HP Byron Nelson Championships from The Four Seasons Resort, Irving, Texas

The HP Byron Nelson Championships is our next port of call on the ever moving PGA Tour bus for this week’s golfers to prepare for and win in Irving, Texas. The great Byron Nelson’s name was attached to this tournament back in 1968 and the good and great have competed here to win this prestigious title. Though looking down the list of past winners you will come across the usual names of Tiger, Mickelson, Els, Scott and Garcia. But there are some golfer’s names upon this trophy who, shall we say, are not household names. With the likes of Brett Wetterich in 2006, Ted Purdy in 2005, Shigeki Maruyama in 2002 and Robert Damron in 2001 to name but a few of them. Though in the last 3 years we have seen the likes of Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley and Jason Day win here, it just shows that many of the players lining upon this week have a chance.

The Four Seasons Resort Golf course that they will be playing on has had a few changes to it over the last year in where they have made the greens bigger but added more slopes and undulations to them. The water hazards feature more prominent on some of the holes, and the run offs from the green should you miss them have been made a bit more severe. It will test the approach shots very much. This course is all about placing the ball in the right place and letting the green do the work for you rather than just bombing at the hole direct. Sitting at 7,166 yards, and a par index of 70, this is one of the more testing of venues the PGA Tour goes to, and it will produce some drama if the wind gets up and the rain stays away…

What sort of golfer should we be looking for this week? Well, we need to be looking for good scrambling skills, accuracy off the tee and avoiding the dreaded 3 putts. If the wind gets up them good ball striking skills will be an advantage as well…

Ryan Palmer was one I picked out last week as a potential top 10 finish and he didn’t let me down. His T5th came about because of his consistency of Ball Striking and his positioning of the ball around the tough Sawgrass golf course. He putted the least amount of times for all 4 rounds last week and came T5th for most birdies. He has a good record around here over the past 2 years, T7th last year and losing a play-off to Keegan Bradley in 2011. I am sticking with him more because of his hot streak than the stats making him a good fit. He is a native Texan and so maybe the home field advantage may also help him this week…

Jimmy Walker finished T9th last week in The Players, shooting the best score in the last round of 67, and thus continues to keep up his remarkable year so far. This season he has collected four Top 10’s, with a best finish of 3rd, and he could make his break through here in Texas. Sits 9th in Scrambling from 30 yards, 26th in 3-Putt Avoidance and 23rd in GIR so he has good stats for this course…

Freddie Jacobsen maybe didn’t play the best last week at The Players because of a hip injury, but he finished with good stats for his T48th placing. He sits 3rd in Total Putting, 18th for Scrambling and has good, if not brilliant, GIR and Approach Shots numbers…

Brain Gay finished a T2nd back here in 2010 and maybe he will have the confidence to repeat that effort again this week. Already a tour winner this year in the Humana Challenge back in January, he has played with the confidence that he belongs on the PGA Tour. Currently sits 5th in Total Putting, 12th in Stokes Gained Putting and 37th for Scrambling. If he gets his Driving and Approach shots firing he could feature again in the top positions…

Ryan Palmer @ 25/1…
Jimmy Walker @ 40/1…
Freddie Jacobsen @ 40/1…
Brian Gay @ 80/1…

All bets in the usual £2.50 e/w… PadPow pays ¼ top 5… Good luck to all…

 

Leaderboard after the 1st round...

Leader - Keegan Bradley @ -10...

T6 - Ryan Palmer............... -5
T28 - Freddie Jacobson....... -2
T28 - Jimmy Walker............ -2
T120 - Brian Gay................ +2

As what happened last week at The Players, it happened again here yesterday. The conditions have tipped the balance to the golfers going out in the early groups, and did they take advantage...!!! Another down pour overnight left the course damp, but not unplayable, and of those who did get the easier conditions to play in a one Keegan Bradley shot a new course record of 60, -10 under, and start day two 3 shots clear of 2nd... As the day went by the course dried out, the wind got up and any of those teeing off later on got more testing condition. Luck of the draw i suppose but it did favour the early golfers by 3-5 shots...

Anyway, it can all change as the tournament rumbles on. So finger crossed some of my picks can get a lucky break here and there and get up that leaderboard...

 

Leaderboard after the 2nd round...

Leader - Keegan Bradley @ -11

T4 - Ryan Palmer.............. -7
T21 - Jimmy Walker.......... -4
T30 - Freddie Jacobson..... -3
CUT - Brian Gay

The first out groups were at it again yesterday with Tom Gillis making the biggest move shooting a -7 under par round to move into 2nd place overall only 3 shots behind Keegan Bradley. To also show what an advantage it was to go out earlier, Keegan Bradley followed his course record with only a -1 par round so much different the conditions were. But that will be negotiated now with the slightly later teeing off times now that we have moved into the last 2 days of the tournament...

Ryan Palmer carries my best hope, T4th as he is only 4 shots behind...

 

Leaderboard after the 3rd round...

Leader - Keegan Bradley @ -13

T19 - Ryan Palmer.............. -4
T19 - Jimmy Walker............ -4
T32 - Freddie Jacobson....... -3

Looks like being a miss for the picks in this weeks tournament, as Palmer and Walker both slip to T19th some 9 shots off the lead...

Nevermind, there is always next week...

 

Final leaderboard....

Winner - Sang-Moon Bae @ -13

T17 - Freddie Jacobson...... -4
T27 - Jimmy Walker........... -2
T33 - Ryan Palmer............. -1

Keegan Bradley threw away his chance to gain his 2nd win here in the Byron as Sang-Moon Bae took the honours after shooting -13 and taking the title win...

Less said about the picks by myself, but there is always next week...