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5 things we learned on day one of the Presidents Cup 2019
The 2019 Presidents Cup, the 13th playing of the match between an international squad and one from the USA, began in precisely the manner that American playing captain Tiger Woods had desired. The first round of five matches closed exactly as International captain Ernie Els had hoped. The Royal Melbourne golf course, a composite layout that blends the best of the storied club’s East and West 18s, provided an unpredictable yet ideal stage for what all involved expect to be an unforgettable, four days of matches. Although we could write for hours on the shots, decisions, conditioning, and uniforms of the squads, we’ve distilled our thoughts to a succinct five things that we learned on Day One—Wednesday evening (USA time) and Thursday morning (Australia time)—of the 2019 Presidents Cup. Come join us.
1. The golf course matters
So often in team events, the golf course is sold to the highest bidder. If funding is needed, that’s the trade-off of modern, professional sport. The West course belongs to the wit of Alister MacKenzie, while the East fell under the mastery of Alex Russell and M.A Morcom, in the spirit of the master of the West course. The two meld seamlessly, allowing a composite course to host the club’s most important events. The course plays akin to a links, in an Australian Sandbelt manner. The fairways and greens are firm, fast, unforgiving yet welcoming. The bunkering is equal parts apparent and subdued. The entire course is at the mercy of capricious winds, and it is those putting surfaces, with their cant and roll, their spines and splines, that provide the culminating interest to each hole. If you’ve not been an architectural aficionado until now, sit back for the next three days and four rounds, and devour all that you can learn about exquisite, golf course design.
2. Captain Tiger came to play, and he may have found a partner
In days of yore, Severiano Ballesteros and José María Olazabal were an unbeatable partnership for team Europe in the Ryder Cup matches. Since then, as pundits are wont to do, anticipation and prediction for the next, unstoppable duo have been commonplace and unwelcome. No one has fallen under that looking glass with more frequency, than Tiger Woods. Say what you will about Seve and Olly; neither was in the conversation of the greatest player of all time. Such is the burden that Woods wears on his shoulders. In 2019, the latest partner in the firm is Justin Thomas. A major champion and multiple-times, tour winner himself, Thomas does not shrink from the bright light of fame. On Thursday, he and Woods began the event with a convincing, 4 & 3 victory over homebred Marc Leishman and ingenuo Joaquín Niemann of Chile. Woods made an impeccable birdie at the first: perfect drive, elegant pitch, conceded putt, and the duo was away with the sun. Their lead reached 3 up by the 5th, but the Internationals rallied to 1 down, with 2 consecutive, won holes at 6 and 7. Unmoved, the Americans won the 9th and the 11th to again reach 3 up. Back came the rest of the world at the 12th, but birdies at 14 and 15 concluded the day for the westerners.
One thing was learned from match one on day one: follow Tiger Woods. 12 holes were won outright in his pairing. If you want drama, excitement, back and forth, follow the Woods.
3. Fortunately for Els, Tiger can’t play in every match
Much has been made about the metrics that Ernie Els and his assistant captains utilized in the selection of numbers 9 through 12, and the subsequent pairings for practice and matches. When the gifts are wrapped and the planning concluded, the tell is the conduct of the golfers on course. Perhaps Marc Leishman’s sole job was to acclimate Niemann to the greatest pressure of the international stage; that much, and anything more, is unknown. What is known is this: the other four teams were unanticipated, and their performances, unknown. Sungjae Im and Adam Hadwin had the nervy task of following the opening match with Woods, and righting the international ship. Im’s unfathomable eagle pitch at the first found the bottom of the cup, and that lead held until the 6th. The Korean and the Canadian went 1 down with consecutive losses, but won the 9th to square the match once more. Even they stood until the difficult, par-four 16th, when Hadwin made a gutsy par as the other three went off into neverland, and the International side hung on for a 1-up victory. Others would follow.
