Tiger Woods returns with solid round and good start in Bahamas

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2017-18 Qualifiers – Majors, World Golf Championships and THE PLAYERS Golfers are omitted if they haven’t recently competed in majors for which they are eligible (e.g. PGA — Steve Elkington). 1 = Masters 2 = U.S. Open 3 = Open Championship 4 = PGA Championship MC = WGC-Mexico Championship MP = WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play TPC = THE PLAYERS Championship BI = WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Recent Additions 1 – Austin Cook 2 – none 3 – Kiradech Aphibarnrat; Paul Dunne; Ross Fisher; Matthew Fitzpatrick; Tommy Fleetwood; Dylan Frittelli; Tyrrell Hatton; Scott Jamieson; Alexander Levy; Shane Lowry; Francesco Molinari; Thorbjørn Olesen; Brady Schnell; Jordan L. Smith; Hideto Tanihara; Peter Uihlein; Lee Westwood; Bernd Wiesberger; Fabrizio Zanotti 4 – Austin Cook MC – Kiradech Aphibarnrat; Rafa Cabrera Bello; Paul Dunne; Ross Fisher; Matthew Fitzpatrick; Tommy Fleetwood; Dylan Frittelli; Branden Grace; Tyrrell Hatton; Hao Tong Li; Rory McIlroy; Francesco Molinari; Alex Noren; Thomas Pieters; Henrik Stenson; Peter Uihlein; Bernd Wiesberger TPC – Austin Cook BI – Austin Cook; Jon Rahm REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Best estimates are given but all are subject to change. MASTERS (1) @ Augusta National Golf Club – April 5-8 • Winners of PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation for THE TOUR Championship through the week before the Masters. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Dec. 31. • Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 23). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on March 26. • Special invitees to international players per Masters Tournament Committee. U.S. OPEN (2) @ Shinnecock Hills Golf Club – June 14-17 • Winner of Masters (April 8). • Winner of THE PLAYERS (May 13). • Top 60 from Official World Golf Ranking on May 21. • Winner of the BMW PGA Championship (May 27). • Open qualifying (late May-early June). • Top 60 from Official World Golf Ranking on June 4. • Special exemptions per USGA Executive Committee. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (3) @ Carnoustie Golf Links – July 19-22 • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Australian Open (Nov. 26). • Money leader on the 2017 Australasian Tour (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit (Dec. 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Joburg Open (Dec. 10). • Money leader on the 2017 Asian Tour (Dec. 17). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 from the Singapore Open (Jan. 21). • Winner of the Masters (April 8). • Winner of THE PLAYERS (May 13). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 and ties at the Mizuno Open (May 27). • Winner of BMW PGA Championship (May 27). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on May 28. • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, from Order of Merit on Japan Golf Tour ending with Japan Golf Tour Championship (TBD). • Winner of U.S. Open (June 17). • Winner of British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 23). • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, inside the top eight at the Korea Open (June 24). • Winner of the International European Amateur Championship (June 30). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside Top 20 in FedExCup points thru a PGA TOUR event to be determined in 2018 (TBD). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside Top 20 in Race to Dubai thru a European Tour event to be determined in 2018 (TBD). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Open de France (July 1). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at The National (July 1). • Local Final Qualifying. Top 3 at each of four sites: Notts, Prince’s, The Renaissance Club, St. Annes Old Links (July 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Irish Open (July 8). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at The Greenbrier Classic (July 8). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Scottish Open (July 15). • Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, inside the top five at the John Deere Classic (July 15). PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (4) @ Bellerive Country Club – August 9-12 • Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before the 2018 PGA Championship. • Winner of Senior PGA Championship (May 27). • Top 20 from PGA Professional National Championship (June 20). • Top 70 from special money list on PGA TOUR from 2017 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and Barracuda Championship through 2018 RBC Canadian Open (July 29). • *All 2016 Ryder Cup members, provided they are inside top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking (July 29). • Special exemptions per PGA of America. (This will likely include all golfers inside Top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking on July 29.) • If necessary to compete the field of 156, golfers outside Top 70 from special money list (three lines above) will gain entry in order of position. WGC-MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP (MC) @ Club de Golf Chapultepec – March 1-4 • Top 2 on Australasian Tour Order of Merit, not otherwise exempt (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit, not otherwise exempt (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Asian Tour Order of Merit (Dec. 17). • Top 10 from Race to Dubai on Feb. 19. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Feb. 19. • Highest-ranked golfer from Mexico in the Official World Golf Ranking, if not otherwise eligible (Feb. 19). • Top 10 in FedExCup Points on Feb. 26. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Feb. 26. WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY (MP) @ Austin Country Club – March 21-25 • Top 64 inside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking on March 12. THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP (TPC) @ TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course) – May 10-13 • Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before THE PLAYERS. • Top 10 in FedExCup Points on April 30. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on April 30. • If necessary, golfers outside the Top 10 in FedExCup Points on April 30 will gain entry in order of position to complete the field of 144. WGC-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL (BI) @ Firestone Country Club (South Course) – August 2-5 • Winner of Australian PGA Championship (Dec. 3). • Winner of the Indonesian Masters (Dec. 17). • Winner of a Sunshine Tour event to be determined (TBD). • Winner of 2018 Japan Golf Tour Championship (TBD). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on July 23. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on July 30. • Winners of official tournaments from the Federation Tours with an Official World Golf Ranking strength-of-field rating of 115 points or more.

