Opinion & Analysis
The Death of the Home Course Advantage
As golf rangefinders and GPS devices become increasingly affordable, should we be questioning the influence they have in our weekly matches? Are their presence and a golfer’s reliance on such aids having a negative effect on the game?
We’ve all been there at some point, standing on the first tee aidless when over wanders your opponent from another club, rangefinder in hand, lasering the flag on the green of the opening par five before smugly turning toward you. He exclaims the yardage listed neatly on the tee sign as if his own ingenious calculation, even adding the half yard for extra effect. There and then, this isn’t your course any more, leaving you standing naked eyed and already behind.
There are several problems with this technological advantage coming to the game, proclaiming to be the savior of your distance troubles and directing the course planner in a Frisbee-like motion toward the bin. But shouldn’t we ask whether this is a major case of pay to win, and whether golf as a sport is paying the price?
Let’s talk advantage. Say you’re a member of a course for several years. Chances are you have an idea of what clubs to hit where. Yet as a person that transitioned from being aidless to owning both a GPS and a laser rangefinder (I won the GPS, don’t worry, I’m not THAT guy), the gap between what you think and what you know is often pretty hefty.
You know that 130-yard par-3 where you religiously hit a 9 iron? Turns out it’s only 121. That dogleg par-4… yeah, the 150-yard marker sign is almost 15 yards out if you hit the middle of the fairway. These gaps are ones that make things a little shaky, a couple of shots advantage a round perhaps. Not ideal, but hey, maybe the other guy just has really good depth perception.
BUT then, he hits a banana slice three holes to the right. Does he deserve his GPS watch to scorch an invisible line through the trees and tell him he has 161 yards to the heart of the green? That’s something that even as a member you would never stand a chance of calculating. Don’t get me wrong, I think the tech is great, but these gadgets can influence the outcome of a match far more than any club technology ever could.
At this point you’re probably thinking, but I invested in my game, isn’t that the same as taking lessons? In one sense, yes, but the rules on coaching are that you can’t have it during a match. So where do we draw the line? The implications these gadgets have are not limited to an imbalance in making calculations on the course, though. Many can relate to the religious laser man, adding a minute to his pre-shot routine while he unclips the tool, hopelessly tries to laser the pin before returning his savior to its case. I’m all for being precise, but zapping every single shot into a green slows the pace of a group at a time where the focus of golf as a sport is increasing the speed of play.
At the end of the day, we have to make the game more appealing to new players and kids. Not only is pace an issue, but myself and most others I know have all but lost the ability to visually judge and calculate distances since purchasing a rangefinder. Should we support the process of numbing ourselves to the satisfaction of calculating the distance and getting it spot on? This was one of my most rewarding feelings as a junior golfer, and now you see fleets of 10-year-olds just pulling up the numbers from a tool in the same manner that they take an iPad with them to family meals, proceeding to sit silently the entire time.
Furthermore, shouldn’t we be preaching the ability to judge and learn distances to new players, rather than stating that the way forward is with a gadget probably more expensive than a beginner’s full set of clubs? Everyone knows golf is becoming increasingly costly to take seriously. Are we scaring off new players by throwing around gadgets like this? Imagine being new and aidless to the game, wanting to learn how to gauge distances and being told the BEST way to do so is with this pricey bit of kit.
Wouldn’t you feel hopeless?
I can’t find the words to express how big a help these tools can have for our games. But are they really fair? Do they have a place in competitive amateur golf or should we be doing more to preach the natural process of figuring out distances as ambassadors of this great game?
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi: The 6 biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters
The 2024 Masters offered up plenty of excitement throughout the week with Scottie Scheffler delivering when it mattered to live up to his pre-tournament favorite tag. With the year’s opening major now in the books, here are my six biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters.
Scheffler In a League of His Own
In the most impressive way possible, Scottie Scheffler won the Masters without having his absolute best stuff. For the week, Scottie ranked 19th in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is a category the number player in the world typically dusts the rest of the field in. After a strong approach day on Thursday, the 27-year-old lost strokes to the field on approach on Friday and Saturday, before gaining on Sunday. The iron performance was more than solid, but it was an all-around game that helped Scheffler get it done around Augusta National.
