The 2024 PGA TOUR season has come to an end and after a brief two week hiatus, the Tour returns with the beginning of the Fall Series.
Players who were ranked 71st or worse in the FedEx Cup Standings after the FedEx Cup Playoffs will now compete across seven events this fall in an attempt to keep their PGA TOUR card.
Golfers will begin with their FedEx Cup points from the regular season as well as the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
At the conclusion of the Fall Series, those ranked within the top 125 of the FedEx Cup standings will receive full PGA Tour exemption for the 2025 season. Additionally, the top ten players on the points list that are not yet eligible for the Signature Events will get into the first two of the season beyond The Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Those who begin the Fall Series ranked 51st to 70th have already clinched PGA eligibility for the 2025 season but will compete for spots in the first two Signature Events.
At the end of the Fall Series, those who rank 126-150 will receive conditional status for the 2025 season. They will then begin the process of regaining or gaining TOUR status via the PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
The first of those seven events takes place this week in the 2024 edition and the 18th playing of the Procore Championship at Silverado Resort in Napa, California.
Formerly the Safeway Open, the Frys.com Open and most recently the Fortinet Championship, Procore takes over as the title sponsor for this fairly-new event to the PGA TOUR, being played since 2007.
The event found its home at the Silverado Resort in 2014, making this year’s installment the eleventh consecutive year.
The Field
With just two weeks until the Presidents Cup, many of both the U.S. and International teams will use this week as a final tune up.
On the U.S. side, defending Procore Championship winner Sahith Theegala and teammates Max Homa and Wyndham Clark help headline the field.
U.S. Captain Jim Furyk will be on site, although not playing. However, U.S. assistant captains Kevin Kisner and Stewart Cink will be teeing it up this week.
International Captain Mike Weir will be playing this week along with assistant captain Camilo Villegas.
International team members Min Woo Lee, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes will also be teeing it up this week.
Luke Clanton, the top-ranked amateur, will be joined by 2023 Masters and U.S. Open low amateur Neal Shipley and former Pac-12 Player of the Year Wenyi Ding as they will be playing on sponsor exemptions this week.
Other notable names teeing it up this week include Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell, Tom Hoge, Harris English and Brendon Todd.
Joining Theegala as former winners of this event and teeing it up this week include Homa (2021 & 2022,) Cink (2020,) Cameron Champ (2019,) Kevin Tway (2018) and Weir (2007.)
The Course
The North Course at Silverado Resort plays as a Par 72 at 7,123 yards.
It was originally a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that opened in 1957. In recent years, under the guidance of new co-owner and PGA TOUR veteran Johnny Miller, the course has undergone a substantial reworking.
Among the renovations, Miller lengthened the track to just over 7,200 yards. He also widened the narrow corridors.
Miller was known for his aggressiveness off the tee when he was on TOUR so it is only fitting that he adjusted his golf course to allow for driver as much as possible off the tee.
The fairways featured this week still run on the narrower side when it comes to PGA TOUR tracks, but many of the holes do feature straight-away tee-to-green layouts where golfers can rip it off the tee.
Miller also did significant work re-configuring the fairways and greenside bunkers since his acquiring of the course.
The fairways this week are tree lined and there are some water hazards in play. As previously mentioned, these fairways are a bit narrower than most courses, but they are rather generous.
Going along with the generous fairways, the rough is hardly a problem as well. It is grown out to just 2.5 inches so there isn’t much of a penalty for missing the fairway this week, again, playing to the likes of those who are long off the tee.
The greens are majority poa annua and are small in comparison to the PGA Tour scheduled courses. They do run on the slower side of the Stimpeter but being a grass not seen often, those who are versed in such greens will see an advantage this week.
The slower greens also allow for a higher-than-average greens in regulation percentage here at the Silverado Resort.
This course is also rather short, playing at just over 7,200 yards. On top of that, just one par-four measures over 450 yards. This adds an emphasis to short irons, specifically from 75-150 yards when it comes to approach play.
Three of the four par fives features this week are also reachable off the tee.
The par threes are the main line of defense at the North Course at Silverado Resort however. Each of the four par-threes play over 180 yards. Three of the four par threes rank within the top four of the most difficult holes relative to par at this golf course.
The course also underwent a “reimagination” from the 2022 playing. This simply means that the course was rerouted. The only difference between 2022 and 2023 was the order of the holes that the course will be played at.
The average winning score of the Procore Championship at the North Course at Silverado Resort has been just under -17.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, there will be four clear days for golf. There is just a ten-percent chance of precipitation across all four days. Temperatures will begin at 83-degrees on Thursday before gradually decreasing to 76-degrees come Sunday. Winds will also remain between ten-to-12 miles-per-hour across all four days as well.
Key Stats
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Average Driving Distance
Strokes Gained: Putting on Poa Annua (SG: PUTT Poa)
Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG) / Scrambling
Proximity to the Hole from 75-150 Yards
Par Five Average Scoring
Par Three Average Scoring
Birdie or Better Percentage
DFS Suggestions
$10,000+
Ideally, I’m not spending much time in this price range this week. The only guy I like is Sahith Theegala ($10,600) but he is going to be heavily owned due to him being arguably the best player in this field. He is also a fan favorite and the defending champion of this event. Theegala finished the 2024 season 22nd in SG: OTT, 25th in birdie or better percentage, 33rd in SG: PUTT Poa, 34th par five average scoring, 43rd in both SG: APP and average driving distance, 70th in scrambling, 87th in par three average scoring and 93rd in both SG: ATG and proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards. Theegala capped his 2024 campaign with a solo third place finish at the TOUR Championship following a self-imposed two stroke penalty which could have seen him finish second to Scottie Scheffler. He also placed T6th at the 3M Open and T4th at the Genesis Scottish Open as of late.
