Rory McIlroy (15/2): Coming off a win in his last event with Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic, the three-time WFC winner should be licking his chops. Known to get hot and stay hot, he has won the week before a major multiple times and won’t be bothered by any stats suggesting otherwise.
Xander Schauffele (9/1): Running second to Clark last year, albeit by four shots, he was three clear of his next closest competitor. The model of consistency, I’m expecting better results on his own ball after T23 with Cantlay in New Orleans. Super all through his bag, I’ll hop on board for another top-10 payday.
Wyndham Clark (16/1): Back to where it all started last spring, the reigning champion has since won ANOTHER Signature Event, plus a major championship. Without Scheffler in the field, it removes the hurdle that thwarted him at TPC Sawgrass and Bay Hill. Defending for the first time is rarely easy and no player has done it here.
Patrick Cantlay (18/1): The metrics have been providing the clues. I wouldn’t imagine the correction occurring this week.
Max Homa (20/1): The 2019 winner and top-10 finisher last year (T8) ran T3 at the Masters, another similar layout. The Californian plays well where he plays well. QHC qualifies.
Justin Thomas (25/1): The ascent to Valhalla should continue again this week. Cashing T5 at RBC Heritage, the man longing for his old Kentucky home, far away, has one more tune-up before looking to secure his third PGA Championship.
Cameron Young (25/1): Almost half of the last 11 winners have been first-timers on TOUR at QHC. The big-hitting Wake Forest alum should have plenty of support as he tries to break through. Being a great putter THIS WEEK is the key.
Collin Morikawa (25/1): Keeping it between the lines and painting GIR is the formula to contend. Paying off approach play and keeping a clean card is the winning formula. I’ll be more interested next week on less familiar putting surfaces.
Tommy Fleetwood (25/1): Grinding out pars over the last two years has seen him cash T5 and T14. Not many enjoy four difficult rounds more than the Englishman.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Sahith Theegala (28/1): Playing the weekend 10 times from 12 attempts, he’s cashed in the top 10 in half. With plenty of pop and guile from tee to green, his putter should shine this week.
Alex Noren (45/1): The Swede has posted consistent results all winter and spring. Adding another top-25 payday this week after solo third at Byron Nelson would be his sixth in a row. Heat check.
Rickie Fowler (55/1): Just a sprinkle, but he plays well here. The 2012 champ has four top-10 and seven top-25 paydays.
Denny McCarthy (66/1): The super putter lost in a playoff in a big ballpark in San Antonio before the Masters. The underrated ball-striker cashed T8 here last year.
Taylor Moore (90/1): Missing the weekend only once this season, he won’t have to worry about how his partner is playing this week. The winner at Innisbrook enjoys a tough examination.
Taylor Pendrith (110/1): Hits it a mile and can really putt. Riding high after his first win on TOUR last week at TPC Craig Ranch, not having a cut should ease his adrenaline.
Wells Fargo Championship Tips
OUTRIGHT – Rory McIlroy (15/2), Tommy Fleetwood (25/1),
TOP 10 – Max Homa (21/10), Xander Schauffele (23/20), Sahith Theegala (13/5)
TOP 20 – Alex Noren (11/8), Denny McCarthy (17/10), Taylor Pendrith (23/10)
Jordan Spieth (16/1): The highest-ranked player in the field, the Dallas native missed the 2023 edition with a nagging wrist injury. Opening the week at 14/1, his odds have inflated since Monday. The shift to TPC Craig Ranch has produced solo second and T9 from two visits, the best two results from any tournaments he’s played under the Byron Nelson moniker. Sleeping in his own bed won’t help his nagging wrist, but he’s in the field, and that’s the first step.
Si Woo Kim (18/1): The 2023 co-runner-up has glided through 2024. Never missing a cut, he has popped five straight T30 or better with the best of the bunch coming at TPC Sawgrass (T6). Terrorizing tracks tee to green, I will need the putter to show up on the weekend to pick up win No. 5 on TOUR.
Jason Day (20/1): Defending a title is nothing new for the Australian. Neither is winning in the Dallas area. K.H. Lee showed the way to successfully defend the title in 2022. With 13 wins to his name, including two at this event, he’s impossible to overlook.
Adam Scott (25/1): Posting T8 at TPC Scottsdale, Weiskopf’s other design used on TOUR, the Australian bagged his best finish of the season. Last year, he opened and closed with 63 for 19-under (T8) and is 35-under in two visits.
Alex Noren (25/1): First-time winners on TOUR this year have lifted the trophy five times from 17 events. If the Swede closes the deal this week, he makes it six from 18. Do the 40-somethings have enough in the tank to make enough birdies to keep up? Ranking second in bogey avoidance, he won’t needlessly throw away shots. I’m hoping he continues to pepper the first page of the leaderboard, but this time on Sunday.
Sungjae Im (28/1): This is a super exercise in restraint or paint. His strength is finding fairways, yet everyone will enjoy that angle this week. In his last six starts, he’s cashed as many times as he’s checked out early, but T12 at RBC Heritage is his best since T5 to open the season at Kapalua. Too many questions.
Min Woo Lee (28/1): Taking three weeks off after T22 at the Masters, the Australian jumps back in an event where there’s no time to be rusty. Sitting No. 2 in Total Driving does not hurt, but his iron game and putter have not risen to the level to pay it off. The metrics are not his friend this week.
Byeong Hun An (28/1): The metrics are the Korean’s friend! Ranking 14th in Total Driving and 18th in GIR, he also registered second in Proximity. Making his 192nd start on TOUR the only metric missing is a win.
Tom Kim (28/1): Known for games around town with Scottie Scheffler, the Dallas resident is looking to get back into contention in his backyard. Without a top 10 since his repeat victory at the Shriners in October the birdie machine needs a bit of oiling. I’d prefer him as a countermeasure in other formats.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Stephan Jaeger (33/1): Already a winner in Texas in Houston in March, the only man to beat Scottie Scheffler in a month is making bunches of birdies and enjoying a career-best season.
Tom Hoge (33/1): Big targets off the tee will give his superior irons more chances to get it close again this week. Only Scheffler is better on approach. Sits seventh in Birdie or Better Percentage.
Seamus Power (60/1): The only player in the field to cash T19 or better in all three events.
Sam Stevens (80/1): The Fort Worth native can really move it off the tee and is a noted wind player (T3 Corales 2023; 2nd Valero Texas Open 2023).
C.T. Pan (80/1): Posted a career-best round of 62 in Round 4 here last year to finish fourth.
Chan Kim (80/1): Cashed eight straight on his own ball and nine consecutive starts overall including T28 last week at Zurich. The last two on his own ball were T6 at Corales and T14 at Valero. Toss in T8 at Vidanta, and this event is right up his alley.
Peter Kuest (90/1): The Monday qualifier at Valero cashed T10 and followed with T9. The only way to get more starts is to perform!
Joseph Bramlett (125/1): Proven track record here offsets an inconsistent 2024.
Vincent Norrman (125/1): Won a shootout at the Barbasol in the summer of 2023 and backed it up with a win at the Horizon Irish Open eight weeks later. The 2024 results? Right, nothing but a sprinkle here.
Ryan Palmer (140/1): Cashing in the top 10 in the last two editions, the Colleyville resident shared the 36-hole lead in 2022 and the 54-hole lead in 2023.
Wesley Bryan (250/1): Running solo second in Corales, he missed catching Billy Horschel but has cashed in four of his last five on TOUR.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
TPC Craig Ranch
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,414.
Par:
71 (36-35).
Greens:
Bentgrass (TifEagle Bermuda); 6,778 square feet.
Stimpmeter:
11.5 feet.
Rough:
Bermudagrass at 2.75 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
83/4/13.
Architect(s):
Tom Weiskopf (2004).
Defending Champion (event):
Jason Day (-23).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
K.H. Lee (TPC Craig Ranch), Jason Day (TPC Craig Ranch, TPC Four Seasons).
Course Record (latest):
60; S.Y. Noh (alternate this week; Round 1, 2023).
72 Hole Tournament Record:
26-under 262; K.H. Lee, 2022.
Facts of the Week:
The event moved to TPC Craig Ranch for the 2021 edition. The results from previous years (Trinity Forest and TPC Four Seasons) are not for course historians.
TPC Craig Ranch
Serving as the host for the fourth consecutive season, TPC Craig Ranch in the Dallas suburb of McKinney, Texas, hosts the event.
The second of two Tom Weiskopf designs (TPC Scottsdale) used on TOUR this season will play a standard Par-71 and tip at 7,414 yards for the second consecutive year. The first two editions played as a Par-72 at 7,468 yards.
One of the most scoreable tracks in play, the rolling hills northeast of Dallas provide massive landing areas off the tees and green complexes averaging 6,800 square feet. The wind is a way of life in Texas, and the big targets off the tees and into the greens allow for big gusts and breezes.
With plenty of room to work the ball, 83 bunkers, and water penalty areas on 13 holes should be avoided. Rowlett Creek runs through the land and crosses Holes Nos. 14 and 18.
