Im takes D.R. lead in bid for Masters berth

2019 PGA Championship, End of Round 1. Course scoring averages: Overall: +3.01 strokes per round Morning wave: +2.55 Afternoon wave: +3.47 Current cutline: 73 players at +2 or better (T51st position) Top 3 most likely projected cutlines: 5 over par: 28.5% 6 over par: 22% 4 over par: 21.5% Top 10 win probabilities: Brooks Koepka (1, -7, 31.1%) Dustin Johnson (T9, -1, 7.4%) Tommy Fleetwood (3, -3, 6.6%) Danny Lee (2, -6, 5%) Rickie Fowler (T9, -1, 3.8%) Jason Day (T9, -1, 3.6%) Patrick Cantlay (T9, -1, 3.6%) Jon Rahm (T17, 0, 3%) Justin Rose (T17, 0, 2.6%) Xander Schauffele (T17, 0, 1.9%) NOTE: These reports are based off the live predictive model run by @DataGolf. The model provides live “Make Cut�, “Top 20�, “Top 5�, and “Win� probabilities every 5 minutes from the opening tee shot to the final putt of every PGA TOUR event. Briefly, the model takes account of the current form of each golfer as well as the difficulty of their remaining holes, and probabilities are calculated from 20K simulations. To follow live finish probabilities throughout the remainder of the PGA Championship, or to see how each golfer’s probabilities have evolved from the start of the event to the current time, click here for the model’s home page.

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This week, the PGA TOUR visits a radically renovated municipal course in the midst of a large and diverse metropolis. Memorial Park, recently redone by the iconoclastic architect Tom Doak, is the venue for this week's Vivint Houston Open. Doak designed a course that is welcoming to a wide variety of players and hospitable for fans in the country's fourth-largest city. He was more concerned with creating excitement than protecting par. Before this landmark week begins, here's Five Things to Know about Memorial Park. 1. THE BEGINNING Memorial Park began as a nine-hole course with sand greens, built in 1912 near the hospital at Camp Logan for use by convalescent soldiers. In 1935, following the closing of the hospital, golf course architect John Bredemus redesigned the course. Bredemus also designed Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, which has hosted the Charles Schwab Challenge since 1946. Bredemus, a Princeton graduate, was the 1908 national decathlon champion, as well. Major champions Jimmy Demaret and Dave Marr are among the players who got their start at Memorial Park. The course is one of a handful where Marr's children spread their father's ashes. This isn't the first time Memorial Park has been the venue for the Vivint Houston Open, however. It hosted the event 14 times between 1947 and 1963. Winners at Memorial Park included major winners Arnold Palmer, Bobby Locke, Jack Burke Jr., Bob Charles, Bobby Nichols and Jay Hebert. Burke's father, Jack Burke Sr., was a Houston golf pro who is credited with hitting the first tee shot when Memorial Park opened in 1936. Jack Burke Jr., who also won a Masters and PGA Championship, was on-hand for Memorial Park's re-opening ceremony last year. Burke is 97 years old. Charles' win at Memorial Park in 1963 was the first on the PGA TOUR by a left-hander. He won the Open Championship later that year to become the first left-hander to win a major. Memorial Park nearly was the site of Jack Nicklaus' first PGA TOUR win, as well. Nicklaus lost a playoff to Nichols after suffering a strange penalty in the third round of the 1962 Houston Open. While tending the flag for his boss' 35-foot birdie putt, Nicklaus' caddie accidentally pulled the hole liner out of the ground. Nicklaus was assessed a two-stroke penalty after his ball struck the liner. Nicklaus got that first win seven weeks later, at the U.S. Open, no less. 2. ONE OF A KIND Doak is one of the top names in golf course architecture. He designed or renovated 13 courses on Golf Digest's list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses. This will be the first time a PGA TOUR event has been conducted on one of his designs, however. "There are some people who think I can't do (a TOUR course)," Doak says. "I don't like anybody saying I can't do something." Other famous Doak designs include Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon, Streamsong Blue in Florida, Ballyneal in Colorado, Cape Kidnappers and Tara Iti in New Zealand and Barnbougle Dunes in Australia. Doak's Renaissance Club has hosted the Scottish Open and Sebonack, which he designed with Jack Nicklaus, hosted the 2013 U.S. Women's Open. "I've been called a lot more names than most golf course architects," Doak wrote on his website. "Iconoclastic. Cerebral. A traditionalist and a radical. "Most