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We are right back into it this week as we preview the RBC Heritage! The PGA Tour really have no option but to make this a signature event. The tournament has a lot of legacy behind it. The tournament has been played the week after The Masters for the past 40 years. Arnold Palmer was the inaugural champion here, with co-designed Jack Nicklaus winning here a few years later. It is a relaxing change of pace from Augusta National which the players enjoy. Further, the PGA Tour get to strike while the iron is hot and attempt to capitalise on new fans who joined to watch The Masters. Finally, RBC is one of the biggest sponsors of the PGA Tour and support multiple events. All this leads to a situation where we can have no Masters hangover and have to dive into another signature event preview at the RBC Heritage.

In regard to The Masters, the phrase I have seen most often this week to describe Scottie Scheffler’s emphatic victory is “inevitable”. That does a disservice to his efforts and achievement. There were four golfers tied for the lead with 10 holes to go. As they say, The Masters doesn’t really start until the last 9 holes on Sunday. Scheffler simply slammed the door shut on everyone. A run of 5-under across 9 holes under those circumstances was incredibly impressive. So, there is one word I would use to describe his performance. It was clinical.

Zalatoris was our closest charge last week, racking up another Top 10 at Augusta National. 250/1 selection Ryan Fox was also just 2 shots off the lead Saturday, before fading after perhaps surprisingly finding himself in contention.

Harbour Town Course Analysis

Certainly, any time you can take on a short-priced favourite you will be able to find some value further down the board. Other than the fact that Scottie Scheffler is on constant baby-watch, there may be other reasons to take on the best player in golf right now. And aiding our RBC Heritage preview this week is this golf course.

This niggly test is polar opposite to Augusta National in nearly every way. Long hitters have often found success at The Masters, with ample space off the tee and driver used often. Greens are large, although the actual target area is reduced substantially given the undulating greens and multiple tiers.

Harbour Town is, instead, a fiddly test. Accuracy off the tee is paramount. This goes beyond finding the fairway to being on the right side of the fairway. Hanging trees can often impede players on approach, so finding the right angle is imperative for accessing these very small greens. They average just 3,700 sq ft in size.

Harbour Town Golf Links hosts our preview of the RBC Heritage

Those small greens also sees a large uptick in ATG performance as a predictive factor. It is inevitable that greens will be missed around this golf course. Taking a look at the last two champions, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jordan Spieth (who was also runner-up in 2023), they represent two of the best players on Tour with their short-game creativity.

Finally, there is an interesting dispersion of approach shots at Harbour Town. Given players being forced to play from similar spots, we see just one predicted approach shot from 50-100 yards and 2 shots from 200+ yards. Consequently, there is a large uptick in approach from 150-200 yards (9 shots predicted) and 100-150 yards (6 shots). This is some of the largest disparity we see on the PGA Tour all year.

Harbour Town Course Comps

Pete Dye’s iconic course designs feature frequently on the tour. This provides a multitude of options to consider in your RBC Heritage preview. But, of those, TPC River Highlands (Travelers Championship) and Austin Country Club (WGC Matchplay) provide short courses where accuracy and scrambling are essential.

TPC Sawgrass (The Players) is worthy of consideration, although it doesn’t quite match the required approach numbers strong performances there are noted. Sedgefield Country Club maintains links as a positional course where shorter drivers can thrive but driving accuracy is at a premium. Sedgefield is also highly correlated to TPC Sawgrass, adding to those ties for your RBC Heritage preview.

The Sea Island courses (RSM Classic) have strong correlating connections to here. It is another tree-lined coastal course, meaning driving accuracy and approach are key. Waialae Country Club (Sony Open) tells a similar tale.

RBC Heritage Weather Preview

There is little to note in the weather this week. Firstly, the condensed 69 man field means that all players will be on the course at relatively similar times. This reduces the opportunity for any tangible weather advantage to develop which is worthy of actioning.

Secondly, the weather itself looks pretty benign. The course is sheltered with trees for the most part, with only a few holes truly exposed to the coastline. Winds look to hover at a maximum of mid-teens for gusts. There is a small chance of thunderstorms on both Friday and Saturday. Again, the small field should ensure that even if play is disrupted they should be able to get the tournament complete in good time.

RBC Heritage Preview Golf Betting Tips

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The 2024 Masters is nearly upon us. What is it about Augusta National Golf Club that makes this golf course so very special? Is it because this is the only major played at the same golf course every year? Is it the legacy; where winning here places you firmly amongst the greats in the annals of golf history? The lack of cell phones; in an age where we are addicted to those glowing white screens? Or the $1.50 pimento cheese sandwiches; which have not changed in price in over 20 years? The blooming azaleas, the roars on Sunday, the carefully manicured grass, or the spring sunshine glistening through the tall pines?

Whatever it is that makes this event special for you, the 2024 Masters feels a little more so than most. As the fractured game of professional golf puts all those conflicts aside (hopefully), we see the best in the game all play together for a change in pursuit of donning the green jacket. A tradition unlike any other.

The Masters 2024 will be played at the beautiful Augusta National Golf Club

Our Record at The Masters

Typically, this is actually one of the more predictable events on the PGA Tour. Certainly, it is the easiest of the majors. Although the field averages between just 80-90 players, you can further strike a line through a number of amateurs and past champions who realistically have little chance of success in The Masters for 2024.

I’ve correctly tipped Danny Willett at 100/1, Garcia at 50/1, Woods at 20/1, and Matsuyama at 50/1 over recent years. We even had Charl Schwartzel in 2011 at 100/1 (if you want to go back before I was covering golf more seriously). Add in a few close calls and near misses as well.

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This week more than most, you will see all sorts of trends thrown around. Those desperate to unravel the 2024 Masters winner will latch onto any thread they may stumble across in order to try tip who will eventually lift the Augusta National clubhouse trophy aloft come Sunday.

The inherent flaw of any trend is you can make it suit whatever timeframe and statistic suits the trend’s narrative. Trends like “7/10 recent winners had a top 12 in the month before The Masters” only matter if this is statistically significant compared to other venues. Is 70% having a 12th place finish or better in the last month disproportionally higher than those winning other tournaments? Or, is some general decent form in the past month a reasonable guide to those who have a chance to win any upcoming tournament?

My favourite recently was that 7/8 of the recent winners had finished 37th or better in their prior Masters start. Reed had a MC the year before, demonstrating how you can manipulate a trend to display something “meaningful”. Particularly, I enjoyed this because you then supposedly have to exclude a player who finished 38th. Imagine Scottie Scheffler finished 38th last year. Sorry Scottie, know you are playing great, but you just don’t fit the trend. And the field only has 90 players, so is finishing 37th really all that determinative?

There is merit to those who have had opportunities to learn the course. However, you will likely hear the average number of starts prior to winning is 6. Again, limiting it to that many events means Will Zalatoris gets punished for having finished 2nd and 6th. Or Theegala is excluded for having finished 9th on debut.

In short, my advice is to approach trends with caution and a dose of skepticism.

Finding Possible Champions for The Masters 2024

Augusta National Golf Club Course Analysis

What makes identifying a potential winner at The Masters easier than most golf courses?

Firstly, it is well documented that Augusta National has the stickiest course history of any PGA Tour event. What does that mean? Well, if you have played here well previously, that is a very good predictor of playing well again here in the future. There is perhaps no finer recent example than a 52-year-old Phil Mickelson turning up to this event in 2023, having played competitive golf just three times with finishes of 27-30-41 in a 54 man tournament, and still finishing 2nd.

The next question is: why? Much of that comes down to the heavily contoured greens. The subtleties (and, sometimes, severities) of these green complexes, along with often very sharp runoffs, reduces down the effective size of the target depending on where the pin is placed. At Augusta National Golf Club, more than most, the pin is the destination but your optimal journey may involve aiming away from the target initially. As such, SG: ATG is important with the ability to get up and down from tight lies and bunkers key to keeping momentum.

Driving distance is a real asset, with the golf course ranking in the top 5 for length on the PGA Tour at 7,545 yards. The attention to detail goes as far as the landscapers extends to mowing the grass in the direction of the tees to further inhibit carry distance from off-the-tee. As such, we see a disproportionate number of approach shots from 200+ yards but particularly from 150-200 yards. The list of past champions reads of some of the best ball-strikers the game has ever seen.

Augusta National Course Comps

Secondly, we also have some of the best comp courses as predictive form guides towards Augusta National. On the PGA Tour, those are Riviera Country Club, host of the Genesis Invitational, and the Plantation Course at Kapalua, host of The Sentry. That goes well beyond Jon Rahm winning both events enroute to putting on the green jacket last year.

Riviera is a ball-striking paradise, where shot shaping is key alongside a stout short-game. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson has won three times at Riviera. 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott has won twice there. Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson is also a two-time winner at Riviera in 2008 and 2009. Dustin Johnson won there in 2017 and, most recently, 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama won at Riviera earlier this year.

The Plantation Course at Kapalua is heavily undulated with multiple elevation changes. This often results in iron shots with the ball either above or below your feet, much akin to what is required at The Masters. On paper, they are a very similar yardage as well at 7,545 yards vs 7,596 yards at Plantation.

Spieth finished 2nd in the 2014 Sentry, won the 2015 Masters, won the 2016 Sentry, then nearly defended at the 2016 Masters. He finished 3rd at The Sentry again this year. Cam Smith has an excellent record at Augusta National. He won the 2022 Sentry before finishing 3rd at The Masters. Other winners completing the double are Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Patrick Reed, Mark O’Meara, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, and Tiger Woods.

Don’t forget the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour. Danny Willett and Sergio Garcia both won in Dubai the same year they won The Masters, a promising sign for 2024 champion Rory McIlroy.

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Weather Forecast for The Masters 2024

Finally, regular readers of these pages will know that weather plays an important factor in our process. No sport is more susceptible to the elements than golf. Additionally, bookmakers are notoriously slow to reacting to weather forecasts, potentially providing a weather edge for those going out at a certain tee-time.

Thursday and Friday simply look decidedly gnarly. Thursday currently has forecasts for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and winds gusting above 45mph. Friday should see clearer skies, but winds in the vicinity of 38-42mph based on long-run forecasts.

It is likely to early to accurately predict whether early or late starters get an advantage. However, there is a very real possibility that some form of weather advantage will exist this week. Although The Masters 2024 field numbers 89, all players go off the first tee meaning a wide range of tee-times are experienced.

Make sure you stay locked in with us right until tournament start. We will be posting the latest weather predictions using our premium modelling in the WinDaily Premium Discord here.

The Masters 2024 Player-by-Player Guide

Having enjoyed our tapas, we arrive at the basque ribeye portion of the article.

The players below are listed in order of odds for The Masters 2024, from favourite to the longest of long-shots. I’ve covered every player in the field who is priced less than 150/1 to win the tournament.

Provided are each golfer’s odds, best Masters finish, Masters record, Masters average score, number of Masters scores in the 60s, Riviera record, Plantation record, and Dubai Desert Classic record if it exists.

Remember The Sentry tournament (which aptly dropped the “of Champions” part of the title this year) features a limited field of golfers. Previously only featuring the winners from the previous calendar year, it is now slightly larger by also including all golfers who qualified for the Tour Championship. Therefore, read the Plantation course form in this context as finishing 20th there is actually a relatively poor week.

Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Scottie Scheffler

Average Betting Odds: $4.50
Draftkings Pricing: $12,100


Best Masters Finish: 1st (2022)
Masters Record: 19-18-W-10
Masters Average Score: 70.69
Riviera Record: MC-30-20-7-12-10
Plantation Record: 13-7-5

Scottie Scheffler arrives at The Masters as the shortest-priced favorite since some bloke named Tiger Woods in 2013. He has also been hitting the ball consistently at a rate only previously seen by Tiger Woods. The issue for the last year has been the putter. Had the flat-stick been firing and gaining only one strokes to the field per round putting, he would easily have at least another half-dozen PGA Tour victories to his name.

The odds have only plummeted further after a switch to a new mallet putter found immediate rewards. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, successfully defended against the strongest field in golf at The Players Championship, and then came 2nd at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. The latter also saw him miss a 7-foot putt at the last hole to take it to a playoff.

Scheffler has finished 12th or better in an absurd 31 of his last 35 starts without missing a cut. That is 88.5% of his tournament starts finishing in the Top 12 since August 2022. Quite easily the best golfer in the world right now.

Obvious huge chance.

Rory McIlroy

Average Betting Odds: $11
Draftkings Pricing: $10,800


Best Masters Finish: 2nd (2022)
Masters Record: 20-MC-15-40-25-8-4-10-7-5-21-5-MC-2-MC
Masters Average Score: 71.50
Riviera Record: 20-20-4-4-5-MC-10-29-24
Plantation Record: 4
Dubai Desert Classic Record: MC-52-MC-W-6-10-5-9-W-6-2-3-W-W

Oh Rory, Rory, Rory. Where to start with you. McIlroy arrives at Augusta National once again pursuing the final title to complete the career grand slam, a feat only completed by 5 golfers.

Although 2022 was his best finish yet, he was never in contention before a final round 64. I hoped that round would give him the confidence to exorcise some of the demons he has accumulated over the years at The Masters. He duly missed the cut.

I recently rewatched the 2011 Masters. He held a 4 shot lead entering the final round and you have to feel a tinge of sadness for the then 21-year-old McIlroy given the context of what has transpired since.

On paper, the course is a perfect fit for Rory’s game. He possess the physical skills and talent to win here. But, The Masters is not played on paper. And the hallowed turf of Augusta National has had the mental measure of McIlroy on many an occasion now.

In a positive for his chances, he has recently visited Butch Harmon again. The results were immediate, finishing 3rd at last week’s Texas Open (albeit losing by 9 strokes after an epic duel between Bhatia and McCarthy). Promisingly, he found his irons again. He was 3rd for SG: APP for the tournament, including ranking 2nd for SG: APP when gaining+3.72 SG: APP in the final round alone. Undoubtedly another positive is stepping away from his spokesperson role with PGA Tour in dealing with the LIV Golf threat. It was an unnecessary distraction to his primary purpose: playing golf and winning The Masters.

Who knows?

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Jon Rahm

Average Betting Odds: $13.00
Draftkings Pricing: $11,200

Best Masters Finish: 1st (2023)
Masters Record: 27-4-9-7-5-27-W
Masters Average Score: 70.50
Riviera Record: 9-17-5-21-W
Plantation Record: 2-8-10-7-2-W

Jon Rahm enters the 2024 Masters as the defending champion and easily the biggest name to defect to LIV Golf.

How those two factors influence his title defense are anyone’s guess. Being champion comes with a multitude of obligations, from additional press conferences to hosting the Champion’s Dinner. Likewise, we can expect he will be questioned on his decision to move to LIV Golf.

Whilst the former may well be a distraction, I believe the latter may act as a catalyst. Rahm seems to be at his best when he is a little bit angry. I’m sure some savvy reporters can illicit that emotion from him this week.

Rahm won both The Sentry and the Genesis Invitational enroute to his Masters title, further entrenching those strong bonds entering 2024. Since the move to LIV he has not won, but has also performed as expected finishing no worse than 8th from 5 starts. Also boasts the joint lowest scoring average from The Masters 2024 field, a notable feat having played 28 rounds here.

Would become just the 4th golfer to successfully defend The Masters joining Jack Nickalus (1965, 1966), Nick Faldo (1989, 1990), and Tiger Woods (2001, 2002).

He is a strong chance to do so.

