WM Phoenix Open Preview

February 7, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

WM Phoenix Open

The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale

Scottsdale, Arizona

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NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,261.
Par:	71 (35-36).
Greens:	Poa annua; 7,100 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	12 feet.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye and Poa annua around two inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	67/3/6
Architect(s):	Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish (1986); Tom Weiskopf (2014 renovation).
Defending Champion (event):	Scottie Scheffler (-19)
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Scheffler (2023, 2022), Hideki Matsuyama (2017, 2016) and JB Holmes (2006, 2004).
Course Record:	61; Jordan Spieth (Round 3, 2021); Wyndham Clark (Round 1, 2020).
72 Hole Tournament Record (post-2014 renovation)	19-under; Scottie Scheffler (2023).
Fact of the Week:	Steve Stricker was the last player to win an event three consecutive years (John Deere Classic 2009-2011).
Fact of the Week II:	Only three internationals have won since 2000.

Notes:

Field of 132.
THE CUT returns this week. The top 65 and ties advance to the final two rounds.
The OWGR is represented by 27 of the top 50.
$8.8 million – $1.584 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

Recent Winners – WM Phoenix Open

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Scottie Scheffler (-19)	Tied the tournament scoring record defending his title. Won by two shots over Nick Taylor. Third place was five back.
2022	Scottie Scheffler (-16)	Defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win for the first time on TOUR.
2021	Brooks Koepka (-19)	Set the tournament scoring mark holding off KH Lee and Xander Schauffele by a shot.
2020	Webb Simpson (-17)	Defeated Tony Finau in a playoff.
2019	Rickie Fowler (-19)	Sat 20-under after 54 holes before eventually winning by two shots in cool, rainy, conditions.
2018	Gary Woodland (-18)	Defeated Chez Reavie in a playoff; Circled 26 birdies.
2017	Hideki Matsuyama (-17)	Successfully defended his title knocking out Simpson in a playoff.
2016	Hideki Matsuyama (-14)	Won in his third attempt defeating Fowler in a playoff.
2105	Brooks Koepka (-15)	Won on his debut and won for the first time on TOUR.

Angles

The People’s Open is the largest attended sporting event outside The Olympics.

Over 700,000 people will pack into TPC Scottsdale during the practice rounds and tournament play.

Players distracted by noise, crowds, or nightlife probably didn’t enter this week.

It’s the fourth consecutive week on Poa annua greens but the first in four weeks where only one course will be in play.

Desert golf usually means sunshine, light winds, and warm temperatures. Not this week. Take a look. Cold mornings and the lack of sunshine will make this a miserable slog. Thankfully, TPC Scottsdale drains nicely.

A wet golf course on Thursday will expand the fairways. Less roll equals more width and tighter angles can possibly be attacked. Will it matter if you can’t feel your hands???

The Par-71 has played 7,261 yards since the 2019 edition. Taking advantage of scoring conditions (read: not firm and fast greens) should resemble a dart board. The average winning score here in perfect conditions is around 17-under. Time to score again 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

Total Winnings:		1,090,017

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 – AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The second of eight Signature Events, there is NO CUT this week. Toss in wind, rain, and amateurs, and it might be a week to stray from the biggest of names.

Or not.

My theory in this game is simple: You’re not missing out. If you don’t take Scheffler this week and he wins, it’s not one and done. He will play all of the majors, THE PLAYERS, most of the other six Signature Events and the first two rounds of the FedExCup Playoffs. He’s good enough to win again and possibly after that.

MY CHOICE: Jordan Spieth – T39

He embraces the format, can handle the weather, and has the results to back it up. If you’re saving him for the Masters, please re-read the above. I’m trying to catch him on the up on ANOTHER course he has figured out. I didn’t think he would fire at Kapalua, and I was wrong by miles (solo third). After back-to-back top six paydays, I’m going in.

Never in it from the jump, the Texan sat a mile off the lead when the tournament was, rightly, called after 54 holes. I took a chance. I didn’t hit.

Other to Consider:

Viktor Hovland: The 2018 U.S. Amateur winner here has plenty of reps at Pebble. He lives in Oklahoma where wind is just part of life. The only upside of choosing Spieth instead is saving Hovland for later. Cashing T58 and withdrawing from WM Phoenix Open this week wasn’t what I had in mind.

Rory McIlroy: To me, he makes absolutely no sense this week. Not with the events left on the schedule. Not with the tracks he’s crushed still to come. I’ll point out he’s on fire. Got it. Desert golf, with no wind and warm temperatures, is exactly the opposite of what he will face this week. Posted one round in the 60s for T66 out of 80 players.

Ludvig Aberg: There’s nothing left to be written about the Swedish star in the making. The next step for gamers is figuring out his sweet spot. If you’re on the fence this week about the weather/event/choice there are a ton of worse places to default to than this guy. Solo second.

Tommy Fleetwood: Can we get somebody to whisper in his ear that is U.S. Open week? Good job if you resisted! T31.

Jason Day: Because I had him last week. Closed with 63 for T6. Yep, THIS WEEK.

Longshots

Ben An – T31

Denny McCarthy – T26

Nick Taylor – T71

Seamus Power – T31

This Week – WM Phoenix Open

History suggests the BIG PARTY in the desert brings us a big champion (see the table above). Only Webb Simpson (not entered) has won this event BEFORE winning a major championship, but the point stands. TPC Scottsdale identifies big-time talent. The only champion on the list above who has not won a major, to the surprise of many, is Rickie Fowler.

The way 2024 has begun it is OBVIOUS the winner this week will be a Monday Qualifier or the last man into the field after a WD. All five winners have been just short of or above 100-1 to win this season. Wyndham Clark’s victory last week just added to that total as he was as long as 125-1 in places and 66-1 in others.

Whatever

MY CHOICE: Matt Fitzpatrick

It will be cold, and damp, and players will be either into this weather or mentally checked out. The Englishman should feel right at home.

Strong off the tee, this major winner isn’t going to lose any shots on or around the greens either. Making his third consecutive start (T29-T10), it’s obvious he’s not bothered by the raucous environment.

Other to Consider:

Scottie Scheffler: If I am going to use him once and only once, thems the rules, I’m going down in an event with BIG BUCKS on the table.

Justin Thomas: Current heat mixes nicely with course form. At this point, I can’t talk myself out of him at Valhalla. You do you.

Hideki Matsuyama: Legit course horse.

Max Homa: No, thanks. Next week.

Wyndham Clark: Following up a round of 60 in victory seems a bit of a stretch.

Byeong Hun An: The putter isn’t the answer, but he won’t miss many Fairways and GIR.

