Opinion & Analysis

Louisville Golf: Post time for persimmon

Published

5 years ago

Dec 11, 2018

“I knew I had to give it a shot. If I had tried and it didn’t work out, I would’ve been okay with that. But I had to go after my passion and see where it went.”

Jeremy Wright gets it. Taking over at Louisville Golf is not for everybody. This isn’t a multi-billion-dollar revenue generating machine with private research facilities and elaborate corporate complexes. It’s not about money…or fame…or 385-yard drives. Gerard Just, the youngest of the Just brothers who started Louisville Golf might have summed it up best:

“You know, I guess you could say we’re simple people. We don’t really go on vacations. But we work hard and we enjoy what we do. We don’t make a lot of money. I don’t think my kids could afford to work here to be honest, but they hate their jobs. We never really had that problem.”

Louisville Golf was established in 1974 by Elmore Just and Steve Taylor when they left Hillerich & Bradsby (crafters of Louisville Slugger baseball bats and Power-Bilt golf clubs). Elmore ran the business side of the company and Steve oversaw the manufacturing aspect. Back then, in the heyday of persimmon, the club manufacturers were on an allotment. Since persimmon (remarkably well-suited for golf clubs due to its strength and density) is a relatively slow-growing wood, there was only so much material to go around and upstart Louisville Golf had to fight for every block they got. Eventually, they built the business into a major player, making 800 clubs a day for the likes of Hogan, MacGregor, Wilson, Spalding, and others.

Master models for Louisville Golf persimmon club heads

Some of Louisville Golf’s more well-known woods that won on the PGA Tour were the Wilson Whale that Payne Stewart used to win the 1989 PGA Championship and the Hogan Apex that Tom Kite used to win the 1992 US Open at Pebble Beach. Then metal woods came into the picture and sales dwindled. When Callaway launched the Big Bertha, sales basically dried up overnight.

Though metal woods took off like a rocket in the 1990’s, there were some holdouts. Justin Leonard, Davis Love III, and Mark Calcavecchia held onto their persimmon woods into the late 90s. The last man standing was widely considered to be Bob Estes, who used his Louisville Golf Smart ProBE (a club Just developed specifically for Estes) in the Accenture Match Play in 2001.

When Elmore Just passed away in April of 2001, his brother Mike assumed control of the company. Elmore is actually buried at Persimmon Ridge Golf Club in Louisville, an Arthur Hills course he developed in the 1980’s. When Mike took the reins, though the company had successfully limped along through the metal wood revolution, the hard reality was that they needed to reinvent themselves if they were going to remain profitable. Mike left his mark on the company in 2004 by deciding to leverage Louisville Golf’s unique expertise into crafting period-correct hickory shafted golf clubs and restoring vintage specimens. That decision marked a resurgence of sorts, as the niche has served Louisville Golf well. Today, Louisville Golf and St. Andrews Golf Co. are the only large scale manufacturers of such equipment.

Louisville Golf club heads ready for final assembly

It’s a peculiar set of circumstances to be sure, but oddly enough, many golfers in the 21st century have found Louisville Golf through 100-year-old golf clubs. This is exactly how Jeremy Wright came into the picture. Jeremy was a medical sales representative in Houston, TX with a wife, three kids, and a serious golfing hobby. He had recently gone on a search for an exotic shaft upgrade for his Scotty Cameron putter. On a whim, he googled wooden shafts, stumbled across hickory golf clubs, and the rest was history.

“One of the things I learned in that search was that, when the golf industry transitioned from hickory shafts to steel, a lot of players either kept their old hickory putters or would fit their new putters with hickory shafts for decades after that transition because the feel was so much better.

“So I kept digging into hickory golf and tried to learn what it was all about. I discovered there were hickory tournaments and the winners shot like 75-78 and I thought, ‘I can do that. I’m going to get a hickory set together and figure this out.’ From that point on, I was hooked. There was no going back.”

So hooked, in fact, that when Jeremy heard the Just family was fielding offers for the company as a result of Mike’s passing in October of 2016, he put his name in the hat. It just so happened that Jeremy and his wife were both at a point in their careers where they were looking for more. Burned out and tired of the cyclical corporate rat race, they decided to go all-in on Jeremy’s passion, submitted an offer to the Just family, and ultimately were selected from multiple potential suitors to carry on the legacy of the company.