For a year or more, the narrative around Scheffler has been, “With his ball striking, if he can just putt to field average, he’ll be unbeatable.” At Augusta, his ball striking came back down to earth, but his touch around the greens and ability to manage the golf course demonstrated why he is the best player on the planet right now. For the week, Scheffler ranked 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 24th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
For the time being, there is a major gap between Scottie Scheffler and the second-best player in the world, whoever that may be.
The Future is Now
Ludvig Aberg went into his first back-nine at the Masters with a legitimate shot to win the tournament. When he teed it up on the treacherous 11th hole, he was one behind Scottie Scheffler, who had just stuck one to a few feet on the 9th. By the time he approached his tee shot, which was perfectly striped down the left side of the fairway, he was two behind. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old got too aggressive with his approach at the 11th and found the water, making double bogey. Ludvig rebounded nicely and finished the event in solo second place.
With the Masters now in the rearview, it’s never been more evident that Ludvig Aberg is no longer an “up-and-comer” — he has arrived. The Swede has been an integral part of a winning European Ryder Cup team and has now contended at Augusta National. With a calm demeanor, a picture-perfect swing, and a build and stature that appears as if it was built in a lab, Ludvig Aberg is already amongst the world’s best. I’d be extremely surprised if he wasn’t in the mix at next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Nostalgia Wins
I try to avoid as many cliches as possible, but there’s something about the Masters that brings out the sentimentality in me. Tiger Woods strategically making his way around Augusta National without all of the physical tools that made him arguably the most dominant athlete in the history of sports will always be riveting, regardless of what score he shoots. Woods made it interesting until a tough stretch of holes on Saturday, but he ultimately wore down, shooting 16 over for the week in difficult conditions. It’s remarkable that the 15-time major champion was able to put together a few solid rounds of golf despite barely playing any competitive golf in 2024. As long as Woods tees it up at Augusta, we will all continue to be mesmerized by it.
Verne Lundquist’s 40th and final Masters Tournament was also a must-watch aspect of the event. The iconic voice of Lundquist and his calls throughout the years still give me chills each time I hear them. Verne is an icon of the game and will be missed in future renditions of the Masters.
The Masters also brings another element that is unique to the tournament. Former champions turn back the clock to battle with the golf course again which creates some amazing stories. There are a few that stick out this year and were an absolute pleasure to witness. 61-year-old Vijay Singh made the cut for the first time since 2018 and shot a pretty incredible even-par, 72 on Sunday. 58-year-old José María Olazábal made the cut as well, reminding us why fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm sought his valuable advice prior to his Masters victory in 2022.
Regardless of who wins, the Masters always delivers.
Bryson Moves the Needle
Plenty will disagree with me on this point, but outside of Tiger Woods, and potentially Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, no one moves the needle in golf as much as Bryson DeChambeau. The uniqueness in which Bryson approaches the game has always been fascinating, and if he gets near the top of the leaderboard at any major championship, whether it’s to root for him or against him, people are interested.
It began on Monday with a pretty bizarre story of DeChambeau using 3D-printed irons that got just got cleared for use by the USGA when the week began. It once again felt like a storyline that would only be possible with a character as eccentric as Bryson. He then raced off to a first-round lead in tough conditions, reminding the world of what made him such a great golfer to begin with. He made some mistakes on the weekend, but still finished a career best T6 at The Masters.
Bryson is more than just quirky; he is a former U.S. Amateur Champion and U.S. Open who I believe will contend for more majors in the future. I will continue to root for DeChambeau, but I’m perfectly content with the fact that plenty will root against him, and I encourage those people to do so. That’s what makes it fun.
LIV Walks Away Empty-Handed
Last year, there were a multitude of questions about LIV players coming into the year’s first major. They had played very limited tournament golf, and critics of LIV questioned whether the 54-hole events were enough to sharpen the players enough to compete against the best in the world on the biggest stage.
