Rodgers nears 1st PGA Tour title at John Deere

ATLANTA - The TOUR Championship's staggered-start format is just a year old, but Justin Thomas has seen both sides of it. He arrived at East Lake last year as the FedExCup leader, holding a two-shot lead when he teed off in the first round. Thomas admits that he was uncomfortable in that opening round. RELATED: Full leaderboard | McIlroy begins fatherhood with 64 at East Lake "I (didn't) know how to react, and nobody really would," Thomas said. "But I feel like I didn’t handle it as well as I should have." Thomas shot 70 in the first round here last year and was just 3 under par for his four rounds at East Lake. He finished third, five shots behind Rory McIlroy. It was a 10-shot swing, as McIlroy started the week five back of Thomas. Thomas didn't specify on what he would do differently if in that position again. He didn't want to help his competition. They'd have to figure it out for themselves. This year, Thomas arrived at East Lake three shots behind Dustin Johnson. Thomas is third in the FedExCup thanks to his TOUR-high three wins this season. Thomas, the 2017 FedExCup champion, is trying to join Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as the only two-time winners of the Cup. Thomas shot 66 on Friday to pick up a shot on the lead. He'll start Saturday two shots behind Johnson and Jon Rahm. Two rounds is too small a sample to discern how much of an impact his starting position had on his score, but there's no question Thomas performed better this year. He made birdie on three of his first four holes. "I feel like I’m in a good frame of mind," he said. "I’m in a good place mentally right now, where I would like to feel like I would handle the golf course the same no matter what I was at. I did a good job of just staying in my game today, my focus, and just trying to make birdies when I gave myself a chance." Thomas hit his irons so well that he felt his round could have been a 61 or 62. He lost -1.15 strokes on the greens but that doesn't include the 44-footer he made from the fringe on the 14th hole. That stroke gained 1.18 strokes on the field. Thomas hit 14 of 18 greens Friday. He was fourth in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and second in proximity to the hole. His approach shots finished an average of 25 feet from the hole. Thomas leads the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach this season but is 114th in Strokes Gained: Putting. "When you give yourself that many chances you’re not going to make all of them," he said. "There’s a couple that if I would have had the speed up a little more I would have made, but a couple of them I just misread from short distance. "At the end of the day it would be nice to make all those, but it’s just not realistic. To go around here with not a great putting today and shoot 4-under is pretty good, I think."

