Mark Hubbard didn’t have a good day in the second round of The American Express. So he tried a little something different with his putting stroke. You have to see it to believe it.
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The Waste Management Phoenix Open is known for its stadium scene at the 16th, but the tournament is more than a one-hole wonder. Last year’s WMPO drew an estimated 655,434 fans to the premises, breaking the weekly-attendance record by 30,000. For context, the tournament set the single-day crowd mark in 2017…with 204,906 fans enjoying the Saturday show.
It’s the first major in more than a year … and the first of seven majors in the next 12 months. It’s also the first major — in well, ever? — without fans. So yeah, there’s a bit of a different feel entering this week’s PGA Championship. No wonder CBS’ Jim Nantz says, “We are about to enter, starting Thursday, the greatest stretch of golf in the history of the game.” Oh, and Brooks Koepka is going for his third consecutive PGA title … in case you hadn’t heard. RELATED: Tee times | Power Rankings | Tiger not concerned about lack of reps THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER THE FLYOVER This scenic finishing hole wraps around Lake Merced. Players must carry the lake with their tee shot and decide how much of the dogleg-left they want to cut off and whether they want to lay up short of the fairway bunkers on the right or carry them. The back of the green is on a narrow shelf. LANDING ZONE The 16th hole offers a drivable par-4 late in the round. The hole plays 336 yards but it is guarded on the right by a thick strand of cypress trees and Lake Merced on the left. The PGA of America has said the tees will be moved at least one day to give players a good crack at the green. It’s a great opportunity to make a move late in the round. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “The coastal trough, responsible for the cloudy and cool conditions, is expected to lift to the northeast on Thursday. After some morning cloudiness, partly sunny skies should return during the afternoon, allowing, temperatures to warm into the low- to mid-60s. Low clouds and patchy fog will be possible each morning Friday through weekend. Partly cloudy skies is expected each afternoon with highs in the mid 60s.” For the latest weather news from San Francisco, check out the PGA TOUR Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK This is a big-boy golf course. Got to hit it straight and put it in the fairway. It’s going to be quite long. I think it kind of plays into my hands. BY THE NUMBERS 13 – Number of rounds Brooks Koepka has held at least a share of the lead in majors since 2017, the most of any player. 36 – Number of rounds Justin Thomas has held at least a share of the lead on the PGA TOUR in the last four seasons, the most of any player (Dustin Johnson is next on the list at 28). 62 – Number of rounds Dustin Johnson has been inside the top 10 of the leaderboard in majors since 2009, most of any player in that timeframe. 46 – Cumulative under-par total for Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship, the most under par of any player in this event in the last 23 years. 192 – Cumulative under-par total for Rory McIlroy on par 5s in major competition the last 13 years, the best performance in that category by any player. 1,206 – Number of birdies in major competition by Phil Mickelson in the last 25 years, most of any player in that span. SCATTERSHOTS NO-FANS MAJOR: While PGA TOUR pros have become accustomed to the no-fans environments since the resumption of the season, this will be the first major played without fans. “I don’t know if anyone in our generation has ever played without fans in a major championship,” Tiger Woods said. “It’s going to be very different. But it’s still a major championship. It’s still the best players in the world. We all understand that going into it, so there’s going to be plenty of energy from the competitive side.” Added Jon Rahm: “You don’t need anything special or spectators to make us aware or make it known that it’s a major championship. It just feels like it. You’re aware of it. It’s as simple as that.” CAREER SLAM CHASE: For the fourth time since winning the Open Championship in 2017, Jordan Spieth will seek to complete the career Grand Slam at the PGA Championship. He’s finished T28, T12 and T3 in his first three attempts. “It’s something that I really want,” Spieth said. “It’s probably the No. 1 goal in the game of golf for me right now is to try and capture that. I’d love to be able to hold all four trophies, and this is the one that comes in the way right now. Between this event, THE PLAYERS, those are kind of the two events that I haven’t won that are the two that I really would like to.”
