This day in sports history: Lefty’s first major

Peter Uihlein fired an opening-round 63 to take the overnight lead at TPC Summerlin. Play was suspended for darkness with 20 players still out on the course. Round 1 will resume at 10:15 a.m. ET.  Jordan Spieth shot a 66 in his season debut and is T5 along with Bryson DeChambeau and Si Woo Kim. Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar opened with 68 playing alongside each other.  Here’s everything you need to know to follow Round 2 of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open: Leaderboard Round 2 tee times HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN (ALL TIMES ET) TELEVISION: Friday: 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. (Golf Channel) RADIO:  2:00 – 7:30 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com) NOTABLE GROUPINGS 10:30 a.m. (No. 10): Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler 11:35 a.m. (No. 10): Harris English, Harold Varner III, Lucas Glover 11:45 a.m. (No. 1): Peter Uihlein, D.J. Trahan, John Senden 12:05 p.m. (No. 1): Jordan Spieth, Aaron Wise, Cameron Champ 12:15 p.m. (No. 1): Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Kevin Tway MUST-READS Stats Report: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Round 1 Spieth’s putter back in business DeChambeau to test flag-in putting at Sentry Tournament of Champions Uihlein kicks laziness to lead in Las Vegas

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The U.S. Open is changing to a two-hole aggregate playoff, the last of the four majors to do away with an 18-hole playoff. The change is takes effect immediately and would be used at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island in June if there is a tie after 72 holes. The U.S. Golf Association also decided to make its other three open champions two-hole playoffs — the U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Women’s Open. The U.S Open has had 33 playoffs in its 117 years, all decided by 18 holes or more. “There was a time when they did make sense before television, before the modern era of wanting everything decided immediately,” said Mike Davis, chief executive of the USGA. “There is no correct way to determine a tie in stroke play.” The last U.S. Open playoff was 10 years ago at Torrey Pines, where Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate in 19 holes for his 14th major. The Masters was the first major to abandon the 18-hole playoff in 1976 when it changed to sudden death. The PGA Championship did the same a year later, and Lanny Wadkins won the first sudden-death playoff in major championship history in 1977 at Pebble Beach. The PGA later changed to a three-hole aggregate. The British Open changed to a four-hole aggregate in 1986. The U.S. Open used to have a 36-hole playoff, last used in 1931 when Billy Burke and George Von Elm tied after 72 holes, tied after the 36-hole playoff and then played another 36 holes. Burke won by one shot. Then, if 18-hole playoffs were tied, another 18 holes were played. Starting with the 1990 U.S. Open, an 18-hole playoff that ended with a tie was decided by sudden death. Hale Irwin won that year. Davis said the USGA chose a two-hole playoff to allow a player to recover from one bad shot and still keep the intensity of the playoff being decided quickly. The 10-year stretch between playoffs is the longest in U.S. Open history. “This came up about two months ago,” Davis said. “We’ve had 33 playoffs since 1895. Do your math and that’s one every 3 years. For the last 23 years, we’ve had two playoffs. So it was proactive.” He said the USGA asked players, broadcaster partners, vendors and fans about ending the 18-hole playoff. “I won’t say it was everybody, but seemingly it was, `Why do we have to come back tomorrow?'” Davis said. No one seemed to mind the last playoff, mainly because it involved Woods, who was playing for the first time since the Masters because of a shattered left leg that required surgery two weeks after he won. There was pandemonium at the gates with people trying to get in, long lines at concession stands with few vendors. Davis said it was one of the largest digital audiences for a sports event because so many people were at work. Stewart Cink, who won the British Open at Turnberry in 2009 over Tom Watson, liked the idea of scrapping the 18-hole playoff. “I think 18 holes is a bit much for a playoff, and it’s more often than not going to be a bit anticlimactic,” he said. “They’ve got the captive audiences, the players are at the peak of their games, why not let them duke it out? They’ve got plenty of daylight. Whether it’s two, three or four holes doesn’t matter. I do not like the sudden-death aspect of the major. I think one hole is a little quick to decide a major.” The USGA also felt the three-hole aggregate playoffs for the U.S. Women’s Open — instituted after Annika Sorenstam beat Pat Hurst in 18 holes at Newport Country Club in 2006 — and the U.S. Senior Open worked well. Davis also said he was having a hard time explaining why the men had to go 18 holes for a playoff and the women played only three holes. “That got us to say, `Let’s look at every aspect.’ We just concluded now is the right time,” Davis said. Davis said the two-hole aggregate would be different holes, but not limited to the 17th and 18th holes depending on the course. In the case of Shinnecock Hills, playing the 17th and 18th would mean a par 3 and a par 4. The 17th and 18th holes at Pebble Beach in 2019 would be a par 3 and a par 5, two of the most scenic holes in American golf.

