PGA Cognizant Classic 2026 — Golf Picks, Tips & Analysis

• 47th x SG: T2G
• 7th x SG: OTT
• 76th x SG: APG
• 159th x SG: ARG
• 120th x SG: PUT
• 73.56% Greens in regulation
• 64.16% Driving Accuracy
• 69.20% made cuts in 2025 + 75% in 2026 (3/4)
• 30.75% top 25 in 2025 + 50% in 2026 (2/4)
• 69.25 stroke avg
• 0 x PGA wins

A winner of the US Junior Amateur (2018) he is only starting to hit his straps and 2026 will be his breakout year. MB has been a part of team Boston Common Golf in the TGL since early 2026 and his game has been improving because of it.
Due to his normally short odds in most weeks, we @ PGT tend to leave him alone especially when more of the OWGR players are present but so far in 2026-

• T3 @ WM Phoenix Open with -15 after rounds of 66, 71, 65, 67
• T18 @ Farmers Insurance with -11 after rounds of 68, 67, 72, 70

This week however we will not be leaving him out of our selections as with most of the Worlds better players absent it would not surprise us if a player breaks his maiden PGA success in Florida.

Leaning on his usually safe Driving off the tee MB has struggled with putting but of note he did play remarkably well @ PGA Baycurrent & even his T3 only a few weeks back @ WM Phenix he proved he could putt-

• 1st x SG: OTT @ +4.953 strokes gained
• 30th x SG: APG @ +2.125 strokes gained
• 11th x SG: ARG @ +3.183 SG
• 33rd x SG: PUT @ +1.433 SG
• T3 x SG: Total @ +11.694 SG

At that event he peaked as high as 9th in putting on day 3 +1.871 SG whilst he lost -2.884 strokes on the previous day.

MB likes the bigger courses, here he will appreciate the bigger greens, and he struggled @ Pebble Beach and he was wise to miss last week poa annua greens @ the Riviera Country club.

Currently around $29 on betfair & he has remained very firm in markets since opening up @ $27 very late on Monday night in Australia (1130pm). His price is fair considering he was only beaten by 1 stroke in Arizona, and those form lines have been strong.

• 99th x SG: T2G
• 63rd x SG: OTT
• 121st x SG: APG
• 102nd x SG: ARG
• 112th x SG: PUT
• 66.75% GIR
• 65.25% DA
• 75% made cuts in 2025 + 100% in 2026 (3/3)
• 35% top 25 in 2025 +33.33% in 2026 (1/3)
• 70.21 stroke avg
• 0 x PGA Wins + 5 x DPWT Wins

How can we forget Rasmus as we selected him in his home event the Danish Open back in August of 2025 where he led by 5 strokes for the final 18 holes.

Now as we watch all the golf unfold I nearly died when the commentator made the profound comment of "Rasmus when leading coming into day 4, has never won on the DP tour" it was a shock hearing this as the commentator went on to say all his 5 wins have been as a chaser, personally I have no idea how you lose a golf event when 5 strokes in front.

Now normally we would prefer Twin Nicolai but over the years IMO I think Nicolai plays much better on the very tight courses as where Rasmus shines on the bigger courses but since his 2nd in the DPWT Danish Open RH has been very good-

• 7 straight cuts & results
• 7 from 7 in + SG Off the Tee
• 7 from 7 in + SG in putting

RH is another player suited to the less depth of players this week & he and his twin could easily be in the T10 over all 72 holes.

After opening around $29 on betfair he has been very solid in betting and as much as $32 can be found now on betfair but you could push it by trying to get matched for $36, in this line up at current odds it is too a fair price.

Lets hope this week he is in touch and a chaser not a leader!

• 12th x SG: T2G
• 22nd x SG: OTT
• 21st x SG: APG
• 68th x SG: ARG
• 132nd x SG: PUT
• 70.52% GIR
• 73.85% Driving Accuracy
• 80.90% made cuts in 2025 +100% in 2026 (3/3)
• 47.60 top 25 in 2025
• 69.97 stroke avg
• 1 x PGA Win + 3 x DPWT wins

What we wrote @ PGA Farmers Insurance Open-

"This Englishman will chance his arm more often now in the USA after defeating a good line up @ the DPWT Abu Dhabi HSBC Championships, he had a shootout in a playoff against Tommy Fleetwood in mid November.

