News

Morning 9: TW, JT tune-up at Winged Foot | Life in the FedEx Cup bubble | Euro Tour schedule adjustment

Published

4 years ago

Aug 18, 2020

1. Tiger & JT tune-up at Winged Foot

Golf Digest’s Daniel Rapaport…“Woods’ camp confirmed to Golf Digest that he stopped over in Mamaroneck, N.Y., for an 18-hole practice round alongside Justin Thomas before both players head to the Boston area on Monday night. A video was posted to Instagram showing the two players hitting balls off mats at Winged Foot’s driving range.”

“Woods has frequently visited major championship venues early to play played practice rounds before tournament week, including a round at Bethpage Black eight days before last year’s PGA Championship.”

Full piece.

2. Life in the (FedEx Cup) bubble

Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan, as only he can, covers the experience of on-the-ground experience of being a FedEx Cup bubble boy…”It’s a little bit strange that the man who suffered one of the most anxious Sundays at the Wyndham Championships was, in fact, named Wyndham. It’s even stranger that he wasn’t on the course, that he had missed the cut on Friday and was forced to watch from afar as his position on the FedEx Cup leader board oscillated above and below the 125th spot, the cutoff for making it into the FedEx Cup Playoff. (That is, if he was watching at all; I’ve often thought CBS should have a live feed on the bubble boys who miss the cut, kind of like how you can see college basketball teams rejoice and deflate as they watch their fate on Selection Sunday.)”

“Who were Wyndham Clark’s opponents? Abstractly, you could say he was fighting against math, or the rapidly changing live projections. His true foes, thought, were Rafa Cabrera Bello and Rob Oppenheim and Shane Lowry and Peter Malnati and Tom Lewis and Bo Hoag. Based on how those men performed, Clark, who began the day just inside the projected top 125, would either squeak into the Playoffs by fewer points than you can count on your hand, or fall agonizingly short.”

…”The bad news for Clark came early, when Lowry, who started the week at 131st on the points list and Sunday at 126th based on his position entering the final round, shot a 67 to guarantee himself a spot in the top 125. That knocked Clark backward, to a projected 126th, and virtually guaranteed that Fabian Gomez, Russell Knox and Charl Schwartzel, who started the week inside the line, would be left out in the cold. (Schwartzel and Gomez missed the cut, while Knox couldn’t do enough on the weekend to fight his way to the playoffs.)”

Full piece.

3. Pushed back

BBC report…”The re-arranged Scottish Open will take place a week earlier on 1-4 October, the European Tour has announced.”

“The event at The Renaissance Club will be staged a week before the PGA Championship at Wentworth – which has also been brought forward a week.”

…”They now follow the Irish Open at Galgorm Castle, establishing a second UK Swing of 2020 on the European Tour.”

Full piece.

4. Perrine Delacour’s COVID-19 testing saga

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”Perrine Delacour couldn’t wait to get to Scotland. After her fill-in caddie tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Marathon LPGA Classic, Delacour, who tested negative, was forced to withdraw and quarantine in Toledo, Ohio, for two weeks.”

“When it came time to test again, Delacour didn’t want to solely rely on the LPGA’s saliva test that needed to be driven from Ohio to New Jersey over the weekend to be processed. She had a 7 p.m. flight to Scotland Sunday and wanted to make sure that she was on it for her debut in the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon. (Her Inverness caddie, who never showed any symptoms and never again tested positive, had already been cleared for Troon.)”

…”Delacour then called her regular LPGA caddie, Jeremy Young, who was working on the PGA Tour for Jim Herman, winner of the Wyndham Championship, for help. Young suggested checking to see if the PGA Tour could test her over in Akron, Ohio, site of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship.”

“Delacour drove the 2.5 hours from Toledo to Akron on Saturday for a 1 p.m. appointment and received her negative results by 8 p.m.”

Full piece.

5. New PGA Tour members: Will Gordon, Erik Van Rooyen

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”The PGA Tour announced Monday that Will Gordon and Erik van Rooyen have earned PGA Tour membership next season.”

“Gordon, 23, competed this year without any status on a major circuit after Canada’s Mackenzie Tour was canceled for the summer. The former SEC Player of the Year contended at the Travelers Championship, ultimately finishing T-3. Coupled with a T-10 at the fall’s RSM Classic and three other top-30 finishes-including at T-27 at the regular-season finale Wyndham Championship-Gordon has punched his ticket to the show.”

