Day: August 20, 2018

Snedeker goes wire-to-wire at Wyndham ChampionshipSnedeker goes wire-to-wire at Wyndham Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. – This time last year, Brandt Snedeker was back home in Nashville, nursing a nagging rib injury and wondering what his future held. He hadn’t played on the PGA TOUR since June, missing the final two majors of the season. And he couldn’t tee it up in the Wyndham Championship, the tournament which his long-time sponsor hosts and where he’d picked up his breakthrough victory, either. On the eve of that tournament at Sedgefield Country Club, Snedeker tweeted that he was going to shut it down until he was 100 percent healthy. “My sternum joint has become unstable and does not allow me to hit a golf ball without pain,â€� he explained. Small wonder, then, that Sunday’s win at the Wyndham Championship was so special. Snedeker knew he was completely back, and he proved it with a wire-to-wire victory that included a phenomenal 59 in the first round. “To be injured, to be away from the game for five and a half months, to not know what the recovery was going to look like, to not know if you’re going to be 100 percent again and still dealing with it to this day,â€� Snedeker said. “Still not 100 percent, but I’m way better than I was. “I guess it’s the facts of life as you get older out here, you’re going to have to deal with certain nagging injuries all the time.â€� Snedeker had to play 29 holes on Sunday. He came back in the morning – with former Wyndham CEO Steve Holmes picking him up at the hotel at 6:15 a.m. — and finished off a 68 in the third round, then shot 65 over the final 18 holes on a steamy afternoon for the three-stroke win. The victory didn’t come easily, though. C.T. Pan gave chase with a 66, taking the lead on the back nine, while Webb Simpson closed with a 62. At one point, all three were tied for the lead. But Snedeker came up with a clutch chip from a “horribleâ€� lie at the 15th hole to within 3 feet for birdie. Then he rolled in a 19-footer for birdie on the 18th hole, which Simpson bogeyed and Pan doubled, to seal the win. The comeback was complete. “When you don’t have your health out here and you’re trying to fight through it, it’s really tough because you know what you’re capable of and your body’s not letting you do what you think you should be able to do.,â€� Snedeker said. “Fortunately enough, I felt good enough to be able to practice and put the time in and it came through today. “Today’s when you find out, okay, am I going to hold up, is the stuff I’m working on working, is it TOUR-tested in a sense, and it was great to hit some quality shots down the stretch.â€� All in all, Snedeker, a nine-time TOUR winner now, called the week the “most stressfulâ€� he’s ever had as a professional golfer. The 59 in the first round, just the ninth ever shot on the PGA TOUR, sent his expectations “through the roof.â€� His wife and two young children decided to come in for the weekend and he didn’t want to disappoint. His father and brother were here, too. The Wyndham executives he’d grown so close to were rooting hard for him, as well. But he got it done. And he was able get that trophy – the Sam Snead Cup – that his kids have been clamoring for now that they finally understand what their daddy does for a living. “It means the world to me that I have not failed them finally,â€� Snedeker said. “It’s a great teaching lesson for them. They’ve seen how hard I’ve worked. They’ve seen the amount of time I’ve spent away from them trying to get to this point, so it’s good for them to see, hey, it works, pays off. “If you keep your head on straight and do stuff the right way and keep working your tail off, you do get rewarded. So I think more than anything else, I’m more proud of that fact.â€� NOTABLES Webb Simpson teed off 40 minutes ahead of Brandt Snedeker on Sunday afternoon, trailing by a formidable six strokes. But the reigning PLAYERS champion fired a 62 and was briefly tied for the lead at 19 under before faltering when he bogeyed the 18th hole after nearly hitting his drive out of bounds. As it turns out, the bogey was academic since Snedeker birdied two of his last four holes to win by three. And regardless, Simpson saw lots of positives in his performance on Sunday as he tried to win the Wyndham Championship for the second time. “I feel great about 62,â€� Simpson said. “I had a great time out there making a push. Wish I could have the swing on 18 back, but if you had told me I would play 18 holes and swing it great except for one tee shot, I would have taken it starting the day. So all in all, I feel great going into next week for the first Playoff event.â€� Simpson moved to No. 7 in the FedExCup with the tie for second, inching closer to the magic top 5 who can win the $10 million bonus with a victory at the TOUR Championship. “Pretty high,â€� Simpson said when asked about his confidence level heading into the Playoffs. “I’ve played just consistently, I feel like, pretty well for a while now. … It is a lot of golf, but excited to get the Playoffs started.â€� C.T. Pan admitted that a “voice in my headâ€� got him on the 18th hole Sunday when he hit his tee shot out of bounds. He was 20 under and tied for the lead at the time and ended up making a double bogey. Even so, the 26-year-old from Taiwan saw many positives in the week that saw him finish tied for second with Webb Simpson. “I love the feeling being in contention. That’s what I’m working for, what I’m striving for,â€� Pan said. “You know, obviously the nerves got me on the last tee shot, which is very unfortunate, but I think I can learn something from it. This is only my second year on the TOUR, I’m still trying to learn from the best players out there.â€� The tie for second, which matches the best finish of Pan’s career, sends the second-year pro into the FedExCup Playoffs with momentum. He moves from No. 108 to 63rd entering THE NORTHERN TRUST next week. “(This) helps me a lot in the FedExCup points. It helps me and helps my game, my confidence. … This tournament proves I can still go out there and shoot some low scores,â€� Pan said. QUOTABLES I forget how many I have, but it’s fun to see them out here.My wife told me it’s beginner’s luck. She’s caddying for her first time, I’m in contention, she’s getting the whole experience of being caddie, so I’m really happy for her. SUPERLATIVES Lowest round: Webb Simpson shot a 62 that included seven birdies, one eagle and a bogey at the 18th hole. Longest drive: Jonas Blixt hit a 386-yard drive on the fifth hole. Longest putt: Ryan Armour made a putt of 40 feet, 11 inches on the 14th hole Hardest hole: The 418-yard, par-4 first hole was the hardest with 10 birdies, 43 pars, 18 bogeys and one double bogey. Easiest hole: The 529-yard, par-5 fifth hole was the easiest with nine eagles, 44 birdies and 19 pars. SHOT OF THE DAY CALL OF THE DAY