4. The others that followed
Byeong Hun “Ben” An and Adam Scott dispatched the length of Tony Finau, and the newly-expanded muscles of Bryson DeChambeau, by 2&1. Much like the 2nd match of the day, match 3 was a chess battle. Just 6 holes changed hands, and the International lead of 2 up stood from the 14th hole to the end. If an approach is to find the neighborhood of the hole, it won’t arrive with spin and back-up. Instead, it will trace a roundabout corridor along the ground, allowing it to complete its revolutions as it nears the flagstick. This golf is fun!
C.T. Pan and Hideki Matsuyama jumped out early, by 2 up after 4 holes. Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed did manage to win 3 holes on the day, but were never able to do so consecutively, to build momentum. As the sun seemed to finally shine on the American side, with Reed squaring the match at 16, Pan made birdie at the penultimate hole and reclaimed the lead for Chinese Taipei and Japan, and the pair held on for a 1-up win.
Depending on your taste, the final match was done before it began. Someone turned the heat too high on the panini maker, and Abraham Ancer (Mexico) and Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) jumped out to a 4-up lead after 4 holes. Even thought Ancer on Louis’ shoulders matches Dustin Johnson in height, on this day, Gary Woodland and Johnson were outclassed. They attempted to fight back, as major champions do, but when your side wins a solitary hole on the day, that match ain’t going your way. Mercifully, it ended at the 15th green, a complete flip-flop from how the day began.
5. The Ins and Outs of day two
Who’s in and who’s out? Aussie Cameron Smith moves into the lineup, with C.T. Pan dropping out for the International squad. Interestingly, China’s Haotong Li will not make an appearance, meaning he might be on the slate for 36 holes on Saturday, followed by 18 more on Sunday. For the Red, White and Blue, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar step up for roll call on day two, with Bryson and Tony taking a rest. What’s up with Li? Who knows. Here’s what’s important.
The captains are taking entirely opposite strategies for the Friday foursomes (alternate shot) competition. Captain Tiger will preserve 3 of his 5 pairings for the 2nd day of matches He and JT, Webb and Pat, and Xander/Cantlay will return as partners. Kucher will lead off with DJ, while Fowler will accompany Woodland in the day’s last dance. In complete contrast, Captain Ernie changed all five of his partnerships, in what could only be described as a series of amicable breakups. Scott and Louis will lead off, followed by Niemann and Hadwin. Ancer pairs with Leishman in the 3rd match, with Matsuyama joining An in the 4th. The closing duo will be Smith and Im, and let me tell you this: the final duo might birdie every hole on the course.
You need to watch this. You need to Tevo this (does anyone Tevo anymore?). The golf is spectacular, the venue is the best we will see this decade or next, and the players are motivated in the most positive of ways. Join us.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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News
Vincenzi’s 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting preview: International talent to shine
As anticipation mounts for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla in a few weeks, the PGA Tour makes a pit stop in McKinney, Texas to play The CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
Last year was the third time TPC Craig Ranch hosted the Byron Nelson. Prior to 2021, the event was held at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.
TPC Craig Ranch is a 7,414-yard par-71 that features Bentgrass greens. The event historically plays relatively easy, and that has remained the case in the three editions at TPC Craig Ranch.
The course structure may provide some additional intrigue with the par-3 17th featuring a stadium setup called “Ranch 17” which is reminiscent of the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. The course also has both long and difficult par-4s mixed with drivable par-4s, which should create some exciting moments.
There are 156 golfers in the field this week, and many stars will be taking the week off to prepare for 2023’s second major championship in a few weeks and a “signature event” at Quail Hollow next week. Notable players in the field include Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Stephan Jaeger, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Alex Noren, Adam Scott and Will Zalatoris.
Past Winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson
- 2023: Jason Day (-23 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2022: K.H. Lee (-26 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2021: K.H. Lee (-25 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2019: Sung Kang (-23)
- 2018: Aaron Wise (-23)
- 2017: Billy Horschel (-12)
- 2016: Sergio Garcia (-15)
- 2015: Steven Bowditch (-18)
Key Stats at TPC Craig Ranch
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for TPC Craig Ranch to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach remains the best measure of current form.
Hot iron play will be at a premium this week. Last year, Jason Day gained 6.4 strokes on approach, which was fourth in the field. In 2022, K.H. Lee was ninth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.2 strokes. In his 2021 victory, he was second in the field and gained 8.3 strokes on the field in the category.