He arrives fresh after his last event being in December @ the PGA HERO World challenge where he finished 18th (behind him Chris Gotterup) already a PGA winner in 2026.

Known for his driving prowess he can go on runs with both iron & putter so do not discount him as I once thought he was a Tommy but that was 12 months ago and I have spent many hours watching his play.

He opened @ $95 & there was $180 on offer on betfair at the time of summary, crazy odds for a player known for his long game off the tee."

He arrives in Florida this week after scaring MJ last week @ Genesis when he started well-

• Rounds of 66, 70, 66 had him @ -11 and in 4th coming into day 4

Now what is annoying we have been tipping him near $200 to win events and it seems like everyone wants to tip him this week.

The only undoing last week was the poa greens, the final 18 holes AR did them in +5 over par so personally I would think his odds should be towards the $75 price bracket but as soon as the boys or anyone else mentionsw players their odds will decrease + there were a few shorter priced players that pulled out of this event.

Up until his failure on day 4 last week he was very good-

• 38th x SG: OTT losing -0.369 strokes
• 30th x SG: APG losing -0.206 strokes
• 3rd x SG: ARG @ +2.360 strokes gained
• 6th x SG: PUT @ +2.078 strokes gained
• T4 x SG: Total @ +3.863

His demise last week in the Genesis on day 4 was surmountable losing -7.569 strokes with the majority on the poa greens @ -4.450 just in putting.

I have watched with my own eyes many events and AR is not generally that bad and I have seen him twice late in 2025 defeat Tommy Fleetwood by putting in Europe (Dubai) so back to Bermuda grass greens I expect this Englishman to be competitive over all 72 holes.

After opening around $46 on betfair there is $2775 to be matched on betfair @ $50 at the time of this summary (Wednesday). I think he is better value at this price than the 2 others that are shorter presently.

Beating Tommy Fleetwood twice is no fluke and Tommy was in very good form in late 2025 when this occurred.

• 100th x SG: T2G
• 110th x SG: OTT
• 75th x SG: APG
• 70th x SG: ARG
• 70th x SG: PUT
• 71.05% GIR
• 65% DA
• 65% made cuts in 2025 +100% made cuts (3 XDPWT) in 2026
• 50% top 25 in 2025
• 70 stroke avg
• 0 x PGA wins + 4 DPWT Wins

What we wrote for LI @ the Farmers Insurance at the end of January-

"The 30-yr old from China is no stranger to us @ PGT as he has provided us with a winner @ $65 & he has been so solid over on the DPWT for several years and we have seen with good results-

• 10 x T10 results in 2025 with 1 x Win on DPWT

He has mixed it up with the elite T10 & T20M players in the OWGR often and he has proven he can mix it up with-

• T4 x Open Championships @ Royal Portrush

He has such a lovely swing and that was on display last week when he again proved he can mix it up on the PGA tour (earnt a playing card for his T10 in R2D on DP World Tour) but last week-

• T8 x PGA American Express with -21 (68, 67, 64, 68)

He finished alongside Sahith Theegala & Russell Henley, noting that Henley is a 5 x PGA winner so one could say in good company.

He only showed the world what we already know-

• T12 x Driving Accuracy @ 73.21% (41/56) 0ver 4 days
• 3rd x SG: OTT @ +3.318 SG
• 5th x SG: APG @ +4.143 SG

LH also sat T30 in both ARG & Putting stats so another player that will take plenty from the Amex into this week, more know players like Adam Scott are known for their swing, LH has a beautiful swing as well & what many probably do not know is over on the DPWT he stood tall in many SG metrics-

• 5th x SG: T2G in all of 2025
• 18th x SG: OTT in all of 2025
• 4th x Greens in regulation @ 72.71%
• 1st x Par 4 scoring

I am a big fan of players who sit T10 in par 4 & par 5 scoring for the simple reason a birdie on a par 4 is more possible for better players on approach and putting so when I see a player bogey a par 5 when they should really be at least a par on those holes, it speaks volumes for scoring averages.

LH can feature here, He has good resilience and unlike 50% of the current PGA roster his smart approach to the game along with his mental toughness can ensure he finds a win in 2026 on the PGA circuit.

Since the Farmers he played in only 1 event & was cut from the PGA WM phoenix Open and seeing he like the bulk of the DPWT players here this week he missed the signature events as was not qualified with his DPWT ranking only securing him for most of the PGA 2026 schedule.

