Zurich Classic of New Orleans

April 24, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

The two best friends that anyone could have!

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

TPC Louisiana

Avondale, Louisiana

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Quick Links:

Odds Outlook – DFS Report – Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – Expert Picks

Eyes On (odds via Bet365.com)

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.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	TPC Louisiana
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,425.
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Poa Trivialis overseed (TifEagle Bermuda); 5,225 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	12.5 feet.
Second Cut:	Ryegrass Overseed at 2 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	106/7/8.
Architect(s):	Pete Dye (2004).
Defending Champion (event):	Nick Hardy & Davis Riley (-30)
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	No team has won twice.
Course Record (latest):	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
88^th 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
88^th 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 181^st in SG: Putting and Mitchell is 142^nd.

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.

Good luck! You’ll need it!

56th RBC Heritage

April 17, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

At all hours of the day, the lighthouse looks gorgeous. 😍 pic.twitter.com/dQSurD98M6
— RBC Heritage (@RBC_Heritage) April 13, 2023

56^th RBC Heritage

Harbour Town Golf Links

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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Quick Links:

Odds Outlook – DFS Report – Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – Expert Picks

Eyes On (odds via Bet365.com)

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!

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Harbour Town Golf Links
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,213.
Par:	71 (36-35).
Greens:	Poa Trivialis overseed (TifEagle Bermuda); 3,700 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	12.5 feet.
Second Cut:	Ryegrass Overseed at 1.25 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	54/18/18
Architect(s):	Pete Dye (1967).
Defending Champion (event):	Matt Fitzpatrick (-17).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record (latest):	61; Troy Merritt (2015; not entered).
72 Hole Tournament Record (April):	264; Brian Gay (2009).
72-Hole Tournament Record (June 2020).	262; Webb Simpson.
Fact of the Week:	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 18^th 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

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
88^th Masters Tournament	Scottie Scheffler (3)

The 56^th 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
88^th 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 – 888^th 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 17^th 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 72^nd 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.

Hole Locations – Round 3

April 13, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Moving Day

Hole locations for the third round of the Masters Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/OAydPtBFof
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2024

Round 2 Hole Locations

April 12, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Hole locations for the second round of the Masters Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/cyXcHK2Tkw
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2024

The Masters – Round 1

April 11, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

88th Masters Tournament

April 10, 2024April 10, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

A tradition unlike any other, this preview.

Relax.

Play the Par-3, get ready for tomorrow.

Claim your spot. #themasters pic.twitter.com/WipbtgW7M1
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 10, 2024

88^th Masters Tournament

Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta, Georgia

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

Odds Outlook – DFS Report – Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – Expert Picks

Quick Fire Thoughts (odds via Bet365.com)

Scottie Scheffler (4/1): Do you remember the last time the betting favorite won? It was 19 years ago.

Rory McIlroy (10/1): The career grand slam makes its 10^th appearance.

Jon Rahm (10/1): Champions have repeated three times in history. Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. Big club.

Xander Schauffele (14/1): I’d read my good friend Ben Everill.

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

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 88^th 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 – 88^th Masters Tournament

MY CHOICE: Rory McIlroy

It’s time. Tiger Woods gave his blessing on Tuesday. He closed with 66 last Sunday. Making his 16^th 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.

Jon Rahm: See above with Scheffler and Koepka.

Jordan Spieth: He’s home.

Valero Texas Open Preview

April 3, 2024April 6, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

The stars at night

Are big and bright

Deep in the heart of Texas

Valero Texas Open

TPC San Antonio

Oaks Course

San Antonio, Texas

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

Odds Outlook – DFS Report – Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – Expert Picks

Bet365: Top of the Board

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

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.

Texas Children’s Houston Open

March 27, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

The first of four this spring in the Lone Star state takes us to the muni at Memorial Park.

