2023 PGA Tour Season Preview

What lies ahead. 2023 Season Awards

A ridiculous attempt to predict what's going to happen in the year 2023 of professional golf. Bookmark this to roast later. Thanks.

Here are your 2023 Awards Recipients: ______________________________________________________________________________ Breakthrough Social Media Star Justin Thomas @JustinThomas34 JT is the face of American Golf. Honest, funny, intense, but also extremely likeable. He’s already widely considered one of the biggest stars in golf, so it’s odd that the best American Player in the world has just over 600k followers on the old bird app…where he is exquisitely witty btw. Rory has him 5X at the moment. He’s been through the 2 steps forward and 1 step back PR stints, but it’s time he sits atop the throne as our King…Ryder Cup Year! Better Off Burning Your Money Player of the Year: Collin Morikawa (*ducks) Golly, this one will most certainly burn me. There is undoubtedly a top end skill-set and spike putting potential that can find a win any week on Tour. The problem for me is that it seems really difficult to predict when this is coming. The Approach and iron play, which is easily top 5 on the planet, is NOT enough to carry him to wins. Every WIN or RUNNER UP in his young career has averaged gaining +5.2 strokes ARG + Putting. He consistently has lost strokes in both categories over his last 50 rounds and ranks well below the standard of all other top 20 players in this area. I just can’t envision many scenarios where his odds drift to what I consider to be a valuable range for him which would be 35/1+. Best Off The Course Moment of 2023: The Netflix Doc Series With Fall TV ratings down, this is just what the doctor ordered to ratchet up some excitement and social engagement for Professional Golf. They couldn’t have picked a better season to step inside the ropes. Get ya popcorn ready! I’m going to put in for a sick day when this thing drops and binge hard! Pissin' & Moanin Award - Most Annoying Player of the Year: Billy Horschel Forever irritating on the golf course, Billy has now seemingly become more comfortable stepping in front of a camera to give his opinions on the state of golf, the PGA Tour, LIV problems, etc. I don’t need it. There has been speculation he turned down a deal with LIV, which given the sources could be totally fabricated, but who knows. The less Ho’ we get on our screens in 2023, the better. Heartwarming Moment of the Year: Tommy Fleetwood Wins PGA Tour Event All systems are go. While something about Horschel just irks us all, something about the soul of Tommy makes us melt. He’s coming into this season with serious form, winning in Nedbank and backing it up with a T5 in the DP World Tour Championship. This, on the heels of top 5’s at The Open and The CJ Cup to wrap up his PGA Tour season. He’s gained strokes Ballstriking and ARG in his last 7 starts with data and has actually put together a solid run with the flat stick as well. It’s just time gang! Honda Classic sounds perfect! Drip of the Year Tony Finau (Nike) Nike has had the type of 2022 that leaves you wondering if their Golf design team was still working from home with one of those apps that moves around your mouse every couple seconds. WTF we’re they doing? Tony is a GD rocketship and willing to basically rock any wild pattern they throw out there. As these new home-grown golf specific apparel brands continue to make waves, it’s time the swoosh shows a little effort. You have the star with the perfect look for your vibe…ride the wave! Cinderella Story of the Year: Denny I just NEED this to happen. I’ve been digging in the dirt with Denny for far too long without the shining moment but who am I to jump off the bandwagon now. Purely selfish, but Denny wins early and finds contention often this season. The putter is a difference maker as always, but he’s also gaining steam and confidence throughout the bag. The Cinderella Story of the year will be Denny finding his way to Rome and locked in a late Sunday heater with a dragon to slay. #Dirt Monkey Squarely on the Back Award: Daniel Berger I’ve got concerns, starting with the somewhat mysterious lack of insight into his injury situation from last year. In the 8 starts we have seen Berger since March, he’s posted one top 12 finish. He ended 2021 as the #19 Player in the World and ended 2022 ranked 51st. He was scrambling last season to find some old 2011 TaylorMade irons on ebay for Christ sake. Things are not exactly looking up. 2022 was his first season