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A visit to Lamb Crafted (and details on Tyson Lamb’s plans to expand)

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Lamb Crafted is growing. And that should be exciting for all Lamb fans. Currently working with only two machines in a small and cramped garage-style workshop, 30-year-old Tyson Lamb is making as much product as he is currently able to make.

And right now, it’s not enough to meet demand. Today, accessory sales (ball markers, divot tools, headcovers) are keeping the company moving forward. But Lamb wants to be able to focus on putters. With growth, that should be possible soon. The company is moving headquarters to a new facility in Plano, Texas, with much more space. And more importantly, more machines.

“If we were only making putters, we wouldn’t be in business,” Lamb said. “Revenue and customer based growth is strictly through accessories. We can make 15,000 products in a year and maybe make three to five hundred putters in a year. And that is going to increase astronomically when we move. Right now, we have two machines and if both are making accessories, we have nothing to make putters on. By the end of next year, we will more than likely have 5 machines. Plus, more people and more storage.”

The accessory-first business model has worked wonders for Lamb. It has been an integral part of getting his name out there. While other club manufacturers can give clubs to tour pros or pay them to showcase their stuff, that’s nearly impossible to do for a company the size of Lamb Crafted. Especially when they only make 300 putters a year. Instead, they can sell you a handcrafted, high-quality ball marker and then you are a part of the Lamb team while you wait to pull the trigger on a much pricier putter.

“So at a $55 price point, someone can get a piece of your work and then they are a part of your brand,” Lamb said. “The donut ball marker went crazy and everyone wanted it. Instantaneously we went from 300 customers to 4000 overnight. It was staggering. Then it became collectible. And once that happened, it’s a different world. The demand for our accessories is 60% or 70% in relation to our putters.”

“Everything we do is over-engineered,“said Tana Lamb, Tyson’s business partner and mother. “People look at our putter priced at $1250 and then they buy a ball marker first instead. Then they have an accessory and they can really see the quality.”

For those that don’t know the Tyson Lamb story, you can hear it directly from him here. Lamb talked with GolfWRX and told all about his company’s beginnings in his parent’s garage. How things went from belt-buckles to putters to donut ball markers, from Instagram success to wait-lists and incredibly high demand.

His putters and accessories typically sell out on his website in under 10 minutes. They have recently gone to a lottery system for their online releases. The putter maker/artist is shooting to release 10 putters a month online. They will go live and you can “purchase” a ticket for a chance at each putter for $0. Then, Lamb will draw the winning order numbers live on his Instagram account. Then you have to pay up for whichever putter you won.

 

So with this new growth, does that mean Tyson won’t be doing the work himself? Not at all. The guy is a perfectionist but he also understands that when customers are spending the type of money his putters are selling for, then his hands should be the ones making the thing. He never wants to lose that connection with each piece.

“Every-single-thing that goes on, I do it,” Lamb said.  “If we are making 1000 markers, I write the program. I make the picture. I do all of it. We just had a whole program run two putters while we were sitting right here and I am not touching it. But I am going to be the one to go take it out of the machine, move it into the next step. And that won’t change as we grow. If you are going to pay $3000-$5000 for a putter, that putter better have my hands on it. That won’t change.”

But there is also a very real problem in making each putter custom while still meeting all of that demand. It’s just not possible. So the plan is to unveil different divisions or levels of putters for purchase. There will be a production level of putters that Tyson will design and have his hands on but they will be more standardized and machine based. These putters will obviously sell for cheaper than the custom sticks that get Lamb’s full attention, but there will be more of them to meet demand. There are certainly customers out there that just want a Lamb Crafted putter. Even if it isn’t a fully custom one that takes a week to build.

“Coming up with a more standardized model means I don’t have to be as hands on which means more people get it which means more people are happy,” said Lamb. “A lot of people just want more putters out there. And that would make the price point better as well. But I don’t think there will ever be a point where I don’t personally touch each piece.”