The results were fascinating, with LIV players all over the leaderboard. Brooks Koepka held the 36- and 54-hole lead, with Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed finishing T2 and T4, giving LIV three golfers in the top-4 of the leaderboard.
This season, with even more time removed and with some more massive additions to the roster, the intrigue surrounding LIV players at Augusta was once again palpable. While some players, including Bryson DeChambeau, exceeded expectations, I can’t help but walk away from the Masters feeling underwhelmed by the performance of the LIV players.
Brooks Koepka finished runner-up last season and is a certified major championship killer. The 5-time major champ was never involved and simply didn’t have it at Augusta. Dustin Johnson put together a putrid performance, shooting 13 over for his two rounds, making it fair to wonder if his days of contending at major championships are over as he rapidly approaches his 40th birthday.
Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann were both players who were amongst the favorites this week, but Rahm was faced with the daunting duties of defending champion and Niemann proved he was still not quite ready to master the quirks of Augusta National, bleeding strokes both around and on the greens.
To be fair, when all was said and done, LIV had four players in the top twelve at The Masters. Tyrrell Hatton stormed the leaderboard early on Sunday, finishing T9 and earning himself an invite back to Augusta next season. Cam Smith and Patrick Reed put together gritty performances, which isn’t too surprising considering the fact that they both absolutely love Augusta National, but neither ever felt a real threat to win. There’s no doubt the players on LIV are good, and that’s why some encouraging leaderboard positions aren’t enough. They needed to contend.
With no players part of the storyline on Sunday, I view the first major of the year as a disappointment for LIV. The players will head into next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla with a lot to prove.
Rory’s Struggles Continues
Rory struggling at Augusta National is no surprise at this point. The four-time major champion has now had 10 attempts to complete the career grand slam and has never had a chance to win. His T2 in 2022 was deceiving, the Northern Irishman stormed the leaderboard on Sunday, but was never in contention, and never got within three shots of the winner, Scottie Scheffler.
I didn’t expect Rory to win, but I have to admit that this year felt a bit different. McIlroy played the week prior to the Masters, which he typically doesn’t do, and finished third at the Valero Texas Open. He gained 7.56 strokes on approach and 2.0 strokes off the tee, which told me that his visit with world-renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, after the Players Championship paid dividends.
McIlroy also approached the media quite differently. He cut his pre-tournament press conference short after only 10 minutes and seemed to be laser-focused on just playing golf.
Despite the different approach to the Masters, the results were the same. McIlroy struggled over the course of the week, finishing T22 (+4) and never sniffed a decent weekend position on the leaderboard. It’s back to the drawing board for McIlroy, and I have doubts that he will ever figure it out at Augusta.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi: The 8 best prop bets for the 2024 Masters
We’ve finally reached The Masters and excitement is at an all-time high. The world of golf has been fractured for the better part of two years, but for a week at Augusta National, all of the outside noise will disappear. All of the best players in the world will be together seeking to make history.
In addition to betting on The Masters champion. This is one of the few weeks of the year where there are so many more markets to explore, with value to be had in plenty of different categories.
Throughout this article, I’ll discuss all of my favorite props and players for the 2024 Masters.
Placement Bets:
Tony Finau Top 5 +750 (DraftKings):
I badly wanted to include Tony Finau in my outright betting selections, but I simply ran out of room on my card. Additionally, it’s slightly difficult to see him hitting the putts necessary to win the Masters on back nine on Sunday. However, I do strongly believe he will play great golf this week at Augusta National.
In his past 24 rounds, Finau ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach is always amongst the best drivers of the golf ball in the game. Back in 2019, Finau had a great chance to win The Masters. I expect him to be hanging around over the weekend once again in 2024.
Gary Woodland Top 20 +550 (DraftKings), Gary Woodland to make the cut -110 (DraftKings):
Last season, Gary Woodland had his best ever finish at The Masters in his eleven tries. The 39-year-old finished T14 and played incredibly steady across all four rounds.
In Woodland’s most recent start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, he struck the ball incredibly well. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+8.8) and Strokes Gained: Ball Striking (+10.0).
Gary has been working with Butch Harmon and absolutely flushing the ball both in tournaments and during practice.
