Rocket Mortgage Classic Preview

June 26, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

There indeed is only one way… TO ROCK

Rocket Mortgage Classic

Detroit Golf Club

Detroit, Michigan

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Quick Links:

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

Mike Glasscott: Rocket Mortgage Classic Tips

Win: Akshay Bhatia (20/1), Taylor Pendrith (28/1)

Top 10: Aaron Rai (15/4), Matt Wallace (11/2), Stephan Jaeger (16/5)

Top 20: Chandler Phillips (17/4), Troy Merritt (19/4), Jackson Koivun (11/2)

Mike Glasscott: Rocket Mortgage Classic Tips

Win: Akshay Bhatia (20/1), Taylor Pendrith (28/1)

Top 10: Aaron Rai (15/4), Matt Wallace (11/2), Stephan Jaeger (16/5)

Top 20: Chandler Phillips (17/4), Troy Merritt (19/4), Jackson Koivun (11/2)

NOW PLAYING: Rocket Mortgage Classic

Host Course	Detroit Golf Club
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,370
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Bent/Poa at 5,150 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	Pushing 12 feet.
Rough:	Kentucky Bluegrass at four inches and growing.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	87/1/1.
Architect(s):	Donald Ross (1916).
Defending Champion:	Rickie Fowler
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record	63; Multiple players. Stephan Jaeger Round 4 2023.
72 Hole Tournament Record:	262; Tony Finau (-26, 2022).
Facts of the Week:	Second of four Donald Ross designs used on TOUR for 2024.

Detroit Golf Club

The Donald Ross design from 1916 has survived the test of time but will be restored after the tournament ends next summer. Using 17 holes from the North Course and just one from the South Course, the composite course, a standard Par-72, plays 7,370 yards and has been turned over in four of five previous editions.

Previous Winners	Score	Par	Yards	Rank	Avg
2023 Rickie Fowler*	-24	72	7,370	49	69.919
2022 Tony Finau	-26	72	7,370	38	70.397
2021 Cam Davis*	-18	72	7,370	40	70.551
2020 Bryson DeChambeau	-23	72	7,340	40	70.051
2019 Nate Lashley	-25	72	7,340	42	70.113

Winner in a playoff is indicated with * – Italics = not entered this week

When the wind doesn’t blow, the soft, receptive greens, sloped from back to front in classic Ross style, can be had putting from below the hole.

Last year, the Par-5 holes produced birdies just over 50 percent of the time.

Half of the Par-4 holes measure less than 425 yards and can be attacked with wedges.

Only two of the four Par-3 holes measure over 200 yards. The other two are less than 175 yards.

The major defense is rough, four inches and growing of lush, wet, Kentucky Bluegrass, and any wind that will stymie iron play into the Bent/Poa mixed greens, smallish on average at 5,150 square feet.

There is only one water penalty area, and 87 bunkers slow down the scoring.

The course record is 63, last set in 2023 by Stephan Jaeger in Round 4. He is one of nine players to share the lowest round. 2019 winner Nate Lashley posted 63 twice during his march to a six-shot win.

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	Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship	Rory McIlroy (2)
106^th PGA Championship	Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge	Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open	Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49^th Memorial Tournament	Scottie Scheffler (5)
124^th United States Open	Bryson DeChambeau
Travelers Championship	Scottie Scheffler (6)

Rocket Mortgage Classic

The sixth consecutive event at Detroit Golf Club, three of the five previous winners are teeing it up this week.

Five previous tournaments have crowned five different winners and two were 100-1 or better before the event.

After three consecutive weeks of Signature Event-Major Championship-Signature Event, the field of 156 players includes just 10 of the 50 in the Official World Golf rankings, led by No. 16 Tom Kim.

The field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes. The highest cut in the previous five events is three-under par 141.

Australian Cam Davis is the only international winner.

All five winners have ranked in the top 5 in Par-5 scoring and posted 23 or more birdies.

First-time winners include Davis and Lashley.

The winner will take home 500 FedExCup points plus $1.656 million from the $9.2 million purse.

There are only six weeks left to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs!

Recent Winners – Rocket Mortgage Classic

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Rickie Fowler (-24*)	Defeated Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa, both not entered, in a playoff to win for the first time in four years.
2022	Tony Finau (-26)	Winning by five shots, he set the tournament scoring record and won for the second consecutive week on TOUR.
2021	Cam Davis (-18*)	Defeated Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann in a playoff to win for the first time on TOUR.
2020	Bryson DeChambeau (-23)	Won by three shots and was five clear of Kevin Kisner in third place.
2019	Nate Lashley (-25)	Set the course record of 63 twice, in Rounds 1 and 3, and won by six.

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
Zurich Classic	Nick Taylor	122,375
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Stephan Jaeger	112,100
Myrtle Beach Classic	Daniel Berger	20,350
Wells Fargo Championship	Sahith Theegala	47,000
106^th PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka	113,962
Charles Schwab Challenge	Taylor Moore	0
RBC Canadian Open	Mackenzie Hughes	295,316
49^th Memorial Tournament	Ben An	200,200
124^th United States Open	Xander Schauffele	639,289
Travelers Championship	Brian Harman	520,000

Total Winnings:		9,281,437

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 – Travelers Championship

The final Signature Event!

MY CHOICE: Brian Harman – T9

When you are as bad as I am, you play the SAFEST play, not the guy you believe will win.

I hate this game.

There are two theories this week. Play the hot guys or play guys who didn’t have to grind all four rounds in 90-plus-degree temperatures at Pinehurst.

To reinforce how low one must go at Travelers, Harman posted all four rounds in the 60s, played the weekend 65-62, and barely hit the top 10. His round of 62 on Sunday was not even the lowest recorded. Sepp Straka took that honor with 61.

Here are the winners from the Signature Events:

Chris Kirks (Sentry)

Wyndham Clark (Pebble Beach)

Hideki Matsuyama (Genesis)

Scottie Scheffler (Arnold Palmer)

Scottie Scheffler (RBC Heritage)

Rory McIlroy (Wells Fargo)

Scottie Scheffler (Memorial)

Scottie Scheffler (Travelers)

Pretty dominant by the OWGR No. 1

Others to Consider (from who I have available):

Hideki Matsuyama: I can’t argue his form or course form. Last time he played three weeks in a row he cashed T71. The fourth week in a row? He won The Genesis Invitational. Posting all four rounds in the 60s was good enough for T23.

Ludvig Aberg: At some point, I’ll pull the trigger. Some will argue it should be this week. I’m pointing to the demanding TPC Southwind in the first round of the FedExCup Playoffs. The ol’ 62-71 weekend ain’t gonna cut it here. T27.

Justin Thomas: Saving him for the hottest dog days of summer. One shot better than Harman and almost $200 grand wealthier. Sad! T5.

Tommy Fleetwood: Passport events only. All four rounds of 67 or better was good enough for 15^th.

Keegan Bradley: The defending champion usually plays well in this part of the world. I will not talk you out of playing him, but nobody has defended the title here since Mickelson in 2001-02. T39 and Mickelson is the only player to successfully defend the title this century.

Sepp Straka: Too many good results in too many big events. All he needed was 61 on Sunday to crack the top 25! T23.

This Week – Rocket Mortgage Classic

Welcome back to the rank and file!

Those not eligible for the Signature Events or did not qualify for the U.S. Open have had three weeks off to tune up their games for the six-week run-in that starts in Detroit.

Remember, only the top 70 qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs.

MY CHOICE: Akshay Bhatia

Trending perfectly upon arrival, the winner at Valero is probably playing his last event until The Open Championship. Posting three rounds or better of 65 at the Travelers, he’s ready for another shoot-out this week. Banging fairways and greens is his foundation, which always plays in a low-scoring affair. Circling 22 birdies and an eagle last week, that is the recipe again for the RMC.

Others to Consider (from who I have available):

Tom Kim: The Korean did everything but win last week. I’m splitting hairs, but I’ll take the additional power this week with 500 more yards of golf course.

Cameron Young: In his only appearance in 2022 he finished tied for second and posted 63 in Round 2. Firing 59 last week and holing putts should have plenty of attention on him this time.

Stephan Jaeger: The German is the safest play on the board this week. With a pair of top-10 paydays over the last two seasons, I won’t talk you out of him. Steady spaghetti.

Taylor Pendrith/Davis Thompson: Big sticks and solid putters.

124th United States Open

June 12, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Picturesque Pinehurst ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/5idmZvH80Q
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 11, 2024

124^th United States Open

Pinehurst Golf and Country Club

Course No. 2

Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina

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Quick Links:

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

Mike Glasscott: 124^th United States Open tips

Tony Finau (-138) v Wyndham Clark

This matchup is a story of two players going in two different directions. Finau has rattled off seven consecutive cuts, including five paydays of T18 or better. After watching his on-course interview during the round on Saturday, he seems at peace with his life and game.

Clark became the first player since 2009 (Lucas Glover) to win the U.S. Open the first time he made the cut (third attempt). The defending champion has a win this season at Pebble Beach but has missed the cut in three of his last five events, including both majors and last week at Memorial. Tossing in the responsibilities of being the defending champion and the extra duties that come with all the requests before the event starts doesn’t leave much time to tune up the golf game.

Sepp Straka (-110) v Jason Day

If this was Jason Day circa 2014, I would be all over the Australian and his chances. Cashing five times in the top 10 from his first six attempts, the 2015 PGA Champion has only made two cuts in his last five starts at this major. His fantastic short game will get plenty of opportunities this week.

Straka is hotter than a match. Back-to-back T5 paydays at two of the most demanding tracks on TOUR, Muirfield Village and Colonial added to his streak of T16 or better finishes since St. Patrick’s Day. The Austrian has not been bothered by big fields or difficult tracks and has a more well-rounded bag.

Matt Fitzpatrick (-125) v Max Homa

I’m keeping this one simple: I’m riding with the 2022 champion at The Country Club because he’s the better driver of the golf ball and it’s not close. Ranking ninth in Total Driving to Homa’s 90^th, I’ll lean on the guy who can reduce stress off the tee. The U.S. Open is not an event to spray the ball everywhere off the tee is conducive to contending. In nine previous attempts, the Englishman has played the weekend. Homa, making his fifth start, has played the weekend once (T47) and owns at 73.92 scoring average.

Bet365: Top of the Board

Scottie Scheffler (3/1): I’m running out of things to write. Picking up his fifth win of the season last week, he’s now lifted the trophy at Jack’s Place, Arnold’s Place, Harbour Town, TPC Sawgrass, and Augusta National. That’s a great CAREER. As my buddy Jay suggests, if you’re not paying 3-1, bet your guy in the market WITHOUT SCHEFFLER. Safety first.

Xander Schauffele (10/1): The PGA Champion worked the kinks out last week at Memorial and still hit the top 10 for the 10^th time in 14 events. I would give him the nod this week because of his short game and putting, but winning two major championships on the bounce is unlikely. Posting his eighth consecutive T14 or better at the U.S. Open is.

Rory McIlroy (11/1): Tuesday was a big news day at Pinehurst. Jon Rahm withdrew with an infected foot and McIlroy reconciled with his wife. The Hollywood ending for the man from Holywood, Northern Ireland, would be to win a major for the first time in almost a decade. Remember, the divorce papers were filed the Monday before the PGA Championship? Odd timing to say the least to have this all surround the middle two major championships.

Collin Morikawa (16/1): This time last week I thought he was ready to knock off Scheffler. He had a six-footer late in the round to tie the lead, but his putt went begging. I have seen nothing in his last three events that suggests smoke and mirrors. I’m playing another win ticket with and without Scheffler on him this week.

Viktor Hovland (16/1): The short-game numbers surrounding the 2023 FedExCup winner scare me to death this week. The greens here are visited, not held very often, and getting up and down is required. 2014 champion Martin Kaymer showed the way by using the “Texas Wedge” in his eight-shot victory. The Norwegian is starting to simmer.

Bryson DeChambeau (20/1): Placing in the top 10 in the first two majors, the 2020 U.S. Open winner is one of four players to accomplish that feat in 2024. My biggest concern THIS WEEK is his errant drives will not find four inches of Bluegrass where he can muscle up recovery shots. Bunkers and sandy, waste areas filled with wire grass will be too many variables to run through his computer. Unlucky bounces, perfectly struck irons that miss their target by a yard, and super-slick BERMUDA will cause him to overheat.

Ludvig Aberg (20/1): Playing in just his third major championship, the Swede has already solved Augusta National (2nd) but did not play the weekend at Valhalla. Making his first appearance at the U.S. Open, only Francis Ouimet (1913) won on debut.

Brooks Koepka (22/1): Time to flip his favorite switch. Making his 11^th start, he already has two championships and three additional finishes T5 or better. A quiet Masters (T45) and T26 and a less-than-demanding Valhalla should have his chili running hot. Pinehurst No. 2 is difficult and he should be in the mix Sunday afternoon.

Tommy Fleetwood (28/1): Over his career, he has found the top 10 three times from eight starts and has posted 63 twice. Write a top 20 ticket and get Dad something nice for Father’s Day.

