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Horses for Courses: Wells Fargo Championship

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Horses for Courses

Horses for Courses: Wells Fargo Championship


    Written by Mike Glasscott @MikeGlasscott

    TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm - Holes No. 10 & No. 13


    For the second time in six years Quail Hollow Club has needed a substitute venue as it readies for a major golf event. The 2017 edition was moved to Eagle Point in Wilmington, North Carolina as QHC prepared to host the PGA Championship later that summer.


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    This time around the Club will be preparing for the Presidents Cup at the end of September. TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm has been stretching in the on deck circle and is ready to pinch hit for the first time since hosting Tiger Woods' Quicken Loans National in 2017 and 2018.

    There's plenty of history at this track nestled just outside Washington, DC. The TOUR played the Kemper Open/Booz Allen Classic here from 1987-2006. Before the return of the QLN, the Web.com Tour also hosted a pair of events in the early 2010s raising the total number of professional events to 25.

    The former cattle farm designed by Ed Ault, Tom Clark and former PGATOUR professional Ed Sneed opened in 1986. The PGATOUR's renovation doctor Steve Wenzloff, with help from Jim Hardy, brought it up to speed before the 2017 edition.

    And it's difficult. And it's been four years.

    Playing 7,107 yards to Par 70 (35-35) TPC Potomac played the fourth most difficult track on its reintroduction in 2017 (71.458) including the majors. The 2018 edition mellowed slightly as it checked in at No. 18 most difficult (69.894) of the 51 used on TOUR. For the 2022 edition 53 yards have been added to bulk up the Par-5 No. 2 hole. The course scorecard is now 7,160 yards.

    With only 22 acres of fairway and tree lined fairways there's hardly any room to miss. Errant shots that aren't gobbled up by almost three inches of Kentucky Bluegrass/Tall Fescue will also have to avoid water penalty areas on 10 of the 18 holes and 80 bunkers.

    Slick Bentgrass greens running 12 feet plus return and the Penn A1/A4 surfaces average less than 4,300 square feet ranking as some of the smallest targets on TOUR. Usually Par-5 holes bring some reprieve but not this week as No. 2 now plays 641 yards and No. 10 stretches to 595 yards.

    The field of 156 will be cut to the top 65 and ties after two rounds. The $9 million purse will parse $1.62 million plus 500 FedExCup Points to the winner.

    Let's find some horses for courses!

    Horses for Courses

    2018 QLN
    Top Finishers Late June
    2022 BET MGM ODDS
    Win, Top 10, Top 20
    bold = multiple top finishes
    01 Francesco Molinari+12500; +900; +350
    02 Ryan Armour +15000; +1000; +400
    03 Sung Kang+15000; +1200; +550
    04 Abraham Ancer+3000; +300; +140
    06 Beau Hossler+15000; +1000; +450
    08 Chesson Hadley+25000; +2000; +800
    12 Rickie Fowler+12500; +900; +350
    13 Stephen Jaeger+10000; +1000; +450
    13 Anirban Lahiri+6600 ;+600; +275
    13 Marc Leishman+4000; +400; +180
    17 Troy Merritt+6600; +650; +300
    17 CT Pan+8000; +700; +275
    23 Stewart Cink+20000; +1400; +550
    23 Joel Dahmen+5000; +550; +250
    27 JT Poston+12500; +900; +400
    2017 QLN
    Top Finishers Early July
    03 Rickie Fowlersee above
    03 Martin Laird+10000; +750; +300
    05 Keegan Bradley+3300; +333; +160
    05 Sung Kangsee above
    05 Marc Leishmansee above
    05 David Lingmerth+40000; +3000; +1200
    05 Ben Martin+25000; +2200; +1000
    13 Bill Haas+30000; +2500; +1000
    13 Nick Watney+35000; +2800; +1200
    17 Patrick Reed+5000; +450; +200
    17 Kevin Streelman+8000; +650; +300
    22 Danny Lee+20000; +1800; +750
    29 Tony Finau+2200; +225; +100
    2013 Web.com
    Top Finishers Late June
    02 Chesson Hadleysee above
    06 Sung Kangsee above
    11 Si Woo Kim+5000; +450; +200
    15 Jim Herman+40000; +2800; +1100
    27 Andrew Putnam+20000; +1400; +600
    34 Kevin Tway+35000; +2500; +1100
    2012 Web.com
    Top Finishers October
    01 David Lingmerthsee above
    13 Luke List+10000; +800; +350
    13 Brian Stuard+12500; +1100; +450

    Odds sourced on Tuesday, May 3rd at 2 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.

