Jack Bushman and Ross Baran are back for another episode to discuss Scottie Scheffler’s flawless Sunday en route to victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Jack & Ross also dive into Tiger Woods’ absence this week, and a preview of THE PLAYERS Championship 2024 at TPC Sawgrass.
Oh what’s going on everyone welcome on into another episode of golf on tap as always I’m Jack Bushman joined by my good buddy Ross Baron today we’ll be breaking down Scotty sheffer’s Flawless Sunday in route to victory at the Arnold Palmer inv Invitational nearly a calendar year
Since his last win but boy did he do it in spectacular fashion we’ll also get into Tiger Woods is kind of shocking and a little bit puzzling absence this week at TPC Saw Grass and then wrapping things up with a little bit of a preview of The Players Championship if you’re
Tuning in right now already on YouTube make sure jump into the feed comment with us last week when Joey Ricotta and I were dissecting our final bets we actually had a caddy from Bay Hill in the comment section so it was fun to interact with him and we enjoy
Interacting with all of you viewers and listeners out there so make sure to go into jump into that feed let us know who you’re targeting for this week at the Players Championship who you’re fading and just your thoughts on everything going on with Scotty sheffer’s spectacular win last week before we do
So Ross buddy good to be back for another show how you doing this afternoon I’m phenomenal just with with we we had a great tournament for once it it was is it was exciting Scott Scotty looks back and Scotty looks dangerous yeah and that is a scary thought for the
Rest of the PGA tour in particular what’s Scotty sheffler did on the greens throughout the course of this tournament started off a little bit shaky he was looking like the Scotty of old he broke out the new mallet spider putter this weekend Ross I mean this has been a
Common theme going on on the PGA tour we’ve talked about it week in and week out uh I was a little bit surprised that it took this long for Scotty to go to the change I was begging him just to try something different because he was costing himself win after win after win
And it looked like it it finally came to a fork in the road he elects to go with a new putter this week and he has the fourth single best round on the greens of his PGA Tour career on Sunday to Capt things off in almost breathtaking
Fashion a bogey free six under 66 on what was supposed to be the hardest of the setups in the final round at Bay Hill he made it look far too easy and even Shane Lowry in his post round interview I don’t know if you caught
That Ross but he was like in awe he couldn’t even come up with words to describe what Scotty Sheffer just did to that golf course he ends up running away with it wasn’t even a race by the back nine because Scotty was playing so well your thoughts on Scotty sheffler waking
Up the flat stick and getting it going on the greens finally for the first time in nearly a calendar year since his win last year at the Players well I mean the first thought is God Rory’s got to be kicking himself in the ass saying three
Weeks ago I wonder if he should just go back to the Spider Mallet like he played before well Rory you got your wish and he kicked the fields so and I mean it it’s it all comes down to the stats really I I think the one stat I saw was
Like in the final two rounds he was like 16 for 16 from nine feet or less yeah I think it was the last 20 27 holes I want to say are you hearing me fuzzy or is that just me no you’re good for some reason I was having some feedback come
Through in my ear but yeah I want to say in the last 27 holes he was Flawless from inside 15 ft and we’ve been one wondering for a while now what does it look like when Scotty putts oh yeah it is a terrifying thought because he’ll make the hardest golf courses in the
World look rather benign and he’ll have a runaway Victory and it seems like when Scotty does have these types of Victories it’s usually in this fashion he puts it all together and no one else really stands a chance at that at that spot or at that point it’s kind of just
A a race for who’s going to finish in second well I mean you and I were talking yesterday when it was happening that he was absolutely lights out on the green for the for the past round and a half if he even putts at 50% from those distances in the upcoming tournaments
He’s still G to be at the top of the board right exactly he puts he ended up gaining nearly four strokes in that final round alone if he goes and gains one or even just like a half stroke he’s still probably winning that thing by two or three because his ball striking was
That that good along with it his short game was marvelous he didn’t find himself in many treacherous positions or anything but whenever he did and even that plugged little lie that he had on the 18th like one where he has a five shot lead on the last hole he could
Easily you know take a a simple line go away from the pin and go and put it to 30 feet two putt he’s got his victory avoid the water no he goes and you know put puts on the same shot that he would at any different point in the tournament
He’s Fearless he has compl complet control in his game and uh as someone who was backing Willie Z it was a little bit frustrating to watch but at the same point in time you have to Marvel in what Scotty Sheffer is able to do and the
Type of player he is when he has all four key areas of his game going at the same time because there really isn’t anything like it no one else stands a chance and it’s the best thing we’ve seen in golf since Tiger Woods no I mean it’s undeniable he he
Like we talked about he leads the tour in every single single category except for putting he’s like dead last where the littlest Improvement if he goes to halfway up the field feels average it’s he’s still finishing in the top 10 when he’s dead last in putting if he makes
The simplest change and moves to field average he’s still gonna win yeah and it’s going to be really interesting to see how that Spider Mallet putter treats him these next couple of weeks particularly this week as he defends his title at the Players Championship and as
Many of you have probably heard heard no one has ever successfully defended their title at TPC sass not even the Great Tiger Woods but before we move on and get to the players championship and some of our other topics that we’re going to get to here today Ross uh I mentioned
Earlier it was kind of a race for second with the way that Scotty sheffler had it going on Sunday it it was a rather good race for second though I’ll tell you what a lot of big names up there Shane Lowry someone who you shouted out on the