Sole plates for Louisville Golf persimmon fairway woods

As for where Louisville Golf goes from here, you can probably expect a lot more of what got them here in the first place. After all, one of the biggest reasons Jeremy was selected to take the reins at Louisville Golf was his commitment to preserving its heritage. Louisville Golf may not be rubbing elbows with the major OEM’s anymore, but these days, they’re not trying to either. Just like the rest of us golfers, they’re getting by with grit, optimism, and respect for the game. They’ve also seen the fortunate bounces and bad lies that come with a life dedicated to golf, but as the old adage says, the most important shot is always the next one. Time marches on. And so does Louisville Golf. They remain committed to what has brought them this far and see that as a springboard into the future.

“We’ve got some products in the works that I think are really innovative and will show what persimmon is really capable of. I think if you’re a better player who can find the sweet spot on a consistent basis, you really should think seriously about persimmon. Especially if you’re looking to get a specific yardage out of your clubs like with a fairway wood or hybrid. There was a video circulating a few years ago with Rickie Fowler using a steel shafted persimmon fairway wood and he was getting a 1.49 smash factor. You can’t get much better than that. The way the bulge and roll is shaped on a persimmon wood and also the location of the CG allows for a bigger gear effect than modern titanium woods. Persimmons do impart more spin on the ball (especially on a mishit), so we acknowledge the ball may not go as far, but that spin also brings the ball back to the target, too. That’s one of the biggest advantages of persimmon. You’ll be shorter but in the fairway as opposed to long and in the trees.

“The people that find us are looking for a deeper connection to the tradition and the spirit of the game. They’re tired of paying for marketing fluff and silly catch phrases. We make viable alternatives for the modern golfer, we make classic reproductions of the steel shaft/persimmon head era of golf, and we make spot-on hickory shafted clubs as well, so we think we have a place in just about everyone’s bag depending on how you prefer to experience the game. Nothing compares to the joy of a purely struck golf shot with a wooden golf club. You just feel like you’re playing golf the way it was meant to be played.”

A visit to Louisville Golf reveals a group of people who have dedicated their lives to exactly that: playing the game the way it was meant to be played. Hard work, attention to detail, a commitment to quality, and having a lot of fun along the way are the hallmarks of their operation. One strike directly on that persimmon sweet spot will send all of those vibes straight into your bones. Playing golf with persimmon woods in the 21st century may be taking the road less traveled, but it could make all the difference.

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Peter Schmitt

Peter Schmitt is an avid golfer trying to get better every day, the definition of which changes relatively frequently. He believes that first and foremost, golf should be an enjoyable experience. Always. Peter is a former Marine and a full-time mechanical engineer (outside of the golf industry). He lives in Lexington, KY with his wife and two young kids. "What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive." -Arnold Palmer

39 Comments

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John L.

Dec 16, 2018 at 4:29 pm

Fantastic article. I’m an avid golfer who caddied and began playing during the late persimmon era of the 1980s, but, like many others, jumped to metal woods in search of more distance…under the mistaken notion that more distance would equal more “fun”.

Several years ago, after burning out after buying the latest $400 460cc monster driver, I finally realized the error of my ways. I abandoned the 7,200 yard tees and moved up to 6,300…and began playing either a set of vintage steel shafted blades and persimmon woods or a set of hickory shafted clubs with persimmon heads.

Golf is once again fun…and I am now playing golf SHOTS, and not just the bomb & gouge game of “hit”.

Thank you Louisville and Jeremy. I own several of your clubs and I love them !!! You are restoring the art of shotmaking to the game…and bringing back the fun as well.

Well played Sir…well played.

Reply Report comment
sergizmo

Dec 15, 2018 at 9:56 pm

Hopefully Louisville can survive and possibly thrive going forward. Probably the one “made in USA” club manufacturer left.

In 2019 I’m gaming 1-3-5 Classic 50’s woods all year. Bought them several years ago direct from Lousiville and played them on and off but not all year. I need t commit to it. It’s so much more enjoyable than the modern stuff. I also have a Smart Pro BE with graphite and a steel shafted 9 Niblick but don’t get along with them as much as the Classic 50s.

Thank you Just family for your excellent customer service, craftsmanship, value (for the work that goes into these things, they are very reasonable) and left handed availability.

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stevek

Dec 13, 2018 at 3:32 pm

A persimmon driver head with a stiff steel shaft is completely different than one with a whippy hickory shaft. Why?

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Ed Nelson

Dec 13, 2018 at 7:42 am

I worked at LG between the peak and trough of persimmon. I consider it an honor. I played golf at Persimmon Ridge with Mike in a regular Saturday foursome. I still remember fondly rounds in the high humidity of the Ohio River Valley, carrying our clubs and experiencing golf as it was meant to be—-tough!