Bentgrass putting surfaces cover the greens and will be on offer for the first time for any who didn’t play in the Masters last month. The green speeds are a very tame 11.5 feet on the Stimpmeter because of the constant winds that blow.
The stock Par-71 features three Par-5 holes, and none of the trio extends more than 564 yards. The four Par-3 holes are all 216 yards or better except No. 17, which measures only 147 yards.
With the course sitting right in front of the players, the scoring reflects the quick learning curve. The winning scores have been 23-under, 25-under, and 26-under, and four-round totals of 10-under par or better are the norm. Ranking in the top five easiest courses on TOUR the first three seasons, I wouldn’t expect anything but more birdies for the 2024 edition.
Defending champion Jason Day has won this event on two different courses.
Tournament record holder K.H. Lee won the first two events at TPC Craig Ranch. Setting the tournament record in 2021 with 25-under-par, he posted one better in defense.
With usually soft conditions, low scores are required, not expected. The course record, 60, has been set twice in the last two editions.
The 2022 edition produced the most birdies and eagles of any TOUR stop that season. The 2023 version ranked third in most birdies circled.
Recent Winners
2023 Season Winners
Event
Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions
Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii
Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS
Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open
Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational
Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic
Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana
Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP
Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners
Masters
Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage
Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship
Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson
Jason Day
PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge
Emiliano Grillo
Memorial
Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open
Nick Taylor
U.S. Open
Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship
Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic
Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship
Brian Harman
3M Open
Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship
Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship
Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship
Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship
Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship
Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open
Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology
Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda
Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Formerly the AT&T Byron Nelson, the event has shifted from TPC Four Seasons to Trinity Forest to TPC Craig Ranch over the last decade.
The third of four events in Texas, the TOUR will return the week after the PGA Championship to Irving and Colonial Country Club for the Charles Schwab Challenge.
This is the first full-field event since the Valero Texas Open led into the Masters.
The field of 156 players includes 10 of the top 50 from the Official World Golf Rankings and will be cut to the top 65 and ties for the final 36 holes.
Internationals have won the three events.
Winning by three shots in the inaugural event at TPC Craig Ranch, K.H. Lee owns the margin of victory mark.
Adam Scott is the only player on TOUR to have won all four stroke-play events in the Lone Star State.
The winner will take home 500 FedExCup points and $1.71 million of the $9.5 million purse.
Players not already qualified for the Wells Fargo Championship next week have one final opportunity to force themselves into the Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5. Those who fall short will tee it up in the brand-new event, the Myrtle Beach Classic, in South Carolina.
Recent Winners – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2023
Jason Day (-23)
Closed with 62 to win for the first time since 2018 on TOUR and the second time at this event in Dallas (2011).
2022
K.H. Lee (-26)
Closing with 63, he beat the tournament scoring record he established with his 2022 win.
2021
K.H. Lee (-25)
Cruised to a three-shot victory in the inaugural PGA TOUR event at TPC Craig Ranch.
2020
No Event
One and Done
I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…
35 events.
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!
Event
Selection
Earnings
The Sentry
Collin Morikawa
690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii
Corey Conners
18,592
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
310,800
Farmers Insurance Open
Jason Day
0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Jordan Spieth
70,125
WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick
156,200
The Genesis Invitational
Max Homa
329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau
145,125
Cognizant Classic
Russell Henley
32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship
Will Zalatoris
0
Valspar Championship
Sam Burns
0
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Wyndham Clark
54,418
Valero Texas Open
C Bezuidenhout
67,735
88th Masters Tournament
Rory McIlroy
175,500
RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay
1,160,000
Zurich Classic
Nick Taylor
122,375
Total Winnings:
7,333,220
His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.
Recapping Last Week – Zurich Classic of New Orleans
MY CHOICE: Nick Taylor – 10th
They didn’t do what the Irish did.
Fitting.
Others to Consider:
Sahith Theegala: Shit-hot fire for months, I don’t believe Zalatoris as his partner is going to suddenly cool him off. I’m not using him this week because I’m saving him for a bigger purse. Missed the cut and his partner isn’t going to play this week because of flare-up in his back. Good swerve!
Shane Lowry:I’m getting the feeling we missed the Florida window to play him. BUT, you get a free double shot of McIlroy if you go this route. Now, who’s gonna make some putts? Maybe that feeling is me sucking at this game? Left a million on the table! Sad! WINNER
Rasmus Hojgaard:The DP World Tour member won’t play many over here so this is a free roll if you believe in TWINS. Missed the cut.
Alex Fitzpatrick: See above minus TWINS. T11, cashing for the second consecutive year.
Joel Dahmen:Comes with Keith Mitchell, batteries not included. They might hit every fairway and every green, but Dahmen is 181st in SG: Putting and Mitchell is 142nd.T28.
Matt NeSmith:Comes with Taylor Moore, who has made a million cuts in a row, and they have finished T4 the last two years. The last two years NeSmith has not played this poorly leading into the event. I’d prefer a top 20 ticket over OAD. Missed the weekend by a shot, ending the T4-T4 streak.
Tyson Alexander:Comes with Billy Horschel, two-time winner here since 2013 and victor last week at Puntacana. MC by three. Not. Even. Close. Bud.
This Week – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
MY CHOICE: Stephan Jaeger
With a victory already in Houston, the German birdie machine has nothing to worry about this spring. Tee it up, go make a ton of birdies, and keep cashing checks. Closing 65-63 here last year, he’s making his third visit and will add to his 33-under aggregate and join the list of international winners.
Others to Consider:
Byeong Hun An: Hitting it great all season, the Bentgrass greens will provide the perfect pace and balance for racking up birdies. Looking for his first win on TOUR, he would join countrymen Sangmoon Bae, Sung Kang, and K.H. Lee as winners of this event.
Si Woo Kim: There’s no guarantee he’ll play the Wyndham Championship in August where he’s a former champion. Ran second here last year.
Alex Noren: The safest play on the board, the Swede hasn’t missed a cut this year and is constantly in the top 25. Like An, he’s never won.
Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele (4/1): Teammates too many times to count in international competitions, the California duo makes their fourth consecutive appearance in New Orleans. The buddies have cashed T4-WIN-T11 and are more than comfortable on this course and at this event. Both players rank in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings, the only team who can claim that. Cantlay picked up his annual podium at Harbor Town last week and Schauffele has cashed in the top 10 in eight of his last 11 starts.
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry (15/2): Making their Zurich Classic debut, the international Ryder Cup teammates pair up for the first time on TOUR. The Florida neighbors are looking for the spark this spring to shift them into gear for the PGA Championship next month in Louisville. They won’t miss many fairways and greens, but two-putting every green won’t work in this cut-throat birdie-fest.
Sahith Theegala & Will Zalatoris (15/2): Running second to Scheffler last week, Theegala added another big finish to his last eight months on TOUR. The winner at Fortinet last fall has five top-10 paydays in 11 starts this season. Zalatoris, who cashed T4 with Nick Hardy in 2022 before missing last season with back surgery, has also been hot on TOUR. Picking up three paydays in his last six starts, the best of the bunch is T2 at The Genesis Invitational at Riviera. First appearance together.
Collin Morikawa & Kurt Kitayama (12/1): Back-to-back top-10 paychecks the last two weeks have turned the spotlight back on the two-time major champion. Partnerships with Hovland and Homa haven’t cracked the code so he’s trying his neighbor in Las Vegas. Kitayama has only missed one cut this season but has never missed the weekend in two trips to the Big Easy. Another pair that will need at least one putter to get Creole hot!
Nicolai Hojgaard & Rasmus Hojgaard (20/1): TWINS! After cashing T16 on his first visit to the Masters, the higher-rated Dane missed the cut at Corales. Playing four weeks in a row, he will be energized with his brother joining the action. Rasmus is playing for the first time since WD at the Hero Indian Open four weeks ago. There’s no time to be rusty when the cut usually requires 7-under or better to see the weekend.
Tom Hoge & Maverick McNealy (25/1): Too bad this event isn’t at Pebble Beach! Feasting on small greens, TPC Louisiana will provide slightly bigger targets than the famous coastal links. Hoge has never missed a start here since his 2015 debut. Missing the cut in two of the last three editions, this is the fourth consecutive year he’s used a different partner. McNealy, who missed twice with Joseph Bramlett, is the next man up. Cashing in eight straight, he navigated TPC Sawgrass for T9. Dating back to last fall, Hoge has rattled off 12-straight weekends and would have had another top 10 save for a NINE on the final hole at Harbour Town. Super ball-striker meets super short-gamer.
Nick Taylor & Adam Hadwin (25/1): Beginning the week 33/1, the Canadian duo has moved up the board the last two days. Already a winner this season at TPC Scottsdale, Taylor knows he’s auditioning with Hadwin this week for International Captain Mike Weir and the 2024 Presidents Cup in Montreal this September. Cashing in five straight events, Hadwin has produced three top-10 paydays in his last eight tournaments. Cashing T13 on debut in 2022, the runners-up from 2023 posted 63 in Foursomes in the final round, tying the record in that format. I’m expecting another big week.
