<h3>Gorder to lead progress toward strategic investments, TOUR commercial growth on PGA TOUR Enterprises; Transaction Subcommittee, focused on PIF negotiations, includes Adam Scott, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy</h3> PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The PGA TOUR announced that Joseph W. "Joe" Gorder has been unanimously elected by the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board of Directors to serve as its inaugural Chairman. PGA TOUR Enterprises, a groundbreaking commercial venture, is propelling professional golf into a new era. In January, the Strategic Sports Group made an initial investment of $1.5 billion – with up to $3 billion available – into the entity, and this funding allows the PGA TOUR to make significant strategic investments for the first time, which the board and management are actively pursuing in order to further enhance the PGA TOUR experience for fans, players and sponsors. The recently rolled-out Player Equity Program, a first in professional sports, grants PGA TOUR players a stake in the TOUR’s commercial growth and ensures alignment between the organization’s athletes and the strategic investments that will draw new fans to the game. Gorder serves Valero Energy Corporation as its Executive Chairman of the Board, a position he assumed in June 2023 after retiring as Chief Executive Officer. During Gorder’s tenure as CEO, which began in 2014, Valero has ascended the Global Fortune 500 rankings (No. 40) as a leading manufacturer of low-carbon liquid transportation fuels. Gorder and Valero have been steadfast supporters of the PGA TOUR for more than two decades, as Valero has served as title sponsor of the Valero Texas Open since 2002 with the partnership secure through 2028. During that time Valero has generated more than $250 million in total charitable giving, including $24 million in 2024. Gorder joined the PGA TOUR Policy Board last year as an Independent Director following a comprehensive search process, led by Player Directors Patrick Cantlay and Webb Simpson and Independent Directors Mark Flaherty and Mary Meeker. Gorder will maintain his position as an Independent Director on the PGA TOUR Policy Board, while leading the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board of Directors. In addition to Gorder’s election, the Board has established specialized committees dedicated to the organization's strategic priorities. This includes the formation of a Transaction Subcommittee, which has been engaging directly in negotiations with the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The subcommittee’s initial members are Joe Gorder, Joe Ogilvie, John W. Henry, Jay Monahan, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods from the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board, as well as Rory McIlroy. “It's an honor to serve as the first Chairman of the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board,” said Gorder. “Having witnessed the profound impact of the PGA TOUR at the Valero Texas Open, I've seen firsthand how deeply the TOUR connects with communities and ignites its passionate fanbase. My dedication to this organization and optimism for what lies ahead are shared by all board members. Together with our Player Directors, we understand that fans are counting on us to actively engage with the PIF and pursue other investment and innovation opportunities that benefit everyone—fans, players, and sponsors alike. We're all committed to making this happen.” “Joe’s outstanding business acumen and leadership, marked by his time as chairman and CEO of a Fortune 50 company, position him perfectly to lead the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board as we embark on this new chapter,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner and CEO of PGA TOUR Enterprises Jay Monahan. "His strategic vision is crucial as we collaborate — Player Directors, board members and TOUR management — all pulling together to deliver the best for our fans, who are always our top priority, while also enhancing the TOUR overall for our players and sponsors.” "With so much work well underway, we were proud to unanimously elect Joe Gorder as PGA TOUR Enterprises Chairman,” said PGA TOUR Policy Board Member and PGA TOUR Enterprises Board Vice-Chairman Woods, on behalf of the Player Directors. "He not only has a deep understanding of what the PGA TOUR has and always will stand for, but also the experience and vision to help us realize all that this organization can accomplish in the future.” PGA TOUR Enterprises Board of Directors: <ul><li>Player Directors:Patrick CantlayPeter MalnatiAdam ScottWebb SimpsonJordan SpiethTiger Woods (Vice-Chairman)</li>,<li>Patrick Cantlay</li>,<li>Peter Malnati</li>,<li>Adam Scott</li>,<li>Webb Simpson</li>,<li>Jordan Spieth</li>,<li>Tiger Woods (Vice-Chairman)</li>,<li>Liaison Director: Joe Ogilvie</li>,<li>Independent DirectorsJoe Gorder (Chairman)John W. HenryArthur M. BlankAndrew B. CohenSam KennedyJay Monahan (CEO).</li>,<li>Joe Gorder (Chairman)</li>,<li>John W. Henry</li>,<li>Arthur M. Blank</li>,<li>Andrew B. Cohen</li>,<li>Sam Kennedy</li>,<li>Jay Monahan (CEO).</li></ul>

Gorder to lead progress toward strategic investments, TOUR commercial growth on PGA TOUR Enterprises; Transaction Subcommittee, focused on PIF negotiations, includes Adam Scott, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy

Joe Gorder elected as PGA TOUR Enterprises Chairman

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Collin Morikawa has been playing with an uncluttered mind since reuniting with former swing coach Rick Sessinghaus, and he hopes that it will help him regain his major-winning form. After going more than two years without a PGA TOUR win, Morikawa decided to switch coaches last fall. He split with Sessinghaus, with whom he had worked since he was 8 years old, and went to work with Mark Blackburn, whose students include Morikawa’s fellow Cal alum, Max Homa. Morikawa won the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP after switching to Blackburn, but he decided before last month’s Valero Texas Open to reunite with Sessinghaus. The move was first reported on X (formerly Twitter) by Barstool Sports' Dan Rapaport. “It was great with Mark, and Mark provided a lot of insight and just a lot of knowledge," Morikawa said Thursday. "But what I've learned about my game is by Thursday I just kind of have to get that all out of my head and sometimes that's hard when you have a certain swing thought. And that's what Rick knows how to do really, really well for me is just to be ready on Thursday on that first tee to just go and play golf. "It's been good. … I know the golf is still in there, it's just being able to get away those layers that I've built up over the past couple years of kind of scar tissue of seeing the bad shots and then just trusting the game again.” Morikawa’s good play continued Thursday. He shot a first-round 67 in the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship and shares second place, three shots behind leader Xander Schauffele. Before arriving at Quail Hollow, Morikawa finished third at the Masters, his best major finish since he won the 2021 Open Championship, and ninth at the RBC Heritage. Morikawa hit 13 greens Thursday and missed just two fairways. This is just his second appearance in the Wells Fargo Championship; he missed the cut last year after shooting consecutive 73s. Last fall, Morikawa described Sessinghaus as not only a coach but a close friend. They had worked together for more than 18 years before splitting in advance of the Ryder Cup. Morikawa ranked No. 22 on last year’s FedExCup standings before opening the TOUR Championship in 61-64, en route to a sixth-place FedExCup finish. It was a solid season but not the elite level he quickly demonstrated after turning pro in 2019, winning two majors (2020 PGA Championship, 2021 Open Championship) in his first start at each. He won five TOUR titles between July 2019 and July 2021, but he then went winless through the 2023 TOUR Championship. Morikawa and Sessinghaus had thrived, indisputably. But it was time for a new set of eyes. “He’s more than just a coach, he’s one of my really good friends,” Morikawa said at last fall’s Hero World Challenge. “He’s someone I’ve always looked up to, someone that’s been there for every step of my life essentially, not just in golf but just kind of living life, right? “It wasn't easy, and sometimes things happen like that. But 18 years is a long time. Not many relationships that I can say with a lot of people that I've had relationships for 18 years, and real relationships where I'm talking to them every week, right? So that wasn't easy at all. I had to do it, I just felt like it was time to make a change at some point. What I saw kind of over the past two years wasn't to my expectations and standards and goals what I wanted, so I brought on Mark Blackburn.” At the time, Morikawa stood 14th on the Official World Golf Ranking. He’s now 13th and trending upward, invigorated by a weekend in contention at Augusta National. The prodigious talent, who reached world No. 2 within three years of turning pro, believes the best is yet to come. A return to the roots could get him there.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Collin Morikawa has been playing with an uncluttered mind since reuniting with former swing coach Rick Sessinghaus, and he hopes that it will help him regain his major-winning form.