Longshots

Keith Mitchell

Corey Conners

Vincent Norrman

Victor Perez

Farmers Insurance Open 2024

January 23, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Farmers Insurance Open

Torrey Pines Golf Club

South Course (Host)

North Course

San Diego, CA

THE TOURNAMENT STARTS TOMORROW – READ THE PREVIEW MATERIAL HERE

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	South Course
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,765
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Poa annua; 5,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	13 feet.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye on Kikuyu at four inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	82/1/1
Architect(s):	William P. Bell & William F. Bell (1957).
Defending Champion (event):	Max Homa (-15).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Jason Day (2018, 2015) and Brandt Snedeker (2016, 2012).
Course Record (last):	62; South Course – Tiger Woods (1999). 61; North Course – Brandt Snedeker (2007).
72 Hole Tournament Record (last)	266 (-22); Tiger Woods (1999).
Fact of the Week:	Since 1990, three players have made FIO their first win on TOUR.
Fact of the Week II:	Since 1990, two players have won on debut.

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

Notes:

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

Current Aon Swing 5 (*entered this week)

Grayson Murray

Christiaan Bezuidenhout*

Justin Thomas

Kevin Yu*

Carl Yuan*

Next 5

Michael Kim*

Matthieu Pavon*

Keith Mitchell*

Ryo Hisatsune*

Taylor Pendrith*

Season Winners

2023 Season Winners

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

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open
AT&T Pebble Beach

Recent Winners – Farmers Insurance Open

Italics – not entered this week.

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

Angles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pick better golfers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One and Done

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

35 events.

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

1 use per year.

Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!

Event	Selection	Earnings
The Sentry	Collin Morikawa	690,500
Sony Open in Hawaii	Corey Conners	18,592
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	310,800
Farmers Insurance Open

Total Winnings:		1,019,892

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

Recapping Last Week – The American Express

MY CHOICE: Adam Hadwin – T6

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

Other to Consider:

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

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

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

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

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

Longshots

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

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

This Week – Farmers Insurance Open

MY CHOICE: Jason Day

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

Other to Consider:

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

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

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

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

Longshots

Harris English

Patrick Rodgers

Taylor Moore

The American Express 2024 Preview

January 17, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Never leave home without it!

The American Express

The Stadium Course at PGA West (Host)

Nicklaus Tournament Course

La Quinta Country Club

La Quinta, CA

Weekly Readers:

Odds Outlook – click here

Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – click here

Expert Picks – click here

DFS Angles – click here

Bet365.com – click here

Golfbet articles from the entire crew – click here

Welcome to 2024 and the new season.

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

Please read the stuff above for the total experience.

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

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

So shut up, keep up, and enjoy it.

If you have any questions, reach out.

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:

Scottie Scheffler (11/2): Go on, take the money, and run, goes the song. As Scheffler’s putter goes, his weekly paycheck increases. Nobody hits it better, but when 25-under or better is required, I’m not sure he has enough makes in the flat stick. Take the top 10 and carry on.

Patrick Cantlay (9/1): Don’t forget he used to dominate in the desert outside Las Vegas! The California desert hasn’t been as profitable, but the Californian has racked up three top-10 paydays, including solo second in 2021, in his last four starts. Owning the course record, 61, at the Stadium Course, he’s also produced 62 at La Quinta. He’s my first name on the team sheet this week.

Xander Schauffele (11/1): Returning for the first time since 2017, the Las Vegas resident closed with 62 at the Stadium Course last year to steal a spot on the podium at T3. The last time we saw him in the winner’s circle was in the summer of 2022 in Scotland before The Open Championship. Sitting in the top five in SG: Approach AND Putting, that’s an incredible streak without a win.

Sungjae Im (20/1): Setting the PGA TOUR record for most birdies in a tournament (34) and cashing T5 at Kapalua, the spotlight shines brightly on him this week. Never finishing better than T10 and never worse than T18, it’s not surprising he’s in the field for the sixth consecutive season. This week will be the first time in six seasons he’s not coming directly from Waialae. The Korean posted 20-under last year, his best total, yet it was only good enough for T18.

Tom Kim (20/1): Once Cantlay left the Las Vegas desert, Kim picked up the ball and ran with it. Winning the event the last two seasons, his first two times in the field, he’s proven he can fill it up in perfect scoring conditions. Cashing T6 here last January, the 21-year-old circled 26 birdies and an eagle, plus signed for 62 at the NT. With plenty of options from Korea in the field, he stands out.

Justin Thomas (22/1): Qualifying for Signature Events in 2024 is the carrot for the two-time major winner. Missing out on the playoffs last season, 2024 will require additional concentration, especially with the PGA Championship in his backyard of Louisville coming up in May. The last time he played The American Express was 2015 (T7). A fresh start to a fresh year. All aboard!

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Stadium Course at PGA West
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,187
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Overseeded Poa annua; 5,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	11 feet.
Rough:	Overseed at 1 inch. Dormant Tifgreen Bermuda at 2 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	Over 90 bunkers, seven holes with water in play.
Architect(s):	Pete Dye (1986).
Defending Champion (event):	Jon Rahm (-27; not entered).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Bill Haas (not on this rotation).
Course Record (last):	61; Patrick Cantlay (Round 4, 2021).
72 Hole Tournament Record (2016-current rotation):	261 (-27); Jon Rahm (2023).
Fact of the Week:	Only six international winners from the previous 64 events.
Fact of the Week II:	Johnny Miller is the only player to defend the title (1975-76).

Notes:

Field of 156.
First multi-course event of 2024 and first pro-am.
The OWGR is represented by 21 of the top 50.
Top 65 and ties will make the cut and play the weekend after 54 holes (play each course once).
$8.4 million – $1.512 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry 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
Farmers Insurance Open

Recent Winners – The American Express

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Jon Rahm (-27)	Played the final group with Davis Thompson and beat him by a shot to win for the second time.
2022	Hudson Swafford (-23)	Defeated Tom Hoge by two shots to win for the second time.
2021	Si Woo Kim (-23)	Only made two bogeys for the week on the SC/NT rotation to win by one.
2020	Andrew Landry (-26)	Tied the tournament scoring record winning by two.
2019	Adam Long (-26)	Became the first rookie to win since Jhonattan Vegas (2011).
2018	Jon Rahm (-22)	Needed a playoff to knock off Andrew Landry.
2017	Hudson Swafford (-20)	Wet, windy weekend produced the highest winning total to date in the new rota.
2016	Jason Dufner (-25)	Saw off David Lingmerth in a playoff in the first iteration of Stadium Course, Nicklaus Tournament Course, and LQCC

Angles

The Nicklaus Tournament Course plays to Par-72 and 7,147 yards. Playing 7,000 square feet on average, the Overseeded Poa annua greens are the largest of the three courses. Dylan Wu (2023) and Will Zalatoris (2022) have posted 61 here.

La Quinta Country Club is known for premium putting surfaces and usually plays the easiest of the trio. All three courses have minimal rough and green speeds that won’t broach 11 feet. Playing to Par-72 and 7,060 yards, it plays as one of the easiest on TOUR annually. Adam Hadwin posted 59 in Round 3 in 2017.

All eight winners have posted 20-under or better to win and have ranked in the top 10 in Par-4 and Par-5 scoring.

The HIGHEST cut in this rotation in the last three editions was 7-under. The 2021 edition used only the Stadium Course and NT and was a 36-hole chop.

First tournament with Poa annua Greens.