Xander Schauffele

Average Betting Odds: $15.00
Draftkings Pricing: $9,900

Best Masters Finish: 2nd (2019)
Masters Record: 50-2-17-3-MC-10
Masters Average Score: 71.32
Riviera Record: 9-15-23-15-13-33-4
Plantation Record: 22-W-2-5-12-WD-10

Theoretically, this may be the best chance for Xander to finally knock the monkey off his back and get his first major victory.

Xander ranks out the 2nd best golfer for SG: Total over the past 6 months in this field. He has finished 18th or better in the 7 majors since missing the cut here in 2022.

The difficulty comes as it often does with Schauffele: actually winning. He has now failed to win a tournament in any format since July 2022. He had a fabulous opportunity to close out The Players Championship earlier this year, before missing several key putts on his way to a runner up finish.

His most notable achievement has been winning the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although, it should be noted he finished runner-up here to Tiger Woods’ return to glory in 2019.

Would not be surprised if he finishes top 5 without ever being in contention. Again.

Hideki Matsuyama

Average Betting Odds: $19.00
Draftkings Pricing: $9,000

Best Masters Finish: 1st (2021)
Masters Record: 27-54-MC-5-7-11-19-32-13-W-14-16
Masters Average Score: 71.54
Riviera Record: 23-4-11-MC-9-5-MC-39-MC-W
Plantation Record: 3-2-4-41-13-21-58

Matsuyama looks to have rediscovered his very best form right before The Masters for 2024.

After a 13th at the long and tricky Torrey Pines, and a weird weather affected Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Hideki has hit his stride. 22nd at the WM Phoenix Open was followed by a win at the correlated Riviera, with one of the finest final rounds we may see this season. Keeping his hot hand, he has ticked off a 12th at Bay Hill, a 6th at The Players, and 7th last week in the Texas Open.

The fact those results have come off the back of a return to his best ball-striking is even more promising. That is the fundamental profile of Hideki Matsuyama as a golfer, and why Augusta National is such a good fit for him.

Strong chance to become a multiple Masters champion.

Jordan Spieth

Average Betting Odds: $21.00
Draftkings Pricing: $9,300

Best Masters Finish: 1st (2015)
Masters Record: 2-W-2-11-3-21-46-3-MC-4
Masters Average Score: 70.66
Riviera Record: MC-12-4-MC-22-9-51-59-15-26-MC-DQ
Plantation Record: 2-W-3-9-21-13-3

It still amazes me that Jordan Spieth is only a one time Masters champion. It truly feels like he has compiled at least three here.

Much of that comes from his stunning introduction to Augusta National, finishing runner-up on debut to then win the title the following year and go close again in 2016. Finishing 4th or better in 60% of his Masters starts is no small feat. Not only is Spieth strong enough off the tee to contend, his irons can fire at any time, and his magical short-game is a superb asset few possess at Augusta National.

Finished an admirable 3rd at The Sentry and was well on track for a good Genesis Invitational finish before an untimely wrong scorecard saw him DQ.

He played the Texas Open in perhaps the most Spieth-ian fashion one can imagine. That featured an opening round with 5 bogeys and a double bogey, plus a hole-in-one. Finished his Sunday by purposely hitting onto the clubhouse as his best option given his situation, en route to a final round 69 and 10th place finish. Predictably unpredictable.

You could tell me Spieth wins this week or finishes 43rd and I would believe you.

Brooks Koepka

Average Betting Odds: $21.00
Draftkings Pricing: $10,200

Best Masters Finish: 2nd (2019, 2023)
Masters Record: 33-21-11-2-7-MC-2
Masters Average Score: 71.46
Riviera Record: MC-43-38-MC
Plantation Record: 3-34-24-28
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 3

Don’t let the record at the comp courses or his recent form perturb you. Koepka cares about literally nothing but the Majors.

Few golfers can boast that they have won fewer PGA Tour events than Majors. None can say they have won 5 Majors, but just 4 regular season PGA Tour tournaments. Truly bizarre.

That freakish ability to simply turn on his game for these events is what makes Koepka so difficult. I could write about how dreadful he looked last week in LIV Miami, finishing 45th out of 54 players. Or that he has one win and one 5th place finish since July 2023. Because none of that really matters. The man is an enigma.

Will be keen to make right the final 29 holes from last year, where he lead by 4 shots before a rain delay and subsequent collapse to open the door for Jon Rahm.

Could win by multiple strokes from nowhere.

Joaquin Niemann

Average Betting Odds: $26.00
Draftkings Pricing: $9,600

Best Masters Finish: 16th (2023)
Masters Record: MC-40-35-16
Masters Average Score: 73.21
Riviera Record: 44-MC-43-W
Plantation Record: 5-2
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 4

It was pleasing to see Niemann earn a special invitation to this year’s Masters. It was awarded, deservedly so, after some superb play over the past 6 months.

Although the argument can certainly be made that the LIV Golf defectors knew the consequences of their actions, I do have some sympathy for those who joined early. They were promised by Greg Norman they would have OWGR points all nicely tucked away shortly. All whilst LIV failed to make any changes necessary to address the two key issues: lack or promotion/relegation and proof that team golf could influence play in individual leaderboard.

Niemann has earned the chance to play here and has been determined to do so. He took opportunities to play on DP World Tour where they were available, winning at the Australian Open to qualify for The Open Championship and finishing 4th at the Dubai Desert Classic. Two additional wins on the LIV tour made a compelling case for the Masters board. If only Talor Gooch had done the same.

His record at The Masters is one of continual improvement. 16th last year, he was also sitting 3rd after the first round in 2022.

We tipped Niemann at 50/1 in 2022, following his emphatic win at Riviera. We managed to snag a 2024 Masters bet on him at the same number with 5 places in the WinDaily Premium Discord as soon as he was added to the field. That number is long gone, delivering more CLV for our Premium family.

Leading chance.

Ludvig Aberg

Average Betting Odds: $29.00
Draftkings Pricing: $9,100

Best Masters Finish: N/A
Masters Record: N/A
Masters Average Score: N/A
Riviera Record: 19
Plantation Record: 47
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 70

Were he to win, Aberg would make an even larger splash on the world of golf than he has made already. Not only is this his first appearance at The Masters, it is also his first major. Ever.

That is a rare feat, given the majority of world number one amateurs manage to earn a Masters start by one of the numerous other pathways available through winning amateur tournaments.

Only two golfers have won on their major debut in the last 100 years. They were Ben Curtis at the 2003 Open Championship and Keegan Bradley in the 2011 PGA Championship. Aberg would also become the first player to break the curse on debutants since the 1979 win of Fuzzy Zoeller.

There may be no better chance for that record to fall than this week. The combined threat of Aberg and the next golfer in this list both provide a credible charge at the title.

Given his relative lack of tournament play anywhere, it is a little difficult to gauge where his performance may sit at The 2024 Masters. On paper, he possesses all of the talent required for success at Augusta National.

Would cement his name in the best 5 golfers on the planet for the foreseeable future with a win here.

Wyndham Clark

Average Betting Odds: $29.00
Draftkings Pricing: $10,000

Best Masters Finish: N/A
Masters Record: N/A
Masters Average Score: N/A
Riviera Record: 17-8-DQ-33-MC
Plantation Record: 29

Wyndham Clark became an immediate favourite of the WinDaily Sports family, having been successfully tipped for his debut win at the Wells Fargo Championship at 75/1 and then again at his US Open win at 80/1.

Clark has since gone on to gain a reputation as a big game player. He finished 3rd at the Tour Championship, then started the year quietly before winning a signature event in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in wild weather. He popped back up again at two more signature events, finishing runner-up to Scottie Scheffler both at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then The Player Championship a week later. His odds were immediately cut from 50/1 to the 28s you can find now.

Of some concern would be the fact that outside the US Open win he has finished no better than 33rd in his other 7 major starts. However, I would point out that he is quite a different golfer than he was for the majority of those starts.

What changed for Clark was his approach play. He developed from simply a very long driver who could also putt well. Adding in his irons makes him a very dangerous prospect on any golf course, now ranking 13th for SG: APP in this field over the last 3 months.

Victory may be a bridge too far on debut, but wouldn’t be surprised by a top 10.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Average Betting Odds: $31.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,900

Best Masters Finish: 7th (2016)
Masters Record: MC-7-32-38-21-46-34-14-10
Masters Average Score: 72.24
Riviera Record: 30-5-MC-MC
Plantation Record: 7-14
Dubai Desert Classic Record: MC-45-5-MC-16-45-17

Notably for Fitzpatrick, his biggest victories have come at golf courses he shares a personal connection with. He won the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town, where he used to visit as a child. His debut major victory came at the US Open on the same golf course he won the US Amateur.

Making significant strides in his driving distance is an undoubted asset when arriving at Augusta National. You have to think as well that should the wild weather remain as forecast that would benefit Fitzpatrick, a well-renowned “mudder”. He won the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour in torrid conditions.

Certainly playable in DFS given his low price tag, but unsure he represents any value in betting markets.

Viktor Hovland

Average Betting Odds: $31.00
Draftkings Pricing: $9,500

Best Masters Finish: 7th (2023)
Masters Record: 32-21-27-7
Masters Average Score: 71.69
Riviera Record: 5-4-20-19
Plantation Record: 31-30-18-22
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 23-W

It was a landmark 2023 for Hovland as he finished 7th at The Masters, 3rd at The Players Championship, 2nd at the PGA Championship, won The Memorial at Jack’s place, played a key role in Europe’s Ryder Cup win, then recorded back to back victories in the playoffs to lift the FedEx Cup.

So, Viktor did the only logical thing. He fired his coach.

Since then it has been, well, dreadful. 22nd at The Sentry is not all that impressive in a field of just 59. 19th at Riviera is at least correlated to here, but again came in a limited field with the tournament moving to a signature event. Outside of that, he has finished 58th, 36th, and 62nd. Perhaps there is more to the split than simply wanting to try something new, but Hovland has proven true the old adage of not fixing what ain’t broke.

In one positive, you can get a massive bump in his odds as a result. There is no chance you would find him anywhere above 15/1 had he shown a modicum of form over the past 3 months.

Can’t touch him until he shows something. Anything.

Beautiful Augusta National hosts the 2024 Masters

Patrick Cantlay

Average Betting Odds: $36.00
Draftkings Pricing: $9,400

Best Masters Finish: 9th (2019)
Masters Record: 47-MC-9-17-MC-39-14
Masters Average Score: 72.38
Riviera Record: MC-MC-4-15-17-15-33-3-4
Plantation Record: 15-4-13-4-16-12

Undoubtedly a talented, if somewhat frustrating and boring, golfer.

Much akin to his good friend Xander Schauffele, he is a perennial underachieve in the majors. Cantlay has perhaps managed even less in the biggest events, managing just 4 tops 10s in 26 attempts at the majors.

To his credit, he does look to have shown some improvement in that area. Since missing the cut in the 2022 PGA Championship, he has gone 14-8-14-9-14-33 in the majors. He also finished 4th at Riviera this year, backing up a 3rd place finish there in 2023.

The difficulty comes that he has never really felt the heat of battle down the final stretch. Further, he finished a lowly 68th at The Players and 36th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his two starts when losing on approach both tournaments.

Has the talent, unsure he has the moxie.

Bryson DeChambeau

Average Betting Odds: $36.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,200

Best Masters Finish: 21st (2016)
Masters Record: 21-38-29-34-46-MC-MC
Masters Average Score: 72.96
Riviera Record: WD-41-15-5-MC
Plantation Record: 26-7-7-25
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 18-W-8

Augusta National has a funny way of enacting karma on it’s victims. None more so than Bryson DeChambeau, who outrageously claimed the course was a “par 67” for him in 2020. His record at The Masters since tells the rest of the story.

He attempted to walk back those comments somewhat last year, saying that he respected the course and what he really meant was that if you have the driving distance and you are also on your “A” game that there is a good chance of being able to do that. Ironically, Bryson has yet to bring that here since, only shooting his mythical “par” once since.

Despite a recent run of 4 Top 10 finishes on LIV, data suggests much of that has come from his driving distance alone. That might work on other courses but, despite driving distance being a prerequisite here, you need to show a bit more at Augusta National. Namely, on approach with your irons. Bryson has gained only +0.14 SG: APP per round this season.

Unlikely to contend.

Will Zalatoris

Average Betting Odds: $36.00
Draftkings Pricing: $9.200

Best Masters Finish: 2nd (2021)
Masters Record: 2-6
Masters Average Score: 70.50
Riviera Record: MC-15-26-4-2
Plantation Record: 11

Holding an impeccable record at Augusta National, Zalatoris nearly won here when 2nd on debut and followed that up with a 6th place finish in 2022.

The form extends to other majors. He has a 2nd and 6th at The US Open and 2nd and 8th at the PGA Championship. It leads to an outstanding record to say the least.

I’ll reiterate: Will Zalatoris has finished 8th or better in 6/8 majors he has played to completion (given WD from Open Championship in 2021 with injury). Including 3 runner-up finishes. Talk about knocking on the door. He is basically smashing it down with a battering ram.

Having missed the 2023 Masters with a back injury which saw him out of the game for 9 months, Zalatoris is clearly back to full health. We really started to see murmurs of that return at The American Express, before 13th at major venue Torrey Pines followed by a runner-up at the heavily correlated Riviera (where he was also 4th in 2023).

The current price on Zalatoris is really a factor of two things. One, being some lingering concerns in markets of the injury. Second, a missed cut at The Players Championship and 74th at the Houston Open. Before those results, he had narrowed as low as 16s before drifting back out again sharply. However, he lost all his strokes putting and the ball-striking remained stout. He has gained a significant number of strokes putting at both Augusta National starts.

Played a practice round with Tiger Woods and undoubtedly would’ve gained some valuable knowledge from that time with the GOAT.

Could knock this one off on his third attempt.

Beautiful Augusta National hosts the 2024 Masters

Justin Thomas

Average Betting Odds: $36.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,700

Best Masters Finish: 4th (2020)
Masters Record: 39-22-17-12-4-21-8-MC
Masters Average Score: 71.70
Riviera Record: 41-54-39-9-2-MC-MC-6-20-MC
Plantation Record: 21-W-22-3-W-3-5-25

It was a difficult 2023 for JT, where he missed the FedEx Cup playoffs and required a Captain’s Pick in order to make the Ryder Cup team.

Looked to find a bit of form in the fall season events and start of 2024. However, now arrives after a four tournament stretch of MC-12-MC-64. Of some promise is that his trademark ball-striking has started to return, gaining on SG: APP at every tournament bar one since September 2023.

A two-time winner at The Sentry, Justin Thomas also holds a runner-up finish at Riviera previously. A windy and wild forecast for the first two days could prove helpful. He won the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills in very windy conditions.

Capable of winning this at his best, but no signs he is near that currently.

Shane Lowry

Average Betting Odds: $41.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,000

Best Masters Finish: 3rd (2022)
Masters Record: MC-39-MC-MC-25-21-3-16
Masters Average Score: 72.62
Riviera Record: WD-MC-14
Plantation Record: N/A
Dubai Desert Classic Record: MC-66-MC-MC-12-11-27-24-MC

Talented Irishman who easily won the 2019 Open Championship by 6 shots.

Outside that result, has not won on the PGA Tour since 2015 although has two victories at big events on the DP World Tour.

