Day: September 2, 2018

Five perspectives heading into the final round at TPC BostonFive perspectives heading into the final round at TPC Boston

NORTON, Mass. – How will the top five players entering the final round of the Dell Technologies Championship handle the pressure of Monday’s Labor Day finish? Tournament leader Abraham Ancer (13 under) will be drawing from the lessons learned earlier this year at the Quicken Loans National. He was the co-leader through 54 holes but failed to break par in the final round. A tough result but the experience could prove beneficial as he seeks his first PGA TOUR title. “I’ll probably go back today and just think about how I felt that day and what I could have done better,â€� Ancer said. One shot behind Ancer is Tyrrell Hatton (12 under). He’s also seeking his first TOUR win, but the Englishman already has enjoyed success on the European Tour, having won three times. He shot a 2-under 69 on Sunday that included a double bogey at the long par-4 12th. He shook that off by playing the last six holes in a bogey-free 1 under. That might seem unimportant on the surface, but it was a pretty significant stretch for Hatton. “I feel like I took it well,â€� Hatton said. “In the past, maybe my head would have properly come off, which is always a battle with me. But I was pretty chilled out. I took it on the chin.â€� Tied for second with Hatton is Bryson DeChambeau (12 under). He’s riding the momentum from last week’s win at THE NORTHERN TRUST that elevated him to the top of the FedExCup standings. But this finish sets up differently for him. He entered the final round at Ridgewood with a four-shot lead and never wavered. This time he’s the chaser. Given his form – he shot the low round on Sunday, an 8-under 63 to move up 19 spots on the leaderboard – his confidence is extremely high. “Like last week, if I go out there and execute the best that I can and make the right decisions out there … and make sure I miss it in the right places and attack flags that are attackable – I know it’s cliché to say all that stuff, but that’s honestly what it is,â€� DeChambeau said. Cameron Smith (11 under) has won a TOUR event, but that was the team title he shared with Jonas Blixt at the 2017 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He’s still winless in individual events, although he tied for third last week. He enters Monday with a share of fourth, two strokes back. “My game feels really good,â€� said the Australian. “… Everything has fallen into shape.â€� Rounding out the top five is the player with the most impressive credentials. Justin Rose (11 under) has a major, an Olympic gold medal and 20 worldwide wins. He was not happy with his 1-under 70 on Sunday – but that could be the very thing that propels him to a 10th win on the PGA TOUR. “There will be a lot of pressure on those guys,â€� Rose said of the leaders. “It’s hard to follow up a really low round with another one. I like being around the top-10. And I feel like the frustration that I feel for this round is going to lead to some motivation to tomorrow.â€� NOTABLES Abraham Ancer was born in Texas but grew up in Reynosa, Mexico, and has dual citizenship. He’s seeking to become just the third Mexican to win a PGA TOUR event (Victor Regalado, Cesar Sanudo were the first two). “Obviously immigration-wise, it’s kind of nice having dual citizenship,â€� Ancer said. “It makes everything easier. All my friends know me, and they know I’m very Mexican.â€� Justin Rose and his playing partner, fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, fell off the pace midway through their rounds. Rose said it was costly, as he bogeyed the 11th and 12th holes to fall out of the lead. “We kind of got a little bit behind timewise and I felt like I was struggling really around the turn, and I don’t know if I was rushing a little bit,â€� he explained. Two-time Dell Technologies champ Rory McIlroy moved into contention with a 5-under 66 that leaves him at 9 under. But he was disappointed not to be a stroke closer. Having made three birdies in his previous four holes, McIlroy had another birdie chance from 6 feet at the 18th. But he missed the putt and then smacked his putter. It’s only the second putt he’s missed this week in 47 putts from inside 7 feet. Jordan Spieth joins McIlroy at 9 under thanks to a 68 that included five birdies in his first seven holes, then three bogeys over the next four-hole stretch. “I feel like I’ve been on the bad end of some breaks, divots and just stymied on some knobs around the green to where I don’t have much of a shot,â€� Spieth said. “If I hit a worse of a shot, I’d be better off. It’s like the weirdest things this week.â€� Tiger Woods played his first seven holes in 3 under but then stalled after that to shoot 3-under 68. At 7 under, he’s six shots off the lead but with 15 players in front of him on the leaderboard. “Just got to go something low,â€� Woods said. “I don’t know if it will be good enough to win, with the guys right now at 13. … Even if I shoot a low round, I’m not really in control of my destiny in that regard, because I’m pretty far back.â€� Second-round leader Webb Simpson had a tough day, with four bogeys and a double at the 15th en route to a 5-over 76. Just two other players of the 77 who made the cut had higher scores on Sunday. Simpson is now at 6 under and tied for 25th. QUOTABLES There were a couple of instances today that I could have lost it mentally but I didn’t. I regrouped and managed to bounce back. I heard the crowd get louder and louder and louder, and I looked up and finally saw the ball peak over that hill. Oh, it’s like a foot. Sweet.I think most rounds of golf for me are roller-coasters, to be honest. SUPERLATIVES Low round: Bryson DeChambeau’s 8-under 63 that moved him to 12 under for the tournament. Longest drive: Peter Uihlein’s 344-yard drive at the par-4 13th. Unfortunately, he found the rough near the cart path and ultimately bogeyed the hole. Longest putt: Hideki Matsuyama’s birdie putt from 64 feet, 2 inches at the par-4 fifth. Matsuyama also made a 46-1/2 footer at the 16th; overall, he made 192 feet, 7 inches of putts on Sunday. Hardest hole: The par-4 12th playing at 518 yards on Sunday. The field stroke average was 4.325, with just five birdies made against 24 bogeys and three doubles. Easiest hole: The 531-yard par-5 18th played to a stroke average of 4.494. Eight eagles and 29 birdies were made against just six bogeys. Bogey-free round: Kyle Stanley’s 66. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the final round of the Dell Technologies Championship, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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Ancer takes 1-shot lead over DeChambeau at Dell Technologies ChampionshipAncer takes 1-shot lead over DeChambeau at Dell Technologies Championship

