Glover shoots an opening -4 to sit 3 back of Jordan Spieth. As usual, it could have been a bit better with a few short putts missed, but he did nail a few long ones as well. Scheffler a further 1 shot adrift at -3 once again manufacturing a score after being +2 early. He has a new TaylorMade Spider in the bag and it seems to be working for him.
No cut event so even the ones a few more.bacj have time to catch up .
An overnight 64 for Glover pits him out in front, 1 shot clear of Spieth and then a further shot to a host of other at -8. Scheffler also had a pretty good day with a 66 whi h really could have been much lower had it not been for some average (for him) iron play. He grabbed a few shots late and is only 3 back of Glover and really is still the one to beat.
Minjee with an opening round of 72 which had a bit of everything. 4 birdies, 2 bogeys, a double and 11 pars. She currently sits only 2 back at just over the half way mark of round 1.
Minjee sits at Even par after a 75 in round 3, unfortunately it's her tournament over. She wasted an opportunity after being at -3 at the start of the day and the leader who was 7 clear shat the bed and let everyone back into it. The lead is -9 so MinJee 9 back. Impossible. Best can hope for is top 6 for the each way but she'll need a final day 62.
Over at FedEx St Jude, Lucas Glover continues to hold off all challengers with an overnight 66 and sits at -14, 1 shot ahead of Taylor Moore and another to Tommy Lad Fleetwood. He started with a blaze of glory, birdies on 4 of the first 6 holes with a bogey. Was steady as she goes for the rest of the round, his putter is absolutely a lock at the moment, nothing seems to phase him. It's making me think need to put a broomstick in the bag !
He is now $3 favorite to win. I'm never confident until the last putt drops, but being on at the 100s is a great sweat.
Inversely, Scheffler plodded to a +1 and now sits at -6. He was even through nine holes but he literally had a birdie putt of under 20 feet on every hole on the front. And he didn't hit one of them. He do though miss a 4 footer and a 3 footer. If his.outter was like Glovers then he would be unbeatable. Alas it isn't. He'll need a 60 overnight to be any hope and to be honest while it's possible, I'm not holding my breath.
After 18 holes on Sunday, headed for a playoff. Lucas Glover v Patrick Cantlay
Glover hot some absolute bombs to stay in on the back nine. He also missed an easy birdie on 15. He needed a 22 footer to win on the last and left it a foot short right in the heart of the hole.
Now they head back up 18. Water everywhere. This is gonna be sick bag material.
It was an absolute sweat the last 9 holes. All the bog dogs charging in Cantlay, Mcilroy and Fleetwood. After 12 holes, Glover held a 2 shot lead on Cantlay.
Glover heads down 13 and hits his second shot short, which plugs in deep in the rough. Amazingly, he is denied relief for embedded ball, which is absolute hypocrisy as if his name was R Mcilroy of J Spieth there would no doubt have been a relief from this. Taking his medicine, he chops it out to about 20 feet. He steps in an buries the putt to the yells of "justice" from a house in North Perth. Meanwhile, Cantlay has just birdied the par 5 16th and is at -15. Glover at -15 steps onto the 14th tee and proceeds to hit a 7 iron square into the water. Swearing can be heard from the house in North Perth now as he goes to the drop zone and casually hits another shot to 30 feet for 3. With double bogey looming and a 3 shot swing all but ineveitable, glover again delivers with a 30 foot bomb for bogey and the air punching and twerking has begun. WHAT A SAVE.
But now, Glover is at -14, 1 shot back of Cantlay. Glover plays 15 flwlessly but misses a 6 footer for birdie to stay ay -14. Cantlay finishes par-par to stay at -15. Mcilroy and Fleetwood get into the house at -14 and its left to Glover to deliver in the last 3 holes. Par 5 16th he goes driver-6 iron to about 40 feet short of the green. He chips up and finishes an inch from the hole for eagle and taps in for birdie to get to -15. He has 2 holes to make a birdie an win.