The new headquarters will allow the company to start doing things they simply haven’t been able to do yet. While the blade style has certainly been a hit, a mallet design is on the horizon. But first and foremost, the folks at Lamb Crafted just want to be able to get putters in the hands of all the people that want them. Tyson acknowledges that has been tough in the past. And he has heard the criticism. The new space should help a ton though. Keep in mind, the company didn’t really sell its first putter until 2015 and it didn’t explode onto the scene until late 2016 with the donut ball marker. In the grand scheme of things, Lamb Crafted is still brand new.

“The minute someone starts to say we are doing bad work, that’s when I will start to worry,” Lamb said. If all they have to say bad is about our communication or wait time, I’m okay with that. We are growing. That’s growing pains. But if someone starts to say we do bad work, then we will start worrying.”

Lamb realizes that his company is growing and getting better at the things they need to get better at. And he also understands that he is working to stay a part of a pretty special group of custom putter makers.

“I don’t necessarily know where we would be without Scotty Cameron,” Tyson said. “A lot of this is possible because of Cameron and what he has done. I don’t think we could’ve done it without what he has done.”

Tyson isn’t afraid of work. The 14-hour work days are necessary in order to make the number of products he is currently making. But giving each customer an experience is what he wants the brand to be all about. The can take many different shapes, whether it be working directly with Tana and Tyson on a custom build or getting to go on a golf trip with the Lamb’s and other Lamb Enthusiasts. Tyson hosts a weekend every year in Texas called “Lamb Jam” and invites the 36 best annual spenders to visit the shop, play some golf, and just hang out with the Lambs.

“That’s probably the most fun thing for me,” Tyson said.  “If I can’t do that type of stuff with clients, I’m not going to be happy here. If we stopped making product tomorrow, those relationships we built will keep going on. It’s crazy to see once you introduce someone to someone else, how their passion for putters comes out when they are in their element. It’s cool.”

Tyson and Tana just got back from Streamsong for a weekend of golf with 20 Lamb collectors.

“We met 12 customers that we had never met before,” said Tana Lamb. “That gives us the ability to interact with them. They are spending their money with us. We are building relationships.”

And soon with the new shop, there will be even more clients and experiences to be had. With growth, comes change. With Lamb Crafted, those changes seem to truly be for the better.

“We have some cool stuff coming in the next couple of months that will shock a lot of people,” Tyson said. “Big companies are going to notice. We are trying to do something a little different. We have some cool stuff planned.”

Exciting things ahead.

 

 

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Johnny Newbern writes for GolfWRX from Fort Worth, Texas. His loving wife lets him play more golf than is reasonable and his three-year-old son is a tremendous cart partner. He is a Scotty Cameron loyalist and a lover of links-style courses. He believes Coore/Crenshaw can do no wrong, Gil Hanse is the king of renovations, and hole-in-ones are earned, not given. Johnny holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University.

38 Comments

38 Comments

  1. Kyle

    Apr 19, 2019 at 2:45 pm

    I’ve been diligent about entering lotteries trying to get a chance to have a custom Allendale made but I’ve had no Luck. I have been fortunate enough to snag a couple markers and headcovers in the recent releases. I’m still waiting for the day when I get my number drawn from the lottery. Until then, I’ll just have to deal with my old beat up Newport 🙁

  2. A. Commoner

    Mar 28, 2019 at 10:35 pm

    Wait a little while and pick one of the putters from the ‘ol barrel.’ BTW: The next sales pitch will be for an aspiring independent mouse trap maker.

  3. N

    Mar 27, 2019 at 7:39 pm

    So the whole thins is more about the donut ballmarkers than the putter themselves. Awesome. Not.
    Girls, buy your accessories here. You like fancy colors right?

