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5 things we learned Friday at the 2022 US Open
The leaderboard tightened considerably at the top, on day two of the 2022 U.S. Open. 5 under par became the new standard for excellence, where two sat atop the board. Five more reached 4 under, with eight more at three deep. A total of 23 golfers broke par after two days, but now comes the weekend and the superintendent’s revenge. Watch for trickier hole locations and a few more big numbers.
In the middle of the field, the cut was set at +3, which meant that 54 golfers would advance to the weekend, while 92 more would drive past The Country Club gates one last time. Cameron Young made the most spirited run at survival. Following two bogeys and a quad to start his final nine, the former Demon Deacon went birdie, ace, birdie, birdie, to get to +4. His attempt at another three on the 18th went wanting, and Young was on the outside, gazing in.
That's a 1??!
Cameron Young with the 48th hole-in-one in #USOpen history. pic.twitter.com/5YjmDDGOSZ
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
1. 2013 US Amateur Experience Edge Goes to Scheffler
With all the attention that the important golf media (aka this writer) paid to Matt Fitzpatrick, Scottie Scheffler was overlooked. The 2022 Masters champion was three matches shy of earning the 2013 US Amateur crown. Scheffler qualified out of match play with a 144 total, 10 behind the medalists. In match play, he dispatched Stewart Jolly, Brandon Hagy, and Matthias Schwab, before falling on the 18th green to co-medalist Brady Watt.
On Friday at Brookline, Scheffler played his first six hole in +2 figures, and was staring at a missed cut. As major champions do, the Texan found his game. The next twelve holes saw three birdies and one eagle join eight pars, and Scheffler moved from two-over to three-under par. Fitzpatrick survived a three-bogey run with a pair of closing birdies, totalled par for day two, and ended 36 at two-under par, one back of Scheffler.
Trust what works.
Describe Scottie Scheffler's action using one emoji below ??
4D swings are powered by @Cisco. pic.twitter.com/scnhQY74Of
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
2. Longhorn Nation is Chanting “Vick”
Travis Vick led three amateurs into the final 36 holes, on the wings of his Friday round of one-under par. Vick began the day at even par, and parlayed four birdies against three birdies to move inside the top twenty. Behind the UTexas golfer stood fellow amateurs Austin Greaser at +2, and Sam Bennett and Stewart Hagestad at +3. Greaser qualified into the Open as runner-up in the 2021 US Amateur, Hagestad as 2021 US Mid-Amateur champion, while Vick and Bennett qualified in through preliminary rounds.
Fred Biondi was one of the amateurs who missed the cut, but he’ll take this memory away from Brookline.
Making those Gator fans proud with a hole-out eagle! #USOpen@FredBiondi | @GatorsGolf pic.twitter.com/johWA3nCCy
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
3. Where’d these guys come from?
Hayden Buckley, Aaron Wise, and Beau Hossler sit on four-under par after 36 holes. Nick Hardy, Matthew NeSmith, and Patrick Rodgers lie in wait at three deep. All are decorated golfers, having earned their stripes in NCAA, Amateur individual, and Amateur team play. Now they find themselves in rarefied air, near the top of the leader’s chart at the US Open. Every kid’s dream, for sure, but every adult’s nightmare. The eyes of the world are on them, but this is what they’ve trained, sacrificed, and sweated for. As we saw in May, a Mito Pereira can come agonizingly close to stunning the world with a major title from nowhere. Can one of the aforementioned names take the next step and achieve it? Perhaps, with shots like this one.
In the house at -4! @hbuckley13 finishes his second round with an unlikely birdie. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/4gUs3iomvt
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
4. Where everybody knows your name
Defending champion Jon Rahm is at four under par, alongside 2011 winner Rory McIlroy. Brooks Koepka is a bit farther away but, after 67 on Friday, is positioned well to avoid the spiked greens that the later starters will face on day three. As a two-time Open champion, Koepka knows how to resolve this sort of matter in his favor. At minus-one are are Will Zalatoris and Xander Schauffele. Z and X are two of the players most often mentioned as Best Player To Never Win A Major, and each would love to shed that title. Our money is on one of these five players, or the guy that you’ll read about in point number five. Let’s have some fun for the next two days.
The first #USOpen eagle of Jon Rahm's pro career moves him within a shot of the lead. pic.twitter.com/PnMgPZEJ2K
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
5. The final pairing includes two fan favorites
Fans love Collin Morikawa because he smiles all the time, and he is a proven winner. With two major title to his credit, a win at the US Open would leave him a Masters shy of a career grand slam. Fans love Joel Dahmen because he wears a 1970s B-Movie stash and a wide-brimmed sombrero, along with a razor-sharp wit. If this were a night of stand-up, our money would be on Dahmen. It’s not, so we have to ride with Morikawa. That said, do we hope and pray that Dahmen will keep up and shine? Absolutely. After all, he just needs to keep doing this to stay in the hunt and keep us smiling.
From nearly 60 feet…DRAINO! @Joel_Dahmen regains a share of the lead. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/TOS4cMEPNl
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
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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
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
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
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – 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
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
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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R
Jun 18, 2022 at 1:27 pm
Mike Tirico should be removed from ever speaking on TV again.
He has no class, and his voice and tone are exactly what Brits hate about Yanks. Get rid!!!! The worst commentator ever!!!