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About the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

Hosted annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The Tournament, founded and hosted by Jack Nicklaus, is conducted each year with three goals in mind: to honor the memory of individuals living and deceased who have distinguished themselves in the game of golf; to showcase the world’s best golfers competing on one of the most challenging venues in the world for the enjoyment of spectators; and to benefit many Greater Columbus Charities in alliance with the Nicklaus Children's Healthcare Foundation, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and numerous other local organizations.

2024 Player Announcement

Two-time winner Patrick Cantlay to be joined at the upcoming the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday by past Memorial and major winner Hideki Matsuyama, rising star Sahith Theegala and fan favorite Tommy Fleetwood to highlight early commitments.

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The 2024 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday Honoree is Juli Inkster. 

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Dietz & Zhang Earn First Wins of the Season at Pipestone Golf Club

MIAMISBURG, OH (April 21, 2024) – Ross Dietz of Botkins, OH & Lorna Zhang of Plain City, OH claim the 2024 Miami Valley Junior Championship

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We are excited to continue our partnership with Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship in 2024! The Southern Ohio PGA Jr. Tour will be hosting two local qualifiers for the NB3 Junior Golf National Championship this season! Local Qualifying opportunities are approaching and exemptions ... are available for players to bypass Local Qualifying.

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We are excited to continue our partnership with @nb3jgnc in 2024! The Southern Ohio PGA Jr. Tour will be hosting two local qualifiers for the NB3 Junior Golf National Championship this season!Local Qualifying opportunities are approaching and exemptions are available for players to bypass Local ... Qualifying.

Ross Deitz & Lorna Zhang earn the 2024 Miami Valley Championship titles at Pipestone Golf Course 🏆 They also earned the first points in the #OhioJuniorSeries leading to #TeamOhio! All Scores: https://bit.ly/49RINjQ

Ross Deitz & Lorna Zhang earn the 2024 Miami Valley Championship titles at Pipestone Golf Course 🏆 They also earned the first points in the #OhioJuniorSeries leading to #TeamOhio! Find all the scores at the link in our story!

Walking into the Miami Valley Jr. Championship final round at PipeStone Golf Club with all eyes on the prize 🏆 Who earns the first #OhioJuniorSeries points of the season? Follow along ➡️ https://bit.ly/49RINjQ United States National Development Program | #usndpgolf | ... #TeamOhio Miami Valley Golf

Walking into the Miami Valley Jr. Championship final round at Pipestone Golf Club earns the first #OhioJuniorSeries points of the season? Follow along through the link in our story or on the SOPGA Jr. Tour app. @usndpgolf | #usndpgolf | #TeamOhio

In Progress: the Miami Valley Junior Championship 🏆 18 holes done & 18 to go at Pipestone Golf Course in Miamisburg, OH before the first points of the all new #OhioJuniorSeries are awarded. Scoring: https://bit.ly/49RINjQ #USNDP #TeamOhio #USNDPGolf #SOPGAJrTour ... Miami Valley Golf United States National Development Program

In Progress: the Miami Valley Junior Championship 🏆 18 holes done & 18 to go at Pipestone Golf Course in Miamisburg, OH before the first points of the all new #OhioJuniorSeries are awarded. Check out the leaderboards and final round pairings at the link in our profile. ... #USNDP #TeamOhio #USNDPGolf #SOPGAJrTour

🚨Ace Alert🚨 Par 3 - 13th at Pipestone Golf Club 189 yards 6 iron Ryan Ashby finds the bottom of the cup for a hole in 1!

Every PGA Tour course YOU can play, ranked by price

W ith PGA Tour heading to a municipal golf course this week in Memorial Park for the Houston Open , it marks one of the cool times you can play the same shots the pros play.

But, it’s really not that rare of an occurrence.

While the 2002 U.S. Open was celebrated as “the People’s U.S. Open” for being played at a municipal golf course, Bethpage Black, for the first time, the PGA Tour has actually been playing at munis and public access courses for decades.

Last week’s Valspar Championship host, Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course, is public. So too is TPC Sawgrass, home of the Players Championship, although it may cost a pretty penny . With a stay at the famous Bay Hill Lodge, you can also secure a tee time at host of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Even two of this year’s major championship hosts are open to the public.

In fact, of the 39 events on the PGA Tour this season, 20 of them will be contested on 23 different golf courses that you can play.

But playing PGA Tour tracks doesn’t come cheap with greens fees at some courses surpassing $500 while many of the resorts require you to stay on the property.

Keep reading below for a list of all the PGA Tour’s public access courses for the 2024 season, ranked by greens fee.

PGA Tour public-access courses

1. memorial park golf course.

City: Houston, Texas.

Tournament: Texas Children’s Houston Open

Type: Municipal

Peak Green fee: $140

2. TPC San Antonio – Oaks

City: San Antonio, Texas.

Tournament: Valero Texas Open

Type: Resort

Peak Green fee: $149

3. Torrey Pines – North

City: San Diego, Calif.

Tournament: Farmers Insurance Open

Peak Green fee: $185

4. Grand Reserve Golf Club

City: Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Tournament: Puerto Rico Open

Peak Green fee: $225 + tax

5. Innisbrook – Copperhead

City: Palm Harbor, Fla.