On 17, he duck hooks a driver into the bush and and plays an awkward shot out, just over coming the water by mere yards and running up near the green. His wedge find the green about 12 foot from the hole and once again, Boom, he nails to par saving putt to go to 18 needing birdie to win.The yelling and air punching has intensified now in North Perth.
glover steps up on 18 and booms a 3 wood with a very slight draw, which flirts with the water, again by yards. It settles middle fairway and has 7 iron in. He hits his shot about 22 feet right of the hole and has a chnace to win in regulation. Putting like a demon all day, he steps up and hits the perfect putt....a foot short. He taps in and he heads to 18 with Cantlay for a playoff.
Stepping on 18, Cantlay is first to play as he finished first. Canylay, who lead tee to green and off the tee on Sunday, hits a slight draw which catches the rough and trundles right up to the waters edge and drops in on the last roll! Drama on 18. Glover steps up and bombs one straight down the middle. Cantlay gets to his ball and is suprised to see it in the drink. Takes his medicine and a drop and is playing 3 from the fairway. Meanwhile, Glover is ready and puts a 7 iron right of the green about 28 feet away. Cantlay next to play, hits a nice safe shot which finishes a foot in front of Glover, where he will get a speed and line read.
Glover first to play, steps in as quick as ever and plays a nice putt right up to next to the hole for a tap in par. Cantlay needs to sink the 27 footer to continue the playoff, after seeing how the line breaks and what speed is required. Cantlay steps in and hits an absolutely perfect putt which from behind is tracking in, in, in, in, in and at the last 10 cm veers ever so slightly right and misses the hole by literally millimetres to give Glover his back to back week wins!
It is the sweat you live for in punting. You hate it at the time but it gets the blood pumping (and the fists) if it comes off. When it doesnt, the lows are incredibly low, but short lived, such is the golf punting game. Today we strut into work as if nothing is wrong with the world until we look at the fileds tonight for the BMW starting in 4 days where we do it all again!
and with that, 139.63 units jumps into the kitty to add to the year total of +141
Round 2 of the Fedex Cup playoffs start in 24 hours from Olympia Fields.
This is a beast of a course. No Joke. Big boy stuff.
Was home to the BMW of 2020, where Jon Rahm beat DJ in an absolute classic when finishing the tournament at -4. Yes, -4. Not a typo. In the last 6 years, the average winning score here is in the 20! so yes, this is a beast of a course that plays Par 72 and has multiple 600 yard par 5s and multiple long par 4s. Oh and the fairways are some of the narrowest on tour. And theres shitloads of trouble in the average landing zones off the tee. this is a true major test.
Patrick Cantlay comes here after winning the last two years BMWs and a playoff loss last week. The man he lost to, Lucas Glover, is going fr 3 in a row. A feat rarely achieved, but he comes here and rates extremely well (spoiler alert).
So taking these course attributes to the statistical power, we need to find golfers of the follwoing characteristic.
Bombers off the tee to launch over trouble. Short and accurate to split fairways an miss trouble short. Around the green wizards. Putting demons.
Just your basic all round champion player, thats all.
Taking these into account, its hard to stratify the field enough to get a result that is worthy of return.
But Ive found a way.
I'll come out swinging early and say I am avoiding Scheffler this week. He is favorite again and he just isnt able to win, even though he is by far and away the best plaer besides on the greens. Im willing to risk this week.
In saying that, Im playing the next 3 big dogs for a save of 30 units.
Dropping 9.5 units on Rory (8.5), Rahm (9.0) and Cantlay (11.0) to retrun exactly 30 units. They all pick themselves and I wont waste any time explaining this.