Players to consider for Top 10 or Top 20 action:

Matt Fitzpatrick and Hideki Matsuyama each at 40/1 catch my eye. Both are excellent around the greens which will be a major factor in determining the champion this week. Both finished in the top 10 last week at Memorial and come into this week flying.

Cameron Smith (45/1): The Sandhills of North Carolina should remind him of the Sand Belt in his native Australia. Big landing areas off the tee will suit the weakest part of his game.

Sam Burns (66/1): Bermuda greens and a grind make for a lovely combination.

Denny McCarthy (110/1): The return to Bermuda will fit his eye. His super short game should move him up the leaderboard this week.

Harris English (125/1): Never missed in eight tries and has hit the top 10 in three of the last four.

Nick Dunlap (175/1): Won the North and South Amateur on Pinehurst No. 2 last summer. Top 25 in his last two starts on TOUR that were not majors.

JT Poston (200/1): The North Carolina native should feel at home on Bermuda. Firm and fast conditions will help the hyper-accurate driver keep up off the tee. The super putter will hole a few.

Gordon Sargent (500/1): The low amateur from 2023 returns for another crack.

Frankie Capan III (1000/1): Won the USGA Amateur Four-Ball here in 2017.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Pinehurst No. 2
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,548.
Par:	70 (35-35).
Greens:	Champion UltraDwarf Bermuda at 6,500 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	Championship speed. 13 feet plus.
Rough:	None.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	117/1/1 (water is 200 yards off the tee; not in play).
Architect(s):	Donald Ross (1907); Rees Jones (1999); Coore & Crenshaw (2011).
Defending Champion (event):	Wyndham Clark (LACC).
Defending Champion (course):	Martin Kaymer (-9).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Tiger Woods (2000, 2005, 2008) & Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018).
Course Record	65; Martin Kaymer (Rounds 1 and 2, 2014).
72 Hole Tournament Record:	271, 9-under; Martin Kaymer (2014).
Facts of the Week:	Martin Kaymer has not won anywhere in the world since winning the 2014 U.S. Open.

Pinehurst No. 2

The Village of Pinehurst, set in the Sandhills of North Carolina east of Charlotte and southwest of Raleigh-Durham, is the home of the famous No. 2 course.

Completed by legendary architect and resident Donald Ross in 1907, No. 2 has hosted every major USGA event dating back to the 1936 PGA Championship, plus the annual North and South Amateur.

Hosting the United States Open for the fourth time in history and the first since 2014, the Par-70 will play two yards longer, 7,548 yards, than the last edition when Martin Kaymer steamrolled the field.

The 2024 edition will feature Champion UltraDwarf Bermudagrass greens for the first time in the 124-year history of the event. Sturdier and more heat tolerant than Bentgrass, UltraDwarf thrives in the summer.

The green complexes, tilting slightly from back to front, have not changed and are the signature of Ross’s design. The pushed-up putting surfaces, resembling a turtle’s shell, repel shots that are not struck soundly or have the proper spin. After finding the fairways, getting a decent lie or making clean contact from the sandy waste areas littered with wire grass is the second challenge.

Bogeys will be prevalent, but short-game experts can save shots around and on the greens. There is no rough, just closely mown areas that will test the patience, putting, and chipping from shots that do not find the greenside bunkers.

The course has one water penalty area, but it is not in play for the best in the game, and there is no out of bounds.

After 21-under par was the winning score at the PGA Championship, I would be surprised if there were 21 people at par or better this week.

The post-2011 restoration course record is 65, set in Rounds 1 and 2 by 2014 winner Martin Kaymer.

Kaymer also owns the tournament scoring record on this routing and is just one of four contestants to play 72 holes under par. The other three are Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton (-1) in 2014 and 1999 winner Payne Stewart (-1).

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	Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship	Rory McIlroy (2)
106^th PGA Championship	Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge	Davis Riley
RBC Canadian Open	Robert MacIntyre (first time)
The 49^th Memorial Tournament	Scottie Scheffler (5)

The 124^th United States Open

The first event, held in 1895, consisted of ten professionals and one amateur and was held at the Newport Golf and Country Club in Rhode Island.

The previous 123 editions have seen four players win the event four times. Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus are the members of this exclusive club.

Tiger Woods, winner of three titles, and Brooks Koepka, winner of two championships, are both in the field. Koepka is the last player who successfully defended the title.

The loaded field of 156 players includes every golfer in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings, 13 previous event winners, and 28 major champions.

The top 60 and ties after two rounds, will play the final 36 holes.

There will be a two-hole aggregate playoff, if necessary, to determine a champion if there is a tie after 72 holes.

John J. McDermott, 19 in 1911, is the youngest champion.

Hale Irwin won his third title at 45 in 1990, becoming the oldest winner.

Only Francis Ouimet (1913) has won on debut and no player has ever made this event their first win on TOUR.

Wyndham Clark (2023) became the fifth consecutive champion to win their first major at this event.

Since 2010, every winner has ranked inside the top 40 in the OWGR.

The last four champions were 20-somethings.

In 1999, Payne Stewart became the last 40-year-old or older to win.

Jon Rahm, the 2021 winner at Torrey Pines, withdrew Tuesday afternoon.

The winner will take home 750 FedExCup points, the Jack Nicklaus Medal, and $3.9 million of the $20 million prize purse.

Recent Winners – U.S. Open

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Wyndham Clark (-10)	At 29, he became the fourth consecutive winner in the 20s and just second winner since Lucas Glover to be victorious the first time making the cut.
2022	Matt Fitzpatrick (-6)	At 29, he became the fourth consecutive winner in the 20s and just the second winner since Lucas Glover to be victorious the first time making the cut.
2021	Jon Rahm (-6)	Won his first major championship at Torrey Pines.
2020	Bryson DeChambeau (-6)	Won his first major championship at Winged Foot and was the only player to break par.
2019	Gary Woodland (-13)	The last player in their 30s to win the event. Defeated Brooks Koepka by three shots at Pebble Beach.

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
Zurich Classic	Nick Taylor	122,375
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Stephan Jaeger	112,100
Myrtle Beach Classic	Daniel Berger	20,350
Wells Fargo Championship	Sahith Theegala	47,000
106^th PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka	113,962
Charles Schwab Challenge	Taylor Moore	0
RBC Canadian Open	Mackenzie Hughes	295,316
49^th Memorial Tournament	Ben An	200,200

Total Winnings:		8,122,148

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 – 49^th Memorial Tournament

I’m done overthinking everything.

So I’m not thinking, PERIOD!

MY CHOICE: Ben An – T22

Too much heat! Too much power tee-to-green!

Too many players already used!

I didn’t have the winner or solo second to choose from. I guess Adam Hadwin was making up for lost time after missing the cut at his national open the week prior.

Others to Consider:

Patrick Cantlay: The course horse this week. Giddy up, if you can. And by giddy up, I meant RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN. MC.

Viktor Hovland: I’m never a fan of following in Tiger’s footsteps, but he isn’t concerned about that history. The 2023 FedExCup winner entered the weekend 6-under but shot 77-75 to drift to T15. He’s close.

Si Woo Kim: Risky, rewardy, but he’s rocked here since the renovation. Another top 15 (T15) payday.

Justin Thomas: If you believe he’s really, really close then fire away. I’m not crazy about any of these plays with a major championship next week. After closing with three straight bogeys, he settled for T33.

This Week – 124^th United States Open

No need to save guys anymore.

MY CHOICE: Xander Schauffele

The plan from the start of the season was to use him at Pinehurst and here we are.

With a win already under his belt and a MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP on the mantle, he should be free to go about his business and run down Scheffler.

Others to Consider:

Scottie Scheffler

Collin Morikawa

Brooks Koepka

Matt Fitzpatrick

Hideki Matsuyama

Tommy Fleetwood

Good luck! You’ll need it!

RBC Canadian Open

May 29, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

We stand on guard for thee!

RBC Canadian Open

Hamilton Golf & Country Club

Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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Quick Links:

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

Bet365: Top of the Board

Rory McIlroy (4/1): The two-time champion has racked up three top-10 paydays on three different courses, including T9 at Oakdale last year. With two victories in his last three starts on TOUR, I can easily make the case for him again this week. This field is nowhere near the depth of the PGA Championship, and with only one water hazard, he is free and clear to fire away.

Tommy Fleetwood (18/1): Making his third start in Canada, the Englishman has lost in a playoff and cashed T6 in his previous two appearances. Hamilton will be his third different course in three starts, and the changes won’t be new to him.

Sahith Theegala (20/1): The 2023 is an outstanding putter and doesn’t mind new Bentgrass greens. Finishing T12 at Valhalla, he continues to produce results on unfamiliar greens. The only weakness in his game is around the greens, but he sits in the top 32 of the other Strokes Gained categories.

Corey Conners (22/1): After the drought finally broke last year, I am starting my card with an Ontario native this week. The Listowel native, a two-time winner on TOUR, will not have a nation sitting on his shoulders. Asking him to play target golf and pound greens in regulation is the perfect recipe. If he makes a few putts, away we go!

Shane Lowry (25/1): Martin Ebert also oversaw the renovation at Royal Portrush, the scene of his only major championship. Finishing seven shots behind McIlroy in the 2019 event, the Irishman has cashed T12 or better in three of five weekends. After T6 at the PGA Championship, I can’t dismiss him.

Alex Noren (25/1): Cashing T26 or better in 10 of 12 events, the days of finding any value on the Swede are long gone. Sitting fourth in SG: Total and eighth in SG: Tee to Green, it’s easy to see why. Like Fleetwood, he’s still looking for his first win in North America.

Sam Burns (28/1): The new father tends to make money with the flat stick. Maybe a few quiet nights out of the country will rejuvenate his game!

Cameron Young (28/1): One of the best drivers of the golf ball on TOUR, he’s still looking for his first win. Finishing second at a hilly, tough-driving Innisbrook makes me take a second look this week. Cashing T63 at Valhalla, his third consecutive T34 or worse payday pushes me away.

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

Tom Kim (33/1): Making six cuts in a row, four have resulted in T30 or better. Something is cooking here, and I don’t want to be late.

Aaron Rai (40/1): Placing T3 and T13 the last two seasons suggests he enjoys golf in the Toronto area.

Adam Scott (40/1): Outside of a missed cut at Valhalla, the veteran has racked up T30 or better in five of his last six.

Erik van Rooyen (55/1): Cranking out frequent results of T25 or better since last fall, the South African has three top-10 paydays in his last nine.

Taylor Pendrith (60/1): The Canadian has not produced the goods on home soil, but he’s won and cashed T10 and T11 in three of his last four starts on TOUR.

Greyson Sigg (125/1): For the gamblers only! His last four starts have resulted in MC-T13-MC-T9. The 29-year-old sits 12^th in SG: Approach and 30^th in SG: Tee to Green.

Bud Cauley (175/1): Finishing T4 in 2012, it’s been a long road back to Hamilton. There are not many in the field this week who cashed a check in that edition. Kevin Kisner is the only other player in the field who cashed in the top 10.

Robby Shelton (225/1): Cashing T9 last week, he was second in Putting and T9 in Fairways.

David Lipsky (300/1): Finishing T9 at Colonial last week, he led the field in GIR. Now, about that putter…

Stuart McDonald (500/1): A winner on the PGA Tour Americas this spring, the Canadian played the weekend last year at Oakdale.

Mike Weir (2500/1): The Presidents Cup captain was T14 at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship last week in Michigan. Drop a loon on him to make the cut!

Mike Glasscott: RBC Canadian Open Tips:

Win: Corey Conners (22/1)

Top 10: Adam Scott (4/1), Shane Lowry (13/5), and Alex Noren (13/5)

Top 20: Taylor Pendrith (12/5), Greyson Sigg (15/4), and Ben Silverman (9/2)

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Hamilton Golf & CC
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,084
Par:	70 (35-35).
Greens:	V8 Creeping Bentgrass; 6,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	11 to 12 feet.
Rough:	Poa annua, Kentucky Bluegrass and Turf Tuff fescue at three inches plus.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	72/1/1
Architect(s):	HS Colt (1916); Martin Ebert & Tom Mackenzie (2019).
Defending Champion (event):	Nick Taylor (-17*) at Oakdale
Defending Champion (course):	Rory McIlroy (-22) 2019.
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Rory McIlroy (2022, 2019), Jhonattan Vegas (2017, 2016).
Course Record	61; Rory McIlroy (Round 4, 2019), Ben Silverman (Round 2, 2019).
72 Hole Tournament Record:	258, 22-under; Rory McIlroy (2019).
Facts of the Week:	Every tee box, bunker, and green complex was renovated after the 2019 event.

Hamilton Golf & CC

One of just two Harry S. Colt designs in Canada, Hamilton Golf & CC opened outside Toronto in 1916. Located in Ancaster, the club has 27 holes, but the event uses the 18 holes (West and South) designed by the legendary architect Harry S. Colt.

