Tag: Port Royal Golf Club

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.

2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship Sunday tee times, how to watch

Everything you need to know for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

It’s time for the final round at the penultimate PGA Tour event of the year.

Alex Noren continued his strong play Saturday in the third round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, shooting 4-under 67 to move to 19 under for the tournament. However, his lead was two after each of the first two rounds and is now down to one at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton.

Camilo Villegas shot 6-under 65 on Saturday and sits solo second. He’s searching for a chance to earn full status for the 2024 season with a strong finish in Bermuda. Matti Schmid and Ryan Moore are tied for third at 17 under.

Port Royal ranks 27th on the Golfweek’s Best 2023: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America list.

Butterfield Bermuda: Photos

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the final round of the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. All times listed are ET.

Sunday tee times

1st tee

Tee time Players
6:40 a.m.
Luke List, Brian Stuard, Charley Hoffman
6:50 a.m.
Kyle Westmoreland, Ben Griffin, Fred Biondi
7 a.m.
Scott Piercy, Sean O’Hair, Tyson Alexander
7:10 a.m.
Robert Garrigus, Brandon Wu, Austin Cook
7:20 a.m.
Brendon Todd, Brian Gay, Kevin Roy
7:30 a.m.
Austin Smotherman, Akshay Bhatia, Doc Redman
7:40 a.m.
Peter Malnati, Mark Hubbard, Lucas Herbert
7:50 a.m.
Patton Kizzire, Ryan Palmer, Justin Lower
8 a.m.
D.A. Points, Ryan Brehm, Ben Martin
8:10 a.m.
Taylor Pendrith, David Lipsky, Davis Riley
8:20 a.m.
Satoshi Kodaira, Adam Long, Dylan Wu
8:30 a.m.
Carl Yuan, Kramer Hickok, Adam Scott
8:40 a.m.
Ryan Moore, Stewart Cink, Vince Whaley
8:50 a.m.
Alex Noren, Camilo Villegas, Matti Schmid

10th tee

Tee time Player
6:45 a.m.
Cody Gribble, Andrew Novak, Kyle Stanley
6:55 a.m.
Andrew Landry, Russell Knox, Martin Laird
7:05 a.m.
Kelly Kraft, Brice Garnett, D.J. Trahan
7:15 a.m.
Wesley Bryan, Augusto Nunez, Matthias Schwab
7:25 a.m.
Kevin Chappell, Max McGreevy, Kevin Yu
7:35 a.m.
Nick Hardy, Kevin Stadler, Ryan Armour
7:45 a.m.
Robert Streb, Alex Smalley, George Bryan IV
7:55 a.m.
Richy Werenski, S.Y. Noh, Greg Koch
8:05 a.m.
Troy Merritt, William McGirt, Lanto Griffin
8:15 a.m.
Peter Kuest, Lucas Glover, Zecheng Dou
8:25 a.m.
Nico Echavarria, Martin Contini, Nick Watney
8:35 a.m.
David Lingmerth, Cameron Percy, Jim Herman
8:45 a.m.
Ted Potter, Jr., Ryan Gerard, Martin Trainer

How to watch, listen

ESPN+ is the exclusive home of PGA Tour Live. There is no PGA Tour Live coverage of the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. All times ET.

Sunday, Nov. 12

Golf Channel/Peacock: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sirius XM: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

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Alex Noren remains in front, NCAA champ lurking among 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship second-round takeaways

Here’s what you need to know from the second day of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

It’s time for the weekend in Bermuda.

The second round of the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship is (almost) complete, as three groups remain on the course before the round will officially be completed.

However, the name at the top is the same as it was after the first round.

Alex Noren has had a stellar start at Port Royal Golf Club in Southampton, and he takes the lead into the weekend after setting a tournament scoring record through 36 holes. It’s also his best 36-hole start on the PGA Tour.

However, chasing him are numerous golfers looking to secure their cards for next year and those looking for their first victory, too.

Butterfield Bermuda: Photos

Here’s what you need to know from the second day at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Golfers on FedEx Cup bubble highlight those to miss cut at Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Here’s a look at who’s likely packing after the cut becomes official at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

With only two events left until the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall is finished, golfers near the top 125 had only a couple more chances to improve their position and secure a card ahead of next year.

However, plenty of those went backward and are heading home for the weekend.

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Club is on to the weekend. The second round finished Saturday morning, and the cut was 5 under.

Among those expected to head home early are the U.S. Amateur champion, a former major champion, a 15-year-old Bermuda native and plenty of golfers searching for job security next year.