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If Segment 1 of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf has felt like more of a grind than the usual soft open, that's because that's exactly what it's been. Not only are there a record 12 tournaments contributing but the cut at The RSM Classic was a crude reminder to many of its latest iteration (low 65 and ties) now in its second season. A year ago, I went just 1-for-6 at Sea Island. It was crushing in every sense, but it was a perfect example of why making cuts in this website's fantasy game is the top priority, and especially in a field with the maximum 156 in play. I managed to get four into the weekend at the RSM this year, but based on the experiences of many who have shared publicly, I was fortunate. A closer look at the cut and those cut helped explain. Exactly 65 golfers survived the 36-hole cut two weeks ago. Among the 13 who missed it on the number was Justin Rose. He was the sixth-most owned at 34.15 percent. Sungjae Im (second-most), Dylan Frittelli (fifth-most), Sebastián Muñoz (seventh-most) and Louis Oosthuizen (eighth-most) also failed to cash. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | Sleeper Picks This week's 132-man Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN concludes Segment 1, so play ‘em if you got ‘em. ShotLink is not used, so your only targets are par breakers, low scores and leaderboard finish. When Brendon Todd prevailed at El Camaleón Golf Club a year ago as a 34-year-old, he brought the average age of the winners down. It was by only 0.07 to 34.85, which slots in the prime of a career, but it's not often that a course rewards the veteran ball-strikers as much. Seven of the first 12 winners were older at the time of their victories. The next stop on the schedule is the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Jan. 7-10. Because of the three-month shutdown due to the pandemic last season, this season's edition of the Sentry TOC will include all 30 golfers who qualified for the TOUR Championship. Of them, 17 didn't win an event since the 2020 edition, so the preliminary field stands at 45. This week's champion will be the last to qualify. Thirteen committed at Mayakoba already are eligible to open 2021 at Kapalua. Because Mayakoba wraps 2020, this is the last Fantasy Insider of the year. It's why the birthdays at the bottom extend all the way through Monday, Jan. 4. I've heard from many full-season gamers who were looking for my annual full-membership fantasy ranking. If you also missed it, the reduction of workable time late in the 2019-20 season and the absence of time in between seasons reduced this year's edition to a this preview, but I'm always available to review your situation privately. The most efficient connection point is via Twitter's Direct Messaging. Thank you as always for your loyalty to our fantasy content and gaming. This gig remains just as much fun and rewarding as it did when I hopped into the seat in 2010. It's entirely because of you. Until we meet again, please continue to respect yourself and others as it concerns the pandemic so as to remain healthy and to eliminate disruption in your daily life. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN (in alphabetical order): Abraham Ancer Daniel Berger Joel Dahmen Harris English Emiliano Grillo Brooks Koepka You'll find my starters in Expert Picks Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Brian Gay; Doug Ghim; Patton Kizzire; Peter Malnati; Sebastián Muñoz; Joaquin Niemann; Rory Sabbatini; Justin Thomas Driving: n/a POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Pat Perez ... The 44-year-old has carved out a reputation as a wizard on paspalum. It's seriously supported by his experience at Mayakoba where he prevailed in 2016 and finished inside the top 10 in the last two years. Overall, he's 7-for-8 with five top 20s. However, a recent slide cannot be ruled out as attributable to foot and ankle soreness that plagued him in August. The play is to go for it in a format in which you can be aggressive in places. DRAWS Brendon Todd ... This is a mild endorsement for the defending champion. He's been erratic of late and he missed the cut in his title defense on Bermuda, but he remains the product of the formula that's proven time and again at Mayakoba. En