Martin Ebert and Tom Mackenzie renovated the entire property after the conclusion of the 2019 event. The 2024 edition will play 7,084 yards (Par-70), 117 yards longer than the 2019 tournament.

The tee boxes, greens, and bunkers were reconstructed, and a new irrigation system was added. The most noticeable change will be the return to the bunkering from Colt’s original design from photographs found at the club. The penalty for finding the sandy areas, 72 total, will include increased depth, jagged edges, and fescue “eyebrows.”

New tee boxes provide additional yardage, and the expansion of the putting surfaces features pin positions new to all.

Reducing trees throughout the property added new sightlines, fresh angles of attack, and better growing conditions for the turfgrass.

The elevation changes up and down the valley requires navigating sidehill lies and properly judging yardage.

For the third week in a row and fourth time in five events Bentgrass (V8 Creeping Bentgrass) will comprise the putting surfaces. The new, expanded greens, now covering 6,000 square feet on average, will provide bigger targets to attack. The Stimpmeter will run between 11 and 12 feet.

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	Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship	Rory McIlroy (2)
106^th PGA Championship	Xander Schauffele
Charles Schwab Challenge	Davis Riley

RBC Canadian Open

Preceded by the Western Open in 1899, the RBC CO, established in 1904, is the second-oldest non-major championship.

Hosting for the seventh time in history and the fifth time this century, Hamilton Golf & CC has crowned Bob Tway (2003), Jim Furyk (2006), Scott Piercy (2012), and Rory McIlroy (2023) as champions. As of Tuesday, McIlroy is the only one entered this week.

The invitational field of 156 players includes 12 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf rankings, led by No. 3 Rory McIlroy.

After two rounds the top 65 and ties play the final 36 holes. The last two editions at Hamilton produced cuts of 2-under (2019) and 1-under (2012).

Nick Taylor, the 2023 winner at Oakdale Golf & CC after defeating Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff, became the first Canadian to win this event since 1954.

The 2019 champion, Rory McIlroy, also won the 2022 edition. No event was played in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Jhonattan Vegas won the 2016 and 2017 editions at Glen Abbey.

The winner will take home 500 FedExCup points plus $1.692 million from the $9.4 million purse.

Recent Winners – RBC Canadian Open

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Nick Taylor (-17*)	First Canadian to win since 1954. Defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff by holing a 72-foot eagle putt at Oakdale.
2022	Rory McIlroy (-19)	Defended his 2019 title defeating Tony Finau (not entered) at St. George’s.
2021	No Event
2020	No Event
2019	Rory McIlroy (-22)	Equaled the course record, 61, on Sunday to win by seven shots over Shane Lowry.

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
Zurich Classic	Nick Taylor	122,375
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Stephan Jaeger	112,100
Myrtle Beach Classic	Daniel Berger	20,350
Wells Fargo Championship	Sahith Theegala	47,000
106^th PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka	113,962
Charles Schwab Challenge	Taylor Moore	0

Total Winnings:		7,626,632

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 – 78^th Charles Schwab Challenge

MY CHOICE: Taylor Moore – MC

My pal Chadders thinks he has a curse. Well, I just halted a streak of 15 straight for Moore at Colonial.

What a game.

Others to Consider:

Jordan Spieth: Those of you who have been saving him, it’s time. It’s time for him to get his wrist fixed. Imagine cashing T37 but hitting 39 of 56 Fairways (T2).

Tony Finau/Collin Morikawa: I don’t love the prize pool for using either of these two, but with the new greens they should be chomping at the bit. Finau cashed T17 after imploding with 75 on Sunday. Morikawa took home solo fourth after four rounds in the 60s.

Thomas Detry/Billy Horschel: Both are sizzling recently and can get it going with the putter. It has been suggested by TOUR pro Michael Kim that the approach play will be EASIER after the renovation, but the new grass will make it play firmer this week. Reaffirming there is no reason to ever stretch in this game, Detry cashed T56 and Horschel T24.

Tom Hoge: Played at Texas Chrisitan down the street and kills it on approach. T17, solid angle and payday if you went off the grid.

Mark Hubbard: If you’re looking to zig, he’s had too many good weeks in a row. T65 Taylor Moore’d it but with $19,292.

This Week – RBC Canadian Open

I’m loading up on any and all hockey players, curlers, and Tim Horton franchisees.

MY CHOICE: Mackenzie Hughes

I was surprised to remember I have used Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, AND Nick Taylor! Gotta go with what’s available!

Others to Consider:

Taylor Pendrith: The Canadian produced a spectacular run of results over the last month but was halted at the PGA Championship with a missed cut. Winner at TPC Craig Ranch earlier this season.

Adam Svensson: His victory was on a Par-70 with big greens at The RSM Classic two years ago.

Shane Lowry/Tommy Fleetwood: SOMEBODY HAS TO WIN THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, RIGHT?

Rory McIlroy: One angle this week is the field isn’t deep enough. The other angle is the prize pool isn’t worth it.

Good luck! You’ll need it!

78th Charles Schwab Challenge

May 22, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Welcome back, champ!@GrilloEmiliano | @CSChallengeFW pic.twitter.com/ZP8dVmnavC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 21, 2024

78th Charles Schwab Challenge

Colonial Country Club

Fort Worth, Texas

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Quick Links:

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

Bet365: Top of the Board

Scottie Scheffler (11/4): Last week, he was arrested, played a round without his regular caddie, Ted Scott, and still cashed T8. This week, he is home with his newly expanded family, sleeping in his bed, and presumably will not be going to jail. Only three players have beaten him in the last two events at Colonial.

Collin Morikawa (12/1): The disappointment of not being in the fight Sunday at Valhalla from the final group should provide the fuel this week. Cashing T4, he picked up his third top-10 result from his last four events. After the renovations on multiple greens and holes, I am leaning on the ball-strikers to lead the way.

Max Homa (22/1): I can’t get it out of my head that his worst results this season are on the smallest greens on TOUR. Cashing T9 last year, his best result from five visits has me conflicted.

Jordan Spieth (22/1): Playing across town from his Dallas home, investors are paying for his spectacular course form. The 2016 winner has cashed T14 or better in nine of 10 weekends. Cashing T10 at Valero the week before the Masters was the last time he was relevant on Sunday. If the switch is going to flip, this is the week.

Tony Finau (30/1): The man from Utah likes his golf in Texas. Missing the cut last year broke a seven-year run of T34 or better. Finishing second in 2019 and T4 in 2022, it’s obvious the layout fits his eye. A winner in Houston two years ago, his best finish of the season is T2 at Memorial Park.

Harris English (30/1): Pre-renovation, he would have had more of my interest. Super on and around the greens, he struggled last week at Valhalla tee-to-green. In six weekends, he’s never cashed out worse than T30.

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

Aaron Rai (55/1): Posting T7 in Houston and T4 at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, the Englishman thrives on approach (10^th).

Thomas Detry (55/1): Coming off T4 at the PGA Championship, all nine of his paydays this season are T28 or better, minus THE PLAYERS.

Mark Hubbard (75/1): Making his 15^th start of the season, he has played all 14 weekends previously. Top 50 in approach. Top 50 in putting. Never missed the cut in five tries and was T9 last year.

Lee Hodges (80/1): His T12 result at the PGA Championship featured T9 Fairways and T8 GIR. Heater.

Robert MacIntyre (110/1): Paired with Detry at Zurich, the duo posted T8 for the week. The Scotsman shot 68-69 and missed the cut at TPC Craig Ranch before rattling off T13 at Myrtle Beach and T8 at the PGA Championship.

Sam Stevens (125/1): The last time out, he posted T10 at WFC and cashed T29 on debut here last year.

Alex Smalley (200/1): Missing the cut in a major will not erase T20, T13, and T6 in his previous three on TOUR.

Jorge Campillo (200/1): Quietly sits 32^nd in SG: Tee to Green and has cashed T4, T24, and T18 in his last three starts. Vamos!

Ryan Palmer (500/1): Making his 21^st start, the member at CCC is looking for his first top 10 since 2019. Start with a Top-40 ticket and work your way up! Let’s gamble!

Mike Glasscott: Charles Schwab Challenge Tips:

Win: Tony Finau (30/1)

Top 10: Jordan Spieth (23/10), Collin Morikawa (29/20), Lee Hodges (13/2)

Top 20: Alex Smalley (5/1), Mark Hubbard (13/5), Ryan Palmer (9/1), Adam Schenk (11/4)

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Colonial Country Club
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,289
Par:	70 (35-35).
Greens:	007XL Bentgrass; 5,000 square feet on average (T-third smallest on TOUR 2024).
Stimpmeter:	12 to 13 feet. Brand-new Sub-Air system in use.
Rough:	TifTuf Bermudagrass at 2.5 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	64/4/6.
Architect(s):	John Bredemus-Perry Maxwell (1936); Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner (2023).
Defending Champion:	Emiliano Grillo (-8*)
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Zach Johnson (2012, 2010).
Course Record	61; 8 players (last 2018).
72 Hole Tournament Record:	259, 21-under; Zach Johnson (2010).
Facts of the Week:	Every blade of grass and every hole was modified during the 2023 renovation.

Colonial Country Club

Located in Fort Worth, Texas, the club opened in 1936. The John Bredemus-Perry Maxwell design found national acclaim by hosting the first U.S. Open in the South in 1941. The course also hosted the 1975 Tournament Players Championship and the 1991 Women’s U.S. Open.

The 2024 tournament will play to Par-70 and tips out at 7,289 yards, 80 additional paces than the 2023 edition. Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner renovated the entire property after the conclusion of play last May, above and below the soil, as part of a $20 million renovation.

The list of changes is extensive. The greens all have new 007XL Bentgrass, while the rest of the property received new TifTuf Bermuda sod (tees, fairways, rough, and approaches).

Holes were moved back while others were lowered, shifted, or both. Par-3 holes Nos. 8 and 13 had more dramatic changes and will present as they did in the 1940s.

Hogan’s Alley requires precision over power. Shaping the ball both ways off the tee and finding greens in regulation provide a solid foundation for contenders.

For the second week in a row, greens average just 5,000 square feet and are Bentgrass. The Stimpmeter will run between 12 and 13 feet. Players new to the event will not notice the changes, leveling the playing field to a degree.

The Par-3 holes stretch 194 yards or deeper, while the Par-5 holes, listed at 581 and 639 yards respectively, provide a tough scoring duo.

Hazards include 64 bunkers and four water penalty areas in play across six holes.

In 2023, the course ranked as the toughest, non-major Par-70 layout on TOUR.

The course record, 61, was last set by Kevin Na (not entered) in 2018.

Zach Johnson, the only two-time winner in the field, owns the tournament scoring record (-21, 259) in 2010.

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	Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Taylor Pendrith (first time)
Wells Fargo Championship	Rory McIlroy (2)
106^th PGA Championship	Xander Schauffele

Charles Schwab Challenge

The 78^th edition is the longest-serving, non-major championship event on the PGA TOUR.

The nickname Hogan’s Alley was contrived after native Texan and Fort Worth resident Ben Hogan won five times, including the inaugural event, and cashed 15 times in the top 10.

The invitational field of 132 players includes 21 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf rankings, including No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

Exactly half of the field, 66 players, took part in the second major of the season, the PGA Championship, last week at Valhalla.

After two rounds, the top 65 and ties will play the final 36 holes. The only time the cut has been under par in the last decade was 2-under-par for the 2020 edition in June.

Emiliano Grillo, the 2023 winner, joined 2014 winner Adam Scott to become just the second international winner in 10 years.

No player has won this event more than twice this century.

Sergio Garcia (not entered) is the last player to win on debut (2001). He joins Keith Clearwater (1987) as the only player to win on debut since 1967.

Ian Baker-Finch (not entered) was the last player to go wire-to-wire (1989).

The winner will take home 500 FedExCup points plus $1.638 million from the $9.1 million purse.

Recent Winners – Charles Schwab Challenge

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Emiliano Grillo (-8*)	Doubled the final hole but won a playoff on the second hole for his first win on TOUR since 2015.
2022	Sam Burns (-9)*	Sat 7 shots off Scheffler’s 54-hole lead, shot 65, won in a playoff beating his best buddy.
2021	Jason Kokrak (-14)	54-hole leader Jordan Spieth (-15) posted 73 from the final group and finished second by two shots.
2020	Daniel Berger (-15*)	Defeated Collin Morikawa in a playoff in a rare (COVID-19) June edition.
2019	Kevin Na (-13)	Knocked off Tony Finau by four shots.
2018	Justin Rose (-20)	Easily winning by three, the Englishman missed tying the tournament scoring record by a shot.
2017	Kevin Kisner (-10)	Stifled Spieth’s attempt at becoming the only repeat champion since Hogan.
2016	Jordan Spieth (-17)	Three-shot winner over Harris English.
2015	Chris Kirk (-12)	Won by a shot over Jordan Spieth, others.
2014	Adam Scott (-9*)	Needed extra holes to defeat Jason Dufner.

