pga tour final round scoring average

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Golf compendium, yearly pga tour scoring leaders (byron nelson award).

Scoring Average Leaders on the PGA Tour By Year

Using adjusted scoring average, popular posts from this blog, golfers with the most wins in major championships, 2024 masters tournament winner and final scores.

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Crunching the Numbers

Here's who led the PGA Tour in every major stat during the 2020-21 'super' season

Fifty events, 43 winners, 14 playoffs, 641 players competing in total, 1.3 million strokes taken, 58,000 miles traveled. These are just some of the numbers the PGA Tour compiled to help provide context to the 2020-21 campaign that wrapped up at the Tour Championship.

It was a season unlike any other, given the additional events played in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With all the shots counted, we thought it might be interesting to see who finished the season as the leader in a variety of PGA Tour stats. Suffice to say, you’ll see a few names repeated here. They’re the ones who also are in the running for PGA Tour player-of-the-year honors.

Driving Distance Bryson DeChambeau, 323.7 yards

Longest Drive Lee Westwood, 425 yards TPC Craig Ranch (AT&T Byron Nelson) Rnd 3 - Hole 8 Par 4 482 Yards

Driving Accuracy Percentage Brendon Todd, 75.25

Greens in Regulation Percentage Cameron Percy, 72.58

SG/Tee-to-green Jon Rahm, 1.767

SG/Off-the-tee Bryson DeChambeau, 1.162

SG/Approach the Green Collin Morikawa, 1.170

Oisin Keniry

SG/Around the green Kevin Na, 0.702

SG/Putting Louis Oosthuizen, 0.764

SG/Total Jon Rahm, 2.098

Putting Average Cameron Smith, 1.689

Stacy Revere

Total Eagles Cam Davis, 20

Total Birdies Sungjae Im, 498

MORE: Sungjae Im breaks 21-year-old PGA Tour scoring record  

Scoring Average Jon Rahm, 69.3

Scoring Avg. Before Cut Jon Rahm, 68.88

Round 3 Scoring Avg. Sergio Garcia, 68.36

Final Round Scoring Avg. Tyrrell Hatton, 68.55

Sand Save Percentage Brooks Koepka, 65.38

Sean M. Haffey

Official Money Jon Rahm, $7,705,933

Par Breakers Bryson DeChambeau, 26.32

MORE: How will the PGA Tour player-of-the-year race shake out? Our writers debate

Par 3 Birdie or Better Leaders Justin Rose, 20.27

Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders Sam Burns, 21.24

Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders Bryson DeChambeau, 59.16

Sam Greenwood

Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage Cameron Smith, 37.47

Top-10 Finishes Jon Rahm, 15

MORE: Here’s the final FedEx Cup prize money payout for each golfer at East Lake

Eagles (Holes per) Bryson DeChambeau, 75.8

Birdie Average (tie) Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, 4.51

Scrambling Patrick Cantlay, 67.3

Bounce Back Adam Scott, 32.02

Par 3 Performance Stewart Cink, -14

Par 4 Performance Emiliano Grillo, -44

Par 5 Performance Sungjae Im, -174

GIR Percentage from Fairway Jon Rahm, 84.28

GIR Percentage from Other than Fairway Adam Schenk, 60.61

Par 3 Scoring Avg. (tie) Stewart Cink, Jon Rahm, 2.96

Par 4 Scoring Avg. (tie) Seamus Power, Patrick Cantlay, 3.95

Par 5 Scoring Avg. (tie) Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, 4.45

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PGA Tour Stats: Final-round scoring average leaders and the irons they use

The PGA Tour's leaders in final-round scoring average entering the John Deere Classic and the irons they use.

U.S. Open: Rickie, Rory, Wyndham and more final-round storylines

• Senior college football writer
• Author of seven books on college football
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LOS ANGELES -- World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler closed with a flurry in the third round of the 123rd U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club on Saturday.

Rickie Fowler ? Not so much.

Fowler set a U.S. Open record with an 8-under 62 in the first round (as did Xander Schauffele ) and gained only 2 strokes over the next 36 holes. Fowler is tied with Wyndham Clark for the 54-hole lead at 10 under. He would have held the outright lead overnight if he hadn't inexplicably three-putted for bogey on the 18th, including a 3½-footer for par that lipped out.

Still, Fowler is in one of the best positions of his career to win an elusive first major. He'll try to do it in his 48th start.