The final 20.5 units are spread on these 3 champions
Hovland (19.0) Fleetwood (26.0) Glover (41.0)
Hovland *should* have won last week. He lost 6 strokes off the tee on HOLE 18 alone last week. That is absolutley unheard of and he is low key hitting it great. He has been a factor in all the majors this year and it would be fitting for the King of Norway to pinch this and head to Eastlake on top of the pile. Fleetwood is in the category of accurate and all round eliteness. He has been banging on the door this year. While still winless on the PGA Tour, him and his mini Taylormade driver can plot a course to success here after a close up finish last week. Glover isnt just a loyalty play. I genuinely think he can win this and make it 3 in a row. He isnt long but he is 3rd in accuracy. In the last 24 rounds, he has the best strokes gained across all metrics and is playing as well, if not better than the scottie schefflers and rory mcilroys of the world. His weapon now is the putter and his ability to get up and down from absolutely everywhere. He is becoming the story of the year with his turn around and a win here will cement his story as the story of the year, he'll be number 1 in the fedex standings going to Eastlake AND he will auto qualify for the RYder Cup in Rome in 6 weeks. Absolute fairytale stuff.
At the half way mark and so far,.it hasn't really had the feel of a normal tournament. Maybe because it is only a field of 50, but there just seems to be a lack of energy around things.
Anyway, my 3 guys for a profit are all at -3, 7 shots behind the leader Max Homa. Homa defied the odds yesterday and carded an 8 under 64, by far the best round of the day, to lead by 2 shots, from Kirk on -8 then Harman and Fitzpatrick on -7. Then there is a further gap to Scheffler et al.
I'd expect them to catch Homa tonight but you never know with some just trying to preserve their top 30 status.
As a side. Scheffler has hit pandemic proportions with his putting. He without exaggerating could have been 8 under through 9 holes in round 2. He missed everything. On the back it wasn't much better, missing 4 very gettable putts to shoot even. It's a tragedy to watch.
Oh my, Viktor gets it done at Olympia Fields with a Sunday 61!!!
After 3 rounds , it seemed Scheffler had learned how to putt again and was leading with Fitzpatrick at -11, a shot clear of Brian Harman and a few more back to Rory and Hovland.
Things were steady as she goes for the leaders after 9 holes. Scheffler had missed a few customary short putts but was still in the driver's seat. Then enter Viktor Hovland, who was 4 back, reeled off a.back nine 28 to get into the house at -17. He went at every flag and nailed every single putt, culminating in birdies on 17 and 18, the two hardest holes on the course. Scheffler only 1 back had an 8 footer for birdie on the easy par 5 15th. Missed. 6 footer for birdie on 16. Missed. 4 footer for par on 17. Missed! That bogey pit him 2 back and needing eagle on the last missed short and that was that.
179 units jumps into the pot. Played conservatively backing the big dogs for a save but no complaints here.
What a rollercoaster it's been and we end with the time honoured Tour Championship at Eastlake golf club.
As usual, finishing positions in the FedEx Cup determine the handicap start, with Scheffler starting at -10, Viktor at -8, Rory at -7, Rahm at -6 and Glover at -5.
That's realistically your field of winners. Cantlay and Xander might make a charge but statistically and historically, this is a tall task.
Rory did come back from 11 back last year after a disaster of a start. He was even 6 back going into the last day.
So it can be done.
But I'm not taking that chance.
I'm having 20 units on Viktor at $5.75. He was good to me last week and being only 2 back, he doesn't have to be a bull out of the gate. He can work into the tournament without pressure and he is hitting the best in his life.
It's a conservative end to the year which stands as follows
This week
-20
Year to date +409.63
What ever happens if has been a great year. Full recap in the coming days until which point there will be a week off and then straight into 23/24 and the Fortinet Championship!!!
Very interesting night of play with Scheffler letting back everyone into the tournament with a +1 71! It was business as usual as he went 5 clear through 6 holes to -13, after missing a short eagle putt on 6. With Rory injured not doing much, Rahm and Hovland just going along, it looked over early.
Then it flipped.
Morikawa shoots 61 to get to -10. Scheffler starts to make some bogies, culminating in a triple bogey 6 on the island green 15th. He would go on to drop 4 shots on the back nine to finish at -9. Hovland was steady and made 16 pars and 2 birdies, perfect for his day 1 and he shares the lead with Morikawa and Keegan Bradley at -10.
While a Scheffler shot a poor round compared to most others and seemingly left the door open, it's not that cut and dry. Statistically he should still win this tournament but his biggest dangers in Hovland and Rory are now even more of a threat. Really happy where Hovland is sitting, given he is now leading Scheffler and Rory has a back complaint. He looked all at sea early and salvaged the round and shot even and miraculously is still 3 back, same as his starting position. But his back was giving him grief. Interesting to see how he continues.
Solid rounds of golf overnight for the leaders, especially Viktor sees him and Morikawa out in front at -16, 2 clear of Scheffler at 14 and then Bradley at 13. There are a host of players at 12.
Viktor hitting the ball off the tee so we'll and around the green play is absolutely sublime. His putter warmed up on the back nine with a 30 and he is the man to beat now after 36 holes.
Long way to go but c'mon Viktor you beautiful man, get it done!
Just under an hour away till Hovland starts his last round, a massive 6 shots clear of the field after a solid -4 on Saturday, where the rest of the big dogs all stumbled. It was uncanny, Viktor was rolling in putts and playing consistently well while everyone else was hitting shanks, 3 putting and generally dropping shots left right and centre. Good news for Hovland backers.
We go into round 4 with a massive lead, Schauffele is in second at -14 and the main danger with an excellent record at East Lake. It's not lost on me that Scheffler have up a 6 shot lead last year so I won't be completely comfortable until the last putt drops. C'mon Viktor!!
It wasnt without a small sweat in the end, even though he won by 5 shots come the final putt.
A birdie out of the gate at 1 put him 7 ahead briefly, then Xander knocked his birdie in aswell to keep things at 6 shots. Then the horn blew for lightning and there was a significant delay.
4 hours of shut eye later and tune in the Viktor maintaining a 3 stroke lead after 13 holes. Viktor was in trouble at the 14th with Xander having a long birdie putt while Viktor had a 24 footer for par. Xander misses and taps in for 4. Hovland steps up and bangs the putt in for a huge 4 and maintain the 3 shot lead. Coming down the stretch and a few more pars, he then went into beast mode and shut the door completely with 3 birdies to finish the tour championship and take the 18 million dollar pay day.
More importantly, that complets a hatrick of outrights in the Fedex Cup playoffs. What a finish for the year and will give more of a rundown in the coming days.
As stated above, the end of the 2022/2023 season was a great one for the thread and the tipping, finishing on a massive high thanks to Lucas Glover and Viktor Hovland.
It was another profitable year, ending with a nett of 536.03 units in the kitty (a few roudning errors in the spreadsheet). That makes it 3 years running with a profit since running the Golf threads here.
20/21 +339.75 21/22 +296.07 22/23 +536.03
23/24 ????
Lots of highs, lots of lows. It surely is a grind but I love it!
And with that, the Fortinet Championship starts in 2 days time at Silverado GC where Homa will be going for the 3 peat after last years absolute bizarre finish by Danny Willet.
See you in the new GOLF THREAD PGA Tour 23/24 season
Comments
Glover shoots an opening -4 to sit 3 back of Jordan Spieth. As usual, it could have been a bit better with a few short putts missed, but he did nail a few long ones as well. Scheffler a further 1 shot adrift at -3 once again manufacturing a score after being +2 early. He has a new TaylorMade Spider in the bag and it seems to be working for him.
No cut event so even the ones a few more.bacj have time to catch up .
Sitting pretty after 36 holes....long way to go!
Gilgamesh likes this post.
Minjee sits at Even par after a 75 in round 3, unfortunately it's her tournament over. She wasted an opportunity after being at -3 at the start of the day and the leader who was 7 clear shat the bed and let everyone back into it. The lead is -9 so MinJee 9 back. Impossible. Best can hope for is top 6 for the each way but she'll need a final day 62.