Show this time last week despite not having a very good record in his career at Bay Hill kind of even surprised himself with the way that he played and still had a pretty solid Sunday wendam Clark continues to just be uh a master of the signature events on difficult
Golf courses he had himself a really good week I mentioned I had a wager on will zalatoris had a four shot lead at one point on Sunday before on Saturday excuse me before the back nine ended up getting the best of him but Russell Henley was there Hideki Matsuyama Justin
Thomas Sam Burns it was the type of week that the PGA Tour really needed this week as we kind of talked about last week and have been talking about the last few times we’ve jumped on this show what were your kind of thoughts on everyone else’s performance because I
Think it it goes hand inand with showing how impressive sheffer’s final round was because none of those guys could really make any ground on Sunday because the course was just playing so tough like I think wendam shot even or one under and most guys who ended up finishing behind
Sheffer had the same score so I think that double show was just how how good sh Scotty was on Sunday Ross well for me it I kind of just D gave Scotty the dub on the first hole when he knocked the nine-footer down when he hit it when he hit it short of
The pin but just barely on the lip of the green and they’re and they were talking about how hard that green was all all day for people to get started and he knocks down a nine-footer first hole for for birdie when the majority of the field was actually giving a stroke
To that hole to start the day and when he knocked that one down I was like oh well he he he’s he’s on it again but what I really enjoyed this week was the battles that came for that mid-tier position that two to fifth place you’d
Watch a guy come out they’d start like six six or seven under they’d immediately struggle like the first three or four holes and they give up they’d give up Strokes you know they drop down to like 200 or whatever and then of course with our Immaculate golf
Coverage uh a moment ago Rory mroy has hit six consecutive birdies yeah to shoot back up the board where it it was just that theme all day to to follow because you kind of could see which way it was trending with Scotty as he started to open up the lead
And like Shane Lowry and wendam weren’t really able to do anything to get to get marginally close to him it was kind of a three four shot lead at all times that middle of the board that two through five range you were watch it was exciting to watch the guys drop down
Then someone all of a sudden makes a run on the back nine comes back up you had several guys in the morning groupings shoot way up the board because the course played simpler in the morning than the afternoon yeah I mean overall it was just one of it was a more entertaining
Day to watch aside from Scotty just kind of running away with it but it’s entertaining because you had someone like Scotty at the top of the board again yeah definitely and speaking of your of marvelous golf coverage uh Wills Alat torus was like not being shown at
All on Golf Channel on Sunday morning even though he was in the final pairing with wendam Clark and I know I’m not the only one who had a bet down on willly Z that was not very appreciative of that but I I don’t know how you’re showing
One guy in the second to last pairing but you’re you’re not showing the other one especially when they’re only in two sums that made little to no sense to me but yeah it was a brutal brutal test out there and there were Peaks and valleys
Guys going up and down I mean we saw Tommy Fleetwood make a 10 on a par five we saw Jake knap make a 12 like a lot of guys were just blowing up and that’s the variance that Bay Hill provides you can just blow up at any given time because
So many ways to find trouble the rough was so long by the weekend there’s obviously the water hazards everywhere and the bunkers tend to allow for plugged lies and we kind of discussed this before recording Ross but the PGA Tour we talked about this it was desperate for this type of event and
This type of winner this weekend in Scotty Sheffer H how did they make that happen they let the golf course play difficult that’s usually what happens when the best players play on the most difficult courses the best guys rise to the top and for whatever reason the PJ
Tour has like been going against that all season long they uh cupcaked the cognizant a little bit at PGA National they let beay Hill be what it was and it was fantastic and I thought provid fantastic TV and obviously provided a fantastic Champion so I don’t know what
The PGA Tour just like anything that they do it’s counterintuitive it’s One Direction with one thing another Direction with the other and they can never seemingly figure it out yeah I I would like to think that maybe the PJ tour someone in charge of course layout everything saw our little
Rant last week where really simple you have 80 of the best freaking players in the world are here and four people can hit this shot well let me [ __ ] see which four can do it exactly we want to us golf fans want to see the best players in the world challenged and if
You challenge them you’ll usually get one of the best players in the world coming through because that’s the way it works obviously so would definitely like to see more courses set up difficult like it was at Bay Hill I know the players always provides a challenge year
In and year out I’m hoping they’re going to make the Val Spar difficult to wrap up the Florida swing next week as well um but before we move on from Bay Hill Ross couple of other things that I wanted to get to wendam Clark kind of
Becoming maybe a little bit of a golf villain here this weekend potentially with uh what went down with his lie on Saturday um some back and forth debate as to whether or not that golf ball moved when it was in the rough off of the Fairway on the 18th and placed a
Club behind it like the old Patrick Reed special and sure appear that the golf ball moved but ended up not getting called for a penalty the PGA Tour reviewed it and said they weren’t going to give him a two-stroke assessment but not only did that happen he also made
Some rather curious one-sided comments about the direction the PGA Tour should move moving forward in saying that it should be more exclusive and that there should be more events with these guys uh a limited type of field 70 man field or maybe even smaller and Rory mroy kind of
Weirdly enough he’s just turned into a kind of guy that just says things in different directions I feel like he’s been under the under the hot light for so long he’s just kind of up there saying things at this point in time um but he also kind of sided with wam Clark
