News
Sean Crocker on signing with Srixon/Cleveland, his testing process and new clubs
Former University of Southern California standout Sean Crocker has signed with Srixon and Cleveland Golf for a multi-year deal. Crocker will play a Srixon Z-Star XV golf ball, Srixon Z-U65 Utility 2-iron, Srixon Z-765 irons (4-5), Srixon Z-945 irons (6-PW), and Cleveland RTX wedges (50, 54 and 60 degrees).
Crocker, one of the world’s top-10 amateurs, turned pro after three years at USC. During his time as a Trojan, the now 21-year-old helped his team to the NCAA Championship Match Play all three seasons. Crocker was an All-American, the 2015 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and a three-time All-Pac-12 selection.
He won the Monroe Invitational in the summer of 2016. Crocker finished second in the Northeast Amateur, and in 2015 he reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Amateur, losing to eventual champion, Bryson DeChambeau.
Crocker spoke with GolfWRX about the signing.
The adoptive Californian indicated there’s a great deal of similarity between forged irons and wedges–similarly spec’d and shafted–from OEM to OEM. Thus, he told us the golf ball was his primary concern in choosing a sponsor.
“That was the biggest thing. That’s what I sat on TrackMan with. I made sure I hit it in Europe when I was playing in windy conditions. If your golf ball doesn’t fly right, it doesn’t matter how hard or how solid you hit it; it’s not going to go where you want it.”
Crocker didn’t play a Srixon ball in college, and really hadn’t given anything from the Z-Star line much consideration as he assessed his options. However, he was surprised to find the Z-Star XV “held up perfectly,” performing particularly better than anything he tested in the wind.
Last one thanks @SrixonEurope pic.twitter.com/rS3OCfbKXY
— CROCK (@seancrocker11) October 18, 2017
Crocker, who had played TaylorMade equipment and balls from the time he was 14, tested equipment extensively last year. He tested woods from multiple manufacturers (and eventually returned to his TaylorMade woods), planning on locking in his irons and wedges last.
After the U.S. Amateur, he decided to broaden his ball search to include Srixon.
“The week before I signed, I played the first stage of (Web.com) Q-School in Nevada. It was blowing 15-25 mph all week, and the ball was amazing,” he said. Crocker tied for seventh (-9/279) at First Stage Qualifying in Dayton, Nevada. “Everything settled into place after that.”
He said the testing process included both range time on TrackMan and on-course work with the ball, and both facets are important.
“You’re always manipulating a little something when you’re on the range. But when you get on the golf course, all you think about is the pin. Especially when you’re practicing. That’s when you start to hit different shots: You’ll pinch one a little bit, you’ll skank one a little bit to see how it spins. That’s when you’re going to get a lot of your feedback. But you do need to see your numbers on TrackMan.”
With respect to his irons, Crocker sang the praises of the Z-945’s dual Tour V.T. Sole: “I’m a little steeper at impact, so they go through the ground a little better.”
He said the split set (Z-765 irons (4-5), Srixon Z-945 irons (6-P)), represented a change for him. “Putting the (4 and 5-iron) in play has been another game changer,” he said. “I’m hitting my long irons so much higher, so they’re landing a lot softer, and it’s easier to hit those closer.”
Speaking to the trend toward combo sets on Tour, Crocker said, “The game’s hard enough. So now you have this butter knife 4-iron. It still looks good to your eye, but guess what, you have an extra three centimeters on the clubface to hit with.”
Crocker is playing a second stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying event at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, starting November 7. He’s hoping to make it to the Final Stage, December 7.
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News
Vincenzi’s 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting preview: International talent to shine
As anticipation mounts for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla in a few weeks, the PGA Tour makes a pit stop in McKinney, Texas to play The CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
Last year was the third time TPC Craig Ranch hosted the Byron Nelson. Prior to 2021, the event was held at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.
TPC Craig Ranch is a 7,414-yard par-71 that features Bentgrass greens. The event historically plays relatively easy, and that has remained the case in the three editions at TPC Craig Ranch.
The course structure may provide some additional intrigue with the par-3 17th featuring a stadium setup called “Ranch 17” which is reminiscent of the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. The course also has both long and difficult par-4s mixed with drivable par-4s, which should create some exciting moments.
There are 156 golfers in the field this week, and many stars will be taking the week off to prepare for 2023’s second major championship in a few weeks and a “signature event” at Quail Hollow next week. Notable players in the field include Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Stephan Jaeger, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Alex Noren, Adam Scott and Will Zalatoris.
Past Winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson
- 2023: Jason Day (-23 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2022: K.H. Lee (-26 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2021: K.H. Lee (-25 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2019: Sung Kang (-23)
- 2018: Aaron Wise (-23)
- 2017: Billy Horschel (-12)
- 2016: Sergio Garcia (-15)
- 2015: Steven Bowditch (-18)
Key Stats at TPC Craig Ranch
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for TPC Craig Ranch to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach remains the best measure of current form.
