Opinion & Analysis

18 Stats and Stories from Live at the Shriners Open

Published

8 years ago

Nov 7, 2016

When the opportunity arose to report in person from this year’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas, I didn’t hesitate to go all-in.

Arriving on Monday, I spent the week under brilliant blue skies on the immaculate grounds of TPC Summerlin, where, as it turned out, the field showcased a larger number of promising youngsters than usual, along with seasoned pros, including the eventual winner.

What follows is a selection of stories and statistics that made an impression on me during a lucky golfer’s week at the Tour’s fabulous Sin City stop.

1) Jerty Bird, from inside the ropes

Nothing much more fun than strolling the fairways in a @PGATOUR event – it’s way cooler than imagined.

— Marty Jertson (@jertybird) November 3, 2016

Jertson, who is Senior Design Engineer at Ping, earned his Vegas spot by winning sectional qualifying. His Thursday round was definitely not a good stroll spoiled: on his way to a 1-under 70, Jertson was the only player to hit every green in regulation — he does, after all, play clubs that he helped create. Unfortunately, @jertybird came back down to earth on Friday, still hitting three out of four greens, but shooting 1-over par and missing the cut by three at even par.

See the clubs Jerston had in the bag this week.

2) The 2016 PGA Champion struggles, to say the least

With an Official World Golf Ranking of 18, Jimmy Walker was the highest ranked player in the Shriners field. Unfortunately, he didn’t play like it. His 8-over par, 74-76 missed the cut by eleven, just two shots better than the worst score posted. Over his final 27 holes, Walker managed only two birdies. Which isn’t surprising, in light of a couple of other rankings: 129th in strokes gained putting, 132nd in total putting, and 139th (dead last) in strokes gained off the tee.

3) The big hitter

Longest drive of the week: 370 yards (Ryan Brehm, 13th hole, fourth round). Beast.

4) An over-sized field: The lucky ones

The Shriners field was to consist of 132 players; a mix-up resulted in there being 144. How many of the Lucky Twelve opened the door when opportunity knocked?

Eight, including most notably of course the winner, Rod Pampling, who followed a course-record 60 on Thursday with rounds of 68, 71, and 65. The other seven who made the cut: Ryan Blaum, (10-under, T31); Trey Mullinax, (9-under, T36); Will MacKenzie, (7-under, T48); Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, (7-under, T48); C.T. Pan, (5-under, T57); Seamus Power, (5-under, T57); and Mackenzie Hughes, (2-under, T68).

5) A victim and a survivor

Early morning on the range: The calm before the storm

As a result of the super-sized field, play was suspended because of darkness in both the first and second rounds. Among those affected by the latter interruption were Kevin Tway and Ryan Brehm, each with several holes to go. When the re-start horn sounded at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Tway was on the green, and Brehm was on the tee. It was a gorgeous desert morning, with the just-risen sun casting long shadows. But other than a few tournament workers and a single spectator, players and caddies were on their own.

Tway’s first stroke at the crack of dawn was with his putter: from 38 feet, he rolled it 10 feet past. Something about the silence and the lack of a crowd made Tway’s comebacker seemed more nerve-racking than a putt I’ve ever faced.

Meanwhile, Brehm had driven it 276 yards onto a slope of desert waste ground. To hit his second, he had to get entirely too intimate with a scraggly bush. Brehm managed to advance the ball, but only a couple of yards, and still in the rocky scrub. Extricating himself from his new best friend, Brehm held the club across his belly, gripped in both hands, as if tempted to snap the thing in half.

Tway did make his tester, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the round, ultimately shooting 1-over. Tway finished 36 holes at 2-under, missing the cut by one. Brehm ended up double-bogeying the sixth, which left him just one above the then projected cut-line. But he rallied with birdies on two of his final three re-start holes, and shortly thereafter headed right back out, into the decidedly more glamorous atmosphere of Moving Day proper. He’d go on to post a 67, and sat in T21 at event’s end.

