The ultimate hole-by-hole guide to Augusta National

Hilary Watson, wife of World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson, passed away Wednesday night after a 2-1/2 year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 63. “Hilary was a very special person – bright, principled, accomplished and she had a gift of uplifting those around her,â€� former PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said. “And when Hilary set out to do something, she did it successfully. I’ll always remember the stories of her rodeo days, where she won all sorts of medals and ribbons, even after her illness. Most of all, Hilary was a wonderful mate for Tom, we could all see that. My heart goes out to Tom and his family at this difficult time.â€� The Watsons were married in 1999. Hilary was first diagnosed in October 2017 after experiencing pain in her abdomen. She eventually underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and then surgery in May 2018 to remove a tumor. Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. According to pancreatic.org, for all stages combined, 91% of pancreatic cancer patients die within five years of diagnosis. Yet the illness did not keep Hilary from participating in cutting horse competitions. In 2018, she finished fourth in the National Cutting Horse Association amateur rider of the year finals and followed that with a fifth-place finish in 2019. “I keep popping up where people are thinking, ‘What are you doing? Why are you here?’â€� she told the Kansas City Star newspaper in 2018. “I think that’s what kept me going through all of that, having those shows and being enthusiastic and excited about doing something. “Whether I’m feeling good or not, I was going to still get on that horse. And have some fun doing it. That’s been a godsend for me.â€� This summer, after playing in his last Senior Open, Tom Watson said he was looking forward to spending more time with his wife. “Really happy now doing something a little bit different with my life,â€� said Watson, who won 39 times (including eight majors) in his PGA TOUR career, and an additional 14 times on PGA TOUR Champions. “Being with my wife, Hilary, who loves to ride the horses, and I love to ride the horses, and we’re going to do something different now.â€� Former PGA of America president Ted Bishop, who convinced Tom Watson to captain the U.S. team at the 2014 Ryder Cup, paid tribute to Hilary Watson. “Tom will tell you that Hilary was his hero. … and for many reasons. How these two people dealt with the devastation of the worst that cancer can 
muster up is truly an inspiration to us all,â€� Bishop wrote on Facebook. “Hilary was a beautiful woman who was also one of the fiercest competitors who ever lived. Tom is an eight-time major champion golfer, but more so a man who has always dealt with adversity in amazing ways. It’s a sad day, but Hilary’s fight is over and she leaves us with many beautiful memories.â€� Hilary Watson is survived by her husband Tom and her children, Kyle Charles, Kelly Paige and Ross Donald; her stepchildren, Meg Carr and Michael Watson; and two sisters, Alicia Korte and Christine Holton. According to golfchannel.com, the family will hold a memorial service Dec. 4 in Leawood, Kansas at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be given to the Children’s Bereavement Camp of Crossroads Hospice Kansas or to United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

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ATLANTA – Paul Casey’s plan from 248 yards away at the par-5 18th Friday at the TOUR Championship was to use 4-iron. Land it 234 yards and let it run toward the pin. A fan wearing a red shirt standing behind the green was a perfect aiming target. He then made his swing. Solid contact. Casey kept track of the ball flight. All good. “It couldn’t have been any better-looking,� he said. But after his ball one-hopped over the green into the primary rough, Casey wondered: Had caddie John McLaren given him the wrong yardage? McLaren – nicknamed Johnny Longsocks – put his hand over his mouth, biting his tongue. He had no words. Casey then looked down at his club and realized what happened. Casey had mistakenly pulled the 3-iron out of his bag instead of the 4. “Because, you know, we’re not playing for much this week and it’s not important,� Casey said later, laughing at himself. Related: Leaderboard | Who is most likely to win the TOUR Championship? | Rookie of the Year voters face interesting dilemma The Englishman ended up with par to finish with a 67 and a two-day total of 9 under in the new Starting Strokes format. That leaves him in solo fifth, just four shots off the lead heading into the weekend at East Lake, and gives him a great opportunity to make a run at his first FedExCup title. Of course, he hopes pulling the wrong club doesn’t come back to haunt him. “It’s all on me,� Casey said. “It’s 100 percent. I hold my head.� It’s not the first time it’s happened to the Englishman this year. He said there was one other tournament in which he pulled the 3 instead of the 4. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. “My 3-iron and 4-iron, they’re actually the same head,� Casey said. “One is bent stronger than the other. Clearly, I can’t tell the difference when I put them down. One’s got a little 4 on it, and the 3’s got nothing on it.� With his ball hanging slightly left on a downslope, he couldn’t tell the difference between the length and the lie. All he knew is that he thought the shot, once struck, was on target. “To hit what was not an easy long iron from 248 yards exactly at the gentleman I was aiming at in the red shirt,� Casey said, “I was pretty proud of myself.� Until he looked down his club. Whoops. “It’s criminal isn’t it?� Casey said to a group of reporters. “And you can have fun writing about it. “You’re welcome.�  

