Opinion & Analysis

How to train for playing golf in Ireland

Published

8 years ago

Mar 12, 2016

Ireland is a fantastic golfing location with an abundance of great links courses, steeped in history and beauty. For those lucky enough to make the pilgrimage, I have some thoughts and advice. You don’t just turn up; you need to go into training.

Playing in wind and rain

Unless you are exceptionally lucky, the odds are that you will play at least some of your golf in strong wind and rain. Get into training by standing in a cold shower in your wet gear and then filling your suit with ice cubes to get a feel for swinging a club while you are in the early stages of hypothermia.

Tight lies

So one of the virtues of links golf are the tight lies. It feels like you are trying to pick the ball off the car park, in fact you should start by trying to play shots off asphalt. The ball doesn’t tend to sit up on the closely cropped ground, but the good news is that the ball runs for miles. Expect to land the ball short of the green and watch it run up. Greens can get pretty firm in the summer, so the chances of holding a green us slim, especially downwind. You are bound to get a few ‘Irish stingers’ where you hit it thin and your hands sting like they have been slapped hard!

Rough

Oh and did I mention the rough? I guess it depends on how the weather has been. A wet Spring and early Summer (the norm) can leave rough like lush green cabbage. A dry and hot summer (more unusual) will leave the rough playing like burned hay. Either way the advice is to keep out of it. And I’m not even going to talk about the gorse and buckthorn! The more it looks like an artist’s pallet the more you have to fear!

Flight it low

Learn how to keep the ball down by playing half shots and punch shots. Keeping the ball close to the ground is a distinct advantage on a windy hard course. Just ask the Texans!

Long-range putting

If there is one piece of advice I can impart, it’s keeping the ball close to the ground around the green. Play your putter where you can. Lob wedges are more of a hindrance than a help off deadpan. You can be 50 yards from the green, and as long as there is no trouble in your way, the best shot choice is a putt. Sure, you may look incompetent, but just watch the locals — especially the older guys. What they lack in power they make up for in guile.

Visualization

One of the biggest issues facing golfers playing links golf for the first time is relativity. With virtually no trees, it’s hard to follow your ball into the rough and dunes. I once played with an American golfer who never watched where his ball went. I got upset quickly, as I spent the whole round guiding him to his ball. Soon enough, I asked him why he didn’t bother looking. His response was he felt lost. The course seemed liked a sea of nothing, and he couldn’t judge depth or distance. It does take a bit of getting used to. So get into practice with a few Where’s Wally books.

Understanding the language

The Irish talk quick and generally tend to use 30 more words than needed to answer a question. Watch episodes of Father Ted, The Field or The Guard to get acquainted. Here’s a few wee expressions to give you a flavor:

Pishing it down the day: Some rain is forecast
Wee bit gusty: The wind is blowing at gale force
Brass monkeys: A little chilly
Sweltered: Quite warm
Aye: Yes
Nah: No
Whataboutye: How are you doing?
It was some craic: It was a fun time!

Playing with a hangover

One of the things Ireland is known for is its warm hospitality. And with that comes alcohol in the form of Guinness and Whiskey. Both are extremely easy to drink, but the problem is that they tend to lead to late nights followed by shocking hangovers the next morning. Unless you have the willpower of a Saint, the chances are that at least one of your rounds will be played with a pounding head, dizzy spells, nausea and trembling hands. Advil helps, but sometimes the only way to get through it is to sweat it out. The good news? You could train for this in advance to build up tolerance.

Money

You will need two currencies visiting Ireland. The North uses £ sterling, the Queens money. The South uses Euro, as they do across the rest of Europe. Don’t sweat it, as most places will convert and you can always use your card as well.

Pack for every conceivable weather condition

Even during the course of a round, you may find yourself getting sunburned at one point and then a few minutes later getting pelted with hailstones. There’s a great expression in Ireland. “If you don’t like the weather, just give it 10 minutes.” This means packing your bag with extra stuff, and it’s worth it. In Ireland, there’s no such thing as bad weather; only the wrong clothes.

