FedExCup Playoffs Event 2

August 13, 2025 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

BMW Championship

This week at the 2025 #BMWCHAMPS

8.12 🏌️ Practice Round
8.13 ⛳ Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am
8.14 👆 Round One
8.15 ✌️ Round Two
8.16 📦 Moving Day
8.17 🏆 Final Round pic.twitter.com/BjQAN4FKEj
— BMW Championship (@BMWchamps) August 11, 2025

FedEx Cup Playoffs – Event No. 2

BMW Championship

Caves Valley Golf Club

Owings Mills, Maryland

Head to PGATOUR.COM for all our content each week.

Thoughts on Chalk (odds via Bet365.com)

Scottie Scheffler (+220): With 20 fewer golfers in the field, his odds drop to a season-low figure, and that’s with Rory McIlroy playing. The book has determined this to be a two-horse race. Saddle up correctly! The ONLY note of bother is Ted Scott WILL NOT be on the bag this week.

Rory McIlroy (+750): The rest is over. The roar is over about him missing the event last week. His Ryder Cup place is sealed, and he will NOT be a playing captain in the future. His problem lies just above. There is only one focus this week.

Xander Schauffele (+1800): He’s No. 43 in the standings. The top 30 qualify for East Lake. He will need T21 or better to advance. Sounds pretty straight forward!

Ludvig Aberg (+2500): Now, we’re talking! T23 or better in his last three includes a pair of top-10 paydays. Gaining strokes off the tee is a massive deal this week and next.

Patrick Cantlay (+2000): HE PLAYS WELL WHERE HE PLAYS WELL. Loading up on Top 20 and Top 10 plays too after T9 last week.

Tommy Fleetwood (+2500): Too much golf course for me. Too much scar tissue as well. It would be one hell of a story, but it is an extra 300-plus yards he didn’t have to deal with last week.

Cameron Young (+2200): He is on a serious heater! After closing with 64, the round of the day Sunday in Memphis, he picked up solo fifth after winning for the first time at the Wyndham Championship. Bomber’s course and he qualifies.

Justin Thomas (+2500): Only Young put together a better round last Sunday in Memphis. He’s close.

J.J. Spaun (+2800): Only shows up in BIG EVENTS, apparently! What a story! Californian riding a SERIOUS wave!

Others for Top 5 and Top 10 action are mentioned in Prop Bets (Odds Outlook) at PGATOUR.com

Quick note, Hovland did NOT make a hole-in-one here in 2021. It was the following season in Delaware. My mistake (thanks Gator!).

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Caves Valley Golf Club
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,601. Longest Par-70 on TOUR in 2025 and third-longest overall.
Par:	70 (35-35).
Greens:	Pure distinction Bentgrass; 5,200 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	12 feet.
Rough:	4 inches of Bluegrass and Tall Fescue.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	N/A.
Architect(s):	Tom Fazio (1990); Logan Fazio (2020). Tom Fazio (2023).
Tournament Record:	261 (-27); Patrick Cantlay & Bryson DeChambeau (ineligible), 2021.
Course record (last):	60; DeChambeau.
Defending Champion (course):	Cantlay.
Defending Champion (event):	Keegan Bradley (2).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Cantlay (2021, 2022); Bradley (2018, 2024).
Facts of the Week:	Better watch the video below before falling in love with the results and history of 2021!

Recent Winners – BMW Championship

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2024	Keegan Bradley (-12)	Wins by two over Aberg and Burns at The International outside Denver.
2023	Viktor Hovland (-17)	Wins by two over Scheffler and Fitzpatrick at Olympia Fields (North Course).
2022	Patrick Cantlay (-14)	Knocked off Scott Stallings by one shot at the Wilmington CC.
2021	Patrick Cantlay (-27)	Needed a six-hole playoff to beat DeChambeau after trashing the field with 31 birdies.

2025 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii	Nick Taylor
The American Express	Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open	Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach	Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open	Thomas Detry (first time)
The Genesis Invitational	Ludvig Aberg
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld	Brian Campbell (first time)
Cognizant Classic	Joe Highsmith (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Russell Henley
THE PLAYERS Championship	Rory McIlroy (2)
Valspar Championship	Viktor Hovland
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Min Woo Lee (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Brian Harman
89^th Masters Tournament	Rory McIlroy (3)
RBC Heritage	Justin Thomas
Zurich Classic	Andrew Novak/Ben Griffin (first time for both)
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Scottie Scheffler
Truist Championship	Sepp Straka (2)
ONEFLIGHT Myrtle Beach	Ryan Fox
107^th PGA Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
CS Challenge	Ben Griffin (2)
Memorial Tournament	Scottie Scheffler (3)
RBC Canadian Open	Ryan Fox (2)
125^th U.S. Open	J.J. Spaun
Travelers Championship	Keegan Bradley
Rocket Classic	Aldrich Potgieter (first time)
John Deere Classic	Brian Campbell (2)
Genesis Scottish Open	Chris Gotterup
The Open Championship	Scottie Scheffler (4)
3M Open	Kurt Kitayama
Wyndham Championship	Cameron Young (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Justin Rose (oldest modern Euro)

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Akshay Bhatia
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	Cam Davis
John Deere Classic	Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre (2)
152^nd Open Championship	Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics	Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship	Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship	Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship	Scottie Scheffler (8)

FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship	Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship	Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship	Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open	JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ	Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ	Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic	Maverick McNealy (first time)

Horses for Courses

The BMW Championship returns to Caves Valley Golf Club outside of Baltimore for the second time since 2021 and for the second time in the history of the event. Identifying the champion is the first order of business. The second is shaving the field of 49 down to the 30 players who will advance to the FedExCup Playoffs TOUR Championship next week in Atlanta. Patrick Cantlay (+2500), the course defending champion and two-time winner of the BMW Championship, highlights a field of 49 players. Sepp Straka withdrew from the event on Monday.

Cantlay put on a master class with the flatstick to produce 27-under 261 on the Par-72 in the 2021 championship. Gaining 3.644 strokes against the field on the greens, he still needed a six-hole playoff to close the deal. The 2025 edition will play and feel brand-new tee-to-green and on the putting surfaces. The Par-72 has been reduced to a Par-70 but has been expanded by almost 60 yards to 7,601 yards, an increase from 7,542 yards in 2021. Watch the changes here. The owner of four top-10 paydays at the BMW Championship, seven of eight registered T15 or better.

Keegan Bradley (+4500) joins Cantlay as the other two-time BMW Championship winner playing this week. The 2025 Ryder Cup captain is also the defending champion of the event, held outside Denver in 2024. Bradley also knocked off Justin Rose in a playoff in the 2018 edition at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia, his first of two top-10 paychecks from 12 attempts.

Top Finishers – 2021 BMW Championship

Players listed below are competing this week; Odds presented by FanDuel Sportsbook

Position	Player	Odds
1	Patrick Cantlay	+2500
3	Sungjae Im	+8000
4	Rory McIlroy	+750
8	Sam Burns	+3500
T17	Viktor Hovland	+3500
T22	Scottie Scheffler	+220
T22	Corey Conners	+4500
T22	Justin Thomas	+2500
T26	Harris English	+5000
T26	Daniel Berger	+125000
T26	Shane Lowry	+7000
T29	Brian Harman	+8000
T29	Si Woo Kim	+6000

Rory McIlroy (+750) is making his 15th career start and owns seven top-10 finishes, including a victory in 2012. Finishing fourth in 2021, he was one of six players who topped 20-under-par for the week in the first event at Caves Valley. The World No. 2 owns six FedExCup Playoffs victories, including three FedExCup championships at East Lake Golf Club, another demanding Par-70 layout measuring over 7,400 yards. The Northern Irishman feasts this time of year, owning finishes of T19 in 11 of 14 career events.

Sitting at No. 43 entering the week, Xander Schauffele (+1800) also enjoys the last two events of the FedExCup Playoffs. Searching for his first victory, he will enjoy the new-look layout at Caves Valley. In eight BMW Championships, he collected seven paydays of T20 or better, including top-10 paychecks over the last three editions. The only outlier? T49 in 2021 at Caves Valley.