  4. 3mta3

    Mar 27, 2019 at 2:24 pm

    I don’t have a crystal ball, but the timing of this expansion could prove to be a huge mistake. Many economists and even the CEO of Chase, Jamie Dimon, have publicly said that there is a strong possibility of an economic downturn in the next 12-24 months. Guess what people aren’t going to be buying when money is tight? $1,200-$7,000+ putters. IMO, they waited too long to expand (or maybe they shouldn’t have at all) and are waiting too long to introduce new products and putters to the market. There should have been Polo’s, umbrellas, gloves, hats (other then the run they did 2+years ago), bags (other than the limited release that was actually made in CHINA!), etc. There should also be a streamlined online ordering process and an actual list of buyers that doesn’t get lost. They have said that they would be doing a putter release once a month for the past 2 years and we can all see how that has worked out. Tyson, Tana, Chris and the rest of the family are amazing and talented people and I wish them all the best, but I think they need to have someone in the business world they can consult with. They do or did have an angel investor, but I am not sure how much meaningful input he is or has given them.

    • ch

      Mar 27, 2019 at 8:53 pm

      Wow dude, u are going pretty deep to bring Jamie Dimon into the discussion. The world is full of people that think they know what others woulda, shoulda, coulda done. But there are far fewer people that will actually make the sacrifices, risk everything, and put their ass on the line. I admire his guts and wish him the best.

    • ch

      Mar 27, 2019 at 10:25 pm

      Wow dude, bringing in Jamie Dimon is a bit of a stretch. The world is full of people that think they know what others woulda, shoulda, coulda done. The rare breed are those that sacrifice, risk everything, and put their name on the line. I hope Lamb makes it and I believe he will.

  5. Jim

    Mar 27, 2019 at 1:38 pm

    If you guys want great putters at reasonable prices, you should check out Tom Slighter’s work. He makes putters as fine as I’ve ever seen and they don’t hurt your wallet too much.

    • Jack Nash

      Mar 27, 2019 at 3:46 pm

      Cheapest I’ve seen is $600. Not truly affordable.

  6. Dan Zimmerman

    Mar 27, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    Rich Sheeple buy little Lambs.
    I know a ditty nutty as a fruitcake
    Goofy as a goon and silly as a loon
    Some call it pretty, others call it crazy
    But they all sing this tune:
    Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
    A kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you?
    Yes! Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
    A kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you?
    If the words sound queer and funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey

  7. R Severin

    Mar 27, 2019 at 1:22 pm

    Never heard of this guy.

  8. Neiman

    Mar 27, 2019 at 11:48 am

    folks need to learn what i learned as a child. if you want to get something its not what you know, its who you know. i waiting a long time to try and get a putter from Tyson. well over a year. then he did a road trip with his buddies santo and jamula and they basically gave open invites to people to come and golf with them along the way. i took the day off and went and played with them. got to play a round with santos and ask him how i could manage to snag a putter. he said say something when tyson drops back to our group (because tyson would play 4 holes with a group and then drop back and play 4 with the next group and so on. i talked with tyson, which was very easy during a round of golf and then after santos brought me over to where he and tyson were sitting and told tyson to get me a putter asap. i talked with tyson the next week and had my putter within the month, fully custom and with awesome photos of the stick in progress. whats neat about the lambs is they arent encolsed. i collected cameron stuff for years and if you didnt go to ICC you couldnt see cameron. and even if you did you felt as though you were talking up to someone. with tyson you feel like hes right there on your level becuase he wont let you fanboy over him. i love the company. and my recommendation to anyone is find out where he is playing when he does these open invite trips. once you talk to him its easy to bend his ear to get him to make you a stick. id assume how there are so many folks who are able to get these sticks not via lottery.

    • Ricky S

      Apr 13, 2019 at 10:19 am

      Sounds like someone owes santoes a BJ!! lol The fan boys from this company are comical. like a sad, pathetic frat house.

    • E.C.

      Apr 13, 2019 at 10:28 am

      Neiman, your story sounds silly and pathetic…….All I have to do is track down tyson and bend his ear to get a stick made? I’ll stick with tried and true. Cameron all day with a hint of other great boutique makers coming up. Not going to hunt down a putter maker to get a stick made. If simple emails or Dm’s don’t work then that’s not the company for my money. By the way, who do you know? Do you know this jamola or santoe character. Seem like tysons cheerleaders!!!!!

