DraftKings preview: World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – In back-to-back groups Thursday afternoon, an amateur named Steve Green, and a two-time champion of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am named Brandt Snedeker were forced onto the beach to the left of the 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Errant tee shots and mad scrambles led to an improbable par by Green and an all-world birdie by Snedeker. That they barely avoided the crashing waves in Stillwater Cove to stay dry and even get to their golf balls was a larger layer of good fortune. But like the rest of their competitors in this iconic tournament, they probably aren’t holding out too much hope for the days ahead, because the forecast is turbulent. Tee times for Friday’s second round have been pushed up to 7 a.m. local time, which means the first groups will be teeing off just as the sun rises. Heavy downpours are forecast to start late morning and, well, now is the time to embrace a positive attitude – and Roberto Castro is helping to set the tone. “It’s not going to prevent me from enjoying my favorite golf course in a tournament I love,� said Castro, who opened with a 4-under 68 to get into a share of 18th. He made those four birdies and 14 pars in relatively gentle conditions at Pebble Beach Golf Links and knows that everyone is now going to speculate about where in the three-course rota will it be worse Friday. Monterey Peninsula Country Club, which is probably the most exposed of the three courses? Spyglass Hills, which is longer and arguably the toughest of the three? Or Pebble Beach, which presents some severely challenging holes along the water and might offer the fiercest winds? “I don’t think it really matters,� said Castro, who will move over to MPCC Friday. “Monterey is probably tougher in worse weather, but it is wide open.� Instead of analyzing which course presents what sort of challenge, Castro prefers to put his arms around the mental challenge that awaits. “To me, tough conditions help me turn my brain off,� he said. “When I was in college and playing in the rain, I was more likely to play on instincts, no analysis.� Nick Watney, who shot 73 at Pebble Beach, always falls back on a memory of something he read as a kid, “how Tom Watson said it was all about attitude, that if you complain about it or fret about it, you were in trouble.� Watson was famous for playing well in adverse conditions and Watney said players need to think that way. Branden Grace, last week’s runner-up at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and a player who prides himself on an ability to handle tough conditions, opened with a 5-under 67 at Pebble Beach and approaches Friday’s round at MPCC with enthusiasm. “It’ll be on my mind, just grind, be patient, be patient.� No worries, either, about what to wear. “A shipment (of clothes) arrived yesterday,� laughed the South African. “I’m all stuffed up.� Castro said he’s prepared, too. “In both directions,� he laughed. “Yesterday I had two layers on and I was too hot. The next few days I’ll have enough clothes on to go skiing.�

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Collin Morikawa is finally getting a weekend off. After making his first 22 consecutive cuts as a pro, the second longest streak in the last 30 years (Tiger Woods, 25), the high-flying Morikawa came back to earth and will miss the weekend rounds at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. RELATED: Full leaderboard After shooting an opening-round 72, Morikawa could only manage one better Friday, finishing at 3 over for the tournament and well off the projected cut. “It was bound to happen at some point,” he said. “Who knows when that was going to be. But now I guess we’re going to stop talking about it and I can go and just go on to next week.” Morikawa said he will take a week off, then pick back up again for the two tournaments at Muirfield Village in Columbus, Ohio. Just two weeks ago Morikawa lost a playoff to Daniel Berger at the Charles Schwab Challenge, the first tournament back after a three-month hiatus on the PGA TOUR due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He faltered slightly with a final-round 74 and a T64 finish at the RBC Heritage, which he said led to his struggles at the Travelers, where “I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole.” Morikawa, 23, graduated from Cal Berkeley (Business Administration) in the spring of 2019, turned pro, and took off like a rocket. He was runner-up to friend Matthew Wolff at the 3M Open, finished T4 at the John Deere Classic, and won the Barracuda Championship. Along with Wolff and Puerto Rico Open winner Viktor Hovland, who is in contention at the Travelers, Morikawa is a key cog in of one of the most celebrated rookie classes in decades. He was 20th in the FedExCup and had climbed to 29th in the world heading into the Travelers. “I’m going to learn a lot from this week,” he said. “I missed the cut as an am at the Safeway Open in 2016, and I learned more then, in those two days, than I did in a lot of my events so far as a pro. I’m going to learn a lot from this week and just move forward.”