Our turn.#TCHO #ItsAWholeVibe #PGATOUR pic.twitter.com/PfCzf1XZdl
— Texas Children’s Houston Open (@TCHouOpen) March 24, 2024

Texas Children’s Houston Open

Memorial Park Golf Course

Houston, Texas

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

Odds Outlook – DFS Report – Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – Expert Picks

Bet365: Top of the Board

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.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Memorial Park Golf Course
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,435.
Par:	70 (35-35).
Greens:	Poa Trivialis; 7,000 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	12 feet.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye barely over an inch.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	21/2/4.
Architect(s):	John Bredemus (1934); Tom Doak (2019).
Defending Champion (event):	Tony Finau (-16).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record (latest):	62; Tony Finau (Round 2, 2022); Scottie Scheffler (Round 2, 2021).
72 Hole Tournament Record (March):	First event at Memorial Park in March.
72 Hole Tournament Record	264; Tony Finau (2022).
Fact of the Week:	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.

This is the last week to qualify for the Masters through the OWGR Top 50.

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
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.

Valspar Championship Preview

March 20, 2024March 20, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Terrifying!

The Snake Pit is ready to make its mark on this year's tournament. 🐍 #Copperhead #SnakePit #Copperhead #InnisbrookLife pic.twitter.com/bNFnvxjRlL
— Innisbrook Resort (@Innisbrook) March 20, 2024

Valspar Championship

Innisbrook Resort & Spa

Copperhead Course

Palm Harbor, Florida

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

Odds Outlook – DFS Report – Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – Expert Picks

Bet365: Top of the Board

Xander Schauffele (15/2):Making birdies, holing putts, and racking up top-10 finishes, the Californian is right on schedule. Despite adding swing changes, he’s been in the fight just about every time he’s teed it up this season. Making his second start in Palm Harbor, the only question lingering this week is whether he has enough gas in the tank for four more rounds at the top of the leaderboard.

Sam Burns (12/1): The safest selection on the board, the two-time winner extended his run of top-10 paydays to three straight years with solo sixth last year. Flashing 65 in Round 3 at TPC Sawgrass shows me he’s ready for another big week at Valspar.

Justin Thomas (14/1): Twice this year, he was at the top of my team sheet. Twice, he missed the cut in both events. One of the course horses this week, only Burns has a better scoring average. Adding to a streak of T13 or better over the last three seasons should be about right.

Jordan Spieth (18/1): The 2015 champ also missed the weekend at THE PLAYERS Championship and should be rested and ready. Returning to the event in 2023 for the first time since missing the cut in 2018, the Texan played in the final group and cashed T3 for his third top-10 payday in six tries.

Brian Harman (20/1): Turning the corner after his victory at Royal Liverpool last summer, he’s constantly on my radar. Posting 19-under over the final 54 holes last week, the Georgia native missed a playoff by a shot. Asking him to grind tee-to-green again this week won’t bother him.

Sungjae Im (25/1): After opening the season with T5 at The Sentry, the Korean star has struggled to keep up the pace. Returning to Palm Harbor for the first time since T29 in 2021, his best finish was T4 in 2019.

Tony Finau (25/1): Smashing it tee-to-green, it’s fascinating to remember he only has one top-10 payday this season. Skipping the Signature Event at Bay Hill, he returned to action with T45 at TPC Sawgrass. I’m not sure what’s going on here, so I’ll pass.

Cameron Young (28/1): Making his tournament debut, the big hitter is still looking for his first TOUR victory. The layout makes sense for the Wake Forest grad. Putting isn’t difficult, but fantastic ball striking will go a long way. This event has not required years of experience to figure out. Interesting outsider.

Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:

Nick Taylor (35/1): The Canadian has shown zero signs of letting up since his victory at TPC Scottsdale last month. Steady throughout the bag, he cashed T12 at Bay Hill and T26 last week.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (45/1): Missing two cuts this season on 2-under and 1-under, respectively, the South African has posted five T28 or better finishes in eight tries. Cashing T13 last week, he also picked up T24 at a difficult Riviera Country Club.

Victor Perez (90/1): The Frenchman ran T3 in Puerto Rico before taking last week off. Not qualifying for THE PLAYERS Championship, the alternate did not get it, but he also did not burn any emotion or calories watching on television. Cashing T45 on debut last season, nothing will be new this time.

