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Tour Rundown: Cantlay repeats | US Am | KFT in Boise
A second, national amateur champion was crowned this weekend. The PGA Tour of the USA reduced its active roster to 30 golfers for next week’s Tour Championship. The LPGA took the week off, while the other major tours traveled to the Czech Republic, lower New York State, and Idaho. Golf fans kept one eye on mock fantasy football drafts and another on the comings and goings of tournaments. If you missed any of the results while selecting a kicker in the third round, well, we can help you with the golf, but that’s just bad fantasy drafting. Kind of like this lag putt from Philip Knowles.
Knowles had two putts to win.
It took three.
Headed to a three-way playoff with Will Gordon and @mjdaffue13. pic.twitter.com/Vqyq7BcX7E
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 21, 2022
Time for Tour Rundown, friends!
PGA Tour: Cantlay Coruscates at BMW Championship
Patrick Cantlay’s magical run seemed to wane as soon as the nickname Patty Ice was bestowed on him. He had some wins, but not as many, nor the majors, that many anticipated would come his way. This week, the Californian champion returned to the winner’s circle with a defense of his BMW Championship. In 2021, Cantlay won the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs in Maryland; he returned to the middle atlantic to claim a second trophy, this time at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware.
Cantlay grabbed the lead from Adam Scott on Saturday. He posted a six-under 65 to ease one stroke ahead of Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, and three-time tour winner Scott Stallings. Back in April, Schauffele and Cantlay partnered to win the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. On this day, there would be no camaraderie.
On Sunday, the gas tanks of the leaders appeared empty. None could dip deep into the 60s, to ensure a comfortable margin of victory. Only K. H. Lee, winner of the last two Byron Nelson Classics, could go as low as Cantlay’s Saturday score. Lee’s 65 moved him up 21 spots, into a tie for fifth.
Schauffele did not shine on Sunday. An even-par front nine was followed by an even-par back side, and the X Man dropped to a tie for third with Scottie Scheffler. Stallings posted 69 on the final day, and was able to secure a solo second finish. Cantlay found one final birdie, at the penultimate 17th, and that three gave him a one-shot advantage at the last. A gutsy swing from a sidehill, sandy lie was enough to secure win #2 of 2022, and win #9 of his career.
Two putts away from defending his title @BMWChamps. pic.twitter.com/PlNEWTECHx
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 21, 2022
DP World Tour: Czech Masters welcomes Kieffer to the winner’s parking lot
At one juncture in Sunday’s final round, ten of the top fourteen golfers had zero wins on the DP World Tour. The odds were in favor of someone breaking through for a career-changing weekend. Would it be Gavin Green, the third-round leader? How about Tapio Pukkanen, who led at Albatross on 2021’s final hole, only to find water with his approach and fall away? Or, would someone like Thomas Pieters break all their hearts and claim another, DP World Tour title?
The first to fall away was Pieters. The Belgian stood three-under on the day when he ripped driver so far down the 11th fairway that he found a centerline bunker. No problem; just a wedge left. Except, the wedge landed over the green, hard, and bounded out of bounds. Triple bogey. Welcome to eighth place.
Next came the unfortunate Pukkanen. With last year’s watery finish in his mind, the Finland phenom tried to guide a low stinger into the final fairway, instead of swinging freely. Water left, bogey, third place. If it was any consolation, Pukkanen would have needed birdie at the last to reach a playoff.
Green followed. The Malaysian masher found a pond that no one knew existed, on the 14th. Away went his two-shot advantage, thanks to the double bogey that he soon had to scribble on his scorecard. Birdie at any of the final four holes would have brought him into a tie with Max Kiefer, but it was not to be. We simply won’t show you Green’s 180-degree lip-out on the final hole, that would have crafted a playoff. It’s simply inhumane.
The German Kieffer earlier had played the shot of the week into the brawny 17th hole, and converted the wee birdie putt to lick the envelope on his first tour title.
What a shot ? Could this be the moment that sees @m4kieffer win his first DP World Tour title?
The German takes a one-shot lead to the 18th hole.#CzechMasters pic.twitter.com/WthnkbPso1
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) August 21, 2022
Korn Ferry Tour: Boise Open goes Gordon’s way
If Philip Knowles had been able to secure a par at the 72nd hole, he would have posted four rounds in the 60s. He also would have won the Boise Open outright. This sequence of sentences would not exist had he made that par. Knowles made bogey, and dropped into a three-way tie with MJ Daffue and Will Gordon, coming ever-so-close to leading from start to finish. The trio headed back to the 18th tee, but the hole was no kinder to Knowles for a second time in half an hour.
