Hootie Johnson, former Augusta National chairman, dies

At long last, the R&A has released the qualifying criteria for the 150th edition of The Open Championship in 2022. Although it feels like it was delayed, it actually wasn’t long ago when the R&A confirmed the criteria right around the second week of December regularly. After the considerable, painstaking attention was required weekly to customize the 2021 field (because the 2020 edition was canceled), this season’s bonus is a return to the procedure of revealing all criteria at once. All familiar (read: expected) criteria has been renewed since the last pre-pandemic staging in 2019. The Open Qualifying Series underwent a few adjustments, but it’s always been fluid given how tours’ schedules change every season. The only notable pivot concerns the automatic qualifier from the Asian Tour. In place of its season-ending Order of Merit leader (that will not be granted an exemption with just eight tournaments contributing to a combined 2020-21-22 season), the winner of the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup Golf will receive it instead. As noted in the section dedicated to The Open in REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA below, the date for that tournament is “TBD.” Like all projections for which the exact date to fulfill exemptions is unknown, it’s slotted in the area of when it’s expected to be contested, which is its most recent regular date in May. More than six dozen golfers have been added to the alphabetical list. Because former Open winners who remain eligible but who haven’t appeared in recent editions have been known to give it one more go at St. Andrews specifically, it wouldn’t be surprising if 1997 champion Justin Leonard returned to the event for the first time in six years, but he and Ben Curtis (2003) remain omitted. The last exemptions to be distributed in 2021 will be determined by the final edition of the Official World Golf Ranking. Once it’s released, the top 50 will qualify for the Masters. Currently, the following 10 golfers are not yet exempt into the major: Tyrrell Hatton (22nd in the OWGR), Matt Fitzpatrick (24th), Matthew Wolff (31st), Lee Westwood (38th), Mackenzie Hughes (39th), Tommy Fleetwood (40th), Ryan Palmer (47th), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (48th), Takumi Kanaya (49th), Min Woo Lee (50th). The first three in order outside the top 50 and not yet exempt into the Masters are Ian Poulter (53rd), Cameron Tringale (54th) and Carlos Ortiz (55th). NOTE: Golfers are omitted if they recently haven’t competed in majors for which they are eligible (e.g. The Open Championship=Justin Leonard). TPC = THE PLAYERS Championship MAS = Masters PGA = PGA Championship US = U.S. Open OPEN = The Open Championship Recent Additions TPC — none MAS — none PGA — none US — none OPEN — (all currently exempt have been added below) REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Best estimates are given but all are subject to change. THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP (TPC) @ TPC Sawgrass (Stadium) – March 10-13 • Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before THE PLAYERS. • Top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of The Honda Classic (Feb. 27). • Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (Feb. 28). • If necessary to complete the field of 144, golfers outside the Top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Honda Classic on Feb. 27 will gain entry in order of position. MASTERS (MAS) @ Augusta National Golf Club – April 7-10 • Winners of PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation for the TOUR Championship. • Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (Dec. 31). • Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 23). • Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (March 28). • Special invitations to international players per Masters Tournament Committee as its discretion. PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (PGA) @ Southern Hills Country Club – May 19-22 • Winners of PGA TOUR events through the final week before the 2022 PGA Championship. • Top 20 from PGA Professional National Championship (April 20). • Top 70 from special money list (i.e., “PGA Championship Points”) on PGA TOUR from 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson thru 2022 Wells Fargo Championship (May 8). • *All 2021 Ryder Cup members inside Top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking (May 9). • Special exemptions per PGA of America. (This likely will include all golfers from Top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking on May 9.) • If necessary to complete the field of 156, golfers outside Top 70 from special money list (three lines above) will gain entry in order of position. U.S. OPEN (US) @ The Country Club – June 16-19 • Winners of multiple PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation since the 2021 U.S. Open. • Winner of THE PLAYERS (March 13). • Winner of the Masters (April 10). • Winner of the PGA Championship (May 22). • Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (May 23). • Sectional qualifying (late May-early June). • Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (June 6). • Special exemptions per the USGA. THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (OPEN) @ St. Andrews Links (Old Course) – July 14-17 • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at the SMBC Singapore Open (Jan. 23). • Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 23). • Money leader on the 2021-22 Sunshine Tour (TBD). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 6). • Winner of THE PLAYERS (March 13). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the New Zealand Open (April 3). • Winner of the Masters (April 10). • Money leader on the 2021-22 Australasian Tour (TBD). • Winner of the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup Golf (TBD). • Winner of the PGA Championship (May 22). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at the Mizuno Open (May 29). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Dutch Open (May 29). • Highest-ranked, not otherwise exempt, from the Order of Merit on the Japan Golf Tour at the conclusion of the Japan Golf Tour Championship (TBD). • Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (TBD). • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 8 at the RBC Canadian Open (June 12). • Winner of the British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 18). • Winner of the U.S. Open (June 19). • Winner of the European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 25). • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 8 at the KOLON Korea Open (June 26). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the DP World Tour Rankings at the conclusion of the BMW International Open (June 26). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Travelers Championship (June 26). • Final Qualifying. Top 3 at each of four sites: Fairmont St. Andrews, Hollinwell (Notts), Prince’s, St. Annes Old Links (June 28). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Irish Open (July 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the John Deere Classic (July 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Genesis Scottish Open (July 10). • Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 5 at the Barbasol Championship (July 10).