route to a T37 in his last start at Sea Island, he led the field in fairways hit, but he ranked T53 in greens in regulation despite averaging 12.75 per round. That's enough to retain our confidence, but his sticker price in DFS likely squeezes him out of cost-effective decisions. Russell Henley ... Ten consecutive cuts made upon arrival and one of the best tee to green this season. Quite simply, he's done nothing in recent memory to suggest that his next slump is looming. Joaquin Niemann ... He's likely over the frustration not to have been able to compete in the Masters due to COVID-19, and he finished T44 at Sea Island the following week, so all systems are go again. This is his third start at Mayakoba where he's hung up three red numbers in six rounds but didn't come close to contending in his debut in 2018 (T60). Chez Reavie ... Now 39 years of age, it'd surprise no one if he's posing for pictures with the chameleon trophy this week. Perfect in seven trips with a T4 (2016), a T14 (2017) and T26s in the last two editions, his combination of accuracy off the tee and precision on approach is repeatable and sustainable. While that's an obvious analysis, he's well-documented as streaky throughout his career, so even though he's been quiet since a T3 at the Safeway Open to launch into 2020-21, Mayakoba is on the short list of tests that can spark his next surge. Adam Long ... In full disclosure, he's among my favorites, both in fantasy and reality. Now in his third season, he's continued to maintain a pace of cracking the top 25 in half of his cuts made. It means that he's unafraid of getting in the mix on the weekend. He's also missed only one cut in his last 12 starts, nine of which had a cut. The 33-year-old is balanced throughout his bag, but he sets up his consistency with an exceptional game off the tee. In last year's debut at Mayakoba when he arrived in similar form to his current, he shared runner-up honors. Camilo Villegas ... Fresh off an emotional and inspiring T6 at Sea Island, he returns to Mayakoba for the first time in three years. He missed just one cut in five consecutive trips. Billy Horschel Charles Howell III John Huh Peter Malnati Denny McCarthy Graeme McDowell Brian Stuard FADES Rickie Fowler ... Aside from his current position as the poster boy of those clinging to a spot inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking to gain entry into the 2021 Masters, that fact is reason enough to hold your breath. He's finished second (2017) and T15 (2018) at Mayakoba, but 2020 has been an experience in connecting with swing changes that haven't translated into a top 10 post-hiatus and a top 25 in his last seven starts. Trap. Marc Leishman ... If I made space for another Wild Card, he'd have filled it. He's rested since a T13 at the Masters where he ranked T4 in greens hit and led the field in par-5 scoring. Because he's played well there before and due to the insular environment on the whole, it could be an anomaly but it's still representative that his game isn't as far off as it was in every other start since play resumed. Making his first appearance at Mayakoba in four years, so treat it as a bonus if you own him in a full-season format; otherwise, be careful. Charley Hoffman ... In what has been an effective 2020, he's scattered six top-15 finishes, including a pair this season, but the 2014 Mayakoba champ is 0-for-5 and hasn't broken 70 here since. Gary Woodland ... Runner-up here in 2016 and he's 4-for-4 since 2009, so he loves the place, but it's still a curious decision to give it a go given the torn labrum in his hip and subsequent discomfort in his back. Kyle Stanley ... His T6 at Sea Island was a personal best in six appearances, all of which resulting in a payday, but it's time to abstain if you remain in the same lane. Just 2-for-6 at Mayakoba with missed cut in his last three tries. Brian Harman ... It's relative in the context that if you're looking only for a cut made, fine. He's 4-for-4 at Mayakoba since 2015. However, the best of the bunch was a T40 to spark that streak. Prior to missing the cut at Sea Island where he's played much better over time - it's not surprising given that he's a local - he strung together nine top 40s dating back to the Wyndham Championship. Byeong Hun An ... Off to a rough start with four missed cuts