if you’re into that kind of thing).

Ham and Cheese on Rye

IMG_3596

Score: 6 out of 10 Azaleas

You know what it tasted like? A ham and cheese on rye that cost $2.50. It’s the vanilla ice cream of Masters sandwiches. Put some extra mustard and Masters-BBQ chips on there, though, and you’re onto something.

Masters Club Sandwich

IMG_3893

Score: 9 out 10 Azaleas

Ham and cheese AND turkey. There’s just something about the turkey/ham combination that takes this to the next level. Maybe it’s the hamburger bun with sesame seeds that gets it done, instead of rye bread.

Why 9 out of 10? A point was deducted because when faced with a decision between the BBQ and the club later in the day, I choose the BBQ.

Classic Chicken Sandwich

IMG_3683

Score: 7 out of 10 Azaleas

It was a little cold for my liking, and didn’t have the crunch you’d expect from its appearance. But the seasoning was packed with subtle spices, and after a packet or two of hot sauce it wasn’t only edible, but delectable. I’d never choose it over the club or BBQ sandwiches, but don’t sleep on the classic chicken.

Masters Mini Moonpies

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Score: 10 out of 10 Azaleas

They taste exactly how they look. And they look incredible, don’t they? The dark chocolate outer-shell perfectly houses the crunchy graham cracker and soft marshmallow. They’re easily portable and endlessly tasty. If there were more azaleas available, the Masters Moonpies would earn the entire bouquet.

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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.

28 Comments

28 Comments

  1. Pingback: TOUR REPORT: 3 jaw-dropping custom Augusta National putters spotted before The Masters – GolfWRX

  2. randy

    Apr 11, 2016 at 3:45 pm

    peach ice cream sandwich… i had one of everything else but made myself stop at 8 of those.

  3. ooffa

    Apr 10, 2016 at 2:02 pm

    Redneck food.

  4. Bif

    Apr 10, 2016 at 2:07 am

    Gross gross all gross

  5. BIG STU

    Apr 9, 2016 at 5:23 am

    I can see why you are not a food critic but you did a very well written article I have to give you that. Now I love the pimento cheese sandwiches there. BTW there are no “egg yokes” themselves in pimento cheese but the mayonnaise does have whipped egg yokes so I will give you a pass there. Pimento Cheese it is a Southern thing and some of us would not expect someone from Michigan to understand. The Master’s food it is part of the tradition and I hope it never changes like the Masters itself. One of the few traditions overall left in this world

  6. don d.

    Apr 9, 2016 at 1:16 am

    I live for pimento cheese sandwiches. I make them for a masters get together every year. I cannot make enough of them. The combination of Vidalia sweet onions and mayo and pimentos is heaven. In moderation though and wash it down with a stiff azalea. The food at the masters is as unique as the tournament.

  7. David

    Apr 8, 2016 at 11:34 pm

    You forgot to try the chicken biscuit for breakfast, delicious!!!

  8. Frozengolfer

    Apr 8, 2016 at 8:43 pm

    Completely agree on the cheese sandwich, my favourite was the BBQ, fantastic sandwich and of course you can’t beat any of the prices. Getting a new collectable cup with each drink was super cool. We have them all over the house now!
    Cheers,
    Tim

  9. Lco21

    Apr 8, 2016 at 8:27 pm

    Baaahahahahaha!!!!

  10. talljohn777

    Apr 8, 2016 at 6:32 pm

    What no egg salad and no peach ice cream sandwich?

  11. SheriffBooth

    Apr 8, 2016 at 2:10 pm

    3 out of 10 on the pimento cheese? I think that Michigan water is soiling your tastebuds, Andrew 🙂 . A proper Masters diet is pimento cheese, followed by egg salad, followed by ice cream sandwich and then repeat 6 times until dusk.

    • brian h

      Apr 8, 2016 at 3:46 pm

      So funny. he is good by me. I trust this guy. 3 out of 10! 😉

  12. Yuck

    Apr 8, 2016 at 1:47 pm

    Food looks like it’s stuck in 1930, too. Disgusting. With a global focus on an event like this you would have thought the food wouldn’t come out looking like it was rationed from tin cans during the war! Not sophisticated at all. Totally unappetizing.

    And the price of entry is astronomical, lets not forget. The ticket prices are ludicrous. Those hospitality tickets? Unbelievable. Who said golf wasn’t elite? But, at least, an event such as this may be justified in having such prices, compared to silly games like baseball, basketball and helmetball.

