Champ notches emotion-filled win at Safeway

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. – A 59 is among the rarest feats in golf. In fact, only 10 men have ever broken 60, one of whom inexplicably did it twice. But to understand the significance of the 59 that Kevin Chappell shot on Friday during the second round of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, you have to go back to Nov. 28 of last year when he was lying on an operating table having surgery on his lower back. RELATED: Chappell’s historic second round | Griffin’s special connection to The Greenbrier | New members came to play He’d tried to mask the discomfort for nearly five years, taking anti-inflammatories and pain-killers and undergoing physical therapy just to get him through another day or another tournament. On the way home from the 2018 Mayakoba Golf Classic, though, Chappell was physically spent. He couldn’t even make it to baggage claim after he landed in Phoenix. “The adrenaline had come out of my body and I couldn’t do it anymore,â€� he said. Just before Thanksgiving, things got worse. Chappell lost the feeling in his right leg. He couldn’t walk. So, after consulting several doctors, he made the decision to have a microdiscectomy and laminectomy at the L5-S1, which is where the lumbar spine ends and the sacral spine begins. The Greenbrier is the first tournament he’s played since the surgery. And in his second round Chappell shot a 59, the Holy Grail of the game. He tied the PGA TOUR record with nine straight birdies, too, and will start the third round at The Old White TPC just three strokes off the lead. “I just couldn’t feel more lucky to be here right now,â€� Chappell said. “Ten months ago, I was laying on my couch and couldn’t get up. So many people sacrificed to get me here, especially my family. A lot of people believed in me, put in a lot of hard work. “To go out and have my first start back on the PGA TOUR to shoot 59, get myself in contention going into the weekend, I just couldn’t be more proud of myself right now.â€� Chappell’s round of 11 birdies came nearly four months to the day after he was given the go-ahead to tee it up again – but for just nine holes. In the months following the surgery, rehab essentially became his job and he followed the orders of the doctors and therapists to the letter. In March, though, Chappell finally got the go-ahead to start chipping and putting. Wedges came shortly afterwards – he hit 12 the first week, 15 the second, 20 the third and so on. As much as he might have wanted to, he didn’t do more. “(I) was really, really diligent,â€� Chappell said. “Listened to my team and listened to my body.â€� Chappell finally played those first nine holes on May 11 – and as much as he would have liked to go on, that was all he could do. “I remember playing the ninth hole, par 3, hitting the shot into the green and thinking, I can’t hit any more shots, I’m tired,â€� Chappell said. “To be here today, four months later, playing – starting my first PGA TOUR event, it’s pretty surreal.â€� Chappell, the former NCAA champion, the winner of the 2017 Valero Open, didn’t doubt that he would play golf for a living again. He played a couple of Korn Ferry Tour events in August to get his feet wet. He has job security in the form of a major medical extension with 23 events to earn 268 FedExCup points to retain his TOUR card. “But to be able to compete at the level I knew I could do it at, I questioned that,â€� Chappell said. “But I think this certainly validates that my game is there. I still possess that ability. Through a lot of the hard work and passion and focus it’s — you know, it’s there.â€� The 59 – the second at The Old White TPC since the tournament began in 2010 — was Chappell’s lowest score on TOUR by three strokes, and it gives him a very real shot at his second TOUR win after a 10-month layoff. “What a story that would be,â€� he said. Of course, Chappell knows a lot can happen over the next two rounds. He knows better than to get ahead of himself, too. Besides, Friday was a day to savor. He wanted to share it with his wife, Elizabeth, who walked his first nine holes before going to pick up their two young children, Wyatt and Collins, at day care, as well as the rest of their family and friends. “Those three that made the biggest sacrifices are here,â€� Chappell said with a smile. “My kids will have no idea what dad did today, and they didn’t know what dad shot yesterday either. I wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’ll go home and get a big hug and probably shed a tear or two with my wife.â€� And get back to work on Saturday.