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Jason Kokrak played in 233 PGA TOUR events before getting his first victory. The big hitter didn’t have to wait nearly as long to win again, and overcame a local favorite to do it at Colonial. RELATED: Leaderboard | Winner’s Bag: Jason Kokrak, Charles Schwab Challenge Kokrak shot an even-par 70 in a final-group showdown Sunday with resurgent Jordan Spieth, winning the Charles Schwab Challenge at 14-under 266. He was two strokes better than Spieth, who hit his approach at No. 18 over the green and into the water. While even on the day, Kokrak had five bogeys to go with his five birdies. He twice needed two shots to get out of bunkers, and had back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 15 and 16. But when he struck his final 4-foot putt, he followed the ball to the cup and finally broke into a smile when he pulled it out and celebrated with caddie David Robinson. A huge crowd followed the only contending group all day, most of them waiting to erupt for Dallas-native Spieth, who started the round with a one-stroke lead before a bogey-filled 73. Instead of his second win at Colonial, he finished as the runner-up at Hogan’s Alley for the third time. It was still Spieth’s eighth top-10 finish in his last 11 starts this year, one more top 10 than he had the previous two seasons combined. “They were definitely rooting for the guy next to me,” said Kokrak, who tied for third at Colonial last June. “Both of us didn’t have our A-game today. We grinded it out.” Kokrak, playing in his 16th tournament since winning the CJ CUP @ Shadow Creek in October, became the third player with two PGA TOUR wins this season. He joined Bryson DeChambeau and Stewart Cink in that group. Charley Hoffman finished in a four-way third at 10 under with a closing 65. He also had a tournament-best 62 on Friday, but that was sandwiched by a pair of over-par rounds (71 on Thursday and 72 on Saturday). Patton Kizzire (67), Sebastian Munoz (68) and Ian Poulter (68) were also at 10-under 270. Troy Merritt was along in seventh at 7 under. Sergio Garcia was in third place with the final round began, four strokes behind Kokrak and five behind Spieth. But the 41-year-old Spaniard, who got the first of his 11 PGA TOUR wins 20 years ago at Colonial, started with a wayward tee shot and bogeyed the opening par 5, then had had a three-putt for double bogey at No. 3. He shot a 76 and tied for 20th at 276. Kokrak took the lead for good with birdies at the longest and shortest holes, making a 13-foot putt at the 629-yard 11th hole, an then a 17-footer off the fringe at the 170-yard 13th after a tee shot the came close to going into the water fronting the par 3. Spieth only had two birdies all day, the last with an approach to less than 2 feet on No. 9 that matched them at 14 under going to the back nine. But Kokrak had quickly fallen two strokes behind after a bogey at the 551-yard opening hole, when his approach went into a greenside bunker and he didn’t get the ball out of there on the first try. But Spieth, who had only two bogeys in the first 55 holes, then bogeyed three holes in a row — and had two more on the back nine. He went in the right rough and then over the green on both Nos. 2 and 3, then hit into a bunker fronting the difficult 241-yard, par-3 4th. He blasted to six feet, but his par attempt curled around the edge of the cup and he had to tap in for bogey. Instead of going ahead at No. 4, Kokrak was even at 12 under because of his bogey after driving over the green. But Kokrak took the lead for the first time with a 23-foot birdie putt at the fifth, before both rolled in birdies at No. 6. Kokrak then had his other bunker trouble, from the side of the No. 7 green, when he again needed two shots to get out. That bogey tied them again, with Spieth making par after a benefitting from tee shot wide right that hit a tree and ricocheted into the fairway.

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Round 3 of THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES gets underway today. Here’s everything you need to follow the action. Round 3 leaderboard Round 3 tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Wednesday-Saturday (ending Sunday), 10 p.m.-2 a.m. ET (Golf Channel). PGA TOUR LIVE: None. Radio: None. NOTABLE PAIRINGS (ALL TIMES LOCAL) Sergio Garcia, K.J. Choi, Brooks Koepka Tee time: 8:15 a.m. (No. 10) Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Palmer Tee time: 8:45 a.m. (No. 1) Emiliano Grillo, Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith Tee time: 9:35 a.m. (No. 1) Justin Thomas, Byeong Hun An, Danny Lee Tee time: 9:45 a.m. (No. 1) MUST READS Thomas leads THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES after second-round 63 Win probabilities Day returns to old putter, shoots 66 Power Rankings The First Look: News and notes Sleeper Picks Top 10 rookies to watch What to expect during the fall schedule Sign-up and play Fantasy Golf

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