Not bad for a substitute teacher!!!
It has been a spring of high visibility in the Lowcountry as the PGA TOUR returns for the third time in three months to the state of South Carolina.
As we saw last week with Jon Rahm’s positive COVID-19 test, the pandemic is not fully behind us. This week provides another reminder as Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina, will be the one-time replacement host for the RBC Canadian Open. Canadian authorities cancelled the event and the TOUR pivoted to Congaree to play host the week before the US Open at Torrey Pines.
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Tom Fazio’s 2017 design stretches 7,655 yards (Par-71; 36-35) on the former 3,000 acre rice plantation. The course has been described as homage to the great Australian Sand Belt tracks.
After 24 acres of fairway at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, there’s plenty of room to swing it off the tee this week as 58 acres of fairway are available. Errant shots can be penalized with oaks and pines shaping the holes plus 130 acres of sandy areas. Sharp edges and the absence of rough won’t stop balls from finding those areas so keeping the golf ball under control is paramount. With excellent drainage conditions it should be able to play firm and fast this week so the yardage on the card won’t seem as daunting.
The track is wall-to-wall Bermuda and Champion Bermuda is the choice on the greens. Averaging just over 6,000 square feet in size, the greens entering year four should be mature enough to handle any speed asked for this week. There’s no need for over-seeding this time of year either so those surfaces should be slick and true. Perched above the fairways, hitting them will be a premium this week. Less than accurate shots will fall off or run through and then scrambling becomes the next challenge.
Tom Fazio has already had plenty of time in the spotlight this spring. His work at Augusta National is well documented and so is his work at Quail Hollow Club. Stretching back to the fall, Shadow Creek in Las Vegas was “seen” for the first time by many as the one-time host of THE CJ CUP AT SHADOW CREEK. Although all courses are different, the design elements can translate.
This season we have also had five brand-new tracks added or being used as one-time replacements. I’ll also point out that most major championships are on tracks where the pros don’t get too many reps so I’m looking in that direction this week as well. I’ll have the top finishers from those events below instead of course data and history that we don’t have.
It’s not a perfect solution but it’s angle to explore this week!
On the line this week is a $7.3 million prize pool with $1.34 million and 500 FedExCup points for the winner.
Recent Fazio Performers This Season (entered this week)
| THE CJ CUP | 2021 Masters Tournament | Wells Fargo Championship |
| Shadow Creek Golf Club | Augusta National Golf Club | Quail Hollow Club |
| Bentgrass Greens | Bentgrass Greens | Champion Bermuda Greens |
| 03 Tyrell Hatton | 12 Si Woo Kim | 03 Keith Mitchell |
| 10 Harris English | 18 Tyrrell Hatton | 06 Luke List |
| 12 Matt Fitzpatrick | 21 Harris English | 11 Satoshi Kodaira |
| 12 Ian Poulter | 26 Ian Poulter | 11 Ben Martin |
| 17 Mark Hubbard | 34 Matt Fitpatrick | 11 Scott Piercy |
| 17 Si Woo Kim | 38 Martin Laird | 14 Tommy Fleetwood |
| 21 Danny Lee | 46 Tommy Fleetwood | 18 Russell Knox |
| 21 Robby Shelton | 18 CT Pan | |
| 28 Tyler Duncan | 18 JJ Spaun | |
| 28 Brooks Koepka | 26 Pat Perez | |
| 28 Richy Werenski | 26 JT Poston | |
| 42 Byeong-Hun An | 26 Vince Whaley | |
| 45 Sungjae Im | 26 Nick Taylor | |
| 45 Kevin Kisner | 26 Kyle Stanley | |
| 51 JT Poston | 37 Sean O’Hair | |
| 59 Tommy Fleetwood | 37 Patrick Rodgers | |
| 61 Nick Taylor | 37 Brian Stuard | |
| 75 Sung Kang | 37 Richy Werenski | |
| 76 Alex Noren | 43 Jason Dufner | |
| 43 Harris English | ||
| 43 Peter Malnati | ||
| 43 Andrew Putnam | ||
| 43 Scott Stallings | ||
| 43 Jhonattan Vegas | ||
| 51 Kramer Hickok | ||
| 51 Hank Lebioda | ||
| 54 Hunter Mahan | ||
| 54 Seamus Power | ||
| 54 Sepp Straka | ||
| 58 Michael Gligic | ||
| 58 Patton Kizzire | ||
| 58 Matthew NeSmith | ||
| 58 Johnson Wagner | ||
| 58 Roger Sloan | ||
| 65 Jonas Blixt | ||
| 65 Bo Van Pelt | ||
| 72 Kevin Tway | ||
| 72 Jimmy Walker | ||
| 76 DJ Trahan | ||
| 77 Beau Hossler |
Key stat leaders
Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week.
