The post The shirts Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen *didn’t* wear at the WM Phoenix Open appeared first on Golf.

The post The shirts Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen *didn’t* wear at the WM Phoenix Open appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Spotted on Tour, where we’ll highlight buzzy apparel, gear, gadgets and more that caught our eye over the weekend. Better yet, we’ll help you get your hands on your own.

They were the chests seen ’round the world, largely because they weren’t supposed to be.

Golfers don’t often lose their shirts in the course of competition. More rarely do they lose their shirts *intentionally*. But that was what happened on Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open, when Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen removed their upper layers in celebration of the raucous, frat-party atmosphere inside the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale.

What followed was a symphony of delirious fans. As the players pranced around the green, the 20,000 or so above hollered with delight, launching from the bleachers beer cans and cocktails — and every notion of what some people believe golf to be.

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It was ridiculous. Insane. Unhinged. Decidedly unprofessional.

Oh, and also wholeheartedly awesome.

Higgs and Dahmen are among those rumored to be involved with the PGA Tour’s upcoming Netflix series, whose producers aim to present golf’s personalities in a radical new light. Though shooting has already begun for the show, the WM Phoenix Open is said to be the show’s first true event. If that is the case, then there’s likely a happy crew of filmmakers somewhere outside of Scottsdale on Monday afternoon, because the two pros have already provided them with one of the flashpoint moments of the 2022 season.

There are also likely two happy shirt sponsors on Monday afternoon, because Higgs and Dahmen’s antics brought two players who finished T49 and T62, respectively, into the center of the golf consciousness on the largest advertising day of the year (Super Bowl Sunday).

So, for today’s Spotted on Tour, let’s take a deeper look at the two shirts Higgs and Dahmen *didn’t* wear on Saturday, y’know, just in case anybody missed it.

First up: Higgs, who is a Greyson man by heart. Harry wore Greyson’s Starling polo, a lightweight, stretch-friendly shirt featuring moisture-wicking technology and four buttons (in case you enjoy a breeze on your chest during play, like Higgs). The Starling polo, like everything Greyson, rests at the intersection of luxury and performance — a preferred choice of both serious players and fashion-forward golfers.

Then there’s Dahmen, who appeared to wear TravisMathew’s “Bamboo Fences” polo. Dahmen’s shirt fits squarely within TravisMathew’s target demographic of “lifestyle performance” — polos you’d feel equally comfortable wearing on the course and off of it. The polo features four-way stretch material, easy wash-and-wear (for those pesky beer stains), and wrinkle-resistant fabric; ensuring a clean, comfortable look, no matter how many times the shirt whips around your head.

To learn more about Dahmen and Higgs’ shirts, check out the links below.

Greyson Starling Polo

The Starling Polo features a sophisticated pattern that looks good both on and off the golf course. Lightweight and with plenty of stretch, this moisture-wicking polo will keep you cool and comfortable even on the longest days. Finished with a four-button placket and a solid contrast collar.

Buy Now

TravisMathew Bamboo Fences Golf Shirt

With an all-over, tropical-inspired palm leaf print, the BAMBOO FENCES polo will become an easy favorite whether you’re working, working on your game, or working the crowd.

Buy Now

The post The shirts Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen *didn’t* wear at the WM Phoenix Open appeared first on Golf.

The post On raucous, delightful PGA Tour weekend, a new champion emerged appeared first on Golf.

The post On raucous, delightful PGA Tour weekend, a new champion emerged appeared first on Golf.

It felt like a particularly important week for the PGA Tour.

Last week, Phil Mickelson came after the Tour, citing its “obnoxious greed,” alleging restrictive media rights and generally portraying the folks in Ponte Vedra as the Evil Empire. This week, Charley Hoffman turned a gripe with the Rules of Golf into an all-out tirade against the Tour and citing the incident as evidence why the Tour might cease to exist. All of this comes in the context of massive reported sums offered to high-profile pros to jump ship to a new breakaway tour.

In other words, it was high time for the PGA Tour to showcase its best product. It sure did; the WM Phoenix Open was a wild, wonderful week filled with aces, beer showers and hundreds of thousands of delighted fans. Sunday presented a host of U.S. Ryder Cuppers doing battle with 54-hole leader Sahith Theegala, making just his 11th PGA Tour start. But in the end, after a dramatic final round and three playoff holes, it was a different first-time winner, Scottie Scheffler, who took home the title and cemented himself among the top tier of Tour pros.

