Hideki Matsuyama will look to defend his title when the 2023 Sony Open tees off on Thursday, Jan. 12, from Waialae Country Club in Hawaii. Matsuyama secured his eighth PGA Tour title with a 23-under par performance in 2022, shooting 65 or below in his final three rounds. He’ll have some stiff competition in the Sony Open 2023 field, with the likes of Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim and Keegan Bradley set to tee it up this week.

Matsuyama, who’s coming off a top-25 finish last week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, is listed at 15-1 to repeat according to the latest 2023 Sony Open odds. Kim, who’s coming off a top-five finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, is the 11-1 favorite, with Sungjae Im (14-1) and Spieth (15-1) next in line on the PGA odds board. Before locking in your 2023 Sony Open picks, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model predicted Jon Rahm (+800) to finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions. The model also included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure’s best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright at the 2021 Open Championship, even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 long shot. The model was also all over Jon Rahm’s (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner.

This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now that the 2023 Sony Open field is locked, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

Top 2023 Sony Open predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2023 Sony Open: Matsuyama, the defending champion and one of the favorites at 15-1, stumbles this week and barely cracks the top 10. Matsuyama faced a five-shot deficit with just nine holes to play last year but fired a 31 on the back nine to finish at 23-under for the week. 

However, Matsuyama has been extremely inconsistent this season, finishing T-21 or worse in each of his last five starts on the PGA Tour. Plus, Matsuyama has struggled mightily with his accuracy this season, ranking 136th on tour in greens in regulation percentage (66.98%). He’s not a strong pick to win it all and there are far better values in the 2023 Sony Open field.

Another surprise: Billy Horschel, a 32-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. He has a much better chance to win it all than his odds imply, so he’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.

Horschel enters this week’s event full of confidence. That’s because the 36-year-old secured a top-15 finish at the Hero World Challenge and QBE Shootout in December, two unofficial PGA Tour events. He’s also had success at the Sony Open in his career, recording a T-7 finish in 2021. Horschel enters the 2023 Sony Open ranked third in strokes gained: approach the green (1.256) and 26th in one-putt percentage (43.52%), both of which will come in handy this week at Waialae. See who else to pick here.

How to make 2023 Sony Open picks

The model is also targeting five other golfers with odds of 22-1 or longer who will make surprising runs. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model’s PGA picks here.

So who will win the Sony Open 2023? And which longshots stun the golfing world? Check out the 2023 Sony Open odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected 2023 Sony Open leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed eight golf majors, including last year’s Masters.

2023 Sony Open odds, field

See full Sony Open 2023 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Tom Kim +1100
Sungjae Im +1400
Hideki Matsuyama +1500
Jordan Spieth +1500
Russell Henley +2100
Tom Hoge +2200
Corey Conners +2200
Brian Harman +2600
Adam Scott +3100
Taylor Montgomery +3100
Billy Horschel +3200
Cameron Davis +3300
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +3400
Keegan Bradley +3400
Keith Mitchell +3700
Si Woo Kim +3700
Maverick Mcnealy +3700
J.J. Spaun +4000
Alex Smalley +4500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4500
MacKenzie Hughes +5000
Emiliano Grillo +5000
Harris English +5000
J.T. Poston +5000
Denny McCarthy +5000
Matt Kuchar +5000
Webb Simpson +5000
Gary Woodland +5000
Kurt Kitayama +5500
Adam Svensson +5500
Will Gordon +5500
Andrew Putnam +5500
Chris Kirk +6000
Brendan Steele +6500
Hayden Buckley +6500
Brendon Todd +7500
Nick Hardy +8000
Aaron Rai +8500
Davis Thompson +9000
Chun-an Yu +9000
Russell Knox +9500
Greyson Sigg +9500
Patton Kizzire +9500
Ryan Palmer +10000
Robby Shelton +10000
Stephan Jaeger +10000
Justin Suh +11000
Ryan Armour +11000
Troy Merritt +11000
Brandon Wu +11000
Ben Griffin +11000
David Lipsky +12000
Chez Reavie +12000
David Lingmerth +13000
Kevin Streelman +13000
Sam Ryder +13000
Kazuki Higa +14000
Michael Thompson +14000
Lucas Glover +14000
James Hahn +14000
Mark Hubbard +14000
Stewart Cink +14000
Taiga Semikawa +14000
Seonghyeon Kim +14000
Joseph Bramlett +15000
Carl Yuan +15000
Nick Taylor +16000
Brian Stuard +16000
Harry Higgs +16000
Adam Long +16000
Keita Nakajima +16000
Tyson Alexander +16000
MJ Daffue +16000
John Huh +16000
Adam Schenk +17000
Scott Piercy +17000
Cole Hammer +17000
Zac Blair +19000
Ben Taylor +19000
Austin Eckroat +21000
Danny Lee +21000
Peter Malnati +21000
Byeong Hun An +21000
Yuto Katsuragawa +21000

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The Match has become one of the most popular golf events as multiple sports celebrities such as Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Steph Curry have participated in past versions of the competition. It’ll just be professional golfers participating in The Match 2022 on Saturday (6 p.m. ET) at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., however. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will team up against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in what could be one of the highest-quality renditions of the event. Spieth and Thomas are priced as -130 favorites (risk $130 to win $100) at Caesars Sportsbook, giving them a slight edge over Woods and McIlroy (+110) in the latest The Match 7 odds.

