The ‘Run for the Roses’ is still months away, but there’s no time quite like the present to begin analyzing the main contenders for this prestigious prize.
HONOLULU, Hawaii – Matt Kuchar certainly isn’t looking to create another win drought. The affable veteran waited 1,667 days and 116 starts between winning the 2014 RBC Heritage the Mayakoba Golf Classic earlier this season. If he surges forward from his comfortable 36-hole position this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii it will be his second triumph in three starts on TOUR and come just 64 days apart. Kuchar has posted back-to-back 7-under 63s at Waialae Country Club to move to 14 under, currently four shots clear of Chez Reavie (65) and Stewart Cink (62) after the morning wave. Only Andrew Putnam (11 under total through 12 holes) appears a threat to his lead. “Just two great days. To shoot 7-under back to back is unexpected, but certainly awfully excited,â€� Kuchar said. While the wins went missing for the lengthy stretch, Kuchar’s form did not. At least not at first. He finished inside the top 20 of the FedExCup in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2018 however Kuchar dropped to 76th in the season long race, his worst result since being 116th in 2008. The St. Simons Island resident says he may have tried too hard last season and having the early victory this season was certainly keeping him on a high. “I want to say last year I probably ground harder than I’ve done in the past,â€� he admitted. “Close to Ryder Cup I was on the outside of a couple things and felt like I hadn’t been used to being in that situation. “So now being in good shape it’s certainly a nice place to be. Freed up? I’m not sure. I still kind of attack the game the same way.â€� While his record of turning a halfway lead into a victory is far from stellar at two out of 12 the 40-year-old did close the deal from this spot in Mexico recently. He knows players can go low at Waialae but the course can also bite you if you’re not careful. “Love the golf course. It’s a challenging one. If you play well you can make birdies; if you don’t you’re going to make bogeys,â€� Kuchar added. “The golf course gets tough when you’re playing from the rough. Even if you have short clubs in your hand it’s challenging.â€�
Rory Sabbatini has been playing the Sony Open the last 20 years, and this one was different before he hit a shot. Golf fans know him as the 42-year-old South African with plenty of spunk and enough game to have won six times on the PGA Tour, who played in the Presidents Cup and once reached as high as No. 8 in the world. “Just to support her and to support our son,” Sabbatini said.
The Pacers might lack the Q rating of the other top teams in the East, but their effectiveness should not be ignored.
Chez Reavie holed out from the fairway three times for eagle at the Sony Open on Friday, something that hasn’t been accomplished on the PGA Tour since at least 1983.
Joel Embiid missed the 76ers’ game against the Hawks on Friday night with right ankle soreness.
Joel Embiid missed the 76ers’ game against the Hawks with an injury to his left ankle.
HONOLULU, Hawaii – Chez Reavie has entered the PGA TOUR record books during the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii thanks to three hole-out eagles from over 100-yards. Reavie – the former RBC Canadian Open winner – became the first person since hole-by-hole scoring was introduced in 1983 to have three eagles on par-4s in one round. He was also the first person since ShotLink technology was introduced in 2003 to make three eagle hole-outs from over 100 yards in one round. Reavie opened his round by holing out from 101 yards with a sand wedge on the par-4 10th hole. Six holes later – on the par-4 16th – he navigated a nine-iron into the hole from 149 yards. At that point he had joined Blake Adams (2010 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, 3rd round) as the only players with two hole-out eagles from over 100 yards in the same round (ShotLink courses) on par-4s. But Reavie wasn’t done. Staring at 135 yards with his gap wedge on the par-4 sixth the 37-year-old nailed his third eagle. “I was trying to think back to any round I even had more than one hole-out and I couldn’t think of any,â€� Reavie said after signing for a 5-under 65 that leaves him 10 under for the week and four off the pace. The diminutive Kansas native who resides in Arizona didn’t seem to fully grasp his accomplishment as he was focused on trying to hunt down leader Matt Kuchar. “Honestly, I didn’t think about it at all until after the third one went in,â€� Reavie added. “Before the other two I just hit the shot and I was trying to see if it was going at the hole. Never expected it to go in. It’s always a surprise when I it disappears.â€� Reavie actually had chances for further hole out eagles on his last two holes. His approach from 138 yards on the par-4 8th was tracking before pulling up at six-feet. He also barely missed a bunker shot on the par-5 9th, his final hole of the round. “I got it in the fairway on eight and hit a pitching wedge; it was on a good line, and that was the only time it crossed my mind before the ball went in the hole,â€� he added. “Wow, could we make another one?â€� Playing partner Michael Thompson figured anything could happen from that point. “That was pretty amazing. The first one was great, the second one was “wow that’s coolâ€� and the third one was “are you kidding me?â€� Thompson said. “It was pretty amazing to watch. That’s probably a once in a lifetime experience to be in a group and see a guy do that let alone do it yourself. It’s really really rare so it’s pretty cool to see.â€� When the third ball disappeared the caddies in the group took off their hats and threw them at Reavie to symbolize the hat-trick. Only two years ago Reavie looked like he could destroy PGA TOUR scoring records when he made the turn in 7-under 28 at Waialae Country Club in the final round. While Justin Thomas had shot 59 in the opening round of the tournament, Reavie was thinking he could beat Jim Furyk’s TOUR record 58 especially after he made birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes (his 11th and 12th) to sit 9-under with six to play on the par-70 course. He had an eagle hole out that day also – courtesy of an ace on the 17th hole with a 6-iron from 189 yards. But ultimately he settled for a 9-under 61. When he won in Canada in 2008 he holed out for eagle on the 13th hole Sunday. Reavie gave the ball used for the first two eagles on Friday to a fan after he made a bogey on the par-4 first at the turn. He gave the other to a volunteer. He acknowledged he might further appreciate it all in the future but at the time didn’t see it as overly significant. “I need to go buy a lottery ticket today I think,â€� he joked. “Obviously it’s unusual, but I’m still whatever, three, four, back of Kuch. “We are just trying to make as many birdies, eagles, anything red; hole in ones, as we can (to catch him).â€� Reavie is currently 44th in the FedExCup with a T7 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES his best result so far this season.