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jack

Dec 13, 2018 at 6:33 am

not post time for persimmon but “past” time …

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James Bucher

Dec 12, 2018 at 11:30 pm

A nice read about the folks at LG. I learned about them when I first started playing hickory golf. There is nothing like striping a hickory driver straight down the fairway! It really surprises me that more people don’t play and practice with Hickory/ classic persimmon clubs. When going back to my modern clubs after playing Hickory clubs my ball striking is more pure.
OGO put your modern bag in the corner and play with some Hickory clubs and find out if you play them?

Reply Report comment
- Dick Verinder
  
  Dec 14, 2018 at 11:39 am
  
  My modern bag and clubs is no longer ‘in the corner’; not even in the garage – tis a vague memory of long ago. Louisville’s hickories are a blessing for older golfers.
  
  Reply Report comment
Keith Finley

Dec 12, 2018 at 5:32 pm

I still practice with my MacGregor Jumbo Ozaki model. Has a factory Aldila HM 40. Great club.

Reply Report comment
Loy Seal

Dec 12, 2018 at 3:48 pm

I began working on clubs in 1974 and soon discovered Louisville Golf. I sold a lot of drivers made with their heads and still have my personal driver (deep face, mahogany finish with my Seal logo on the crown, DGS300 shaft and Victory grip). I will have to put it back in my bag to try again. I don’t know about the stiff shaft though.

One of my favorite things to do was to refinish persimmon woods back to the factory finish, complete with the factory decals. I made a lot of money with persimmon.

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TONEY P

Dec 12, 2018 at 1:30 pm

I started hitting golf balls with a few hickory clubs my dad had. Nothing felt better than a well striped shot and persimmon heads were beautiful. Golf has changed alot since then.

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Jim Lynch

Dec 12, 2018 at 12:35 pm

I’ve been a club builder since the mid-80’s (my pro still asks me to whip the random persimmon head coming in for repairs cause he can’t do it!) and recall “buying out” a lot of the inventory of LG when they were winding down and almost OOB back in maybe 1989-ish? I still have a few boxes of pre-whipped heads and some one-offs that I can’t seem to part with. Great company and thank God they are still around and thriving. I do some business with Linksoul and saw that they have their own line of LG-built woods at some serious prices. Kudos to them as well for helping to keep persimmon out there and available to a new generation. As far as the technical discussion about playability…I took my DG S300 shafted circa-’88 LG #4 wood out to the range to compare with my Ping hybrids last fall and it flew by my 18-degree G30 by at least 10 yards. No lie. All day. It’s back in the bag already.

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Tom Wishon

Dec 12, 2018 at 12:17 pm

It truly was one of my greatest honors and memories to have been friends and to have worked in business with the Just brothers, Elmore, Mike and Ron as well as the superb people who shared the vision including Art Henry and Mike Lenahan. These were people who did it for the right reasons – pride and craftsmanship with money way down the list. Elmore also was the vision behind forming the first professional organization for custom clubmakers and his commitment to the game through the development of the Persimmon Ridge GC was just an overflow of the golf passion he had and his brothers shared. I’m pleased to hear that the company is going forward because the world and the golf industry needs more companies and people like this. Good on you Peter Schmitt for shining a light on Louisville Golf.

Reply Report comment
- Peter Schmitt
  
  Dec 13, 2018 at 9:47 am
  
  Thanks for chiming in, Tom! Cheers!
  
  Reply Report comment
David Palosaari

Dec 12, 2018 at 11:33 am

I am your typical 61 year old hack. Used set of Hogan Apex was my first set of clubs.
I think I was reading an article about this company and called them to see what they were all about. I talked with Elmore must have been a year or two before he passed 99,2000 somewhere in there I believe. So excited to talk about their clubs. So I bought a driver. Most beautiful club I own! I am proud to say I own a Louisville Golf driver! Now I don’t use it because I don’t want to scuff it up. I actually think the old blades and persimmon woods tended to make us TRY and hit the ball more squarely. Great article thanks

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joro

Dec 12, 2018 at 11:15 am

As an old wood club maker I did all the custom clubs for the Pros and others. We made some good Woods at Cobra in the 70s and early 80s until Metal took over. They required a lot of steps to make and build in the desired specs;, but it was really fun. They weren’t as long as todays Drivers but the feel and sound was wonderful. I would like to go back to those days on the Tour so the Bombers would have to work harder and use their skills more. The 450 Par 4s would not be a drive and a wedge, and although they would still be the longest it would help equalize things for the shorter hitter.