Woods withdrew from the Hero World Challenge due to a foot injury, which is something to monitor as the event progresses. Should you be avoiding Woods and McIlroy due to that factor? Before locking in any Match 7 bets, be sure to see Match VII picks and predictions from SportsLine’s proven golf expert, Mike McClure. 

McClure, a DFS professional, knows golf inside and out. His proprietary model has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, it’s up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model included Justin Thomas in its best bets to win the 2022 PGA Championship. That bet hit at +1600, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $800. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure was all over Brooks Koepka defeating Bryson DeChambeau as a +110 underdog in The Match V. This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering this event. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now, with The Match 7 set to tee off on Saturday evening, McClure has scoured the golf odds and locked in his top pick. Head to SportsLine now to see McClure’s best bet for The Match VII. 

Why Tiger Woods/Rory McIlroy can win The Match 7

Woods has experience participating in this event, as he teamed up with Peyton Manning to defeat Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in 2020. He is also one of the best golfers of all time, and McIlroy’s long drives should put him in a position to utilize his short game. McIlroy has the top spot in the World Golf Ranking and has placed at least fourth in six straight tournaments that he has participated in.

He has also played recently, finishing fourth in the DP World Tour Championship on Nov. 20, while Thomas and Spieth have not played competitively since Oct. 23. This is only a 12-hole exhibition match, so health should not be a major factor for Woods. His experience combined with McIlroy’s superior ability gives that duo an edge over Thomas and Spieth on Saturday. See which side to back at SportsLine.

Why Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas can win The Match 7

This match will likely come down to the form of Woods, who is playing competitively for the first time in months and is dealing with several injuries. His lack of form makes Spieth and Thomas the much safer betting option, especially since they have gone 8-2 as a duo since 2018. They went 4-0-0 together at Quail Hollow in September, so they have some recent success to lean on heading into this exhibition showdown.

McIlroy has consistently been one of the best drivers in the sport, but Spieth and Thomas are both strong off the tee as well. They are close friends off the course, giving them an upper hand in a rare 2 vs. 2 exhibition format such as this one. Woods appears to be the weak link in this year’s version of The Match, especially considering the recent consistency from the other three golfers participating. See which side to back at SportsLine.

How to make The Match 2022 picks

McClure has scoured The Match VII odds board and found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side. You can only get his top pick for The Match VII right here.

So who wins The Match VII? Visit SportsLine now to see who you can bank on to win The Match 7, and see where the betting value lies, all from the expert that’s nailed eight golf majors, and find out. 

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After helping launch The Match golf series in 2018, and competing in the first two installments, Tiger Woods will return for The Match 2022 on Saturday. The 15-time major champion will team up with Rory McIlroy to take on Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas over 12 holes at Pelican Golf Club in the Tampa area. Set to tee off Saturday evening, The Match 7 will be the first of its kind to take place in primetime with a 6 p.m. ET start time. 

Given that Woods’ current form is well behind that of the other three, his pairing with McIlroy is listed as a +105 underdog (bet $100 to win $105). The latest Match 7 odds from Caesars Sportsbook have the Spieth and Thomas duo as -125 favorites (bet $125 to win $100). Before locking in any Match 7 bets, be sure to see Match VII picks and predictions from SportsLine’s proven golf expert, Mike McClure. 

McClure, a DFS professional, knows golf inside and out. His proprietary model has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, it’s up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model included Justin Thomas in its best bets to win the 2022 PGA Championship. That bet hit at +1600, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $800. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure was all over Brooks Koepka defeating Bryson DeChambeau as a +110 underdog in The Match V. This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering this event. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now, with The Match 7 set to tee off on Saturday evening, McClure has scoured the golf odds and locked in his top pick. Head to SportsLine now to see McClure’s best bet for The Match VII. 

Why Tiger Woods/Rory McIlroy can win The Match VII

The Thomas/Spieth team may be the betting favorite, but the Woods/McIlroy duo has the single best golfer in this event. McIlroy is the World No. 1, having achieved that mark after winning the CJ Cup in late October. With the Irishman also winning the Tour Championship to close out last season, he’s won back-to-back PGA Tour events, so there’s no hotter golfer in the world than McIlroy. Meanwhile, neither Spieth nor Thomas has finished better than 40th at any full-field PGA Tour tournament this season.

The experience with this kind of event also benefits Woods and McIlroy as the former is the only of the four golfers to compete in The Match before. The format is much different than a typical PGA Tour event, and the newcomers will have to adjust to things such as interviews between shots, off-the-cuff side bets and on-course smack talk. Woods has experienced all of this twice before, and he could also help prepare McIlroy for the different environment. See which side to back at SportsLine.

Why Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas can win The Match 7

Golf is primarily an individual sport but with the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup held in alternating years, this pair of young Americans have had plenty of opportunities to compete as a team. They went a perfect 4-0 while playing as a twosome in the 2022 Presidents Cup and they also played a combined six matches as teammates at the 2021 Ryder Cup and 2018 Ryder Cup, combining to go 4-2 in those matches.

That familiarity should be a significant advantage during this alternate four-ball format (though the exact rules haven’t yet been laid out). And while McIlroy and Woods are neighbors in Jupiter and have gotten closer over the years, you’d be hard-pressed to find a closer pair on the PGA Tour than Spieth and Thomas. They’ve regularly roomed together at certain tour stops and Spieth was the best man in Thomas’ recent wedding. See which side to back at SportsLine.