Sungjae Im (+8000), conversely, wishes Caves Valley had produced a carbon-copy layout in 2025. The Korean posted four rounds of 67 or better to post 23-under and occupy solo third. Making his seventh trip to the BMW Championship, he owns five T15 or better finishes and a pair of results inside the top seven.

SG: Off the Tee

Entered this week

Rank	Player	Odds
1	Scottie Scheffler	+220
3	Rory McIlroy	+750
7	Chris Gotterup	+3500
8	Taylor Pendrith	+8000
10	Ludvig Aberg	+2200
11	Kurt Kitayama	+3500
12	Collin Morikawa	+3500
19	Daniel Berger	+12500
20	Corey Conners	+4500

Caves Valley has tightened up the fairways, pinched in bunkers, and increased the length of the rough upwards of four inches. Gaining shots on the field off the tee and attacking from the short grass will set the foundation for the week. The 2021 edition produced seven players in the top 11 spots on the final leaderboard from this category. Length and accuracy, now on a scorecard measuring 7,601 yards, will always play.

Oddsmaker’s Extras

Scottie Scheffler (+280): After podium paydays of T2 in 2023 and T3 in 2022, the favorite this week and every week, will look to improve on his T22 result in 2021.

Justin Rose (+4500): The 2011 winner and runner-up in 2017 and 2018, the Englishman looks to add to his four top-10 paydays. He did not qualify for the 2021 edition.

Justin Thomas (+3000): The winner in 2019 outside Chicago at Medinah No. 3, it is his only top-10 result.

Sam Burns (+4500): Cashing solo eighth place in 2021, the Louisiana native owns four T19 or better finishes.

Tommy Fleetwood (+3500): The Englishman shared fifth in 2024 and continued his streak of four consecutive results T25 or better.

Corey Conners (+4000): Half of his six starts have paid off in the top 10. The Canadian led the field in Fairways in 2021 and cashed T22.

One and Done – Spotter’s Game

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

1 use per year.

Event	Selection	Place	Earnings
The Sentry	Sungjae Im	3^rd	$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii	Russell Henley	T10	195,025
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	MC
Farmers Insurance	Jason Day	T32	52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach	Ludvig Aberg	WD
WM Phoenix Open	Rasmus Hojgaard	T12	195,500
Genesis Invitational	Will Zalatoris	T24	168,857
Mexico Open	Patrick Rodgers	T25	59,350
Cognizant Classic	Daniel Berger	T25	73,721
Arnold Palmer	Keegan Bradley	T5	800,000
THE PLAYERS	Collin Morikawa	T10	656,250
Valspar Championship	Sepp Straka	T28	55,844
Houston Open	Aaron Rai	MC
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners	T18	113,050
89^th Masters	Rory McIlroy	WIN	4,200,000
RBC Heritage	Scottie Scheffler	T8	540,000
Zurich Classic	Kurt Kitayama	MC
Byron Nelson	Si Woo Kim	T15	136,719
Truist Championship	Tommy Fleetwood	T4	826,667
107^th PGA Championship	Bryson DeChambeau	T2	1,418,667
CS Challenge	Jordan Spieth	T36	42,344
Memorial	Hideki Matsuyama	38^th	94,000
RBC Canadian Open	Taylor Pendrith	T27	64,353
United States Open	Jon Rahm	T7	615,786
Travelers	Brian Harman	8^th	620,000
Rocket Classic	Cam Young	T46	27,091
John Deere Classic	Denny McCarthy	T11	174,300
Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre	T65	19,800
The Open Championship	Shane Lowry	T40	68,340
3M Open	Wyndham Clark	T12	186,900
Wyndham Champ	Ben Griffin	T11	198,850
FedEx St. Jude Champ	Xander Schauffele	T22	186,666

LAST WEEK – FedEx St. Jude Championship

THE CHOICE: Xander Schauffele

As I wrote last week, you can’t have rounds in the 70s here and contend unless you have a super-special loop. Posting 65 on Saturday after 72 on Friday wasn’t the tonic. He found only 31 of 56 Fairways, good for T56 in a field of 69. T38 GIR didn’t inspire, either. Needing only 103 putts, he’s ready for East Lake Bermuda in two weeks.

Sigh.

THIS Week – BMW Championship

THE CHOICE: Justin Thomas

I could have used former event winners Viktor Hovland or Patrick Cantlay. Instead, I’m running out the biggest winner in the pile who won this event in Chicago in 2019. Chasing with Chris Gotterup or J.J. Spaun is desperate, but I like it.

For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER today.

FedEx St. Jude Championship

August 6, 2025 / mikeglasscott

RBC Canadian Open

June 4, 2025 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

In search of his third RBC Canadian Open title, Rory McIlroy leads the field of 156 players to a brand-new venue in the historic rotation, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

RBC Canadian Open

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley

North Course

Caledon, Ontario

Head to PGATOUR.COM for all our content each week.

Thoughts on Chalk (odds via Bet365.com)

Rory McIlroy (+450): The only choices are to fade or follow. He plays this event annually while skipping others, so it’s an easy choice for me. No doubt, he’s paying attention to the Scheffler Steamroller and would like to regain the most wins on TOUR entering the U.S. Open next week.

Ludvig Aberg (+1200): Bombs away! Just like McIlroy, his strength is off the tee. The Swede will also enjoy the larger greens this week. Internationals have won eight of the last 10 RBC Canadian Opens.

Corey Conners (+2000): One of many bearing the maple leaf this week, he’s cashed T6-T20-T6 in his last three at his national open. There’s no longer the pressure of being the first Canadian to win since 1954. Eight of his last nine on TOUR are T24 or better.

Shane Lowry (+2000): The last time the TOUR went to a new venue, he finished T2 at the Wissahickon Course at the Philadelphia Cricket Club the week before the PGA Championship. He makes cuts for fun up here.

Taylor Pendrith (+2200): The only tariffs investors are paying this week are for Canadian stars! The Richmond Hill native won 13 months ago for the first and only time on TOUR and is playing great. He led the field last week in SG: Approach and finished T12 after T5 at the PGA Championship. HE WILL MELT THE ICE ON THE RINK HOLE.

Sam Burns (+2200): The Louisiana man is still waiting for NAPPY FACTOR to kick in! His record in Canada, T10 and T4 over the last three years, suggests this could be the week.

Robert MacIntyre (+2500): When form meets course history, good things usually happen. This week, it is EVENT history instead. Defending for the first time and reliving the moments of his father caddying for him can be an inspiration or distraction in preparation. It is his first of two title defenses in the next seven weeks.

Sungjae Im (+3000): I can’t wait for him to win again, so I can hear “I told you so” from the Internet Illuminati. His last win was in October 2021. Just bet him to hit the Top 20 and Top 10, and enjoy your winnings.

Nick Taylor (+4000): The Canadian with the most pedigree in the field only has one top 10 in 13 previous tries, his victory in 2023. Surely his solo fourth last week is a sign! Better stick a tenner on him for a top 10, just in case!

Others for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action

Read my DFS DISH column for more thoughts. Here are a few others, not mentioned before, that should/can/might fill out cards (Rickie Fowler was in here last week!)

Ryan Fox (+5000) and Cameron Young (+5000) will enjoy the expanse of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. … Matt Wallace and Erik van Rooyen (+6000 each) need sprinkling. … Doug Ghim (+9000) is a terrible number for a win, but I’d back him for Top 40 and Top 20 action. … Antoine Rozner is a cut-making machine. … Let’s see if Hayden Springer, one of the last players into the field, takes his chance. … Steven Fisk’s SG: Tee to Green numbers were surprising. Bet.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course)
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,389 yards.
Par:	70 (35-35).
Greens:	Bent/Poa mix; 6,500 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	11.5 feet.
Rough:	Kentucky Bluegrass at 3.75 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	48/3/3.
Architect(s):	Doug Carrick (2001); Ian Andrew (2023).
Defending Champion (event):	Robert MacIntyre (first TOUR win).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Rory McIlroy (2022, 2019).
Course Record (latest):	65; Brendon Doyle (2024 Fortinet Cup, Go Hoosiers!).
72 Hole Tournament Record:	275; Will Chapman (2024 Fortinet Cup).
Fact of the Week:	First time for TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) used for the RBC Canadian Open.