$9,000-$9,900
Leading off this price range is Keith Mitchell ($9,200.) Mitchell capped his 2024 season with a T12th at the Wyndham Championship. He also saw finishes such as a T46th at the 3M Open, T18th at the John Deere Classic and T10th at the RBC Canadian Open in the later part of his 2024 campaign. Mitchell finished the season third on Tour in both par three average scoring and birdie or better percentage, sixth in both SG: APP and SG: OTT, 12th in both proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards and par five average scoring, 14th in average driving distance, 69th in scrambling, 74th in SG: PUTT Poa and 106th in SG: ATG. I’ve been on Mitchell a few times in 2024 and that didn’t work out for me but I can’t argue with the number. Maybe a restart is what he needs to get back into the win column. Mitchell is also on my betting card this week for a unit at +3000. Also consider Maverick McNealy ($9,400.) McNealy finished his 2024 season with a T12th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He also placed T3rd at the 3M Open and T45th at the Wyndham Championship in the other two events to finish off his 2024 campaign. McNealy finished the season eighth on Tour in SG: ATG, tenth in scrambling, 17th in par three average scoring, 20th in SG: OTT, 21st in birdie or better percentage, 30th in par five average scoring, 47th in SG: PUTT Poa, 50th in average driving distance, 117th in SG: APP and 122nd in proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards. McNealy is known for his rare combination of plus distance off the tee with a strong putter, which could very well propel him to his first career victory this week. McNealy is also on my betting card at +2500 for one unit.
$8,000-$8,900
First up in this middle price range is Chan Kim ($8,200.) Kim is a rather well rounded golfer tee-to-green and when he comes with a hot putter, has a chance to crack the top-ten on any given week. We hope a restart helps with the putter as he ranks 141st in SG: PUTT Poa, his downfall by a large margin. Kim did finish the season seventh on Tour in birdie or better percentage, 11th in scrambling, 12th in par five average scoring, 17th in par three average scoring, 21st in SG: APP, 28th in SG: ATG, 43rd in SG: OTT, 66th in proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards and 95th in average driving distance. We last saw Kim at the Wyndham Championship where he placed T12th. He also placed T29th at the Barracuda Championship, T10th at the ISCO Championship and T12th at the John Deere Classic towards the tail-end of his 2024 campaign. Also consider Mac Meisnner ($8,000.) Meissner finished the 2024 season ninth on Tour in par five average scoring, 19th in proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards, 27th in SG: APP, 34th in par three average scoring, 38th in SG: ATG, 41st in birdie or better percentage, 52nd in scrambling, 63rd in SG: OTT, 73rd in average driving distance and 87th in SG: PUTT Poa. Meissner had a strong finish to his 2024 season, placing T12th at the Wyndham Championship, fourth at the Barracuda Championship, T16th at the ISCO Championship and T20th at the John Deere Classic. He is also on my betting card for a unit at +5500.
$7,000-$7,900
I’m a big fan of Jacob Bridgeman ($7,400) this week. Although not overly impressive, he capped his 2024 PGA Tour campaign with a T12th at the Wyndham Championship and a T19th at the 3M Open. It was some much needed form that he looks to roll over into the kickoff of the Fall Series after missing three straight cuts prior. He also finished the season tenth on Tour in SG: PUTT Poa, 17th in both proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards and birdie or better percentage, 30th in par five average scoring, 33rd in scrambling, 53rd in SG: APP, 56th in SG: ATG, 68th in par three average scoring, 98th in average driving distance and 138th in SG: OTT. Bridgeman rounds out my betting card for a unit at +10000. Also consider Sam Stevens ($7,800.) Also Stevens missed the cut in his most recent outing at the Wyndham Championship, but he did make six consecutive cuts prior. He also made the cut in 13-of-14 events prior to the Wyndham Championship. His most recent run of made cuts was capped by a T10th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and T14th at the RBC Canadian Open. He finished the season 12th on Tour in par five average scoring, 17th in par three average scoring, 25th in SG: OTT, 27th in scrambling, 36th in average driving distance, 43rd in birdie or better percentage, 47th in SG: PUTT Poa, 61st in SG: ATG, 79th in proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards and 139th in SG: APP.
$6,900-
Leading off this final price range is Trace Crowe ($6,900.) Crowe finished the last PGA Tour season fourth on Tour in proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards, 15th in SG: PUTT Poa, 22nd in birdie or better percentage, 68th in par three average scoring, 84th in average driving distance, 87th in SG: OTT, 88th in scrambling, 100th in SG: ATG, 113th in SG: APP and 139th in par five average scoring. Crowe finished his 2024 season with a T7th at the Wyndham Championship and T24th at the 3M Open. Also consider David Skinns ($6,800.) Skinns finished the 2024 season first on Tour in par three average scoring, 31st in SG: APP, 42nd in proximity to the hole from 75-150 yards, 60th in average driving distance, 77th in birdie or better percentage, 99th in both SG: OTT and SG: PUTT Poa, 101st in par five average scoring, 119th in SG: ATG and 122nd in scrambling. Skinns has not been great as of late, but again, we’re in this price range for a reason. He missed the cut in three-of-his-last-four events but did place T24th at the 3M Open in that span. He also placed T17th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and T21st at the RBC Canadian Open as of late.
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