Woodland appears to be healthy once again and in a great place physically and mentally. If he can build off his impressive performance at Augusta last year, he can place inside the top ten in 2024.
Additionally, the make the cut number on Woodland seems generous considering the number of players who miss the cut will be relatively small this week. Woodland is striking it well enough to make the cut even if he’s hindered by a balky putter once again.
Thorbjorn Olesen Top 20 +400 (FanDuel):
The Thunder Bear, Thorbjorn Olesen, made his Masters debut in 2013 and finished an incredibly impressive T6 for the week. In the two additional starts he’s made at Augusta National since then, the Dane has continued to be incredibly solid, finishing T44 and T21.
This week, Olesen heads into the week playing some good golf. He gained 3.8 strokes on approach and 5.52 strokes around the green at last week’s Valero Texas Open on his way to a strong T14 finish. Back in January, he won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour.
Olesen has the skill set to be successful at Augusta and seems primed for a good performance this week.
Top Nationalities:
Sergio Garcia Top Spanish Player +280 (DraftKings):
I believe Sergio Garcia can get into contention this week with the way he’s striking the ball in addition to his good vibes with a refurbished version of the Scotty Cameron that he used at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah.
I am slightly concerned about the emotional letdown he may face after losing in a playoff at LIV Miami, but I believe a veteran and former Masters champion should be able to regroup and focus on an event far more meaningful.
This is essentially a tournament head-to-head with Jon Rahm at +280. While Rahm deserves to be respected this week, the history of the lack of success of defending champions at The Masters is difficult to ignore.
Joaquin Niemann Top South American Player -230 (FanDuel):
While I hate paying this much juice, I don’t see a world in which Joaquin Niemann isn’t the top South American this week at The Masters. Joaco comes in playing better golf than anyone in the world not named Scottie Scheffler and has a serious chance to win the green jacket.
He only needs to beat two players: Emiliano Grillo and Camilo Villegas.
Tournament Head-to-Heads:
Justin Thomas -110 over Collin Morikawa
JT isn’t having his best season but is playing a lot better than he is getting credit for at the moment. In the past three months, there are only six players on the PGA Tour who have averaged 1.7 Strokes Gained: Tee to Green or better. Justin Thomas (+1.7) is one of the six and is currently tied with Rory McIlroy (+1.7).
Morikawa, on the other hand, has been extremely poor with his irons, which is incredibly uncharacteristic for him. I can’t help but feel like something is completely off with the two-time major champion.
Tony Finau -110 over Wyndham Clark
I explained in the placement section why I’m so high on Tony Finau this week. With how well he’s striking the ball, it seems as if his floor is extremely high. I’m not sure if he can make the putts to win a green jacket but I believe he will be in the mix similarly to 2019 when Tiger Woods emerged from a crowded pack of contenders.
Clark is a debutant, and while some debutants have had success at The Masters, it certainly poses a challenge. I also don’t believe Augusta National suits Clark as well as some of the other major championship venues.
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KK
Jan 13, 2017 at 11:12 pm
Phones have free GPS apps now. If you’re too lazy or dumb to download a free app, that’s on you.
Marc Smith
Dec 22, 2016 at 5:42 pm
Firstly, probably a poor choice of title for an article related to DMD’s.
Regardless of whether you have a range finder, GPS, stroke saver or even accurate yardage markers, you’re still not going to “know” the perfect line off the tee, or the subtle breaks in greens unless you’ve played the course several times before – so home advantage is still key. Just because you can see something from a great distance on a course, does not mean you know what’s there or hiding!
So to the actual point, are DMD’s fair if all golfers don’t have them?
You make valid points about being able to afford said items, but why is that any different to being able to afford custom fitting, the newest/best equipment to suit your swing/game or coaching?
Non of the pro’s use a “visual” guide to yardages, so why should we, and they’re much better than us! I’ve paced yardages, used GPS and now use a range finder and I can guarantee, I’m much quicker using my range finder, even on shorter shots! The amount of times I’ve used strokesavers and stood deliberating about which tree they meant, or exactly where the back of the bunker is, definitely takes longer than zapping the flag.