Return to longtime coach spurs Collin Morikawa’s run

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy hoped that his victory with Shane Lowry two weeks ago in the Zurich Classic team event would serve as a springboard for the remainder of the season. He's off to a good start. McIlroy positioned himself for a run at a record fourth Wells Fargo Championship title Thursday, opening with a 4-under 67 that left him three shots behind leader Xander Schauffele. Collin Morikawa and Alex Noren also shot 67, and Justin Thomas topped the group at 68. Quail Hollow is one of McIlroy's favorite courses, and with good reason. In 2010, McIlroy closed with a 62 that included six straight 3s on his card to win his first PGA TOUR title two days before he was legally able to purchase an alcoholic beverage in North Carolina. The star from Northern Ireland followed that with a seven-shot victory in 2015, shattering the tournament record at 21-under 267 after a course-record 61 in the third round. He added his third title in 2021. “I’ve always had a great affinity for this place," McIlroy said. “Playing in front of these fans, I feel like Charlotte has sort of taken me in as one of their own. It’s been a great journey. I’ve celebrated I think 13 of my last 15 birthdays here as well because obviously when the tournament falls. “Some awesome memories, and obviously trying to keep making more of those.” The only other player to win the Wells Fargo Championship multiple times is Homa, the 2019 and 2022 champion — the latter coming in Potomac, Maryland. Homa overcame a rough start, bogeying two of his first three holes to shoot 69. After taking the lead at 6-under with an eagle on seventh, Schauffele sent his tee shot on No. 8 about 10 yards into some heavy woods and the ball came to rest near a metal fence line. But instead of taking what seemed like an unplayable lie,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2024/05/09/xander-schauffele-leads-wells-fargo-championship-eventful-closing-stretch-ruling-drop-eagle">Schauffele was able to get relief</a>&nbsp;from the rules official and dropped outside of the woods because of a temporary immovable object. “I could have hit a 4-iron or something low and just kind of run it through,” Schauffele said. “If it gets stuck, I’ll just kind of hit my next one out. But I brought the rules official in there with me because I was like, you’ve got to be OK with this because this is literally the only shot I can hit." Schauffele was able to chip onto the green from the edge of the words and two-putt for par. “What was a very stressful moment turned into a pretty stressless par,” he said. And a huge break for Schauffele, who has seven top-10 finishes this season but is still searching for his first victory. McIlroy was within two shots of Schauffele, but his fairway wood out of the bunker on the par-5 15th caught sand and the ball squirted off to the right about 50 yards away. That led to bogey, one of two in his final four holes. Morikawa might be one to watch. He finished third at the Masters and ninth at the RBC Heritage, giving him some momentum heading into Charlotte and possibly next week's PGA Championship. He started on the back nine and played a bogey-free round before making 5 on his closing hole, the par-4 ninth. “I want to go on a run essentially, right? You want to go on a nice stretch of golf," Morikawa said. "So it was nice to obviously have that finish at the Masters even though it didn’t play out the way I wanted, but knowing that this week is going to be great prep especially going into next week (at the PGA Championship), just got to dial in everything as much as we can and be ready.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy hoped that his victory with Shane Lowry two weeks ago in the Zurich Classic team event would serve as a springboard for the remainder of the season.

Rory McIlroy opens in 67, among pack chasing Xander Schauffele at Wells Fargo Championship

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LPGA Tour Cognizant Founders Cup Round 2

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PGA Tour Myrtle Beach Classic Round 2

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PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship Round 2

It has only been 21-years since the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club was born on the PGA TOUR calendar and yet, almost immediately, this became one of the more revered stops on the circuit. For the second straight season, the tournament boasts Signature Event status. The 7,500+ yard, par 71, Tom Fazio design has played host to a PGA Championship (2017) and a Presidents Cup (2022). This year, it serves as a perfectly placed precursor to the season's second major championship. The stakes are high and with that, a "big boy" golf course provides the test. Wyndham Clark is your defending champion, earning his first TOUR victory here last season - that suddenly launched him into becoming one of the world's most feared competitors, he captured a U.S. Open championship, won another Signature Event, and finished runner-up at Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and THE PLAYERS since then. Maybe Clark's biggest nemesis in the last 12 months has been world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler. Looking to make it five wins in six starts, we will have to wait as Scheffler continues to anxiously await the birth of his first child and is absent from this week's field. Senior Data Analyst at BetMGM, Drew O'Dell points out that Clark has been very popular at the betting window to make it back-to-back victories here in the Queen City. "He is our second largest liability in the outright winner market," said O'Dell. "Rory McIlroy, Clark, and Max Homa are 1-2-3 in highest ticket count, handle, and liability this week." McIlroy opened at +900 to get what would be his fourth win at Quail Hollow and is now down to +750 at BetMGM. Clark has gone from +1800 to +1400, and Homa, also a past Wells Fargo champion, from +2500 to +2200. In a field of just 69 players, landing on the chalk seems almost inevitable, but I did not. The prices didn't feel worthy to me. Maybe if Scheffler was in the field, we'd be getting better value on the second tier of favorites. The shortest shot I took this week was on Sahith Theegala (+2500). Quail Hollow Club is a course that demands stellar play off the tee. Total Driving is one of the first stats I look at every year when handicapping the Wells Fargo Championship. Theegala ranks 36th on TOUR in Total Driving. Over the last 36 rounds, he ranks 10th in this field for SG: Off the Tee, 17th in Greens in Regulation Gained, 22nd in Scrambling, and is No. 1 in SG: Putting (bermudagrass). It is interesting to note that Thomas Gable, Director of Race and Sports at The Borgata in New Jersey, saw some sharp money go against Clark. "Respected money came in early on Tommy Fleetwood at +115 over Wyndham Clark in a tournament matchup. We moved to +110 on Fleetwood after the play," explained Gable. Gable went on to point out other matchups garnering respected money. “Si Woo Kim at -120 over Alex Noren is now at -145 and Denny McCarthy +110 over Harris English is now McCarthy -115.” Personally, I played English at -110 over McCarthy. English penciled out for me as someone much stronger for this particular track and the test it presents. English is superior off the tee, in driving distance, and in greens in regulation. We know McCarthy is an excellent putter but I actually have English ranking a few ticks better on bermudagrass over the last 36 rounds. At pick ‘em, I thought English was a good play. English finished third here last year and hasn’t missed a cut at Quail Hollow. McCarthy finished eighth last year after missing the cut in each of his first three trips to Charlotte. Senior Manager at Mandalay Bay Race and Sportsbook, Tristan Davis, is seeing the same as O’Dell as far as money pouring in on the favorites to win the tournament outright this week. But he did pass along this little nugget. “If you are looking for a diamond in the rough, there has been some respected support for Stephan Jaeger at +5500,” said Davis. I personally did not land on Jaeger but I definitely understand it with his prowess off the tee and having finished top-3 at a similar test in Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open back in January. It is not surprising to see sharp players gravitate toward the Tournament Matchup market as this is definitely one of the bettors most favorable opportunities on the entire golf betting menu. “Our sharp play of the week has been Tony Finau to beat Russell Henley. Finau went from -125 to -135. Not the biggest move but it’s been all sharp,” Davis explained. “There has also been big support for Finau to also beat Sepp Straka at -135. Both sharp and recreational. We are holding at -135 for now. Straka missed the cut here last year but his last couple of starts have been very respectable.” I mentioned playing Theegala earlier for an outright win. I have also played him for a top-20 finish and in two separate tournament matchups. Theegala over Homa and Theegala over Collin Morikawa. Rounding out my card of outrights (and also for a top-20 finish) are Si Woo Kim, Byeong Hun An, Corey Conners, Adam Schenk, and Matthieu Pavon. Las Vegas golf oddsmaker Jeff Sherman is seeing recreational play on Theegala outright and sharp action come in on Jake Knapp. Knapp is a big hitter and should fit this golf course well considering his strengths. He did it at another bombers track last week, coming out of the gate with two straight rounds of 64, only to end up finishing eighth. Each of my outright winner selections ranks in the top 50 on TOUR in Total Driving. Over the last 36 rounds, Kim is fifth in this field for SG: Off the Tee, 10th for SG: Approach, and is 16th in Bogey Avoidance. An was excellent last week in Texas, finishing fourth. Putting being typically his weakness, he gained over three strokes on the field with the putter last week and An finished 28th here at Quail Hollow in the 2017 PGA Championship. Our friend Justin Ray points out on X, Corey Conners is tied atop the list with Rory McIlroy for most strokes gained ball-striking here at this course since 2016. Conners finished eighth here in 2023. Schenk is another player that played very well last week. He is ninth in this field for SG: Off the Tee and third in Greens in Regulation Gained over the last 36 rounds. Finally, Pavon is someone I played as a triple-digit bomb and bomb it he did earlier this season en route to victory at the Farmers Insurance Open. Torrey Pines happens to be another course in which my handicap emphasizes Total Driving, so I give Pavon a much better shot here than +10000 or more. Hall of Fame Las Vegas bookmaker, Nick Bogdanovich, working the bettor’s side of the counter, is also on Schenk and Pavon for an outright win this week. Gable is seeing sharp support for Conners and Kim at The Borgata. I asked Davis if he is seeing anything at Mandalay Bay regarding my picks this week. "If anything, a couple of sharp guys are on An."

