Table of Contents
By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast
Teaming Up in NOLA
Now that the first major championship hangover has tapered off and we’re two weeks removed from Amen Corner, we’ve officially entered the guts of the PGA Tour season. With the PGA Championship at Oak Hill now on the horizon for May, and a slew of classic PGA Tour stops rooted in between, it’s time to get to it this PGA Tour season.
The RBC Heritage was almost a perfect copy of last year’s event – a gripping finish and a playoff involving Jordan Spieth, except this time around the reigning US Open Champ Matt Fitzpatrick was one shot better. My Patrick Cantlay (as slow as he may play) was right there in the hunt all week but just came up short. Thankfully we’ve still got our Jon Rahm winnings from Augusta to tide us over. This week – we switch up the betting mentality and focus on teams.
Time to Buddy Up
It’s great to see some razzle-dazzle and shake up the norm of the familiar 72-hole stroke play competition. Plus, if the LIV Tour has done anything for the PGA Tour, it’s made them explore different ways to present their product. One of the better initiatives was the format switch for the Zurich Classic to two-player teams in 2016. The two-player teams compete in two adjusted formats throughout the week: fourball (aka “team” best ball) for the first and third rounds, and alternate shot (always a doozy) for the second and fourth rounds.
Because of the unique format twist, Zurich has been able to grab some names they otherwise normally wouldn’t to fill out their field. Top-tier players that would often consider this a week off are teeing it up with their bud, whether it’s to keep their hit streak going, have an excuse to team up with a buddy, or help improve a friend of yours’ status on tour. The best example of that is from Fitzpatrick, who is bringing his younger brother Alex along for the week as a playing partner. If they win, Alex gets his own PGA Tour card. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele defend their title, and the Morikawa/Homa and Horschel/Burns teams should be nipping at their heels.
Forecasting the Zurich
As much as I’ll lean on golf with PGA Tour savant status and experience watching this track, this event comes down to a lot of timing. When you give a two-man team of pros two cracks at any part of a golf course, the scores will be there. The question lies in which teammates play off each other to pick up the others’ slack when needed. Timely par saves, timely birdie putts, and timely drives on trouble holes all add up to victories for recent champions here.
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 that feels “due” or if the price looks just right for buying.
At Harbour Town, I had the turtle speed play of Patrick Csnatlay on my card because he always contends there. While he did contend again, there was no outright win for us there. Add that up with my savvy picks of Rickie Fowler and Xander and you have yourselves a B- week for 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: Horschel + Burns: Not only do they have a great history at this event, but the chemistry as partners is also well established. Plus, Burns is playing the best golf of his life right now.
2: Kim + Kim: Okay, maybe I’m influenced by the catchy law firm team name here, but the Korean duo should have the natural bond set to light up this track. Both are quivering with their play but I like this format to bring out the best in them,
3: Kitayama + Montgomery: These Vegas residents know each other well and have played matches for years, now they team up as relative newcomers on tour. Should be a good duo, and both are strong putters.
4: Moore + Nesmith: This same duo tied for 4th in last year’s event, and since then Moore got a win of his own on the PGA Tour.
5: Theegala + Suh: Not the most noteworthy pairing, but both youngsters have been finding their way in 2023, and they could surprise many this week
6: Taylor + Hadwin: a couple of Canadian pals that have played this event several times before and have solid play in recent weeks to affirm their form.
RYP One and Done Pick:
The Deets
Where to watch: Golf Channel and CBS all week. Prepare your ears for plenty of jazz music beds and references to Bourbon Street all week long.
Why to watch: Golf fans love a format shift, and the allure of watching the world’s best team up with their buddies in team competition is a fun watch.
What to eat: If you’ve never air-fried a beignet at home before, consider your sign to do so this week in honor of golf in the Big Easy.
Purse: $8.3 million
Winner’s Share: $1.1 million (per player)
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.