6) Henley closes hot

Low round on Moving Day belonged to Russell Henley: a bogey-free 63. Heading into Sunday, the two-time Tour winner had gone 30 holes without a bogey. He has form when it comes to moving and then closing hot: at Sanderson Farms, where he finished T14 at 11-under, he had eleven birdies and just one bogey over the final 51 holes.

7) The youngster

Twenty-year-old Aaron Wise was the youngest Shriners Open entrant, making his fifth career PGA Tour start as a sponsor invite. The 2016 NCAA individual medalist while at Oregon, Wise will be on the Web.com Tour in 2017.

Wise’s coach, Jeff Smith of TPC Summerlin, has described Wise as “one of the straightest drivers I have ever seen when he wants to be. His ability to drive the golf ball is what sets him apart.”

At the Shriners, however, Wise couldn’t find the fairway at first: he was T132 in Driving Accuracy after the first round (only 4 of 14 fairways), and still struggling through the second. That evening, he was the last man on the range under the lights, driver in hand and working, as he explained to me, on losing the push-cut and keeping the clubface from “getting right” on him. Result? In Round 3, Wise climbed to T1 in the same category, hitting 11 of 14 fairways.

Wise shot 68 Sunday, finishing T10 at 14-under. But the driver troubles had returned: he hit only 4 of 14 again, and dropped back to last (T72) in terms of closing-day Driving Accuracy.

8) The best scramblers

Best scrambling percentage: 78.26 percent (Vaughan Taylor, making 18 saves on 23 missed greens in regulation).
Best sand save percentage: 100 percent (Seung-Yul Noh, 4 for 4; Sean O’Hair, 3 for 3).
Most bunkers hit into: 12 (Ernie Els, who made 6 saves), 11 (Keegan Bradley, who made 8).

9) The best putters

Fewest putts per round: 21 (Chez Reavie, round 2).
Best percentage on putts from outside 25-feet: 27.8 percent (Brian Gay, 5 out of 18).
Best one-putt percentage: 56.94 percent (Michael Kim, with 41 one-putts over the seventy-two holes).

10) Fez wearers, fundraisers and a great swing

Three Fez Wearers

Within two club-lengths of just about everywhere you go at the Shriners, you catch sight of a fez. It has got to be the most distinctive headgear encountered on the PGA Tour. Worn by higher-ups in the Shriners — including “Potentates” — each fez is embroidered with the arabian-themed name of the wearer’s home course, by which I mean his local chapter, known as a “temple.” For example, in the accompanying photo, Richard Burke, Jeff Sowder, and Kevin Costello represent for Atlanta’s “Yaarab,” Wichita’s “Midian,” and Albany’s “Cyprus.”

What a golf swing.

Tommy Morrissey, 5, hit the ceremonial first tee shot today @ShrinersOpen. https://t.co/7JU1ieGzoD

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 3, 2016

It should be noted what outstanding charitable work the Shriners do through their Hospitals for Children. At 22 locations, they provide life-changing care for kids, regardless of their families’ ability to pay. One of their patients, 5-year-old Tommy Morrissey, dazzled a number of hard-to-impress Tour pros early in the week with his unique golfing skill. For more about Tommy and the Shriners: @onearmgolfer and www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.

11) A fruitful late-night range session

Flores

Martin Flores was spotted as the last player on the range after he moved the wrong way on Moving Day, following up back-to-back 67s, which included a total of 13 birdies, with a birdie-less 77 (the day’s worst round), leaving him T68 at 2-under. The rest of the field bagged 304 birds on Saturday; only Kevin Streelman joined Flores without a single circle on his card.

He must have found something on the range Saturday night, because he finished with a Sunday 65, good for T41. From 77 to 65 in just one day; isn’t golf a crazy game?

The Shriners is Flores’ third event of 2016-17, and the second cut he’s made. He re-earned his Tour card for this season with an outstanding ’15-’16 on the Web.com Tour, where he had a win plus seven top-10s in 21 starts.