Sam Ryder (90/1): Posting 27 birdies last week, the Florida native set the THE PLAYERS Championship record. Making his sixth start, he will look to chase down last year’s T19 result. Cashing T21 and T16 in the last two events in the Sunshine State, he should be ready for another top payday.

Matt NeSmith (110/1): Setting the course record and cashing T3 in 2022, the South Carolina native missed out last year. Another top-25 finish this season will make it three-from-three at Innisbrook.

Brice Garnett (250/1): The winner two weeks ago in Puerto Rico cashed for the second consecutive week with T35 at TPC Sawgrass. All eight of his rounds are par or better. Lovely hot streak.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort & Spa
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,340.
Par:	71 (36-35).
Greens:	Poa Trivialis; 5,300 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	12 feet.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye at almost four inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	74/8/9
Architect(s):	Larry Packard (1971; 2015).
Defending Champion (event):	Taylor Moore (-10).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Sam Burns (2022, 2021).
Course Record (latest):	61; Matt NeSmith (Round 2, 2022).
72 Hole Tournament Record (March):	267; Sam Burns (2022, 2021).
72 Hole Tournament Record	266; Vijay Singh (2004).
Fact of the Week:	The last six winners have won in five attempts or less.
Fact of the Week II:	The Copperhead Course has played UNDER PAR across the field just four times since 2007.

Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort & Spa

The PGA TOUR season does not allow many breaths to be taken from January through August. The Palm Harbor “resort” layout is in name only. Like its cousin at PGA National, the Copperhead Course will not provide relief, even after THE PLAYERS Championship.

The fourth and final stop in the Sunshine State, the Valspar Championship stretches to 7,340 yards and plays to Par-71. The classic design, originally laid out by Larry Packard in 1971 and renovated in 2016, ranks annually among the best courses on TOUR by the rank and file.

Featuring five Par-3 holes and four Par-5 holes, the Copperhead Course also features the “Snake Pit”. Beginning at Hole No. 15 and ending at Hole No. 17, the three-hole stretch is one of the most difficult to navigate on TOUR.

Packard’s challenge features oak tree-lined fairways, elevation changes, and perched greens. Unlike TPC Sawgrass, the Copperhead Course sits right in front of the field of 156 players.

If the challenge last week was finding the fairways, Innisbrook features fewer acres of landing area off the tee than TPC Sawgrass. The classic layout requires getting it close in regulation, but scrambling and putting provide a chance to survive.

The pure Poa Trivialis greens allow players to lag it close or hole out but will not run at speeds seen at major championships. Getting up and down will save shots this week.

Scoring isn’t the focus this week. In 16 events since 2007, nine times the event has ranked in the top 10 most difficult on TOUR.

The main challenge this week is getting it close from the sprinkler line or the overseeded ryegrass. The four Par-5 holes would suggest scoring chances. They’re not easy, either. Surviving the “Snake Pit” stretch and any weather arriving will provide a solid foundation to contend.

Valspar Championship

The event made its debut in the fall of 2000. Since 2007, March has hosted every event except the 2021 edition (May).

One of the rare instances on TOUR, the Copperhead Course, even with a renovation following the 2015 edition, has played to Par-71 and 7,340 yards since 2012.

The field of 156 players includes 16 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Highlighted by Taylor Moore, seven previous winners are entered.

The last eight champions needed five or fewer attempts to win for the first time.

Gary Woodland, the 2011 champion, is the only winner since the move to March to win on debut.

The only event played outside of March was the 2021 edition. Won by Sam Burns on 17-under, the event returned to March 2022 and was won by… Sam Burns on 17-under.

The last five events have produced only three champions. Sam Burns and Paul Casey (not entered) won in back-to-back seasons before Moore’s victory last year.

Moore became the third first-time winner from the last four champions to lift the trophy.

The course record, last set by Matt NeSmith with 61 in Round 2 in 2022, was posted first by Padraig Harrington in 2012.