      E.C.

  9. Diamond Silvestrah

    Mar 27, 2019 at 11:34 am

    When I first heard about Tlamb I had high hopes. After unsuccessful attempts at communicating with taner lamb about a putter I gave up. Not sure how one gets a putter from the lambs but not worth the fight and the price imo. A lot of options these days for boutique makers!!

  10. Ryan H

    Mar 27, 2019 at 11:25 am

    tyson has been stagnant these days with no new products hitting the market. Same divot tool design and marker designs but now everything seems to be engraved with no hand stamping…. Where are all the putters? Other makers are churning out putters while tyson is off golfing with his pals!! #prioritizing Brash and arrogant might not be the key to success. my two cents….

    • Hela

      Mar 27, 2019 at 12:58 pm

      Cheaper and faster. Just keep taking care of the few friends and screw everyone else in the secondary market

  11. Charles Bacon

    Mar 27, 2019 at 11:17 am

    A lot of talk with minimal to no production. Tuyson is a trinket maker!! A new facility to make trinkets might not have been the best move. So many other equally good makers like Cody James who make PUTTERS!! Check out Logan Olson as well.

  12. dat

    Mar 27, 2019 at 9:12 am

    I don’t get it, never will.

  13. Rich

    Mar 27, 2019 at 8:46 am

    I have played golf for over 20 years. I have seen businesses come and go. It’s nice to see someone going a different route for once and creating their own path. Cameron created the high end putter market. Many people don’t truly understand the scarcity and collectibility model, but it’s a serious business. There are serious $$$ associated IF you can become collectible. In the last 20 years, Cameron has been the most collectible. In a short amount of time, TL has created a strong collectible market. You may not agree with his methods, but based on eBay prices alone, it’s working. I don’t care how or what the guy does, he’s definitely made a name for himself, and he’s done it without the help of an OEM. I definitely think there needs to be more structure to his business and brand, but it’s pretty clear it’s not due to a lack of effort. I don’t know him, but I have a few of his products. The quality of his work is top notch, and to me, that’s what’s most important. Golf is ran by big business, and I bet it’s not as easy to succeed as us keyboard trolls think it is. Regardless of where he goes, I enjoy watching his story, and it looks like he truly loves his craft. Not many people can say that. Great read article btw.

  14. Eric

    Mar 27, 2019 at 8:11 am

    Do people not understand that he is a small business owner and with only two machines? He is busting his butt to create as many items as he can. I have been lucky enough to obtain two ball markers and let me tell you, they are high quality items! Eventually, I look forward to owning one of his putters.
    People are comparing him to Cameron and his items? Come on now, Cameron is a well established global company. Tyson started out of his family’s garage a few years back. The sale of his “knick knacks” is going to allow him to create capital and create a larger business to release more putters into the market.
    BTW, great article!

    • DB

      Mar 27, 2019 at 8:28 am

      Wow, you were lucky enough to be able to purchase two ball markers? Were they just $55 each? Please tell us more.

      • Eric

        Mar 27, 2019 at 8:51 am

        Just $55. Got lucky in their lottery.

        • MJG

          Mar 27, 2019 at 12:12 pm

          I think that was sarcasm FYI

          There are makers with smaller teams, less space, 1 machine that are putting out more putters than TL. You have bought in to the brands messaging – nothing wrong with that.

          I own a bunch of the goods. Quality is great but not anything far and away better than other creators out there. I wish LC luck but they need to figure out what business they are in sooner than later.

  15. George

    Mar 26, 2019 at 11:11 pm

    What makes these putters special? Never understood the hype of a lamp putter

    • C

      Mar 27, 2019 at 8:29 am

      Can’t understand it. Can’t spell it, either.

  16. MJG

    Mar 26, 2019 at 10:28 pm

    The folllowing the Lambs have built is fantastic. Unfortunately I feel the company is loyal to them to a fault. It makes releases more difficult than they need to be as time and resources are constantly wasted trying to fight bots and resellers.

