2020 - Week 36 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions for this week, the Tour Championship (US PGA Tour) and the the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. Only the top thirty in the FedEx Cup rankings are playing in the US season finale this week and it's the usual cream of the crop, with some exceptions e.g. Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka. Theres's a staggered start again this year, with FedEx Cup points leader Dustin Johnson going off on -10 and tapering down from there. Note that Golf Predictor does not factor this into the GP Rankings/GP Score. Meanwhile on the European Tour, no Sergio Garcia or Jon Rahm this year due to Covid-19 and/or the Tour Championship, so there is a weaker field than usual playing on the challenging Valderrama layout.

 

 

2020 - Week 35 Winners

Rasmus Hojgaard (ranked 6th by Golf Predictor) won the ISPS HANDA UK Championship on the European PGA Tour. The 19 year old Dane won his second European PGA Tour event in a play-off with long time leader Justin Walters. Hojgaard finished first and Walters overcame a triple bogey approaching the turn to finish strongly and catch the rising star. It took three extra trips down the famous finishing hole for Hojgaard to see off the South African, who had parred courageously on the previous trip to keep his hopes alive. Our top ranked player, Bernd Wiesberger, finished strongly for tied 5th and we had twelve of the top nineteen plus ties in total (12/24).

 

Jon Rahm (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) won the second event of the FedEx Cup play-offs, the BMW Championship. The 25 year old Spaniard won his fifth tour title and second in a dramatic finish at Olympia Fields. Rahm overcame a slow start and a brain fart on Saturday (when picked up his ball without marking it for a one shot penalty) to defeat in-form Dustin Johnson on the first extra hole of a play-off. Rahm finished with a brilliant 64 (-6) on the very testing layout and looked to have edged DJ in regulation. However, the American made a long downhill birdie putt to force extra holes. However, Rahm wasn't to be denied and he reciprocated on the same hole in the play-off with an even longer putt to take the title. The real winner was probably the course, which was set up to punish inaccuracy off the tee and punish players on the greens! That resulted in a US Open type week of high attrition, unlike the usual birdie fests on tour. Rahm was our top ranked player and we had eight of the top sixteen plus ties (8/19).

2020 - Week 35 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the ISPS HANDA UK Championship (European PGA Tour) and the BMW Championship (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the second leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs in the US this week and the pressure will be on to qualify for the lucrative Tour Championship next week. As usual, the bigger names are still in FedEx Cup contention in America and twenty five of the top thirty players in the world are teeing it up at Olympia Fields. The field in England is obviously not quite as impressive, with only ten members of the top hundred in the world playing at The Belfry in the latest event on the UK swing.

2020 - Week 34 Winners

Romain Langasque (ranked 16th by Golf Predictor) won the ISPS HANDA Wales Open on the European PGA Tour. The 25 year old Frenchman won his maiden European PGA Tour event with a great final round at Celtic Manor. Starting the final day five shots behind the leader, Langasque put on a brilliant short game display to shoot a bogey free 65 and win by two shots from Sami Valimaki. Our top ranked player, Thomas Pieters, finished in tied 15th and we had nine of the top fifteen plus ties in total (9/20*).

 

Dustin Johnson (ranked 4th by Golf Predictor) won The Northern Trust on the US PGA Tour. The 36 year old American won his twenty second tour title in imperious fashion in Boston. Leading by five shots overnight, Johnson put on a masterclass of front running to decimate the field and win by a massive eleven shots on an unbelievable score of -30. In doing so, Johnson returned to number one in the world rankings and hit the top of the FedEx Cup rankings heading into the second play-off event. Our top ranked player, deposed world number one Jon Rahm, finished strongly for tied 6th and narrowly failed to retain his top spot in the rankings. Overall, many of the stellar field failed to perform and we had only six of the top eighteen plus ties (6/24) in total. 

 *Korhonen withdrew, promoting Campillo into the top twenty of the GP rankings.

2020 - Week 34 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, The Northern Trust (US PGA Tour) and the ISPS HANDA Wales Open (European PGA Tour) , are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the first week of the lucrative FedEx Cup play-offs on the US PGA Tour and once again, there is an impressive line up in New Jersey.  There are forty of the top fifty players in the world teeing it up at TPC Boston this week, which doesn't leave much for the resurrected Wales Open, held at the same course as last week (Celtic Manor).

2020 - Week 33 Winners

Sam Horsfield (ranked 10th by Golf Predictor) won the Celtic Classic on the European PGA Tour. The 23 year old Englishman claimed his second tour title in three weeks with an impressive final day at Celtic Manor. Trailing by one shot overnight, Horsfield built up a three shot lead before play was suspended due to thunderstorms. Although he was pegged back to one after the restart, Horsfield retained his composure in the dark to win by two shots from Thomas Detry. In doing so, he became the first player to go win-missed-cut-win in successive weeks on the European Tour. Our top ranked player, Thomas Pieters, finished in tied 3rd and we had only four of the top nineteen plus ties (4/21) in this weak fielded and weather affected event.  

