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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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!

Farmers Insurance Open 2024

January 23, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Farmers Insurance Open

Torrey Pines Golf Club

South Course (Host)

North Course

San Diego, CA

THE TOURNAMENT STARTS TOMORROW – READ THE PREVIEW MATERIAL HERE

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:

Xander Schauffele (+900): If Torrey equates to a U.S. Open “lite” not many play the U.S. Open better than the native San Diegan.

Patrick Cantlay (+1000): The 76 on Sunday last week should have put him back in the lab quickly on Monday morning. Weird that he’s playing this week considering his lack of reps here.

Collin Morikawa (+1100): Couldn’t hit it any better than last year (No. 1 Fairways and No. 2 GIR). It’s always the putter to get him over the hump. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t in the top 20.

Max Homa (+1100): A champion who has defended before at Fortinet, he’s the only favorite to do the business here. Super player. Every week. Any week.

Ludvig Aberg (+1800): If you pick him every week, you will be right again eventually. Too many trends working against him. You do you.

Sungjae Im (+2200): Doesn’t miss here (5-5) and the last two are in the top six. One of his two winds was a grinder at PGA National so he won’t mind tough conditions. Again.

Min Woo Lee (+2500): Like Aberg, there’s a learning curve here. The list of recent winners here, sans Rahm, needed five or more reps. Wonderful talent.

Tony Finau (+2500): I’d make a joke here about putting, but he should know every inch of these greens by now.

Jason Day (+2500): Yep. Let’s go. All of the shots, all of the experience, and all of the confidence. Day-Finau exacta.

Keegan Bradley (+2800): Loves the West Coast as well. Cashing six straight, half have paid in the top five, including solo second last year. Tough lay down.

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.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye on Kikuyu at four inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	82/1/1
Architect(s):	William P. Bell & William F. Bell (1957).
Defending Champion (event):	Max Homa (-15).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Jason Day (2018, 2015) and Brandt Snedeker (2016, 2012).
Course Record (last):	62; South Course – Tiger Woods (1999). 61; North Course – Brandt Snedeker (2007).
72 Hole Tournament Record (last)	266 (-22); Tiger Woods (1999).
Fact of the Week:	Since 1990, three players have made FIO their first win on TOUR.
Fact of the Week II:	Since 1990, two players have won on debut.

	North Course
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,258
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Tyee 007 Bentgrass; 6,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	12 feet.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye on Kikuyu at four inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	42/0/1
Architect(s):	William P. Bell & William F. Bell (1957). Tom Weiskopf (2017).
Course Record (last):	61; North Course – Brandt Snedeker (2007).
72 Hole Tournament Record (last)	266 (-22); Tiger Woods (1999).
Fact of the Week:	Only Woods and Mickelson have won this event more than twice. Neither are entered this week.
Fact of the Week II:	Four of the last five winners started on the NORTH Course.

Notes:

Field of 156.
18 holes on each course and then cut to the top 65 and ties.
South Course hosts Rounds 3 and 4.
The OWGR is represented by 20 of the top 50.
Top 65 and ties will make the cut and play the weekend after 54 holes (play each course once).
$9 million – $1.62 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.
Last chance to get into the Aon Swing 5 for Pebble Beach next week.

Current Aon Swing 5 (*entered this week)

Grayson Murray

Christiaan Bezuidenhout*

Justin Thomas

Kevin Yu*

Carl Yuan*

Next 5

Michael Kim*

Matthieu Pavon*

Keith Mitchell*

Ryo Hisatsune*

Taylor Pendrith*

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
AT&T Pebble Beach

Recent Winners – Farmers Insurance Open

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Max Homa (-13)	Closed with 66, co-round of the day, to come from five shots. Won by two over Keegan Bradley.
2022	Luke List (-15)	Defeated Will Zalatoris on the first playoff hole to become the second player to break his maiden at this event since 1990.
2021	Patrick Reed (-14)	Ran away to win by five shots over Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele and others.
2020	Marc Leishman (-15)	Became the fourth consecutive international winner in his 12^th attempt.
2019	Justin Rose (-21)	Won by two shots in his 9^th attempt.
2018	Jason Day (-10)	Won a three-man playoff to win for the second time.
2017	Jon Rahm (-13)	Won on debut by three shots.
2016	Brandt Snedeker (-6)	Didn’t hit a shot on the Monday finish after incredible weather rocked the event.

Angles

Better score on the North! Playing three shots easier and 500 yards shorter, making up shots on those 18 holes is required.

The South Course is really hard annually. Check the scorecard. There are 10 Par-4 holes and eight stretch over 450 yards. Half of the Par-5 challenges are 600-yards-plus.

Rough! Wet, overseeded Kikuyugrass (with Rye) will not shorten the longest track on TOUR from 2023.

Poa annua greens prepped to run 13 feet will be more of a challenge than the two stops in Hawaii and the pro-am from last week.

Fairways are hard to hit (less than 55 percent). Greens are hard to hit (less than 66 percent). Getting it close from around the green is hard. Holing putts outside three feet is hard.