Butterfield Bermuda: Photos

Here’s a look at who’s packing their bags at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship Friday tee times, how to watch

Everything you need to know for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

It was birdies galore Thursday in the opening round of the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

The leader, Alex Noren, had 11 of them en route to his 10-under 61. He has a two-shot lead over Vince Whaley, D.J. Trahan, Robert Garrigus and Dylan Wu. Of the 132 players in the field, 104 were under par when the horn sounded because of darkness at 4:31 p.m. ET.

Adam Scott finished eagle-birdie to shoot 6 under and is four shots off the lead.

Port Royal ranks 27th on the Golfweek’s Best 2023: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America list.

Butterfield Bermuda: Odds, picks to win

The first round will resume at 6:45 a.m. ET, and the second round will begin as scheduled.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the second round of the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. All times listed are ET.

Friday tee times

1st tee

Tee time Players
5:55 a.m.
Satoshi Kodaira, Kevin Stadler, Arjun Atwal
6:06 a.m.
Jimmy Walker, Taylor Pendrith, Zecheng Dou
6:17 a.m.
Ryan Armour, Kevin Chappell, D.J. Trahan
6:28 a.m.
Robert Streb, Jim Herman, Andrew Landry
6:39 a.m.
Russell Knox, Ricky Barnes, Harrison Endycott
6:50 a.m.
Kyle Stanley, David Lipsky, Kevin Yu
7:01 a.m.
D.A. Points, Cameron Percy, Paul Haley II
7:12 a.m.
David Lingmerth, Derek Lamely, Brian Davis
7:23 a.m.
Carl Yuan, Kyle Westmoreland, Scott Roy
7:34 a.m.
Trevor Werbylo, Kevin Roy, Chris Maker
7:45 a.m.
Michael Sims, Andy Zhang, Oliver Betschart
10:30 a.m.
Tommy Gainey, Kelly Kraft, Vince Whaley
10:41 a.m.
C.T. Pan, Bo Van Pelt, David Heard
10:52 a.m.
Patton Kizzire, Alex Noren, Justin Lower
11:03 a.m.
Lucas Glover, Davis Riley, Nick Hardy
11:14 a.m.
Luke List, Akshay Bhatia, Camilo Villegas
11:25 a.m.
Nick Watney, Hank Lebioda, Matthias Schwab
11:36 a.m.
Chris Stroud, Thomas Detry, Max McGreevy
11:47 a.m.
Greg Chalmers, Ben Crane, Derek Ernst
11:58 a.m.
Jason Dufner, S.Y. Noh, Sean O’Hair
12:09 p.m.
Scott Harrington, Tano Goya, Ryan Gerard
12:20 p.m.
Martin Contini, Chase Johnson, Greg Koch

10th tee

Tee time Player
5:50 a.m.
Ryan Moore, Peter Malnati, Brandon Wu
6:01 a.m.
Scott Piercy, Charley Hoffman, Harry Hall
6:12 a.m.
Brice Garnett, Andrew Novak, MJ Daffue
6:23 a.m.
Brian Gay, Adam Scott, Ben Griffin
6:34 a.m.
Nico Echavarria, Lucas Herbert, Brendon Todd
6:45 a.m.
Austin Cook, Doc Redman, Harry Higgs
6:56 a.m.
Ben Martin, Mark Hubbard, Austin Smotherman
7:07 a.m.
Wesley Bryan, Cody Gribble, Tyson Alexander
7:18 a.m.
Brian Stuard, Alex Smalley, Matti Schmid
7:29 a.m.
Trevor Cone, Peter Kuest, George Brian IV
7:40 a.m.
Fred Biondi, Sam Bennett, Nick Dunlap
10:35 a.m.
Jonas Blixt, Jeff Overton, Kramer Hickok
10:46 a.m.
Kevin Tway, Richard S. Johnson, Doug Ghim
10:57 a.m.
Martin Trainer, Ted Potter, Jr., William McGirt
11:08 a.m.
Stewart Cink, Martin Laird, Lanto Griffin
11:19 a.m.
Ryan Brehm, Richy Werenski, Troy Merritt
11:30 a.m.
Ryan Palmer, Fabian Gomez, Henrik Norlander
11:41 a.m.
Jonathan Byrd, Robert Garrigus, Omar Uresti
11:52 a.m.
Dylan Frittelli, Sung Kang, Adam Long
12:03 p.m.
Scott Brown, George McNeill, Dylan Wu
12:14 p.m.
Michael Gligic, Brent Grant, Augusto Nunez
12:25 p.m.
Eric West, Kyle Wilshire, Denny Guise

How to watch, listen

ESPN+ is the exclusive home of PGA Tour Live. There is no PGA Tour Live coverage of the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. All times ET.

