Table of Contents
By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast
Last Call for Playoffs
After an arduously long schedule (that we’ll likely never see the lengths of again), the 2022-2023 PGA Tour regular season wraps up this week at the Wyndham Championship. In a season that was filled with LIV drama and a wide array of champions new and old, we now get to the postseason competition that hands out unimaginable amounts of money for season-long performance. Before the best get their season-ending payday, we’ve got one more tournament in North Carolina for those looking to snag a spot in next week’s playoff field.
At the 3M Open, our picks cooled tremendously, but the level of unpredictability is through the roof in these pre-playoff summer exhibitions. Much like last week, it’s one more event that often yields a winner out of nowhere, so let’s hit one more regular season winner before the big-time events come around. Who could be this year’s Tom Kim and have a breakthrough W at the Wyndham? Let’s discuss:
Familiar Field
This week’s host track is Sedgefield Country Club, a vintage Donald Ross-designed track that has been a fixture with this event since its beginnings decades ago. It’s a devilish little par 70 track that spans just over 7000 yards, but it bites in all the right places and boasts a tree-lined route that requires precision off the tee. The Ross-style greens run off everywhere and though birdies will rain down, the gutsy 18th hole finish always humbles a lot of scorecards.
As for the last at-bats before the playoffs, the desperate ones looking to cash in points are led by Justin Thomas, who’s been riding the struggle bus for months now – he needs a good finish to crack the top 70 and be a part of the playoff picture. Also joining him in NC are PGA Tour vets Hdeki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar, Sam Burns, and Sungjae Im. All things considered – a decent turnout for its uncomfortable spot on the golf calendar.
Forecasting The Wyndham
It’s a shotmakers course, and there’s no doubt that the Wyndham Championship has produced a myriad of champions. All of them have had great numbers off the tee and come close to leading the field in scrambling – that’s the name of the game on these types of slick little tracks with throwback presentations. I’m also looking for a couple of bubble playoff contenders to play well and they should present value this week.
1. Who’s hot and trending – recent high finishes, top-10 streaks, and consistent play are never a bad thing.
2. Horses for courses – players love certain courses and course familiarity and experience are invaluable in a field of the world’s best.
3. What the numbers tell you this week – while I’m far from analytical, there’s always a tournament darling or two scattered across the golf talk stratosphere that stuns on paper.
4. Intangibles – while this allows for theater of the mind, there’s a mysterious optimism surrounding a player that feels “due” or if the price looks just right for buying.
The 3M Open picks simply did not hit. Lee Hodges’ cakewalk victory was not on the bingo cards, and the rest of my team was hard-pressed to find the leaderboard. With just one in the top 20 and a couple of missed cuts, it’s a dud of a week and I’m giving myself a D for dud. Time to raise my GPA in time for the postseason picks.
THE PICKS
(Wanna start a Pick-X pool with your friends? Learn more here! Or, if you’re looking to start your own PGA One-and-Done pool, check those out here) (Hint: the main difference between the two is how many players you’ll pick each week)
1: Sungjae Im – Tied for 2nd here last year and is maintaining enough form to be an automatic contender this week. The course suits him well so fire away!
2: Ludvig Aberg – Still a dark horse Ryder Cup pick, he’s driving it well and should ride the wave to another good week. Tied 4th at John Deere recently.
3: Taylor Moore – He won on tour earlier this year, played well here last year, and is undervalued on the boards. This is a great spot for Gimme Moore.
4: Justin Thomas – Out of desperation, JT finds his way to the weekend to try and get into the playoffs. What he does from there is a question mark…
5: Webb Simpson – Betting out of tradition, Simpson literally named his kid Wyndham after this event and his success here. Good vibes all around for the PGA Tour vet.
6: Alex Smalley – A great driver of the ball that’s here to stay, and this narrow track suits his game very well. Tied 13th here last year.
RYP One and Done Pick:
THE DEETS
Where to watch: The Golf Channel and CBS will finish off our regular season coverage, and there’s no doubt we’ll see our first NFL on CBS promos this weekend.
Why to watch: The regular season finale is here, and it’s the final bar call for FedEx Cup points before the postseason money grab commences.
What to eat: North Carolina BBQ, slathered in a sweet vinegar sauce
Purse: $7.6 million
Winner’s Share: $1.4 million
Golf FAQs
How do PGA Golf Majors Pools work?
In PGA Golf Majors Pools, member select six golfers to compete on a roster over the course of an event. The member with the best combined score from the six golfers wins.
Can you include all four majors into one pool?
Yes, but your commissioner can also customize these setting with RunYourPool. Pools can include up to all four majors, repicking golfers each time or adding bonus points for finishing positions
How do I assemble a roster?
Golfers are broken up in to six tiers, as members select one golfer per tier to be on their Major roster.
What happens to golfers who miss the cut?
Any PGA Player who does not make the cut will be given the highest score of Round 3 and Round 4, respectively.
What are the four golf majors?
The Masters is the first major of the season, in April. The PGA Championship and the U.S. Open follow, with the British Open ending as the final major.
How do PGA One and Dones work?
Members in a pool select one golfer to win a tournament, but can't pick that golfer again for the rest of the season. The member with the best score at the end of the season wins.
What is a PGA One and Done pool?
A PGA One-and-Done Pool is a contest similar to Survivor Pools, in which members can only select a golfer one time per season for events.
Which tournaments are played for PGA One and Dones?
Pool commissioners can set up the season for as many or as few tournaments as desired. Go crazy and do all of them! Or dial it back for the major events. As commissioner of a RunYourPool contest, you decide which events to play in!
How to run a weekly golf pool?
In order to run a golf pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like One and Done or Pick-X Pools. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
How do golf Pick-X Pools work?
Members select a certain number of golfers per tournament, set by the pool commissioner. The member earns the total winnings that their selected golfer won for the tournament. Whichever member earns the most winnings over the duration of the season wins.
What is a golf Pick-X Pool?
A Pick-X Golf Pool calculates tournament winnings rather than strokes gained when deciding a winner. This amplifies the big name events that feature a higher prize purse.
How to run a golf pool?
How you decide to run a golf pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How do Masters Prop Bets Pools work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
When is the Masters?
The Masters is typically in April and the first major of the golf season. The 2023 Masters is set for Thursday, April 6 and will run until Sunday, April 9.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is annually held at the Augusta National Golf Club located in Augusta, Georgia, USA.