The profile of the winner this week will be a big-time player with a full bag. The South Course could be used for a U.S. Open tomorrow. The 7,765 yards will eventually expose flaws. It’s not surprising that the winners here have had multiple chances or generational talent.

Pick better golfers!

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

Sepp Straka (+4000): The bigger the park, the better his chances. The Austrian thrives on approach and should be rewarded again this week.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+6600): The new baby arrived late last year and he’s plowing along like a proud papa. Last time he was in California he ran T6 at Fortinet. The last time he was on Poa he won $1.512 million.

Patrick Rodgers (+7000): The Quail Hollow angle is real. Ask Max Homa. Now, I know Rodgers hasn’t WON at QHC…

Keith Mitchell (+7500): All you can get. Thrives in this part of the world and will at Pebble and Riviera.

Taylor Pendrith (+9000): Because I was on him LAST WEEK. That’s just how this goes sometimes.

Taylor Moore (+11000): Won a difficult Copperhead Course last year that mimics Torrey Pines. T29 or better in five of his last six, all cashed.

Peter Malnati (+35000): Three straight T25 or better; includes T10 2021.

Chandler Phillips (+50000): Welcome to the big leagues. Let’s see if he can make it three on the trot.

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 on 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

Total Winnings:		1,019,892

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 – The American Express

MY CHOICE: Adam Hadwin – T6

Nobody is more comfortable on these three courses, and he has the scar tissues to prove it. The Canadian will look to make it eight from eight and add to his three finishes on the podium. In an event that’s almost impossible to handicap (see: Dunlap, Nick) AND NOW HAS AN AMATEUR CHAMPION added to its history, I’ll take the money and run.

Other to Consider:

Tom Kim: Tough laydown, especially after 66 to close at Kapalua to kick-start his 2024. His desert record is making me reconsider this pick until the first tee time on Thursday. Stay tuned. 2024 has been a damp fart for his investors. Missing the cut in a desert shootout was the last spot I thought I would fill on the bingo card this week.

Chris Kirk: T18-WIN in the last two weeks plus he closed 63-64 here last year for T3. Pulled a CANTLAY on Sunday and watched the entire field lap his 73. T47.

J.T. Poston: Copied, pasted. Baby is on the way! Go look at his results in the last six months. Absolutely flying. T11.

Justin Thomas: He’s not in any Signature Events until he qualifies. One leads to another. Saving him for the PGA Championship in his native state of Kentucky outside his birth city of Louisville is understood. T3. Look who’s in the Aon Swing 5! He’s not even in the field this week! Confident!

Patrick Cantlay: If you believe he is going to have a big 2024, I would not be surprised to see it start this week on these three tracks. Sat T10 entering Sunday on 19-under on a course where he holds the scoring record. Shot 76. Cashed T52. Golf. Bloody hell.

Longshots

Taylor Montgomery: When form meets course history…Beat six players.

Patton Kizzire: Probably not in THIS format. Probably everywhere else. The streak ended. There was no format for him this week.

This Week – Farmers Insurance Open

MY CHOICE: Jason Day

It was this week or next! You know this means he’ll win NEXT week, right? NO! THIS WEEK! Cashing T34 last week and T10 in Maui produced eight rounds of 69 or better. Now that the rust is off, time to go join Woods (8) and Mickelson (3) at the top of the food chain in La Jolla.

Other to Consider:

Tony Finau: Making his 10^th visit, he’s T24 or better in eight of nine. Over his last four, he’s hit the top 10 three times and MC once. For those of you playing safe or can’t decide, I’d start here. He will also defend next month in Mexico.

Max Homa: I’m going to save him for Riviera, but he’s defended once in California already at Fortinet (2021, 2022). The last player to successfully defend was Woods from 2005-2008 #FourPeat.

Keegan Bradley: Another proven player in big ballparks, he ran second to Homa last year, also closing with 66. Making his 13^th start, he will have a plan.

Sungjae Im: Looking to make it six-from-six, he will look to make it three straight in the top 10.

Longshots

Harris English

Patrick Rodgers

Taylor Moore

Sony Open in Hawaii 2024 Preview

January 10, 2024January 11, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

A full field in paradise!

Sony Open in Hawaii

Waialae Country Club

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

Weekly Readers:

Odds Outlook – click here

Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Golfbet articles from the entire crew – click here

DFS Angles – click here

My Venmo – @Mike-Glasscott

Welcome to 2024 and the new season.

For those of you who are just arriving for the first time, here’s what’s going on:

Please read the stuff above for the total experience.

Information changes from Sunday to Wednesday morning. If there is anything new/exciting/pertinent, I’ll add it in here.

This column is me. My thoughts, my humor, my fun, my opinions. I’m not here for grammar lessons, suggestions, or to charge you.

So shut up, keep up, and enjoy it.

If you have any questions, reach out.