Patrick Cantlay began Sunday’s final round in third place, two shots behind Theegala. These days, Cantlay seems to contend every time he tees it up; he’s finished 4, 9, T4 in his only three starts since last year’s Tour Championship and entered Sunday as the No. 4 player in the world. He made birdies at No. 4 and No. 6 to kick off his final round.

Scheffler was in the final group alongside Theegala and defending champion Brooks Koepka. His day started hot, too, with birdies at No. 2 and No. 3. But he stalled with bogeys at 5, 7 and 8 and lost touch with the leaders — temporarily.

Up ahead was pure mayhem. Carlos Ortiz made an ace at No. 16, the second consecutive day a player had made a hole-in-one on the game’s wildest stage. A few groups later Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen put on a show, revealing a whole bunch of extra skin after draining par putts to stay just outside the top 50.

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Alongside Cantlay was good friend and frequent sparring partner Xander Schauffele, who also began the day in T3 at 12 under par. Koepka staying in the mix all day. Justin Thomas rallied, too, to get to the edge of contention. The leaderboard was a who’s-who of American contenders.

In the end, the tournament’s first 70 holes served as the preamble to a whirlwind final two…and then some. As viewers geared up to toggle from golf to the Super Bowl, the final few contenders played the final few holes at TPC Scottsdale.

Koepka was in the mix until his par putt slid by at the par-3 16th, though he birdied 17 and 18 to salvage a final-round 69.

Schauffele’s eagle try finished a half-roll short at No. 17 and his birdie try at the 18th slid just past the hole, leaving him at 15 under, too.

Theegala was very much in the mix until his tee shot at 17, when he hit 2-hybrid on an aggressive line only to watch it take an unfortunate bounce left off the left edge of the green and into the water. He made bogey and parred No. 18 to post 15 under.

All three — Koepke, Schauffele and Theegala — finished T3 at 15 under. Cantlay and Scheffler each stuck their approach shots at No. 18. Their putts each slid by the hole. One last bit of theater awaited: A playoff.

Both players made par on their first playoff hole. They made par on their second hole. The Rams drove down the field and America’s attention shifted; the WMPO is the Super Bowl’s appetizer, not its competition.

On the third playoff hole Scheffler found the fairway bunker while Cantlay striped one down the center of the fairway. Advantage, Cantlay. He hit his wedge shot closer than Scheffler’s approach, too; Cantlay had 13 feet for birdie while Scheffler had 26.

But then, a sudden reversal. Scheffler rolled in his putt for birdie, punctuating the putt with an emphatic celebration. Cantlay followed but his try stayed just too high. Scheffler was a PGA Tour champion.

Scheffler was emotional; after Cantlay’s putt slid by he shared a long embrace with his wife Meredith, fielded questions from Amanda Balionis and headed off to lift the trophy. He grinned his way through interviews, knowing his career had changed for the better, forever.

The PGA Tour must have been similarly pleased; this was a win for the Tour, too, with one of its most promising young stars ascending inside the top 10 in the world on a thrilling, emotional weekend.

With any luck Scheffler would get the celebration going within the hour — and have something extra to enjoy as he took in the Super Bowl’s second half.

The post On raucous, delightful PGA Tour weekend, a new champion emerged appeared first on Golf.

The post Shirtless PGA Tour pros?! Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen go wild at 16 appeared first on Golf.

The post Shirtless PGA Tour pros?! Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen go wild at 16 appeared first on Golf.

The latest, nakedest moment in the debaucherous desert get-together at TPC Scottsdale started with a tweet.

On Saturday night, Joel Dahmen posted his tee time notification for Sunday’s final round: 10:43 a.m. off No. 10 alongside his pal Harry Higgs.

Dahmen and Higgs weren’t exactly in contention; the two entered Sunday tied for 64th at the WM Phoenix Open. But Dahmen was invigorated by the chance to play alongside Higgs.

“Dreams do come true!” he wrote. “If we get enough retweets [Harry Higgs] will take his shirt off on 16 tomorrow!”