Get a caddy

Most of the top courses have caddies. And it’s worth the money for an experienced guide to shepherd you round. You may find them hard to understand and at times a little uncouth, but you’ll enjoy the “craic” and they will make it easier especially when the weather is bad. Like everything in life you get what you pay for and you will get everything from the Old Tom Morris type right through to the young school kid who doesn’t really look old enough to be out on his own or strong enough to lift that behemoth golf bag and its 48 things in it.

Enjoy!

This is a different type of game than the one you are probably used to. You’ll likely experience hitting 170-yard 9 irons downwind and 140-yard 3 woods into par 3s. You’ll suffer horrendous bounces, but you’ll probably also get your fair share of ‘”members nudges.” You’ll watch in horror as the wind catches your putt and sends it off the green 30 yards away, or face a lie in a pothole bunker that will have your chiropractor rubbing his hands in glee. But it’s been played like this for hundreds of years. You’ll get a better feel and understanding for the pros the next time you watch the Open on TV. Just remember one thing to look forward is the reflection that this is how golf was originally meant to be played. No matter how bad it is you will feel a sense of exhilaration having made the journey over!

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Mark Donaghy

Mark Donaghy is a writer and author from Northern Ireland, living in the picturesque seaside town of Portstewart. He is married to Christine and they have three boys. Mark is a "golf nut," and is lucky to be a member of a classic links, Portstewart Golf Club. At college he played for the Irish Universities golf team, and today he still deludes himself that he can play to that standard. He recently released Caddy Attitudes: 'Looping' for the Rich and Famous in New York. It recounts the life experiences of two young Irish lads working as caddies at the prestigious Shinnecock Hills course in the Hamptons. Mark has a unique writing style, with humorous observations of golfers and their caddies, navigating both the golf course and their respective attitudes. Toss in the personal experiences of a virtually broke couple of young men trying to make a few bucks and their adventures in a culture and society somewhat unknown to them... and you have Caddy Attitudes. From scintillating sex in a sand trap to the comparison of societal status with caddy shack status, the book will grab the attention of anyone who plays the game. Caddy Attitudes is available on Amazon/Kindle and to date it has had excellent reviews.

14 Comments

Patrick

Mar 17, 2016 at 7:44 am

Good info for my upcoming May trip! Starting playing golf 9 years ago and have been to Ireland many times prior to picking it up. I’ve been dying to play there every since. Playing Lahinch Old Course, Old Course at Ballybunion, Tralee Golf Club, Waterville Golf Links and Old Head. I can only hope and pray for good weather. Need to hit the treadmill hard!

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Derek

Mar 17, 2016 at 12:01 am

I would also add the value of perfecting a low punch shot/ tiger’s stinger shot. You will find a new found love for your 3 iron.

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Jim H

Mar 14, 2016 at 3:39 pm

Wonderful article Mark! I’ve been to the “old sod” twice and enjoyed every minute of both trips. You are so right about the changing weather though. It may be just fine in the early morning, perfect for a simple polo shirt and sunscreen, but by the time you make the turn, you’ll wish you had purchased several Irish woolen sweaters to stuff under your rain/wind jacket.

I believe our last trip was in 2007, and our final four days were spent at the Adare Manor Castle and Golf Resort (about 45 minutes south of the Shannon Airport) over the New Year holiday. The castle was exquisite, the food was exceptional and the golf was perfect…for awhile. On our final day, we were greeted by a chilly grey sky and gusting winds. The range was closed due to the wind, and after we teed off, the temperature began dropping by the minute.

By the fourth or fifth hole, snow flurries arrived (for those unfamiliar, it seldom snows in Ireland). By the seventh hole, the swirling wind made all shots impossible to gauge for distance, and the snow intensified to the point we couldn’t follow each others drives. The ninth hole was a long Par-5 that looked more like a cross-country ski run, as approximately two inches of snow had accumulated and it continued with relentless abandon. My son lost his ball in the middle of the fairway and I only found mine because it landed in a bunker. They closed the course at the turn and refunded our greens fees.

Smartly, they took several photos of the old castle next to the course, and to this day they send out “White Christmas” cards from that snow-drenched holiday.