Players to consider for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action from Bet365.com:

JT Poston (30/1): Making his third start in three events to start the season, he posted T3 in Las Vegas in the fall, T5 at Sentry, and solo sixth last week. Circling 29 birdies in 2023, he cashed T6 here last season. When trends converge, I jump.

Taylor Montgomery (50/1): Solo fifth on debut last year included three rounds of 66 or better. This desert doesn’t have the distraction of his home tournament in Las Vegas.

Adam Hadwin (60/1): One of the course horses this week, he’s never missed in seven visits and owns four top-10 paydays. Running second to Kim at Shriners in the fall, a missed cut last week at Sony will not deter me.

Taylor Pendrith (80/1): I might add every Canadian to my ticket. In his last five events, he’s posted T15 in four of his last five, including three in the top 10. Buy all you can get.

Grayson Murray (125/1): In six visits he’s posted T14 or better three times. I’ll ride the bounce from last week.

Patton Kizzire (125/1): Second consecutive week as a sponsor’s exemption. Cashing T13 last week, he’ll look to add to T11 and T22 in his previous two visits to La Quinta.

Sam Ryder (150/1): T13 and T10 in his last two appearances during his streak of nine consecutive made cuts.

Chesson Hadley (200/1): Cashing his last eight on TOUR includes T7 twice in two of his last four, including one in Las Vegas. He’s missed the weekend here on his last three trips so something has to give!

Jacob Bridgeman/Adrian Dumont de Chassart (300/1): The kids are all right. After both missed the cut last week, it’s time to put their heads down and make a bunch of birdies, just like they did all last season on the KFT.

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
Farmers Insurance Open

Total Winnings:		709,092

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

Back to the mainland and the West Coast swing. Poa annua (except for the North Course at Torrey) for this week, Farmers, and Pebble Beach.

Two major differences this week:

Poa
Three courses

The American Express has produced six different winners over eight editions. Sadly, for gamers and gamblers, the bingo card of conquerors in the desert is quite full.

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

This is a week where I’m going to take a chance with an angle, consequences be damned!

Recapping Last Week – Sony Open in Hawaii

MY CHOICE: Corey Conners – T57

The Canadian finished the week T80 of 81 players in Putting, needing 126 of them. Right, there were just 72 holes, got it.

Considerations

Eric Cole: Tough laydown this week as his form and function have been firing for months. Just a matter of preference. T13.

Russell Henley: I won’t talk you out of him this week, but I prefer him on a tougher ball-striking layout. Hairs split. Closed with 63 for T4. Sigh.

J.T. Poston: It shouldn’t be a surprise that this is most of my lineup in Expert Picks. Closed with 61 for 6^th. Sigh.

Matt Kuchar: Nobody in the field this week has done it better at Waialae. It’s here or Harbour Town if you’re gonna ride. #ShorterTheBetter. MC. Careful with 40-somethings…

Hideki Matsuyama: Dead last in putting last week. Needed the best putting numbers of his life to win this (his only top 10) two years ago. Careful. T30. If you didn’t use him this week he’s live for TPC Scottsdale or Memorial.

Will Zalatoris: Hard to saddle a guy after 81 and 79 in his last official outing. Be patient. 76-69. See you down the road.

Longshots

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

Chan Kim: Hawaiian native lit up the KFT late and has plenty of experience in the Pacific Rim. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, the ol’ 75-64…

This Week: The American Express

MY CHOICE: Adam Hadwin

Nobody is more comfortable on these three courses, and he has the scar tissues to prove it. The Canadian will look to make it eight from eight and add to his three finishes on the podium.

Others to Consider

Tom Kim: Tough laydown, especially after 66 to close at Kapalua to kick-start his 2024. His desert record is making me reconsider this pick until the first tee time on Thursday. Stay tuned.

Chris Kirk: T18-WIN in the last two weeks, plus he closed 63-64 here last year for T3.

J.T. Poston: Copied, pasted.

Justin Thomas: He’s not in any Signature Events until he qualifies. One leads to another. Saving him for the PGA Championship in his native state of Kentucky outside his birth city of Louisville is understood.

Patrick Cantlay: If you believe a big 2024 is brewing, I would not be surprised to see it start this week on these three tracks.

Longshots

Taylor Montgomery: When form meets course history…

Patton Kizzire: Probably not in THIS format. Probably everywhere else.

Welcome Back! The Sentry 2024

January 3, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Good morning, Kapalua 💚#TheSentry pic.twitter.com/zDZLg8CLak
— The Sentry (@TheSentry) January 2, 2024

The Sentry

The Plantation Course at Kapalua

Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

Weekly Readers:

Odds Outlook – click here

Horses for Courses/Stats Suggest – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Golfbet articles from the entire crew – click here

Opening Grid – click here

Welcome to 2024 and the new season.

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

I write all of the stuff above. I’m not going to necessarily repeat everything in this column. Life is a do-it-yourself job so click and read.

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

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

So shut up, keep up, and enjoy it.

I know there are only a few of you so thanks for reading.

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:

Scottie Scheffler (+500): The last three winners here have led the field in SG: Putting. Nobody hits it better but can he it THAT WELL against a field of this class and get away with a cold-putting week? No, says I. Enjoy the free money on the top 10 bets, though.

Viktor Hovland (+800): Maybe the fourth time will be the charm? Form has never been a concern. The last two years he’s arrived after winning the Hero World Challenge in December against an elite field. His best finish is T18. What’s the hang-up? Chipping and putting on Bermuda. Well, he’s appeared to have fixed those issues. I’ll let you wade in at 8-1 to see him put it all together this week.

Collin Morikawa (+1100): Odds have already dropped from 12s to 11s since Monday morning. Not hard to figure out why. He was 35-under in his previous four rounds from 2022 thru Round 3 of 2023. His final round 72 last year saw his six-shot lead evaporate. Fading to T2 he picked up his fourth consecutive T7 or better from four starts. Family on the island. A winner at ZOZO in October. Two-time major champion. Only concern, as usual, could be the flat stick. I’ll start writing win tickets and his name is first on the list.

Ludvig Aberg (+1400): Looking to go back-to-back on TOUR in his 15^th start anywhere as a pro. Wow. Fantastic player will be attacking history from that angle plus the Chopra Angle (keep reading). Too much for me to swallow at that price. Terribly curious to see how he follows up closing 64-61-61 from his win at The RSM though.

Xander Schauffele (+1400): One of the three former champs in the field, his last two years here have been disappointing. After his win, followed by P2 and T5, he cashed 12^th and was a WD (back/neck) last year after opening with 70. Recent winners at Kapalua have produced results in the fall and ridden that momentum to Maui. He’s played once since the Ryde Cup, T38 at ZOZO, and did not hit the Hero. Hasn’t won since July 2022.

Patrick Cantlay (+1400): In the even years, he plays great, solo fourth in 2020 and 2022. In the odd years, he hasn’t cracked the top 12. Is it the Ryder Cup? He hasn’t played since Rome, nor did he play in the weeks leading up after The TOUR Championship. He did get married! Hooking on to a guy who hasn’t played his own ball since early September isn’t for the faint of heart.