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:

Ludvig Aberg (+1600): Started the week as the favorite, wasn’t the favorite Tuesday night, is the favorite again Wednesday morning. Posting 29-under at The RSM Classic is still ridiculous to type. Struggled in all phases last week but that won’t follow him to this flat walk. Get on him in live action after a bogey or two and get better odds!

Matt Fitzpatrick (+1800): Navigated a demanding Harbour Town last spring and won on the links of Scotland last fall. Like Aberg and Hatton, first-time participant at the event. No European or English or Brexit or or or has ever won this event.

Tyrrell Hatton (+1800): Same T14 as Fitzpatrick last week but did so with 62 (-11) in Round 2. Didn’t seemed pleased with much of anything so he’s in mid-season form. The argument for splitting the British duo can be made in his favor from the SG department. The counter would be he hasn’t won in three years anywhere in the world. Gambling!

Russell Henley (+2000): Winner 2013, P2 2022, and six of his 11 appearances are T32 or better.

Brian Harman (+2000): T5 last week in one of the biggest ballparks on TOUR. Weirdly, he’s posted only one top-10 result in 12 previous starts here (T4 2018).

JT Poston (+2500): Proven quantity in shootouts on either Bermuda or Bent. The fairway finder will be his key this week because the putter doesn’t take weeks off.

Chris Kirk (+2500): I’m not sure if he’s in the Ernie Els/Justin Thomas category. He will get a chance to prove me wrong. I’d chuck a tenner on him for a top 10 just in case.

Corey Conners (+2500): Ticks too many of the boxes for me this week. Win ticket.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Waialae Country Club.
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,044.
Par:	70 (35-35)
Greens:	TifEagle Bermuda; 7,100 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	11 feet.
Rough:	Celebration Bermuda at almost three inches inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	83/4/5.
Architect(s):	Seth Raynor (1927).
Defending Champion (event):	Si Woo Kim (-18).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record (last):	59; Justin Thomas (Round 1, 2017).
72 Hole Tournament Record (last):	253 (-27); Justin Thomas (2017).
Fact of the Week:	Waialae CC has hosted every event played since 1965 (no event 1970 anywhere).
Fact of the Week II:	Only two of the last 10 winners did NOT play at Kapalua the previous week.

Notes:

Field of 144.
Welcome to 13 of the 30 KFT graduates (10 others are alternates) and five of the 10 DP World Tour players who are eligible.
The OWGR is represented by 22 of the top 50.
Top 65 and ties will make the cut and play the weekend.
$8.3 million – $1.494 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2023 Season Winners

Italics – not entered

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

Italics – not entered

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii
The American Express
Farmers Insurance Open

Recent Winners – Sony Open in Hawaii

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Si Woo Kim (-18)	Shot 64 on Sunday to make up a three-shot deficit and knock out 54-hole leader Hayden Buckley by a shot.
2022	Hideki Matsuyama (-23)	Won a playoff over 54-hole leader and 2013 winner Russell Henley.
2021	Kevin Na (-21)	Shot 61 in Round 3 and held on to beat Chris Kirk by one.
2020	Cameron Smith (-11)	Matched the second highest winning score since 2000. Rain and windy conditions all weekend.
2019	Matt Kuchar (-22)	Won comfortably by four over Andrew Putnam.
2018	Patton Kizzire (-17)	Needed a playoff to win in just his second visit.

Angles

Waialae Country Club stretches to just 7,044 yards, one of the shortest courses on TOUR, and plays to Par-70.

The last ten victors have produced winning scores of 17-under or better nine times.

Of the last 10 winners, eight played the week prior at Kapalua.

Bermudagrass fairways, rough, and greens are in play again this week.

With greens averaging 7,100 square feet, Waialae ranks near the top of the largest putting surfaces on TOUR.

Bermuda rough is approaching three inches this week after a deluge on Monday.

Experienced players flourished in this event from 1997 through 2019. All but three winners were under the age of 30. Over the last four years, only one winner has eclipsed that mark. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.

The course record, 59, was set in 2017 by Justin Thomas (not entered), in Round 1. He would go on to win and smash the tournament scoring record by three shots as he posted 253 (-27).

The last four champions have represented the International team in the Presidents Cup.

The last five winners have needed four or more previous attempts.

The field of 144 contains 22 of the top 50 OWGR.

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

Eric Cole: Doesn’t gain many strokes off the tee but sits 19^th in SG: Approach and 13^th in SG: Putting.

Matt Kuchar: The 2019 champ sits fourth on the all-time money list and was T7 the last two years.

J.J. Spaun: Making 10 consecutive cuts, he’s producedT13 or better in three of his last five on TOUR.

Nick Taylor: I’m always looking to ride the trend, and the Canadian has cashed T32, T11, and T7 in 2023 in his last three here.

Taylor Montgomery: T8 last time out at The RSM Classic and T12 on debut here last year.

Austin Eckroat: The 54-hole leader last year finished second after T12 on debut in 2022.

Takumi Kanaya: Posting top-10 paydays in four of his last five on the Japan Tour, he will get another chance as a sponsor’s exemption this week.

