James Hahn leads at Byron Nelson

Horschel’s wife reveals her alcoholism battle

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Chris Perry had more than a passing interest in Saturday’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Granted, he was only 7 years old when it happened. So, Perry doesn’t really remember watching the historic event that was broadcast live from the lunar surface to hundreds of millions around the world on July 20, 1969. But the PGA TOUR veteran did know astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first of just 12 men to ever set foot on the moon. Perry’s father-in-law and Armstrong were long-time friends. Perry first met Armstrong while he and his wife Kathy were dating, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award winner was a guest at their wedding. They skied in Colorado and played golf together, as well. Perry, who played collegiately at Ohio State, took Armstrong, a Purdue grad, to the Buckeyes’ Scarlet Course a couple of times. The two also played at Camargo Country Club, Armstrong’s home course in Cincinnati, which is ranked 44th in Golf Digest’s most recent top 100.   Armstrong, Perry reports, was a “passionateâ€� golfer who was likely an 18 handicap or so. “His swing was really flat, and he was kind of handsy. But he just loved to be out for the exercise and being with his foursome,â€� Perry says. Off the golf course, Perry remembers Armstrong, who died in 2012 at the age of 82, as being a very unassuming man. “He felt that the guy in the control room was just as important as he was,â€� says Perry, who won the 1998 B.C. Open. “He was very private. He didn’t believe in stardom and autographs and all that kind of stuff. “He was just very, a very humble person.â€� So, taking his lead from Armstrong, Perry didn’t press his friend for details on the moon walk. He never joked that maybe his friend should have been the one to hit the makeshift 6-iron off the lunar surface like Alan Shepard did when Apollo 14 landed, either. “We just didn’t really go there with him,â€� says Perry, who made 483 starts on the PGA TOUR. “We knew obviously the way he was — he felt everyone had an important role and stuff — even though it’s 500 million watching (him) that night. “After they got back, several months later, they did 20, 28 parades in like 43 days. That was all over the world – (he was) just a hero all the way around and still is to this day.â€� The date of the moon landing is important in the Perry family for reasons beyond the friendship that developed with Armstrong, though. Both Perry’s father, Jim, who pitched for the Minnesota Twins, and his uncle, Gaylord, who at the time was pitching for the San Francisco Giants, had milestones accomplishments that day as well.   The weekend Apollo 11 landed on the moon, the Twins were in Seattle for a series with the Pilots. Saturday’s game went extra innings and eventually was suspended, tied 7-7 after 16 innings, at 1:30 in the morning. When the game resumed on July 20, Twins manager Billy Martin sent Jim, his only rested pitcher, to the mound. He pitched two shutout innings, doubled and then scored the winning run on a balk by Pilots pitcher Jim Gelnar. But there’s more. While Armstrong was taking his first steps on the Sea of Tranquility, Jim was getting ready to start the regularly scheduled Sunday game – going all nine innings in another shutout. So, he picked up two wins in one day – unusual in itself — and scored the game-winning run to boot. “There were 400 or 500 million tuned in that day on the radio or TV around the world,â€� Perry says. “But my dad had to go back and warm up, so he missed the actual landing on the moon.â€� Jim’s younger brother Gaylord was pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers that day. An announcement was made during the first inning – with the Giants already trailing 3-0 — that Armstrong had climbed out of the lunar module and taken that famous one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. About 30 minutes later, Gaylord hit a home run. What made this so interesting is that seven years earlier, the Giants’ manager, Alvin Dark, had famously told one of the team’s beat writers that there will be a man on the moon before Gaylord Perry ever hits a home run. “It was his first, and I think, only home run he ever hit in his career,â€� Chris says. Jim later told Armstrong about their shared July 20 history when he and his brother met the astronaut at Chris’ wedding reception. “So, it’s a very unique situation that it’s been 50 years, since the lunar landing … and that all of this had taken place,â€� Perry says. “And the fact that I played golf with him and you look up (at the moon) and just go, wow, we know that someone’s actually been there, and that you actually have somewhat of a relationship with him and played golf with him. “And so, it’s very unique to our family.â€�

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SAN DIEGO – Justin Rose needed a fresh start. After missing four short putts in his first six holes – and watching his three-shot lead dwindle to a single stroke – Rose drew a line. It was a metaphorical line in the sand, but he drew it in his scorecard. It was time to start over. “I said, ‘All right, we build the round from this moment on,’â€� he said. He did. Rose birdied three of the next four holes, then grinded through Torrey Pines’ difficult back nine to secure a two-shot win in the Farmers Insurance Open. Torrey Pines is Tiger’s territory, but Rose supplanted him in the tournament’s record book. Rose’s 21-under 267 (63-66-69-69) was the lowest score at the Farmers Insurance Open since the South Course was toughened up in the early 2000s. He was two shots lower than Woods’ winning total in 2008. The reigning FedExCup champion is now sixth in the standings after winning his third start of the season. This was Rose’s 10th PGA TOUR win, the most by an Englishman since World War II. Three of Rose’s wins have come since the start of last season. It’s been an incredibly consistent run that culminated with a win in last season’s FedExCup. He’s finished in the top 10 in 13 of his last 21 TOUR starts, including eight top-3 finishes. He’s missed just one cut. And it was another victory at a tough test. Torrey Pines was softened by last week’s rain, but the rough was lush. Rose’s has won at storied venues like Merion, Colonial, Muirfield Village, Aronimink and Congressional. MUST READS: Round 4, Farmers Insurance Open Tiger planning schedule, hopes to peak for PLAYERS Championship Adam Scott’s recent putter switch propels him to best finish since 2016 Gooch continues strong form, gets second straight top-10 finish “I always pride myself on the golf courses I’ve been able to win on and this one is another very great golf course with a lot of history,â€� Rose said. “I love winning on great tests of golf and this one will give some special feelings because of that.â€� Rose also joined Woods as the only player to convert a 54-hole lead at this event over the last decade. Nine of the last 10 leaders entering Sunday had lost the tournament. He was in danger of joining them after his tough start Sunday. The way Rose won – by battling back after his lead was in jeopardy – showed a side of the Englishman that is often overshadowed by his genteel nature. “He has a nasty streak in him, for sure,â€� said Rory McIlroy. “Justin is, he’s a grinder. He’s learned the hard way, with the way he started his career (by missing his first 21 cuts). “I don’t think there’s many mentally stronger people in the world of golf than Justin Rose just because of what he’s been through and coming out the other end of it.â€� Rose started Sunday’s round with consecutive misses from 8 feet, then missed a 7-footer for par at the fifth hole and three-putted the par-5 sixth hole. Jon Rahm was just one stroke behind him. “I never lost the lead so I had to stay patient,â€� Rose said. “Definitely there were times in my career where I’ve had decent sized leads and you start to throw it away a little bit and you panic.  I just knew I couldn’t do that today. I stayed calm, I stayed with it.â€� Walking off the sixth green, Rose told himself to play like the man that he is: the unanimous No. 1 player in the world. Not only is he the reigning FedExCup champion, but he sits atop the world ranking. “I just said, “You’re No. 1 in the world for a reason, just start playing like it, please,’â€� Rose said. It started with a 138-yard approach to 5 feet on the seventh hole. He gave an understated fist pump when that putt fell. Then he got up-and-down from a bunker on the par-5 ninth. He hit a 150-yard approach to 8 feet on the 10th hole to take a four-shot lead with eight holes remaining. Then he had to grind. He parred two of the South Course’s hardest holes, Nos. 11 and 12, after hitting long-irons within 30 feet. His caddie, Gareth Lord, called Rose’s 4-iron on 11 his best shot of the day. Lord is filling in for Rose’s longtime caddie, Mark Fulcher, as he recovers from heart surgery. “His iron shots, the way he takes yardage off. That was a holding 4-iron. If he hits it normal, he’s going to go through the back. If he hits 5-iron, we’re 35, 40 feet short,â€� Lord said. “He said, ‘I’ve got that shot.’ And to pull it off the way he did, he’s pretty good under pressure.â€� Then he had to lean on his short game to maintain his advantage. Rose finished second in greens hit this week, but he had to save par after missing three in a row. He deftly executed a touchy chip on the par-5 13th, made a sand save on 14 and holed a 9-footer for par on the next hole. He made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, then finished with a birdie after wedging close. This was Rose’s first PGA TOUR win in January, and erased questions about his recent switch to Honma equipment. This was just his second start with the new clubs. “Everything has worked out better than I would have hoped,â€� he said.

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