Nate Lashley – Syndication Server

10 of the best players at the Mexico Open at Vidanta over the last two seasons

These players love this event.

The Mexico Open at Vidanta has been played at Vidanta Vallarta for the last two seasons and a few players have seen more success than others.

Take defending champion Tony Finau for example. Before he beat Jon Rahm by three shots last year, he finished in a tie for second in 2022.

This year’s field is on the weaker side, but that’s easy to understand if you take a look at the PGA Tour schedule. After this week, the Tour heads to the Sunshine State for the Florida Swing, a stretch that includes the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players, both of which are signature events.

To get you ready for this week, here are 10 of the best players at the Mexico Open over the last two years.

Mexico Open: Picks to win, odds

Rory McIlroy tops Tiger Woods in Player Impact Program standings as top 20 share $100 million in PGA Tour bonus money

“This is an absolute kick in the face to the rest of the PGA Tour players,” said one veteran pro.

Rory McIlroy may not have ended his major-less streak in 2023 but he did end Tiger Woods’s reign as the winner of the Player Impact Program.

In a memo sent to PGA Tour membership on Wednesday, McIlroy was revealed as driving the most engagement this season, banking $15 million out of a pot of $100 million distributed to the top 20 finishers.

The PIP was first introduced in 2020-21 and designed to reward members who – through objective measurement criteria – are shown to generate the most positive interest in the Tour. “The scoring model for the program is intended to be as objective as possible with the goal of quantifying the impact each player has on the PGA Tour,” Jason Gore, the Tour’s executive vice president and chief player officer, wrote in a memo.

Woods, who had won the PIP in the two previous years despite hardly playing at all, earned $12 million for finishing second and Jon Rahm, the winner of the Masters, finished third and made $9 million. Collin Morikawa, who had finished 11^th in the previous two years, dropped to No. 14 but still made the same amount as No. 11 ($3 million). See the full list below.

Players will receive the first 75 percent of their money with their Sentry purse payment in January, and the remaining 25 percent will be distributed once a player completes his Player Impact Program Service Fulfillment, according to the memo.

For the 2022-23 season, MVP Index and Q-Score were removed and replaced by MARC General Population Awareness and MARC Golf Fan Awareness survey data in determining the rankings. The PIP was administered by and the results were certified by Grant Thornton.

The Tour announced in March that next year’s PIP will be reduced to $50 million, paid to the top 10 players, down from $100 million and 20 players, with the difference to be reallocated to the FedEx Cup bonus, Comcast Business Tour Top 10 and other player programs.

None of this sat well with Tour veteran Nate Lashley, who posted the memo on social media and wrote, “How many golf fans actually know what the PIP on the PGA Tour is? Would love to hear from golf/PGA fans if they think this $100 million was spent well? There’s 150-200 members of the PGA Tour and they just spent $100 million on 20 players. Seems a little ridiculous. Time for new leadership on the PGA Tour. This is an absolute kick in the face to the rest of the PGA Tour players.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz-G_r5RDEc/?hl=en

2022-23 PIP standings and earnings

Rory McIlroy — $15 million
Tiger Woods — $12 million
Jon Rahm — $9 million
Jordan Spieth — $7.5 million
Scottie Scheffler — $6 million
Rickie Fowler — $5.5 million
Viktor Hovland — $5 million
Justin Thomas — $5 million
Tommy Fleetwood — $5 million
Max Homa — $5 million
Xander Schauffele — $3 million
Jason Day — $3 million
Tony Finau — $3 million
Collin Morikawa — $3 million
Matt Fitzpatrick — $3 million
Wyndham Clark — $2 million
Cameron Young — $2 million
Justin Rose — $2 million
Patrick Cantlay — $2 million
Brian Harman — $2 million

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PGA Tour pros compete in Arizona on ‘the day the golf world forgets about Charlie Woods’

The Outlaw Tour’s Pard’ner Shootout drew a handful of PGA Tour pros in Arizona for one last tournament on Monday.

The Outlaw Tour promoted its Pard’ner Shootout as “the day the golf world forgets about Charlie Woods.”

Well, the younger Woods is still creating a buzz on the Monday after he and famous father Tiger finished seventh in the PNC Championship.