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NOTE: If you play PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO, the Shaw Charity Classic begins on Friday. For my recommendations among notables in the field, scroll to the bottom of the page. I think I know Ben Everill well enough now that he’s not necessarily bursting with virtues, but patience is one of them. Gotta tip my visor to the rookie’s beginner’s luck and every worthy gamer who sat on Dustin Johnson long enough to connect with DJ’s victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST. Every FedExCup Playoffs event awards its winner a season-high 2,000 points. Ben will be holding his breath after the coup, but he deserves at least this week to chirp. Don’t be surprised if he tweets about it, too. Suffice it to say that Johnson is no longer bothered by a sore back or any bad habits he picked up since his spill on the Wednesday of Masters week. I’ve been saving him for the TOUR Championship, but it’s tempting to ride his wave right now, particularly since a golfer has prevailed in consecutive tournaments five times in FedExCup Playoffs history. (Billy Horschel was the last to join the club in 2014.) However, because I’m still within range of Ben’s lead, there’s no need to deviate from the grand plan. Before we review the field for usual suspects, it’s incumbent upon me to review who Ben and Jonathan still have available as they are in my crosshairs. Only a league championship matters, so I’m not concerned with the guys in the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, I’m settling for a push with Ben at the Dell Technologies Championship where both of us have had Rory McIlroy slotted for months. The compelling story in the mainstream is that McIlroy is competing at all given his comments after the PGA Championship about possibly disappearing until 2018, but all gamers really care to know is if he’s committed. As the defending champion and in pursuit of becoming the first to successfully defend a FedExCup title, he remains a strong option. Ben will likely conclude the FedExCup Playoffs with Jason Day at the BMW Championship and Jordan Spieth at the TOUR Championship, neither of whom is available to me. Likewise, I have Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson as my probables, respectively, neither of whom is available to Ben. Among the most notable, only Day remains available to Jonathan. So, short of the Aussie capturing victory at Conway Farms in two weeks, I fully expect to challenge only Ben for my own title defense of our little league. I lay out the basics of my permutations as an example for you and yours. You have to get the lay of the land to adjust your short list. If you’re the front-runner, look at the most logical stymies but also decide which philosophy suits you better. Do you empty the chamber now and hope for the best later? Or do you sit on a heavyweight to anchor the season? I prefer the latter because your competition still needs to execute in the interim. Insurance is never a bad thing as long as you don’t have too much of it. That can make an infinitesimal offseason feel a lot longer than the 10 days it is. If you’re chasing, the less you think about it, the better. With only two more events after the DTC, there’s less about which to think, anyway. DJ, McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey, Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen and Adam Scott all make sense at TPC Boston. Short of those cornerstones, Webb Simpson and Charley Hoffman could be timely bridges. Jon Rahm remains a dynamic wild card. Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose are likely to make more sense next time. I can only imagine the chicken scratch two-man gamers have scribbled on their legal pads by now. If possible, finally burn Chez Reavie, will ya? Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Jason Kokrak also deserve attention. FUTURE POSSIBILITIES NOTE: Select golfers committed to the tournament are listed alphabetically. Future tournaments are sorted chronologically and reflect previous success on the courses on which the tournaments will be held in 2016-17. All are pending golfer commitment. Daniel Berger … BMW Keegan Bradley … Dell Technologies Paul Casey … TOUR Championship Kevin Chappell … Dell Technologies Jason Day … Dell Technologies; BMW; TOUR Championship Jason Dufner … TOUR Championship Rickie Fowler … BMW Sergio Garcia … TOUR Championship Billy Horschel … TOUR Championship Dustin Johnson … BMW (defending on a different course); TOUR Championship Zach Johnson … BMW; TOUR Championship Russell Knox … Dell Technologies Hideki Matsuyama … BMW Rory McIlroy … BMW; TOUR Championship (defending) Ryan Moore … TOUR Championship Louis Oosthuizen … Dell Technologies Patrick Reed … Dell Technologies Justin Rose … TOUR Championship Charl Schwartzel … BMW Adam Scott … Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Jordan Spieth … TOUR Championship Bubba Watson … TOUR Championship Gary Woodland … Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship CHAMPIONS ONE & DONE NOTABLES Shaw Charity Classic Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club in Calgary has been the only host of the tournament since it debuted on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2013. After playing as a par 71 for its inaugural edition, the 7,086-yard track has been a par 70 with five par 3s and three par 5s since. Golfers listed alphabetically. Rob’s serious considerations in bold. Stephen Ames … Impressive season continued at Snoqualmie with a T13. It gave him six top 20s in his last seven starts. Just one top 50 at Canyon Meadows in three tries, though, a T5 in 2015. Billy Andrade … Lost in a playoff in his debut here in 2014, but didn’t land inside the top 35 in both return trips. Up-and-down 2017 warrants future use, so hold tight for another week. Woody Austin … Horse for a course, but his form has been erratic. Not that it hasn’t glistened at times, but you’d be leaning almost entirely on a 6th-T10-T19 slate at Canyon Meadows since 2014. Fred Couples … Disappointing T20 outside his native Seattle last week. It was his first finish outside the top 15 in 10 starts this year. Winner here in 2014. T10 in 2013 and a T5 in 2015. Joe Durant … A splendid find for gamers who somehow haven’t yet burned him. Twelve top 20s this season, including in seven of his last eight starts. Two top 20s in three tries at Canyon Meadows. Bob Estes … Since he didn’t qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs, he can focus on taking on guys his own age. Last week’s T33 was his first of four results outside a top 25 on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2017. Steve Flesch … Strides in with six consecutive top 20s and Canyon Meadows is a good fit for the lefty. Not eligible to be ranked officially in the stats, but the results speak for themselves. Carlos Franco … Defending champion. Canyon Meadows is the site of his only victory in individual competition on the PGA TOUR Champions. He hasn’t logged a top 30 on another in five months. Fred Funk … Continue to holster for the PURE Insurance Championship, but hope that he flips his form. Paul Goydos … Bridge. He’s traded top 20s (including a win at the 3M) with results outside the top 25 in his last six starts. T7 at the Shaw in 2014, but a T68 last year. Lee Janzen … Streak of seven straight top 20s came to an end with a T39 at the Boeing. Making his third appearance at the Shaw and still chasing his first top 35. Miguel Angel Jiménez … Sustaining a phenomenal season. All of his 15 starts have resulted in a top 25; eight have gone for a top 10. T12 in his first look at Canyon Meadows last year. Brandt Jobe … Shared 14th in his debut here last year. He’d take another after finishing outside the top 30 in his last two starts after a torrid couple of months. Still a wild card for us. Jerry Kelly … Beaming off his breakthrough title at the Boeing Classic. It was only a matter of time. Now 11th on the money list, it’s a good time to let the rookie go this one alone. Scott McCarron … Answered victory at the DICK’S with a season-worst T41 at the Boeing. Didn’t crack the top 10 in either prior visit to Canyon Meadows. Colin Montgomerie … Strong converging trends with progressively improving results in his last three starts, culminating in a solo fifth at the Boeing. Runner-up here in 2015 and T6 last year. Corey Pavin … Rested since a T20 at the DICK’S. Top 20s in four of his last six starts. T15 (2014) and T22 (2015) in his trips to the Shaw. Tom Pernice, Jr. … Two top 10s and another two top 25s at Canyon Meadows, but only one top 25 in his last 10 starts. Kenny Perry … Making his first appearance. Ranks third on the money list but he’s been inconsistent. Very much worth a shot if you’re chasing. Gene Sauers … Played up to his billing at the Boeing with a T10, his fifth consecutive top 25. Mixed bag at Canyon Meadows, however, with only two top 40 in four tries, and both were but T19s. Vijay Singh … Tournament debut. Settled for a T29 at last week’s Boeing. Twelfth on the money list but hasn’t logged enough rounds to qualify for official rankings. Kevin Sutherland … If there’s a spot where you’d consider taking a pass, Canyon Meadows might be it. No better than a T9 (2014) in three appearances. David Toms … T6 at the Boeing where fellow rookie Jerry Kelly broke through. Four top 10s and another six top 25s this season. Kirk Triplett … Top 20s in three of the four editions. His T71 at last week’s Boeing ended a string of four straight top 25s. Scott Verplank … The tour’s leader in putting has recorded top 10s in four of his last six events, but he’s making his tournament debut. Duffy Waldorf … The wait is over. It’s time to give him a look. He finished a respective T3, T15, T22 and T6 in this event. Trending nicely with a T7 and a pair of T20s in his last three starts.

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