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.

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
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)

Recent Winners – Valspar Championship

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Taylor Moore (-10)	Became the third first-time winner from the last four champions.
2022	Sam Burns (-17)	Successfully defended his championship defeating Davis Riley in a playoff.
2021	Sam Burns (-17)	Won for the first time on TOUR defeating Keegan Bradley by three shots in a May event (COVID).
2020	Cancelled
2019	Paul Casey (-8)	Successfully defended his title by posting the third, single digit winning total in six seasons.

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

Total Winnings:		5,753,192

His game has more fun stuff to it, so reach out @A340Spotter on X/Twitter or A340Spotter@comcast.net for more details and to join.

Recapping Last Week – THE PLAYERS Championship

MY CHOICE: Will Zalatoris – MC

From the penthouse to the shithouse in five days. Big shoutout to Zalatoris for not even giving the weekend a sniff. It’s MUCH EASIER (I have plenty of reps) to see the train coming down the tracks instead of tripping and falling on No. 17 Friday afternoon.

Whatever.

Any momentum from the Scheffler pick was completely thrown away. Hell, it is only the biggest goddam purse of the season and I took home exactly ZERO from it.

Let’s see how my other choices would have done!

Other to Consider:

Hideki Matsuyama – Healthy, confident, and playing well. The Genesis Invitational winner and Masters champion won’t be bothered with all the happenings going on. It was him or Zalatoris. T6 and I got this entirely wrong. $875k wrong.

Jusitn Thomas – I’m saving him for my Old Kentucky Home in May. You gotta do you. Hell, he’s good enough to win both. MC. I backed him in other places to win. Disastrous.

Brian Harman – Tough laydown, but I’ll find other uses for him. TOUGH LAYDOWN???? $1.891 million tough!

Scottie Scheffler – I included him for those of you considering using him. Winning the week before this event has happened like three times and Tiger Woods and Ray Floyd are the two of the names. I’m glad I’m not butting heads with the history the Texan faces this week. Can he? Of course. If he does, it’s an all-time result. WINNER. And it was an all-time result. All you needed to hit was surviving a pinched nerve, a five-shot deficit, and a record-tying 64 on Sunday. Remind me again if you get “screwed” down the road so I can laugh out loud.

Longshots

Tom Hoge – T54 after 75-75 weekend.

Sahith Theegala – T9, oh hey, another top 10 that I didn’t select.

Harris English – T19.

Garrick Higgo – WD (wrist injury after Round 1).

This Week – Valspar Championship

MY CHOICE: Sam Burns

Read Horses for Courses.

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.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout – Each week appears to be more comfortable. Cashing T24 at Riviera and T13 at TPC Sawgrass is my proof.

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.

Longshots

Adam Schenk

Adam Hadwin

Adam PacMan Jones

Adam West

Adam Viniateri

Taylor Montgomery

THE PLAYERS Championship Preview

March 13, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Nifty No. 50!

Let’s have a day. #THEPLAYERS pic.twitter.com/xbcfg3MxP7
— THE PLAYERS (@THEPLAYERS) March 13, 2024

I was there on business in October, things were just a bit different:

THE PLAYERS Championship

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course

TPC Sawgrass

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

Odds Outlook – DFS Report – Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – Expert Picks

Bet365: Top of the Board

Entering the week as World No. 1 and FedExCup No. 1, Scottie Scheffler (11/2) has already made history. His next chapter, becoming the first player to defend the title successfully, would not surprise many. Hitting it great, as usual, last week, his putter showed up on Sunday. Leading the field in SG: Putting in Round 4, the Texan blew away the field by five shots at a blustery Bay Hill. Not many win back-to-back weeks against fields of this magnitude. Not many have the game Scheffler has. Investors do not receive any premium to overcome these hurdles.

Rory McIlroy (12/1): As the season rolls on, I’m buying in more and more than the Masters is the ultimate goal. Playing Captial One’s The Match and participating in the Seminole Pro-Member, I’m not surprised he wasn’t dialed in last week at Bay Hill. I am surprised he hasn’t cracked the top 10 in four events in the U.S. this season.