    • kn

      Apr 8, 2016 at 2:20 pm

      Sounds like you ATE the Corn Flakes somebody pissed in this morning.

      • Grim

        Apr 8, 2016 at 8:43 pm

        Sounds like you know from experience, did they do that to you in the slammer?

    • Tom

      Apr 9, 2016 at 11:01 am

      “sophisticated”…lol we come to watch a professional golf tournament not eat five star cuisine.

  13. scratch

    Apr 8, 2016 at 1:27 pm

    Our 4some every year has about 3 egg salad sandwiches for breakfast What I found out biecause their so light and easy to eat that the team did just but 12 They’d often buy 20-26 and snack or giveaway to others through out the day as snacks

    Your assessment is close to what you hear from the masses The chicken is rated higher by most than your score And of course the pimento cheese rated much higher by most probably like you because of tradition! Great prices Service is always outstanding and polite !

  14. LA Billyboy

    Apr 8, 2016 at 1:08 pm

    Great idea for an article… missed some great chances for humor though… Since tickets have now crossed into the $2000+ category, I’ll never go and have begun to lose interest in the event all together as it becomes a commercial spectacle of the golf elites. But it’s good to know they serve really cheap, bad food (excepting the BBQ). I drove through Augusta, GA a few times on business trips… what a dump, it’s hard to imagine how they get that area to look like it does on TV, for a week, but I guess with millions in TV cash they can make the magic happen.

    • Greg Moore

      Apr 8, 2016 at 1:53 pm

      You should put your name in the lottery each year (if you aren’t already) cuz if your name is drawn, you can buy practice round tickets for $50 each (up to four). You also can buy practice round tickets for $250 – $400 per ticket on e bay depending on the day. There are ways to get tickets for a lot less then $2000+.

      • IowaHacker

        Apr 8, 2016 at 2:11 pm

        Prices went up to $65 for practice rounds this year(not to nit-pick, just saying), but your point is very valid and no where near what one would buy it for off eBay or StubHub. Hotels in Augusta on the other hand? Well those are still expensive.

        • Greg Moore

          Apr 8, 2016 at 3:27 pm

          I know hotel prices are expensive in Augusta but there are ways to find a cheaper room if you’re willing to drive 50-60 miles (Columbia, SC). I’ve been to 14 Masters and I cover the PGA Tour for Golfwrx.com. Hotels within 5 miles of every Tour event, not just the Majors, raise their prices during tournament week cuz they know they can get the extra money for their rooms that week. Every sporting event is getting expensive. Just try to get a ticket to the Kentucky Derby and cheap hotel room. NCAA Final Four host cities see a huge increase in hotel room rates. Supply and demand!

          • IowaHacker

            Apr 8, 2016 at 4:25 pm

            Totally agree on supply and demand. Made my first trip down for Tuesday’s practice round and was looking all over for you to grab a chip, just didn’t seem to find you between the 40,000 people there. Still a great first trip!

  15. RichN

    Apr 8, 2016 at 1:02 pm

    Anything with deli meat is just gross. That BBQ sandwich looks great.

  16. Greg Moore

    Apr 8, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    Andrew it was great to see you and meet your father.

    This was my 14th Masters and I’ve never had a pimento cheese sandwich (and never will). I have been told the way to eat it is to also buy a chicken sandwich and put the chicken in the pimento cheese sandwich.

    I also haven’t tried the egg salad but was told the best breakfast sandwich is to buy the sausage & biscuit sandwich and an egg salad sandwich, throw the biscuit away and put the sausage patty in the egg salad sandwich.

    Glad you had a great time and nice job on the menu ratings.

  17. MarkB A

    Apr 8, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    It is nice the The Masters has low cost food offerings and free parking. Some haters do not like the required best behavior by patrons but it sure beats screaming drunks. Only thing I am not crazy about is the caddies overrals – they look hot. Hopefully the fabric is breathable.

    • Umm

      Apr 8, 2016 at 12:23 pm

      The caddies are potentially make 6 figures for a week work – where do I sign up to wear hot overalls?

  18. Tom

    Apr 8, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    Pimento cheese and beer yumm.

  19. Jon

    Apr 8, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    What no peach ice cream sandwich? It is hands down the best on the menu, if you didn’t have one you really missed out.

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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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