of all, I've been labeled as controversial. But so, too, were my heroes in the business, Alister Mackenzie and Pete Dye." After graduating from Cornell, Doak spent a year in the British Isles to study the great links courses. His design philosophies are still influenced by his time overseas. He is known for courses that utilize the natural terrain and give players multiple ways to approach the hole, making his courses playable for a variety of skill levels. "In that year abroad, I discovered a challenging, natural outdoor sport played by all ages on exciting courses," Doak wrote on his website. "Ever since, I've felt a responsibility to build courses which reflect the ideals of the game as the Scots still play it." Largescale renovations, which require courses to shut down for extended periods of time, are usually reserved for exclusive country clubs with small memberships, not city-owned courses accustomed to 60,000 rounds a year. To add to the challenge, Doak's team needed to fulfill multiple objectives. They were tasked with creating a course that would be compelling for PGA TOUR pros and playable for weekend golfers. "We agreed that our priority should be not to defend par but to provide opportunities for dramatic lead changes and excitement for both golfers and fans," Doak wrote on his site. The $34 million renovation, which was funded by the Astros Golf Foundation, also included a double-decker, night-lit driving range, a new First Tee facility and short course, and the Chevron Center for Education and Golf, which will provide after-school programs in STEM education. 3. MAJOR HELP Doak received help from four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who served as the project's player consultant. Koepka didn't just sign his name to the project's plans, however. Doak realized Koepka's dedication to the project from the very beginning. After sending his first email to Koepka, Doak didn't expect to hear from him until they met on-site a few weeks later. Koepka responded quickly, sending his answers while in Korea for the 2018 CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. Koepka won that event reach No. 1 in the world ranking. "He got back to me the next day, in the middle of the event in Korea that he won," Doak told The Fried Egg podcast. "Memorial Park is already 7,300 yards long and he said he really thought that was long enough. He didn't think you needed to build it much longer to test the players. He thought you should do the details differently, but it wasn't all about length. He's thought about architecture. He has some definite ideas about what he'd like to see." A variety of length on par-3s was one thing Koepka wanted to see. Memorial Park has two par-3s under 170 yards, as well as a 237-yarder. An exciting finish that would be easy for fans to watch was another thing that Koepka, Doak and Astros owner Jim Crane agreed was important. 4. EXCITING FINISH Doak was on-site for the first PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The tournament fell during spring break so Doak, a Cornell senior who interned for Dye, flew down to Florida to shadow the Stadium Course's architect. The week influenced Doak's future work, inspiring him to not shy away from controversy nor to fear veering from the norm, he said. He watched as Dye observed players competing on the new course and unflinchingly listened to their criticism. The Stadium Course was a groundbreaking design because of its penal nature and extreme undulations, as well as its fan-friendly design. The layout created hubs of activity where fans could see multiple holes at once, and the closing holes were designed to induce drama. Memorial Park has a similar closing stretch. After a starting with a difficult trio of holes, the back nine dares players to take chances. The final six holes include two potentially drivable par-4s, two par-5s, a short par-3 and a brutal finishing hole. It starts with the 13th, which, despite not having any bunkers or water, Doak said is one of the toughest drivable par-4s he's played. The skinny green is guarded by steep slopes of short grass. The next hole is a reachable par-5. The 15th hole is less than 150 yards, but the skinny, angled green is fronted by a steep bank that leads into a creek. The next two holes - the par-5 16th and the par-4 17th — offer eagle opportunities but also feature peninsular greens that jut out into water. The 17th is 382 yards but has a forward tee that makes it drivable. The 16th and 17th greens are located across a lake from each other, allowing fans to watch dramatic shots from a single spot. The finishing hole is a par-4 of approximately 500 yards. The three greenside bunkers are the most of any hole on the course. 