Philadelphia’s star defensive lineman Fletcher Cox is fed up with all the gushing over Saints QB Drew Brees.
How they qualified for the Desert Classic. Winner – THE PLAYERS Championship – Last 5 years Si Woo Kim Winner – The Masters – Last 5 years Danny Willett Winner – The Open Championship – Last 5 years Zach Johnson Winner – World Golf Championship Event Russell Knox Phil Mickelson Justin Rose Winners of the Arnold Palmer Inv. & the Memorial (Last 3 Years) Jason Dufner Member of Last Named U.S.Presidents Cup Team Daniel Berger Charley Hoffman Kevin Kisner Member of Last Named International Presidents Cup Team Adam Hadwin Anirban Lahiri Charl Schwartzel Jhonattan Vegas Member of Last Named European Ryder Cup Team Jon Rahm Past Champion of Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Brian Gay Bill Haas Pat Perez Hudson Swafford Mark Wilson PGA Section Champion Michael Block Sponsors Exemptions – Members not otherwise exempt Jonathan Byrd Mike Weir Sponsors Exemption – Unrestricted John Catlin George Cunningham Cooper Musselman Charles Reiter Current Tournament Winners Ryan Armour Patrick Cantlay Cody Gribble Brian Harman Russell Henley Charles Howell III Patton Kizzire Andrew Landry Grayson Murray Rod Pampling Scott Piercy D.A. Points Andrew Putnam Brendan Steele Chris Stroud Aaron Wise Top 125 on Prior Season’s FedExCup Points List Chez Reavie Cheng Tsung Pan Chesson Hadley Luke List Beau Hossler Jason Kokrak Abraham Ancer J.J. Spaun Ryan Palmer Peter Uihlein Chris Kirk Whee Kim Nick Watney Kevin Streelman Bronson Burgoon Joel Dahmen James Hahn Jamie Lovemark Brian Stuard Tom Hoge Scott Stallings Ollie Schniederjans Sam Ryder Trey Mullinax Brandon Harkins Sean O’Hair Harold Varner III Alex Cejka Rory Sabbatini Richy Werenski John Huh Tyler Duncan Seamus Power Martin Laird J.T. Poston Vaughn Taylor Sam Saunders Ryan Blaum Scott Brown Nick Taylor Bud Cauley Harris English Top 125 (Nonmember) Joaquin Niemann Major Medical Extension Lucas Glover John Senden Ben Martin Sangmoon Bae Jim Herman Brandon Hagy Dominic Bozzelli Steve Marino Leading Money Winner from Web.com Tour Prior Year Sungjae Im Denny McCarthy Top Finishers for Web.com Tour Prior Season (reordered) Robert Streb Chase Wright Anders Albertson Adam Schenk Sam Burns Carlos Ortiz Hunter Mahan Roberto Castro Stephan Jaeger Peter Malnati Cameron Davis Seth Reeves Jim Knous Kramer Hickok Scott Langley Julián Etulain Michael Thompson Shawn Stefani Kyoung-Hoon Lee Kyle Jones Dylan Frittelli Alex Prugh Wyndham Clark Hank Lebioda Adam Svensson Fabián Gómez Sebastián Muñoz Ben Silverman José de Jesús RodrÃguez Wes Roach Nicholas Lindheim Cameron Tringale Josh Teater Sepp Straka Roger Sloan Matt Jones John Chin Chris Thompson Brady Schnell Curtis Luck J.J. Henry Martin Trainer Max Homa Roberto DÃaz Adam Long Chad Collins Joey Garber Will MacKenzie Minor Medical Extension Nate Lashley 126-150 Prior Season’s FedExCup Points List (Reordered) Corey Conners Aaron Baddeley Graeme McDowell David Hearn Johnson Wagner Talor Gooch Martin Piller Robert Garrigus Tom Lovelady