    There’s a lot of potential and Tyson does great work – they need to find someone that can strengthen the business side of Lamb Crafted it is their greatness weakness and what they will need to overcome for long term success

  17. Nanananananana

    Mar 26, 2019 at 8:26 pm

    Rich man’s game.
    I didn’t know there were so many women playing Lamb’s putters. They need this many frilly accessories to satisfy them?
    The boyfriends must be tearing their hair out trying to please their girls

  18. JP

    Mar 26, 2019 at 7:22 pm

    Lamb needs to release enough markers and head covers so the flippers don’t ruin his market. At one time I wanted a donut or pop top ball marker, but the unrealistic prices on the secondary market made me go a different direction.
    .
    In that aspect, Cameron nailed it. You can get his standard ball markers or divot tools fairly easily. It’s the circle t stuff that’s collectible and hard to get. EVERYTHING from Lamb is hard to get.
    .
    The quality looks nice and I’d probably have a ball marker and divot tool if it were possible. And yes, I’d snag a putter when the right one comes up. But as it is, it really looks like he hooks up his group of friends with all the goods and lets them feed the secondary market and flood the bHey. Certain sellers have many many Lamb items up for auction, yet I can never find a single item available without a flippers markup?
    .
    Until they fix that, no thanks!

    • Chris Murphy

      Mar 26, 2019 at 7:38 pm

      Spot on!

    • B

      Mar 26, 2019 at 8:22 pm

      @JP

      WHAT

    • mbrown1833

      Mar 26, 2019 at 8:25 pm

      JP shoot me a message on here.

      -mbrown1833

      • Bill

        Mar 28, 2019 at 3:33 pm

        They talk about how the accessories fund the business. They should be paying a royalty to Walmart for copying the donuts from Walmart’s coffee brand. ““The donut ball marker went crazy and everyone wanted it.” LOL! I guess it wont be a royalty at this point because its theft.

        Should be paying Dumb and Dumber for using their movie quotes, and now Oreo for making an Oreo with their logo! And countless others. Pretty cool they use NFL Logos and College Logo’s with no mention of licensing. What kind of brand is this? Lets build a company but using other companies hard work and branding!

        What an amazing network of friends they have that support such a unique model!

  19. Chris Murphy

    Mar 26, 2019 at 7:02 pm

    Except for the fact that they don’t release 300 putters a year. I understand the model to release accessories first, but Tyson and Co rarely release putters. Even by their own admission, they’d like to release 10 putters a month. That’s 120 per year, not 300. I’d venture a guess there’s less than 500 putters in the wild.

    The disconnect with Lamb Crafted comes when people aren’t able to get the product and it doesn’t come across as exclusive, but rather cronyistic. A select group of people have 2,3,4,5 or more putters, but average people interested in his stuff can’t even get one, regardless of how much they’re willing to pay.

    I like Tyson’s stuff, and I think he’s really talented. Shoot, I still want one of his putters myself. But he needs to be careful that he isn’t late to market with the products people actually want. The flippers and buzzards flooded in with the pop tops and donuts, but the secondary market has cooled off considerably. That’s a sign that interest may be waning. As someone said on the forums, Lamb Crafted is a company of knick-knacks and other stuff, just not many putters.

    I

    • italianstallion

      Mar 27, 2019 at 9:15 am

      Fantastic comment. Releasing great accessories is fine, but if you’re painting yourself as a putter maker your accessories are only going to sell in as much as you’re releasing putters. If my count is correct, less than 50 putters were released in 2018 to the general public. So far in 2019 there’s been approximately 25 released.

      This is why the accessories are cooling off both on their website and in the secondary, ESPECIALLY headcovers. People use to buy these things with the hope of someday getting a putter. People can only cling to hope for so long with the release numbers I quoted above. Even with 10 putters released a month lottery style, there’s still not much hope of landing one with 500+ entering each lottery. Their accessory market will not survive on 10 putters a month.