"We all feel nerves at times, depending on certain shots or circumstances, but I mentioned it yesterday and then still stand by it," Fowler said. "This is the best I've felt, let alone in a normal tournament but especially a major, and I would say really ever in my career."

Clark, the 32nd-ranked player in the world, picked up his first PGA Tour victory at last month's Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. That was a designated event, in which he beat most of the PGA Tour's best players in a 4-stroke victory. The Denver native seems confident that he can do it again.

"Obviously, it's just Saturday, but it's a little surreal to be in this situation," Clark said. "Honestly, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow and the challenge it's going to bring, and hopefully it's my day."

Rory McIlroy , the No. 3 player in the world, is only 1 stroke back. He carded a 1-under 69 on Saturday, his third straight subpar round, and is in a prime position to end a nearly nine-year drought without a major championship victory. McIlroy's last win in one came at the 2014 PGA Championship.

McIlroy has been frustratingly close to ending the major drought. He tied for second at the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. Last year, he finished in the top 10 in each of the four majors, including second at the Masters and third at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland.

It has been a dozen years since McIlroy won his only U.S. Open title at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, in June 2011. It would be the longest gap between U.S. Open victories in history and fifth longest for any major, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"It's been such a long time since I've done it," McIlroy said. "I'm going out there to try to execute a game plan, and I feel like over the last three days I've executed that game plan really, really well. I just need to do that for one more day."

Fowler will have to hold off not only Clark and McIlroy but also Scheffler, who seemed too far back until the final two holes of the third round. After dropping to 4 under following a bogey on the 16th, Scheffler holed out from 196 yards for an eagle on the 17th. Then his balky putter came to life when he sank a 22-footer for a birdie on the 18th, which moved him to 7 under.

Just like that, the 2022 Masters champion was in the hunt for his second major championship victory. He'll have to try to win this one from behind.

"You're nervous whether or not you're leading or chasing," Scheffler said. "I want to win the golf tournament. It doesn't matter what tournament it is. I'm showing up and I want to play good and I want to win. Going into tomorrow I'm going to be chasing, but it's not going to feel any different."

Each of the past 24 U.S. Open champions were within 4 shots of the lead entering the final round. All but seven of the past 49 were within 3 strokes heading into the last 18 holes, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Harris English is 4 strokes back. Dustin Johnson and Schauffele are 5 behind. "Obviously, it would be huge," Fowler said. "It would be great. Especially being here in Southern California, having a lot of people, family and friends that are out here this week. We have a chance tomorrow. After going through the last few years, I'm not scared to fail. I've dealt with that. We're just going to go have fun, continue to try to execute, leave it all out there, see where we stand on 18."

Hello, darkness, my old friend

Clark and Fowler weren't happy about starting so late and having to finish in the near-dark. They didn't tee off until 6:40 p.m. ET and finished more than four hours later. By then, the marine layer had returned and there wasn't much sunlight.

"I mean, it's a little ridiculous that we teed off that late," Clark said. "I would say right around hole 15 or 16 it started getting to where you couldn't see that well. We played twilight golf."

Clark said his bogey on the 17th was "100 percent" because he couldn't see, and he said Fowler's on No. 18 was "because he couldn't see." Clark said he couldn't see his putts on the last two holes, and that he and Fowler "just played off of feel."

"I'd like to see us go off an hour and a half, two hours earlier," Clark said. "If we had a playoff tomorrow we wouldn't even be able to play the playoff tomorrow because it was so dark. With that, I'm not trying to make an excuse, but it definitely was a challenge.

"It's kind of tough and it's crazy to think that we're doing that on the last two holes of a major when we could have teed off two hours earlier. Hopefully tomorrow we don't have that issue."

Clark got his wish. The co-leaders will tee off at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday, 70 minutes earlier than Saturday.

Treacherous back nine

The back nine of the North Course has been grossly harder than the front all week. South Korean Tom Kim 's third round might be evidence A of the difference in difficulty.

On Saturday, Kim tied a U.S. Open record for the lowest nine-hole score with a 29 on the front. He made birdies on Nos. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 and didn't card a bogey. Kim made an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 4 and a 10-footer on No. 6.

Kim made the turn and added another birdie on the par-4 10th to move to 6 under and into the top 10, after starting his round tied for 107th at 1 over.

At that point, Kim started thinking about the possibilities.

"It did catch my mind once when I was 7 under, where, man, if I can keep this going, have a good finish, and if the leaders kind of stumble, I might have a chance to be really close up there on Sunday," Kim said. "But it was a really short thought because I still had the hardest part of the golf course right in front of me."

