Good afternoon. Did you know Tiger Woods once banged three Perkins waitresses in one night? Yep, right in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the home of the RBC Heritage.
-Josey Orr
Here's what we've got for ya today:
Preview and Picks: 2024 RBC Heritage
Rory Staying Home
Shots Heard Round The World
Masters Heartbreak Record Holder
Top 5 Driver Tips - Rick Shiels
Brandel Chamblee Is Firing Shots
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New Drop: TaylorMade BRNR
News: Rory Staying Home
Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy has firmly stated his commitment to the PGA Tour, refuting a report by a London newspaper that claimed he had been offered a staggering $850 million and an equity stake to join the LIV Golf League.
McIlroy made these comments while practicing at the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina, ahead of this week's RBC Heritage tournament.
He categorically denied ever discussing a potential deal with LIV Golf or his agents.
The LIV Golf League is financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
McIlroy expressed bewilderment at the origin of such rumors
"I honestly don't know how these things get started. I've never been offered a number from LIV, and I've never contemplated going to LIV. Again, I think I've made it clear over the past two years that I don't think it's something for me."
While he respects others' decisions to join LIV Golf, he emphasized his future lies with the PGA Tour.
"It doesn't mean that I judge people who have went and played over there," McIlroy said.
"Personally, for me, my future is here on the PGA Tour, and it's never been any different."
So, there you have it, Rory McIlroy has once again affirmed his loyalty to the PGA Tour, dismissing rumors of a lucrative offer from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.
Preview: RBC Heritage
We go from the highs of The Masters to the lows of a… signature event?
Yes, this year, the RBC Heritage gets the signature event title along with the matching $20 million dollar purse.
That means we’ll have a field of just 69 players and no cut this week.
The field is stacked, with 28 of the top 30 ranked golfers in the world set to compete.
🚩 Location: Harbour Town Golf Links
💰 Purse: $20M - $3.6M to first.
👀 Watch On: CBS, ESPN, Golf Channel
👑 Previous Winners:
2021 - Stewart Cink
2022 - Jordan Spieth
2023 - Matt Fitzpatrick
What The Analytics Say: You want to bet on the golfers who are most accurate with their long irons. In this field that would be Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Cantlay, and Tommy Fleetwood.
What Our Guts Tell Us: Lay off of the guys who came close, but fell short last week at The Masters; Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, and Ludvig Aberg.
Is the “Major Hangover” a real thing?
How To Watch The 2024 RBC Heritage
Thursday, April 18: 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Friday, April 19: 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday, April 20: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)
Sunday, April 21: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)
Weather Report for Harbour Town
Weather looks like it should hold up for the weekend in Hilton Head. There could be a bit of rain on Sunday.
Favorites: The RBC Heritage
Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Max Homa.
Big Brain Analytics
via Data Golf
Data: 32% 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
This week, BetMGM is running a promo where you can get your stake back in bonus bets. Just click the image below to check it out.
Winner: Si Woo Kim +3500
T5: Cam Young +600
T10: Shane Lowry +330
T20: Lucas Glover +170
Longshot: Keegan Bradley +10000
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FRL: Collin Morikawa +2500
Fantasy Sports, For Real Friends
Playing golf is better when you do it with your friends and the same goes for playing daily fantasy sports.
Propellor is a free-to-play daily fantasy sports platform where you compete on a team with your friends instead of against them. Strategize, pick, and share in the thrill of winning (or agony of defeat) together.
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 RBC. Start making your picks today.
Shots Heard Round The World
Gif by lpga on Giphy
📕 Nelly Korda looks to make history. Korda, 25, comes into the LPGA’s first major of the season, this week’s Chevron Championship, on a streak of four consecutive titles. She took a seven-week break after winning her first title of the season, the LPGA Drive On, in her hometown of Bradenton, Florida, and then won three titles in the span of three weeks.
🍻 Bob Does Sports drinking challenge. The crew downs shots of fireball while competing in a four-club challenge. What could go wrong?
