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Morning 9: Majors will decide if LIV Golfers receive OWGR points? | Full LIV sched. | Norman getting promoted?

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: [email protected]

January 24, 2023

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans — also known as Demo Day at the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. GolfWRX will of course be on site all week gathering as much content as we can. Stay tuned to the front page, forums, and our social channels.

1. How majors will decide if LIV golfers get OWGR points

James Corrigan at the Telegraph…”If Greg Norman is looking for a conspiracy to blame for LIV Golf events being denied world ranking points then he will now have to play a dangerous game and point the finger at the four majors themselves.”

  • “Norman has vehemently demanded that Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, and Keith Pelley, the chief executive of the DP World Tour, recuse themselves as board members from being involved in LIV’s application to join the Official World Golf Rankings.”
  • “And, in a move that might catch Norman by surprise, Pelley revealed on Monday that the pair have done just that, as well as Keith Waters, Pelley’s right-hand man who also sits on the OWGR panel.”
Full piece.

2. Greg Norman getting promotion at LIV

ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Amid suggestions that he should be removed from his position, Greg Norman’s role as CEO and commissioner of the LIV Golf League is actually being strengthened, meaning more autonomy in running the second-year circuit that announced its 2023 schedule and will begin play next month.”

  • “Sports Illustrated has learned that Majed Al-Sorour, the managing director of LIV Golf, will leave that role but continue as one of seven members of the LIV Golf board of directors. Al-Sorour is also CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation.”
  • “Al-Sorour’s role with LIV Golf is not being filled, meaning more power for Norman, 67, the two-time major-championship winner who is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and whose leadership has been questioned by PGA Tour stars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.”
Full piece.

3. 2023 LIV schedule

Via Golf Digest…

Feb. 24-26: El Camaleón Golf Club, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

March 17-19: The Gallery Golf Club, Tucson, Ariz.

March 31-April 2: Orange County National, Orlando, Fla.

April 21-23: The Grange Golf Club, Adelaide, Australia

April 28-30: Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore

May 12-14: Cedar Ridge Country Club, Broken Arrow, Okla.

May 26-28: Trump National Golf Club, Washington, D.C.

June 30-July 2: Real Club Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain

July 7-9: Centurion Club, London, England

Aug. 4-6: The Old White Course, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Aug. 11-13: Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, N.J.

Sept. 22-24: Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Ill.

Oct. 20-22: Trump National Doral, Miami

Nov. 3-5: Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Full piece.

4. Tiger Woods announces Marcus Byrd as recipient of the 2023 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption

PGATour.com staff report…”Tournament host Tiger Woods has announced Marcus Byrd as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2023 Genesis Invitational. Byrd will join the field at The Riviera Country Club February 16-19. Awarded annually since 2009, the Sifford exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.”

  • “Marcus has shown resiliency and perseverance in pursuit of a professional playing career,” Woods said. “These are qualities that remind me of Charlie and his journey. I look forward to watching Marcus compete at Riviera.”
  • “Byrd competes on the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour, where in November he finished atop the standings for the Farmers Insurance Fall Series. The fall series title wasn’t the only victory of the season for Byrd. In September, he won the APGA Valley Forge Championship and in June 2021 he earned his first APGA Tour victory with a win at TPC Louisiana. The start at Riviera will be Byrd’s second career appearance in a PGA TOUR event. He made his TOUR debut at the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship.“
Full piece.

5. Baddeley’s daughter writer letter pleading for WMPO sponsor’s exemption for her dad

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…”The 41-year-old resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, played in his hometown event for 18 consecutive years beginning in 2003 and won the title in 2007. But he has missed the last two playings of the “People’s Open” due to his limited status on the PGA Tour in recent years — he plays out of the past champion category. He answered his daughter that it wasn’t looking too good for him again this year. Even if he were to finish in the top 10 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am the week before, he’d likely not get into the 132-man field, which should be even more loaded now that the event has been upgraded to designated status and the purse soared to $20 million.”