12) The most difficult hole

The 492-yard, par-4 third, which played to a 4.27 scoring average, allowing only 33 birdies, compared to 120 bogeys and 17 doubles or worse. Winner Rod Pampling played the hole in 2-under for the week, making birdie, birdie, par, par.

13) The easiest hole

The 560-yard, par-5 16th, which played to a 4.14 scoring average, as the field notched 32 eagles and 231 birdies, versus only 27 bogeys and 3 doubles or worse.

14) Perez changes clubs, gets his swagger back

PerezWITB2017

Pat Perez had the kind of week (15-under, finishing T7) that prompted questions about how it felt to have his “swagger” back. Biggest factor: he’s healthy again. But he’s also switched to some new clubs, as he explained to ASAP Sports, “and I got a lot longer once I was healthy.” He added: “I’m actually hitting it solid, so much farther than I used to, and I’m in places that I have never been on this course. I hit 7-iron into 16 today and made eagle. I’ve never had anything less than hybrid in there.”

See the clubs Perez used at the Shriners Open here.

15) “Other,” the worst word in golf

In golf, there are eagles, birdies, pars, bogeys, double-bogeys … and “other.” Ah yes, the dreaded other. At the Shriners, there were 26 of them (as against 61 eagles and 4,685 pars), and one other belonged to defending Shriners champion Smylie Kaufman. His third-round snowman at the par-4 sixth hole resulted from first having trouble off the tee, and then trying to get back out of that trouble. Plus — wait for it, all of you who, like me, know all too well how this particular tune goes — three putts from 20 feet.

16) The drama

Sunday’s final group consisted of Lucas Glover, Rod Pampling and Brooks Koepka, with Glover in the lead by one at 15-under. After the trio started with pars, there was lead-altering action on virtually every hole. Glover and Koepka birdied two. Glover bogeyed three. Birdies all-round on four. Koepka bogeyed five. Pampling birdied six. Pars all round on seven. Pampling birdied eight, then he and Glover birdied nine.

At the turn: Pampling (18-under); Glover, (17-under); Koepka, (15 -under), and four other players had also reached 15-under by then.

Pampling bogeyed 10. Glover bogeyed 11, then birdied 12, while Pampling bogeyed 12. Koepka’s par-streak, meantime, had reached seven at this point. It didn’t reach eight: Kopeka birdied 13, as did Pampling and Lucas. Pampling birdied 14. My head was starting to spin.

So, with four to go: Pampling (18-under); Glover, (18-under); Koepka, 16 (16-under). Molinari was in the clubhouse at 16-under, with Oglivy, in the last-but-one group, now at that number too. Birdies all-round at 15 for the final group. Koepka birdied 16. Glover bogeyed 17. This is getting interesting.

One to go: Pampling (19-under); Glover, (18-under); Koepka, (18-under). And Pampling drives the nail into the coffin by absolutely burying a 32-footer to close out with a birdie. Koepka finished second with a par and two shots back, while Glover finished third with a closing-hole bogey.

In all, 26 birdies and bogeys were made by the final group. Talk about excitement!

17) Pampling earned it

Rod Pampling made a combined 325-feet and 4-inches of putts on his way to the win. He ranked first in total strokes gained, in strokes gained around the green, and in strokes gained tee-to-green. He was T15 in driving accuracy, and hit 56 of 72 greens in regulation (T11).

18) Sunday Scorecard

Francesco Molinari’s Sunday 61 started taking shape when he holed-out from 124 yards for eagle at the 440-yard 11th hole (he started on the back). Molinari added eight birdies in his bogey-free round, and had the clubhouse lead at 16-under 268, where he was later joined by Harris English and Geoff Ogilvy for a T4 finish.
Keegan Bradley’s strong season continued, closing with a 66 to finish T7 at 15-under.
Kevin Streelman got right back on the birdie train on Sunday, sinking a 5-footer on the 10th hole, his opening hole.
Martin Flores had to wait to re-board that train until his sixth hole of the day, after starting out with five pars. He then added more birdies on his seventh, ninth, 10th, 16th and 18th. Flores’ line: 67, 67, 77, 65, for an 8-under 276 and a T41 finish. He also drove long all week, averaging 307 yards, second in the field.
Russell Henley never got it going. He bogeyed number five, after opening with four straight pars, then also bogeyed nine and 16. Posting only a pair of birdies, he finished with a 72, for T24 at 12-under.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 PGA Championship betting preview: Rising star ready to join the immortals at Valhalla

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The second major of the 2024 season is upon us as the world’s best players will tee it up this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky to compete for the Wanamaker Trophy.

