Rory won $15 million, but here’s how much everyone else took home at the FedEx Cup

Bay Hill Club & Lodge was an absolute bully at last year's Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Facing fierce winds on the weekend, the field averaged more than 2.1 strokes over par for the tournament, making it the most difficult course on the PGA TOUR for the 2019-2020 season. It was the first time Bay Hill had yielded a scoring average over 74 since 1983, and the highest winning score in relation to par (-4, Tyrrell Hatton) at the event since '83, as well. Approach play was especially perilous, with the field recording an average proximity to the hole of 54'4", the largest number all season on TOUR. They hit only 50.5% of greens in regulation for the week, the lowest number in any non-major since the 2005 RBC Canadian Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club (49.8%). While last year's conditions made for a tougher test than players normally face in Orlando, there is one statistic about Bay Hill that reveals itself every year, regardless of the weather. Bay Hill annually ranks among the courses with the most approach shots by the field from outside 200 yards. Last season, there were more than 1,800 approaches from that range - most of any course all season. Since 2016, there have been 9,926 approach shots hit from 200 yards out or farther - nearly 3,000 more than the next-closest course in that span (TPC River Highlands at 7,007). Part of the source of this are the long par 3s at Arnie's place: the quartet of holes have an average length of 216.5 yards on the scorecard. That was the longest average length for par 3s on TOUR last season, and ranked second-longest each of the previous two years - the par-3 holes at Corales Golf Club, host of the Corales Puntacana Championship, averaged 230.5 yards on the card in 2018 and 2019. So how have recent winners at Bay Hill fared on these long approaches? Since 2012, they are a combined 44 under par when hitting approach shots (on all holes, regardless of par) from outside 200 yards. In that span, the winner at Bay Hill has a proximity to the hole 4'9" better than the field average that particular week. Three tournament winners in that span beat the field average by 6 feet or more - Tiger Woods in 2013 (6'1"), Matt Every in 2015 (9'9"), and Rory McIlroy in 2018 (16'9"). McIlroy's performance on these particular shots was especially remarkable. In his 2018 win at Bay Hill, McIlroy led the field in approach shot proximity from outside 200 yards. When McIlroy is at his best, this is a pervasive theme. Only eight times in the ShotLink era (a collection of more than 600 tournaments) has a winner averaged less than 35 feet away on approach shots outside 200 yards (minimum 15 attempts). McIlroy has four of those wins. So which of the players in this week's field show promise in this particular statistic? There are more than 180 with 100 or more approach shots from outside 200 yards on TOUR the last 2 seasons. Of that group, you don't have to look far to find a familiar name: this week's defending champion, Tyrrell Hatton, ranks second in average proximity to the hole (44'2") when facing that length of an approach shot. Bryson DeChambeau, who has finished in the top five twice in the last three years at this event, ranks third (44'10"). The leader in this statistic is Will Gordon (43'2"), who makes his Bay Hill debut this week. How about scoring from that distance? Gordon ranks fourth in score to par per attempt (-0.29), best in the field in Orlando. Talor Gooch is another under-the-radar name who performs well in these situations: his score to par per attempt (-0.27) ranks eighth since the start of the 2019-20 season. Sungjae Im is a remarkable 106 under par when faced with these approach shots the last two seasons, 12 shots better than any other player. In a statistical testament to how often he plays, though, he's also had 38 more attempts than anyone else in that span (Im ranks 24th of 185 players in score to par per attempt, at -0.25). Almost every course in professional golf has its own defining characteristics, whether visually, architecturally, or when diving into the numbers. Longer approach shots into greens are a trend to keep an eye on this week at Bay Hill.