Billy Horschel & Tyson Alexander (33/1): Teacher and pupil. The University of Florida Gators should be comfortable in the swamp. Winning last week in the Dominican Republic will just add to the fire for Horschel. Alexander has quietly cashed in his last three and six of eight.
Taylor Moore & Matt NeSmith (45/1): The first two times they partnered up, they shared fourth place each time. Opening with 60 in 2022, they returned last year to post 26-under, a score that would have won four of the six previous editions.
Davis Thompson & Andrew Novak (45/1): The birdie machine, Thompson, pairs up with the SG: Approach machine, Novak. The Sea Island pals have been piling up the top-25 results individually in early 2024.
Kevin Yu & C.T. Pan (70/1): Trying to prove to Mike Weir that they should be included in the Presidents Cup, the duo from Taiwan will rely on tight ball-striking to give the putters plenty of chances to heat up. The top 10 results have dried up since the calendar changed to March. Countrymen coming together should inspire.
Pierceson Coody & Parker Coody (80/1): The twins from Texas both found the top 20 last week in the Dominican Republic. Pierceson signed for T18, and Parker cashed his best finish on TOUR with T6. Pushing each other, they won’t need any impetus to get it going in the bayou this week.
Charley Hoffman & Nick Watney (300/1): One of only two teams to play in the previous six events, the veteran duo will rely on the recent form of Hoffman. The Southern California native ran second in Phoenix and shared fourth last week at Corales. Watney’s best days are possibly behind him, but if there’s one final charge, this tournament may provide it.
59; Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele (2022, Round 1).
72 Hole Tournament Record (April):
258; Nick Hardy and Davis Riley.
Fact of the Week:
All six winning totals have been 20-under par or better.
TPC Louisiana
The fourth Pete Dye design of the season and second course in back-to-back weeks, TPC Louisiana opened in 2004.
Hosting the Zurich Classic of New Orleans every year save two since 2005, no other course has hosted the team event since the 2017 inception. Every edition of the team game has played at Par-72 and 7,425 yards.
Carved through the swamps of the bayou, 106 bunkers, eight holes with water penalty areas, and two inches of TifSport Bermuda rough complement the risk-reward concept.
Fairways are not generous and the putting surfaces rank inside the top five of smallest on TOUR, averaging just 5,225 square feet.
Poa Trivialis putting surfaces, common this time of year before the TifEagle takes over, will run at 12 feet.
Registering 30-under and 29-under to win in the last two editions, four of the six winning totals have been 26-under or better. The best way to factor in a shootout is pummel fairways and greens and convert those attempts into birdies. Making birdies and avoiding bogeys is the formula for success.
The stock Par-72 comes with four Par-5 holes that measure less than 590 yards. Cutting corners and doglegs plus handling forced carries will provide the temptations and reward the bold who execute.
The pressure of performing for the teammate will enter all decisions made.
Set in 2023 by Nick Hardy and Davis Riley, the tournament scoring record is 30-under-par.
The Four-balls (Best Ball) record is 59, produced by Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele in Round 1 of 2022.
The Foursomes (Alternate Shot) record is 63, last accomplished by Nick Taylor & Adam Hadwin in Round 4 in 2023. Cantlay & Schauffele also matched this mark in 2023 in Round 2.
Recent Winners
2023 Season Winners
Event
Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions
Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii
Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS
Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open
Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational
Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic
Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana
Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP
Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners
Masters
Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage
Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship
Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson
Jason Day
PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge
Emiliano Grillo
Memorial
Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open
Nick Taylor
U.S. Open
Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship
Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic
Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship
Brian Harman
3M Open
Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship
Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship
Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship
Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship
Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship
Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open
Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology
Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda
Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
After a major championship and a Signature Event, the partner’s game makes it three weeks in a row with a completely different vibe.
The field of 160 players divided into two-man teams includes 15 of the top 50 from the Official World Golf Rankings and 27 players who teed it up last week at Harbour Town, another Pete Dye track.
Defending champions Hardy & Riley join Cantlay & Schauffele as the only previous team champions in the field.
Billy Horschel, paired with Tyson Alexander this week, is the only player in the field to win the team title (2018 with Scott Piercy) and the individual stroke play title (2013), his first victory on TOUR.
Nick Watney (2007), playing with Charley Hoffman, and Jason Dufner (2012), playing with Kevin Chappell, are the only other players in the field to win the individual title.
Scott Piercy (2018), playing with Harry Hall, and Ryan Palmer (2019), playing with Zach Johnson have won the team titles with different partners. Winning by three shots in 2019, Palmer has the record for margin of victory.
After one round of Four-balls (Best Ball) and one round of Foursomes (Alternate Shot), the field will be cut to the top 33 teams and ties.
The final two rounds will be Four-balls followed by Foursomes.
The winners will each take home 400 FedExCup points and $1.268 million of the $8.9 million purse.
This is the second of three events (Corales, Zurich, and CJ Cup) that will count towards the Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5 for the Wells Fargo Championship in two weeks.
Recent Winners – Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2023
Nick Hardy & Davis Riley (-30)
First win on TOUR for both players in their first partnership. Defeated Canadians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin by two shots.
2022
Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele (-29)
Posted 29-under thru 54 holes to win comfortably.
2021
Marc Leishman & Cameron Smith (-20)
Needed a playoff to defeat South African duo Schwartzel and Oosthuizen. Highest winning total.
2020
No Event
2019
Ryan Palmer & Jon Rahm (-26)
Winning by three shots over Tommy Fleewtood & Sergio Garcia set the event record for margin of victory.
2018
Billy Horschel & Scott Piercy (-22)
Not even two double bogeys, the most by a winning team to date, could slow down this pair. Horschel has won both the team and stroke play events here.
2017
Jonas Blixt & Cam Smith (-27)
Defeated Kevin Kisner & Scott Brown in a playoff to win the first edition.
One and Done
I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…
35 events.
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!
Event
Selection
Earnings
The Sentry
Collin Morikawa
690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii
Corey Conners
18,592
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
310,800
Farmers Insurance Open
Jason Day
0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Jordan Spieth
70,125
WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick
156,200
The Genesis Invitational
Max Homa
329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau
145,125
Cognizant Classic
Russell Henley
32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship
Will Zalatoris
0
Valspar Championship
Sam Burns
0
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Wyndham Clark
54,418
Valero Texas Open
C Bezuidenhout
67,735
88th Masters Tournament
Rory McIlroy
175,500
RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay
1,160,000
Total Winnings:
7,210,845
His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.
Recapping Last Week – RBC Heritage
MY CHOICE: Patrick Cantlay – T3
I love it when a plan goes according to, well the plan.
Moving forward, I might have to shift him to AUTO PICK for this event, especially if it remains a Signature Event. Always nice to catch a million plus without having to win.
Onward!
Others to Consider:
Matt Fitzpatrick: Other than what I wrote above, this is his spiritual home on TOUR. T28 as the spirit did not move him this time around, sadly.
Scottie Scheffler: Save your money for the majors or Augusta North (Muirfield Village Golf Club). Those of you who didn’t listen, congratulations. Those of you who have just not timed this correctly, be patient, I think he’ll win again. Let’s just hope it’s another BIG BOI event!
Jordan Spieth: Colonial instead. He suggested at the Masters that his wrist will need looking after at some point. T39.
Shane Lowry: Please, fire away. It was Cantlay or bust for me. Literally whiffed on everything else on Hilton Head. T64 in a 69-person field.
Cameron Davis: I cannot get off him this week so fade accordingly. Tried to save you from me. T49.
This Week – Zurich Classic of New Orleans
MY CHOICE: Nick Taylor
The NHL Playoffs are here. The Presidents Cup is coming soon. Whoa, Canada!
Taylor and partner Adam Hadwin ran second in 2023 and are playing well on TOUR.
This format does not require the best player to win. It requires the best team. I’m relying on the countrymen from the Great White North to get it over the finish line.
Others to Consider:
Sahith Theegala: Shit-hot fire for months, I don’t believe Zalatoris will be the cooler to his heat. I’m not using him this week because I’m saving him for a bigger purse.
Shane Lowry: I’m getting that feeling we missed the Florida window to play him. BUT, you get a free double shot of McIlroy if you go this route. Now, who’s gonna make some putts?
Rasmus Hojgaard: The DP World Tour member won’t play many over here so this is a free roll if you believe in TWINS.
Alex Fitzpatrick: See above minus TWINS.
Joel Dahmen: Comes with Keith Mitchell, batteries not included. They might hit every fairway and every green, but Dahmen is 181st in SG: Putting and Mitchell is 142nd.
Matt NeSmith: Comes with Taylor Moore, who has made a million cuts in a row, and they have finished T4 the last two years. In the last two years, NeSmith has not played this poorly leading into the event. I’d prefer a top-20 ticket over OAD.
Tyson Alexander: Comes with Billy Horschel, a two-time winner here since 2013 and victor last week at Puntacana.
Scottie Scheffler (+400): Golf is not played in a vacuum by robots, right? Baby is due any minute. Surely he is “worn out” from four rounds of major championship golf last week? No way he just shows up and plows down the field again, right? Right?