Strokes Gaines: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Keith Mitchell (+1.02)
- Henrik Norlander (+0.99)
- Ryan Moore (+0.98)
- Ben Martin (0.80)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Fairways are wide at TPC Craig Ranch.
Distance will certainly be helpful, and there aren’t too many difficult holes on the course. Golfers who put themselves in position off of the tee this week should have a sizable advantage.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds
- Peter Kuest (+0.93)
- Kevin Daugherty (+0.91)
- Alejandro Tosti (+0.83)
- Keith Mitchell (+0.82)
- Kevin Tway (+0.74)
Birdie or Better %
There aren’t many hazards on the course, and all of the par-5s should be reachable in two for the majority of the players in the field. I am anticipating a birdie fest, and this statistic should be helpful in finding the birdie-makers.
Birdie or Better % Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Wesley Bryan (31%)
- Kelly Kraft (26.2%)
- Peter Kuest (25.9%)
- Matti Schmid (25.7%
- Jimmy Stanger (25.2%)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
Many golfers on TOUR have some major putting surface variance in their statistics and prefer Bentgrass to other surfaces.
Bentgrass is common in Texas, and we often see golfers who play well in Texas continue to do so, finding a great feel around the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Maverick McNealy (+0.92)
- Aaron Baddeley (+0.87)
- Callum Tarren (+0.86)
- Harry Hall (+0.81)
- Nick Hardy (+0.69)
Course History
This statistic will tell us which players have performed the best at TPC Craig Ranch over the past three seasons.
Course History Over Past 12 Rounds:
- Jordan Spieth (+2.69)
- K.H. Lee (+2.59)
- Seamus Power (+1.84)
- Ryan Palmer (+1.76)
- Adam Scott (+1.72)
CJ CUP Byron Nelson Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: OTT (24%), Birdie or Better % (18%), Course History (17%) and SG: Putting Bentgrass (16%).
- Alex Noren
- Adam Scott
- Keith Mitchell
- Si Woo Kim
- Stephen Jaeger
- Jordan Spieth
- Jhonnatan Vegas
- Nate Lashley
- Brice Garnett
- Tom Hoge
2024 CJ CUP Byron Nelson Picks
Byeong Hun An +3000 (DraftKings)
Byeong Hun put together an excellent performance at The Masters, finishing T16, which ties his best ever finish at a major championship (also T16 at 2019 U.S. Open). The South Korean gained 9.16 strokes from tee to green, which ranked 2nd in the field behind only the champion, Scottie Scheffler.
An’s next start at Harbour Town didn’t go as well (67th), but he still had a fantastic ball striking week. The 32-year-old bled strokes both around and on the greens, which was his eventual undoing. In his past three starts, An has gained significant strokes on the field both off the tee and on approach.
Benny had a strong start at last year’s Byron Nelson, finishing in a tie for 14th. With limited challenges on the course, he shouldn’t have to do much scrambling. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 17th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 17th in the field in birdie or better percentage. The putter is up and down per usual, but his ceiling putting weeks with his LAB Golf putter in 2024 are higher than they’ve been in past seasons.
An is starting to become my “white whale” of the PGA Tour, but I believe in his talent and TPC Craig Ranch is a course that should suit his excellent tee to green play.
Mackenzie Hughes +5500 (FanDuel)
Mackenzie Hughes is quietly putting together a very good season. He finished in a tie for 3rd at the Valspar Championship and followed that up with a T14 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
In his past 36 rounds in Texas, the Canadian ranks 5th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total. Last year, he finished in a tie for 14th at this event and gained strokes putting and off the tee. Mackenzie played well that week despite being in extremely poor form. He missed two cuts in a row prior to the event, and four consecutive cuts immediately after. His irons were off that week, but in 2024, we’ve seen an improvement in Hughes’ approach game. He now comes to the event playing some steady golf. He’s gained strokes on approach in four of his past five events and is hitting the ball very well from tee to green.