Friday, Nov. 10

Golf Channel/Peacock: 1-4 p.m.

Sirius XM: 10 a.m.-4 p.m

Saturday, Nov. 11

Golf Channel/Peacock: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sirius XM: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 12

Golf Channel/Peacock: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sirius XM: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

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Bubble watch, a PGA Tour record and more 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship first-round takeaways

Here’s what you need to know from the first round in Bermuda.

On a day when the weather was near perfect in Southampton, Bermuda, plenty of players took advantage.

The first round of the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship has come and gone, and there were no shortage of players to take advantage of favorable scoring conditions Thursday at Port Royal Golf Club. And with everything on the line on the island in the North Atlantic Ocean, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the leaderboard as packed as it is at the top.

In addition to the low scores, there was a PGA Tour record broken in the first round.

The first round was suspended due to darkness at 4:31 p.m. ET.

Here’s everything you need to know from the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Instead of getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle, these 4 pros found their game in the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship

“I was just coming out to shake the rust off and have a good time today and I guess I did.”

The PGA Tour is visiting the eastern tip of the North Atlantic Ocean and the infamous Bermuda Triangle, which is best known as a place where planes, ships and people are alleged to have gone mysteriously missing. But this week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, it is where a lot of veterans are finding their game.

None more so than Sweden’s Alex Noren, who made a tournament-record 11 birdies in calm conditions Thursday morning at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. Noren tied the course record with a 10-under 61 and set his personal low 18-hole scoring mark in 510 official stroke-play rounds on the Tour en route to grabbing a two-stroke lead over four golfers when play was suspended during the first round due to darkness with nine players left to complete the round.

“It was a long time ago I had like a really low round, you know, lower than maybe 5, 6 under, so I feel good,” Noren said. “That was pretty much the closest I’ve got to the hole in a very, very long time.”

That included finishing the day in style by stuffing his approach inside a foot for his third birdie in his final four holes. Noren, for one, hopes that the trademark wind at Port Royal, which is the course’s main defense, will pick up as the tournament continues.

“I like the wind,” Noren said. “If it’s not windy, it’s like you’ve got to keep these unbelievable low rounds up and it’s not that easy.”

It’s been a bit of a struggle this season for the 41-year-old Noren. He has 10 career wins on the DP World Tour and once ranked as high as No. 8 in the world but remains winless in 162 career starts on the PGA Tour. He’s dipped to 62nd in the world and recorded just three top-10 finishes this season.

“It’s been a weird year,” he said, but he’s trending in the right direction after a T-3 at the Shriners Children’s Open last month.

Weird would be a kind description for the season to date for Robert Garrigus. He’s missed the cut in all eight of his PGA Tour starts this season and 15 in a row. But on Thursday, he signed for a bogey-free 8-under 63.

“My putting, it was just as good as I think I’ve putted in, I don’t know, 5 years,” he said.

Garrigus, 45, was a late addition into the tournament, flying to Bermuda figuring he’d enjoy a vacation if he failed to get a spot.

“Just knowing that I was playing in a tournament like gave me a little juice,” he said. “I was just coming out to shake the rust off and have a good time today and I guess I did. It was a lot of fun.”

He’s tied for second with D.J. Trahan, Vincent Whaley, and Dylan Wu. Whaley, 28, ranked No. 222 in the FedEx Cup standings during the regular season and is making just his 13th start this season as he battled back from a right wrist injury he suffered two years ago at the RBC Canadian Open. He said he’s finally healthy again. That and a coaching change to Cameron McCormick before the FedEx Cup Fall began has helped him make four straight cuts and shoot his career-low on Tour on Thursday.

“I grew up working with him in Dallas and kind of got back into it, and it’s been great,” Whaley said.

Trahan, 42, last won on Tour in 2008 and started the week at No. 214 in the FedEx Cup standings. He made four birdies in a row starting at the fourth hole, but it was a par at 16 that made his day.

“It was the best par on a par-3 I ever had in my life,” he declared. “I hit the worst tee shot and then I chipped it down in the bunker, it was about the best I could do, and then I holed it out of the bunker. But it was such a circus show.”

There was also a Tour record set on Thursday. Veteran pro Adam Long hit his 60th straight fairway when he found the short grass on his second hole, a par-5, after going 56-for-56 last week at the World Wide Technology Championship, shattering Brian Claar’s record of 59 straight fairways hit, set in 1992. Long’s streak dated to his final two holes at the Shriners Children’s Open and finally came to an end with 69 when he misfired at No. 15 at Port Royal.

“The one that missed, it was a 3-wood that I kind of hit up in the air a little too spinny and the wind caught it. Didn’t quite go far enough so it stayed in the rough,” Long said. “Made Thursday a little more exciting than usual.”