Click here to read the full article…

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jim Herman was being coy on Friday when he talked about “someone from pretty high upâ€� giving him a putting tip recently. The Ohio native, who had only cashed a check in three of his previous 19 starts this year, had just shot his second straight 65 to seize a one-stroke lead over Bill Haas at the midway point of the Barbasol Championship. The matching rounds of 7 under are Herman’s best of the year by two strokes. And now for the rest of the story. Herman changed his grip and his style of putter on the advice of President Donald Trump, his friend and former employer at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J. The two played golf together several weeks ago, and the chief executive had some pointed words for the struggling pro. “He gave me a good talking to and told me to use a different style if it’s not working,â€� Herman said. “…. He gave me a little quick tip and get some conventional putting going and see what happens.â€� So, Herman, who says he’s used nearly every kind of grip, went back to as “conventional a grip as you can haveâ€� with a standard Bettinardi BB1 putter. He didn’t make the changes until this week, though, prompted by a “terribleâ€� week on the greens at the John Deere Classic. “I had nothing else to lose,â€� Herman said. “I had to change something up.  That was his main advice:  If it’s not working, change it. Put a lot of time in on the putting green this last week with the new style and new grip.  It’s just rolling the ball nicely.â€� This week, Herman has made 15 birdies and just one bogey – which was caused by an errant drive and second shot, not a three-putt. He has made 219 feet of putts, including 139 on Friday and ranks 11th in Strokes Gained: Putting, compared with his yearly average of 177th. “Everything seems to be working this week,â€� Herman said. “Nice change‑up.  I haven’t been playing very well or had the best results lately. … Hitting a lot of greens and making some putts and that’s always a good combination.â€� Herman played with Trump, who was seven months away from winning the 2016 presidential election, shortly before he picked up his only PGA TOUR victory at the Shell Houston Open. “Seems like I played pretty well after I played with him,â€� Herman said. “… So maybe that’s a sign to come, hopefully.â€� Herman marks his ball with Presidential dollar gold coins selected each week by Steven Wyder, his roommate from his days working as an assistant pro. Wyder, who teaches U.S. history in high school, makes the picks based on the tournament’s location and interesting dates. This week’s ball marker features Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, who was born in 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. The coins even have their own Twitter handle — @POTUSBallMarker – which has taken due notice of Herman’s position at the top of the leaderboard. The 41-year-old Herman came to Kentucky ranked 232nd in the FedExCup and in real danger of losing his PGA TOUR card for the second straight year. After the Barbasol Championship, only two events remain to move into the top-125 to secure playing privileges and make the FedExCup Playoffs. A win on Sunday at Keene Trace is worth 300 points, which wouldn’t quite move Herman inside the magic number, but it would be a huge step closer. He’s hoping that his play over the first two rounds will help break the cycle of futility that this season has become. “I haven’t been in this spot in a while,â€� Herman said. “I know I can do it. I’ve won, been in the hunt a couple times as well. It’s just nice to be playing the weekend, having a chance. “It’s not a lot of fun when you’re missing cuts and going week to week on a negative vibe.  So, a lot of positive energy going forward and just kind of keep going.â€�

Click here to read the full article…

MEXICO CITY – Jordan Spieth’s father, Shawn, will caddie for him at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec. Michael Greller, Spieth’s regular caddie, flew home after the death of his father, John “Bear� Greller. The story was first reported on the Golf Channel. “Heavy heart for Michael and his family,� Christine Spieth, Jordan’s mother, wrote on Twitter. “Bear was a great father, husband, and grandfather. Heaven gained another angel!� Shawn Spieth caddied for Jordan as he played nine holes at Club de Golf Chapultepec on Wednesday. An 11-time PGA TOUR winner with two top-15 finishes in Mexico the last two years, Spieth is set to begin his first round at 12:51 p.m. ET Thursday with Russell Knox and Satoshi Kodaira.

Click here to read the full article…