Their is nothing like hitting a good shot with wood,

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Locust

Dec 12, 2018 at 8:37 am

Peter, well done my friend. I have been following your persimmon journey along with the Louisville Golf renaissance for the past year or so. I sense the momentum created by those of us who are tired of the game being bastardized by over commercialization. As many people have come to realize, the game has grown too far way from it’s roots. Jeremy Wright is a pleasure to work with and I encourage everyone to take a strong look at his company. The craftsmanship at Louisville is undeniable. Playing persimmon will help you find your game, and quite possibly, even your soul.

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Brad

Dec 12, 2018 at 2:48 am

This is real, honest golf. I admit that I do love smashing metal “woods” miles down the fairway. But, there is something about hitting a real wood right out of the middle that nothing can quite beat.

Reply Report comment
- Peter Schmitt
  
  Dec 12, 2018 at 9:11 am
  
  Well said. Cheers to that!
  
  Reply Report comment
David Perez

Dec 11, 2018 at 8:40 pm

As Jeremy’s former medical sales partner in Houston, I can attest to His passion for Golf. He is a student of the game and I’m just so happy he is one of the “lucky ones” who had not only the ability, but guts to go all-in on something he loves every single day! He was a successful medical sales Consultant (not rep, as he was probably being modest in his description of his former glory days) and I’m not surprised at his commitment and success in this endeavor. All the best to you, Jeremy. May every drive be straight and true. dp

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chuck harvey iv

Dec 11, 2018 at 8:27 pm

It has been a long time since I played persimmon, when I rarely missed a fairway. I used Bailey&Izett woods persimmon & still have my 3&4 wood. Would love to have a driver. Keep us informed. The best to you.

Chuck

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Scott

Dec 11, 2018 at 6:47 pm

Well done, Peter! Jeremy and the incredible craftsman at LG ensure the finest replicated hickory clubs available. The hickory game encompasses ALL aspects of the way the game used to be…and what it has seemingly lost over time. The style (knickers/Plus Fours), artistry, camraderie, fine scotch (wee nip), and required skill are all part of the true experience. I hope empassioned, distinguished players will take a moment to google “hickory golf”, visit sites like the Society of Hickory Golfers, and consider expanding and enriching their connection to the game…and the people with whom they share it. There are growing groups, hickory days, and tournaments in all regions of the country…and all are welcomed by deep sincere friendship, rarely found in the modern game. If golf is in your soul, come play
the hickory game…a tie that binds.
Visit: http://www.hickorygolfers.com

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- ogo
  
  Dec 11, 2018 at 8:08 pm
  
  Not for the average recreational golfer who can’t break 100 honestly by the rules. A lovely persimmon driver in their hands would be scuffed with skymarks all over the varnish paint finish to reveal his abject incompetence and clownish play.
  
  Reply Report comment
James Kaiser

Dec 11, 2018 at 6:26 pm

Jeremy Wright is a very humble person. He shot 66- 72 to win the Heart of America by a bunch of shots this past summer, he’s one so many modern day hickory titles it would make your head spin, he is sort of like the new Tiger Woods of Hickory golf taking the title over from Randy Jensen. He also won the Foxboro Hickory championships playing reproduction Gutty Percha balls and set a course record he’s an amazing golfer. By the way Andy Just also won the Natuonal Hickory Golf Championship and is an amazing hickory golfer. I can pretty much guarantee you that if Andy or Jeremy play Tiger Woods and it was Tigers first time playing hickory golf he would get a run for his money by either one of these golfers. Been trying to get Justin Thomas out to play these guys too but Justin must be scared to play them????

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- ogo
  
  Dec 11, 2018 at 8:03 pm
  
  … on a 5200 yard golf course…?!!
  
  Reply Report comment
Andrew Just

Dec 11, 2018 at 5:58 pm

Great article here. As the son of Elmore Just and a man who wanted to take over the business, I can honestly – jeremy is right for LG. I wish them nothing but the best. I am a lifelong tried and true customer who uses LG in both modern and hickory play.

Reply Report comment
- Peter Schmitt
  
  Dec 11, 2018 at 6:24 pm
  
  Hi Andrew! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the kind words. Your family started something very special that you are no doubt very proud of so I consider your opinion high praise indeed. I look forward to building a proper stable of Louisville Golf clubs myself in the (hopefully) near future.
  