He is a sweet striker of the ball & opened day 1 in Arizona with par (71) but on day 2 struggled which was odd as he started on the 10th hole and went 4 birdies but then did the polar opposite and went 5 x straight bogeys (hole 1 to hole 6) with pars in between before closing off the final 2 holes with bogeys.

Those 7 bogeys were only offset with the 4 x birdies so his final +3 made it look less embarrassing.

That is not the LI we know so before that cut he had gone on making 8 straight cuts from October 2025 to early Feb 2026. That does not concern the Stig or MJ as he has been cut previously then bouncing back well at the-

• T4 X Open Championship (Major @ Royal Portrush) in July 2025 +
• T8 X Betfred British Masters in late August 2025

Yes, we are big fans of this player from China, he earns his spot amongst the PGA players we found him in 2025 when he won @ $55 and fittingly, he is around $55 on betfair for this. Personally, I think he should be closer to $35

• 146th in SG: T2G
• 121st in SG: OTT
• 86th in SG: APG
• 170th in SG: ARG
• 5th in SG: PUT
• 67.23% GIR
• 64.49% driving accuracy
• 70.40% made cuts in 2025 + 20% in 2026 (1/5)
• 33.33% Top 25 in 2025 + 20% in 2026 (1/5)
• 69.80 stroke avg
• 2 x PGA Wins

Some of what was written for him @ PGA Sony Open-

"This young Colombian has long been a reliable staple for us @ PGT simply because he is one of the better putters on tour. He lost in a playoff to saint Nick last year at this event so brings valuable course intel back in 2026.

At the current price around $55 on betfair that is very fair and we see it as value as he should be more realistically priced around $40 just on his skill with his putter alone."

It was a shock to see him cut from 4 of his last 5 and the sole result was T8 @ the difficult Pebble Beach Pro Am.

• 56th x SG: OTT losing @ -1.056 strokes
• 2nd x SG: APG @ +8.002 strokes gained
• 32nd x SG: ARG @ +0.727 SG
• 36th x SG: PUT @ +0.876 SG
• T6 x SG: Total @ +8.551 SG

We watched him go around at Genesis last week & expecting him to perform but we left him alone and glad we did as he faced another cut.

He did not look injured in any way but he is one of the better proven performing putters on tour so lets hope he gets his season back on track, he is currently around $60 on betfair and that is based solely on his putting prowess, If he starts well he competes but we have focused the last 4 months on getting as many through the 36 hole cut, so I hope he performs and does not let us down. There is a query on him.

• 50th x SG: OTT @ -0.135
• 32nd x SG: APG @ +1.229 avg per day
• 41st x SG: ARG
• 42nd x SG: PUT
• T45 x SG: Total @ +0.582 avg per day
• T34 x Driving Accuracy @ 67.86% (38/56)
• 43rd x Driving Distance @ 307.40 yds
• Longest Drive @ 330.00 yds
• T18 x Greens in Regulation @ 79.17% (57/72)

He finished last week over the 3 courses which is not something the English are used to as they have several Links courses here and there but I thought he was one of the better performers from the beaten brigade-

• T27 @ -17 rounds of 64, 70, 68, 69

Another DPWT player who has his card stamped for all of 2026 PGA events so expect to see more of him as he has won 6 events in total, 2 of them on the DPWT.

Looking around at odds not many give him a chance but he is IMO one of the Top 20 long iron players in this line up & around $70 seems on betfair is acceptable IMO.

• 151st x SG: T2G
• 106th x SG: OTT
• 155th x SG: APG
• 127th x SG: ARG
• 81st x SG: PUT
• 66.36% GIR
• BTA Driving Accuracy in 2025
• 62.50 made cuts in 2025 + 75% in 2026 (3/4)
• 20.80% top 25 in 2025 + 0 in 2026
• 70.62 stroke avg
• 6 x PGA Wins

The very laid-back MH could be the player to upset here as his form in 2026 has been steadily improving his overall game-

• 10 of his last 12 made cuts

His overall strokes gained from T2G has steadily been improving and with so many holes around here requiring sweet striking from the 100 to 200 yards he can display-

• 1st x Approaches from 75-100 yards
• 10th x going for the green @ 79.55% attempts

This week if he can put a few 66 days together (-5) & display what we saw when 27th @ Amex his -17 was some of his best golf, he had a nice little stretch of results from T19 @ Procore to the T9 @ Bank of Utah which keeping it on the fairways proved very fruitful.