How to make The Match 2022 picks

McClure has scoured The Match VII odds board and found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side. You can only get his top pick for The Match VII right here.

So who wins The Match VII? Visit SportsLine now to see who you can bank on to win The Match 7, and see where the betting value lies, all from the expert that’s nailed eight golf majors, and find out. 

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Since debuting in 2018, The Match has produced a series of made-for-TV golf exhibitions featuring some of the best players in the world alongside other celebrities. And during what has been a tumultuous year for golf, The Match 2022 is turning to four of golf’s biggest stars as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will take on Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. The quartet of PGA Tour professionals are all friends and have also become four of their tour’s most outspoken ambassadors. Now they’ll tee it up under the lights at the Pelican Golf Club just outside Tampa Bay, Fla., on Saturday for a 12-hole exhibition that should be incredibly entertaining with tee time scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.

This will be Woods’ first time playing televised golf since missing the cut at The Open Championship, but the 15-time major champion has maintained that he can still execute all the shots necessary to compete at a high level. Even so, Woods and McIlroy are +105 underdogs while Spieth and Thomas are -125 favorites (bet $125 to win $100) in the latest The Match 7 odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before locking in any Match 7 bets, be sure to see Match VII picks and predictions from SportsLine’s proven golf expert, Mike McClure. 

McClure, a DFS professional, knows golf inside and out. His proprietary model has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, it’s up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model included Justin Thomas in its best bets to win the 2022 PGA Championship. That bet hit at +1600, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $800. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure was all over Brooks Koepka defeating Bryson DeChambeau as a +110 underdog in The Match V. This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering this event. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now, with The Match 7 set to tee off on Saturday evening, McClure has scoured the golf odds and locked in his top pick. Head to SportsLine now to see McClure’s best bet for The Match VII. 

Why Tiger Woods/Rory McIlroy can win The Match VII

Tiger and Rory know each other well as long-time Nike brand ambassadors and the two shared a special moment as they played their Thursday and Friday rounds together at St. Andrews in the 150th Open Championship. And it was an acknowledgment from McIlroy on the course that Woods claims brought on the waterworks in what is likely his last competitive round at the Birthplace of Golf.

Woods and McIlroy also both live in the Jupiter area and are recent business partners in TMRW Sports, a technology-driven sports company. And while Woods hasn’t been able to play much competitive golf since a serious car crash left him with chronic pain in his legs, he was clear throughout last week at the Hero World Challenge that he still had every shot in the bag. Meanwhile, McIlroy is the No. 1 player in the world and is coming off three wins on the PGA Tour in 2022. See which side to back at SportsLine.

Why Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas can win The Match 7

Well known as two of the closest friends on the PGA Tour, Thomas and Spieth have been regular partners at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup over the years and they certainly know each other’s game well. At the 2022 Presidents Cup, the pairing combined to go 4-0 as a team and they also played together twice at the 2021 Ryder Cup and four times at the 2018 Ryder Cup, combining to go 4-2-0.

They regularly travel together on tour and have combined to win 28 tournaments and five major championships despite the fact that both are still in their 20s. Thomas is currently No. 8 in the Official World Golf Ranking while Spieth checks in at No. 14. However, like Woods and currently McIlroy, both are former world No. 1s and both are coming off strong seasons on the PGA Tour. See which side to back at SportsLine.

How to make The Match 2022 picks

McClure has scoured The Match VII odds board and found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side. You can only get his top pick for The Match VII right here.

So who wins The Match VII? Visit SportsLine now to see who you can bank on to win The Match 7, and see where the betting value lies, all from the expert that’s nailed eight golf majors, and find out. 

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Every golfer wants to know how to hit a draw.

They look great, increase distance, and it’s what most of the pros do.

For many golfers though, the draw remains an unattainable goal. A mountain too big to climb.

Sound familiar?

You’ve done all the research, practiced the drills, and feel like you’re ready to consistently hit a draw. You crush the ball off the tee, starting it 15 yards out to the right, and wait for it to swing back into the middle of the fairway.

But the movement never comes.

Or worse still, the ball swings even further to the right through the air, leaving you with a lost ball and a terrible start to your round.

Maybe your golfing buddies mutter something about “bad luck”, or “maybe next time”.

Imagine if you could consistently hit a beautiful draw.

A shape that made them wonder, “where did this come from?”

Fortunately, you can.

Photo via OneBeardedGolfer

There are a number of key elements to your swing that will have you drawing the ball like Jordan Spieth (these drills can help you putt like him too), and smashing it 30 yards past your opponents, in no time.

These 8 proven steps are the simplest and most effective ways to hit a draw.

Imagine how good it will feel when you’re consistently walking up the middle of the fairway towards your ball. When you’re the last one in your group to hit your second shot because you’ve outdriven your playing partners… again.

The first 5 steps you can apply in order, from your setup through to your follow through. Steps 6 through 8 are more general principles, which will go a long way to helping you launch it long and strong.

As usual, for the purpose of the article we’ll assume you’re a right hander. If you’re a lefty, simply switch the steps around to suit your needs.

Step 1: Align yourself to the right

Photo via GolfTipsMag

This is an easy step to implement, even if it sounds counterintuitive.