After Kim posted consecutive pars on Nos. 11 and 12, things fell apart. He missed the green on the par-4 13th and made a bogey. His tee shot on the par-3 15th was short and landed in the front bunker, resulting in another bogey.

On the par-4 16th, Kim's tee shot settled in the native area, and he punched out into the rough. Another bogey dropped him to 3 under. He made par on the last two holes to finish 4-under 66. He is 3 under after 54 holes.

"To be honest, that back nine is really hard," Kim said. "You just don't really have any bailouts. Those three bogeys really don't feel like bogeys because I barely missed it by a yard or two. But major championship golf, U.S. Open really brings it out of you."

On Saturday, the front-nine scoring average was 34.970. It was 36.880 on the back. According to Justin Ray of Twenty First Group, players were a combined 86 over par on the front nine through the first three rounds, 595 over on the back.

Changing it up

Golf fans got what they wanted Saturday, as the par-3 15th hole was playing only 81 yards, making it the shortest par-3 in U.S. Open history. The previous shortest hole was the 92-yard seventh hole at Pebble Beach Links in California in 2010.

Just because it wasn't very long doesn't necessarily mean it was easy. There were 11 birdies, 49 pars, four bogeys and one double bogey.

"I mean, it was 76 yards, 80-something to the hole," Kim said. "You have four yards of green to work with. You're long, you're dead; you're short, you're dead. It's a really simple wedge shot, but with the wind kind of going down to left, you've got to really hit it at the right time."

Kim said you couldn't bail out to the left side of the green, or you'd be left with a 40-foot putt down the hill. He wasn't the only player who walked away with a bogey.

"It's a wedge," Kim said. "I think a bogey from 80 yards stats-wise isn't great, but definitely double [bogey] is in play there."

Padraig Harrington had one of the birdies.

"There's a lovely upslope just left of the pin," Harrington said. "As long as you go about four or five yards left of the pin, there's a nice upslope."

Bryson DeChambeau , who hits his golf ball further than just about everybody, was happy to walk away with a par. He hit a 60-degree wedge and teed his ball up higher than usual.

"I'm the happiest man alive that I hit that green," DeChambeau said. "With my wedge game and how fast I can move a golf club, I'm super happy that I was able to control the distance there and get it on the green."

On Sunday, the pin will probably be on the back right of the green. It will play about 135 to 140 yards. Players should be able to fade their tee shots into the green.

Less than five-star reviews

Brooks Koepka isn't the only golfer who isn't too fond of LACC. Defending U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and world No. 5 golfer Viktor Hovland didn't give it rave reviews Saturday, either.

Fitzpatrick, who is ranked No. 8 in the Official World Golf Ranking, tried to be polite. Hovland was a little more critical after carding a 1-under 69. He is 2 under after 54 holes.

LACC's North Course is hosting its first U.S. Open. The tournament is scheduled to return here in 2039.

"You know what, I'm not a big fan of this golf course, to be honest," Hovland said. "I think there's some good holes. I don't think there's any great holes. I think there's a few bad holes. I think No. 9 is probably the best hole out here in my opinion."

Fitzpatrick had some of the same complaints that Koepka had Friday: Too many blind shots and too much slope in the fairways, which causes balls to funnel to the same spots, regardless of the line.

"I just think the golf course is interesting, to be polite, I think," Fitzpatrick said. "There's just too many holes for me where you've got blind tee shots and then you've got fairways that don't hold the ball. There's too much slope.

"Some of the tee shots, I think they're a little bit unfair. You hit a good tee shot and end up in the rough by a foot and then you're hacking it out. Meanwhile, someone has hit it miles offline the other way and they've got a shot. Yeah, not my cup of tea."

LACC members can take solace in that Scheffler likes their course.

"I definitely like the golf course a lot," Scheffler said. "I think it's a very interesting place to play golf. I think some of the setup stuff has been also a little bit interesting. It can be frustrating at times with how firm the greens are and how much softer the fairways are."

It's only a number

Ireland's Harrington, a three-time major champion, is 1 under after 54 holes, becoming only the fourth player at 50 years or older to be under par through three rounds of the U.S. Open, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Harrington carded a 3-under 67 in the third round, including an eagle on the par-5 eighth and two birdies on the back.