Tournament: Valspar Championship

Peak Green fee: Stay and play packages starting at $465

6. TPC Deere Run

City: Silvis, Ill.

Tournament: John Deere Classic

Type: Public

Peak Green fee: $269

7. Vidanta Vallarta

City: Vallarta, Mexico

Tournament: Mexico Open at Vidanta

Peak Green fee: $270

8. Tahoe Mountain Club – Olde Greenwood

City: Truckee, Calif.

Tournament: Barracuda Championship

Type: Resort/semi-private

Peak Green fee: $275

9. Torrey Pines – South

Peak Green fee: $292

10. TPC Louisiana

City:  Avondale, Louisiana

Tournament: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Peak Green fee: $299

11. PGA National – Champion

City: Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Tournament: Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches

Peak Green fee: $347

12. PGA West – Dye Stadium Course

City: La Quinta, Calif.

Tournament: The American Express

Peak Green fee: $356

13. PGA West – Nicklaus Tournament Course

Peak Green fee: $399

14. Royal Troon

City: Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland

Tournament: 152nd Open Championship

Type: Private (Allows vistors)

Peak Green fee: £340

15. The Plantation Course at Kapalua

City: Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

Tournament: The Sentry

Peak Green fee: $459 + tax

16. Pinehurst No. 2

City: Pinehurst, N.C.

Tournament: 124th U.S. Open

Peak Green fee: $470

17. Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge

City: Orlando, Fla.

Tournament: Arnold Palmer Invitational

Peak Green fee: $475

T18. Spyglass Hill Golf Course

City: Pebble Beach, Calif.

Tournament: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Peak Green fee: $495 + cart fee

T18. Puntacana Resort and Club – Corales Course

City: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Tournament: Corales Puntacana Championship

Peak Green fee: $495

20. TPC Scottsdale

City: Scottsdale, Ariz.

Tournament: WM Phoenix Open

Peak Green fee: $551

21. Habour Town Golf Links

City: Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Tournament: RBC Heritage

Peak Green fee: $567

22. Pebble Beach Golf Links

Peak Green fee: $675 + cart fee

23. TPC Sawgrass

City: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Tournament: The Players Championship

Peak Green fee: $900

The post Every PGA Tour course YOU can play, ranked by price appeared first on Golf .

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Ohio state golfer neal shipley keeping good company with tiger woods, jack nicklaus, share this article.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Neal Shipley’s arm must be black and blue by now, given how many times he has pinched himself to prove he’s not imagining things, that getting to hang with the two best golfers in history really did happen.

In late March, Shipley spent almost two hours talking golf strategy with Jack Nicklaus at the Golden Bear’s place in South Florida. Then the 23-year-old OSU graduate student played the final round of the 2024 Masters with Tiger Woods.

“Talking to Mr. Nicklaus was unbelievable and playing Tiger was awesome too, icing on the cake, really,” Shipley said following a whirlwind few days in which he appeared on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” was a guest on a handful of podcasts and enjoyed the notoriety of becoming a social media meme for his bizarre sideways glances during the awards ceremony in Butler Cabin after finishing as low amateur at Augusta National Golf Club.

“I don’t think even I understood the whole weight of what was going on Sunday. It didn’t hit me until I got home on Tuesday,” he said.

Instant celebrity status can be hard to handle, especially when it comes to golfers for whom calm isolation is the norm and the only clang and clatter happens between the ears while standing over a putt, not on sports talks shows and during photo shoots.

But then Shipley is not your typical golfer. His long hair, dough-boy build and propensity to “just be myself” has endeared him to golf fans tired of watching PGA Tour robots rattle off talking points. Shipley talks and makes points, but he is no cardboard cutout. Even when he’s trying to be.

Take his performance in Butler Cabin, when – seated next to Masters winner Scottie Scheffler – his eyes twice slid to the right without his head moving. Social media went into conspiracy mode, as it often does, attempting to uncover what the college kid was peeking at. A Waffle House special, his go-to meal out, waiting for him off to the side? A slice of peach cobbler ala mode, Augusta National’s dessert specialty? Bryson DeChambeau trying to weird his way onto the set?

Turns out the reason was much less exciting, explained Shipley with his typically refreshing straight talk.

“Obviously, on national TV I’m really nervous and my goal is to not swear, and not say anything at the wrong time, or step on anyone’s toes,” he said. “Speaking over (CBS announcer and ceremony host) Jim Nantz would be pretty rough. I was just looking at the teleprompter for cues.”

If that answer lacks pop, understand that for all the “everyman” mentions that compare Shipley to John Daly, his personality really is more in line with Jason Dufner’s, which is to say he somehow finds himself in interesting situations more than he seeks them out.

For instance, consider the pairing with Woods. Shipley had finished his Saturday round with a double bogey, not thinking his worst hole of the day would end up being his “best,” as it put him in position to play with Woods when the Sunday pairings were calculated later in the day.

“We did the math and were on the putting green a few hours after Tiger finished up, and we got really excited,” Shipley said of the reaction by him and his caddie, Carter Pitcairn. “But then we got worried because he just shot 82 and it was like, ‘Is he going to withdraw?’ It wasn’t until we saw him on Sunday morning that it was, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really happening.’ ”

And that’s how Shipley got to walk the walk and talk the talk with Tiger. Whether more steps were taken or words exchanged is hard to say. A typical golfer takes about 13,000 steps over 18 holes. An average male speaks about 10,000 words a day. But Shipley is anything but average.