Recent Winners

2025 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii	Nick Taylor
The American Express	Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open	Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach	Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open	Thomas Detry (first time)
The Genesis Invitational	Ludvig Aberg
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld	Brian Campbell (first time)
Cognizant Classic	Joe Highsmith (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Russell Henley
THE PLAYERS Championship	Rory McIlroy (2)
Valspar Championship	Viktor Hovland
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Min Woo Lee (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Brian Harman
89^th Masters Tournament	Rory McIlroy (3)
RBC Heritage	Justin Thomas
Zurich Classic	Andrew Novak/Ben Griffin (first time for both)
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Scottie Scheffler
Truist Championship	Sepp Straka (2)
107^th PGA Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
CS Challenge	Ben Griffin (2)
Memorial Tournament	Scottie Scheffler (3)

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Akshay Bhatia
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	Cam Davis
John Deere Classic	Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre (2)
152^nd Open Championship	Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics	Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship	Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship	Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship	Scottie Scheffler (8)

FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship	Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship	Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship	Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open	JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ	Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ	Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic	Maverick McNealy (first time)

One and Done – Spotter’s Game

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

1 use per year.

Event	Selection	Place	Earnings
The Sentry	Sungjae Im	3^rd	$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii	Russell Henley	T10	195,025
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	MC
Farmers Insurance	Jason Day	T32	52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach	Ludvig Aberg	WD
WM Phoenix Open	Rasmus Hojgaard	T12	195,500
Genesis Invitational	Will Zalatoris	T24	168,857
Mexico Open	Patrick Rodgers	T25	59,350
Cognizant Classic	Daniel Berger	T25	73,721
Arnold Palmer	Keegan Bradley	T5	800,000
THE PLAYERS	Collin Morikawa	T10	656,250
Valspar Championship	Sepp Straka	T28	55,844
Houston Open	Aaron Rai	MC
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners	T18	113,050
89^th Masters	Rory McIlroy	WIN	4,200,000
RBC Heritage	Scottie Scheffler	T8	540,000
Zurich Classic	Kurt Kitayama	MC
Byron Nelson	Si Woo Kim	T15	136,719
Truist Championship	Tommy Fleetwood	T4	826,667
107^th PGA Championship	Bryson DeChambeau	T2	1,418,667
CS Challenge	Jordan Spieth	T36	42,344
Memorial	Hideki Matsuyama	38^th	94,000

LAST WEEK – 50^th Memorial Tournament

The seventh of eight Signature Events and the final Invitational, which means there is a cut!

With a purse bigger than the PGA Championship, and a field without Rory McIlroy, yeah, I’d fire Scheffler, but I don’t have to worry about that anymore! Scheffler did play well at Oakmont, albeit as an amateur in 2016, but winning back-to-back majors ain’t easy.

THE CHOICE: Hideki Matsuyama – 38th

Here we go! I gotta make sure I have a back-up selection ready to go, too!

Nothing inside the top 10 since his victory to open the year at Kapalua, the Japanese star ran T8 here last year and T16 in 2023 on a very demanding design. The 2014 winner makes his 12^th start and should be comfortable in central Ohio.

Didn’t break 74 in the first three rounds, so there wasn’t any drama on the weekend.

Another wasted pick in a field, I was well off-base.

Others to consider: Patrick Cantlay (T12), Corey Conners (T25), Ludvig Aberg (T16), Denny McCarthy (55^th)

THIS Week – RBC Canadian Open

THE CHOICE: Taylor Pendrith

As per usual at this event, I only select Canadian players in their national open.

You do you.

Others to consider: Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Mackenzie Hughes, Ben Silverman, Wayne Gretzky, Mike Meyers, Dudley DooRight

50th Memorial Tournament

May 28, 2025 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

50^th Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

Muirfield Village Golf Club

Dublin, Ohio

Head to PGATOUR.COM for all our content each week.

Thoughts on Chalk (odds via Bet365.com)

Scottie Scheffler (+280): This is his fourth event in four weeks. The song remains the same but unlike last week, he is the defending champion. No McIlroy again to bother.

Xander Schauffele (+1600): His final round has not been the issue. Finding form before the weekend is the next step to lifting a trophy.

Collin Morikawa (+1600): The new partnership should start delivering returns, especially at an event and course with excellent memories.

Justin Thomas (+1800): T18 is the best of his last five visits. Pass.

Patrick Cantlay (+2200): The only two-time winner playing. He runs well where he runs well.

Ludvig Aberg (+2500): Big ballpark is a perfect fit, again.

Tommy Fleetwood (+2500): Returning for the first time since 2017, the Englishman cashed T20 in 2024. The fact he didn’t enter from 2018 through 2023 suggests he’s not in love with the place.

Corey Conners (+3000): No Canadian has won this event, but he’s hit the top 20 twice in his last three visits (T20-MC-T13).

Viktor Hovland (+3000): Put a coin in the machine and hold on with both hands! This is not the week to be fighting with swing thoughts.

Others for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action

Read my DFS DISH column for more thoughts. Here are a few others, not mentioned before, that should/can/might fill out cards (Matti Schmid was in here last week!)

Rickie Fowler for a top 20 is not the worst idea I’ve floated recently. … Christiaan Bezuidenhout should be hanging around the top of the board as well. … Byeong Hun An owns six T25 or better and has lost a playoff. … Andrew Novak keeps ticking along. … If Finau is dialed in, this week checks the boxes tee to green. … Max Greyserman is trending and has cashed in five straight.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Muirfield Village Golf Club
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,569 yards.
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	L93-007 Bentgrass; 5,000 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	13 feet and up.
Rough:	Kentucky Bluegrass, Ryegrass, and fescue at 4 inches and growing.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	68/13/13
Architect(s):	Jack Nicklaus and Desmond Muirhead (1974); Jack Nicklaus (2020).
Defending Champion (event):	Scottie Scheffler (-8)
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Patrick Cantlay (2021, 2019)
Course Record (latest):	61; John Huston (1996, Round 2).
72 Hole Tournament Record:	268; Tom Lehman (1994).
Fact of the Week:	Billy Horschel (not entered; hip surgery) is the only player in the last three events to post 10-under or better (-13, 2022).

Recent Winners

2025 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii	Nick Taylor
The American Express	Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open	Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach	Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open	Thomas Detry (first time)
The Genesis Invitational	Ludvig Aberg
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld	Brian Campbell (first time)
Cognizant Classic	Joe Highsmith (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Russell Henley
THE PLAYERS Championship	Rory McIlroy (2)
Valspar Championship	Viktor Hovland
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Min Woo Lee (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Brian Harman
89^th Masters Tournament	Rory McIlroy (3)
RBC Heritage	Justin Thomas
Zurich Classic	Andrew Novak/Ben Griffin (first time for both)
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson	Scottie Scheffler
Truist Championship	Sepp Straka (2)
107^th PGA Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
CS Challenge	Ben Griffin (2)

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Akshay Bhatia
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	Cam Davis
John Deere Classic	Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre (2)
152^nd Open Championship	Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics	Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship	Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship	Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship	Scottie Scheffler (8)

FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship	Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship	Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship	Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open	JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ	Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ	Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic	Maverick McNealy (first time)

One and Done – Spotter’s Game

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

1 use per year.

Event	Selection	Place	Earnings
The Sentry	Sungjae Im	3^rd	$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii	Russell Henley	T10	195,025
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	MC
Farmers Insurance	Jason Day	T32	52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach	Ludvig Aberg	WD
WM Phoenix Open	Rasmus Hojgaard	T12	195,500
Genesis Invitational	Will Zalatoris	T24	168,857
Mexico Open	Patrick Rodgers	T25	59,350
Cognizant Classic	Daniel Berger	T25	73,721
Arnold Palmer	Keegan Bradley	T5	800,000
THE PLAYERS	Collin Morikawa	T10	656,250
Valspar Championship	Sepp Straka	T28	55,844
Houston Open	Aaron Rai	MC
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners	T18	113,050
89^th Masters	Rory McIlroy	WIN	4,200,000
RBC Heritage	Scottie Scheffler	T8	540,000
Zurich Classic	Kurt Kitayama	MC
Byron Nelson	Si Woo Kim	T15	136,719
Truist Championship	Tommy Fleetwood	T4	826,667
107^th PGA Championship	Bryson DeChambeau	T2	1,418,667
CS Challenge	Jordan Spieth	T36	42,344

LAST WEEK – 79^th Charles Schwab Challenge

The last three winners are Davis Riley, Emiliano Grillo, and Jason Kokrak.

