Tag: Patrick Rodgers

Playing ‘brilliantly,’ Patrick Rodgers goes on offense at PGA Tour’s RSM Classic

Rodgers has been known as a consummate pro, but he’s yet to get into the winner’s circle.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — It’s often said a good offense is the best defense. And as the 2024 PGA Tour season winds down to its final few days, there’s still plenty on the line for those taking part in the RSM Classic at Sea Island Golf Club, many of whom are playing offense.

Some are fighting to get inside the top 125 of the FedEx Cup Fall standings, meaning they’ll keep a full Tour card and get eligibility into all full-field events in 2025. And some are working to crack the top 60, or Aon Next 10 since the original 50 is set, which means a chance to play in the first two lucrative signature events of next year.

Patrick Rodgers is one of the lucky few at this island paradise who knows he’s into another full season next year, sitting at No. 52 in the standings. The veteran pro simply needs to play defense to hold down a spot in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational.

RSM Classic: Leaderboard | Photos

But rather than play passively and worry about where things might shake out, Rodgers went on the offensive on Thursday while playing his opening round on the Seaside course. After starting his day with six straight pars, Rodgers ripped off a trio of birdies on Nos. 7, 8 and 9 to make the turn in 32. He added three more birdies on the back, with just a single bogey on No. 13, and got back to the clubhouse at 5 under, near the top of the early-wave leaders. He hit every green in regulation en route to a 65, donning a knit hat on a chilly, windy morning.

He was justifiably happy with his effort.

“I played really well today. I controlled my golf ball brilliantly. I hit every green in regulation, which is pretty rare on any round on the Tour, especially at a pretty blustery day,” he said. “Just really proud of my ball control, proud of my discipline and gave myself a lot of chances to score.”

Since Rodgers finished last season inside the top 50, meaning he was eligible for all the signature events, he was eager to get back into at least the first two events, which have no cut.

“The fall has been important in trying to secure that Next 10. Obviously, the top 50 has become a really big number and it was a bummer to miss that after playing all the signature events this year. But I felt like my game was in a good place,” he said. “I wanted to continue to progress with what I was working on, so happy to have the opportunity to play all fall. And I’m looking to win golf tournaments, that’s the next step for me and this week would be a great one to get it done.”

Of course, while Rodgers has been known as a consummate pro since he first earned his Tour card in 2014, he’s yet to get into the winner’s circle, making him one of the most accomplished players currently on Tour without a victory.

One of his best chances to win came at the 2018 RSM Classic when he got hot on the weekend with rounds of 61 and 62, then a record for the lowest closing 36-hole score in PGA Tour history, to force a playoff with Charles Howell III.

At the time, Howell was 39 years old and had suffered a long winning drought. Howell’s knees gave way as he watched his birdie putt roll true on the second playoff hole to beat Rodgers and win for the first time since the 2007 Nissan Open.

And while that experience marked one of four times Rodgers finished as a runner-up on Tour, it also showed how well he plays at this event hosted by Davis Love III.

While others might check out at season’s end, Rodgers seems to keep his focus until the final event is through. He finished in the top 10 last year, as well.

“I think, to be honest, the mental space of it being the end of the year is quite healthy. I think I could learn a lot from that,” he said. “I think it allows me to maybe be more present than I otherwise would be with it kind of feeling like the last week before a break.

“But it’s a great place to be, they’re tremendous golf courses and yeah, it’s nice to come back to a place where I’ve had a little bit of success in the past.”

Butterfield Bermuda Championship 2024 odds, course history and picks to win

It’s time to pick a winner.

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship, the penultimate event for the PGA Tour in 2024, kicks off Thursday at Port Royal Golf Course. Another rank-and-file field has gathered in Southhampton, Bermuda, highlighted by Mackenzie Hughes, Lucas Glover, Seamus Power, Maverick McNealy and Daniel Berger.

Defending champion Camilo Villegas has made just five cuts across 24 starts so far this year, but maybe a trip back to the course where he captured his fifth Tour win will break his slump.

This week’s winner will go home with $1.242 million of the $6.9 million purse and 500 FedEx Cup points.

Now, let’s jump into our betting preview and discuss a few players we’re picking to contend in Bermuda.