“Neal can talk with the best of them,” Ohio State men’s golf coach Jay Moseley said Thursday. “We knew Neal would start the conversation, and so if Tiger was up for it, they would engage in some conversation.”

The 23-year-old OSU graduate student who qualified for the Masters by finishing as runner-up at last summer’s U.S. Amateur is what my mother would call a “yakker.” (Not to be confused with a Yinzer, which the Pittsburgh native also is.)

On the other hand, Woods usually is all business on the course, except when his A-game sinks to a D+, which was the case Sunday when he shot a 5-over-par 77 one day after carding an 82. At that point, well, anything to take your mind off the mess.

So he talked. Actually, first he listened. Then he talked.

“I initiated conversations,” Shipley said, explaining it took Woods a minute to warm up his vocal cords, but then the GOATNNN (Greatest of All-Time Not Named Nicklaus) loosened up. “If he had been closer to the lead, he might be more focused and not as chatty, but I really benefited because we both were like 18 shots (behind Scheffler). He felt more like a friend and just having a casual round with him. It was pretty unbelievable and cool to get to know him on a more personal level and talk about things you don’t always hear about in the media.”

Watching on TV, Moseley was tickled to see his player, who shot 73 Sunday, chatting up the 48-year-old Woods.

“It was super cool to see a generational superstar just enjoying great conversation, and they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying each other’s company out there,” Moseley said. “That was a truly priceless experience for Neal and for us to see.”

At some point during Sunday’s round, a reporter thought he witnessed Woods hand Shipley a note, which cranked up more social media speculation. During his post-round interview session, Shipley said no such exchange happened. He doubled down Thursday on what he said was a media mix-up.

“No note. Wish there was,” he said. “If Tiger had given me his phone number I would have been more than happy to tell the world. That would be the biggest flex ever. But there was nothing.”

That’s not to suggest Shipley failed to take notes.

“Just watching Tiger … I learned a lot about how to manage myself around golf courses,” he said. “Watching him do it, especially when he wasn’t on his best game, he still did a good job of managing himself around the course.”

Having Nicklaus provide intel on how to play Augusta National also proved insightful.

“He went hole by hole, shot by shot; it was pretty detailed, and I got some pretty good information,” Shipley said. “He said during his first Masters (in 1959) he hit 34 greens and (still) missed the cut. He said you have to figure out lag putting and hit to the right spots on the green.”

Shipley, who wore Nicklaus-brand clothing on the course through an endorsement deal, said he still finds it hard to believe he rubbed elbows with Nicklaus and Woods within about a three-week window. And he isn’t taking it for granted.

Few experiences in life happen only once. Solar eclipse totality. First-born child. Eating liver. Playing with Woods at the Masters, learning Augusta secrets from Nicklaus.

Pinch Shipley once, twice. He still can’t believe it. But it’s true. Every jot and tittle.

Shipley and his Ohio State team are hosting the Big 10 men’s championship this week at Scioto Sountry Club, Friday through Sunday, which is among the many conference tournaments going on around the country .

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Photos: lpga's amy olson announces retirement, rickie fowler makes hole-in-one with star-studded group at one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the country, stephanie sparks, host of golf channel's reality series 'big break,' dies at age 50, is jon rahm having an existential crisis he's certainly going off his liv golf script a bunch, the list of top 18 money winners in pga tour history has plenty of surprises, 5 things from zurich classic of new orleans shows four 61s, including rory mcilroy and shane lowry, tommy fleetwood traded his clubs for his stepson's as a caddie at challenge tour event.

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PGA Tour Event Disrupted by Alligator Casually Walking Across Tee Box

• Author: Madison Williams

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is used to having a special four-legged friend show up from time. to time on the course.

The guest, an alligator, halted play at the 17th hole during Thursday's first round. The groups of Bronson Burgoon and Jhonattan Vegas, along with Paul Barjon and Samuel Stevens, had to wait at the tee box for the alligator to cross in front of them before they could tee off. The animal didn't stop them from taking a few practice swings, though.

This isn't the first time an alligator has showed up at the Zurich Classic. The PGA Tour commentators reminded viewers that the tournament was used to a three-legged alligator gracing the course fittingly named "Tripod."

Now on the tee, from New Orleans, Louisiana ... A GATOR 🐊 pic.twitter.com/N8wEJh1pQ1 — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 25, 2024

The alligator walked across the tee box without causing any issues with any golfers or fans. But it definitely took its sweet time to walk across.

Both golfing duos ended up paring the 17th hole despite the distraction.

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2024 Zurich Classic odds, field: Surprising PGA picks, predictions by model that's nailed 11 majors

Sportsline's proven model simulated the zurich classic of new orleans 2024 10,000 times and revealed its pga golf picks.

Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay look to reclaim some team magic when they pair back up for the 2024 Zurich Classic. The PGA Tour's yearly team event tees off Thursday at TPC Louisiana in New Orleans, and 80 two-man teams will be in attendance for tee off on Thursday. Schauffele and Cantlay were the winning duo back in 2022 and they are the 5-1 favorites on the 2024 Zurich Classic odds board. Should you back this pair of California natives with your 2024 Zurich Classic picks? Or should you back Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry at 8-1 odds?

Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala are listed at 11-1 in the lastest 2024 Zurich Classic odds, and Collin Morkiawa and Kurt Kitayama follow at 16-1. Defending Zurich Classic champions Nick Hardy and David Riley are 80-1 longshots to have repeat success. Before making any 2024 Zurich Classic picks, be sure t o see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine .

Our proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up more than $9,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure's model correctly predicted Scottie Scheffler would finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2024 Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Players Championship, and the RBC Heritage this season. McClure also included Hideki Matsuyama in his best bets to win the 2024 Genesis Invitational. That bet hit at +9000, and for the entire tournament, McClure's best bets returned nearly $1,000.

The model also predicted Jon Rahm would be victorious at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. At the 2023 Masters, the model was all over Rahm's second career major victory heading into the weekend. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the third round, but the model still projected him as the winner. It was the second straight Masters win for the model, which also nailed Scheffler winning in 2022.

In addition, McClure's best bets included Nick Taylor (70-1) winning the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, Jason Day (17-1) winning outright at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson, and Rickie Fowler (14-1) finishing on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

This same model has also nailed a whopping 11 majors entering the weekend and hit the Masters three straight years. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now that the Zurich Classic 2024 field is finalized, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard .

Top 2024 Zurich Classic predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the Zurich Classic 2024: McIlroy and Lowry, who've combined for 26 wins on the PGA Tour, barely crack the top five. McIlroy is set to play in his fourth consecutive event when he tees off at TPC Louisiana. He's failed to crack the top-10 in seven of his eight starts on the PGA Tour this season, while Lowry has finished T-19 or worse in six of his past eight events. 

Both players have struggled mightily on the green this season. McIlroy enters the 2024 Zurich Classic ranked 78th in strokes gained: putting (0.119) and 72nd in putting average (1.758), a big reason why he ranks 98th in scoring average (70.44). Lowry, meanwhile, ranks 99th in strokes gained: putting (-0.012) and 143rd in putts per round (29.38), which doesn't bode well for their chances to finish on top of the leaderboard this week. 

Another surprise: Rasmus Højgaard and Nicolai Højgaard, 35-1 longshots, make a strong run at the title. The twin brothers have a much better chance to win it all than their odds imply, so they're a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.

The Danish twosome has been making headlines abroad for years now, becoming the first brothers to ever win events in consecutive weeks on the European Tour back in 2021. They are now making noise on the PGA Tour as Nicolai finished second at the Farmers Insurance Open back in January and finished T16 in his first ever Masters appearance earlier this month. Nicolai also played this event last year, so his experience makes the duo an under-the-radar competitor at the 2024 Zurich Classic.  See who else to pick here . 

How to make 2024 Zurich Classic picks

The model is also targeting three other teams with odds of 35-1 or longer to make a strong run at the title. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model's picks here .

Who will win the 2024 Zurich Classic, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the Zurich Classic 2024 odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected Zurich Classic leaderboard , all from the model that's nailed 11 golf majors, including the last three Masters.

2024 Zurich Classic odds, field

Get full 2024 Zurich Classic picks, best bets, and predictions here .

Patrick Cantlay / Xander Schauffele +500 Rory McIlroy / Shane Lowry +800 Will Zalatoris / Sahith Theegala +1100 Collin Morikawa / Kurt Kitayama +1600 Tom Hoge / Maverick McNealy +2500 Matt Fitzpatrick / Alex Fitzpatrick +2500 Taylor Pendrith / Corey Conners +3500 Rasmus Højgaard / Nicolai Højgaard +3500 Taylor Montgomery / Ben Griffin +4000 Sepp Straka / Brice Garnett +4000 Nick Taylor / Adam Hadwin +4000 Keith Mitchell / Joel Dahmen +4000 Brice Garnett / Sepp Straka +4000 Thomas Detry / Robert MacIntyre +4500 Doug Ghim / Chan Kim +4500 Davis Thompson / Andrew Novak +4500 Daniel Berger / Victor Perez +4500 Kevin Yu / C.T. Pan +5000 Billy Horschel / Tyson Alexander +5000 Beau Hossler / Sam Ryder +5000 Andrew Putnam / Joe Highsmith +5000 Aaron Rai / David Lipsky +5000 Thorbjorn Olesen / Matt Wallace +6500 Taylor Moore / Matt NeSmith +6500 K.H. Lee / Michael Kim +6500 Greyson Sigg / Chesson Hadley +6500 Gary Woodland / Lee Hodges +6500 Garrick Higgo / Ryan Fox +6500 Austin Eckroat / Chris Gotterup +6500 Steve Stricker / Matt Kuchar +8000 Nate Lashley / Rafael Campos +8000 Luke List / Henrik Norlander +8000 Kevin Streelman / Martin Laird +8000 Dylan Wu / Justin Lower +8000 Davis Riley / Nick Hardy +8000 Chandler Phillips / Jacob Bridgeman +8000 Carson Young / Ben Martin +8000 Ben Silverman / Kevin Dougherty +8000 Zach Johnson / Ryan Palmer +10000 Vincent Norrman / Jorge Campillo +10000 Nico Echavarria / Max Greyserman +10000 Alex Smalley / Matti Schmid +10000 Thriston Lawrence / Aldrich Potgieter +13000 Ryan Brehm / Mark Hubbard +13000 Justin Suh / Rico Hoey +13000 Jhonattan Vegas / Bronson Burgoon +13000 J.J. Spaun / Hayden Buckley +13000 Erik Barnes / Harrison Endycott +13000 Chad Ramey / Martin Trainer +13000 Carl Yuan / Zecheng Dou +13000 Sam Stevens / Paul Barjon +15000 Peter Malnati / Russell Knox +15000