    Recent Event Winner Stats

    Year20182017
    WinnerFrancesco MolinariKyle Stanley
    Score259 (-21)273 (-7)
    MOV8Playoff
    Cut1-over4-over
    Age3529
    Pre Tournament Odds+1600+4000
    Disantance - All DrivesT8T20
    Driving Accuarcy4T3 (40/56)
    GIR1 (62/72)1 (55/72)
    Ball-Striking21
    Proximity26
    Putting: Birdie or Better %2333
    SG: Off-the-Tee71
    SG: Approach-the-Green14
    SG: Around-the-Green832
    SG: Putting1752 (lost strokes)
    SG: Tee-to-Green11
    Scrambling146
    Bogey Avoidance1 (2 total)T3 (7 and a double)
    Par-3 ScoringT2T5
    Par-4 Scoring1T8
    Par-5 ScoringT1T10

    Extra Credit (players entered this week only)

    2018

    Winner Francesco Molinari posted all four rounds in the 60s, including matching the course record (bogey free 62) on Sunday, to win by eight shots in his first appearance. ... Ryan Armour (2nd) won by the "B" Flight by a shot as he posted all four rounds in the 60s. ... Sung Kang (3rd) posted a pair of 64s to pick up his third consecutive top six at this course. ... Abraham Ancer (T4) owns a piece of the course record as he posted 62 in Round 3 and played in the final group on Sunday with Molinari. ... Beau Hossler (T6) shared the 36 hole with Armour after posting 65-66. ... Chesson Hadley (T8) finished second here in 2013 on Web.com Tour and played his final 54 holes this time around in 10-under. ... Only the top seven players were 10-under or better. ... Kevin Streelman (T32) was one of three players to post 62. ... Defending champion Kyle Stanley (not entered 2022) cashed T32. ... Molinari only made two bogeys on the week. ... 20 bogey free rounds with just six on the weekend. ... 21 birdies (Molinari, Kang, 1 other not entered) led the field. ... Hot and humid conditions in late June.

    2017

    Winner Kyle Stanley was the only player to post all four rounds par or better as he defeated Charles Howell III (not entered) in a playoff to win the first TOUR event on this track since 2006. ... Rickie Fowler (T3) followed with T12 in the 2018 edition. ... Martin Laird (T3) only made two bogeys over the final two rounds ... Keegan Bradley (T5) was T6 Fairways and T16 GIR. ... Sung Kang (T5) was T5 Putting. ... Marc Leishman (T5) opened and closed with 66 and added T13 in 2018. ... 2013 Web.com winner here David Lingmerth (T5) led after 18 (65-65), 36 and 54 holes before closing with 73; T48 in 2018. ... Ben Martin (T5) closed with 65 but a triple and a double on Friday wiped out his chances. ... Bryson DeChambeau (not entered) led the field with 19 birdies. ... Stanley was four back after 54 holes. ... Hardest non-major course of 2017. ... Highest winning score on TOUR in the 2017 season. ... Lowest round of the week was 64 by Nick Watney (T13).

    Notes:

    Players who have played both events and made both cuts not mentioned above (results):

    • Bill Haas (T13, T71)
    • Nick Watney (T13, T64)
    • Kevin Streelman (T32, T17)
    • James Hahn (T60, T46)
    • Seamus Power (T53, T38)
    • Kevin Tway (73, T55)

    Key stat leaders

    Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week.

    Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
    RankPlayer
    2Keith Mitchell
    3Cameron Young
    4Sergio Garcia
    5Brendan Steele
    6Corey Conners
    10Luke List
    11Jhonattan Vegas
    12Trey Mullinax
    14Hayden Buckley
    18Ryan Armour
    20Si Woo Kim
    Bogey Avoidance
    RankPlayer
    2Matt Kuchar
    10Seamus Power
    14Ryan Armour
    15Mark Hubbard
    16Matt Fitzpatrick
    19Denny McCarthy
    20Jonathan Byrd
    24Marc Leishman
    25Brian Harman
    Greens in Regulation
    RankPlayer
    2Russell Knox
    3Corey Conners
    4Seamus Power
    7Joel Dahmen
    9Russell Henley
    11Tony Finau
    11Luke List
    18Lucas Glover
    27Keith Mitchell
    28Hayden Buckley
    29Joseph Bramlett
    30Matthew NeSmith