Kevin Kisner: The television announcer try-out has ended. He returns to an event where he’s cashed T4-T32-T3 in his last three visits.

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
The American Express
Farmers Insurance Open

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

The second stop on The Opening Drive in Hawaii takes the TOUR to a familiar stop. Waialae has followed Kapalua in every edition since 1999.

Two major differences this week:

No Cut
Field of 144 players

This is not the time to fall in love, but if you had a big week last week (Theegala, Spieth, or a top-five selection) you absolutely can gamble.

The game has completely changed with the additional money added this year.

Winning $1.5 million this week is great, but that’s almost third place for a major, FedExCup Playoff event, THE PLAYERS, or seven more Signature Events.

If you’re one of those folks who plan out all your plays before the season, fantastic.

My approach is more art than science. There’s an old saying that guys peak for six to eight weeks annually. I’m trying to use that angle. I’m also a student of history. I will take in past victories, top finishes, trends, and even flippings of coins.

Last Week – The Sentry

MY CHOICE: Collin Morikawa – T5

One bogey gang. Not enough. #PickBetterGolfers

Others to consider/fade

Max Homa – Too many events in SoCal for me to use this week. He will defend at Torrey Pines, and Riviera is his personal open. I won’t talk YOU out of him, though. Posting four rounds in the 60s for 22-under didn’t even garner a top 10 (T14).

Xander Schauffele – Should interest the course historians at Kapalua, but the rust bothers ME. You gotta do you. I’ll save him for the U.S. Open or East Lake (if your game uses that event). Considering he played once in the fall, T10 (-24) was a decent haul.

Patrick Cantlay – Another quirk of mine is playing guys where they have won before. Memorial is his jam. Didn’t sign for anything worse than 5-under 68. That also wasn’t good enough to secure a top-10 payday (T12). Amazing.

Jordan Spieth – New folks, it’s either Augusta or Colonial for me. Maybe Pebble. Made a double on his third hole of the week. His next bogey came on his third to last hole. Making 435 feet of putts to lead the field didn’t hurt! T3.

Remember, not playing a guy is OK. There are 14 more chances to use them in BIG EVENTS this season. Of the top 25 OWGR, 21 are in this week. It should be difficult. It will be difficult all season.

Longshots

Sungjae Im – The best of three starts was his debut. He has gone in the wrong direction since. That direction included another top 10 plus solo 12^th. Coming off his first season in five without a podium finish doesn’t inspire, but he knows his way around tee to green. The Korean set the PGA TOUR record for birdies in an event with 34. Sadly, he also shot 73 in Round 3. T5 with 73 is amazing. Bravo! He made more birdies than Pars (30). Hahahahahahaha.

Sahith Theegala – Free roll. Winner at Fortinet in September. ELITE putter who finished 33^rd of 38 last year on these greens. He won’t do that again, promise! I guess I should have used one of these two LONG SHOTS, eh? Solo Second and $2.16 million.

This Week – Sony Open in Hawaii

MY CHOICE: Corey Conners

The last four winners have been his teammates on the Presidents Cup team. The last four winners have needed four previous attempts before hoisting the trophy. Hitting it great last week on approach, he was first or second Strokes-Gained in an elite field. Make a couple more putts this week, and we’re good.

Considerations

Eric Cole: Tough lay down this week. His form and function have been firing for months. Just a matter of preference.

Russell Henley: I won’t talk you out of him this week, but I prefer him on a tough ball-striking layout. Hairs split.

J.T. Poston: It shouldn’t be surprising that this is most of my lineup in Expert Picks.

Matt Kuchar: Nobody in the field this week has done it better at Waialae. It’s here or Harbour Town if you’re gonna ride. #ShorterTheBetter. If Conners is a WD, Kuchar goes in.

Hideki Matsuyama: Dead last in putting last week. Needed the best-putting numbers of his life to win this (his only top 10) two years ago. Careful.

Will Zalatoris: Hard to saddle a guy after 81 and 79 in his last official outing. Be patient.

Longshots

J.J. Spaun: I prefer him on Poa, but he’s been super consistent recently.

Chan Kim: Hawaiian native lit up the KFT late and has plenty of experience in the Pacific Rim.

FedEx St. Jude Championship – FedExCup Playoffs Event No. 1

August 9, 2023August 10, 2023 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Wordy, but accurate.

Time to put on your blue suede shoes and board the plane.

The field of 70 has one mission this week: Make the field of 50 next week. Having a big week will ensure that happens.

FedExCup St. Jude Championship

FedExCup Playoffs Event No. 1

TPC Southwind

Memphis, Tennessee

Weekly Readers:

Horses for Courses – click here

Betting Stat Pack – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Odds Outlook – click here

This Week – FedEx St. Jude Championship

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

Wash. Rinse. Repeat. If Scottie Scheffler (6/1) is in the field, he’s on the top of the heap. Check the stats below for more proof. With solo fourteenth as his best result, this is hardly his happy hunting ground. With difficult driving conditions and small targets for approach shots, this layout SHOULD fit him perfectly. Well-rested after three weeks off, I’ll be interested to see how quickly he knocks off the rust.

