For you OAD sickos, I’m loading up Sepp Straka to continue his excellent run in the Sunshine State.
Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and Sam Burns should be considered.
For those of you who do not keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times, Cameron Young, Keith Mitchell, Alex Smalley, and Stephan Jaeger should keep you up all night.
I wouldn’t worry about a MC last week at TPC Sawgrass. This week, while difficult, is a more straight-forward test. Pete Dye returns at Harbour Town. Enjoy the break!
McIlroy, how many drivers is he gonna use this week?
Schauffele has played four rounds since the first week of January.
Russell Henley going back-to-back?
I’ll start with the second choice, Collin Morikawa. The winners here roll in on form and he qualifies. On a course where target golf is the recipe, I’ll lean on one of the best drivers of the golf ball with a sour taste in his mouth.
Justin Thomas has already proven his worth here and has been ready to pop for months. Matsuyama, also with a win, has been healthy and lurking. Shane Lowry has a fantastic SG: Florida.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Daniel Berger returns from T13-T9 from 2022-21.
Si Woo Kim loves Pete Dye. That works.
Keegan Bradley is going to crash at some point. Not this week.
Who is hotter, without a win, than Michael Kim?
Brian Harman loves this layout.
Karl Vilips won’t be afraid.
Chad Ramey had the first-round lead here a couple of years ago.
Joel Dahmen slides in.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
TPC Sawgrass
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,352
Par:
72 (36-36).
Greens:
TifEagle Bermuda; 5,500 square feet.
Stimpmeter:
13-plus feet.
Rough:
Overseeded ryegrass at FOUR inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
78/18/18
Architect(s):
Pete Dye (1980).
Defending Champion (event):
Scottie Scheffler (-20).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
Scheffler (2024, 2023).
Course Record:
62; Tom Hoge (Round 3, 2023).
72 Hole Tournament Record (post 2016):
264; Greg Norman (-24; 1994).
Fact of the Week:
The event moved back to March for the 2019 edition.
Fact of the Week II:
The average attempts before winning is 7.4
Scoring Average: The PLAYERS Stadium Course – TPC Sawgrass
Career scoring averages from top players entered this week (minimum eight rounds played).
Rank
Player
Rounds
Scoring Avg
Odds
1
Scottie Scheffler
14
69.57
+400
4
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
12
70.33
+12000
6
Hideki Matsuyama
32
70.41
+3300
8
Xander Schauffele
18
70.44
+2500
9
Aaron Rai
8
70.50
+6500
10
Si Woo Kim
29
70.52
+6500
11
Tommy Fleetwood
26
70.62
+3000
12
Joel Dahmen
18
70.67
+20000
13
Corey Conners
18
70.72
+6000
T14
Min Woo Lee
8
70.75
+10000
16
Justin Thomas
33
70.79
+2200
17
Viktor Hovland
14
70.86
+7500
18
Jason Day
44
70.86
+6500
20
Sungjae Im
18
70.89
+6000
21
Tom Hoge
23
70.91
+30000
Notables
Tom Hoge is the only player to ever shoot 62 (Rd 3 2023).
2018 champion Webb Simpson and 2016 winner Day are two of nine players to post 63.
Greg Norman squared one bogey, the record, in setting the tournament scoring record (-24, 260) in 1994.
There are eight previous champions in the field, including Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, and Matt Kuchar.
The overseeded fairways average 28 yards in the landing areas.
TifEagle Bermudagrass greens average 5,500 square feet and will run 13 feet and up on the Stimpmeter.
92 bunkers, four inches of overseeded rough, and 18 water penalty areas are in play on all 18 holes.
The last five winners have registered seventh or better SG: Approach the Green.
Only one of the four Par-3 holes extends over 183 yards (No. 8, 236).
Three of the Par-5 holes play less than 575 yards.
Holes No. 15 and No. 18 are the only two on the card that were not adjusted for the 2025 tournament.
The last five champions were 30 years old or younger.
Since 2007, average amount of attempts required before winning for the first time is 7.4.
The oldest winner is Fred Funk (48 years in 2002). Funk is the only local resident to win the event.
Sam Ryder circled 27 birdies in 2024 and established the new tournament record.
The Official World Golf Ranking is represented by 48 of the top 50 players and 86 of the top 100.
There are no amateurs in the field.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open
Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach
Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open
Thomas Detry (first time)
The Genesis Invitational
Ludvig Aberg
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld
Brian Campbell (first time)
Cognizant Classic
Joe Highsmith (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Russell Henley
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – THE PLAYERS Championship
Italics – not entered this week; March winners only.
Year
Winner
Notes
2024
Scottie Scheffler (-20)
Becomes the first player to defend the title.
2023
Scottie Scheffler (-17)
Won by five shots in his third attempt.
2022
Cameron Smith (-14)
Needed a Monay finish and closed with 66 to come back from two shots and win.
2021
Justin Thomas (-14)
Posted 64-68 to win by a shot.
2019
Rory McIlroy (-13)
Chased down Jon Rahm on Sunday to win the first event in the return to March.
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy get kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
MC
Farmers Insurance
Jason Day
T32
52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach
Ludvig Aberg
WD
WM Phoenix Open
Rasmus Hojgaard
T12
195,500
Genesis Invitational
Will Zalatoris
T24
168,857
Mexico Open
Patrick Rodgers
T25
59,350
Cognizant Classic
Daniel Berger
T25
73,721
Arnold Palmer
Keegan Bradley
T5
800,000
LAST WEEK – Arnold Palmer Invitational
MY CHOICE: Keegan Bradley
Course horse, check. Need to get on it before the Ryder Cup Captain needs to focus more on captaining than golf. Hope I haven’t missed my window.
Back nine 29. Record-setting performance. 64 on Sunday.
T5.
76 on Sunday was the doom.
Overall, pleased as punch. I did NOT have any of the four above him on my radar. BECAUSE I SUCK THAT’S WHY.
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Orlando, Florida
Head to Golfbet for all our weekly content, including EXPERT PICKS, where I’m off to a flying start.
Top of the Board (odds via Bet365)
The two top choices are perched here for a reason. If Bay Hill, as suggested in the golf media, is going to be a wrecking ball again this year, I can’t overlook the two best players on the planet. Now, Kurt Kitayama (not qualified) will remind us that tough conditions do not guarantee anything. I’ll point out the winners here since 2016 are proper players, grinders, and winners, with Kitayama being the exception. It might not be called a major championship, but it will play like one, again.
Justin Thomas and Ludvig Aberg fill in the next lines. Thomas’s run of form extends to late last fall and when Aberg has been healthy, he’s won and hit the top five.