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- Mark Donaghy
  
  Mar 14, 2016 at 5:09 pm
  
  Great story Jim, the stuff of legends!
  
  Reply Report comment
Fran

Mar 14, 2016 at 2:08 pm

Humorous but sound advice. I played Portstewart when I was Ireland for a golf trip. Maybe the two best opening holes I’ve ever played. I thought hole 8 was the best hole on our visit.
Funny thing, when I was there it didn’t rain for the entire week! We had some drizzle on the ride to our hotel. The rest of the week was like May in the US. My face was sunburned and peeled for a week after I returned. I had read all of the weather warnings for travelers and had warm sweaters, wool hats, a complete rainproof outfit with rain gloves. I could have packed my shorts and sunscreen and saved myself the aching back from hauling all my foul weather gear around. I hope everyone enjoys the weather I had but I still wish I would have played one round in typical Irish weather.

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- Mark Donaghy
  
  Mar 14, 2016 at 3:48 pm
  
  Glad you enjoyed Portstewart Fran. Like I said the weather is variable, sunburned one minute and frozen the next. Best come prepared!
  
  Reply Report comment
doesnotno

Mar 14, 2016 at 10:02 am

Heh heh, brings back good memories of a few years spent in Portstewart and Portrush, having golf lessons in keeping the bal low dished out by the senior ladies 🙂 There’s nowhere finer.

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David

Mar 13, 2016 at 6:21 pm

Ermmm don’t the ball sit up on tight lies?

That apart good to see a reasonably accurate article, I knew it was a fellow Norn Ironer when I saw the Whataboutye!

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golfraven

Mar 13, 2016 at 5:14 pm

Lived and played golf in Ireland and fully agree. Same would apply for most parts of Scotland. Have your waterproofs with you at any time and a flask with Rusty Nail (also to share) and you will be fine.

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don d.

Mar 13, 2016 at 1:20 am

Learn how to walk , no cart ballers here. Links golf will wear you down and beat you up. The majority of American golfers who show up do not have a chance of shooting anything close to their handicaps. Their scores are terrible. The comments by golfers are even more laughable than the scores. They blame it on the weather , the course , jet lag , and hangovers. Meanwhile, that 90 year old local is kicking your butt out there.

Reply Report comment
- Mat
  
  Mar 13, 2016 at 6:15 am
  
  This is the best advice of all. Americans will be most pressed to actually walk 18. It sounds like not a big deal, but it’s a lot harder on Day 2, 3, and 4.
  
  Reply Report comment
- SV
  
  Mar 14, 2016 at 3:05 pm
  
  Walk. Walk Walk. You are correct, there are no buggies. Also, if you are playing 36 try to schedule the “flatter” course second. If not the second 18 becomes much longer than the card indicates.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Mark Donaghy
  
  Mar 14, 2016 at 3:52 pm
  
  Don you are correct about the walking. You Americans and your carts! It’s not so bad when you have a caddy, but the dunes and hills can make for a lengthy stroll and if you are not used to that sort of exertion it can catch up on you over a week. Best get on the treadmill in advance and clock up a few hundred miles!
  
  Reply Report comment
- Chris
  
  Mar 22, 2016 at 3:12 pm
  
  What a ridiculous stereotype. A lot of Americans walk as well.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Opinion & Analysis

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

Published

3 days ago

Apr 18, 2024

Terry Koehler

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

3 days ago

Apr 18, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

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

6 days ago

Apr 15, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

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

Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
Tom Hoge (+1.27)
Corey Conners (+1.16)
Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
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

Brice Garnett (88.8%)
Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
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:

Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
Brian Harman (+1.89)
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

Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
Taylor Moore (+1.02)
Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
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:

Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
Corey Conners (+69.0%)
Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
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:

Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
Cam Davis (+2.05)
J.T. Poston (+1.69)
Justin Rose (+1.68)
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%)

Shane Lowry
Russell Henley
Scottie Scheffler
Xander Schauffele
Corey Conners
Wyndham Clark
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Matt Fitzpatrick
Cameron Young
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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