But the mini tour based in Arizona did draw a handful of PGA Tour pros, a Golf Channel broadcaster and several outstanding local golfers for one last tournament before Christmas.

Joel Dahmen is among the Tour pros in the field. He’s paired with Brandon Harkins, while Max Homa is playing with new Golf Channel on-air personality and good buddy Shane Bacon.

Others in the field: Nate Lashley, Parker McLachlin, Alex Cejka, Sam Triplett, Dylan Wu, Charlie Beljan, University of Illinois and Scottsdale product Michael Feagles as well as Grand Canyon University men’s golf coach Jesse Mueller, who played at Arizona State after a strong amateur career.

The 18-hole outing is being played at Arrowhead Country Club in Glendale and is live on a Twitch livestream.

SCORES: Outlaw Tour Pard’ner Shootout

Dahmen and Lashley are no strangers to the mini-tours. They were among the Tour pros who played in the Scottsdale AZ Open in May during the Tour’s shutdown.

Also in May, Dahmen, while playing with a couple members of the Chicago Cubs, shot a course-record 58 at Mesa Country Club.

Tomorrow is the day the golf world forgets about Charlie Woods.

Oh what a field …

We have our own Charlie … Beljan and that guy @Joel_Dahmen.

LIVE GROUP COVERAGE of golf shots starts at 10:55CST.

WATCH LIVE on @Twitch pic.twitter.com/kLZouAj94q

— The Outlaw Tour (@outlawgolftour) December 20, 2020

Nate Lashley posted his best number (65) in over a year at comfortable Corales

It’s been more than a year since Nate Lashley’s posted a 65 in PGA Tour play. Until Saturday.

To understand why an overdue 65 is exactly the shot in the arm Nate Lashley needed during the third round of the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, simply scan his recent results.

For example, just three weeks ago Lashley finished fifth … in the Platte Valley Pro-Am. No disrespect to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, but not exactly the world’s grandest stage.

In fact, it’s been more than a year since Lashley went this low in a PGA Tour event. He had rounds of 64 and 65 during the now-defunct Military Tribute at The Greenbrier back in early September 2019.

But this week in Punta Cana the schedule offered up a familiar golf course — one on which Lashley has enjoyed success. He won a Korn Ferry Tour event at Corales in 2017, his first victory on that tour after winning three PGA Tour Latinoamérica titles in 2016.

Again, Lashley found the Dominican breezes to his liking on Saturday, using an incredible stretch of six birdies in eight holes to move to 12 under and within a few shots of the leaders through three rounds.

Corales Puntacana: Scores | Photo gallery | Tee times

What about Corales is so inviting to Lashley?

“I feel like it’s a good second-shot golf course and I think that’s a good strength of my game. When I’m hitting my irons well, I feel like on a course like this I’m going to have a chance to finish well. I like that you hit some fairways and then if you have a chance to hit some irons in close. I like that.”

Lashley, who has the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic title on his resume, had made just two of his last dozen cuts heading into the Dominican Republic, but he was resourceful in climbing the leaderboard on Saturday. Even when the University of Arizona product was off-target he found a way to get back into position, converting on all five scramble opportunities.

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“Yeah, I mean scrambling’s always key. When you can get up and down
and save those pars or save the birdies when you’re up around par 5s, that’s huge,” he said. “That’s where you turn in a 7-under round or that can go to a 3- or 4-under round, that’s a big difference when you get up and down five out of five times. So that’s when you have some great scores, and hopefully, I can continue that tomorrow.

“I’ve been hitting it well. The first three rounds, I hit it pretty well and
the first couple rounds, played good. Second round just, you know, one of those days where you play pretty well, but you only shoot 1 under. Could have been three 3 or 4 under pretty easy. That’s the way golf is. I’m playing well, I feel better, body feels better physically. So, you know, just come out tomorrow and try to continue what I’m doing and see what happens.”

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2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic Prop Bet Payday: Matchup, Placing and FRL Picks

Analyzing prop bets for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, with odds and picks for the best matchup, placing and FRL best bets.

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After placing your bets for the outright winner of the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic and setting your fantasy golf lineup, it’s time to flush out your weekly betting card with a wide selection of prop bets.