NORTON, Mass. — Abraham Ancer of Mexico opened with three straight birdies on his way to a 6-under 65 to take a 1-shot lead Sunday over a familiar figure going into the final round of the Dell Technologies Championship. It wasn’t Tiger Woods, but the guy playing with him — Bryson DeChambeau, who is coming off a four-shot victory in the first FedExCup Playoffs event and shot 63 while playing with Woods for the first time in a tournament. DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton (69) were one shot behind. It figures to be another frantic Labor Day finish on the TPC Boston. Ancer, at No. 92 in the FedExCup just hopeful of getting into the top 70 to advance to the playoff event next week outside Philadelphia, was at 13-under 200. A victory would assure a trip to the TOUR Championship and a spot in the Masters. Even with 18 holes left, that’s a long way off. Ten players were within four shots of the lead, a group that included Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Woods had to settle for a 69 that left him in a tie for 16th, six shots behind. At least he saw plenty of good golf. DeChambeau has become of his regular practice partners, though they had never been in the same group until Sunday. DeChambeau opened with two birdies and finished even stronger, with short birdie putts on the 16th and 17th, and then a 5-iron from 237 yards that stopped rolling 2 feet from the hole for an eagle. “He’s my childhood idol,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve admired him my whole entire life. And to be finally able to play with him under tournament conditions, it was different. I was a little nervous, for sure. But I was able to get out there and execute shots and worry about my game and focus on hitting the best shots possible. And I was able to play really well like that.” Not since Vijay Singh in 2008 has anyone captured the opening two FedExCup events. DeChambeau led by four shots at Ridgewood Country Club last week and never was seriously challenged. This time, the 24-year-old Californian will have to come from one shot behind against a 27-year-old playing in only his 49th PGA TOUR event. Hatton had the lead until his approach on the par-4 12th went off a cart path and into the trees, and a search party of some three dozen fans and volunteers never found it. He did well to escape with a double bogey, and then finished with a birdie for a 69. Justin Rose (70) and Cameron Smith (67) were another shot behind, followed by Emiliano Grillo (64) and Kyle Stanley (66). McIlroy was making a charge until hitting into the water on the 16th hole and missing a short putt at the 18th. He had to settle for a 68 and was in a group at 9-under 204 that included Beau Hossler (68), Ryder Cup hopeful Tony Finau (67) and Spieth (68). On another gorgeous day that allowed for good scoring, Spieth didn’t make a birdie until the seventh hole, dropped two shots on the tough stretch of the back nine, answered with two birdies and at least gave himself a chance. Spieth has yet to win this year, and with two events left, still has not secured a spot in the TOUR Championship. More than being six shots behind, Woods has to climb past 15 players. He handled the par 5s, but didn’t make much else and spent some 45 minutes on the putting green after his round. “I didn’t get a lot out of my round today,” Woods said. Looking ahead to Monday, he said he would need a round like he saw from DeChambeau. “I’ve got to make a bunch of birdies, get off to a quick start and just get rolling early,” Woods said. “Kind of do what Bryson did today.” Ancer knows what it’s like to be among the chaotic atmosphere that Woods brings to a tournament. He played in the group ahead of Woods in the third round of the Quicken Loans National, heard the cheers and delivered a 62 that hardly anyone saw. He didn’t play his best from the final group, but it wouldn’t have mattered with Francesco Molinari closing with a 62. Ancer got hot again, putting for birdie on every hole except No. 12, where he made a mental mistake by hitting 3-wood off the tee into a breeze and into a bunker. He was able to advance it only 100 yards on the 510-yard par 4. Even with seven birdies and a 65, Ancer missed three birdie chances inside 10 feet, including a 5-footer on the par-5 18th.