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
Zurich Classic	Nick Taylor	122,375
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Stephan Jaeger	112,100
Myrtle Beach Classic	Daniel Berger	20,350
Wells Fargo Championship	Sahith Theegala	47,000
106^th PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka	113,962

Total Winnings:		7,626,632

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 – 106^th PGA Championship

MY CHOICE: Brooks Koepka – T26

I’m going to strike while the iron is hot. A winner recently, that’s what I need to see. I had earmarked Justin Thomas for this spot for almost the entire spring, but it is this week or Pinehurst in THIS FORMAT for Koepka. I’m riding the heat.

I can’t believe he missed THAT MANY putts under six feet. Posting 12-under in three rounds, 74 in Round 3 sunk my battleship.

My plan to play Justin Thomas (T8) ALL SEASON would have been better, but whatever.

With Memorial (Cantlay/Hovland), the U.S. Open (DeChambeau/Schauffele), and Memphis (JT) the big-ticket items in the States left, I’m ready. The Open Championship will depend on the draw at Royal Troon.

Others Considered:

Rory McIlroy – T12, Scottie Scheffler – T8, Xander Schauffele – WIN, Bryson DeChambeau – 2nd, and Justin Thomas – T8.

This Week – 78^th Charles Schwab Challenge

Charles Schwab Field in Omaha is hosting the B1G Baseball tournament so it’s a busy week for Chuck.

I call it Colonial, sorry Chuck.

MY CHOICE: Taylor Moore

Playing the weekend in all 15 events this season, his full bag makes him a threat weekly. The native Texan, from San Angelo, shared second in Houston two weeks before the Masters, and cashed T12 last week at Valhalla.

Others to Consider:

Jordan Spieth: Those of you who have been saving him, it’s time.

Tony Finau/Collin Morikawa: I don’t love the prize pool for using either of these two, but with the new putting surfaces in play, they should be chomping at the bit.

Thomas Detry/Billy Horschel: Both have been sizzling recently and can get it going with the putter. It has been suggested by TOUR pro Michael Kim that the approach play will be EASIER after the renovation, but the new grass will make it play firmer this week.

Tom Hoge: Played at Texas Chrisitan down the street and kills it on approach.

Mark Hubbard: If you’re looking to zig, he’s had too many good weeks in a row.

Good luck! You’ll need it!

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

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

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

Eyes On (odds via Bet365.com)

Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele (4/1): Teammates too many times to count in international competitions, the California duo makes their fourth consecutive appearance in New Orleans. The buddies have cashed T4-WIN-T11 and are more than comfortable on this course and at this event. Both players rank in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings, the only team who can claim that. Cantlay picked up his annual podium at Harbor Town last week and Schauffele has cashed in the top 10 in eight of his last 11 starts.

Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry (15/2): Making their Zurich Classic debut, the international Ryder Cup teammates pair up for the first time on TOUR. The Florida neighbors are looking for the spark this spring to shift them into gear for the PGA Championship next month in Louisville. They won’t miss many fairways and greens, but two-putting every green won’t work in this cut-throat birdie-fest.

Sahith Theegala & Will Zalatoris (15/2): Running second to Scheffler last week, Theegala added another big finish to his last eight months on TOUR. The winner at Fortinet last fall has five top-10 paydays in 11 starts this season. Zalatoris, who cashed T4 with Nick Hardy in 2022 before missing last season with back surgery, has also been hot on TOUR. Picking up three paydays in his last six starts, the best of the bunch is T2 at The Genesis Invitational at Riviera. First appearance together.

Collin Morikawa & Kurt Kitayama (12/1): Back-to-back top-10 paychecks the last two weeks have turned the spotlight back on the two-time major champion. Partnerships with Hovland and Homa haven’t cracked the code so he’s trying his neighbor in Las Vegas. Kitayama has only missed one cut this season but has never missed the weekend in two trips to the Big Easy. Another pair that will need at least one putter to get Creole hot!

Nicolai Hojgaard & Rasmus Hojgaard (20/1): TWINS! After cashing T16 on his first visit to the Masters, the higher-rated Dane missed the cut at Corales. Playing four weeks in a row, he will be energized with his brother joining the action. Rasmus is playing for the first time since WD at the Hero Indian Open four weeks ago. There’s no time to be rusty when the cut usually requires 7-under or better to see the weekend.

Tom Hoge & Maverick McNealy (25/1): Too bad this event isn’t at Pebble Beach! Feasting on small greens, TPC Louisiana will provide slightly bigger targets than the famous coastal links. Hoge has never missed a start here since his 2015 debut. Missing the cut in two of the last three editions, this is the fourth consecutive year he’s used a different partner. McNealy, who missed twice with Joseph Bramlett, is the next man up. Cashing in eight straight, he navigated TPC Sawgrass for T9. Dating back to last fall, Hoge has rattled off 12-straight weekends and would have had another top 10 save for a NINE on the final hole at Harbour Town. Super ball-striker meets super short-gamer.

Nick Taylor & Adam Hadwin (25/1): Beginning the week 33/1, the Canadian duo has moved up the board the last two days. Already a winner this season at TPC Scottsdale, Taylor knows he’s auditioning with Hadwin this week for International Captain Mike Weir and the 2024 Presidents Cup in Montreal this September. Cashing in five straight events, Hadwin has produced three top-10 paydays in his last eight tournaments. Cashing T13 on debut in 2022, the runners-up from 2023 posted 63 in Foursomes in the final round, tying the record in that format. I’m expecting another big week.

Billy Horschel & Tyson Alexander (33/1): Teacher and pupil. The University of Florida Gators should be comfortable in the swamp. Winning last week in the Dominican Republic will just add to the fire for Horschel. Alexander has quietly cashed in his last three and six of eight.

Taylor Moore & Matt NeSmith (45/1): The first two times they partnered up, they shared fourth place each time. Opening with 60 in 2022, they returned last year to post 26-under, a score that would have won four of the six previous editions.

Davis Thompson & Andrew Novak (45/1): The birdie machine, Thompson, pairs up with the SG: Approach machine, Novak. The Sea Island pals have been piling up the top-25 results individually in early 2024.

Kevin Yu & C.T. Pan (70/1): Trying to prove to Mike Weir that they should be included in the Presidents Cup, the duo from Taiwan will rely on tight ball-striking to give the putters plenty of chances to heat up. The top 10 results have dried up since the calendar changed to March. Countrymen coming together should inspire.

Pierceson Coody & Parker Coody (80/1): The twins from Texas both found the top 20 last week in the Dominican Republic. Pierceson signed for T18, and Parker cashed his best finish on TOUR with T6. Pushing each other, they won’t need any impetus to get it going in the bayou this week.

Charley Hoffman & Nick Watney (300/1): One of only two teams to play in the previous six events, the veteran duo will rely on the recent form of Hoffman. The Southern California native ran second in Phoenix and shared fourth last week at Corales. Watney’s best days are possibly behind him, but if there’s one final charge, this tournament may provide it.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	TPC Louisiana
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,425.
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Poa Trivialis overseed (TifEagle Bermuda); 5,225 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	12.5 feet.
Second Cut:	Ryegrass Overseed at 2 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	106/7/8.
Architect(s):	Pete Dye (2004).
Defending Champion (event):	Nick Hardy & Davis Riley (-30)
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	No team has won twice.
Course Record (latest):	59; Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele (2022, Round 1).
72 Hole Tournament Record (April):	258; Nick Hardy and Davis Riley.
Fact of the Week:	All six winning totals have been 20-under par or better.

TPC Louisiana

The fourth Pete Dye design of the season and second course in back-to-back weeks, TPC Louisiana opened in 2004.

Hosting the Zurich Classic of New Orleans every year save two since 2005, no other course has hosted the team event since the 2017 inception. Every edition of the team game has played at Par-72 and 7,425 yards.

Carved through the swamps of the bayou, 106 bunkers, eight holes with water penalty areas, and two inches of TifSport Bermuda rough complement the risk-reward concept.

Fairways are not generous and the putting surfaces rank inside the top five of smallest on TOUR, averaging just 5,225 square feet.

Poa Trivialis putting surfaces, common this time of year before the TifEagle takes over, will run at 12 feet.

Registering 30-under and 29-under to win in the last two editions, four of the six winning totals have been 26-under or better. The best way to factor in a shootout is pummel fairways and greens and convert those attempts into birdies. Making birdies and avoiding bogeys is the formula for success.

The stock Par-72 comes with four Par-5 holes that measure less than 590 yards. Cutting corners and doglegs plus handling forced carries will provide the temptations and reward the bold who execute.

The pressure of performing for the teammate will enter all decisions made.

Set in 2023 by Nick Hardy and Davis Riley, the tournament scoring record is 30-under-par.

The Four-balls (Best Ball) record is 59, produced by Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele in Round 1 of 2022.

The Foursomes (Alternate Shot) record is 63, last accomplished by Nick Taylor & Adam Hadwin in Round 4 in 2023. Cantlay & Schauffele also matched this mark in 2023 in Round 2.

Recent Winners

2023 Season Winners

Event	Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions	Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii	Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS	Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open	Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open	Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational	Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic	Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana	Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP	Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners
Masters	Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage	Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans	Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship	Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson	Jason Day
PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge	Emiliano Grillo
Memorial	Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open	Nick Taylor
U.S. Open	Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship	Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic	Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic	Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open	Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship	Brian Harman
3M Open	Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship	Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship	Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship	Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship	Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship	Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open	Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology	Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda	Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic	Ludvig Aberg

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Akshay Bhatia
88^th Masters Tournament	Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Heritage	Scottie Scheffler (4)

Zurich Classic

After a major championship and a Signature Event, the partner’s game makes it three weeks in a row with a completely different vibe.

The field of 160 players divided into two-man teams includes 15 of the top 50 from the Official World Golf Rankings and 27 players who teed it up last week at Harbour Town, another Pete Dye track.

Defending champions Hardy & Riley join Cantlay & Schauffele as the only previous team champions in the field.

Billy Horschel, paired with Tyson Alexander this week, is the only player in the field to win the team title (2018 with Scott Piercy) and the individual stroke play title (2013), his first victory on TOUR.

Nick Watney (2007), playing with Charley Hoffman, and Jason Dufner (2012), playing with Kevin Chappell, are the only other players in the field to win the individual title.

Scott Piercy (2018), playing with Harry Hall, and Ryan Palmer (2019), playing with Zach Johnson have won the team titles with different partners. Winning by three shots in 2019, Palmer has the record for margin of victory.

After one round of Four-balls (Best Ball) and one round of Foursomes (Alternate Shot), the field will be cut to the top 33 teams and ties.

The final two rounds will be Four-balls followed by Foursomes.

The winners will each take home 400 FedExCup points and $1.268 million of the $8.9 million purse.

This is the second of three events (Corales, Zurich, and CJ Cup) that will count towards the Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5 for the Wells Fargo Championship in two weeks.

Recent Winners – Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Nick Hardy & Davis Riley (-30)	First win on TOUR for both players in their first partnership. Defeated Canadians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin by two shots.
2022	Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele (-29)	Posted 29-under thru 54 holes to win comfortably.
2021	Marc Leishman & Cameron Smith (-20)	Needed a playoff to defeat South African duo Schwartzel and Oosthuizen. Highest winning total.
2020	No Event
2019	Ryan Palmer & Jon Rahm (-26)	Winning by three shots over Tommy Fleewtood & Sergio Garcia set the event record for margin of victory.
2018	Billy Horschel & Scott Piercy (-22)	Not even two double bogeys, the most by a winning team to date, could slow down this pair. Horschel has won both the team and stroke play events here.
2017	Jonas Blixt & Cam Smith (-27)	Defeated Kevin Kisner & Scott Brown in a playoff to win the first edition.

One and Done

I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…

35 events.

1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).

1 use per year.

Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!

Event	Selection	Earnings
The Sentry	Collin Morikawa	690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii	Corey Conners	18,592
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	310,800
Farmers Insurance Open	Jason Day	0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am	Jordan Spieth	70,125
WM Phoenix Open	Matt Fitzpatrick	156,200
The Genesis Invitational	Max Homa	329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau	145,125
Cognizant Classic	Russell Henley	32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler	4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship	Will Zalatoris	0
Valspar Championship	Sam Burns	0
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Wyndham Clark	54,418
Valero Texas Open	C Bezuidenhout	67,735
88^th Masters Tournament	Rory McIlroy	175,500
RBC Heritage	Patrick Cantlay	1,160,000

Total Winnings:		7,210,845

His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.

Recapping Last Week – RBC Heritage

MY CHOICE: Patrick Cantlay – T3

I love it when a plan goes according to, well the plan.

Moving forward, I might have to shift him to AUTO PICK for this event, especially if it remains a Signature Event. Always nice to catch a million plus without having to win.

Onward!

Others to Consider:

Matt Fitzpatrick: Other than what I wrote above, this is his spiritual home on TOUR. T28 as the spirit did not move him this time around, sadly.