Runner-up at The Open Championship, Jon Rahm (8/1) has spent the last two weeks chasing his kids around. Posting top-10 paydays in two of his previous three visits, including T5 last year, he will have 72 holes to play himself back into shape. The stakes for the players at the top of the Bet365.com board are minimal. The studs have earned their place in the final at East Lake two weeks from now.

Rory McIlroy (9/1) completes the “normal” troika atop the board in the most important events on TOUR. Like his fellow stars above, he’s never lifted the trophy at FedExCup Playoffs, WGC-FESJI, or FedEx St. Jude Classic played on this layout. Leading by one after 54 holes in 2019, McIlroy settled for T4 after closing with 71. It would be daft to suggest he cannot win this week, but his focus will be on winning the FedExCup Playoffs for the fourth time at East Lake, two weeks from Sunday.

Patrick Cantlay (16/1) has confounded gamers recently, but this is his time of year. The last two seasons he’s perked up on the East Coast, winning the BMW Championship in Delaware and Maryland. His success here has been limited to T12 on his debut, while his last three haven’t been inside T20. Saving a win ticket for next week in Chicago, on his preferred Bentgrass, will be my angle.

If there’s a limited-field, no-cut event, the first name that jumps off the page is Xander Schauffele (18/1). Winning at East Lake in his first attempt at the FedExCup Playoffs in 2017, he served notice. The following season he added two more wins in fields with fewer than 80 players. Sitting No. 16 in the FedExCup standings, he’s hit the top 25 in 10 of his last 11 worldwide starts.

Viktor Hovland (18/1) ripped late spring to shreds with top-10 paydays at the first two major championships of the season before finally breaking through at the Memorial Tournament. Navigating a Jack Nicklaus design where the winning total was eight-under-par, the Norwegian won in a playoff to pick up his first win in the continental United States. His last four starts have collected T29 or better, with the best paycheck cashing T13. Making his fourth start in Memphis, his T20 payday was the best of his three visits.

Top 10/Top 20/Top 40

Sam Burns (30/1): The Louisiana native just needs to follow the river upstream to find another track where he’s played well. With five wins to his name, four have come on Bermudagrass greens, including his WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club earlier this year. Heat, humidity, and slick Bermuda should have his full attention this week. After losing a playoff in 2021 and cashing T20 last year, I know it has mine.

Matt Fitzpatrick (35/1): The Englishman has gone off the boil recently. With three top-10 paydays from four starts in the home of the blues, I’m hoping the tight fairways and small greens perk him back to life. One of only two players who entered this week with three top-10 results, I’ll back him to add to his total.

Byeong Hun An (55/1): Hitting the podium in two of his last three events, the Korean will look to add to the list of first-time winners on this track. Playing from the final group in 2020, his final round 73 dropped him back to T12. Matching his current form with a taste of blood makes for a more than decent chance this week.

Longer Shots

Use ’em wherever you see fit!

JT Poston (50/1): I believe in the heat. Top-10 paydays in four of his last five and is a fairway finder.

Andrew Putnam (125/1): A pair of top-10 finishes include a Sunday playing from the final group. Cashed seven straight entering this week.

Cam Davis (80/1): I love momentum. The Aussie needed a T7-T10 regular season finish to qualify. No reason to pack up and go home now!

Lee Hodges (90/1): Life changed with his dominant victory two weeks ago at the 3M Open in Minnesota. Playing his first FedExCup Playoffs last season, he opened and closed with 65 in Memphis and shared 13th place.

A few tidbits jumped off the page this week.

The last two winners on this property won for the first time on TOUR. Nobody has ever won on their first FedExCup Playoff event before Will Zalatoris (not entered; injured) did it last year. Camilo Villegas won the final two events in 2007, but not the first one. While Zalatoris defeated the top 124 players from the FedExCup Playoffs last year, Abraham Ancer (not entered) knocked out the 65 eligible players in the WGC-FESJI in 2021. The champions from 2014 through 2022 are not eligible or playing this week.

The last two events on the property have resulted in playoffs. Last year a total of 15-under was necessary to play extra holes. It took 16-under to win the 2021 edition. Par is a solid score, but the last three editions have produced 30 players posting 10-under or better.

Not surprisingly, the scoring average has remained sub-70 since the field was reduced to WGC status followed by the top 125 in the FedExCup last season. The elite players, and fewer of them, will not produce scores which, will inflate the scoring average. With the pressure and prestige of cashing in a FedExCup event or WGC opportunity, each shot will be more measured, especially with the prize pools and status awaiting the top finishers.

The bubble entering FedExCup Playoffs Event 1:

45. JT Poston

46. Tom Hoge

47. Mackenzie Hughes

48. Cameron Young

49. Lucas Glover

50. Nick Hardy

51. Alex Smalley

52. Thomas Detry

53. Taylor Montgomery

54. Davis Riley

55. Brandon Wu

The winner takes home $3.6 million of the $20 million purse, plus 2,000 FedExCup points.