He is now $3 favorite to win. I'm never confident until the last putt drops, but being on at the 100s is a great sweat.
Inversely, Scheffler plodded to a +1 and now sits at -6. He was even through nine holes but he literally had a birdie putt of under 20 feet on every hole on the front. And he didn't hit one of them. He do though miss a 4 footer and a 3 footer. If his.outter was like Glovers then he would be unbeatable. Alas it isn't. He'll need a 60 overnight to be any hope and to be honest while it's possible, I'm not holding my breath.
C'mon Lucas!!!!
Glover hot some absolute bombs to stay in on the back nine. He also missed an easy birdie on 15. He needed a 22 footer to win on the last and left it a foot short right in the heart of the hole.
Now they head back up 18. Water everywhere. This is gonna be sick bag material.
It was an absolute sweat the last 9 holes. All the bog dogs charging in Cantlay, Mcilroy and Fleetwood. After 12 holes, Glover held a 2 shot lead on Cantlay.
Glover heads down 13 and hits his second shot short, which plugs in deep in the rough. Amazingly, he is denied relief for embedded ball, which is absolute hypocrisy as if his name was R Mcilroy of J Spieth there would no doubt have been a relief from this. Taking his medicine, he chops it out to about 20 feet. He steps in an buries the putt to the yells of "justice" from a house in North Perth.
Meanwhile, Cantlay has just birdied the par 5 16th and is at -15. Glover at -15 steps onto the 14th tee and proceeds to hit a 7 iron square into the water. Swearing can be heard from the house in North Perth now as he goes to the drop zone and casually hits another shot to 30 feet for 3. With double bogey looming and a 3 shot swing all but ineveitable, glover again delivers with a 30 foot bomb for bogey and the air punching and twerking has begun. WHAT A SAVE.
But now, Glover is at -14, 1 shot back of Cantlay. Glover plays 15 flwlessly but misses a 6 footer for birdie to stay ay -14. Cantlay finishes par-par to stay at -15. Mcilroy and Fleetwood get into the house at -14 and its left to Glover to deliver in the last 3 holes. Par 5 16th he goes driver-6 iron to about 40 feet short of the green. He chips up and finishes an inch from the hole for eagle and taps in for birdie to get to -15. He has 2 holes to make a birdie an win.
On 17, he duck hooks a driver into the bush and and plays an awkward shot out, just over coming the water by mere yards and running up near the green. His wedge find the green about 12 foot from the hole and once again, Boom, he nails to par saving putt to go to 18 needing birdie to win.The yelling and air punching has intensified now in North Perth.
glover steps up on 18 and booms a 3 wood with a very slight draw, which flirts with the water, again by yards. It settles middle fairway and has 7 iron in. He hits his shot about 22 feet right of the hole and has a chnace to win in regulation. Putting like a demon all day, he steps up and hits the perfect putt....a foot short. He taps in and he heads to 18 with Cantlay for a playoff.
Stepping on 18, Cantlay is first to play as he finished first. Canylay, who lead tee to green and off the tee on Sunday, hits a slight draw which catches the rough and trundles right up to the waters edge and drops in on the last roll! Drama on 18. Glover steps up and bombs one straight down the middle. Cantlay gets to his ball and is suprised to see it in the drink. Takes his medicine and a drop and is playing 3 from the fairway. Meanwhile, Glover is ready and puts a 7 iron right of the green about 28 feet away. Cantlay next to play, hits a nice safe shot which finishes a foot in front of Glover, where he will get a speed and line read.
Glover first to play, steps in as quick as ever and plays a nice putt right up to next to the hole for a tap in par. Cantlay needs to sink the 27 footer to continue the playoff, after seeing how the line breaks and what speed is required. Cantlay steps in and hits an absolutely perfect putt which from behind is tracking in, in, in, in, in and at the last 10 cm veers ever so slightly right and misses the hole by literally millimetres to give Glover his back to back week wins!