  • “Baddeley explained that he likely would need to secure one of three spots available at the Monday Qualifier or be granted one of five unrestricted sponsor invites. Jolee was none too happy with this response and decided she was going to do her part to help his cause.”
  • “I’m going to write them a letter,” Jolee said.
Full piece.

6. Adam Scott joining TGL

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”TGL, the technology-focused golf league that is set to launch in January 2024, is set to announce its fifth PGA Tour player who will take part in the innovative team concept.”

  • “Per a Sports Illustrated report, Adam Scott will join Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas in TGL’s roster. Woods and McIlroy co-founded TMRW Sports, which created TGL, with former Golf Channel president Mike McCarley.”
  • “Tiger pushed golf to a standard that was never seen before, and guys are continuing to push forward,” Scott told SI. “Now, in the position that he’s in, for him to stand up and take a voice for the PGA Tour, I think that’s really strong. We never saw much side-taking from Tiger during his career. That’s fair enough; he was a competitor, and he was interested in what he was doing. Now, he’s showing his feelings on things.”
Full piece.

7. Victor Perez poised for a big year

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”One of Perez’s objectives is to earn one of the 10 PGA Tour cards up for grabs for top finishers on the DP World Tour, a benefit of the new strategic alliance between the two tours. Perez had tried to find his footing on the U.S. tour a couple seasons ago, but he made just six cuts in 12 starts. He has also made only half his cuts in 24 career Tour appearances, but he chalked up some of his struggles to the pandemic.”

  • “Now, though, Perez is ready to try again.”
  • “Ideally, I think that’s everyone’s goal,” Perez said of making it to the PGA Tour. “I think the Tour has done such a great job giving us the opportunity. I was saying, I think it’s never been easier to get on the PGA Tour for European Tour players because now we have those 10 cards. You have all the Rory McIlroys and Jon Rahms of the world that are on list but are going to be taken out, so it’s really going to drop to, whatever, the 20th position and gives us a great category when you get to America…”
  • “I think there’s a lot of Europeans that are starting to break through and go over there. I think, you know, you see guys at the Hero Cup last week playing very well, and then going back to the PGA Tour. That’s inspiring and something that I think we all want to do.”
Full Piece.

8. Paige Spiranac to take on John Daly

Our Jason Daniels…”The Match VIII?”

  • “Not quite, but there is likely as much interest in the game scheduled on June 5th as any of the seven made-for-television events broadcast over the last four years.”
  • “On Sunday, former junior golf star turned social media influencer Paige Spiranac announced she would be challenging John Daly at Geneva National in early summer, and that followers have the chance to caddy for either player.”
Full Piece.

9. Winning WITB: Jon Rahm

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees @11.3)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 75 2.8 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T (High Launch, 16 degrees @15.1)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 85 2.6 TX

Irons: Callaway Apex UT (2), Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW)

Shafts: KBS Tour Hybrid Prototype 105 X (2), Project X 125 6.5 (4-PW)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10, 56-12 @55.25, 60-10)

Shafts: Project X 125 6.5

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S

Grips: Golf Pride MCC midsize

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Full Piece.
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Four books for a springtime review

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One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open betting preview

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As the Florida swing comes to an end, the PGA Tour makes its way to Houston to play the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course.

This will be the fourth year that Memorial Park Golf Course will serve as the tournament host. The event did not take place in 2023, but the course hosted the event in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Memorial Park is a par-70 layout measuring 7,432 yards and features Bermudagrass greens. Historically, the main defense for the course has been thick rough along the fairways and tightly mown runoff areas around the greens. Memorial Park has a unique setup that features three Par 5’s and five Par 3’s.

The field will consist of 132 players, with the top 65 and ties making the cut. There are some big names making the trip to Houston, including Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala.

Past Winners at Memorial Park

  • 2022: Tony Finau (-16)
  • 2021: Jason Kokrak (-10)
  • 2020: Carlos Ortiz (-13)

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 Memorial Park

Let’s take a look at several metrics for Memorial Park to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds:

Strokes Gained: Approach

Memorial Park is a pretty tough golf course. Golfers are penalized for missing greens and face some difficult up and downs to save par. Approach will be key.