NOW PLAYING:

Beginning last September in Wine Country, the PGA TOUR season concluded last week on Tobacco Road. Only the top 70 players from the season-long-FedExCup standings, who survived the previous 44 events, were presented with a ticket to win the FedExCup Championship.

For the second consecutive season, the FedExCup Playoffs will begin at TPC Southwind in Memphis. The design from Ron Prichard has hosted an event since its inception on the PGA TOUR in 1989. The club has hosted three World Golf Championship events and the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs in the last four seasons.

Playing to Par-70, the design has never stretched over 7,300 yards. Tipping at 7,243 yards, TPC Southwind has 11 water penalty areas and 419 Bermudagrass rough off the tee to provide the defense. Into the greens, some of the smallest on TOUR at 4,200 square feet on average, Champion Bermuda provides the perfect surfaces to hole birdie putts and save pars from off the green. This year, there isn’t a pesky 36-hole cut to worry about. Everyone will have four rounds to attempt to advance to the BMW Championship next week in Chicago at Olympia Fields (North Course).

Good luck.

Host Course	TPC Southwind
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,243.
Par:	70 (35-35).
Greens:	Champion Bermudagrass; 4,200 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	12.5 feet.
Rough:	419 Bermudagrass at 2.5 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	75/11/11
Architect(s):	Ron Prichard (1988).
Defending Champion (event):	Will Zalatoris (not entered).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record (last):	61; Tom Lewis (not entered), Round 3, 2020.
72 Hole Tournament Record:	261; Dustin Johnson (not entered), 2018.
Fact of the Week:	Harris English is the only previous winner in TPC Southwind (since 1989) history in the field this week.
Fact of the Week II:	If any player withdraws before the start of play, THEY WILL NOT BE REPLACED IN THE FIELD OR THE FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS.

Notes:

Field of 70.
The OWGR is represented by 40 of the top 50 players.
No-cut event.
At the conclusion of play, the top 50 players in the FedExCup Rankings advance to the BMW Championship next week in Chicago.

Season Winners

2022-2023 Season Winners

Event	Winner
Fortinet Championship	Max Homa
Sanderson Farms Championship	Mackenzie Holmes
Shriners Children’s Open	Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Keegan Bradley
CJ CUP at CONGAREE	Rory McIlroy
Butterfield Bermuda Championship	Seamus Power
Mayakoba Championship	Russell Henley
Cadence Bank Houston Open	Tony Finau
The RSM Classic	Adam Svensson (first TOUR win)
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

Recent Winners – TPC Southwind

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2022	Will Zalatoris (-15)	Defeated Sepp Straka in a 3-hole playoff to win for the first time on TOUR.
2021	Abraham Ancer (-16)	Knocked out Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama in a playoff to win for the first time on TOUR. World Golf Championship event.
2020	Justin Thomas (-13)	Won by three shots over four players not in the field this week.
2019	Brooks Koepka (-16)	Blew away Rory McIlroy by six shots in the final group to win the first WGC-FESJI event here.
2018	Dustin Johnson (-19)	Won the final regular TOUR event here before the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Last Week – Wyndham Championship

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

Hideki Matsuyama (18/1) is the co-favorite this week though he hasn’t produced a top-10 payday since THE PLAYERS Championship in May. Currently No. 56 in the FedExCup standings, he’s signed for three top-15 paydays from seven tries in Greensboro. The highlights include T3 in 2016 and T11 in 2018. Not. Even. Close. Bud. MC 71-74.

The 2016 winner, Si Woo Kim (18/1), joins Matsuyama at the top of the board. The Korean held a two-shot lead after 54 holes in 2021 before he was left behind for T3 by Jim Herman on Sunday. The 28-year-old Korean, who has posted rounds of 60 and 62 in his four top-five finishes here, has already won a shoot-out this season at the Sony Open in Hawaii and posted 22-under to share second at the AT&T Byron Nelson in May. T33.

Sungjae Im (20/1) resides in this column weekly outside of the major championships. Sadly, for bettors, his recent run of form should scare off any takers again this week.

BUT.

After missing the cut in four of his last eight appearances on TOUR, the return to Bermudagrass is my angle this week. Last spring, he rattled off T6 at THE PLAYERS, T7 at RBC Heritage, solo sixth at TPC Louisiana, and T8 at Wells Fargo, all on Bermudagrass. His previous four visits to Sedgefield have included three top-10 paydays, including T2 last year. Putting him in play this week makes sense. Nope, still no top-10 payday since May. T14.