The last time we saw Valhalla host a major championship, Rory McIlroy fended off Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and the creeping darkness that was descending upon the golf course. The Northern Irishman had the golf world in the palm of his hand, joining only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as players who’d won four major championships by the time they were 25 years old.

Valhalla is named after the great hall described in Norse mythology where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The course is a Jack Nicklaus-design that has ranked among Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” for three decades.

Valhalla Golf Club is a par-71 measuring 7,542 yards with Zoysia fairways and Bentgrass greens. The course has rolling hills and dangerous streams scattered throughout and the signature 13th hole is picturesque with limestone and unique bunkering protecting the green. The 2024 PGA Championship will mark the fourth time Valhalla has hosted the event.

The field this week will consist of 156 players, including 16 PGA Champions and 33 Major Champions.

Past Winners of the PGA Championship

2023: Brooks Koepka (-9) Oak Hill
2022: Justin Thomas (-5) Southern Hills
2021: Phil Mickelson (-6) Kiawah Island
2020: Collin Morikawa (-13) TPC Harding Park
2019: Brooks Koepka (-8) Bethpage Black
2018: Brooks Koepka (-16) Bellerive
2017: Justin Thomas (-8) Quail Hollow
2016: Jimmy Walker (-14) Baltusrol
2015: Jason Day (-20) Whistling Straits
2014: Rory McIlroy (-16) Valhalla

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 Valhalla

Let’s take a look at five key metrics for Oak Hill to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Valhalla will play as a true all-around test of golf for the world’s best. Of course, it will take strong approach play to win a major championship.

Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Shane Lowry (+1.25)
Scottie Scheffler (+1.09)
Jordan Smith (+1.05)
Tom Hoge (+.96)
Corey Conners (+.94)

2. Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Valhalla will play long and the rough will be penal. Players who are incredibly short off the tee and/or have a hard time hitting fairways will be all but eliminated from contention this week at the PGA Championship.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds:

Bryson DeChambeau (+1.47)
Scottie Scheffler (+1.11)
Keith Mitchell (+.90)
Alejandro Tosti (+.89)
Ludvig Aberg (+.82)

Strokes Gained: Total on Nickalus Designs

Valhalla is a classic Nicklaus Design. Players who play well at Nicklaus designs should have an advantage coming into this major championship.

Strokes Gained: Total on Nicklaus Designs over past 36 rounds:

Jon Rahm (+2.56)
Scottie Scheffler (+2.48)
Patrick Cantlay (+2.35)
Collin Morikawa (+1.79)
Shane Lowry (+1.57)

Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on Very Long Courses

Valhalla is going to play extremely long this week. Players who have had success playing very long golf courses should be better equipped to handle the conditions of this major championship.

Strokes Gained: Total on Very Long Courses Over Past 24 Rounds:

Scottie Scheffler (+2.44)
Rory McIlroy (+2.24)
Will Zalatoris (+1.78)
Viktor Hovland (+1.69)
Xander Schauffele (+1.60)

Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships

One factor that tends to play a large role in deciding major championships is which players have played well in previous majors leading up to the event.

Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships over past 20 rounds:

Scottie Scheffler (+3.14)
Will Zalatoris (+2.64)
Rory McIlroy (+2.49)
Xander Schauffele (+2.48)
Tommy Fleetwood (2.09)

Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens

Valhalla features pure Bentgrass putting surfaces. Players who are comfortable putting on this surface will have an advantage on the greens.

Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens over Past 24 Rounds:

Ludvig Aberg (+1.12)
Denny McCarthy (+1.08)
Matt Fitzpatrick (+0.99)
Justin Rose (+0.93)
J.T. Poston (0.87)

Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways

Valhalla features Zoysia fairways. Players who are comfortable playing on this surface will have an advantage on the field.

Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways over past 36 rounds:

Justin Thomas (+1.53)
Will Zalatoris (+1.47)
Xander Schauffele (+1.40)
Brooks Koepka (+1.35)
Rory McIlroy (+1.23)

2024 PGA Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), SG: Off the Tee (22%), SG: T2G on Very Long Courses (12%), SG: Putting on Bentgrass (+12%), SG: Total on Nicklaus Designs (12%). SG: Total on Zoysia Fairways (8%), and SG: Total in Major Championships (8%).

Brooks Koepka
Xander Schauffele
Rory McIlroy
Scottie Scheffler
Bryson DeChambeau
Shane Lowry
Alex Noren
Will Zalatoris
Cameron Young
Keith Mitchell
Hideki Matsuyama
Billy Horschel
Patrick Cantlay
Viktor Hovland
Adam Schenk
Chris Kirk
Sahith Theegala
Min Woo Lee
Joaquin Niemann
Justin Thomas

2024 PGA Championship Picks

Ludvig Aberg +1800 (BetMGM)

At The Masters, Ludvig Aberg announced to the golf world that he’s no longer an “up and coming” player. He’s one of the best players in the game of golf, regardless of experience.

Augusta National gave Aberg some necessary scar tissue and showed him what being in contention at a major championship felt like down the stretch. Unsurprisingly, he made a costly mistake, hitting it in the water left of the 11th hole, but showed his resilience by immediately bouncing back. He went on to birdie two of his next three holes and finished in solo second by three shots. With the type of demeanor that remains cool in pressure situations, I believe Ludvig has the right mental game to win a major at this point in his career.

Aberg has not finished outside of the top-25 in his past eight starts, which includes two runner-up finishes at both a “Signature Event” and a major championship. The 24-year-old is absolutely dominant with his driver, which will give him a major advantage this week. In the field he ranks, in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and has gained strokes in the category in each of his past ten starts. Aberg is already one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the planet.

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the great hall where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The Swedes, who are of Old Norse origin, were the last of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms to abandon the Old Norse Gods. A Swede played a major role in the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, and I believe another, Ludvig Aberg, will be the one to conquer Valhalla in 2024.

Bryson DeChambeau +2800 (BetMGM)

Bryson DeChambeau is one of the few players in the world that I believe has the game to go blow-for-blow with Scottie Scheffler. Although he isn’t as consistent as Scheffler, when he’s at his best, Bryson has the talent to beat him.

At The Masters, DeChambeau put forth a valiant effort at a golf course that simply does not suit his game. Valhalla, on the other hand, is a course that should be perfect for the 30-year-old. His ability to overpower a golf course with his driver will be a serious weapon this week.

Bryson has had some success at Jack Nicklaus designs throughout his career as he won the Memorial at Muirfield Village back in 2018. He’s also had incredible results on Bentgrass greens for the entirety of his professional career. Of his 10 wins, nine of them have come on Bentgrass greens, with the only exception being the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He also has second place finishes at Medinah and TPC Summerlin, which feature Bentgrass greens.

Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to argue that Bryson isn’t one of the most exciting and important players in the game of golf. He’s also one of the best players in the world. A second major is coming soon for DeChambeau, and I believe he should be amongst the favorites to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this week.

Patrick Cantlay +4000 (FanDuel)

There’s no way of getting around it: Patrick Cantlay has been dissapointing in major championships throughout his professional career. He’s been one of the top players on Tour for a handful of years and has yet to truly contend at a major championship, with the arguable exception of the 2019 Masters.

Despite not winning majors, Cantlay has won some big events. The 32-year-old has won two BMW Championships, two Memorial Tournaments as well as a Tour Championship. His victories at Memorial indicate how much Cantlay loves Nicklaus designs, where he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total over his past 36 rounds behind only Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.

