Tiger 4-under 66 after first round at Bridgestone

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – Just weeks back from a long-term wrist injury, Brooks Koepka has equaled THE PLAYERS Championship course record with a final round 9-under 63. The current U.S. Open champion and two-time PGA TOUR winner had six birdies and just the second albatross in the history on the par-5 16th hole to rocket up the leaderboard. His 11-under 277 total moved him as high as third but he still sits eight shots adrift of Webb Simpson’s 54-hole mark of 19-under. Koepka joins Fred Couples (1992), Greg Norman (1994), Roberto Castro (2013), Martin Kaymer 2014), Jason Day (2016), Colt Knost (2016) and Webb Simpson (2018) in the record books. Incredibly, Koepka went deep without taking advantage of the gettable par-5 2nd and 11th holes, nor the drivable par-4 12th. After turning at 4 under Koepka birdied the 14th and then holed out from 208 yards with his 6-iron on the 16th to join Rafa Cabrera-Bello (2017) as the only players to do so on that hole. Hunter Mahan (2007) made albatross on the 11th and Peter Lonard did so on the 2nd hole in 2007. Koepka then birdied the island green par-3 17th before settling over a 12-foot attempt for a 62 on 18. “I thought I made it,â€� Koepka said after it slid past. “I hit that putt in practice and you’re always trying to die it in and it always seems to break a little bit more than you think. “I hit a great putt, I’m not going to lie, I knew it was for the course record, but sometimes you hit a good putt and it doesn’t go in. So it is what it is.â€� As for his albatross, Koepka claimed he actually hit a poor drive after trying to hit one extra hard. It missed the center of the face and as such stayed in the fairway. But when his approach shot one hopped into the hole all he could do was laugh, especially after he had complained to his caddie earlier in the round that nothing was getting super close. “We haven’t had a tap-in like all week. Since we’ve come back I don’t think we have hit one like inside the leather where you can walk up and just tap it in,â€� he explained. “And then hit one pretty tight on 14 and then obviously make one on 16. If you’re going to talk about it you might as well do it.â€� Now the focus moves ahead as he begins his charge in the FedExCup and tries to defend his U.S. Open crown next month. Having sat out four months following wrist surgery, the 28-year-old will make a significant dent in his FedExCup ranking which sat at 111th coming into THE PLAYERS. “There’s nobody more excited to be here than me, I can tell you that,â€� he said. “To get back out, it felt like it took forever. The days were very long during that four-month period and to get out, it’s refreshing to be outside and just to get started practicing. “I thought that was so much fun and even finally to get back in competition because that’s what I miss the most.â€�

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Three paces. That’s all you get on the right of the flag on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass on the iconic 17th island hole. Any more than three and your ball faces a watery grave. The traditional back right pin placement has been a staple for years at THE PLAYERS Championship — so much so that when the man who sets up the course took the job, he was told it was non-negotiable. It is part of the three-hole gauntlet that allows a player to come home with a serious flourish should they step up and execute under the final-round pressure. But don’t be off … because if you are, your chances at becoming PLAYERS champion could drown in Pete Dye’s lakes. For the seventh year in a row, Sunday’s pin placements on the final three holes at TPC Sawgrass will be in their traditional “risk-rewardâ€� spots. On the par-5 16th, this means the front right quadrant, 17 paces from the front and four paces from the right edge that’s guarded by water. The par-3 17th is 14 paces from the front and three from the right. The par-4 closing 18th is just eight paces on and four from the left — where once again water sits. The similarities among the pin positions are a very deliberate ploy from officials. No matter what the scenario on the leaderboard … this thing ain’t over till it’s over. “You can stand on the 16th tee three or four shots behind and still have a chance to win the golf tournament,â€� says PGA TOUR rules official Robby Ware. In the early hours before Saturday’s final round, Ware and Vice President of Rules and Competition Mark Russell are marking Sunday’s pins with a white dot and hitting a few putts towards each location to ensure everything looks in order. It is routine for officials to not only set the hole for the current round, but to also mark where the next round intends to be. This is why you often see caddies stalking out areas of greens their player isn’t actually putting towards. Ware was a big part of 18’s traditional Sunday placement being moved away from what used to be a much more difficult back left. “The one thing I was told when I took over set-up was that it was non-negotiable that the hole was going to be back right on 17 on Sunday and it was going to be back left on 18,â€� recalls Ware, who is now in his 12th year in in his current position. “But when we did a greens reconstruction, I talked them in to levelling out the front left area at 18 because I thought that would be a more exciting hole placement than the back left. The back left is so hard to make birdies. Guys hit it in the middle of the green or they hit it long and they make par. “I wanted to design that part of the green so the balls would actually funnel down towards the hole where a guy could make a birdie and win the golf tournament.