Dahmen’s caddie Geno Bonnalie shared his player’s enthusiasm.

Dahmen logged a significant number of retweets (some 7,000+) but Higgs played it cool.

“You funny,” he wrote by way of reply.

It wasn’t an outright denial, at least. Dahmen’s dream was alive.

Higgs is a cult hero on Tour known for his love of life, Tito’s and unbuttoned shirts. But popping his top on the wildest stage on the PGA Tour? That would be a new frontier even for the Big Rigg.

The two stepped to the 16th tee to raucous applause, but unlike Carlos Ortiz (or Sam Ryder, a day before) neither threatened an ace. Dahmen left himself a 17-footer for birdie, while Higgs sent his tee shot long and left and chipped to 11 feet.

When he rolled that putt in, the party was on.

It’s tough to describe exactly what happened next other than to say that pure instinct seemed to take over. Higgs lifted his shirt, flashing the crowd, knocking off his hat and sending the assembled onlookers into a frenzy.

The beer cans followed immediately; Higgs was dodging various half-filled recyclables before he even got his ball out of the hole.

Then Dahmen, never one to miss out on the action, joined his buddy, ripping off his shirt entirely (he’d just finished up a par putt of his own) and waving his light-blue Travis Mathew like a Terrible Towel. That invigorated Higgs, who charged across the green and leapt in some sort of Michael Jordan-inspired fist-pump leap as spike marks and beer marks built up on the green’s edge. It was outrageous. It was majestic. It was a lot of fun. It was unlike any scene I’ve seen in professional golf.

The magic didn’t last for long; Higgs hit his next shot in the water and Dahmen four-putted (yes, four-putted) the 17th green. It didn’t matter; neither was likely to crack the top 50. But fans got to see more — a whole lot more — of two of their favorites. Neither the tournament nor the game of golf seemed to split apart from the sight of skin nor jubilation.

As for the fans at 16? They still had a couple hours to go before the leaders rolled through. But now there was plenty to talk about as they headed to the beer line, looking for refills.

The post Shirtless PGA Tour pros?! Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen go wild at 16 appeared first on Golf.

The post Pro goes ace-eagle, pandemonium ensues: ‘It’s raining in the desert again!’ appeared first on Golf.

The post Pro goes ace-eagle, pandemonium ensues: ‘It’s raining in the desert again!’ appeared first on Golf.

Carlos Ortiz got his final round off to a hot start at the WM Phoenix Open. He began the day in 49th place, so he teed off No. 10, where he hit his approach shot to three feet. Birdie. At No. 11 he hit his approach to six feet. Another birdie. As far as back-to-backs go, that was pretty good.

A few holes later, he went back-to-back in far more dramatic fashion.

Ortiz stepped into the loudest stadium in golf — No. 16 at TPC Scottsdale — and hit a perfect golf shot. The 16th was playing to 178 yards and Ortiz pulled 9-iron, landed it in the middle of the green and walked after it. The ball skipped forward and rolled towards the hole with impeccable speed. The roars built as the ball got closer and then fell into the side of the cup for a hole-in-one.

“There’s going to be a few thirsty people, because all the beer’s down on the hole now,” Trevor Immelman said on the broadcast as cups and cans flew in from the surrounding bleachers.

Before Saturday, there had been 2,864 tee shots at 16 since the last tournament ace, which Francesco Molinari made in 2015. But in the third round, Sam Ryder made one, sending the tens of thousands lining the hole into pandemonium. The Sunday crowd may have been mildly more subdued when Ortiz did it again, but you’d hardly have known it from watching.

The last time there were two aces on 16 in the same year? 1997, when Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker each made 1, according to the broadcast.

The PGA Tour Live announcer said it best: “It’s raining in the desert again!”

The ace was the third of Ortiz’s PGA Tour career, though no doubt his most memorable. He basked in the madness as tournament employees worked to clear the debris from around the green. Playing partner Kevin Kisner gazed out at the chaos with a grin on his face.

But then Ortiz’s round got even better. He stepped up to the drivable par-4 17th and ripped driver 336, leaving himself with a 13-footer for eagle. He buried it.

Two birdies in a row, then two eagles in a row — both in the first eight holes of his round? Not a bad start. Ortiz’s heroics sent him into the top 20 before he’d even made the turn.