Total Strokes Gained: Approach per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Tom Hoge (+1.30)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.26)
  3. Keith Mitchell (+0.97) 
  4. Tony Finau (+0.92)
  5. Jake Knapp (+0.84)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Memorial Park is a long golf course with rough that can be penal. Therefore, a combination of distance and accuracy is the best metric.

Total Strokes Gained: Off the Tee per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+0.94)
  2. Kevin Dougherty (+0.93)
  3. Cameron Champ (+0.86)
  4. Rafael Campos (+0.84)
  5. Si Woo Kim (+0.70)

Strokes Gained Putting: Bermudagrass + Fast

The Bermudagrass greens played fairly fast the past few years in Houston. Jason Kokrak gained 8.7 strokes putting on his way to victory in 2021 and Tony Finau gained in 7.8 in 2022.

Total Strokes Gained Putting (Bermudagrass) per round past 24 rounds (min. 8 rounds):

  1. Adam Svensson (+1.27)
  2. Harry Hall (+1.01)
  3. Martin Trainer (+0.94)
  4. Taylor Montgomery (+0.88)
  5. S.H. Kim (+0.86)

Strokes Gained: Around the Green

With firm and undulating putting surfaces, holding the green on approach shots may prove to be a challenge. Memorial Park has many tightly mowed runoff areas, so golfers will have challenging up-and-down’s around the greens. Carlos Ortiz gained 5.7 strokes around the green on the way to victory in 2020.

Total Strokes Gained: Around the Green per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Mackenzie Hughes (+0.76)
  2. S.H. Kim (+0.68)
  3. Scottie Scheffler (+0.64)
  4. Jorge Campillo (+0.62)
  5. Jason Day (+0.60)

Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult

Memorial Park is a long and difficult golf course. This statistic will incorporate players who’ve had success on these types of tracks in the past. 

Total Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult in past 24 rounds:

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+2.45)
  2. Ben Griffin (+1.75)
  3. Will Zalatoris (+1.73)
  4. Ben Taylor (+1.53)
  5. Tony Finau (+1.42)

Course History

Here are the players who have performed the most consistently at Memorial Park. 

Strokes Gained Total at Memorial Park past 12 rounds:

  1. Tyson Alexander (+3.65)
  2. Ben Taylor (+3.40)
  3. Tony Finau (+2.37)
  4. Joel Dahmen (+2.25)
  5. Patton Kizzire (+2.16)

Statistical Model

Below, I’ve reported overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed.

These rankings are comprised of SG: App (24%) SG: OTT (24%); SG: Putting Bermudagrass/Fast (13%); SG: Long and Difficult (13%); SG: ARG (13%) and Course History (13%)

  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. Wyndham Clark
  3. Tony Finau
  4. Joel Dahmen
  5. Stephan Jaeger 
  6. Aaron Rai
  7. Sahith Theegala
  8. Keith Mitchell 
  9. Jhonnatan Vegas
  10. Jason Day
  11. Kurt Kitayama
  12. Alex Noren
  13. Will Zalatoris
  14. Si Woo Kim
  15. Adam Long

2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open Picks

Will Zalatoris +2000 (Caesars)

Scottie Scheffler will undoubtedly be difficult to beat this week, so I’m starting my card with someone who I believe has the talent to beat him if he doesn’t have his best stuff.

Will Zalatoris missed the cut at the PLAYERS, but still managed to gain strokes on approach while doing so. In an unpredictable event with extreme variance, I don’t believe it would be wise to discount Zalatoris based on that performance. Prior to The PLAYERS, the 27-year-old finished T13, T2 and T4 in his previous three starts.

Zalatoris plays his best golf on long and difficult golf courses. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the category, but the eye test also tells a similar story. He’s contended at major championships and elevated events in the best of fields with tough scoring conditions.  The Texas resident should be a perfect fit at Memorial Park Golf Club.

Alex Noren +4500 (FanDuel)

Alex Noren has been quietly playing some of his best golf of the last half decade this season. The 41-year-old is coming off back-to-back top-20 finishes in Florida including a T9 at The PLAYERS in his most recent start.