Slow play is not caused by using DMD’s, just look at the pro’s, most PGA rounds are 4.5 hours at best and they’re not using them – I’d actually like to see them used to help speed up play! Most slow golfers I know are not slow due to using too many devices, it’s because they wait until it’s their turn then decide to start their routine!
Golf is hard, even for the lower handicap amateur golfers! So just like cavity backs, large sweets spots, drivers with offset and counter balanced putters, why shouldn’t we be able to see exactly how far we’ve got to a flag? Because, no matter how good the yardage/equipment, it all comes down to how you execute the shot – and we all know there’s no guarantees there
Brad
Dec 22, 2016 at 8:27 am
We use tech to save time. That is the point of technology. Tour players have there caddies running from the next fairway over to get yardages to the green, if amateurs did that people would be hitting into them.
creeder
Dec 22, 2016 at 7:34 am
i am all for tech. Now, for most players and i mean 90% percent. knowing that the shot is 67 yard verses 52 yards. is not going to make much difference.
TR1PTIK
Dec 21, 2016 at 9:16 pm
I don’t think you’re going to find too many sympathizers on here. BTW, your example of a coach does not apply in a weekend foursome or a dozen+ other scenarios. Also, don’t pros have caddies that walk off yardages for them – and hasn’t that pretty much always been the case? Your argument about slowing pace of play is flawed as well because if players are constantly air-mailing greens or dunking shots in the pond, then they probably aren’t going to be keeping pace with the group in front.
DJ
Dec 21, 2016 at 7:13 pm
so you’re voting for slow play. unfortunately i can’t pay a caddie nothing when i’m playing for fun. if we do play for money – $5 or $10 – should i give the caddie 5% or 10% ? that’s a hole ‘nother discussion (spelled “hole” like that on purpose). if everyone is using one or has the option to use one, then let the purist be coming up short on those approaches.
btw…use them on the tours.
Matt
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:51 pm
In my experience on my home course elevation changes, wind direction and green surface play more of a role than just distance alone.
SV
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:37 pm
In general the technology probably speeds up play if you don’t know the course. On your home course I don’t know what effect it would have. Personally I prefer GPS because I have the yardage instantly. Getting the laser focused in takes longer with my shaky hands.
BIG STU
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:31 pm
Farmer is dead on it. I can take you to my home course that I have played for 14 years now. You can have as many range finders and GPS units you want but there are some things that only come with local knowledge. There are places on those greens because of the undelation that I would rather be 20 foot from the pin in the right place than 10 feet in the wrong place. Also with the ocean only 1.5 miles away there are certain wind patterns on certain holes that without local knowledge will jump up and bite you. Also on that course any GPS unit will be about 10% off. Us local members learned that back in the infancy days of GPS when we had them on the carts. And it still holds true today with a hand held GPS or a watch type ones. We have done proved it too many times. Laser finders seem to work well
Andrew
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:02 pm
When will the PGA allow range finders? The amount of time pro’s waste measuring yardage is a joke. The technology is there, use it. I watch the PGA for the shot making not for the player’s ability or caddy for that matter, to measure the distance to the pin. Please no more 6 hour rounds in PGA tournaments.
Joey5Picks
Dec 22, 2016 at 3:19 pm
They aren’t “wasting” time getting a yardage. They’re deciding club, where to land it, whether it should sit or run out. Those wouldn’t be affected by using a rangefinder. Rarely do tour pros need only the yardage to the hole. They get the yardage to a spot on the green, the front, how much to carry a bunker, how far to a ridge on the green. Only a yardage book tells you those.
James
Dec 21, 2016 at 2:17 pm
How many kids have you told to get off your lawn recently?
Kevin
Dec 21, 2016 at 2:03 pm
Yes, people can get a little crazy with using their rangefinder. But, due to the rangefinder and GPS era, a reasonable number of courses have stopped maintaining their yardage markers or have simply done away with them. Would it be fair to ask all these courses to pay up to put in a yardage marking system, which although it is not hugely expensive, it is an unnecessary cost on an already very tight budget.