Russell Henley (20/1) should have won this event in 2021. He led by three entering the final round, but a closing 71 saw him miss the six-man playoff by a shot. Missing a putt for par on the final hole saw him miss out on the six-man playoff. With three consecutive trips inside the top 10 at Sedgefield, the Georgia native has proven his worth in Greensboro. The last time he played in this part of the world, he cashed T4 at Augusta National and followed it up with T19 at RBC Heritage. His only missed cuts in the last three months are the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. I’m not sure he makes enough birdies to contend, but his recent results at this event tell a different story. T2

Sam Burns (25/1) has produced just one top-10 paycheck since winning in March at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. The Louisiana native has won on Bermudagrass in four of his five wins on TOUR. Changing grass may sound mundane, but players who grew up on Bermudagrass simply prefer Bermudagrass. In his only appearance in 2020, he closed 65-65 for T13 and posted all four rounds in the 60s. His return this season tells me all I need to know. Sitting No. 19^th in the FEC standings, it’s obvious he doesn’t need the points. Heavy lean. T14.

Denny McCarthy (25/1) is a better putter, statistically, than Burns, but doesn’t have the four wins, or any wins, to match. Knocking on the door with T11 or better payoffs in five of his last nine on TOUR, he posted 60 at the Travelers and posted 18-under. Before missing the cut at The Open, he signed for more birdies posting 16-under at the John Deere Classic. Bouncing back to Bermuda won’t bother him! Nice 25/1 exacta with these last two. Didn’t see that MC coming down the tracks!

Top 10/Top 20/Top 40

JT Poston (28/1), the 2019 winner, will look to become the only two-time winner at Sedgefield since 2008. He was inches away from making the 3M Open more interesting than expected last Sunday before finishing T2. His response after the tournament was great. He’s playing to win and doesn’t care about anything else standing in the middle of the fairway late on Sunday. T7 pays at this window.

Alex Smalley (35/1) is no stranger to this part of the world. The Duke alum has not missed in his two previous starts the last two seasons and has cashed twice in the top 30.MC

Byeong Hun An (40/1) hit the podium here in 2019 and has been playing well recently. Made a hole-in-one yesterday! T2. Boom.

Eric Cole (66/1) or Ben Griffin (70/1) could fit in this spot. Both are excellent putters, but Griffin was solo fourth last year closing 64-64. Nobody has more rounds in the 60s than Cole this season as he can really roll the rock as well. Cole did, T14. Griffin, MC, did not, but will enter the playoffs at No. 70. Whew.

Andrew Putnam (70/1) – T27

Garrick Higgo (75/1) – MC

Longer Shots

Use ’em wherever you see fit!

If Webb Simpson (80/1) is going to factor, this is the week. I’m not headlining my card with him, but his record here (2011 win; 9 top 10s) from 12 weekends in 14 starts is ridiculous. Sprinkles on the top 10, top 20, and top 40 markets, just in case. T5 and a nice payday!

Brandt Snedeker (175/1) flashed just enough signs of life last week at TPC Twin Cities for me to take a nibble this week. Playing himself back into tournament shape after sternum surgery, finishing his season on a familiar track should have his full attention. T45.

Chesson Hadley (100/1) is from Raleigh and has produced his best two paychecks (T8, T15) in his last two visits. Picking up his first top-10 payday of the season two weeks ago at Barracuda, I’m not worried about his current form. Cashing T27 last week at the 3M Open will not hurt his confidence.T33.

OAD – 2023 Spotter’s Game

Already Burned

Sungjae Im – Maui

Tom Kim – Sony

Tom Hoge – AMEX

Viktor Hovland – Pebble

Xander Schauffele – WMPO

Max Homa – Riviera

Shane Lowry – Honda

Tyrrell Hatton – API

Akshay Bhatia – PRO

Jason Day – THE PLAYERS

Justin Rose – Valspar

Cam Percy – Corales

Scottie Scheffler – WGC MP

Rickie Fowler – Valero

Jordan Spieth – Masters

Collin Morikawa – RBC Heritage

Billy Horschel – Zurich

Nicolai Hojgaard – Mexico

Rory McIlroy – WFC

Adam Scott – ATTBN

Brooks Koepka – PGA Championship

Chris Kirk – Colonial

Patrick Cantlay – Memorial

Matt Fitzpatrick – RBC CO

Jon Rahm – US Open

Harris English – Travelers

Davis Riley – RMC

Adam Schenk – JDC

Tommy Fleetwood – Scottish Open

Cameron Smith – The Open

Cameron Young – 3M Open

Denny McCarthy – Wyndham

This Week – FedEx St. Jude Championship

Sam Burns

Just missed: Russell Henley, Brian Harman, Jason Day

Last Week – Wyndham Championship

Denny McCarthy – MC

Just missed: Russell Henley – T2, Si Woo Kim – T33, Eric Cole – T14

Round 2 Thoughts: Sentry Tournament of Champions

January 9, 2021 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Modern English would stop the world to melt with you.

Harris English is looking to pick up his first win on TOUR since 2013.