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Hideki Matsuyama is crucial to the International Team’s chances in the Presidents Cup. The eight-time TOUR winner is making his fourth Presidents Cup appearance and is the highest-ranked member of the International Team. He may have a new club in the bag, as well, at Quail Hollow after using a yet-to-be-released Srixon driver in the season-opening Fortinet Championship. Matsuyama is known as one of the TOUR’s top tinkerers, showing up every week with a bag filled to the brim with backup clubs and extra shaft. It’s not uncommon for Matsuyama to test four or five different driver builds during a range session, with four or five additional shafts on deck that he swap out for further testing. He’s constantly looking for the right feel and precise performance from his equipment. Since early last year, Matsuyama has consistently used and tested slightly-modified versions of Srixon’s ZX5 driver model that was released to the public in January 2021.The 2021 ZX5 retail model comes with a larger profile made for forgiveness, whereas the ZX7 has a more compact look and is designed for a more penetrating trajectory. On the day before the opening round of the Fortinet Championship, Matsuyama was spotted testing a completely new prototype driver from Srixon. A day earlier, GolfWRX.com caught wind of players testing new Srixon “ZX5 MKII LS” and “ZX7 MKII” prototype drivers at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California. The drivers were recently added to the USGA Conforming Clubs List, so they’re approved for competition, but they are unreleased models that have yet to be seen by the public. Matsuyama, who’s usually seen testing various Srixon 2021 ZX5 drivers during his practice sessions, was spotted testing Srixon’s new ZX5 MKII LS drivers on Wednesday and in photos from Thursday’s first round. Although Srixon representatives chose not to speak on the new driver technologies when contacted for comment, a bit of detective work can add a bit of clarity. The ZX5 MKII “LS” (which presumably stands for “low spin”) has a weight in the front portion of the sole near the face. Typically, moving the center of gravity (CG) toward the face can help create a lower-spinning, lower-launching ball flight. Additionally, the words “Rebound Frame” appear on the toe section of the face. In Srixon’s previous driver release, the Rebound Frame enhanced speed by using strategically placed regions with various levels of rigidity and flexibility to maximize energy transfer into the golf ball; it appears the Rebound Frame is being used in the new models, as well. Matsuyama employed a 10.5-degree ZX5 MKII LS driver head, equipped with the familiar Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 8TX orange shaft that he’s used for years. He’s also added a strip of lead tape to the back/heel portion of the driver head for a slight modification to the center of gravity.

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OPELIKA, Ala.  — Grayson Murray unhappily found himself with a couple of extra days to prepare for the Barbasol Championship — and ended up with a breakthrough victory. After missing the weekend cut last week in the John Deere Classic, the rookie won his first PGA TOUR title Sunday. He holed a 5-foot par putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory. Murray closed with a 3-under 68 to edge Chad Collins on Grand National’s Lake Course. The 23-year-old former Wake Forest and Arizona State player set up the winning par with a long putt from below the hole. He finished at 21-under 263, a tournament record. “I was in control,” said Murray, who earned $630,000. “I didn’t get out of my game plan once. I was going to let them make the mistakes instead of myself. I was going to make them have to birdie the last hole, or the last two holes. I was playing for par on 17 and 18. Those are two hard holes and I knew if I parred both of those they would have to do something special to beat me.” Murray arrived in Alabama a week earlier after suddenly finding himself with an open weekend. It paid off, the win securing him a spot in the PGA Championship in his home state of North Carolina, though not the Masters. Murray came in ranked 124th in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 125 qualifying for the playoffs. He jumped to 58th. “My goal is to get in the playoffs this year,” he said. “That was my goal. I didn’t set my goals too high for my first year.” A big key to his victory: “That was the best I’ve ever driven it in my life.” Collins closed with a 68 two days after posting one of the tournament’s two rounds of 60. A tap-in for par on No. 18 left him waiting to see if Murray would stumble. Collins had a run of four birdies in five holes leading into the 18th. He missed a 6-footer with a shot at another one and a potential tie with Murray. “I gave myself an opportunity,” he said. “It was a nervy bad putt. It wasn’t obviously what I wanted, but to put yourself in that position, that’s ultimately what you’re trying to do. And the more times I’m able to do that and put myself in that situation, maybe one day it will be my day. Just today it wasn’t.” Collins tied for fourth at The Honda Classic and his best previous finish was third last year in the Texas Open. “It’s my best finish ever out here on TOUR, had the best round I’ve ever had on TOUR,” he said. “You gain tons of confidence from this going forward. You can only draw positives from it. ” Brian Gay had a 65 to tie for third at 19 under with third-round leader Scott Stallings (71) and Tag Ridings (69). Coming off a third-round 60, Stallings took the solo lead with a birdie on No. 10 that put him under par for the first time of the day. He fell back with a double bogey on the par-5 16th, three-putting after taking a drop following an errant drop. Amateur Sam Burns of LSU tied for sixth at 18 under after a 66, matching Ryan Blaum (64) and Cameron Tringale (68). Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk, who didn’t qualify for the British Open, finished at 11 under after a third straight 68. The final round started early on two tees because of a bad weather forecast, but the conditions held steady in sweltering heat.

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