For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, …as we gear up for the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass!

1. Scheffler embraces the imperfect

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“That’s kind of been my main goal this week, not trying to be perfect, just go out there and hit solid putts and see what happens,” said Scheffler, who closed with a 66 to beat Wyndham Clark at the year’s fourth signature event.

• “Statistically, it was Scheffler’s best putting week since the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, where he defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff and picked up 6.49 shots on the field in strokes gained: putting.”

• “His 4.347 strokes gained: putting performance at Bay Hill was nearly five shots better than his season average and ranked fifth in the field. His Sunday performance was even more impressive with a perfect 15-for-15 mark for putts inside 15 feet, highlighted by a 34-footer on No. 15 to virtually lock up the title with most of the other contenders struggling in the windswept conditions.”

• “I just think that’s how it works across all aspects of the game. If you’re trying to play perfect golf, it doesn’t really work. There’s no such thing,” Scheffler said. “I think sometimes the perception from people on the outside, golf looks really easy when you watch it on TV. I mean, it really does. It does not look that hard. But then when you go out here and compete and play on the PGA Tour, it’s pretty dang difficult.”

2. ICYMI: Anthony Kim’s 65

Jay Coffin for Golf Digest…”In this week’s LIV Hong Kong stop, Kim opened with a six-over 76 on Friday at Hong Kong Golf Club and only bested Phil Mickelson, who shot an eye-opening 80. A second-round 72 from Kim on Saturday was much better, but still included four bogeys and a double bogey.”

• “Finally on Sunday, Kim showed signs of life by recording seven birdies, against two bogeys, to shoot a final-round 65. He ended the week at a promising three-over-par total. He finished in 50th place and beat Jason Kokrak, Hudson Swafford, Mickelson and Kieran Vincent, with Abraham Ancer pulling out the title in a playoff.”

3. Scheffler discusses his play

Via PGATour.com’s Sean Martin…

• PGATOUR.COM: Do you think that’s changed? The numbers would say it has.

• SCHEFFLER: The numbers would definitely say it’s changed. I definitely feel like the harder golf courses suit me where you have to hit it really well. I definitely do feel like I think my way around a golf course really well. I’d say that’s one of my strengths.

• I hit a lot of greens. Off the tee I might be pretty aggressive, but going into the greens, I may be more conservative. I really just try and play the shot that I’m most comfortable playing and just have a clear picture of what I’m trying to do. There may be one pin one day that you’d expect me to hit at, but if I’m really in between clubs and it doesn’t look right then I won’t. And then if there’s one day that there’s a pin that’s really tough, but I have the perfect number and I feel good, I might hit it right at it. So just kind of playing with what I’ve got.

• I think I know when to take my opportunities. I have a good sense of when I should be taking a chance and when I should be maybe lay back a little bit.

• PGATOUR.COM: Physically, what has improved about your ball striking?

• SCHEFFLER: I think continuing to improve my body to make it move properly and then just refining the skill over time, like creating new shots. I feel like my distance control is probably what separates me the most from other guys. A lot of guys out here I think that can hit really straight, pretty much on command, but I think my distance control is something I practice. Distance control is kind where I extend myself a little bit and that’s something that we’ve worked on a bunch.

4. Defining moments in Players history

PGATour.com staff rounds up 50 in honor of the anniversary… here are 2…

• “1982 – The Tournament Players Championship moves to its new, permanent home: TPC Sawgrass – THE PLAYERS Stadium Course. The course is unique, beautiful, challenging and fan-friendly. On the 72nd hole, Jerry Pate hit a fabulous 5-iron (with an orange ball) to within 3 feet to seal the victory. Then Pate enjoyed an extraordinary celebration: He threw then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman and course designer Pete Dye into the pond near the 18th green during the awards ceremony, and dove into the pond himself for an unprecedented victory lap.”

• “2001 – Tiger Woods climbed into THE PLAYERS lead with an eagle and five birdies during the third round, but he faced a seemingly impossible birdie try at the 17th green. Woods stalked his triple-breaking, downhill, lightning-fast putt that no other player had come close to making. As soon as he hit it, Gary Koch told the NBC audience around the world that Woods’ effort was “better than most.” Koch kept repeating the phrase…until the ball dropped in the hole and the crowd exploded. That one stroke – which turned out to be Woods’ margin of victory – was indeed “better than most!”

5. Chamblee: The PGA Tour has this over LIV

Our Matt Vincenzi…”During “Live from the PLAYERS” on Golf Channel, analyst Brandel Chamblee talked about LIV Golf’s lack of ability to generate new stars as opposed to the PGA Tour.

• “The PGA Tour has a feeder system, a direct line to creating stars and just this year we’ve began to see them create new stars… The fact that LIV has bought a few players, It’s a place in time. Those players will not have that game in three or four more years. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour stars will carry on developing superstars.”

• “This season, the PGA Tour has seen four first time winners in its first ten events including Nick Dunlap, Matthieu Pavon, Jake Knapp and Austin Eckroat.”

6. Par four ace

Cameron Jourdan for Golfweek…”Max Lyons, a junior on the Marquette men’s golf team, made a shot he will never forget Monday during the first round of the 2024 The Johnnie-O at Sea Island. Lyons made a hole-in-one on the par-4 10th hole from 324 yards out at Sea Island’s Plantation Course. It’s the first 1 of his college career.”

• “The albatross was part of a psycho scorecard Lyons, from Phoenix, had on Monday. In addition to the ace, he had five birdies, four bogeys and a double, signing for a 2-under 70 in the opening round in St. Simons Island, Georgia.”

7. Max Homa in top form as usual

8. Players betting picks

Via our Matt Vincenzi…

Patrick Cantlay +2500 (DraftKings):

• “Patrick Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship but is undoubtedly one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour. Since the win at Wilmington Country Club, the 31-year-old has twelve top-10 finishes on Tour and is starting to round into form for the 2024 season.”

• “Cantlay has done well in the most recent “signature” events this season, finishing 4th at Riviera for the Genesis Invitational and 12th at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The former Tour Championship winner resides in Jupiter, Florida and has played some good golf in the state, including finishing in a tie for 4th at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. His history at TPC Sawgrass has been up and down, but his best career start at The PLAYERS came last year when he finished in a tie for 19th.”

• “Cantlay absolutely loves Pete Dye designed courses and ranks 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Dye tracks in his past 36 rounds. In recent years, he’s been excellent at both the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship. TPC Sawgrass is a place where players will have to be dialed in with their irons and distance off the tee won’t be quite as important. In his past 24, rounds, Cantlay ranks in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.”

• “Despite being winless in recent years, I still believe Cantlay is capable of winning big tournaments. As one of the only United States players to bring their best game to Marco Simone for the Ryder Cup, I have conviction that the former top amateur in the world can deliver when stakes are high.”

Click below to see Vincenzi’s full lineup of picks!