That 2015 win came at Firestone, a golf course that has produced its fair share of crossover to Augusta National outside the fact that Tiger Woods won there 8 times. Completing the double includes Matsuyama who won in 2017, Dustin Johnson in 2016, Adam Scott in 2011, and Vijay Singh in 2008. Masters Champions Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, and Phil Mickelson all finished runner-up there.

He has been in excellent form since September last year. Included in that was a 4th place at the Cognizant Classic, with PGA National having its own correlation to major champions. Lowry has finished 5th and 2nd there in 2023 and 2022. Additionally, he was 3rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with Bay Hill another stern test.

Lowry has found much success at Augusta National lately, finishing in the top 25 for 4 consecutive years. Taht included when selected in these pages at 50/1 when finishing 3rd. Has finished 28th or better in 13 of his 19 most recent major starts, including 7 finishes of 12th or better.

You would have to think the weather is a massive positive for Lowry. Any wind and rain will toughen conditions and surely remind Lowry of the green pastures of Ireland. The tougher the better for him.

Big chance to win a 2nd major this week.

Tommy Fleetwood

Average Betting Odds: $41.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,500

Best Masters Finish: 14th (2022)
Masters Record: MC-17-36-19-46-14-33
Masters Average Score: 72.23
Riviera Record: 37-28-20-10
Plantation Record: 47
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 57-10-MC-47-50-MC-6-16-11-17-12-59-14

Likeable Englishman, although often coming across as quite… mellow.

Fleetwood started off the year well, snatching victory from Rory McIlroy at the Dubai Invitational before a 14th a week later at the more correlated Dubai Desert Classic. 10th at Riviera Country Club was also his best finish in the Genesis yet.

However, he has never really shown very much at The Masters. From his 7 visits here, he has only shot two rounds in the 60s. Still yet to achieve his first PGA Tour victory, although that has not often come from fading in the heat of battle more from not putting himself in contention enough.

Have always thought he is capable of winning a major, but far more likely at The Open Championship.

Dustin Johnson

Average Betting Odds: $41.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,800

Best Masters Finish: 1st (2020)
Masters Record: 30-38-38-13-MC-6-4-10-2-W-MC-12-48
Masters Average Score: 71.52
Riviera Record: 59-10-3-MC-2-2-4-W-16-9-10-8-MC
Plantation Record: 11-16-9-W-6-10-6-W-4-7-11

2020 Masters champion, DJ had been threatening a victory for some time. However, he did benefit from a delay in the tournament during COVID to November which suited his game perfectly. Subsequently, he romped to a 5 strokes victory.

Having won both at Riviera in 2017 and Plantation Course in 2013 and 2018 again links those two key courses to Augusta National. Won LIV Las Vegas, before three middle-of-the-pack finishes and no better than 21st in the last two months. Given a lowly ranking of just 336th in OWGR, he has the added motivation (or pressure, depending on your perspective) to perform well here and make the most of this start.

Has the credentials to compete here, but may be coming in a little underdone.

Sahith Theegala

Average Betting Odds: $41.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,700

Best Masters Finish: 9th (2023)
Masters Record: 9
Masters Average Score: 70.75
Riviera Record: 49-48-6-37
Plantation Record: 33-2

As debuts at The Masters go, they don’t come much better than for Sahith Theegala. Finishing 9th in his first appearance, he shot a final round 67.

Correlated form could be found with a 6th at Riviera. We selected him as our best value selection at The Sentry to start 2024, given The Masters and Genesis form. He duly cashed both as our 60/1 FRL selection and finished 2nd for a full place at 80/1 in win markets. We snagged him at that same number for The Masters 2024 in a future bet. You’ll now only find him at half that price.

What impresses me with Theegala is he has now transformed from a player with known huge upside. Perhaps best demonstrated by his Fortinet Championship win in September, but also reiterated in the boom-or-bust potential of his top 5 finishes mixed with missed cuts.

Instead, we now have a golfer who has began to show a significant amount of consistency in his game. 6 consecutive finishes of 37th or better demonstrate his increased ability for course management. Included in that stretch was a 9th place at The Players Championship, a course that on paper should not suit him given his inaccurate driving on a TPC Sawgrass course which has trouble at every turn.

Has to rate a chance.

Collin Morikawa

Average Betting Odds: $41.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,400

Best Masters Finish: 5th (2022)
Masters Record: 44-18-5-10
Masters Average Score: 71.44
Riviera Record: 26-43-2-6-19
Plantation Record: 7-7-5-2-5

Having long been regarded a home for those who draw the golf ball, I’ve always struggled with where Morikawa would potentially fit into that picture when he is here at his best. The ability to hit a strong draw has littered previous Masters leaderboards, as has the success of left-handed golfers here.

I had a similar conversation with Ben Coley, a fellow golf analyst I respect immensely. With the increased distance and advances in the golf ball, many of the lines at Augusta National may now become a bit blurred and move way from that narrative.

Has a deep connection to The Sentry, a runner-up at Riviera, and The Masters form has continued to improve. Unfortunately, Morikawa looks to be well and truly stuck currently. He has finished no better than 14th since that 5th at The Sentry and has lost on approach in three straight tournaments. Since 1 January 2024, he has shown negative regression in nearly every approach metric you look at.

Could win here when his approach is firing. Which it isn’t.

Cam Smith

Average Betting Odds: $41.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,900

Best Masters Finish: 2nd (2020)
Masters Record: 55-5-51-2-10-3-34
Masters Average Score: 71.61
Riviera Record: 63-28-6-49-MC-4-33
Plantation Record: 17-24-W

Masters record speaks for itself for the 2022 Open Champion. Withdrew at LIV Miami following a dose of food poisoning, although all reports indicate he is feeling much better now.

Prior to that, lost in a play-off at LIV Hong Kong. He won The Sentry with a PGA Tour record -34 in 2022 to beat Jon Rahm by one. Holds a 4th at Riviera as well. 4 top 10s, 3 of which were Top 5s, in his 7 Masters starts.

Has to be respected.

Cameron Young

Average Betting Odds: $46.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,500

Best Masters Finish: 7th (2023)
Masters Record: MC-7
Masters Average Score: 72.67
Riviera Record: 2-20-16
Plantation Record: 13-33

On paper, a great course fit for Cam Young. His excellent ball-striking metrics and long driving distance makes an intrguing prospect for Young.

The issues comes that I struggle to see him getting his victory on the PGA Tour at The Masters 2024.

Threw away the aforementioned 2022 PGA Championship, although notable he was right there with JT in windy conditions. Was in contention when chasing McIlroy at the Dubai Desert Classic. Any time he sniffed the lead in the final round, he managed to find a way to lose.

Holds an excellent record at Riviera and 7th at his second Masters start also worthy of attention.

Wouldn’t be surprised if he were in contention, would be surprised if he got the job done.

Brian Harman

Average Betting Odds: $56.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,800

Best Masters Finish: 12th (2021)
Masters Record: MC-44-12-MC-MC
Masters Average Score: 73.29
Riviera Record: 51-3-MC-72-MC-51-47-43-MC-44
Plantation Record: 17-3-16-5

Augusta National isn’t necessarily the best course fit for Harman. His record here demonstrates as such, having made just two cuts and only holding one finish of any note.

Conversely, he is easily playing the best golf of his career currently. Had a chance to win The Players when selected on these pages at 80/1, with putts to force a playoff with Scottie Scheffler. Also finished 5th at The Sentry, where he was also 3rd in 2018.

Won The Open Championship by a landslide in windy and wet British conditions. That came with an epic display of short-game prowess, gaining +11.92 SG: PUTT. You have to think he would need a similar putting display to overcome the obvious short-comings at this venue.

Playing great golf, just likely on the wrong course.

Russell Henley

Average Betting Odds: $56.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,200

Best Masters Finish: 4th (2023)
Masters Record: MC-31-21-11-15-30-4
Masters Average Score: 72.12
Riviera Record: MC-MC-61-44-17-38-33-MC-24
Plantation Record: 27-3-17-30-52

Consistently disrespected in betting markets and DFS pricing, Data Golf rank Henley as the 9th best golfer in the world currently. And before you LIV-bros come at me, remember that Data Golf uses strokes gained data including LIV players. You’re welcome.

The issue for me, like others in this article, is that he doesn’t win anywhere near as much as he should. I’ve started to develop a nagging feeling that Henley can stumble in victory, as statistically he should have won by now in this run. That includes when we tipped him at the Sony Open, where he looked the likely winner until playing his final 5 holes at +1. A birdie at the par 5 last would’ve been sufficient to make the play-off.

4th place in 2023 Masters was impressive, although the manner is concerning for me to his chances in 2024. He achieved that result solely with the putter and SG: ATG, never a sustainable way to build a result that provides little confidence. The poor record at Riviera is also a red flag here.

Avoid the chalk in DFS and spend your money elsewhere.

Tyrrell Hatton

Average Betting Odds: $56.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,600

Best Masters Finish: 18th (2021)
Masters Record: MC-44-56-MC-18-52-34
Masters Average Score: 73.88
Riviera Record: MC-40
Plantation Record: 14
Dubai Desert Classic Record: MC-55-8-3-38-22-4-38-31

Any time Hatton says he hates something, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Because Hatton as a general aura of hating everything and anyone at times.

However, he may be genuine in his hatred for Augusta National. A record where he has never finished better than 18th is not what you would expect for a golfer of his standard. Likewise, gave Riviera one go before being somewhat persuaded to play in 2023 as a signature event. His record at the Dubai Desert Classic is also poor for a golfer often stepping back to DP World Tour level.

Easy fade.

Jason Day

Average Betting Odds: $61.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,700

Best Masters Finish:
Masters Record: 2-WD-3-20-28-10-22-20-5-MC-MC-39
Masters Average Score: 71.85
Riviera Record: MC-MC-62-64-MC-9-9
Plantation Record: 9-3-10-12-13-10

Former world number 1 golfer, who showed a return to form in 2023 leading to a well-deserved return to the winners circle at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Followed that with a 2nd place finish in a wet and windy Open Championship, his best major finish since 2016.

Although finished 2nd on his Masters debut in 2011, he never held the lead on the final day and benefitted from the collapse of Rory McIlroy. Finished 9th in the last two editions of the Genesis Invitational, which is doubly impressive given the elevation to a signature event seeing the best players in those editions.

Has gone off the boil a little since, going 36th at the Arnold Palmer, 35th at The Players, and missing the cut at the Houston Open.

Could be sneaky.

Sam Burns

Average Betting Odds: $56.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,100

Best Masters Finish: 29th (2023)
Masters Record: MC-29
Masters Average Score: 73.00
Riviera Record: MC-23-3-MC-MC-10
Plantation Record: 19-32-33

Was absolutely on fire in February, racking up 4 top 10s in strong field including a 10th at Riviera.

Multiple time winner at the Valspar Championship is not the worst comp course. Spieth won there in 2015 prior his Masters victory and Paul Casey went back-to-back there in 2018-19 holding 5 Masters Top 10s and a Dubai Desert Classic win.

Much like the next name, contending in the majors is the next step for Burns but he is yet to show much. Has only finished a best of 20th in 14 attempts.

Prefer to see him in the heat of battle for a major title before recommending.

Beautiful Augusta National hosts the 2024 Masters

Max Homa

Average Betting Odds: $56.00
Draftkings Pricing: $8,300

Best Masters Finish: 43rd (2023)
Masters Record: MC-MC-48-43
Masters Average Score: 74.08
Riviera Record: MC-MC-37-5-W-10-2
Plantation Record: 25-15-3-14

On initial glance, it may be surprising to see Homa so far down the betting market. Until you remember his major form.

Managed his first 10 at a major at The Open Championship, which has always shaped as his most likely major. Outside that and a 13th at the 2022 PGA Championship, he has finished 43rd or worse in 15/17 majors including 9 missed cuts.

Homa is a real student of the game. He absolutely loves the history and legacy of golf, which may well be a hinderance at the major championships. It is almost if these events actually mean too much to him.

Offering the smallest glimmer of hope is the weather. His 13th came in the windy Southern Hills tournament, and his top 10 at the Open was also in torrid weather. His wins at the Wells Fargo and Fortinet also came in foul weather, and he holds an excellent record at Riviera.

Would be a surprise winner. But he will probably still have a great time in the merch tent.

Si Woo Kim

Average Betting Odds: $67.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,100

Best Masters Finish: 12th (2021)
Masters Record: MC-24-21-34-12-39-29
Masters Average Score: 72.38
Riviera Record: MC-MC-MC-3-37-MC-73-MC-44
Plantation Record: 30-10-23-25

Si Woo will always pop in my models given his consistent excellence on approach. Unfortunately, I just struggle to ever see this being a reasonable course for him.

Far too short off the tee, Si Woo possesses a hot and cold putter that could prove his demise at this event.

Often found missing the cut or down the pack at both The Sentry and Riviera, he lacks the power to ever be considered a viable option in betting or DFS here. Even easier to avoid given his projected ownership being very high in the latter.

Might sneak a Top 30, struggle to see anything more for him.

Corey Conners

Average Betting Odds: $67.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,500

Best Masters Finish: 6th (2022)
Masters Record: MC-46-10-8-6-MC
Masters Average Score: 71.85
Riviera Record: MC-MC-MC-61-24
Plantation Record: 19-18-33

Went on a run of three consecutive top 10 finishes starting in 2020. It is easy to see why.

The perennially classy ball-striker is one of the best in the game with his irons and enters the event as the 3rd best for SG: APP over the past 6 months in this field. He is particularly strong on approach from 150-200 yards, a range that sees a disproportionate number of approach shots at Augusta National.

Has finished with Top 25s in 4/5 of his recent starts, including a 13th at The Players and 18th at the Arnold Palmer.

Value.

Patrick Reed

Average Betting Odds: $67.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,400

Best Masters Finish: 1st (2018)
Masters Record: MC-22-49-MC-W-36-10-8-35-4
Masters Average Score: 71.89
Riviera Record: MC-59-51-MC
Plantation Record: 16-W-2-6-25-2-21-15
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 2

Impossible golfer to root for. However, you have to acknowledge The Masters record.

4 Top 10s in his last 6 Masters starts included a win in 2018. Finished 2nd in a battle with Rory McIlroy at the Dubai Desert Classic, his only appearance there, following controversial incidents on the Emirates Golf Club driving range.

The 4th recently in Macau should be tempered by the fact it was a very weak field and he performed only as expected at best. The 9th at LIV Miami when last seen was more impressive, with Doral holding some links to Augusta National.

Possible villain on Sunday. Would hate to see it and dread how his victory interview would go.

Adam Scott

Average Betting Odds: $81.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,100

Best Masters Finish:
Masters Record: MC-33-27-27-25-MC-18-2-8-W-14-38-42-9-32-18-34-54-48-39
Masters Average Score: 72.56
Riviera Record: W-2-69-14-MC-17-10-2-11-53-7-W-38-4-65-19
Plantation Record: 7-5-2-18-21-6-21-29
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 9-7

From one of the most classless golfers in the professional game to arguably one of the classiest.

Scott is a previous Masters champion, but also boasts extensive correlated form. He won at Riviera on debut, adding another victory there in 2020, along with two additional runner-up finishes. He has also finished runner-up at The Sentry and accumulated two Top 10s in both Dubai Desert Classic starts.

The likeable Aussie was also in superb form either side of the New Year. That included a run of 7 consecutive top 20 finishes all around the globe. Finished 14th last week at the Texas Open. Ranking 2nd in this field for SG: PUTT over the last 6 months could prove useful if the winds get as bad as forecast.