📺️ Masters viewership down 20% this year. This year’s final round ranks among the least-watched since 1993, bettering only the Covid-affected years of 2020 and 2021. The large viewership drop is attributed to the 2023 edition gaining a huge out-of-home viewership boost of 21 per cent, whereas this year’s event benefited from just a nine per cent jump.
Now That’s Funny
“Do you think there’s a problem with golf that it’s so boring and that’s why no one watches or is it just LIV that no one watches?”
Brooks: “bit of both” 👀
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf)
6:55 PM • Apr 17, 2024
Rick Shiels Top 5 Driver Tips
Watch: In this video PGA Golf Professional Rick Shiels gives you 5 simple do’s and don’ts with the driver!
The driver is arguably the most important golf club in your bag and if you can hit your driver long & straight you will lower your golf scores and lower your golf handicap. If you watch this video till the end and copy this simple tips you will hit your driver longer, straighter and more consistently!
Playing in Style with Asher Golf
Let’s celebrate. The Firework, Banner and Sailor Premium Asher Gloves delivered all together in honor of Independence Day and the American Traditions that come with it. Shop Now.
What Zach Johnson Got Wrong
An Anonymous former Ryder Cupper critiques Zach Johnson's approach as the Ryder Cup captain, highlighted in the Netflix series "Full Swing."
It argues that Johnson's mistake was allowing extensive access to Netflix, which exposed his strategy of selecting close friends over perhaps more deserving players based on current form.
This transparency revealed personal biases in his selections and a lack of empathy towards players not chosen, such as Keegan Bradley, whose exclusion was handled with what the series portrayed as insufficient sensitivity.
The exposure on Netflix allowed viewers to scrutinize Johnson's subjective selection process and his emotional reactions.
Critics argue that Johnson's approach may have prioritized personal relationships over merit, potentially at the cost of team performance.
Yeah, I said what I said:
“You’re thinking about a show. A lot of those guys were thinking about being in a show. They gave them a show, but they lost the Ryder Cup. Maybe that sounds cynical, but that is how it looked to me.”
Divots
Quote: “Someone asked me who's my favorite player on Tour, and I said Scottie, not only because of the way he plays golf and hits the golf ball, but the person he is and how he handles a lot of those things."
That’s Ludvig Aberg talking to the media in Hilton Head about Scottie Scheffler. Game recognize game.
Stat: 90% of amateur golfers think they hit it further than they do.
Read: Man charged with millions in dollars of Masters merch stolen from Augusta National. Apparently he’d been running the scheme for almost thirteen years before getting caught.
Shanks Steals
✅ Get $1,000 off SKYTRAK+ Golf Simulator Studios, $300 off SKYTRAK+ Launch Monitors, and 25% Off All Accessories.
Description: SKYTRAK is running a spring sale.
How to get it: No code needed. Just head to their website.
✅ Get 20% OFF On WhyGolf’s “Putting Thing”.
Description: This is the putting aid that Wyndham Clark uses and he putts as good as anyone. 20% OFF this weekend only.
How to get it: No code needed, just head to their site.
✅ 15% Off Minimi NR Range Finder
Description: Pre-order the mini and get 15% off.
How to get it: Enter code MINIMI15 at checkout.
✅ Sunday Golf 20% OFF Golf Towels
Description: Golf towels that don’t suck.
How to get it: Use code TOWEL20 at checkout.
✅ 10% OFF True Linkswear
Description: Some of the best golf shoes in the game.
How to get it: You get 10% OFF when you sign up for their email list.
New Drop: TaylorMade BRNR
Let’s be clear - this isn’t just the TaylorMade BRNR Mini.
It’s the BRNR Mini in Copper. Which gives it that sick throwback look.
It also has the matching vintage grip (which you can see when you click around the images on site) which is 🔥🔥🔥.
That’s all folks! See you Saturday Morning.
