Opinion & Analysis

Slow down!

Published

5 years ago

May 12, 2019

“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

You’d have to live under a rock, or maybe in another country, to not have noticed how in vogue it is to rant about the ills of slow play these days, and how it’s absolutely killing our industry. With feuds between players on the PGA Tour, campaigns like the USGA’s “While We’re Young,” “Play 9,” and this year’s wholesale changes to the game’s centuries-old rules just to combat it, the casual observer could easily get the impression that modern golf has somehow evolved into a proverbial death march. Not so.

The truth is, golf has always been a slow game, and these reactions are nothing more than predictable responses to the perceived time famine of today’s constantly connected, fast-than-ever-paced lifestyles. That, and the fear amongst those in positions of authority that we may actually someday soon stop setting aside the necessary time to play this interminably slow game. But could it be that the pace of the game is perfectly appropriate? And are those trying to get it over with as quickly as possible, possibly missing the entire point? And might the real answer to our current predicament be that we all need to take a collective breath, chill out, and actually SLOW DOWN? Now I’m sure there are those out there who think I’ve gone over to the dark side for even suggesting that slow play isn’t on par with a communicable disease, but walk with me a moment, and I think you might arrive at the end of your next round with a slightly different perspective.

Despite golf’s governing bodies’ best efforts, the average round on a regulation par-72 course still clocks in around four hours, even though we actually only engage in the playing part of the game for a mere 15 to 20 minutes of that time. The rest of that round is in-between time, time spent getting from Point A to Point B over that near five-mile landscape, looking for errant shots, deliberating over the merits of a 7-Iron or a 6-Iron (when most of us should probably hit a 5-hybrid), doing business deals, rekindling dormant friendships, arguing about whether the Democrats or the Republicans are to blame for the mess in Washington, or discussing the health of aging parents whose futures we must now decide upon in one of life’s most tragic role reversals. And in today’s busy life, a round of golf is often one of the few times and places we actually slow down long enough to have these conversations without an intervening digital device of some sort.

Now, the majority of those conversations in this country are had while playing in golf carts. And as a result, a great many of us have all but forgotten what it’s like to walk a round, if we ever even knew. The proliferation of golf carts that began in the 1950’s, and our increasing desire for a faster round of golf, was not only the death knell for caddies, but seemingly for the experience of walking a round of golf in general. But instead of making the game faster, those carts are often only fueling our misperception of how slow the game is. Sure, they get us from that Point A to Point B faster, but that’s created a hurry-up-and-wait type pace that for centuries didn’t exist. And so it should come as no surprise that our game’s caretakers are doing all they can to speed up the rest of the game, even going so far as to change its rules and traditions in desperate hopes of lopping off a few seconds here and there. But have we even considered that it might instead be high time the pace of our busy lifestyles adapts to the game, rather than trying to force the pace of the game adapt to our lifestyles?

The overwhelming preference we have for riding in carts in the U.S. isn’t the case everywhere, though. A decade ago, I spent some time in England and Scotland, playing a few rounds with locals, on courses where it is still far more common to walk, than ride in buggies, as they called them, and it quickly became apparent that walking said as much about how they valued the experience, and their time on the course, as it did their level of physical conditioning. We played in roughly the same amount of time we do here (a little less actually), and when we got to our balls, amazingly, with very few exceptions, the group in front was nowhere to be seen. Is it any wonder they claim not to have near the same issues with slow play over there that we do here?

Now, I definitely don’t want to bad-mouth golf carts altogether, because they allow untold millions to enjoy this great game who would physically be unable to do so otherwise. But at least consider for a moment the physical effects of walking. Golfers who walk nine holes burn an average of 721 calories, while their buggy-bound counterparts weigh in at a mere 411. Walking strengthens the heart, helps the lungs work more efficiently, boosts both the immune and nervous systems, and even helps cognitive function. One study from a Swedish medical university done in 2008 with a sample size of over 300,000 golfers even found the life expectancy of walking golfers to be five years longer than their cart-riding counterparts. So, the sad fact is, if we all slowed down, and walked the course a bit more, we likely wouldn’t be buggy-bound quite so early in our golfing careers. And those careers would certainly last quite a bit longer.