5. IT'S A TRAP It may seem strange to remove sand from a course that's preparing to host a PGA TOUR event, but Doak and Koepka agreed that reducing the number of bunkers could challenge professionals while making Memorial Park more playable for everyday golfers. Memorial Park used to have 54 bunkers. Now it has 20. Removing bunkers also reduces maintenance and makes it easier to get golfers back on the course after heavy rain, something that Houston is familiar with. Sand traps have been replaced by steep slopes covered in short grass. They allow weekend players to use their putter more often while challenging professionals with shots that require a deft touch if they want to get the ball close. "When I got together with Brooks, one of the things I asked him was would you care if we didn't have many bunkers? He said no," Doak told The Fried Egg. "If you're trying to design something to get the average guy around and trying to make it challenging for the TOUR player, why put a bunch of bunkers in? ... The TOUR players would be the first to tell you they don't think about the bunkers all that much." Said Don Mahaffey, Memorial Park's project manager, "There are fewer bunkers tight to greens but lots of tight grass slopes and contours. The 10 handicap can get up onto the green and have a putt for par but the TOUR pro is going to have a longer shot. The green surrounds repel shots, and it'll be a tight lie to an elevated green. Brooks felt that would challenge them and be easier for the muni player."

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ATLANTA – In recognition of his supreme level of character and sportsmanship, his professionalism and the distinguished manner in which he embraces the values of golf, Bernhard Langer has been named the recipient of the PGA TOUR’s 2018 Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company. Langer will be honored on Tuesday, September 18, at the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony in conjunction with the TOUR Championship. The ceremony will be televised live on Golf Channel as part of a “Golf Centralâ€� special from 7-8 p.m. ET. The Payne Stewart Award is presented annually by the PGA TOUR to a professional golfer who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship. Stewart, an 11-time winner on the PGA TOUR and World Golf Hall of Fame member, died tragically the week of the TOUR Championship in 1999. Southern Company, the “Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions,â€� was the TOUR Championship sponsor the year of Stewart’s passing. A year later, the PGA TOUR created the Payne Stewart Award in his honor, and Southern Company has supported the annual presentation since its inception. The past winners have all distinguished themselves through their respect for the game, the TOUR’s tradition of charity and their ability to make a positive impact in the lives of others. “We all are so proud of Payne Stewart and the husband and father he was, the player he was and the character he had,â€� said Langer.  “I was very close with Payne for a number of years. Toward the end of his career, he became a believer in Jesus Christ and a Christian, and that was very touching to me because the same thing happened to me a few years earlier, so we had even more in common at that point. To now be receiving the Payne Stewart Award, I feel extremely honored. I know there are many, many other guys that deserve it as much if not more than me, and I’m thrilled to receive it.â€� Langer turned professional in 1972 at the age of 15 and joined the European Tour shortly thereafter, in 1976. He became a PGA TOUR member for four seasons beginning in 1985 and rejoined the TOUR in 2001. Originally from Munich, Germany, Langer and his wife Vikki currently reside in Boca Raton, Florida, and have four children: Jackie, Stefan, Christina and Jason. “Bernhard Langer epitomizes the ideals around which the Payne Stewart Award is built – character, charity and sportsmanship,â€� said PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan. “Fueled by his strong faith and steadfast humility, Bernhard has become one of the great ambassadors for this game and continues to set an admirable example every time he tees it up on the PGA TOUR Champions. “On the course, there has been no one more consistent or resilient over a longer period of time than Bernhard. He’s won all over the world and continues to lift trophies on a regular basis on PGA TOUR Champions. I’m still not so sure Father Time will ever catch him.