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Horses for Courses: Matt Fitzpatrick shows way in Lowcountry

Horses for Courses

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Since 1983 Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, has been the place to unwind and unpack after the Masters.

The tradition of following the first major championship has been upgraded. The RBC Heritage is now designated one of eight Signature Events on the 2024 calendar. A field of 69 contains 54 players who teed it up last week at Augusta National Golf Club.

Pete Dye designed Harbour Town Golf Links, with a little bit of help from Jack Nicklaus, in the late 1960s. Shoehorned into Sea Pines resort, the par 71 winds through the overhanging oaks and pines. Nudged out to 7,213 yards for the 2023 edition, the 2024 tournament will be the first in five years not to have any changes on the scorecard.

Matt Fitzpatrick (+2500): The 2023 champion needed a playoff to knock off 2022 champion Jordan Spieth (+2800) and claim his second top-10 result in his last four starts (T4, 2021). Advancing to the weekend in five of his last six efforts, the Englishman, who vacationed here with his family as a child, has posted 20 of his previous 22 rounds at par or better. Signing for 63 in Round 3 last year and 64 in Round 2 in 2021, he is more than comfortable in the Lowcountry.

Players listed are in the field this week; 2024 season stats.

The challenge provided by Pete Dye this week involves pushing the golf ball off the tee to the proper angles without being swallowed up by doglegs with overhanging branches or watery graves. The good news is shots from off the fairways will only face 1 1/4 inches of rough, down from over 2 inches last year. Attacking the second-smallest greens on TOUR also comes with the challenge of water on all 18 holes. Correctly missing in the proper places, a major theme last week, is also in play at Harbour Town. The last nine winners have ranked 11th or better, with eight registering T7 or better. Fitzpatrick became the first winner in the past three years to not lead the event in this category. He was third.

Falling short last year in a playoff to Fitzpatrick, Jordan Spieth (+2800) missed adding his name to the players who successfully defended at Harbour Town. Never missing a weekend, the Texan has posted five T12 or better paydays from seven starts. Playing 28 rounds, he’s posted 24 at par or better, including 11 of his last 12 in the 60s. Scrambling from the bunkers or around the greens is rewarded this week.

Missing tight fairways off the tee and bailing on approach shots into small, overseeded greens happen. Pete Dye’s temptation island will reward boldly struck attempts, but proper misses won’t incur penalties. For the last six seasons, Scrambling at Harbour Town has ranked in the top 10 easiest courses on TOUR. Holing out frequently happens around the greens, and one-putting is the rule rather than the exception. The last three winners have all ranked in the top six.

Patrick Cantlay (+1600) must wonder what he has done to fluster the golfing gods in the Lowcountry. Making his seventh start, the mellow Californian missed a playoff by a shot last year after falling in extra holes to Spieth in 2022. The 2021 edition (71-71; MC) was the only time he turned his rental car in early, while posting T7 in 2018 is his only paycheck outside of T3. Playing 22 rounds, he's posted red figures 18 times.

Par-4 Scoring

Target golf will test the patience and club selection off the tee. Unable to overpower the set-up with the frequent use of the driver, turning metals and irons into the tight fairways will be the disciplined approach to attack the par 4s. Paying off the patience with lofted clubs creates momentum. With the average winning score approaching 17-under over the last three editions and the cut in calm conditions resting at 2-under in two of the last three years, cashing in will be required. The only winner from the last nine to finish outside T5 in this category was Fitzpatrick (T15) last year. The man he beat in the playoff led the field in this category!

Oddsmaker’s extras

• Brian Harman (+5000): The Georgia native has cashed in four straight and 10-of-14 in his career, including T7-T35-T13 in the last three editions. Posting 15 of his last 16 rounds in the red, I’d say he’s comfortable in this part of the world.
• Cam Davis (+5000): Posting 33-under from three starts in the last three years, it seems threes are wild for the Australian. Making threes this week will help push him back into the top 10 for the third consecutive season. After posting four rounds of 70 or better for T25 on debut in 2021, he closed 67-63 for T3 in 2022 before posting four more rounds of 70 or better in 2023 for T7. Sitting on a 68.25 scoring average grabs my attention.
• Shane Lowry (+4500): The only time the Irishman has not found the weekend in six visits was the June edition of 2020. Cashing in the top 10 in three of his last five, including T3 twice, the last in 2022. The sponsor’s exemption has posted four rounds of 66 or better in his last 12.
• Emiliano Grillo (+12500): Runner-up in 2021, the Argentine missed the weekend in 2022 before returning to the top 10 (T7) last year. Signing for 20 rounds, 16 have posted in red figures.
• J.T. Poston (+6600): Making his sixth start, the North Carolina native will be the closer this week. Coming from off the pace, his last three Sundays have produced 64 in 2022 for T3, 65 from June 2020 for T8, and 66 on debut in 2019 for T6. Missing the cut on his other two visits, he posted 1-under and even to fall just short.
• Sungjae Im (+6600): Missing the cut on his first two visits, the Korean will look to continue his streak of solid results into four straight seasons. Cashing T7 last year followed T21 and T13 the previous two visits.