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The fourth week of the new PGA TOUR season brings us the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at 7,225-yard, par-71 TPC Summerlin, where Bryson DeChambeau is the defending champion. World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, a seven-time TOUR winner, will begin his season as he and his fellow 20-somethings look to continue their run of three straight tournament titles. Sebastian Muñoz (Sanderson Farms Championship), Cameron Champ (Safeway Open) and Joaquin Niemann (A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier) make up the top three in the FedExCup, respectively, and the oldest among them is Muñoz, 26. (Koepka is 29.) THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER THE FLYOVER The 341-yard, par-4 15th hole is one of the most exciting on the course, as the longer hitters can drive the elevated green, which is long, narrow and surrounded by bunkers. Desert runs down the entire left side of the hole, but it’s mostly defenseless otherwise. Players averaged 3.585 strokes there last year, racking eight eagles and 191 birdies compared to just 30 bogeys and three double-bogeys. The hole begins a stretch of the four best viewing holes at TPC Summerlin.    LANDING ZONE The 444-yard, par-4 18th hole is no pushover, especially not with the nerves that go along with trying to win. It’s long and slightly uphill, demanding a forced carry over a wash off the tee. The green is deep but protected by a lake to the left that has seen its share of golf balls. Players made 16 double-bogeys at the finishing hole last year to go along with three dreaded “others� and 43 bogeys. There were also 77 birdies. WEATHER CHECK From meteorologist Kyle Koval: “A quiet week of weather is likely for Las Vegas with no notable weather systems tracking anywhere near the region. Temperatures will gradually warm from the lower 80s Wednesday to near 90 degrees this weekend. Thursday and Friday have the best potential for any elevated winds with gusts over 15 mph possible. Winds look rather light for the weekend.� For the latest weather news from TPC Summerlin, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK At some point I just have to kind of give it a try. BY THE NUMBERS 1 – Number of players to win the Shriners in title defense. Jim Furyk won in 1995, ’98 and ’99. 7 – Largest come-from-behind victory, by Smylie Kaufman in 2015. 17 – Shriners aces since 2000, most recently by Chris Stroud and Joaquin Niemann last year. 102 – Bunkers on the course. SCATTERSHOTS DeLaet cautiously optimistic for comeback: Graham DeLaet, 37, still has the beard, but while he looks like the same guy, he’s coming off a nearly two-year injury layoff after a stem-cell injection and a second microdiscectomy on his back. His comeback plans have changed a few times, but he’ll give it a go at the Shriners. “You never know until you’re out here,� he told the Toronto Sun. “I’ve shot some good rounds at home with the boys, but it’s different out here and so I’m interested to see what happens, in all honesty.� DeLaet was a member of the 2013 International Presidents Cup and represented Canada at the Olympics in 2016, but that was the last year in which he played a full season on TOUR. He’s playing on a major-medical exemption.  Hadwin eyes Presidents Cup pick: Adam Hadwin hasn’t given up on a Presidents Cup pick from International Captain Ernie Els. “Once the points were done and the team was set, I feel like it was an open ballgame,� Hadwin said at the Safeway Open, where his solo second was his best result since winning the 2017 Valspar Championship. “Obviously, he’s going to take into consideration your year and stuff like that, but I doubt that he’s afraid to go with the hot player, either. I believe that I’m a proven competitor, I’ve been there before. I know what to expect, I’ve played well in big situations. I certainly have some work to do to go out and prove myself before he’ll choose.�   Mickelson, Scott drop in: Phil Mickelson, whose Safeway start was marred by a quadruple-bogey 9 in the first round that led to a missed cut, will make his 13th start at the Shriners but first since 2005. The 49-year-old recently dropped 25-30 pounds and is playing more than usual this fall in hopes of getting a pick from U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Tiger Woods. Mickelson, a 44-time TOUR winner, has played on every U.S. Team, 12 in total, since 1994. Other potential American captain’s picks in Vegas include Tony Finau, Gary Woodland, Charles Howell III and Brandt Snedeker. Adam Scott, meanwhile, is making his tournament debut despite having attended UNLV in 1999-2000.

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