Week of April 3

As various members of Team Troon tee it up a certain course in Georgia for the first major of the year, let’s recap last weekend’s Valero Texas Open. Matt Kuchar’s sizzling opening round of 68 got him off to a great start. Then an identical in the final score round helped him finished strong, resulting in a tie for third, his fifth Top-10 in the 2022-2023 season. Not that far behind was Alex Noren, whose 7-under overall score landed him in a tie for 15th. It was his best finish since a tie for fourth last November at the Cadence Bank Houston Open.

With Masters week upon us, who will be representing Team Troon in the field? Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Alex Noren, Bubba Watson, and Gary Woodland. Thomas has two Top-10s in the last three Masters, finishing 4th in 2020 and 8th in 2022. Even though he’s just 28, Fitzpatrick (who will be using a special Masters-themed golf bag for this week) will be playing in his ninth Masters, with one Top-10 finish in 2016. Noren heads back to Augusta for the first time since 2019, when he made the cut for the only time in three Masters appearances. Watson has two wins at The Masters, collecting those titles in 2012 and 2014. Woodland will tee it up in his 10th Masters, where his best result so far is a tie for 24th back in his debut year of 2011. Also in the field will be Troon investor Rory McIlroy, who only needs a Masters win to become the sixth player ever to win the career Grand Slam. His second place finish at Augusta National last year, along with six other Top-10 finishes in the tournament, will surely give him confidence.  

At the DIO Implant LA Open at Palos Verde Golf Club, Yealimi Noh played consistent golf with rounds of 70, 71, 70 and 73, to finish in a tie for 47th. She heads further west this week to play in the LOTTE Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. She made the cut in that event last year, finishing tied for 56th.

For more information on Team Troon, go to https://old.troon.com/about-troon/team-troon/.