Max Homa (+1400): This Californian checks the boxes for me as my No. 2 this week. After winning in South Africa in November, he knocked the rust off in The Bahamas at the Hero World Challenge. I can’t point to a recent full-field event where he wasn’t in the top 25. He finished T3 here last year and will be making his fourth start. Super on the greens as well, I’d expect a big week from him again.

Jordan Spieth (+1800): Nobody loves Horses for Courses more than I do and the Texan qualifies. The 2016 champ hit the podium in his first three, and the top 10 in his first four, but has been quiet since. Tied with Schauffele and Matsuyama more the most starts in the field (7 this week), he knows his way around. With the expanded family, a new baby arrived in September, and a jumpy putter, this number feels like a stretch. He’ll hope for tougher, breezy conditions to allow his creativity and short game to flourish.

Tom Kim (+2200): Debuting last year, he racked up T5 and wondered what all the fuss was about. The birdie machine would be higher on my list if the conditions were benign. I haven’t seen enough of him in the breeze to run him to the front, especially in a field of this strength. Form won’t be a concern as a busy fall worldwide included defending his title in the weather-less Las Vegas desert.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	The Plantation Course at Kapalua
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,596
Par:	73 (36-37)
Greens:	TifEagle Bermuda; 8,722 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	11 feet.
Rough:	Celebration Bermuda at 2.5 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	93/0/0.
Architect(s):	Coore and Crenshaw (1999).
Defending Champion (event):	Jon Rahm (-27; not entered; no longer holds TOUR status).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record (last):	61; set three times in 2022 (Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Matt Jones, none entered this week).
72 Hole Tournament Record (last):	258 (-34); Cam Smith 2022 (no longer a member on TOUR).
Fact of the Week:	72 holes, no cut.
Fact of the Week II:	There are 18 players making their debut this week. The only player to win on the first attempt at Kapalua was Daniel Chopra in 2008.

Notes:

Field of 59.
Winners in the calendar year 2023 or qualifiers for the BMW Championship are eligible.
The OWGR is represented by 21 of the top 25.
First of eight SIGNATURE EVENTS of 2024.
$20 million – $3.6 million – 700 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2023 Season Winners

Italics – not entered

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

Recent Winners – The Sentry

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2023	Jon Rahm (-25)	Won by two, no longer a member on TOUR.
2022	Cam Smith (-34)	Set the tournament scoring record, no longer a member on TOUR.
2021	Harris English (-25)	Won in a playoff on his second visit.
2020	Justin Thomas (-14)	Won a three-man playoff over Schauffele and Reed in breezy conditions.
2019	Xander Schauffele (-23)	Closed with 62, tying the course record, to win on his second try.
2018	Dustin Johnson (-24)	Tied the Plantation course margin of victory, winning by eight shots.

Angles

The Plantation Course tips at 7,596 yards, the third longest course used in 2023, and plays to Par-73.

The Plantation Course has ranked as the easiest course on TOUR the last three seasons, playing more than three shots under par per round annually. Weather is the only deterrent to scoring.

The resort course features generous fairways and the largest greens complexes on TOUR.

Elevation changes and uneven lies will challenge players on second shots.

TifEagle Bermuda greens running at 11 feet will allow players to be aggressive on the short grass.

The last eight winners have produced seven champions who finished first or second in SG: Putting.

The last eight winners have ranked in the top eight in SG: Off the tee.

The last 10 winners of this event have been household names. The best players have no problem going low.

Stretching

Players for the top 10 and top 20 action

Australian Cam Davis (66/1) will try to continue the proud Australian tradition at this event. The last wire-to-wire winner and champion to defend was Geoff Ogilvy (2009-2010). Stuart Appleby rattled off three straight wins from 2004-2006. Cameron Smith set the tournament scoring record in 2022. Making his second start, he quietly picked off a T10 on debut in 2022 with four rounds in the 60s for 23-under.

The top 10 finishers of 2023 included debutants Tom Hoge (150/1) at T3, Tom Kim (22/1) at T5, and Matt Fitzpatrick (28/1) at T7. This year, 18 players are making their maiden voyages at the Plantation Course. While Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark will get most of the looks, Floridian Eric Cole (66/1) makes for a lovely outsider. The 34-year-old rookie ran T3 to Aberg at The RSM Classic to wrap up a fruitful debut season on TOUR. He’s the best putter in the field, loves Bermudagrass, and won’t be bothered by the big names or big ballpark.

Akshay Bhatia (110/1) thrives in coastal settings and when conditions get breezy.

Mackenzie Hughes (150/1) quietly closed 2023 with a runner-up finish to Aberg at The RSM Classic two weeks after cashing T7 at El Cardonal in Mexico. The Canadian opened with 66 and closed with 65 here last year for T21, his best result from three visits.

One and Done

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

35 events.

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

1 use per year.

Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!

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

With EIGHT Signature Events spread out throughout the season, player management becomes a major issue. These events do NOT include the four majors or THE PLAYERS Championship. These events do NOT include the FedExCup Playoffs.

My theory for this game is quite simple: Use the biggest and best for the events with the biggest and best prize pools. Also, if your second guy wins this week, what’s to say he won’t win again in 2024??? Relax, it’s week 1.

This is a bonus week as there is NO CUT. You will cash. Or crash and burn.

MY CHOICE: Collin Morikawa

Others to consider/fade

Max Homa – Too many events in SoCal for me to use this week. He will defend at Torrey Pines and Riviera is his personal open. I won’t talk YOU out of him, though.

Xander Schauffele – This should interest the course historians at Kapalua but the rust bothers ME. You gotta do you. I’ll save him for the U.S. Open or East Lake (if your game uses that event).

Patrick Cantlay – Another quirk of mine is playing guys where they have won before. Memorial is his jam.

Jordan Spieth – New folks, it’s either Augusta or Colonial for me. Maybe Pebble.

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

Longshots

Sungjae Im – The best of three starts was his debut and he has gone in the wrong direction since. That direction included another top 10 plus solo 12^th. Coming off his first season in five without a podium finish doesn’t inspire but he knows his way around tee to green.

Sahith Theegala – Free roll. Winner at Fortinet in September. ELITE putter who finished 33^rd of 38 last year on these greens. He won’t do that again, promise!

LAST CALL – RSM CLASSIC

November 15, 2023 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Time to fire back that final shot, pay your tab, and GET INTO THE TOP 125 or THE NEXT 10!

RSM Classic

Sea Island Golf Club

Seaside (host) course

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Weekly Readers:

Horses for Courses – click here

Betting Stat Pack – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Odds Outlook – click here

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top 10 players

Ludvig Aberg (11/1): Listing him as the favorite in a field with 11 of the top 50 in the OWGR tells you what the book thinks! This is an event where first-time winners have flourished over the last 13 years.

Russell Henley (14/1): I’m never crazy about backing a guy who hasn’t played in almost three months in a shootout. One quiet round this week to knock the rust off might be too much to overcome. With the wind in play in Round 1, he might find the perfect storm.