Bermuda Championship: Tournament hub

Golf course

Port Royal Golf Course | Par 71 | 6,828 yards

2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Ryan Armour, Kevin Chappell and D.J. Trahan of the United States walk to the 16th green during the second round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 10, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Things to keep in mind

  • Wind can play a major factor at this track, so pay attention to a potential wave advantage.
  • This is not a course players can dominate with their drivers. This is a plot-your-way-around type track. Think Harbour Town (RBC Heritage).
  • Scores can get low out here — Villegas won at 24 under. Let’s prioritize Strokes Gained: Approach and SG: Putting (Bermuda).

Course history

Butterfield Bermuda Championship odds, favorites

Player Odds 2023 finish
Seamus Power +1600 N/A
Mackenzie Hughes +1600 N/A
Maverick McNealy +2000 N/A
Patrick Rodgers +2000 N/A
Justin Lower +2000 T-20
Ben Griffin +2000 T-37
Doug Ghim +2200 N/A
Lucas Glover +2800 T-45
Matti Schmid +2800 3rd
Sam Stevens +2800 N/A
Jhonattan Vegas +3000 N/A
Andrew Novak +3000 T-45
Daniel Berger +3500 N/A
Carson Young +4000 N/A
Andrew Putnam +4000 N/A
Joe Highsmith +4000 N/A
Kevin Yu +4000 T-30
Brendon Todd +4000 T-20
Rico Hoey +4500 N/A
Nick Taylor +4500 N/A
Jacob Bridgeman +4500 N/A
Alex Smalley +4500 T-30
Mark Hubbard +5000 T-20
Nick Hardy +5000 T-45
Greyson Sigg +5000 N/A
Nico Echavarria +5500 T-76
Vince Whaley +5500 T-8
Michael Kim +6000 N/A
Henrik Norlander +6500 N/A
Joseph Bramlett +7000 N/A
Chesson Hadley +7000 N/A
Hayden Springer +7500 N/A
Ben Kohles +7500 N/A
K.H. Lee +8000 N/A
Joel Dahmen +8000 N/A
S.Y. Noh +8000 T-72
Justin Suh +8000 N/A
Cameron Champ +8000 N/A
Chad Ramey +9000 N/A
Kevin Streelman +9000 N/A
Nate Lashley +9000 N/A
Dylan Wu +9000 T-30
Ryo Hisatsune +9000 N/A
Wesley Bryan +9000 T-37
Pierceson Coody +9000 N/A
Kevin Chappell +10000 T-45
Sam Ryder +10000 N/A

Picks to win the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Ben Griffin

2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship
Ben Griffin walks down the fairway on the 18th hole on the first day of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, August 15, 2024.

Best odds: 20/1 (+2000), DraftKings and FanDuel

Analysis: Griffin has been flirting with his first Tour win for more than a year now, and this seems like a great spot for him to get it. He’s coming off back-to-back top-25 finishes at the Zozo Championship and World Wide Technology Championship, and he has a T-3 finish at this event in 2022.

Justin Lower

2024 World Wide Technology Championship
Justin Lower of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the third round of the World Wide Technology Championship 2024 at El Cardonal at Diamante on November 09, 2024 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

Best odds: 25/1 (+2500), several books

Analysis: Lower played some great golf last week but couldn’t quite catch Austin Eckroat. He finished in a tie for second. Now, he heads to a course he loves. In three starts at Port Royal, Lower has three top-20 finishes, including a tie for eighth at the end of 2022.

Patrick Rodgers

Patrick Rodgers of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 at the Country Club of Jackson on October 04, 2024 in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)

Best odds: 30/1 (+3000), FanDuel and Caesars

Analysis: Rodgers has made 279 starts on the PGA Tour and hasn’t put a tally in the win column. Is this his week? Over the last month, Rodgers has tied for 11th at the Black Desert Championship and for 24th at the World Wide Technology Championship. In 2021, Rodgers finished solo fourth at Port Royal. A year later, he tied for third.

Vince Whaley

Vince Whaley hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Best odds: 55/1 (+5500), FanDuel and BetMGM

Analysis: Whaley has two T-16 finishes during the Tour’s fall season — Sanderson Farms Championship, Shriners Children’s Open — and has played well at Port Royal in the past. In 2023, he tied for eighth, and in 2021, he finished T-7.

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

A first-time PGA Tour winner likely at 2023 Barracuda Championship

Sunday is bound to be life changing for one PGA Tour player.

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Sunday is bound to be life changing for one PGA Tour player.

None of the top four players on the leaderboard at the 2023 Barracuda Championship at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California, have won on Tour before. Two of them, Ryan Gerard and Akshay Bhatia, weren’t even PGA Tour members when the season began.