â€� Ware says the idea for the last three holes is quite simply to create volatility and excitement. This Saturday morning, despite the fact the first group won’t come through the stretch for three hours yet, fans already have claimed their patch of grass in the amphitheater. On Sunday, they come in even earlier. “The theme of these locations is excitement for sure,â€� Ware adds. “Where great shots are rewarded and if you hit poor shots, you can make a big number. Let’s face it – it’s why all these people want to be around here.â€� Creating excitement is exactly what Rickie Fowler was able to do on Sunday in 2015. Sitting well back coming down the stretch, Fowler finished eagle-birdie-birdie. It pushed him into a three-hole aggregate playoff – which is, of course, played on the final three holes – with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner. It took four playoff holes, but Fowler prevailed. He ended making birdie three times in one day on the 17th as he took dead aim. Asked about the Sunday pins, Fowler smiles. “They’re great locations. They’ve been fun for me,â€� he says. “A lot can happen. It can go either way. Someone can make a three on 16 as easy as they can make six. There is a lot of risk-reward involved. And that’s great. “You can chase the leader and if you have a two-shot lead going into the last three holes, you know it is not safe as guys can put low numbers up.â€� So what exactly is the play on each hole to get the most reward for your risk? The 16th pin “On the 16th you can aim at the middle of the green on your approach and it can feed to the hole, so really it puts the pressure on the tee shot,â€� Marc Leishman explains. “You need to find the fairway.â€� But even doing that doesn’t bring immediate ease. If you are on the right side of the fairway or even towards the middle of it, the long approach shot carries a significant amount of water. The landing area to find the funnel towards the hole is quite generous, perhaps 20 feet or more left of the pin, but that’s easier said than done with a tournament on the line. “You just have to man up and hit a good shot to get the reward,â€� 2004 PLAYERS champion Adam Scott says. “The pin sits in the bowl but it is also close to the water so there is reward there if you are in the vicinity of the pin,â€� adds 2012 PLAYERS champ Matt Kuchar, “but if you bail out and steer clear of water it can be a tricky chip — even though you have some green to work with.â€� The 17th pin If you think pressure is applied on 16, well, 17 takes it up a notch. Sure, it’s just a short par 3. Sure, it’s a wedge most times. And sure, there is a little more than 20 yards to the left of the pin to play with on Sunday’s pin at 17. But if you need a birdie, anything more than four paces left of the flag means you won’t catch the slope that sends the ball towards the hole. And if you’re taking dead aim … your depth target sits within 10 paces because the island is not a perfect circle. If you’re short, you might get lucky and find the tiny bunker. If not, you’re likely wet. “It just depends on the wind. If it is not very windy, it is a 145-yard shot. Theoretically it is not very hard. But when you get a chance to win the tournament or you get some wind off the right, it’s a pretty tough shot,â€� 2017 FedExCup champion Justin Thomas says. “The thing is, though, if you don’t get it down on that slope, it’s a quick putt. If you are stuck down the front of the green or anywhere above the slope, it’s tough, speed-wise.â€� One man who knows the agony and ecstasy of Sunday’s 17th pin is 2008 champion Sergio Garcia. It was pivotal in his win over Paul Goydos, but in 2013 as he chased down Tiger Woods, Garcia came up short twice going for the glory. “It’s not a long club but you are not going right of the hole — you are trying to hit left,â€� Garcia explains. “You need to control your distance. You have about four yards to catch the slope. It’s not a massive target but it’s a short club. The last few holes of a tournament certainly adds pressure to it though.â€� For Jason Day, the 2016 champion, the key is mental discipline. “It’s got more risk than reward,â€� Days says about the final-round pin location. “But you stand up there with a wedge in your hand and you feel like you can hit it close.â€� “You have to remember there is an intimidation factor. To the right you are souping it, if you are short, you have a tough putt. The smart play is to be left and on the top shelf and hope you can make a putt.â€� The 18th pin As for the closing hole … once again the tee shot can be critical as water protects the entire left side. If you bail too far right, you have rough and trees to contend with. An approach roughly 20 feet right of the pin will still catch the slope and feed the ball in close, so there’s no need to be super-aggressive. But if you miss the mark to the left, you’re wet. Short leaves a tricky pitch off a tight lie. Long or too far right and you have to judge the downhill speed to perfection. “They provide a lot of fireworks in the last three holes and that’s what you want when you’re playing a tournament of this caliber,â€� Garcia adds. “They’re perfect. It is supposed to provide theatre,â€� adds Day. “It means you come down the stretch still confident you can make a big move. You’re not dead yet. Or if in front, you’re not totally safe yet. It has you thinking.â€� Ware hopes the locations will stay for years to come. “What Rickie did – that’s what you set it up for. That was so great to see,â€� he says. “Obviously the players hit the shots, but you set up the hole locations knowing if a guy hits a great shot, he is going to be rewarded for it. “We think we’ve ensured that.â€� They certainly have. So sit back, relax and get ready for the annual fireworks.