Brian Harman (20/1): No current resident has ever won.

Cameron Young (22/1): With the way he hits it, he would prefer windy conditions all four days.

Corey Conners (25/1): Looking to become the third Canadian winner, he’s never cashed better than T10 in four trips.

Eric Cole (25/1): It’s time. Hop on. Bermuda expert.

J.T. Poston (28/1): Already a winner twice in shootouts, his red-hot form is hard to ignore.

Si Woo Kim (33/1): Hasn’t posted a top 10 since June and has MC in his last three visits here. Hits it great tee-to-green so I better throw a top 10 ticket on here just in case!

Denny McCarthy (33/1): Almost three months to the day since his last competitive round. Not many roll it better on the greens.

Adam Svensson (35/1): Reigning champion defends for the first time. Yeah, I’m out.

Alex Noren (35/1): White hot form. Once I back him, you shouldn’t. I’ll give you an early Xmas present by fading him.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Seaside
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,006.
Par:	70 (35-35).
Greens:	TifEagle Bermuda; 7,200 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	12.5.
Rough:	Ryegrass overseed at 2 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	47/14/13
Architect(s):	Colt & Alison (1929); Tom Fazio (1999).
Defending Champion (event):	Adam Svensson (-19).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Robert Streb (2014, 2020).
Course Record (last):	60; Set twice in 2021 (both not entered); Tommy Gainey 2012, Round 4.
72 Hole Tournament Record (last):	260 (-22); Talor Gooch (2022); Kevin Kisner (2015).
Fact of the Week:	Oldest TifEagle Greens on TOUR.
Fact of the Week II:	19-under or better is the winning score over the last SIX editions.

Notes:

Field of 156.
The OWGR is represented by 11 of the top 50.
FINAL EVENT of the FedExCup Fall.
$8.4 million – $1.512 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2022-2023 Season Winners

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

Recent Winners – RSM Classic

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2022	Adam Svensson (-19)	Wins by two for first victory on TOUR.
2021	Talor Gooch (-22)	Matched tournament scoring record; wins by three for first victory on TOUR.
2020	Robert Streb (-19)	Defeated Kisner in a playoff to become the only two-time champion.
2019	Tyler Duncan (-19)	Defeated Webb Simpson in a playoff to win for the first time on TOUR.
2018	Charles Howell III (-19)	Defeated Patrick Rodgers in a playoff for his first win since 2007.

Angles

The Seaside course, covering 7,005 yards and Par-70, will be used in three of the four rounds.

The Plantation course, stretching to just 7,060 yards and playing to Par-72, will be used once before the 36-hole cut.

Both courses are tee-to-green Bermuda grass and TifEagle Bermuda greens.

Svensson is the only winner to sign for a round over 70 on the scorecard. He opened with 73 last year.

Winners here annually rank in the top 10 GIR, SG: Putting, and Scrambling.

Kevin Kisner is the only player in the field this week to post 22-under as a winning total, equaling the tournament scoring record.

The last six winning totals have been 19-under or better. Go low!

The field of 156 contains 11 of the top 50 OWGR.

Stretching

Justin Suh (40/1) will enjoy the generous landing areas and inviting Seaside greens as targets. A super putter, he rolls into town after T10 and a career-best solo fourth in Mexico in his last two starts.

Sea Island resident Davis Thompson (55/1) has been watching this event for as long as his father, Todd, has been running it. Making his fifth appearance, he should be ready to contend on the weekend.

Chesson Hadley (55/1) has cashed T7 in his last two starts on TOUR on resort courses in Las Vegas and Mexico. No point overthinking it.

Sleepers

Will Gordon (100/1), T15 and T21 in his last two on TOUR, is top 10 GIR, and that plays this week. … 2017 winner Austin Cook (150/1) has cashed T10 and T13 in his last two starts on TOUR. … If Kevin Kisner (175/1) is going to figure it out, it’s going to be this week.

Butterfield Bermuda Championship

November 8, 2023November 8, 2023 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Aruba, Jamaica, ooooo I wanna take ya

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Port Royal Golf Course

Southampton, Bermuda

Weekly Readers:

Horses for Courses – click here

Betting Stat Pack – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Odds Outlook – click here

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top 10 players

Adam Scott (16-1): Sitting on top of the heap this week in a very muted field at Port Royal, he will put the “class v form” argument to the test. The winner of the 2013 Grand Slam of Golf on this track posted T41-MC in Japan in his last two starts. The optimist will point out he’s cashed T7 twice in his last five worldwide.

Alex Noren (18-1): Never a winner on TOUR, it’s hard for me to jump on this number.

Brendon Todd (18-1) owns the tournament scoring record and has posted three top-10 paydays from his last six on TOUR.

Akshay Bhatia (18-1) has the most recent win from this point on the list and up. Superior wind player.

Lucas Glover (20-1) busted his rust with T59 last week after ten weeks on the sidelines. He’ll be hoping the wind blows all weekend!

Thomas Detry (20-1): Making cuts for fun, his streak has reached nine worldwide. Runner up here last year, he also cashed T8 in March in the Dominican Republic. Interesting, yet I’m not sure there’s any value here for a guy who hasn’t won anywhere in the world since 2016.

Alex Smalley (20-1): Cashing in the top 10 twice this summer with T9 at TPC River Highlands and TPC Deere Run, he also produced T11 and T12 the last two years.

Lucas Herbert (22-1): Champion from 2021, the Australian did so in blustery conditions. Hell, I might just stack an all-Aussie card this week just to have some fun in this moribund field.

Taylor Pendrith (22-1): All gamers are looking for an angle. Double-dip here with the “revenge factor” and solid, current form (T15-T3).

Ben Griffin (22-1): Cashing T25 or better in five of his last nine worldwide, he also has unfinished business on the island. Playing from the final group, he was 23-under with seven holes to play. He played the next five holes SIX-OVER PAR (four bogeys, one double) and settled for T3. I wouldn’t have come back.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Port Royal Golf Course.
Yards (per official scorecard):	6,828.
Par:	71 (36-35).
Greens:	TifEagle Bermuda; 8,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	10.5 feet.
Rough:	419 Bermudagrass at 2 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	87/4/7.
Architect(s):	Robert Trent Jones (1971); Roger Rulewich (2008).
Defending Champion (event):	Seamus Power (not entered).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	N/A.
Course Record (last):	61; Taylor Pendrith, Round 2, 2021.
72 Hole Tournament Record (last):	260 (-24); Brendon Todd, 2019.
Fact of the Week:	Shortest course on TOUR.
Fact of the Week II:	Par-71, 6,828 yards for the fifth consecutive event.

Notes:

Field of 132
The OWGR is represented by 2 of the top 50.
Sixth of seven events of the FedExCup Fall
$6.5 million – $1.170 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2022-2023 Season Winners

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

Recent Winners – Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2022	Seamus Power (-19)	Set the tournament record circling TWENTY EIGHT* birdies. Won by one over Thomas Detry.*
2021	Lucas Herbert (-15)	Matched the highest-winning score. Won by a shot for his first TOUR victory in just his 20^th start.
2020	Brian Gay (-15)	Defeated Wyndham Clark in a playoff after closing with 64.
2019	Brendon Todd (-24)	Posted rounds of 63 in Round 2 and closed with 62 to win by four.