Scheffler is in the field and is one of just 20 players from the top 50 OWGR playing.

The only downside is the $1.71 million winner’s share. Or, you could have burned him at RBC Heritage and earned 500k, like I did. (Editor’s note: Scheffler made 427,500 last week in Fort Worth).

Whatever.

THE CHOICE: Jordan Spieth – T36

I didn’t overthink DeChambeau, and I’m not overlooking Spieth.

I’d be pleased as punch for a top 5 and will settle for a top 10.

Hot garbage!

Others to consider: Daniel Berger – MC, Harry Hall – T6, JT Poston – T36, Brian Harman- T46

THIS Week – 50^th Memorial Tournament

The seventh of eight Signature Events and the final Invitational, which means there is a cut!

THE CHOICE: Hideki Matsuyama

Here we go! I gotta make sure I have a backup selection ready to go, too!

Since his victory to open the year at Kapalua, the Japanese star, who ran T8 here last year and T16 in 2023 on a very demanding design, has not produced another top-10 result. The 2014 winner makes his 12^th start and should be comfortable in central Ohio.

Others to consider: Patrick Cantlay, Corey Conners, Ludvig Aberg, Denny McCarthy

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

April 30, 2025 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Back in the saddle again.

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

TPC Craig Ranch

McKinney, Texas

Head to PGATOUR.COM for all our content each week.

Thoughts on Chalk (odds via Bet365.com)

Scottie Scheffler (+275): No need to bet this in a shootout, but if he does win, Bolton will be in the category of OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR in the Expert’s Fantasy League. The good news? I have Scheffler in my local league this week because I cannot pick two-man teams to save my life. Can’t lose!

Jordan Spieth (+1800): He loves playing at TPC Scottsdale, another Tom Weiskopf layout, but he’s never won there either.

Sungjae Im (+2200): He would join Taylor Pendrith and KH Lee as debutant winners at TPC Craig Ranch.

Byeong-Hun An (+2500): The history of Korean winners at this event is strong. An is still searching for his first on the PGA TOUR.

Sam Burns (+2500): The baby boy has arrived and is one. No wins for Burns = no nappy factor. Odd.

Si Woo Kim (+3000): The 54-hole leader at RBC Heritage picked up his first top 10 of the season. He’s run T13-T2 in his last two visits. Win ticket.

Taylor Pendrith (+3300): Hell, if K.H. Lee can win in back-to-back years, why not the Canadian? Plenty of pop and a super putter is a great formula this week.

Others for Top 10, Top 20, or Top 40 action

Read my DFS DISH column for more thoughts. Here are a few others, not mentioned before, that should/can/might fill out cards:

Let’s see if Rasmus Hojgaard (+4500) can pull an Andrew Novak and go from second to first the following week. It’s a terrible number, but Chris Gotterup (+11000) should fit nicely again here. Matti Schmid (+12500) is wonderfully all-or-nothing. Will Chandler (+100000) introduced himself at TPC Scottsdale, another Weiskopf design.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	TPC Craig Ranch
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,569 yards (166 more than 2024).
Par:	71 (35-36).
Greens:	Bentgrass; 6,778 square feet.
Stimpmeter:	11.5 feet.
Rough:	Ryegrass at 3.5 inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	83/4/13
Architect(s):	Tom Weiskopf (2004)
Defending Champion (event):	Taylor Pendrith (-23).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record (latest):	60; S.Y. Noh (2022; not entered); Sebastian Munoz (2021: not eligible).
72 Hole Tournament Record (Spring):	26-under 262; K.H. Lee (2021). The event was Par-72 for the first two editions.
Fact of the Week:	All winners are International Players for the Presidents Cup.

TPC Craig Ranch

Just when we were getting comfortable, Lanny Wadkins will renovate every blade of grass not on the tee boxes before the 2026 event.

The Par-71, one of the easiest on TOUR, added six new tee boxes and increased the rough, but big greens and easy scrambling conditions equal another birdie-fest!

With a light field and a shootout on the menu, hang on to your hats, gang!

Recent Winners

2025 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii	Nick Taylor
The American Express	Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open	Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach	Rory McIlroy
WM Phoenix Open	Thomas Detry (first time)
The Genesis Invitational	Ludvig Aberg
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld	Brian Campbell (first time)
Cognizant Classic	Joe Highsmith (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Russell Henley
THE PLAYERS Championship	Rory McIlroy (2)
Valspar Championship	Viktor Hovland
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Min Woo Lee (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Brian Harman
89^th Masters Tournament	Rory McIlroy (3)
RBC Heritage	Justin Thomas
Zurich Classic	Andrew Novak/Ben Griffin (first time for both)

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Akshay Bhatia
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	Cam Davis
John Deere Classic	Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre (2)
152^nd Open Championship	Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics	Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship	Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship	Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship	Scottie Scheffler (8)

FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship	Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship	Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship	Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open	JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ	Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ	Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic	Maverick McNealy (first time)

Notables

The field of 156 includes seven players from the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings, including No. 1 and Dallas resident Scottie Scheffler.
The three winners from the previous four events are all President Cup internationals. None produced more than three bogeys total.
The largest margin of victory is three shots, set in the inaugural event of 2021 by K.H. Lee.
The scoring average of 68.497 in 2024 is the lowest field average in history, and was the easiest Par-71 on TOUR.
Two of the three winners won on TOUR for the first time and were victorious in their first appearance at TPC Craig Ranch.
TPC Craig Ranch plays 7,569 yards, the longest of the five editions and 155 yards longer than the 2024 tournament.
The tournament scoring record is 26-under-par 262 set by K.H. Lee in 2021. TPC Craig Ranch played to Par-72 in 2021 and 2022 before shifting to Par-71 for the 2023 and 2024 events.
The course record is 60, set in 2021 and again in 2022.
The field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds.

Recent Winners – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2024	Taylor Pendrith (-23)	Birdied the 72^nd hole to win for the first time on TOUR in his maiden at TPC Craig Ranch.
2023	Jason Day (-23)	Held off Si Woo Kim and Austin Eckroat by a shot to win the EVENT for the second time.
2022	K.H. Lee (-25)	Successfully defended his 2021 inaugural win by defeating Jordan Spieth by a shot.
2021	K.H. Lee (-26)	Won the inaugural event at TPC Craig Ranch. Defeated Sam Burns by three.

One and Done – Spotter’s Game

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

1 use per year.

Event	Selection	Place	Earnings
The Sentry	Sungjae Im	3^rd	$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii	Russell Henley	T10	195,025
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	MC
Farmers Insurance	Jason Day	T32	52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach	Ludvig Aberg	WD
WM Phoenix Open	Rasmus Hojgaard	T12	195,500
Genesis Invitational	Will Zalatoris	T24	168,857
Mexico Open	Patrick Rodgers	T25	59,350
Cognizant Classic	Daniel Berger	T25	73,721
Arnold Palmer	Keegan Bradley	T5	800,000
THE PLAYERS	Collin Morikawa	T10	656,250
Valspar Championship	Sepp Straka	T28	55,844
Houston Open	Aaron Rai	MC
Valero Texas Open	Corey Conners	T18	113,050
89^th Masters	Rory McIlroy	WIN	4,200,000
RBC Heritage	Scottie Scheffler	T8	540,000
Zurich Classic	Kurt Kitayama	MC

LAST WEEK – Zurich Classic

THE CHOICE: Kurt Kitayama/Collin Morikawa

I was #influenced or #undertheinfluence when I made that selection. Morikawa was on the outs with his longtime caddy, J.J. Jackovac, they split after the event, and Kitayama wasn’t playing well.