The 2021 winner, Justin Thomas (18/1), will have to break the trend of the last four champions ranking in the OWGR top 10. Cashing T12 or better in eight of his last nine starts worldwide, I don’t have to rely on a massive change in form this week. He’s a proven commodity in Florida and on tough, ball-striking courses. Add him.

Xander Schauffele (22/1) flashed his best on debut in 2018. Sharing second miles behind Simpson, he made his second cut from five tries last year (T19). There’s no questioning the depth of his bag and the big-time results he’s posted in large events. The only winners from California this century are Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, and Phil Mickelson.

Like Scheffler, Viktor Hovland (22/1) has not needed many reps to draw attention to his play at this quirky set-up. After missing the cut on his first visit, he rebounded with T3 and T9 in the last two seasons. Admittedly struggling to put all the pieces together in 2024, his best finish of the new season is T19. There are always exceptions to rules, but I find it unrealistic to put it all together or “find it” on a layout like this one.

Patrick Cantlay (22/1) has played three weekends from six visits to Ponte Vedra Beach. Cashing T19 last year, he ended a streak of three consecutive missed cuts in March. Like most in the top 10, his full bag allows him to contend weekly. Like most in the top 10, his record here is less than inspiring.

Max Homa (22/1) is the Californian I will turn my attention to again this week after banging a top-10 winner last week at Bay Hill. After missing at the WM Phoenix Open, he didn’t fire at Riviera (T16) but added to his recent run of solid play at Bay Hill with T8. Riding that momentum up the coast, the Californian will look to build on T6 and T13 the last two seasons at TPC Sawgrass.

Will Zalatoris (25/1) is on a three-event bender, and I’m here for it to continue. Dropping him in here a week early, he led late on Saturday at Bay Hill before dropping to T4 after Sunday. He led the field in Fairways, was second in Scrambling, and posted his third consecutive T13 or better across three difficult courses. All aboard again.

Lighting up the stat board this season, Jordan Spieth (25/1) ranks fourth in SG: Total. The three-time major champion wouldn’t mind being handed the trophy from his buddy from Dallas, but he’ll need to translate his recent form to a course that has not fit his eye on most previous visits. Missing the cut in five of his last seven before T19 last year, the former Longhorn has been “Sawgrassed” too many times for his liking. Relying on creativity and feel, he’ll need to dial in his tee-to-green game this week.

Making his fourth start, Collin Morikawa (28/1) should have the clues to unlocking Dye’s puzzle. A superior approach player, the two-time major winner enters the week missing two of his last four cuts. Slick Poa Trivialis greens will determine even more concentration with his flat stick. Posting just two rounds in the 60s from his previous 10 loops, he will need to double that total this week to contend and win.

Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:

Hideki Matsuyama (30/1): When he gets going, he can get going. The winner at The Riviera Country Club was lingering in the top 5 last week at Bay Hill before fading to T12. With top 10 visits in two of his last three to TPC Sawgrass, he’s lined up and ready to go. So am I.

Wyndham Clark (35/1): I’ve ignored him too long. His last 10 months have been fantastic. The winner at Pebble Beach ran second last week at Bay Hill, extending his run of big finishes in big events.

Jason Day (45/1): Ending a run of top-10 paydays at Bay Hill with T36, he should have knocked off the rust after missing two weeks. Adding another top 10 to his ledger this season and at THE PLAYERS would not surprise me.

Tom Hoge (66/1): When course history intersects with current form, I’m in. The course record holder rolls into town with T28 or better in six of his last seven, including two top-10 paydays. Never missing the cut in five tries, it’s clear this layout fits his eye.

Adam Hadwin (90/1): I can’t overlook T4 at Riviera plus, he’s hit the top 10 two more times in his last eight starts. Cheekily, he’s run off T13-T9-T29 in the last seasons. Quiet, please.

Chris Kirk (100/1): The Bermuda ball-striking test for The Sentry winner should fit nicely. Absolutely no pressure.

