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Defending champion Martin Laird, Marc Leishman, Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed, Harris English and Dunhill Links champion Danny Willett will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider.
“Golf in a dome” is a colloquial term when the subject is the relative simplicity of professional golf in the wilderness, but “a funnel for the cup” should also be given the ease with which TPC Summerlin has played.
After the par 35-36-71 averaged just 68.859 in 2019, the scoring average fell to 68.343 last year. The 2020 average set TPC Summerlin’s lowest record as a par 71 (2009-present) and it was the lowest of any par 71 on the PGA TOUR in the last 16 completed seasons. The 2019 average is the second lowest of all 71 pars over the past 10 seasons.
Last year’s 36-hole cut of 7-under-135 set a PGA TOUR record for lowest to par. However, since the 2019-20 season, the 36-hole non-majors cuts have been reduced to 65 and tied. Had the previous iteration of low 70 and ties been in play, last year’s cup would have landed 6 under 136 as only 66 survived the new cup line.
Despite this nuance, in determining why the score dropped even in a tournament where it has always been low thanks in part to favorable weather conditions, one of the reasons relates to the higher rough around the perimeter. For the fourth consecutive edition, it is reduced to two inches, which is one inch less than the previous length. Directly correlated to this, the greens-in-regulation divide by about 75 percent, which is 5 to 10 percent more than was usual until 2017. Because bentgrass greens running at only 11½ feet on the Stimpmeter are the same, all returning participants are warm on their arrival as part of their experience.
The scoring has been so golf-friendly over the years that it’s slightly surprising the TPC Summerlin hasn’t given up an under-60. In fact, there have only been two 60s in tournament history – JJ Henry in 2013 and Rod Pampling in 2016.
Matthew Wolff got last year’s low total – a 61 in the third round – before losing in a three-way playoff from which Martin Laird came out with the trophy. The Scots’ path to victory was as balanced as you will see. He finished second in strokes won: Tee-to-Green but only 20th in strokes won: putt and T10 in putt: birdies-or-better. He also finished a single T15 in the par 4 score, but he co-led the score by 5 to 4.00 with three eagles (all on the ninth hole), six birdies and three pars.
The TPC Summerlin can extend up to 7,255 meters and it hasn’t changed since last year’s open book quiz. With another strong peloton in town and a slew of Korn Ferry Tour graduates gaining momentum in the new season, the peloton average will come back well below par once again.
Cooler air than in recent years might slightly govern the distance off the tee, but that’s more the fact than the friction. After a daytime high of around 80 degrees in the first round, it might not reach that number again, as light winds will turn to push north by the weekend. If any of the clouds that form release moisture, it may not even reach the ground.
ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE
PGATOUR.COM Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and presents each tournament from many angles. Look for his following contributions as expected.
MONDAY: Power ratings
TUESDAY: Sleepers; Insider of fantasy
SUNDAY: Qualifications, Reshuffle, Medical extensions, Recruit ranking
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