| Strokes Gained: Approach the Green | |
| Rank | Player |
| 9 | Matthew NeSmith |
| 11 | Tyrrell Hatton |
| 16 | Brooks Koepka |
| 26 | Cam Percy |
| 27 | Russell Knox |
| 29 | Dustin Johnson |
| 30 | Hank Lebioda |
| 32 | Scott Stallings |
| 40 | Roger Sloan |
| 42 | Harold Varner III |
| 43 | Chez Reavie |
| 51 | Patton Kizzire |
| 53 | Camilo Villegas |
| 61 | Chase Seiffert |
| 63 | CT Pan |
| 64 | Luke Donald |
| 65 | John Huh |
| 66 | Doc Redman |
| 68 | Martin Laird |
| 70 | Tyler Duncan |
| Scrambling | |
| Rank | Player |
| 3 | Ian Poulter |
| 4 | Scott Stallings |
| 6 | Hank Lebioda |
| 9 | Fabian Gomez |
| 10 | Si Woo Kim |
| 11 | Andrew Putnam |
| 13 | Ben Martin |
| 15 | Harris English |
| 18 | Scott Piercy |
| 19 | Bo Hoag |
| 20 | Brice Garnett |
| 24 | Pat Perez |
| 26 | Aaron Baddeley |
| 28 | Scott Brown |
| 32 | Russell Knox |
| 34 | Adam Schenk |
| 36 | Vaughn Taylor |
| 37 | John Huh |
| 38 | Bill Haas |
| Strokes Gained: Putting | |
| Rank | Player |
| 7 | Ian Poulter |
| 8 | JT Poston |
| 10 | Kris Ventura |
| 12 | Patton Kizzire |
| 14 | Chesson Hadley |
| 16 | David Hearn |
| 17 | Hunter Mahan |
| 19 | Matt Fitzpatrick |
| 21 | Austin Cook |
| 24 | Andrew Putnam |
| 25 | Brice Garnett |
| 28 | Brooks Koepka |
| 32 | Vaughn Taylor |
| 34 | Rhein Gibson |
| 36 | Harris English |
| 37 | Ben Martin |
| 38 | Sungjae Im |
| 39 | Brandt Snedeker |
| 41 | Kevin Kisner |
| 42 | Ryan Armour |
| 45 | Alex Noren |
| 49 | Peter Malnati |
New Course Performers (entered this week)
| ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP | Vivint Houston Open | WGC – Concession | AT&T Byron Nelson |
| Sherwood CC (Nicklaus) | Memorial Park Houston (Doak) | The Concession (Nicklaus) | TPC Craig Ranch (Weiskopf) |
| Bentgrass | Mini Verde Bermuda | TifEagle Bermuda | Bentgrass |
| 14 Kevin Kisner | 02 Dustin Johnson | 02 Brooks Koepka | 03 Patton Kizzire |
| 17 Alex Noren | 05 Brooks Koepka | 11 Matt Fitzpatrick | 03 Scott Stallings |
| 26 Matt Fitzpatrick | 05 Sepp Straka | 22 Tyrrell Hatton | 07 Joseph Bramlett |
| 28 Tyler Duncan | 07 Tyrrell Hatton | 28 Sungjae Im | 07 Troy Merritt |
| 28 Harris English | 11 Patton Kizzire | 37 Erik van Rooyen | 09 Seamus Power |
| 28 Tyrrell Hatton | 15 Russell Knox | 41 Kevin Kisner | 09 Doc Redman |
| 35 Byeong-Hun An | 15 Harold Varner III | 44 Tommy Fleetwood | 09 Jhonattan Vegas |
| 35 Satoshi Kodaira | 20 JT Poston | 48 David Lipsky | 13 Bronson Burgoon |
| 41 Mark Hubbard | 20 Erik van Rooyen | 54 Dustin Johnson | 13 Luke Donald |
| 41 Sungjae Im | 24 Scott Brown | 59 Rafa Cabrera Bello | 13 Harris English |
| 57 Tommy Fleetwood | 24 Austin Cook | 66 Harris English | 13 Satoshi Kodaira |
| 57 Richy Werenski | 29 Charley Hoffman | 17 Hank Lebioda | |
| T63 Nick Taylor | 32 Padraig Harrington | 17 Brandt Snedeker | |
| 72 Danny Lee | 32 Scott Piercy | 21 Rafa Cabrera Bello | |
| 32 Fabian Gomez | 21 Alex Noren | ||
| 32 Troy Merritt | 26 Ryan Armour | ||
| 38 Will Gordon | 26 Ben Martin | ||
| 38 Satoshi Kodaira | 26 Keith Mitchell | ||
| 38 Nate Lashley | 26 Rob Oppenheim | ||
| 44 Brandt Snedeker | 26 Sepp Straka | ||
| 44 Jhonattan Vegas | 26 Vince Whaley | ||
| 48 John Huh | 34 Scott Brown | ||
| 50 Greg Chalmers | 34 Mark Hubbard | ||
| 50 Mark Hubbard | 34 Adam Schenk | ||
| 50 James Hahn | 34 Roger Sloan | ||
| 50 Brice Garnett | 39 Russell Knox | ||
| 50 Brian Stuard | 39 Sean O’Hair | ||
| 58 Kramer Hickok | 39 Pat Perez | ||
| 58 CT Pan | 39 Brian Stuard | ||
| 61 Kevin Chappell | 39 Johnson Wagner | ||
| 61 Doc Redman | 47 Brice Garnett | ||
| 64 Kris Ventura | 47 Michael Gligic | ||
| 64 Scott Harrington | 47 Sung Kang | ||
| 67 Sean O’Hair | 47 Nelson Ledesma | ||
| 47 Patrick Rodgers | |||
| 47 JJ Spaun |
Glass Houses 