After Sunday’s final round, it’s likely someone hoists a trophy for the first time.

Patrick Rodgers birdied the 18th hole and earned two points in the Modified Stableford format to take a one-point lead over Gerard going into the final round. Rodgers tallied eight points in the third round and sits at 34 for the tournament. Gerard, who led after the 36 holes, struggled to garner any momentum on moving day, earning only three points and has 33 points.

“I was really super proud of the way that I was resilient and turned the round around and knew there was still a lot of points to be had,” Rodgers said. “The eagle on 12 was huge, and birdieing two of the last three was great to be in a good position going into tomorrow.”

Bhatia made a major move up the leaderboard, sitting in solo third with 31 points, courtesy of his 17-point outing. He shot 8-under 63 with six birdies and an eagle.

“I know I’m close to winning,” Bhatia said. “It’s a good feeling. Obviously finishing top 10 and gaining points and everything is important out here. But it’s just amazing the perspective you have when you just kind of wish you did certain things a little different, and I would have been pretty close to hosting that trophy last week.”

Beau Hossler, who is also searching for his first Tour victory, is in solo fourth with 30 points. Joel Dahmen is in fifth with 29.

The opposite-field event gives plenty of opportunities for someone to have a career-changing victory. The leaderboard is set up for exactly that come Sunday.

“I feel like any time that you’re in contention coming down the last round, last however many holes, you’ve got to play well to get into that situation,” Gerard said. “So just going to take that in stride and really just trust that we’re going to have some good stuff happen tomorrow and just really do my best and everything else is just an added bonus. So we’re excited to just go out there and see what happens.”

Here are 5 bets to consider for the 2023 Mexico Open, including a Jon Rahm/Gary Woodland top-10 parlay

Which pick are you rolling with in Mexico?

The PGA Tour is south of the border this week for the Mexico Open at Vidanta in Vallarta.

Defending champion and world No. 1 Jon Rahm tied for 15th in his last start at the RBC Heritage a week after slipping on the green jacket in Augusta, Georgia.

Rahm won this event by a single shot last season over Tony Finau and Kurt Kitayama.

As for the rest of the field, it’s one of the weakest we’ve seen in a bit. Three of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are set to tee off Thursday.

Here are five bets you need to consider for the 2023 Mexico Open.

More Mexico Open betting: Expert picks, odds

‘This is why I play’: With invitation to Masters on the line, Patrick Rodgers leads Valero Texas Open looking for first PGA Tour victory

“This is why I play, why I compete and I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow.”

There’s a lot on the line Sunday at the Valero Texas Open.

Patrick Rodgers, who has held a 54-hole lead three times previously in his PGA Tour career, has a one-shot advantage at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course. Not only would a win Sunday for Rodgers be the first of his PGA Tour career, it would also punch his ticket to Augusta National and the Masters.

However, there are plenty of golfers chasing.

Corey Conners, who Monday qualified into the Valero in 2019 and won, is a shot back. Matt Kuchar had the round of the day until a late mishap, but he’s also playing for a ticket to the Masters and is solo third. And the veteran, Padraig Harrington, is lurking.

Valero: Photos | Sunday tee times

Here are takeaways from the third round of the Valero Texas Open.

Tired? Not Patrick Rodgers, who finished off a 23-hole day with five birdies in six holes at the Valero Texas Open

Rodgers’ chase for his elusive first PGA Tour victory has been more marathon than sprint.

SAN ANTONIO — Patrick Rodgers has always put a premium on fitness; at the ripe age of 30, he’s got a slender physique that could be mistaken for that of a teenager.

In terms of career fitness, Rodgers’ chase for that elusive first PGA Tour victory has been more marathon than sprint. In 234 starts, the Stanford University product has pocketed more than $10 million in earnings but has failed to find his way into the winner’s circle.

During an awkward Friday at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course, one that had players making up for Thursday’s inclement weather, Rodgers’ fitness was again on display. Rather than wilting under the weight of additional holes, the ninth-year pro got stronger as the day progressed, posting five birdies in his final six holes as he pushed his way atop the field at the Valero Texas Open.

Rodgers fired a 67 in his second round and sits at 11 under, with Corey Conners three back and Michael Thompson four back as the weekend begins.

The closest he’s come to lifting a trophy on the Tour was losing in a playoff to Charles Howell III at the 2018 RSM Classic. That week, Rodgers shot 61-62 at Sea Island’s Seaside Course, the lowest 36-hole weekend score in Tour history. Also a member of the “Class of 2011” which included major winners Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, Rodgers equaled the record of Tiger Woods with 11 victories during his college career at Stanford.