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Adam Long breaks 31-year-old PGA Tour record for consecutive fairways hit

The record keeps growing.

Adam Long can’t miss (the fairway).

Literally.

Long set a new PGA Tour record on Thursday morning in the opening round of the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Club. Long hit his 60th straight fairway when he found the short grass on his second hole, a par-5, after going 56-for-56 last week at the World Wide Technology Championship, breaking Brian Claar’s record of 59 straight fairways hit, set in 1992. His streak goes back to his final two holes at the Shriners Children’s Open.

In fact, Long hit every fairway on his front nine and his first four on the back nine before missing one, meaning the record now sits at 69 straight fairways hit. Ultimately, Long shot 5 under in the opening round and hit 12-of-14 fairways.

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Photos: 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal

Check out the best photos from the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

It’s time for the penultimate event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Port Royal Golf Club in Southampton, Bermuda, hosts the event, with Seamus Power — who is not in the field — being the defending champion. Adam Scott and Lucas Glover highlight the field, which is light on big names but not in importance for the future.

Plenty of players are jockeying for position to get inside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings to secure a job for next year. Then, there’s the additional race to get inside Nos. 51-60 in the standings to secure entry into the first two signature events of 2024: the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational.

Butterfield Bermuda: Odds, picks to win

Nevertheless, it’s an important week in Bermuda.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal.

Adam Scott hoping to ride the Atlantic Ocean waves to win at Butterfield Bermuda Championship

It’s been a decade since Adam Scott shot a then-course-record 64 to win at Port Royal Golf Course.

It’s been a decade since Adam Scott shot a then-course-record 64 to win the now-defunct Grand Slam of Golf at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. He was the reigning Masters champion at the time and on the verge of reaching world No. 1. This week, he returns to compete there for the first time at the PGA Tour’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship and listed a variety of reasons for doing so.

“I think whenever you’re coming back to a place where you’ve had good results, there’s a positive vibe, that’s for sure,” he said Tuesday during a pre-tournament interview.

Scott, 43, who hails from Australia and is gearing up to play some events in his native land later this month, was a late addition to the field. He appeared in Boston at Fenway Park on Monday for the official announcement of his role on Boston Common, one of six franchises in TGL, the new tech-forward, prime-time team golf league developed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the Tour.

“This time of year I’m really not around the East Coast normally,” he said.

The other draw for Scott is to end his more than three-year drought without a victory, which dates to the 2020 Genesis Invitational. Scott had a pedestrian season by his standard, recording four top-10 finishes in 18 starts. He’s dropped from 72nd in the FedEx Cup standings to 85th while playing just once during the FedEx Cup Fall to date.

“I’m not going to get results being on the couch at home,” said Scott, who is seeking a 15th Tour title. “I’m here to try and win this golf tournament. I’ve been working at a lot of different things in my game and I’m trying to put it all together here this week.”

2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Seamus Power hits his first shot on the 17th hole during the final round of the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on October 30, 2022, in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

At just 21 square miles in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda isn’t a big island but it loves its golf, boasting four championship golf courses and a handful of shorter courses. It gives Bermuda one of the highest ratios of golf courses to land area in the world. Port Royal was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., and plays 6,828 yards, making it the island’s longest test but the shortest on the Tour.

Scott has been pleased with his driving this season, which may allow him to take advantage of his length, and calls his putting the strongest part of his game. He’s hard at work trying to improve on a part of his game that he sees as a glaring weakness.

“If we’re going to look at the stats this year, my iron play was the worst,” he said. “I think I was about 18th in strokes gained driving, so I didn’t feel too bad about that, but my iron play is stand-out terrible this year. So I’ve been addressing that and I’ve made some equipment changes and, you know, testing some of that stuff still this week.”

Nevertheless, Scott enters this week as the second-highest ranked player in the field at No. 45 in the world behind only Lucas Glover (No. 31) and a favorite among the field of 132 to hoist the trophy on Sunday.

“Many different times in my career I’ve come to events as the favorite, world No. 1 or in good form with expectations being high,’’ he said. “That’s what I like, that’s the environment I want to be in. If it is the case this week that I feel like I’m the best player here, it might help me perform a little bit better.

“I don’t fight pressure like that, you can feed off that expectation a little bit.”

Asked if there was anything off the course that he was looking forward to doing during his visit to the tropical paradise, Scott, an avid surfer, gave one more reason he was excited to be back at Bermuda.

“Getting in the ocean, that’s what I miss most of the year everywhere I go,” he said. “And the water looks beautiful, so I can’t wait to get in the ocean.”

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