Xander Schauffele (+1400): Just take your top-10 money and move on to next week. He’s cashed eight of ten in the top 10 and was fourth here last year.
Ludvig Aberg (+1400): The Swedish Cyborg tried to run down Scheffler last week. Playing in his first major championship didn’t slow him down but a loose iron shot on No. 11 on Sunday did. He won’t make that mistake this week if in contention. Hop on.
Patrick Cantlay (+1400): His record here resembles his record on TOUR. Always in contention, he’s yet to get it over the finish line in the Lowcountry. Without a win since late summer of 2022, we always want more. He is the course horse (non-winner’s division) this week.
Rory McIlroy (+1400): The win in the Middle East in January feels like it was ages ago. Hopefully after telling Todd Lewis from The Golf Channel that he will finish his career on the PGA TOUR will set him free. It’s your money.
Collin Morikawa (+1800): Now do it again. If his tee-to-green game is back, he’ll enjoy the VERY friendly greens at Harbour Town. I wrote in here last week if he’s 30-1 or worse, he’s an auto-bet. Hope you scattered a few across your card.
Tommy Fleetwood (+2000): The safest bet on the board last week shared third in his best finish at the Masters. I’d expect another similar performance this week.
Matt Fitzpatrick (+2500): I was disappointed to read he was having trouble with his lofted irons last week. I would have thought all gears would be greased before the first major. Cashing T22 last week wasn’t the end of the world, but he constant struggle with his equipment is off-putting. He shouldn’t be this deep at this course as the defending champion if everything was fine and/or dandy. Weird.
Max Homa (+2500): Emptied the tank last week. See you at Quail Hollow in a few.
Cameron Young (+2800): Easy greens should have his full attention this week. Looking for his first TOUR win, he opened with 63 the first time he played here. First-time winners ran well here before the Pandemic, but this Signature Event field is quite a bit different.
Will Zalatoris (+2800): Missed the cut by a mile at the last Pete Dye challenge at TPC Sawgrass. I’ll do you a favor and leave him alone this week.
Jordan Spieth (+3000): If the drive down Magnolia Lane doesn’t fire the all the cylinders, I’m not sure this week will either. Never missing the cut in seven previous tries here, he won’t again this week (no-cut event). The contrarian play here is a top-10.
Wyndham Clark (+3000): An absolute stat monster, I’d prefer him on a bigger track (Quail Hollow) but he did show the technical ability to work shots at TPC Sawgrass. Never missing the cut in five starts at Harbour Town, he’s never cashed better than T29. Conflicted.
Shane Lowry (+3500): Top-10 machine here arrives as a sponsor’s exemption. Pay it off.
Brian Harman (+5000): Nice price for a guy with 14 previous starts and recent success.
Cam Davis (+6000): Every dollar you got.
JT Poston (+6000): Top 20 should be about right.
Denny McCarthy (+6000): Let’s try this again. Working out the kinks at Augusta after a tough playoff loss in San Antonio should have eased the pain. He will relish his next moment.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+6000): Stick him in the top 20 and off you go.
Taylor Moore (+6000): Just as hot as Bezuidenhout, nudge him up a tier.
Adam Schenk (+8000): Might be a week for Top 20 plays.
Rickie Fowler (+12500): Does nappy factor work on Kid No. 2? Well, Fowler No. 2 is on the way! Let’s try it!
Only three previous champions are in the limited field this week.
Harbour Town Golf Links
The third Pete Dye design of the season, and the first of two in the next two events (TPC Louisiana), Harbour Town opened for business in 1967.
The RBC Heritage has been hosted on the links since 1965. The 2023 edition was the first to break the 7,200-yard barrier and returns at 7,213 yards for the 2024 edition.
Playing 36-35 to Par-71, the famous lighthouse on Calibogue Sound is the aiming point on the 18th tee and provides the widest fairway on the property. Only 22 acres of Fairway can be found snaking through the trees, 54 bunkers, and 18 water penalty areas.
The rough cut down to 1.25 inches for the 2024 edition will assist recovery shots to hold the greens. The overseeded Poa Trivialis putting surfaces are the second-smallest greens on TOUR, trailing only the links at Pebble Beach. The more wind, the more difficult it is to attack fairways and greens.
Properly missing greens affords a chance to chip in or knock it close. Approach shots finding the proper levels on the putting surfaces are opportunities to shave a shot off the scorecard. Known for hole-outs and one of the highest one-putt percentages on TOUR, keeping the ball dry is the No. 1 priority. Gaining strokes tee to green goes a long way to winning this week.
Troy Merritt (2015) and David Frost (1994) share the course record with 61 (-10). Neither man is in the field this week.
Winning by ten shots, Brian Gay set the April tournament scoring record in 2009 on 20-under-par 264.
The June scoring record is 22-under 262, set by Webb Simpson in 2020.
2023 Season Winners
2023 Season Winners
Event
Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions
Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii
Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS
Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open
Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational
Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic
Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana
Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP
Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners
Masters
Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage
Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship
Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson
Jason Day
PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge
Emiliano Grillo
Memorial
Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open
Nick Taylor
U.S. Open
Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship
Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic
Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship
Brian Harman
3M Open
Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship
Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship
Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship
Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship
Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship
Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open
Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology
Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda
Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
The 56th RBC Heritage
The fifth Signature Event of the season, the field of 69 players includes 43 of the top 50 from the Official World Golf Rankings.
Only 15 players in the field this week did not qualify for the Masters last week.
The Aon Top 10 and Aon Next 5 are in the field.
Matt Fitzpatrick won the 2023 edition, defeating 2022 champion Jordan Spieth in a playoff.
There are no multiple winners in the field this week and only three previous winners (Fitzpatrick 2023, Spieth 2022, and Simpson 2020).
The last champion to successfully defend the title was Boo Weekley in 2008.
A TOUR event since 1969, the youngest winner is Davis Love III (23, 1987), while Hale Irwin, 48 in 1994, is the oldest winner.
There is no cut.
The winner will take home 700 FedExCup points and $3.6 million of the $20 million purse.
Recent Winners – RBC Heritage
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2023
Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)*
Defeated 2022 winner Jordan Spieth in a playoff.
2022
Jordan Spieth (-12)*
Defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff.
2021
Stewart Cink (-19)
Blew away the field by four shots at age 47 for his third title at Harbour Town.
2020
Webb Simpson (-22)
Perfect June weather and a perfect golf course allowed Simpson to set the record.
2019
C.T. Pan (-12)
Closed with 67 to lap Shane Lowry and Dustin Johnson.
One and Done
I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…
35 events.
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!
Event
Selection
Earnings
The Sentry
Collin Morikawa
690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii
Corey Conners
18,592
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
310,800
Farmers Insurance Open
Jason Day
0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Jordan Spieth
70,125
WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick
156,200
The Genesis Invitational
Max Homa
329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau
145,125
Cognizant Classic
Russell Henley
32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship
Will Zalatoris
0
Valspar Championship
Sam Burns
0
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Wyndham Clark
54,418
Valero Texas Open
C Bezuidenhout
67,735
88th Masters Tournament
Rory McIlroy
175,500
Total Winnings:
6,050,845
His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.
Recapping Last Week – 888th Masters Tournament
MY CHOICE: Rory McIlroy – T22
Didn’t expect him to fall apart in the stiff breezes of Friday, but here we are. Those of you who are saving him for Valhalla, the site of his last major championship almost 10 years ago, congratulations, he might have it fixed by then.
It took Sergio Garcia 19 tries to win the Masters, the most ever. McIlroy will try for the 17th time next year.
Whatever.
Other to Consider:
Xander Schauffele:Never wins enough, does he? Fantastic 2024 form, minus a trophy. A errant tee shot on the 72nd hole cost his investors a few bucks, but otherwise solid top-10 payday. Solo eighth.
Scottie Scheffler:If you believe in the numbers, you save him for down the road. If you have watched him play, I don’t see how you can.WINNER. I’ve never been happier to play him at a Signature Event and win more money hahahahha.
Hideki Matsuyama: Stay healthy, my friend! T38
Brooks Koepka: Limited chances in this game to use him. Didn’t match or break par in four rounds. NOW HE WILL BE REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY MAD defending his PGA Championship. Lots of bluster, not many decent golf shots. T45.
Jon Rahm: See above with Scheffler and Koepka. After having not being lauded and loved on property this week, he moped to T45. What did you think was going to happen? You sat here last year and told everyone you weren’t going anywhere. Hahahahaha. Give me a break, Mr. Sensitive! You took the money. Now, run!
Jordan Spieth: He’s home. Sadly, they changed the locks. MC.
This Week – RBC Heritage
MY CHOICE: Patrick Cantlay
With an immaculate record here, sans victory, I’m trying to catch him on the UP. I won’t play him at Valhalla or Pinehurst, so it’s this week or Memorial, another loaded field. Loading up on a guy whose WORST payday here is T7 should be easy.
SHOULD BE.
Others to Consider:
Matt Fitzpatrick: Other than what I wrote above, this is his spiritual home on TOUR.
Scottie Scheffler: Save your money for the majors or Augusta North (Muirfield Village Golf Club).