Most groups I play in we rely on one person with one range finder although most of us have one ourselves. They give us a distance from their ball or a common area between everyone and we figure it out from there.
You are saying that the technology for a new player may be counter productive to their development, do you also take the same stance on game improvement irons? Should we start every junior golfer off with a set of Wilson blades so they can get a true understanding of where the game has come from?
I understand your argument, but I believe that it is a flawed argument from the start as you are only looking at one very small aspect of the entire game of golf. You say that someone is paying for performance. Welcome to the game of golf! Lessons cost money, practice costs money, everything cost money. And, although you can remain competitive with equipment you can buy off the used rack from 3 years ago, look at how many people have ordered PXG 2-3 times the cost because they think it gives them the smallest of advantages on the course.
I think the rangefinder is a huge plus for the game of golf. I think you learn more about your game and can grow more if you use one. With courses becoming more and more difficult, more and more deceiving with false fronts and bunkers hiding the front of the green, the rangefinder has almost become an essential part of any golfers equipment who is trying to improve their game.
Jack
Dec 22, 2016 at 9:39 am
I agree I don’t miss having to find a mud covered sprinkler cover only to find that that one isn’t marked. Nothing slows play down like when I bring the wrong set of 3 clubs that I thought was within the range but really none of them were playable.
Justwellsy
Dec 21, 2016 at 1:33 pm
I would argue that using a laser rangefinder speeds up pace of play, not the other way around. I don’t even think you can argue otherwise. If you’re not using a laser rangefinder, that’s your own fault. I found a used one online for $75 that works perfectly fine when I compared with with my buddy’s brand new $400 model. College kids are allowed to use rangefinders during tournaments and a lot of other amateur tournaments are now allowing them as well. I think it’s great for the game.
GPS is a different story. It’s not nearly as accurate as laser and you never know when the reading has recalculated (at least on the models I’ve used). They’ve been off by as many as 7 yards when I compare to my laser. If you hit the ball 3 fairways over, yes I agree you should suffer the consequences and not have a GPS to guide you. HOWEVER, if you’re a serious golfer, taking the time to gauge any sort of distance to the green from there is going to take some time and inevitably slow down play. So I guess I’m torn when it comes to that.
I’m all for speeding up the game in any way possible and laser is a fantastic way to do this. I also happen to agree with a previous comment that stated home course advantage is more about knowing the breaks in the greens and how the fairways roll out, etc. Anyone can figure out raw distance if you take long enough, which is the biggest problem in golf that we are trying to fix. Don’t get me wrong, I wish courses were 25 holes and a par of 100. I want to be out there playing as many holes as possible because I love it, but that’s not for everyone. Some people like playing 9 holes and will only play 18 if they can get it done in a timely manner. Top Golf is so successful partly because you can choose how long you want to be there. With golf, half of the enjoyment for me is coming out with a score at the end of the round. Sometimes that takes 4 hours and sometimes it takes closer to 6.
farmer
Dec 21, 2016 at 12:11 pm
The biggest advantage for playing a home course is knowing the greens, where to miss and the proper lines. Not the raw distance to the target.
McPickens
Dec 21, 2016 at 2:30 pm
exactly
Chris
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:35 am
Nice start, but it kinda came off as a bit preachy, and not just because you used the word ‘preach’ a few times. Better to hint at the potential problems with tech than to declare it.
Having used Golfshot since early 2010, I wouldn’t think of dropping the extra benefits I get from the tech. I believe it has allowed me to play faster, not slower. I can pinpoint within seconds twenty different distances, instead of wasting time running around looking for a sprinkler head that may or may not be marked, only to then walk off the yardage to my ball, and then begin the process of trying to calculate in my head the likely yardage to various trees and hazards protecting the green, the front, back and pin location.
That and I now have a complete record of the hundreds of rounds I’ve played, with scores, notes, foursomes, photos, stats, etc.