“As for van Rooyen, the South African already had job security thanks to his win at last year’s Scandinavian Invitation on the European Tour. But van Rooyen, 30, made a PGA Tour push starting at Feburary’s Genesis Invitational, and though he missed the cut in five of 11 starts, he made the most of the weekends he did make, highlighted by a T-3 at the WGC-Mexico Championship and a T-20 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude.”

Full piece.

6. Hole-in-one at Sheep Ranch…with a putter

If you didn’t see the clip, you will want to. Great stuff from Digest’s Tod Leonard talking with Allison Koehnke, maker of the ace…

A morsel…”The anatomy of a putting ace goes like this: Allison Koehnke told her caddie for the day, Graham Banks, that she could be twitchy with short irons, and that her solution was keeping the ball on the ground with her putter. She relished chances to bomb 100-yard putts.”

“That stewed in Banks’ head until they reached the 16th. Allison’s moment. With the fescue grass cut tightly, the narrow runway to the hole runs smoothy, but there are bumps and undulations that pinball a shot in various directions. “Like playing a video game,” Banks lined Allison up. He coached her on getting the perfect height on her tee. She took a few practice swings, dialing in what they’d dubbed the “chutt”-chip-putt. Then came the real swipe, the putter rising about waist high and sending the ball in flight about a few inches off the ground.”

Full piece.

7. Meet the 125

Sean Martin at PGATour.com rounds up not only the full list of the 125 players teeing it up in the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, but …”The Playoffs have arrived. Now it’s time for the PGA TOUR’s best to compete for the FedExCup.”

“Every postseason participant has a chance to take home the TOUR’s season-long crown. With FedExCup points tripled in the Playoffs, players in the back of the pack can make a Cinderella run. The regular season’s strongest performers still have an advantage, though.”

“The top 125 in the FedExCup standings are eligible for THE NORTHERN TRUST, which begins Thursday at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. The top 70 players will advance to the BMW Championship at historic Olympia Fields outside Chicago.”

1. Justin Thomas: Trying to join Tiger and Rory as the only two-time winners of the FedExCup.
2. Collin Morikawa: The 23-year-old became golf’s Next Big Thing with his win at the PGA.
3. Webb Simpson: 2020 is his first multi-win season since 2011, when he finished 2nd in FedExCup.
4. Bryson DeChambeau: Win at Rocket Mortgage and 8 other top-10s confirmed his weight gain was worth it.
5. Sungjae Im: Reigning Rookie of the Year earned his first win at The Honda Classic.

Full piece.

8. Charlie Woods!

Allen Kim for CNN…”Tiger Woods’ 11-year-old son Charlie is a chip off the old block when it comes to golf.”

“Woods’ son participated in a US Kids Golf-sanctioned event at Hammock Creek Golf Club in Palm City, Florida over the weekend — and he dominated the competition.”

“Charlie bested all the boys competing in the age 11 category, shooting three under 33 across nine holes while finishing with three birdies. He beat the second place finisher by 5 strokes.”

“Woods, 44, was in attendance, and he could be seen in photos shared on social media acting as Charlie’s caddy for portions of the event, carrying his bag of clubs between rounds.”

Full piece.

9. U.S. Amateur Champion Tyler Strafaci WITB

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9.5 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Speeder Evolution 3

Fairway wood: Titleist TS3 (15.0)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei White

Utility Iron: Titleist U500 (3-iron)

Shaft: True Temper AMT Tour Issue X100

Irons: Titleist T100 (4), Titleist 620 MB (5-PW)

Shafts: True Temper Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (50-12, 54-10, 60-08)

Shafts: KBS 610

Putter: Scotty Cameron 009

Ball: 2019 Titleist Pro V1

Your Reaction?

LIKE2
LEGIT0
WOW0
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB0
SHANK0

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson

Published

12 hours ago

Apr 30, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

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

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

Your Reaction?

LIKE3
LEGIT0
WOW0
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB0
SHANK0

News

Vincenzi’s 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting preview: International talent to shine

Published

1 day ago

Apr 29, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

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.

Your Reaction?

