Players Championship: Tiger, Phil and Rickie limp to the finish

NICHOLASVILLE, Kentucky — The highlight of the week? That’s easy. It has to be the grip gap wedge – one of her favorite shots – that Brittany Lincicome played from 116 yards out at the par-5 17th on Saturday that tracked into the hole for eagle. “So cool,â€� Lincicome said with a big smile of satisfaction as she talked with reporters after her round. “When it went in that couldn’t have ended my week any better.â€� Then she proceeded to make everyone’s else’s day, patiently signing every ball, glove and ticket thrust her way. She posed for photos with little girls and boys — and grandparents, as well. “The fans were incredible,â€� Lincicome said. “It was so great feeding off their energy. They were cheering for me every time I hit a shot, every time I got it in the fairway, got it on the green.   
“It made me feel way more comfortable.â€� That comfort zone showed in her performance on Saturday at the Barbasol Championship as Lincicome rebounded from a disappointing opening round of 78 to shoot 1-under. She made that eagle and five birdies – including three straight — while dropping five shots to par. Lincicome is only the sixth woman to ever play in a PGA TOUR event, and just the second to break par. Only two women have completed 72 holes in official TOUR events: Babe Didrikson Zaharias at the 1945 Phoenix Open and the 1945 Tucson Open and Shirley Spork at the 1952 Northern California-Reno Open. “I would’ve liked to have shot better (Thursday),â€� acknowledged Lincicome, who had a triple bogey and a double in the first round.  “Obviously today was a pretty nice day, so I guess ending with today’s round it’s a good way to kind of leave, I guess.

“And then holing out on 17 is pretty cool. I can’t wait to watch the replay later.â€� Conrad Schindler said it was a treat to play with Lincicome as she made history in the first two rounds. He gave their gallery something to cheer about on Saturday, too, firing a bogey-free 64.    “To get to have a front row seat in the group, it’s a unique aspect,â€� Schindler said. “A lot of people get behind her, but you also can get some fans out there rooting for you, so it’s definitely nice to have.â€� Schindler said he likes to chat between shots, just like Lincicome does. They talked about the differences between their two tours, and at times the conversation shifted to their dogs – his two, a lab-pit mix and a Catahoula Leopard-Great Dane hybrid and her Rottweiler who lives with her grandmother. Lincicome, who loves to fish for goliath grouper and spend time on her boat, also wants to get a Labrador. “That’s what helps me in my element when I’m playing well, is not thinking about golf as much, just kind of deviating away from it,â€� Schindler said. “When it’s time, we only spend about 30, 40 seconds on the shot. “So it’s nice to have someone else out there that you’re strolling the fairways with talking to.â€� Schindler, who turned 30 on Friday, said he came away impressed with Lincicome’s game. She was tied for third in driving accuracy, hitting 22-of-28 fairways and took 51 putts, including just 23 on Saturday. “It’s really consistent,â€� Schindler said. “You know, she does the same thing every shot. She just knows where it’s going to go. Great short game. Maybe the first day just a little nerves, but each day she gained confidence.â€� Lincicome, who has won eight times on the LPGA Tour, thinks that playing in the Barbasol Championship could help her as she goes after her third major at the Ricoh Women’s British Open Aug. 2-5 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Hitting shots inside the ropes this week wasn’t the hard part – although the Lincicome admitted she had to force herself not to try to swing out of her shoes when she saw her playing partners outdriving her by 20 or 30 yards. But the media attention, the fan curiosity and the expectations all were heightened this week. Lincicome called World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam to get her advice on Wednesday night. Sorenstam was the first woman to play on the PGA TOUR in 51 years when the world No. 1 teed it up in the 2003 Bank of America Colonial. Sorenstam told Lincicome to look at the big picture and how this week at Keene Trace Golf Club will help her handle her nerves in the future. Sorenstam also said to relax by watching a movie that night. But Lincicome, who was renting a home for the week with her husband, parents and caddy, had too much going on to follow that advice. “This is obviously a much bigger stage or different stage than I’m used to,â€� Lincicome said. “With a major coming up, hopefully that first tee shot I won’t be as nervous. “I’ve learned to kind of play through the nerves this week, which is great. Just in the future I think that’ll really help me.â€�

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With one more win, Tiger Woods will tie Sam Snead for most career PGA TOUR victories at 82. Each time Tiger tees it up, we’ll take a look at his chances for that particular week. Here’s a CHASING 82 preview entering this week’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. RECENT FORM Woods’ most recent start came two weeks ago at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. He never contended, but he did produce a backdoor top-10 result with a final-round 5-under 67 at Muirfield Village. The T-9 was his fourth top 10 of the season. Woods said he entered Sunday wanting to see something positive and “I was able to accomplish that.â€� He was pleased with his play off the tee but had a couple of loose iron shots that contributed to his two double bogeys during the week. “Just need to clean up the rounds,â€� he said. RELATED: Tiger’s Jedi mind tricks at 2000 U.S. Open | Tiger ‘trending in right direction’ | Tee times Still, it was a far better performance than his previous start, a missed cut at the PGA Championship. That was his first start after his Masters win, and the rust showed. With a decent showing at Muirfield Village, rust won’t be an issue this week at Pebble Beach. “The PGA moving to May was very different,â€� Woods said. “And now it’s basically our normal schedule going forward.â€� TOURNAMENT HISTORY Woods is making his 21st start in the U.S. Open. He’s won three times – 2000 at Pebble Beach when he won by a record 15 shots; 2002 at Bethpage Black; and 2008 at Torrey Pines when he essentially won on one good leg. In addition to his three wins, he also has finished second twice and third once. His most recent start was last year at Shinnecock Hills when he missed the cut for the third time in his U.S. Open career (and second straight time). HISTORY AT PEBBLE BEACH 1997 – After turning pro the previous fall, Woods makes his first appearance at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He finishes tied for second after shooting 63-64 on his two weekend rounds at Pebble Beach. His amateur partner that week was actor Kevin Costner. 1998 – With his father Earl as his amateur partner at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Woods never made it to Pebble Beach. He played his first two rounds on the other courses in the rotation, but bad weather forced the tournament to delay the finish by several months, and Woods was among several players who opted to withdraw. 1999 – A third-round 78 (one birdie, seven bogeys) at Pebble Beach left Woods tied for 53rd at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in a tournament shortened to 54 holes due to weather. His amateur partner was baseball star Ken Griffey Jr. 2000 – Woods trailed Matt Gogel by seven shots with seven holes to play during the Monday finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but played that last stretch in 5 under (including a hole-out eagle from 105 yards at the par-4 15th) while Gogel played it in 4 over. Woods’ final-round 64 gave him a two-shot win – it was his sixth consecutive win on the PGA TOUR going back to the previous season. His amateur partner was his former Stanford teammate Jerry Chang, who would be his partner for his next few starts in the event. 2000 – Four months after his AT&T win, Woods won again at Pebble Beach, this time in record-setting fashion at the U.S. Open. Shooting 65-69-71-67, Woods finishes at 12 under to win his first U.S. Open by 15 strokes over Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez. It was the first win of four consecutive majors in what would be his Tiger Slam 2001 – Back at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as defending champ, Woods opened with a 66 at Spyglass Hill, followed by a 73 at Poppy Hills. His weekend rounds of 65-73 at Pebble Beach left him tied for 13th, eight shots behind winner Davis Love III. 2002 – Woods shot 71-68 on the weekend of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to finish tied for 12th, eight shots behind Gogel. 2010 – At the U.S. Open, Woods shot 74-72 in the first 36 holes but shot a 66 that Saturday to move into contention. But a final-round 75 left him tied for tied for fourth, four shots behind winner Graeme McDowell. 