The Starter no.11

We’d rather be golfing. Bowl season just hasn’t felt the same to me. Tough to get invested in the games when so many teams are missing top players who decided to “opt out” in the face of a little adversity (Ouch FSU 😭 ). I shot a clean 100 during my final round of 2023. Absolutely humbled by Streamsong Blue. Did I consider opting out of writing this newsletter or playing golf in 2024? Not for a second. I’m going to tighten up my penmanship and golf swing this year to deliver the goods on the web and on the course. Stay tuned…we have big things in store for 2024! - MM

No Points For You!

The Governing Board of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) announced two updates to their ranking system that went into effect on January 1st. Although not explicitly linked, these changes come a few weeks removed from Tiger Woods ascending 430 spots in the OWGR after finishing 18th out of 20 golfers in his invitational Hero World Challenge and Ludvig Aberg closing out a miraculous rookie season.

New points “Distribution Curve” for limited field events (The Tiger Rule)

As mentioned, Tiger catapulted from 1,328th to 898th place in the OWGR after a lackluster showing in his glorified “hit and giggle” in the Bahamas. To help rectify, for no cut events, the OWGR will no longer distribute points to players finishing in the bottom 15 percent in the final standings while awarding a greater percentage of available points to top finishers in those events. Additionally, for events with a match play format, players who lose their first-round match or lose all matches in a pool format will no longer receive Ranking Points. The PGA Tour does not have a match-play event in 2024 as the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is no longer on the schedule.

New Multi-Win Benefit (The Aberg Rule)

The Governing Board also introduced a new multi-win benefit that provides a 60 percent bonus to players who win for a second time within a 52-week period on any eligible Tour; a 70 percent bonus is awarded to players who win three or more times. Any points bonus is capped at a total of four points. This rule comes in the wake of phenom Ludvig Aberg winning twice worldwide (European Masters and RSM Classic) within a 3 month span shortly after turning pro.

Will this impact LIV Golf?

Short answer…no. The OWGR rejected LIV’s application for points in October, and although these recent changes impact fields of less than 80 players, LIV’s 54-hole, shotgun start format remains a road block on the league’s quest for OWGR inclusion. Interested to see a ranking system inclusive of the stars on the rebel circuit? Take a look at The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) where newly acquired Spaniard Jon Rahm paces Team LIV ranking 5th overall as of 12/31/23.

Hello Hawaii

Fifty-nine of the world’s top players are in Maui and set to kick off the 2024 PGA Tour season at The Sentry. The Plantation Course at Kapalua plays host to the first of eight limited field “Signature Events” where the prize monies and FedExCup points are boosted for those fortunate enough to participate. Scottie Scheffler (pictured) is feeling brawny and bold sporting a full beard for the new season. We are going to refer to him as “Scott” while he dawns the facial fur. Vegas digs the look…and his game… as he is your betting favorite. One thing we know for sure is that there will be no repeat champion as last year’s winner Jon Rahm is somewhere other than Maui, most likely sporting a sweet letterman jacket.

Betting Favorite: Scott Scheffler (+550)

📖 Interested in learning about the next wave of PGA Tour stars? Check out this 15 minute read highlighting twenty-four players under 24 to watch in 2024.

👀 Check out this cool animated clip of the global excursion that is the 2024 PGA Tour schedule.

Around the Game

🏌️ The clock continues to tick on the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) as the sides elected to extend their negotiations beyond the self-imposed deadline of December 31, 2023. In a letter to his membership, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan stated “Our goal for 2024 is to reach agreements with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), PIF and the DP World Tour, bringing them on board as minority co-investors.” All players involved now look towards the first week of April and The Masters as the deadline to reach a definitive agreement on a potential merger.

Check out this deep dive on the PGA Tour - PIF negotiations for more color on the situation.

🏌️ Patrick Cantlay continues to steal headlines ahead of the start of the 2024 season. For the first time since the Ryder Cup, Cantlay opened up and discussed a variety of topics with Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier. Amongst the most poignant was his admission that his representatives did indeed engage with LIV Golf in 2023 but that he has no plans on leaving the PGA Tour. "I declined offers," Cantlay said. "Pre and post joining the board. And the most recent offer I got, I declined in the same meeting that my management team brought it to me." Cantlay then announced ahead of The Sentry that he has found a new hat partner in the First Responders Children’s Foundation.

🏌️ The Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), who have been honoring players of the year since 1975, named Jon Rahm male player of the year, Lilia Vu female player of the year and Steve Stricker senior player of the year for 2023. Rahm received 48.9% of the first-place votes, pacing ahead of Viktor Hovland (33%) and Scott Scheffler (18.1%). Vu claimed two major championships among her four victories in 2023 while Stricker captured six wins in 16 starts. The three players will be honored at the annual GWAA awards ceremony in Augusta on April 10.

What can I say except, You’re welcome!

The Plantation Course at Kapalua…now that makes for a Happy New Year. Welcome to 2024 and the return of the Breakfast Ball! After a short hiatus over the holidays, golf is back. Unfortunately, this does mean that the huge following of BY’s Top FORE will need to be put on the back burner for the time being as we are back to business…the business of picking winners! Let’s get to it!

The field is stacked, the weather is primo, and we are in Maui, times are good.  The opportunity for heavy gusts is always in the cards at the Plantation Course, but as we’ve seen before, these guys are just too good to let the conditions diminish scoring. Defending champion Jon Rahm will not be in the field this week as I believe he is off until February. As most know, I didn’t make a huge splash with my picks to finish out the 2023 season. Well let’s turn that frown upside down with some spicy leans. My first small play goes to Xander Schauffele with a top 5 finish at +300. There is an outside chance at a decent return opportunity here for a guy with a solid track record at Kapalua. Xander won it in 2019 and finished top 5 the next two showings. Lastly, lets go with Tony Finau finishing top 10 at +250. You can get a little loose here if you have a few extra dollars to throw around. Finua was T7 in this event last year and had a strong finish to his 2023 season. There is only one way to get the ball rolling and it starts with a little nudge… - BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• M. Fitzpatrick: $9,500

• T. Kim: $8,900

• R. Henley: $7,700

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

 🕰️ Better late than never. Willie (Don’t call me Bill) Clinton (pictured) nets his first ace at 91 years young! Gotta love the joy on his face and the excitement from his playing partners. BY has an ace on his resume…. I may have to hope to make it to 91 like Wild Will.

👰 Meet my better half. Cameron Smith rings in the new year by marrying his girlfriend Shanel Naoum in Brisbane, Australia. Stateside, Brooks Koepka and wife Jena Sims put on their own firework display to close out 2023.

👕 New year, new threads. Jason Day drops the swoosh to join Malbon Golf. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele looks to have given Adidas the boot in favor of Descente. Is the skiwear brand making a play off the slopes and onto the greens?

🐄 Twitter fingers. Ian Poulter and Billy Horschel trade digital blows to close out 2023.

🥃 Caddypreneur. Interesting Forbes piece on Scottish golf caddie Douglas Clement and his Kingsbarns Distillery.

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 13x winner on the LPGA Tour.

• Only the third player ever to win before her 18th birthday, joining Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson.

• Won the 2019 ESPY Award for “Best Female Golfer”.

Issue no. 10 Answers

Golf Hole of the Day: Whistling Straits

Name that Golfer: Matt Kuchar