Were we a week too early on Berger, Lowry, or Straka? J.J. Spaun has a pair of podium paydays this season.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
I’ll remind folks Lowry has been playing TGL and hasn’t had many days off recently. At some point, it breaks, just like his driver on Monday.
Akshay Bhatia makes his debut and should embrace the difficulty tee to green.
Red-hot Ben Griffin needed back-to-back T4 paydays just to qualify this week. He was T13 on debut in 2023.
I can’t fathom why Harris English is over 100-1 to win. I’ll gladly buy that down across the top 10, top 20, and top 40 action. Super around here.
Viktor Hovland might be the loftiest of risk-reward plays at +5000. Anything is possible currently!
Michael Kim is also tepid.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,466
Par:
72 (36-36).
Greens:
TifEagle Bermuda; 7,500 square feet.
Stimpmeter:
13-plus feet.
Rough:
Overseeded ryegrass at FOUR inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
84/8/9
Architect(s):
Dick Wilson (1961); Arnold Palmer (2009; 2016).
Defending Champion (event):
Scottie Scheffler (-15).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
Scheffler (2024, 2022).
Course Record:
62; Adam Scott (2014) is the only player to post this total since 1984.
72 Hole Tournament Record (post 2016):
270; Rory McIlroy (-18, 2018).
Fact of the Week:
Only two of the last nine winners were older than 30.
Fact of the Week II:
The last four champions are from the USA.
The wind is going to blow four different ways again this week. Unlike last week, the rough is four inches, and will be “pitch-out” in places, especially with water penalty areas protecting greens.
The last player to win back-to-back at Bay Hill was NOT Tiger Woods. It was Matt Every in 2014-15.
Notes:
Field of 72.
The cut will be made after 36 holes. The top 50 and ties play the weekend.
The OWGR is represented by 46 of the top 50.
$20 million – $4 million – 700 FedExCup points – Sentry, PLAYERS, and Masters ticket punched, plus THREE year exemption.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open
Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach
Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open
Thomas Detry (first time)
The Genesis Invitational
Ludvig Aberg
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld
Brian Campbell (first time)
Cognizant Classic
Joe Highsmith (first time)
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – Arnold Palmer Invitational
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2024
Scottie Scheffler (-15)
Second title in three years. Won by five shots.
2023
Kurt Kitayama (-9)
Held off McIlroy, Scheffler and everyone else to win on debut.
2022
Scottie Scheffler (-5)
One of four players to break par in the final round. Course played No. 1 most difficult on TOUR in 2022.
2021
Bryson DeChambeau (-11)
First of four straight USA-USA-USA winners.
Notables
Adam Scott (+8000) is the only player since 1985 to post 62 (2014) and is one of four to share the course record.
Tiger Woods (not entered) has won this event eight times, the most in history. Scheffler is the only multiple champion in the field.
The fairways are 30 yards wide, two yards wider on average than last week at PGA National, and overseeded.
TifEagle Bermudagrass greens average 7,500 square feet and will run 13 feet and up on the Stimpmeter.
84 bunkers, four inches of rough, and nine holes with water penalty areas.
None of the Par-5 holes play longer than 590 yards.
Since 2016, only Scheffler in 2024 ranked OUTSIDE the top SIX in Par-3 scoring. All four Par-3 holes extend 199 yards or longer.
After adding TifEagle greens for 2016, six of the last nine winners have ranked in the top six in SG: Putting and all were T21 or better. No weaknesses allowed in the bag this week!
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy get kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
MC
Farmers Insurance
Jason Day
T32
52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach
Ludvig Aberg
WD
WM Phoenix Open
Rasmus Hojgaard
T12
195,500
Genesis Invitational
Will Zalatoris
T24
168,857
Mexico Open
Patrick Rodgers
T25
59,350
Cognizant Classic
Daniel Berger
T25
73,721
LAST WEEK – Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches
MY CHOICE: Daniel Berger T25
No prizes, I’m told, for hitting T24 or T25 in three consecutive weeks!
Four shots off the 54-hole lead without many big names in front of him, it was disappointing to see the local lad post a round of 72, one of only four players on Sunday to sign for a total over par inside the top 25.
ARE WE HAVING FUN YET???
In my weekly local fantasy game, I drafted Joe Highsmith and Jacob Bridgeman last week in Mexico.
It never ends. At least I will have Lowry for Zurich!
Just Missed
Shane Lowry – T11, Russell Henley – T6, Cameron Young – MC, Luke Clanton – T18
THIS Week – Arnold Palmer Invitational
Last year, I said f#ck it, and stuck Scheffler in. I mean, nobody has ever gone back-to-back at THE PLAYERS, so this naturally made sense.
WRONG AGAIN.
I LOST money on picking Scheffler one week early, $500K to be exact.
I didn’t matter in the long run, but still.
THE CHOICE: Keegan Bradley
Course horse, check. Need to get on it before the Ryder Cup Captain needs to focus more on captaining than golf. Hope I haven’t missed my window.
Others to consider:
I’d lean on the elite of the elite this week. Outsiders include Fleetwood, English, and the red-hot Bhatia.
Shane Lowry and Daniel Berger would lead my card. Both have had a taste here, and both players have played well on the West Coast to start the season, each with a runner-up finish.
Russell Henley returned last year with T41 after back-to-back Top 10 paydays in 2021-22. The Georgia-Florida contingent should be littering the leaderboard.
Luke Clanton needs to make the cut to earn enough points through PGA TOUR U to secure his TOUR card for later this summer. He won last week in Panama City playing for Florida State University.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Ben An, Taylor Moore, and course horse Keith Mitchell should fill plenty of cards this week.
Longer shots Ryan Gerard, Chan Kim, and Gary Woodland can produce.
Luke Donald was an AUTO PLAY a decade ago here. Let’s see if he can sneak into the weekend and the top 40.
Zach Johnson is also a frequent weekender around here, including T21 and T12 the last two years.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
The Champion Course
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,167
Par:
71 (35-36).
Greens:
TifEagle Bermuda; 7,000 square feet.
Stimpmeter:
12 feet.
Rough:
Overseeded ryegrass at 2.5 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
60/20/15
Architect(s):
George Fazio (1981); Jack Nicklaus (2002, 2014 redesign; 2018).
Defending Champion (event):
Austin Eckroat (-17)
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
Zero in 18 events at this course.
Course Record:
61; Brian Harman (2012) only player entered to post this score.
72 Hole Tournament Record
17-under (Par-71) Austin Eckroat 14-under (Par-70) Chris Kirk and Eric Cole 2023.
Fact of the Week:
4 of the last 6 winners are first-time TOUR champions.
Fact of the Week II:
3 of the last 6 winners played college golf at UGA.
The biggest defenses of the course are the Florida breeze and water penalty areas seemingly everywhere. Better be able to shape and control the golf ball.