-Odds courtesy of BetMGM.com-

For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER today.

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry share lead in team event at TPC of Louisiana

AVONDALE, La. — Rory McIlroy is enjoying his first visit to New Orleans — on and off the course.

McIlroy and Shane Lowry shot an 11-under 61 in fourball play Thursday for a share of the first-round lead in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA Tour’s only team event.

The Irish duo shared the lead with the teams of Ryan Brehm-Mark Hubbard, Ben Kohles-Patton Kizzire and Aaron Rai-David Lipsky.

Davis Thompson-Andrew Novak, Thomas Detry-Robert MacIntyre and Cameron Champ-M.J. Daffue were at 62 Twenty teams were 9 under or better on a crowded leaderboard at TPC of Louisiana.

McIlroy’s introduction to New Orleans included a sampling of crab beignets from popular restaurant La Petite Grocery on Wednesday night, a meal he shared with Lowry. On Thursday, they feasted on the Pete Dye layout, birdieing their first four holes.

“I’ve had a wonderful time so far,” McIlroy said. “I’ve only been here a couple of days but we’re staying downtown. It’s a cool city, great food scene.”

McIlroy had the team’s first three birdies, although on the par-5 second Lowry was inches away but watched as his teammate knocked in a putt of about 4 feet. After a pair of pedestrian pars, they birdied four of the next six holes before closing out with a birdie on the par-5 18th to gain a share of the lead.

“We both played nice golf,” Lowry said, emphasizing the importance getting off to a fast start. “We both made some nice birdies and contributed to the team, and I think we’re very happy with the day.”

Brehm and Hubbard mirrored McIlroy and Lowry with four opening birdies. The team made the turn in 6-under par 30 and bookended birdies on the 10th and 11th and 17th and 18th holes on the back nine.

“Just like usual, we ham-and-egged it,” Brehm said. “I don’t think either of us were feeling amazing about our games coming into the day, but we just feed off each other really well. “I was doing a lot of spectating today.”

Russ Cochran, the oldest player in the field at 65, made his first PGA Tour star since 2013, teaming with Eric Cole for a 69 that left them tied for 73rd. Cochran’s son, Reed Cochran, is Cole’s caddie. Cole had a hole-in-one on No. 14.

On Friday, they will play alternative shot.

“Looking forward to getting out in foursomes tomorrow,” Lowry said. “It’s a format that’s tougher, but it is an enjoyable format.

McIlroy was noncommittal Thursday when asked if he and Lowry would attend the popular New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Friday afternoon. The duo have an 8:53 a.m. tee time Friday.

“Who’s playing tomorrow night, do you know?” McIlroy asked his good friend.

“No, I’m not going out anywhere,” Lowry said with a laugh. “I’m staying out of trouble.”

Jazz Fest notwithstanding, McIlroy joked he hopes the pairing has a late tee time Saturday, meaning they will be close to the lead.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Tpc louisiana.

Golf Digest Logo 2024 season

Our new ranking of every PGA Tour course—from best to worst

There are plenty of reasons why a course is selected to host a PGA Tour event beyond its architectural merits. Of course, the layout must sufficiently test the best players in the world, but the regional market, logistics and history all play important roles in landing a tour event as well.

That said, it’s no secret the tour travels to many of our country’s finest courses. Of the 32 events played in the United States during the 2024 PGA Tour season, 16 are currently ranked on at least one of Golf Digest's national rankings— America's 100 Greatest , Second 100 Greatest and 100 Greatest Public .

In this guide, we rank the 32 U.S. courses that will host a PGA Tour event or major championship this season, based on the scores from our 1,800 course-ranking panelists. (This list only includes events played in the U.S.—there are five international events scheduled this season. Also note that we only rank the primary course at multi-course events such as Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach.)

More From Golf Digest

You might be surprised how the architectural merits of a layout don’t always align with the prestige of the tour event played there. Our panelists evaluate courses on seven scoring criteria, ranging from Shot Options and Layout Variety to Conditioning and Aesthetics .

Scroll on for the complete ranking, and be sure to click through to each individual course page for bonus photography and reviews from our course panelists. We also encourage you to leave your own ratings on the courses you’ve played … so you can make your case for why a course should be higher or lower on our rankings.

1. Augusta National Golf Club (Masters Tournament)

Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta, ga.

