The new PGA Tour season kicks off in California with the Procore Championship, an event won by the likes of Max Homa, Mike Weir and Stewart Cink and given a boost this year by Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley’s preference his Ryder Cup team play at Silverado.
Key Stats/Skill Set Required
- Strokes Gained Tee To Green
- Scrambling
- Strokes Gained: Off The Tee
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Going For Green
- Par 4 Scoring
- Bogey Avoidance
- Birdie or Better
- Proximity 75-100 Yards
Silverado is a resort course that is low on the difficulty scale. Form from the tee is helpful but this is a second shot course where the irons are critical to success. Aggression is rewarded.
Key Correlation Courses/Tournaments
- Valero Texas Open
- Sony Open
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler often struggles to find the motivation for these lower tier events but with the Ryder Cup coming up he will be looking for his best. You will struggle to find a better profile for a tournament than Scheffler here. He leads the Tour in Scrambling, Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, Strokes Gained: Approach, Par 4 Scoring, Bogey Avoidance and Birdie or Better. He is short but a standout selection this week.
It has been a while between drinks for the two-time major winner Collin Morikawa but he has been playing well. He has finished Top 25 in five of his last nine starts. He profiles nicely here ranking 2nd in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee.
Alex Smalley is one expected to show up at night. He ticks a lot of boxes with his profile. He ranks 3rd in Par 4 Scoring, 9th in Scrambling, 10th in Proximity: 75-100 Yards, 14th in Bogey Avoidance, 14th in Birdie or Better and 15th in Going For The Green. He finished T-16 at the Sony Open this year, one of the key guides.
Tour veteran Keith Mitchell finished 12th here at just his second start at Silverado and can improve this time around. Mitchell ranks 5th in Birdie or Better, 6th in Going For The Green, 11th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee and 11th in Par 4 Scoring. Finished Top 14 in the last two Texas Opens.
A Top 15 putter in the field on poa, Andrew Putnam is a regular in this event, playing it for the ninth time. He ranks 2nd in Scrambling, 2nd in Bogey Avoidance and 11th in Par 4 Scoring. He has three Top 11 finishes in his last seven starts.
Rico Hoey is the favourite among the six Asians teeing it up and profiles nicely. He finished T-37 last year in this event and has Top 11 finishes in two of his last five starts.