in a few years without a top 3 finish, and I feel like pressure and frustration could quickly mount if we don’t see some positive signs early this year, particularly through the Florida swing. Player I Will Lose the Most Money On in 2023: Will Zalatoris I think we are still on the early side and haven’t seen anything close to peak Willy Z. That said, I can already feel myself getting suckered into early season Zalatoris 28/1 bets. He’s set to return in Hawaii off the dreaded golf “Back disc” injury that kept him sidelined for the end of last season. We know he’s the new age big game hunter and a stud of a player, but I still feel it’s fair to bring into question his space on the trophy mantle. The books know we love Willy, they know we will bet Willy, they know we will lose money on Willy. I’ll be right there with ya! Best Major of 2023: The Masters I know, easy road taken. But it’s true. We are now within the 100 day countdown. The nostalgia, the buildup, the history, all coupled with the added spice on LIV v. PGA. Imagine being a fly on the wall for the Champions dinner this year! I’m not in love with Royal Liverpool and while I am excited to see LACC and Oak Hill in the spotlight, there’s nothing like Augusta National. I can’t wait to see how the changes to #13 play out this year. Bring on Magnolia Lane. Tournament of the Year: The Ryder Cup Easily my favorite event in golf. This year in late September we arrive at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club located just outside of Rome, Italy. After a dominating performance by the USA at Whistling Straits, it will be interesting to see how the European Team responds. Both squads will apparently look quite a bit different, but no matter who they have out there, nothing beats the Ryder Cup! Rookie of the Year: Taylor Montgomery Much like last year, too much ability and talent to swerve and try to get cute here. Montgomery played often throughout the Fall swing and played very well, notching six top 15 finishes in just seven starts. That’s unreal! His putter is a weapon but seems pretty well rounded throughout the bag. He’s sure to get plenty of frequent flyer miles this season as I would envision 25 starts minimum. If I was going to pick a surprising one to look out for, it’s Tyson Alexander who finished 2nd in Houston and made his last 4 cuts this Fall. Breakthrough Player of the Year: Cam Davis I’ll take one win and it could very well be a big one! He possesses the rare asset that has a proven track record of success on PGA Tour setups…hit it far and wedge the hell out of it! Davis is a top 15 player in terms of both driving distance and proximity from 75-125 yards. The kid is also a ridiculously proficient putter, gaining strokes in 17 of 21 starts last year on the greens. His strength of course can also be a weakness at times with the driver, but if he continues to play aggressively I envision everything lines up nicely for him a few times this season to contend on Sunday afternoons. Comeback Player of the Year: Jason Day There was a stretch from August of 2020 to July 2022 in which Day failed to put together 3 consecutive starts where he gained strokes on the field with his irons. During this past summer/fall swing, he did so in 7 straight events. To be honest, the comeback story we would all love for 2023 would be Rickie, but the numbers are simply more favorable for Day. The former world #1 has plummeted all the way to #112 in the World amidst an endless run of swing changes and back problems. It would make for a nice moment to see him hold up another trophy in 2023, and I think he’s on a path to make that a reality. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 2023 Player of the Year: Jon Rahm I hear the train a comin’. Big fella lost it with the wedge and putter last season. There was a stretch where he bled serious strokes ARG in 7 of 8 starts. Dare I say a little *yip* appeared? Well, that problem has been solved. He’s gained strokes ARG in 8 of his last 11 events and gained with the Putter in 6 straight tournaments. It was the only thing holding him back, as he still remains King of the Tee-box. I become akin to his refreshing level of honesty recently in interviews that I hadn’t given him credit for prior. He seems in a great spot mentally and physically to give his best effort in the year ahead. His last 5 starts include 2 wins, a 2nd, 4th, and 8th (*Hero). I believe the engine is primed and he was world #1 back in center of the scope. Happy New Year! Thanks for reading! @Tourpicks