      I have no doubt the Lambs are busting their butts right now, but we’ve seen plenty of pictures of raw billet steel, with no putters coming to market. It becomes disheartening when you see people post pictures of the multiple full custom putters they’ve recently received and you start to make the connections. It’s not my buisness to run, but I hope that the Lambs see the long-term connection between their accessories and their putters.

      • Jay

        Mar 27, 2019 at 4:31 pm

        I agree 100%. If you are into his work it’s obvious the secondary market is almost non-existent for anything remotely new (i.e. newer than the 1st set of donuts release). Headcovers, Divot tools etc. are frequently sold at cost or below once you factor out selling fees, shipping etc. The holiday offerings have taken the biggest hit.

        I think more and more people are thinking why am I paying $100 for something that can’t even retain its original value. After all these are collectibles for the majority of buyers.

        I think the primary buckets of Lamb buyers are:
        1. Collectors. – Large %. Starting to leave – These people are starting to feel less compelled to buy everything based upon secondary market.
        2. Flippers. – See #1
        3. Rich People. – Smaller % of people that don’t care about the value of their collectibles as money doesn’t matters. They will stay with the brand.
        4. Users. – Smaller % of people that are actively using them and think the cost is fair to their enjoyment using it. They will stay with the brand.
        5. Extreme Collectors/Fans – Smallest % of people who fit multiple buckets above PLUS they want to be part of the story. Whether it’s through the normal sales, to even the random drawings the same “insiders” seem to be able to consistently score and have duplicates to move. They will stay with the brand.

        I hope they make it as the more options the better, but worry like others the expansion may be too late.

    • ch

      Mar 27, 2019 at 10:42 pm

      I believe the releasing of 10 putters a month is in addition to all the custom putters being done.

      • Mike B

        Mar 28, 2019 at 10:25 am

        When I see release after release then I will be a believer. Until then, I’ll stick with makers who actually make sticks

  20. Phil

    Mar 26, 2019 at 4:24 pm

    Great read. Your new writer is fantastic.

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News

Morning 9: Tiger confirms playing schedule | Player: This caused Tiger’s downfall

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson gets underway.

1. Woods confirms he plans to play 1x monthly, remaining 3 majors

ESPN report…”Woods, appearing on the “Today” show Wednesday morning, said he is still following the calendar he mapped out before the season began. But physical limitations continue to give the 15-time major winner pause.”

  • “He completed the Masters last month but requires a “cold plunge every day, religiously” to get his body going and was “extremely sore” when he left Augusta National. Woods shot a 16-over 304 at the Masters and finished last among the 60 golfers who made the 36-hole cut.”
  • “I have basically the next three months — three majors — and hopefully that works out,” said Woods, who last won a major in 2019.
  • “Up next is the PGA Championship at Valhalla in two weeks. The U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 begins June 13, and the Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland begins July 18. Woods has not played all four majors in a year since 2019.”
Full piece.

2. Tiger on origin of red-and-black Sunday outfit

Ben Morse for CNN…”…speaking on Tuesday’s edition of ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,’ the 48-year-old said his mother Kultida was key to him wearing the now-iconic red and black combination.”

  • “My mom thought, being a Capricorn, that [red] was my power color, or some BS thing like that, so I end up wearing red and end up winning some golf tournaments,” the 15-time major winner told Fallon. “And then to spite her, I wore blue, and I did not win those tournaments. So Mom is always right.”
  • “Woods’ mother was clearly was onto something as her son would go onto win a record-equaling 82 PGA Tour tournaments.”
Full piece.

3. Gary Player’s take on Tiger’s downfall

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking with KW Golf, golf legend Gary Player said that he believes swing coaches ruined the career of Tiger Woods.”