Hot iron play will be at a premium this week. Last year, Jason Day gained 6.4 strokes on approach, which was fourth in the field. In 2022, K.H. Lee was ninth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.2 strokes. In his 2021 victory, he was second in the field and gained 8.3 strokes on the field in the category.
Strokes Gaines: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Keith Mitchell (+1.02)
- Henrik Norlander (+0.99)
- Ryan Moore (+0.98)
- Ben Martin (0.80)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Fairways are wide at TPC Craig Ranch.
Distance will certainly be helpful, and there aren’t too many difficult holes on the course. Golfers who put themselves in position off of the tee this week should have a sizable advantage.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds
- Peter Kuest (+0.93)
- Kevin Daugherty (+0.91)
- Alejandro Tosti (+0.83)
- Keith Mitchell (+0.82)
- Kevin Tway (+0.74)
Birdie or Better %
There aren’t many hazards on the course, and all of the par-5s should be reachable in two for the majority of the players in the field. I am anticipating a birdie fest, and this statistic should be helpful in finding the birdie-makers.
Birdie or Better % Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Wesley Bryan (31%)
- Kelly Kraft (26.2%)
- Peter Kuest (25.9%)
- Matti Schmid (25.7%
- Jimmy Stanger (25.2%)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
Many golfers on TOUR have some major putting surface variance in their statistics and prefer Bentgrass to other surfaces.
Bentgrass is common in Texas, and we often see golfers who play well in Texas continue to do so, finding a great feel around the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Maverick McNealy (+0.92)
- Aaron Baddeley (+0.87)
- Callum Tarren (+0.86)
- Harry Hall (+0.81)
- Nick Hardy (+0.69)
Course History
This statistic will tell us which players have performed the best at TPC Craig Ranch over the past three seasons.
Course History Over Past 12 Rounds:
- Jordan Spieth (+2.69)
- K.H. Lee (+2.59)
- Seamus Power (+1.84)
- Ryan Palmer (+1.76)
- Adam Scott (+1.72)
CJ CUP Byron Nelson Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: OTT (24%), Birdie or Better % (18%), Course History (17%) and SG: Putting Bentgrass (16%).
- Alex Noren
- Adam Scott
- Keith Mitchell
- Si Woo Kim
- Stephen Jaeger
- Jordan Spieth
- Jhonnatan Vegas
- Nate Lashley
- Brice Garnett
- Tom Hoge
2024 CJ CUP Byron Nelson Picks
Byeong Hun An +3000 (DraftKings)
Byeong Hun put together an excellent performance at The Masters, finishing T16, which ties his best ever finish at a major championship (also T16 at 2019 U.S. Open). The South Korean gained 9.16 strokes from tee to green, which ranked 2nd in the field behind only the champion, Scottie Scheffler.
An’s next start at Harbour Town didn’t go as well (67th), but he still had a fantastic ball striking week. The 32-year-old bled strokes both around and on the greens, which was his eventual undoing. In his past three starts, An has gained significant strokes on the field both off the tee and on approach.
Benny had a strong start at last year’s Byron Nelson, finishing in a tie for 14th. With limited challenges on the course, he shouldn’t have to do much scrambling. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 17th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 17th in the field in birdie or better percentage. The putter is up and down per usual, but his ceiling putting weeks with his LAB Golf putter in 2024 are higher than they’ve been in past seasons.
An is starting to become my “white whale” of the PGA Tour, but I believe in his talent and TPC Craig Ranch is a course that should suit his excellent tee to green play.
Mackenzie Hughes +5500 (FanDuel)
Mackenzie Hughes is quietly putting together a very good season. He finished in a tie for 3rd at the Valspar Championship and followed that up with a T14 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
In his past 36 rounds in Texas, the Canadian ranks 5th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total. Last year, he finished in a tie for 14th at this event and gained strokes putting and off the tee. Mackenzie played well that week despite being in extremely poor form. He missed two cuts in a row prior to the event, and four consecutive cuts immediately after. His irons were off that week, but in 2024, we’ve seen an improvement in Hughes’ approach game. He now comes to the event playing some steady golf. He’s gained strokes on approach in four of his past five events and is hitting the ball very well from tee to green.
Hughes has two victories on the PGA Tour, both coming in relatively low-scoring affairs (-17 in each). He will need to go a bit deeper to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson but has the type of putter that can keep pace in a birdie barrage.
Seamus Power +7000 (FanDuel)
After struggling over the past few seasons with injuries, Seamus Power seems as if he is rounding back into the form that made him a really consistent player on the PGA Tour.
Power finished T12 in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage, which is encouraging considering it was a “signature event” with a very strong field. For the week, the Irishman gained 4.4 strokes on approach and 2.8 strokes putting, which is the combination he’s used in the past to contend on Tour.