On this matter I I personally didn’t like what I was hearing whatsoever and I know especially the guys who aren’t in those Signature Events didn’t agree with it at all what were kind of your thoughts on WAM and Rory’s comments this weekend um to be honest they kind of
Pissed me off for especially it was really interesting to me having this come from Rory um but I also I guess I can kind of understand it where he’s been the scapegoat for them for so long in this fight against Liv and piff and everything been that poster boy you know
Li live bad PGA good and then they just kind of hang him out to dry and he resigns from all his stuff and anything he has to do with the player board and being on the top of the tour where I think at this point he’s had so many
People in his ear and heard so many sides of it that he is just kind of coming to like yeah a smaller field and making more money doesn’t sound terrible to me anymore it’s just kind of shocking to hear from someone that led the charge
For so long to him being like yeah of course I’d like to play probably play some more Selec events with less people and come home with more money the the the thing that pissed me off though was like Windom jumping into it Windom buddy you you’ve won three events on tour
Grant granted it’s a one’s a major the other two were huge Signature Events go back three years the cut off they’re talking about a 100 players having a card and being able to compete on this go back three years ago Windom you’re 43 places out of even being next
Available to get a card yeah that’s kind of the issue that I had it had with it too was that it was rather hypocritical of wendam who literally has had his assertion into golf fame or super stardom or whatever you want to make it following his US Open win and two wins
At Signature Events uh he was one of those guys that was grinding it out for three years it’s not like he was a college stud that walked right onto this tour like Victor havland or kin morawa and find success found success right away no it was a bit of a struggle for
Him right out of the gate and that’s been documented all throughout full swing as well and like just what he had to get through to get to this point and it’s like did you just forget what you had to go through to get this opportunity to prove that you are this
Type of player and if we do what you want to say someone like you three years ago isn’t still going to get that opportunity so yeah I thought it was a little rather hypocritical of Windom um and as far as Rory goes like he actually
Said on full swing as well I think he’s just kind of gotten to the point where it’s like it’s hard for him to give a [ __ ] anymore just kind of like do what you want to do at this point in time like he’s always GNA get asked these
Questions week in and week out because he has that um Legacy around him and he is the spokesperson of the PGA Tour but yeah just just weird comments from from those types of guys and where the place where where the direction in the place golf is going right now I would have
Thought that those two would have wanted the exact opposite in particular wendam Clark knowing that uh everything that he’s gone through to get here but before we get to the players last thing I wanted to bring up Ross I actually um this weekend live golf I happen to be
Awake late Saturday night may or may not have been celebrating my birthday with some of my buddies watched the UFC events had a couple of cold ones with the fellas and next thing I knew with the the time change leaping forward and it’s still rather weird to me that it’s
Light outside as we record this I’m so used to doing it in the dark with you uh all of a sudden it became like 2:30 in the morning three o’clock in the morning if you will and I found myself up and what did I want to do I go and actually
I’m looking on Twitter and I see oh it’s getting tight down the stretch to watch live I’m gonna go and turn it on and it actually wound up being a playoff between Abraham aner Cameron Smith and Paul Casey uh I couldn’t find it any where I have YouTube TV wasn’t on the CW
At 3 o’clock in the morning I went to the live golf website I couldn’t figure out how to turn it on I would say that’s a problem brother but it did wind up being actually a pretty good finish Abraham answer goes on to win uh I
Didn’t watch a single second of it even though I did but one thing I I did notice was that Anthony Kim who’s been a talking point on this podcast since it was announced that he was going to make his return uh it was a struggle for him
Out of the gate per usual found himself at the bottom of the leaderboard until a final round 65 to actually beat a handful of players in just his second event of competitive professional terent golf again I I think that has to be a major positive coming from the Anthony
Kim Camp right oh absolutely I don’t know how much how I dug a little deeper into this because obviously we we like ak ak is an enjoyable figure in golf if you go back over a decade he was such an exciting player especially on the Ryder Cup teams everything
Am I glad he’s unlived no I I would have loved to see a PGA Tour attempt everything but it’s Anthony Kim he’s so likable in general I don’t know if you saw all the details that came out in reg in regards to this comeback attempt he hasn’t even been fitted for clubs he
He’s he is just swinging away with stock whatever he he doesn’t have yardages nothing is fitted him he doesn’t know how to use a trackman that’s kind of crazy to to think about that’s how far the technology has gone since he’s he’s been away he he he doesn’t know that when he
Came back and he had to drop a ball he dropped from shoulder height and the guy was like no you you you Dro from your your knee now and he was like oh sorry he he’s just so out of touch they already said like he’s getting he’s actually getting fitted for his clubs
And gonna go work with a specialist that go before they head to Miami for to play a trump Dural that yes we finally have lined everything up where we’re actually going to go have him swing and hit and get fitted with our instructors and Specialists and get clubs tailored to
Him so the fact that the the guy basically quite literally walked off the street into into into these events after being 12 years away he fired off a 65 I’m I’m impressed and I’m hoping maybe with those little changes he comes around maybe gets a little more exciting you know maybe I’ll
Tune in if I can find it on tv anywhere who who who knows I maybe I’ll flip over a little bit Ju Just to watch but he you can just tell everything is so different for him because even he looks completely different when they put when they showed
