The PGA Tour heads north to Charlotte this week for the Wells Fargo Championship, an elevated event this year, previously won by the likes of Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Max Homa.
Key Stats/Skill Set Required
- Bogey Avoidance
- GIR
- Proximity
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
- Driving Accuracy
- Strokes Gained: Off The Tee
- Scrambling
- Strokes Gained: Around The Green
Quail Hollow is one of the most revered courses on the PGA Tour, a major venue that requires accuracy from the tee, a precise iron game and quality around the greens.
Key Correlation Courses/Tournaments
- Torrey Pines
- Muirfield Village
- Riviera
When it comes to form on the correlation courses, no player ticks more boxes than Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese star and former Masters winner won at Riviera earlier this year while he finished Top 13 in the last two Farmers Insurance Opens and was T-16 in the most recent The Memorial. Matsuyama leads the Tour in Strokes Gained: Around The Green while he ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green. He has played this event five times for two Top 20s while his form in 2024 has been exceptional with a win and five further Top 22 finishes from his last eight events.
Si Woo Kim
Si Woo Kim is one of the most underrated players on Tour right now and a breakthrough win is just around the corner. He has finished Top 18 in four of his last five events with his only miss a T-30 at The Masters. His game works well for Quail Hollow, ranking 4th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, 5th in Driving Accuracy, 7th in Bogey Avoidance and 15th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee. Finished 4th and 13th at the last two The Memorials so has form on correlation courses.
Tony Finau
Finau has perhaps lost a step this year but he profiles too well here to leave out of the set. He is sneakily having a brilliant year with his irons. Ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 5th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, 6th in GIR and 8th in Proximity. Finished Top 10 at the last two Farmers Insurance Opens and Top 20 at the last two Genesis Invitationals. Finished Top 12 in his last two PGA Tour events so is getting close.
Shane Lowry
Coming off a win with Rory McIlroy in the Zurich, Irishman Shane Lowry looks poised to contend this week at a big price. Lowry leads the Tour in Driving Accuracy while he ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach and 10th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green. Finished Top 25 in the 2023 Genesis, 2023 Memorial and 2024 Farmers Insurance. Playing tremendous golf.
Lucas Glover
Glover won here back in 2011 and has enjoyed a career rejuvenation over the last 12 months. Finished Top 25 in three of his last four starts. Ranks 4th in Proximity, 6th in Driving Accuracy, 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 12th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and 14th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green. Experience means plenty here and Glover has that in spades.
Three Englishmen tee it up this week and Fleetwood clearly rates above both Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick. Fleetwood ranks Top 15 in Bogey Avoidance and Strokes Gained: Around The Green while he has finished Top 20 in the last two at Riviera.
Alex Noren won top Swede for us last week and and win the top Scandinavian market this week, a two-horse race against the out-of-sorts Viktor Hovland. Noren comes off an excellent 3rd placing last week while he leads the Tour in Scrambling and ranks 2nd in GIR and Bogey Avoidance.