He brings more proven form into this weekend unlike Nico before him in the markets & the 2 play entirely different games but Homa has been in positive strokes in T2G in 6 of his last 8 & without the worlds higher ranked players he can put his hand up.

He opened @ $60 on betfair and honestly I thought that was value so a bit shocked to see him drift to $75 well after already backing him @ $60 as I thought he would firm. If he maintains and can sit around that -4 to -5 each day then no shock to see him winning here.

• 45th x SG: T2G
• 40th x SG: OTT
• 60th x SG: APG
• 50th x SG: ARG
• 75th x SG: PUT
• 70.83% GIR
• 65% DA
• 70% made cuts in 2025- +66.66% in 2026 (2/3)
• 50% top 25 in 2025 on DPWT
• 69.8 stroke avg adjusted to PGA- he is 67.75 stroke avg in Europe
• 0 x PGA Wins + 2 DPWT Wins

What was in the summary for KR @ Farmers, the event profiles well this week-

"Often in our summary/analysis you will read us talking how low the Norwegian can shoot and how often is the scary part.
He was 4th overall in DPWT for stroke Avg @ 67.75, to compare a player like Ryan Gerard who is 66.50 stroke avg in Europe over far less rounds seeing that KR plays in Europe all year.

Also include the fact he did sit 14th in Driving distance in all of 2025 so he can hold his own off the tee.

This is his 2026 PGA debut so we will see more of him this year, currently around $240 which is way overs considering he has carded 60 & 62 with many 63s thrown in there for fun. Yes, it is always tough bring the Europe form but this event really looks to us to be won by a roughie.

I like him @ +$200."

This lot of 10 players who qualified from the DPWT for the 2026 PGA are simply some of their best for a very long time and I expect them to feature throughout at events when the big stars are absent and also out of form.

So far in 2026 from the 3 events he has played he has solid credentials into this with-

• T41 @ PGA WM Phoenix Open @ -5 with rounds of 70, 67, 75, 67
• T30 @ PGA Farmers Insurance @-8 with rounds of 67, 73, 74, 66

You do not want to see him having to lose 4 shots on 1 day to then rally too often with a -3 under par the next, He can shoot low and you will know very early where his game is at.

Hoping with him teeing off in group 27 with Americans, Andrew Novak & Patton Kizzire he can follow good lines & get that confidence boost early here, if he ever brings his European form he will blow a field away.

He has proven what he can do in Europe so at around $80 on betfair after opening @ $70 he is a player who has been kept safe by punters, however we may never see the +$200 again like when tipped recently by us.

We just need him to start well.

This young American could be one to watch like Johnny Keefer & Blades Brown in 2026 especially when the better players are absent but events @ Puerto Rico & Texas arrive.

At the AMEX he was excellent-

• 31st x SG: OTT @ +0.697 SG
• 9th x SG: APG @ +3.837 SG
• 39th x SG: ARG losing -0.120 strokes
• 25th x SG: PUT @ +1.356 strokes gained
• T7 x SG: Total @ +5.770
• T4 x Driving Accuracy @ 76.79% (43/56) fairways found
• 16th x Driving Distance @ 317.30 yds
• T29 x Greens in Regulation @ 77.78% (56/72)
• T25 x Scrambling @ 75.00% (12/16) like players that can sit above 50%

He was Cut from the PGA Farmers Insurance Open so he arrives around 4 weeks fresh into this but he has been working with swing coach, Chris Moore who has been working with him for many years.

So far in 2026 DF has made 2 from 3 cuts & surprised me as he sits as high as-

• 16th x SG: T2G amongst all PGA players so far in 2026
• 20th x SG: OTT in 2026
• 12th x SG: APG

His overall stats do not look impressive putting but on the bigger Bermuda greens he should not have too many problems as he was 25th @ Amex around courses that the PGA veterans struggled with.

I do recall thinking who is David Ford when he finished & we watch a lot of players.

• T3 @ PGA Bank of Utah in late October with impressive play

When a young gun come out and plays out of his skin for 1 event you do not take much notice but he is going along much better now and deserves recognition.

This week I am expecting a lot of the young guns to go out blazing early. It will be who is staking coming into traditional moving day with momentum that matters. DF opened @ $65 which I considered way too short considering this still has Wiley veterans that can grind it out so to now see around $95 on betfair is more acceptable.

