Justin Thomas leads McIlroy, Poulter at World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational

John Cook was a Minneapolis club pro who also played a handful of PGA TOUR events per year, mostly in the winter months when the weather back home left snow was on the ground and kept the courses closed. He played nearly 100 TOUR events, his best finish a tie for fourth at the 1967 Azalea Open. But that wasn’t the tournament that his grandson Austin heard the most about. The highlight of John Cook’s career was his brush with greatness in the 1965 Memphis Open, when he played with Jack Nicklaus in the final round at Colonial Country Club. Nicklaus was just 25 years old, but already had won four majors, including that spring’s Masters Tournament. He’d also won the 1964 money list (by a mere $81.13 over Arnold Palmer), an accomplishment that meant Nicklaus’ entry fees were waived for the 1965 season. Not, of course, that he needed the financial assistance. He already was chasing greatness, and he displayed his other-worldly talent again on that Sunday in Memphis. He started the final round five shots off the lead, while Cook was six back. They met on the first tee Sunday, but their paths quickly diverged. Nicklaus fired 65 to collect the 14th victory of his career. Cook shot 76 to fall to the middle of the pack. Austin Cook did Sunday what his grandfather could not, earning a PGA TOUR title in just his fourth start as a member. He birdied three of his final four holes at Sea Island’s Seaside Course to shoot 67 and finish four shots ahead of J.J. Spaun. Cook’s quest to the winner’s circle was reminiscent of the PGA TOUR during the days when his grandfather was competing. A large portion of the field had to qualify each week back in John Cook’s day. There are only four spots available in the Monday qualifier now, but Austin Cook first gained the golf world’s notice by qualifying for several TOUR events before ever earning his card. Cook finished in the top 25 in six of 10 PGA TOUR starts before becoming a PGA TOUR member. Those finishes proved something that his earlier resume may not have: he was built for the PGA TOUR. “When conditions are hardest, that’s when I play my best,â€� he said. He was always the type whose emphasis of accuracy over distance led to consistent scores, but not the flashy results that would make him one of those can’t-miss prospects coming out of college. Cook never won at Arkansas and only once was an All-American (honorable mention). His devotion to academics was another reason his collegiate achievements didn’t look those of a player who’d so quickly find success on the PGA TOUR. Cook earned a biology degree from Arkansas with a 3.9 grade-point average. “Biology was his major and golf was his minor,â€� said his college coach at Arkansas, Brad McMakin. “I always wondered what he could’ve done if he could have work on his game like everybody else and not been in labs five hours a day, three days a week.” McMakin said that Cook was the type of player who’d shoot 70 no matter where they played. The coach compares Cook’s swing to David Duval’s because of the way he would swing back with a closed clubface, then rotate aggressively through impact. “His distance control with his irons is off the charts,â€� McMakin said. “When you hit it out of the center of the face 90 percent of the time, that’s why he has good distance control. “He was the kind of guy you could give one golf ball to … and on the 54th hole he’d be able to give it back to you.â€� Cook displayed that repetitive ballstriking at The RSM Classic, missing just eight fairways and 12 greens all week. Cook finished his degree in December 2013 and shortly turned pro with medical school as a back-up plan. His father, Bill, is an anesthesiologist. Austin set out for the Adams Tour that January with money that Bill had saved for the past few years to help his son get his pro career off the ground. It didn’t take long for Austin to get his first taste of the PGA TOUR. That June, he qualified for the FedEx St. Jude Classic, the same event where his grandfather had played with Nicklaus, and finished T13. The $54,085 he earned there allowed him to pay his parents back and fund his career. Cook made it to final stage in the 2014 Q-School to earn conditional status on the Web.com Tour. He’d make more starts on the PGA TOUR in 2015, though, thanks to his propensity to get through those open qualifiers. It started in Houston, where Cook played alongside Phil Mickelson in the final group of the third round. Cook, whose brother Kyle was carrying Austin’s stand bag, beat the World Golf Hall of Famer by five shots, 70-75. Cook finished 11th. He finished in the top 25 in five of seven PGA TOUR starts that season, including two top-10s. He Monday qualified two more times, earned two more starts with his top-10s and only needed to rely on two sponsor exemptions. “Once I get out here, I’m going to have a bright future ahead of me,â€� Cook said after his play in Houston. He didn’t know how right he’d be.

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Houston Open tournament officials, Houston City officials and the PGA TOUR announced today that the 2020 Houston Open will host a limited number of fans during the four competition rounds at Memorial Park Golf Course, scheduled for Nov. 5-8. Two thousand of the daily tickets will go on sale to the public via the tournament's website HoustonOpenGolf.com on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The daily ticket cost is $79 for Thursday's opening round and $109 a day for Friday through Sunday. Each ticket will include food and beverage from designated on-course venues (alcohol is not included). The tickets will be color coded to correspond with the grab and go food and beverage pickup locations. "We are very happy that we will have fans at Memorial Park for this year's Houston Open. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the City of Houston, Dr. David Persse (Chief Medical Officer for the City of Houston), and PGA TOUR for working with us in developing a thorough Health and Safety Plan that has enabled this to occur," said Giles Kibbe, President of the Astros Golf Foundation. "The health and safety for all on property at Memorial Park and the City of Houston is our highest priority as we welcome members of the community to the newly-renovated venue and to watch the best players in the world compete." Protocol and guidelines for those attending the tournament will be announced soon. Per City, event, and PGA TOUR regulations, all fans, volunteers and essential personnel must wear masks at all times while on property, except when actively eating and drinking. Some of the game's top players have already committed to the Houston Open, such as Brooks Koepka, who served as design consultant for the renovation of Memorial Park golf course, current World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, previous World No. 1 Jason Day and multiple TOUR winner Rickie Fowler. Players continue to commit, including commitments this week from Brandt Snedeker and Tony Finau. Lanto Griffin, who captured his first PGA TOUR victory here last year, is set to defend his title. Griffin earned a spot in the season-finale TOUR Championship and finished 18th in the final FedExCup standings last season. The 73rd edition of the Houston Open was re-scheduled for the first week in November due to a restructure of the 2020-21 PGA TOUR schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The long-running event will be contested the week before the Masters Tournament. The tournament was originally scheduled for Nov. 12-15. The event returns to Memorial Park Golf Course for the first time since 1963. For the latest information on the tournament, fans can follow on Social Media (@HouOpenGolf on all platforms) or visit HoustonOpenGolf.com.

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