Whatever. Nothing LOST, yet nothing gained.

THIS Week – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

With only seven of the top players in the OWGR Top 50 entering, it’s time to have some fun. And by fun, I mean I have no idea who will win. I will trust a hot Dallas resident who is coming off his best finish, on his own ball, two weeks ago at the RBC Heritage. The 54-hole leader faded on Sunday to T8, but he will not have to hold off a deep field this time. He shared second two years ago and was T13 last year, so it’s clear he’s comfortable in the home game.

THE CHOICE: Si Woo Kim

Others to consider: Sungjae Im, Ben An, Eric Cole, Ryan Gerard, Alejandro Tosti

WM Phoenix Open

February 5, 2025 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

WM Phoenix Open

The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale

Scottsdale, Arizona

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week:

Chalk

My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:

Scottie Scheffler (+260): If he’s in the field, he has my attention. At less than 3-1, I’m hesitant, but this field does not have the depth of Pebble Beach. Without the pressure to win three in a row, I’d be shocked if he finished outside the top 10.

Justin Thomas (+1400): Play him in the “without Scheffler” market. Desert dog and course horse, just not on the level of Scheffler. Who is? Also a winner at Waialae CC.

Hideki Matsuyama (+1600): A two-time winner like Scheffler, the Japanese star is the only player in the top three with a win this year. Nobody has accused Matsuyama or Scheffler of being lights-out putters but they are both winners here twice.

Sam Burns (+2500): A super putter, he’ll enjoy the large targets approaching the greens. The largest greens on TOUR at Kapalua produced at T8 cash in January.

Sungjae Im (+2500): The Korean’s history at the event matches his early 2025 results, top finishes and head-scratchers.

Tom Kim (+2800): Hit the ball, already! Eight rounds here produced four rounds in the 70s and four rounds in the 60s.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,261.
Par:	71 (35-36).
Greens:	Poa annua; 7,100 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	12 feet.
Rough:	Overseeded Rye and Poa annua around two inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	67/3/6
Architect(s):	Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish (1986); Tom Weiskopf (2014 renovation).
Defending Champion (event):	Nick Taylor (-21)*
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Scheffler (2023, 2022); Hideki Matsuyama (2017, 2016).
Course Record:	60; Nick Taylor, Round 1 (2024).
72 Hole Tournament Record (post-2014 renovation)	21-under; Nick Taylor & Charley Hoffman (2024).
Fact of the Week:	Taylor became the fourth international winner this century.
Fact of the Week II:	Only two players have won on debut this century.

Notes:

Field of 132.
THE CUT returns this week. The top 65 and ties advance to the final two rounds.
The OWGR is represented by 28 of the top 50.
$9.2 million – $1.656 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry, PLAYERS, and Masters ticket punched.

Recent Winners

2025 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii	Nick Taylor
The American Express	Sepp Straka
Farmers Insurance Open	Harris English
AT&T Pebble Beach	Rory McIlroy

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Akshay Bhatia
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	Cam Davis
John Deere Classic	Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre (2)
152^nd Open Championship	Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics	Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship	Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship	Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship	Scottie Scheffler (8)

FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship	Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship	Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship	Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open	JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ	Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ	Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic	Maverick McNealy (first time)

Recent Winners – WM Phoenix Open

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2024	Nick Taylor (-21)	Held off Charley Hoffman to become the sixth winner in the last nine to need extra holes.
2023	Scottie Scheffler (-19)	Tied the tournament scoring record defending his title. Won by two shots over Nick Taylor. Third place was five back.
2022	Scottie Scheffler (-16)	Defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win for the first time on TOUR.
2021	Brooks Koepka (-19)	Matched the tournament scoring mark holding off KH Lee and Xander Schauffele by a shot.
2020	Webb Simpson (-17)	Defeated Tony Finau in a playoff.
2019	Rickie Fowler (-19)	Tied the tournament scoring record by defending his title. Won by two shots over Nick Taylor. Third place was five back.
2018	Gary Woodland (-18)	Defeated Chez Reavie in a playoff; Circled 26 birdies.
2017	Hideki Matsuyama (-17)	Successfully defended his title knocking out Simpson in a playoff.
2016	Hideki Matsuyama (-14)	Won in his third attempt defeating Fowler in a playoff.
2105	Brooks Koepka (-15)	Won on his debut and won for the first time on TOUR.

Notables

The highest winning total since 2015 is 15-under-par.
Eight of the last 10 winners have ranked T6 or better in Ball-Striking.
Taylor and Matsuyama join Aaron Baddeley (2007) and Vijay Singh (2003) as the only international winners this century.
Only two players won on debut this century, including 23-year-old J.B. Holmes (not entered) in 2006 and none since 2015.
Holmes and Matsuyama are the youngest winners at 23.
Kenny Perry (not entered) is the oldest winner at 48 in 2009.
Tom Weiskopf designs feature on TOUR at TPC Craig Ranch, where K.H. Lee (+27000) has won twice, and Black Desert, where Matt McCarty (+30000) won in the fall of 2024.
Every winner in the last decade ranked T11 or better in Greens in Regulation.

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

After a DISASTER last week, let’s try and rebound, eh?

Sepp Straka (+4000): In the fight most of the weekend at Pebble Beach, he’s already a winner this season in the desert.

Sahith Theegala (+4000): This will be the week he gets the train back on the tracks. T3 on debut and solo fifth last year.

Rasmus Hojgaard (+5000): T22 last week to break the jet lag. Shit-fire hot across the world since last year.

Nick Taylor (+6000): Even as the defending champion, he knows he’s not the star of the show. And he’s fine with that.

Luke Clanton (+6000): If he makes the cut, he gets his PGA TOUR card.

Si Woo Kim (+5500): Trending at the event.

Sam Stevens (+7000): Stick a top 10 ticket here.

Lee Hodges (+10000): Look up his recent form and remember he has big targets to aim for this week.

Taylor Moore (+10000): Rounding into form and a solid performer in the desert.

Eric Cole (+12500): Too big of a number to pass up for a top 10, top 20.

KH Lee (+22500): Twice a winner at TPC Craig Ranch, a Tom Weiskopf design.

One and Done – Spotter’s Game

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

1 use per year.

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

LAST WEEK – AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

MY CHOICE: Ludvig Aberg – WD

For the second week in a row, my selection withdrew.

This time, he played a round and THEN quit, leaving me no recourse.

Did I mention it was a no-cut event?

My backup choices were shit as well.

I guess I was distracted being there.

Event	Selection	Place	Earnings
The Sentry	Sungjae Im	3^rd	$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii	Russell Henley	T10	195,025
The American Express	Adam Hadwin	MC
Farmers Insurance	Jason Day	T32	52,080
AT&T Pebble Beach	Ludvig Aberg	WD

THIS WEEK – WM Phoenix Open

The shitshow in the desert of Scottsdale has paid off veterans and young, up-and-comers alike.

Although disappointed with my last three weeks, this game will be won and lost with THE PLAYERS, four majors, and the first two events of the FedExCup Playoffs.

It’s not time to panic, yet.

MY CHOICE: Rasmus Hojgaard

Right.

Take the new guy on some of the friendlier greens on TOUR to putt. I have no qualms about the way he hits it or his current form. Also, I’m not burning Scheffler or Matsuyama with this purse.

You do you.

Others to consider:

Sam Burns, Tom Kim, Sepp Straka, Kurt Kitayama, Lee Hodges

Sony Open in Hawaii

January 8, 2025 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

Sony Open in Hawaii

Waialae Country Club

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

Welcome to 2025!

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

This column is me. My thoughts, my humor, my fun, my opinions.

I write Odds Outlook every Monday and Horses for Courses each Wednesday at PGATOUR.COM.

Please follow along at the TOUR website for all our great betting and fantasy content!

Chalk

My thoughts on the top players for betting purposes:

Hideki Matsuyama (+900): Record-setting 35-under-par winner last week at Kapalua plus a previous champion here makes for an easy consensus favorite. Coming off 33 birdies and two eagles against just two bogeys should scare the others. Amazingly, he owns just one top-10 result at Waiale from 12 tries.