Jack Nicklaus is the only player to win this event in consecutive seasons on the same course (1977, 1978).
Nobody has won twice since moving to The Champion Course (19th edition 2025).
A dry February produced less than an inch of rain before .65 inches fell this week.
Notes:
Field of 144.
The cut will be made after 36 holes. The top 65 and ties play the weekend.
The OWGR is represented by 16 of the top 50.
$9.2 million – $1.656 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry, PLAYERS, and Masters ticket punched.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open
Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach
Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open
Thomas Detry (first time)
The Genesis Invitational
Ludvig Aberg
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld
Brian Campbell (first time)
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – Cognizant Classic
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2024
Austin Eckroat (-17)
Making his second start, he set the new standard for scoring at the now Par-71 track. Won by 3 and became the fourth first-time winner in six events.
2023
Chris Kirk (-14)
Needed an extra hole to defeat Eric Cole and produce the lowest winning total on the Par-70 layout in its final season.
2022
Sepp Straka (-10)
Outlasted Shane Lowry, Kurt Kitayama, and Daniel Berger in a deluge late on Sunday to win for the first time on TOUR.
2021
Matt Jones (-12)
Won by five in the big breezes.
2020
Sungjae Im (-6)
Became the youngest winner (21 yrs) and won for the first time on TOUR.
2019
Keith Mitchell (-9)
Held off Rickie Fowler by a shot to add his name to the list of four UGA Bulldog winners since 2014.
Notables
Brian Harman (+6500), another UGA grad, is one of two players to post 61, the course record, and is the only player to sign for this score in the field this week.
From 2018 through 2022, The Champion Course ranked in the top 10 most difficult courses on TOUR. The last two years, it ranked as the easiest of the four courses on The Florida Swing.
15 holes provide water penalty areas.
The fairways have been reduced from 32 yards in width to 28 yards across on average. Two and a half inches of overseeded ryegrass awaits when the fairways are missed.
The last five winners have ranked T7 or better in GIR.
TifEagle Bermudagrass greens average 7,00 square feet and will run 12 feet on the Stimpmeter.
Eckroat is the only winner since 2014 to rank outside the top 20 in Scrambling.
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
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.
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
MC
Farmers Insurance
Jason Day
T32
52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach
Ludvig Aberg
WD
WM Phoenix Open
Rasmus Hojgaard
T12
195,500
Genesis Invitational
Will Zalatoris
T24
168,857
Mexico Open
Patrick Rodgers
T25
59,350
LAST WEEK – Mexico Open at Vidanta
MY CHOICE: Patrick Rodgers – T25
He was one of two players in the top 25 to post a round ABOVE par (72) on Sunday.
The only upside from another terrible selection is that I have Bhatia to use down the road.
We go again.
This Week – Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches
MY CHOICE: Daniel Berger
The Floridian just pips Lowry for the top spot this week. I’ll focus on the Irishman as McIlroy’s partner in New Orleans or use him across the pond. Berger knows this layout better than most, and I will argue he probably should have won here twice already. Running second at TPC Scottsdale, I don’t have to worry about him finding form in front of friends and family this week.
Just Missed
Shane Lowry, Russell Henley, Cameron Young, Luke Clanton
Akshay Bhatia (+1200): Supreme coastal/wind player, has all the shots and is the class of the field for my money. Easy to see why he’s on top.
Rasmus Hojgaard (+1400): I prefer him in the desert.
Kurt Kitayama (+2200): Another desert star, his putter will have to keep up with his fantastic ball-striking.
Patrick Rodgers (+2500): The current form meets course form. What could possibly go wrong?!?!?
Stephan Jaeger (+2500): Nothing worse than T18 from three starts includes T3 last year.
Sam Stevens (+2500): He should be ready pop. Cashed in his last 13 on TOUR and decent on the surface. Gave it a run against the big boys last week as well.
Michael Kim (+2800): After bombing out at the FIO in late January, he cashed T13 last week after running second, albeit seven shots back of Detry, in Phoenix.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Taylor Moore (+3000): All you can get.
Justin Lower (+5000): More than you need, plus one.
Jacob Bridgeman (+6600): Incredible on the surface. Incredibly soft number here, boooooooooo.
Thorbjorn Olesen (+6600): His grass.
Antoine Rozner (+8000): Four of his last seven starts worldwide are top-10 results, including a solo fourth in Qatar his last time out.
Nate Lashley or Emiliano Grillo (+12500): Both veterans and winners on this surface.
Rafa Campos (+50000): Yes, please.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
Greg Norman Signature Course at Vidanta Vallarta
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,436.
Par:
71 (35-36).
Greens:
Platinum Paspalum; 7,000 square feet.
Stimpmeter:
11 feet.
Rough:
Platinum Paspalum at 2.5 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
106/14/12
Architect(s):
Greg Norman (2015).
Defending Champion (event):
Jake Knapp (-19)
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
N/A
Course Record:
61; Jon Rahm (Round 3, 2023).
72 Hole Tournament Record
260; Tony Finau (2023).
Fact of the Week:
Knapp won in only his ninth TOUR start.
Fact of the Week II:
Paspalum for the first time since El Cardonal last fall.
The 65th edition of the Mexico Open tees off at Greg Norman’s Signature Course at Vidanta Vallarta.
The Australian’s coastal design, located just off the Pacific Ocean, opened in 2015. Playing 7,436 yards to Par 71, the track features tee-to-green Platinum Paspalum.
Back for the second consecutive February edition, the forecast is outstanding for the four tournament days.
Without a plethora of course history, I suggest you read Horses for Courses at pgatour.com for more insight.
The resort course provides massive landing areas off the fairway to account for everyday players and the ocean breezes off the Pacific Ocean.
The Paspalum putting surfaces, 7,000 square feet, on average, will be prepped to run at just 11 feet.
Errant tee balls and approaches must steer clear of over 100 bunkers and water hazards found on 12 of 18 holes.
One of the biggest ballparks around, even with 20 yards shaved off the scorecard, Vidanta Vallarta has five Par-3 and four Par-5 holes. The course also features two holes (No. 10 and No. 16) as two of the toughest scoring chances on TOUR.
Notes:
Field of 132.
The cut will be made after 36 holes. The top 65 and ties play the weekend.
The OWGR is represented by four of the top 50.
$7 million – $1.26 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry, PLAYERS, and Masters ticket punched.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open
Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach
Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open
Thomas Detry (first time)
The Genesis Invitational
Ludvig Aberg
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – Mexico Open at Vidanta
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2024
Jake Knapp (-19)
The rookie led by four after 54 holes and won comfortably by two shots over Sami Valimaki.