The natural response is to wonder why on you should aim right if you want to curve it left. After all, the right side of the hole is where you’re trying to keep the ball away from.

When your ball is sliding 20 yards right to left in the air though, you’ll be happy you aimed out there.

Choose a spot to the right of your target.

Exactly how far to the right depends on how far you want the ball to move in the air – the further to the right you go, the larger the draw is likely to be. For the sake of a controlled ball flight, try around 20 yards to the right for a drive.

Set up everything as though you’re trying to hit the ball to this spot. Your feet should be aligned with this point, as should your shoulders, as should your club.

Step 2: Re-align your club face so it’s facing your actual target

This step requires you to keep your body aligned exactly as you set up in step 1. The only change you need to make is to move your club face.

Find your target – i.e where you want the ball to land. Presumably, this will be the middle of the fairway or the green.

Without moving your body, slowly close the club face until it is pointing directly at this target.

If someone takes a picture of you from behind after this step, you should see your entire body facing down the right hand side of the hole, while your club is facing up the middle.

If so, you’re halfway there.

Step 3: Re-grip

During step 2, assuming you kept your entire body aligned in the same direction while adjusting the club face, your grip will have changed.

As you closed the face, your left hand (top hand) will have slowly crept slightly underneath the grip, and you will have lost sight of one or two knuckles.

As we explained in how to fix a slice, you should be able to see three knuckles on this hand during your set up. Having a proper golf grip helps to both eliminate the slice, and hit the draw.

Without altering your set up, or club alignment, shuffle your left hand back around the grip so that you can see three knuckles.

Now, your body is aligned to the right, your club is facing down the middle, and your grip is perfect.

You’re ready to hit a draw.

Step 4: Swing along the line of your body

Again, this may sound counter-intuitive. To hit the draw though, you need your club to follow the line of your body, meaning your follow through will head towards the right of the target.

If you trace the line of the club during a swing which generates a draw, you’ll notice the downswing and follow through all lead out to the right of the ball’s final landing spot.

The reasons for this are complex, but basically the movement of the ball in the air is determined by the direction of the club at impact, and the orientation of the club face.

Picture a soccer player taking a free kick. A right-footer will often curl it right to left, and the process for achieving this is much the same as hitting a draw.

It requires a leg swing which follows through out to the right of the target, and a foot which faces inwards, towards the target. This creates the right to left spin on the ball which helps it move left in the air, and your golf swing is no different.

If your club direction is towards the right – i.e. the point to which you aligned your body in step 1 – and your club face is pointing towards the target in the middle of the fairway, the ball will move right to left.

It’s that easy.

This is the inside-out swing path which is so fondly spoken of by those wishing to hit a draw. Follow this step, and you’re doing it.

Step 5: Finish strong

Many golfers wonder why on earth the follow through even matters. After all, it all happens once the ball is well on the way to its destination, right?

The reason there is such an emphasis on the follow through is because it is hugely reflective of all that has happened before it.

Finishing strong is a great way to ensure that all the previous steps work in tandem to create your draw.

What do we mean by finishing strong? Easy. Finish with your chest out, and your right shoulder facing towards your target.

Focussing on this will ensure that all the mechanics of a good golf swing exist in the earlier parts of your swing. It will help with weight transferral, shoulder rotation, and importantly, the inside-out swing path.

A lazy, sloppy follow through, where you finish with a sunken chest and a club which barely reaches around your left shoulder, will mean that you have likely kept your weight on your back foot, your club face open, and the ball will be flying out to the right.

In contrast, a strong finish will help you hit a long, strong, right to left curving ball.

Step 6: Swing smooth

This step is relatively easy, but it is also incredibly important. Many golfers get so excited by the prospect of hitting a big, long draw, that they actively try to smash the ball as hard as they can.

This will cause problems. If you swing too fast, you are likely to over-rotate your body, and keep the club face open. In more simple terms, you’ll hit the ball out to the right.

The beauty of the draw is that it generates the extra distance all by itself. There’s no need to swing harder to get the extra distance everyone associates with a draw – the ball will do it by itself.

A byproduct of following all the previous steps properly is right to left spin on the ball, a drawing flight path, and more distance.

So there’s no need to worry about getting any extra legs on your drive. Focus on the steps above, swing smooth, and you’ll see your ball sailing past your friends, right up the middle.

Step 7: Swing shallow on drives

Photo via GolfWRX

A common mistake amateurs make is to swing their driver too steeply. Basically, this means that they raise the club too quickly, and subsequently drop it too quickly on their downswing.

This movement causes a number of problems, including a loss of distance and ‘good spin’ (the right-to-left spin you’re after to create your draw).

Generally, pros have much shallower swings than amateurs, so this is what you want to be striving for. As well as making it easier to play a draw, a shallower swing will give you a heap more distance in your shot. Master this step and you’ll be crunching it down the middle in no time.

So how do you do it? There are a number of techniques which can help, but the easiest is to neutralize the shaft.

At this point you’re probably questioning what on earth that means, but it is a relatively simple concept. Many amateurs have their hands too far ahead of the ball (towards the target) during their set up for a drive.

This promotes a steep swing, and is likely to cause your drive to balloon up in the air and impart the kind of spin that you don’t want – either left-to-right spin, or just too much of it.