  • “The US Open at Pebble Beach, he won by 15 shots. You know what that’s like? It’s like running the 100 meters in seven seconds. The next week, he’s having a lesson from a man who, I don’t think, if he played in the Masters, could break 80.”
  • “And then he goes to another guy who couldn’t probably break 85 in the Masters with the pressure, or the British Open or the PGA on the final day. And he’s having lessons from them.”
  • “Why did Tiger do that? He was so good, but I understand he wanted to get better,” Player went on. “If he had just gone along and never changed, he would have won at least 22.. He would’ve gone down as the greatest athlete the world has ever seen.”
  • In 2008, Woods had won 14 majors and was 33 years old. It would take him eleven years to win his 15th at the 2019 Masters.
Full piece.

4. Open winner: I used to hate links golf

Peter Scrivener for the BBC…”However, he did recall his chastening links golf baptism at neighbouring Prestwick, which hosted the inaugural Open in 1860.”

  • “The first time I played links golf I hated it – it ate me to pieces,” said the 37-year-old, who lost all four of his matches as Europe thrashed the United States in the 2006 Palmer Cup.
  • “I kept trying to hit lob wedges around the greens and the weather was bad. I got whipped, lost all of my matches.”
Full piece.

5. Why Tiger’s daughter doesn’t like golf

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, has certainly inherited his father’s love for golf, his daughter, Sam, has not.”

  • “On Wednesday, Tiger made an appearance on The Today Show with Carson Daly and explained his daughter’s relationship with golf.”
  • “Golf has negative connotations for her. When she was growing up, golf took daddy away from her. I had to pack, I had to leave, and I was gone for weeks. So, there were negative connotations to it.
  • “We developed our own relationship and our own rapport outside of golf. We do things that doesn’t involve golf. Meanwhile, my son and I, everything we do is golf related.”
Full piece.

6. Spieth hits ‘reset button’

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth isn’t happy that he’s not playing as well as his longtime friend Scottie Scheffler, but he’s hoping to use the world No. 1 golfer’s success as inspiration.”

  • “Spieth, a three-time major championship winner, said he used last week as a reset after a so-so start to the 2024 season. He has three top-10 finishes in 10 starts but had a disqualification and three missed cuts, including at The Players and Masters, in his past seven.”
  • “He is hoping to turn things around, starting at The CJ Cup Bryon Nelson, which tees off Thursday at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.”
  • “I think I kind of wanted to hit the reset button this last week and I took more days off than I usually do,” Spieth told reporters Wednesday. “Got a little burned out trying to find stuff. I wanted to take some time off, clear my mind, and then get back to it.
  • “… Kind of looking at this as kind of a restart. I haven’t had the year I wanted to have after getting off to a pretty optimistic start in Hawaii. I feel really good about the work I put in since the weekend into the few days this week, so I believe that I’m really close to some great things.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson

  • Check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!
Full Piece.
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Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson

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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

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

 

 

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Vincenzi’s 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting preview: International talent to shine

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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

  1. Tom Hoge (+1.12)
  2. Keith Mitchell (+1.02)
  3. Henrik Norlander (+0.99)
  4. Ryan Moore (+0.98)
  5. 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

  1. Peter Kuest (+0.93)
  2. Kevin Daugherty (+0.91)
  3. Alejandro Tosti (+0.83)
  4. Keith Mitchell (+0.82)
  5. 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:

  1. Wesley Bryan (31%)
  2. Kelly Kraft (26.2%)
  3. Peter Kuest (25.9%)
  4. Matti Schmid (25.7%
  5. 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:

  1. Maverick McNealy (+0.92)
  2. Aaron Baddeley (+0.87)
  3. Callum Tarren (+0.86)
  4. Harry Hall (+0.81)
  5. 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:

  1. Jordan Spieth (+2.69)
  2. K.H. Lee (+2.59)
  3. Seamus Power (+1.84)
  4. Ryan Palmer (+1.76)
  5. 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%).

  1. Alex Noren
  2. Adam Scott
  3. Keith Mitchell
  4. Si Woo Kim
  5. Stephen Jaeger
  6. Jordan Spieth
  7. Jhonnatan Vegas
  8. Nate Lashley
  9. Brice Garnett
  10. 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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