• 100 Greatest
• Best In State

There will be no surprise with the No. 1 course on this list. Augusta National has been ranked first, second or third on our biennial America's 100 Greatest Courses ranking in each edition. The club made a significant change in the fall of 2022, lengthening the par-5 13th hole by about 30 yards . No club has tinkered with its golf course as often or as effectively over the decades as has Augusta National Golf Club, mainly to keep it competitive for the annual Masters Tournament, an event it has conducted since 1934, with time off during WWII. All that tinkering has resulted in an amalgamation of design ideas, with a routing by Alister Mackenzie and Bobby Jones, some Perry Maxwell greens, some Trent Jones water hazards, some Jack Nicklaus mounds and swales and, most recently, extensive rebunkering and tree planting by Tom Fazio. The tinkering continued in the summer of 2018 as the club lengthened the par-4 fifth by extending its back tee on newly acquired land. Soon to come, the lengthening of the famed par-5 13th.

RELATED: A Comprehensive History Of Every Change Made To Augusta National Golf Club

2. Pebble Beach Golf Links (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am)

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Pebble beach, ca.

• 100 Greatest Public

Editor's Note: Courses such as Spyglass Hill, which are not the main host courses of tour, were not included in this list. Read our experts' reviews of Spyglass Hill here .

3. Muirfield Village Golf Club (The Memorial Tournament)

Muirfield Village Golf Club

4. the riviera country club (the genesis invitational).

Riviera Country Club

Pacific palisades, ca, 5. pinehurst no. 2 (u.s. open).

Pinehurst No. 2

Pinehurst, nc, 6. tpc sawgrass: stadium (the players championship).

TPC Sawgrass: Stadium

Ponte vedra beach, fl, 7. castle pines golf club (bmw championship).

Castle Pines Golf Club

Castle rock, co.

8. Valhalla Golf Club (PGA Championship)

Valhalla Golf Club

Louisville, ky.

9. Quail Hollow Club (Wells Fargo Championship)

Quail Hollow Club

Charlotte, nc.

• Second 100 Greatest

10. Kapalua: Plantation (The Sentry)

Kapalua: Plantation

Lahaina, hi.

From Golf Digest Architecture Editor emeritus Ron Whitten:  Most golf fans are familiar with Kapalua Golf Club’s Plantation Course, home of the PGA Tour's opening event each year. Located on the north shore of the Hawaiian island of Maui, the Plantation was built from open, windswept pineapple fields on the pronounced slope of a volcano and is irrigated by sprinklers pressured solely by gravity. As the first design collaboration by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, it unveiled their joint admiration for old-style courses. The blind drive on the fourth, the cut-the-corner drives on the fifth and sixth are all based on tee shots found at National Golf Links. So, too, are its punchbowl green and strings of diagonal bunkers. It's also a massive course, built on a huge scale, Coore says, to accommodate the wind and the slope and the fact that it gets mostly resort play.

Read our architecture editor's complete review here

11. East Lake Golf Club (Tour Championship)

East Lake Golf Club

Atlanta, ga, 12. harbour town golf links (rbc heritage).

Harbour Town Golf Links

Hilton head island, sc.

13. Colonial Country Club (Charles Schwab Challenge)

Colonial Country Club

Fort worth, tx, 14. torrey pines golf course: south (farmers insurance open).

Torrey Pines Golf Course: South

La jolla, ca.

RELATED: See our course panelists' reviews of Torrey Pines (North).

15. PGA West: Stadium (The American Express)

PGA West: Stadium Course

La quinta, ca, 16. the dunes golf & beach club (myrtle beach classic).

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club

Myrtle beach, sc, 17. tpc southwind (fedex st. jude championship).

TPC Southwind

Memphis, tn, 18. waialae country club (sony open in hawaii).

Waialae Country Club

Honolulu, hi.

RELATED: This graphic shows why Waialae’s 17th hole is one of the most under-appreciated par 3s on the PGA Tour

19. TPC San Antonio: Oaks (Valero Texas Open)

TPC San Antonio Oaks Course

San antonio, tx, 20. sedgefield country club (wyndham championship).

Sedgefield Country Club

Greensboro, nc, 21. arnold palmer's bay hill club & lodge (arnold palmer invitational).

Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge: Challenger/Champion

Orlando, fl.

From Golf Digest Architecture Editor emeritus Ron Whitten:  I've always been fascinated by the design of Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer's home course for over 45 years (although Tiger Woods owns it, competitively-speaking, as he's won there eight times.) For one thing, it's rather hilly, a rarity in Florida (although not in the Orlando market) and dotted with sinkhole ponds incorporated in the design in dramatic ways.

I always thought the wrap-around-a-lake par-5 sixth was Dick Wilson's version of Robert Trent Jones's decade-older 13th at The Dunes Club at Myrtle Beach. Each of the two rivals had claimed the other was always stealing his ideas. But the hole I like best at Bay Hill is the par-4 eighth, a lovely dogleg-right with a diagonal green perched above a small circular pond. OK, I admit that it reminds me of the sixth at Hazeltine National, another Trent Jones product, but I don't think Wilson picked Trent's pocket on this one, as both courses were built about the same time, in the early 1960s.

Check out our architecture editor's complete review, here.

22. Innisbrook Resort: Copperhead (Valspar Championship)

Innisbrook Resort: Copperhead

Palm harbor, fl, 23. pga national resort & spa: champion (cognizant classic in the palm beaches).