Scottie Scheffler: Save your money for the majors or Augusta North (Muirfield Village Golf Club). Those of you who didn’t listen, congratulations. Those of you who have just not timed this correctly, be patient, I think he’ll win again. Let’s just hope it’s another BIG BOI event!

Jordan Spieth: Colonial instead. He suggested at the Masters that his wrist will need looking after at some point. T39.

Shane Lowry: Please, fire away. It was Cantlay or bust for me. Literally whiffed on everything else on Hilton Head. T64 in a 69-person field.

Cameron Davis: I cannot get off him this week so fade accordingly. Tried to save you from me. T49.

This Week – Zurich Classic of New Orleans

MY CHOICE: Nick Taylor

The NHL Playoffs are here. The Presidents Cup is coming soon. Whoa, Canada!

Taylor and partner Adam Hadwin ran second in 2023 and are playing well on TOUR.

This format does not require the best player to win. It requires the best team. I’m relying on the countrymen from the Great White North to get it over the finish line.

Others to Consider:

Sahith Theegala: Shit-hot fire for months, I don’t believe Zalatoris will be the cooler to his heat. I’m not using him this week because I’m saving him for a bigger purse.

Shane Lowry: I’m getting that feeling we missed the Florida window to play him. BUT, you get a free double shot of McIlroy if you go this route. Now, who’s gonna make some putts?

Rasmus Hojgaard: The DP World Tour member won’t play many over here so this is a free roll if you believe in TWINS.

Alex Fitzpatrick: See above minus TWINS.

Joel Dahmen: Comes with Keith Mitchell, batteries not included. They might hit every fairway and every green, but Dahmen is 181^st in SG: Putting and Mitchell is 142^nd.

Matt NeSmith: Comes with Taylor Moore, who has made a million cuts in a row, and they have finished T4 the last two years. In the last two years, NeSmith has not played this poorly leading into the event. I’d prefer a top-20 ticket over OAD.

Tyson Alexander: Comes with Billy Horschel, a two-time winner here since 2013 and victor last week at Puntacana.

Good luck! You’ll need it!

Valero Texas Open Preview

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

The stars at night

Are big and bright

Deep in the heart of Texas

Valero Texas Open

TPC San Antonio

Oaks Course

San Antonio, Texas

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

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

Bet365: Top of the Board

Rory McIlroy (10/1): The only victory that matters is the first one at Augusta National next week. The OWGR No. 2 has found the winner’s circle multiple times before major championships, so he’s not an automatic fade this week. Cashing T19 at THE PLAYERS for his best finish in the States in five events suggests investing elsewhere.

Ludvig Aberg (12/1): Too young to have a “plan” knocking over another field before his first major championship would not surprise anyone reading this column. With four years of college experience in the wind of Lubbock, Texas, he will not be bothered by any of Mother Nature’s challenges. Heading to the Masters next week, his only concern this week is winning. Sign me up.

Hideki Matsuyama (20/1): The 2021 Masters champion has produced the goods in his last three starts (T16-T12-WIN). The goal this week is getting dialed in tee-to-green, and everything else is gravy. If he is in contention on Sunday, he’s not going to back down. If he’s not in contention on Sunday, do not be surprised if he saves on fuel for next week.

Jordan Spieth (22/1): Picking up his trophy boots after the 2021 edition before heading to his favorite event, the Dallas native needs a pick-me-up before returning to Augusta in 2024. A pair of early weekend exits and a DQ for an incorrect scorecard muted his strong start after Kapalua (3rd) and TPC Scottsdale (T6). A big weekend at the Oaks Course wouldn’t surprise me. Neither would a quiet one. Sigh.

Max Homa (25/1): The more demanding the track, the more focus the Californian brings. Wins at Qual Hollow, Torrey Pines, and Riviera accentuate that theory. Strangely, his success at Augusta National is almost non-existent. Picking up this event tells me he needs to find some confidence before next week. Making his first visit to the Oaks Course since 2019 suggests he has left it late.

Corey Conners (25/1): Not many enjoy a horse for a course more than I do. Two wins, 16 rounds in the red, and nothing worse than T35 over five starts will not push me away.

Matt Fitzpatrick (28/1): Teeing it up for the first time in Hill Country, the Englishman is riding high off solo fifth in the last outing at TPC Sawgrass. Gaining strokes tee-to-green isn’t an issue; neither is chipping and putting. Tough laydown this week.

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

Billy Horschel (33/1): I will pair his current form with his experience at the Oaks Course. A winner up the road in Austin at the WGC-Match Play in 2021, he should be excited to return to a happy hunting ground. The Florida native has cashed T11 or better in five of his last eight visits.

Harris English (35/1): Pure heat. Not missing a cut in 2024, he has cashed out T21 or better in his last four starts.

Byeong Hun An (40/1): With three top-10 paydays in his first seven starts in 2024, I’m hoping a missed cut at THE PLAYERS kicks a few off the scent. He’s comfortable where he’s comfortable. Producing two top-seven paydays in his last three visits suggest he’s comfortable outside San Antonio.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (50/1): Running as my second choice at Valspar, he produced T9 and his best result of the season. I can’t leave him out at an event that has crowned plenty of first-time winners. All aboard!

Akshay Bhatia (60/1): Collecting T17 at Valspar is his worst paycheck from five weekends (nine starts) in the new season. Sitting one shot off the lead at the halfway point at Memorial Park last Sunday, he knows the only way to Augusta is winning THIS week.

Lee Hodges (90/1): Posted 12-under over his last 54 holes here last year. Not overthinking this the week before a major!

Charley Hoffman (125/1): The horse for the course. The 2016 winner has 10 paydays of T22 or better, including three seconds/T2.

Matti Schmid (125/1): Always looking to add a hot runner to the stable, the German, no doubt inspired by Jaeger’s win last week, has run his streak to T26 or better in the last four weeks. I should add him above for a Top 20 just in case!

Matt Kuchar (140/1): Never missing the weekend in 11 starts, he returns after a four-year run of T3-T2-T12-T7. While his current form hasn’t produced a top-30 payday in 2024, maybe the Fountain of Youth is by way of the Alamo.

Aaron Baddeley (175/1): The Australian has cashed T30 or better in eight of nine. Never missing the cut, he makes his first visit since T18 2022.

Sam Stevens (250/1): Missed a playoff by a shot last year. Wind doesn’t bother him. Top 40 to start.

Peter Kuest (400/1): Monday qualifier with absolutely nothing to lose, he registered last year in Par-5 scoring and Putting: Birdie or Better Percentage over 15 events. Everyone needs a long shot to find the weekend.

Mike Glasscott: Valero Texas Open tips

OUTRIGHT – Christiaan Bezuidenhout (50/1)

TOP 10 – Ludvig Aberg (8/5), Billy Horschel (15/4)

TOP 20 – Corey Conners (29/20), Charley Hoffman (17/4)

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	TPC San Antonio – Oaks Course
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,438.
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Poa Trivialis; 6,400 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	11 feet.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye and Fescue at 2.25 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	64/3/3
Architect(s):	Greg Norman (2010).
Defending Champion (event):	Corey Conners (-15).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Corey Conners (2023, 2019).
Course Record (latest):	62; Trey Mullinax (2018, Round 3).
72 Hole Tournament Record	268; Corey Conners (2019).
Fact of the Week:	There has never been a playoff since the Oaks Course became the host (2010).
Fact of the Week II:	The winner this week, if not already qualified, will take the final place in the field at the Masters.

TPC San Antonio – Oaks Course

The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, designed in 2010 by Greg Norman, plays as a stock Par-72 and can reach 7,438 yards.

The ball-striking examination includes surviving missed fairways and greens. The recipe for success includes avoiding the big misses that come with big penalties. The rough this week will be only 2 ¼ inches, but the bunker count is 64, and there are water penalty areas on three holes. The breezes that blow in this part of the world will require a commitment to tee shots and irons.

Perched greens, 6,400 square feet on average, require quality shots for scoring opportunities. Poorly struck shots will drift into heavy bunkering or down closely mown areas. Running at 11 feet on the Stimpmeter, the pros will not have to worry about getting putts to the hole or the wind blowing their approaches off the putting surfaces.

Each nine has a pair of Par-5 holes. Together, the quartet annually ranks inside the top 12 most difficult on TOUR. If the wind cooperates, the first two, measuring over 600 yards, should play downwind. The remaining two on the inward nine, including the 591-yard finish hole with water, should provide drama coming home.

Paying off greens in regulation with birdie putts, scoring on the Par-5 holes, and getting up and down are the challenges presented in the Texas Hill Country.

In 13 previous editions, the Oaks Course ranked in the bottom half one time (2019). The 2022 edition was the only other event to play four rounds UNDER par.

The course record (62) was set in 2018 by Trey Mullinax (Round 3).

Reigning and two-time champion Corey Conners produced the tournament scoring record in a benign 2019 edition on 20-under par 268.

Valero Texas Open

The Texas two-step of late March/early April is the first of two trips to the Lone Star state and the final tune-up for 30 players heading to the first major of the season next week.

Every year since 1923, San Antonio has hosted a professional event, and it is the longest-serving city hosting an event on the PGA TOUR.

Highlighted by World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, the field of 156 players includes 21 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Sitting at No. 47 in the OWGR is Canadian Corey Conners, the only multiple winner from 13 previous events at the Oaks Course. The tournament record holder from 2019 returned last season and posted 15-under to win by a shot.

Joining the Canadian as past champions in the field this week are J.J. Spaun (2022), Jordan Spieth (2021), Andrew Landry (2018), Kevin Chappell (2017), Charley Hoffman (2016), local Jimmy Walker (2015), Martin Laird (2013), and inaugural winner Adam Scott (2010).

Spieth, Landry, and Walker are the only native Texans to win at the Oaks Course.

The last rookie to win this event was in 2006 at another course.

The last player to win on debut was the 2012 champion, Ben Crane.

In 13 events, six first-time PGA TOUR winners have been crowned, including four of the last six (bold above), including Conners in 2019.

The field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds.

On the line is a purse of $9.1 million, with the winner taking home $1.658 million and collecting 500 FedExCup points.

Most importantly, if the winner is not qualified, he will take the final spot in the field at the 88th Masters next week in the first major championship of 2024.

2023 Season Winners

Event	Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions	Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii	Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS	Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open	Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open	Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational	Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic	Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana	Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP	Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners
Masters	Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage	Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans	Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship	Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson	Jason Day
PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge	Emiliano Grillo
Memorial	Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open	Nick Taylor
U.S. Open	Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship	Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic	Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic	Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open	Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship	Brian Harman
3M Open	Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship	Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship	Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship	Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship	Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship	Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open	Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology	Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda	Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic	Ludvig Aberg

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)

Recent Winners – Valero Texas Open

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Corey Conners (-15)	Held off Sam Stevens by a shot to become the first multiple winner at the Oaks Course.
2022	J.J. Spaun (-13)	Winning by two shots over Matt Kuchar, he picked up his first win on TOUR.
2021	Jordan Spieth (-18)	Defeated “The Mayor” Charley Hoffman by two shots.
2020	No event
2019	Corey Conners (-20)	Defeated “The Mayor” Charley Hoffman by two shots.
2018	Andrew Landry (-17)	Winning by two shots, picked up his first victory on TOUR.
2017	Kevin Chappell (-12)	Held off Brooks Koepka by a shot.
2016	Charley Hoffman (-12)	Finally paid off his hot run in San Antonio.
2015	Jimmy Walker (-11)	Boerne, Texas, local resident became the first of three Texans to win (Landry and Spieth) at the Oaks Course.

One and Done

I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…

35 events.

1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).

1 use per year.

Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!

Event	Selection	Earnings
The Sentry	Collin Morikawa	690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii	Corey Conners	18,592
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	310,800
Farmers Insurance Open	Jason Day	0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am	Jordan Spieth	70,125
WM Phoenix Open	Matt Fitzpatrick	156,200
The Genesis Invitational	Max Homa	329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau	145,125
Cognizant Classic	Russell Henley	32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler	4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship	Will Zalatoris	0
Valspar Championship	Sam Burns	0
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Wyndham Clark	54,418

Total Winnings:		5,807,610

His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.

Recapping Last Week – Texas Children’s Houston Open

MY CHOICE: Wyndham Clark – T31

Beware the injured golfer is only a phrase people use when they don’t take the injured golfer and he plays well.

After cashing behind Scheffler in the last two events, the U.S. Open champion stayed true to form as he cashed behind Scheffler again, but this time 29 extra places.

It would have been so easy just to take reigning champion Tony Finau, but there’s nothing easy about this game to me.

Whatever.

Other to Consider:

Sahith Theegala: I had trouble getting off of him this week and I might change it up before the bell sounds. Top-10 paydays from his last two events, a full bag, and he’s impossible not to like. T28 with four rounds of 70 or better. I don’t think throwing out the first pitch for opening day helped with the golf. At all. Especially for a guy who has never thrown a baseball, his words, not mine.

Tony Finau: I’ll wait until later in the summer when he finds some more. T2 sounds MUCH MUCH MUCH worse than what it “really” was. He shared second with, checks notes, FIVE OTHER DUDES. Instead of a nice payday, essentially he took home really good fourth-placed money. Win some, lose some, and meh some.