Jordan Spieth: Colonial instead.
Shane Lowry: Please, fire away.
Cameron Davis: I cannot get off him this week so fade accordingly.
Hideki Matsuyama (16/1): Winner here in 2021, winner at Riviera, and playing well.
Brooks Koepka (18/1): This is one of four times a year where he cannot be ignored. The five-time major champion has *THAT* switch.
Jordan Spieth (20/1): This is the place. Kids, a balky wrist, and a DQ earlier this season makes for a full bingo card. Calm in the chaos.
Ludvig Aberg (25/1): He won’t win, no first-timer has since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, but he should not be dismissed with his tee-to-green power.
Joaquin Niemann (25/1): Rumor has it he’s been hot. You do you.
Wyndham Clark (28/1): The 2023 U.S. Open winner has produced the goods over the last 11 months, including winning the Signature Event at Pebble Beach and running second to Scheffler at Bay Hill and THE PLAYERS Championship. First appearance at ANGC.
Viktor Hovland (30/1): New swing, new coach, and the results have not followed. The 2023 FedExCup champion hasn’t bothered a leaderboard on Sunday in 2024.
Matt Fitzpatrick (30/1): Back-to-back top-10 paydays on TOUR and T10-T14 here on the last two visits. I’m in.
Patrick Cantlay (33/1): I wish I had evidence suggesting this would be the week. Hey it’s not Florida, so that will help, but the major championships have not been his strong suit. Super contrarian play based on sheer ability.
Bryson DeChambeau (33/1): Not my cup of tea. I prefer the artist over the guy running the jackhammer.
Will Zalatoris (35/1): Two starts, two top-six finishes at ANGC. In his last two starts TOUR he’s produced MC (THE PLAYERS) and T74 (Valspar). I think I tipped him in both of those! I’ll let you lead this week.
Justin Thomas (35/1): Dropping a veteran caddy who has won three times at this event the week before the Masters is something. So is a T64-MC-T12-MC run in his last four. See you in Louisville.
Tony Finau (35/1): His best two paydays of 2024 are from courses he annually enjoys. Making his seventh start, he’s never missed the weekend and has three top 10s. I’ll bite.
Tommy Fleetwood (35/1): One of the safest plays on the board. Cashed in six straight events, but his best result is T14.
Shane Lowry (35/1): Super Florida Swing should fill him with the confidence he needs. Already a major champion, I don’t have to worry about him on Sunday. He should be on your card.
Collin Morikawa (40/1): If he is above 30/1, he’s an autobet, right Jay?
Max Homa (55/1) and Sam Burns (55/1): You’re buying talent, not recent results, or course form. That’s why it’s called gambling.
Russell Henley (55/1): T4s are wild. Get some.
Patrick Reed (66/1): The 2018 winner has three top-10 paydays since including T4 last year.
Thorbjorn Olesen (125/1): No stranger to the former Fruitland Nurseries property, the Dane posted T6 on debut in 2013 and T21 on his last visit in 2019. A winner in January in the Middle East, he broke a three-event streak of missing the cut with T14 last week in San Antonio.
Taylor Moore (250/1): The 2023 winner at a difficult Valspar Championship posted T12 in defense this season and missed a playoff in Houston by a shot. Sat T20 after three rounds last year. Load him in.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
Augusta National Golf Club
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,555.
Par:
72 (36-36).
Greens:
A1-Penn Bentgrass; 6,486 square feet.
Stimpmeter:
Tournament Speed – 13 feet and up.
Second Cut:
Ryegrass Overseed at 1.375 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
44/6/5
Architect(s):
Dr. Alister Mackenzie & Bobby Jones (1933).
Defending Champion (event):
Jon Rahm (-12).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
Plenty. Tiger Woods (5), Phil Mickelson (3), lead the way.
Course Record (latest):
63; Greg Norman (1996); Nick Price (1986).
72 Hole Tournament Record (Spring):
270 (-18); Jordan Spieth (2015) and Tiger Woods (1997).
Fact of the Week:
The Par-3 contest winner has never won the 72-hole event.
Augusta National Golf Club
Contested on the former grounds of the Fruitland Nurseries, the Masters Tournament is the first major championship of the season. Purchased by Bobby Jones in 1931, he hired Dr. Alister Mackenzie to create his vision for a course that would host and challenge the best in the game.
The Augusta National Invitational Tournament debuted in 1934, setting the bar for future events. The 88th edition, now the Masters Tournament, will play 7,555 yards to Par-72 with all the modern bells and whistles.
The annual April examination requires power, precision, and putting to don the Green Jacket at the end of 72 holes.
Finding fairways is the first requirement, but escaping less-than-perfect tee balls is possible. Tree limbs won’t interfere with errant drives, but uneven lies, pine straw, and patrons lining the second cut do not always result in optimum second-shot chances. The art of finding the sprinkler line in the middle of the fairways guarantees nothing but full concentration for approach shots.
The pure A1- Penn Bentgrass putting surfaces are the best in the business. Powered by Sub-Air systems, the targets, averaging 6,486 square feet, can be managed to run at tournament speed. Undulating and difficult to read, experience reading greens matters. Elite players will play away from danger to avoid difficult up-and-downs. Skilled iron players know the proper trajectory and spin required to get it close. Keeping the ball below the hole is the beginning of most winning plans.
A new tee box on No. 2 provides the extra yardage for 2024. Holes Nos. 2, 4, and 6 have been reshaped, softened, and flattened on the putting surfaces to add flexibility for hole locations and shot selection.
Par-5 scoring captures the headlines but saving shots on the Par-4 holes will carry the momentum of the rounds. Hammering Greens in Regulation is the recipe for success, but resolving errant approaches is necessary. Scrambling to save pars from tight lies and bunkers is required.
There will be bogeys this week. Taking advantage of the proper number from the fairway will need to be paid off on the greens.
Major championship golf should be difficult.
The five water penalty areas are located on the inward nine holes add to the challenge of Holes No. 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16.
Greg Norman (1996) and Nick Price (1986) share the course record with 63 (-9). Neither man won that season or any other season.
The April tournament scoring record was last set by Jordan Spieth (270, 2015) after Tiger Woods posted that total in 1997.
The November scoring record is 20-under 268, set by Dustin Johnson in 2020.
2023 Season Winners
2023 Season Winners
Event
Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions
Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii
Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS
Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open
Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational
Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic
Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana
Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP
Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners
Masters
Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage
Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship
Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson
Jason Day
PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge
Emiliano Grillo
Memorial
Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open
Nick Taylor
U.S. Open
Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship
Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic
Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship
Brian Harman
3M Open
Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship
Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship
Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship
Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship
Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship
Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open
Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology
Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda
Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
The 88th Masters Tournament
The field of 89 players includes the top 50 from the Official World Golf Rankings.
The final player to gain entrance into the event was Akshay Bhatia, the winner at the Valero Texas Open last week.
Winning the 2019 edition, Tiger Woods is the most decorated player in the field with five victories. Phil Mickelson, the winner in the 2004, 2006, and 2010 editions, is also competing.
Winning a record sixth Green Jacket, Jack Nicklaus became the oldest winner in 1986.
The average age of winners is around 33 years old. The last three champions had not reached birthday No. 30.
The only player (post-1945) to win on debut was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
The youngest champion was Tiger Woods (21 years old) in 1997.
Since 2000, three players have won on their second attempt: Charl Schwartzel (2011), Jordan Spieth (2015), and Danny Willett (2016).
The last wire-to-wire was Spieth, becoming just the fifth player in history to lead after all four rounds.
Only three players have successfully defended the title. Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Sir Nick Faldo (1989-1990), and Tiger Woods (2001-2002) are the members of this exclusive club.
Only three players ranked No. 1 in the OWGR went on to win: Tiger Woods (2007), Dustin Johnson (2020), and Scottie Scheffler (2022).
Adam Scott is the only Australian winner.
Hideki Matsuyama is the only Asian winner.
Gary Player (three times) is the only African winner.
Sergio Garcia was the last winner to need a playoff. Defeating Justin Rose, the Spaniard won his first Green Jacket in his 19th attempt, the record for a first-time winner.
Mark O’Meara, aged 41 in 1998, is the oldest first-time winner.
Raymond Floyd, aged 49 in 1992, is the oldest runner-up.
The field will be cut to the top 50 and ties after two rounds.
The winner this week will take home 750 FedExCup points.
The purse and winner’s share will be announced later this week.
Recent Winners – Masters Tournament
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2023
Jon Rahm (-12)
Sat two off the lead of Brooks Koepka before closing with 69 to win by four shots. Second major, first Green Jacket.
2022
Scottie Scheffler (-10)
Only player to post all four rounds under par. Wins his first major comfortably by three shots over Rory McIlroy.
2021
Hideki Matsuyama (-10)
Sat four shots clear after 54 holes and won his first major by one over Will Zalatoris.
2020
Dustin Johnson (-20)
Moved to November, the soft, overseeded layout was shredded by Johnson to set the scoring record. Won by five.
2019
Tiger Woods (-13)
The only player to win from outside of the top 10 after Round 1. He’s done that twice and won the tournament FIVE times.