2023
Tony Finau (-24)
Rolled to a three-shot victory over Rahm.
2022
Jon Rahm (-17)
Held off Tony Finau and Brandon Wu by one shot. None of these players are entered.
Angles
The eighth event of the 2024 PGA TOUR season will be the first of two in Mexico this year. El Cardonal in Los Cabos will return in the fall to host for the second time.
The combination of a Greg Norman track and Mexico was in play at Mayakoba on the Yucatan Peninsula from 2007 through 2022.
Paspalum is a common playing surface in the resorts of the Caribbean and Mexico. PGA TOUR events played recently on Paspalum include El Cardonal, Puerto Rico Open, Corales Puntacana, and Mayakoba. Korn Ferry Tour players have experienced this surface in two events in the Bahamas.
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy get kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
MC
Farmers Insurance
Jason Day
T32
52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach
Ludvig Aberg
WD
WM Phoenix Open
Rasmus Hojgaard
T12
195,500
Genesis Invitational
Will Zalatoris
T24
168,857
LAST WEEK – Genesis Invitational
MY CHOICE: Will Zalatoris – T24
Making the cut on +3, I knew I was toast before the weekend started.
I should have just blindly stuck Tony Finau in, oh look, another top 10, another top 25…
Is this over yet?
This Week – Mexico Open at Vidanta
Patrick Rodgers
Fresh off a sniff in the big leagues of a Signature Event, it’s time to finally kick down the door to victory. Since he probably won’t, I’d also look at:
My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:
Scottie Scheffler: The front and back nines last Sunday created more questions than answers. Playing for the third week in a row, I would expect a more linear path on the weekend.
Rory McIlroy: Sticking the hottest player on the planet on a course that rewards his skillset is a no-brainer. He’s dominated Quail Hollow Club since 2010, and Torrey South is in that category.
Collin Morikawa: Hyper accurate off the tee, familiar grass will also help.
Justin Thomas: He’s tired of firing late on Sunday to play catch up. Let’s see if he breaks the streak of every other week after T6 in Arizona.
Hideki Matsuyama: Plenty of pop tee to green, but his short game might be the difference this week.
Ludvig Aberg: Thankfully, I’ve used all of my tokens on this ride. Is he sick? Healthy? Ready? Let me know.
Patrick Cantlay: I’ll be interested to see if he heats up in Florida. Plays well where he plays well and Torrey ain’t it.
Sungjae Im: Top 10s in three of his last four. Go.
Tommy Fleetwood: Big, long, and wet is how Torrey will play this week. The Englishman will need his litany of short-game magic to deliver to contend.
Taylor Pendrith: Hit it, find it, hit it again. Back-to-back top 10 paydays with seven of eight-weekend rounds par or better. Super putter.
Tony Finau: Two missed cuts and two top 10s in his last four here. Never worse than T24.
Shane Lowry: Battering the sprinkler line is never a bad plan. Only McIlroy was better at Pebble Beach.
NOW PLAYING: Torrey Pines South Golf Course
Host Course
South Course
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,765.
Par:
72 (32-36).
Greens:
Poa annua; 5,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:
13 feet and up.
Rough:
Overseeded Rye and Poa annua around FOUR inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
82/1/1 (a pond in front of No. 18)
Architect(s):
William F. Bell and William P. Bell. (1957).
Defending Champion (event):
Hideki Matsuyama.
Defending Champion (course):
Harris English.
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
Jason Day (2018, 2015).
Course Record:
61; Tiger Woods (1999).
72 Hole Tournament Record (Torey Pines South)
22-under; Tiger Woods (1999).
Fact of the Week:
The Genesis Invitational was moved from The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades to Torrey Pines because of the January wildfires. All information this week is based on COURSE, not event.
Fact of the Week II:
Harris English is the only American winner in the 2025 season, and he won on this track in late January at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Notes:
Field of 72.
THE 36-HOLE CUT returns this week. The Signature Events with player hosts (Genesis, Arnold Palmer, Memorial) will cut to the top 50 and ties, plus anyone within 10 shots of the lead.
The OWGR is represented by 46 of the top 50.
$20 million – $4 million – 700 FedExCup points – Sentry, PLAYERS, and Masters ticket punched.
For those of you who do not read Horses for Courses at pgatour.com, you should.
The Genesis Invitational is annually played at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. I’m not referring to any past performances on a course that is NOT BEING USED this week.
Right, Hideki Matsuyama is the event defending champion and closed with 62 last year. The course they play is more important than the name of the event.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open
Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach
Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open
Thomas Detry (first time)
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – Farmers Insurance Open
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2025
Harris English (-9)
Defeated Sam Stevens by a shot to win for the fifth time on TOUR.
2024
Matthieu Pavon (-13)
Won in his first appearance. Won for the first time on TOUR.
2023
Max Homa (-13)
Held off Keegan Bradley by two.
2022
Luke List (-15)
Defeated Will Zalatoris in a playoff.
2021
Patrick Reed (-14)
Lapped the field by five shots.
2020
Marc Leishman (-15)
Won by a shot.
2019
Justin Rose (-21)
Missed tying the tournament scoring record by one. Adam Scott was second at 19-under.
2018
Jason Day (-10)
Won for the second time and won for the second time in a playoff.
2017
Jon Ram (-13)
Won for the first time on TOUR and is the last person to win in their 20s.
2016
Brandt Snedeker (-6)
Didn’t strike a ball on Monday after bad weather wiped most of Sunday’s round.
2015
Jason Day (-9)
Won a four-man playoff to kick off his best year on TOUR.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Much better in the desert. 5 players in the top 25, highlighted by Taylor Moore and T9.
Course Horses Jason Day, Tony Finau, and Sam Stevens (!?!?) should run well this week.
Will Zalatoris, Rasmus Hojgaard, and Keegan Bradley will not have to rely on hot putters to keep up.
Gary Woodland, Cam Davis, and Min Woo Lee all have enough firepower to shorten this beast.
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
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 on Thursday).
1 use per year.
LAST WEEK – WM Phoenix Open
MY CHOICE: Rasmus Hojgaard – T12
I’d mention that he played in the final three-ball but that would just open an old wound.
I was ready for a final round 74, but his birdie at the last made me a few dollars.
Thomas Detry, Daniel Berger, and Mike Kim were not on my radar, so I’ll gladly take the second-best finisher in the OAD game this week.
I also didn’t have to burn Justin Thomas like some of the others.
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
MC
Farmers Insurance
Jason Day
T32
52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach
Ludvig Aberg
WD
WM Phoenix Open
Rasmus Hojgaard
T12
195,500
THIS WEEK – Genesis Invitational
Big purse.
Big win ticket compared to other Signature Events. $4 million instead of $3.6 million.