It has only been 21-years since the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club was born on the PGA TOUR calendar and yet, almost immediately, this became one of the more revered stops on the circuit.

Prop Farm: Sahith Theegala could upset the top chalk at Quail Hollow

At this week's inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic, George Bryan IV is making his second PGA TOUR start. Bryan IV and his brother Wesley Bryan, also competing this week, constitute the “Bryan Bros Golf” YouTube channel and are ambassadors of the Myrtle Beach golf community. “It's just cool to be able to use our platform to be able to tell the story of the Myrtle Beach Classic,” said Bryan IV ahead of the event. But what exactly is the story of the Myrtle Beach Classic? For starters, it's an unconventional one. Matt Atkins, the 33-year-old University of South Carolina-Aiken product, gave a joint press conference with the 36-year-old Bryan IV on Wednesday. Atkins bested a field of eight popular golf content creators (that included Bryan IV) and eight aspiring PGA TOUR players in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2024/02/16/youtube-golf-creators-compete-for-sponsors-exemption-myrtle-beach-classic-george-bryan-peter-finch">“The Q at Myrtle Beach”</a>&nbsp;to earn his spot in the field. The 16-player, 18-hole qualifier was contested in March at TPC Myrtle Beach. Though Bryan IV led “The Q” up to the final hole, an errant approach shot in the water led to a bogey, and Atkins birdied to send it to a playoff, then made another&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2024/04/23/matt-atkins-wins-youtube-qualifier-myrtle-beach-classic">birdie on the first playoff&nbsp;</a>hole to seal the deal. Referring to the qualifier, Bryan IV said, “It's never been a thing where YouTube has had an impact into a PGA TOUR event directly, and this is the first time it's ever happened … It was really freaking cool.” It’s a story of second chances. After “The Q,” Bryan IV was devastated – “I couldn't even go to the golf course and practice for a couple days because all I could think about was that 40-yard pitch shot out of the rough, downhill lie, and like, should I have laid up?” – but several weeks later, landed a spot in the event via a sponsor exemption. In a video posted to the Bryan Bros YouTube channel, Bryan IV answers a phone call from Tournament Director Darren Nelson offering him the exemption. “Holy cow ... This is honestly a dream come true,” said Bryan IV. “Playing in a PGA TOUR event in my home state. ... let me catch my breath a little bit.” No one knows about second chances better than Matt Atkins. After finding himself at a crossroads in November balancing family life with golf, he decided to enter The RSM Classic's Monday qualifier as a last resort, and he survived an eight-man playoff to earn one of four spots. Overcome with emotion, he said afterward: "I'll quit if I have to quit, because I'm not gonna sacrifice my family for golf, but I don't want to quit." He then birdied the final three holes of The RSM Classic's second round to make the cut. "I was down to no money," reflected Atkins. "A lot of prayers for clarity and discernment, and a lot of things got answered that week." The subsequent paycheck helped him continue his professional career, a path that led him to The Dunes Golf and Beach Club this week. “When you're out here and you're playing and everything ... there's a lot of surface-level conversations,” continued Atkins. “There's maybe not as much depth in the conversations as there needs to be, so people don't really know what everyone is going through out here. "It was cool to see some of the other players and caddies just kind of congratulate me on that week." The place that sparked so many golf journeys gets its own event. It's fitting that the PGA TOUR is anchoring in the "Golf Capital of the World" this week. Just ask Trace Crowe, the 27-year-old Auburn University grad who was one of five players to earn their TOUR card at the 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry. Crowe grew up in Greenville, South Carolina,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/tour-insider/2024/05/07/trace-crowe-is-family-second-sports-trailblazer-in-as-many-generations">and bought his first set of clubs in Myrtle Beach at age 10.</a> Or ask Atkins. “I didn't grow up in South Carolina, but South Carolina is my home now," he said. "We vacationed here in Myrtle Beach, and this is where I would tell people, I just played golf on vacation.” George Bryan IV and Wesley Bryan have been playing golf in Myrtle Beach since age 6. They played the George Holliday Memorial Junior Tournament here every Thanksgiving. “I was a 12-year-old that won the (George Holliday) overall title against like 18-year-olds and 19-year-olds,” said George. “It's my first-ever win. It's a cool thing because that was 24 years ago. I mean, to come full circle, to play in a PGA TOUR event in my home state ... which I just now thought about. It's really special.” A story of philia love. The philia love – love between brothers or close friends – Atkins and each of the Bryan brothers have for each other is apparent. George Bryan IV and Wesley Bryan detailed how special it was to play their first PGA TOUR event together, which was George’s PGA TOUR debut, at the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. “I felt bad about how badly I was beating him in Bermuda at first,” joked George. “They started chanting ‘Let’s catch Wes,'” Wesley said, and added that George was the only player he wants to beat this week: “I'm only checking George's score. Nobody else matters in the field.” Atkins is an occasional friend of the Bryan Bros YouTube channel – although his friendship with the two got off to a rocky start. Atkins played with Wesley in a college event that Wesley has no recollection of. (“He was probably terrible," Wesley quipped.) The two later played together in an eGolf Professional Tour event, and Wesley approached Atkins on the range at the Country Club of South Carolina the following week. “Knowing him now, it's more funny because I know his personality,” said Atkins, “but he came up, and he was like, ‘Dude, I almost died yesterday.’ I was like, what? I played a practice round with him, but he came up to me like we were tight .... So that's kind of where our friendship kicked off.” After getting married in 2017, Atkins moved to North Augusta, South Carolina, where Wesley lived, and the two frequently played golf together. “I didn’t get invited,” interjected George. The truth, Atkins clarified, was that George would film 1-on-1 matches for his YouTube channel, but not stay for group rounds. “It was frustrating because I feel like I couldn't compete with you guys because y'all were pretty solid,” said George. But as their friendship grew, so did Atkins’ encouragement towards George. “The whole thing about Matt and a lot of the guys that we played with,” said George, “they've told me that even though my game was garbage in my eyes, ‘Dude, you're good enough to be on the PGA TOUR.’ Like what are you talking about? I just shot 74 … But he kept saying, ‘George, you're good enough to be on the PGA TOUR.' … They're part of the reason why I played as well as I did last year, got into (the Butterfield Bermuda Championship) and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2023/11/10/bryan-brothers-projected-to-make-the-cut-at-butterfield-bermuda-championship-wesley-george">made the cut in the PGA TOUR event as a YouTuber guy.</a> “They helped instill confidence in me when I had zero confidence."

At this week's inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic, George Bryan IV is making his second PGA TOUR start. Bryan IV and his brother Wesley Bryan, also competing this week, constitute the “Bryan Bros Golf” YouTube channel and are ambassadors of the Myrtle Beach golf community.

Bryan Bros, South Carolina natives tell unconventional story of Myrtle Beach Classic

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PGA Tour PGA Championship Round 1

After a hefty spin, the wheel of golf has finally landed on Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The city is set to host the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club this week as an Additional Event alongside the Wells Fargo Championship. Among those playing in the 52-team pro-am on Wednesday is Vanna White, celebrated co-host of the show “Wheel of Fortune.” Born and raised in North Myrtle Beach, White is most famous for uncovering letters that could lead to make-or-break for contestants for the past 41 years — but she also possesses a lesser-known connection to golf. “I started playing golf when I was young, and it only lasted for a couple of years – of course, other things got in the way,” she said ahead of the pro-am. White picked the game back up back five years ago and is now quite the golf enthusiast, participating in her fair share of celebrity tournaments. “It’s beautiful on the course, it’s nature, and you’re really competing against yourself and I just have fun when I go out there,” she said. “I don’t take it too seriously. It’s a great escape and a good way to clear your mind.” h Classic pro-am on Wednesday. (Courtesy Vanna White/Facebook) Golf has also taught White lessons applicable to her life and career: “If I’ve learned anything over the past few years from golf, it’s been to never give up. Never give up! There’s always a better score.” Now, White is proud to be one of the ambassadors of her hometown event. For a city lauded as the “golfing capital of the world,” the Myrtle Beach Classic has been decades in the making. The Grand Strand has played host to Senior and Ladies PGA Championships and a multitude of amateur, junior and collegiate events, but this is the first time a PGA TOUR event will be played here. White initially didn’t want to play in the pro-am, but caved pretty quickly. “I’m so excited, I’m a little kid in a candy store. … The course is so beautiful. … it’s breathtaking, everything about it,” she said while beaming. She did play the Dunes Club a couple months ago – but refrained from mentioning her score (“It was hard,” she admitted.) and will be teeing it up here again alongside her brother Chip on Wednesday. Despite her illustrious and continuing life and future in Hollywood, as White just signed on for two more years of the show along with new co-host Ryan Seacrest, she tries to visit her roots a few times a year. "When I was born ... no one could pronounce my name correctly – Vana? Vanya? – I can come home now and people know me as Vanna,” she reflected. “I don't consider myself a celebrity even when I'm on TV, and especially when I come home. I'm still that Vanna that I grew up as, and I'll always be that same person.” Part of White’s golf journey has been to break 100, which she accomplished in 2021. Is it time to break 90?