Erik van Rooyen (110/1): Cashing T25 or better from six of eight starts, the South African has won and collected T2 in his last nine on TOUR. Time to take the next step.

Doug Ghim (110/1): T16 or better in his last four starts on TOUR, he has blown incredibly hot and cold at TPC Sawgrass. I hope 80-74 MC from last year scares a few off.

Taylor Pendrith (200/1): Each year, a player from left field runs to the top of the leaderboard. I’ll take my chances on the Canadian who secured T13 on debut in 2022 and T69 last year. Top 40.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,275
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Poa Trivialis; 5,500 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	13 feet.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye at three and a half inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	95/18/18
Architect(s):	Pete Dye (1980); Steve Wenzloff (2016).
Defending Champion (event):	Scottie Scheffler (-17).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record:	62; Tom Hoge (Round 3, 2023).
72 Hole Tournament Record (March):	271; Scottie Scheffler (2023).
72 Hole Tournament Record	264; Greg Norman (1994). Made one bogey.
Fact of the Week:	No champion has successfully defended.
Fact of the Week II:	Only two players have won on debut. Hal Sutton (1983 – second event at the course) and Craig Perks (2002).

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course

Following the fourth Signature Event of the season, THE PLAYERS Championship celebrates its 50^th edition this week at the THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

The third stop of four on the Florida Swing brings Pete Dye’s genius to the forefront for the 42^nd consecutive edition. Stretching to 7,275 yards, the Par-72 matches the scorecard from the 2023 tournament.

Testing the full range of clubs, shots, and mental toughness, the course, while not ranking as overly difficult is far from overly easy. Since returning to March for the 2019 edition the average winning score is 15-under-par, but only 15 players have posted 10-under or better in the last three editions.

Providing multiple dog legs, tree canopies, waste bunkers, and water penalty areas, there’s no way to fake it tee to green. Narrow fairways and cramped putting surfaces require concentration on every shot. The last four winners have ranked in the top six in SG: Approach.

Water is plentiful and in play on almost every field shot. Over 90 bunkers, including waste sand areas, plus three and a half inches of overseeded ryegrass force the pros to pick their poison. Getting it close requires a sturdy decision-making process when faced with the mounds, swales, and closely mown areas around the greens.

Hole locations on humps, bumps, or lying in bowls will test short-game acumen and the flat stick. Running at 13 feet on the Stimpmeter, the overseeded Poa Trivialis will provide a slick putting surface.

Pushing shot shapes to the edge will result in fantastic opportunities to score, or the most direct path to pitching out. Or finding the drop zone. Bailout areas don’t exist for power players this week.

Taking advantage of the short Par-4 holes and the three short Par-5 holes (out of four) will help the scoring and the mood of the world’s best players.

THE PLAYERS Championship

The event was established in 1974 and moved to TPC Sawgrass and the Pete Dye Stadium Course in 1982.

The field of 144 players includes 47 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings. No amateurs or club pros are eligible.

Only four qualified players are not entered this week (Tiger Woods, Will Gordon, David Lingmerth, and Danny Willett).

Scottie Scheffler won on his third attempt last year. Only 2017 champion Si Woo Kim, the youngest winner in history, needed fewer attempts. Craig Perks, the 2002 champion, was only the second winner on debut after Hal Sutton in 1983, the second year of the event at TPC Sawgrass.

After 2006, the event was moved from March to May. Following the 2018 edition, won easily by Webb Simpson, the event returned to its March roots. The 2020 edition was abandoned after Round 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was declared null and void.

The four March winners have all ranked inside the top 10 of the OWGR at the time of victory.

Over the previous 41 editions at TPC Sawgrass, only five players have won the event twice. None are playing this week.

Fred Funk, 48 in the 2005 edition, became the oldest winner.

Led by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, nine previous champions are in the field. Justin Thomas (2021), Rory McIlroy (2019), Webb Simpson (2018), Si Woo Kim (2017), Jason Day (2016), Rickie Fowler (2015), Matt Kuchar (2012), and Adam Scott (2004).