Neutralizing your hands is simply moving them back, so that the shaft of your driver is at closer to 90 degrees from your body, rather than angled diagonally towards you.

This will automatically promote a shallower swing, an inside-out swing path, and a drive 20 yards past your buddies.  

Step 8: Visualize a draw

Last but not least, the mental aspect.

As well all know, what’s above the shoulders plays as big a role in golf as what’s below them. If you believe you can hit a draw, you’ll be able to. If you think about the water hazard on the right, you’ll see your ball slicing straight into it.

Visualization works for some of the top athletes in the world, and it can work for you.

Imagine smashing your drive past your friends. Visualize your club moving on an inside-out swing path, and your club head facing straight at your target as you hit the ball.

Picture your friends faces when your ball starts curving back from the right side of the fairway to the middle, or when your ball lands past where theirs have come to a rest and bounces another 20 yards.

The mind is your most powerful tool on the course, and believing you can hit a draw plays a big role in being able to do it.

Fortunately, anyone can hit one if they use these 8 simple steps, including you.

Follow these proven steps and you’ll be hitting a powerful draw in no time!

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a low handicapper to hit a long, accurate, consistent draw.

All of these steps are actionable for any golfer.

Each step is, individually, very simple to implement. When they are all performed together, they create a thing of beauty.

They create the draw.

That elusive ball flight which you so often see, but never seem to be able to do.

That right to left movement which all the pros have, and which you are so certain would improve your golf game markedly, if only you had the talent to do it.

I’m here to tell you… you do.

If you have the talent to align yourself to the right, you can hit a draw.

If you are capable of following through like you mean it, you can hit a draw.

You don’t need to be Rory McIlroy to follow these simple and effective steps.

All you need is a bag of clubs, a couple of balls, and a willingness to follow proven instructions.

Before you know it, your friends will be asking you for advice.

August Noble

August Noble was first introduced to golf at 7 years old. In 2013 he started seriously working on his game and was able to reduce his handicap from 19 to 3.4 in less than two years. He’s been helping other golfers do the same ever since.

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Are you a golfer who shoots a 79 one day and an 89 the next?

If you are, you are not alone. Consistency in golf is one of the most difficult things to nail down, and it’s really a battle all golfers fight.

I was recently speaking with a beginner golfer who mentioned that they had chipping all figured out, and then it was gone completely. Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was that feeling where golf can so quickly take away your confidence and leave you feeling like you are back at square one.

Luckily, some ways to develop consistency in your golf game and become a more accomplished player. You can trust me here – it’s much more enjoyable to shoot 78, 79 than 79, 89!

1. Establish a Strong Pre Shot Routine

If you want to hit consistent golf shots, you will need a pre shot routine.

The pre shot routine is in place so that you can easily repeat your golf swing every time. For a consistent golf game and a repeatable golf swing, try to keep the pre shot routine the same each time.

Depending on what type of golfer you are and how long you have been playing the game, the pre shot routine typically consists of some type of alignment component, a practice swing, and then very often, a mental thought.

More important than what the pre shot routine consists of is the fact that you are doing it!

2. Choose a Grip and Stick To It

The grip is the only connection we have with the golf club.

If your hands are not in a comfortable position, it will have a huge impact on the golf swing. A poor grip can impact the left wrist and then chance the clubface angles through impact.

Problems with the grip will cause inconsistency in the golf game. Grip is something that you must practice and ensure you have full confidence in when you are standing in the address position.

The majority of golfers have the best lock with interlock or overlap grip. Decide if wearing a glove helps you, and be sure to regrip your clubs often to have the most control.

3. Pick a Solid Swing Thought

Think of your golf swing a bit like a science experiment. When you conduct a science experiment, you will only change one variable at a time to see the impact of this variable. Golfers somehow missed this memo!

Golfers love to stand over the ball with 13 swing thoughts, and 11 of those swing thoughts are different from the ones they had with the last swing they took.

How can you be consistent in the swings that you are putting on the ball if you are thinking about something different every single time? The key here is to choose a swing thought that helps you and to stick with it throughout the round.

If you keep changing everything and making adjustment after adjustment, expect some trouble on the golf course that day.

4. Keep The Swing Simple

Do you remember when the stack and tilt golf swing became such a big deal?

I remember well because everyone came out to the range to try and learn how to do this method. The reason so many people wanted the stack and tilt style swing is that it eliminated the slide and extra movement in the golf swing and kept things simple.

To play good golf, you must have a fairly efficient and repeatable swing. It’s hard to be a consistent player if your club comes inside on one swing and heads outside on the next. Take a video of your golf swing and see how your swing could benefit from some simplification.

5. Practice with Alignment Sticks in Place

One of the best drills to work on a more consistent golf swing is to use alignment sticks when you practice.

One of the major issues that players see with consistency is that their hips, knees, and shoulders are not correctly aligned. In addition, the ball position can be a problem at the setup that leads to even more inconsistency.

If you practice with alignment sticks in place, you can pay closer attention to where the ball should be placed between your feet, your overall posture, alignment, and much more. Once you get this down on the driving range, you can take it to the course for increased success.

If you’re looking for a good alignment stick to buy, here’s one I like to recommend:

6. Work on Clubface Angle at Address

When I set up to hit a golf ball, I’m fairly confident as to how the clubface is sitting. I know that it is square. However, through the years, I have realized that this was an acquired skill. It takes time to know exactly what your clubface angle should look like at the address.