Peace
Double Mocha Man
Dec 21, 2016 at 6:05 pm
Your last sentence gave you away. How much do you delay your group inputting all that info? I have a friend with the same app and there’s no camaraderie, no banter, no chit chat between holes… his face is buried in his Golfshot app. And worse, I don’t think he uses any of the stats ’cause he keeps getting worse. That’s my nickel’s worth.
Scott
Jan 5, 2017 at 3:47 pm
Double, I think that I play with the same guy. Mr. Tech Stat guy. I love it when he starts telling me how he has play the hole the last so many times, but can do noting with the info.
Bijan Matin
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:27 am
Hi bubba, thanks for the feedback. However don’t you think having a solid short game isn’t a part of home course advantage, but purely the mark of a good golfer? In terms of knowing where to miss, I have to agree with you there, valid point. Iron distance is fairly consistent I agree, but Dave Peltz also placed a lot of emphasis on the fact that from say 130 in distance becomes far more inconsistent and therefore more important than missing left or right. Obviously I know this is split between the golfer having the shot and knowing the distance, do you think this has any weighting in the discussion? Thanks for the feedback, I didn’t think many would agree with my perspective!
Double Mocha Man
Dec 21, 2016 at 6:13 pm
Good point on skewed home course handicaps. Maybe the USGA just needs to start adding 2 strokes to every home round we play???
On the other hand, if i want to play a “money” round with a guy I try to get him onto a neutral course.
Charlie
Dec 21, 2016 at 10:39 am
Is this article about pace of play, or home course advantage?
I know at my home course where I can miss two fairways over and still have a shot into the green. I also know what hills have been mowed closely so the ball will bounce back into the fairway or on the green. So no, home course advantage is not dead.
Oh, and laser rangefinders absolutely speed up pace of play.
Bijan Matin
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:16 am
Hi Charlie, it’s a bit of both. This is my first article so I’m still finding my feet, working on it!
I appreciate that in your case you know where you can miss and still hit into greens, but does your opponent who may have never played at your course deserve that advantage from a bad tee shot purely because they paid for a gps watch? In my experience in some cases range finders may speed up play. However, from playing far too many four hour plus rounds as a three ball, havent you ever experienced someone who uses one excessively? I find especially in matches people will laser pins from 30 yards to 260+, which has certainly added a significant amount of time to rounds.
Just a bit of background for my perspective, thanks again for the feedback.
Ron
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:43 am
Of course he deserves to the advantage! As golfers we all strike the play the best possible golf we can; doing that includes using all the legal equipment available to help achieve that. It should not matter if you use this equipment at your own course or elsewhere. I can’t in good conscience hold it against someone for using a legal tool.
Ron
Dec 21, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Another thing… Knowing the distances are a small thing when talking about home course advantage. The real advantage resides in knowing bounces and what greens will do.
aaron
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:43 pm
I think that is a really silly argument…..by your logic you’re saying the most difficult thing and the biggest advantage in golf is knowing the distances……again that is silly, if your opponent hit his tee shot in the trees off the fairway he doesn’t have an “easy” shot by knowing the distance, he still has the trees, lie, other impediments to deal with and then execute a shot out of those areas…..and any good course would have a yardage book identifying each hole and the hazards it has….Like others have said home course advantage has always been on and around the greens, how a fairway slopes and which clubs to take off the tee for the best and most likely approach (those things would never be replaced by a device) and as far as pace of play goes- it isn’t the pinging of yardage that slows up play…it is the not knowing what distances you hit clubs, the indecisiveness of what shot you think you can hit, the 47 practice swings, and the list goes on and on but not one of them is the 2-3 seconds it takes to acquire the yardage
Congrats on the first article and look forward to more articles and more discussions
Bryan
Dec 21, 2016 at 10:37 am
My rangefinder has undoubtedly sped up my pace of play. I use the scorecard or yardage book on most tee-shots to try to hit a shot to a certain yardage and area on the fairway for the approach shot, and then use my rangefinder on shots to the green. It takes me literally less than 10 seconds to stand over my ball and get the distance. This is much less time than walking around to find a marker, pacing it off or eyeballing it, and then questioning the accuracy of the marker to begin with. I do agree that it can be an unfair advantage if someone does not have it. But I know in my league if one team has it, the other team can ask for the GPS, or rangefinder distance at any time during the round.
