Who's feeling confident at Trinity Forest?

It’s back to Texas for the next two weeks as the PGA TOUR plays events Nos. 4 and 5 of the season in the Lone Star State.

The AT&T Byron Nelson is the ninth oldest event on TOUR, dating back to 1944, and is two years older than next week's Forth Worth Invitational and the Houston Open. The Valero Texas Open, established in 1922 and the third-oldest event on TOUR, is the patriarch of the bunch.

Golf in Texas has a proud history and that story will add another chapter this week as for the second time in three years, a new course will be brought into the PGA TOUR rotation. In 2016 the Austin Country Club made its debut as it hosted the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. This year, Trinity Forest — a 7,380 yard, par 71 course — will add its name to the list of places to hold TOUR events as it replaces TPC Four Seasons at Las Colinas as host.

Located 12 miles south of Dallas, Trinity Forest has exactly zero trees on the property, but that hasn't stopped Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw from their vision of an American-style links layout. Surrounded by forest, the course sits on an old landfill on property that is being leased from the City of Dallas for 40 years. Coore and Crenshaw shaped and molded this unique development under the watchful eye of governmental and environmental regulations. Not even two years old, Trinity Forest is still maturing but is ready to provide a unique test this week.

Jordan Spieth, one of the few members in the event, described it as an American links course. While there are a handful of shots that can be played on the ground, the majority will be played through the air. There isn't any water, but 88 bunkers, wildlife reclamation areas and an unfamiliar grass, Trinity Zoysia, will present challenges to the field. All of the grass on the course, save for the Champion Bermuda greens, is Trinity Zoysia. The Zoysia, named for the course where it only exists, will run from tee to the edge of every green and there's barely, if any, rough on the course. The absence of trees means the presence of wind and Texas has plenty of it. May isn't the calmest time of year weather-wise either; big breezes and big, slick greens don't mix, so the greens will run around 10.5 feet on the Stimpmeter.

Reports on Tuesday morning from the Director of Grounds, Kasey Kauff, suggest that the course will be firm by competition rounds. If this place plays firm and fast, watch out!

As this is brand-new track, we won't have a "Tale of the Tape" this week as we don't have any history to assess in our preparation. The last time the TOUR used a brand-new course wasn't long ago, as the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship was added to the schedule just last March. While the course was new to the TOUR, it had hosted previous events on the Web.com Tour.

Stretching back to last fall, the TOUR arrived on Jeju Island, South Korea, for THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. Stretching back to last season, the TOUR welcomed four new courses to the schedule. Club de Golf Chapultepec hosted the WGC-Mexico Championship and was followed by the temporary home of the Wells Fargo Championship, Eagle Point Golf Club. Later that summer the TOUR returned to a new, old course in the renovated TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm before meandering to the Glen Oaks Club for the first FedExCup Playoff event.

I believe with any "new" course on TOUR that the ball-strikers and the players in form will be the ones to circle. It's obvious that the greens haven't had time to be mapped or enough rounds to be played, especially at Trinity Forest, which hasn't been open for even two years. Since this is not a major championship venue, guys are not going to take special trips to prepare ahead of time. Here's where I'm starting my search this week:

NOTE: Golfers inside the top 50 in each statistic on the 2017-18 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week.

SG: Tee to Green

Rank  Golfer

10 Scott Piercy

13 Sergio Garcia

34 Charles Howell III

36 Hideki Matsuyama

43 J.J. Spaun

45 Marc Leishman

46 J.B. Holmes

47 Adam Scott

51 Russell Knox

52 James Hahn

Proximity

Rank  Golfer

1  Nate Lashley

2  David Hearn

7  Jordan Spieth

10 Brian Stuard

13 Russell Knox

14 J.J. Spaun

15 Ryan Armour

15 Scott Piercy

19 Brian Gay

22 Alex Cejka

22 Vaughn Taylor

22 Matt Kuchar

28 J.J. Henry

30 Blayne Barber

32 Conrad Shindler

34 Sam Ryder

38 Martin Laird

40 Brett Stegmaier

40 Corey Conners

44 Rory Sabbatini

44 Cameron Percy

50 Johnson Wagner

50 Kevin Na

Bogey Avoidance

Rank  Golfer

5  Jordan Spieth

7  Charles Howell III

11 Johnson Wagner

16 Matt Kuchar

17 Hideki Matsuyama

21 Brandt Snedeker

23 Beau Hossler

26 Alex Cejka

27 Hunter Mahan (Member)

31 Ben Crane

40 Russell Knox

41 Brian Gay

46 Nate Lashley

48 Scott Piercy

49 James Hahn

50 Kevin Na

Birdie-or-Better Percentage

Rank  Golfer

7  Ricky Barnes

8  Marc Leishman

9  Grayson Murray

15 Aaron Wise

16 Ryan Palmer

19 Martin Laird

23 Sam Saunders

24 Jordan Spieth

26 Sergio Garcia

27 Jimmy Walker

28 Brian Gay

29 Keith Mitchell

35 Kevin Na

42 J.J. Spaun

43 Peter Malnati

45 Branden Grace

47 Harris English

48 Matt Jones

50 David Lingmerth

The Coore-Crenshaw design will be protected by its youthfulness and the weather. The greens have softened but should still play quite firmly. The players had to deal with this as recently as Quail Hollow Club, so those who played there might adapt quicker.

According to Kauff, this is a shot-makers track and bombing-and-gouging isn't the proper strategy. The longer off the tee, the worse angles to attack the green can be found. I'm leaning on guys who can work their ball to get into the proper attacking positions. From there, the pros who figure out hitting it to the middle of the green the fastest should be the ones with the most chances at birdie. The others who continue to attack fringe pins on firm greens are asking for trouble. Once off the putting surface, good luck finding the right pitch, bump, metal, nudge or flop to save par. The putters won't have any advantage this week as the greens are new to everyone so find the guys who hit the most greens.

Trinity Forest is going to test just about every club, player and caddy this week. With plenty of rolling terrain that is not conducive to flat lies plus an unfamiliar Zoysia grass everywhere, the pros and caddies who adapt the quickest will have the best chance to win. There are no yardage books from past years to rely upon for reference just like there are hardly any points of reference on the course for aiming as Trinity Forest is without trees. It's hardly a surprise that usually the top players win on the "new" courses on TOUR because their talent is evident when course history is not. If it stays firm and fast, they should have even a bigger advantage. Don't be surprised if a big name like Jimmy Walker takes home the first trophy.

Since we don't have any course history to lean on this week, I gave you all some recent history to digest below. I hope this also helps in your preparation this week!

Rob Bolton's Power Rankings will give you more juice for the week so make sure you stop by. It's also who I trust with the weather each week so pay attention!

NOTE: The groups below are comprehensive to assist in data mining. Inclusion doesn't imply automatic endorsement in every fantasy game as all decisions are specific to your situation.

CONFIDENCE MEN

THE PLAYERS Championship top finishers entered this week.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

Recent top 25 finishes (post-Masters) by players entered in the field this week.

OTHER SIGNS OF CONFIDENCE

Golfers who competed at THE PLAYERS and are entered this week.