After a hefty spin, the wheel of golf has finally landed on Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Myrtle Beach native, ‘Wheel of Fortune’ co-host Vanna White brings excitement to golf

Rory McIlroy. Max Homa. Rickie Fowler. Wyndham Clark. What do these four superstars of golf have in common? Their first win on the PGA TOUR came at none other than Quail Hollow Club, the site of this week’s Wells Fargo Championship. It doesn’t feel like a coincidence to me. This track, also used for the 2017 PGA Championship and 2022 Presidents Cup in recent times, has a knack for finding elite winners. And more so, up-and-coming elite stars. In 2010 McIlroy was still a baby-faced young man of just 20, his curly locks popping out the side of his cap. Already a star in Europe, McIlroy announced himself on the PGA TOUR with a blistering final round 62 to win by four. Two years later, in 2012, McIlroy was bested in a playoff by a 23-year-old Fowler, who put away some near-misses to that point in his fledgling career with a brilliant approach to near tap in during extra holes. Homa finally buried the demons of his well-publicized early career struggles at Quail Hollow in 2019, and it kick-started his ascension to one of the top players in the world over the last few years. And who can forget the defending champion, Clark, who appeared to be an outlier winner a year ago but went on to prove his victory was no fluke by since adding the U.S. Open and AT&amp;T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to his name. So this begs the question: is there another player in the field this week we should have our eye on as the next player to not only breakthrough on TOUR, but to take their career to a new level afterwards? Here are the five I believe are most likely to add to the trend this week at the home of the Green Mile: Cameron Young (+2500 at BetMGM Sportsbook):&nbsp;The 2022 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year has seven runner-up finishes, two thirds and 16 total top-10 TOUR results in just 62 starts. Sitting 23rd on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off-the Tee (second in 2022, 11th in 2023) and 32nd on Approach, Young has the form to contend this week. Was third and seventh in his first two seasons on TOUR in Driving Distance. Has a T2 in this event, but not from this course. A runner-up and T9 in his last three starts have him at 16th in the world rankings. One gets the feeling that when Young does win, it will open the floodgates, making him the perfect candidate to be the next Quail Hollow killer. Tommy Fleetwood (+2500):&nbsp;It seems almost frivolous to have Fleetwood on this list given he’s clearly a proven winner with seven DP World Tour titles to his name – including one in January of this year – but the fact remains he is devoid of a PGA TOUR win. At just 33, Fleetwood still has time to have a big surge in his career and a win on the TOUR could be the kick-starter to that. Ask yourself how surprised you would be if Fleetwood was to do the same double Clark did last year? I wouldn’t. He has three career top-5s in U.S. Opens, including a T5 last season. He’s also coming off a T3 at the Masters recently and sits 11th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Byeong Hun An (+4500):&nbsp;It seems forever ago that Benny An was the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur and had the world at his feet. Now at 33, he’s had a solid career, but certainly not what he would’ve hoped. A huge DP World Tour win at the 2015 BMW PGA Championship, a spot in the Presidents Cup in 2019 and five TOUR runner-up finishes are his highlights. One of those was a playoff loss at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, one of four top-10s this season, helping him to 32nd in the Official World Golf Rankings. Coming off a T4 last week, he might be trending just at the right time. Denny McCarthy (+6000):&nbsp;Almost a year ago, I saw first-hand some McCarthy magic at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday that made me a believer of the world No. 31’s talent. There is no doubt it is built around sublime putting, but anyone who can make a bunch of putts is a huge chance on the occasion they find their tee-to-green game firing. Last season (eight top-10s) was the one, should he kick on, we say was the builder. Was nearly unconscious on the greens at the recent Valero Texas Open where he ultimately fell in a playoff, victim to a poor approach shot under pressure. If he can figure out his nerves under the pump, he could break out. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+6600):&nbsp;A three-time winner on the DP World Tour, this South African sits 54th in the Official World Golf Ranking and could still take his game to another level. Consider Clark was 80th in the world coming into Quail Hollow a year ago and now sits third! Bezuidenhout plays Wells Fargo for the first time but has some history on the course. While he was barely used at Quail Hollow in the 2022 Presidents Cup, he still managed a win and draw to go undefeated. Four top-30 finishes in his last four TOUR starts, including a T9 and T13. At just 29, he still has time on his side. <h3>Others to consider:</h3> <ul><li>Alex Noren (+4000):&nbsp;10 DP World Tour wins, 41 years old, three career TOUR runner-up finishes.</li>,<li>Adam Schenk (+6600):&nbsp;Two-time TOUR runner-up in 2023, including a playoff loss at Colonial.</li>,<li>Eric Cole (+10000):&nbsp;The reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year… at 35. Two runners-up, two thirds.</li>,<li>Patrick Rodgers (+10000):&nbsp;Four career runner-up finishes, including two playoff defeats.</li>,<li>Ben Kohles (+30000):&nbsp;Gutting loss last week in Texas, where he bogeyed the last hole to finish one shot short.</li></ul>

Rory McIlroy. Max Homa. Rickie Fowler. Wyndham Clark.

Benny and the Bets: Can Quail Hollow identify the next star… again?

The 69 players at the Wells Fargo Championship will be grouped in threesomes for the first two rounds because of expected thunderstorms Thursday afternoon. Groups will tee off between 11 a.m. and 1:01 p.m. both days. The PGA TOUR’s official forecast describes Thursday as “the most active weather day” of the week because of a cold front moving through the area. Thunderstorms are likely during the first round and there is a 60 percent forecast of rain due to a cold front hitting the area. Some of the storms could be severe. Rain will be in the area again on Friday but there isn't expected to be any thunderstorm activity. Once the weekend arrives, the rain is gone. There will be cloudy skies on both Saturday and Sunday with temperatures hitting the mid-70s. Here’s a look at this week’s forecast at Quail Hollow, as of Tuesday, May 7: <img style="width: 100%; height:auto; margin-bottom: 25px" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/pgatour-prod/w_854,h_480,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto/pgatour/news/editorial/2024/05/07/weather-sc.png" alt="" /> <ul><li>Wednesday:&nbsp;Slight chance of late afternoon and evening thunderstorms with a 30% chance of rain. Projected rainfall is .10 inches. High 89 F, Low 70 F. Winds W/SW 6-12 mph.</li>,<li>Thursday:&nbsp;Afternoon thunderstorms are likely, with a 60% chance of rain. Projected rainfall is .25 inches. High 83 F, Low 71 F. Winds W 10-20 mph, with gusts up to 24 mph.</li>,<li>Friday:&nbsp;Mostly cloudy and showers are possible, with a 40% chance of rain. Projected rainfall is just .10 inches. High 76 F, Low 63 F. Winds NW 8-15 mph.</li>,<li>Saturday:&nbsp;Partly cloudy, with zero chance of rain. High 74 F, Low 55 F. Winds W 6-12 mph.</li>,<li>Sunday:&nbsp;Partly cloudy, with zero chance of rain. High 75 F, Low 57 F. Winds NW 6-12 mph.</li></ul>

The 69 players at the Wells Fargo Championship will be grouped in threesomes for the first two rounds because of expected thunderstorms Thursday afternoon.

