Quick look at The RSM Classic

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is encouraged by recent developments with the coronavirus vaccine, but he said that he did not believe it was his right to mandate players taking it.

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Presidents Cup first-timer Daniel Berger provided the clinching half-point for the U.S. team Sunday at Liberty National, giving the Americans their 10th win in 12 meetings against the International Team. Berger, playing in the fourth Singles match of the day, went dormie against THE PLAYERS champion Si Woo Kim on the 15th hole of their match, a guaranteed half-point. Earlier, Kevin Chappell halved his match against Marc Leishman for the first half-point of the day. Chappell was informed by U.S. Captain Steve Stricker on the 16th hole that he had provided the clincher. When he finally finished his match, he was sprayed with champagne by fellow first-timer Charley Hoffman, and then celebrated with other members of the U.S. squad. “What a feeling,” he said after closing out Kim 2 and 1 for the full point. “I’m speechless right now.” The Americans needed just one point coming into Sunday’s 12 Singles matches to clinch the Presidents Cup, having taken a commanding 14.5 to 3.5 lead after the first three days at Liberty National. The Americans are now 10-1-1 in this event. Recaps for all completed matches are below. SINGLES Marc Leishman (International) vs. Kevin Chappell (U.S.), Halved Chappell made an early eagle and birdie to take control early, but Leishman battled back and led after 16 holes. He bogeyed the 17th to square the match, and both players missed birdie attempts inside 20 feet on the final hole. Jason Day (International) def. Charley Hoffman (U.S.), 2 and 1 Day won for the first time in his last 10 Presidents Cup matches. Trailing at the turn, Day won the first three holes on the back nine to go 2 up, then played steady golf the rest of the way. Hideki Matsuyama (International) def. Justin Thomas (U.S.), 3 and 1 Matsuyama struggled for most of the week, but he woke up against the FedExCup champ, making eight birdies and an eagle in the first 12 holes. Thomas played nearly as well, making seven birdies in that stretch. But Matsuyama never provided an opening for Thomas to pounce. Daniel Berger (U.S.) def. Si Woo Kim (International), 2 and 1 Berger clinched the Presidents Cup on the 15th hole when he went dormie for a guaranteed half-point, then closed out Kim two holes later in a well-played match, particular between holes 8 and 12 when the two combined for seven birdies. Berger took the lead on the second hole and never gave it up. Charl Schwartzel (International) def. Matt Kuchar (U.S.), 1 up The South African won the first two holes and maintained the lead for the entire match. Schwartzel had four birdies in his first seven holes and was 5 up through seven, then cruised from there. The loss continued Kuchar’s drought in Presidents Cup Singles, as he’s now 0-4-0.  Louis Oosthuizen (International) def. Patrick Reed (U.S.), 1 up On three separate stretches during the match, Reed held the lead, including after the 16th hole when he was 1 up. But Oosthuizen’s 14-foot birdie putt at the 17th squared it, then his 12-footer at the 18th won it. It’s Oosthuizen’s first Singles win in three attempts in the Presidents Cup. Branden Grace (International) vs. Dustin Johnson (U.S.), Halved The South African, who won all five of his matches two years ago in Korea, denied Johnson the same result with a late rally to halve the match. Johnson led for 13 of the first 16 holes, but he found trouble off the tee at 17 and conceded the hole to square the match. With 4.5 points, Johnson led all players. Adam Scott (International) def. Brooks Koepka (U.S.), 3 and 2 Scott won his first point of the week against the U.S. Open champ while running his Singles record to 5-3-0. Koepka led for most of the match, but Scott won four consecutive holes on the back nine to flip the match in his favor.

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He has four headcovers in his bag this week: a 10.5-degree Stealth Plus driver, a 16.5-degree Stealth 3HL (high launch) 3-wood, 21-degree Stealth 7-wood and the 22-degree Stealth 4-hybrid. A 4-iron is the longest in Johnson’s bag. Johnson also used the 4-hybrid at the Farmers Insurance Open to help him hit the ball higher out of Torrey Pines’ thick rough. A TaylorMade representative said his use of the club is “infrequent,” however. Johnson did use a 3-iron when he set the Masters scoring record two years ago, shooting 20-under 268 to win by five shots. His winning total also was the lowest score in relation to par in major history. The higher launch that a hybrid offers wasn’t necessary during that unique fall Masters, however, as the course played softer than usual. AUGUSTA, Ga. – Hybrids can help even the best players hit their long approach shots higher. That’s why Dustin Johnson took the 3-iron out of his bag this week as he seeks his second Green Jacket. Johnson replaced the club with a TaylorMade Stealth 4-hybrid with 22 degrees of loft. The club has a Project X HZRDUS RDX Black 100 TX shaft. Johnson hits both the 3-iron and Stealth 4-hybrid 245 yards, but gave the nod to the hybrid because he launches it higher. “With par-5s being crucial scoring holes at Augusta National, DJ took out his 3-iron during practice this week and put the Stealth 4-hybrid he played back at (the Farmers Insurance Open) back in the bag,” said Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade’s vice president of tour operations. Johnson switches between the 3-iron and 4-hybrid based on course conditions. While higher-lofted fairway woods and hybrids are often thought to provide the biggest benefit to players with lower swing speeds, Johnson shows that even one of the TOUR’s longest hitters can use them to his advantage.

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