In his past 24 rounds, Noren ranks 21st in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 30th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 25th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses and 21st in Strokes Gained: Putting on fast Bermudagrass greens.

In addition to his strong recent play, the Swede also has played well at Memorial Park. In 2022, Noren finished T4 at the event, gaining 2.2 strokes off the tee and 7.0 strokes on approach for the week. In his two starts at the course, he’s gained an average of .6 strokes per round on the field, indicating he is comfortable on these greens.

Noren has been due for a win for what feels like an eternity, but Memorial Park may be the course that suits him well enough for him to finally get his elusive first PGA Tour victory.

Mackenzie Hughes +8000 (FanDuel)

Mackenzie Hughes found himself deep into contention at last week’s Valspar Championship before faltering late and finishing in a tie for 3rd place. While he would have loved to win the event, it’s hard to see the performance as anything other than an overwhelming positive sign for the Canadian.

Hughes has played great golf at Memorial Park in the past. He finished T7 in 2020, T29 in 2021 and T16 in 2022. The course fit seems to be quite strong for Hughes. He’s added distance off the tee in the past year or and ranks 8th in the field for apex height, which will be a key factor when hitting into Memorial Park’s elevated greens with steep run-off areas.

In his past 24 rounds, Hughes is the best player in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Greens. The ability to scramble at this course will be extremely important. I believe Hughes can build off of his strong finish last week and contend once again to cement himself as a President’s Cup consideration.

Akshay Bhatia +8000 (FanDuel)

Akshay Bhatia played well last week at the Valspar and seemed to be in total control of his golf ball. He finished in a tie for 17th and shot an impressive -3 on a difficult Sunday. After struggling Thursday, Akshay shot 68-70-68 in his next three rounds.

Thus far, Bhatia has played better at easier courses, but his success at Copperhead may be due to his game maturing. The 22-year-old has enormous potential and the raw talent to be one of the best players in the world when he figures it all out.

Bhatia is a high upside play with superstar qualities and may just take the leap forward to the next stage of his career in the coming months.

Cameron Champ +12000 (FanDuel)

Cameron Champ is a player I often target in the outright betting market due to his “boom-or-bust” nature. It’s hard to think of a player in recent history with three PGA Tour wins who’s been as inconsistent as Champ has over the course of his career.

Despite the erratic play, Cam Champ simply knows how to win. He’s won in 2018, 2019 and 2021, so I feel he’s due for a win at some point this season. The former Texas A&M product should be comfortable in Texas and last week he showed us that his game is in a pretty decent spot.

Over his past 24 rounds, Champ ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 30th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses. Given his ability to spike at any given time, Memorial Park is a good golf course to target Champ on at triple digit odds.

Robert MacIntyre +12000 (FanDuel)

The challenge this week is finding players who can possibly beat Scottie Scheffler while also not dumping an enormous amount of money into an event that has a player at the top that looks extremely dangerous. Enter McIntyre, who’s another boom-or-bust type player who has the ceiling to compete with anyone when his game is clicking on all cylinders.

In his past 24 rounds, MacIntyre ranks 16th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 17th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 10th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses.

MacIntyre’s PGA Tour season has gotten off to a slow start, but he finished T6 in Mexico, which is a course where players will hit driver on the majority of their tee shots, which is what we will see at Memorial Park. Texas can also get quite windy, which should suit MacIntyre. Last July, the Scot went toe to toe with Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open before a narrow defeat. It would take a similar heroic effort to compete with Scheffler this year in Houston.

Ryan Moore +15000 (FanDuel)

Ryan Moore’s iron play has been absolutely unconscious over his past few starts. At The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field, he gained 6.1 strokes on approach and last week at Copperhead, he gained 9.0 strokes on approach.

It’s been a rough handful of years on Tour for the 41-year-old, but he is still a five-time winner on the PGA Tour who’s young enough for a career resurgence. Moore has chronic deterioration in a costovertebral joint that connects the rib to the spine, but has been getting more consistent of late, which is hopefully a sign that he is getting healthy.

Veterans have been contending in 2024 and I believe taking a flier on a proven Tour play who’s shown signs of life is a wise move at Memorial Park.

 

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