Justin Ray reported that Ortiz was the first Tour pro to make back-to-back eagles without a par-5 involved since Tyrrell Hatton last season.

The post Pro goes ace-eagle, pandemonium ensues: ‘It’s raining in the desert again!’ appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Look at the beers!’: Pro’s video shows insane scene after WM Open ace appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Look at the beers!’: Pro’s video shows insane scene after WM Open ace appeared first on Golf.

The scene inside the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale yesterday afternoon spoke for itself. There was a hole-in-one, then there was complete pandemonium. The crowd reaching ear-drum shattering decibels, the utter chaos on tee, the beer showers — it was as if the WM Phoenix Open faithful had gone to a party … then a golf tournament broke out.

But, if you needed any further evidence of just how insane it all was inside the 16th, perhaps it’s best to look out.

Matt Wallace wasn’t standing on the 16th tee box when Sam Ryder’s 124-yard wedge shot rolled into the bottom of the hole for an ace. He wasn’t even on the course. Rather, Wallace was part of just a small group grinding away on the practice range at TPC Scottsdale, which rests just a few football fields from the stadium construction of the 16th.

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The 31-year-old had missed the cut at the Waste Management and was living the unglamorous life of a PGA Tour grinder — using the weekend days to try to solve the two-way miss that’d kept him from contention in Scottsdale. With caddie Gareth Lord filming from behind, Wallace got to work on his swing, but only for a moment. Seconds after sending his drive into the ether, Wallace’s head whipped around to his left.

Off in the distance, cheering erupted into a full-fledged roar, reaching a deafening pitch. Wallace knew what the noise meant. He pointed into the distance.

“Hole-in-one,” he said.

“Hole-in-one,” his caddie replied.

Lord zoomed the camera shot into the distance, where you could see specks flying from the top parts of the stadium seating. Without a cloud in the sky, it’d started raining in the desert.

“Look at the beers,” Lord said with a laugh.

The video lasted just 24 seconds — during which time the only visible golf shot was that of a player who’d missed the cut the day prior — and yet it captured the ridiculousness of the moment as well as any shot from inside the 16th.

“Forget the swing….come to watch the reaction for Sam Ryder’s Hole in One! @pgatour 😂😂🍺🍺,” Wallace tweeted later in a post that has since received 9,000 likes.

The Waste Management: golf’s “greatest show on turf” … even when you can’t see it.

The post ‘Look at the beers!’: Pro’s video shows insane scene after WM Open ace appeared first on Golf.

The post 2022 WM Phoenix Open purse: Payout information, winner’s share appeared first on Golf.

The post 2022 WM Phoenix Open purse: Payout information, winner’s share appeared first on Golf.

After three days of chaos in the desert, we’ve reached the final round of play at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open. Below, find everything you need to know about tournament money, including purse, payout information and winner’s share.

WM Phoenix Open final round preview

It’s a shame, really, that few things in Sunday’s WM Phoenix Open final round could top the moment Sam Ryder had on Saturday afternoon. It was then, as you have already likely seen, that Ryder made an ace on the famed, Stadium-style par-3 16th. The ensuing crowd explosion — featuring a beer shower for the ages and a clean-up befitting the tournament’s title sponsor — will likely be remembered as one of the best moments in golf in 2022.

But that moment is over, and it’s time to turn the page to Sunday, which is brimming with interesting storylines. First, the leader: Sahith Theegala, who is only in this week’s event by virtue of sponsor exemption. Theegala holds a one-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round and will be in the final pairing.

Then there’s Brooks Koepka, who sits just one stroke back and could look to become the first back-to-back winner in ’21 and ’22 on Tour. If he’s come away with a win on Sunday, Koepka will have to fend off charges from his Ryder Cup teammates Scottie Scheffler (one back of Koepka, two of Theegala), Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (two back of Koepka, three of Theegala).

But of course, there can only be one winner. Below, find everything you need to know about the WM Phoenix Open’s $8.2 million purse; you can catch the action split between Golf Channel and CBS on Sunday.