I would suggest seeing if you can get matched for +$120 or more. His price is fair but in saying that he has that T3 @ Bank of Utah & T13 in a deeper AMEX so his current form better than 50% of the field.

Another player who does not make our 115 player rotation previously but this Englishman has been going very good without winning over in Europe with-

• 9 x cuts from his last 10 events worldwide
• 8 x T30 results with 3 in the T10 & 3 in the T20

He was making ground on the leader @ DPWT Mauritius in which Schaper & Gerard were in a playoff, This Englishman can be up and down over 4 days but his last 5 events have seen a major shift in +SG: Totals.

He got lost around the 3 courses last week but was sound in Hawaii-

• 22nd x SG: Off The Tee @ +1.846 strokes
• 61st x SG: APG @ -1.652
• 51st x SG: Around The Green @ -0.153
• 8th x SG: Putting @ +5.051
• T19 x SG: Total @ +4.871
• Driving Accuracy @ 66.07% (37/56)
• Driving Distance @ 292.20 yds
• Longest Drive @ 354.00 yds
• T5 x Greens in Regulation @ 79.17% (57/72)

He has often chased many of the young guns-what we sent out for the PGA Farmers-

"Its an English invasion as we have gone for 3 this week + 5 other Internationals but JP will be looking to cement his PGA 2026 with a good showing here, this is not beyond him & is currently on a drift with betfair @ $330, he was $240 when I last looked. Write your own ticket."

Do not get me wrong we are getting 50% of that good price but that is what better form should produce, shorter odds.

• 4 from 4 cuts in 2026

His highest placing was the T19 @ PGA Sony Open in Hawaii but it is worth noting-

• last 7 events all in Positive strokes gained total

Since his 4 straight Top 20 finishes worldwide from DPWT Nedbank in early December to Sony Open in Mid January which he only backed it up with 3 straight results in PGA events.

Again, highlighting the current T10 form DPWT to earn cards for 2026 PGA events are being extremely competitive and whilst a fair fewer are yet to win on PGA tour it really would not surprise the winner of this is a maiden winner on USA soil.

Currently around $100 on betfair after opening late Monday night @ $90 he has obvious support, he is very consistent currently and is one of the players I like to have because so far in 2026 he is 100% made cuts (4/4) and even in his whole PGA career he has made 9 of 11 (81.8%).

There is no reason we cannot have this $100 shot competing into 54 holes and beyond.

• 116th x SG: T2G
• 79th x SG: OTT
• 113th x SG: APG
• 142nd x SG: ARG
• 33rd x SG: PUT
• 69.58% GIR
• 62.69% DA
• 64.30% made cuts in 2025 + 50% in 2026 (1/2)
• 17.80% top 25 in 2025 + 50% in 2026 (1/2)
• 69.8 stroke avg
• 0 x PGA Wins + 2 KFT wins

Bear in mind this Norwegian player has been cutting his career on the Korn Ferry Tour up until 2025 where he played his way into an overall 7th @ KFT Tour Championship earning his card for the 2025 PGA.

His best finish in PGA 2025 season was-

4th x PGA Farmers Insurance Open @ -5 (winner was -8) with rounds of 68, 73, 71, 71

Now to be fair Torrey Pines is one of the more tougher courses on tour and of the 17 events after that good results KV did make 11 cuts (64.70%) which puts more than 50% of current PGA tour players to shame as some cannot even consistently make 50% of cuts each season.

Yes, he was cut in 3 straight events from the 3M Open to Procore Championships but bounced back in superb fashion with-

• T21 @ PGA Sanderson Farms
• T11 @ PGA Bank of Utah Championships
• T27 @ PGA Worldwide Technology
• T34 @ PGA Butterfield Championships
• T34 @ PGA RSM Classic

He is one of only a handful of players that has made it into our 115 player weekly database roster & HAS STAYED there since inception.

KV currently has the distinction of-

• 1st x SG: PUT amongst all PGA players on tour in 2026

Of course you cannot in the modern game just have 1 strokes gained metric working for you but the results are proof the rest of his game is coming into line, as long as he keep his drives in the fairway here and can get his approach shots with close proximity to the hole then he could shoot up the leader board with a few players reeling from last weeks debacle of putting with most, only the winner last week handled it. Had our late mail Rory converted 25% more of his putts on day 4 then the rest would be history & missing the 16th hole by less than 20mm would have forced the playoff.