The 7,334-yard, par-72 Detroit Golf Club welcomes Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau and yet another strong field – starting Thursday – for the fourth event in the PGA Tour’s return to play. Simpson leads all in attendance while ranking third in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. The RBC Heritage winner returns after withdrawing from the Travelers Championship last week amid COVID-19 concerns.

Also see:

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Matchup bets

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, June 30 at 9:45 p.m. ET.

J.T. Poston (-118) vs. Kevin Na

Poston, who finished T-11 here last year, is in a pick’em with Na, who debuts at this event. Na finished fifth last week at the Travelers Championship, while Poston missed the cut after finishing T-8 at the RBC Heritage and T-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Trust his modest experience here to spark a return to form.

Sungjae Im vs. Tony Finau (-106)

Both golfers have disappointed in stronger fields the last two weeks. Finau ranks first in this field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and eighth in SG: Approach over everyone’s last 50 rounds, according to Fantasy National, and he’s a value as a slight underdog in this matchup.

Looking to place a bet on the Rocket Mortgage Classic? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Placing bets

Top 5: Cameron Tringale (+2800)

Tringale will need to repeat last year’s finish in Detroit despite the significantly stronger field in attendance. He was second among those who made the cut with 2.02 SG: Tee-to-Green per round last year, according to Data Golf, while finishing eight shots off the lead at minus-17. He ranks fourth overall by my stat model this week.

Who will the best player from the Rest of The World be? Hideki Matsuyama (+400)

Matsuyama is getting much better odds here than he is for Top Asian Player (+125), despite his top competition being Im in both pools. Matsuyama topped Im with a T-13 to T-21 finish at Detroit Golf Club in 2019. He ranks third in SG: Tee-to-Green, and ninth in SG: Approach and Bogey Avoidance.

Top South African Player: Erik Van Rooyen (+220)

Van Rooyen is the best course fit with the best tee-to-green game in a pool that includes Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel. Top-ranked South African Louis Oosthuizen isn’t in attendance.

Top Canadian Player: Adam Hadwin (-200)

Sometimes it’s OK to eat a little chalk. At 19th in the Golfweek rankings, Hadwin is easily the top-ranked Canadian. No. 2, Corey Conners (69th), and No. 3, Mackenzie Hughes (234th), are off this week. Roger Sloan (+450) ranks 343rd.

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2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic: First-round leader bets

Bryson DeChambeau (+1600)

The odds for DeChambeau to lead after Round 1 are much better than his +600 odds to win the tournament. He’s third on Tour in the 2019-20 season and first in this field with a first-round scoring average of 67.80 through 10 rounds. Plus, he has started two of his last three tournaments with an opening-round 65.

Doc Redman (+5500)

Redman was last year’s runner-up, losing by six strokes to Nate Lashley. Redman resurfaced last week with a T-11 finish at the Travelers Championship. Like DeChambeau, his first-round leader odds are much better than his tournament price of +4500. He has a scheduling advantage by being in the second group off the first tee Thursday.

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Nate Lashley goes from last man in 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic to its winner and spot on Thanksgiving Day Parade float

Nate Lashley earned all sorts of perks from winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic, including a spot on the company’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Job security.

That’s what winning the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic meant to champion Nate Lashley, who went wire-to-wire to win his maiden title on the PGA Tour.

Lashley, 37, was a late-blooming rookie battling to regain his card when he entered the tournament field a year ago as the last man in when David Berganio Jr., withdrew due to injury. All Lashley did was shoot a pair of sizzling 9-under 63’s on Thursday and Saturday at Detroit Golf Club en route to posting 25 under and lapping the field by six strokes.

“It was one of those weeks that just, you know, nothing could go wrong even on bad shots,” Lashley said.

The perks didn’t stop with a seven-figure check and a two-year exemption on Tour. Suddenly, Lashley was in the Masters, the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and aboard a float at Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Tee times | Fantasy rankings | Best bets

“They asked me to come out and ride on it,” Lashley recalled. “I hit some little foam golf balls out into the stands and into the groups of people. It was a lot of fun. It was a little chilly. I’m used to Arizona and Thanksgiving Day, nice and warm, you can go play some golf. It was a little chilly and it was great. I had a lot of fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Lashley was planning to play his first practice round at Augusta National following the Players Championship in March when the event was canceled due to the global pandemic and the Masters was postponed to the fall. He still can’t wait to experience driving down Magnolia Lane and playing Amen Corner.