WM Phoenix Open payout information, winner’s share

1st $1,476,000

2nd $893,800

3rd $565,800

4th $401,800

5th $336,200

6th $297,250

7th $276,750

8th $256,250

9th $239,850

10th $223,450

11th $207,050

12th $190,650

13th $174,250

14th $157,850

15th $149,650

16th $141,450

17th $133,250

18th $125,050

19th $116,850

20th $108,650

21st $100,450

22nd $92,250

23rd $85,690

24th $79,130

25th $72,570

26th $66,010

27th $63,550

28th $61,090

29th $58,630

30th $56,170

31st $53,710

32nd $51,250

33rd $48,790

34th $46,740

35th $44,690

36th $42,640

37th $40,590

38th $38,950

39th $37,310

40th $35,670

41st $34,030

42nd $32,390

43rd $30,750

44th $29,110

45th $27,470

46th $25,830

47th $24,190

48th $22,878

49th $21,730

50th $21,074

51st $20,582

52nd $20,090

53rd $19,762

54th $19,434

55th $19,270

56th $19,106

57th $18,942

58th $18,778

59th $18,614

60th $18,450

61st $18,286

62nd $18,122

63rd $17,958

64th $17,794

65th $17,630

The post 2022 WM Phoenix Open purse: Payout information, winner’s share appeared first on Golf.

The post WM Phoenix Open live coverage: How to watch Sunday’s final round appeared first on Golf.

The post WM Phoenix Open live coverage: How to watch Sunday’s final round appeared first on Golf.

After three rounds of raucous play in the desert, we’ve reached the final round of the 2022 WM Phoenix Open. Below, find everything you need to know to tune into the action on Sunday, including TV and streaming schedules, tee times, and much more.

2022 WM Phoenix Open final round preview

After three rounds of play at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, the leader isn’t one of the top 100 players in the field, nor is he one of the big-named stars who made their way to TPC Scottsdale of the latest edition of the greatest show on turf. Rather, the man sitting atop the leaderboard in the desert is Sahith Theegala, the 318th-ranked player in the world who only earned an invite to the Waste Management by virtue of a sponsor’s exemption. Theegala (-13) holds a one-stroke lead over the field, but he’s got a host of World Top-10 players breathing down his neck.

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Reigning WM Phoenix Open Champ Brooks Koepka is closest among the pack to Theegala, riding a third-round 68 to drop to 13 under. Koepka is looking for his first professional victory since this event a year ago and is looking like his renewed self in the desert. Of course, he’ll not only have to chase down Theegala on Sunday, he’ll also have to hold off a charging Scottie Scheffler (whose Saturday 62 vaulted him two strokes off the lead) and the lurking Ryder Cup tandem of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who are each three strokes back heading into Sunday.

Speaking of Ryder, we hope you’ve seen the video of Sam Ryder’s ace on the famed 16th … and the subsequent beer shower that rained upon him from the thousands of rowdy Waste Management fans. If not, check it out below, it’s worth a watch.

You can find the full list of tee times for the final round below, along with complete information about streaming the 2022 WM Phoenix Open online or watching the action on TV.

How to watch the WM Phoenix Open on TV

Golf Channel and CBS will share TV coverage of the 2022 WM Phoenix Open. Check out the full TV schedule below.

Sunday, February 13: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, ESPN+); 3-6 ET (CBS)

How to watch the WM Phoenix Open online, streaming

The best way to stream the WM Phoenix Open online is with PGA Tour Live on ESPN+. PGA Tour Live will stream extensive coverage of the event from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. ET on Sunday, in addition to featured group coverage. Sign up for an ESPN+ account here to start streaming.

SIGN UP FOR PGA TOUR LIVE ON ESPN+ TO STREAM THE ENTIRE 2022 WM PHOENIX OPEN ONLINE

(GOLF.com may receive a commission when you sign up for ESPN+ through the link above.)

Get ESPN+

With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.

$6.99/month from go.web.plus.espn.com

How to bet on the WM Phoenix Open

Looking to make a (legal!) wager yourself? We teamed with BetMGM, and the online sportsbook is offering a special promotion for this week: get a risk-free token for golf when you bet $25 on the WM Phoenix Open! Sign up for an account to get into the action today.