Biiiigggggggggggggggg course, the longest used on TOUR.
Hideki Matsuyama and Rory McIlroy are the Signature Event winners so far and I wouldn’t be surprised to see another household name holding the trophy again this week.
I need somebody who can smash it, putt Poa annua, scramble, and grind out pars over a long, wet track.
MY CHOICE: Will Zalatoris
Let’s try this again.
I ran him out for the Farmers but he WD before the event started and Jason Day took his spot.
I have no worries about his course form and I was encouraged to see 68-69 to close at Pebble Beach his last time out.
Others to consider:
Keegan Bradley, Taylor Pendrith, Hideki Matsuyama, Sam Stevens
My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:
Scottie Scheffler (+260): If he’s in the field, he has my attention. At less than 3-1, I’m hesitant, but this field does not have the depth of Pebble Beach. Without the pressure to win three in a row, I’d be shocked if he finished outside the top 10.
Justin Thomas (+1400): Play him in the “without Scheffler” market. Desert dog and course horse, just not on the level of Scheffler. Who is? Also a winner at Waialae CC.
Hideki Matsuyama (+1600): A two-time winner like Scheffler, the Japanese star is the only player in the top three with a win this year. Nobody has accused Matsuyama or Scheffler of being lights-out putters but they are both winners here twice.
Sam Burns (+2500): A super putter, he’ll enjoy the large targets approaching the greens. The largest greens on TOUR at Kapalua produced at T8 cash in January.
Sungjae Im (+2500): The Korean’s history at the event matches his early 2025 results, top finishes and head-scratchers.
Tom Kim (+2800): Hit the ball, already! Eight rounds here produced four rounds in the 70s and four rounds in the 60s.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,261.
Par:
71 (35-36).
Greens:
Poa annua; 7,100 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:
12 feet.
Rough:
Overseeded Rye and Poa annua around two inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
67/3/6
Architect(s):
Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish (1986); Tom Weiskopf (2014 renovation).
Taylor became the fourth international winner this century.
Fact of the Week II:
Only two players have won on debut this century.
Notes:
Field of 132.
THE CUT returns this week. The top 65 and ties advance to the final two rounds.
The OWGR is represented by 28 of the top 50.
$9.2 million – $1.656 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry, PLAYERS, and Masters ticket punched.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open
Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach
Rory McIlroy
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – WM Phoenix Open
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2024
Nick Taylor (-21)
Held off Charley Hoffman to become the sixth winner in the last nine to need extra holes.
2023
Scottie Scheffler (-19)
Tied the tournament scoring record defending his title. Won by two shots over Nick Taylor. Third place was five back.
2022
Scottie Scheffler (-16)
Defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win for the first time on TOUR.
2021
Brooks Koepka (-19)
Matched the tournament scoring mark holding off KH Lee and Xander Schauffele by a shot.
2020
Webb Simpson (-17)
Defeated Tony Finau in a playoff.
2019
Rickie Fowler (-19)
Tied the tournament scoring record by defending his title. Won by two shots over Nick Taylor. Third place was five back.
2018
Gary Woodland (-18)
Defeated Chez Reavie in a playoff; Circled 26 birdies.
2017
Hideki Matsuyama (-17)
Successfully defended his title knocking out Simpson in a playoff.
2016
Hideki Matsuyama (-14)
Won in his third attempt defeating Fowler in a playoff.
2105
Brooks Koepka (-15)
Won on his debut and won for the first time on TOUR.
Notables
The highest winning total since 2015 is 15-under-par.
Eight of the last 10 winners have ranked T6 or better in Ball-Striking.
Taylor and Matsuyama join Aaron Baddeley (2007) and Vijay Singh (2003) as the only international winners this century.
Only two players won on debut this century, including 23-year-old J.B. Holmes (not entered) in 2006 and none since 2015.
Holmes and Matsuyama are the youngest winners at 23.
Kenny Perry (not entered) is the oldest winner at 48 in 2009.
Tom Weiskopf designs feature on TOUR at TPC Craig Ranch, where K.H. Lee (+27000) has won twice, and Black Desert, where Matt McCarty (+30000) won in the fall of 2024.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
After a DISASTER last week, let’s try and rebound, eh?
Sepp Straka (+4000): In the fight most of the weekend at Pebble Beach, he’s already a winner this season in the desert.
Sahith Theegala (+4000): This will be the week he gets the train back on the tracks. T3 on debut and solo fifth last year.
Rasmus Hojgaard (+5000): T22 last week to break the jet lag. Shit-fire hot across the world since last year.
Nick Taylor (+6000): Even as the defending champion, he knows he’s not the star of the show. And he’s fine with that.
Luke Clanton (+6000): If he makes the cut, he gets his PGA TOUR card.
Si Woo Kim (+5500): Trending at the event.
Sam Stevens (+7000): Stick a top 10 ticket here.
Lee Hodges (+10000): Look up his recent form and remember he has big targets to aim for this week.
Taylor Moore (+10000): Rounding into form and a solid performer in the desert.
Eric Cole (+12500): Too big of a number to pass up for a top 10, top 20.
KH Lee (+22500): Twice a winner at TPC Craig Ranch, a Tom Weiskopf design.
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
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.
With EIGHT Signature Events spread out throughout the season, player management becomes a major issue. These events do NOT include the four majors or THE PLAYERS Championship. These events do NOT include the FedExCup Playoffs. This game ends with the BMW Championship.
For the second week in a row, my selection withdrew.
This time, he played a round and THEN quit, leaving me no recourse.
Did I mention it was a no-cut event?
My backup choices were shit as well.
I guess I was distracted being there.
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
MC
Farmers Insurance
Jason Day
T32
52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach
Ludvig Aberg
WD
THIS WEEK – WM Phoenix Open
The shitshow in the desert of Scottsdale has paid off veterans and young, up-and-comers alike.
Although disappointed with my last three weeks, this game will be won and lost with THE PLAYERS, four majors, and the first two events of the FedExCup Playoffs.
It’s not time to panic, yet.
MY CHOICE: Rasmus Hojgaard
Right.
Take the new guy on some of the friendlier greens on TOUR to putt. I have no qualms about the way he hits it or his current form. Also, I’m not burning Scheffler or Matsuyama with this purse.
You do you.
Others to consider:
Sam Burns, Tom Kim, Sepp Straka, Kurt Kitayama, Lee Hodges
My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:
Scottie Scheffler (+500): His first appearance of the season, he opened with 64 at Pebble Beach last year and cashed T6. The tournament rust is the only kryptonite. I doubt he would enter if he wasn’t ready to win.
Rory McIlroy (+1300): Didn’t miss a beat in the fall in Europe and cashed a top-five payday in the desert earlier this month.