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ERIN, Wis. – An old proverb says that stolen bread tastes sweet, which explains why Brandt Snedeker’s birdie on the 490-yard, par-4 eighth hole was so delectable. He made 3 after missing the fairway. Making birdie from U.S. Open rough may be the definition of unjust gain. “I did feel guilty,â€� Snedeker said after Thursday’s 70. “This is never going to happen again, so I might as well enjoy it.â€� Soft greens allowed shots like Snedeker’s to stay on the putting surface. Players took advantage of those conditions Thursday at Erin Hills to shoot the sort of low scores that one isn’t accustomed to seeing at a U.S. Open. Birdies were abundant at Erin Hills, with Rickie Fowler’s 7-under 65 serving as Example 1A. He tied the record for lowest opening score (in relation to par) at the U.S. Open. Fowler had plenty of company in red figures. Eighteen players shot under par in the morning wave. Members of that contingent ranged from major champions to unproven qualifiers Kevin Dougherty, Davis Love IV and Tyson Alexander, who all shot 71. Wide fairways allowed players to mash tee shots like Mike Trout, and recent thunderstorms made the greens receptive to approach shots. Thursday’s westerly wind aided players on some of Erin Hills’ hardest holes, as well. “We had enough room to drive it.  And if you’re driving good, you can make birdies, because the greens were rolling perfectly,â€� Snedeker said. He hit driver on all but one hole (the short par-4 15th was the exception), and he wasn’t the only player to unsheathe the driver 13 times on Thursday. Some of Erin Hills’ fairways are 60 yards wide, and the springy fescue grass helps balls bound farther down the short grass. That’s why players could tame a course that played 7,845 yards. Even several difficult hole locations couldn’t slow down the scoring. The plethora of low rounds was reminiscent of another U.S. Open venue’s debut two years earlier. Twenty-five players broke par in the first round at Chambers Bay, and the lead also was 65. The first round at Erin Hills was a dream scenario for the players, who are accustomed to being punished by U.S. Open courses, but, as Snedeker joked, it may have been a nightmare for the USGA, which is known for sadistic setups. “The course was as receptive as it’s going to be,â€� said Tommy Fleetwood, who shot 67. “I never really tried to make a birdie. … They just seemed to happen along the way.â€� A course traditionally plays its easiest in the first round, getting progressively firmer as the week progresses before reaching its crescendo of crispiness. Jordan Spieth conquered a baked-out Chambers Bay with a winning score of 5-under 275, and Snedeker said that he would gladly accept a similar score this week. Mother Nature may not allow Erin Hills to play to its pugilistic potential, though. Thunderstorms are in the forecast starting Thursday evening, with an 80-percent chance of precipitation Saturday. Wind is the other defense at Erin Hills, but it was relatively calm Thursday afternoon and it isn’t forecast to blow harder than 20 mph. “It was absolutely ideal, it really was,â€� Snedeker said. First impressions are of the utmost importance, and Erin Hills made sure to give players a warm Wisconsin welcome.

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