"Most of my golf now, which is the way it should always be, is about managing me," Harrington said. "I'm not really trying to worry too much about everybody else. I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing, mainly mentally. ... Physically I'm capable and I know what to do mentally, just sometimes it's a bit of a stumbling block to get myself to do the good stuff mentally."

Harrington, who is playing on PGA Tour Champions, would become the fifth player over 50 to finish under par in a U.S. Open after 72 holes. The others were Steve Stricker in 2017 (5 under), Julius Boros in 1973 (1 under), Raymond Floyd in 1993 (1 under) and Dutch Harrison in 1960 (1 under).

Unfamiliar name on the leaderboard

There's a name you probably don't recognize on the leaderboard: Japan's Ryutaro Nagano , who is solo eighth at 4 under. After posting a 1-over 71 in the first round, he's a combined 5 under in the past 36.

Nagano, 35, has never won on the Japan Golf Tour. The closest he came was a playoff loss in the 2021 Panasonic Open Golf Championship. He's ranked 522nd in the world. He has played in one other major championship, missing the cut at the 2021 Open Championship. He tied for 39th in his only PGA Tour start at the 2021 Zozo Championship.

For whatever reason, Nagano's game came together this week.

"I'm grateful that I've been able to play well for the last three days, and to be here is amazing," Nagano said.

Nagano's favorite memory of the U.S. Open was watching Tiger Woods win at Torrey Pines in San Diego in 2008. Nagano was in high school.

If Nagano finishes in the top 10 Sunday, he'll earn a spot in the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.

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a]:underline [&>a]:text-team-secondary"> Scottie Scheffler has the best scoring average this season, with 68.7 strokes per round.

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Who Holds The Record For The Lowest PGA Tour Scoring Average?

Tiger Woods holds the record for the lowest scoring average, and he has six full seasons better than anyone else has ever managed

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The list of the top scoring averages in PGA Tour history further underlines Tiger Woods’ dominance in the sport. 

The 15-time Major winner not only holds the record for the best adjusted scoring average ever on Tour, he also owns the top six spots on the list, with his 1999 (68.43), 2000 (67.79), 2002 (68.56), 2003 (68.41), 2007 (67.79) and 2009 (68.05) seasons.

Woods’ best scoring average year was his record-breaking 2000 season. 

In 2000, Woods won nine of the 20 tournaments he entered, including three of the four Majors (he completed the Tiger Slam at the 2021 Masters) and six consecutive PGA Tour events (the longest streak since Ben Hogan in 1948). He also broke or tied nine tournament records in his dominant 15-stroke US Open victory that year.

Every year, the PGA Tour hands out the Byron Nelson award to the player with the lowest adjusted scoring average.

The award was named after Nelson, who held the lowest actual (which differs from adjusted) PGA Tour scoring average record of 68.34 in 1945 for decades before Tiger Woods’ 68.17 in 2000.

Since 1980, scoring average has been weighted to take into account the stroke average of the rest of the field.

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Scottie Scheffler is the next best behind Woods in seventh place, after his incredible display of ball striking in the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season saw him put together an adjusted scoring average of 68.63.

The only other players not named Tiger Woods in the all-time top 10 are Vijay Singh in 2003 (68.65) and Rory McIlroy in 2022 (68.67).

Top 10 PGA Tour adjusted scoring averages

• 1. 67.79 — Tiger Woods, 2000
• 2. 67.79 — Tiger Woods, 2007
• 3. 68.05 — Tiger Woods, 2009
• 4. 68.41 — Tiger Woods, 2003
• 5. 68.43 — Tiger Woods, 1999
• 6. 68.56 — Tiger Woods, 2002
• 7. 68.63 — Scottie Scheffler, 2023
• 8. 68.65 — Vijay Singh, 2003
• 9. 68.66 — Tiger Woods, 2005
• 10. 68.67 — Rory McIlroy, 2022

Byron Nelson award winners

Tiger Woods is the only man to have beaten Scottie Scheffler's 2022-23 PGA Tour scoring average