2012 – Making his first AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am start in 10 years, Woods was solo third entering the final round. That left him paired with long-time rival Phil Mickelson, who was tied for fourth. Woods shot a 75 that Sunday to finish T-15 while Mickelson shot a 64 to claim the tournament by two shots. Tiger’s amateur partner that week was then-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. TEE TIMES Tiger will tee off Thursday at 5:09 p.m. ET off the first tee and 11:24 a.m. ET off the 10th tee on Friday’s second round. His playing partners are Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose.   WHAT THEY’RE SAYING TIGER WOODS (on his practice round at Pebble Beach a few weeks ago): “The greens are — I forgot, I haven’t played there in a number of years, I forgot how small the complexes are. Add a little firmness and speed to them, they get really tight. But seeing some of the new greens that they had redone, taking a look at the new pins was nice to see. So come next week, when I start concentrating and focusing on Pebble Beach, it will be nice to have those images.â€� RICKIE FOWLER (on Tiger’s 2000 U.S. Open win): “Obviously it was pretty dominant. Very impressive week. I don’t remember watching it a whole lot. I was a little young, Tiger is getting a little older now. We make sure he’s aware of that, too. We share the same trainer so it’s OK. No, obviously him kind of ’99, early 2000s is probably some of the most impressive and dominant golf I think anyone’s really ever seen.â€� BRANDEL CHAMBLEE, Golf Channel (on Tiger):  “As it relates to victory, you start to look at what type of player Pebble Beach has divined out. It’s divined out players with the most control who were scramblers. There’s nobody in the top-10 in the world that plays with more control than Tiger Woods does. He still has the scrambling skills that we saw on display last year. The big question is – as moss sort of creeps up his limbs as he gets a little older – can he putt as well as he used to on poa annua? His putting is not quite what it was. That is the only question mark I see with Tiger this week.â€�

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Rory McIlroy is a lock for this week’s PGA Championship, right? He’s made seven starts at Quail Hollow, the host venue for the PGA TOUR’s Wells Fargo Championship from 2003-16. He shot a final-round 62 to win in 2010, and shot a 61 on his way to winning in 2015. He also has four other top 10s. If not him, it’s got to be one of the other players in the field with prior experience at Quail Hollow. Maybe Rickie Fowler, also a winner here. Or Phil Mickelson, who’s done everything but win on this course. Sure, there are changes to the course. The greens have new Bermuda grass. There are countless trees removed. And four holes have been changed. But a large part of the property is the same. The feel is the same. The good memories still hold. It’s a rare opportunity – outside of the Masters at Augusta National – for players to tee off with significant course experience at a major venue. Mickelson, for instance, has played 52 rounds at Quail Hollow. A year ago at Baltusrol, he entered the week having played just four rounds there as a pro. Clearly his experience must count for something, right? If that’s the case, 55 players in the field are apparently starting well behind the 8-ball. When the course was awarded the PGA Championship, McIlroy immediately circled it as a great chance to add to his major trophy case. “I guess there’s courses that you know you’re going to go to that you’ve played well at before and it’s not going to be too much different just because it’s a different tournament,â€� McIlroy said. “It’s the same golf course, sort of same shots you need to hit. Yeah, it’s been on my mind for a while, this is one that I’ve got a good chance at.â€� Mickelson has seen nearly twice as much as McIlroy. Zach Johnson has 11 starts at Quail Hollow. Jimmy Walker, the defending PGA champ, has eight. Same for past Masters champ Adam Scott. Johnson went on an early reconnaissance mission prior to last week’s World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational and couldn’t help but feel like he might have a small edge. “There’s certain pin placements and maybe certain subtleties of any golf course but that one in particular,â€� Johnson said. “That could be an advantage. You cannot hit it here or, you know what, you do want to short-side yourself on this par 5 here, whatever the case.