Weather forecast: Thunderstoms, wet conditions likely for Wells Fargo

Try as he might, but Scottie Scheffler can’t win everything. That theory becomes a fact when he doesn’t play. The winner of the fourth and fifth Signature Events of 2024 is sitting out the sixth in advance of the second major of the season – the PGA Championship. Of course, as the Masters champion, he’s the only who can convert the single-season grand slam, so that narrative will rise into focus in earnest next week. In the meantime, 69 commitments at this week’s Wells Fargo Championship aren’t complaining about Scheffler’s decision to rest. Details of what the field is chasing at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, how the course has changed and more is below. Scheffler is one of two qualifiers for the Wells Fargo who has opted not to peg it at Quail Hollow, but he can absorb it. His margin of 2,022.629 FedExCup points over Wells Fargo defending champion Wyndham Clark in second is greater than Clark’s season total (1,892.371). This week’s winner will bank 700 FedExCup points (and $3.6 million), so any impact on Scheffler is, well, there isn’t one. The other qualifier who’s out is Ludvig Åberg. The Swede is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/PGATOURComms/status/1787589972075163742">resting a sore knee</a>. Wells Fargo is one of five Signature Events without a cut, so all 69 are poised to gain. Quality of the competition is one thing, but advances in the ranks will be especially well-earned on a discerning track. Quail Hollow is a par 71 that’s hosted the array of top-shelf tournaments over time. Its reputation speaks for itself. Now it’s even longer and in the most challenging of stretches. Despite its self-description and seemingly constant measurement, the heralded three-hole conclusion that is the "Green Mile" has grown by 20 yards. Course modifications since last year’s edition yielded a reconfigured tee area that now allows the par-4 16th to play up to 529 yards. A similar change at the par-3 13th has reduced that hole by three yards on the scorecard, so Quail Hollow officially tips at 7,558 yards. The old Champion Bermudagrass greens also have been replaced by TifEagle Bermuda. They are overseeded and historically can touch 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. The thickest of the rough flanking fairways typically is 2 1/2 inches tall. Last year’s full field of 156 averaged 71.230, easily the lowest since the course was transformed from a par 72 to its current par for the 2017 PGA Championship. With a smaller and stronger field overall, scoring could dip even lower this week. However, it might be frontloaded thanks to the potential for softer turf due to recent and the persistent threat for rain through Thursday.

Try as he might, but Scottie Scheffler can’t win everything. That theory becomes a fact when he doesn’t play. The winner of the fourth and fifth Signature Events of 2024 is sitting out the sixth in advance of the second major of the season – the PGA Championship. Of course, as the Masters champion, he’s the only who can convert the single-season grand slam, so that narrative will rise into focus in earnest next week.

Power Rankings: Wells Fargo Championship

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Tournament for this week

Cites knee soreness, expects quick return Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg has withdrawn from this week’s Wells Fargo Championship as a precaution amid lingering soreness in his knee. Åberg, who is fifth in the FedExCup standings, was coming off a T10 in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished second to Scottie Scheffler at the Masters Tournament. No one will replace Åberg in the field because Peter Malnati replaces him in the Aon Next 10 and Malnati was already exempt as a tournament winner. The field will be 69 players. “I’m reaching out to let you all know that I’m going to have to withdraw from the Wells Fargo Championship,” Åberg said in a prepared statement. “I was very excited to tee it up at Quail Hollow for the first time. Unfortunately, I’m dealing with a knee issue and after consulting with my doctors, we think it’s best that I take some additional time to rest. I hope everyone has a great week and I look forward to teeing it up next week.” After wrapping up his collegiate career at Texas Tech a year ago, Åberg was the No. 1-ranked player in PGA TOUR University, giving him his PGA TOUR card. He was 914th in the Official World Golf Ranking to start last summer, but won on the DP World Tour, played for Europe at the Ryder Cup in Rome and won The RSM Classic on the PGA TOUR.

Cites knee soreness, expects quick return

Ludvig Åberg withdraws from Wells Fargo Championship

It appears not even an injured shoulder can slow down the big-hitting Canadian, Taylor Pendrith at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson this week in McKinney, Texas. For now, that is. Pendrith lapped the field with the low round of the day, an 8-under 63 at TPC Craig Ranch that included back-to-back eagles on the outward nine, to get to 19-under par and now heads into Sunday's final round with a one-shot advantage over Jake Knapp and two shots better than Ben Kohles and Matt Wallace. Citing calcific tendonitis in his left shoulder that began back in January at the Farmers Insurance Open, Pendrith has dealt with the injury non-surgically, and evidently well enough to continue playing at a very high level. He began the day trailing the 36-hole leader, Knapp, by three shots at 11-under par for the tournament. By the time both he and Knapp reached the inward nine on Saturday, Pendrith had gotten it to 17-under for the tournament, grabbed the solo lead, and assumed the role of in-game favorite at +225. A winner earlier this season at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, Knapp began the day as the favorite at +400 to grab his second career win. He was at 14-under par and before he even teed off on Saturday, his price had dropped to +350. Knapp had fired two straight rounds of 64 on Thursday and Friday but finally cooled off on Saturday, shooting a 4-under round of 67 to get to 18-under and is now a +250 choice to be THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson winner. Pendrith is the favorite heading into Sunday at +200. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2024/05/01/weather-forecast--heavy-rain-expected-at-the-cj-cup-byron-nelson-jordan-spieth-jason-day">Weather was a part of the story all week</a>, leading up to the tournament start on Thursday. But Mother Nature has cooperated nicely so far with the skies being cloudy, no real moisture to speak of, and the winds being moderate. We expected scores to be low with the average winning score, the last three editions at TPC Craig Ranch, being better than 24-under. The forecast is calling for showers and thunderstorms overnight and on into Sunday with wind again, not expected to be much of a factor. We'll have to wait and see how much golf can be played but it looks like we will certainly have a soft golf course and continued favorable scoring conditions. Going into Saturday's round, I gave anyone within five shots or better of the lead, a chance to win the tournament. I feel the same way heading into Sunday. There are nine players making up the top 10 on the leaderboard, trailing Pendrith by five shots or fewer. Here are the latest outright odds from BetMGM Sportsbook. <ul><li>+200:&nbsp;Taylor Pendrith (-19, 1st)</li>,<li>+250:&nbsp;Jake Knapp (-18, 2nd)</li>,<li>+600:&nbsp;Matt Wallace (-17, T3)</li>,<li>+900:&nbsp;Ben Kohles (-17, T3)</li>,<li>+1200:&nbsp;Alex Noren (-15, T5)</li>,<li>+2500:&nbsp;Byeong Hun An (-14, T7)</li>,<li>+4500:&nbsp;Kelly Kraft (-15, T5)</li>,<li>+5000:&nbsp;Si Woo Kim (-13, T11)</li>,<li>+6600:&nbsp;Min Woo Lee (-13, T11)</li></ul> Here are the players I am looking to back and who I am going against, heading into Sunday's finale deep in the heart of Texas. <h3>Draws</h3> Matt Wallace (+900) The Englishman was the First Round Leader at the conclusion of Thursday’s round after shooting 63. He’s followed that up with rounds of 66 and 67. If he can go back the other direction and post a 64 or 65 on Sunday, that might be enough. He’s doing nearly everything very well. He ranks eighth in this field for SG: Off the Tee, 14th&nbsp;for SG: Approach, and is third for SG: Around the Green. However, Wallace is 44th&nbsp;in the field for SG: Putting through three rounds but is an excellent putter, ranking 51st&nbsp;on TOUR. I believe this area of his game will come back in a positive direction and he’ll have a much better day on Sunday with the flat stick. That could easily be enough to propel him to the winner’s circle – a place he Is not unfamiliar, having won the Corales Puntacana Championship last season. Alex Noren (+1200) If you are looking for a longer shot, I believe this is the best chance. Noren flirted with First-Round Leader honors on Thursday, firing a 64. He understandably followed that up with a bit of a letdown, shooting a pedestrian 68 on Friday. Noren found his form again on Saturday, firing a 66, a day in which he improved on his approach play for the second straight day. His putting rebounded on Saturday too, after ranking 96th in the field for SG: Putting on Friday, Noren was 11th on Saturday. If the approach play and putting continue to trend in a positive direction, Noren, an 11-time winner worldwide, may find himself capturing his first-ever win on the PGA TOUR. <h3>Fade</h3> Taylor Pendrith (+200)

It appears not even an injured shoulder can slow down the big-hitting Canadian, Taylor Pendrith at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson this week in McKinney, Texas. For now, that is.