sandwiching guaranteed paydays at Shadow Creek (T42) and Sherwood (T35). Missed the cut in only prior trip to Mayakoba in 2017. Andy Ogletree ... This is just a courtesy reminder to keep an eye on him. The 2019 U.S. Amateur champion is making his professional debut at Mayakoba. In his last start, he captured the Silver Cup as the low amateur at the Masters (T34). Rafa Cabrera Bello Will Gordon Adam Hadwin Luke List Brendan Steele Kristoffer Ventura RETURNING TO COMPETITION Henrik Norlander ... Untimely contraction of COVID-19 led to his early withdrawal at Sea Island, but the positive spin is that he missed only one the one tournament since the PGA TOUR was dark for Thanksgiving. While he's no doubt eager to pierce the turf again, and while his profile as a ball-striker fits Mayakoba well, invest fractionally at most in DFS. This is his third appearance, so he knows the property. Michael Kim ... Walked off Seaside during his first round of The RSM Classic with a sore back. Same thing happened during his opener at the Barracuda Championship four months ago. It's been 26 months since he's cashed in a tournament with a cut. NOTABLE WDs Cameron Tringale ... Opted to begin his holiday break follwoing the solo third at Sea Island instead of another week on the road. He's connected for only one top-45 finish at Mayakoba, anyway, that a T25 in 2017. Currently 33rd in the FedExCup. Matt Jones ... Since 2013, the Aussie made the cut in all four trips to Mayakoba but none yielded a top 30. Currently 59th in the FedExCup thanks in part to a T14 at Corales and a T4 on Bermuda. Brandt Snedeker ... He hadn't appeared at El Camaleón since the inaugural edition in 2007, so his commitment was curious in the first place. Sits 121st in the FedExCup with one top 40 (T17, Sanderson Farms) among four cuts made in seven starts. Gamers never have worried about him, but he's not yet fully exempt for next season and he'll turn 40 next Tuesday (see Birthdays below). Danny Lee ... Since his unfortunate experience at the U.S. Open, he's 2-for-4 with a T21 at Shadow Creek, but it's one of only two top 25s since play resumed in June. He figured to log one more at Mayakoba where he's recorded a pair of podium finishes and a T25 since 2014, but it'll have to wait. Led outright here last year with a course record-tying 62 in the first round before fading to finish T26. Martin Trainer ... Also withdrew early from the Bermuda Championship but he missed both cuts since. In fact, he's missed 15 in a row dating back to February and he's cashed only once in an event with a cut in almost 20 months. POWER RANKINGS RECAP - THE RSM CLASSIC Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Webb Simpson T37 2 Sungjae Im MC 3 Sebastián Muñoz MC 4 Russell Henley T30 5 Corey Conners T10 6 Mackenzie Hughes MC 7 Ian Poulter T50 8 C.T. Pan MC 9 Denny McCarthy MC 10 Brian Harman MC 11 Zach Johnson T6 12 Tyrrell Hatton T23 13 Louis Oosthuizen MC 14 Brian Gay DNP 15 Alex Noren T18 Wild Card Justin Rose MC SLEEPERS RECAP - THE RSM CLASSIC Golfer Result Ryan Armour MC Scott Brown MC Russell Knox MC Hank Lebioda MC Davis Thompson MC BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR December 1 ... D.A. Points (44) December 2 ... Alex Cejka (50); Shawn Stefani (39) December 3 ... none December 4 ... Matt Every (37); Harry Higgs (29) December 5 ... Ryan Moore (38) December 6 ... none December 7 ... Luke Donald (43); Billy Horschel (34) December 8 ... Brandt Snedeker (40) December 9 ... Wyndham Clark (27) December 10 ... Brian Stuard (38); Wes Roach (32) December 11 ... none December 12 ... Nate Lashley (38) December 13 ... Rickie Fowler (32) December 14 ... Brian Gay (49) December 15 ... Sam Ryder (31) December 16 ... Trevor Immelman (41) December 17 ... Tim Clark (45) December 18 ... D.J. Trahan (40) December 19 ... none December 20 ... none December 21 ... none December 22 ... Richy Werenski (29) December 23 ... Daniel Chopra (47) December 24 ... none December 25 ... none December 26 ... none December 27 ... Charley Hoffman (44); Doc Redman (23) December 28 ... Martin Kaymer (36) December 29 ... Martin Laird (38) December 30 ... Tiger Woods (45) December 31 ... none January 1 ... none January 2 ... none January 3 ... Charlie Wi (49) January 4 ... Sebastián Muñoz (28)

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