All four March winners were 29 or younger at the time of victory.

Scottie Scheffler posted 17-under last year, the lowest winning total since returning to March.

Tom Hoge set the course record in Round 3 last year. Posting 62, the North Dakotan highlighted the easiest scoring round (any round) in the history of the event (69.573).

The field of 144 includes players representing 22 countries and 23 debutants. The field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds.

On the line is a purse of $25 million, with the winner taking home $4.5 million. THE PLAYERS Championship is the first of five events this season that will award 750 FedExCup points to the winner.

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 – weather)
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

Recent Winners – THE PLAYERS Championship

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Scottie Scheffler (-17)	Blasted the field by five, the largest winning margin since 2006 (Stephen Ames – 6 shots).
2022	Cam Smith (-13)	Closing with 66, the Australian finished Round 3 and won the event on Monday.
2021	Justin Thomas (-14)	Fired 64-68 to set the closing 36-hole record.
2020	Cancelled
2019	Rory McIlroy (-16)	Held off Jim Furyk by a shot in the return to March.

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

Total Winnings:		5,753,192

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 – Arnold Palmer Invitational

Sometimes, shit just happens like we all expect it to happen. Except for the people who didn’t pick the winner.

Celebrate ALL VICTORIES, kids. Life is hard. Fantasy golf is harder.

Other than THE WINNER, which is obviously the most important in THIS game, I hardly put a foot right. Disastrous performance, except for having the THE WINNER.

MY CHOICE: Scottie Scheffler – WON

I wouldn’t be too disappointed if you were not on board last week. There is this week, four majors, and four more Signature Events. Lotta time there.

Other to Consider:

Rory McIlroy: I posted the stat on Twitter yesterday where he has had the most top-10 paydays since 2016. He’s six from nine here. His form puts me off. Another week, another finish outside the top 20. Bizarre. T21.

Viktor Hovland: Another who is not firing on all cylinders, the Norwegian led after 36 holes in 2022 and played in the final group last year. And another who didn’t fire. T36 after 75-75 weekend.

Ludvig Aberg: Phased by absolutely nothing. T24 on debut last year as an amateur. T25 this season.

Tommy Fleetwood: The tougher, the better, and his three top-10 paydays provide the evidence. Annnnnnnnnnd a MC. I’m the Fleetwood barometer. If I think he’s the right play, go the other way! Sad!

Jason Day: Enters on back-to-back top-10s and has won here. T36.

Sam Burns: Tough to ignore four straight in the top 10 on TOUR. Smooth 68 to open. And 78 to close. T30.

Longshots

Chris Kirk – T44

Corey Conners – T18

Justin Rose – MC

This Week – THE PLAYERS Championship

MY CHOICE: Will Zalatoris

His game is in excellent shape (T4, T2, and T13 last three) and he’s never missed in three March events. Pounding Fairways and GIR is his strength and that’s the foundation this week. I’ll worry about the putter like I did with Scheffler when I need to worry about the putter.

Other to Consider:

Hideki Matsuyama – Healthy, confident, and playing well. The Genesis Invitational winner and Masters champion won’t be bothered with all the happenings going on. It was him or Zalatoris.

Jusitn Thomas – I’m saving him for my Old Kentucky Home in May. You gotta do you. Hell, he’s good enough to win both.

Brian Harman – Tough laydown, but I’ll find other uses for him.

Longshots

Tom Hoge

Sahith Theegala

Harris English

Garrick Higgo

Glass Houses

Fantasy Golf Only

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

One and Done

56th RBC Heritage

56^th RBC Heritage

One and Done

Hole Locations – Round 3

Round 2 Hole Locations

The Masters – Round 1

88th Masters Tournament

88^th Masters Tournament

Valero Texas Open Preview

Valero Texas Open

Texas Children’s Houston Open

Texas Children’s Houston Open

Valspar Championship Preview

Valspar Championship

One and Done

This Week – Valspar Championship

THE PLAYERS Championship Preview