• 2023 — Scottie Scheffler, 68.63
• 2022 — Rory McIlroy, 68.67
• 2021 — Jon Rahm, 69.30
• 2020 — Webb Simpson, 68.98
• 2019 — Rory McIlroy, 69.06
• 2018 — Dustin Johnson, 68.70
• 2017 — Jordan Spieth, 68.85
• 2016 — Dustin Johnson, 69.17
• 2015 — Jordan Spieth, 68.94
• 2014 — Rory McIlroy, 68.83
• 2013 — Steve Stricker, 68.95
• 2012 — Rory McIlroy, 68.87
• 2011 — Luke Donald, 68.86
• 2010 — Matt Kuchar, 69.61
• 2009 — Tiger Woods, 68.05
• 2008 — Sergio Garcia, 69.12
• 2007 — Tiger Woods, 67.79
• 2006 — Tiger Woods, 68.11
• 2005 — Tiger Woods, 68.66
• 2004 — Vijay Singh, 68.84
• 2003 — Tiger Woods, 68.41
• 2002 — Tiger Woods, 68.56
• 2001 — Tiger Woods, 68.81
• 2000 — Tiger Woods, 67.79
• 1999 — Tiger Woods, 68.43
• 1998 — David Duval, 69.13
• 1997 — Nick Price, 68.98
• 1996 — Tom Lehman, 69.32
• 1995 — Greg Norman, 69.06
• 1994 — Greg Norman, 68.81
• 1993 — Greg Norman, 68.90
• 1992 — Fred Couples, 69.38
• 1991 — Fred Couples, 69.59
• 1990 — Greg Norman, 69.10
• 1989 — Greg Norman, 69.49
• 1988 — Greg Norman, 69.38
• 1987 — David Frost, 70.09
• 1986 — Scott Hoch, 70.08
• 1985 — Don Pooley, 70.36
• 1984 — Calvin Peete, 70.56
• 1983 — Raymond Floyd, 70.61
• 1982 — Tom Kite, 70.21
• 1981 — Tom Kite, 69.80
• 1980 — Lee Trevino, 69.73

What is adjusted scoring average?

Adjusted scoring average, which takes the stroke average of the entire field into account, differs from actual scoring average, which is the mean average of a golfer’s strokes over the course of a season.

According to the PGA Tour, the adjusted scoring average is: “The weighted scoring average which takes the stroke average of the field into account. It is computed by adding a player's total strokes to an adjustment and dividing by the total rounds played. The adjustment is computed by determining the stroke average of the field for each round played. This average is subtracted from par to create an adjustment for each round. A player accumulates these adjustments for each round played. ”

The stat is basically a more accurate representation of scoring average as it takes into account the course, tournament and field.

Joel Kulasingham is freelance writer for Golf Monthly. He has worked as a sports reporter and editor in New Zealand for more than five years, covering a wide range of sports including golf, rugby and football. He moved to London in 2023 and writes for several publications in the UK and abroad. He is a life-long sports nut and has been obsessed with golf since first swinging a club at the age of 13. These days he spends most of his time watching, reading and writing about sports, and playing mediocre golf at courses around London.

Billy Horschel suggested that LIV Golf supporters are partially to blame for the current state of men's professional golf

By Ben Fleming Published 27 April 24

The deal with LIV Golf is expected to go towards funding Golf Australia’s junior program

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Score Average Before Cut

Miles Russell posts seventh consecutive under-par score but misses Korn Ferry Tour cut

When it was all over, an 18th hole bogey didn’t matter for 15-year-old Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach.

Russell hit his second shot into the water on Friday at the par-5 ninth hole of the Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, Texas, and with a closing bogey at the Vertitex Bank Championship, fell one shot below the cut line at the time he finished.

But when players who had been unable to complete their second rounds returned on Saturday morning, scores dipped lower and the cut line moved to 7-under, tying a record for the lowest in Korn Ferry history. That means even if Russell had birdied the last, he wouldn't have made the cut

Russell (70) shot 4-under 138 and ended his second professional tournament in a tie for 111th.

Miles Russell was happy with his ball-striking

Coming on the heels of a tie for 20th last week in the LECOM Suncoast Open in Lakewood Ranch, Russell could still smile after his finish in Texas.

"I don't when was the last time I had this much fun on the golf course," he said during his post-round interview sessions. "Just taking that experience and knowing that this is kind of what you have to look forward to is definitely something you might start practicing a little harder for."

Russell hit the ball just as well, if not better, in his first two rounds at the Rangers Golf Course. He hit 23 of 28 fairways (82.1 percent) and 28 of 35 greens (77.8 percent) but got up-and-down for par after missing greens on 4 of 8 times and didn't putt quite as well as the week before.

"This week I hit it great and played well, just didn't quite get the ball to go in the hole," he said. "I'd say I give myself an A for last week and maybe a B-minus this week," he said. "It wasn't quite all there this week but I played great last week. It will be something I remember for a while."