Collin Morikawa (+1300): After running second to Matsuyama at The Sentry, the former Cal Bear returns to familiar Poa annua. The winner of the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park on Poa annua up the coast in San Francisco deserves attention.
Justin Thomas (+1500): The heat wave that followed his play after the birth of his first child is not surprising. Cashing on the podium in three of his last four starts, the next stop is lifting the trophy.
Patrick Cantlay (+1900): He plays well where he plays well and four consecutive starts T11 or better qualifies at the AT&T.
Ludvig Aberg (+2200): Finishing second on debut in 2024, he did not sign for a bogey in 36 holes at Pebble Beach. Opening with 63 last week at the North Course at Torrey Pines, he fell ill the rest of the week and fell apart. If there are no lingering issues, I’m on board.
Hideki Matsuyama (+2200): The top selections this week have never won this event. Matsuyama is the only winner from the 2025 season. Making just his second appearance, the Japanese start didn’t break 70 last year in 54 holes.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Yards (per official scorecard):
6,972.
Par:
72 (36-36).
Greens:
Poa annua; 3,500 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:
10.5 feet.
Rough:
Overseeded Rye and Poa annua between two and three inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
116/1/1(Pacific Ocean, No. 18)
Architect(s):
Jack Neville & Douglas Grant (1919).
Defending Champion (event):
Wyndham Clark (-17).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
None.
Course Record:
60; Wyndham Clark (Round 3, 2024).
72 Hole Tournament Record (three courses)
22-under; Brandt Snedeker (2015).
Fact of the Week:
There are just five international winners.
Fact of the Week II:
Australian Brett Ogle is the only debutant winner (1993).
Spyglass Hill GC
Notes
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,047
Par:
72 (36-36).
Greens:
Poa annua; 5,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:
11 feet.
Rough:
Overseeded Rye and Poa annua at two inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
62/4/4
Architect(s):
Robert Trent Jones, Sr., (1966).
Course Record (last):
62; Luke Donald, 2006.
Fact of the Week:
Spyglass Hill has been in the rotation since 1978. I will be volunteering at Hole 12 on Thursday and Friday. Come by and say hello!
Notes:
Field of 80.
18 holes on each course to determine Pro-Am winner.
36 holes on the weekend to determine the Signature Event champion.
The OWGR is represented by 45 of the top 50.
NO CUT EVENT
$20 million – $3.6 million – 700 FedExCup points – Sentry, PLAYERS, and Masters ticket punched.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open
Harris English
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – AT&T Pebble Beach
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2024
Wyndham Clark (-17)
Set the new course record and held off Aberg by a shot.
2023
Justin Rose (-18)
First Englishman/European winner in history. Won by three shots over Brendon Todd and Brandon Wu.
2022
Tom Hoge (-19)
Became only the third player since 2000 to win his first TOUR event at Pebble Beach. Won by two shots over Jordan Spieth.
2021
Daniel Berger (-18)
Held off hometown hero Maverick McNealy by two shots. Only used PB and Spyglass (no amateurs).
2020
Nick Taylor (-19)
The Canadian became just the fifth international winner in history. Won by four shots.
2019
Phil Mickelson (-19)
Caught, passed, and blew away Paul Casey by three.
2018
Ted Potter, Jr., (-17)
Beat Dustin Johnson heads-up in the final group on Sunday.
2017
Jordan Spieth (-19)
Breezed home by four shots as he led the field in Bogey Avoidance.
Notables
One of the last seven champions was younger than 30.
Rose is the only champion of the last 10 NOT to finish in the top 2 in Par-4 scoring.
In 2022, Tom Hoge became just the third champion this century to win for the first time on the PGA TOUR.
In 1993, Australian Brett Ogle was the last player to debut and win the event.
Only five international players have lifted the trophy, including Justin Rose, the only European winner.
Nick Taylor, the 2020 champion, is the last player to win in wire-to-wire fashion. He’s also cashed T30 or better six times.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Jason Day: THE course horse for non-winners. Nine top-10 paydays and never missed a weekend when the event had a cut.
Maverick McNealy: Grew up on the links and already won on the Seaside last November.
Tom Hoge: Over the last three years, his PB aggregate grabbed my attention just as much as his 2022 victory.
Aaron Rai: Hits too many Fairways and GIR to dismiss.
Mark Hubbard: The San Jose native knows his way around Poa.
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
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.
With EIGHT Signature Events spread throughout the season, player management becomes a major issue. These events do NOT include the four majors or THE PLAYERS Championship. These events do NOT include the FedExCup Playoffs. This game ends with the BMW Championship.
A perfect event for overreaction after a terrible week in the desert!
Plenty of course horses to saddle, but after last year’s first-timer barrage, I’m experiencing paralysis by analysis.
MY CHOICE: Will Zalatoris – PRE TOURNAMENT WD
Defaulting to Day before Pebble Beach was a choice, and not a very good one in hindsight.
Others to consider: Jason Day, Tony Finau, Max Homa, Aaron Rai, Maverick McNealy
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
MC
Farmers Insurance
Jason Day
T32
52,080
THIS WEEK – AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Big purse! Big history!
The weather should NOT be a factor this week and the locals tell me there has barely been any rain in January.
Firm and fast? Maybe not, but it will not be a slog.
The last time the weather was good, Justin Rose became the only European/English winner in history.
Pebble Beach will play easier than Spyglass, but that’s nothing new.
The payday requires a big-name player.
MY CHOICE: Ludvig Aberg
I’m expecting a bounce-back after his illness/collapse last weekend at Torrey Pines. Oh, I don’t have Jason Day to fire after his IN EMERGENCY BREAK GLASS performance last week.
Speaking of broken Glass, the last two weeks wiped out a decent start.
A no-cut event and a guy who didn’t make a bogey on PB last year is not the worst advice I can provide.
Others to consider:
Remember, there are four majors and THE PLAYERS Championship so there are PLENTY of others to choose from this week.
Also, the TOUR is returning to Torrey Pines in three weeks for the Genesis Invitational.
Justin Thomas, Maverick McNealy, Denny McCarthy, Thomas Detry
Golfbet articles from the entire crew – click here
Chalk
My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:
I’m not going through the players who WD early this week. International travel is part of it. Cold and flu season is part of it. TGL is part of it.
Who IS playing is important.
Ludvig Aberg (+850): Smoked The Sentry to close 17-under on the weekend. Destroys courses tee to green and that plays this week.
Hideki Matsuyama (+1200): Already a winner this year, his power and short game acumen always works at Torrey Pines.
Sungjae Im (+1800): Blew a tire last week (77 Round 1) and missed the cut. Blew a tire here last year to kill his streak of T4-T6 and five straight.