KV still flying under the radar around $130 on betafair , he represents the value and has not been matched at $110 or $120 either so try for +$150. Luckily no Analyst that I can see has put the idea into punters minds, thank god.

55th in SG: T2G
• 45th in SG: OTT
• 40th in SG: APG
• 40th in SG: ARG
• 45th in SG: PUT
• 65.82% GIR
• 60.65 DA
• 64.3% made cuts in 2025 + 60% in 2026 (3/5)
• 35.7% Top 25 in 2025 + 0 in 2026
• 70.0 stroke avg
• 8 x PGA Wins

What we surmised back @ Sony Open in January-

"He is our VALUE play this weekend and if he brings his current hot form putting from recent TGL games then he can put win #9 away. After his hip surgery in 2025 I was discussing with The Stig he could be the player to watch in 2026 now fit.

We have watched endless interviews from November & December 2025 and as we tune into TGL games his fitness obviously has him feeling stronger both physically & mentally.

I was shocked to see he did not make the PGA Top 15 in their analysis & even more shocked he was $75 & has drifted to $110, that has us excited as he is tremendous value.

The very undulating hills will test his hip out."

For this week in Florida, I thought he was disappointing in Hawaii but rebounded well @ AMEX then missed 2 straight cuts @ WM Phoenix & Farmers before an okay result of T48 @ Pebble Beach.

The Stig & MJ left him alone after a bruising of the ego (MJ) & to be blunt he has been playing terrific golf in the arena @ TGL.

Over @ TGL he has been instrumental in Atlanta Drive GC & some of the insane putts he has pulled off which is very hard to marry that up with his current outdoor form.

After his Hip surgery I was expecting big things in 2026.

Billy will tee off in group 14 with big gun Shane Lowry & Aaron Rai quite early so no doubt they can push each other.

Come on Billy this week, perform please.

He opened at $90 on betfair and has drifted to as much as $140 on offer now. Wait because if the journos over @ PGA etc leave him alone he may not be over bet IMO. Try getting matched for at least +$170, at worse case they are not teeing off until 10:45pm AEDT here in Australia.

His result at PGA Sony Open in Hawaii should have Catapulted him-

• 43rd x SG: OTT @ +0.182
• 59th x SG: APG losing -1.100 strokes
• 20th x SG: ARG @ +1.323 Strokes gained
• 12th x SG: PUT @ +4.465
• T19 x SG: Total @ +4.871
• T37 x Driving Accuracy @ 58.93% (33/56)
• 31 x Driving Distance @ 309.60 yds
• T28 x Longest Drive @ 361.00 yds
• T42 x Greens in Regulation @ 69.44% (50/72)

This Englishman is one of the better ball strikers on DPWT and if you want to watch an effortless swing then tune and admire.
Which is also why what we have seen for many years in Europe just is not resonating on USA soil, he has been very hit & miss with results but the opposite is occurring with his putter-

• +0.81 strokes gained @ WM Phoenix Open
• +0.96 strokes gained @ Farmers Open
• +0.91 strokes gained @ The AMEX
• +1.12 strokes gained @ Sony Open

Even his T30 @ Farmers Open yielded good overall strokes gained metrics with-

• 27th x SG: APG @ +2.475
• 41st x SG: ARG @ +0.232
• 18th x SG: PUT @ +2.865
• T19 x SG: Total @ +4.832

All positive strokes gained.

He has now had the 2 from 4 decent results in 2026 on the tough PGA circuit, he should be able to build on that on a course that really does suit his key attributes.

Personally I would like to see $200 but he opened @ $110 on drifted to $140 with support back into $130 at time of write ups, remembering tee off Australian time is not till late Thursday night so at least 31 hours left, try $180 to $200, sit on it & of a punter will not take you on the exchange than you know $140 is there.

This event will come down to as it usually does a player that can be in it for 4 days, plenty can play for 2 or 3 but 4 is what we want to see.

• 100th x SG: T2G
• 73rd x SG: OTT
• 164th x SG: APG
• 15th x SG: ARG
• 29th x SG: PUT
• 66.32% GIR
• 74.07% DA
• 44.85% made cuts in 2025 + 50% in 2026 (2/4)
• 20.70% top 25 in 2025 + 0 in 2026
• 69.68 stroke avg
• 0 x PGA Wins + 9 x Japan Tour Wins

DO NOT dismiss these Japanese 2 roughies.