Then there is also the effect that I am confident in the club/shot selection and don’t think about the yardage and selection as much as if I were using the poorly, or non-labeled markers on the courses around here.
Bijan Matin
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:55 am
Thanks for the feedback Bryan, I appreciate that for you it is a quick process. Maybe in this case I have just been cursed by having to deal with painstakingly slow rangefinder-ers, in my experience many who have a rangefinder go into ‘pro’ mode and usually follow up a 45 second lasering of the flag, all geeenside bunkers, with around ten practice swings and so many waggles that I can’t tell if my dogs tail has made it into the guys hands!
In competition, sad to say I have been on a side that does this- players would often stay away from their partners, you might get a yardsage on a par 3 by over hearing, bar that we wouldn’t give nor would they give anything. At university we would plan our pairings based on each paring having a range finder in the group.
Again, good points there, by the sounds of things your routine is far more efficient as are others in the comment section than what I have experienced!
Bryan
Dec 27, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Thanks for the reply. I think its shady if you’re playing someone with one and they don’t offer it up for use. Not the type of guys I would want to golf with for sure. I also do know the guys with looooonnnnnnggg pre-shot routines. Unfortunately finding the yardage might be the fastest part of it.
For the most part I have eliminated taking full practice swing from my routine. After watching the Pros live I could see they don’t really do that much. More of a stay loose little half swing. On feel shots around the green I still do, but that is more or less to get a feel for lie more than anything else. It has actually worked for me too… far fewer wasted good swings on a practice swing.
DeeJayMN
Dec 21, 2016 at 10:26 am
Wow, this article is awful, and based on the 15 shanks so far, i’m not alone. To each their own, if someone wants to use these aids, who cares, golf is hard enough. In my experience it speeds up play, allows golfers to learn their true club yardages, and helps correct the incorrect markers that are on the course that are usually outdated due to changes to the course. You obviously don’t have a good pulse on todays golfer and maybe your next article should be focused on why your missing the big picture.
Bijan Matin
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:07 am
As this is my first article, I appreciate the feedback and will do my best to learn from it moving forwards. And in terms of pace of play, I work for a business on the verge of releasing an app for golf clubs. In this we have been considering which features to carry forwards, from contacting a variety of golf courses I have found that they do in fact feel these aids are slowing pace of play. Obviously your circle and others here have different perspectives but from my experience here in the U.K. . Dealing with clubs, they feel that when range finders in particular come into play people use them excessively and this does slow the pace of play down in enough cases for them to become concerned. Please note that I’m not arguing here, this is just where my thoughts were founded.
– again, any constructive feedback or perspective welcome.
DeeJayMN
Dec 21, 2016 at 12:03 pm
Fair enough and I appreciate the response but what bothered me most about your article was the claim that your not THAT guy when it comes to using distance aids, and minimizing your own ownership of these aids to the fact that you won your GPS. I think whats lost in your article a little bit is that golf is meant to be fun, and beating people at your home course should be a side effect of this fun not your modus operandi for dictating how others choose to play. I’ll admit some defensiveness to the article due to the fact that I use and love my rangefinder and would be remiss not to admit that.
cb
Dec 21, 2016 at 9:58 am
on the flip side rangefinders can just as easily speed up the place of play. hitting over a water hazard for example, if you dont have the correct yardage there is the chance you can hit the correct shot but come up short then you have to hit again. obviously even when people have the correct yardage we still hit it in the water. also you want people to go out and play different courses and grow the game but nothing is worse then going to a course and not being able to fully enjoy it because you have no idea about the yardages. personally, unless im being paid to play golf, if i pay $50 for a round of golf then im taking my rangefinder so i dont spend my time looking for sprinkler heads or guessing yardages
PineStreetGolf
Dec 21, 2016 at 9:51 am
This has to be the stupidest article ever published on this typically solid website.
Buck
Dec 21, 2016 at 12:16 pm
It is better than any of the advertisements masquerading as articles, like the Adidas Boa trash.