Will Zalatoris (+2200): I’m not going to wait. Site of his PGA TOUR debut in 2018, he’s usually a factor.
Jason Day (+2500): The two-time winner killed me here last year with a MC. Cashed T3 last week in the desert and always is excellent in January.
Tony Finau (+2800): The only thing left to do here is hit the podium. Never worse than T24 in nine of 10.
Keegan Bradley (+2800): Absolutely flying at the moment, he ran second here to Homa in 2023. Strike while he’s hot.
Taylor Pendrith (+3000): Bomb and gouge specialist who has no problem holing putts, and no problem playing here (T9 2024, T16 2022)
Max Greyserman (+3000): An incredible putter, let’s see how he plays out of the rough this week after racking up big finishes without.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
South Course
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,765.
Par:
72 (36-36).
Greens:
Poa annua; 5,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:
13 feet plus.
Rough:
Overseeded ryegrass at FOUR inches and growing.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
82/1/1. Pond in front of Par-5 No. 18.
Architect(s):
William P. Bell (1957) & William F Bell (1957); Rees Jones (2001, 2019).
Defending Champion (event):
Mattieu Pavon (-13).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
Jason Day (2018, 2015); Brandt Snedeker (2016, 2012).
Course Record (last):
62; Tiger Woods (1999).
72 Hole Tournament Record (2016-current rotation):
22-under; Tiger Woods (1999; last).
Fact of the Week:
EVENT RUNS WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY for the fourth straight season.
Fact of the Week II:
Tiger Woods won this event eight times. Sadly, he’s not in the field this week.
Fact of the Week III:
Three winners since 2017 have made this their first victory on TOUR.
Notes:
Field of 156.
Second of three multi-course events in three weeks.
The OWGR is represented by 21 of the top 50.
Top 65 and ties will make the cut and play the weekend after 36 holes (play each course once).
$9.3 million – $1.674 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.
Points available for the Aon Next 5 for Pebble Beach qualification.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – Farmers Insurance Open
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2024
Mattieu Pavon (-13)
First TOUR victory in just his third start with a card; 11th TOUR start. First appearance.
2023
Max Homa (-13)
Defeated Keegan Bradley by two shots.
2022
Luke List (-15)
Shot 66 on Sunday and then defeated Will Zalatoris in a playoff. First TOUR win.
2021
Patrick Reed (-14)
Only player to finish in double digits under par. Won by five shots.
2020
Marc Leishman (-15)
Won by a shot.
2019
Justin Rose (-21)
Missed tying the course record by a shot.
2018
Jason Day (-10)
Knocked out Ryan Palmer and Alex Noren (not entered) in a playoff for his second win and second win in a playoff.
2017
Jon Rahm (-13)
Won by three shots on debut and secured his first TOUR win.
2016
Brandt Snedeker (-6)
Extreme weather turned the event upside down. Snedeker won for the second time without having to play the final day.
Angles
The South Course is annually one of the toughest tracks on TOUR. The North Course scores almost 2.5 shots easier, on average.
Power players, elite short-game artists, and grinders will litter the top of the leaderboard on SATURDAY.
The last 10 winners ranked in the top 10 for Bogey Avoidance.
The cut has never been worse than Even over the last decade.
Gaining strokes tee to green and on the greens will go a long way.
Only Snedeker posted a round in the 70s on the North Course and went on to win.
South Course – take your medicine, attack when given the chance, and try to get up and down on the Par-5 holes.
North Course – Time to score!
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Beau Hossler: Long Beach native knows Poa.
Nicklas Norgaard: If he’s 70-1 in this field, you have my attention.
Rico Hoey: Led the field in GIR last week and was T3 at Sony. SoCal.
Michael Kim: San Diego HS alum.
Austin Eckroat: Can flush it. That never goes out of style.
Taylor Moore: Did NOT make a bogey last week (T7). That will change this week but still #Evidence.
Patrick Rodgers: Three top-10 finishes and six missed cuts. DO YOU LIKE VOLATILITY??
Vincent Norrman: Good start, great ball-striker.
Hayden Springer: Played really well on the South Course in 2024.
Taylor Montgomery: If he’s in decent shape physically this number is free money.
Peter Malnati: He won’t win, but he’ll make the cut and sneak into the top 40.
Good luck!
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
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.
With EIGHT Signature Events spread out throughout the season, player management becomes a major issue. These events do NOT include the four majors or THE PLAYERS Championship. These events do NOT include the FedExCup Playoffs. This game ends with the BMW Championship.
Just Missed: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Davis Thompson, J.T. Poston, Si Woo Kim, Tom Hoge
Just terrible on every level. I keep reminding myself that this is hard, but it shouldn’t be this hard.
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Adam Hadwin
MC
Farmers Insurance
THIS WEEK – Farmers Insurance Open
A perfect event for overreaction after a terrible week in the desert!
Plenty of course horses to saddle, but after last year’s first-timer barrage, I’m experiencing paralysis by analysis.
MY CHOICE: Will Zalatoris
His spiritual home and the results followed. Led the field in Bogey Avoidance last year and is trending nicely to start 2025. Time to kick open the door!
Others to consider: Jason Day, Tony Finau, Max Homa, Aaron Rai, Maverick McNealy
Golfbet articles from the entire crew – click here
Chalk
My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:
Justin Thomas (+1200): After favorite Xander Schauffele dipped on Monday, the man who shared third with him last year moved up. The two-time PGA Championship winner returned to the Coachella Valley last year for the first time since 2015. Playing this three-course rotation for the first time, he led the field in Birdies (31) and tied the course record (61) at the Stadium Course. Not bad.
Sungjae Im (+1200): Never missed the weekend here but only has one top-10 result from six visits. All six paydays are T25 or better. Safe as you like.
Sam Burns (+1600): In his three previous visits to Kapalua, the new father as of May had never cashed inside the top 25. Circling 28 birdies against five bogeys at the Plantation Course, he took home T8 money. Leading the field in Par-5 scoring last year, the five-time winner on TOUR was the 36-hole leader before drifting to T6. All aboard!
Patrick Cantlay (+1800): He hasn’t won since the 2022 BMW Championship but has an excellent record in Las Vegas, plus three top-10 paydays and a share of the course record here. I’ll save him for more difficult tracks.
Tony Finau (+2500): Cashing fourth in 2021 is his only top-10 result in seven trips. Easily overpowering the three courses, he needs a banner week from the putter to contend.
Tom Kim (+2800): Surely he recovered from watching his mates in TGL get smoked on Tuesday night. A two-time winner in the Las Vegas desert, he’s missed the cut twice in three visits. T6 in 2023 included 62 at NT.
NOW PLAYING:
Host Course
Stadium Course at PGA West
Yards (per official scorecard):
7,210
Par:
72 (36-36).