Jason Day: Proven record in Texas comes with a perfect 3-3 here. Burned me already this season on a course he loves at Torrey Pines. How can we dance when our beds are burning? Midnight Oil might have a better angle on trying to solve Day than I do. Is there another baby on the way? Is he hurt again? His last three events on tracks he’s played well over his career he hasn’t found the top 30. Glad I had him MC at Torrey Pines, just like you guys who had him this week.

Tom Hoge: TCU man has been produced a steady stream of results in 2024. Nobody made more feet of putts at TPC Sawgrass. Not many made more doubles or worse. Less water = mo money! T14 and closed with three rounds in the 60s to continue his excellent start to 2024.

Lone Star Longshots:

Alex Noren: Ran T4 here in 2022 but has never lifted a trophy on TOUR. T11 after closing 66-65.

Aaron Rai: There’s no need, in this format at least, to drift down here, but some of you gotta ketchup. And catch up you did, T7.

Mackenzie Hughes: Less trouble off the tee, the better. Big week last week as well. T14 as he stormed home with 65 on Sunday. Hey, lock the back door then!

Cameron Champ/Chandler Phillips: Gig ‘em. I guess “gig ‘em” is Texan for T45.

Anybody with the last name Coody: Texas lads. Big jeans. Big genes. Pierceson T57, Parker MC.

This Week – Valero Texas Open

MY CHOICE: Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Too many good ones to ignore recently (T9, T13)! Hitting it great and full of confidence, there’s nothing to reset or reload after a week off. Already has a “victory” this year after Nick Dunlap won in Palm Springs, but he’d like one of his own!

Other to Consider:

Corey Conners: The “Finau” effect will rush over most of you this week. I don’t blame you. Sometimes, I have to fade myself.

Ludvig Aberg: Not a care in the world as he keeps producing big finishes and is prepping for his first major. Playing four years in Lubbock in the wind will prepare him for another big finish. Why am I not playing HIM this week?

Billy Horschel: Winner in Dallas and Austin, the proof is on in the trophy cabinet. With his excellent form and past excellent course form, he will be tempting for some.

Charley Hoffman: The all-time leading money winner at the Oaks Course already has a podium finish this season in Phoenix but has MC in his last three. San Antonio is chicken soup for his game.

Harris English: Another consistent performer, you might want to save him for Bermuda greens in the summer.

Lone Star Longshots:

Akshay Bhatia: The windier, the better. His only finishes this season are in the top 20.

Aaron Rai: Off T7 last week, did you think I would leave him out?

Matt Kuchar: Never missed and is T3-T2-T12-T7 in the last four years. You will have to check his current form…

Lanto Griffin: Veteran knows how to get it round if the breeze picks up.

Texas Children’s Houston Open

March 27, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

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

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

Texas Children’s Houston Open

Memorial Park Golf Course

Houston, Texas

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

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

Bet365: Top of the Board

Scottie Scheffler (11/4): Trying to become the first player to defend the title at THE PLAYERS Championship, the Dallas resident is no stranger to making recent history. No player has won three straight entered events since Dustin Johnson in early 2017, but Scheffler has course history to rely upon here as well. Finishing T9 in 2022 came after holding the 54-hole lead in the 2021 tournament and finishing tied for second. Ball-Striking is a major factor this week, and nobody is doing it better on TOUR than the only multiple winner of 2024. Fade him at your own discretion.

Wyndham Clark (12/1) has been the bridesmaid to Scheffler in his previous two victories. Already a winner this season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the 2023 U.S. Open champion lipped out a putt at THE PLAYERS Championship to force extra holes with the eventual champion. Cashing T16 on his last visit, he will not be flying blind this week.

Sahith Theegala (18/1) lives in the north suburb of Spring, Texas, and already has four top-10 paydays to his name in 2024, including his last two starts at Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass. Breaking through winning the Fortinet Championship last September, the former Pepperdine man has not slowed down. This time last year, he was gearing up for his first appearance at the Masters, where he finished ninth on debut. With the rough down and trouble off the tee minimal, I would expect a big week from him.

Will Zalatoris (20/1) grew up in Dallas, so a bit of breeze will hardly bother his tee-to-green prowess. Making his tournament debut, he won’t have to navigate a point of reference from the previous fall editions. I know, I know, I tipped him at THE PLAYERS, and he easily missed the weekend. Taking on a new event to tune up for Augusta suggests he’s happy with where his game is, regardless of the result at TPC Sawgrass. Big, breezy, deep tracks (Torrey Pines, Southern Hills, Augusta National) rarely bothered him.

With three trophies from the state of Texas already on his mantle, Jason Day (22/1) returns to Memorial Park for the fourth time in search of another piece of hardware. Another who handles big tracks well (two-time winner at Torrey Pines), the Australian’s power and short game should line up nicely again this year. Never missing the cut in his first four visits, he’s posted eight of 12 rounds in the red.

Reigning champion Tony Finau (25/1) has only hit the top 10 once this season, and it was at one of his favorite stops, Torrey Pines GC. Missing the cut last week at Valspar after T45 at THE PLAYERS suggests he’s looking for a spark before the first major of the season in two weeks. The big hitter made over 415 feet of putts to win by four shots in 2022. Repeating that number would be a feat. I’ll pass.

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

Keith Mitchell (35/1) provides a quandary this week. Are we getting the back nine 31 on Saturday at Valspar or the 77 from the final group on Sunday? A superb driver of the golf ball, his short game will need a quick fix to contend again this week.

Mackenzie Hughes (50/1) won’t mind another week on big greens where his putter can get hot and stay hot. Like many this week, having big targets off the tee boxes and into the greens should grab his attention. Hitting the podium last week, he will remember this time last year when he was in the final eight of the WGC-Match Play up the street in Austin.

Tom Hoge (50/1) has been cruising along, under the radar for most of 2024. Outstanding with his iron play, he will have plenty of opportunities to pay them off on these big greens. Posting T28 or better in five straight before T54 at THE PLAYERS, five of his last eight resulted in T17 or better.

Jake Knapp (55/1) won at Vidanta Vallarta on Paspalum for his first TOUR victory. The Greg Norman layout didn’t have penal rough and featured huge greens. Oh, and he was on the podium at Torrey Pines. Dots connected.

Andrew Novak (100/1) continues to stripe it on approach, and that will travel again this week. After three straight top-10 paydays halted at THE PLAYERS, he ranked in the top 10 in SG: Approach last week and added T17 at Valspar to his impressive start to the season.

Playing college golf in the area at Texas A&M, Cameron Champ (110/1) should be comfortable in this part of the world. Bundle him with another Aggie, Chandler Phillips (140/1), who picked up his career-best payday of T3 last week at Valspar playing with Champ, and off to the window you go.

Robert MacIntyre (110/1) grabbed T6 at Vidanta Vallarta. Let’s see if the theory plays again this week. Missing the cut just once (THE PLAYERS) in his last five, he’s heating up with the weather.

Dylan Wu (175/1) has picked off T26, T19, and T24 in three of his last four. The best finish of the bunch was at THE PLAYERS Championship.

NOW PLAYING:

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

Memorial Park Golf Course

The eyes of Texas and the PGA TOUR are on the municipal Memorial Park Golf Course. Making the first of four stops in the Lone Star state, the Texas Children’s Houston Open will host for the fourth time since 2020.

Joining Torrey Pines Golf Club as the only other municipal tracks used on TOUR, the 2019 Tom Doak redesign plays to Par-70 and has plenty of meat on the bone. Everything is bigger in Texas, and at 7,435 yards tipped out, Memorial Park qualifies.

The yardage from the tips will be different for the third time in four events. The common denominator is all four events played over 7,400 yards.

Sporting five Par-3 holes and three Par-5 holes, the Par-70 also provides three Par-4 holes 490 yards or more. The trio of Par-5 holes was the most difficult on TOUR for the 2020-21 season and ranked T2 for the 2021-2022 year.

Adding four bunkers and expanding and shifting the tee box 23 yards on Hole No. 17 are the cosmetic changes for 2024.

Water penalty areas are in play on only four holes, a welcome respite from wet and sandy Florida.

The most significant alteration for 2024 is moving the event from November to March. The firm and fast Bermuda gives way to Ryegrass overseed on the fairways and rough. Mowing the rough barely over an inch, down from 2.25 inches in 2022, provides more opportunities to attack hole locations from off the fairway.

The Poa Trivialis greens, checking in as some of the largest on TOUR at 7,000 square feet on average, will be on display for the first time. Missing the big targets will come with closely mown areas that repel mishit shots.

With the rough not as penal and the course playing softer than the fall editions big hitters and ball-strikers should thrive. Ranking in the top 11 in the most difficult tracks in the three previous editions, the average winning score is 13-under-par.

Tony Finau owns the tournament scoring record of 16-under, set in November of 2022. Posting 62 in Round, he joined Scottie Scheffler as the co-course record holder.

Texas Children’s Houston Open

Hosting for the fourth time, TCHO returns to its traditional late March/early April spot on the calendar.

Highlighted by World No. 1, the field of 144 players includes 10 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Finau, who led or shared the lead after 18, 36, and 54 holes is the only previous winner at Memorial Park in the field.

The defending champion ran his total to 19-under before coming home in 38 (+3).

The field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds.

On the line is a purse of $8.4 million, with the winner taking home $1.512 million, collecting 500 FedExCup points, and an invitation to the Masters in three weeks.

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

Season Winners

2023 Season Winners

Event	Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions	Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii	Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS	Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open	Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open	Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational	Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic	Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana	Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP	Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners
Masters	Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage	Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans	Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship	Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson	Jason Day
PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge	Emiliano Grillo
Memorial	Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open	Nick Taylor
U.S. Open	Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship	Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic	Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic	Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open	Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship	Brian Harman
3M Open	Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship	Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship	Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship	Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship	Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship	Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open	Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology	Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda	Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic	Ludvig Aberg

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati

Recent Winners – Texas Children’s Houston Open

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	No event	No event in since November 2022.
2022	Tony Finau (-16)	Went as low as 19-under before closing with 38. Won by four shots.
2021	Jason Kokrak (-10)	Scottie Scheffler shot 69 on Sunday with the 54-hole lead, but couldn’t close for his first TOUR victory.
2020	Carlos Ortiz (-13)	Played the week before the Masters in November, Oritz was just one of three players 10-under or better.

One and Done

I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…

35 events.

1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).

1 use per year.

Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!

Event	Selection	Earnings
The Sentry	Collin Morikawa	690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii	Corey Conners	18,592
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	310,800
Farmers Insurance Open	Jason Day	0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am	Jordan Spieth	70,125
WM Phoenix Open	Matt Fitzpatrick	156,200
The Genesis Invitational	Max Homa	329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau	145,125
Cognizant Classic	Russell Henley	32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler	4,000,000
THE PLAYERS Championship	Will Zalatoris	0
Valspar Championship	Sam Burns	0

Total Winnings:		5,753,192

Recapping Last Week – Valspar Championship

MY CHOICE: Sam Burns – MC

After missing the cut at the most lucrative event of the season, I decided to dumb it down to get back to business at Palm Harbor.

Entering the 2024 event on solo sixth, win, and win, I believed Sam Burns to be the safest of the safe.

I was the wrongest of the wrong.

The kick in the nuts? Bogey at the last to miss when the lead was only 7-under. Anyone who made the cut last week had a legit chance to catch fire on the weekend.

Nope.

We move on, salty AF.

Other to Consider:

Brian Harman: Odd track record here, but the way he’s played in the last two big boy events, I can’t see the angle to fade him. MC 70-74.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout: Each week appears to be more comfortable. Cashing T24 at Riviera and T13 at TPC Sawgrass is my proof. Three more rounds in the 60s on a tough layout for T9.

Justin Thomas: Coming off a missed cut, he should be raring to go. His talent suggests using him for a bigger purse. He can also get hot and stay hot. My Old Kentucky home is in two months. Birdied the first hole on Saturday to tie the lead and then played the final 17 holes in NINE OVER. Sorry to those of you who were on board. T64.

Longshots

Adam Schenk – T33

Adam Hadwin – T5

Adam PacMan Jones

Adam West

Adam Viniateri

Taylor Montgomery – MC

This Week – Texas Children’s Houston Open

MY CHOICE: Wyndham Clark

Third time the charm? He’s one lip-out away from potentially having two wins on the season. Instead, he’s barely mentioned because of the man who has beaten him. I don’t have to worry about form, and I’m excited to see how he reacts this week. Surely, he can make the cut!!!

Or am I the “new Chadders”?

Stay tuned!

Other to Consider:

Sahith Theegala: I had trouble getting off of him this week and I might change it up before the bell sounds. Top-10 paydays from his last two events, a full bag, and he’s impossible not to like.

Tony Finau: I’ll wait until later in the summer when he finds some more.

Jason Day: Proven record in Texas comes with a perfect 3-3 here. Burned me already this season on a course he loves at Torrey Pines.