Draws and Fades: Eye chasers in THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson final round

McKINNEY, Texas — Taylor Pendrith has been here before — holding or sharing a lead after three rounds on the PGA TOUR. The Canadian was one of six among the top 10 on the leaderboard seeking a first TOUR victory at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Pendrith chipped in twice for consecutive eagles to kick-start an 8-under 63 on Saturday for a one-shot lead over 36-hole leader Jake Knapp. “I have no idea,” Pendrith said when asked if he'd ever had back-to-back eagles, which came on the par-5 fifth and par-4 sixth holes as he finished at 19-under 194. “I don't think so. Maybe a first.” It was the third time on the PGA TOUR this season, and vaulted him ahead of Knapp. Pendrith's lead was two before Knapp birdied the par-5 18th for a 67. Ben Kohles (65) and first-round leader Matt Wallace (67) were two shots off the lead, one stroke ahead of Alex Noren and Kelly Kraft, playing near his Dallas home at the TPC Craig Ranch in the suburb of McKinney. Troy Merritt, the only two-time PGA TOUR winner among the top 10, shot 70 and was at 14-under with three others, including one-time winner Kevin Tway. The son of 1986 PGA Championship winner Bob Tway shot 64, while Vince Whaley and Byeong Hun An each shot 66. Wallace and Knapp, a rookie who won the Mexico Open at Vidanta in February, are the others with PGA TOUR victories. Pendrith settled for second from the top of the third-round leaderboard at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2022. He was in the same position at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship earlier that season before a 76 left him in a tie for fifth. “I think just stay patient and play my own game and don’t get ahead of myself,” Pendrith said. “Make as many birdies as you can, because I think it’ll take a low one tomorrow.” Pendrith was working on a low one after a 26-foot chip shot rolled around the hole and went in, then a 41-yarder bounced about 25 feet from the hole and rolled in with almost perfect speed. The 32-year-old who has won twice on PGA TOUR Canada is 7-under on those two holes. They were the first two of five consecutive birdies in the second round. “Obviously, a bonus for both of those to go in,” Pendrith said. “Two really good shots. First one had a little bit of steam so maybe got a little lucky to drop.” Knapp was coming off consecutive 64s and had his second bogey-free round with a pair of birdies on each nine. The 29-year-old Californian&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/tour-insider/2024/02/06/jake-knapp-tour-rookie-wm-phoenix-open-aon-swing-5-genesis-invitational">who was working as a security guard back home three years ago</a>&nbsp;had to hang on during a rough final round for the win in Mexico. Now he'll be chasing while still playing in the final group. “I think I do best when I kind of do leaderboard watch and I see what other guys are doing,” Knapp said. “You see what guys are doing in the morning and you get an idea of maybe how the course is playing.” Wallace — a 34-year-old Englishman with 10 international victories, including four on the DP World Tour — answered his second bogey of the week on 16 with birdies on the final two holes. “I don’t know many people around me have won more tournaments around the world than myself,” said Wallace, whose TOUR victory was in the Dominican Republic last year at the Corales Puntacana Championship. “Not that that’s a big brag, but I feel like I know how to get the job done.” Kohles, who was born in Dallas but moved when he was 10, had a 263-yard second shot to 12 feet and made the eagle putt on the par-5 ninth for a 5-under 31 on the front. He bogeyed the par-4 11th before the last two of his five birdies. The 34-year-old shot 73 playing in the final group in Puerto Rico in March, finishing fifth. Kohles has three career top-10 finishes. Kris Kim, a 16-year-old amateur making his PGA TOUR debut, nearly had a hole-in-one on the 225-yard fourth hole, the ball rolling within inches of the cup. The son of South Korean-born former LPGA golfer Ji-Hyun Suh shot 70 and was 8-under. Kim, who is from England and playing on a sponsor exemption from the South Korean company and tournament title sponsor CJ Group, was set to become the youngest to play the final round of a PGA TOUR event since Guan Tianlang at the 2014 CIMB Classic. Tianlang was 16 years, eight days old.

McKINNEY, Texas — Taylor Pendrith has been here before — holding or sharing a lead after three rounds on the PGA TOUR.

Rookie Jake Knapp among tight chasing pack at THE CJ CUP, seeking second TOUR victory

McKINNEY, Texas — Kris Kim brought one modestly outrageous (or outrageously modest) goal to his PGA TOUR debut: to play the weekend. The 16-year-old English amateur accomplished it with a stroke to spare. He shot a 4-under 67 in the second round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson to finish at 7-under at a soft and windless TPC Craig Ranch. Playing in the last group, Kim holed a short birdie putt Friday on the par-5 18th&nbsp;as dusk approached on a pleasant early evening near Dallas. “I'm happy,” Kim said. “I can't wait to get started again tomorrow.” Kim became the youngest player to make the cut on TOUR since Kyle Suppa, also 16, did so at the 2015 Sony Open. Kim was steadfast and sure — six birdies, two bogeys and no precarious situations that might disrupt his plans to play more golf. His best stat: Kim ranks seventh in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. It was a pretty good one for a wispy young man on the big stage for the first time. Kim said he never considered swinging for the green in two on the 552-yard finisher. He laid up to wedge distance and plopped his third to 5 feet, 10 inches. Kim said he knew he was near the cut. The goal was right there in front of him. He steadied himself over the putt and in it went. “To be honest it being a par 5, it's pretty helpful,” said Kim,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2024/05/01/amateur-kris-kim-16-years-old-making-tour-debut-at-the-cj-cup-byron-nelson">the son of former LPGA player Ji-Hyun Suh.</a>&nbsp;“But, yeah, I mean, there is always going to be nerves when you're on the cut line.” What then? Text messages needed to be answered. Lots of them. Kim was hungry, as teen-aged boys can be. Sleep beckoned, as it does. Saturday would come soon enough.

McKINNEY, Texas — Kris Kim brought one modestly outrageous (or outrageously modest) goal to his PGA TOUR debut: to play the weekend

 Kris Kim, 16, becomes youngest player to make cut on TOUR since 2015 at THE CJ CUP

Halfway through THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, the tournament has played out largely as expected. A receptive golf course has yielded birdies by the bunches, and dozens of players have raced out to card rounds in the low to mid 60s. With the winning score at least 23-under each of the last three years at TPC Craig Ranch, we’re again on track as Jake Knapp leads by one at 14-under and stands atop the updated odds board. Twelve players head into the weekend at 10-under or better, and you had to shoot 6-under just to make the 36-hole cut. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Knapp’s name atop the standings after consecutive rounds of 7-under 64, given the similarities to the Mexico Open where he broke through for his maiden win earlier this year. Both venues offer ample room off the tee, ask players more to pile up birdies than avoid bogeys, and set up as a 72-hole sprint to a supremely low score. Knapp is halfway home, sitting third in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and second in SG: Approach and leading the tournament despite losing strokes around the greens. Updated odds to win THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson (via BetMGM Sportsbook): <ul><li>+400:&nbsp;Jake Knapp (-14)</li>,<li>+750:&nbsp;Matt Wallace (-13)</li>,<li>+900:&nbsp;Keith Mitchell (-11)</li>,<li>+1200:&nbsp;Troy Merritt (-13)</li>,<li>+1400:&nbsp;Alex Noren (-10)</li>,<li>+1800:&nbsp;Taylor Pendrith (-11), Davis Riley (-11), Si Woo Kim (-9)</li>,<li>+2200:&nbsp;Aaron Rai (-10), Byeong-Hun An (-9), Kelly Kraft (-12)</li>,<li>+3000:&nbsp;Adam Schenk (-9), S.H. Kim (-10)</li></ul> And while the chase pack isn’t as formidable as other weeks – of the 13 players listed at +3000 or better at BetMGM Sportsbook, only six have a PGA TOUR win to their credit – this thing remains relatively wide open. It’s not as tightly packed as last week’s Zurich Classic, where five shots separated the leaders from the cut line, but the group sitting at 8-under (T25) likely head into the third round believing they still have a path to victory. Here are the players I’m eyeing for a halfway investment, as well as those whose price might be a little too short given the challenges that lie ahead this weekend: <h3>Draws</h3> Matt Wallace (T2, +750) Anyone that can cold top it into a hazard and still save par has both my respect and attention. That’s what Wallace did during the second, round, a 66 that featured only one dropped shot after a bogey-free effort on Thursday. The Englishman trails only Kelly Kraft (noted below) in SG: Tee-to-Green, and he’s been magnificent around the greens on the few holes where he hasn’t been putting for birdie. Wallace earned his first TOUR win last year at Puntacana but has been successful on the DP World Tour, narrowly missing out on a Ryder Cup bid a few years back, and he has challenged before in majors. This environment won’t rattle him, and I like the notion that he’ll be alongside Knapp in Saturday’s final group. Of the three players currently priced below +1000, Wallace is the one I’d be adding to my card. Kelly Kraft (Fourth, +2200) Kraft is a local product, as the former U.S. Amateur champion and SMU standout grew up in nearby Denton, Texas, and now lives in the Dallas area. He’s sleeping in his own bed this week, for whatever that’s worth. My eye is more drawn to his ball-striking numbers, as Kraft leads the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach through two rounds. Kraft is playing with conditional status this season, and he told reporters after the round that he hasn’t gotten into as many events this year as he expected. That creates a sense of urgency, and thus far this week he has made the most of his opportunity. At 35 he’s still in search of his first TOUR win, but I think this price is overly influenced by his lack of starts this year. If he keeps hitting it like he has the first two days, Kraft will be in the mix come Sunday afternoon. <h3>Fades</h3> Keith Mitchell (T5, +900) I just feel like this price is based more on reputation than performance. Mitchell has been a popular pick in recent weeks, and he’s again playing well tee-to-green through 36 holes in Dallas. But good enough to merit this position on the odds board when he’s three shots back and there are 12 players between 10 and 14-under par? I would keep shopping. Like Knapp, Mitchell fits the mold of someone who should have some success this week – but he’s not exactly rolling on the greens. Mitchell has failed to crack the top 60 in SG: Putting in each of the first two rounds, and I’m concerned that he won’t be able to convert enough birdie opportunities to keep pace on a crowded leaderboard when the winning score seems destined for the low 20s under par once again. Troy Merritt (T2, +1200)

Halfway through THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, the tournament has played out largely as expected. A receptive golf course has yielded birdies by the bunches, and dozens of players have raced out to card rounds in the low to mid 60s.