So getting a victory at the Valero would be extra sweet, especially since a debut in the Masters would be part of the prize package.

Rodgers makes no bones about the fact that he’s as hungry as ever to get a victory.

“It’s something I’ve always dreamt of, it’s the reason why I’m out here,” Rodgers said. “I love this job because I love to compete and I do my best to win a golf tournament every time I tee it up. I’m excited for the chance. This is, like I said, why I play. It’s going to be a really fun next couple of days.”

Patrick Rodgers tees off on the 18th hole during the second round of the 2023 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

Nothing about his recent form would have indicated he’d play like he did Friday. Rodgers has missed the cut in six of his last eight tournaments, has fallen to 143rd in the Official World Golf Ranking and his track record at the Valero has been abysmal. He failed to reach the weekend in each of his first three appearances and even when he finally did make the cut last year, he dropped hard with a 75 on Sunday.

“Thank you for the reminder,” he said, when being told he’d failed to break par in his first three years at TPC San Antonio. “It’s a very demanding golf course. I think experience definitely makes me more comfortable around here. It’s demanding mentally because you know that on both sides of every hole there’s some pretty thick forest and some places you don’t want to be. It’s just been helpful to focus on where I’m trying to hit it and manage the golf course well and I’ve done a great job of that for two days.”

The biggest difference this week is his iron play. Rodgers was No. 1 in strokes gained approach the green through his first two rounds, picking up seven strokes on the field in that category.

Despite his recent struggles, the former 2014 Haskins Award winner said he’s been working diligently on his routine in this area, making sure he’s committed to his decisions.

“That’s been a huge area of focus for me, it’s been what’s keeping me from playing better golf and yeah, I’m really proud that the work that I’ve been putting in week in and week out even when it wasn’t paying off on the golf course,” Rodgers said. “Now it’s starting to and I’m happy with the patience that I’ve showed to get here.”

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Patrick Rodgers, Sahith Theegala among crowded leaderboard bidding for first PGA Tour title at RSM Classic

“This is why I play. I want chances to win golf tournaments.” — Patrick Rodgers

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The fact that Patrick Rodgers still is seeking his first PGA Tour victory after 225 career starts is one of golf’s great mysteries. But that could change on Sunday at the RSM Classic as Rodgers made four straight birdies on the back nine Saturday to shoot 6-under 64 and shares the 54-hole lead with Ben Martin. It’s Rodgers’s first 54-hole lead since the 2017 John Deere Classic.

“This is why I play. I want chances to win golf tournaments,” he said. “That was one of the big things my coach (Jeff Smith) and I talked about during the offseason – to get my nose in there a little more often and this is a really fun opportunity.”

Big things were expected of Rodgers, 30, a member of the ballyhooed “Class of 2011” that includes major winners Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Rodgers equaled the record of Tiger Woods with 11 victories during his college career at Stanford, but the closest he’s come to lifting a trophy on the Tour is losing in a playoff here to Charles Howell III at the 2018 RSM Classic.  That week, Rodgers shot 61-62 at Sea Island’s Seaside Course, the lowest 36-hole weekend score in Tour history. (Three times in all he’s been a runner-up on Tour.)

What has kept the 30-year-old Rodgers from living up to the high expectations placed upon him? Poor iron play has been the biggest culprit. Until improving to 94th in the rankings, he’d never finished better than 117th on Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach.

“He extends early, left hip goes up early, spine angle goes back and he doesn’t trap his irons,” Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee said. “He flat out is going to have to learn to hit his irons better to have the sort of success that was anticipated for him.”

This season, Rodgers has made seven straight cuts and finished T-3 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship three weeks ago. After rounds of 69 at the Plantation Course on Thursday and a tidy 65 at Seaside on Friday, Rodgers got hot on the back nine on Saturday, going on a birdie binge that began at 13 and continued through the 16th hole.

“I’m hoping it plays difficult tomorrow because I feel like that plays to my advantage but I’m looking forward to the fight,” Rodgers said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

RSM Classic: Sunday tee times | Leaderboard

Sea Island Mafia: Bragging rights on the line to become first local to win RSM Classic

Davis Love III has a veritable museum of his achievements on display all over the island at Sea Island Resort.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – In 1978, Davis Love III’s father, renowned instructor Davis Jr., was given a blank slate to start an instructional school anywhere in the country. He chose Sea Island Resort here in this picturesque corner of southern Georgia—halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida—and it’s been Love’s home ever since.