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FedExCup Update: ‘Weird pressure’ no problem for bubble bustersFedExCup Update: ‘Weird pressure’ no problem for bubble busters

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Harris English called it a “weird kind of pressure.� Nick Taylor described it as “just a stressful week.� Both players handled it successfully. Entering this week’s Wyndham Championship in danger of missing the FedExCup Playoffs, English and Taylor played their way inside the top 125 who will advance to next week’s Playoffs opener, THE NORTHERN TRUST. English did it with four solid rounds, including a 2-under 68 on Sunday afternoon that left him at 14 under and in a tie for 11th. That was good enough to move him from 132 to 124 in the FedExCup standings – and continue his string of Playoffs appearances, now at seven consecutive seasons. “I don’t want to be on the bubble again,� said English, who secured his spot with a two-putt par from 60 feet on the final hole. “… Nobody wants to be put on the bench and not play the Playoffs and having a chance to win the FedExCup.� Taylor, meanwhile, merely produced his lowest round of the season, a 7-under 63 that left him at 15 under and a tie for eight. That moved him from 129 to 119 in the FedExCup standings. This will be his third Playoffs appearance in his four years on TOUR. His only miss came in 2016 when he finished 129th in points. “It’s been a long year,� said the Canadian, who had to fight back from an early-morning triple bogey in the continuation of his third round. He finished with an even-par 70, then produced four consecutive birdies early in his final round. “I really felt like I was playing well the last couple of months and nothing’s really been going my way, so it’s really satisfying to finish it off.� With two players moving inside the top 125, that meant two others moved out. Martin Piller dropped from 124 to 126, while Tyrone Van Aswegen dropped from 125 to 127. Both players missed the cut on Friday. Having to make a big move in the final week of the regular season is something English would rather avoid in the future. “I haven’t been in this position, on the outside looking in,� he said. “It’s not a lot of fun. Hopefully it’s going to light a fire in me this fall and get off to a better start and get up pretty high in the FedEx and be in better position.� SNEDS NOW A CONTENDER: Brandt Snedeker now believes he has a chance to win his second FedExCup title. A week ago, he didn’t think so. By winning the Wyndham Championship, Snedeker moved from 80th to 30th in the standings. Only the top 30 reach the TOUR Championship with a shot to win the FedExCup, so now Snedeker only needs to maintain to ensure his spot at East Lake. “Your position going into the Playoffs dictates a lot of your chances of winning the FedExCup Playoffs, dictates how you can think and play, your realistic chances of winning or not winning,� said Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup champ. “As somebody who’s been fortunate enough to win before, I realize how important it is to be in a good position going into the Playoffs and also to play well when you’re there. “To be perfectly frank, I didn’t have any chance at all of winning the FedExCup Playoffs when I showed up here this week and there’s just no way, as far back as I was, I didn’t see it happening. After this week, I feel like I have a chance. I feel like I kind of put myself in position where three good weeks going into East Lake, you never know what’s going to happen. Plus, as Snedeker said, he’s a guy “who always gets hot. When I get hot playing golf, it’s a lot of fun because I can kind of stay there for a little while … So I’m getting hot at the right time.