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The PGA TOUR is focused on improving the golf experience, and we’re putting direct fan feedback at the heart of this effort. The Fan Council is a community of real fans from all over the world helping the TOUR make key decisions by being the voice that represents what fans really want. Once in the council, members serve as a sounding board for new ideas, and they collaborate with the TOUR to test-drive new products before they’re available to anyone else. The Fan Council is an avenue for fans to provide feedback directly to the TOUR and have their voice heard. It’s where the TOUR not only looks for feedback, but also encourages fans to share their ideas that can make golf better. To take advantage of this unique opportunity to get involved, click the link below: Join the PGA TOUR Fan Council A note from the Commissioner At the PGA TOUR, no voice has more weight and value than that of our fans. That’s why the PGA TOUR Fan Council – each of you – is so important. We know there’s room to improve, and we’re ready to listen.   Every employee, player, partner and fan is thankful for your passion and dedication to the game. I hope you enjoy your experience, and I look forward to hearing your recommendations on how we can make good on our mission to put Fans First.     – PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan FAQ Q. What kind of activities will I be participating in? A. You’ll be able to interact with the PGA TOUR through the Fan Council website by participating in digital surveys, online forums, polls and other online experiences. We’ll also have several opportunities throughout the year to meet the team at PGA TOUR events and participate in focus groups and other activities at live events. Q. How much does it cost to join the PGA TOUR Fan Council? A. Nothing; it is free to join. We just ask that you actively participate in the council by providing your feedback when requested. Q. What do members receive for participating? A. Official PGA TOUR Fan Council members have the unique opportunity to speak directly to the PGA TOUR. Members also get the chance to see new products and experiences before they’re available to golf fans everywhere. In addition, the Fan Council runs sweepstakes and featured member giveaways periodically. Q. How long can you be a member of the PGA TOUR Fan Council? A. Members can always remain on the council, as long as they actively participate by providing feedback when requested. Q. Who is eligible to join the PGA TOUR Fan Council? A. For consideration, any new members should be at least 18 years of age and be interested in improving the golf experience. Q. My friend/family member should be a member; how do I recommend them for the PGA TOUR Fan Council? A. Anyone who is interested in becoming a member can submit a request here (www.pgatourfancouncil.com) by clicking the “Interested in joining?â€� button. Q. How often can I expect to provide feedback? A. While not every member receives every survey, members can expect to participate in roughly two activities per month.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The pavilion that encircles the par-3 16th hole, the nerve center of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, looked more or less the same. You could still see the serrated mountaintops from the tee. It presented the same shot from 170 yards. But that's where the similarities ended as players teed it up before the biggest gallery since the pandemic began - 5,000 fans - Thursday. "I probably made the quietest almost hole-in-one ever on 16," said Matthew NeSmith, a 27-year-old South Carolinian who took the early lead with an 8-under 63. "I got about six claps there and hit it to six inches." RELATED: Full leaderboard | Dissecting the PGA TOUR's nuttiest ace ever NeSmith's lone career victory came at the 2019 Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco, and that's about what TPC Scottsdale looked like Thursday. Grandstands were replaced by Adirondack chairs. Lusty booing for those who missed the green at 16 - where a banner of color portraits has replaced general admission seating - was replaced by subdued booing by those in the corporate chalets. The result was a different looking, different sounding Waste Management Phoenix Open. You could see each individual fan in the distance, just as you could hear when one of them was "disappointed" in Keith Mitchell (75) for missing the 16th green. After he hit his pitch shot to four and a half feet at the drivable 17th hole, yet another fan left of the green called the shot "tasty." With such a dramatically shrunken gallery there was a chance for each fan to really stand out. "Yeah, I mean, when there’s a lot of people it almost becomes white noise," said Xander Schauffele (66). "Out here I chunked my chip and some guys was like, ‘Dang, he duffed it.' I’m like, yeah, you’re right, I just duffed the crap out of that chip. "You can kind of hear certain small comments more," Schauffele continued, "which when you show up here you know exactly what you’re walking into, but it is weird, though, overall sort of quietness here. It is strange to me." There were still scoreboards throughout the property, but now they flashed the message that, "Due to COVID-19, players are prohibited from signing autographs." Ryan Goble, caddie for Will Zalatoris (71), said one big difference was the fans' motivations. Whereas in the past one might happen upon a spectator who was unaware that there was a tournament going on, Thursday was rife with golf watchers. "People were actually on the front nine following golf," Goble said. Colt Knost, who played in five Waste Management Phoenix Opens and lives 10 minutes from the course, called the atmosphere "weird" and was able to individually greet some of the players coming off the 15th green. He loves the usual rowdy atmosphere here, but noted, "I think that's why there's such a good field this year, because players don't have to deal with all the nonsense." Rory McIlroy (70), making his first start in Phoenix, said he looked forward to getting his feet wet absent the usual Greatest Show on Grass insanity. That said, Thursday still brought the most spectators since the pandemic cancelled THE PLAYERS Championship last March. "Yeah, it was nice to play in front of people today," McIlroy said after battling back from a double-bogey, bogey start. "Yeah, just to get clapped for some good shots and good putts and get encouragement from some greens to tees, it was really nice to see people out here." Added NeSmith, who hit 16 greens in regulation and took just 27 putts, "It’s just been like we’re all kind of playing together at home or something like that. It’s really nice to feel a little bit of the nerves and get some claps."

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