Knowles and Daffue stumbled up the closing hole with double bogey. Gobsmacked at his good fortune, Gordon simply played the hole as the architect drew the plans. Fairway to green to hole in two putts. With that simple formula, the Vanderbilt alumnus had his first professional victory.
The winning moment ?? pic.twitter.com/7j1tokUcH8
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 22, 2022
PGA Tour Champions: Dick’s Sporting Goods Open welcome the Irish touch
Although he never won it (and may never have played it) Padraig Harrington is seasoned enough to recall the old B.C. Open, on the regular PGA Tour. The final playing of the old BCO took place in 2006, and the event converted the following year to a senior event. Golfers have made the pilgrimmage to Endicott, NY, for over 50 years. The small-town atmosphere of the tournament is unique in professional golf, and these sorts of events need to endure.
Enough maudlin reminiscance. Harrington found himself one shot back of Canadian Mike Weir at the 2/3 pole of this year’s DSG Open. Knowing that Weir has not won for the better part of two decades, Harrington had to fancy his chances. Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk lurked, but the greatest challenge would come from the Thailand titan, Thongchai Jaidee.
Harrington played error-free golf along the banks of the Susquehanna river on Sunday, and forced the field to chase him down. Five birdies brought him to 16-under par. Jaidee gave proper chase, including a magnificent chip-in for two at the drivable, par-four 16th. His 65 was enough to elevate him to second place, but not nearly enough to reel Harrington in. The victory was Harrington’s second of the year, after winning the Senior Open in June.
A stress-free finish ?@padraig_h closes out his win @dicksopengolf with a par at 18. pic.twitter.com/AkWDNW2gqF
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 21, 2022
USGA: US Amateur sees 36th seed outlast 34th seed on 36th hole
Sam Bennett was in everyone’s sites at the beginning of the week. That’s how things are for the third-ranked amateur in the world. In contrast, Ben Carr was not on anyone’s short list at the beginning of US Amateur week in New Jersey. As often happens in match play, Goliath and David worked their ways through the field, and found each other on the first tee in the championship match.
Neither Bennett nor Carr was forced to endure the 11-for-7 playoff, but neither figured in the medalist race, either. As matches closed, it became apparent that this was not a week when the course would determine the winner. Ridgewood, a classic, A.W. Tillinghast layout, gave the field a wonderful playing ground, but did not insert itself into the outcome. It left that maneuvering to the players, which is a rarity these days. Too often we hear complaints of greens-too-quick or fairways-too-narrow. Not this week, not at Ridgewood.
The final match began with a series of jabs. The opponents traded wins on two occasions through the first seven holes. Bennett won the ninth, 14th, and 18th holes in the morning round, and took a three-up lead to lunch. Carr will certainly look back at the 11-hole stretch, from 8 through 18, as the turning point in the match.
In the afternoon, Bennett quickly stretch his lead to five holes, winning the 20th and 21st holes. At that point, Carr and caddy Will Wilcox decided that they would not go quietly away. Carr won the 23rd, 24th, and 28th holes to reduce the deficit to two holes. Bennett would win the short 30th hole with par, and would probably point to that stemming of the tide as the key to his win.
Carr wasn’t done. He won the 32nd and 35th holes to head to the last hole needing one final win to square the match. Both golfers made par at the closing beast, and Bennett had the Havermeyer trophy firmly in his grasp.
What a match! @sammy_golf24243 wins an instant classic at Ridgewood, holding off Ben Carr on the final hole.
His thrilling 1-up victory in the #USAmateur final is the @Lexus Top Performance of the Day. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/8Bo6n6ornn
— USGA (@USGA) August 21, 2022
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Morning 9: Tiger confirms playing schedule | Player: This caused Tiger’s downfall
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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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Aug 23, 2022 at 1:08 am
RIP Tom Weiskopf.
Shame on the WGHOF. Couples in, Weiskopf not. On what planet? Best courses of any player turned architect, even Nicklaus. Would have won 12 more majors if not for the Nicklaus era – 6 on merit, 6 more on increased confidence. Misunderstood, outspoken, told the truth even if unpopular.
RIP my friend.