Spieth’s epic playoff win parallels Travelers’ rise

Official PGA TOUR Statement: John Mutch, Ken Tackett and Gary Young have reviewed the Rory McIlroy videos from No. 18 yesterday and determined that it was virtually the same situation that Patrick Reed faced on No. 10 during the third round. It was reasonable for both players to conclude – based on the fact that they did not see the ball land, but given the lie of the ball in soft course conditions – that they proceed as the Rule allows for an potential embedded ball. They marked, lifted and assessed the situation to determine if the ball was embedded. Patrick went one step further and called in a Rules Official to be sure his assessment would not be questioned (although this step is not required). Both players took proper relief under the Rule 16/3. The Committee is comfortable with how both players proceeded given the fact that they used the evidence they had at the time. RELATED: Reed's drop on 10 declared ‘textbook' by rules official

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Kyle Stanley … As long as he continues to commit to tournaments where he matches up nicely, he belongs on this radar. The 30-year-old is making his third appearance on this page this season. The first two times were charms when he placed T5 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions and T14 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. They are among seven top 25s in 12 starts. Currently fifth on the PGA TOUR in fairways hit and co-leads in greens in regulation with an average of 13 per round. He’s also performed well at Quail Hollow with a T6 in 2013. And while he missed the cut in the 2017 PGA Championship during a five-start letdown post-victory at The National, he’s not seeing the renovation for the first time. Charles Howell III … Now that we’re into the second half of 2017-18, the veteran of 512 PGA TOUR starts slides into the annual position of surprise. His early-season work is the stuff of which careers are made, but expectations drop henceforth. Despite that, he’s never passed on the opportunity to play Quail Hollow where he’s 11-for-15 (including a T73 at the 2017 PGA Championship) with five top 25s. At 14th on TOUR in greens hit and 31st in strokes gained: tee-to-green, it actually wouldn’t be surprising to see him contend. Byeong Hun An … With a confident game off the tee and finesse around greens, it’s just a matter of time before all of the levers are pulled at the same time and he’s hoisting hardware at the conclusion of a PGA TOUR event. The 26-year-old has connected for four top 25s in his last seven starts, including a T7 at the RBC Heritage where he ranked fifth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. He’s 21st on the season in that stat, fourth in total driving and 22nd in adjusted scoring. Placed T28 in the 2017 PGA Championship. Grayson Murray … The PGA TOUR sophomore has scattered six top 20s this season. Included are a T14 when he last appeared in this section for the Houston Open and a T16 in his last start at the Valero Texas Open where he led the field in distance of all drives. Overall on TOUR, he’s 15th in that stat and seventh in birdies-or-better percentage. That kind of swagger played well at Quail Hollow in his PGA Championship debut when he ranked second in par-5 scoring. After sitting sixth through three rounds, he’d eventually settle for a share of 22nd place. Scott Brown … Seeking to avenge his playoff loss with Kevin Kisner at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last year, the duo went down as the 54-hole target with a closing, field-high 77 to finish T15. While that stings, it’s still in the books as Brown’s first top 40 since mid-November. The Southeastern native and resident with a history of being streaky can ride that positive at Quail Hollow where he finished T13 at both the PGA Championship in 2017 and the Wells Fargo Championship in 2015.  

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