The Comfort Zone: CareerBuilder Challenge

Unlike other tournaments that migrate or that are contested on a rotation of courses, the host sites throughout the history of the CareerBuilder Challenge don’t possess the same kind of unique identities as classic designs, so comfort crosses over no matter where the tournament is held. After all, while impeccably manicured and prepared for the PGA TOUR, La Quinta, California, is a destination for fun and relaxation. The climate draws retirees and snowbirds, most of whom are done grinding on every level. They want and get golf courses that are playable. “Retirement” rough is grown to just two inches on each of the three courses in play this week: the Stadium Course at PGA WEST, the Tournament Course at PGA WEST and La Quinta Country Club. If you find it as a 15-handicap, it might be frustrating, but if you’re a youthful touring professional with cutting-edge equipment and receptive greens that are guaranteed to yield well over 2,000 par breakers in just four days, almost any pin is a green light no matter the lie. These are reasons why even the most stringent of fantasy gamers are prone to give the usual qualifications on course history a pass for just one week. Accumulating scoring opportunities and converting them into red numbers is all that matters, and all three courses cooperate. This year’s trio of host tracks first lined up for last year’s field, but champion Jason Dufner mirrored the profile of 2014 winner Patrick Reed when La Quinta CC partnered with Palmer Private and Nicklaus Private for that edition. Bill Haas tackled the same set as Reed a year later, but took a very different path to his one-stroke victory. Only the Stadium Course is lasered for ShotLink, so strokes-gained data is not measured on the other two courses. To retain an apples-to-apples comparison year to year and for all 72 holes, the data in the winners table immediately below and the three identifiers for success are not reliant on ShotLink. All three courses are stock par 72s. RECENT WINNERS COMPARISON Golfers in this week’s field inside the top 10 in the following categories in the 2016 edition of the CareerBuilder Challenge: Greens in Regulation Rank  Golfer (Tournament Finish) 2  Kevin Streelman (T11) T3  Graham DeLaet (T42) T3  Lucas Glover (T17) T3  Brian Harman (T11) T3  David Lingmerth (P2) T3  Luke List (T6) T3  Webb Simpson (T17) T9  Blayne Barber (T34) T9  Jonas Blixt (T28) T9  Russell Henley (T49) T9  Ryan Palmer (T17) T9  Chez Reavie (T17) T9  Hudson Swafford (T56) Putting: Birdies-or-Better Percentage Rank  Golfer (Tournament Finish) 1  Michael Thompson (T28) 2  Jason Dufner (Win) 4  Mark Hubbard (T28) 5  Cameron Tringale (T14) 6  Andrew Loupe (T3) 7  Jamie Lovemark (T6) 8  Kevin Na (T3) T9  Ben Crane (T24) T9  Adam Hadwin (T6) Par-5 Scoring Average Rank  Golfer (Tournament Finish) 1  Jamie Lovemark (T6) 2  Kyle Reifers (T49) 3  Charles Howell III (T11) T4  Jason Dufner (Win) T4  Robert Garrigus (T49) T4  Luke List (T6) T4  Bryce Molder (T28) T4  Seung-Yul Noh (T17) T4  Daniel Summerhays (T42) T4  Cameron Tringale (T14) While we can approach the CareerBuilder Challenge with confidence that the scrambling of host tracks doesn’t play a major role in career performance, Horses for Courses and Getting Comfy do not include the usual scoring averages and low rounds. The greatest value in all three tables below lies within the frequency with which so many of the notables in the field have appeared and found paydirt. HORSES FOR COURSES Selected golfers with multiple cuts made sorted by rank on the tournament’s money list. 1. Bill Haas. Cuts made: 11/12. Top 10s: 5. Best finish: Win (x2). 2. Phil Mickelson. Cuts made: 11/13. Top 10s: 5. Best finish: Win (x2). 4. Charley Hoffman. Cuts made: 6/10. Top 10s: 5. Best finish: Win. 7. Ryan Palmer. Cuts made: 8/12. Top 10s: 5. Best finish: 2nd. 13. David Lingmerth. Cuts made: 4/4. Top 10s: 2. Best finish: P2 (x2). 30. Kevin Na. Cuts made: 9/12. Top 10s: 3. Best finish: T3. 40. Webb Simpson. Cuts made: 6/7. Top 10s: 2. Best finish: T5. GETTING COMFY Sorted by best finish, selected golfers who are either finally finding form on the course or are still relatively new to the tournament but have enjoyed some success. Jason Dufner. Cuts made: 6/7. Best finish: Win (2016). Brendan Steele. Cuts made: 4/6. Best finish: T2 (2015). Andrew Loupe. Cuts made: 1/2. Best finish: T3 (2016). Brian Stuard. Cuts made: 2/3. Best finish: 5th (2014). Jamie Lovemark. Cuts made: 3/5. Best finish: T6 (2016). Adam Hadwin. Cuts made: 2/2. Best finish: T6 (2016). Luke List. Cuts made: 2/2. Best finish: T6 (2016). Francesco Molinari. Cuts made: 2/2. Best finish: T10 (2015). OTHER SIGNS OF COMFORT Sorted by most recent top 10s, selected golfers for whom it’s been a few years since their last. Boo Weekley. Cuts made: 4/8. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2015 (T7). Best finish: T7. Colt Knost. Cuts made: 5/5. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2015 (T10). Best finish: T10. Patrick Reed. Cuts made: 3/4. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2014 (Win). Best finish: Win. Zach Johnson. Cuts made: 4/6. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2014 (T3). Best finish: T3. Chad Collins. Cuts made: 4/6. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2014 (8th). Best finish: 8th. Ben Crane. Cuts made: 11/13. Top 10s: 3. Last: 2014 (T9). Best finish: T5. Charlie Beljan. Cuts made: 2/5. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2014 (T9). Best finish: T9. Brian Gay. Cuts made: 9/14. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2013 (Win). Best finish: Win. Charles Howell III. Cuts made: 9/11. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2013 (P2). Best finish: P2. Stewart Cink. Cuts made: 9/15. Top 10s: 3. Last: 2013 (T10). Best finish: T6. Kevin Streelman. Cuts made: 5/7. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2013 (T10). Best finish: T10 (x2). Mark Wilson. Cuts made: 5/8. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2012 (Win). Best finish: Win. Robert Garrigus. Cuts made: 6/8. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2012 (T2). Best finish: T2. Johnson Wagner. Cuts made: 5/8. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2012 (T2). Best finish: T2. John Senden. Cuts made: 12/14. Top 10s: 4. Last: 2012 (T6). Best finish: T5. Jhonattan Vegas. Cuts made: 2/6. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2011 (Win). Best finish: Win. Keegan Bradley. Cuts made: 3/3. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2011 (T7). Best finish: T7. Chris Kirk. Cuts made: 3/4. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2011 (T7). Best finish: T7. D.J. Trahan. Cuts made: 6/11. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2010 (7th). Best finish: Win. Vaughn Taylor. Cuts made: 5/6. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2010 (T10). Best finish: T8. Chad Campbell. Cuts made: 8/14. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2009 (T9). Best finish: Win. Chez Reavie. Cuts made: 4/7. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2008 (T5). Best finish: T5. Lucas Glover. Cuts made: 7/8. Top 10s: 1. Last: 2006 (T10). Best finish: T10. Jerry Kelly. Cuts made: 16/19. Top 10s: 2. Last: 2005 (T8). Best finish: 5th.

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