Aside from the physical, walking offers stress-relieving mental and spiritual benefits that might not only improve your score, but how you experience your time playing. With practices like mindfulness and meditation becoming almost as in vogue as ranting about slow play, I’m surprised walking a round of golf isn’t more prescribed, and more practiced, by more gurus everywhere. It provides a much-needed break from that aforementioned fast-paced and stress-filled lifestyle when you slow down, breath deep, and relax, while looking at a familiar course with fresh eyes. It brings your mind, body, and spirit into balance, enlivens your senses, making colors more vibrant and the sounds and smells more alive. You smell the fresh-cut grass, hear the birds more clearly, the rustle of the leaves on the trees, and the crunch of the fallen ones under foot. The babble of the brook, that of your playing partners, and even that of that little voice in your head can sound different while walking, and you remember them all in much greater clarity.

I can recall elements of the courses I walked in England those many years ago, and some of the conversations I had then, in far greater detail than many of the ones I have played much more recently while riding. It reminds me of a passage from the immortal book Golf in the Kingdom, by Michael Murphy, where the Scottish Golf Pro Shivas Irons claimed, “The gemme was meant for walkin’,” upon describing a former club member that it was said for whom the walkin’ sometimes got so good he forgot to even hit his shots, and that a walk around the course was as good for the soul as a day spent in church. Hopefully this is at least some solace to those of us who’ve skipped more than one Sunday service for the lure of the links.

In the end, though, I want you to play golf in whatever way allows you to enjoy the experience most. And if walking’s not possible, or practical, I hope you at least slow down enough to take a hard look at why you’re playing in the first place, and where you’re in such a hurry to get to. Isn’t being on the golf course, after all, one of those well-earned rewards that we all work so hard for? Have the demands of our modern lifestyle become so great that we can’t at least mentally step off the merry-go-round during those times we’ve set aside to do just that? And has the thought of walking, or at least stopping to smell the roses (or fresh cut grass) become so cliché that we merely nod and pay homage to them as the quaint notions of a time long past? I hope not, for as Shivas Irons ultimately said, “If ye’ can enjoy the walkin’, ye can probably enjoy the other times in life when ye’re in between. And that’s most o’ the time’ wouldn’t ye say?”

In the spirit of that, the following is my adaptation of a little poem titled “Slow Dance,” by psychologist David L. Weatherford. I call it “Slow Down.” And for your sake, I hope it doesn’t resonate too loudly.

Do you race through each round, in your cart on the fly? Ask a partner how are you, but not hear their reply?

You better slow down, don’t play so fast. Time is short, this round won’t last.

Ever followed your ball’s erratic flight? Or do you just look away, disgusted at the sight?

When the round is done, do you lie awake in bed, with only bad shots, running through your head?

You’d better slow down, don’t play so fast. Time is short, this round won’t last.

Ever told your child, I’m late for my game, we’ll play tomorrow? And in your haste, not see their sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let your old foursome die? Cause you couldn’t find the time, and now you wonder why?

You’d better slow down, don’t play so fast. Time is short, this round won’t last.

When you try to play fast, just to get somewhere, you’ll miss most of the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry, through your round each day, it’s like an un-opened gift thrown away.

This game is not a race, so do take it slower, and figure out why you’re out there, before the round is over.

And Slow Down… Don’t play so fast… Our time is short… And this round won’t last…

Your Reaction?

LIKE100
LEGIT13
WOW3
LOL3
IDHT2
FLOP4
OB2
SHANK50

Related Topics:

Up Next

Hot & Cold: Where strokes were won and lost at the AT&T Byron Nelson

Don't Miss

Tiger Woods’ victory was great, but was it really the best Masters win in the past 15 years?

