Sun, fun and beach reads: Which golf books to take

Defending FedExCup champion and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson leads 49 of the world's top 50 into THE PLAYERS Championship after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. All but one of the current FedExCup top 30 will be in action, and Rory McIlroy will be the defending champion of sorts as he won in 2019, the last time all four rounds were played. PGA TOUR LIVE, which will be free for Thursday's first round, will offer exclusive early-round coverage of the action at TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course). The field has been expanded from 144 to 154 to accommodate those who finished in the top 125 of last season's FedExCup standings. Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed are among those who will be in the Featured Groups. To get you ready for LIVE's coverage, we convened our experts for a roundtable discussion on the groups released so far. Enjoy. HOW TO FOLLOW (All times ET) Television: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC) Every Shot Live: Live streaming of every shot hit at THE PLAYERS Championship will get underway Thursday morning from TPC Sawgrass. Nearly 100 cameras will capture roughly 31,000 strokes taken over approximately 430 rounds played. It will be available free through PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold on Thursday. See schedule below. PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups), 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes), 6:40 a.m.-8 p.m. (Every Shot Live). Saturday, 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups), 12 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes), 7:50 a.m.-8 p.m. (Every Shot Live). Sunday, 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups), 12 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes), 7:50 a.m.-6 p.m. (Every Shot Live) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). TOURCast: Get shot-by-shot info in real time with shot tracks and video with TOURCast. TOUR Pulse: Get the PGA TOUR app to utilize TOUR Pulse, which provides users the ability to experience a mix of content, such as video highlights, written hole summaries and stat graphics on every player after every hole they complete. Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa One of these, Morikawa, is not like the others, Johnson and DeChambeau. What role does distance play at TPC Sawgrass? CAMERON MORFIT: It's certainly not insignificant; Davis Love III won the tournament twice. But I'll go out on a limb and say Morikawa, who comes in hot after winning the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession, will win this group. He's long enough, and his iron play is just too good. Combine it with his new "saw" putting grip and he's going to be plenty dangerous, even if he does only have one competitive round there. BEN EVERILL: When we moved from May to March in 2019, I remember a bunch of talk about how it would benefit the bombers more than had previously been the case. While there may have been some truth to that with Rory McIlroy winning and Johnson even getting his first PLAYERS top-10 finish, I would be remiss not to point out that 48-year-old Jim Furyk was runner-up. TPC Sawgrass doesn't benefit any specific type - it benefits whoever is on his game across the spectrum. I can certainly see Morikawa winning on this cerebral layout, but part of me thinks Johnson is ready to add another huge title to his resume. JEFF BABINEAU: Distance plays a role on any golf course - long and straight is always a strong mix - but I think it is less of a factor at TPC Sawgrass than other venues. To its credit, THE PLAYERS is one of the most democratic tournaments on the planet, and by that, I mean there is a wide variety of styles and games in its long roster of champions. Power players and shorter-hitting grinders have won the event. For every Rory McIlroy, or Tiger Woods, or Davis Love III, there is a Fred Funk, or Matt Kuchar, or Tim Clark - competitors who won despite giving up length to the field. Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed Rahm looked great through 54 holes of THE PLAYERS before suffering a minor meltdown on the second hole of the final round in 2019, and finishing well back. Does a moment and a day like that make you more or less inclined to put a player on your fantasy team? CAMERON MORFIT: It depends on how old the player is when he has the close call. For a guy in his late 30s or 40s, there can certainly be an element of, "If he hasn't won it by now, he never will." But Rahm is too young for that kind of thinking. He'll be on my fantasy team for sure. BEN EVERILL: One swallow doesn't make a summer. Rahm isn't the only player to have meltdowns in his career - the important thing is he's shown the ability to close strong against quality fields as well. Pretty good chance the Spaniard makes my team... if there is room after I slot in my favorite Aussies! JEFF BABINEAU: Jon Rahm's closing 76 at THE PLAYERS and T12 finish two years ago would seem more an aberration than something to make you shy away from picking him. For three rounds, he played beautifully, shooting 69-68-64 as he headed to Sunday. Rahm is where he is in the World Ranking (No. 2, behind only Dustin Johnson) because he all the tools to win anywhere, at any time.