It is the sweat you live for in punting. You hate it at the time but it gets the blood pumping (and the fists) if it comes off. When it doesnt, the lows are incredibly low, but short lived, such is the golf punting game. Today we strut into work as if nothing is wrong with the world until we look at the fileds tonight for the BMW starting in 4 days where we do it all again!
and with that, 139.63 units jumps into the kitty to add to the year total of +141
YTD profit +280.63
2 weeks to go!
Gilgamesh, Voodoo likes this post.
This is a beast of a course. No Joke. Big boy stuff.
Was home to the BMW of 2020, where Jon Rahm beat DJ in an absolute classic when finishing the tournament at -4. Yes, -4. Not a typo. In the last 6 years, the average winning score here is in the 20! so yes, this is a beast of a course that plays Par 72 and has multiple 600 yard par 5s and multiple long par 4s. Oh and the fairways are some of the narrowest on tour. And theres shitloads of trouble in the average landing zones off the tee. this is a true major test.
Patrick Cantlay comes here after winning the last two years BMWs and a playoff loss last week. The man he lost to, Lucas Glover, is going fr 3 in a row. A feat rarely achieved, but he comes here and rates extremely well (spoiler alert).
So taking these course attributes to the statistical power, we need to find golfers of the follwoing characteristic.
Bombers off the tee to launch over trouble.
Short and accurate to split fairways an miss trouble short.
Around the green wizards.
Putting demons.
Just your basic all round champion player, thats all.
Taking these into account, its hard to stratify the field enough to get a result that is worthy of return.
But Ive found a way.
I'll come out swinging early and say I am avoiding Scheffler this week. He is favorite again and he just isnt able to win, even though he is by far and away the best plaer besides on the greens. Im willing to risk this week.
In saying that, Im playing the next 3 big dogs for a save of 30 units.
Dropping 9.5 units on Rory (8.5), Rahm (9.0) and Cantlay (11.0) to retrun exactly 30 units. They all pick themselves and I wont waste any time explaining this.
The final 20.5 units are spread on these 3 champions
Hovland (19.0)
Fleetwood (26.0)
Glover (41.0)
Hovland *should* have won last week. He lost 6 strokes off the tee on HOLE 18 alone last week. That is absolutley unheard of and he is low key hitting it great. He has been a factor in all the majors this year and it would be fitting for the King of Norway to pinch this and head to Eastlake on top of the pile.
Fleetwood is in the category of accurate and all round eliteness. He has been banging on the door this year. While still winless on the PGA Tour, him and his mini Taylormade driver can plot a course to success here after a close up finish last week.
Glover isnt just a loyalty play. I genuinely think he can win this and make it 3 in a row. He isnt long but he is 3rd in accuracy. In the last 24 rounds, he has the best strokes gained across all metrics and is playing as well, if not better than the scottie schefflers and rory mcilroys of the world. His weapon now is the putter and his ability to get up and down from absolutely everywhere. He is becoming the story of the year with his turn around and a win here will cement his story as the story of the year, he'll be number 1 in the fedex standings going to Eastlake AND he will auto qualify for the RYder Cup in Rome in 6 weeks. Absolute fairytale stuff.
20.5 units on these studs to return 179 units.
this week -30
Running total +250.63 (30 alive)
Good luck and watch the carnage unfold this week!
Voodoo likes this post.
Anyway, my 3 guys for a profit are all at -3, 7 shots behind the leader Max Homa. Homa defied the odds yesterday and carded an 8 under 64, by far the best round of the day, to lead by 2 shots, from Kirk on -8 then Harman and Fitzpatrick on -7. Then there is a further gap to Scheffler et al.
I'd expect them to catch Homa tonight but you never know with some just trying to preserve their top 30 status.
As a side. Scheffler has hit pandemic proportions with his putting. He without exaggerating could have been 8 under through 9 holes in round 2. He missed everything. On the back it wasn't much better, missing 4 very gettable putts to shoot even. It's a tragedy to watch.
Gilgamesh likes this post.