â€� Jordan Spieth is going for the career Grand Slam this week. He’s looking to be the youngest person to do it. While he’s not one of the 55 Quail Hollow rookies, he’s had just one start, a T32 in 2013. Does that leave him at a disadvantage? Well … “I think guys that have played the tournament extremely well, they changed holes but the holes still go along with the rest of the holes, so I would say Rory’s probably the guy to beat at this point,â€� Spieth said. “Someone who’s had such success there, he and Rickie (Fowler). Phil’s played it really well. These guys that have good feelings there, yeah, the golf course is changed, but it’s similar enough that they’ve got good vibes around there. “So we need to try to develop those before it starts.â€� That’s the key for any of the guys unfamiliar with the nuances of Quail Hollow. The lack of course knowledge is not insurmountable; it simply requires an accelerated learning curve. “Course knowledge makes it a lot easier on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but other than that it’s not really a big advantage,â€� said U.S. Open champ Brooks Koepka, making his first appearance at Quail Hollow. “By the time you tee off, everyone knows the golf course, everyone knows what everything does, I don’t see an issue with it. “I’ve played plenty of golf courses before where guys have had years of experience and it’s just a matter of who gets hot.â€� Koepka said his 18-hole practice round on Monday would allow him to pinpoint which side of the course he would focus on over the last two practice days. Thomas Pieters, who led through 54 holes last week in his first trip to Firestone Country Club before fading on Sunday, is also making his first start at Quail Hollow. He doesn’t consider it a detriment. Instead, he sees McIlroy’s success as a sign he too can compete. “Rory, Dustin and guys like that have a similar game to me and they do well around there. I’ll just hit to similar spots and be fine,â€� he said.  “I did well at the Masters and barely played 18 holes. To me, it is just a golf course. You get it around. I sprayed it all over the place at Firestone but you just find a way to par when you can. “When I am in fairways I have confidence my ball striking is good enough to go at any flag and the fairways are a bit wider this week. And maybe they can overthink where not to hit it. I have a clear mind.â€� This last point is one that Jon Rahm believes heavily in. He turned up to the Farmers Insurance Open this year having never seen Torrey Pines before … and won. The way he did it – by destroying the back nine on the South Course Sunday while others paid the tough holes more respect – showed sometimes it’s better to know less. “I don’t feel like I am behind, not at all,â€� Rahm said. “I am more of a person who focusses on where to hit it, I don’t like to know where not to hit it because then it will be on my mind.â€� At the Shell Houston Open earlier this season, Rahm finished T-10 despite playing only nine holes in the lead-up thanks to weather issues. “The back nine, my caddie just said hit it there and I did. I didn’t ask where anything is. I just trust him,â€� he recalled. “You see the obvious. Sometimes knowing too much can be detrimental.â€� Rahm said he will trust caddie Adam Hayes again plenty this week, especially since his looper lives close by. “He knows every blade of grass on that golf course so I trust what he says,â€� Rahm said. Jason Day, who won the PGA Championship in 2015 and was runner-up in 2016, is happy he’s played Quail twice before with a top-10 finish. But he won’t be writing off the Quail Hollow neophytes. “Nothing surprises me,â€� Day said. “This is a course that someone who hasn’t won before or hasn’t played it could win around. No doubt. Everyone has a chance if they play well. It should be a great tournament.â€� QUAIL HOLLOW FIRST-TIMERS Alex Beach, Rich Berberian Jr., Thomas Bjørn, Jamie Broce, Wesley Bryan, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Patrick Cantlay, Stuart Deane, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Fox, Dylan Frittelli, Branden Grace, Greg Gregory, Cody Gribble, Jaysen Hansen, Tyrrell Hatton, Scott Hebert, Yuta Ikeda, Thongchai Jaidee, Andrew Johnston, K.T. Kim, Søren Kjeldsen, Satoshi Kodaira, Brooks Koepka, Pablo Larrazábal, Alexander Levy, Hao Tong Li, Joost Luiten, Dave McNabb, Chris Moody, Grayson Murray, David Muttitt, Alex Noren, Thomas Pieters, Kenny Pigman, Jon Rahm, Adam Rainaud, Xander Schauffele, Mike Small, Jordan Smith, Brian Smock, Younghan Song, Richard Sterne, Brandon Stone, Andy Sullivan, Hideto Tanihara, Peter Uihlein, Ryan Vermeer, Jeunghun Wang, Bernd Wiesberger, Danny Willett, Chris Wood, JJ Wood, Fabrizio Zanotti.

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