Mike Dowd

Mike Dowd is the author of the new novel COMING HOME and the Lessons from the Golf Guru: Wit, Wisdom, Mind-Tricks & Mysticism for Golf and Life series. He has been Head PGA Professional at Oakdale Golf & CC in Oakdale, California since 2001, and is serving his third term on the NCPGA Board of Directors and Chairs the Growth of the Game Committee. Mike has introduced thousands of people to the game and has coached players that have played golf collegiately at the University of Hawaii, San Francisco, U.C. Berkeley, U.C. Davis, University of the Pacific, C.S.U. Sacramento, C.S.U. Stanislaus, C.S.U. Chico, and Missouri Valley State, as men and women on the professional tours. Mike currently lives in Turlock, California with his wife and their two aspiring LPGA stars, where he serves on the Turlock Community Theatre Board, is the past Chairman of the Parks & Recreation Commission and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Turlock. In his spare time (what's that?) he enjoys playing golf with his girls, writing, music, fishing and following the foibles of the Sacramento Kings, the San Francisco 49ers, the San Francisco Giants, and, of course, the PGA Tour. You can find Mike at mikedowdgolf.com.

27 Comments

Myron Miller

May 14, 2019 at 12:47 pm

Actually two different subjects in this article: Pace of Play and whether to walk or ride. And contrary to Mr. Dowd, they really are totally different topics. Whether to walk or not is a multi-faceted issue with many points that Mr. Dowd totally ignores. I walked for years until age and infirmities caught up with me. And I’ve played all over the country, walking and riding. Besides the physical condition of the walker, is the outdoor conditions which Mr. Dowd totally ignores. I’ve played in Nevada where the starting temperature in the morning was 108 degrees and when we finished in 4 hours was 115 degrees. Most people cannot walk the 7-9 miles up and down hills in that temperature. In fact, once it reaches about 90 something 99% of the walkers have issues walking. Streamsong in Florida has super prices in the summer and yet almost no one plays after about 11am and 1/5 the winter numbers play even early and most of those use a cart. Did he even consider this issue. And there are other issues about carts not mentioned.

But the bigger issue and what he is totally out to lunch on in my opinion is the pace of play issues. When I was younger, an average round was about 3-3.5 hours. Rarely did a round last more then 4.25. Today, an average round is closer to 4.5 hours and often is 5.5 to 6 hours. And he is suggesting (title even implies this), to ‘SLOW DOWN’. That means that the average round now will increase even more, 10% which isn’t much will put the average over 5+ hours with many reaching 7 hours. Adding warmup times and a little time for beer with friends after the round and we’re talking 8-10 hours for the round. That’s not just slow, it’s ridiculous. Try to play 36 or 54 holes at this pace. Often I’ve played 36-54 at resorts such as Bandon Dunes (4 courses) or Whistling straits (4 courses). I can enjoy the different environment on each course and marvel how the architect routed the course thru the landscape. 36 holes is easy to walk (normally) and you still should have time to see everything and talk about a lot of things. Couple of weeks ago, a friend (dedicated walker) and myself played 36 at Streamsong in Florida in little less than 9 hours, including time between rounds. And we actually thought we were a little too slow at times, but had time to marvel at some of the features.

For me personally, 5+ hour rounds are torture chambers because of my serious arthritis that stiffens up when I can’t keep moving. So slowing down would mean I (and many other handicapped people like myself) would have to give up the game which is what all the grow the game programs are trying to avoid. Just what we need someone advocating longer rounds and making the game slower than it is in many parts of the country.

One can easily walk and enjoy the scenery and still play in under 4.5 hours.

Reply Report comment
Tom54

May 13, 2019 at 4:36 pm

The way a lot of courses have their cart paths set up with having to park so far from the greens and not being able to get too close to them from let’s say 50 yds out, I think that there is still plenty of walking going on when playing. Plus the real bonus is not having to walk so far to some of the next tees. Even though I enjoy the exercise the cart is still the way to go for me. If it gets slow, you’ve got a place to rest. The real treat is of course being outdoors and enjoying the weather and the scenery. What a great game

Reply Report comment
Brian L

May 13, 2019 at 4:28 pm

I agree with the walking component of the game (and it’s meant to be walked vs being in a cart) but disagree walking is akin to slowing down. I’d actually say most the walkers where I play are much much faster than the cart guys. And in Ireland and Scotland they play in 3.5 hours walking or you get yelled at. I think the issue is cart guys tend to be less frequent golfers who have little awareness or appreciation for the flow of the course.

