News
Ryder Cup Recap: Day One
It seems obvious that team USA has elected to return to the original spirit of the Ryder Cup team matches; that of an exhibition. How else to explain the generosity it showed in tossing four matches away in Friday’s afternoon session, after jumping out to a 3-1 lead over Europe? After all, seizing a 6-2 or 7-1 advantage would have meant that the Yanks actually cared to win this competition. How do I know all this? Well for starters, look at the margin of defeat in each of those foursomes (alternate shot) matches: 16th green, 16th green, 14th green, 14th green. Those are not razor-thin margins, readers. As always, there is more to the story, so let’s have a look at our day one Ryder Cup Recap.
Morning Four-balls
Things looked quite nice for the western hemisphere after 54 holes of golf in the better-ball competition. The teams of Finau-Koepka and Thomas-Spieth eeked out 1-up wins over Rose-Rahm and Casey-Hatton, respectively. The side of Johnson-Fowler was strong in a 4 & 2 win over McIlroy and Olesen. Unfortunately for the visitors, the tide began to turn as the Tiger Curse continued. With what seemed like his 400th losing partner, Tiger and Patrick Reed went down to defeat, at the hands of the Frank-and-Tommy Show. Molinari and Fleetwood dusted the heavily-favored Americans by a 3 & 1 margin.
The Ryder Cup rarely sees team play catch legitimate fire. Typical rounds are a back-and-forth affair, and this was the case with all four morning matches. Each time that Rose and Rahm appeared poised to leaver Finau-Koepka in their wake, the Americans found a way to bounce back. Buoyed by this tenacity, the Americans won three of the final six holes to escape with a win. Their success included the epitome of “hand of fate” for Finau. Have a look below:
THAT was a heck of a bounce, Mr. Finau.#GoUSA pic.twitter.com/LHG56SjLn0
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 28, 2018
In the day’s second match, little happened until the turn, when Europe won its only hole of the McIlroy-Olesen era. Anticipate this being the beginning and the end of said partnership. Johnson and Fowler won five of the next eight holes, rendering the final two fairways inconsequential. Fowler’s putter was hot in the morning session, as evidenced by this long-range effort:
Rickie with a birdie from long distance. #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/xW1tYBua5z
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 28, 2018
Match three offered the return of Paul Casey to RC competition. Casey and countryman Tyrrell Hatton battled back with zeal after falling behind by three holes on the outward half. The English duo snatch holes 11 through 13 from Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth to square the match. Only one of the final five holes would be won outright, and it would be enough to give the American pair the winner’s point. It’s not yet Sunday, so the fist pumps and chest thumps aren’t quite measuring on the Richter Scale. Still, putts like this one from Spieth will be necessary if the USA is to retain the Cup for the first time in what seems like forever:
Another hole. Another birdie for Spieth.
Thomas/Spieth move to 3-up. #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/Vwj5eZOngl
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 28, 2018
The fourth match of the AM assembly featured Woods and Reed being McIlroy and Olesen. The pair took a 2-up lead with birdies at nine and 10. That’s it. No more. Molinari and Fleetwood stormed back with wins on five of the next seven holes. No idea where the Red, White and Blue retired, they just simply … went … away. That can’t happen again for Team USA to win. Reed is Captain America, while Woods is Captain Irony. While Reed revels in Ryder Cup atmospheres, Woods cannot master the method that a GOAT should have in team competition. Maybe the secret Fleetwood squat need be adopted by the American pair, to fire up their putters.
SOUND ON ????#TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/OaE6boX5fc
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 28, 2018
Afternoon Foursomes
These are either palatable (winning 1.5 points) or atrocious (getting skunked) for Team USA. The reality is, it’s more of a cultural way than it is a skill. Europeans have always understood that golf A) need not be played the same way all the time; and B) can be played quickly if you take half as many shots. Foursomes is a way of life at club and courses in Europe, allowing camaraderie AND a 2-hour 18 holes of golf. Lesson that should be learned in the USA, in order to make the game more enduring and endearing. Today? 4-0 whitewashing in the afternoon hours. Welcome back to the competition, Team Europe. You can stop now and go to the European Ryder Cup Twitter feed for highlights, but we’d prefer that you read what we have to say. Let’s start with this: Rory was two different golfers on day one. In the AM, he was AWOL; in the afternoon, he was this:
"That's unbelievable!"#TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/1kJTGBP5bi
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 28, 2018
Here are the afternoon numbers: 54 holes played, 27 holes won by the men in blue, 10 holes claimed by the guests in red. That’s so lopsided, it’s not worth debating. Four matches were played over the holes required for three rounds of golf. Early dinner reservations, Team Furyk? Miss your nap time? What we know is this: Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson went meekly into that good night, losing on the 16th hole to Poulter and McIlroy. Phil Mickelson and Bryson Dechambeau saw their first action and ghosted after 14 holes, at the hands of Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren. This won was particularly bad: the Euros won seven of the first nine holes. They won 1/4 of the European holes this afternoon, in a nine-hole stretch. Uggh. Yuck. Bleck. Phil was always going to be a suspicious Captain’s pick; he’s on the verge of being this year’s Lee Westwood, unless Tiger beats him to it.
Remember when Seve and Olazabal won everything in sight, and they were never separated? Same should happen with Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson. They are straight fire when paired, and it should be written in stone that they never part. They were reunited in the afternoon, and they massacred two of the morning USA heroes, Fowler and Johnston. The Olympic pair (gold and silver medalists in Rio) took a 5-up lead before the Americans even attempted a rally; it was feeble, a mere 2 holes won, and the Europeans coasted to yet another afternoon point.
Finally, Molinari and Fleetwood continued their dominant ways. They dispatched Spieth and Thomas by a 5 and 4 tally. The Euros won three out of four holes on the front, two consecutive holes at the turn, then two more in a row, midway through the homeward half and that was that.
Hottest thing in France right now?
Tommy Fleetwood's putter ???? pic.twitter.com/pbhUK3TH28
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 28, 2018
No doubt, Europe have the home feel, so Team USA need an extra bit of effort to remain valid. Tiger and Reed MUST win tomorrow morning. Team USA must win at least 2.5 points in the morning, to narrow the two-point gap. Then, they must do no worse than 2-2 in the afternoon foursomes. Anything worse than a 10-6 deficit, heading into Sunday’s 12 singles points, will be too much to overcome for the colonial squad.
- LIKE11
- LEGIT2
- WOW4
- LOL0
- IDHT1
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
- LIKE4
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
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.
- LIKE15
- LEGIT8
- WOW2
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP3
- OB0
- SHANK2
News
Morning 9: McIlroy, Lowry win Zurich | Green repeats on LPGA | Steele victorious down under
|
- LIKE1
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole1 week ago
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
-
Equipment3 weeks ago
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
Expat Golfer
Sep 29, 2018 at 12:21 am
Sadly I’m not the least surprised. Team USA just can’t ever seem to rise up for this great event – and honestly, I’m going into these things half cheering for Europe at this point, they’re just more fun to watch.
Tom
Sep 28, 2018 at 10:34 pm
Wow, the guys picked to play alternate shot was made up of several players who just can’t hit it straight on a very tight layout. What was Furyk thinking? After getting pounded will Mickelson finally apologize to Tom Watson, and sit himself out???lol that was horrible golf by the USA Team.