PGA National Resort: Champion

Palm beach gardens, fl.

One of five courses at PGA National, the Champion Course has hosted the Honda Classic since 2007. (The event dates back to 1972, though with Honda pulling out as a tournament sponsor, the event is in question going forward.) Originally designed by Tom and George Fazio for tournament play, Jack Nicklaus redesigned the course in 2014, creating the infamous three-hole stretch aptly named "The Bear Trap." Routinely one of the toughest courses on tour, The Champion is a true ball-striking test that plays a lot differently than most courses, where winning scores push over 20 under par.

24. TPC Deere Run (John Deere Classic)

TPC Deere Run

25. tahoe mountain club: old greenwood (barracuda championship).

Tahoe Mountain Club: Old Greenwood

Truckee, ca, 26. tpc river highlands (travelers championship).

TPC River Highlands

Cromwell, ct, 27. tpc scottsdale: stadium (wm phoenix open).

TPC Scottsdale: Stadium

Scottsdale, az.

28. TPC Craig Ranch (The CJ Cup Byron Nelson)

TPC Craig Ranch

Mckinney, tx, 29. memorial park golf course (texas children's houston open).

Memorial Park Golf Course

Houston, tx, 30. tpc louisiana (zurich classic of new orleans).

Avondale, LA

31. detroit golf club: north (rocket mortgage classic).

Detroit Golf Club: North

Detroit, mi, 32. tpc twin cities (3m open).

TPC Twin Cities

Explore  Golf Digest's new Course Reviews section  where you can submit a star rating and evaluation on all the courses you’ve played. We've collected tens of thousands of reviews from our course-ranking panelists to deliver a premium experience, which includes course rankings, experts' opinions, bonus course photography, videos and much more.  Check it out here !

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Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry share lead in team event at TPC of Louisiana

Rory McIlroy, right, of Northern Ireland, and teammate Shane Lowry, of Ireland, walk down the first fairway during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits of the second tee during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Rory McIlroy, right, of Northern Ireland, reacts to the crowd after making a birdie putt on the second green during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits off the first fairway during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Collin Morikawa hits off the second tee during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, changes clubs on the second green during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Collin Morikawa hits off the fourth tee during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Kurt Kitayama reacts on the this green during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A baby alligator peers from the water along the ninth green during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Kurt Kitayama, foreground, and Shane Lowry, of Ireland, behind, wipe their heads after finishing their day on the 18th hole during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Billy Horschel reacts after making his putt on the ninth green during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Rory McIlroy is enjoying his first visit to New Orleans — on and off the course.

McIlroy and Shane Lowry shot an 11-under 61 in fourball play Thursday for a share of the first-round lead in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA Tour’s only team event.

The Irish duo shared the lead with the teams of Ryan Brehm-Mark Hubbard, Ben Kohles-Patton Kizzire and Aaron Rai-David Lipsky.

Davis Thompson-Andrew Novak, Thomas Detry-Robert MacIntyre and Cameron Champ-M.J. Daffue were at 62 Twenty teams were 9 under or better on a crowded leaderboard at TPC of Louisiana.

McIlroy’s introduction to New Orleans included a sampling of crab beignets from popular restaurant La Petite Grocery on Wednesday night, a meal he shared with Lowry. On Thursday, they feasted on the Pete Dye layout, birdieing their first four holes.

“I’ve had a wonderful time so far,” McIlroy said. “I’ve only been here a couple of days but we’re staying downtown. It’s a cool city, great food scene.”

McIlroy had the team’s first three birdies, although on the par-5 second Lowry was inches away but watched as his teammate knocked in a putt of about 4 feet. After a pair of pedestrian pars, they birdied four of the next six holes before closing out with a birdie on the par-5 18th to gain a share of the lead.

“We both played nice golf,” Lowry said, emphasizing the importance getting off to a fast start. “We both made some nice birdies and contributed to the team, and I think we’re very happy with the day.”

Brehm and Hubbard mirrored McIlroy and Lowry with four opening birdies. The team made the turn in 6-under par 30 and bookended birdies on the 10th and 11th and 17th and 18th holes on the back nine.

“Just like usual, we ham-and-egged it,” Brehm said. “I don’t think either of us were feeling amazing about our games coming into the day, but we just feed off each other really well. “I was doing a lot of spectating today.”

Russ Cochran, the oldest player in the field at 65, made his first PGA Tour star since 2013, teaming with Eric Cole for a 69 that left them tied for 73rd. Cochran’s son, Reed Cochran, is Cole’s caddie. Cole had a hole-in-one on No. 14.

On Friday, they will play alternative shot.

“Looking forward to getting out in foursomes tomorrow,” Lowry said. “It’s a format that’s tougher, but it is an enjoyable format.

McIlroy was noncommittal Thursday when asked if he and Lowry would attend the popular New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Friday afternoon. The duo have an 8:53 a.m. tee time Friday.

“Who’s playing tomorrow night, do you know?” McIlroy asked his good friend.

“No, I’m not going out anywhere,” Lowry said with a laugh. “I’m staying out of trouble.”

Jazz Fest notwithstanding, McIlroy joked he hopes the pairing has a late tee time Saturday, meaning they will be close to the lead.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf