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Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: In defense of blade irons

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3 years ago

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I ran across an article this past weekend from March of 2020, which identified the irons used by the top ten players in greens in regulation on the PGA Tour (at the time). What I have always found interesting and enlightening is that the best players in the world overwhelmingly choose to play mostly traditional forged blade irons, while it is estimated less than two percent of recreational players choose them.

So, do these elite players choose blades because they are the best players in the world—or could it possibly be that they are the best players partly because they choose blade irons? I believe it is both. Playing blades somewhat “guides” you to more precise ball-striking because of the improved feedback–you can feel the slightest of mis-hits so you always know how you’re doing. But, blade irons also allow you to shape shots and be more precise in your distance control–in other words, they allow you to optimize your skills because of their design.

I’ve long believed that many more players could benefit from blades than are willing to play them–especially in the higher lofts. I’ll qualify that statement by sharing that I’ve seen robotic testing prove that the higher the loft of the club, the less perimeter weighting or a cavity back design will improve ball flight performance and forgiveness. In fact, the nod to trajectory consistency and distance control may well go to the blade design in the higher lofts.

While technology has allowed all iron designs to be better today than ever before, perimeter weighting in irons allows many more visual variations than are possible with a traditional one-piece forged design. Take a look at today’s offerings from major brands in the blade category and you’ll see striking similarities to blades from past decades. But in the “game improvement” categories, you’ll see a vast variety of cosmetic looks, though many of those design intricacies are no more than that and don’t affect performance all that much. This is a competitive industry and the big brands need to be able to repeatedly deliver something that looks different from the previous model so they can claim to have created something better.

But let me get back to the notion that blade-style irons can be “defended” for many more golfers than the number that choose to game that kind of design.

As a club designer, I’ve long admitted that there is only so much I can do for you by the way a club is designed. For example, I cannot help the shot hit fat. Or the one that is thinned/bladed. I can’t correct an over-the-top move through impact, a shut-down face angle or a face delivered to the ball laid wide open. I cannot affect your swing path nor your thought processes before you even hit the shot.

No, as a club designer, I cannot help anything but the quality of impact if, and only if, the ball is contacted somewhere reasonably close to the desired impact area of the face, and the face is delivered pretty square to the intended line.

Understand that with any golf club, there is only one true “sweet spot”–the exact pinpoint where the transfer of clubhead speed to ball speed is optimized. And, with any club, impact efficiency or “smash factor” begins to be compromised as impact moves away from that tiny pinpoint location. What perimeter weighting aspires to do is to mitigate that energy loss. While there is no question that a half-inch miss with a cavity-back 7-iron will likely go longer than the same miss with a forged blade 7-iron, the actual difference is smaller than you might believe.

I will share that the difference between that miss with those two different styles of irons is increasingly larger as the loft decreases. In other words, the difference you’ll experience with a quarter-inch miss with a 40-degree 9-iron is less than you will see with a 30-degree 6- or 7-iron. But there is another anomaly of your actual misses of which you should be aware.

For most golfers I’ve measured, misses with longer irons tend to range more from heel to toe, and with shorter irons those misses tend to range from low to high in the face. Because of the more consistent blade thickness from top to bottom, true blade-style short irons quite often deliver more consistent distance and ball flight than their perimeter-weighted counterparts, both with real golfers and on robotic testing.

Having written weekly posts as The Wedge Guy for nearly 20 years, I have addressed this subject numerous times, and again offer the following challenge to conduct your own experiments. Talk to one of your golf professionals or a buddy who plays pretty traditional forged blade irons and ask to borrow their 8, 9 and PW for a few rounds. Even though the shafts might be stiffer and heavier than you are used to playing, I think you will still be surprised at how good your shotmaking consistency is with those, as opposed to the cavity back irons that you’ve been gaming.

I’ll close today’s post by also asking a question you probably haven’t pondered at all: If you think you are not “good enough” to play a traditional forged blade iron favored by the world’s best players, why would you think you can meet your expectations with the same wedges they play? Robotic testing has continually proven to me that even modern “tour design” wedges are much less forgiving of mis-hits than the most traditional forged blade 9-iron or pitching wedge.

In my 40 years in this industry, it is one of those things that make me go “hmm…”

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Terry Koehler is a fourth generation Texan and a graduate of Texas A&M University. Over his 40-year career in the golf industry, he has created over 100 putter designs, sets of irons and drivers, and in 2014, he put together the team that reintroduced the Ben Hogan brand to the golf equipment industry. Since the early 2000s, Terry has been a prolific writer, sharing his knowledge as “The Wedge Guy”.   But his most compelling work is in the wedge category. Since he first patented his “Koehler Sole” in the early 1990s, he has been challenging “conventional wisdom” reflected in ‘tour design’ wedges. The performance of his wedge designs have stimulated other companies to move slightly more mass toward the top of the blade in their wedges, but none approach the dramatic design of his Edison Forged wedges, which have been robotically proven to significantly raise the bar for wedge performance. Terry serves as Chairman and Director of Innovation for Edison Golf – check it out at www.EdisonWedges.com.

20 Comments

20 Comments

  1. Donn Rutkoff

    Mar 10, 2021 at 7:50 pm

    Ain’t nothing in the world like Mizuno GFF wedges. I’m a hi handicap, now 66 yrs old, but I rarely miss hitting the green with a 52 degree killer Mizuno.

    Now here’s a question. I got fitted for 8-9-W. Looking to replace Nike Vapor Fly irons up top. Very nice irons but I wanted more precision, narrower sole. I hoped the fitter would put me into Mizunos but he said I did best with Ping I 500. So I got ’em and I like them a lot. They have a forged face. Question is how much of the overall club is forged and do any of y’all think they give the same feedback as a 100% forged Mizuno? I also have an old Mizuno Fli-hi GFF 24 degree hybrid, nice feel, and went to add an 18 deg. But no GFF. I got a new Mizuno MMC 18. Feels very similar to the GFF 24 deg. Comments???

    Reply Report comment

  2. Sean Foster-Nolan

    Feb 19, 2021 at 9:20 am

    I always thought the concept was a bit overrated, and the “mystique” surrounding blades a bit overblown.

    Reply Report comment

  3. MJD

    Feb 19, 2021 at 9:01 am

    The feel, feedback and flight of a decent bladed iron vs a cavity iron is like comparing The Beatles to Milli Vanilli!

    Once you play bladed irons you NEVER go back for reasons of forgiveness or playbility. As Terry says, a bad swing will end up with a bad shot; doesn’t matter what you play…just embrace it.

    Reply Report comment

  4. Delbert

    Feb 18, 2021 at 4:11 pm

    The PGA and LPGA tours should go to a standard club and ball spec like major league baseball. Then we would see who has the game. Interesting that we don’t see Vokey introducing a cavity back wedge. Great article.

    Reply Report comment

  5. Ron Snyder

    Feb 18, 2021 at 11:53 am

    Years ago a monthly golf mag published an article on the results of they acquired after observing several strikes with a cavity back and a blade iron. Using Iron Byron set up to repeat strikes high toe, low heel and point of percussion. The blade was more accurate (20-30%) on heel toe strikes! CG strikes were equal as expected. I don’t remember the loft used but either 5 or 7 iron. Of the robot offered no feedback but had it been a cool autumn day it would have said ouch on those toe hits. Producing positive accurate feedback which is what thousands of golf facilitators look for. Now that pros are hitting thousand mile 8 irons(yipper I’m jealous) and their 8 irons are like my old Wilson staff 5 iron, there iirons are more consistent. Seems to me, merely observed, that most consistent winners are blade players. Feedback is so important for players, golfers not so much. Looks good feels good so must be good for golfers is a necessity. Here’s to blades and I like the fact that designers are bringing back the design of the Sting blades of long ago (tungsten can work wonders put in the right place)
    Thx for the great articles

    Reply Report comment

  6. Bob Pegram

    Feb 18, 2021 at 4:18 am

    Terry’s explanation makes sense. I have RAZR X Forged irons (2011) which are cavity back one piece forged. The long and middle irons are very easy to hit and get up in the air, but I have to make sure I hit the short irons low on the face or they come up short. Now I understand why.

    Reply Report comment

  7. Kourt

    Feb 18, 2021 at 12:17 am

    Correction, a lot of the best male players in the world choose blade irons, but not all. But most of the LPGA players choose cavity irons. I’d argue that most amateur golfers resemble the swing speed of an lpga player not a pga player. An interesting question is why do most of the lpga choose to not play blades?

    Reply Report comment

  8. Lefthack

    Feb 17, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    My combo irons are blades from 8 to PW. I could likely play a full set, but my game wouldn’t be as pretty and I would have to work harder.

    I would love to rock a set of Nike VR Pro blades, those look awesome.

    Reply Report comment

    • delbert

      Feb 18, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      I picked up a used set of VRII Pro blades a few years ago for $129. They were barely used and very easy to hit. The combo sets are great, too.

      Reply Report comment

  9. Theoxii

    Feb 17, 2021 at 6:34 pm

    I am a recovering club junkie. I have 6 sets ranging from exotics game improvement, TM 790s, maxfli A10 combos to Reid Lockhart blades. Not a whole lot of difference in scoring average. I’ve shot at least 78 with each set; I’ve also been on the wrong side of 90 with each. I found that your course management adjusts to your capability with the set ie choking up on a fairway or hybrid rather than a full 3/4/5 blade. From 7i up- 165yds in I dont have a problem with blades.

    Reply Report comment

    • Terry Koehler

      Feb 17, 2021 at 10:54 pm

      I gamed the Reid Lockhart RL Blades for 20 years, until I designed the Ben Hogan FT. Worth 15s, which I have had in the bag since the first prototype set in 2014. That said, I always thought the RL blades were close to the ultimate blade — precision + forgiveness of the toe miss, which is the most penalizing on blades.
      Have to admit I’ve been toying with a reprise of that RL Blade with some updating . . . Hmmmmmm, maybe there is an “ultimate” blade in Edison’s future . . . .

      Reply Report comment

      • G

        Feb 18, 2021 at 4:49 am

        Hi Terry,
        The RL blades are a great looking iron.
        I used them for years and would be more than willing to try a newer version of them.
        Looks like you’ve got something to do in 2021?

        Reply Report comment

      • Frank Walley

        Feb 20, 2021 at 4:51 pm

        I’d love to see the Edison update to the RL.

        Reply Report comment

  10. SV677

    Feb 17, 2021 at 4:13 pm

    I started with blades because that was all that was available. I have a blade to practice with and find that after just a few swings I find the sweet spot more consistently. I would think ideally a split set might be the answer. The problem would be synching lofts. With today’s stronger lofts at around a 6 or 7 iron you would end up with two of the “same” clubs to keep consistent gapping.

    Reply Report comment

  11. MarkM

    Feb 17, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    Terry, you have a very good way of frequently hitting the nail on the head. I’ve always thought “forgiveness” in irons was overrated and agree with your stance. I still want a 460 driver though so I can bash it as hard as possible and still find the course though.

    I’ve always preferred the look of a blade at address. Like Mr. Walsh, it’s probably because I grew up playing them. At different times in my golfing life I’ve gone to “more forgiving” irons and eventually made my way back to blades.
    I’m at that crossroads again. After playing a variety of cavity backs over the past 9 years I am back to playing a blade – the Honma Rose-Proto MBs, superb! This was after I experimented with a set of Hogan Grind blades after club season was over. In 3 months the ball striking improved enough with my irons to make my playing partners wonder if they were legal or not when I kept taking their money 🙂 As other say, to each his own but I’m pretty sure I’ll be playing blades for as long as I can get the ball in the air.
    Current hcp 7.0

    Reply Report comment

  12. Robert Healey

    Feb 17, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    In an industry obsessing about COR,MOI and performance data lets not forget the most important metric of all, enjoyment.! Play what you like the look of, sound and feel of. For 99% or recreational gofers it doesn’t really matter if its a blade, game improvement or a combination.
    Go and enjoy whatever kit you have chosen.

    Reply Report comment

  13. B_of_H

    Feb 17, 2021 at 12:43 pm

    Thank you. I have always thought that from 7 iron down blades are actually more accurate for me as I tend to miss a little high in the face at times and perhaps a bit on the heel. i’ve done a bunch of 7 iron fittings and blades had the most consistent distance and tightest dispersion each time.

    Reply Report comment

  14. Michael Welsh

    Feb 17, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    I have found that my scores with blade irons are the same or better as cavity backs. Could be because I learned to play with blades nearly 60 years ago because that was my only option. Could be that they just plain look better to my eye because of that old historical tie. Or it could be because I get sloppy with a cavity back relying on that supposed forgiveness. So at this point I simply select a blade because it makes me happy. It makes me think about all the things I need to do to hit a pure shot, and when I don’t I only blame myself. Handicap 9.

    Reply Report comment

    • Bob Jones

      Feb 19, 2021 at 12:40 pm

      I was going to write a response, but I don’t have to. You just wrote it for me. Every word, and I mean EVERY WORD, is my story, too.

      Reply Report comment

    • EDWARD JOHNSON

      Feb 19, 2021 at 4:55 pm

      Exactly!

      Reply Report comment

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Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1

Published

2 days ago

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Apr 18, 2024

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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.

Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.

But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.

To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.

Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.

If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.

In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.

Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.

While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.

So, what about grooves and face texture?

Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.

Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.

But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?

The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.

So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.

And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.

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Golf's Perfect Imperfections

Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement

Published

2 days ago

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Apr 18, 2024

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In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle

Published

5 days ago

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Apr 15, 2024

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Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.

Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.

The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.

Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions. 

Past Winners at Harbour Town

  • 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
  • 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
  • 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
  • 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
  • 2019: CT Pan (-12)
  • 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
  • 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
  • 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
  • 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)

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 Harbour Town

Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
  2. Tom Hoge (+1.27)
  3. Corey Conners (+1.16)
  4. Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
  5. Cameron Young (+0.93)

Good Drive %

The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (88.8%)
  2. Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
  3. Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
  4. Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
  5. Sepp Straka (+85.1%)

Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.

SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:

  1. Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
  3. Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
  4. Brian Harman (+1.89)
  5. Sungjae Im (+1.58)

4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)

Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.

SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
  2. Taylor Moore (+1.02)
  3. Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
  4. Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
  5. Andrew Putnam (+0.83)

5. Greens in Regulation %

The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.

Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:

  1. Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
  3. Corey Conners (+69.0%)
  4. Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
  5. Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)

6. Course History

Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up. 

Course History over past 24 rounds:

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
  2. Cam Davis (+2.05)
  3. J.T. Poston (+1.69)
  4. Justin Rose (+1.68)
  5. Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)

The RBC Heritage Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)

  1. Shane Lowry
  2. Russell Henley
  3. Scottie Scheffler
  4. Xander Schauffele
  5. Corey Conners 
  6. Wyndham Clark
  7. Christiaan Bezuidenhout
  8. Matt Fitzpatrick
  9. Cameron Young
  10. Ludvig Aberg 

2024 RBC Heritage Picks

Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)

With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.

Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).

Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.

Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)

I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past.  In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.

The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.

Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)

Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.

Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.

Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)

Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.

In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.

Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.

Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)

When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.

Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks. 

Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.

Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)

This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at. 

Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.

Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.

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