Longer Shots, Longest Shots, Others

After a shootout last week in Mexico on Tiger’s track, Mother Nature is probably going to have her say this week. Tight fairways are pinched only by two inches of rough, but awkward, uneven lies will require concentration. Big Bermuda greens, exposed to the elements, will only run around 10 feet.

The winners here have ranged from 20-1, red-hot Seamus Power last year to 200-1 veteran Brian Gay. Wide open would be an understatement.

I can’t look away from Luke List (25-1) this week. With nothing to play for, he’s making the trip. Is it a trip or a trap? … It’s great to see kids Nick Dunlap (50-1) and Peter Kuest (55-1) live, but I’ll take a veteran on the upswing, Lanto Griffin (55-1) at a similar number and take my chances. … Russell Knox (90-1) won’t win but he’ll be playing the weekend. … Kramer Hickok (60-1) will be making his fifth appearance and has posted three previous in the top 30. … Kelly Kraft (110-1) has cashed five in a row and plays ocean courses well. … Satoshi Kodaira (175-1) for a top 40.

Good luck!

World Wide Technology Championship

November 1, 2023 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Hey, at least it ain’t ALL CAPS again!

Way down here, you need a reason to move.

The fifth of seven FedExCup Fall tournaments should provide motivation at Tiger Woods’ El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, Mexico.

World Wide Technology Championship

El Cardonal at Diamante

Los Cabos, Mexico

Weekly Readers:

Horses for Courses – click here

Betting Stat Pack – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Odds Outlook – click here

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top 10 players

Ludvig Aberg (+900): Nothing has slowed him down over the last two months and I don’t believe a resort course setting is going to do the trick. The problem with a shootout and appears to be what we will have on the cards this week, is making enough putts over four days to win. Remember in Las Vegas he needed 62 on Sunday just to hit T13. He won’t be in my win tickets.

Cameron Young (+1200): Rest or rust? Returning to tournament competition for the first time in ten weeks, the big bomber should be licking his chops and cleaning the grooves on his wedges. Time to exact his revenge for the Ryder Cup snub?

Sahith Theegala (+1400): The interesting angle this week involves, for me, putters versus ball-strikers. With massive targets off the tee and into the greens, I would think the less accurate will have more chances to wield the putter. The absence of rough (there literally isn’t any) combined with only one water hazard should make for a less stressful week. Not many are better on and around the greens than Theegala. With a trophy on the shelf from Fortinet, he should be playing freely for the rest of the FedExCup Fall.

Beau Hossler (+2500): Looking to breakthrough for the first time on TOUR, he continues to sniff around over the last three months. Back-to-back top-10 paydays plus a run of T30 or better highlights his consistency. Add a few more bucks and take the top 20 price.

Stephan Jaeger (+2800): Making his 125^th start on the PGA TOUR, he is still looking for his first podium finish. Cashing in 28 of his last 31 events including too many in a row to count, the German is on great form but hasn’t been pushing into contention on the weekends.

Lucas Glover (+3000): Nobody was interested in thinking he would end the regular season with a win and follow it up with another in the first FedExCup Playoff event. Never posting a two-win season in his career, he’s now checked that box. Time for three? I don’t think so. The putter, which was white hot for a month, has had ten weeks off from competition.

Akshay Bhatia (+3000): If this week wasn’t on Paspalum, I’m not sure he’s up here. The winner at Barracuda in July, the lefty hasn’t popped a top 20 in his last six on TOUR. BUT MAN HE LOVES PASPALUM. Opening the 2022 KFT season he won on this surface in the Bahamas, In 2023 he’s cashed solo second in Puerto Rico, T24 Corales Puntacana and solo fourth at Vidanta Mexico Open.

J.J. Spaun (+3000): After cashing in eight straight on TOUR, Spaun rolls in after his best result (T6) last week since The Sentry last January. Finding his form in the FedExCup Fall, he sits at No. 56 entering the week. One more decent finish will push him into The Ten for 2024. Everyone is playing for something!

Emiliano Grillo (+3000): Fade or follow. The man is in form, and he absolutely shreds on Paspalum. With a victory at Colonial in May, another course he annually produces on when playing, stacking his first, two-win season is on the cards. The Argentine is my first name on the team sheet this week.

Thomas Detry (+3300): The only man listed at 33/1, the Belgian has cashed eight straight worldwide. On closer inspection his best of the bunch was T13 at The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. His only win in professional golf was in 2016, but he has cashed second multiple times. Digging deeper, he’s posted T15 or better the last three times at Mayakoba and never missed in five visits.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	El Cardonal at Diamante.
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,452.
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Platinum Paspalum.
Stimpmeter:	11.5 feet.
Rough:	There isn’t any!
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	48/1/1.
Architect(s):	Tiger Woods (2014).
Defending Champion (event):	Russell Henley (not entered).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	N/A.
Course Record (last):	Inaugural event.
72 Hole Tournament Record (last):	Inaugural event.
Fact of the Week:	First Tiger Woods designed course to be used on the PGATOUR.
Fact of the Week II:	Resort course Par-72.

Notes:

Field of 132
The OWGR is represented by 5 of the top 50.
Nine of the top 10 FedExCup Fall are entered.
Fifth event of the FedExCup Fall season (seven events).
$8.2 million – $1.475 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2022-2023 Season Winners

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

Recent Winners – World Wide Technology Championship

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2022	Russell Henley	Posted 23-under, won by four. Paspalum layout at Mayakoba.
2021	Viktor Hovland	Posted 23-under, won by four. Paspalum layout at Mayakoba.
2020	Viktor Hovland	Posted 20-under, won by a shot. Paspalum layout at Mayakoba.
2019	Brendon Todd	Posted 20-under, won by a shot. Paspalum layout at Mayakoba.
2018	Matt Kuchar	Posted 22-under, won by one. Paspalum layout at Mayakoba.

Longer Shots, Longest Shots, Others

Now, let’s have some fun! New course, no weather, big fairways, big greens, and plenty of rounds in the 60s should be flying around.

There is plenty of like-for-like between 35 and 50 but I’ll point out Adam Svensson (+3500) has cashed nine straight T41 or better. … I keep falling back to Las Vegas guys again this week in the arid, desert-like setting so don’t be surprised if 54-hole leader in Japan, Justin Suh (+5000), starts rolling in putts from everywhere. … Taylor Montgomery (+6000) is starting to come around again and enjoys Par Breakers for breakfast. … Brandon Wu (+7000) loves Mexico and Paspalum. … Maverick McNealy (+8000) returns this week after a long layoff rehabbing a shoulder. I don’t like the number but when healthy, he can get it going with the putter. … Mackenzie Hughes (+10000) always pops up this time of year and has two previous podiums on this surface. … There’s my Paspalum buddy Cam Percy (+30000) sitting in the weeds. … My three best BOOM OR BUST picks are Harry Hall (+10000), Ryan Moore (+20000), and Brice Garnett (+30000).