Love, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017, has a veritable museum of his achievements on display all over the island. A local restaurant, Brogen’s North, has a caddie bib worn by brother Mark at the 1995 Ryder Cup matches at Oak Hill and a framed print of Love after his cup-clinching putt at The Belfry in 1993. Some of Love’s winning hardware have been the focal point of an elegant trophy room at Sea Island Resort.

When Love won the 1997 PGA Championship, hand-painted banners and a billboard along U.S. 17 offered congratulations. After the 2016 Ryder Cup victory, Love was welcomed home by a live band at McKinnon Airport, a small airstrip on the island favored by players who fly private.

RSM Classic: Thursday tee times, TV info | PGA Tour on ESPN+ | Best bets

Love has returned the community’s affection by hosting the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic, a tournament that has raised nearly $29 million for local charities. He does everything from handing out the trophy to hosting the pro-am party, and is making his 788th Tour start in the tournament this week, which kicks off its 13th year on Thursday at the Resort’s Seaside and Plantation courses.

2021 RSM Classic
Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island, Georgia. (Photo: Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

“The community rallies behind it every year,” said Zach Johnson, a Sea Island resident who is one of two players in the field that has competed in every edition of the RSM Classic to date (the other being Chris Kirk).

Johnson, who grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, already has claimed the John Deere Classic, his true home game, and now he’s gunning for his adopted hometown tourney. Somehow, none of the local boys, who are collectively known as the Sea Island Mafia, have ever had bragging rights as champion of the RSM Classic.

“Based on the amount of talent that lives here, based on the resumes that live here and having that course knowledge, it is a little bit surprising. I find it a little bit odd. But it’s hard,” Johnson said. “At some point that’s probably got to happen.”

Johnson, who has three top-10 finishes in his last five RSM starts, would love nothing more than to set off a celebration on the island. But the 12-time Tour winner hasn’t won on the since hoisting the Claret Jug in 2015 at St. Andrews.

“It completely and utterly eats at me,” Johnson said of his victory drought. “But I know how hard this game is and typically, you know, when I’ve had valleys, if you will, the motivation to go work and try to get out of that valley has never been an issue.”

It should be noted that technically a resident already has won the RSM.

Kevin Kisner, a longtime Sea Island member, won the 2015 title and was living on the island while his home in Aiken, South Carolina, was being renovated. But Kisner’s home course is Palmetto Golf Club and he’s only an unofficial member of the Sea Island Mafia. Harris English, who is attempting to climb back into the top 50 in the world, counts as a full-blooded member, one of 16 local residents in the field this week, and plays enough at the two Sea Island courses that he figures he should have an advantage.

“I never get tired of playing this place,” English said. “The challenging part about playing this week is we never play it in these kind of conditions.”

2020 RSM Classic
A view of the sixth green during the final round of the 2020 RSM Classic at the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club in St Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Asked where he would head on the island to celebrate with the local folks should he hoist the trophy, English smiled and said, “I don’t think Ziggy Mahoney’s will be open on Sunday, but that’s a pretty good celebration spot.”

Stat of the week

116. That is how many birdies Patrick Rodgers has made during the first seven events of the 2022-23 season, the most of 10 players who have topped 100 birdies. The annual RSM Birdies Fore Love competition concludes this week at The RSM Classic, with the player making the most birdies (or better) throughout the fall portion of the schedule receiving $300,000 to donate to a children- or family-focused charitable organization of his choice ($150,000 for second, $50,000 for third). With this being the final week of the competition, each birdie (or better) will count for two.

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Houston Open: Tony Finau trying to run away from the field, weather suspends play until Saturday and more takeaways from second round

Last week, Tony Finau missed the cut. This week, everyone is chasing him.

HOUSTON – Last year, the winning score was 10 under. The year before, 13 under.

As of now, it looks like golfers at the 2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open will blast past those numbers.

The Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course continued Friday, the penultimate FedEx Cup event of the PGA Tour’s fall slate. The first round was halted by darkness, and a handful of players had to come back and finish their opening 18 holes before starting their second round.

And now, the second round won’t finish until Saturday.

However, a name at the top of the leaderboard hasn’t changed since Thursday night.

Here’s a look at some takeaways from the second round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open.

Houston Open: PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ | Leaderboard