LIKE12
LEGIT7
WOW2
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP3
OB0
SHANK2

News

Morning 9: McIlroy, Lowry win Zurich | Green repeats on LPGA | Steele victorious down under

Published

1 day ago

Apr 29, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Monday morning, golf fans, after an exciting finish in New Orleans saw Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry come out on top.

1. Two Irishman in New Orleans

AP report…”Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry received a standing ovation when they showed up at historic, creole French Quarter restaurant Arnaud’s on the eve of their final round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event.”

“They also had the largest, loudest galleries at the TPC Louisiana, where the charismatic, 34-year-old McIlroy, had not previously played.

“He’s getting old, but he still moves the needle a little bit,” Lowry joked as McIlroy chuckled. “Rory brings a crowd and people love him and we’ve gotten a lot of love in New Orleans. We’ve had just the best week.”

“McIlroy and Lowry won Sunday, beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer with a nervy par on the first hole of a playoff.

“Trainer pushed a 6-foot par putt to the right of the cup to end it, with Lowry lifting a laughing McIlroy off the ground with a bear hug on the green.”

Full piece.

2. Green repeats on LPGA

AP report…”Hannah Green won the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship for the second straight year Sunday, holing out twice from off the greens in a pivotal back-nine stretch at challenging Wilshire Country Club.”

“A year after making a 25-foot birdie on the final hole of regulation and winning on the second hole of a playoff, Green — with help from Maja Stark — took the late drama out of this one for her fifth LPGA Tour victory and second of the year.

“It wasn’t as a eventful as the last couple days. I was nervous,” Green said. “And I’ve never been able to win having a lead into the last hole like that, so it is nice to be able to get it done earlier in the round.”

“Green closed with a 5-under 66 to beat Stark by three strokes. The 27-year-old Australian, also the winner early last month in Singapore, finished at 12-under 272 on the tree-lined layout with poa annua greens that become bumpy late in the day.”

Full piece.

3. DP World Tour: The local takes it

Staff report…”Yuto Katsuragawa continued a history-making season for players from Japan on the DP World Tour with a three-shot victory on home soil at the ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP.”

“The local favourite entered the final day at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course three shots off the lead but was right in the mix at the turn as many of the leading players stumbled.”

“Sebastian Söderberg was the only one keeping pace with him but the 25-year-old started the back nine with five birdies in seven holes to leave the Swede in his wake and finish at 17 under after a course-record equalling 63.”

Full piece.

4. LIV: Steele Down Under

AP report…”Three-time PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele held off a fast finishing Louis Oosthuizen to win the LIV Golf Adelaide tournament at The Grange Golf Club by one stoke.”

“The 41-year-old Steele shot a final round 68 Sunday for a 54-hole total of 18-under 198 to earn his first victory since he won his second Safeway Open in 2017 on the PGA Tour.”

Full piece.

5. Langer set for return

Golf Channel staff report…”Three months after tearing his Achilles tendon and undergoing surgery, Bernhard Langer is scheduled to return on the PGA Tour Champions.”

“Langer’s injury occurred while playing pickleball on Feb 1. He had surgery the next day and had to miss what was supposed to be his final Masters appearance earlier this month.”

Full piece.

6. “Proud” Norman speaks

…Vindication is not the right word,” Norman told Australian Golf Digest before pausing.

“It’s the ignorance of others who simply didn’t understand what we were trying to do. I actually feel sorry for them because they now see the true value of LIV Golf and want to be a part of it.”

Norman was quick to pay tribute to the Australian faithful for their unconditional support of not only LIV Golf Adelaide but his own playing career. An estimated 35,000 spectators packed Grange Golf Club on Sunday, the majority sticking around to line the 18th fairway and cheer on Cam Smith and Marc Leishman in their dramatic two-hole playoff victory against South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Dean Burmester.

“The support Australia gave me during my own playing career for decades was something I have never forgotten,” says Norman, bursting with pride. “It’s why I brought LIV Golf back home – I did it for them. The people have well and truly spoken. Both individual and team golf is alive and well in Australia and they deserve it. I knew they would support this event.

“I’m feeling extremely proud right now. With what we’ve (LIV Golf) gone through over the past 16 months, both as a league and what I’ve copped personally… the hatred… this makes it all worthwhile.”