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DUBLIN, Ohio – Billy Horschel has never been accused of being slow but a more deliberate process has sent the high-octane former FedEx Cup champ to an impressive five-shot lead at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. RELATED: Leaderboard | Horschel builds five-shot lead at the Memorial Tournament Horschel fashioned an ultra-impressive 7-under 65 in Saturday’s third round at Muirfield Village to surge to 13-under for the tournament, five clear of PLAYERS champion and World No. 3 Cameron Smith (72) and one-time TOUR winner Aaron Wise (69) with just 18 holes to play. The Floridian has always had an upbeat and high paced personality and finds it unnatural to slow down. He walks faster between shots than most and talks a million miles an hour with a seemingly endless stream of consciousness. And when it comes his turn to hit, you best not blink or you might miss it. But the key to Horschel being just one round away from an iconic victory at Jack’s place has been fighting against the instinct of speed. Instead, he is forcing himself to see the full process of each shot, making sure he has a clear picture in his mind, and executing accordingly. “It’s just going through our process, making sure we have a number where we’re trying to land the ball, talking about the shot, the club selection, the wind. When we do that, it allows me to have a clearer picture and have a little bit more of a higher acceptance level over the golf shot,” Horschel explained after stretching his bogey-free run to 44 holes. “I move very quick, and I’m impatient, and so I’m ready to go without always being clear on everything. Sometimes I just want to get the golf shot over with. “Yes, I am an idiot for not doing what I know works every time. If I’m going to win the golf tournaments I want to win, and I feel like I can win, then I need to do a better job of it on a daily, weekly basis, especially when it comes to the bigger events.” After missing the cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge Horschel called a meeting of sorts with his caddie Mark ‘Fooch’ Fulcher and the two made a pact to get back to the process that has helped the six-time TOUR winner to two runner-up finishes earlier this season. It’s about balancing the energy Horschel uses to his advantage, but can also be a detriment if he gets too wired. This time around he’s expecting to close the deal. Horschel is 2 for 4 in converting 54-hole leads on the PGA TOUR, winning the 2014 BMW Championship and TOUR Championship from in front in his FedExCup claiming run that year. But he also let a two-shot lead slide at the 2013 Valero Texas Open and was tied for the lead earlier this year at the Arnold Palmer Invitational only to shoot 75 Sunday and miss out by one. Despite the large margin Horschel knows the last two TOUR events saw the winner came from seven shots adrift. As such he says he can’t start playing conservative now. “I just have to go to the tee understanding I’m leading the tournament… and try to play a really good round of golf. I’m not going to be protective; I’m not going to be overly aggressive. I’m going to play the way I have the last three days,” he said. “We’re going to hit the golf shots that are required, and I know if we do that it’s going to give me the best chance to be victorious. I’ve been doing this for 13 years now out here, so I think I should have a pretty clear understanding of what I need to do and the feelings and the emotions I’m going to have tomorrow.” The most likely contenders for the crown come in Smith and Wise. The Australian Smith had to once again rely on some incredible short game shots to stay in the mix after his swing proved out of sync most of the round. But having blitzed his way to a win at TPC Sawgrass thanks to a final round rush earlier this season, Smith knows what it takes. He won’t go down without a fight. “I really have to go out there tomorrow and have to hit it better. Today was pretty unacceptable to be honest… but you’ve just got to hang in there. Golf is a crazy game. You’ve got to try and get as much out of it as you can. I feel as though my good is really good, and my bad is getting better,” Smith said. “You never know what this course is going to throw at you. Anything can really happen around here. This place is unreal. it seems like you can have a birdie on every hole and you can make a double or triple quite quickly, as well.”