One of the best ways to do this is to practice club face angle when you are not out on the course. Use a 90-degree angle like a door jam and set your golf club up against it. This is what the clubface should look like at address.

If you are still standing up there, closing the clubface of your club down at times, and feeling like you need to manipulate those angles, you can’t expect the shots you take to be consistent. Start trusting a square clubface and taking swings that will return you to this square position.

7. Check The Shafts/Weights on Your Equipment

Sometimes inconsistency in the golf swing is caused by problems with equipment. Are your shafts and grips relatively the same for each of your clubs, or do they vary widely? If you have a senior shafted graphite wedge and a stiff shafted driver, that may be difficult to work with.

It’s essential to have your golf clubs made to fit your golf game. When you look inside the bag of many professional golfers, you will notice that their equipment has similar shaft weights and always has the same grip throughout the entire set.

It’s hard to ask a golfer to repeat a swing with two clubs that have different shaft weights or even lengths. These changes in equipment will absolutely impact the ball flight, the speed of the swing, and your ability to produce the same shot over and over again.

8. Get More Physical Strength and Better Balance

Another excellent way to get more consistency in your golf swing is to improve your overall physical strength.

Sometimes golfers start to become inconsistent later in their round and start to hit shots off the heel or toe of the club. Sometimes this is not as much about accuracy and consistency as it is about getting tired.

At the end of your round, if it is hard for you to shift weight from the backswing to the downswing or finish with the club up high, it becomes hard to stay consistent. If you start to implement a bit of a physical health routine, even just adding in more walking, the results will be very beneficial.

9. Practice Your Short Game

You can’t forget the short game when you want to work on consistency in your golf game.

Hitting chip and pitch shots is such a good thing for your full swing as it helps you focus on the impact position and ensures the swing is mechanically sound.

Practicing your short game can also help with rhythm and tempo issues. If you establish a confident tempo in your short game and can then carry that on to the rest of the golf swing, it may be easier to get that impressive timing that the professionals have.

The great thing about increasing the consistency in your short game is that it will also allow you to save those rounds when scoring is not going your way.

10. Develop Proper Weight Balance at Setup

Last but not least is the balance of weight at setup.

Do you know where your weight sits when you set up to hit a golf shot? So many players struggle with whether their weight is too close to their toes or too far back in the heels.

To develop proper weight balance, you want to feel as though the weight is in the balls of your feet, allowing you the ability to turn back and through with ease. If the weight is not balanced, you may end up with swing plane issues and even spine-angle problems in the swing.

Weight balance may seem like a simple thing, but it’s a problem that causes quite a bit of inconsistency in the game. To see what this weight balance can do to your golf swing, we highly recommend experimenting with it at the driving range.

Hit a few shots with the weight on your toes and see what happens, then switch to heels. This little bit of a change brings about big impacts on the golf ball and could be causing some of your inconsistencies on the golf course.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.

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I started playing golf tournaments when I was about 10 years old.

Through the years, I’ve competed in hundreds of different events at the amateur and professional levels. I can tell you without a doubt that there is some skill involved with preparing for a golf tournament.

Golf tournament preparation goes beyond just working on your shot game or knowing how to master that first tee shot. There is a deeper level of thinking here and some mental work that needs to get done in addition to these basics.

If you are wondering how to prepare for a golf tournament, be it a friendly competition or something a bit more substantial, here are my 10 best tips.

1. Practice Rounds Are Key

If you have the chance to get a practice round at the golf course where your tournament is being held, it can help. Playing the golf course before competing in your tournament will ensure you have a better idea of where to hit the ball and which clubs to use.

I understand that this is not always possible as many golf courses are out of town or too difficult to schedule a practice round. If this is the case, you can use google earth or a golf yardage book to get a better look at the holes you will be playing.

Some golf GPS units also allow you to go through each of the holes on the course to see what you may be up against.

2. Nerves Are Normal, Expect Them

One of the things that I struggled with as a young player was being extremely nervous before an event. At one point, I went to a sports psychologist and explained that I was apprehensive about the event and was having difficulty even showing up for the first tee shot.

The psychologist asked what would happen when I did play, and I told him my game was always the best it is and that I would pull off shots that I couldn’t even think of doing in non-tournament rounds.

We eventually discovered that the nerves were there because I cared and because it mattered to me to play well. These are all things that you want when playing in a golf tournament. Of course, they need to be controlled enough to allow you to swing and participate, but you should have some.

3. Spend More Time on The Practice Green

Before a tournament, you are going to want to know the speed of the greens.

The greens are typically rolled to the same speed that the practice green is. Even if you watch professional players, they will spend the majority of their time warming up on the practice green and not on the driving range.

The driving range on the day of the event will be filled with people doing last-minute preparation and working on getting ready for their event. However, there won’t be much you can change on the day of the event on the driving range.

Hit a few balls to warm up your body, and then head over to the practice green and get the speed down. This is what will help your scoring.

4. Fuel Your Body

Be smart about what you eat before a golf tournament day. Have some small snacks like granola or a power bar.

Save the big meal for when you are finished with your round. The last thing you want to deal with is a stomach problem as you are trying to focus on your game.

In addition, make sure that you stay hydrated. With all of the other things that you are thinking about, forgetting to drink water is a major mistake that many first-time tournament golfers make. Always keep a water bottle in your bag and take a sip or two after each hole.