Don’t be surprised if he finishes Top 10.

Akshay Bhatia

Average Betting Odds: $81.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,200

Best Masters Finish: N/A
Masters Record: N/A
Masters Average Score: N/A
Riviera Record: N/A
Plantation Record: 14

Earned his way into the field with his Texas Open victory last week.

Ended up in an epic tussle with Denny McCarthy, having looked like he would run away with the tournament holding a 6 shot lead at one point. Keeping his nerve when surprisingly finding himself in a play-off was impressive. For context, Bhatia and McCarthy ended up 9 strokes clear of Rory McIlroy in 3rd place.

Have to think that he would benefit for a go or two around this place, although on paper this does look to be a good fit for the talented 22-year-old. Left-handed golfers also hold a good record at The Masters with Mike Weir, Bubba Watson, and Phil Mickelson all victorious here.

Some interest in “Best Lefty” markets at $3.00.

Min Woo Lee

Average Betting Odds: $81.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,300

Best Masters Finish: 14th (2022)
Masters Record: 14-MC
Masters Average Score: 73.33
Riviera Record: MC
Plantation Record: N/A
Dubai Desert Classic Record: MC-13

Talented young Australian who is looking to replicate his sister’s achievements, with Min Jee Lee already a two time major champion.

Min Woo Lee can struggle with his approach and ranks just 67th over the last 6 months in this field of 89. He has lost on approach in both his Masters starts, only finishing 14th on debut thanks to sitting 3rd in the field for SG: Putt that week. Also, Min Woo is in some pretty average form. Outside a 2nd at the Cognizant Classic, he has finished no better than 43rd in 6/7 tournaments since January.

Suspect he will be a chance at the US Open, where he has already finished 27th and 5th in two starts.

Avoid here for now.

Sergio Garcia

Average Betting Odds: $91.00
Draftkings Pricing: $6,800

Best Masters Finish: W (2017)
Masters Record: 4-MC-46-MC-MC-38-45-35-12-8-MC-17-34-W-MC-MC-MC-23-MC
Masters Average Score: 72.97
Riviera Record: 20-6-46-4-13-4-MC-49-37-37-MC-39
Plantation Record: 10-7-11
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 20-17-MC-W-32-3-23-6-12

Became the second golfer after Danny Willett to win both the Dubai Desert Classic and The Masters in the same year.

In doing so, he got the monkey of his back as one of the best players to never win a major to that point. Named his daughter Azalea a year later after the famous flowers dotting Augusta National.

Price nose-dived from 150/1 to 90/1 following his 2nd place finish at LIV Miami last week. Has done little here since his Masters win, but could be in the top 20 if his recent result actually means anything.

Hard to argue he presents value, but playable in DFS if you find yourself down there.

Denny McCarthy

Average Betting Odds: $101.00
Draftkings Pricing: $6,200

Best Masters Finish: N/A
Masters Record: N/A
Masters Average Score: N/A
Riviera Record: MC-37-MC-14-39
Plantation Record: 43

Silly price on Draftkings, given they released pricing early before his charge at the Texas Open last week. But, bear in mind he will also be very high ownership as a result.

Likely lacks the driving distance and ball-striking consistency to really say Augusta National suits him. However, he would be far from the first excellent putter to find a way around the course. Especially, after an emotional loss last week he might need another week to recover from still not being a PGA Tour winner in his 7th season.

Would be happy with a top 30 on debut here.

Byeong Hun An

Average Betting Odds: $101.00
Draftkings Pricing: $6,700

Best Masters Finish: 33rd (2017)
Masters Record: MC-MC-33-MC
Masters Average Score: 74.40
Riviera Record: 55-16
Plantation Record: 4
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 13-4-6-12

Having started his career on the DP World Tour, made his way across to the PGA Tour before struggling with the step up in class. Was demoted to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022, before earning his Tour card again and playing some of his best golf yet.

Held an excellent record at Emirates Golf Club prior to his move to the USA, as well as a 4th earlier this year at The Sentry, and a 16th at only his 2nd try around Riviera in an elevated event. This will mark his first return to The Masters 2024 field since 2020. So, although he has never shown much of anything at Augusta National, you could argue he is playing much better than he ever was during those starts.

Likely goes more under-owned than he should in DFS given a poor Masters record on paper.

Sungjae Im

Average Betting Odds: $101.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,600

Best Masters Finish: 2nd (2020)
Masters Record: 2-MC-8-16
Masters Average Score: 71.64
Riviera Record: MC-MC-33-56-44
Plantation Record: 5-8-13-5

Have to say that Sungjae’s record at The Masters is impressive, although his 2024 leaves much to be desired.

Sungjae finished runner-up on debut at just 22 years old, never slipping outside the top 5 all week. He has since added an 8th and 16th place finish at Augusta National, as well as being the 2022 first-round leader.

Had looked to have found some form at the end of 2023, carrying that into the start of the 2024 year with a 5th place finish at The Sentry making him a tempting Masters prospect. However, since then he has really fallen off the boil.

Most concerning is he has lost his irons completely. Typically, this is the strongest aspect of Sungjae’s game. He ranks a lowly 61st in this field for SG: APP over the last 6 months. Combined with his high DFS price, he is likely to go very low owned. If you wanted to take a risk, he might be worth popping into a few line-ups in large GPPs if relying solely on his form at The Masters.

Will likely be on my Masters betting card if he arrives back here with a smidge of form in future.

At the moment, he has none.

Rickie Fowler

Average Betting Odds: $111.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,300

Best Masters Finish: 2nd (2018)
Masters Record: 38-27-38-5-12-MC-11-2-9-29
Masters Average Score: 71.47
Riviera Record: MC-35-62-MC-20-55-20-35
Plantation Record: 6-5-4-5-56

Unfortunately, I’m increasingly convinced that the story of Rickie Fowler’s career will be one of what could have been.

A marketers dream with his baby-faced looks and obvious talent, Fowler has compiled 12 Top 10 finishes in majors over his career. Entered some particularly dark years between 2020 to 2023. Having achieved his first win in 4 and a half years in July 2023, many would have hoped to see that spur him on to even better things.

Unfortunately, the opposite has occurred. Fowler looks like he is firmly back in the doldrums. Since the start of the year, he has played 9 times, missed 3 cuts, and finished no better than 35th. He has not played in The Masters since the November 2020 event and may well struggle on his return.

Easy fade.

Harris English

Average Betting Odds: $126.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,000

Best Masters Finish: 21st (2021)
Masters Record: MC-42-21-43
Masters Average Score: 73.64
Riviera Record: 51-10-30-39-MC-MC-MC-12-7
Plantation Record: 11-W-30-14

Although his Masters record may look average at first glance, this should also be interpreted that he was in pretty poor form at each of those starts. In 2023, he arrived after a missed cut and winning just 1/3 matches in the WGC Matchplay. He had incoming form of 32-MC-MC-66-26-42 when arriving here in 2021. Likewise, in 2016 he had two missed cuts and a 57th as his lead-in. 2014 he actually had his best incoming form, although a missed cut can be forgiven for a debut at Augusta National.

So, all considered, 3 made cuts in that context is perhaps better than it appears. English has finished 12th at Riviera in 2023, followed by 7th there two months ago. He was a winner at The Sentry in 2021.

Most promising is his recent form is much better. He accumulated finishes of 17th at the WM Phoenix Open, 7th at the Genesis Invitational, 21st at the Arnold Palmer, and 19th at The Players Championship. A missed cut last week came after playing the final 4 holes in +5, although I hardly think arriving earlier at Augusta National is necessarily a negative for him.

English has also already shown upside in majors. Particularly, this is true at the US Open where he has 3 finishes of 3rd, 4th, and 8th since 2020.

Ranks inside the top 15 for both SG: ATG and SG: PUTT in this field over the last 3 months is an undoubted asset. Given the forecast, missing greens will be inevitability for at least the first two days of play.

Darkhorse.

Tom Kim

Average Betting Odds: $126.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,400

Best Masters Finish: 16th (2023)
Masters Record: 16
Masters Average Score: 71.50
Riviera Record: 45-24
Plantation Record: 5-45

Given his emergence on the professional golf scene, it is easy to forget that Tom Kim is still just 21 years old.

Impressed on debut when finishing 16th, especially given coming in with indifferent form. He had 4 made cuts, but no finish better than a 34th and won just 1/3 in the WGC Matchplay.

Unfortunately, he has started 2024 in poor form. He has recorded just one top 20 in 8 starts, including a lowly 45th out of 59 at The Sentry and finishing 24th at Riviera. Have to suspect Augusta National will be a tricky course for him until he adds some more driving distance. Maybe after he has done some more speed training with Matt Fitzpatrick.

Prefer others.

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Justin Rose

Average Betting Odds: $126.00
Draftkings Pricing: $7,200

Best Masters Finish:
Masters Record: 22-5-36-20-11-8-25-14-2-10-2-12-MC-23-7-MC-16
Masters Average Score: 71.79
Riviera Record: 59-58-39-62-MC-37-9-13-45-16-4-56-MC
Plantation Record: 12-40
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 35

Has accumulated an impressive record at Augusta National over the years, missing the cut just twice in 17 attempts.

After a rather excellent 2023, has shown little to start 2024 in the lead up to The Masters. Outside of an 11th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (where he was defending champion), he has finished no better than 40th in his other 6 starts. The 40th came at The Sentry, meaning he still placed in the bottom third of that field.

Would need to show a remarkable turn in form to feature this week.

Large GPP option only.

Tiger Woods

Average Betting Odds: $126.00
Draftkings Pricing: $6,800

Best Masters Finish: 1st (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019)
Masters Record: 41-MC-1-8-18-5-1-1-15-22-1-3-2-2-6-4-4-40-4-17-32-1-38-47-WD
Masters Average Score: 71.19
Riviera Record: MC-MC-20-2-18-13-5-7-13-WD-MC-15-68-45-WD
Plantation Record: 5-1-8-10-4-3
Dubai Desert Classic Record: 2-5-1-3-1-20-41-WD

Rounding out our player profiles with Tiger is only apt. To put in perspective how good he was in his era, the first name on this list was Scottie Scheffler. He would need to remain ranked as the best in the world for the next 604 weeks to match how long Tiger Woods was World Number 1. That would be until 8th November 2035.

The fact his betting odds moved from 150/1 to 125/1 from some pretty inane comments from Will Zalatoris speaks to the fact so many would love to see Tiger competitive here again.

Sadly, his body is broken. He has played just a round and a half of competitive golf in 2024. That came at the Genesis Invitational before withdrawing midway through the 2nd round.

The main issue is the leg injury from his car crash. And, Augusta National is not an easy walk. It features some of the largest undulations and elevation changes of any venue on the PGA Tour.

Should he make the cut, he would hold the outright record for the most consecutive cuts made at The Masters. It is a feat he currently shares with Gary Player and Fred Couples.

Maybe that is the equivalent of a return to glory in the current situation for Tiger.

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Takedown your 2024 One and Done golf league

Takedown your 2024 One and Done golf league

Over the last ten years, golf one and done contests have continued to surge in popularity. It is easy to see why. One and done leagues are easy to understand, you are rarely ever out of the competition, and it provides a fun way to follow your golf season. Increasingly, these contests have seen the ability to play for real money and bigger prizes. This year, golf one and done competitions have a few factors to take into account when making your decisions. With the majority of competitions starting at next week’s Sony Open, it seemed the optimal time to compile your ultimate guide to the 2024 One and Done golf season!

What is a One and Done golf league?

Most readers have likely already played in a one and done before, but it is probably worthy a few lines to recap how these contests work. In a one and done competition, players will usually pick one golfer for each tournament during the season. Once a golfer has been selected, they are then unavailable to be selected again during the year. Hence, the name “one and done”. Players are rewarded with prize money earned by the golfer in the tournament. The player with the most accumulated money across the season is the winner.

Unlike other fantasy golf contests, you are rarely completely out of a one and done competition. One big win, even late in the season, can give you enough prize money to catapult you back into contention. It provides a fun way to stay engaged with golf throughout the season.

The first action you should take is learning the rules of your contest. You should obviously know at which tournament your contest begins. But, just as importantly, you need to be aware what is the last tournament when your competition ends. You would be astounded how many times I hear of OAD players left still holding an elite player because they thought they would use them in the Tour Championship, but their season ended at the BMW Championship. Formulate a plan with how you will approach the year, and you will already be ahead of many of your competitors.

Finally, for smaller One and Done golf leagues you can play safer as you will need less money accumulated to take out a top prize. The larger the league, the more risks and money you will need to earn over the season to win.

Map out your golf One and Done season

Once you know the general rules for your one and done, I highly recommend mapping out your season. Specifically, not all tournaments are built equally in terms of the prize pool available. Additionally, you don’t want to be left trying to fit 5 elite golfers into 4 tournaments at the end of the year. I’m not suggesting you should know exactly where you will play each golfer at the beginning of the season. But plot a rough plan of how you will approach the season.

Key to this are the signature events, majors, and playoffs. A typical season will consist of 31 tournaments (Sony Open until the BMW Championship, with Zurich Classic excluded). But not all events are built equal. The 7 signature events, The Players, the 4 majors, The Players, and the 2 playoff events account for 65% of the total money available from the One and Done golf season. Individual prizes are roughly double what they are in the other events. Pick the winner in a couple of these events and you are already on your way to a successful One and Done golf season!

Obviously, we are going to want to use our best golfers during these events. It wouldn’t make sense to burn a Rory McIlroy at the Valero Texas Open when your potential return is so much greater elsewhere. The signature events do have one positive: they are all no cut events, so you are guaranteed a payday.

Then there is the question of LIV Golf players. Unless a miraculous deal is finalised and they’re granted immediate access to the remainder of the PGA Tour season, they will only be available for selection in the 4 majors. Very few have guaranteed qualification, although they can still qualify for the US Open and The Open Championship.

One and Done Golf tiers

Next, I have formed three lists of players. Firstly, elite stud players you will absolutely want to use in signature events, playoffs, or majors. These 6 golfers are the only golfers who average over +2 SG: Total over the field for the last 12 months.

Elite Studs
Scottie Scheffler
Rory McIlroy
Patrick Cantlay
Viktor Hovland
Xander Schauffele
Collin Morikawa

You can likely add Max Homa to that list, who was just under +2 SG: Total for the past year but was +2.23 SG: Total over the past 6 months.

The only other golfer to earn over +2 SG: Total for the last 12 months is, of course, Jon Rahm. He makes the next list of LIV Elite Studs. In my opinion, you want to use at least two of these in the majors (Jon Rahm plus Brooks Koepka) and probably three (Cam Smith).

LIV Elite Studs
Jon Rahm
Brooks Koepka
Cam Smith
Dustin Johnson
Bryson DeChambeau
Joaquin Niemann?

Those first 5 golfers have guaranteed entry to all four majors, but I may also look to another option in Joaquin Niemann. However, he only currently has access to The Open Championship following his win in the Australian Open. He could still qualify for the US Open through normal qualification process.

Overall, this forms a strong base to begin planning your One and Done golf season.

Solid One and Done golf picks

Finally, there are the sub-elite golfers. These are solid picks who I more than likely want to play at some point during the One and Done golf season. I will possibly use some in the signature events, particularly at courses where they have good history or if they hit hot form during the season. Otherwise, they are solid plays in tournaments outside the signature events where they will often go off towards the top of betting markets.

