Winner’s Bag: Lanto Griffin, Houston Open

DETROIT — Joaquin Niemann and Tom Lewis topped the jam-packed leaderboard heading into the weekend in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. RELATED: Leaderboard | Inside the Field: John Deere Classic Niemann and Lewis each shot 3-under 69 on Friday to reach 10-under 134 and remain bogey free heading into the weekend at Detroit Golf Club. Troy Merritt (68), Chris Kirk (68) and Max Homa (65) were a shot back. First-round leader Davis Thompson was one of eight players two strokes back. The 22-year-old Thompson, a recent Georgia grad who finished second in the first year of PGA TOUR University, had a 1-over 73, a day after matching a Detroit Golf Club record with a 63. Willie Mack III, a Michigan native who grew up in nearby Flint, made his first cut on the PGA TOUR. Mack was the 2019 Player of the Year on the APGA and the Florida Pro Golf Tour, and in 2011 became the first Black player to win the Michigan Amateur. After a strong start in Round 1, it came down to a clutch up-and-down par on the 18th hole to close out a 1-over 73 and make the weekend. The wind picked up considerably during the second round with gusts to 25 mph that knocked hats off heads and made the relatively short and easy course more challenging. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau voiced his frustrations with the unpredictable wind and his shaky game throughout his round. He missed the cut at 1-under 143, following an opening 72 with a 71. DeChambeau declined interview requests for the second straight day. His silence left lingering questions about why he parted ways with caddie Tim Tucker on the eve of the tournament. Nearly two weeks ago, the 2020 U.S. Open champion went from leading that same major with nine holes to tying for 26th with a collapse. DeChambeau tied for 19th at the Travelers Championship last week and failed to make the cut in Detroit. PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson shot a 72 after opening with a 69, making the cut at 3-under 141. Patrick Reed also was on the cut line at 3 under after rounds of 69 and 72. Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama withdrew Friday after testing positive for COVID-19.

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While Justin Rose chased the lowest round in TOUR history and Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas dueled down the stretch of a prestigious national championship, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan appeared on CBS’ Sunday broadcast of the RBC Canadian Open to answer questions about the recent suspensions of a group of players and to reiterate his optimism about the future of the PGA TOUR. Commissioner Monahan addressed the first event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, which was played earlier this week, but the difference between that “exhibition,” as Monahan called it, and what was occurring in the final round of the RBC Canadian Open provided the perfect contrast to illustrate the strength of the PGA TOUR. “Why do they need us so badly?” Commissioner Monahan asked, referring to players who wanted to compete in the Saudi-backed series and still have an option to play some events on the PGA TOUR. “Those players have chosen to play in a series of exhibition matches against the same players over and over again. You look at that versus what we see here today, and that’s why they need us so badly. You have true, pure competition with the best players in the world here at the RBC Canadian Open with millions of fans watching. “And in this game, it’s pure and true competition that creates the profile of the world’s greatest players and that’s why they need us. That’s what we do. But we aren’t going to allow players to free ride off our loyal members, the best players in the world.” Monahan said questions about how the major championships and Official World Golf Ranking would treat the new series would need to be answered by those respective organizations and that his focus is on the TOUR’s membership and the full TOUR schedule. The makeup of the TOUR’s membership – which features young, talented, established players from across the globe – is one reason the Commissioner said he is bullish on his organization’s future. The top 20 players in the world ranking represent nine different countries on four continents. The FedExCup is shaping up to be a race between two 25-year-olds experiencing breakout seasons, Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns, with stars like THE PLAYERS champion Cameron Smith and former FedExCup champions Patrick Cantlay, Thomas and McIlroy in the mix. “Life is all about meaning and purpose and we are an organization with meaning and purpose,” Commissioner Monahan said. “The best players in the world make wonderful things happen on this platform day in and day out, week in and week out.” The LIV Golf Invitational Series features players with guaranteed contracts playing in 54-hole, no cut events, trading large paychecks for compelling competition. The funding of that circuit has drawn criticism, including from a group of 9/11 survivors and families who lost loved ones in the tragedy. While the Commissioner did not directly address those criticisms, he did ask, “Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA TOUR?” Being aligned with the TOUR means being aligned with an organization that will undergo unprecedented growth in the next decade and continue to make an impact in each community it visits, he emphasized. “This organization is going to continue to evolve … and we are going to continue to advocate for and grow this game in the right way and continue to make meaningful contributions as an organization,” Commissioner Monahan said. “I couldn’t be more excited about the future, the future we all have together.”

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Round 4 of the TOUR Championship begins Monday from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Dustin Johnson leads by five looking for his first FedExCup title with 2017 FedExCup champ Justin Thomas and 2017 TOUR Championship winner Xander Schauffele tied for second. Who will win the season finale and win the TOUR’s ultimate prize. The opening round began with a staggered leaderboard (click here to see the starting leaderboard). RELATED: Tee times | Staggered start | FedExCup 101 Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Friday-Saturday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (NBC). Monday, 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 1:30-6 p.m. (NBC). PGA TOUR LIVE: Friday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups). Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (Featured Holes). Monday, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Featured Groups), 1:30 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes) Radio: Friday-Saturday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Monday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). FEATURED GROUPS Kevin Na, Cameron Champ Monday: 11:55 p.m. ET Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland Monday: 12:15 p.m. ET MUST READS Small change helps DJ take control at East Lake JT ties personal record What happened? McIlroy explains second shot on No. 18 Eight things to know about East Lake CALL OF THE DAY

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