Tom Hoge: TCU man has produced a steady stream of results in 2024. Nobody made more feet of putts at TPC Sawgrass. Not many made more doubles or worse. Less water = mo money!

Lone Star Longshots:

Alex Noren: Ran T4 here in 2022 but never lifted a trophy on TOUR.

Aaron Rai: There’s no need, in this format at least, to drift down here, but some of you gotta ketchup.

Mackenzie Hughes: Less trouble off the tee, the better. Big week last week as well.

Cameron Champ/Phillips: Gig ‘em.

Anybody with the last name Coody: Texas lads. Big jeans. Big genes.

THE PLAYERS Championship Preview

March 13, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Nifty No. 50!

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

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

THE PLAYERS Championship

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course

TPC Sawgrass

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

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

Bet365: Top of the Board

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOW PLAYING:

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

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE PLAYERS Championship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Season Winners

2023 Season Winners

Event	Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions	Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii	Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS	Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open	Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open	Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational	Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic	Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana	Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP	Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners
Masters	Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage	Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans	Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship	Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson	Jason Day
PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge	Emiliano Grillo
Memorial	Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open	Nick Taylor
U.S. Open	Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship	Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic	Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic	Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open	Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship	Brian Harman
3M Open	Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship	Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship	Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship	Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship	Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship	Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open	Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology	Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda	Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic	Ludvig Aberg

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes – weather)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler

Recent Winners – THE PLAYERS Championship

Italics – not entered this week.

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

One and Done

I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…

35 events.

1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).

1 use per year.

Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!

Event	Selection	Earnings
The Sentry	Collin Morikawa	690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii	Corey Conners	18,592
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	310,800
Farmers Insurance Open	Jason Day	0
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am	Jordan Spieth	70,125
WM Phoenix Open	Matt Fitzpatrick	156,200
The Genesis Invitational	Max Homa	329,000
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau	145,125
Cognizant Classic	Russell Henley	32,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler	4,000,000

Total Winnings:		5,753,192

His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.

Recapping Last Week – Arnold Palmer Invitational

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

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

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

MY CHOICE: Scottie Scheffler – WON

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

Other to Consider:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Longshots

Chris Kirk – T44

Corey Conners – T18

Justin Rose – MC

This Week – THE PLAYERS Championship

MY CHOICE: Will Zalatoris

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

Other to Consider:

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

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

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

Scottie Scheffler – I included him for those of you considering using him. Winning the week before this event has happened like three times and Tiger Woods and Ray Floyd are the two of the names. I’m glad I’m not butting heads with the history the Texan faces this week. Can he? Of course. If he does, it’s an all-time result.

Longshots

Tom Hoge

Sahith Theegala

Harris English

Garrick Higgo

Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches

February 28, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Goooood morning, fans. 😄 pic.twitter.com/MQIRM3jQeZ
— Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches (@the_cognizant) February 28, 2024

Spring Break begins with four consecutive weeks in The Sunshine State. Formerly The Honda Classic, the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches takes up the reins for this week and after.

Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches

PGA National Resort

Champion Course

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

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

Bet365: Top of the Board

Sitting at the top of the board for his North American home game is Rory McIlroy (8/1). Fresh off his win at Captial One’s The Match on Monday, he returns to the Champion Course for the first time since T59 in 2018. The 2012 winner was eliminated in a four-man-playoff in 2014, his last top 10 at the event. I’m not into favorites outside of Signature Events and major championships, so I’ll patiently wait until next week.

Cameron Young (22/1) will note that three of the last five winners have won for the first time on TOUR. Playing in his 57th TOUR start, the big-hitting youngster will look to continue his solid form from the West Coast. Cashing T8 at TPC Scottsdale and T16 at Riviera suggests he’s ready for another demanding course.

I’m starting my card with Russell Henley (25/1) on top. Bermuda and ball-striking is a fantastic combination this week. The Georgia native cashed T3 and T8 in his previous two visits to add to his 2014 victory. He was the first of four Georgia Bulldogs to win in the last 10 events. I’m leaning on him to keep the tradition alive.

Floridian Eric Cole (25/1) would also like to add his name to the list of first-time victors. Setting the tournament scoring record with Chris Kirk (40/1) last year on 14-under, the 2023 rookie finished second on debut after falling in a playoff. In seven events this season, he’s hit the top 14 in four of them, including two on Bermuda in Hawaii. Load it up.

Winning for the first time won’t be on the agenda for 21-year-old Tom Kim (28/1). Making his tournament debut, he will look to join his countryman and 2020 winner Sungjae Im as the youngest winner. A winner three times on TOUR, the Korean will need a better debut than his T45 at The Sentry to open 2024.

Matt Fitzpatrick (28/1) won on Champion Bermuda/TifEagle Bermuda last season at Harbour Town for his second victory on TOUR. One to keep an eye on next week at Bay Hill, the Englishman makes his first appearance since 2017 (T68). Grinding doesn’t bother him; neither will a challenge off the tee or on/around the greens.

Byeong Hun An (28/1) paved his return to the PGA TOUR via his win at the LECOM Classic on the KFT in 2022. Winning on Bermuda on the West Coast of Florida, the Orlando native has enjoyed his previous visits to PGA National. Making the cut in four of his five starts, the Korean has hit the top five twice, including T4 in 2020, his best of the lot.

Joining Tom Kim as a former winner at the Wyndham Championship, North Carolina native J.T. Poston (33/1) enjoys a challenge on Bermuda. Cashing T5 at The Sentry followed by a solo sixth at Sony, both on Bermuda, I have no problem overlooking his lack of success at PGA National. His full bag suggests fitting him in if the choices above do not move the meter.

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

Stephan Jaeger (35/1): I left him alone LAST week because I thought this difficult test would fit his eye even better.

Daniel Berger (35/1): A home game for the life-long resident should evoke fantastic memories of three top-four paydays, including his last two visits.

Denny McCarthy (55/1): When presented with the choice of region vs form, I’m going to rely on Bermuda fans from youth. It’s not an absolute science, but more of a tiebreaker.

Doug Ghim (66/1): Back for more! I’m riding the heat of T8-T12-T13 from his last three on TOUR.

Akshat Bhatia (80/1): If it’s time to put the ball in play off the tee and into the greens, I’m leaning on the noted wind player. I’ll take my chances with the long putter on the perfect greens.

Gary Woodland (125/1): Never missing the cut in nine starts, I’m latching on.

Greyson Sigg (150/1): Another Georgia Bulldog with a top finish? This dawg only made five bogeys last week.

Sam Ryder (200/1): OK, I’ll bite. Opening with 69-63 in 2021, he claimed T8. In the 2022 edition, his third consecutive cut made at the event, he pocketed another top-10 finish with T9. Florida natives will be the long shots of choice this week and the next three.

Matt NeSmith (250/1): Making his fourth visit, he’s cashed T38 or better in his first three. Giddy up.

Bud Cauley (350/1): Stretching a bit, but if you can find him for Top 40, I’d take a shot. Gambling, right?

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	PGA National Resort – Champion Course
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,147
Par:	71 (35-36).
Greens:	TifEagle Bermuda; 7,000 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	12 feet.
Rough:	Celebration Bermuda at 2.25 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	65/15/15
Architect(s):	Tom and George Fazio (1980); Jack Nicklaus (2000 and beyond).
Defending Champion (event):	Chris Kirk (-14).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	No multiple winners from the 17 previous events.
Course Record:	61; Matt Jones (not entered) last to do it, 2021.
72 Hole Tournament Record	266; Chris Kirk and Eric Cole, 2023.
Fact of the Week:	First of four weeks of The Florida Swing.
Fact of the Week II:	First of four weeks on TifEagle Bermuda Greens and Celebration Bermuda.

Returning to the USA, the Florida Swing begins at Jack Nicklaus’ PGA National Champion Course.

Formerly known as The Honda Open, the Champion Course remains the host for the 18th consecutive season. After playing Par-70 to 7,125 for the last six years, the new sponsorship will play Par-71 (35-36) over 7,147 yards.

Previously playing 505 yards and playing to a Par-4, Hole No. 10 has added 25 yards, shifted left eight yards, and will now play as a Par-5. Players will no longer have to wait 14 holes until No. 18 to get another Par-5 opportunity.

Don’t let the word “resort” fool you. For the last 10 years, the track has ranked in the top seven most difficult seven times, including five of the previous six seasons.

The coastal breezes, bunkers, and water being in play on 15 of the 18 holes provide a physical and mental challenge. Rating annually as a top-five three-hole-stretch on TOUR, the holes Nos 15 through 17, known as “The Bear Trap”, will give the professionals plenty of food for thought coming home. In better news, the cut of the rough this season will barely exceed two inches, and the fairways have expanded by an acre.

The return to Bermudagrass will be a welcome sight for those who grew up and live in this part of the world. Celebration Bermuda is on the menu until 7,000 square feet (on average) of TifEagle Bermuda welcomes the players on the putting surfaces. Running at a manageable 12 feet on the Stimpmeter, the greens will not be cut as short as last year due to poor winter conditions.

Ranking in the top five on TOUR in balls in the water since 2003, I’ll remind you PGA National did not host its first TOUR event until 2007.

Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches (Event)

The ninth event of the PGA TOUR season returns to a familiar part of Florida. Hosting a TOUR event since 1972, the Palm Beaches have only missed one event (1976) in 43 years.

Ranking in the top five for balls in the water on TOUR since 2003, PGA National did not start hosting the event until 2007.

No player has won at the Champion Course more than once.

No winner has lifted the trophy in consecutive seasons.

Winning the 2020 edition, Sungjae Im became the youngest champion at 21.

Padraig Harrington, also in the field this week, has won the event twice. The PGA TOUR Champions star won the 2005 event at Mirasol and the 2015 event, becoming the oldest winner at 43, in a playoff over Daniel Berger.

2013 champion Michael Thompson (not entered) is the only winner who does not have multiple TOUR victories.

The last five winners have produced three first-time champions.

None of the 17 past champions won on debut.

There have been zero wire-to-wire winners at PGA National.

Defending champion Chris Kirk ousted first-timer Eric Cole in a playoff last year. Both players set the tournament scoring record on 14-under par. The course record, 61, was last accomplished in the 2021 edition by Matt Jones.

The field of 144, including 19 of the Official World Golf Ranking Top 50, will have chances to gain eligibility into the Arnold Palmer Invitational. After the 72 holes at PGA National, the Aon Next 10 and the Aon Swing 5 will determine who advances to Bay Hill.

On the line is a purse of $9 million, with the winner taking home $1.62 million plus 500 FedExCup points.

Season Winners

2023 Season Winners

Event	Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions	Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii	Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS	Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open	Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open	Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational	Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic	Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana	Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP	Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners
Masters	Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage	Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans	Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship	Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson	Jason Day
PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge	Emiliano Grillo
Memorial	Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open	Nick Taylor
U.S. Open	Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship	Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic	Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic	Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open	Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship	Brian Harman
3M Open	Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship	Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship	Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship	Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship	Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship	Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open	Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology	Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda	Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic	Ludvig Aberg

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes – weather)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)

Recent Winners – Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Chris Kirik (-14)*	Defeated rookie Eric Cole in a playoff. Both set the tournament scoring record on 14-under. Played his college golf at Georgia.
2022	Sepp Straka (-10)	Won for the first time on TOUR. Played his college golf at Georgia.
2021	Matt Jones (-12)	Won by five in tough conditions.
2020	Sungjae Im (-6)	Won for the first time on TOUR; Youngest event winner at 21.
2019	Keith Mitchell (-9)	Won for the first time on TOUR holding off Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka. Played his college golf at Georgia.
2018	Jusitn Thomas (-8)	Knocked out Luke List in a playoff.
2017	Rickie Fowler (-12)	Cruised to a four-shot win over Gary Woodland.
2016	Adam Scott (-9)	Won despite a TRIPLE in the final round.
2015	Padraig Harrington (-6)	Taught young Daniel Berger a lesson in a playoff to become the oldest winner.
2014	Russell Henley (-8)	Started the Georgia run winning a four-man playoff.

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 Punta Cana, and Mayakoba. Korn Ferry Tour players have experienced this surface in two events in the Bahamas.

A field of 132, down from previous years due to the early season start and reduced February daylight, will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds.

Defending champion Tony Finau highlights a field of just four players in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. At No. 24, he is the highest-ranked player teeing it up this week.

Set during his victory last year, Tony Finau owns the course record on 24-under. The course record of 61, set by Jon Rahm (not entered), was posted in Round 3 of 2023. The cut in the first two editions was 2-under par.

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

Total Winnings:		1,720,342

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

Recapping Last Week – Mexico Open at Vidanta

Favorites need not apply. Jake Knapp at 40/1 becomes the shortest winner of the season and that includes Hideki Matsuyama.

MY CHOICE: Tony Finau – T13

Defending titles isn’t as easy as Scottie Scheffler made it look last year. Finau didn’t play poorly, and to be fair, he had the best finish from the favorites outside Stephan Jaeger (T3). Only HFC Patrick Rodgers (T6) made any other sense.

Other to Consider:

Thorbjorn Olesen: Won in the Middle East in his last outing. Former Ryder Cupper plays all four corners of the world, and his game follows. T46 after 71-71 on the weekend.

Cameron Champ: Yep, that’s where we’re at this week. Hitting the top 10 twice in the first two years matches nicely. T24 after not being able to put consecutive rounds under par together.

Emiliano Grillo: Broke his drought at Colonial last spring. Safest pick on the board. Heading into Sunday on 10-under, posting 73 didn’t help anyone.

Thomas Detry: Too many top 25 paydays in thin fields and on Paspalum to ignore. MC. I’m not really sure what happened on Thursday (78), but he returned Friday with 69, nice.

Longshots

Brandon Wu: Testing the limits of Horses for Courses! T13, not bad!

Patrick Rodgers: Same! T6, even better!

Mackenzie Hughes: Flashed for two rounds last week before fading on the weekend. MC as the momentum he had at Riviera didn’t make it through customs.

Charley Hoffman: Previous winner at Mayakoba, should feel right at home. MC.

This Week – Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches

A better field this week, but a reminder that NEXT WEEK is the big bucks at Bay Hill.

Captain Kirk slowed the streak of first-time winners last year, barely.

With too many moving parts, I’m going to rely on an old favorite.

MY CHOICE: Russell Henley

The only reason he didn’t play the last two seasons was fixture congestion.

Had to be.

He was T3 and T8 in his previous two visits and won in 2014.

Streaking with four straight T24 or better, it’s an easy choice for me on Bermuda this week.

Other to Consider:

Stephan Jaeger: Knock. Knock. Knock. T14 here last year.

Eric Cole: Sure, he plays just about every week, but he didn’t last week! The Florida native can’t be outside the top three choices.

Shane Lowry: Never missed in six tries. T5-2^nd last two years.

Sepp Straka: Streak is four straight. T5-WIN last two years.

Keith Mitchell: If you don’t catch him this week, don’t worry, his big, bad driver might work even better at the big, bad Bay Hill layout.

Rory McIlroy: You gotta do you. The angle this year is to play more to ramp it up and peak at the Masters. The Ulsterman gets many chances to get it right. We get ONE.

Longshots

Daniel Berger: Making just his third start from injury the local will have plenty of folks in his corner again if he’s in the mix on Sunday.

Byeong Hun An: Not sure he’s “graduated” to OAD level, but this field makes more sense than others.

Sam Ryder: Native with two top-10 paydays in his last two visits here. Not for the timid, or those in the lead!

Luke List: JT got him in a playoff back in 2018 but he’s found his way since.

Mexico Open at Vidanta Preview

February 21, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Vidanta Vallarta (@PGATOUR on x)

Mexico Open at Vidanta

Greg Norman Signature Course at Vidanta Vallarta

Vallarta, Mexico

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Quick Links:

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

Top of the Board (odds via Bet365)

Tony Finau (8/1) crushed a better field than this one last year. Posting 24-under to set the tournament scoring record, the highest-ranked player in the field is now 40-under aggregate in two visits. Only Jon Rahm (not entered) has beaten him here.

Nicolai Hojgaard (16/1) is one of many at the top of the board this week who ran well at Torrey Pines last month. Finishing second to Mathieu Pavon (not entered), the young Dane showed he wasn’t bothered by a big track hugging the Pacific Ocean. Cashed T33 here last year but was second to Matt Wallace (80/1) on Paspalum at Punta Cana last spring.

Speaking of Torrey Pines, Stephan Jaeger (22/1) led after 36 and 54 holes before cashing T3. Signing for 73-72 on the weekend, the German is still looking for his first win or second-place finish on TOUR. Making his third start at Vidanta Vallarta, he will look to add to his T18-T15 paydays.

Emiliano Grillo (25/1) has cashed in his first six events of 2024. Highlighted by T7 at Waialae, the Argentine has picked up five top-10 paydays worldwide since winning at Colonial last May. Oh, and he was T20 at Torrey Pines.

Flashing with T9 at The American Express and T17 at TPC Scottsdale, not many drive it better than Keith Mitchell (25/1) regardless of the field. Playing Mayakoba five times, he never finished better than T56. Careful.

Taylor Pendrith (25/1) played five events in the FedExCup Fall and registered three T15 or better paydays, including T3 and T8. In two starts in 2024, he’s cashed T9 (Torrey Pines!!) and T10 with MC sandwiched between. Big power off the tee is the foundation.

After missing the cut in his first try of 2024, Thomas Detry (25/1) rattled off T20 (Torrey Pines!!), T4, and T28 before not qualifying for last week. The Belgian cashed T8 and T15 in back-to-back years at Punta Cana and hit the top 25 in his final two visits to Mayakoba.

Winning four weeks ago in the UAE in his last outing, Thorbjorn Olesen (30/1) continues his run of fantastic play. Cashing 26^th or better in his last eight starts, his annual hot starts to the beginning of the calendar year continue.

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

The last time the TOUR stopped in Mexico and played on Paspalum, Erik van Rooyen (33/1) posted three rounds of 64-66-63 to close at El Cardonal and win by two shots. Missing the cut in Phoenix was his first weekend off in 12 starts.

Doug Ghim (45/1) rolls in after cashing T13 (Torrey Pines!!) and T12 in Phoenix. Keep an eye on this ball-striker.

Maverick McNealy (50/1) popped with a season-best T6 at WM Phoenix open after a disappointing T39 in his boyhood backyard at Pebble Beach.

Cameron Champ (55/1) joins Finau, Brandon Wu (40/1), and Patrick Rodgers (33/1) as the only players to hit the top 10 in the first two editions.

Andrew Novak (110/1) grinds his way through big, windy, courses and isn’t bothered by Paspalum.

A winner at Mayakoba, Patton Kizzire (125/1) joins Finau and Charley Hoffman (70/1) as the only players this week to win on a Norman design in Mexico.

With wins at the Puerto Rico Open, Mazatlán Open, and El Bosque Mexico Championship, Martin Trainer (200/1) deserves a punt. Cashing T11 on debut here in 2022, he returns after T15 in Los Cabos last fall. Paspalum specialist and long shot.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Greg Norman Signature Course at Vidanta Vallarta
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,456.
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):	Tony Finau (-24).
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:	First-year for the event to be held in February.
Fact of the Week II:	Paspalum for the first time since El Cardonal last fall.

The 64^th 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 7,456 yards to Par 71, the track features tee-to-green Platinum Paspalum.

Previously contested in the last week of April and the first week of May, the 2024 edition takes up a new position on the calendar in late February.

To mitigate scoring, the rough has increased to 2.5 inches, up from 1.5 inches from the first two editions.

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, down from 12 feet last year.

Errant tee balls and approaches will have to steer clear of over 100 bunkers and water hazards found on 12 of the 18 holes.

One of the biggest ballparks on TOUR, Vidanta Vallarta will have five Par-3 holes and four Par-5 holes.

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.
$8.1 million – $1.458 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry, PLAYERS, and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2023 Season Winners

Event	Winner
Sentry Tournament of Champions	Jon Rahm
Sony Open in Hawaii	Si Woo Kim
The AMERICAN EXPRESS	Jon Rahm (2)
Farmers Insurance Open	Max Homa (2)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Justin Rose
WM Phoenix Open	Scottie Scheffler
The Genesis Invitational	Jon Rahm (3)
The Honda Classic	Chris Kirk
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win)
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Taylor Moore (first TOUR win)
Corales Puntacana	Matt Wallace (first TOUR win)
WGC – Dell Technologies MP	Sam Burns
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners
Masters	Jon Rahm (4)
RBC Heritage	Matt Fitzpatrick
Zurich Classic of New Orleans	Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each)
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Tony Finau (2)
Wells Fargo Championship	Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win)
AT&T Byron Nelson	Jason Day
PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka
Charles Schwab Challenge	Emiliano Grillo
Memorial	Viktor Hovland
RBC Canadian Open	Nick Taylor
U.S. Open	Wyndham Clark (2)
Travelers Championship	Keegan Bradley (2)
Rocket Mortgage Classic	Rickie Fowler
John Deere Classic	Sepp Straka
Genesis Scottish Open	Rory McIlroy (2)
The Open Championship	Brian Harman
3M Open	Lee Hodges (first TOUR win)
Wyndham Championship	Lucas Glover
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Lucas Glover (2)
BMW Championship	Viktor Hovland (2)
TOUR Championship	Viktor Hovland (3)
Fortinet Championship	Sahith Theegala
Sanderson Farms Championship	Luke List
Shriners Children’s Open	Tom Kim
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Collin Morikawa
World Wide Technology	Erik van Rooyen
Butterfield Bermuda	Camilo Villegas
The RSM Classic	Ludvig Aberg

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes – weather)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama

Recent Winners – Mexico Open at Vidanta

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Tony Finau (-24)	Rolled to a three-shot victory over Rahm; Wu was third two back.
2022	Jon Rahm (-17)	Held off Tony Finau and Brandon Wu by one shot.

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.

A field of 132, down from previous years due to the early season start and reduced February daylight, will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds.

Defending champion Tony Finau highlights a field of just four players in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. At No. 24, he is the highest-ranked player teeing it up this week.

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

Total Winnings:		1,575,217

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

Recapping Last Week – The Genesis Invitational

West Coast players have feasted here over the years. Only Joaquin Niemann, who is ineligible this week, sticks out like a sore thumb from the list of recent winners. All he did was set the 36-hole and 54-hole scoring record in perfect conditions.

The third of eight Signature Events requires a show of nerves. Either you’re picking an ultra-premium player or you’re hoping to continue to stretch of winners outside 60-1.

With only 40-odd events to choose from, there is absolutely no need to go fishing this week. Save that for next week in Mexico when the field will lighten significantly.

MY CHOICE: Max Homa – T16

It’s his major championship. It’s in his backyard. He’s won it and finished second in the last three editions. The streak of top-10 paydays is four.

The Cooler strikes again! Battling from the word go, the Californian put it together in Round 2 with 65 but couldn’t catch up. A bogey at the last cost 116k but who’s counting?

At least I put Matsuyama in the DFS column!

Other to Consider:

Scottie Scheffler: I will not talk you out of him this week. This is not a putting contest and that will help him between the ears from the word go. Damn, 51 guys made the cut. Scheffler was 51^st SG: Putting. Cashed T10.

Collin Morikawa: I’d probably run him out before Scheffler. I like the grass match. Barely hit 50% of GIR. Weird. T19.

Adam Scott: I don’t think I need to dip to 50-1 this week. Might pop in a field with less lumber down the road. T19 on a sponsor’s exemption.

Rory McIlroy: I’m good. See him in Florida or when the weather gets warmer. T24 after opening with 74. Good swerve.

Justin Thomas: T12 or better in every event over the last four months. I’m still holding out for Valhalla. Condolences to those who didn’t. MC.

Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele: If you’re not sold on Cantlay’s form, save him for Memorial. Schauffele is an auto play at any major, especially a U.S. Open. If your game uses The TOUR Championship, that works as well. T4 BOTH! Cantlay was the more disappointing of the two. Sunday scaries continued but it was reported he was sick most of the weekend. Ok.

Tiger Woods: Come on. Just no. He’s +320 to hit the top 20. Go there. Win there. Maybe. Played 24 holes and WD due to illness.

Longshots

Sahith Theegala – T37

Cameron Young – T16

Will Zalatoris – T2

Adam Schenk – MC

Emiliano Grillo – T44

This Week – Mexico Open at Vidanta

The fields in this event during the first two editions have been less than comprehensive.

The argument that the two best players finished first-T2 or T2-first the last two years is difficult to argue.

The winners on TOUR this year suggest that favorite Tony Finau will struggle to defend his title and some 50/1 or worse longshot will steal the trophy on Sunday.

Whatever.

MY CHOICE: Tony Finau

With light wind in the forecast, it’s all systems go. Relax, smoke drivers, wedge it close, and continue to avoid bogeys just off the Pacific Ocean.

Those of you who do not believe a shootout is the best place to run him out, save the champion at Memorial Park in Houston for later in March. Defending his second title of the year, the tee to green requirements in Texas will play more to his set-up, but I would suggest a deeper field.

MUCH deeper.

Nobody said this was easy.

Other to Consider:

Thorbjorn Olesen: Won in the Middle East in his last outing. Former Ryder Cupper plays all four corners of the world, and his game follows.

Cameron Champ: Yep, that’s where we’re at this week. Hitting the top 10 twice in the first two years matches nicely.

Emiliano Grillo: Broke his drought at Colonial last spring. Safest pick on the board.

Thomas Detry: Too many top 25 paydays in thin fields and on Paspalum to ignore.

Longshots

Brandon Wu: Testing the limits of Horses for Courses!

Patrick Rodgers: Same!

Mackenzie Hughes: Flashed for two rounds last week before fading on the weekend.

Charley Hoffman: Previous winner at Mayakoba, should feel right at home.

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