One & Done: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

NAPA, Calif. – Notes and observations from Saturday’s gusty third round of the Safeway Open at sun-splashed Silverado Resort & Spa. LEADING LIGHTS SNEDEKER CLOSING IN. Brandt Snedeker was coming back from a rib injury and missed the PGA TOUR’s fall swing last year. As a result, he felt like he was playing catch-up all season and missed the TOUR Championship, a hard pill to swallow given that he won it along with the FedExCup in 2012. This time, Snedeker said after shooting a 69 to take a three-shot lead into Sunday, he’s determined to rack up as many FedExCup points as he can, as quickly as he can. “That’s the reason why I came here,� said Snedeker, a nine-time TOUR winner. “… I want to make sure I get as high on the list as possible so you can kind of set your schedule up and set your season up and not be worried about where you are on the list.� Saturday brought the most challenging conditions yet, with gusting winds that scattered leaves across the greens and made club selection tricky. There’s more wind in the forecast for Sunday, but Snedeker isn’t worried. He likes unsettled weather, and authored one of best bad-weather rounds ever in winning the 2016 Farmers Insurance Open. TWAY A LATE BLOOMER. Kevin Tway bowed out of the Playoffs after THE NORTHERN TRUST (T56) and Dell Technologies Championship (T43) last season. He started well at both, but finished poorly. At the RBC Canadian Open, he contended before a final-round 76 dropped him to a T17. Now, he says, he’s ready to take the next step in his career progression: finishing off a win. “It always takes me a while to kind of get comfortable in new places,� said Tway, who shot 68 to get to 13 under, three back and in solo second. “I got in contention a few times last year and didn’t do very good, so I’ll use tomorrow to learn from the bad and try to do better.� NOTABLES MICKELSON FALTERS. All week, Phil Mickelson insisted he was playing poorly despite posting good enough scores to work himself into the final threesome going into the weekend. The popular lefthander finally faltered in the third round, hitting his tee shot out of bounds on the way to a double bogey at the 8th hole and finding just 5/14 fairways as he shot 74. He missed a birdie putt of just over 6 ½ feet at the downwind, par-5 18th hole and went from three behind starting the day to eight strokes behind and in a tie for 15th. COUPLES CRUISING. A day after he made his 500th cut on the PGA TOUR, Fred Couples, who turned 59 earlier this week, kept on going with a third-round 70 to get to 8-under and in a large tie for 15th place. His round was highlighted by a hole-out eagle from the bunker at the par-5 9th, after which he mostly spun his wheels with a 1-over back nine. “I think this is a good course for everybody, whether you’re 29, 39, 109,� said Couples, who missed a 4 ½-foot birdie putt at the par-5 16th hole. “And I really like it, so that helps.� OBSERVATIONS HAAS TAKES LONG VIEW. Bill Haas is taking nothing for granted after a season in which he was in a car accident and wound up 152nd in the FedExCup, missing the Playoffs. At 36, the 2011 FedExCup champion has been in an especially reflective mood amongst so much youthful talent at Silverado. “Doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past,� Haas said after shooting 67 to get to 11-under, five back. “You’ve got to keep playing. There’s young guys, year in and year out, coming out that are really good. You just can’t sit by and expect to play out here forever. So just motivated me a little bit to realize I’ve got to get after it if I want to hang around.� IM IN THE MIX. Sungjae Im didn’t waste any time last season as he started his Web.com Tour campaign with a win in his first start and a runner-up in his second. He wound up leading the money list wire-to-wire, and don’t look now, but he’s threatening to win his first start on the PGA TOUR, too, at the Safeway. Im shot his second straight 69 to reach 12-under and will go into Sunday four behind solo leader Snedeker. “I’m not looking at the leaderboard at all tomorrow,� Im said. “So I’m going to play my own game tomorrow.� GET TO KNOW … CHASE WRIGHT. University of Indiana product was mentored by fellow Hoosier and TOUR pro Jeff Overton; the two were even roomies for a time in Bloomington. Wright got engaged last week to Gretchen Zoeller, daughter of 10-time TOUR winner Fuzzy, and shot a third-round 70 to reach 10-under at Silverado. He’s tied for 5th place, six back. QUOTABLES I was kind of stunned.I’m not looking at the leaderboard at all tomorrow.It’s 1,000 percent attitude. SUPERLATIVES Low round: 67 by Bill Haas, Sam Ryder. Longest drive: 398 yards (Martin Trainer/No. 9) Longest putt: 57’ 9� (Sepp Straka/No. 5) Toughest hole: The 464-yard, par-4 13th played to a 4.267 average. Easiest hole: The 580-yard, par-5 16th played to a 4.535 average. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the final round of the Safeway Open, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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A couple of non-members on the PGA TOUR are looking to take advantage of a good opportunity this week at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship. 18-year-old Akshay Bhatia and Monday Qualifier Luke Graboyes were both 3-under in Thursday's opening round in the Dominican Republic. Will Zalatoris, who leads the Korn Ferry Tour's Points List and accepted a Sponsor Exemption into the event after a T6 at the U.S. Open, is a shot further back at 2-under. Zalatoris is currently on a record-setting pace on the Korn Ferry Tour with 11 straight top-20 finishes. Bhatia, meanwhile, earned his spot this week after a T9 at the Safeway Open. He returned home to let his body rest after his first four-round effort on the PGA TOUR last week before heading to Punta Cana. "I know I'm good enough to post good numbers consistently," Bhatia said. RELATED: Leaderboard | Bhatia takes fast track to PGA TOUR | Zalatoris making most of TOUR call-up Bhatia, who had a successful junior golf career before turning professional in 2019, said he felt more comfortable on the first tee at Corales than he did at the Safeway Open - part of the professional golf learning process, he said. "The more experience I can get the better I can learn for myself," he said. Bhatia admitted he didn't drive it well but rolled in some solid putts on No's 7 and 8 before chipping in for a third-straight birdie on the par-3 9th. "It's a new week, anything could happen," he said. "I just have to take it day-by-day." For Monday Qualifier Graboyes, a Cornell alum, he's been waiting for more than 180 days for his shot on the PGA TOUR stage. He originally got into this event when it was on the schedule during the 2019-20 season. This is his first start in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event after a decorated career at Cornell where he led the school in scoring average for three consecutive seasons and won the Ivy League championship as a junior. He said Thursday's round at Corales was akin to his start at Second Stage of Q-School, where the grass was similar. But, he said, there was a lot more wind and more variety of conditions. "It was a challenge, especially for my first round," he admitted. Graboyes made four birdies to just one bogey Thursday. The highlight, he said, was on the par-4 13th when he "whiffed" his drive and had nearly 200 yards to the hole. He ripped a six iron, he said, to 15 feet androlled in the putt. After a good start, he's hoping to find the weekend and make a good week even better. "This," he said, "is the biggest event of my life so far."

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Sunday at the U.S. Open coincides every year with a special holiday: Father’s Day. For sons and daughters who play the game of golf, It’s a great time to join their dad in an early round before going home to watch the conclusion of the U.S. Open. Not all fathers play golf, however. That’s perfectly fine, but maybe dad has dropped a hint or two recently that he’s interested in picking up the game. Maybe Tiger Woods bwinning the Masters has sparked his interest. Or, maybe he’s already started playing, but his game isn’t quite golf course ready. Amid your search for a Father’s Day gift, you figure this is the perfect time to get him something golf-related and keep dad enthused about the game. What do you buy, though? Does dad need an entire set of golf clubs? Should you get him a club fitting? Group lessons? Golf instructional books? The golf market can be overwhelming, especially when starting from scratch. Most importantly, we want dad to enjoy the game. To help us sift through the clutter, and get dad started the right way, PGATOUR.COM recently spoke with Anne Cain, a Top-100 ranked instructor from the PGA TOUR Academy at World Golf Village. Cain was an All-American at the University of Georgia, played golf professionally, and then went on to coach dozens of TOUR players and collegiate competitors. Below, Cain offers invaluable advice for sons and daughters who want to help dad get started playing golf and enjoy it for a lifetime. Of course, this advice can also be great for mom to get started playing golf, too. PGATOUR.COM: What are the essential purchases that need to be made to start playing golf? ANNE CAIN: “I think a good starting set is a putter, wedge, 7-iron and driver.� PGATOUR.COM: Should you spend more money on lessons or a club fitting/new equipment? ANNE CAIN: “I would recommend spending more time on lessons initially. A good instructor should be able to guide you on future club purchases, as well.� PGATOUR.COM: Do you recommend group lessons, or one-on-one lessons? ANNE CAIN: “I recommend private lessons if your budget allows for it. Imagine taking piano lessons in a group – you are not going to get the same individual attention as you will in private instruction. Group lessons are better for socializing or getting info on a particular shot within the game.� PGATOUR.COM: What about getting dad a swing instructional book? Would this be helpful for him? ANNE CAIN: “Reading is a great idea; however, for a beginner it can be confusing getting information from too many sources. If you want to read, get books on the rules of golf or the etiquette.� PGATOUR.COM: Is it better to spend more time at the range, or more time on the course when just starting out? ANNE CAIN: “You need to develop technique on the range until you have a certain percentage of successful shots. They don’t have to be perfect, but the ball needs to advance. If you can find a par-3 course, then start playing there before moving to a regulation golf course. Have a friend or family member take you out initially to show you the ropes.� PGATOUR.COM: What are some good goals for dad to establish early on? ANNE CAIN: “Goals are individual and need to be established with your instructor. I usually have new students do drills with some feedback and we shoot for a percentage of successful shots or contact on the sweet spot. Once you build to a 70% success rate, you can move to a new area or try playing on the course.� PGATOUR.COM: How can you help dad from getting frustrated when all he does is duff or whiff the ball? Or if he goes out on the course and shoots 150 the first time out? ANNE CAIN: “Perhaps it’s too soon for him to be on the course. I would buy him the gift of golf instruction for Father’s Day. An instructor can get him on the right track and show him how to practice and improve. That will help so he’s not so frustrated the next time he goes on the course.� PGATOUR.COM: Should a son or daughter try to help dad when he’s struggling, or leave swing advice to the pros? ANNE CAIN: “Leave it to the experts – we know what we are doing!� PGATOUR.COM: What are some tips for course management for the beginner? ANNE CAIN: “Set a goal for a score on each hole – it might be two or three strokes above par. Do what you can to keep the ball in play and avoid trouble areas like hazards and bunkers. For guys, that may mean leaving the driver in the bag and hitting a different club off the tee.�

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