Draws and Fades: Look to Englishman Matt Wallace, local product Kelly Kraft for halfway-point value

Update:&nbsp;The opening round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson was delayed one hour due to inclement weather. The first round began at 7:50 a.m. local time. It's going to be a soggy Thursday and beyond at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Thursday’s forecast calls for potentially an inch-plus of rain at TPC Craig Ranch, with rain and thunderstorms also possible through the weekend in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The region had already been softened by rain in recent days, as well. Soft conditions could mean lower-than-normal scores at the Tom Weiskopf-designed venue, which has seen winning scores between 23 and 26 under in each of the last three years. “The course is soft just because we've had some rain,” defending champion Jason Day said Wednesday. “I would think that we're going to play probably the ball in hand the whole week … we're still getting some mudballs out there now, and I know we had some rain maybe Saturday last week. From what we're looking at weather-wise, we've kind of got some bad weather coming in tomorrow. So hopefully we can get through that day and then hopefully rest the week opens up.” “A complex of strong to severe thunderstorms will be moving across North Texas Thursday morning with heavy rain and gusty winds,” wrote the PGA TOUR’s official weather forecast. “This activity should move east of the area by midday with a lull in the precipitation expected for the rest of the afternoon. Thunderstorms will be possible again Friday morning as a cold front settles into the region. The frontal boundary will stall across Northern Texas through the weekend, keeping the chances for showers and thunderstorms in the forecast.” Here’s a look at this week’s forecast, as of Wednesday, May 1: Thursday:&nbsp;Morning rain and thunderstorms likely, with a 90% chance of rain. Projected rainfall .8 to 1.25 inches. High 79 F, Low 67 F. Winds S-SW 10-15 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. Friday:&nbsp;Chance of morning thunderstorms, with a 30% chance of rain. Projected rainfall .2 to .4 inches. High 81 F, Low 66 F. Winds NE-ESE 10-15 mph. Saturday:&nbsp;Chance of afternoon thunderstorms, with a 40% chance of rain. Projected rainfall .2 to .4 inches. High 79 F, Low 67 F. Winds SE 7-14 mph.

Updated: Thursday, May 2, 10 p.m. ET: Thunderstorms will be possible again early Friday morning as a cold front settles into the region. Storms could be strong to severe with heavy rain and strong gusty winds. The frontal boundary will stall across the north.

Weather forecast: Rain expected Friday morning at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

As expected, if you want a chance at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, you needed to go low at TPC Craig Ranch. In the three previous editions on this course the winner needed all four rounds in the 60s to prevail and chances are that will continue given Matt Wallace set a cracking pace after an 8-under 63. A total of 94 players in the 156-man field sit 2-under or better on the par-71 course and I’m willing to say your winner is coming out of that group. A weather delay in the morning ensured the opening round wasn’t fully completed, with a handful of players due to return to complete Friday morning as the second round will start concurrently. That’s not to say it’s impossible for the slow starters, but if you are seven or more behind after Thursday, you better throw out a 61 or something on Friday just to get back on track! Just a shot behind Wallace were Canadian Taylor Pendrith, Americans Chesson Hadley, Jake Knapp, Kelly Kraft and Davis Riley, Swede Alex Noren plus Japan’s Taiga Semikawa. Ben Kohles, Alex Smalley, Hayden Buckley and Brad Hopfinger shared ninth at 6-under but it is group at 5-under who have piqued my interest going forward. Defending champion Jason Day had some good moments on the way to that number as did the likes of Keith Mitchell, Adam Schenk, Stephan Jaeger, Nick Dunlap, Byeong-Hun An, Min Woo Lee and two-time champion K.H. Lee. Don’t be surprised if the eventual winner comes from this crew. Jordan Spieth, the pre-tournament favorite, shot a 68 to be six back. After an early delay Thursday, thunderstorms are again possible overnight and in the early morning, continuing the likelihood of preferred lies being in play, which only ensures scores will continue to be low. Here are the latest outright odds from BetMGM Sportsbook. Noren is the new favorite as the veteran chases his first PGA TOUR win. <ul><li>+800:&nbsp;Alex Noren (7-under, T2)</li>,<li>+1400:&nbsp;Jason Day (5-under, T13)</li>,<li>+1600:&nbsp;Matt Wallace (8-under, first)</li>,<li>+1600:&nbsp;Jake Knapp (7-under, T2)</li>,<li>+1600:&nbsp;Byeong Hun An (5-under, T13)</li>,<li>+1800:&nbsp;Stephan Jaeger (5-under, T13)</li>,<li>+1800:&nbsp;Min Woo Lee (5-under, T13)</li>,<li>+2000:&nbsp;Davis Riley (7-under, T2)</li>,<li>+2000:&nbsp;Taylor Pendrith (7-under, T2)</li>,<li>+2200:&nbsp;Adam Schenk (5-under, T13)</li>,<li>+2500:&nbsp;Keith Mitchell (5-under, T13)</li>,<li>+2800:&nbsp;Chesson Hadley (7-under, T2)</li>,<li>+2800:&nbsp;Jordan Spieth (3-under, T53)</li>,<li>+3000:&nbsp;K.H. Lee (5-under, T13)</li></ul> <h3>DRAWS</h3> Stephan Jaeger +1800 How can I jump off my pre-tournament pick now after a solid 5-under 66 to start. After finishing T11 here a year ago, while leading the way in par-4 scoring, Jaeger was on my radar. The Texas Children’s Houston Open winner is adept at stringing together rounds on the 60s and is brimming from confidence from that victory. Ranked fourth in the first round for SG: Off-the-Tee and 14th in SG: Tee-to-Green. Made just one bogey all day and was 17 from 17 putting inside 10-feet. Keith Mitchell +2500 This one you can take either way. Mitchell managed to keep together his 5-under round on the back of being eight from eight in Scrambling, not his usual strong point. So one could be worried he won’t maintain that magic going forward. But… on the other hand he sat in 17th for the round on SG: Tee-to-Green, 37th in SG: Off-the-Tee and 50th in SG: Approach – three stats he sits inside the top 11 on TOUR this season. If Mitchell can lift his ball-striking to its usual standards and continue to hold it together around the greens, he represents value here. Of course, if he maintains average ball-striking and loses the touch around the greens, it’s goodnight. Min Woo Lee +1800 Sneaking under the radar a little in the 5-under crew is Australian Min Woo Lee. Lee is a player I would have plumped for pre-tournament except for the fact he is returning from a finger injury suffered in the gym prior to the Masters recently. Without seeing him in action first he stayed off the card but now, with a 66 under his belt, we might be able to suggest he can shoot up this leaderboard. Ranked 10th in the opening round in SG: tee-to-Green and 12th on Approach, Lee is a stalker here. <h3>FADE</h3> Davis Riley +2000

As expected, if you want a chance at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, you needed to go low at TPC Craig Ranch.