Russell made a late run at the cut line

Russell, who began his round at No. 10, had birdied Nos. 7 and 8 on putts of 3 and 34 feet to get inside the cut line.

After splitting the middle of the fairway with his tee shot at No. 9, Russell pushed his second shot into a water hazard on the right-front of the green, dropped, hit his fourth shot to within 10 feet and missed the par attempt.

The field was chased off the course late Friday morning because of approaching thunderstorms At the time of the weather delay, Russell was 1-over through six holes and 10 shots behind leader Frankie Capan III, who shot 58 in the first round.

When play resumed following the delay, Russell bogeyed No. 16 after hitting his tee shot into a penalty area and he made two pars to turn at 1-over for the day and 2-under for the tournament.

However, he rebounded with birdies at Nos. 1 and 3 (wrapped around a bogey at No. 3) and gave himself a chance with his birdies at Nos. 7 and 8.

Russell was spot-in with ball striking in first round

In Thursday’s first round, Russell was near top form with his ball striking. He tied for first in the field by hitting 13 of 14 fairways and hit 16 of 18 greens to tie for eighth in the field. 

He parred his first eight holes before breaking the ice with a 7-foot birdie putt at No. 9. Russell followed with a 29-foot birdie putt at No. 11, a 13-footer for birdie at No. 12 and a 7-footer for birdie at No. 16 after coming up just short and right of the driveable par-4 with a 323-yard clout off the tee. 

Russell chipped onto the green from 68 feet away to set up his birdie. 

Russell was coming off a historical week

Russell became the youngest player in history to make the cut at a Korn Ferry Tour event at the LECOM Suncoast Open when he opened with rounds of 668-66, then became the youngest in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event to finish among the top-20 when he followed a third-round 70 with a 66 on Sunday.

That earned him a spot in the Veritex Championship under the Korn Ferry rule of giving players who finish among the top-25 a spot in the next week’s tournament. 

A day later, Russell found out that he had been awarded a spot in the PGA Tour's Butterfield Bermuda Championship Nov. 14-17, for winning the AJGA Player of the Year Award in 2023.

Russell has been under par in six rounds in pro events

Despite missing the cut, Russell shot his sixth consecutive under-par round in professional events over the past two months, a streak that began when he had a 67 in a Monday qualifier for the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open. Russell lost in a four-for-one playoff to get into the main draw of the tournament.

Russell's scoring average in those pro tournaments is 67.85.

For the foreseeable future, Russell will return to a series of high-level junior and amateur tournaments, such as U.S. Amateur, U.S. Junior Boys, a U.S. Open Sectional qualifier and later in the summer, a chance to become the first to ever repeat as the Junior Players champion.

Russell became the youngest Junior Players champion in tournament history in 2023 and was the first from the First Coast to win the tournament.

Zurich Classic expert picks and predictions: Our PGA Pro’s best bets for 2024 TOUR Event

In this betting preview:

• Tournament format breakdown
• Expert picks and predictions
• BetMGM odds to win
• Betting trends from past winners
• Course overview

Life on the PGA TOUR is quite funny at times. The Masters is one of the easiest 36-hole cuts to make, major championship or otherwise. Following Augusta National, 69 of the game's elite just played a guaranteed 72-hole no-cut cash grab on Hilton Head Island. Now we travel to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic.

This annual event brings together 80 teams of PGA TOUR professionals. We go from 69 guys last week in the low country to 160 guys in Louisiana! Even better, only the top 33 teams and ties will make it to the weekend to compete for $8.9 million.

If you asked me to help make sense of it all, I just can't. Chances are the schedule will just change again in 2025 when we figure out this calendar of events. Meanwhile, take this week for what it is: a unique opportunity.

We will limit our exposure and make the most of live betting. The ladies also have a fantastic event to bet, and with a Nelly WD on Monday the field suddenly has a chance. Cue the walk-up music and enjoy some of the pairings the PGA TOUR's battle in the bayou is about to get started.

It pays to Read The Line. In our newsletter last week, we featured a parlay bet that turned out perfect. We predicted Scottie and Nelly to win and the combined odds earned our readers +3100! This preview is just that: a preview. For a complete list of my betting predictions covering the Zurich Classic winners, placements, and H2H matchups, please go to Read The Line and subscribe.

Zurich Classic expert picks and predictions

Best bet to win: tom hoge and maverick mcnealy (+2500 on betmgm ).