Good luck!

ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

October 18, 2023 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

I’m not shouting, YOU ARE SHOUTING.

Better hurry up and read this, they will be teeing off around 7pm ET…

Las Vegas ✈️ Chiba

Japan awaits @ZOZOCHAMP 🇯🇵
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 17, 2023

ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Golf Accordia Narashino Country Club

Chiba, Japan

Weekly Readers:

Horses for Courses – click here

Betting Stat Pack – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Odds Outlook – click here

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top 10 players

Xander Schauffele (7/1): Class is permanent. Form is temporary. Looking to pick up his third top 10 from four starts at Narashino, it’s hardly a surprise he’s the favorite. Limited field, no-cut events have been his calling card over the last five seasons. With ties to the area (his mother is Japanese), I would expect another spirited 72 holes.

Collin Morikawa (11/1): Making his fourth start, the two-time major champ will look to pick up his second top-10 paycheck. Flashing glimpses with 64 twice, the Californian has produced just one top 20 (T7) in three previous attempts. Punishing fairways and greens, I prefer his putter on Bentgrass, in play this week, over Bermuda.

Sungjae Im (12/1): The quiet summer finally bloomed when the biggest (non-major) money was on the table in the FedExCup Playoffs. Cashing T14 at Wyndham to end the regular season was followed by T6 in Memphis and solo seventh at the BMW Championship. Winning the Asian Games and finishing P2 last week in Korea suggests the momentum should be very real this week. I’m on board!

Hideki Matsuyama (16/1): Second on debut. Winner by five in his second attempt. Native son. Crowd favorite. The last time he played on TOUR he withdrew at the BMW Championship. Lovely risk/reward proposition based on his course history.

Rickie Fowler (16/1): Many, including myself, thought this would be his launching point for the 2022-23 season last October. Instead, he was beaten to the finish line in the final group by Keegan Bradley. The leader after 36 holes and 54 holes posted 70 in Round 4 and lost by a shot. If he’s healthy this week, he will factor again.

Min Woo Lee (16/1): There’s no chance I’ll ignore 30-under and a victory last week. The field in Macau wasn’t the strongest, but there’s no better tonic after three weeks off than a win, regardless of field or course. The rust is gone, the confidence is high, and the Australian will look to keep it going as summer approaches in his native land.

Sahith Theegala (18/1): The confluence of results here is strong. Winning for the first time on TOUR in his last time out combined with T5 in his first event here last October equals a “no-brainer”. Guys who win for the first time on TOUR should be allowed to celebrate, relax, and enjoy the fruits of the labor. I’m not fading Theegala this week. I’m also pushing him to the front.

Cameron Davis (20/1): Primed to kick down the door, the Australian has cashed in the top 10 in five of his last six events. Copy and paste until he does.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Narashino Country Club
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,079.
Par:	70 (34-36).
Greens:	Bentgrass.
Stimpmeter:	N/A.
Rough:	N/A.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	N/A.
Architect(s):	Kinya Fujita (1965).
Defending Champion (event):	Keegan Bradley.
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	N/A.
Course Record (last):	61; John Huh (not entered), 2022.
72 Hole Tournament Record (last):	261; Tiger Woods (2019).
Fact of the Week:	The 2020 edition was held in Los Angeles at Sherwood Country Club.
Fact of the Week II:	Five Par-3 holes and three Par-5 holes. Oh, and every hole has two greens.

Notes:

Field of 78.
The OWGR is represented by 15 of the top 50.
46 players competed last week in Las Vegas.
Six of the top 10 in Las Vegas are in the field this week.
The fourth event of the FedExCup Fall season (seven events).
$8.5 million – $1.53 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2022-2023 Season Winners

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

Recent Winners – ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2022	Keegan Bradley (-15)	Caught and passed second and third round leader Rickie Fowler in the final group on Sunday.
2021	Hideki Matsuyama (-15)	Opened with 64, closed with 65 and won by five after being runner-up to Tiger Woods in the inaugural event in 2019.
2020	Patrick Cantlay	Won in Los Angeles.
2019	Tiger Woods (-19)	Circled 27 birdies, most in the field by seven. Won by three over Matsuyama. Six clear of third.

Longer Shots, Longest Shots, Others

Cameron Champ (45/1): There’s no value here, but the heat is real. After missing the cut at Fortinet, he rebounded with T9 at SFC and T18 last week in Las Vegas. Posting four rounds in the 60s on debut last year, he went home with solo eighth prize money. … Alex Noren (45/1) cashed T3 last week after hitting T2 GIR. Game travels. … Joel Dahmen (66/1) has produced in his last three on Bentgrass greens (T7, T13, and T10). Sold. … With all the eyeballs on Matsuyama, Takumi Kanaya (80/1), another former great Japanese amateur, will look to sneak in the back door again. Posting four top sevens in his last seven events, I’ll play one JTGO member this week. Cashing T7 here in 2021 doesn’t push me away. … Michael Kim (90/1) closed 65-65 last week in Las Vegas for T18 after T5 in his previous TOUR start. … Mackenzie Hughes (110/1) has made two visits and they have resulted in T4 and T23.

Shriners Children’s Open

October 11, 2023 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

TPC Summerlin hosts event No. 3 of the FedExCup Fall and welcomes a field of 132.

Plenty of things to play for before the start of the 2024 season!

Shriners Children’s Open

TPC Summerlin

Las Vegas, Nevada

Weekly Readers:

Horses for Courses – click here

Betting Stat Pack – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Odds Outlook – click here

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top 10 players on the betting market.

Ludvig Aberg (12/1): He was my selection in the Expert Picks and I haven’t found anything to scare me off. Two things are in play: Another top finish and he’s locked up the big events early next year. Another victory worldwide pushes him into the top 50 OWGR and that will solve plenty of issues moving forward.

Tom Kim (12/1): The Korean will have to spring to life quickly after a long layoff. Returning to the event to defend should kick him into LET’S GOOO mode, plus he’s too young to be complacent.

Cam Davis (22/1): Australian summer is here! His outstanding form continued in Wine Country and should be on display again this week in Las Vegas. With his ball-striking, he should be a factor weekly.

Si Woo Kim (22/1): With the mandatory military service situation solved, the Korean should be playing free as a bird this week. Cashing four top 25 paydays from six starts includes T8-MC-T8 in his last three.

Adam Schenk (30/1): Not wanting 2023 to end, the career season continues on a track he’s found success recently. Fantastic TOUR Championship result was his fourth top 10 in seven starts.

JT Poston (30/1): Cashed for T25 or better in six of his last seven. Like Tom Kim, he’s also posted 20-under plus at Wyndham to win. Oh, and he was bogey-free as well!

JJ Spaun (33/1): West coast player. West Coast recent results. Plenty of evidence, including three T15 or better here, recently.

Tom Hoge (33/1): Trending here (T4-T14-T24).

Beau Hossler (35/1): Super form, super putter.