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Bryson DeChambeau outduels Tiger Woods at Dell Technologies ChampionshipBryson DeChambeau outduels Tiger Woods at Dell Technologies Championship

NORTON, Mass. – Bryson DeChambeau spent a good portion of his third round Sunday chatting up his playing partner. You could’ve sworn he was prepping for an oral exam in quantum mechanics. Meanwhile, he also managed to fit in four birdies in his first seven holes, showing he had lost none of the momentum from last week’s victory in the FedExCup Playoffs opener. He was on top of his game, on top of the FedExCup standings and having a blast. Yet he was nervous. With good reason. “It’s Tiger Woods, guys,â€� DeChambeau explained, the simplest answer always being the best. For the first time in his blossoming career, DeChambeau played a competitive round with his childhood idol. Although they’ve become frequent practice partners, DeChambeau knew Sunday was different. Tiger would have his game face on. As it turns out, DeChambeau can deliver one pretty good game face, too. The FedExCup leader shot an 8-under 63 that left him at 12 under through three rounds of the Dell Technologies Championship and gives him a golden opportunity to claim the first two Playoffs events. For the second straight week, he’ll be in the final twosome in the final round, this time with tournament leader Abraham Ancer, who’s 13 under. Meanwhile, Woods had to settle for a 3-under 68 that left him at 7 under and perhaps too far back to break his five-year victory drought in Monday’s Labor Day finish at TPC Boston. Afterwards, DeChambeau wore a huge smile, and it was tough to tell if it came from moving up the leaderboard or simply because he fulfilled a childhood fantasy. “I’ve admired him my whole entire life,â€� DeChambeau said. “And to be finally able to play with him under tournament conditions, it was different. I was a little nervous, for sure. But I was able to get out there and execute shots and worry about my game and focus on hitting the best shots possible – and I was able to play really well like that.â€� DeChambeau said his nervousness didn’t disappear until after the seventh hole. By then, he was 4 under on his round. Woods was 3 under on his round at that point, but while DeChambeau remained hot on the back nine, Woods quickly cooled off. He wouldn’t post another birdie until the par-5 18th. “I didn’t get a lot out of my round today,â€� Tiger shrugged. Still, it was an interesting, entertaining Sunday – even if Bryson did most of the talking. Told that Woods didn’t always seem this chatty, DeChambeau corrected, “He still isn’t, by the way.â€� Woods was asked if earlier in his career – in other words, the dominant Tiger years — he would have been as willing to engage with his playing partner. He referenced the names of players much older than him: Mark O’Meara, Mark Calcavecchia, Davis Love III, Fred Couples and the late Payne Stewart. “We were always chatty,â€� Tiger said. “When you’re playing with friends, yeah, you’re competing, but you’re still playing with friends.â€� Whether DeChambeau has reached that level of friendship is tough to say. But it’s apparent that Woods has taken a shine to the 24-year-old and fellow California native. “He’s fantastic to play with,â€� Woods said of DeChambeau. “He’s great. … Two friends going out there competing and playing. We both have jobs to do today and try to shoot as low rounds as we possibly could do today. And he did that.â€� It helps, obviously, that DeChambeau has emerged at one of the game’s top young golfers. His win last week at THE NORTHERN TRUST was the third of his PGA TOUR career and made him just the 11th player in the last 30 years to post three wins before turning 25. Besides taking over the FedExCup lead, he also moved to 12th in the world rankings. “Pretty impressive,â€� Woods said. “And just the way he’s played, especially the last couple of weeks. He’s had opportunities and had runs, but I think he’s cleaning up the rounds. He’s not making that many mistakes. And if he does … I’ve talked to him over the past couple of months, he’s missing the ball in the correct spots. That makes all the difference.â€� Their friendship has grown to the point of open speculation that they will be partners at next month’s Ryder Cup. The fact neither of them are yet on the U.S. team seems to be a moot point. Three of Jim Furyk’s four Captain’s picks will be announced next Tuesday, and expectations are that Woods and DeChambeau will be chosen. “I think if all the stars were to align and that were to happen, I think we could feed off of each other pretty well,â€� said DeChambeau, whose focus the next few weeks remains squarely on the FedExCup race. As for Tiger’s perspective on the pairing? Well, Sunday’s 63 at TPC Boston was a pretty strong statement. “If he goes around and shoots 8 under par every time,â€� Tiger said, “that will work.â€�

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DeChambeau (63) bests ‘childhood idol’ WoodsDeChambeau (63) bests ‘childhood idol’ Woods

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