If it is warm out, start drinking water the night before so you never reach a level of dehydration.

5. Take The Day of The Tournament Slow

When preparing for a competitive round, you will have some tension, and your muscles may get tight.

One of the best ways to deal with this is to take deep breaths and allow plenty of time. Don’t run to the tee box with half an energy bar in your mouth, waving at your playing partners and apologizing for being late.

This is not the way to show up for your first golf tournament, and we can guarantee you that the start of this tournament will be less than ideal.

Show up at the golf course about an hour before your tee time. Create a schedule for yourself and stick to it. Having a game plan as to how to prepare for the tournament will only help eliminate those first few bad holes that cost you too many strokes.

6. Set a Goal

Playing in a golf tournament is a big accomplishment in and of itself. However, you should set other goals for yourself.

Be careful to set a goal of winning the tournament; to be honest, we all want to win. This is a challenging goal to put on yourself, and it could cause unnecessary pressure.

Instead, you will want to set smaller goals that are attainable and that you can check on throughout your round. Something that I have used in the past would be a goal to never three-putt or try to hit the center of the greens at least 10 times.

Sometimes a goal could be to par every par 3. The key is to pick something that you can focus on that you have a bit more control over. Winning the golf tournament is likely something you don’t have much control over.

Even if you play the best round you have ever played, you won’t necessarily be the winner of the event.

7. Have a Plan For a Bad Shot Situation

Bad shots happen. When they happen, you have to be prepared to accept the consequences. Any golfer who goes into a tournament thinking they will not experience a bad shot is doing themselves a disservice.

There are hazards and bunkers and sand traps all over any golf course, and if you hit the ball into them, you must know how to recover. Learn the rules of golf, and have a rule book on you to help in any situation where you may have questions.

The key here is to ensure that your plan is something that you can stick to and that you have the skills for. Learn how to hit a knock down or punch shot to get yourself out of trouble. In addition, work on bunker shots and get up and down from difficult locations.

In a golf tournament, you may get into some bad situations, but if you recover quickly, your score will likely not be overly impacted by it.

8. Expect Some Adrenaline

If you are playing a tournament, it may amp you up a little bit. This is a natural reaction that many golfers have and something that can actually be helpful. Some adrenaline in your body will increase the distance you can hit the golf ball.

As long as you are expecting this, then it should not do much harm. Expect your irons to go about half a club longer if you have some adrenaline going. Be aware that this does not increase your tempo.

Sometimes when your adrenaline is running strong, you can get a little out of balance or lose your tempo. Deep breaths and sticking to your pre-shot routine should help to slow things down and keep you in control.

9. Remind Yourself of The Prep You Have Put In

One of the most helpful mental tips I’ve ever used on the golf course is to remind myself of the prep work that I have put in through the years. When standing over a golf shot in a tournament, you may start to doubt yourself and your ability.

However, if you can remind yourself of all the work that you have put in to get there, the chance of you pulling off a great shot is considerably higher. Don’t stand over a four-foot putt and hope to make it.

Instead, stand there and remind yourself of the thousands of four-foot putts you have made in the past.

10. Don’t Over Practice The Day Before

The day before a golf tournament is not the time to put in months or even years of work.

This is a time to get yourself into a good mental place, ensure your body is loose and ready to swing, and take care of proper nutrition and water requirements.

You may put too many thoughts into your head if you try to get a bit too aggressive the day before a golf tournament. These thoughts lead to trying to change your golf swing, and that’s a mistake the day before an event.

Instead, work on creating some awareness of the course, maybe even a game plan for the first few holes. Practice putting and chipping, and if you have the time, play a leisurely 9 holes of golf.

These are all good ways to prepare and ensure you are saving your focus and energy for the day of the event.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.

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The 2022 Presidents Cup will feature 24 of the world’s best golfers competing at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. The Americans have dominated the Presidents Cup over the years, winning eight straight against the International team. Davis Love III is Team USA’s captain and he’ll field a team that features PGA Tour Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay. Trevor Immelman will guide the International team which features Adam Scott, who’s making his 10th Presidents Cup appearance, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im.

According to the latest 2022 Presidents Cup odds from Caesars Sportsbook, the Americans are listed as the -650 favorites (risk $650 to win $100) to repeat. The International team is listed as a +650 underdog, while a tie would return +1700. Betting on which team will win is just one way to approach this event, which will also have plenty of golf props available as play unfolds through Sunday. Before locking in your 2022 Presidents Cup picks, be sure to see the best bets and predictions from SportsLine’s Mike McClure. 

McClure built SportsLine’s proprietary golf model, which has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure’s best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright at the 2021 Open Championship, even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 longshot. The model was also all over Jon Rahm’s (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner.

This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now, McClure has evaluated the 2022 Presidents Cup odds and locked in his best bets. Head to SportsLine now to see the top picks and predictions for the Presidents Cup 2022. 

Top 2022 Presidents Cup predictions 

McClure’s 2022 Presidents Cup best bets include backing Justin Thomas to be Team USA’s top point scorer at +700 odds. In Team USA’s 2019 victory in Australia, Thomas finished with a 3-1-1 record, earning the most points for the American side with 3.5. He boasts a 6-2-2 overall record in Presidents Cup play and the 29-year-old played well down the stretch last season, which culminated in a top-five finish at the Tour Championship.