Tee No. 1

1:05 p.m. — Sahith Theegala, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler

12:54 p.m. — Patrick Cantlay, Talor Gooch, Xander Schauffele

12:43 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Hoge, Max Homa 

12:32 p.m. — Alex Noren, Adam Hadwin, Garrick Higgo

12:21 p.m. — Keith Mitchell, Rory Sabbatini, Louis Oosthuizen

12:10 p.m. — Brendon Todd, Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel

11:59 a.m. — Patton Kizzire, Matt Fitzpatrick, Scott Stallings

11:48 a.m. — Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Chris Kirk

11:37 a.m. — J.T. Poston, Martin Laird, Brian Harman

11:26 a.m. — Abraham Ancer, Adam Scott, Sebastián Muñoz

11:15 a.m. — Corey Conners, Kevin Chappell, Troy Merritt

11:04 a.m. — Sam Ryder, Russell Knox, Stewart Cink

Tee No. 10

12:54 p.m. — Peter Malnati, Charley Hoffman

12:43 p.m. — Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen

12:32 p.m. — Stephan Jaeger, Kevin Tway, Sepp Straka

12:21 p.m. — Francesco Molinari, Doug Ghim, Matt Jones

12:10 p.m. — Sung Kang, Brice Garnett, Luke List

11:59 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Jordan Spieth, Hudson Swafford

11:48 a.m. — Joseph Bramlett, Carlos Ortiz, Kevin Kisner

11:37 a.m. — Cameron Young, Branden Grace, K.H. Lee

11:26 a.m. — Ryan Moore, Si Woo Kim, Kramer Hickok

11:15 a.m. — Brian Stuard, Martin Trainer, Russell Henley

11:04 a.m. — Lucas Glover, Zach Johnson, Austin Eckroat

The post WM Phoenix Open live coverage: How to watch Sunday’s final round appeared first on Golf.

The post Check out Devereux’s WMPO-inspired apparel and accessories capsule appeared first on Golf.

The post Check out Devereux’s WMPO-inspired apparel and accessories capsule appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Gimme That, a GOLF.com column where we’ll highlight one notable item we think you might like. Whether it’s an article of clothing, an intriguing electronic device or anything in between, we want to share these items with you because they’ve generated a bit of chatter by our water cooler (or, these days, on our Slack channel). So sit back, scroll down and keep up with the latest gear golf has to offer.

Devereux has released a fun, limited collection to celebrate the Waste Management Phoenix Open and all things desert golf. The entire capsule is inspired by the late 1970s and early 1980s — the time when we first saw a real boom in desert golf. The capsule features a few hats, towel, polos and a crew neck sweatshirt. We’ve linked a few of our favorite items below, but head over to their website to shop the complete capsule.

Plug Life Golf Towel

This 70s/80s inspired design celebrates desert golf…even though if you’ve ever plugged your ball into a cactus you probably didn’t feel like celebrating.

$34 from go.skimresources.com

DVRX Valley Hat

If you’re a fan of the Valley of the Sun, this hat is for you.

$35 from go.skimresources.com

Tipped Skull Polo

This retro-inspired polo pays homage to the time when desert golf really took off.

$64 from go.skimresources.com

The post Check out Devereux’s WMPO-inspired apparel and accessories capsule appeared first on Golf.

The post Viktor Hovland has a new Ping G425 LST driver for a very good reason appeared first on Golf.

The post Viktor Hovland has a new Ping G425 LST driver for a very good reason appeared first on Golf.

PHOENIX — It could be debated that no one is playing better golf than Viktor Hovland at the moment. Wins usually keep pros from tinkering with their equipment setup, but when Hovland arrived in Phoenix following a two-week stretch in the Middle East, he made it a point to stop by Ping headquarters for a G425 LST driver tuneup.

Hovland’s driver has been in the news a considerable amount over the last several months, only this wasn’t a case of the Norwegian needing a replacement for a busted big stick. Hovland’s recent speed gains revealed a decrease in spin rate to roughly 1,800-1,900 RPMs — a number that toes the line between being absolutely perfect and categorizing the 24-year-old as an “underspinner.”

“Viktor can wake up and cruise at 177 mph ball speed out here,” said Ping Tour rep Kenton Oates. “That used to be a number he’d hit when he was swinging hard. Now he can hit 180 without much additional effort. So his playable speed has gone up over about the last six months.”

