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Going for it: My day at U.S. Open sectional qualifying
U.S. Open sectional qualifying was held at courses across the country yesterday. If the championship is the U.S. Open, then the sectional could be called the U.S. Wide Open, a blank canvas waiting to be filled with a story.
In many ways, sectionals embody the spirit of the USGA even more than the championship event. There is an air of hope and possibility for amateurs and young professionals, and there is also the grinding journey of accomplished PGA professionals to uncover past glory and success. I took the day to check out qualifying and get feel for those who punch their ticket to compete in the national championship.
In my area, the event was held at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, MD., a course that has held a number of USGA qualifyers. The day was about as good as it gets for the Nation’s Capital in summertime, 72 degrees and sunny with puffs of wind just strong enough to give the players something to think about. It felt more like San Diego than Washington, DC and the heavy rains from the night before made the greens as receptive as they could possibly be after being prepared to approximate U.S. Open levels of speed and treachery.
A couple of players took advantage of the conditions to go low in the first of the two required rounds. Mark Lawrence, an amateur playing out of Richmond. VA, took advantage of the second alternate slot to post a 5-under par 67, the low round of the day. Cody Proveaux, a pro from Richmond, VA with an “everyman” body but a swing to die for, put up a 68 in his opening round. Unfortunately, Lawrence followed up with a 76 and Proveaux with a 77. Woodmont giveth and Woodmont taketh away.
The list of 68 entrants had names that ring familiar to Tour fans. Robert Allenby, Vaughn Taylor, Dan Summerhays, and Erik Compton have known success on the PGA Tour at some time. None of them were among the four players who went through from the field of 63. It was a demonstration of the difficulty of the conditions on a course set up to be a test of the best. The course had been stretched and hardened to USGA standards; in one case the temporary 8th tee was moved so far back I was actually on the fringe surrounding the adjacent 9th green. Past glory meant nothing on a day that was all about what happens in ten days time.
It’s always good sport for spectators to spot a player that isn’t known and go “all in” in support of his effort. Standing on the range I saw a lanky young man who for all the world looked like Memorial champion Patrick Cantlay, striping low-flighted drivers under the wind and puring 7-irons that landed within a beach towel’s distance of each other. The golfer was Trevor Werbylo, who had just completed his sophomore year at the University of Arizona. He put himself in competition with a first round 71.
I asked if Open qualifying felt different than other competitions. “Well, you have to stay patient. It’s two rounds of golf, so that’s different from a lot of qualifiers. I put myself in a good position, and I think I need to get to 3- or 4-under to have a chance.” Werbylo played some impressive golf, hitting driver/7-iron for an easy birdie and almost driving the 350 yard 4th. Werbylo fell short, 4 shots shy of a playoff. But he definitely showed that he is a young player with the tools to make his mark in the game someday.
Standing on the first tee waiting or the first round begin I saw a familiar figure approaching. It was Steve Wheatcroft, a PGA Tour professional who I had played with last year at the Humana Challenge (formerly the Bob Hope Desert Classic). Wheatcroft had impressed me that day with his play and even more so with his friendly and helpful attitude. Playing in that event I was very aware of being in their “office”, but he went out of his way to read putts and give tips to me during the round.
He was disappointed in his first round 75, but his 320-yard drive to open the second round displayed his ability to right the ship. He at 146, but was undaunted. As soon as the last show was struck, he was packing the car and getting ready for the car trip to the next event with his caddy. Such is the life of the journeyman pro, a far cry from the private jets and entourages of the top names.
The winners were Billy Hurley III (141), Connor Arrendell (141), Joe Bramlett (142) and Ryan Sullivan (142). Hurley is a well-known player on the PGA Tour and in the Washington, DC area. He looked comfortable and confident, like an Olympic sprinter who knows that he has enough to make it past the qualifying heats. His game showed the full-set of skills available to a PGA Tour winner, including a lovely up-and down on the Par 5 3rd that had the crowd buzzing.
All four advanced to one of the most prestigious events in golf on one of its iconic courses, Pebble Beach Golf Links. The Latin phrase “carpe diem” means seize the day; four golfers did just that. For the rest, it’s off to the bar for a beer, then back to the range to look for the shot will make the difference for them in 2020.
Below are the results from the other 10 sites (courtesy USGA).
