⛳️ 2024 CJ Cup Preview & Picks

Swing Tip: Using Your Natural Athleticism, Paige Spiranac, and more.

Author

Josey Orr
April 30, 2024

Good afternoon. We’re rolling out a new format today, our hope is that you find the email to be easier to scan, get what you need, and get out.

Here's what we've got for ya today:

  • News: NBC Still Doesn’t Have A Lead Analyst For U.S. Open

  • 2024 Byron Nelson: Preview & Picks

  • Shots Heard Round The World

  • Guy Pulls Off A Perfect John Daly

  • Swing Tip: Using Your Natural Athleticism

  • Divots…

  • New Drop: Sun Day Red

News: NBC Still Doesn’t Have A Lead Analyst For U.S. Open

NBC's golf broadcasting team is currently facing a significant dilemma: finding a lead analyst for the upcoming U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

This challenge arises amidst broader cost-cutting measures affecting the quality and depth of NBC and Golf Channel's sports production.

The situation is further complicated by high-profile personnel changes, including the departure of Paul Azinger, who was unexpectedly let go after a contract dispute. These cutbacks and the notable loss of other veteran analysts (like David Feherty going to LIV) have sparked questions about the broadcast's future quality and direction - and whether or not NBC even cares.

  • NBC has experimented with various replacements for Azinger, such as Notah Begay, Brandel Chamblee, Kevin Kisner, Smylie Kaufmann, and others, but has not yet found a permanent successor.

  • The upcoming U.S. Open at Pinehurst will be a critical test for NBC's golf broadcast team as they attempt to stabilize their lineup.

  • The network's struggle to appoint a lead analyst has been public and contentious, reflecting broader issues within NBC sports broadcasting.

  • Rumors this morning say they may even give Tony Romo a try.

Preview: CJ Cup Byron Nelson

Who’s ready for a good, ole’ fashioned, birdie-fest?

We hope you are if you’ll be tuning in for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which has got to be the most poorly named tournament in existence.

TPC Craig Ranch has hosted the tournament for the last four years, with the winners consistently finishing in the 23-under range - also, there’s scattered thunderstorms in the forecast, which could make an already soft course even softer.

🚩 Location: TPC Craig Ranch

💰 Purse: $9.5M - $1.7M to first.

👀 Watch On: CBS, ESPN+, Golf Channel

👑 Previous Winners:

  • 2021 - KH Lee

  • 2022 - KH Lee

  • 2023 - Jason Day

What The Analytics Say: TPC Craig Ranch plays as one of the easiest courses on tour despite it’s length. Approach play and scrambling are the keys here.

What Our Guts Tell Us: You’ve gotta be a fool to bet Jordan Spieth when he’s the odds on favorite, right?

How To Watch The 2024 CJ Cup

Thursday, May 2: 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Friday, May 3: 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday, May 4: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)
Sunday, May 5: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)

Weather Report for McKinney, TX

Not good, friends, not good.

Favorites: The CJ Cup

Jordan Spieth, Si Woo Kim, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Alex Noren, Adam Scott, Byeong Hun An, Stephan Jaeger, Sungjae Im, and Tom Kim.

Big Brain Analytics

Data: 36.7% of the approach shots this week will be between 175 and 225 yards. You’ll want to keep this in mind when placing bets this week, as you want leaders in SG: APP 175-225 yards.

Shanks Picks

Last year, we picked our first outright winner at the Byron Nelson, Jason Day. It sure would be cool to pick a winner two years in a row. Maybe they’ll give us a trophy too.

  • Winner: Jordan Spieth +1400 (LOL)

  • T5: Tom Kim +600

  • T10: Ben An +280

  • T20: Seamus Power +250

  • Longshot: Mark Hubbard +5500

  • FRL: Peter Kuest +7500 or Garrick Higgo +9000

  • Make The Cut Parlay: Tom Kim, Tom Hoge, Adam Schenk, and Mark Hubbard +268

All Of Our Betting Promos

Note: Fanduel is the only operator we work with that has Kentucky Derby odds this weekend.

With Propellor Sports Company

Win a $300 Golf Galaxy GC

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Sign up at PlayPropellor.com so you and your friends can get in on the action. New PGA, MLB, NHL, and NBA markets are posted daily and all users are entered into weekly giveaways for game tickets, team merch, and more.

PLUS all Caddyshanks readers who make a golf pick between now and the final round of the PGA Championship will be automatically entered into an exclusive drawing for a $300 Golf Galaxy gift card!

The Caddyshanks team was on fire during The Masters and will try to keep it going during the CJ Cup. Start making your picks today.

Shots Heard Round The World

Come On What GIF by DraftKings

⛳️ LIV Golf today announced details for the League’s 2024 Individual Championship. LIV Golf Chicago will take place September 13-15 at Bolingbrook Golf Club. The 13th tournament of LIV Golf’s 2024 season, the Chicago event will see players compete for final positions in the individual standings and the title of 2024 LIV Golf League Individual Champion and also determine team seedings for the 2024 Team Championship.

🩻 Will Zalatoris has WD’d from The CJ Cup. He cited needed to give his back and body some time to recover.

🎂 Bandon Dunes 25th Anniversary Eamon Lynch shares his Bandon love story, with a bit of hate. “The quality of sleep enjoyed by a tortured golfer is inversely proportional to the number of swing thoughts agitating the mind. Thus, on most nights my attempts at finding rest involve not counting sheep but playing golf in my mind’s eye. Almost always, those rounds are at Bandon Dunes.”

Guy Pulls A Perfect John Daly

Swing Tip: Using Your Natural Athleticism

Watch: In this video with Padraig Harrington, he answers a question many amateurs have asked themselves…

“I’ve been athletic my whole life, why can’t I be athletic over the golf ball?”

Paddy Says: Motions such as swinging and throwing across sports, utilize the same muscles in sequence as in the golf swing. By truly understanding the natural athleticism used to throw a ball, a player can mimic the perfect golf swing.

With Easier Golfing

The Best Deal In Golf

Get the Perfect Swing FREE when you purchase a Powerflex Swing Trainer for 39.99 - a deal you won’t beat anywhere. Did we mention world #1’s Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda have both been spotted using the same device?

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Divots…

Quote: "I played junior golf, college golf and a year professionally. After that stretch I mentally couldn’t handle playing golf and especially keeping score," she wrote. "I equated my score to my self worth. I know it sounds silly but competitive golf really beat me up emotionally.”

That’s the most famous golf gal in the world, Paige Spiranac talking on Twitter about falling in love with golf again.

Stat: Sunday’s final round of the Zurich Classic was up 26% from last year. Make sense of that!

Read: A ‘world-class semi-private golf course’: Club Pro Guy and architect Hank Jones lay out their bold vision for Three Jack National.

New Drop: Sun Day Red

It’s finally here.

Tigers new brand, Sun Day Red.

We will just get the most egregious part out of the way first, selling a ball marker for $50 is a bit over the top, even if it is limited edition.

Also, how about releasing some of the red stuff?

That’s all folks! See you Saturday Morning.