This isn’t the first time Hovland has been dubbed an underspinner. During last year’s Memorial Tournament, Hovland asked Ping Tour reps to come up with a solution that allowed him to gain launch and spin with his i210 irons to handle the firm conditions at Muirfield Village.

In a move that somewhat mirrored the iron dilemma, Ping reps made slight modifications to combat the lower-than-comfortable spin rate and increase launch — it was 10 degrees with Hovland’s previous driver build — removing the shaft tipping from his Fujikura Speeder 661 TR TX shaft to soften the overall build.

“His coach, Jeff Smith, spoke to Fujikura about some solutions, and the first thing we decided on was removing the tipping,” Oates said. “Instead of being tipped 1 inch as it had been in the past, there’s no tipping on this one. But it’s still the same length.”

The loft also increased slightly from 8.4 degrees to 8.6 degrees and hot melt (three grams) was added to the toe to keep Hovland from overdrawing the ball since his path started moving more right.

“All of those things are going to help him add spin,” Oates said. “When he was on the range, we saw 11-12 degrees of launch with about 2300 RPMs of spin.”

The changes all add up to a driver that allows Hovland to not worry about spin dropping to dangerous levels on the occasional mishit. (With the WM Phoenix Open being played at 1,300 feet above sea level, an increase in spin will be nice to have with less air density.)

It’s a driver build that makes Hovland that much better this week, which is a scary proposition for the competition.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.

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The post 5 picks I love at the Waste Management Open, according to a professional gambler appeared first on Golf.

The post 5 picks I love at the Waste Management Open, according to a professional gambler appeared first on Golf.

On Super Bowl Sunday, the crowds will be raucous, the competition taut, the atmosphere befitting a gladiator battle.

At some point, there will also be a football game.

But the main event for golf fans will be the Waste Management Open, the sun-kissed kegger known as the Greatest Show on Turf. TPC Scottsdale is the venue, a stadium course that tends to yield birdies in bunches, even as it brings plenty of peril into play.

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Brooks Koepka is the defending champ, and if he’s going to repeat, he’ll have to hold off a loaded field highlighted by Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele and world No. 1 Jon Rahm, who, not surprisingly, is the current favorite on the betting board.

Rahm has had a pair of close calls lately, with runner-up finishes in last two events. Erick Lindgren has also come within in a whisker of the winner’s circle, At last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM, GOLF.com’s expert prognosticator was all in on Jordan Spieth to win, a 20-1 wager that would have paid $4,000 had Tom Hoge not edged Spieth coming down the stretch. At the Waste Management, Lindgren will be at it again.

The terms are the same as ever: we give Lindgren a $1,000 gambling budget (just play money), and he gives us his five favorite plays. Check out his picks below.

(Looking to play any of these bets yourself? We teamed with BetMGM and the online sports book is offering a Risk-Free Bet of up to $1,000).

Jordan Spieth to win: +2,000 (wager: $300)

At the 2021 Waste Management, Spieth fired a third-round 61 before stumbling on Sunday to a fourth-place finish. It’s payback time, Lindgren says. “I think Jordan has the one circled after what happened last year,” he says. “I won’t be surprised if Spieth is number-one in the world by the end of the season. I see it starting with a win here.”

Hideki Matsuyama to win: +1,600 (wager: $200)

Lindgren is high on Hideki, and not just because he’s won twice here. “He has been over-performing this year on courses that weren’t historically great for him,” Lindgren says. “I see him as another player trending toward his peak.”

Keith Mitchell to finish in the top 10: +700 (wager: $200)

As Lindgren sees it, the fact that Mitchell has yet to punch his ticket to the Masters should be extra motivation for the former Georgia Bulldog. “He’s always had the confidence,” Lindgren says. “And his game is starting to catch up with this swagger.”

Keegan Bradley to finish in the top 5 in the first round: +1,400 (wager: $200)

Golf is a marathon, not a sprint. But that doesn’t mean you can’t bet on guys to break out quick. “Bradley is a perennial fast starter,” Lindgren says. “And his game is a good fit here.”

Sam Burns first round leader: +4,000 (wager: $100)

“This man is capable of scorching any course,” says Lindgren, who is banking on a repeat performance out of Burns, who opened with a 64 here last year.

The post 5 picks I love at the Waste Management Open, according to a professional gambler appeared first on Golf.