Leaderboard: Third round at RSM Classic

DUBLIN, Ohio – Only a few months ago Chile’s Joaquin Niemann was seemingly still a mountain away from life on the PGA TOUR despite being the world’s best amateur. But after an opening round 7-under 65 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide the 19-year-old has an excellent chance at joining a small group of players to bypass the pathway Tours and go directly to the main stage. Now in just his fifth professional start Niemann will take the overnight co-lead with Hideki Matsuyama and Abraham Ancer. He has already finished sixth at the Valero Texas Open and was tied eighth at the Fort Worth Invitational. As such he has earned 180 non-member FedExCup points, which would rank him 144th in this season’s FedExCup standings. He can earn his card for the 2018-19 season if he finishes in the top 125. Niemann already has clinched a spot in the Web.com Tour Finals, and he needs just 89 points to earn special temporary membership, which would allow him to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions this season in his chase for a card. If successful he would join the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth to make the rapid leap to the PGA TOUR. “I don’t like to think about that. I just want to be out here and enjoy my round and try to play my best and see how it goes,â€� he said. “I have been playing really well, so my game is feeling really nice. And after those two top-10s, I have gained a lot of confidence in my game. “It has been all really quick. Two months ago I was playing the Masters as an amateur and right now I’ve already played four tournaments as a pro and it feels really nice. I just really am enjoying what I’m doing now… being out here, playing with the best players, it can’t be any better.â€� OBSERVATIONS WOODS SALVAGES LATE HOPE. Tiger Woods appeared headed for the back end of the leaderboard after he dropped four shots in his opening seven holes on Thursday but the 79-time PGA TOUR winner and five-time winner at the Memorial Tournament was able to rally late. Still 3 over through 13 holes Woods rattled off three straight birdies to get it back to even par. “Didn’t really feel my swing very well and consequently I hit it both ways, mainly left,â€� Woods said. “I wasn’t rotating very well. Kind of made a few tweaks, a few changes, made a couple birdies, made a couple putts and lo and behold I finished at even par, which I know it’s a long way back, but at least I’ve got a fighting chance.â€� Woods admitted his surgically repaired back was feeling tight all round. “I have days like that. My back is fused. I’m going to have days where it’s just tight,â€� he said. “Unfortunately today was one of those days and that’s all right. I don’t have any pain, thank God. It’s just tight. So, no biggy.â€� BEAU KNOWS THURSDAYS.  Beau Hossler continued his trend of impressive starts on the PGA TOUR with an opening 6-under 66. Coming into the week his Round 1 scoring average sat at 69.25 – a stat that has helped him to three top-10 finishes this season and 41st position in the FedExCup. Unfortunately for Hossler his averages get progressively worse as the rounds go on – sitting at 69.95 in Round 2, 70.65 in Round 3 and 72.18 in final rounds. “I think I’ve played a number of really quality rounds on the weekend as well. So I feel like this year has been a lot of up-and-down,â€� Hossler said. “I feel really comfortable with where I’m at. I played great on the weekend in Houston, pretty much flawless, really. I have tons of confidence from closing out tournaments from junior and Amateur golf and college golf. It’s not a concern of mine. Obviously, I noticed a trend, but at the same time I think I’m on the right track and I’ve just got to stick with what I’m doing.â€� HIDEKI FINDS HIS GROOVE.  A year ago Hideki Matsuyama had two wins and was second in the FedExCup at this stage of the PGA TOUR season but it has been slim pickings thus far in 2018. That is, until now. Matsuyama produced his best opening round of the season with a 7-under 65 catapulting him into a tie for the lead. His round included a shank but also seven birdies, two bogeys and a hole out eagle from 137 yards. Currently 81st in the FedExCup it was a welcome return to form for the 2014 Memorial Tournament winner. “I had some good rounds there at the AT&T Byron Nelson (72-63-71-66) and had some momentum coming into my off week, had a real good week of practice back home, came here, and I couldn’t find it again,â€� he said. “But this morning I had a good warm-up session and as the round went along I played better and better. It has been frustrating. In the past even if I wasn’t playing well I could still get it around, get it in the hole. So the last couple of months have been trying. I’m just really glad that I was able to play well today and post a good score at the start.â€� NOTABLES ABRAHAM ANCER – Mexico’s top male golfer tied his career best PGA TOUR score with a 7-under 65 to share the lead. At 106th in the FedExCup this season Ancer is in great position to strengthen his Playoff hopes. JASON DAY – The Columbus area resident and Muirfield Village member put up a 4-under 68 to set up a good chance of finally obtaining an elusive top-10 finish at his home course. DUSTIN JOHNSON – The big-hitting Johnson was unable to break a streak of pars across the back nine leaving him with an even par 72. JUSTIN ROSE – The 2010 Memorial champion and winner last week at the Fort Worth Invitational was a little scratchy on the way to a 1-under 71. Rose stunned onlookers early with a stone-cold top followed by a shank in consecutive shots on the par-5 15th hole. JASON DUFNER – The defending champion had a rough time of it, carding a 3-over 75 with four bogeys and just one birdie. PHIL MICKELSON – Lefty was looking great at 4-under through his opening eight holes but dropped six shots in his final 10 holes to shoot 74. JUSTIN THOMAS – The FedExCup leader battled hard in his roller coaster round of 72. JORDAN SPIETH – Spieth’s struggles continued with a 3-over 75. RORY McILROY – The Northern Irishman was unable to ride his momentum from a good showing in Europe, opening with a 74. QUOTABLES It was just like a normal fever. Probably more of a man-cold, to be honest. But I feel like I’m dying every time I’m sick, so my wife just looks at me and laughs at me.I don’t like heights, so I wouldn’t jump out of a plane. But driving fast, I really love.It was a guessing game. SUPERLATIVES Low round: 7-under 65 by Abraham Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Hideki Matsuyama. Longest drive: 381 yards – Dustin Johnson par-4 17th Longest putt: 57 feet, one inch – Jordan Spieth par-4 1st Toughest hole: The par-4 9th (4.300) yielded just 10 birdies but had 25 bogeys, seven double bogeys and two others. Easiest hole: The par-5 5th (4.583) saw an eagle and 61 birdies. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of Round 2 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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NAPLES, Fla. – The last time Brandt Snedeker and Bubba Watson were on the same team it was at the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. Snedeker was a player, Watson an assistant-captain. They had the same goal, a U.S. victory, but different job responsibilities. Snedeker was tasked with making birdies, while Watson, to hear him tell it, was tasked with making lunch. “Fixing him sandwiches, getting water for him, you know,� Watson joked Wednesday from the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club, where he and Snedeker will pair up and go for the title against the 11 other two-man teams at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. Players form teams for all sorts of reasons. The seeds for Snedeker/Watson were sewn at Hazeltine, where they became good friends. Snedeker wanted to pair up with Watson at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but Watson already had a partner. They finally got together for this week’s QBE, a low-stress get-together where Snedeker won with Jason Dufner in 2015 and where Watson once dressed up as Santa Claus along with partner Rickie Fowler.   On the surface, they don’t seem much alike, Snedeker a great putter, Watson a long driver. But they’re not that dissimilar. Both are pushing 40, both have played on Presidents and Ryder Cup teams, and both are on the cusp of 10 wins on TOUR, Watson holding a narrow 9-8 lead. But the similarity that stands out most is that Snedeker, 37, and Watson, 39, hope to use this week as a springboard into 2018 after enduring mid-career lulls. Watson failed to win last season for only the second time since 2010, while Snedeker fought through a sternum injury that baffled even the medical experts and sidelined him for five months. To say that both are hungry would be an understatement. Watson finished 75th in the FedExCup after missing the cut at the Masters, THE PLAYERS Championship, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship last season. He had planned to take four months off after a T69 at the Dell Technologies Championship. His wife, Angie, was getting knee surgery. Their son, Caleb, was starting kindergarten. Alas, the plan didn’t take.  Watson says he simply missed the game too much. He returned to play in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (T51) in Las Vegas, and The RSM Classic at Sea Island (67th). It was a humble beginning, but Watson is well aware that the last time he went winless, in 2013, he bounced back with authority, winning twice the next year, including his second Masters. “I’m looking forward to it,� he said Wednesday from Naples, “and I know I’ve done it before, and I know how good I can be when I’m focused on the right things.� Snedeker’s 2017 was even more confounding. He couldn’t figure out why it hurt to swing, and neither could doctors. He finally got a diagnosis and ended his season after finishing T14 at the Travelers Championship. Although he qualified for the Playoffs, the 2012 FedExCup champion sat on the sidelines, just as he had for The Open Championship, the PGA Championship, and other elite events. He would end the season 73rd in the FedExCup, two ahead of Watson. All of which begins to explain why Snedeker is so excited about finally playing again. He came back to competition at The RSM Classic, opening with rounds of 67-67 before a pair of 70s left him in a tie for 29th place. “Felt really good,� Snedeker said. “Body felt amazing.� He hopes a solid week at the QBE at Tiburon presages a big upcoming season, in the same way that he thrived in 2016 after winning here with Dufner in December, 2015.    Oh, and Snedeker is flying halfway around the world to play in next week’s Indonesia Masters. He says he needs the reps, and then there’s this: He is 50th in the Official World Golf Ranking, and the top 50 at the end of the season are guaranteed spots in the field at the 2018 Masters. “I think it’s a 15-hour flight from JFK to Hong Kong, and I’m not even close to being there once I get to Hong Kong,� Snedeker said. “So it’s going to be a long trip.� Still, he’s looking forward to it, partly because he has never been to Indonesia. Like his QBE teammate, Watson, Snedeker knows he’s got work to do to get back to his old self, especially after a 14-week hiatus. And like too many others to count, Snedeker says he didn’t fully realize what he had until it was suddenly gone, even if it was only for a year. “You realize how much you love what you do,� Snedeker said, sitting to Watson’s right and more or less speaking for them both. “How much—how lucky we are to do what we do, and how passionate we are about it.�

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HONOLULU – Cameron Smith sat four over through his first two holes at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He could have mentally checked out right then and there. But the plucky Australian was playing for something more than himself this week at Waialae Country Club. With his home country in the middle of an incredible bushfire crisis that has claimed lives, thousands of homes and copious amounts of unique wildlife, Smith had pledged to do his part to help the cause. The 26-year-old offered to donate $500 for every birdie and $1000 for every eagle he made in the tournament to relief efforts in conjunction with his fellow countrymen in the field. His uncle Warren had already lost his house and most of his farm and had been shipped from Tumbarumba – a country town not far from the nation’s capital Canberra – to Smith’s home in Brisbane. He and countless other Australian’s face a long road back and the fires continue to rage. Exhausted and facing multiple fires across the country, firefighters in Australia continue the battle. As do the people, binding together with the nation’s much-loved fighting spirit. This country is massive in size – similiar to the U.S. mainland – but small in number with some 25 million people. They pride themselves on never giving up, born in what is often referred to as the ANZAC spirit. The origins are from the first world war when Australian and New Zealand soldiers battled against tremendous odds at Gallipoli. As a group, they showed endurance against all odds, incredible courage in adversity and an undeniable ability to keep humor and friendship at the forefront. You are never alone, but part of a bigger collective. One that will fight forever if need be. Related: Leaderboard | What’s in Smith’s bag? | International Team announces bushfire relief donation Smith is a quintessential Aussie in this regard. He always lifts when there is a sense things are for more than himself. Those two holes to start were clearly not ideal, but he was well aware he was playing golf – in Hawaii – while his countrymen back home faced far bigger struggles. They were facing walls of flames while all he was contending with was some wind and a little rain. He had a job to do. Make birdies. And come hell or high water, he was going to do it. He made six that day to eventually shoot an even-par 70. He would make 15 more over the next three rounds, none more important or clutch then the eight-foot putt on the 72nd hole to set up a playoff with Brendan Steele who had taken a three-shot lead to Sunday. One sudden death playoff hole later, Smith was the champion, earning his second PGA TOUR win but first as an individual. “Every birdie putt I had, just meant that little bit more. Rather than kind of wanting to make it I almost felt like I had to make it,â€� Smith said after his victory. “I’ve always been quite good at not giving up. I’ve never felt the need to kind of mentally check out in any way. It was a big fight all week basically.â€� His previous TOUR win was at the 2017 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with teammate Jonas Blixt. They won that in a playoff as well. To those who know Smith, it was no surprise he won there. Again, he was playing for something more than himself. He had a teammate to fight with. Last month, Smith came from three down through five holes in his singles match against Justin Thomas at the Presidents Cup to win on the 17th hole. Thomas had been the lynchpin for the U.S. and was undefeated prior. Smith was looking like another victim until it became apparent he absolutely had to turn things around if his International Team had any hope of winning the Cup in his home country. Under that pressure, as a Presidents Cup rookie, he thrived. Again, winning for someone else as well as himself. When he drained the clutch putt that day, they still had hope, although would ultimately lose 16-14. He thought back on that with his similar putt on the 18th hole Sunday. “Just having to make the putts, feeling like something else is on the line, I think I drew a little bit from the Presidents Cup,â€� Smith said. “I felt as though I played some of my best golf that week, and with such little time between these events I think that’s kind of rolled over definitely into this week.â€� His International teammate Marc Leishman, also a huge part of the fire relief efforts at the tournament, was not in the least bit surprised in the fightback. He partnered with Smith in the 2018 ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf and watched Smith take charge at crucial times as they tried to storm home to a win. They were T2 that day, but this time, Smith went one better. “Smithy is a fighter. He’s gritty. He won’t ever give up and everyone saw that firsthand this week,â€� Leishman said. “If you are looking for someone to be with you in the trenches ,he’s your man. He’s grown up like that. It’s ingrained in him and his culture.â€� So this win was emotional for so many reasons. It proved he could do it on the big stage as an individual and it was to hopefully bring his family, and the wider Australian public, something small to smile about during these tough times. “I realize Australia is doing it tough right now and the focus is probably not on my golf for good reason. But hopefully it gave a few people reason to smile for a moment or two,â€� Smith said. “Uncle Warren drove back to his place the other day and what he found was quite devastating. I kind of saw the photos and the only thing he had left was a little shed that him and his son built a few months back.â€� “We’re a tight-knit family and it kind of hit everyone pretty hard. It’s good to do something good, and hopefully puts a smile on their face.â€� The win brings with it plenty of perks also. Smith moves to fifth in the FedExCup, locks up a TOUR card for two more seasons and gains a berth in the Masters that he was not yet exempt for. He also is in the midst of putting himself in a good position for Olympic qualification later this year. Of course, that is where his mind went after the win – another chance to represent his country. “I definitely want to be there in Japan and want to wear the green and gold as much as I can,â€� he said. Smith grew up in the shadow of a bigger star with the same name. In Australia, Cameron Smith usually means the former Australian rugby league captain. That Cameron Smith is the only player to have played more than 400 games in the National Rugby League (NRL) and is the competitions all-time leading point scorer. He is from the same state as Smith and is the golfer’s sporting idol. But if the golfer Cameron Smith continues to show this type of fight and spirit, the rugby league legend will share the name spotlight more and more into the future. 

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