Corey Conners (+1400): Guess who finished T5 and led the field in SG: Putting last week? Yes, SG: PUTTING!

Tom Kim (+2000): Ran second in Korea to Ben An and then went to The Bahamas and ran second to Scheffler at the Hero World Challenge. Did not qualify for The Sentry last week.

Russell Henley (+2000): The 2013 winner on debut in his first event with a TOUR card was also beaten in a playoff in 2022 by Matsuyama and missed a playoff last year by a shot. I’d say he’s comfortable at Waialae! Posted 17-under last week for T30.

Maverick McNealy (+2500): Plenty, including me, will point out that the Seaside Course on Sea Island, host of the RSM Classic, is a course comp this week. McNealy won for the first time on TOUR to wrap up the FedExCup Fall in November on that track. Four rounds in the 60s and only four bogeys at Kapalua (T8) suggests he’s not satisfied.

Keegan Bradley (+2800): Imagine posting 21-under (T15) last week and not hitting the top 10! The Ryder Cup captain is streaking wildly at Waialae during the previous five years: T12-MC-T12-MC-P2. The playoff loss last year was his best result from 14 visits.

NOW PLAYING:

Host Course	Waialae Country Club.
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,044.
Par:	70 (35-35)
Greens:	TifEagle Bermuda; 7,100 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	11 feet.
Rough:	Celebration Bermuda at almost three inches inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	83/4/5.
Architect(s):	Seth Raynor (1927).
Defending Champion (event):	Grayson Murray (-17). RIP.
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Course Record (last):	59; Justin Thomas (Round 1, 2017).
72 Hole Tournament Record (last):	253 (-27); Justin Thomas (2017).
Fact of the Week:	Waialae CC has hosted every event since 1965 except for 1970 (no event).
Fact of the Week II:	Hideki Matsuyama (2022) was the last of nine consecutive winners who played the previous week at Kapalua.

Notes:

Field of 144.
The OWGR is represented by 10 of the top 30.
Top 65 and ties will make the cut and play the weekend.
$8.7 million – $1.566 million – 500 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Recent Winners

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Akshay Bhatia
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	Cam Davis
John Deere Classic	Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre (2)
152^nd Open Championship	Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics	Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship	Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship	Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship	Scottie Scheffler (8)

FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship	Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship	Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship	Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open	JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ	Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ	Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic	Maverick McNealy (first time)

2025 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Hideki Matsuyama
Sony Open in Hawaii
The American Express
Farmers Insurance Open

Recent Winners – Sony Open in Hawaii

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2024	Grayson Murray (-17)	Knocked out Byeong Hun An and Keegan Bradley with a 48-foot birdie on the first playoff hole. May he rest in peace.
2023	Si Woo Kim (-18)	Shot 64 on Sunday to make up a three-shot deficit and knock out 54-hole leader Hayden Buckley by a shot.
2022	Hideki Matsuyama (-23)	Matched the second-highest winning score since 2000. Rain and windy conditions all weekend.
2021	Kevin Na (-21)	Shot 61 in Round 3 and beat Chris Kirk by one.
2020	Cameron Smith (-11)	Matched the second highest winning score since 2000. Rain and windy conditions all weekend.
2019	Matt Kuchar (-22)	Won comfortably by four over Andrew Putnam.
2018	Patton Kizzire (-17)	Needed a playoff to win in just his second visit.

Angles

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

Par-70 was established for the 1999 edition, the only tournament to produce a single-digit winning score (-9). The two highest winning scores since are 11-under in 2005 and 2020.

Hideki Matsuyama was the last of nine consecutive winners to play the week before at Kapalua. The last two champions did not.

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

With greens averaging 7,100 square feet, Waialae has some of the largest putting surfaces on TOUR.

Experienced players flourished in this event from 1997 through 2019. All but three winners were under the age of 30. Over the last five years, only one champion has been older than 30. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.

The course record, 59, was set in 2017 by Justin Thomas (not entered), in Round 1. Going on to victory, he smashed the tournament scoring record by three shots (253; 27-under).

Four of the last five winners previously represented the International team in the Presidents Cup.

Murray (second attempt) ended a run of champions who needed four or more previous tries before winning.

Si Woo Kim is the only winner in the last 10 to NOT register in the top 6 in Par-4 scoring.

The last 10 winners finished in the top 18 in Proximity. None were in the top 10 of Driving Accuracy.

There has been a playoff every other year since 2016. This year suggests NO PLAYOFF!

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

Robert MacIntyre (+3000): Making his second start, few in the field handle stiff breezes better than the Scotsman. A two-time winner on TOUR last year, he can play free as a bird in 2025.

Byeong Hun An (+3000): After defeating Tom Kim in a playoff in Korea last fall, the winner on the European Tour, KFT, and Challenge Tour has not won on the PGA TOUR. Falling in a playoff last year after cashing T12 in 2023, he quickly picked up what it takes to contend at Waialae.

Luke Clanton (+3000): I’ve forgotten what class he is in at Florida State, but I remember his sponsor’s exemptions. The young man usually takes advantage of the privilege and the latest evidence was cashing a share of second place at the RSM Classic last fall. Oh, and he’s ranked 87^th in the OWGR!

Austin Eckroat (+3500): The winner in Mexico, his second victory of 2024, also cashed T17 at the RSM and T15 last week. Smash it, find it, and smash it again!

JT Poston (+4000): I loved him last week, but a first-round fizzle (74) knocked him out of contention. Last year, he closed with 61 to secure solo sixth, his best at Waialae.

Ben Griffin (+5000): Nobody posted more rounds in the 60s on TOUR last season.

Chris Kirk (+5500): Matt Kuchar and Russell Henley are the only players in the field who have won more cash here. Do not forget Kirk has never won the event but has hit the podium twice in his last four.

Cam Davis (+6000): Playing for the seventh consecutive season, the Aussie has cashed T32 or better in five straight.

Harry Hall (+5000), Thomas Detry (+5000), and Tom Hoge (+7000) all painted the top 10 at The Sentry last week. Detry is the only non-winner in that trio.

Course Horses Andrew Putnam (+9000), Nick Taylor (+11000), and Matt Kuchar deserve a look.

I love a nibble on Bud Cauley and Vince Whaley at +20000.

Good luck!

One and Done – Spotter’s Game

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

1 use per year.

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

LAST WEEK – THE SENTRY

MY CHOICE: Sungjae Im – 3rd

Just Missed: Sahith Theegala, Justin Thomas, Akshay Bhatia, Jason Day

I was more surprised at the lack of results from the gang in “Just Missed” than I was riding the safe play of the Korean. Nothing like a podium finish to kick off the new campaign!

Event	Selection	Earnings
The Sentry	Sungjae Im	$1,360,000
Sony Open in Hawaii
The American Express
Farmers Insurance Open

THIS WEEK – Sony Open in Hawaii

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

Two major differences this week:

No Cut
Field of 144 players

This is not the time to fall in love, but if you had a big week last week (Matsuyama, Morikawa, or Im) you can gamble this time.

Winning $1.566 million this week is great, but that’s almost third place for a major, FedExCup Playoff event, THE PLAYERS or seven more Signature Events.

If you’re one of those folks planning out all your plays before the season, fantastic but form, function, and injury also factor over the long haul.

Also, if you are saving your best guys for last, they all must hit perfectly. Remember Keegan Bradley at the BMW Championship last year? Was anyone saving him for that event??

Right.

My approach is more art than science. There’s an old saying that guys peak for six to eight weeks per year, usually around the big events for the biggest of players. Remember, Scottie Scheffler won just about everything last year so don’t fret if you weren’t on Matsuyama last week. Hell, he might win again at TPC Scottsdale next month or successfully defend at Riviera if it doesn’t burn down. Be safe Los Angeles and Godspeed to our firefighters.

MY CHOICE: Muscle Russell Henley

Others to consider/fade

Hideki Matsuyama, Corey Conners, Byeong Hun An, Cam Davis,

Opening Drive 2025 – The Sentry

January 1, 2025January 1, 2025 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

The Sentry

The Plantation Course at Kapalua

Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

Welcome to 2025

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

This column is me. My thoughts, my humor, my fun, my opinions.