Eric Cole (35/1): Plays every week, produces every week. Fearless rookie in a putting contest isn’t the worst angle I’ve heard this week.

Vincent Norrman (35/1): With a win at Barbasol, I won’t have to worry about him being in contention come the weekend.

Andrew Putnam (35/1): Super short game blends with wonderful iron play. Another West Coast player.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	TPC Summerlin.
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,255.
Par:	71 (35-36).
Greens:	Dominator Bentgrass; 7,400 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	12.5 feet and up.
Rough:	419 Bermudagrass at 2.5 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	92/4/4.
Architect(s):	Bobby Weed and Fuzzy Zoeller (1992).
Defending Champion (event):	Tom Kim.
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Martin Laird.
Course Record (last):	60; Patrick Cantlay (not entered), 2021.
72 Hole Tournament Record (last):	260; Tom Kim (2022).
Fact of the Week:	Exclusive host since 2008.
Fact of the Week II:	Only two events in the last calendar year have produced more birdies than the 2022 edition.

Notes:

Field of 132.
The OWGR is represented by eight of the top 50.
Third event of the FedExCup Fall season (seven events).
$8.4 million – $1.512 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2022-2023 Season Winners

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

Recent Winners – Shriners Children’s Open

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2022	Tom Kim (-24)	Bogey-free champion. Ties tournament scoring record. Wins by three.
2021	Sungjae Im (-24)	Opened with 63, closed with 62 to win by four and tie the tournament scoring record.
2020	Martin Laird (-23)	Won a three man playoff for his second victory at TPC Summerlin.
2019	Kevin Na (-23)	Defeated Patrick Cantlay to win for the second time at TPC Summerlin.
2018	Bryson DeChambeau (-21)	Four rounds of 66 or better and won by a shot.

Longer Shots, Longest Shots, Others

Adam Hadwin (40/1) is a must-play this week. … Matthew NeSmith (66/1) has never finished worse than T18 in four tries and ran joint second last year. … Troy Merritt (100/1) has made two starts in the FedExCup Fall and has cashed two top-10 paychecks. … Harry Hall (125/1) played college golf in town at UNLV and has hit the top 15 both times he’s played. … Kelly Kraft (225/1) is trending so nick in for a Top 40.

Sanderson Farms Championship Preview

October 4, 2023 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Ain’t nobody here but us chickens…

The FedExCup Fall rolls on in Mississippi at the Country Club of Jackson.

Sanderson Farms Championship

Country Club of Jackson

Jackson, Mississippi

Weekly Readers:

Horses for Courses – click here

Betting Stat Pack – click here

Expert Picks – click here

Odds Outlook – click here

Chalk (via Bet365.com)

My thoughts on the top 10 players on the betting market. Check the linked columns above for extra information, course angles, and other stats.

Ludvig Aberg (12/1): The stress of his first Ryder Cup, the celebration of the first victory, and the party/jet lag that came with it isn’t the recipe for me. His talent suggests that he could win every time he tees it up. I don’t think a shootout this week fits for me. You do you!

Stephan Jaeger (18/1): Making cuts for fun, the German has rarely threatened on the weekend. In 123 starts on TOUR, he’s never hit the podium.

Eric Cole (20/1): The birdie machine kicked off the FedExCup Fall with solo fourth in Wine Country. Nobody on TOUR has made more birdies this season and not many putt better. His best result was a playoff loss on Bermuda in March. Gotta chuck him in this week!

Lee Hodges (25/1): The 3M Open winner from July will look to add his second title in four months close to his native Alabama. The switch back to Bermudagrass this week won’t bother him a bit.

Emiliano Grillo (25/1): Each day this week he’s grown on me more. Playing for the fifth consecutive season in an event he DOES NOT NEED TO PLAY (he has status for next season) tells me what I need to know. Tying for fifth in 2022 was his best in four consecutive seasons. I’m on board.

Beau Hossler (28/1): Finished the previous “season” in fantastic form hitting the top 30 in five of his last six. Looking for his first TOUR victory, he returns for the first time since 2020.

Lucas Herbert (30/1): Followed him for a couple of holes when he was posting 63 at Silverado to open the FedExCup Fall. He fell to T30 at the end of the week but that’s still a clue. Putting matters at SFC and he excels on the accessible greens.

Keith Mitchell (30/1): The Tennessee native should thrive on Bermuda and a track where a big driving week could help. Only one top 10 since February doesn’t inspire.

S.H. Kim (30/1): I would put him 1-2 with Eric Cole this week. The Korean only posted three bogeys finishing second at Fortinet and he finished second to Cole in SG: Tee to Green. Another super putter, I’ll ride his recent tee to green heat to the winner’s circle.

Garrick Higgo (35/1): The lefty was third here on debut and led the field in birdies in 2022. The winner at Congaree on a big, Bermudagrass ballpark has been a bit all-or-nothing recently (MC-MC-T13-T19).

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Country Club of Jackson
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,461.
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	Champion Bermuda; 6,200 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	12.5 feet and up.
Rough:	419 Bermudagrass and Zoysia blend at 2.5 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	56/7/5.
Architect(s):	John Faught (2007 redesign).
Defending Champion (event):	Mackenzie Hughes (-17).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record (last):	61; Will Zalatoris (not entered), 2021.
72 Hole Tournament Record:	266; Sam Burns (2021).
Fact of the Week:	10^th consecutive year as host.
Fact of the Week II:	The first six champions were first-time winners. Of the last four champions, three were internationals.

Notes:

Field of 144.
The OWGR is represented by two of the top 50.
The second event of the FedExCup Fall season (seven events).

Season Winners

2022-2023 Season Winners

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

Recent Winners – Sanderson Farms Championship

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2022	Mackenzie Hughes (-17)	Canadian wins on his third visit in playoff over Sepp Straka (not entered).
2021	Sam Burns (-22)	Set the tournament scoring record winning by a shot.
2020	Sergio Garcia (-19)	Held off 2017 champion Peter Malnati by a shot.
2019	Sebastian Munoz (-19)	Knocked off Sungjae Im in a playoff for his first career victory.
2018	Cameron Champ (-21)	Canadian wins on his third visit in a playoff over Sepp Straka (not entered).
2017	Ryan Armour (-19)	Picked up his first TOUR victory at 41, the oldest to do so at CCofJ.
2016	Cody Gribble (-20)	Rookie wins by four and picks up his first TOUR trophy.
2015	Peter Malnati (-18)	Held off veterans William McGirt and David Toms for his first win.
2014	Nick Taylor (-16)	The first winner at CCofJ.

Longer Shots, Longest Shots, Others

Hayden Buckley and Davis Riley are locals who have both sniffed around the leaderboard in their home state. … Callum Tarren rolls in off T7-MC-T13 in his last three. … Dylan Wu is also simmering with T14-T51-T5 in his last three. … CT Pan hasn’t hit the top 10 here but has posted T11 and T12 in two of his last three. … Jason Dufner is quietly going about his business with four of his last five on TOUR ranging between T19 and T31.

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Sanderson Farms Championship Preview

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