One and Done
I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…
35 events.
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!
Event
Selection
Earnings
The Sentry
Collin Morikawa
690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii
Corey Conners
18,592
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
310,800
Farmers Insurance Open
Jason Day
0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Jordan Spieth
70,125
WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick
156,200
The Genesis Invitational
Max Homa
329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau
145,125
Cognizant Classic
Russell Henley
32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship
Will Zalatoris
0
Valspar Championship
Sam Burns
0
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Wyndham Clark
54,418
Valero Texas Open
C Bezuidenhout
67,735
,
Total Winnings:
5,875,345
His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.
Recapping Last Week – Valero Texas Open
MY CHOICE: Christiaan Bezuidenhout – T25
Would have rather gone with a LONESTAR LONGSHOT.
Other to Consider:
Corey Conners:The “Finau” effect will rush over most of you this week. I don’t blame you. Sometimes, I have to fade myself.Same T25 as my pick! I guess I have him for the Canadian Open…Weird to see him T73 in Fairways.
Ludvig Aberg:Not a care in the world as he keeps producing big finishes and is prepping for his first major. Playing four years in Lubbock in the wind will have him prepped for another big finish. Why am I not playing HIM this week?T14. Don’t be surprised when you see him on the leaderboard this weekend. T7 Fairways AND Greens at VTO. Now, about that putter…
Billy Horschel:Winner in Dallas and Austin, the proof is on in the trophy cabinet. With his excellent form and past excellent course form, he will be tempting for some.75-73, MC.
Charley Hoffman:The all-time leading money winner at the Oaks Course already has a podium finish this season in Phoenix but has MC in his last three. San Antonio is chicken soup for his game.T69, nice. Big pair of hockey sticks on Saturday killed any chances of him cashing a big check.
Harris English:Another consistent performer, you might want to save him for Bermuda greens in the summer.72-77 MC. Getting them right on the wrong end also counts!
Lone Star Longshots:
Akshay Bhatia:The windier, the better. His only finishes this season are in the top 20. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER. #UrWelcome. Can’t believe I took him out of my lineup at the PGA TOUR Experts game.
Aaron Rai: Off T7 last week, did you think I would leave him out? I should have! T58.
Matt Kuchar: Never missed and is T3-T2-T12-T7 in the last four years. You will have to check his current form…Current form wins again, MC.
Lanto Griffin: Veteran knows how to get it around if the breeze picks up. T51.
This Week – 88th Masters Tournament
MY CHOICE: Rory McIlroy
It’s time. Tiger Woods gave his blessing on Tuesday. He closed with 66 last Sunday. Making his 16th appearance, nothing is holding him back. Sergio Garcia owns the record for most attempts with 19.
Other to Consider:
Xander Schauffele: Never wins enough, does he? Fantastic 2024 form, minus a trophy.
Scottie Scheffler: If you believe in the numbers, you save him for down the road. If you have watched him play, I don’t see how you can.
Hideki Matsuyama: Stay healthy, my friend!
Brooks Koepka: Limited chances in this game to use him.
Rory McIlroy (10/1): The only victory that matters is the first one at Augusta National next week. The OWGR No. 2 has found the winner’s circle multiple times before major championships, so he’s not an automatic fade this week. Cashing T19 at THE PLAYERS for his best finish in the States in five events suggests investing elsewhere.
Ludvig Aberg (12/1): Too young to have a “plan” knocking over another field before his first major championship would not surprise anyone reading this column. With four years of college experience in the wind of Lubbock, Texas, he will not be bothered by any of Mother Nature’s challenges. Heading to the Masters next week, his only concern this week is winning. Sign me up.
Hideki Matsuyama (20/1): The 2021 Masters champion has produced the goods in his last three starts (T16-T12-WIN). The goal this week is getting dialed in tee-to-green, and everything else is gravy. If he is in contention on Sunday, he’s not going to back down. If he’s not in contention on Sunday, do not be surprised if he saves on fuel for next week.
Jordan Spieth (22/1): Picking up his trophy boots after the 2021 edition before heading to his favorite event, the Dallas native needs a pick-me-up before returning to Augusta in 2024. A pair of early weekend exits and a DQ for an incorrect scorecard muted his strong start after Kapalua (3rd) and TPC Scottsdale (T6). A big weekend at the Oaks Course wouldn’t surprise me. Neither would a quiet one. Sigh.
Max Homa (25/1): The more demanding the track, the more focus the Californian brings. Wins at Qual Hollow, Torrey Pines, and Riviera accentuate that theory. Strangely, his success at Augusta National is almost non-existent. Picking up this event tells me he needs to find some confidence before next week. Making his first visit to the Oaks Course since 2019 suggests he has left it late.
Corey Conners (25/1): Not many enjoy a horse for a course more than I do. Two wins, 16 rounds in the red, and nothing worse than T35 over five starts will not push me away.
Matt Fitzpatrick (28/1): Teeing it up for the first time in Hill Country, the Englishman is riding high off solo fifth in the last outing at TPC Sawgrass. Gaining strokes tee-to-green isn’t an issue; neither is chipping and putting. Tough laydown this week.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Billy Horschel (33/1): I will pair his current form with his experience at the Oaks Course. A winner up the road in Austin at the WGC-Match Play in 2021, he should be excited to return to a happy hunting ground. The Florida native has cashed T11 or better in five of his last eight visits.
Harris English (35/1): Pure heat. Not missing a cut in 2024, he has cashed out T21 or better in his last four starts.
Byeong Hun An (40/1): With three top-10 paydays in his first seven starts in 2024, I’m hoping a missed cut at THE PLAYERS kicks a few off the scent. He’s comfortable where he’s comfortable. Producing two top-seven paydays in his last three visits suggest he’s comfortable outside San Antonio.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (50/1): Running as my second choice at Valspar, he produced T9 and his best result of the season. I can’t leave him out at an event that has crowned plenty of first-time winners. All aboard!
Akshay Bhatia (60/1): Collecting T17 at Valspar is his worst paycheck from five weekends (nine starts) in the new season. Sitting one shot off the lead at the halfway point at Memorial Park last Sunday, he knows the only way to Augusta is winning THIS week.
Lee Hodges (90/1): Posted 12-under over his last 54 holes here last year. Not overthinking this the week before a major!
Charley Hoffman (125/1): The horse for the course. The 2016 winner has 10 paydays of T22 or better, including three seconds/T2.
Matti Schmid (125/1): Always looking to add a hot runner to the stable, the German, no doubt inspired by Jaeger’s win last week, has run his streak to T26 or better in the last four weeks. I should add him above for a Top 20 just in case!
Matt Kuchar (140/1): Never missing the weekend in 11 starts, he returns after a four-year run of T3-T2-T12-T7. While his current form hasn’t produced a top-30 payday in 2024, maybe the Fountain of Youth is by way of the Alamo.
Aaron Baddeley (175/1): The Australian has cashed T30 or better in eight of nine. Never missing the cut, he makes his first visit since T18 2022.
Sam Stevens (250/1): Missed a playoff by a shot last year. Wind doesn’t bother him. Top 40 to start.
Peter Kuest (400/1): Monday qualifier with absolutely nothing to lose, he registered last year in Par-5 scoring and Putting: Birdie or Better Percentage over 15 events. Everyone needs a long shot to find the weekend.
Mike Glasscott: Valero Texas Open tips
OUTRIGHT – Christiaan Bezuidenhout (50/1)
TOP 10 – Ludvig Aberg (8/5), Billy Horschel (15/4)
TOP 20 – Corey Conners (29/20), Charley Hoffman (17/4)
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
TPC San Antonio – Oaks Course
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,438.
Par:
72 (36-36).
Greens:
Poa Trivialis; 6,400 square feet.
Stimpmeter:
11 feet.
Rough:
Overseeded Rye and Fescue at 2.25 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
64/3/3
Architect(s):
Greg Norman (2010).
Defending Champion (event):
Corey Conners (-15).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
Corey Conners (2023, 2019).
Course Record (latest):
62; Trey Mullinax (2018, Round 3).
72 Hole Tournament Record
268; Corey Conners (2019).
Fact of the Week:
There has never been a playoff since the Oaks Course became the host (2010).
Fact of the Week II:
The winner this week, if not already qualified, will take the final place in the field at the Masters.
TPC San Antonio – Oaks Course
The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, designed in 2010 by Greg Norman, plays as a stock Par-72 and can reach 7,438 yards.
The ball-striking examination includes surviving missed fairways and greens. The recipe for success includes avoiding the big misses that come with big penalties. The rough this week will be only 2 ¼ inches, but the bunker count is 64, and there are water penalty areas on three holes. The breezes that blow in this part of the world will require a commitment to tee shots and irons.
Perched greens, 6,400 square feet on average, require quality shots for scoring opportunities. Poorly struck shots will drift into heavy bunkering or down closely mown areas. Running at 11 feet on the Stimpmeter, the pros will not have to worry about getting putts to the hole or the wind blowing their approaches off the putting surfaces.