Cantlay also loves Bentgrass greens. Six of Cantlay’s seven individual wins on the PGA Tour have come on Bentgrass greens and he also was one of the best putters at the 2023 Ryder cup at Marco Simone (also Bentgrass). At Caves Valley (2021 BMW Championship), he gained over 12 strokes putting to outduel another Bentgrass specialist, Bryson DeChambeau.

Cantlay finished 22nd in The Masters, which was a solid result considering how many elite players struggled that week. He also has two top-ten finishes in his past five PGA Championships. He’s undeniably one of the best players in the field, therefore, it comes down to believing Cantlay has the mental fortitude to win a major, which I do.

Joaquin Niemann +4000 (BetMGM)

I believe Joaquin Niemann is one of the best players in the world. He has three worldwide wins since December and has continued to improve over the course of his impressive career thus far. Still only 25, the Chilean has all the tools to be a serious contender in major championships for years to come.

Niemann has been the best player on LIV this season. Plenty will argue with the format or source of the money on LIV, but no one can argue that beating players such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith is an unremarkable achievement. Niemann is an elite driver of the golf ball who hits it farther than just about anyone in the field not named Bryson DeChambeau or (arguably) Rory McIlroy.

Niemann is another player who has been fantastic throughout his career on Bentgrass greens. Prior to leaving the PGA Tour, Bentgrass was the only green surface in which Joaco was a positive putter. It’s clearly a surface that he is very comfortable putting on and should fare around and on the greens this week.

Niemann is a perfect fit for Valhalla. His low and penetrating ball flight will get him plenty of runout this week on the fairways and he should have shorter shots into the green complexes than his competitors. To this point in his career, the former top ranked amateur in the world (2018) has been underwhelming in major championships, but I don’t believe that will last much longer. Joaquin Niemann is a major championship caliber player and has a real chance to contend this week at Valhalla.

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Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 2

Published

1 week ago

May 9, 2024

Terry Koehler

In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.

It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.

And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.

I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.

But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.

If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.

To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.

There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.

Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.

The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.

First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.

And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”

So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.

Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title

Published

1 week ago

May 6, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.

After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year.

Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.

Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.

The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child.

Past Winners at Quail Hollow

2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
2022: Max Homa (-8)
2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
2019: Max Homa (-15)
2018: Jason Day (-12)
2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
2016: James Hahn (-9)
2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)

Key Stats For Quail Hollow

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Akshay Bhatia (+1.16)
Tom Hoge (+1.12)
Corey Conners (+1.01)
Shane Lowry (+0.93)
Austin Eckroat (+0.82)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:

Ludvig Aberg (+0.73)
Rory McIlroy (+0.69)
Xander Schauffele (+0.62)
Viktor Hovland (+0.58)
Chris Kirk (+0.52)

Proximity: 175-200

The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.

Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:

Cameron Young (28’2″)
Akshay Bhatia (29’6″)
Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
Sam Burns (+30’6″)
Collin Morikawa (+30’9″)

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs

Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week.

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:

Patrick Cantlay (+2.10)
Rory McIlroy (+1.95)
Tommy Fleetwood (+1.68)
Austin Eckroat (+1.60)
Will Zalatoris (+1.57)

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)

Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:

Taylor Moore (+0.82)
Nick Dunlap (+.76)
Wyndham Clark (+.69)
Emiliano Grillo (+.64)
Cam Davis (+.61)

Course History

This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow.

Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):

Rory McIlroy (+2.50)
Justin Thomas (+1.96)
Jason Day (+1.92)
Rickie Fowler (+1.83)
Viktor Hovland (+1.78)

Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).

Wyndham Clark
Rory McIlroy
Xander Schauffele
Shane Lowry
Hideki Matsuyama
Viktor Hovland
Cameron Young
Austin Eckroat
Byeong Hun An
Justin Thomas

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks

Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)

I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.

Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.

Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.

For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.

I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.

Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)

It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024.

Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.

The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.

Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.

Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week.

Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)

For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.

Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.

The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.

Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.

Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)

Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.

Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.

An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.

Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.

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