Jim Herman (ranked 117th by Golf Predictor) won the Wyndham Championship on the US PGA Tour. The 42 year old American overcame poor recent form to capture his third tour title at Sedgefield Country Club. Herman put on an incredible display of putting and sliced through the filed on the weekend with 61-63 to pip Billy Horschel for the title. Our top ranked player, Webb Simpson finished in tied third and in an event where many of the bigger names failed to perform, we had five of the top fifteen plus ties (5/19) in total.  

2020 - Week 33 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Wyndham Championship (US PGA Tour) and the Celtic Classic (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. There are not many big names competing in America this week, with the Wyndham Championship sandwiched between the first major of the year and the play-offs. However, they do have six of the top twenty in the world playing, including some who featured at the PGA Championship last weekend. There is also a host of middle tier guys trying to improve/maintain their place in the FedEx Cup standings ahead of those play-offs. Meanwhile, the European Tour moves on to Wales for the first of two events at Celtic Manor and like previous weeks, the field is rather modest.

2020 - Week 32 Winners

Collin Morikawa (ranked 19th by Golf Predictor) won the US PGA Championship on the European/US PGA Tour. The 23 year old American won his first major title at only his second attempt with an impressive performance at Harding Park. Morikawa finished strongly on Sunday with a 64 (-6) to win by two shots from Paul Casey and overnight leader Dustin Johnson. Highlight of the round was a brilliant tee shot on the short par four sixteenth to seven feet for a timely eagle. Our top ranked golfer, Justin Thomas, never really featured and finished in tied 37th. Overall, we had twelve of the top twenty two plus ties (12/28) in the first major of the year.

Andy Sullivan (ranked 5th by Golf Predictor) won the English Championship on the European PGA Tour. The 33 year old Englishman claimed his fourth tour title with an impressive performance at Hanbury Manor. On a week of low scoring, Sullivan hit the front after a 62 on Friday and although Adrian Otaegui got to within three on Sunday, he eased to a seven shot victory with a strong back nine. Our top ranked player, Lee Westwood, finished in tied 34th and we had only six of the top nineteen plus ties (6/25) in this weak fielded event, where many of the bigger names failed to perform.

2020 - Week 32 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the US PGA Championship (European/US PGA Tour) and the English Championship (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. The second major of the year heads to Harding Park for the first major of the COVID affected year. While there aren't many big golfing names teeing it up in England this week, the PGA Championship makes up for it with ninety three of the world's top one hundred golfers. All eyes will probably be on Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods. The former goes for a rare three PGA Championships in a row while the latter makes only his second post lock-down appearance as he tries to narrow the gap on Jack Nicklaus' impressive major record.

2020 - Week 31 Winners

Justin Thomas (ranked 3rd by Golf Predictor) won the WGC - Bridgestone Invitational on the European/US PGA Tour. The 27 year old American won his second WGC and thirteenth tour title  in Memphis. Thomas and defending champion Brooks Koepka broke clear of a crowded leaderboard late on Sunday and aided by some good fortune, Thomas took a two shot lead to the final hole. Koepka reduced that to one with a birdie on the penultimate hole and with Thomas in some trouble on the last, it looked in the balance. However, Koepka found water on the last and a great pitch by Thomas meant he won by three shots in the end. In doing so, the American became world number one again, deposing Jon Rahm, who was our top ranked player. The Spaniard didn't get going until the final round and finished in tied 52nd. Overall, we had seven of the top fifteen plus ties (7/19) in an event where several of the top players in the world failed to perform.

Sam Horsfield (ranked 21st by Golf Predictor) won the Hero Open on the European PGA Tour. The 23 year old Florida raised Englishman claimed his maiden tour title with an impressive performance at the Forest of Arden. Despite leading after the second and third rounds and getting off to a fast start on Sunday, Horsfield was briefly overtaken by the fast finishing Thomas Detry. However, the distraught Belgian bogeyed the final hole and after Horsfield birdied the penultimate hole to edge ahead, he sealed the win with a closing par. Our top ranked player, Joost Luiten, missed the cut and we had only five of the top fifteen plus ties (5/21) in this weak fielded event, where many of the bigger names failed to perform.

Richy Werenski (ranked 14th by Golf Predictor) won the Barracuda Championship on the US PGA Tour. The 28 year old American secured his first tour title with a strong finish in the modified Stableford event. Werenski holed out for a five point eagle on the sixteen and birdied the final hole to pip Troy Merritt by a single point. Our top ranked player, Branden Grace, had to withdraw while in contention after unfortunately contracting COVID 19. Overall, we had eight of the top nineteen plus ties (8/20*) in the second tier event. 


*Grace withdrawal promoted Merritt into the top 20 of the GP Rankings.