Each nine has a pair of Par-5 holes. Together, the quartet annually ranks inside the top 12 most difficult on TOUR. If the wind cooperates, the first two, measuring over 600 yards, should play downwind. The remaining two on the inward nine, including the 591-yard finish hole with water, should provide drama coming home.
Paying off greens in regulation with birdie putts, scoring on the Par-5 holes, and getting up and down are the challenges presented in the Texas Hill Country.
In 13 previous editions, the Oaks Course ranked in the bottom half one time (2019). The 2022 edition was the only other event to play four rounds UNDER par.
The course record (62) was set in 2018 by Trey Mullinax (Round 3).
Reigning and two-time champion Corey Conners produced the tournament scoring record in a benign 2019 edition on 20-under par 268.
Valero Texas Open
The Texas two-step of late March/early April is the first of two trips to the Lone Star state and the final tune-up for 30 players heading to the first major of the season next week.
Every year since 1923, San Antonio has hosted a professional event, and it is the longest-serving city hosting an event on the PGA TOUR.
Highlighted by World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, the field of 156 players includes 21 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Sitting at No. 47 in the OWGR is Canadian Corey Conners, the only multiple winner from 13 previous events at the Oaks Course. The tournament record holder from 2019 returned last season and posted 15-under to win by a shot.
Joining the Canadian as past champions in the field this week are J.J. Spaun (2022), Jordan Spieth (2021), Andrew Landry (2018), Kevin Chappell (2017), Charley Hoffman (2016), local Jimmy Walker (2015), Martin Laird (2013), and inaugural winner Adam Scott (2010).
Spieth, Landry, and Walker are the only native Texans to win at the Oaks Course.
The last rookie to win this event was in 2006 at another course.
The last player to win on debut was the 2012 champion, Ben Crane.
In 13 events, six first-time PGA TOUR winners have been crowned, including four of the last six (bold above), including Conners in 2019.
The field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds.
On the line is a purse of $9.1 million, with the winner taking home $1.658 million and collecting 500 FedExCup points.
Most importantly, if the winner is not qualified, he will take the final spot in the field at the 88th Masters next week in the first major championship of 2024.
2023 Season Winners
2023 Season Winners
Event
Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions
Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii
Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS
Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open
Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational
Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic
Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana
Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP
Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners
Masters
Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage
Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship
Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson
Jason Day
PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge
Emiliano Grillo
Memorial
Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open
Nick Taylor
U.S. Open
Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship
Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic
Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship
Brian Harman
3M Open
Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship
Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship
Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship
Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship
Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship
Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open
Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology
Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda
Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Recent Winners – Valero Texas Open
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2023
Corey Conners (-15)
Held off Sam Stevens by a shot to become the first multiple winner at the Oaks Course.
2022
J.J. Spaun (-13)
Winning by two shots over Matt Kuchar, he picked up his first win on TOUR.
2021
Jordan Spieth (-18)
Defeated “The Mayor” Charley Hoffman by two shots.
2020
No event
2019
Corey Conners (-20)
Defeated “The Mayor” Charley Hoffman by two shots.
2018
Andrew Landry (-17)
Winning by two shots, picked up his first victory on TOUR.
2017
Kevin Chappell (-12)
Held off Brooks Koepka by a shot.
2016
Charley Hoffman (-12)
Finally paid off his hot run in San Antonio.
2015
Jimmy Walker (-11)
Boerne, Texas, local resident became the first of three Texans to win (Landry and Spieth) at the Oaks Course.
One and Done
I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…
35 events.
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!
Event
Selection
Earnings
The Sentry
Collin Morikawa
690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii
Corey Conners
18,592
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
310,800
Farmers Insurance Open
Jason Day
0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Jordan Spieth
70,125
WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick
156,200
The Genesis Invitational
Max Homa
329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau
145,125
Cognizant Classic
Russell Henley
32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship
Will Zalatoris
0
Valspar Championship
Sam Burns
0
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Wyndham Clark
54,418
Total Winnings:
5,807,610
His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.
Recapping Last Week – Texas Children’s Houston Open
MY CHOICE: Wyndham Clark – T31
Beware the injured golfer is only a phrase people use when they don’t take the injured golfer and he plays well.
After cashing behind Scheffler in the last two events, the U.S. Open champion stayed true to form as he cashed behind Scheffler again, but this time 29 extra places.
It would have been so easy just to take reigning champion Tony Finau, but there’s nothing easy about this game to me.
Whatever.
Other to Consider:
Sahith Theegala:I had trouble getting off of him this week and I might change it up before the bell sounds. Top-10 paydays from his last two events, a full bag, and he’s impossible not to like.T28 with four rounds of 70 or better. I don’t think throwing out the first pitch for opening day helped with the golf. At all. Especially for a guy who has never thrown a baseball, his words, not mine.
Tony Finau: I’ll wait until later in the summer when he finds some more.T2 sounds MUCH MUCH MUCH worse than what it “really” was. He shared second with, checks notes, FIVE OTHER DUDES. Instead of a nice payday, essentially he took home really good fourth-placed money. Win some, lose some, and meh some.
Jason Day:Proven record in Texas comes with a perfect 3-3 here. Burned me already this season on a course he loves at Torrey Pines. How can we dance when our beds are burning? Midnight Oil might have a better angle on trying to solve Day than I do. Is there another baby on the way? Is he hurt again? His last three events on tracks he’s played well over his career he hasn’t found the top 30. Glad I had him MC at Torrey Pines, just like you guys who had him this week.
Tom Hoge:TCU man has been produced a steady stream of results in 2024. Nobody made more feet of putts at TPC Sawgrass. Not many made more doubles or worse. Less water = mo money!T14 and closed with three rounds in the 60s to continue his excellent start to 2024.
Lone Star Longshots:
Alex Noren: Ran T4 here in 2022 but has never lifted a trophy on TOUR.T11 after closing 66-65.
Aaron Rai: There’s no need, in this format at least, to drift down here, but some of you gotta ketchup.And catch up you did, T7.
Mackenzie Hughes: Less trouble off the tee, the better. Big week last week as well. T14 as he stormed home with 65 on Sunday. Hey, lock the back door then!
Cameron Champ/Chandler Phillips: Gig ‘em. I guess “gig ‘em” is Texan for T45.
Anybody with the last name Coody: Texas lads. Big jeans. Big genes. Pierceson T57, Parker MC.
This Week – Valero Texas Open
MY CHOICE: Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Too many good ones to ignore recently (T9, T13)! Hitting it great and full of confidence, there’s nothing to reset or reload after a week off. Already has a “victory” this year after Nick Dunlap won in Palm Springs, but he’d like one of his own!
Other to Consider:
Corey Conners: The “Finau” effect will rush over most of you this week. I don’t blame you. Sometimes, I have to fade myself.
Ludvig Aberg: Not a care in the world as he keeps producing big finishes and is prepping for his first major. Playing four years in Lubbock in the wind will prepare him for another big finish. Why am I not playing HIM this week?
Billy Horschel: Winner in Dallas and Austin, the proof is on in the trophy cabinet. With his excellent form and past excellent course form, he will be tempting for some.
Charley Hoffman: The all-time leading money winner at the Oaks Course already has a podium finish this season in Phoenix but has MC in his last three. San Antonio is chicken soup for his game.
Harris English: Another consistent performer, you might want to save him for Bermuda greens in the summer.
Lone Star Longshots:
Akshay Bhatia: The windier, the better. His only finishes this season are in the top 20.
Aaron Rai: Off T7 last week, did you think I would leave him out?
Matt Kuchar: Never missed and is T3-T2-T12-T7 in the last four years. You will have to check his current form…
Lanto Griffin: Veteran knows how to get it round if the breeze picks up.
Scottie Scheffler (11/4): Trying to become the first player to defend the title at THE PLAYERS Championship, the Dallas resident is no stranger to making recent history. No player has won three straight entered events since Dustin Johnson in early 2017, but Scheffler has course history to rely upon here as well. Finishing T9 in 2022 came after holding the 54-hole lead in the 2021 tournament and finishing tied for second. Ball-Striking is a major factor this week, and nobody is doing it better on TOUR than the only multiple winner of 2024. Fade him at your own discretion.
Wyndham Clark (12/1) has been the bridesmaid to Scheffler in his previous two victories. Already a winner this season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the 2023 U.S. Open champion lipped out a putt at THE PLAYERS Championship to force extra holes with the eventual champion. Cashing T16 on his last visit, he will not be flying blind this week.
Sahith Theegala (18/1) lives in the north suburb of Spring, Texas, and already has four top-10 paydays to his name in 2024, including his last two starts at Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass. Breaking through winning the Fortinet Championship last September, the former Pepperdine man has not slowed down. This time last year, he was gearing up for his first appearance at the Masters, where he finished ninth on debut. With the rough down and trouble off the tee minimal, I would expect a big week from him.
Will Zalatoris (20/1) grew up in Dallas, so a bit of breeze will hardly bother his tee-to-green prowess. Making his tournament debut, he won’t have to navigate a point of reference from the previous fall editions. I know, I know, I tipped him at THE PLAYERS, and he easily missed the weekend. Taking on a new event to tune up for Augusta suggests he’s happy with where his game is, regardless of the result at TPC Sawgrass. Big, breezy, deep tracks (Torrey Pines, Southern Hills, Augusta National) rarely bothered him.