I write Odds Outlook every Monday and Horses for Courses each Wednesday at PGATOUR.COM/Golfbet.

Please follow along at the TOUR website for all our great betting and fantasy content!

Chalk

My thoughts on the top 10 players for betting purposes:

Xander Schauffele: Slides into the role of the favorite with Scottie Scheffler missing out due to a Christmas Day accident. If you haven’t heard Scheffler is hurt, you might want to donate your money to charity or bet College Football games instead. The two-time major winner from 2024 is a former winner here and rakes on Maui.

Justin Thomas: Podium finishes before and after the birth of his first child suggests an explosive 2025. Bet. Only two-time winner in the field (2020, 2017).

Collin Morikawa: Five starts at Kapalua, T7 is the worst payday. Nobody can match that over the last five years. The next step is finding a hot putter on the weekend.

Ludvig Aberg: Knee surgery in September will be tested walking up and down the mountain this week. How important is it to go low this week? Making his debut last year, he posted 10-under 63 in Round 4 and yet only cashed T47.

Patrick Cantlay: Two top-five paydays from six starts are the highlights. Has not won on TOUR since the 2022 BMW Championship.

Sungjae Im: Super comfortable on the Pacific Rim and super-comfortable making a boatload of birdies, including a PGA TOUR record 34 at this event last year. Four starts, three top-10 paydays, and T13.

Hideki Matsuyama: His first three visits all cashed in the top five. His next four = nothing better than T13.

Sahith Theegala: I’m trying to talk myself off the ledge after leaving him off my PGA TOUR Fantasy Lineup. I’m having a terrible time rationalizing that decision. Fell one shot short of a playoff here last year after opening with 64 and closing with 63.

Viktor Hovland: Broken toe and parted ways with his swing coach made for a hectic final week of 2024.

Akshay Bhatia: Lovely outsider. Handles big ballparks and ocean breezes. T14 debut last year and fourth in The Bahamas, where he previously won an event on the KFT, in the Hero World Challenge.

Sam Burns: Joins Nick Taylor as the only two players with three starts and never hit the top 25.

Corey Conners: Never better than T18 in three visits. Putting matters in Maui.

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; LARGEST on TOUR.
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):	Chris Kirk was listed at +12500, posted 29-under, and won by a shot (Theegala).
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	Justin Thomas (2020, 2017).
Course Record (last):	61; Justin Thomas is the only player in the field who has posted this number. Three others are not entered/did not qualify.
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:	19 players making their debut this week. The last player to win on their first attempt at Kapalua was Daniel Chopra in 2008.

Notes:

Field of 60.
Winners in calendar year 2024 and/or qualifiers for the 2024 BMW Championship are eligible.
The OWGR is represented by 15 of the top 20.
First of eight SIGNATURE EVENTS of 2024.
$20 million – $3.6 million – 700 FedExCup points – Sentry and Masters ticket punched.

Season Winners

2024 Season Winners

Event	Winner
The Sentry	Chris Kirk
Sony Open in Hawaii	Grayson Murray (Rest in Peace)
The American Express	Nick Dunlap (a)
Farmers Insurance Open	Matthieu Pavon (rookie)
AT&T Pebble Beach	Wyndham Clark (54 holes)
WM Phoenix Open	Nick Taylor
The Genesis Invitational	Hideki Matsuyama
Mexico Open at Vidanta	Jake Knapp (rookie)
Cognizant Classic	Austin Eckroat (first time)
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Scottie Scheffler
THE PLAYERS Championship	Scottie Scheffler (2)
Valspar Championship	Peter Malnati
Texas Children’s Houston Open	Stephan Jaeger (first time)
Valero Texas Open	Akshay Bhatia
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	Cam Davis
John Deere Classic	Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre (2)
152^nd Open Championship	Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics	Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship	Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship	Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship	Scottie Scheffler (8)

FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship	Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship	Kevin Yu (first time)
Black Desert Championship	Matt McCarty (first time)
Shriners Children’s Open	JT Poston
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP	Nico Echavarria
World Wide Technology Champ	Austin Eckroat (2)
Butterfield Bermuda Champ	Rafa Campos (first time)
The RSM Classic	Maverick McNealy (first time)

Recent Winners – The Sentry

Italics – not entered this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2024	Chris Kirk (-29)	Only squared ONE BOGEY; won for the sixth time on TOUR.
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 at the time, to win in his second try.
2018	Dustin Johnson (-24)	Winning by eight shots, he tied the margin of victory standard.

Angles

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

The Plantation Course ranked as the easiest course on TOUR the last four 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 10 winners finished in the top 16 in SG: Putting.

Kirk is the only winner from the last 10 to rank outside the top 10 in SG: Off the tee.

Kirk and English (not entered) are the only two non-major championship winners in the last decade.

Diving Deeper

Players for top 10 and top 20 action, reason to avoid, or OAD questions and answers.

Ben An: Wasn’t bothered on debut last year (solo fourth) and won in October.

Russell Henley: Save him for next week.

Tony Finau: Off-season knee surgery will keep me on the sidelines until I see evidence.

Adam Scott: Only Justin Thomas has made as many starts. Only Morikawa and JT have more top 10s (5) than the Australian (4).

Robert MacIntyre: One of 19 first-time participants. Careful.

Wyndham Clark: Closed with 63 for T29 on debut in 2024. I didn’t see any inspiration in Napa Valley (mc) or at the Hero World Challenge (T17 of 20 players).

Davis Thompson: First-timer. The Birdie machine hits it a mile. Nibble.

J.T. Poston: Likes it here. Bigger bite.

Max Greyserman: Shit-fire hot minus that elusive first win. Water is deeper in this field.

Brian Harman: Turing 38 in three weeks, his Georgia teammate won here at 38 last year. Making his fifth start, he’s hit the top five twice and never worse than T17. Interesting.

Cameron Young: Here we go again. Make a putt already.

Jason Day: Veteran loves the extra room to move it off the tee and has no problem on these greens.

Keegan Bradley: The Ryder Cup captain for 2025 at Bethpage Black has a very busy eight months in front of him. TGL, his game, and selecting his team makes a full plate.

Maverick McNealy: FINALLY. One of my favorites over the years is now healthy. Grew up on Pebble Beach.

Max Homa: The finishes might not scream PICK ME PICK ME, but he’s never posted less than 20-under in his last three visits. He likes it here. Now, about that current form…

Si Woo Kim: My buddy Jay always bets the Korean on Bermuda. A winner at Sony at The American Express in the last five years, I will let him get loose this week.

Taylor Pendrith: Another who can smash it and make a ton of birdies, the Canadian hopes to be more Hadwin than Nick Taylor.

Matt Fitzpatrick: T14 and T7 in his first two visits but has not hit the top 10 since the Memorial last June. I wonder if the problem with dialing in his new irons is still bothering him. Lovely risk-reward in a no-cut field.

Alex Noren: Debutant.

Will Zalatoris: I doubt he would fly halfway around the world to South Africa if his back was bothering him. T11 with four rounds in the 60s on his debut in 2023. Value here.

Aaron Rai: 2 gloves and zero problems tee to green. First appearance on the massive greens.

Denny McCarthy: Not sure he has enough ammo, but the large targets will create more chances to wield his INCREDIBLE flat stick.

Sepp Straka: T9 at the Hero plus T12-T21 here the last two years.

Billy Horschel: Only eight rounds in the 60s here in seven previous visits.

Eric Cole: T16 or better in three of his four last starts plus T14 on debut last year. What am I missing?

Nick Dunlap: Maker or breaker!?!? Remember, Castle Pines was a level playing field (most guys had never seen the place before the event). That’s not true this week.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout: Opened his season solo second at The American Express last year. Big ask this year.

Nico Echavarria: Love it. Top 10 just in case.

One and Done – Spotter’s Game

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

1 use per year.

With EIGHT Signature Events spread over the season, player management becomes a major issue. These events do NOT include the four majors or THE PLAYERS Championship. These events do NOT include the FedExCup Playoffs. This game ends with the BMW Championship.

This is a bonus week as there is NO CUT. Everyone gets a paycheck!