Draws and Fades: Stalkers at 5-under worth considering at THE CJ CUP

Hometown hero and betting favorite Jordan Spieth admits his injured wrist probably needs extended rest to truly heal, but he remains confident ahead of his title chase at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in Texas. Spieth opened at +1400 to win the tournament he first played as a 16-year-old phenom but has drifted to +1600 and equal favoritism with Si Woo Kim at BetMGM Sportsbook. Despite the movement, he still holds the highest ticket and handle percentage with the book at 10.4 and 9.3 percent respectively. The 30-year-old admitted to nearly withdrawing in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage after the damaged tendon in his left wrist “popped out” in the opening round before he battled on to a T39 finish. His ECU (extensor carpi ulnaris) tendon sheath has a partial tear, making it hard to keep the tendon in place, with the issue first having kept Spieth from playing THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, one of his favorite stops on TOUR, a year ago. He aggravated the wrist in October last year and again during the Valero Texas Open and RBC Heritage in recent weeks. But now, as he looks to improve on his last two starts at TPC Craig Ranch, which yielded a T9 and runner-up in 2021 and 2022, Spieth took a week off to reset, changed up his treatment routine, and as such comes in quietly confident. “I'd probably be advised to take more than one (week) in order for it to really get helped," Spieth said on Tuesday, "but it's one of those things like I'm not doing further damage is my understanding. It's just management until I can figure out exactly what maybe solves the problem." Given the TOUR schedule is really heating up over the coming months with three more majors, the Olympics and the FedExCup Playoffs, extended rest isn’t on the cards for some time. So Spieth will battle on. “It's a lot of managing it," he said. "I'm kind of doing a couple different things to help treat the symptoms that I experience and to not have some recurring problems that have happened." “I'm doing a lot of stuff off the course, therapy side, whether it's treating the tendon to treating the nerve in general. You know, I think that that's helping. I kind of maybe got a little bit away from it as I got into a heavier stretch of golf the last eight weeks so I had a couple instances that weren't good. “I don't plan on that happening going forward with what I'm doing off the course even though I will be playing a lot of golf.” Spieth’s season has not been to the standard he’d have hoped. While he opened with a third-place finish at The Sentry and was T6 at the WM Phoenix Open, he’s had three missed cuts, a DQ and just one top-10 in his seven starts since. At 44th in the FedExCup it certainly isn’t panic stations, but he’s eyeing more. “I kind of wanted to hit the reset button this last week and I took more days off than I usually do," he revealed. "Got a little burned out trying to find stuff. I wanted to take some time off, clear my mind, and then get back to it. “Kind of looking at this as kind of a restart. I haven't had the year I wanted to have after getting off to a pretty optimistic start in Hawaii. I feel really good about the work I put in since the weekend into the few days this week, so I believe that I'm really close to some great things.

Hometown hero and betting favorite Jordan Spieth admits his injured wrist probably needs extended rest to truly heal, but he remains confident ahead of his title chase at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in Texas.

Jordan Spieth still managing wrist issue ahead of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Stanford’s&nbsp;Karl Vilips&nbsp;improved eight spots to No. 12 in this week’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgatour.com/university/full-ranking">PGA TOUR University Ranking</a>&nbsp;after his individual win at the Pac-12 Championship. A native of Perth, Australia, Vilips started the final round three shots off the lead but fired a final-round 3-under 68 that included four birdies and an eagle to take home the Pac-12 individual title by one stroke. Vilips has improved his ranking by 16 spots after falling to No. 28 in February. Florida State’s&nbsp;Frederik Kjettrup&nbsp;and Wake Forest’s&nbsp;Michael Brennan&nbsp;earned co-medalist honors in the ACC, while&nbsp;Gustav Frimodt&nbsp;(TCU) and&nbsp;Mats Ege&nbsp;(East Tennessee State) did the same in the Big-12 and Southern Conference. Frimodt (No. 7) returns to the top 10 for the first time since Jan. 31, while Kjettrup makes his way back for the first time since April 3. North Carolina’s&nbsp;Austin Greaser&nbsp;took control of the No. 4 spot in the ranking, jumping North Florida’s&nbsp;Nicholas Gabrelcik&nbsp;(No. 5), after carding three consecutive rounds under par en route to a T3 finish at the ACC Championship. The top three spots remained unchanged, with&nbsp;Michael Thorbjornsen&nbsp;(No. 1),&nbsp;Christo Lamprecht&nbsp;(No. 2) and&nbsp;Matthew Riedel&nbsp;(No. 3) maintaining their positions. Thorbjornsen finished T8 at the Pac-12 Championship while Lamprecht finished T3 at the ACC Championship. Riedel had the best finish of conference championship week out of the top five, finishing T2 at the SEC Championship. NCAA Regionals will take place May 13-15. The Rancho Sante Fe Regional has the most top-25 players in the field with six:&nbsp;Nicholas Gabrelcik&nbsp;(No. 5),&nbsp;Sampson Yunhe-Zheng&nbsp;(No. 15),&nbsp;Petr Hruby&nbsp;(No. 16),&nbsp;Jonas Baumgartner&nbsp;(No. 17),&nbsp;Ryggs Johnston&nbsp;(No. 20) and&nbsp;Ben Lorenz&nbsp;(No. 21). West Lafayette and Stanford each have four top-25 players in their fields.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Stanford’s Karl Vilips improved eight spots to No. 12 in this week’s PGA TOUR University Ranking after his individual win at the Pac-12 Championship. A native of Perth, Australia, Vilips started the final round three shots off the lead but fired a final-round 3-under 68 that included four birdies and an eagle to take home the Pac-12 individual title by one stroke. Vilips has improved his ranking by 16 spots after falling to No. 28 in February.

Karl Vilips wins Pac-12 individual title, four top-25 players earn co-medalist honors at conferences

The first Saturday in May is like a holiday in Las Vegas. It begins with some mint juleps and the running of the Kentucky Derby, followed by a prize fight later that evening. On the PGA TOUR we have a couple more races before the second major championship of the season tees off at Valhalla Golf Club - also in Kentucky, but on the third Thursday in May. For the second straight week, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is not in the field. Even with THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson being not far from Scheffler's hometown of Dallas, the PGA Championship favorite remains in waiting on the birth of his first child. It is not, however, stopping the bettors from backing him at the window. Scheffler to sweep all four major championships this season began at +8000. That dropped to +5000 after he won the Masters and down to +4000 after winning the very next week at Harbour Town Golf Links. "(Scheffler) to complete the Grand Slam has been extremely popular for the punters at +4000 especially after he won the RBC Heritage,” said Tristan Davis, senior manager at Mandalay Bay Race and Sportsbook. "Handle has dropped since he did not play last week or this week's tournament, but I’m sure the next time he goes, the popularity of the market will come back.” Noted Las Vegas oddsmaker Jeff Sherman concurred. "We're not seeing much at this time for the PGA Championship, but bettors continue to play the Grand Slam (prop) due to the low risk, high reward, said Sherman. "All public/recreational play.” As far as this week's event, it is the fourth consecutive season that TPC Craig Ranch has played host to the long-standing PGA TOUR event, honoring the late, great Texas golfer, Byron Nelson. Sherman pointed out what he has seen so far. "Byeong Hun An is getting support from the public and Tom Hoge is getting support from the sharps in the outright market," Sherman said. "It's a split decision in terms of handle between Si Woo Kim and Jordan Spieth (+1600) with just over 20% of handle between them," added Davis from the Mandalay Bay perspective. "Not far behind we have seen good support for Tom Hoge and Min Woo Lee who are both at +2800.” Sherman too is seeing public support for Kim. "The public is on Si Woo Kim to finish top 20," he said. Kim is a Dallas resident and finished runner-up here last year. As far as sharp play in the Finish Position market, Sherman noted a name taking action that we seem to hear from every week. "The sharps are on Keith Mitchell for a top-20." Mitchell is yet to miss a cut at TPC Craig Ranch but in three tries, while his highest finish is 26th. Senior data analyst at BetMGM, Drew O'Dell, is seeing action on Mitchell and Kim in a different market. "Keith Mitchell and Si Woo Kim are both responsible for 3.2% of the ticket count to be First Round Leader," said O'Dell before adding, "Only Spieth, Alex Noren and defending champion Jason Day are higher in ticket count percentage in that market." A similar split in the outright winner market too. "Spieth, Hoge and Kim have the highest ticket count percentages to win it, noted O'Dell. "But our biggest liability is slightly different with Hoge leading the way, followed by Spieth and Jake Knapp." When transitioning to the tournament head-to-head matchup market, Davis listed four that are garnering attention at Mandalay Bay. "On the sharp side of things we have some tournament matchups that have been well supported: Sungjae Im to beat Min Woo Lee, -110 into -120, Justin Lower to beat Sam Stevens, -125 to -135, Jhonattan Vegas to beat Vincent Norrman, -110 to -120, and Garrick Higgo to beat Ryo Hisatsune, +120 to +105,” Davis said. “All has been sharp money." Personally, I played two head-to-head tournament matchups at BetMGM. Adam Schenk (-105) to beat Hoge and Noren (+100) to beat Spieth. Those prices remain unchanged.

The first Saturday in May is like a holiday in Las Vegas. It begins with some mint juleps and the running of the Kentucky Derby, followed by a prize fight later that evening. On the PGA TOUR we have a couple more races before the second major championship of the season tees off at Valhalla Golf Club - also in Kentucky, but on the third Thursday in May.

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