� FIRST TIME FOR SAM: Sam Saunders entered the week ranked 120th. After he made the cut, he felt confident that he would not drop outside the top 125. “I don’t want to say 100 percent certain, but I know the system,� he said. “Of course, if it could ever happen to someone, it was going to happen to me.� Fortunately for Saunders, he played well enough on the weekend (a tie for 45th at 8 under) to keep his spot and make the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in his career. “It’s great,� said Saunders, whose tie for seventh two weeks ago at the Barracuda Championship gave him some breathing room. “A lot of hard work that finally paid off. “I’ve been so fortunate to be out there. This is my fourth year in a row now [on TOUR]. To know that my fifth year out here is going to be the first time I’ll be in THE PLAYERS. I’m in pretty much every tournament. I can pick my schedule. I’m not worried about which week I’m going to get in, which week I’m not. It’s pretty exciting.� “A lot of people, they watch on TV and they think if you’re not winning, you’re not successful out here. Obviously, that is the goal. You want to win golf tournaments. But very rarely do the Jordan Spieths and the Rickie Fowlers of the world come along. Those are one in a million guys. For the rest of us, this is the norm, how we build our careers.� FURYK COMES CLOSE: Jim Furyk, the 2010 FedExCup champ, needed a solo second or a win to climb inside the top 125. He came close – a tie for fourth after his final-round 63 on Sunday – but his season is now over. He’ll still be active, though. As the U.S. captain for the Ryder Cup, Furyk said he’ll probably attend a couple of FedExCup events to monitor the progress of U.S. players, particularly those who may need a captain’s pick to make the team (including the new Wyndham champ, especially if Snedeker maintains his hot streak). If Furyk’s not on-site, he’ll be watching the action on TV. “I’ve watched more golf this year than I’ve probably have in the last 10 years combined,� Furyk said. “I’ve enjoyed it. “It’s a little disappointing not playing next week but I have plenty of stuff to keep me busy.� GARCIA, HAAS STREAKS OVER: Sergio Garcia and Bill Haas were not able to climb inside the top 125 in points, thus ending their streaks of having qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs every year since its inception in 2007. Garcia, who started the week ranked 131st in points, was projected inside the top 125 at one point Sunday. But he suffered three bogeys in five holes after making the turn and finished with an even-par 70, leaving him in a tie for 24th and in 128th in the final FedExCup standings. Haas entered the week ranked 150th and finished at 8 under and a tie for 45th. That left him dropping two spots to 152nd. Luke Donald, out for an extended time with an injury, also officially saw his streak in. That leaves 10 players who have made the FedExCup Playoffs every year. RODGERS OUT NEXT WEEK: Patrick Rodgers confirmed Sunday that he will not play in next week’s THE NORTHERN TRUST. Rodgers plans to attend a family wedding in Scotland. Ranked 93rd in the FedExCup standings, Rodgers’ absence could put him in danger of being eliminated from the Playoffs if enough players bust the bubble. Only the top 100 players advance to the second Playoffs event, the Dell Technologies Championship. In 2015, eight players busted the bubble at THE NORTHERN TRUST.

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The hidden, merciless drama of the Wyndham ChampionshipThe hidden, merciless drama of the Wyndham Championship

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