Hughes has two victories on the PGA Tour, both coming in relatively low-scoring affairs (-17 in each). He will need to go a bit deeper to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson but has the type of putter that can keep pace in a birdie barrage.
Seamus Power +7000 (FanDuel)
After struggling over the past few seasons with injuries, Seamus Power seems as if he is rounding back into the form that made him a really consistent player on the PGA Tour.
Power finished T12 in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage, which is encouraging considering it was a “signature event” with a very strong field. For the week, the Irishman gained 4.4 strokes on approach and 2.8 strokes putting, which is the combination he’s used in the past to contend on Tour.
In his three trips to TPC Craig Ranch, Power is yet to finish outside of the top-20, with his best finish being a T9 in 2019. He ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course. The 37-year-old thrives on easy tracks and has won in 2021 (Barbasol Championship) and 2022 (Butterfield Bermuda) on easier layouts with weaker fields.
Power has the game to go extremely low and I believe he can get back in the winner’s circle for the third time in four years.
Chan Kim +10000 (FanDuel)
Chan Kim has been striking the ball beautifully this season and is a proven winner with two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 as well as eight career Japan Tour wins.
At last week’s Zurich Classic, Kim and his partner Doug Ghim finished in a tie for 28th. Prior to that, the South Korean T14 at the Valero Texas Open and T6 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. His success this season in Texas as well as he propensity to play his best golf on the PGA Tour’s easier courses make him and ideal fit for TPC Craig Ranch.
2024 has given plenty of longshot winners on the PGA Tour, and with a birdie fest like this, I believe there’s a strong chance we get another this week in McKinney, Texas.
Alejandro Tosti +10000 (FanDuel)
Alejandro Tosti is one of the most polarizing players on the PGA Tour thus far in the 2024 season. His antics can rub many the wrong way, but he’s shown on a few occasions that he has what it takes to compete in Tour events.
This season, Tosti has been elite off the tee. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The Argentine hits it long and straight, which works at any course on earth. He got a taste of contention a few starts ago at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, finishing in a tie for 2nd place.
Tosti had a fantastic year in 2023 on the Korn Ferry Tour, where going low is a prerequisite to success. If this turns to a shootout, which it likely will, the 27-year-old has the ability to set the pace. Tosti will look to become the second Argentine to win in Texas in the past two seasons after Emiliano Grillo emerged victorious at last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
C.T. Pan +15000 (FanDuel)
Outside of a T3 at the Mexico Open, C.T. Pan doesn’t have strong results this season in terms of finishes. However, over his past two starts, Pan’s iron play has come alive. At The Players, he gained 6.6 strokes on approach. At the Valero Texas Open, he gained 3.7. At last week’s Zurich Classic, Pan and his partner Kevin Yu finished T28. For a player who can get extremely hot with his scoring clubs, I believe he’s playing better than the results have shown over the past month or so.
Last season, Pan finished 4th at TPC Craig Ranch and was spectacular across all the major stat categories. In his past 36 qualifying rounds, he ranks 16th in Strokes Gained: Total in Texas.
Pan has won on the PGA Tour at the RBC Heritage and is always a player that I believe has what it takes to win on a Sunday if he finds himself in contention.
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News
Morning 9: McIlroy, Lowry win Zurich | Green repeats on LPGA | Steele victorious down under
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Henny Bogan
Dec 12, 2019 at 11:01 am
TiVo
Ronald Montesano
Dec 12, 2019 at 12:01 pm
tHaNkS
gonna watch a good old fashioned movie and chill with a friend. may work on my capitalization problem later 😉
rm
enoughtrumpspam
Dec 12, 2019 at 5:37 pm
Also work on your reading problem. You misspelled it as well.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 13, 2019 at 10:35 am
I misspelled “it”? Where did I do that?
Prime21
Dec 12, 2019 at 9:18 am
If the final duo makes 5 birdies it will be AMAZING. Please spare us the “birdie every hole on the course” stuff.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 12, 2019 at 12:06 pm
Prime21
Thank you for writing. I issue a gentleman’s wager that they will make 9 birdies, minimum. That’s ‘twixt Im and Smith.
#WontBackDown
rm