Cut Prediction: Travelers Championship

Phil Mickelson birdied three of the final holes Sunday to win the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Bernhard Langer held on to win his sixth PGA Tour Champions season points title.

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SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda – Of the few things in golf that cannot be debated, the ageless adage that “it’s an outdoor game” remains at the top of a very short list. RELATED: Full leaderboard | ‘Brutal’ conditions lead to wild day Acceptance of that has, in turn, always opened the door to reminders that Mother Nature is in charge, that “rub of the green” needs to be part of the process, and that you are defenseless against the unpredictable ways of weather. Fair enough, all of that, but here’s a disclaimer: You can take measures to be proactive against extreme weather and that’s why Nick Watney was among a steady parade of players who offered good cheer to the PGA TOUR rules and competitions folks. “I think they did a really nice job of setting the course up to where it was playable with this much wind,” said Watney, who teed off at 8:08 in the fourth pairing at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course and competed when the weather was at its worst. Wind blew steadily at about 25 m.p.h. and gusted up to 35-to-40, rain came down at various points, sometimes in sheets, and the word every rules official dreads – oscillating – was very much in play. Ricky Barnes certainly was thinking about that. After all, he has played at Pebble Beach and St. Andrews when play came to a halt, despite brilliant sunshine, because balls were moving on the green. Yet with wind blowing hats off players’ heads and efforts to even hold an umbrella proving futile, officials never had to blow the air horn. Credit the decision to keep green speeds to “around 10,” said PGA Tour rules official John Mutch, who got here Sunday and has seen a series of accurate forecasts. “I didn’t have a ball move,” said Barnes. “It was difficult, but it was playable.” The decision to make one of the shorter courses on the PGA TOUR (Port Royal is 6,828 yards) even shorter focused on the demanding par 3s. Yardage was trimmed from each (Nos. 3, 8, 13, 16) and when Watney talked of “shots that are scary” at Port Royal, he circled 16. There, both tee and green hang out over the ocean. “Playing that hole at 235 with that sort of wind in your chops, that wouldn’t have been right,” said Mutch, who set it up at 165. Ditto No. 13, which was 195 yards downhill into wind, but not the 235 it could have been. “But they still gave you all you wanted,” said Mutch, and the numbers supported him. The 13th and 16th played over par and were ranked third- and second-most difficult. Which isn’t to say that Port Royal won’t grow a little bit overnight and into the weekend. “Friday, it will be a little more sporty,” said Mutch. “We have a better forecast.”

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Round 2 of the Sony Open in Hawaii takes place today from Waialae Country Club. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action. Round 2 leaderboard Round 2 tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Saturday, 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Sunday, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (Golf Channel) Radio: Thursday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET. Sunday, 5 p.m.- 10 p.m. ET (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). NOTABLE TEE TIMES (ALL TIMES EASTERN) Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Hideki Matsuyama Friday: 12:50 p.m. (No. 10 tee) Justin Thomas, Brendon Todd, Matt Kuchar Friday: 1 p.m. (No. 10 tee) Lanto Griffin, Joaquín Niemann, Marc Leishman Friday: 5:30 p.m. (No. 1 tee) Patrick Reed, Collin Morikawa, Brandt Snedeker Friday: 5:40 p.m. (No. 1 tee) MUST READS Morikawa handles wind to lead Sony Open Cut prediction: Sony Open in Hawaii Why Todd might be the prohibitive favorite in Hawaii Morikawa’s golf IQ is beyond his years TOUR players rally to Australian bushfire relief cause Q&A: Blair on architecture and returning to the TOUR Sign-up and play Fantasy Golf CALL OF THE DAY

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