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The state of Texas hosts five events on the PGATOUR calendar this season and the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch bats in the clean-up spot in the order for the second consecutive year. The TOUR will complete the quintet of events in a fortnight at Colonial after playing the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa next week. RELATED: Expert Picks | Power Rankings The preparation for the PGA Championship this time last year was an exercise in loosening up the shoes, swinging hard and making as many birdies as possible. Tom Weiskopf’s Par-72 was absolutely run over as it played the fifth easiest of 51 layouts on TOUR last season at 69.574. The only two Par-72 tracks to play easier were Sherwood Country Club (ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP) and Caves Valley (BMW Championship). Superlatives: • The top 36 players all made 20 or more birdies. • There were exactly nine rounds over par from the top 54 players for the ENTIRE week. • The top six players were 20-under or better. • The top 60 players were 10-under or better. The recipe for success will be very similar this week as the design obviously is built around Mother Nature and the Texas wind. There’s PLENTY of room (35 acres) of fairway off the tee so if it does blow, there’s ample space to get it in play. Bentgrass greens roll true and at 6,800 feet on average there’s not much excuse not to hit them. Putts fall here because the Stimpmeter hangs right around 11 to 12 feet because nobody wants golf balls blowing off the greens. It’s also close to a perfect speed to hole putts and not have the fear of running them by four to five feet! Need a key stat this week? There is NEVER one stat that tells the entire story except the least amount of strokes taken at the END of 72 holes but we’re always looking for clues! While TPC Craig Ranch is hosting just for the second time, I’d also take a look at winners from other events in Texas who are used to these conditions. The wind always blows in Texas. Adam Scott remains the only player to win all four stroke play events in the Lone Star State in PGATOUR history. Another direction would be those who excel on Tom Weiskopf designs. KH Lee lost by a shot to Brooks Koepka at the 2021 WM Phoenix Open before arriving to TPC Craig Ranch and posting 25-under to win by three. The field of 156 will be reduced to the top 50 and ties to play the final two rounds. On the line is a purse of $9 million with the winner collecting $1.63 million plus 500 FedExCup points. If not already qualified, the champion will be the last player entered into the 2022 PGA Championship. Let’s find some horses for courses! Horses for Courses Odds sourced on Tuesday, May 10th at 1 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. Recent Event Winner Stats Extra Credit (players entered this week only) 2021 KH Lee secured his first TOUR victory and became the second Korean winner in as many events in Dallas (Sung Kang, 2019). … Sam Burns (2nd) posted the tournament course record (62) in Round 2 and led after 36 and 54 holes. … Patton Kizzire (T3) posted rounds of 64 and 63, low round of the day Sunday. … Charl Schwartzel (T3) made two eagles and just three bogeys (T1) for the week. … Scott Stallings (T3) led the field with 30 birdies. … Joseph Bramlett (T7) registered just T59 Fairways. … Seamus Power (T9) led the field in SG: Around the Green and Scrambling while carding just two bogeys and a double. … Doc Redman (T9) hit 48 of 56 Fairways, best of the week. … Jordan Spieth (T9) opened with 63 to share the first round lead with JJ Spaun (T47). … Only Zalatoris and Redman hit more GIR than Jhonattan Vegas (T9) for the week. … 2019 event champion Sung Kang (T47) didn’t fare as well on this layout as he did at Trinity Forest. Notes: • 59 bogey free rounds for the week but only one on Sunday (DeChambeau, not entered). • Of the 72 players to make the cut (6-under) 63 of them squared LESS THAN 10 BOGEYS for the week. • Hank Lebioda led the field in Proximity. • Kizzire led the field in Par-3 scoring (-4). • Lift, Clean and Place in effect Round 1 in closely mown areas. Key stat leaders Top golfers in each statistic on the 2021-2022 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week.

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