Hoge just came away from a very strong week at the RBC Heritage. Following a Friday 64, he was the 36-hole leader. His approach game is the perfect complement to Maverick McNealy’s putter. McNealy, who finished ninth at THE PLAYERS, has played well in 2024. Together, their recent ball-striking and scoring ability makes them a great contender to take home the trophy on Sunday in New Orleans.

*BET OF THE WEEK* Taylor Moore and Matt NeSmith to finish in the top 20: (+140 on BetMGM )

NeSmith and Moore have finished fourth at the Zurich Classic in each of the past two years. Old friends, these two can make a ton of low scores together. Moore has an excellent short game and putter, while NeSmith can keep up with the best ball-strikers in the game. Chemistry counts this week, and these two have it when they play together.

MORE: Where Nelly Zorda's win streak stands in LPGA history

Zurich Classic live odds to win

Odds (shorter than +10000) courtesy of BetMGM .

BUY NOW: Cheapest tickets to the PGA Championship

Zurich Classic past winners, betting trends

The science of predicting who will win a team event on the PGA TOUR is difficult. I can narrow down the field to best birdie makers, but in the end the biggest intangible is 'do these guys have chemistry on the course?' We have witnessed it each year, starting with the first team title when Jonas Blixt and Cam Smith won. The +10000 long shots blended their skill set perfectly to take home the trophy.

Consider the annual favorites, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. They are both great golfers, but alongside their OWGR skill is a competitive friendship. This is another reason why being on site for so many weeks matters. I see these guys interact with one another all around the facility. After three years, I can really start to tell who gets along with whom.

The better your team chemistry, the better your chances are to perform. This is exactly why Tiger Woods never had a good partner in the Ryder Cup. How hard would it be to partner with Woods and live with the fear of letting him down? Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry aren't worried about that. Our outrights will lead the field in strokes gained camaraderie.

Our outrights will also be birdie machines. The best Fourball players are aggressive scorers. That's not always the best type of player for individual events — but in this format, give me two guys who average more than four birdies per round. I want guys who:

• lead the TOUR in opportunities gained and GIRs
• tend to go for the par-5s in two
• know how to putt

Look at some of the recent winners. Cam Smith has won this event twice, strong putter Billy Horschel plays well here, and of course, the aforementioned Patrick and Xander.

We have four par-5s and four par-4s under 400 yards. Those eight holes require solid scrambling skills to score. Short-game skill will lead to birdies in bunches, and that's our secret weapon: guys who build their weekly birdie average by pitching the ball and using their wedges adeptly. A little acumen from close range and you can make more sub-par scores. My last key is putting from close range. The best way to separate from the field is during Foursomes. The toughest skill in alternate shot is making the last putt.

In most cases, the guy who has to knock in that testy five-footer did not hit the approach putt or chip prior. Without any feel, you must make your short putts. We see it year after year. The best putters perform better in alternate shot. Securing those short strokes keeps the team chemistry positive and your group in contention. It sounds simple, but finding the right combination between two PGA TOUR alpha players is tough. I know these teams are tight, therefore they lead our betting card in the bayou.

For full coverage of the Zurich Classic, subscribe to our Read The Line newsletter (it’s free!) and follow us on Twitter !

Zurich Classic: TPC Louisiana breakdown

A big part of successfully betting the Zurich is understanding the format. This is not a regular 72-hole stroke play event. The 80 teams of two will compete in a Fourball (better ball of partners) format on Thursday in Round 1. On Friday, the teams switch to Foursomes (alternate shot). Those who make the cut and compete over the weekend for the first-place prize of $1.3 million (each) will play the same two formats again. Saturday is Fourball, and Sunday is Foursomes. These are the same two team formats you see in the Ryder Cup.

The team format began at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2017. Since then, the average winning score has been 22 under par. With two separate formats, it is important to note how the winners got there. The last six winners average 16 under par in the Fourball format and six under par in Foursomes. Find the right alternate shot combination and you can make some serious cash. It's tough for a long shot to win in individual stroke play. Give everyone a partner, and the elite tend to take the title. The average winning odds of the seven champion teams is +3000.

The weather this week looks entertaining for a team battle. Temperatures are forecasted in the mid-80s and the only chance of rain comes on Sunday afternoon. The wind will be another story. Keep following the local weather, but as of now it is going to be breezy in the bayou. Round 1 starts in the mid-teens, and then by Saturday we are going to see sustained winds in the 20-mph range and gusts into the 30s. Hold onto your hats, as this Pete Dye design (2004) has 106 bunkers and eight holes where water comes into play.