Thomas has had success at Quail Hollow in his career, winning his first major title at the PGA Championship in 2017. Plus, the two-time major champion finished last season ranked third in strokes gained: tee-to-green (1.589), third in putting average (1.718) and fifth in one-putt percentage (42.84%), all of which will come in handy in this team format. He’s also shot lower than 70 seven times in his career at Quail Hollow, so Thomas is a great bet at these odds to be Team USA’s top point scorer in Presidents Cup 2022 prop bets. See all of McClure’s 2022 Presidents Cup picks here.

How to make 2022 Presidents Cup picks

McClure has analyzed the 2022 Presidents Cup format from every angle. He’s locked in a pick on which team will win and an additional 2022 President Cup prop bet that returns a huge payout over 6-1. Anyone who tails this prop bet could hit it big. You can only see them here. 

So who will win the Presidents Cup 2022? And which prop bets should you be all over? Check out the 2022 Presidents Cup odds below and then visit SportsLine to see McClure’s best bets for the Presidents Cup 2022, all from the expert who’s up over $9,500 on his golf picks since June 2020.

2022 Presidents Cup odds, teams

See full Presidents Cup 2022 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Team USA -750
International Team +700
Tie +1800

Team USA roster 
Scottie Scheffler
Patrick Cantlay
Xander Schauffele 
Justin Thomas
Jordan Spieth 
Collin Morikawa 
Sam Burns
Tony Finau 
Billy Horschel 
Max Homa
Cameron Young
Kevin Kisner 

International Team roster 
Adam Scott
Hideki Matsuyama
Sungjae Im
Tom Kim
Corey Conners
K.H. Lee
Mito Pereira
Sebastian Munoz
Cameron Davis
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Taylor Pendrith
Si Woo Kim

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The 2022 Presidents Cup will feature 24 of the world’s best golfers competing at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Presidents Cup began in 1994, and the Americans have won 11 of the 13 events. These biennial matches between the U.S. and the International team have proven to be one-sided for the Americans, but we’ve seen some thrilling finishes in recent years. In fact, Team USA has won the Presidents Cup by two points or less in two of the last three events. 

Davis Love III is Team USA’s captain and he’ll field a team that features PGA Tour Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay. The International team features Adam Scott, who’s making his 10th Presidents Cup appearance, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im. According to the latests 2022 Presidents Cup odds from Caesars Sportsbook, the Americans are listed as the -650 favorites (risk $650 to win $100) to repeat. The International team is listed as a +650 underdog, while a tie would return +1700. Before locking in your 2022 Presidents Cup picks, be sure to see the best bets and predictions from SportsLine’s Mike McClure. 

McClure built SportsLine’s proprietary golf model, which has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up over $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure’s model included J.T. Poston in its best bets to win the 2022 John Deere Classic. That bet hit at +5500, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned almost $1,100. At the 2022 Masters, McClure’s model was all over Scottie Scheffler’s first career major championship victory heading into the weekend.

In addition, McClure’s best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright at the 2021 Open Championship, even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 longshot. The model was also all over Jon Rahm’s (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner.

This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now, McClure has evaluated the 2022 Presidents Cup odds and locked in his best bets. Head to SportsLine now to see the top picks and predictions for the Presidents Cup 2022. 

Top 2022 Presidents Cup predictions 

McClure’s 2022 Presidents Cup best bets include backing Justin Thomas to be the USA’s top point scorer at +700 odds. Thomas brings a wealth of experience to Team USA as he’s set to play in his third Presidents Cup. In Team USA’s 2019 victory in Australia, Thomas finished with a 3-1-1 record, earning the most points for the American side with 3.5. 

He boasts a 6-2-2 overall record in Presidents Cup play and the 29-year-old played well down the stretch last season, which culminated in a top-five finish at the Tour Championship. In addition, Thomas has had success at Quail Hollow in his career, winning his first major title at the PGA Championship in 2017. McClure expects Thomas’ familiarity with the course and format will help him finish as Team USA’s top scorer.  See all of McClure’s 2022 Presidents Cup picks here.

How to make 2022 Presidents Cup picks

McClure has analyzed the 2022 Presidents Cup format from every angle. He’s locked in a pick on which team will win and an additional 2022 President Cup prop bet that returns a huge payout over 6-1. Anyone who tails this prop bet could hit it big. You can only see them here. 

So who will win the Presidents Cup 2022? And which prop bets should you be all over? Check out the 2022 Presidents Cup odds below and then visit SportsLine to see McClure’s best bets for the Presidents Cup 2022, all from the expert who’s up over $9,500 on his golf picks since June 2020.

2022 Presidents Cup odds, teams

See full Presidents Cup 2022 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Team USA -650
International Team +650
Tie +1700

Team USA roster 
Scottie Scheffler
Patrick Cantlay
Xander Schauffele 
Justin Thomas
Jordan Spieth 
Collin Morikawa 
Sam Burns
Tony Finau 
Billy Horschel 
Max Homa
Cameron Young
Kevin Kisner 

International Team roster 
Adam Scott
Hideki Matsuyama
Sungjae Im
Tom Kim
Corey Conners
K.H. Lee
Mito Pereira
Sebastian Munoz
Cameron Davis
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Taylor Pendrith
Si Woo Kim

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