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NORTON, Mass. – Bryson DeChambeau has secured the No. 1 seed in the FedExCup through to the TOUR Championship after claiming the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston. After a convincing victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST to open the four-event Playoffs stretch DeChambeau backed it up with another dominant display, prevailing by two shots over Justin Rose. The win assures the 25-year-old the top seed in the FedExCup not only at next week’s BMW Championship at Aronimink in Philadelphia, but through to the season finale TOUR Championship in Atlanta. The top five players at East Lake control their own destiny knowing a win secures the FedExCup. DeChambeau will also have the best chance to claim the season long championship without victory. After the points reset he would have a reasonable chance to win the FedExCup with a top-6 finish in Atlanta and mathematically has a chance finishing as low as T29 in the 30-man field. “I’ve still got to focus on doing the absolute best I can each and every week. I can’t get caught up in the fact that I’m No. 1,â€� DeChambeau said. “If a guy wins the first three Playoff events, if that was ever to happen, you’re still not guaranteed that you’re going to win the FedExCup. So no matter what there’s always a job to do. “I can’t get caught up in the fact that I won the past two weeks. Everybody starts at even par next week. We’re all fresh. And there’s going to be a winner on Sunday. So it could be anybody out of the 70 that are there. I’ve just got to play better than all of them.â€� While his seeding won’t change next week, DeChambeau still has goals he’s chasing. He joined Vijay Singh (2008) as the only player to win the opening two Playoff events in the history of the FedExCup and now has a chance to set more record marks. No one has ever won more than two of the four Playoff events in one season, although there has now been a multiple winner in eight of the 12 seasons. DeChambeau is also expected to join the U.S. Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick this week. ROSE BLOOMING AHEAD OF ARONIMINK RETURN It might be pretty hard to take favoritism away from Bryson DeChambeau at next week’s BMW Championship but one man could … Justin Rose. The Englishman finished runner up at the Dell Technologies Championship with a final round 3-under 68 leaving him 14 under. Given he opened Monday’s final round with back-to-back bogeys it was an impressive fight back and left Rose third in the FedExCup and importantly all but assured to stay in the top five of the standings by the TOUR Championship. The top five at East Lake hold their destiny in their own hands, knowing a win in Atlanta secures the FedExCup. But Rose won’t be taking the BMW Championship easy … he has history at the course and as such looks a serious threat to stop DeChambeau’s streak. The Englishman won the 2010 Quicken Loans National when the Philadelphia course hosted the event and was T15 the year after in his title defense. “You’re trying to win these amazing golf tournaments, but in the back of your mind you’re trying to secure yourself into a great position going into the final one at East Lake in Atlanta,â€� Rose said. “So far job done. I’ll be going to Aronimink next week, a course I’ve won at, obviously have confidence, and see if I can get it going. “This result gives me a realistic chance coming into East Lake, no matter what. OBSERVATIONS SMITH SECURES FIRST TOUR CHAMPS … Young Australian Cameron Smith (69) grabbed his second third place result of the FedExCup Playoffs and as such secured his first trip to East Lake for the TOUR Championship. Smith had a chance to force some pressure on DeChambeau down the stretch after a birdie on the 16th hole but dumped a 7-iron into the hazard on the 18th hole as he tried to force the issue to make eagle on the par-5 finisher. Smith moved to eighth in the FedExCup standings and will now try to channel the vibes from Billy Horschel’s FedExCup run in 2014 where he went close at TPC Boston in similar fashion before winning the last two Playoff events and the FedExCup. SEASON OVER … Only 70 players move on to the BMW Championship meaning 30 players have been eliminated this week. Ryan Moore’s final round 2-over 73 proved costly as he dropped to 71st on the standings, missing out on a trip to Aronimink by just three FedExCup points. Ted Potter Jr. – the winner at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – was the last man in. Several players proved clutch down the stretch including Peter Uihlein – who finished with three straight birdies – to move on. For all the FedExCup news check the FedExCup update here. NOTABLES TIGER WOODS – Starting the day with an outside chance at victory Woods failed to make a deep move. Three birdies in his opening 11 holes wasn’t really applying pressure and then three dropped shots in his last five holes left him with an even-par 71 to finish 7 under and T24. He sits 25th in the FedExCup. JORDAN SPIETH – Still without a win this season after final round 1-under 70 left him 10 under and T12. He jumped inside the top 30 of the FedExCup to 27th. DUSTIN JOHNSON – Protected his world No. 1 status with an impressive final round 7-under 64. Moved to 11 under and T7 to stay second in the FedExCup. PHIL MICKELSON – Entertaining 8-under 63 in the final round moved the veteran to 10 under T12 and to ninth in the FedExCup. TONY FINAU – A 10th top 10 this season without a win after 3-under 68 final round left him 12 under and T4. Fourth in the FedExCup. BROOKS KOEPKA – Had a chance to go to number one in the world if he could best Dustin Johnson, instead finished one behind him at 10 under T12. JUSTIN THOMAS – Defending champion had two eagles on the way to a 6-under 65 to finish at 7 under and T24. QUOTABLES Hopefully I can keep riding this wave.I’ve got to take this momentum into Philadelphia.I was having a hard time just getting in the zone.I was pretty amped up. You feel the adrenaline. SUPERLATIVES Low round: 63 by Phil Mickelson (T12). Longest drive: 371 yards, by J.B. Holmes (T49) at the seventh hole. Longest putt: 57 feet, four inches by Marc Leishman (T21) at the par-3 16th hole. Easiest hole: The 531-yard, par-5 18th played to a 4.500 average including four eagles. Hardest hole: The 514-yard, par-4 14th played to a 4.408 average including just four birdies. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the PGA TOUR, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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