So please do walk, but don’t take it for a license to play in PGA style 5 hour rounds.

Reply Report comment
Timbo

May 13, 2019 at 4:10 pm

A big cause for slow play is golf courses setting up 7 – 8 minute tee times instead of at least 10. Then you wait alot, only to hear the marshal start yelling to hurry up.

Reply Report comment
SG

May 13, 2019 at 10:50 am

I love how people automatically associate “slow down” with slow play. And 31 shanks, yikes. The best investment in golf next to lessons is a good pair of shoes and a friendly foursome.

Reply Report comment
Thomas A

May 13, 2019 at 9:31 am

I do not golf at courses that don’t allow for walking (unless I’m at my dad’s place in Kississmee). I hate that layout, some holes are 1/4 mile from green to tee. Two weeks ago I walked 18 in 3:15, got rained on for 5 holes, ran into a high school foursome, they invited me to play with them. They were great kids with course edict and having fun. That never would have happened in a cart.

Reply Report comment
Ronald Montesano

May 13, 2019 at 7:54 am

Sorry you drew the short straw and had to write this article, from this perspective. The game is hemorrhaging participants like a wound to the neck, mainly due to slow play. Golf does need its racecar drivers. The choreography of the walk is critical to effecting a properly-timed round. Citing GITK is nice, except it doesn’t refer to golf courses filled to the brim with folks who play once a week and need to get around. If you live on a remote island off Scotland’s coast, let the gemme be fer walkin slew. If you live in an area of dense golfing population and still wish to play, play quickly. Good lord, I could go on and write a total counter article to all the premises in this one. Here’s a lifted glass to the day when we can walk slowly, play quickly, and anger no one.

Reply Report comment
Juan

May 13, 2019 at 4:22 am

Slow play is awfull. But it does not mean to run over the course. A comon player with friends in a foursome should play in less the 4 hours.
You dont have to look a putt fron the 4 sides and look from behaind every shot or take 4 swings.
Golf should be a good walk a play as you arrive to the ball.

Reply Report comment
I

May 13, 2019 at 12:33 am

But nobody is going to tell all the country clubs and the whole industry and all the lazy seniors to get rid of carts and start walking. You’re all too chicken to do it. Not only that, a majority of the golf courses being played on the Tour, including the women’s, are not designed for walking. The gaps between the holes are designed to put grandstands for the fans, and some of the gaps between the 9th and 10th holes are on completely different sides of the property that it takes 30 minutes just to get to the other hole, for any normal person to be able to walk it in less than 5 hours is impossible.

Reply Report comment
James

May 12, 2019 at 8:24 pm

As I have grown up in played competitive or I have been forced to play golf on foot rather than on a cart. I enjoy my rounds far more walking than in a cart. When I am tired I will only play 9, and extend my time on the course through shortgame practice around the greens on each hole. Although it would be overly critical to make a statement such as: “nobody has time to walk a round of golf”, I still feel that the majority of people I know have time to do so somewhere throughout the week.. it’s just up to the individual whether or not they choose to spend the extra amount of time on the course walking.

Walking a course is an opportunity to be in my own thoughts. It presents me an opportunity to deal with my stresses and the challenges life are giving me at the time. Walking allows me to spend QUALITY time with people I enjoy and even with people I discover to be great playing partners.

Walking also gives me that opportunity to get out and moving. When I cant get to the gym, I still feel great about myself to walking a round. I do believe though that large part to why some may not walk is because of their skill levels and how frustrating the game can be and I can admit that it would be dreadful to walk you around if you don’t have the skills necessary to at least find your ball and play a few holes stretches without taking 3 extra shots from the rough to get to the green.