They are value big time this week providing like any player they bring 72 holes to fruition as we like hunting for roughies.

If you have never seen TK you will not have appreciated one of the straightest hitting drivers of the ball, I enjoy it as I still shake my head when pros & have been pros on tour for 20 years slice a shot even onto the other fairway.

If you want to be amused, go onto pga.com and go to any event and open their TOURCAST it's a good tool to understand where players end up down the fairway but all other approach shots as well.

TK should be able on this wider course pick up at least +1 shot on the field each day, that is at least +4 over the weekend.

Currently in 2026-

• 39th in SG: OTT
• 29th in SG: PUT

Whilst being only 119th in SG: T2G this stat is skewed due to his APG play, usually not an issue for him as he displayed, he can find greens from 200 yards out @ the PGA Baycurrent when storming home on day 4 with his 62 (-9).

• 35th in SG: APG @ Baycurrent Classic +
• 1st in SG: PUT on day 4 with +4.957 strokes gained & 5th overall.

Make no mistakes I am diving into these 2 Japanese roughies & Takumi did have better strokes gained metrics through 2025 from 29 events, he made only 13 cuts (44.83%) which we totally flipped our criteria to what we even look at, around 45% making cuts is not going to get into Day 3 & 4.

We are making exceptions here because of the 13 events in 2025 TK did well with-

• 4 x T10 in 2025 &
• 6 x T20 in 2025.

Now all his focus on should be to ensure he gets through the cut and get involved in day 3 & 4.

Right, you know The Stig & MJ are super enthusiastic so what price can we get on betfair?

On betfair right now he is $210 but I see some room to try & get matched around $250 to $270, he will be sent out as $210 but if you can get matched any higher just means more possible profit to you.

His best is easily good enough.

• 65th in SG: T2G
• 50th in SG: OTT
• 50th in SG: APG
• 50th in SG: ARG
• 50th in SG: PUT
• 70% GIR
• 61.5% DA
• 65% made cuts in 2025 + 50% in 2026 (2/4)
• 45% Top 25 in 2025 + 0 in 2026
• 70 stroke avg
• 0 PGA Wins
• 1 DPWT Win
• 4 Wins on Japan tour

What we wrote for him @ PGA Sony Open in Hawaii-

"We have made adjusted stats for this PGA event as most of his data is from the DPWT & personally the new database is weighted much heavier/stronger for PGA players.

We saw recently with Ryan Gerard dominating at the recent DPWT event in Mauritius that PGA form is far superior, this also coincides with facts that many DP players cannot win on the PGA tour.

We have long been smitten with this surging Japanese player & have a lot of analysis on him through other DPWT events in both 2024 & 2025, the Win came @ the Indian Open in 2024 but also solidifying 2025 he finished 2nd on 3 occasions & he was the #1 Amateur in the World for the longest time of 87 weeks eclipsing the previous record held by none other than Jon Rahm who has won over 20 events worldwide in his career including 2 Majors.

He has now secured his PGA card for 2026 so expect his stock to rise considerably. He is very familiar with playing courses at home in Japan that resemble Hawaii.

His current price at the time of analysis is changing on betfair as he was $230, we saw $250 & a slow as $170. I would suggest trying to be matched to win outright between $230 to $250."

**One would think I have a poster of Keita in my lounge room, do I? no but if he wins this I will make a shrine for him in our household.

Keita played all 4 days @ Farmers Open in early February & WM Phoenix Open with-

• 64th x Rounds of 69, 71, 76, 71 for only a -1
• 71st x Rounds of 72, 68, 71, 76 for +3

His first 2 days at each event were good, not sure if he loses focus (not seen on DPWT) before or is not adjusting to USA courses as he has now played in 21 events.

***I always remind myself how good this former #1 Amateur in the World for the longest time of 87 weeks eclipsing the previous record held by none other than Jon Rahm.

Perhaps the expectations and the gruelling toll it takes to play golf every day (lol) has caught up with him but I saw glimpses of his great play when 2nd in India & 4th @ Betfred British Masters, I will happily have $$$ on him around $230 on betfair.

Try and get matched between $250 to $300, most will take you on but he can card 64 to 65 on any given day, he just needs to put 4 together.

I will be hoping for good starts from both our Japanese roughies, even in this weaker line up you still cannot give away starts, hopefully this is their weekend.