â€� Charitable Commitment In addition to a sculpture by Bob Pack presented to the recipient, the Payne Stewart Award is accompanied by an annual Payne Stewart Award Grant made possible by Southern Company. The $500,000 grant supports several initiatives in Stewart’s name and is distributed as follows: $100,000 to Payne and Tracey Stewart’s primary charity, The Stewart Family Foundation; $100,000 in Stewart’s honor to The First Tee of the Ozarks located in Missouri at Kids Across America, which is affiliated with Kanakuk Kamps; and $300,000 to a charity designated by the winner. Langer has chosen to designate the Bernhard Langer Foundation, which will distribute funds to several charitable organizations that focus on providing aid to children, orphans and widows in South Florida. His charitable impact also stretches beyond the borders of the United States to his native Germany, where donations help needy families and children. A devout Christian, Langer organizes an annual charity event called “Youth for Christâ€� that raises money to help introduce Christianity to children. Other charitable organizations that Langer supports include National House of Hope Inc., Search Ministries Inc., Sheridan House Family Ministries and 4 Kids of South Florida. In addition, Langer frequently speaks at Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) functions in PGA TOUR Champions host cities and was one of the original founders and the guiding force behind the European Tour’s weekly Bible study class. During his day-to-day life on PGA TOUR Champions, Langer is a model for what the Tour strives to accomplish in providing fans with accessibility and personal interactions with the legends of the game. Langer was honored for his contributions to the game in 2006 with his appointment as honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which was originally created by King George V during World War I to reward services to the war effort by civilians, but is now given to those who make significant contributions in their own areas of activity. “The Payne Stewart Award celebrates the attributes that make our communities great – charity, sportsmanship and character,â€� said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Tom Fanning. “Southern Company is proud to recognize Bernhard, a fierce competitor, teacher and advocate for children who personifies these worthy aspirations. We extend our sincere congratulations to Bernhard, one of the most successful and revered golfers in the world.â€� A Legendary Career Langer has enjoyed nothing short of a legendary career on the golf course ever since he was first introduced to the game at 8 years old, following in his brother’s footsteps to become a caddie at the Augsburg Golf Club in Germany. Since turning professional in 1972, Langer has collected over 100 worldwide wins and is one of five players to win tournaments on six continents, joining Gary Player, David Graham, Hale Irwin and Justin Rose. Langer was the inaugural No. 1-ranked player in the world when the Official World Golf Ranking was first introduced in 1986 and spent three weeks atop the rankings. He was a 10-time European Ryder Cup team member and captained the victorious 2004 team. A two-time Masters champion (1985, 1993), Langer was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002 as the first German to be honored. When he officially joined PGA TOUR Champions after turning 50 in 2007, Langer quickly became a dominant force, winning four times over his first two seasons. Now in his 12th season, Langer owns 37 PGA TOUR Champions titles, which lists him second all time. He’s earned seven Player of the Year Awards and a record four Charles Schwab Cups as the season-long champion, including three in a row from 2014-16. Langer has also received several honors in his native Germany, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Silver Laurel Leaf, which is their highest sport award. He was also inducted into the Germany Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Langer is the 21st recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, joining a distinguished group of respected golfers including Stewart Cink, who was recognized in 2017, and the inaugural recipients Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer (2000). Other recipients include Jim Furyk (2016), Ernie Els (2015), Sir Nick Faldo (2014), Peter Jacobsen (2013), Steve Stricker (2012), David Toms (2011), Tom Lehman (2010), Kenny Perry (2009), Davis Love III (2008), Hal Sutton (2007), Gary Player (2006), Brad Faxon (2005), Jay Haas (2004), Tom Watson (2003), Nick Price (2002) and Ben Crenshaw (2001).

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