Everyone has their perspectives. Im just fortunate to have the time that allows me to walk. I appreciate what it has done for me. I am very stubborn and avoid a cart even when offered. Ill use it if im preserving energy before a tournament or just heading out for some shortgame… but thats rare.

I appreciate this article. Fresh air for me and hits home. Walk when you can!

Reply Report comment
David

May 12, 2019 at 5:32 pm

wow. i haven’t read an article in years that resonated with me so much. i had a chance to discuss my aging parents issues with my regular foursome recently. no amount of professional help could have allowed me the space or time or opportunity to discuss such a topic while feeling supported and comforted in my surroundings. Golf gives u so much that we forget what a wonderful game it is. thankyou for the reminder.

Reply Report comment
- Mike Dowd
  
  May 13, 2019 at 2:49 pm
  
  So glad to hear you agree David, and glad you enjoyed the article. I know carts are the reality of the game today, but I can’t tell you how eye-opening it was to spend time walking a course in a country where it was pretty much the way the game was expected to be played. It was just a different feel altogether, kind of like going back in time, and with so many ancillary benefits to walking I hope we don’t completely abandon the prospect altogether chasing the illusion of a faster round because unless you’ve got the course to yourself, it just isn’t likely to happen. Cheers!
  
  Reply Report comment
Mick

May 12, 2019 at 4:32 pm

My best rounds ever were walking. Cant do it as much as I would like, getting to old , however, this sport was really made for the player to walk. Sickening now how many young players never walk, and carts are just $$$$ to courses now. Walking a golf course is great fun and allows one to think more about their shots.

Reply Report comment
- Scratchscorer
  
  May 13, 2019 at 9:49 am
  
  Completely agree with everything you said.
  
  Reply Report comment
Putt Stuff

May 12, 2019 at 3:17 pm

Cart ball is a disgrace! Make Golf Great Again! Ban the “Arthritis Special” except for those that absolutely require it!

The number of golfers who have never walked 9 or 18 holes in their life would astonish most of us. How long has it been since you hoofed it? If I had my way I would never play using a golf car again. The golf car should only be used as the mean to extend our ability to enjoy the game when our bodies begin to fail. We should not be surprised about the rhythm and zen which defines the walking golfer.

The golf car is one of the reasons that the growth of the game has stagnated. Young people are no longer caddies growing up because of the golf cart. Golf professionals transferred the money paid to caddies to themselves through their ownership and subsequent promotion of their golf car fleet.

I grew up as a caddie and know many people from all socioeconomic backgrounds that used that opportunity to both earn and learn from the game. The privilege of playing and socializing with many minority golfers (mostly black men) illuminated the importance of caddying as their primary courtship in a lifelong relationship with the game. The bond created between young and old, rich and poor through a synchronized march and shared challenge is a significant and powerful testament to the game we love.

The author’s views on pace of play are in my opinion very accurate and in line with my experiences. I have played a large number of rounds both domestic and abroad where walking is required and have found Pace of Play is rarely an issue. When walking is the norm groups naturally ebb and flow at walking speeds instead of the hurry up and wait pace of golf carts. I have found it difficult when in a cart to resist other conditioned driving behaviors like the urge to pass or go as fast as possible. Carts make me impatient. For me, walking while playing golf presents a challenge that is the opposite from hurried hectic pace of our everyday rat race. I wish leaders would view the pace of the game as an opportunity instead of a threat. As the world speeds up around us golf has to own its pace as part of its identity, in the parlance of today pace is a feature and not a bug.

Sweep the dew in the morning or chase the sun down in the evening, for any number of holes, please, please, remember to enjoy the walk.

Reply Report comment
T

May 12, 2019 at 2:33 pm

Thank you for writing this article. It is written directly and elegantly, pointing a finger at the failures of the governing bodies, of the game’s so-called “leaders” who are more concerned with profit than they are quality. The constant conversation of “pace of play” directly correlates with the pace of life dilemma – golf was here long before we were, and believe it or not, it will be here long, long after we are gone. Everybody seems to forget that we need golf, golf doesn’t need us. Leave the game alone.

