00:00Welcome back to Newswire here on SportsGrid. Our resident golf expert Brady Cannon is back with us for another week
00:05getting ready to preview the Valspar Championship. I know Brady took a look this morning at Rory McIlroy's Masters menu,
00:11which came out this morning. I did see that as we're approaching the Masters. No Rory this week. All the
00:17big guns, it feels like were in last week's tournament. Some are this week. I don't want to say no
00:25one, but Rory did not have a great finish. Cam Young did, Brady.
00:28I guess we could finish there. Wow. I mean, the longest recorded drive on the 18th hole, 375 yards and
00:39just ripped it right down the middle. I mean, that is one of the hardest golf holes. Certainly was playing
00:45as the hardest hole for that tournament. One of the harder holes on the entire PGA Tour calendar. You've got
00:51the water on the left and you try and avoid that.
00:54So you play it out to the right. And if you play it too far out to the right, you're
00:58in the trees and the rough. You're trying to thread the needle there. And, you know, he steps up and
01:04hits just this monster.
01:06And, I mean, that was really kind of the signature shot of the tournament. And great for him. Got his
01:12first win on tour last year at Wyndham, Sedgefield Country Club. Kind of a correlated course to TPC Sawgrass.
01:21And then he goes out and wins the Players' Championship. This guy has always been that close and had that
01:28much talent and now really backs it up.
01:32Yeah, definitely so. Tough week, as I said, for Rory. He barely finished in the top 50. And very surprisingly,
01:38Scott, I guess you kind of alluded to Scotty Scheffler wouldn't have a great week last week.
01:42And that was true. He finished 22nd in the tournament last week. Okay, so now let's move on to this
01:47week. We do have some of the bigger names in it.
01:49Maybe I was a little too strong on the lesser because I do see Victor Hovland in this week's tournament.
01:55I see Xander oddly choosing to play in this week's tournament as well. Maybe you could shed some light on
02:01that.
02:01But whenever I see the favorite 10-1, I know we're not getting a couple of the big guys playing
02:05this week.
02:06Yeah, I mean, outside of Scotty and Rory, you know, Colin Murakawa, there are a lot of big names here
02:12for sure.
02:13I think it's 13 out of the top 20 in the world golf rankings. And I think a lot of
02:17it has to do with the fact, Craig, that players really like this course.
02:21It's difficult. It really makes you hit golf shots. The average winning score here the last few years is around
02:2811 under par.
02:30Here at the Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas, the under-over proposition for winning score equates to 12.5 under
02:38par.
02:38So you can go under or over that. So, I mean, it's obviously not a birdie fest. You really have
02:44to be efficient off the tee.
02:45The fairways are very narrow. Some of the holes will dogleg in both directions. And it doesn't look a whole
02:53lot like Florida golf.
02:55It's tree-lined. It's very wooded. There's elevation change. So it looks like something maybe more out of the mountains
03:03in Carolina or something like that.
03:04But great golf course, a really good test. And I think that's one of the reasons the players, some of
03:10these big boys, show up to kind of see what they have.
03:13Because a month from now, they better have their game together.
03:17Yeah, we're closing in on the Masters here, folks. I mean, that's what's coming up in April.
03:21But before we get there, let's find out who Brady likes in this week's tournament.
03:26And for the first time in a bit here, I see you going back to an old favorite from the
03:30old live golf circuit here.
03:32You think Brooks hasn't won on him this week?
03:34Yeah, I haven't obviously landed on Brooks in a minute.
03:37And I think he might be ready. He finished 13th.
03:41It's funny. Like four of my guys that I'm on this week all finished 13th last week at Sawgrass.
03:46And I do believe Sawgrass translates over into this is the resort at Ennisbrook, the Copperhead course.
03:54I believe there's some correlation there.
03:56But Brooks was fourth in the field last week for strokes gained approach.
04:00And you've got to be money with the irons here in Palm Harbor at the Ennisbrook Resort.
04:06So I think he could be on the verge.
04:09And we talk about Koepka, you know, all he cares about is the majors.
04:14That's not the case right now.
04:16He wants to win on the PGA Tour again and kind of officially assert himself back in the mix here
04:23in the big boy club on the PGA Tour.
04:25So I think he is absolutely focused and I like him this week.
04:29He's a popular pick and I see why I got him at 27 to 1.
04:34I went with Fitzpatrick, the hard luck loser to Cam Young last week.
04:38He's playing outstanding, extremely accurate off the tee.
04:42He says Suni, Ryu.
04:44He says Suni.
04:44You know, a lesser known guy, but boy, is he playing well.
04:48Finished fourth here at the Valspar last year.
04:51Corey Connors, the consummate ball striker, efficient off the tee.
04:56Austin Smotherman, who's really been playing well.
04:59Finished second at the Cognizant a few weeks ago.
05:02And then finally, an old Florida Gator.
05:04I think he's priced too high.
05:06Billy Horschel at 125 to 1.
05:09Love those picks.
05:10Brady, real quick, 10 seconds to go.
05:12Any concern with Colin Morikawa moving forward?
05:15I know he's hurt.
05:16He has a back issue.
05:17He'll be okay for the Masters.
05:20Okay.
05:20Very good from Brady.
Comments