Sub-Elite (ranked in order of preference)

  1. Max Homa
  2. Tommy Fleetwood
  3. Tyrrell Hatton
  4. Ludvig Aberg
  5. Tom Kim
  6. Tony Finau
  7. Sungjae Im
  8. Min Woo Lee
  9. Matt Fitzpatrick
  10. Jordan Spieth
  11. Justin Thomas
  12. Sam Burns
  13. Sahith Theegala
  14. Wyndham Clark
  15. Will Zalatoris
  16. Shane Lowry
  17. Russell Henley
  18. Sepp Straka
  19. Cameron Young
  20. Nicolai Hojgaard
  21. Eric Cole
  22. Brian Harman
  23. Corey Conners
  24. Hideki Matsuyama
  25. Keegan Bradley
  26. Rickie Fowler
  27. Taylor Moore
  28. Ryan Fox
  29. JT Poston
  30. Denny McCarthy
  31. Adam Scott
  32. Jason Day
  33. Justin Rose
  34. Cam Davis
  35. Beau Hossler

You can find a full list of the 50 golfers with guaranteed signature event starts in 2024 here.

Certainly, this list is a lot more fluid. As you move further down that board, more questions will come into play such as injury concerns or regaining form. However, that will reveal itself as the season goes on. We can remain dynamic with these plays and slot them in later during the season, including any other golfers who inevitably emerge as the One and Done golf year unfolds.

Horses for courses

Another factor in your decision making should be the course on offer each week. Of course, different golfers have various aspects of a game which are a strength for them. You would prefer not to use a bomber at a tight fiddly course where accuracy is at a premium, such as Sedgefield Country Club. Likewise, you wouldn’t to use a shorter hitter at a course like Quail Hollow, where long drivers of the golf ball have had a distinct advantage.

Additionally, when planning your One and Done golf season you want to consider course history. There are always a few new golf courses every season. Other courses have remained on the PGA Tour for quite some time. This has seen the rise of many course experts. Players like Sam Burns at the Valspar Championship or Webb Simpson at Sedgefield come to mind. Clearly, some golfers are going to find a course where they just feel comfortable or the tournament holds special meaning.

However, this does come with a word of caution. In an age where information and golf data is now readily available, many other One and Done golf managers are going to have the same idea. You want to play your position in the league and, usually, avoid any massive spikes in golfer ownership you see develop.

Gain leverage on your One and Done golf league

That segues nicely into a conversation on ownership. I have to give credit to my friend Rick Gehman for the inspiration to this segment. He put together this excellent video on One and Done golf player deployment and the data was astounding.

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I found it amazing that Rory McIlroy had already been used by 50% of users by mid-March. Scottie Scheffler had been used by nearly 60% of player by The Masters! It raises a really good way to make yourself different. By keeping a few of your elite studs towards later in the season, you are creating leverage on your competitors.

Obviously, you could get unlucky and a high owned player ends up spiking a win for the masses. But you are nearly always better to avoid the chalk. The same applies in the regular PGA Tour stops. There will certainly be circumstances where a player like Russell Henley ends up the betting favourite, with a huge ownership percentage in a lower tier event where the fields are weaker. Again, you should probably avoid the chalk in such circumstances.

In larger leagues, you might want to consider some riskier plays at the beginning of the year. If both Hideki Matsuyama and Jordan Spieth look healthy, you could consider playing them at say the Phoenix Open and RBC Heritage for example. Playing some of the bigger names early who have either been injured or struggling for form comes with risks. But the majority of players will feel the same, wanting to save them until they feel a bit more certain of their status. Should a riskier but low-owned choice spike a win for you, you’ve set up your season nicely with your studs still in hand where others have already burned them.

Remain dynamic

Finally, you want to play your situation as the season develops. If you are front-running, you can play a bit safer. Take a risk adverse approach and let the pack chase you. Again, you don’t want to be playing the obvious mega-chalk. But you don’t need to roll the dice looking for some obscure option.

Conversely, if you find yourself significantly off the lead, you will need to take some risks. You’ll want to still save your studs until others have burned them. But you may wish to look for some alternative plays later in the season in the higher money signature events, deviating from your original plan. You would be hoping to get lucky, picking a winner that few others are on. Again, this is particularly true for larger contests with many other entries.

And, of course, we are talking about golf. Anything can happen! Players will get injured. Some will be badly out of form. New, unexpected talent will emerge and suddenly become popular must plays. Remaining dynamic and prepared to change your original plan is essential to adapting to the situation you face at the time.

This doesn’t supersede the golden rules though. Use all your studs; you don’t want to be left holding both Hovland and Scheffler in the last week of your contest. Make your picks every week; having a non-starter is criminal and obviously hinders your chances. And never give up; there are some huge purses to play for at the end of the season and anything can happen!

What follows next is a complete breakdown of every tournament this season.

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2024 One and Done golf cheat sheet

As we enter into an overview of the year ahead, I’ll reiterate that this should not be seen as the sole way to approach your One and Done golf season. Your individual strategy will depend on many different factors. I am also writing this on January 6th. So, if you plan on bookmarking this page and referring back to it throughout the year, take this into account as invariably the PGA Tour will develop and change.

I’ve broken down each course, giving a very brief outlook on the type of course and what style golfer may benefit. Then, I have included some potential players you may want to consider deploying at each event. Again, take this with a grain of salt. It remains unclear how many additional PGA Tour tournaments those who have qualified for the Signature events will end up playing.

Sony Open (11 January)

Course: Waialae Country Club
Purse: $8.3m
Potential Players: Corey Conners, Justin Rose, Brian Harman

This narrow course is the polar opposite of the Plantation Course at Kapalua, host of The Sentry. Driving accuracy is at a premium here, with tree-lined fairways and very thick rough adding to the challenge. Winds are a defense here as well, with SG: ATG ranking heavily as a predictive factor. It is an advantage to have played the week prior at The Sentry, as is prior form here which ranks 2nd only to Augusta National in strength of correlation.

The American Express (18 January)

Course: Pete Dye Stadium Course, Nicklaus Tournament Course & La Quinta
Purse: $8.4m
Potential Players: Adam Hadwin, Cam Davis, Andrew Putnam, Tom Hoge

The first tournament of course rotation season. In this case, using three courses before finishing with an additional round at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. This is the tournament which Jon Rahm famously labelled as a “Piece of sh*t f*cking setup. Putting contest week”, before winning the event in 2023. Scoring is low and you’ll need to find a golfer who can reach close to -25 to -30 if they want to secure the win. As such, it tends to be a volatile event.

Farmers Insurance Open (24 January)

Course: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South and North Courses)
Purse: $9.0m
Potential Players: Wyndham Clark, Jason Day, Sungjae Im

Our second in the course rotation trifecta. Fortunately, in this case three rounds are played on the South Course with the North Course only played for one of the first two rounds prior to the cut. The North Course is substantially the easier of the two. This is a bomber heavy course and a strong driver of the golf ball is a great asset.

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (1 February)
Key One and Done golf tournamentSignature Event

Course: Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Russell Henley, Tom Kim, Max Homa

Our final course rotation tournament of three and our first signature event in the regular One and Done rota. PGA Tour were keen to have this as a signature event not just because of the iconic Pebble Beach course, but also the pro-am element and the opportunity to look after their sponsors. Again, three of the rounds will be at one course (Pebble Beach) with just the sole round at Spyglass Hill. Pebble Beach can’t be overpowered and sees a disproportionate number of shots from 100-150 yards as a result. Given some of the smallest greens on the PGA Tour, alongside SG: APP you’ll need a sharp short-game here.

WM Phoenix Open (8 February)

Course: TPC Scottsdale
Purse: $8.8m
Potential Players: Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley

I am intrigued to see what happens with the WM Phoenix Open this year. Colloquially known as the People’s Open, the event sees itself demoted to a regular season event and sandwiched between two signature events. Whether this results in a reduced quality of field and who takes this as a rest week remains to be seen. The course is a well-rounded test of a golfer’s game and has typically seen the cream rise to the top. It’ll be interesting to see how much of that crop shows up. If Scheffler is the only big name that returns looking for his three-peat he probably wins, although you should keep him in your stash for a bigger payday. Let others blow their ownership and look for greener pastures. With rather large greens at over 7,000 sq ft, don’t discount a solid putter here along with sharp iron play.

The Genesis Invitational (15 February)
Key One and Done golf tournamentSignature Event

Course: Riviera Country Club
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Patrick Cantlay

Along with The Sentry host the Plantation course at Kapalua, this is one of the best form guides for Augusta National on Tour. Jon Rahm of course won both tournaments before slipping on the green jacket in 2023. You may want to jump on the future odds for the winner at The Masters as they will inevitable dive after this event. Part of that is down to the undulating nature of this course. You will rarely have a flat approach shot, and it is skill with your irons which will prove decisive.

Mexico Open (22 February)

Course: Vidanta Vallarta
Purse: $8.1m
Potential Players: Akshay Bhatia, Brandon Wu, Alex Smalley

This birdie-fest is the sole tropical course for the One and Done golf season. Paspalum greens are pretty polarizing, their slow pace not suiting all golfers and seeing some paspalum specialists developing. Brandon Wu is a key example, finishing 2nd and 3rd here and also holding a 3rd and 7th at the Puerto Rico Open. Driving distance is a big asset here, with the average yardage for par 4s and par 5s the longest on the PGA Tour averaging 495 yards.

Defending champion Tony Finau is likely to be heavily owned at this event in a very weak field. There will be few top players travelling South of the border. If Kurt Kitayama, Patrick Rodgers, or Beau Hossler end up starting they are worthy of consideration.

Cognizant Classic (29 February)

Course: PGA National
Purse: $9.0m
Potential Players: Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood

We begin the Florida swing with what was formerly known as the Honda Classic. This is a difficult course with a single figure winner common, especially if the weather plays a factor. It’s perhaps unsurprising this has been a strong predictor of success at The Open. 2023 Open runner-up Sepp Straka has an excellent record here, as does former Open champion Shane Lowry.

Arnold Palmer Invitational (7 March)
Key One and Done golf tournamentSignature Event

Course: Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Cam Young

Another signature event, and a tournament where Rory McIlroy is often deployed by One and Done golf managers. If you can avoid the temptation, you should have some leverage opportunities later in the season. This is a ball-strikers golf course, with both distance and accuracy positively correlated to success. Approach over 200 yards is also key, with the longest collection of par 3s of the regular PGA Tour courses.

The Players Championship (14 March)
Key One and Done golf tournament – Largest purse

Course: TPC Sawgrass
Purse: $25.0m
Potential Players: Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Tom Kim

The single largest paycheck in the One and Done golf year. One of the highest correlations between driving accuracy and success of any tournament on the PGA Tour, it is easy to understand why there are such strong links between here and Wyndham Championship host Sedgefield Country Club. Scheffler is likely heavily owned, being the defending champion in the biggest purse of the season, but there are other great options available.

Valspar Championship (21 March)

Course: Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort
Purse: $8.4m
Potential Players: Sam Burns, Aaron Rai, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas

Many One and Done managers will simply revert to Sam Burns here, depending on whether he is playing decent golf at the time. Holding a record of 1-1-6 in his last three starts, it is easy to understand why. You should consider your position in your One and Done golf league when making that decision. The course greets players with some of the narrowest fairways on the PGA Tour, combined with incredibly thick rough and tree-lined fairways. This makes it one of the top 3 most difficult driving courses of the season. There is a disproportionate number of shots from over 200 yards, a reflection of golfers clubbing down to avoid trouble off the tee.

Houston Open (28 March)

Course: Memorial Park Golf Course
Purse: $9.1m
Potential Players: Nicolai Hojgaard, Ryan Fox, Patrick Rodgers, Beau Hossler

This tournament has moved from the fall to the regular season, so it will be interesting to see if the course plays any different. We only have three years worth of data to go off here, but Total Driving looks to be a fairly decent predictor of success. Markedly, there are an unusual 5 par 3s on this course and a number of them are short. That makes this 7,432 yard par 70 course play even longer, with 5 par 4s over 490 yards and the 3 par 5s averaging a massive 596 yards each.

Valero Texas Open (4 April)

Course: TPC San Antonio
Purse: $9.2m
Potential Players: Sahith Theegala, Ludvig Aberg, Chris Kirk, Tyrrell Hatton

The PGA Tour reduce their carbon footprint just a smidge by remaining in Texas for another week, in a rare dose of common sense. The course plays shorter than what it says on the tin, with firm fairways seeing large runout from drives. The rough ranks as the least penal on the PGA Tour. Although the greens are large, they are multi-tiered meaning the actual target area is substantially reduced. Alongside approach, SG: ATG is a strong predictor of success. As the penultimate event to The Masters, it may attract some names who are seeking a warm-up before hitting Augusta National. Determining how focused those players actually are on winning this event over fine-tuning their game is a minefield.

The Masters (11 April)
Key One and Done golf tournamentMajor

Course: Augusta National
Purse: $18.0m
Potential Players: Cam Smith, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm

We reach the first major of the year and likely the first decision about which LIV Golf player we should deploy. I would hazard a guess that Jon Rahm is heavily deployed here as defending champion. You may be better to save him for the next major, which should also suit. Albeit, I’m not too worried about ownership on the other three obvious LIV golfers. The likes of Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Ludvig Aberg will also attract selection. In short, keep an eye on whether Cam Smith’s form improves throughout the year, with last year’s runner-up Brooks Koepka an option, and previous winner Dustin Johnson if you would like to get contrarian.

RBC Heritage (18 April)
Key One and Done golf tournamentSignature Event

Course: Harbour Town Golf Links
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton

The tour attempts to keep the attention of casual golf fans by placing a signature event directly after the most watched tournament in golf. The merits of this can be debated, but it is nice to shake off the hangover from the first major quickly. In contrast to last week, this short and narrow test is the near opposite of Augusta National. Therefore, the course produces some of the lowest driving distance numbers on tour. With very small greens a combination of driving accuracy, precise iron play, and short-game for the inevitable missed GIR is key here. Hopefully, a large percentage of One and Done golf managers have already used Jordan Spieth and you can select a player who has finished 1st and 2nd in his last two appearances here.

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson (2 May)

Course: TPC Craig Ranch
Purse: $9.5m
Potential Players: Eric Cole, Justin Rose, Harris English

The tournament where K.H. Lee won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022, earning him the nickname “TPC Lee”. Jason Day then completed his own double in 2023, with some 13 years in between drinks. One unique aspect of the course is the zoysia grass fairways. This is relatively rare on the PGA Tour, only appearing at TPC Southwind and East Lake. Driver is not that important on this course. Someone like Eric Cole comes to mind, who is actually a surprisingly poor driver. Instead, we see a big uptick in long approach shots. 1/3rd of all approach shots are over 200 yards, with 2/3rd of approach shots are from over 150 yards.

Wells Fargo Championship (9 May)
Key One and Done golf tournamentSignature Event

Course: Quail Hollow Club
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Rory McIlroy, Min Woo Lee, Ludvig Aberg

Quail Hollow is a big boy golf course. Sitting at over 7,500 yards for a par 71, it is one of the longest tests on the PGA Tour. Driving distance is essential here, as seen by Wyndham Clark when winning for us at 80/1 in the lead-up to his U.S. Open victory. 75% of approach shots will be from over 150 yards. Putting from 5-15 feet is ranked 15th most difficult on the Tour, with putts from 15+ feet ranking 7th on tour. Hopefully, three-time champion Rory McIlroy has already been burned by a large number of managers and you can deploy him at a track he loves.

PGA Championship (16 May)
Key One and Done golf tournamentMajor

Course: Valhalla Golf Club
Purse: $17.5m
Potential Players: Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson

The majors return to Valhalla 10 years after Rory McIlroy triumphed here in 2014. If you didn’t use him the preceding week at the Wells Fargo Championship, you can deploy him here. In fact, that may preferable with invariably even more players having used him. However, this is again another rare opportunity to deploy one of the LIV Golf players. Being a Nicklaus design, parallels might be drawn to Muirfield, where Jon Rahm is a past champion. He would’ve won back-to-back there had it not been for the unfortunate withdrawal after three rounds with COVID when leading by 6.

Charles Schwab Challenge (23 May)

Course: Colonial Country Club
Purse: $9.1m
Potential Players: Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, Russell Henley

If Jordan Spieth hasn’t been used yet or shown continued struggles with the wrist injury, One and Done golf managers might just auto-click his name here. It is perhaps unsurprising then that the course shares links with Harbour Town, as Spieth has won on both courses. Each is a fiddly, positional course where accuracy off the tee between overhanging branches and a sharp short game is required.

RBC Canadian Open (30 May)

Course: Hamilton Golf & Country Club
Purse: $9.4m
Potential Players: Brian Harman, Brendon Todd, Andrew Putnam, Adam Hadwin

The RBC Canadian Open returns to Hamilton Golf & Country Club, which most recently hosted this event in 2019. Outside leader Rory McIlroy, the leaderboard was dotted with accurate drivers. 7 of the top 10 on the leaderboard finished in the top 20 of driving accuracy for the week. Additionally, 8 of the Top 10 that week were in the top 10 for SG: Putting at the tournament. Find the fairway and make your putts looks to be the most reliable pathway to success.

The Memorial Tournament (6 June)
Key One and Done golf tournamentSignature Event

Course: Muirfield Village Golf Club
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay

The Memorial kicks-off a big run off three large purses on the tour. In fact, 37% of the total money on offer will be awarded in the next 11 weeks (even more if your contest includes the Tour Championship). Another reminder why you should never give up on your One and Done golf contest right until the end of the year! Accuracy is more important than distance here, as is excellent approach play, and an aptitude for putting on bentgrass.

U.S. Open (13 June)
Key One and Done golf tournamentMajor

Course: Pinehurst No. 2
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Jon Rahm

The penultimate major of the year. We return to a venue where Kaymer trounced the field in 2014, fellow Kiwi Michael Campbell held off Tiger Woods in 2005, and Payne Stewart won in 1999. This course is a demon, typically delivering an incredibly tight affair and very high scoring. In fact, only three golfers have played this course under-par in three renditions. Sounds like the kind of course where the relentless attitude of Koepka could be beneficial, or the hot putter of Cam Smith could keep him in contention.

Travelers Championship (20 June)
Key One and Done golf tournamentSignature Event

Course: TPC River Highlands
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Russell Henley, Tom Kim, Brian Harman

A big three weeks concludes at the Travelers, again strategically placed by the PGA Tour in the hope of keeping the armchair golf fans engaged. Driving accuracy rules king at TPC River Highlands, as highlighted by Brian Harman and Zac Blair just behind Keegan Bradley last time out. We had unluckily selected Zac Blair the prior tournament at 1000/1 before he withdrew with injury, only to return here with that runner-up finish. The course requires a sharp wedge game, with a disproportionate number of shots under 150 yards. Other Pete Dye courses are a good guide here, with TPC Sawgrass and Sedgefield Country Club both offering accuracy heavy tests.

Rocket Mortgage Classic (27 June)

Course: Detroit Golf Club
Purse: $9.2m
Potential Players: Adam Scott, Taylor Moore, Ryan Fox, Nicolai Hojgaard

Off the back of those three big tournaments, don’t be surprised to see many of the best golfers give this one a miss. Consequently, you could see a lot of the top of the betting board available for selection. Basically, you are likely best to keep an eye on projected use for this week and do the opposite. More than 50% of all approach shots will occur between 50-150 yards. This is key given shots on longer par 3s and the par 5s will naturally require a longer approach shot. I put Nicolai Hojgaard up at 80/1 here in 2023, although I doubt you will see that number this time around.

John Deere Classic (4 July)

Course: TPC Deere Run
Purse: $7.8m
Potential Players: Ryan Fox, Chris Kirk, Russell Henley, Lucas Glover

This tournament can prove quite volatile and could be renamed as the “John Deere wedge putter birdie-fest”. The tournament has required a score better than 20-under in 11 of the last 14 editions. The other three were won at -18 or -19 with high winds in at least one round. A huge number of approach shots will fall between 100-150 yards. Driving accuracy is helpful not because the course is overly narrow, but because you simply must give yourself as many birdie looks within 10 feet as possible. That’s easier to achieve from the short stuff.

Genesis Scottish Open (11 July)

Course: The Renaissance Club
Purse: $9.0m
Potential Players: Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann?

We make our way to the spiritual home of golf and a foray into links golf. Overall, links golf requires a unique set of skills and those with that experience hold an edge. This event is commingled with the DP World Tour, allowing an opportunity to play some golfers who might not have an opportunity to during other tournaments. I do wonder whether we might see Joaquin Niemann here, who managed to play some DP World Tour events not being a former member and receiving a sponsor exemption. Robert MacIntyre is likely a very popular selection and should probably be avoided, following a remarkable tournament last year where Rory McIlroy snatched victory in near impossible circumstances.

The Open Championship (18 July)
Key One and Done golf tournament – Major

Course: Royal Troon
Purse: $16.5m
Potential Players: Joaquin Niemann, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Tommy Fleetwood

The final chance to snag a major in 2024, The Open Championship returns to Royal Troon. This will be it’s 10th time hosting, with the most recent of those being in 2016. Many will see Tyrrell Hatton and Rory McIlroy finishing in 5th placed here that year. As a result, read that in the context that this was an epic major between Henrik Stenson (-20) and Phil Mickelson (-17). Stenson finished 15 strokes ahead of Hatton and McIlroy, with their closer competitor being J.B. Holmes in 3rd (-6). If Niemann is in reasonable form, you should consider playing him here. His low ball-flight with irons has always looked suited for links golf if the winds blow.

3M Open (25 July)

Course: TPC Twin Cities
Purse: $8.3m
Potential Players: Tony Finau, Ryan Fox, Adrian Meronk

With players travelling back from The Open Championship, expect many who played the week prior to be resting. If not, jet-lag can always be a factor. Particularly if they have contended the week prior, I would avoid any such player this week. The course is long enough at 7,431 yards and par 71. Rough is fairly non-existent, but water on 15 of the 18 holes keeps golfers honest. You can perhaps rely on Tony Finau being used by other players by this point, arriving at a course where he has never finished worse than 28th in 5 looks with form of 23-3-28-1-7.

Wyndham Championship (8 August)

Course: Sedgefield Country Club
Purse: $7.9m
Potential Players: Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Russell Henley

A week’s break as the golfers head to the Olympic Games, played at Le Golf National. Most of the One and Done golf contests will miss that event, as there is no prize purse given putting a price on a gold medal is rather difficult.

The PGA Tour returns at the Wyndham Championship, which is always an exciting event as the last chance saloon to make the playoffs. As mentioned in The Players preview, this course and TPC Sawgrass share one of the strongest correlations you will see between two golf courses all season. Those who have not used Tom Kim likely deploy him here (should he play), so monitor usage and divert to golfers like Sungjae Im or Russell Henley. Webb Simpson likely attracts attention given his absurd course history here, at a course he loves so much he named his daughter after a hotel chain.

FedEx St Jude Championship (15 August)
Key One and Done golf tournament – Playoffs

Course: TPC Southwind
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton, Collin Morikawa

The first playoff event and hopefully you find yourself having ridden a little luck and good planning to be in contention. TPC Southwind has hosted some form of tournament since 1989. First as the FedEx St Jude Classic, then the WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational, before becoming the FedEx St Jude Championship. Make sure you use course history over tournament history to have access to the most data possible.

Again, those rare zoysia grass fairways show up here. Overall, the course is a tricky test with a winning score in the low to mid teens common. Water is heavily involved on 11 holes and the rough is pretty gnarly. Driving distance is not really a factor, but accuracy is an asset as is sharp approach play. 78% of all approach shots occur between 100-200 yards here.

BMW Championship (22 August)
Key One and Done golf tournament – Playoffs

Course: Castle Pines Golf Club
Purse: $20.0m
Potential Players: Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Aberg, Sungjae Im

The 2nd playoff event sees a reduction to the last 50 players and a return to Castle Pines, last sighted on the PGA Tour for The International tournament from 1986-2006. Unfortunately, that was before the age of big data and strokes gained was not recorded. Other Nicklaus designs like Muirfield could be a useful guide. On paper, the course looks a long test but bear in mind this is played at altitude in Colorado.

Tour Championship (29 August)
Key One and Done golf tournament – Playoffs

Course: East Lake Golf Club
Purse: TBC
Potential Players: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland

Finally, if your One and Done contest includes the Tour Championship some extra strategy is required. Controversially, the Tour Championship is handicapped including starting strokes based on the number of FedEx Cup points that players have earned throughout the year. I understand the appeal in having the person who lifts the trophy also being the one who wins the FedEx Cup. However, the DP World Tour handle this just fine and golf fans are smart enough to be able to handle concurrent leaderboards.

Basically, with the starting strokes you may be best to hold back an elite stud to deploy here. Obviously, the vast majority of players will have used them by this point and you are giving yourself a huge advantage. Scottie Scheffler makes the most sense as barring injury he should be in the top 4 players and, therefore, have one of the lower starting scores. However, Rory McIlroy does have an excellent record at East Lake. Monitor how the season develops and, having checked whether your contest includes this tournament, keep back an elite player who is highly likely to finish towards the top of the FedEx Cup leaderboard entering this event.

And thus ends another PGA Tour season, and a 6,500 word article. I hope you’ve enjoyed it, that you have a very successful One and Done golf year, and a big thank you again for all your support for DeepDiveGolf.

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The Sentry preview, set on the backdrop of the Plantation Course at Kapalua

It seems only fitting that the PGA Tour have dropped the “Tournament of Champions” part from the tournament title for The Sentry, our first preview of 2024. After all, this will now be the second consecutive year where the champion is not actually even here to defend their title. Cameron Smith was absent in 2023. Subsequently, Jon Rahm will not be here in 2024 as the latest and most significant defection to LIV Golf. That is a real shame not just for the PGA Tour but, most importantly, the fans. You can read more on my thoughts on the defection and what 2024 may hold here.

Before we dive into our Sentry preview proper, I’d like to take a paragraph to thank all my loyal followers in 2023. Especially, to all our WinDaily Sports subscribers. Obviously, there are costs associated with running a website and providing the best coverage of golf tournaments that we can. For those who supported me in that, please accept my heartfelt gratitude. You literally keep the lights on and, therefore, help us continue producing more great content.

Of course, this also paid off in a rather grand way for our Premium subscribers in 2023!
2023 we had 15 outright winners for a return of investment of +22% on the DP World Tour and +40% on the PGA Tour.
2023 total ROI was an EPIC +33% and profit of +929.58 units.
Using just $10 per unit, you would have made over $9,000 in 2023!

That follows a 2022, when we had 16 outright winners for a return of investment of +24% on the DP World Tour and +26% on the PGA Tour. It marks our 5th consecutive year of profitability; may 2024 bring another one!

The Sentry Preview

Plantation Course at Kapalua – Course Analysis

This is often a tricky event to cover. Chiefly, that comes down to the fact many golfers have only played sparingly since August. Some guesswork is required, and hope that we can use what we know to assist us in our search for a winning start to 2024.

The Plantation Course at Kapalua plays host to The Sentry (Tournament of Champions) as it has done since 1999, so a preview of the course may seem somewhat unnecessary. But, we have of course all been so focused on “growing the game” the last few years that I am sure there are lots of eager new golf fans ready to delve into their first tournament here.

First, note that this is a rare par 73 on the PGA Tour. Sitting at 7,596 yards, the course has 3 par 3s and 4 par 5s. That makes the course one of the longest on the PGA Tour.

The length is offset somewhat by many of the holes playing downhill. As such, driving distance is not the be all and end all here. Fairways are undulating, leading to many approach shots where the ball is above or below the feet. Also assisting are some of the widest fairways and the largest greens on the PGA Tour. Players can pull their driver out regularly, with % of fairways found the highest of all regular PGA Tour stops at 72.2%.

The huge green complexes averaging over 8,700 sq ft also pose less risk when approaching with a long iron than on other courses. There really lies the key to success. Finding the right area of the green. Making your fair share of putts is important too, at a course which has had a tendency to allow some low scores.

Preview Course Comps for The Sentry

Course form at Plantation is somewhat stickier than most PGA Tour courses. If you have played well here previously, there is a higher probability that you will do so again than at comparative venues. Further adding to this phenomenon is the transient nature of this field. Typically, the Sentry field has consisted only of the winners from the previous PGA Tour season. I suspect the correlation of previous success as a predictive factor should actually receive some uptick compared to first glance.

The strongest correlation is from The Masters. That comp passes the sense check. Augusta National features some of the widest fairways on the PGA Tour, actually just wider on average than at the Plantation course Kapalua. Again, fairways found hovers above 70% for Augusta National. Many approach shots are congruent to those seen here due the undulating fairways at both. Most obvious, Jon Rahm completed the double winning both in 2023. 2022 champion Cam Smith came mighty close to winning The Masters with a 2nd and 3rd in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Hero World Challenge host, Albany Golf Course, also is a decent guide. Played in The Bahamas and featuring a small but elite field, Albany has hosted the Hero World Challenge since 2015. The course provides parallels not only from the field assembled. The tropical and coastal elements lend itself well to Plantation. As a 7,309 yard par 72, driver is used heavily and we can see correlation through the top of the leaderboard. Rahm has won and finished runner-up at both. Morikawa has never finished worse than 7th at Plantation nor worse than 6th at Albany.

Weather

As the Sentry features a limited field, we can release our tournament preview article a little earlier in the week as there is less chance a significant weather edge will develop. Basically, the tee-times are over a shorter window. There is less of an advantage to be gained by any one player.

From our future forecasting, Thursday looks to be overcast with possibility of light showers to soften conditions and benign winds. Scoring should be good, and a fast start likely necessary to keep up with the pack. Friday should see some heavy winds arrive from midday, with gusts over 25mph. The winds remain for Saturday, while Sunday will settle. A low round should again be required on the final day of play.

Overall, the course does not pose much risk and has yielded some very low scores. The main defense for Plantation has always been the wind. We saw this in 2020 with a winning score or -14 being 20 strokes higher than the tournament record -34 set in 2022. With some wind in the forecast, I suspect a winning score in the low 20s should see the job done.

Sentry Preview Golf Betting Tips

Thank you for reading my Sentry preview and tournament analysis.
If you would like access to my golf betting tips and player profiles for The Sentry, premium customers can find these here.

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Sungjae Im is our favourite play from our Sentry betting tips

Before getting into our betting tips for The Sentry, I do recommend having a read of my tournament preview article here. Here I provide my deep-dive analysis of the course, correlated course form, and weather for the tournament.

There are a few notables worth discussing first. Collin Morikawa holds clear appeal. Obviously, he has strong links to Hawaii and has never finished worse than 7th in 4 starts at The Sentry. However, the spectacular capitulation to hand Jon Rahm victory here could well play on his mind. I also held concerns about his ability to play in the wind, which is expected to get reasonably strong on two days of play. Therefore, he misses out on the Sentry betting tips.

Justin Rose held appeal, given his strong Masters record and excellent performances at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Similarly, Keegan Bradley was considered before his poor record at both Augusta National and Albany alongside poor showings in his last two Sentry starts saw others preferred.

The Sentry Golf Betting Tips

Results
25 units in, 60.31 units out

Updated 8 Jan 8:30PM ET
Jordan Spieth
3rd – Top 5 at +625
2.5pt E/W +2500 (Bet365 with 5 places 1/4 odds)

Tony Finau
38th
2.5pt E/W +2500 (Bet365 with 8 places 1/5 odds)

Sungjae Im – The Sentry Betting Tips Favourite
5th – Top 5 at +825 (reduced to -117 due dead-heat)
2.5pt E/W +3300 (Unibet with 5 places 1/4 odds)

Sepp Straka
12th – Top 20 at +162
1pt E/W +6600 (Unibet with 5 places 1/4 odds)
And
3pt Top 20 +162 (William Hill)

Sahith Theegala – The Sentry Betting Tips Best Value
2nd – Top 5 at +2000 and Top 20 at +190
1pt E/W +8000 (Unibet with 5 places 1/4 odds)
And
3pt Top 20 +180 (William Hill)

We also gave out Theegala as First-Round Leader on the PGA Draftcast, which hit at 60/1!
Tune in on YouTube Tuesdays at 9PM ET as we give out our favourite DFS plays and free FRL bets.

The Sentry Betting Tips Player Profiles

Jordan Spieth – 3rd

It is likely fair to say that Spieth has been out of sorts for a couple of season now. In 2022, he finished in the Top 5 in just 13% of his starts and only really claimed victory at the RBC Heritage as others crumbled around him. Three of those were on our card that week, but I digress.

2023 was a winless season, but did see some improvement finishing in the top 5 in 21% of his starts. No doubt, he will be eager to begin 2024 on a positive note. The Plantation Course at Kapalua could prove the perfect antidote.

We spoke about the correlation from The Masters to The Sentry in our tournament preview article. And, we obviously know what Spieth does at Augusta National. His 2nd on debut was quickly followed by victory the following year and another runner up. He has added another two 3rd place finishes and a 4th in 2023. That means he has finished 4th or better in 60% of his starts at The Masters.

It is no surprise then that he won this tournament in 2016. Again, that came after a runner-up finish on first sight. He finished 9th or better in his first 4 starts here. Falling off the boil in 2022 and 2023 (21st and 13th respectively) coincides with his general regression in form over that period.

Of promise though was a return to form in December, finishing 6th at the Hero World Challenge. A mediocre 71 in the 3rd round put paid to his chances there, but it was a glimmer of hope that Spieth could kick-start 2024 in the best way possible.

Tony Finau – 38th

Next in our Sentry betting tips is Tony Finau. Given his propensity to be a perennial close finisher, he had been referred to as “T2 Tony” by some. Finau broke free of the shackles of that reputation in 2022.

Back-to-back wins that year were followed by a 2023 season where he again got over the finish line twice. The latter of those victories came at the Mexico Open over absent defending champion Jon Rahm. Vidanta Vallarta is far from the worst comp course. The wide open fairways, long irons, and low scoring are all common to what is required at Plantation.

Finau already holds a 9th and 7th at this tournament and boasts 3 top 10s at the Masters, where he has never missed the cut. However, the form at the Hero World Challenge is what really caught my eye. He holds a record around Albany of 2-10-7-7-4. That most recent 4th included holding the first round lead, with another 67 coming in the final round.

Much of the final result will come down to Finau’s ability to get the putter rolling. But, when he does so, he now wins golf tournaments. The putter again looked to be leaning towards the right direction towards the end of 2023, and a fast start to the season would not surprise at a course where he has always looked a likely sort.

Sungjae Im – 5th
The Sentry Betting Tips Favourite

I really like the number currently available around Sungjae Im this week. Sungjae was 5th on his first look at this course, a tournament where he also lead the field in SG: tee-to-green and actually lost strokes putting. He has subsequently finished 8th and 13th in his other two appearances here.

Of course, Im has also flashed at Augusta National. The runner-up finish on Masters debut was obviously eye-catching, but he has then gone on to add an 8th and 16th place finish there as well. He has only played the Hero World Challenge once, finishing 8th in 2022. There, he was able to overcome the 3rd worst opening round (74) to continually improve throughout the week.

Sungjae Im has always been a golfer who has promised more. It is perhaps surprising that he is still only 25 years old. For context, he is just 18 months older than Ludvig Aberg. The end of 2023 held much promise for Im. Outside a lackluster Tour Championship, he quietly finished 14th or better in his final 5 tournaments of the year. 2024 could well be the year he kicks on to bigger things.

Sepp Straka – 12th

Sepp Straka has cemented himself as one of the ultimate boom-or-bust plays in golf. When looking at longer odds, that is always going to hold some appeal and more-so in a reduced field size.

It was another fantastic year in 2023, most notable for winning the John Deere Classic before finishing runner-up at The Open Championship.

The Masters record is just ok, although he has made the cut in his two starts there. He arrives here off another recent runner-up finish in the Hero World Challenge at Albany. He overcame a mediocre even par opening round there, quickly finding his feet and finishing with an excellent 64 in the final round. Similar can be said for his single appearance here, where he finished 68-67 over the weekend and improved in each round.

Additionally, in that sole Sentry appearance he was 2nd in the field for SG: Approach. And it is that which we are buying into; his absolute ability to get red-hot with his irons and putter on his day.

Sahith Theegala – 2nd
The Sentry Betting Tips Best Value

Another longer odds selection with seemingly endless upside to close out our Sentry betting tips. Sahith Theegala secured his inaugural PGA Tour win towards the tail-end of 2023. It was a victory that many saw coming, with his notably aggressive style of play lending itself to top finishes or ending at the bottom half of the field.

Theegala struggled at this course in 2023. However, a deeper dive into his numbers that week reveal that he was actually 10th in the field for SG: Approach and 2nd worst for putting that week. Theegala is certainly an excellent putter, ranking 13th on the PGA Tour over the last 6 months. Additionally, some of his best putting performances have come on bermudagrass as we find here. Notably, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and RSM Classic come to mind.

Of course, then was the 9th on Masters debut. That really felt like a significant moment for Theegala in his fledgling career; a sign to all of us that he can truly holds the ability to compete with the best. That, when combined with his near perfect correlation to the ideal course fit for this track, makes the 80/1 currently available far too juicy to resist.

What a start to 2024!

For the start of a new golf season, we have a special offer on our premium memberships.
We are so confident in our pricing that we guarantee this will be our best deal ever in 2024. Basically, if you see a cheaper price advertised in 2024 we will happily refund you the difference on your annual membership.

Our results speak for themself.
2022 we had 16 outright winners for a return of investment of +24% on the DP World Tour and +26% on the PGA Tour.
2023 we had 15 outright winners for a return of investment of +22% on the DP World Tour and +40% on the PGA Tour.
2023 the combined total ROI was an EPIC +33% and +929.58 units.
Using just $10 per unit, you would have made over $9,000 in 2023!

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I look forward to welcoming you into the WinDaily family and celebrating many, many wins with you in 2024!

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Jon Rahm announcing he signed with LIV Golf shocked the golfing world and disrupted LIV PGA Tour merger talks

In a move widely expected, given the imminent arrival of the self-imposed 31 December deadline, The Telegraph is now reporting that merger talks between LIV and PGA Tour will be extended. Obviously, this is no surprise for many. The 6 June shock announcement from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour to lay down their weapons and move towards a reunification of golf was surprisingly light on any detail. With rumours that meetings were still to occur all through December, including a “final” meeting on the D-Day of 31 December itself, an outcome in time for 2024 seemed unlikely.

Further, contributing to the delay were antitrust investigations into the deal by the U.S. Justice Department and the emergence of the Strategic Sports Group as another potential investor. And, of course, the shock announcement that Jon Rahm had decided to sign with LIV Golf rocking the golf world. Make no bones about it; securing the scalp of Jon Rahm was a major boon for LIV Golf. It was his Masters victory which likely made the defection easier to stomach for Rahm. It granted him multiple years with guaranteed entry to all four majors. With LIV denied OWGR points, due a lack of clear pathways for earning (or losing) a card other than answering the phone, certainty of major entries was essential for Rahm. Further, it is speculated Rahm had become disillusioned with leadership from the negotiating team and, particularly, Patrick Cantlay’s emergence as a supposed leading voice in those talks.

It’s fair that golf fans have grown restless, frustrated, and despondent for the continual disruptions. So fans find themselves once again asking the question: what now for the future of professional golf?

Scenario 1: LIV PGA Tour merger confirmed in 2024

Perhaps the most likely outcome is that at some point in early 2024 the LIV PGA Tour merger is finally confirmed. Speculation is that the new deadline will be moved to end of March, before the latest LIV defector Jon Rahm defends his green jacket at the 2024 Masters.

What the Rahm move means is the onus is now on the PGA Tour to find a solution. Losing one of the four biggest names in the sport is a golf ball sized pill to swallow. The thought of two of their flagship events, the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, being without their defending champion is a bad look. Rahm is one of the few names in golf that actually move the needle in viewership.

The exact shape of that deal remains to be seen. Undoubtedly, team golf would form an element. Several LIV contracts have included equity in their respective teams for their key signings. The best scenario for fans would likely see LIV move to a team only format, drawing on players from both the PGA and DP World Tours. The current LIV format is messy, confusing, and the viewership numbers show it has simply not connected with fans in the way they hoped. Separating team golf and individual golf would provide clarity.

Most importantly for fans, it would see the best golfers play together more often. Otherwise, the sport risks becoming tennis where the major championships are the only time the best all compete. Or worse, boxing where fans are left to contemplate what title really matters. The merger remains a very possible resolution. And one which could see Jon Rahm get his $USD500m cake and be able to eat it too.

Scenario 2: PGA Tour and Strategic Sports Group form a new deal

Another possibility is that the PGA Tour utilise the expiration of the 31 December deadline and the DOJ investigation to back out of the LIV PGA Tour merger. The emergence of another potential investor was not expected. However, it became clear this was a preference for the PGA Tour when players gained further voices on the board and Tiger Woods made obvious his sentiments on the matter.

This comes with some problems. First, let’s be very clear. There is no viable business case for the current deals being signed for players. Yes: Jon Rahm is a very, very good golfer. But, he is simply not worth $US500m for a deal rumoured to be for 3-5 years. To put the number in perspective, the PGA Tour generates about 10% of the revenue of the NBA. Rahm’s deal alone is worth about a third of all revenue generated by golf in a year from all sources. It is roughly double the highest paid NBA player.

Unlike PIF, other entities expect and need a return on their investment. The Saudi PIF have already demonstrated they don’t necessarily care about a direct financial return from buying professional golf. More, they may benefit indirectly through sports washing and non-linear business deals made adjacent to LIV tournaments.

Therefore, it’s a reasonable assumption any money invested by Fenway will not be to the exorbitant extents PIF are offering. It could provide a temporary solution. But it is unlikely sustainable for more than a few years to compete with LIV. Whether LIV agree to allow SSG a seat at the table in a triangular agreement remains to be seen.

Scenario 3: LIV PGA Tour talks dissolve

This possibility likely sends a shiver down the spines of golf fans. The status quo would be a huge blow to golf fans. Perhaps we were blissfully naive as fans to be able to watch all the best players regularly compete against one another. But there is a real chance we don’t see those times again for the foreseeable future.

Further, the move of Jon Rahm is likely to see others follow. It provides real legitimacy to the LIV Tour; a feather in their cap that we can expect them to roll-out frequently. It could result in a further fracturing of the best players in the game. For a somewhat niche sport that lacks global appeal, it means spreading to little butter over too much bread. The resulting reduction in viewership and subsequently revenue would be devastating to the game as we know it.

It is already the case that many arm-chair golf fans tune in only for the majors and that’s about it. The continued fractured tours would only amplify that phenomenon.

The death of the journeyman golfer

Irrespective of what deal (or lack thereof) is struck, one thing does seem certain. The concentration of funding is all pointing towards the elite of the game. That is unsustainable for the sport, resulting in less funding for those who have previously made a comfortable living from golf without setting the world alight. If you are ranked outside the top 100 in the world, the life as a professional golfer will inevitably look quite different.

In many ways, that is a real shame. The beauty of golf is that any player can win on their day. The David and Goliath stories of Rocco Mediate going against the G.O.A.T. will be all that more infrequent. Fields of 140+ players and even having a cut could well be a thing of the past. For many players, making that cut can mean the difference between keeping their tour card or returning to the lower ranks for another attempt. All of that makes for compelling storylines; the types of tales that keep bringing us back to the sport.

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Oak Hill Country Club is sure to provide a stern test for our PGA Championship Picks
The East Course at Oak Hill Country Club underwent a significant restoration project in 2020 to prepare for this event. See how this has influenced our PGA Championship Picks below!

Coming off the Wyndham Clark 75/1 win, the AT&T Byron Nelson ended more with a whimper than a roar for our picks last week. We had leaned heavily into the Enhanced Outright Win number on Scottie Scheffler at +450. This remained for some time despite the withdrawal of second favourite Jordan Spieth. A raft of other names followed including mid-range options Spaun, Hubbard, and Smalley amongst others. Scheffler was of course there all week as expected, although an even par 3rd round proved a huge hurdle to his chances in the final round. We also notably had Ryan Palmer as joint leader entering the final day. Selected at 150/1, the Texan found some hometown advantage to complement some promising statistics to make a great charge at the title. Let’s hope we can secure a few more winning hopes this week with our PGA Championship picks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKUGPenwups&t=324s

Course Analysis

Oak Hill Country Club, specifically the East Course, plays host this week. This venue has already played host to three PGA Championship, three US Opens, a Ryder Cup, and the US Amateur. This may imply that there is a myriad of data available for our PGA Championship picks. Those expectations should be somewhat tempered.

Significantly, the course underwent an extensive renovation at the hands of Andrew Green to restore Oak Hill closer to the original Donald Ross vision. Completed in 2020, this restoration should see quite a different course greet players this week. This was previously a test where narrow fairways littered by thousands of large tees saw a huge emphasis on driving accuracy. The removal of hundreds of trees opens up new lines of sight to players.

Explicitly, bunkering has been described as “aggressive”. These are not only strategically placed, but are almost links-like in nature. Mounds surrounding the edges and strong bunker faces will prove a true penalty if found. The rough is thick and it will make little difference whether you miss the fairway by 1 yard or 20 yards. All greens have been completely redone, extensively reshaped, and replaced with pure bentgrass. Holes 5, 6, and 15 are all significantly changed. This is a different golf course and should be treated as such.

There has been some great content produced by the Fried Egg and Golf Digest on these changes. Certainly, I highly recommend watching these to gain an understanding of the course.

https://youtu.be/7Yr3CPafUYA
https://youtu.be/ljyFPHHmONM

Oak Hill Course Comps

Obviously, a newly redesigned golf course provides some challenges in finding related course form. Winged Foot (host of the 2020 US Open) and Bethpage Black (2019 PGA Championship and The Barclays 2016, 2012) provide the most obvious direct examples. Last year’s host Southern Hills should provide a decent correlation, in both approach metrics but also the likely wind we will see this weekend.

Quail Hollow should provide at least some noteworthy comparison, with comparative long approach metrics. Innisbrook Resort and the Copperhead Course holds a similar standing in that regard.

For bentgrass putting, last weeks tournament at TPC Craig Ranch holds the same grass type. Similarly, Wilmington Country Club and Augusta National can be used as a putting guide.

Key Statistics for our PGA Championship Picks

Although the restoration project does lend to an increased emphasis on driving distance compared to previous iterations hosted here, I don’t want to completely discount driving accuracy completely this week. There are many paths to the top of the mountain. However, I do believe the path to victory becomes somewhat narrower (pun intended) for those who lack distance off the tee. Markedly, the penal rough and surrounding mounds will see a distinct advantage for those who can regularly find the fairway.

I think we can also get a little more nuanced in how we treat driving distance this week. With potentially softer conditions due to winter and a wet Spring, runout may be less than at other majors. Also, there are some holes where a compulsory carry of 290 yards+ over hazards is required to gain a distinct advantage. Therefore, I prefer to use Carry Distance to a straight Driving Distance metric.

Following, we again expect a disproportionate number of approach shots to occur from over 200+ yards. 1/3 of approach shots will come from over that distance whilst 2/3 shots will occur over 150 yards. I have used both approach statistics from over 200+ yards as well as approach from rough 150+yards in our PGA Championship picks this week.

Finally, we simply expect this to provide a stern test of every golfers all round game. Accordingly, we expect a winning total in single figures from -5 to -9 is on the cards. Certainly, the list of likely potential winners is small. As such, we have provided reduced staking on many outright win bets to instead focus on place opportunities.

Weather for our PGA Championship Picks

Generally, based on current forecasts there appears to be little to no weather edge leading into the second major of the year.

Firstly, Thursday AM looks to be brutally cold, with highs between 35-50F. Winds, however, will be lower than later that afternoon. Certainly, this looks to mitigate some of the impact from lost driving distance in the colder temperatures.

Subsequently, Friday looks to be the windier of the two opening days. Winds are expected between 9-12mph prevailing with gusts reaching 25-30mph. Basically, this looks to be consistent majority of the day. However, it may develop that Friday AM actually provides the windier conditions of the day.

Finally, if an edge were to develop I suspect that this would move in the direction of being Thursday AM/Friday PM groups. Particularly, for the purposes of DFS I would suggest building lineups with 20% being Thursday AM/Friday PM, 15% Thursday PM/Friday AM, and the remaining 65% mixed.

Latest weather forecasts can be found here

PGA Championship Picks

Suggested Staking

Cameron Young – Your PGA Championship Picks Favourite
2.5pts WIN +3300 (MGM)
2.5pts Top 10 +320 (Fanduel)
or 2.5pts E/W +2800 (Bet365 with 8 places 1/5 odds)

Tony Finau: Pre-Tournament Future
2.5pts E/W +3300 (Unibet with 5 places 1/4 odds, Draftkings, Fanduel, & MGM)

Rickie Fowler
2pts WIN +5500 (Various)
2pts Top 10 +450 (Various)
or 2pts E/W +7500 (Bet365 with 8 places 1/5 odds)

Wyndham Clark: Pre-Tournament Future – Your PGA Championship Picks Best Value
2pts E/W +8000 (Bet365 with 5 places 1/4 odds, Draftkings & Fanduel)

Taylor Moore
0.5pts WIN +16000 (Fanduel)
0.5pts Top 10 +1000 (Draftkings)
or 0.5pts E/W +15000 (Bet365 with 8 places 1/5 odds)
And
3pts Top 20 +450 (Bet365) or +400 (Draftkings)

Stephan Jaeger
0.5pts WIN +25000 (Draftkings)
0.5pts Top 10 +1400 (Draftkings)
or 0.5pts E/W +17500 (Bet365 with 8 places 1/5 odds)
And
3pts Top 20 +475 (Bet365) or +550 (Draftkings)

Harris English
0.5pts WIN +18000 (Draftkings)
0.5pts Top 10 +1600 (Fanduel)
or 0.5pts E/W +20000 (Bet365 with 8 places 1/5 odds)
And
1pt Top 20 +500 (Bet365/TAB) or +490 (Fanduel)
And
2pts Top 40 +275 (Bet365) or +250 (Fanduel)

Alex Smalley
0.25pts WIN +55000 (Fanduel)
0.25pts Top 10 +2300 (Fanduel)
or 0.25pts E/W +50000 (Bet365 with 8 places 1/5 odds)
And
1pt Top 20 +1000 (Bet365) or +850 Draftkings
And
2.5pts Top 40 +333 (Bet365/TAB) or +320 (Fanduel)

Golfer Profiles for our PGA Championship Picks

Cameron Young – Your PGA Championship Picks Favourite

I’m willing to take a stab that we were a little too early on Cameron Young at the Wells Fargo Championship and mark him as our PGA Championship picks favourite this week.

Certainly, Cam Young ticks many of the key statistics we are looking for this week. For carry distance, Young boasts an impressive 3rd on the PGA Tour averaging 305 yards. He is a gainer on approach in all buckets above 100 yards. This includes in the 150+ yards from rough category, where his clubhead speed will prove an asset if straying from the short-grass this week. He displayed an affinity for bentgrass at The Masters this year, gaining +1.23 strokes per round putting around Augusta National.

Cameron Young perhaps should have won the PGA Championship last year. He was the best positioned of candidates on the final 9 Sunday, although eventually succumbing to finish 3rd. He will be better for that experience. Additionally, Southern Hills should provide a reasonable correlation to what we see this week at Oak Hill.

2nd at the 150th Open Championship hosted at St Andrews and 7th this year at The Masters, Young is building a handy resume of major championship results. Don’t be surprised to find him adding to those claims in the near future.

Finally, this is somewhat of a home tournament for Cam Young. He grew up in upstate New York, as he mentioned in this excellent Sports Illustrated interview. Specifically, he mentioned his comfort on these grass types and how it compares to golf courses where he learned to play the game. It further aids his claims to not only take out a major, but his first PGA Tour title at the same time.

Tony Finau

Narrowly following up in our PGA Championship picks is Tony Finau, who we were able to snag at a juicy 33/1 where he can only be found at 23/1 at time of writing. For what it is worth, the 23/1 on offer would be at the bottom end of my positive EV and I would not look to take him any shorter than his current pricing.

Finau has been on a prolific winning streak notching 4 victories in his last 20 starts. I’ll acknowledge the calibre of those victories may be questioned. However, at the Mexico Open he beat Jon Rahm on a course where 63.1% of approach shots were from over 175 yards. At the Houston Open, he defeated Scheffler and Day. At the Rocket Mortgage, he beat Cantlay and Cam Young. Finally, the 3M Open he beat Sungjae Im. He has not finished worse than 31st since November 2022. Certainly, the depth of field at many of these events has been less than what we’ve become accustomed to at the new designated events. Conversely, he has also found a way to win more often, against some decent enough opponents.

Tony Finau in 2023 ranks 4th on approach over 200+ yards of those with 50+ shots recorded. He also ranks 9th for approach shots over 150 yards from the rough with 80+ attempts. Finau ranks 7th in this field for SG: APP and 6th for SG: T2G. His driving is both long and straight, which will be a key asset at this testing course.

Boasting an 8th at Winged Foot, multiple Masters Top 10s, and a 12th at Bethpage Black are all promising signs this could fit. It feels an inevitably that Finau will secure at least one major during his career. It may be this week.

Rickie Fowler

I’m typically not overly enamoured by Rickie Fowler. Even in his prime, he often finished towards the top of leaderboards without competing. It felt much like a Xander or Cantlay may do now; oodles of talent but somewhat lacking in the Wins column to show for it.

However, count me impressed by Fowler’s resurgence of late. Since January, he has placed in the top 20 for 8 of his last 9 starts. This has also included 5 designated events. Data Golf rank him as 20th, whilst his OWGR still sits at 49th. That is always an opportunity where we can see some swift correction, as we did with Wyndham Clark when he won for us at big odds.

Sitting 10th for SG: APP in this field over the last 6 months is no small feat. Although on paper he may not be the longest for pure driving distance, his carry distance is an impressive 26th this season on the PGA Tour at 293.50 yards. That is plenty enough distance to be workable this week. Combine that with the fact Fowler is a big gainer in SG: Putt on bentgrass greens and is 12th for SG: Total it provides a promising complete profile for a golfer. He is simply far too long at 75/1.

5 finishes of 12th or better at the Masters, 23rd last year at Southern Hills when in far worse form, and a 36th and 7th at Bethpage Black tick the complimentary courses boxes. Perhaps we see a return to the winner circle for Fowler, just as we did for Jason Day last week.

Wyndham Clark – Your PGA Championship Picks Best Value

Again, I feel fortunate we were able to pick up Wyndham Clark at big odds of 80/1 for this event when he can only be found at 66/1 at many books now. I still like him at that price here, especially where that includes 8 or more places. I’d not go as short as 60s.

It has been a stellar year for Wyndham Clark. Previously known simply as a bomber who could putt well, that all changed at the beginning of 2023. From January, Clark began finding his irons in a big way. The scale of improvement has been astounding. If looking at the last 2 years, Clark ranks a lowly 108th in this field for SG: APP. Over the last 6 months, he ranks 11th in this field. In 2022, the PGA Tour had Clark ranked as the 173rd golfer on SG: APP. This year, he ranks 20th.

The victory at Quail Hollow was dominant, winning by 4 strokes to Schauffele and 7 strokes ahead of everybody else in a designated event. That course should prove at least somewhat correlated to here, where strong driving and long irons are key. According to Data Golf, he is the 11th best player in the world where as his OWGR at 32nd. There may still be further correction coming.

The driving distance for Clark remains, where he ranks 6th this year in Carry Distance on the PGA Tour. And, finally, bentgrass may well be his best putting surface. His best putting performances in the past year came at the Fortinet Championship, Rocket Mortgage, and the RBC Canadian Open. All were on bentgrass.

Outsiders

As stated, given the stern test on offer I do believe the top of the board is likely where the winner of this event will come from. As such, you’ll notice a reduced stake for the win options and increased weighting on the Top Finishes markets for the below selections.

Taylor Moore

Another who I feel the market continues to disrespect is Taylor Moore. Moore secured his breakthrough win at the Valspar Championship. Copperhead Course has always provided a stern enough test. It took -10 for Moore to win this year and there have been multiple iterations where single digits has been sufficient. It also has a huge emphasis on long iron play, with 53% of approach shots this year over 175 yards.

Those long irons are really what draw me to Moore. This year, Moore ranks 2nd behind only Woodland for approach of those with 50+ recorded shots over 200+ yards. That is ahead of Rahm in 3rd, Finau in 4th, and Scheffler in 5th. Some truly elite company to be associated with. He is also 25th over the past 6 months for SG: OTT, gaining for both driving distance and accuracy.

Moore impressed in his major debut at the Masters, managing to make the cut and finishing 39th. It was a tournament where he played much better than the finishing position tells, with a final round +6 sending him flying down the leaderboard. This is easily excused in his first major appearance, especially in a heavily disrupted tournament where the 3rd round resumed on Sunday with the leaders only on the 7th hole. He remains a big gainer for putting in all his appearances featuring bentgrass greens.

11th at the RBC Heritage and 27th at the Wells Fargo came in designated events and marks a run of 11/12 events finishing 39th or better, highlighting this is no “flash in the pan”. I have lofty expectations for Taylor Moore’s career, as I do going into this week.

Stephan Jaeger

Jaeger was always a promising type. A stellar amateur career promised much when entering the realms of professional golf. He proceeded to yo-yo between the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour, where he has now seemingly begun to find his feet.

I’ll start by saying that bentgrass is by far Jaeger’s preferred putting surface. We saw this just last week when charging through the field to finish 11th at TPC Craig Ranch. But, additionally, at Quail Hollow, the Rocket Mortgage, and Wilmington. Jaeger played in the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot, where he far exceeded expectation when finishing 34th whilst still on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Another whose golf ranking is seemingly out of kilter, Data Golf rank him at 48th versus his OWGR standing of 117th. He has finished 44th or better in 7/8 starts since the Genesis Invitational. 5 of those have been finishes of 27th or better. His long irons are excellent. Particularly, approach shots when playing from the rough from 150+ yards. He sits in the top 80% for SG per shot, proximity, GIR, and Poor Shot Avoidance for this category.

Most notably, Jaeger has quietly gone about adding a lot of driving distance in 2023. He ranks 36th in Carry Distance this season where he sat 94th last year. He is 23rd for SG: T2G in this field over the past 6 months, with his finishes held back somewhat by his putting. However, as mentioned, he is a far better putter on bentgrass and I think we could be in for an eye-catching performance from Jaeger here.

Harris English

Once regarded as one of the rising stars of the game, 2021 saw Harris English playing in the Ryder Cup and winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Travelers Championship. His movement through the world of golf was halted following surgery to a hip injury in the 2021 season. We are beginning to see murmurs that English may soon be back towards his very best.

English impressed last outing when finishing 3rd at the designated event Wells Fargo Championship. He did so when sitting 2nd in the field behind only winner Wyndham Clark for SG: APP. As is often the case, gains in approach tend to be “stickier” whilst we expect spikes in putting performance to regress to a player’s mean much more quickly. 55.2% of approach shots were over 175 yards at Quail Hollow and 75.5% of approach shots were over 150 yards.

He is one of the biggest movers in SG: Putt when shifting to bentgrass greens. He can also boast a 4th place at the US Open at Winged Foot, which we expect to be well correlated to Oak Hill.

Alex Smalley

Finally, I round out my PGA Championship picks with a small and speculative play on Alex Smalley at huge odds of 500/1. Whereas this is somewhat of a home tournament for Cameron Young, this really is one for Alex Smalley who was born in Rochester, NY.

26 year old Alex Smalley jumped almost directly into the PGA Tour from a stellar amateur campaign. A rather weird transition due to COVID, he finished 48th, 4th, and 15th in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals to earn a PGA Tour card near immediately. It was an eye-catching rookie season, where he made it all the way to the second stage of the FedEx Cup playoffs at the BMW Championship in Wilmington.

Smalley impressed when finishing 18th on last sighting at the elevated Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. He was subsequently backed by me last week, before promptly withdrawing when it became clear he would make the PGA Championship field.

At his best, Smalley is both long and straight off the tee. His approach game has also been rounding into decent form, beyond the promising big uptick last appearance. Particularly, his approach numbers from the rough and 150+ yards are impressive. Smalley has now gained over or been at the field average for approach in his last 5 events.

Again, a debut professional major appearance is a lot to ask of any player. However, he is undeniably a rising talent who represents a great value in both Top 20 and Top 40 markets.

Summary

Thank you reading our 2023 PGA Championship picks. For an article with some insights on my golf analysis process, check this link here!

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It was yet another winner for DeepDiveGolf and WinDaily at the Zurich Classic. Nick Hardy and Davis Riley scored their debut victory and got the win done for us at 45/1. It was nearly another Trans-Atlantic double, with Calum Hill (90/1) finishing just one shot outside the playoff in Japan on the DP...

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Scottie Scheffler added to the legacy that is The Players Championship, as he romped to what ended up being a relatively simple 5 shot victory. Scheffler was easily our favourite player at the top of the board, but hard to justify as positive value at just 11/1 on a volatile course. Perhaps the scar...

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