Reply Report comment
- Mike Dowd
  
  May 13, 2019 at 2:54 pm
  
  You’re very welcome T. Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope in some small way it can at least be a conversation starter. Golf has been around more than 500 years, and I agree, it will endure, whether we leave the flagstick in or not, play in 3 hours or 5, or even spend half that time on our smartphones. And hopefully we’ll each figure out how best to enjoy it, and that time while we’re still here.
  
  Reply Report comment
FORE!

May 12, 2019 at 1:47 pm

The yous of the world just need to let the mes play through. That’s it. If I want to smell flowers, I’ll go to a funeral. I’m there to hit the ball 95 times and go home hating myself. Not being remotely satirical BTW.

Reply Report comment
- Bill Pickelson
  
  May 12, 2019 at 2:30 pm
  
  Spot on. There’s no problem with people playing slowly, as long as they don’t make everyone else play at their pace.
  
  I used to work at a very famous golf course as a course marshal, and once had a group tell me they had paid their money so had the right to do whatever they wanted.
  
  They had paid their money, but so had every other group behind them who wanted to enjoy their round too.
  
  Don’t be selfish. Stand aside. Let naturally faster groups play through.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Thomas A
    
    May 13, 2019 at 9:28 am
    
    That’s frustrating. Tell them “more people have paid that are waiting on you.”
    
    Reply Report comment
Tom

May 12, 2019 at 1:30 pm

Beautifully written article. Thank you for your work

Reply Report comment
- Mike Dowd
  
  May 13, 2019 at 2:56 pm
  
  Thank you Tom. So glad you appreciated it, and hope it helps at least provide some perspective. Keep swinging!
  
  Reply Report comment
Nack Jicklaus

May 12, 2019 at 12:59 pm

I grew up walking my local 9 hole course in the 1990’s. Nowadays, the only course that exists within a 30 minute drive of me does not allow walking. It makes me sad…

Reply Report comment
- Radim Pavlicek
  
  May 13, 2019 at 9:37 am
  
  Move to Europe. Exactly the opposite here.
  
  Reply Report comment
Acemandrake

May 12, 2019 at 12:55 pm

I do what I can to enable & motivate myself to walk: Carry 6 clubs, play during off-peak hours and allow myself to play as few or as many holes as I want to play that day.

The stress relief from walking is real as you feel more connected to nature.

This is the best way to practice.

Reply Report comment
Chris Kilmer

May 12, 2019 at 12:30 pm

Couldn’t agree more!

Reply Report comment
Max

May 12, 2019 at 12:15 pm

I’m a walker 90pct of the time. Mostly carry with some push cart and caddy rounds thrown in. My home course is older and walks quite well. About half the rounds played are walk or pushcart at this course.

I recently played 3 rounds at some newer housing development centric courses. Walking them would have been a real pain and there would have been some between hole traverses that would have added maybe 30min to the round. Modern course economics are probably half of the problem.

I chalk up the other half to modern equipment. The member tees at most courses today have to play over 6200yds because most men can hit it 240yds. Even the 20hdcp guys. Of course the extra 20-30yds also means wilder and harder to find shots. That just adds more time. I would say that for most 10hdcp+, modern drivers have made them score worse.

I grew up playing a course that was 6500 from the tips back in the persimmon and balata days. I played with the occasional tour pro. They shot low scores but nothing obscene. Today, as a 5 index I can shoot around par from 7300yds on an otherwise similar course. I’m 40 years old and can carry driver 300yds+. With my old steel shaft Ping Eye2 wood driver, I would top out at maybe 265yds in high school.

If you want to see rounds pick up the pace without running between shots, have people play from one tee forward and leave their driver in the trunk. It will shorten the walk/drive along with eliminating the 240yd drive that goes 100yd right.

Reply Report comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

19th Hole

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

Published

21 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.

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.

Your Reaction?

LIKE14
LEGIT6
WOW1
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP2
OB0
SHANK4

Opinion & Analysis

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

Published

5 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

1 week 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.

Your Reaction?