Greens:
Overseeded Poa annua (TifEagle); 7,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:
11 feet.
Rough:
Overseed at 1 inch. Dormant Tifgreen Bermuda at 2 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play
Over 90 bunkers; seven holes with water in play.
Architect(s):
Pete Dye (1986).
Defending Champion (event):
Jon Rahm (-27; not entered).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:
Bill Haas (not on this rotation).
Course Record (last):
61; Justin Thomas (Round 3, 2024), Patrick Cantlay (Round 4, 2021).
72 Hole Tournament Record (2016-current rotation):
259; Nick Dunlap (-29).
Fact of the Week:
Only six international winners from the previous 65 events.
Fact of the Week II:
Johnny Miller is the only player to defend the title (1975-76).
Notes:
Field of 156.
First multi-course event of 2024 and first pro-am.
The OWGR is represented by 19 of the top 50.
The top 65 and ties will make the cut and play the weekend after 54 holes (play each course once).
$8.8 million – $1.584 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.
Points are available for the Aon Next 5 for Pebble Beach qualification.
Recent Winners
2025 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor
The American Express
Farmers Insurance Open
2024 Season Winners
Event
Winner
The Sentry
Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express
Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach
Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open
Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational
Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia
88th Masters Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler (4)
Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship
Rory McIlroy (2)
106th PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge
Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open
Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49th Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler (5)
124th United States Open
Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler (6)
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Cam Davis
John Deere Classic
Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open
Robert MacIntyre (2)
152nd Open Championship
Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics
Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open
Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship
Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship
Scottie Scheffler (8)
FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship
Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship
Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship
Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open
JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ
Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ
Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy (first time)
Recent Winners – The American Express
Italics – not entered this week.
Year
Winner
Notes
2024
Nick Dunlap (-29)
First amateur to win on TOUR since 1991; First TOUR start (sponsor’s exemption); Tournament scoring record.
2023
Jon Rahm (-27)
Played in the final group with Davis Thompson and beat him by a shot to win for the second time.
2022
Hudson Swafford (-23)
Defeated Tom Hoge by two shots to win for the second time.
2021
Si Woo Kim (-23)
Only made two bogeys for the week on the SC/NT rotation to win by one.
2020
Andrew Landry (-26)
Tied the tournament scoring record winning by two.
2019
Adam Long (-26)
Became the first rookie to win since Jhonattan Vegas (2011).
2018
Jon Rahm (-22)
Needed a playoff to knock off Andrew Landry.
2017
Hudson Swafford (-20)
Wet, windy weekend produced the highest winning total in the new rota.
2016
Jason Dufner (-25)
Saw off David Lingmerth in a playoff in the first iteration of Stadium Course, Nicklaus Tournament Course, and LQCC
Angles
The Nicklaus Tournament Course plays to Par-72 and 7,147 yards. Playing 7,000 square feet on average, the Overseeded Poa annua greens are the largest of the three courses. Dylan Wu (2023) and Will Zalatoris (2022) have posted 61 here.
La Quinta Country Club is known for premium putting surfaces and usually plays the easiest of the trio. All three courses have minimal rough and green speeds that won’t exceed 11 feet. Playing to Par-72 and 7,060 yards, it ranks as one of the easiest tracks on TOUR annually. Adam Hadwin posted 59 in Round 3 in 2017.
All nine winners have posted 20-under or better to win and have ranked in the top 10 in Par-4 and Par-5 scoring.
The HIGHEST cut in this rotation in the last three editions was 7-under. The LOWEST cut in this rotation was 13-UNDER-PAR last year.
First tournament with Poa annua greens.
Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action:
Davis Thompson (+4000): Runner-up in 2022 can send it and putt it. Good combo.
Harry Hall (+4500): After making nine birdies in one round at Kapalua, his career-best, he put 10 circles on the card in Round 1 at the Sony Open. The Las Vegas resident has cashed T14 or better in his last five on TOUR, including T10-T8 to open the new season. Bang.
Cameron Young (+4000): Ok, I’ll bite. He putted GREAT at Kapalua and hit it like shit. ANYTHING with the flat stick this week and he should contend.
Nick Dunlap (+5500): First defense. No back-to-back winner since Johnny Miller in the mid-1970s. No, thank you. Let him enjoy the love this week.
Nico Echavarria (+6000): Here it is: Four T6 or better results in his last six include a win, T2, and a playoff loss last week. I mean…
Eric Cole (+7000): Posted 20-under through 54 holes last year, but an even-par 72 in Round 4 knocked him back to T21. Lesson learned. Solo fifth last week at Waialae with 23 birdies (T1).
Adam Hadwin (+7500): A perfect nine from nine comes with three podium finishes and five total top-10 results.
Rico Hoey (+10000): Super tee-to-green, he hit the podium with T3 in Las Vegas.
Alex Smalley (+10000): Three straight in the T20 range.
Andrew Putnam (+12000): Seven straight. T36 or better in six.
Frankie Capan III (+15000): No pressure and handled a few shootouts on the KFT last season. Play freely.
Sam Ryder (+27500): Cashed in six of seven visits. Toss him in.
Taylor Montgomery (+40000): If his shoulders feel good, his putter can bail him out.
Good luck!
One and Done – Spotter’s Game
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.
With EIGHT Signature Events spread throughout the season, player management becomes a major issue. These events do NOT include the four majors or THE PLAYERS Championship. These events do NOT include the FedExCup Playoffs. This game ends with the BMW Championship.
That was a wild ride, man! For the sake of my sanity, I will NOT relieve his putting woes from inside 10 feet in this column. Sitting three back entering the final round, I was pleased to have a chance. I’ll take this result and run. Nothing wrong with back-to-back T10 or better to start.
Event
Selection
Place
Earnings
The Sentry
Sungjae Im
3rd
$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
Russell Henley
T10
195,025
The American Express
Farmers Insurance
THIS WEEK – The American Express
Back to the mainland this week for the first Pro-Am and multi-course event!
Two major differences this week:
Pro-Am
Three courses in play = 54-hole cut
Over the years, this event has had the full bingo card of winners. Major champions, journeymen, youngsters, veterans, and everything in between.
When a minimum of 20-under is required to contend, heck last year that was good for T21, anything can and does happen. The previous two years, 10-under or better was required to play on Sunday.
The Stadium Course has just enough trouble to turn 64 into 74 but in classic Pete Dye design, great shots result in fantastic scoring chances.
There’s too much volatility this week for me to worry about a top 10 or winner from a premium player.
MY CHOICE: Course Horse Adam Hadwin
Others to consider
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Davis Thompson, J.T. Poston, Si Woo Kim, Tom Hoge
Glass Houses 