COLUMBUS, OHIO
Brookside Golf & Country Club / Scioto Country Club (121 players for 14 spots)
• Qualifiers: Luke Guthrie, Anirban Lahiri, Sam Saunders, Jhonattan Vegas, Rory Sabbatini, Jason Dufner, Chesson Hadley, Erik Van Rooyen, Luke Donald, Aaron Baddeley, Brandon Wu, Ryan Fox, Collin Morikawa and Kyoung-Hoon Lee
• Notable non-qualifiers: Cameron Champ, Kevin Tway, Danny Lee, Harold Varner III, 2011 U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein, 2018 Latin America Amateur champion Joaquin Niemann, three-time USGA champion Ryan Moore, Cole Hammer, Steve Stricker, Bill Haas, Bobby Clampett, 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up Akshay Bhatia
SPRINGFIELD, OHIO
Springfield Country Club (73 players for 5 spots)
• Qualifiers: Zac Blair, Chip McDaniel, Brian Stuard, Nick Hardy and Brett Drewitt
• Notable non-qualifiers: Troy Merritt, 2016 U.S. Amateur runner-up Brad Dalke, 2014 U.S. Amateur runner-up Corey Conners, Dylan Meyer
SURREY, ENGLAND
Walton Heath Golf Club (Old and New Courses), (109 players for 14 spots)
• Qualifiers: Dean Burmester, Sam Horsfield, Marcus Fraser, Clement Sordet, Matthieu Pavon, Lee Slattery, Marcus Kinhult, Rhys Enoch, Adri Arnaus, Justin Walters, Daniel Hillier, Thomas Pieters, Merrick Bremner and Renato Paratore
• Notable non-qualifiers: Lee Westwood (missed by three strokes), 2005 U.S. Amateur champion Edoardo Molinari, 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Min Woo Lee and 2010 U.S. Open runner-up Gregory Havret
PURCHASE, N.Y.
Century Country Club/Old Oaks Country Club, (73 players for 14 spots)
• Qualifiers: Cameron Young, Matt Parziale, Andy Pope, Rob Oppenheim
• Non-qualifiers: 2011 U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft, 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion/2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion Scott Harvey, 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Michael McCoy, PGA Tour winners Johnson Wagner, Jim Herman and J.J. Henry, and Gary Nicklaus, son of 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus
MILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA
RattleSnake Point Golf Club, par 72 (37 players for 4 spots)
• Qualifiers: Tom Hoge, Sepp Straka, Nathan Lashley, Alex Prugh
• Notable non-qualifiers: Two-time PGA Tour winner Harris English (141) shot the low round of the day in the morning (5-under 67), but an afternoon 73 put him into the 3-for-2 playoff. He is the first alternate. Fabian Gomez of Argentina (142) is the second alternate.
BALL GROUND, GA.
Hawks Ridge Golf Club, (67 players for 4 spots)
• Qualifiers: Oliver Schniederjans, Noah Norton, Chandler Eaton, Roberto Castro
• Notable non-qualifiers: Jaime Lopez Rivarola, of Argentina, earned the first alternate; Joey Garber went 4 over on his last four holes and is the second alternate. Robert Karlsson, an 11-time winner on the European Tour; Alex Smalley, who played in the 2017 U.S. Open and has a Duke record 25 top 10 finishes; PGA Tour pros Brendon de Jonge, Jason Bohn, and 2000 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion D.J. Trahan.
STREAMSONG, FLA.
Streamsong Resort (Black Course), (56 players for 3 spots)
• Qualifiers: Callum Tarren, Luis Gagne and Guillermo Pereira
• Notable non-qualifiers: Tyson Alexander (missed by one stroke), Tyler Strafaci (missed by four)
• Alexander, 30, of Gainesville, Fla., is the first alternate
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.
Big Canyon Country Club and Newport Beach Country Club (99 players for 5 spots)
• Qualifiers: Chun An Yu, Hayden Shieh, Richard Lee, Stewart Hagestad, Andreas Halvorsen
• Notable non-qualifiers: 2018 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Isaiah Salinda, 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur champion and PGA Tour winner Charlie Beljan, PGA Tour professional Brandon Harkins, 2015 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Sean Crocker, amateur world No. 2 Justin Suh, three-time PGA Tour runner-up Cameron Tringale
WALLA WALLA, WASH.
Wine Valley Golf Club (55 players for 3 spots)
• Qualifiers: Eric Dietrich, Matthew Naumec, Spencer Tibbits
• Notable non-qualifiers: Mackenzie Tour-Canada competitor Alistair Docherty (first alternate); six-time U.S. Open competitor and three-time Web.com Tour winner Michael Putnam (second alternate); 2016 U.S. Open competitor Matt Marshall; 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur quarterfinalist Joe Highsmith; PGA Tour winner Kevin Stadler
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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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carl
Jun 6, 2019 at 10:33 am
Michael Williams content is by far the best on this site.
Chris
Jun 5, 2019 at 5:44 pm
Nice user name, loves to Troll about Rules apparently
rules
Jun 4, 2019 at 6:19 pm
“…he went out of his way to read putts and give tips to me during the round.”
this is against the rules of golf, specifically 10.2a.
Geoffrey Holland
Jun 5, 2019 at 4:00 am
Clearly he’s talking about a Pro-Am where pros help the amateurs. Get a clue.