MY CHOICE: Sungjae Im

Just Missed: Sahith Theegala, Justin Thomas, Akshay Bhatia, Jason Day

Black Desert Championship

October 9, 2024 / mikeglasscott / Leave a comment

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1843297735631573019

FedExCup Fall – Event No. 3

Black Desert Championship

Black Desert Resort Golf Club

Ivins, Utah

Head to Golfbet for all our content each week.

Quick Links:

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

Mike Glasscott: Black Desert Championship tips

Win: Kurt Kitayama (28/1), Ryan Fox (33/1)

Top 10: Erik van Rooyen (33/10), Matti Schmid (5/1)

Top 20: Zac Blair (7/2), Peter Kuest (11/2)

Bet365: Top of the Board

Keith Mitchell (20/1): For the second consecutive week the former Georgia Bulldog sits at the top of the Bet365.com board. Last week, he missed a four-foot putt on the 72^nd hole to miss out on a playoff. The leader after 36 and 54 holes could not pick up his second win and settled for T3, his third consecutive T12 or better on TOUR. He will need another big week from his putter to replicate the low scores produced in Mississippi.

Seamus Power (25/1): A quick glance shows a payday of T11 last week for the Irishman. A deeper inspection reveals four rounds in the 60s. Twice a winner on TOUR, the 37-year-old relies on Par 5 scoring and his short game to contend.

Kurt Kitayama (28/1): The more I dug into his stats this week, the more I’m interested! The Las Vegas resident will not be bothered with desert golf, regardless of the venue. Cashing T8 at TPC Scottsdale in February, another Weiskopf design, he has finished on the podium four times in the last two years on courses he’s never played.

Beau Hossler (30/1): Half of the top four players at Bet365.com had heartbreaking moments on Sunday. Searching for his first win on TOUR, he found himself behind a tree after his tee shot on the final hole. Unable to make a birdie and win the event, he lost in the first hole of the playoff to Kevin Yu (not entered). The good news is that, like Mitchell, he circled 27 par breakers to co-lead the field.

Ryan Fox (33/1): The Kiwi, snubbed by Mike Weir for the Presidents Cup last month, played two non-descript events in Great Britain before cashing T11 in Mississippi. The big hitter possesses a hot putter and should thrive in a birdie fest.

Chan Kim (33/1): The last time the Korean found the top 10 was at the ISCO Championship in July. Before that result, he cashed T8 at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, another wide-open track from the tee box with enormous greens.

Patrick Fishburn (33/1): Teaming up with fellow Utahn Zac Blair at the Zurich Classic, the Ogden resident is no longer an unknown quantity. Taking home a paycheck for T48 in Mississippi, he broke his streak of eight consecutive paydays of T25 or better. Posting 11-under, he didn’t play poorly, but two rounds in the 70s on the weekend didn’t help and will not help this week either. The pressure of being one of the favorites plus one of the crowd favorites creates a complex cocktail.

Black Desert Championship

The PGA TOUR returns to the Beehive State for the first time since the 1963 Utah Open Invitational.

The field of 132 players in the inaugural event will play 36 holes before being cut to the top 65 and ties for the final 36 holes.

The winner will pocket $1.350 million of the $7.5 million prize pool plus 500 FedExCup points.

This is the third of eight events in the FedExCup Fall. Read more about the final eight events of the season here.

Others to consider:

The Utah contingent entered this week includes a range of players highlighted by 65-year-old Jay Don Blake, who is making his 500thPGA TOUR start, and 18-year-old Kihei Akina, who is making his PGA TOUR debut.

Erik van Rooyen (35/1): The winner in his first start at Old Greenwood (2021 Barracuda Championship), the 34-year-old South African also won a shootout at Vidanta Vallarta on 27-under last November.

Andrew Novak (35/1): Grinding along in his best season on TOUR, he has cashed a paycheck in his last eight starts and cashed T8 at TPC Scottsdale earlier in 2024.

Daniel Berger (45/1): The five-time winner on TOUR opened 65-65 last week and sat one off the halfway lead. Cashing solo seventh, a round of 71 on Saturday muted his challenge.

Harry Hall (55/1): The Englishman calls Las Vegas home and already has won a shootout this season. The winner of a five-man playoff at the ISCO Championship in July, his super short game results in plenty of birdies, and that will play in the desert of Utah.

Matti Schmid (66/1): The German international cashed in 11 of his last 12 starts worldwide and has been steady regardless of the postcode of the event. Last week, he secured T16 after posting just one bogey in his last 54 holes.

Zac Blair (110/1): One of five me to fall to Hall in the ISCO Championship playoff, the Orem resident will embrace the home-state advantage. Blowing hot and cold, his missed cut last week came on four-under. Not all missed cuts are created equal.

Austin Smotherman (125/1): Cashing T7 at the Procore Championship after the first event of the FedExCup Fall, combined with T5 at Vidanta Vallarta last November, allows me to connect a longshot dot.

Peter Kuest (200/1): The BYU grad has played three PGA TOUR events this year and hit the top 10 twice. When the stars align!

NOW PLAYING: Black Desert Championship

Host Course	Black Desert Resort Golf Club
Yards (per official scorecard):	7,371.
Par:	72 (36-36).
Greens:	XL007 Bentgrass; 7,000 square feet on average.
Stimpmeter:	12 feet or less (wind dependent).
Rough:	Kentucky Bluegrass at two inches.
Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play	44/3/2
Architect(s):	Tom Weiskopf & Neil Smith (2022).
Defending Champion (event):	Inaugural event.
Multiple Champion(s) Entered:	None.
Multiple Champions (course):	None.
Fact of the Week:	The last event held in Utah was the 1963 Utah Open Invitational.

Black Desert Resort Golf Club

Sitting 3,100 feet above sea level, Black Desert Resort Golf Club opened in late 2022. Designed by Tom Weiskopf and Neil Smith, the course was built on, through, and around the black lava in the valley of Greater Zion in the southwestern part of the state.

Tipping at 7,371 yards, the Par 71 will not play that long due to the altitude. Three Par-5 holes range between 571 and 589 yards. The quartet of Par-3 holes features an homage to the “Postage Stamp” at Royal Troon, the site of Weiskopf’s only major championship. Adding to the scoring drama will be two risk-reward Par 4 holes that measure less than 325 yards, one on each nine.

The risk-reward from the tee box offers fairways 30 yards wide in places. Framed by two inches of Kentucky Bluegrass, players pushing the edge of where the grass meets the lava will provide the best angles of attack. If the wind in the desert decides to blow, there is plenty of room to navigate off the tee and into the greens.

The 7,000-square-foot targets are carpeted with Bentgrass. The green complexes, above average in size by TOUR standards, will run true and roll just a click under 12 feet. The complexes have plenty of room for different styles of hole locations.

Only two holes have water penalty areas, while 44 bunkers litter the lava fields just 120 miles north of Las Vegas. Closely mown areas repel approaches that do not reach the intended targets. Two inches of Kentucky Bluegrass keep wayward tee shots from being swallowed by the ancient rocks.

Recent PGA TOUR 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	Cam Davis
John Deere Classic	Davis Thompson (first time)
Genesis Scottish Open	Robert MacIntyre (2)
152^nd Open Championship	Xander Schauffele (2)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
2024 Paris Olympics	Scottie Scheffler (7)
3M Open	Jhonattan Vegas
Wyndham Championship	Aaron Rai (first time)
FedEx St. Jude Championship	Hideki Matsuyama (2)
BMW Championship	Keegan Bradley
The TOUR Championship	Scottie Scheffler (8)

FedEx Cup Fall
Procore Championship	Patton Kizzire
Sanderson Farms Championship	Kevin Yu (first time)

Recent Winners – Black Desert Championship

Italics – not entered/qualified this week.

Year	Winner	Notes
2024	Inaugural Event

Glass Houses

Fantasy Golf Only

Scottie Scheffler

FedExCup Playoffs Event 2

FedEx St. Jude Championship

RBC Canadian Open

50th Memorial Tournament

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

WM Phoenix Open

Sony Open in Hawaii

Opening Drive 2025 – The Sentry

Black Desert Championship

Subscribe to continue reading