News
Tour Rundown: Crowe over Bo | Butterfield Bermuda to Power
Halloween and Día de los muertos have arrived in the United States, and golf aficionados around the country have posted meme after meme about “scariest hole” and “scariest shot.” Let’s make one thing clear: the only scary element of golf is in the competition. Island greens are fun, until something is on the line. Great golf is marvelous, until the concern for its end becomes apparent. This week, the world’s tours went on pause, except for the PGA and DP World Tours. Fortunately, the Asia-Pacific Amateur also held its annual rite of recognition, this year in Thailand. Why is it important? For many reasons, although two stand out (read on!) It’s time to run down a triumvirate of tournaments in this week’s Tour Rundown…Boo!
BO MY GOODNESS ? pic.twitter.com/T0zcyPNEPC
— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) October 30, 2022
Asia-Pacific Amateur: Crowe emerges after Bo sinks
Harrison Crowe carried a two-shot advantage into the final round of the APA. The Asia-Pacific is one of the amateur tournaments that earn the winner a spot in the next year’s Masters and Open events. It’s understandable, then, that Crowe went out in 39 strokes, courtesy of three bogies and zero birdies. His closest pursuer, Bo Jin of China, took advantage of Crowe’s struggles and made up five shots over the outward half. Jin posted three birdies against one bogey, and looked to be the deserving recipient of the trophy and the invitations.
As is often written about the Masters, the tournament doesn’t really begin until the final nine holes on Sunday. So too, did the denouement of the 2022 Asia-Pacific Amateur. Jin pulled off an incredible eagle at the par-four 14th to reach 15-under par. One would think that his deuce would have sealed the deal, but Crowe didn’t go away. The Australian made three consecutive birdies from 11 through 13, then followed with a fourth at the par-five 15th. Tired yet? Well, Jin posted a bogey at 13, but then Crowe made one at 16. The island green 17th, reminiscent of Pete Dye’s 17th at Sawgrass, caught Jin and he made a double bogey to Crowe’s par. After more back-and-forth than a tennis match, Crowe had a one-shot advantage on the 72nd tee. We’ve run out of words and energy, so suffice it to say that Crowe had to get up and down for the win, and left himself a five-feet putt for the title. What happened next was …
This is the moment Harrison Crowe became our 2022 AAC Champion ? pic.twitter.com/fUtlhmubVY
— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) October 30, 2022
PGA Tour: Butterfield Bermuda belongs to Power
Ben Griffin and Seamus Power began the final round in Bermuda in a two-way tie for the top spot. Each had found a way to 18-under par, albeit with different numbers. Power posted three consecutive 65s, while Power went 65-64-66. With neither golfer having a massive track record for victories on tour, the door was open for either to claim the title, but also for the large pack giving chase.
Griffin lit the Port Royal course over the first eleven holes, playing the stretch in five-under par figures. Precisely when it looked like he would take a choke hold on the trophy, his grip collapsed. Four consecutive bogeys were followed by a crushing double at the 16th, and Griffin tumbled from 23-under par to minus 17. His week’s work brought him a tie for third spot, even with Kevin Yu and Patrick Rodgeres.
Power stood three-under par on the day through 12 holes, then suffered his first bogey of the day at the 13th. He would not make another par, yet unbelievable, would find a way to the winner’s podium. Three more bogies (15, 16, 18) were nearly balanced by birdies at 14 and 17. Thomas Detry quietly moved up the leader board, posting 67 on the day to reach 18 under par. Needing five at the last to secure a second tour title, Power breathed on his downhill, five-feet putt for par, then tapped in from three inches for the win.
2-shot lead heading into the last.@Power4Seamus taps in for birdie on 17. pic.twitter.com/5bEjRTG9Tl
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 30, 2022
DP World Tour: World’s trendiest country crowns its Masters champion
Portugal is popping and hopping, banging and slaying among the world’s gastronomic elite. Some of its neighborhoods have been recognized as smoking by the party people of the younger set. Its golf is pretty solid as well, and the south-coast town of Vilamoura welcomed the DP World Tour’s finest to its greens this week. This week, the Dom Pedro Victoria golf course played host to the year’s most inconceivable exhibition of golfing skill.
To begin, Gavin Green signed for three rounds of 64, and one of 65, to reach 27-under par. That demonstration was good for second place on the week. Tapio Pulkkanen (-22) and Eddie Pepperell (-21) represented the double-consonant brigade well, but their tallies only brought a third and fourth place finish, respectively.
The glory of the week was reserved for England’s Jordan Smith. The 31-year old golfer opened the week with a 62, then stumbled to 67 in round two. The game was afoot, until it wasn’t. Smith posted another 62 on Saturday, and suggested that he could not remember another time when he was playing as well. With Green maintaining the pressure, Smith etched a 63 into the scorecard on Sunday, and finished the week at 30 strokes under par.
Green’s 257 tied the previous low total for strokes on the DP World Tour. Nice consolation prize, right? Smith didn’t just win his second career title on the DP World Tour, and first in five years. He eclipsed the total-strokes record by three shots, and the below-par record (previously -29) by one. Indeed, he was playing some pretty good golf!
Walking it in ?@Jsmithgolf has a five shot lead with three to play.#PortugalMasters pic.twitter.com/7jNeSzuK06
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 30, 2022
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News
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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