  Reply Report comment
Robert T Leonard

Dec 11, 2018 at 5:21 pm

I have beautiful persimmons (refinished Clevelands from the 80’s) that I might like to occasionally play with. I usually play with ProV1’s or TP5’s golf balls. Should I play with a softer ball if using persimmon woods?

Reply Report comment
- Peter Schmitt
  
  Dec 11, 2018 at 5:56 pm
  
  Yes I would advise a softer ball. The Wilson Duo lineup is very popular among the persimmon crowd due to its low compression. I think Chrome Soft (not the X) is relatively low as well. You’ll also find the feel to be super addicting IMO. Happy hunting. Isn’t it fun?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Robert T Leonard
    
    Dec 11, 2018 at 6:37 pm
    
    Will try the Wilson. Thank you.
    
    Reply Report comment
Steve

Dec 11, 2018 at 2:28 pm

I have a set, driver and niblicks… the niblicks are a great idea except that I play on a lot of hardpan… the driver is brilliant, but I mostly use it for practice.

Reply Report comment
ogo

Dec 11, 2018 at 2:16 pm

Persimmon… no COR… no weight adjustment… no 460cc… no hosel adjustments… no impact crack… no annual status model change… just wood body, plastic faceplate, lead backweight, steel soleplate and varnish. That’s no fuuun…. 😛

Reply Report comment
- Peter Schmitt
  
  Dec 11, 2018 at 4:31 pm
  
  If memory serves me right, I think the COR for a persimmon wood is generally around 0.78 for what it’s worth. Not exactly right at the 0.83 limit, but no slouch either. And Jeremy actually showed me a vintage hickory shafted persimmon wood with an adjustable hosel, so it was actually done long before it was considered “cool.”
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Andrew Just
    
    Dec 11, 2018 at 6:01 pm
    
    People freak out when I hit a PROV1 with hickory shafts and Persimmon heads further than their Taylor Mades
    
    Reply Report comment
  - ogo
    
    Dec 11, 2018 at 8:00 pm
    
    Thank you for your brave presence on this open fine forum provided by the fine GWRX folks… your personal responses are appreciated. Now… do you own a persimmon driver? I do, an old Powerbilt driver with an A-flex steel shaft, not exactly hickory. I love that or gasmic {{{THUD}}} upon impact between the scr ews… it’s glorious …!!
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Peter Schmitt
      
      Dec 11, 2018 at 9:10 pm
      
      I own several steel-shafted persimmon woods and am hoping to dive head first into the hickory shafted realm in the near future. Like most people, I left persimmon behind back in the 90’s. Once I went back, though, I kind of forgot why I left. When you hit a balata ball perfectly with a persimmon wood, it changes you….
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Tay
        
        Dec 14, 2018 at 2:32 pm
        
        You would love the hickory game. Give it a try. For me, it was like learning the game all over again (in a good way).
        
        Reply Report comment
A. Commoner

Dec 11, 2018 at 1:50 pm

A really good article. We could use more writing like this.

Reply Report comment
- Peter Schmitt
  
  Dec 11, 2018 at 3:10 pm
  
  We could use more comments like this too! Appreciate the kind words.
  
  Reply Report comment

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19th Hole

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

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

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

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

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

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

The field this week will consist of 156 players, including 16 PGA Champions and 33 Major Champions. All of the top players will be here gunning for the glory of a major championship with the exception of

Past Winners of the PGA Championship

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

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).

Key Stats For Valhalla

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

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

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

Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

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

2. Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

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

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds:

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

Strokes Gained: Total on Nickalus Designs

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

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

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

Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on Very Long Courses

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

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

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

Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships

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

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

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

Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens

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

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

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

Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways

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

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

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

2024 PGA Championship Model Rankings

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

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

2024 PGA Championship Picks

Ludvig Aberg +1800 (BetMGM)

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

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

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

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

Bryson DeChambeau +2800 (BetMGM)

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

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

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

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

Patrick Cantlay +4000 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

Joaquin Niemann +4000 (BetMGM)

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

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

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

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

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Opinion & Analysis

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

Published

4 days ago

May 9, 2024

Terry Koehler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published

7 days ago

May 6, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

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

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

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

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

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

Past Winners at Quail Hollow

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

Key Stats For Quail Hollow

Strokes Gained: Approach

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

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

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

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

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

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:

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

Proximity: 175-200

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

Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:

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

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs

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

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

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

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)

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

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

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

Course History

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

Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):

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

Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings

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

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

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks

Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)

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

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

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

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

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

Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)

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

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

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

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

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

Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)

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

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

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

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

Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)

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

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

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

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

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