In his three trips to TPC Craig Ranch, Power is yet to finish outside of the top-20, with his best finish being a T9 in 2019. He ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course. The 37-year-old thrives on easy tracks and has won in 2021 (Barbasol Championship) and 2022 (Butterfield Bermuda) on easier layouts with weaker fields.
Power has the game to go extremely low and I believe he can get back in the winner’s circle for the third time in four years.
Chan Kim +10000 (FanDuel)
Chan Kim has been striking the ball beautifully this season and is a proven winner with two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 as well as eight career Japan Tour wins.
At last week’s Zurich Classic, Kim and his partner Doug Ghim finished in a tie for 28th. Prior to that, the South Korean T14 at the Valero Texas Open and T6 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. His success this season in Texas as well as he propensity to play his best golf on the PGA Tour’s easier courses make him and ideal fit for TPC Craig Ranch.
2024 has given plenty of longshot winners on the PGA Tour, and with a birdie fest like this, I believe there’s a strong chance we get another this week in McKinney, Texas.
Alejandro Tosti +10000 (FanDuel)
Alejandro Tosti is one of the most polarizing players on the PGA Tour thus far in the 2024 season. His antics can rub many the wrong way, but he’s shown on a few occasions that he has what it takes to compete in Tour events.
This season, Tosti has been elite off the tee. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The Argentine hits it long and straight, which works at any course on earth. He got a taste of contention a few starts ago at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, finishing in a tie for 2nd place.
Tosti had a fantastic year in 2023 on the Korn Ferry Tour, where going low is a prerequisite to success. If this turns to a shootout, which it likely will, the 27-year-old has the ability to set the pace. Tosti will look to become the second Argentine to win in Texas in the past two seasons after Emiliano Grillo emerged victorious at last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
C.T. Pan +15000 (FanDuel)
Outside of a T3 at the Mexico Open, C.T. Pan doesn’t have strong results this season in terms of finishes. However, over his past two starts, Pan’s iron play has come alive. At The Players, he gained 6.6 strokes on approach. At the Valero Texas Open, he gained 3.7. At last week’s Zurich Classic, Pan and his partner Kevin Yu finished T28. For a player who can get extremely hot with his scoring clubs, I believe he’s playing better than the results have shown over the past month or so.
Last season, Pan finished 4th at TPC Craig Ranch and was spectacular across all the major stat categories. In his past 36 qualifying rounds, he ranks 16th in Strokes Gained: Total in Texas.
Pan has won on the PGA Tour at the RBC Heritage and is always a player that I believe has what it takes to win on a Sunday if he finds himself in contention.
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Morning 9: McIlroy, Lowry win Zurich | Green repeats on LPGA | Steele victorious down under
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Morning 9: 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour | Rory on possible return to policy board
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Trevor James
Jan 2, 2018 at 12:48 pm
This guy is a STUD!
I grew up playing competitive with him in juniors and high school.
He is going to make some noise next year.
Tomdick
Nov 6, 2017 at 6:06 pm
All the local clowns have been talking trash about this kid from the beginning. He just keeps proving them wrong. That’s what makes this kid great. The hush in this area is comical. They still can’t believe he was on tv in the semi’s against Bryson. He tied Jimmy Walker in Europe last month and has made the cut in most of his tour starts.
I’m not saying he’s going to take down majors, but wait until his short game and putting take off.
mM
Nov 5, 2017 at 2:06 am
A Taylormade driver though. lol
Mark
Nov 5, 2017 at 12:53 am
Are Cleveland Precision Forged wedges and Cleveland RTX wedges one and the same model of wedge? I always thought they were different wedge models.
2putttom
Nov 4, 2017 at 11:25 am
this will be a great pairing for success
SK
Nov 3, 2017 at 5:49 pm
Cleveland’s “Precision Forged” is the same as “Coining” explained here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coining_(metalworking)
The clubhead is not hot forged from a red hot billet of steel; it is cast and then stamped to harden the surface while it is cold.
Gullible golfers don’t know or care about what they are buying because they only buy brand and bling.
etc.
Nov 4, 2017 at 4:18 pm
So the precision forged clubs are only forged skin deep? Mizuno’s are fully hot forged, not ‘coined’.
Phil
Nov 3, 2017 at 11:02 am
I wish someone would actually praise (and USE) Srixon’s driver and fairway woods!!!
Gilles
Nov 5, 2017 at 11:44 am
Why do you wish Srixon clubs deserve ‘praise’? What is so exceptional about them to make your wishes come true?
Nick
Nov 3, 2017 at 10:59 am
This kid is going to be really good.
2putttom
Nov 4, 2017 at 11:24 am
I agree
Gilles
Nov 5, 2017 at 11:47 am
I disagree. All he has done is capitalized on his amateur record with an equipment deal for Chinese clubs.
Anthony
Nov 7, 2017 at 5:39 pm
Chinese clubs? A little bit to the right and lower on the map?