With three trophies from the state of Texas already on his mantle, Jason Day (22/1) returns to Memorial Park for the fourth time in search of another piece of hardware. Another who handles big tracks well (two-time winner at Torrey Pines), the Australian’s power and short game should line up nicely again this year. Never missing the cut in his first four visits, he’s posted eight of 12 rounds in the red.
Reigning champion Tony Finau (25/1) has only hit the top 10 once this season, and it was at one of his favorite stops, Torrey Pines GC. Missing the cut last week at Valspar after T45 at THE PLAYERS suggests he’s looking for a spark before the first major of the season in two weeks. The big hitter made over 415 feet of putts to win by four shots in 2022. Repeating that number would be a feat. I’ll pass.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Keith Mitchell (35/1) provides a quandary this week. Are we getting the back nine 31 on Saturday at Valspar or the 77 from the final group on Sunday? A superb driver of the golf ball, his short game will need a quick fix to contend again this week.
Mackenzie Hughes (50/1) won’t mind another week on big greens where his putter can get hot and stay hot. Like many this week, having big targets off the tee boxes and into the greens should grab his attention. Hitting the podium last week, he will remember this time last year when he was in the final eight of the WGC-Match Play up the street in Austin.
Tom Hoge (50/1) has been cruising along, under the radar for most of 2024. Outstanding with his iron play, he will have plenty of opportunities to pay them off on these big greens. Posting T28 or better in five straight before T54 at THE PLAYERS, five of his last eight resulted in T17 or better.
Jake Knapp (55/1) won at Vidanta Vallarta on Paspalum for his first TOUR victory. The Greg Norman layout didn’t have penal rough and featured huge greens. Oh, and he was on the podium at Torrey Pines. Dots connected.
Andrew Novak (100/1) continues to stripe it on approach, and that will travel again this week. After three straight top-10 paydays halted at THE PLAYERS, he ranked in the top 10 in SG: Approach last week and added T17 at Valspar to his impressive start to the season.
Playing college golf in the area at Texas A&M, Cameron Champ (110/1) should be comfortable in this part of the world. Bundle him with another Aggie, Chandler Phillips (140/1), who picked up his career-best payday of T3 last week at Valspar playing with Champ, and off to the window you go.
Robert MacIntyre (110/1) grabbed T6 at Vidanta Vallarta. Let’s see if the theory plays again this week. Missing the cut just once (THE PLAYERS) in his last five, he’s heating up with the weather.
Dylan Wu (175/1) has picked off T26, T19, and T24 in three of his last four. The best finish of the bunch was at THE PLAYERS Championship.
First event at Memorial Park since November of 2022.
Fact of the Week II:
The second of three municipal courses used on TOUR (Torrey Pines South & North) this season.
Memorial Park Golf Course
The eyes of Texas and the PGA TOUR are on the municipal Memorial Park Golf Course. Making the first of four stops in the Lone Star state, the Texas Children’s Houston Open will host for the fourth time since 2020.
Joining Torrey Pines Golf Club as the only other municipal tracks used on TOUR, the 2019 Tom Doak redesign plays to Par-70 and has plenty of meat on the bone. Everything is bigger in Texas, and at 7,435 yards tipped out, Memorial Park qualifies.
The yardage from the tips will be different for the third time in four events. The common denominator is all four events played over 7,400 yards.
Sporting five Par-3 holes and three Par-5 holes, the Par-70 also provides three Par-4 holes 490 yards or more. The trio of Par-5 holes was the most difficult on TOUR for the 2020-21 season and ranked T2 for the 2021-2022 year.
Adding four bunkers and expanding and shifting the tee box 23 yards on Hole No. 17 are the cosmetic changes for 2024.
Water penalty areas are in play on only four holes, a welcome respite from wet and sandy Florida.
The most significant alteration for 2024 is moving the event from November to March. The firm and fast Bermuda gives way to Ryegrass overseed on the fairways and rough. Mowing the rough barely over an inch, down from 2.25 inches in 2022, provides more opportunities to attack hole locations from off the fairway.
The Poa Trivialis greens, checking in as some of the largest on TOUR at 7,000 square feet on average, will be on display for the first time. Missing the big targets will come with closely mown areas that repel mishit shots.
With the rough not as penal and the course playing softer than the fall editions big hitters and ball-strikers should thrive. Ranking in the top 11 in the most difficult tracks in the three previous editions, the average winning score is 13-under-par.
Tony Finau owns the tournament scoring record of 16-under, set in November of 2022. Posting 62 in Round, he joined Scottie Scheffler as the co-course record holder.
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Hosting for the fourth time, TCHO returns to its traditional late March/early April spot on the calendar.
Highlighted by World No. 1, the field of 144 players includes 10 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Finau, who led or shared the lead after 18, 36, and 54 holes is the only previous winner at Memorial Park in the field.
The defending champion ran his total to 19-under before coming home in 38 (+3).
The field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds.
On the line is a purse of $8.4 million, with the winner taking home $1.512 million, collecting 500 FedExCup points, and an invitation to the Masters in three weeks.
Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship
Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson
Jason Day
PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge
Emiliano Grillo
Memorial
Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open
Nick Taylor
U.S. Open
Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship
Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic
Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship
Brian Harman
3M Open
Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship
Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship
Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship
Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship
Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship
Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open
Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology
Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda
Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Recent Winners – Texas Children’s Houston Open
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2023
No event
No event in since November 2022.
2022
Tony Finau (-16)
Went as low as 19-under before closing with 38. Won by four shots.
2021
Jason Kokrak (-10)
Scottie Scheffler shot 69 on Sunday with the 54-hole lead, but couldn’t close for his first TOUR victory.
2020
Carlos Ortiz (-13)
Played the week before the Masters in November, Oritz was just one of three players 10-under or better.
One and Done
I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…
35 events.
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!
Event
Selection
Earnings
The Sentry
Collin Morikawa
690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii
Corey Conners
18,592
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
310,800
Farmers Insurance Open
Jason Day
0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Jordan Spieth
70,125
WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick
156,200
The Genesis Invitational
Max Homa
329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Tony Finau
145,125
Cognizant Classic
Russell Henley
32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship
Will Zalatoris
0
Valspar Championship
Sam Burns
0
Total Winnings:
5,753,192
Recapping Last Week – Valspar Championship
MY CHOICE: Sam Burns – MC
After missing the cut at the most lucrative event of the season, I decided to dumb it down to get back to business at Palm Harbor.
Entering the 2024 event on solo sixth, win, and win, I believed Sam Burns to be the safest of the safe.
I was the wrongest of the wrong.
The kick in the nuts? Bogey at the last to miss when the lead was only 7-under. Anyone who made the cut last week had a legit chance to catch fire on the weekend.
Nope.
We move on, salty AF.
Other to Consider:
Brian Harman:Odd track record here, but the way he’s played in the last two big boy events, I can’t see the angle to fade him.MC 70-74.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout: Each week appears to be more comfortable. Cashing T24 at Riviera and T13 at TPC Sawgrass is my proof.Three more rounds in the 60s on a tough layout for T9.
Justin Thomas:Coming off a missed cut, he should be raring to go. His talent suggests using him for a bigger purse. He can also get hot and stay hot. My Old Kentucky home is in two months. Birdied the first hole on Saturday to tie the lead and then played the final 17 holes in NINE OVER. Sorry to those of you who were on board. T64.
Longshots
Adam Schenk – T33
Adam Hadwin – T5
Adam PacMan Jones
Adam West
Adam Viniateri
Taylor Montgomery – MC
This Week – Texas Children’s Houston Open
MY CHOICE: Wyndham Clark
Third time the charm? He’s one lip-out away from potentially having two wins on the season. Instead, he’s barely mentioned because of the man who has beaten him. I don’t have to worry about form, and I’m excited to see how he reacts this week. Surely, he can make the cut!!!
Or am I the “new Chadders”?
Stay tuned!
Other to Consider:
Sahith Theegala: I had trouble getting off of him this week and I might change it up before the bell sounds. Top-10 paydays from his last two events, a full bag, and he’s impossible not to like.
Tony Finau: I’ll wait until later in the summer when he finds some more.
Jason Day: Proven record in Texas comes with a perfect 3-3 here. Burned me already this season on a course he loves at Torrey Pines.
Tom Hoge: TCU man has produced a steady stream of results in 2024. Nobody made more feet of putts at TPC Sawgrass. Not many made more doubles or worse. Less water = mo money!
Lone Star Longshots:
Alex Noren: Ran T4 here in 2022 but never lifted a trophy on TOUR.
Aaron Rai: There’s no need, in this format at least, to drift down here, but some of you gotta ketchup.
Mackenzie Hughes: Less trouble off the tee, the better. Big week last week as well.
Cameron Champ/Phillips: Gig ‘em.
Anybody with the last name Coody: Texas lads. Big jeans. Big genes.
Glass Houses 