TPC Louisiana has been the host venue dating back to 2005. Every team edition has been played here. The par-72 layout covers 7,425 yards. For the second week in a row, we have Pete Dye's diabolical mind to contend with. The most noticeable feature of this flat setting are the bunkers. In stark contrast to one another, you will see some of the largest and smallest sand hazards on TOUR. The greens are the fifth-smallest on TOUR at an average of 5,225 sq/ft. Of course, these will look huge compared to the tiny targets at Harbour Town.

There's a fair amount of drama on this design. We have four par-4s over 470 and the average par-3 length is 215 yards! The final three holes have water in play to catch your attention — and with all of these areas to avoid, that wind prediction should play havoc on the oversized field. Good luck finishing any round on time unless they light up the 18th hole. Even though it is a tough test, team scoring pushes that cutline pretty deep. The average score to get inside the top 33 and ties is six under par.

Read The Line is the leading golf betting insights service led by 5-time award winning PGA Professional Keith Stewart. Read The Line has 28 outright wins and covers the LPGA and PGA TOUR, raising your golf betting acumen week after week. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter and follow us on social media: TikTok , Instagram , Twitter .

Stuart Macdonald leads after Round 3 at Diners Club Peru Open

Stuart Macdonald leads by one after a 65 in Round 3 of the Diners Club Peru Open. (Credit Gregory Villalobos)

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Stuart Macdonald took sole possession of the 54-hole lead after turning in his best round of the week, a 7-under 65 in the third round of the Diners Club Peru Open at Los Inkas Golf Club.

After making par on Nos. 1-2, Macdonald took advantage of the 509-yard par-5 third and converted for eagle. After a par on No. 4, Macdonald birdied Nos. 5-7 to get to 5-under entering the back-nine. Macdonald did not make a bogey on the front nine, and only made bogey once in the third round.

In six starts on PGA TOUR Canada in 2023, Macdonald’s consistency stood out. Macdonald finished with three top-20 finishes and only missed the cut once. Macdonald’s best finish came at the 2023 Commissionaires Ottawa Open, where he defeated Devon Bling and Luke Schniederjans in a playoff to claim his first victory as a professional. Macdonald picked up a second top-5 finish after finishing T2 at the 2023 Windsor Championship.

Prior to turning professional in 2017, the Vancouver native starred at Purdue University from 2012-16. Macdonald ended his career with the 14th-best scoring average in Purdue program history and finished fourth on the team in top-10’s his senior year with four.

Third-round play finished at 4:30 p.m. CT. Final round tee times will start Sunday off the No. 1 tee at 8:09 a.m., with the final group teeing off at 12:10 p.m.

About Stuart Macdonald (1st/16-under)

Age: 29 Birthplace: Vancouver, Canada Residence: Scottsdale, Arizona College: Purdue University Fortinet Cup (start of week): T22

• Earned his first win at the 2023 Commissionaires Ottawa Open on PGA TOUR Canada
• Finished 7th on the 2023 Fortinet Cup points list on PGA TOUR Canada
• Enjoys playing Ping-Pong and Badminton
• His mother, Susan Macdonald, played golf at the University of British Columbia
• Earned Big Ten All-Academic honors in 2015 and 2016
• Was teammates with fellow PGA TOUR Americas members Brian Carlson and Luis Fernando Barco at Purdue

Competition Notes

Course Setup: Par 72 / 6,887 yards; Cumulative average: 71.770 Weather: Sunny with a high of 79. Wind from the SW at 2-8 mph with gusts up to 16 mph.

• Hole 4 – the 201-yard par 3 – has been the most challenging hole at Los Inkas Golf Club through 54-holes; averaging a +.360. Hole 4 has carded 128 bogeys to only 17 birdies through three rounds of tournament play
• Hole 3 – the 509-yard par 5 – has been the lowest scoring hole through 54 holes; averaging -.660. Players have made 29 eagles, 193 birdies and 17 bogeys on hole No. 3
• Stuart Macdonald (1st/-16) is the low Canadian through 54 holes
• Rodolfo Cazaubon (2nd/-15) leads all Latin players in the field through 54-holes, and his one of three Latins in the top-5 entering the final round: Julián Etulain of Argentina (T4/-11) and Agustin Errazuriz of Chile (T4/-11)
• Errazuriz (T4/-11) secured his spot in the field as a Monday Qualifier and is inside the top-5 after carding a 4-under 68 in the third round