The videos of him like closeup camera interviewing after I was like whoa that is not my AK yeah definitely has aged a little bit to say the least but um the most AK thing ever is to just immediately pick up some clubs that he’s not even fitted for does know how to use
A track man so yeah he might have been practicing it on the golf course but not taking it all that seriously goes out there and makes his comeback um I do Wonder with that being known now like how much of a plan he really actually
Had going into this was it like one week and we’ll see where it goes from there because it kind of seems like that’s the case last week I mentioned I didn’t watch any of his debut I saw some highlights on X and whatnot but I saw some people mention that he wasn’t like
Using uh there was some questionable caddy decisions going on and I don’t know if he was using maybe the best level of caddy to be helping him on the professional scene or someone who actually knows the course that he’s playing at but hearing about that hearing that he doesn’t have clubs
Fitted it’s like what what was the plan here AK but uh it is good to hear that he is going to get clubs fitted I do know he’s actually going to be playing on the Asian tour I believe in their next event ahead of Liv Dural in Miami
So seems like he’s stringing together some consecutive starts here I think that’s a good sign for the guy I I mean when you everything you just said when you kind of circle back to the fact that he’s just kind of picked up a pair of sticks and walked onto the
Course the questionable decisions with a caddy and everything I just kind of imagined in my head all right you know maybe a six iron how far do you hit your six I don’t know let’s find out yeah literally in a tournament setting we’re going to find out today bud was a learn
On the fly learn as we go type of afternoon it seems like that’s the strategy coming out of uh Anthony Kim and his caddy so far here but good to see him playing well that was nice I wish I could have watched at least some
Of that event I would have like to turn on the playoff but um that’s how it goes with live golf maybe uh they’ll be better at that when they’re in the United States for the first time since Las Vegas I want to say which was uh
Almost a month ago at this point in time all the weeks are starting to blunt together here but we we’ll definitely be staying on watch on the uh AK developments here because as you mentioned we are obviously fans of his game and his Charisma and what he can
Provide and it’s going to draw some eyes one way or the other so maybe he starts playing some good golf here we’ll see if those fitted clubs probably help his case Ross I just I just want to see I almost want to take a bet what
Tournament is the first to give her give him a sponsorship exemption on PGA Ju Just in just in general just just to extend he doesn’t have have to accept just which one is going to be the first one to bite and be like hey you want to
Play just to reach out see if he’s interested well I think there’s a little bit of a dispute going on there contractually that I don’t think he’d be able to play for but would’ be curious to see if that ends up happening with Anthony Kim I feel like he’s he’s gonna
Get enough money to cover to cover that uh the the bonus he’s gonna have to pay for the the insurance policy I feel like he’s going to make enough to may maybe some reaches out and just greases the wheels a little bit hey you want to come
Play here I feel like that could be a potentially a 2025 thing once he plays out the rest of this year with Liv gets that bag and then like you said it’ll probably be enough to cover any worries about that $10 million insurance Clause that will be voided if he comes back and
Plays on the PGA tour again so yeah we’ll see what’s in the cards for Anthony Kim moving forward as uh Liv is off this week but will be in Durell or at Durell in Miami for their next event um but getting into the players championship this week man it is
Obviously an iconic event held at an iconic location it’s actually the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship this year dating all the way back to 1974 it’s been held at TPC sass since 1982 it’s been a site for countless golf memories over the years uh known as The
Fifth major on the PGA tour they still call it the best field in golf even though it most certainly is not that anymore Ross but what kind of excitement you got going for players week man because it hits different the field is still excellent despite me throwing some
Jokes about Liv kind of ruining that best field in golf thing um but that’s excellent in the coverage for one of the two weeks throughout the course of the Season that the coverage is excellent it’s this week at TPC sass I’m excited for it I mean you just ended it right
There it’s TPC sass it it it is one of the most iconic courses out there I think anyone in our shoes or just golfer in general we all want a t up 17 one time I I don’t I don’t care if if I put
It in the water it’s I I want to try I just want I want to hit at the island I want to see what I do I just everyone wants to play that course at least one time that’s on bucket list all across the world as you’re refering to
Referencing to the island green number 17 at TPC Saw Grass only like an 140 yard shot but completely surrounded by water and always plays an impact on the final stretch come Sunday with that difficult tucked front right pin location yeah it is a marvelous course uh a marvelous event the best players on
The PGA tour are here but before we get into that the one man who’s not here this week Ross it’s Tiger Woods and when I saw the field get released last Friday and tiger wasn’t on it man um it doesn’t look good for sure and if he is healthy
And if it was truly just illness which what play him at the Genesis Invitational and what forced him to withdraw in that second round I don’t understand how he’s not here if he is truly gearing up to go and give Augusta a good go in a month’s time which we
Know tiger if he’s playing he says he feels like he’s got a chance to win he’s not just there to [ __ ] around whether those chances to win are true in today’s day and age that’s Up For Debate but I mean for him to not be here at the
Players it it’s got to be somewhat concerning right I mean it it definitely is the only reason I’m taking it with a grain of salt right now is obviously it’s it’s disappointing he’s not in the field but he did play the pro member at seminal on Monday and every report out
Of there is he was absolutely striping the ball for obviously there was no TV coverage everything it’s word of mouth but all the biggest names in golf participated in that in that Invitational and everyone said he was absolutely striping it so I don’t know
If that was a little bit of a fix for him because he did technically play a competitive field and he maybe held up by his standards and just decided all right well that was fun how many how how many people though do you think will actually be willing to
Say Tiger Woods played bad today coming out of the seminal Camp who would ever actually say that like tiger could have played well and I’m not saying he didn’t but like do you think anyone was actually going to go to the media and be like tiger play very well today that’s
My he absolutely hit it like [ __ ] everywhere could presented hle first left window might say it window might say it yeah yeah no no I I mean I think he has to play one of these next events if we are SK if we are skipping players he has
To play one of the next ones I don’t know if he his timeline is just thrown off or whatever but I feel like going from Genesis were only playing a couple a round and a half and leaving I I just I can’t don’t see how you can get in a
Competitive swing without going out there again and ju and let alone just playing 72 holes we haven’t seen it so far this year not in 2024 we’re supposed to be doing that at Genesis unfortunately it got cut short and like you said 100% he has to either be at the
Valpar next week or at the Houston open or at Valero before the Masters 100% about it or else I don’t know how he can take himself seriously or anyone else can take Tiger Woods seriously in terms of his chances at actually doing what he wants to accomplish and why he is still
Playing at this point of his career and that is to contend down the back nine on Sunday and if his last outing was at Riv and it was a round and a half and it wasn’t all that great like that’s just not enough good it’s not enough form
Whatsoever to be heading into a place like Augusta I don’t care the career track records that he has there he’s just not going to know where his game is at especially the short game which you need reps at in order to feel confident enough to get around a place like that
So yeah he he’s got to be at one of these next um one of these next three before the Masters and I even more puzzling to me though Ross I I don’t really I just don’t get him that playing this week because I get TPC sass is a
Volatile course and there’s a lot of water and a lot of ways for it to go wrong but like it’s not it still should be a golf course that he could play at his age because it’s not one of those long ones like a beay hill or like a
Tory Pines or even like a Riviera where his chances weren’t all that great to play that well like this is a place where he could and it’s also one of the flatter golf courses on the PGA tour like it is not a very grueling walk so I
I was just a left a little bit heads scratch that he’s not going to get an opportunity to play against the best players in the world because this is their last one for a lot of these guys one some of them will play at vbar some of them will play Houston a decent
Amount will probably play Valero but they’re not all going to be together like they will be at Augusta like they will until then after the players championship this week the only thing I could think is he just playing mind games with people where everyone had this circled for so
Long where all of a sudden you know Sunday they’re going to release the field and it’s gon be like haha [ __ ] is I’m playing Val and and from my understanding I think TPC Saw Grass and and their staff and everyone there and the PGA Tour media were gearing up for
Tiger to be here because it just kind of seemed like uh I don’t want to say it was a gimme but it felt like the ideal get right spot for him potentially before auster and maybe even one more after that because he just hasn’t been playing all that much so far this year
So um yeah it was a little bit puzzling to me for sure but hopefully tiger is feeling good physically mentally but we got to see him out there in the next couple of weeks for sure um it I mean he he has I I just don’t see how he can avoid playing one
Prior at least one if you had to guess out of the next three before we uh get into the players here in this tournament who actually is in the field which one would you guess I would have to think valbar re realistically it’s a good tough test he
Needs to be tested it it’s it tends to be one of those events that has a little bit more of a loaded field um before we hit before we kind of hit that that little break where people start to fall off because they want to focus on a on
Austa I I I feel like if if you’re gonna go test the waters and you’re gonna go try to play 72 I feel like it’s it’s got to be Valar yeah I actually agree we’ll see Tiger Woods we’ll know by Friday afternoon actually if it’s valpar because that’s when the fields get
Released yeah that and just the recovery period and everything you know if he’s not trying to push it I feel like the other two events are just too close to Augusta for him to for him to go do that so I think if it’s not valpar then you
Just have to mark it off that we’ll see him at Augusta and that and it is what it is yeah I completely agree we’ll see if tiger ends up uh making his second start of the 2024 season at copperheads uh or inis Brooks Copperhead course next
Week as the PGA Tour wraps up its Florida swing but this week like we mentioned earlier TPC Saw Grass baby it’s technically the fifth signature event of the Season didn’t really need to be though to bring out all of the PGA tourist finest but everyone is here literally everyone if you’re inside the
Top offici top 100 of the official World Golf Ranking and you’re not here it’s because you took the bag and now you’re a member of Liv golf we got all the big dogs Scotty Sheffer of course is here to defend his title coming off of the win
Last week he’s joined by Rory mroy Victor havin Patrick Hanley Xander Schley wendam Max hom Justin Thomas Jordan spe Tommy the list goes on and on and on it’s one of the best weeks of the entire year A lot of people are actually probably tuning into to golf for the
First time this year because a lot of people this really make marks the start of the season and if you’re Tuning In For the First Time welcome we’re happy to have you here as we’re going to be breaking down this tournament and sharing some of our early picks this
Week but before we do just a little bit of a preview on TPC sass for those who aren’t familiar with the course par 72 an iconic Pete Dy design and if you’re familiar with anything about Pete Dy a lot of his golf courses are similar they’re not very long this one stretches
Just shy of 7300 yards a couple hundred yards shorter than last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill but it is a daunting test we got three and a half to 4 inch Bermuda grass rough the fairways are pretty narrow uh there’s water everywhere on 17 of the 18 holes
You got 92 sand bunkers littered across the fairways and greens which is typical of Florida golf course ver and then you get lightning quick greens that are actually from what I’ve been hearing a little bit different this year in particular than they’ve been in the past couple of years since this tournament
Was moved from May to mid-march in 2019 there’s going to be poet trivial in the greens this year and they’re going to be more impactful than the Bermuda is from what I’m understanding because it’s so early in the year and the grass hasn’t enough time the Bermuda hasn’t had
Enough time to grow grow in so that’s a little bit of a different but it is an iconic venue a lot of tough par 4S uh the par 3s really aren’t all that long but they are going to be a challenge because of all the water around them um
But it it’s a it’s a real true test of golf the interesting part about this course though Ross is anyone kind of has a chance we’ve seen a lot of different player types here win over the years like a Jason day a sewo Kim a Rory mroy Justin Thomas of course Scotty sheffler
Won here last Year Cameron Smith actually won here and lost five Strokes off the tea that year because his short game is so good the real one thing you need to get around here Ross is you just kind of need to avoid the water now that’s easier said than done but whether
You hit the ball a long way off the te or you’re someone who short and finds a lot of Fairways if you keep yourself from not having those blow up holes like we’ve seen time and time again on this track you’re probably going to find yourself in contention take advantage of
The part fives blow avoid blow up holes on the fours and threes and you’re probably going to be in good standing come the weekend but we have seen one of the top 10 players in the world win since this tournament has been moved to March and Justin Thomas uh Rory mroy
Scotty Sheffer and Cameron Smith so it feels like based on what you were saying before recording you seem to think it’s trending towards that direction once again one of the big boys is going to be winning we got a lot of them in thei field so Ross without any further Ado
Who are kind of the guys that you’re looking at as we’re uh taking a gander down the odds board on this fine Monday afternoon so as we’re working down the odds board I have just a few names I’ve really gone through and there’s about five that I think the win the winner is
Is coming from realistically and the odds are G odds are going to vary um everyone that that is looking I went off DraftKings from this morning to start um one of the first names you already already named him previous winner here seems to be putting it together had a
Had a rough Sunday to kind of fall back but then kind of finish strong I do have JT I do like Justin Thomas as well um been playing really solid golf other than at the Genesis Invitational all year long and had it not been for Scotty sheffler and running away with it he
Would have been right there uh in the mix on Sunday once again JT is definitely someone I’m eyeing I like that pick so right right behind JT we’re going we’re going from there only because we’ve had a quiet season from him and he just feels he he’s hanging
Around that top 10 of the leaderboard and most of the Signature Events just hasn’t seemed to break through I think he gets riled up for these for this kind of Fielding competition in he’s he’s overdue for a big win I do like Max h okay okay quietly has played good in
Florida throughout his career and in in this recent stretch and has been putting l putting better lately too so I’ve seen some love for Max Homa this week I do like that call out from there we’re going to move a little further down the board and once
Again one of the biggest things at this course with the speed in the greens is the putting the man who’s just lights out and looks so freaking comfortable with the broomstick willus oh my guy I know I really thought he was going to come through last week
Man the way he had it going on Saturday afternoon he’s four under through the first 11 holes on a tough Saturday when not that many guys are playing all that well and then uh two doubles and a bogey and his last five holes really put a
Little bit of a damper on my afternoon and never could find it on Sunday but the way that he went about his business all throughout that tournament super impressive hit a ton of Fairways and at his that’s going to be an advantage on a course like this the irons whether it’s
A wedge or a long iron were both really good and even though it kind of alluded him a little bit on Sunday it probably wouldn’t have mattered the way that Scotty sheffler was going and still was a positive to the field for the tournament so yeah Willie Z his number
Has actually already been smashed down pretty good I think he opened at 35 and now I don’t even know if you can find a 28 out there anymore so a lot of love for will Z this week DraftKings at the moment has him at 28 I actually kind of
Want to hit at the moment yeah I kind of want to hit that I know they have a plus 300 boost 31 to one on my boy Wily Z that sounds a little bit tempting um and then I I round out I have two more okay
One that is uh catching my eye just this tournament is famous for guys coming up and getting a big career win in this case this would easily be his biggest win say he’s barely won anything aside from DP from DP World Tour I think I’m going to I think I’m
Going to mash the button on lud viberg this week for this course I thought you were gonna say Tommy Fleetwood for a second and uh I just I can’t do it until it happens for Tommy but I do like the ludvig call I I currently sitting 35 to one a
Good number D for d for a big win has been playing pretty consistently to start the year but still just hasn’t had that real breakout tour Victory and my final for for the number this numbers based here previous winner of this tournament sitting 50 to one I do like
See wuk him okay going back to the ludvig thing here real first uh real quick first he didn’t play very well last week still finished top 25 at Bill it was like his probably his Dame last week still in the top 25 at Bay Hill and what kind of perplexing a little bit
About ludvig is I don’t think I think we have this perception because of his driving ability that courses like a Bay Hill or like a Genesis a couple of weeks ago those are going to be perfect spots for him because the way he hits it long and
Straight if you go and actually look at his results and again it’s still very young in his career so we don’t have that full perspective of exactly what he is but I mean he wins the RSM classic that’s a short course was runnerup up at Pebble Beach that’s a short course uh
Played well at the John Deere classic that’s a short course for whatever reason the shorter courses have kind of been his Jam throughout his career even though you would assume like the major like tests would really benefit his driver so 35 to one I think is a good
Number on ludvig and SEIU I I’ve been seeing getting some gas this week too because he is a former champion and uh one of Pete D for uh other courses that he architected on the PGA tour is Sedgefield Country Club the host of the Windom Championship which SEI wo has won
In the past as well and is just someone that historically plays good on Pete die courses and these types of shorter setups so yeah seu that’s an interesting one um I do like these picks this week Ross I know we’re still a little bit you got the the no the the most important
Thing that people didn’t pay attention to over over the weekend see K became a father La last weekend so we always have to include the baby bump the new dad swag is always kind of real one thing to keep in perspective for Mr SE woo Kim
This week um but this is a this is a tough tournament to always cap for me personally man I haven’t really been all that close I’ve only uh bet on it a couple of years but there’s just so much volatility and you don’t get a lot of
Guys that perform well at this course year after year because it is always one of the best fields in golf and there’s just so many ways to go wrong you know you make an eight or a nine on one hole and all of a sudden you’re not going to
Be the cut come the weekend so like there’s just a lot of different types of outcomes because of all the hazards and different ways that you could make big numbers and also interesting for Scotty Sheffer I don’t know if I referenced this uh off the top oh yeah I did
Actually no no player has ever successfully defended his title at this course and Ross when going through some research uh one thing I did note sh shout out to at Gob CAD on x 13 of the last 15 winners of the of the players champ Championship have come from the
Early late wave they’ve all played early on Thursday and played in the afternoon on Friday I don’t exactly know how relevant that is to anyone out there so take that with a little bit of a grain of salt but just maybe something to consider before placing a wager and if
Also you are happening to place a wager down and you’re not already a member at bet River Sportsbook go and use the promo code on tap to get up to a $250 bonus on your first deposit and also go and hop in that comment section
This is that time of the show where you let us know who you’re going to be tailing and whose chances you like this week definitely and really quickly before you give your choices I just didn’t know if you saw Max H’s interaction today in regards to his
Tournament play uh with the troll on uh x i I did catch I did catch it briefly I saw that he’s basically blaming his wife now for his poor major performances because she’s been around for all of them the yes all the the major event the poor performances the troll was blaming
His wife and his son for his poor performance and he came out on the Twitter to defend and say since my stun is born you should see what how great my performances have become blame my wife because she’s been there for all of it always a good follow on social media is
Mr Max Helman actually a pretty good guest I thought this weekend on uh the happy hour was smiley on Friday afternoon Jordan be was a little Bland as you would expect Jordan be to be and they were like trying to create content there from their spring bre break stuff
Back in 2017 but Max Hol was just so witty and so funny that like you put a camera in front of him he’s just gonna be on full-blown display and chirping Brian Harmon a little bit and just talking about how good Scotty sheffler is I I did really enjoy maxom in there
And I also enjoy Luke Donald for what it’s worth throughout the weekend as well I would certainly like to see more out of Luke and the broadcast Booth moving forward yeah AB absolutely L Luke John was actually a treat in the booth there was it was funny on the last day
When he was taking some digs about the Ryder Cup and everything W which I mean I I enjoyed the he he gets it he plays along with it he’s a good sport he he understands what it’s all about so yeah hopefully we’ll see more of Luke Donald
In the broadcast Booth I know we’re going to have Kevin kizner back in the booth here this weekend for The Players Championship um but as far as some guys that I’m liking here early on in the week I actually have only made one official bet so far Ross um so I’m kind
Of out in the open I can’t stop betting him it’s my boy siah he played so well in that final round on Sunday and really if it wasn’t for Saturday and that Scotty sheffler guy uh and that meddling dog and those dumb kids I don’t know why
That just came to my mind but I had to say it uh hit that a really good tournament and he’s now got three top 10 finishes two of them or three top six finishes I want to say so far in 2024 I actually saw um they they they gave out
Some of the odds a couple of sports books gave out odds on Sunday after afternoon which by the way is still way too late they had odds for the Waste Management Phoenix Open up at Christmas this is like the PGA Tours like baby event like they should probably have
This up a little bit earlier that’s for another conversation so H was at like 80 to one to open and I don’t know how I didn’t hit it right away I was just kind of caught up in watching the end of this tournament and everything he got bet
Down real quick I still caught him at 55 to one I think that’s a pretty good number for a guy who’s been playing really solid the off the tea game which was his weakness for far too long has been really good since like the Open Championship last summer the irons have
Still been hit or miss which is a bit concerning but I still think 55 to one’s uh too big of a number for a player of his caliber but some other guys who I’m looking at earlier in this week um from off the top I do think Rory Moy is
Interesting despite uh how erratic he’s been playing this season just because you have an opportunity now like with the DraftKings plus 300 boost to get him at 15 to1 and when was the last time you saw Rory mroy 15 to1 to win a golf tournament I mean it’s been like decades
Since you’ve seen Rory get that big of a number so I think that’s interesting but other than him Justin Thomas like you said Ross uh actually has been catching my eye just of his track record in Florida and also what he’s been doing so far this season I quietly like patri
Klay a little bit too I think he’s just really become that hated guy on the PGA tour that no one wants to have their money on and his number is starting to creep towards 30 to1 and it’s been a it’s been a struggle for him to put together four consecutive rounds so far
This year but he’s been good in particular early on in tournaments and comparison to like a Victor havland who’s up there with him or a Colin moraca even Xander Schley who has shorter odds than him um I would prefer Patrick Klay so those are the guys that
I’m really looking at at the top will zalatoris if you know anything about me or about the show I always have interest in will zalatoris at ball Striker courses uh ludvig I bet on him at 23 to1 last week they’re giving me 35 to1 this
Week I feel like that’s a good bet Shane Lowry it’s it’s a St Patty’s Day weekend man Shane Lowry’s number has gotten a little bit small but I I understand it because he’s been playing Great Golf all throughout Florida and has a top five finish in his career here as well so I
Think that’s interesting Sam Burns uh is interesting as well um wendam Clark obviously is a big game hunter so there there’s a lot of guys that I’m liking early on um at the top of the board those are really where I’m going to have to make my biggest decisions a little
Bit further down the board just some kind of long shots that I’ve been eyeing a little bit I haven’t bet them so far but just let me know if you think any of these guys are interesting Ross uh first I have a Milano Grio who I just also
Cannot stop betting this year but he continues to show good ball striking and putting numbers and at a top 10 finish last week at Bay Hill in which he gained three Strokes putting um so he’s been trending in the right direction he’s over 100 to one Doug gim has two top 20s
In his career on this course and has been striking the crap out of the ball can’t save can’t make a putt to save his life but that’s always the case with him I thought he was interesting they also had Austin ekro at 175 to one which
Given his ball striking I mean I thought that was too big of a number I don’t know if he’s ready to win an event like this but he’s got to have some good confidence and then Taylor pendrith who has either been like miscut or top 10
For the last like six months now he’s played pretty well at this event and some of the Florida courses so I actually bet Taylor pendrith at 200 to one as well you liking any of those four picks in particular Ross um for for me I I do really like
Doug gim in general I feel like Doug gim just plays big and big moments and big tournaments where he he just happens to creep up into that top 10 in the leaderboard casually it it’s like silent but deadly all of a sudden you look and
Gim t P6 cuz he fired off like a 63 out of nowhere yeah he’s got that kind of upside and when he does actually get the putter going it’s usually hot like that like he usually capitalizes on it and makes the most out of his rounds I
Honestly don’t know if Doug Kim is going to win the PLAYERS Championship that’s a question I have to ask myself but I think his odds are big enough to bet it but maybe it’s just a top 20 selection but yeah lot lots of guys that I’m liking here early on obviously going to
Have to cut things down a little bit because I can’t bet everyone in this4 4 player field this week but super excited for everything to get started here in just a couple of days um it’s a stacked field a stacked event a really solid golf course that demands a lot out of
The players so I always like to see that in particular and also I’m going to be having a betting show again coming out with Joey ricot later this week so once I do finalize my bets I’ll make sure to share all of them with you there and I’m
Also going to be having an article per usual coming out this week make sure to go and check out ontap sportset if you want to see my preview on the players championship and wanting to know a little bit more about this course but Ross before we get on out of here man uh
Like I said earlier this feels like and even just the Florida swing it really feels like the start of the real PGA Tour season we’re gearing up we’re gonna get a lot of eyes on golf this week which is always great uh the app is fantastic ESPN plus always has great
Coverage so I’m certainly excited for that your final thoughts before we head into the PLAYERS Championship at C TPC Saw Grass this Thursday th this is just where it starts to feel so real that that golf is back here we go which is very funny to say that we’re this
Essentially puts us like halfway through the signature events for the season yeah right it is weird but but but no go golf golf is back like here we go this is the month where we make the swing we’re down to four weeks to to Augusta which obviously is a national holiday for all
For all of us in in in this game so we’re we’re in the home stretch here we go everyone get excited shout out Dr Trevor Hunt say saying what’s up I know he he checks in on our uh show all the time and we’re finally Tha out here in
Rochester so I know me and Trevor will be uh setting up with a tea time some point in the future just got to pick a course snowed a little bit again yesterday and today whatever well I’m wishing you the best hope you get back out on that course there sometime
Soon and fortunately you know we are getting down there on the Signature Events but we start trading those out for uh major championships here pretty soon and just a month away from Augusta National the Masters baby couldn’t be more excited like you said it’s a holiday for everyone in the golf world I
Have my own little Augusta routines and things that I do every single week and it’s starting to creep forward so I’m certainly excited for it certainly excited for the players championship this week and certainly excited to be having everyone tune into the show and if you haven’t done so already please
Make sure to go and follow golf ontap on either Apple podcast or on Spotify if you haven’t done so already it won’t cost you anything it really means a lot to us if you would just go and click that button real quick and also make
Sure to use the promo code bet Rivers if you’re not already a member at uh at bet Rivers excuse me use promo code on tap to get up to a $250 match on your first deposit if you’re going to want to be betting on the PLAYERS Championship I
Know a lot of people do place a wager for the first time so make sure to take advantage of that promo code to get yourself some free money and we’ll be make sure to talk about everything that goes down this week at TPC Saw Grass this time next Monday until then
Everyone we’ll catch you next time thanks again for tuning in