After 3 rounds , it seemed Scheffler had learned how to putt again and was leading with Fitzpatrick at -11, a shot clear of Brian Harman and a few more back to Rory and Hovland.
Things were steady as she goes for the leaders after 9 holes. Scheffler had missed a few customary short putts but was still in the driver's seat. Then enter Viktor Hovland, who was 4 back, reeled off a.back nine 28 to get into the house at -17. He went at every flag and nailed every single putt, culminating in birdies on 17 and 18, the two hardest holes on the course. Scheffler only 1 back had an 8 footer for birdie on the easy par 5 15th. Missed. 6 footer for birdie on 16. Missed. 4 footer for par on 17. Missed! That bogey pit him 2 back and needing eagle on the last missed short and that was that.
179 units jumps into the pot. Played conservatively backing the big dogs for a save but no complaints here.
YTD + 429.63
:-\"
TheSwooper, Voodoo likes this post.
What a rollercoaster it's been and we end with the time honoured Tour Championship at Eastlake golf club.
As usual, finishing positions in the FedEx Cup determine the handicap start, with Scheffler starting at -10, Viktor at -8, Rory at -7, Rahm at -6 and Glover at -5.
That's realistically your field of winners. Cantlay and Xander might make a charge but statistically and historically, this is a tall task.
Rory did come back from 11 back last year after a disaster of a start. He was even 6 back going into the last day.
So it can be done.
But I'm not taking that chance.
I'm having 20 units on Viktor at $5.75. He was good to me last week and being only 2 back, he doesn't have to be a bull out of the gate. He can work into the tournament without pressure and he is hitting the best in his life.
It's a conservative end to the year which stands as follows
This week
-20
Year to date +409.63
What ever happens if has been a great year. Full recap in the coming days until which point there will be a week off and then straight into 23/24 and the Fortinet Championship!!!
Good luck!
Gilgamesh likes this post.
Then it flipped.
Morikawa shoots 61 to get to -10. Scheffler starts to make some bogies, culminating in a triple bogey 6 on the island green 15th. He would go on to drop 4 shots on the back nine to finish at -9. Hovland was steady and made 16 pars and 2 birdies, perfect for his day 1 and he shares the lead with Morikawa and Keegan Bradley at -10.
While a Scheffler shot a poor round compared to most others and seemingly left the door open, it's not that cut and dry. Statistically he should still win this tournament but his biggest dangers in Hovland and Rory are now even more of a threat. Really happy where Hovland is sitting, given he is now leading Scheffler and Rory has a back complaint. He looked all at sea early and salvaged the round and shot even and miraculously is still 3 back, same as his starting position. But his back was giving him grief. Interesting to see how he continues.
Round 1 down, 3 to go!
Gilgamesh likes this post.
Viktor hitting the ball off the tee so we'll and around the green play is absolutely sublime. His putter warmed up on the back nine with a 30 and he is the man to beat now after 36 holes.
Long way to go but c'mon Viktor you beautiful man, get it done!
We go into round 4 with a massive lead, Schauffele is in second at -14 and the main danger with an excellent record at East Lake. It's not lost on me that Scheffler have up a 6 shot lead last year so I won't be completely comfortable until the last putt drops. C'mon Viktor!!
detonator, Gilgamesh, Voodoo likes this post.
It was another profitable year, ending with a nett of 536.03 units in the kitty (a few roudning errors in the spreadsheet). That makes it 3 years running with a profit since running the Golf threads here.
20/21 +339.75
21/22 +296.07
22/23 +536.03
23/24 ????
Lots of highs, lots of lows. It surely is a grind but I love it!
And with that, the Fortinet Championship starts in 2 days time at Silverado GC where Homa will be going for the 3 peat after last years absolute bizarre finish by Danny Willet.
See you in the new GOLF THREAD PGA Tour 23/24 season
---Endut---
Gilgamesh, detonator, Voodoo likes this post.
H-BOMBER likes this post.