“I was there a couple of years ago and saw the fans and heard the roars,” he said. “There’s nothing else like it.”

Lashley spent the Tour’s 91-day suspension from play at home in Arizona and hardly touched a club. He figured he played about four rounds, choosing to let his body rest.

“I’m not one of these 20-year-old kids who can play every day,” Lashley said. “Rest can sometimes be your best practice.”

He did compete in the Scottsdale Open, where he was listed as the betting favorite, which gave him feedback on the state of the game and got the competitive juices flowing again. Mostly, Lashley did projects on his new house, including buying an above-ground planter garden at Home Depot.

“We were pretty bored. It kept us busy for a few days,” he said.

In that new house, he has a gym and it came with a built-in bookshelf, which he deemed the perfect spot to showcase his Rocket Mortgage Classic trophy.

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Bringing Golf Back: Angela Stanford, Nate Lashley on golf’s return

PGA Tour pro Nate Lashley and LPGA pro Angela Stanford sit down with Golfweek and USA TODAY Sports to discuss the emotions of returning to the game of golf after the sport was briefly shut down.

PGA Tour pros crowd leaderboard at Arizona mini-tour event, but upstarts lurk

There’s no question players on the mini tours are outstanding golfers and the margin between them and those on the PGA Tour is razor thin.

But it should also be no surprise that it’s the handful of Tour players who are near the top of the leaderboard after Day 1 of the Scottsdale AZ Open.

SCOTTSDALE AZ OPEN: Scores | Tee times

Nate Lashley, who won the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit last year, fired a 62 on the North Course at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale. He eagled the second hole and also had six birdies and no bogeys and has a one-shot lead.

Zach Smith shot a 63 after posting seven birdies in his round. He is a shot back. Steven Kupcho, brother of rising LPGA star Jennifer Kupcho, shot a 6-under 64 and is solo third.

The eight-way tie for fourth at 5-under includes the PGA Tour’s Joel Dahmen, Scott Harrington and Kevin Streelman as well as the recently retired Colt Knost. They all shot 65s, as did the Korn Ferry Tour’s Brandon Wu, Kevin Lucas and Andre Metzger. Also at 5 under is Brady Calkins.

Brian Urlacher, Michael Phelps and Nate Lashley on the first tee box prior to the pro-am for the 2020 Scottsdale AZ Open at Talking Stick Golf Club in Arizona. Photo by Golfweek

Another PGA Tour player, JJ Spaun, shot a 2-under 68 and is T-26, tied with Sam Triplett, who is the son of PGA Tour Champions player Kirk Triplett. Let the record show that on this day, son beat father by two shots.

Dahmen won the tournament in 2017, his last professional win, and actually came into this event as the favorite.

“Vegas says I’m favored,” Dahmen said before his pro-am round on Monday. “This is such a new territory. … I’m usually like the 15th guy on the list at 100-to-1.”

Dahmen came in as hot as any player, having shot a 58 at nearby Mesa Country Club last week.

The Scottsdale AZ Open is a 54-hole stroke play event with a field of 162 players. After 36 holes, there will be a cut to the low 50 players and ties. The total purse is $130,000 with $20,000 going to the winner.

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50 days until 2020 Masters: Here’s a look at players making their Masters debut

Cameron Champ and Matthew Wolff are among the PGA Tour stars making their Masters debut in April at Augusta National Golf Club.

Seventeen-year-old Abel Gallegos of Argentina shot a final-round 67 at Mayakoba’s El Camaleon Golf Club in January to win the Latin America Amateur Championship. With the trophy, Gallegos received a coveted invitation to the 2020 Masters.

In his first time playing the Latin American Amateur Championship, Gallegos finished at 4 under and beat runner-up Aaron Terrazas of Mexico by four strokes.

The teen says watching countryman Angel Cabrera win a green jacket in 2009 is one of his earliest memories of watching the Masters on TV. Cabrera sent Gallegos a congratulatory text after his win in the LAAC.

Here’s a look at the players who will make their Masters debut at Augusta National Golf Club during Round 1 on April 9, 2020.

Abel Gallegos

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