Two rounds in the books in Maui

Leaderboard after Round 2 @Sentry_TOC:

1. @Harris_English -14
T2. @DanielBerger59 -12
T2. @Collin_Morikawa
T2. @RyanPalmerPGA
T2. @JustinThomas34
T6. @XSchauffele -11
T6. Brendon Todd
T6. Sungjae Im
T6. @PReedGolf pic.twitter.com/7bMETfvJIi
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 9, 2021

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Round 1 Thoughts: Sentry Tournament of Champions

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Defending champ Justin Thomas joined Harris English with 65 (-8) to share the lead after Round 1.

Thomas is looking to join Australians Stuart Appleby and Geoff Ogilvy as back to back champs.

Just in case you need a reminder, JT is really good at Kapalua.

He’s 40-under-par in his last nine rounds here. 😳 pic.twitter.com/XYr7szBLLj
— Sentry Tournament of Champions (@Sentry_TOC) January 8, 2021

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18 Thoughts: Round 2 Farmers Insurance Open 2020

January 25, 2020 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Moving Day at Torrey Pines South is delayed so read this to pass the time.

Or go putt.

And it begins. pic.twitter.com/M64CEzQDP7

— Tiger Tracker (@GCTigerTracker) January 25, 2020

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18 Thoughts: FIO 2020 Round 1

January 24, 2020 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

1.) Bassy Cappelen has joined Bassy Munoz on #TeamBassy. Backing up his T6 last week at AMEX with a stunning 66 on the South Course to lead.

2.) Yeah, I said LEAD, because the North is playing, as usual, easier than the South so kudos to the low ones on the host course. Keegan Bradley doesn’t care what I think as his 66 on the North paced that half of the field.

3.) Tiger. Tiger. Tiger. 69. Nice.

The Tiger effect. 🐅

📸😀 pic.twitter.com/aMs3nnk2MY

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 23, 2020

4.) Starting off the season HAWT for Rory McIlroy is nothing new. His 67 included seven birdies as he sits one back.

5.) Bubba’s back! First time since 2014 for the 2011 champ and he opened with 67 on the South Course. Lovely hole out eagle as well!

6.) Cameron Percy tossed up T11 at Sanderson Farms and T7 at Safeway entered on MC x 3. His 68 on the South Course was noticed.

7.) Gamers will be happy to see Pat Perez back in action with 69 on the North after he was a pre-tournament WD last week.

8.) Collin Morikawa hasn’t MC on TOUR. He opened with 70 in the circus group of Rahm and Woods. What bothers this kid?

9.) Jordan Spieth went out in 33 with four birdies before limping home in 37 for 70 on the South Course. Hot start, cold finish? Color me not surprised. Don’t forget he’s posted 63 on the old North and 65 last year. Big day for him today and his investors.

10.) Of the last 10 winners, only Justin Rose (2019) and Ben Crane (2010) began on the North.

11.) Jason Day missed the Presidents Cup with back issues. He opened three-over thru six on the South before rallying for 73. He’ll need a low one, like the 64 he posted in 2018 en route to victory, on the North today to contend. He posted 73 in Round 1 in both his wins here.

12.) 70.7 North. 73.7 South. So yeah.

13.) There were zero, bogey-free rounds on the South. The North racked up five.

14.) Brandt Snedeker has also won here twice. His 69 on the North was good enough for T21.

15.) RICKIE. BRAH. COME ON, FAM.

16.) Gary Woodland was 1-under with five holes to play. He signed for 75 (+3).

17.)

Danny Lee withdrew after the first round @FarmersInsOpen due to back injury.

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) January 23, 2020

18.) Number of majors for Jack Nicklaus, who turned 80 earlier this week. Happy belated Golden Bear!

The American Express: 2020 Recap

January 20, 2020 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Andrew Landry showed guts down the stretch to create, throw-away and convert a six-shot lead to win for the second time on TOUR.

Nobody said it was gonna be easy! Had to dig deep for my 2nd @PGATOUR win! 😰😎

None of this would be possible without my family, team, fans, volunteers and everyone who was part of @theamexgolf. Thank you for the support! What an amazing week! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/eGsiBb65Nu

— Andrew Landry (@andrewlgolf) January 20, 2020

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Round 2 Thoughts: The American Express 2020

January 18, 2020 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Rickie Fowler has company as Scottie Scheffler has joined him at the top of the leader board.

Desert golf is breathtaking. 😍 pic.twitter.com/liw7w9IDEh

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 18, 2020

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Glass Houses

Fantasy Golf Only

Recaps

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

One and Done

Farmers Insurance Open 2024

Sony Open in Hawaii 2024 Preview

Sony Open in Hawaii

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

One and Done

FedEx St. Jude Championship – FedExCup Playoffs Event No. 1

FedExCup St. Jude Championship

This Week – FedEx St. Jude Championship

Top 10/Top 20/Top 40

Longer Shots

Last Week – Wyndham Championship

OAD – 2023 Spotter’s Game

Round 2 Thoughts: Sentry Tournament of Champions

Round 1 Thoughts: Sentry Tournament of Champions

18 Thoughts: Round 2 Farmers Insurance Open 2020

18 Thoughts: FIO 2020 Round 1

The American Express: 2020 Recap

Round 2 Thoughts: The American Express 2020