Fred Couples put in more work than usual to get ready for the Masters, only to have his worst performance in 36 appearances. Back on the PGA Tour Champions, he was more at ease and close to flawless.
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Matt Kuchar, seeking his first win in 4 years, grabbed a four-stroke third-round lead with another dominating performance at the Mayakoba Classic Saturday.
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Aaron Wise wanted a fresh start on the greens at the end of last season, and thanks to an old friend, he got just that. Wise, who shot a 1-under 70 on Friday at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, began wielding a long putter at last season’s Barracuda Championship and has continued to use it through the early part of 2021-22. The putter itself (an older TaylorMade Ghost model) belonged to his University of Oregon coach, Casey Martin. Wise has kept it since college – he used it “a little bit” back then, he said – but never used it on TOUR. He admitted he was “putting bad” near the end of last season and wanted to try something different as he entered the FedExCup playoffs. “It was one of those things that I had tried before and I kind of forgot about it,” said Wise. “I thought it might be worth a shot.” Wise was 174th in Strokes Gained: Putting last season but has improved to 83rd in the same category through three events this season. He has notched top-10 finishes in his last two starts. The 25-year-old opened his week at El Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Course with an 8-under 63 – the same score he shot to close out 2020 at Mayakoba – and needed only 23 putts on Thursday. On Friday he took only 25 swipes, but said he struggled off the tee. “I just didn’t hit it quite as well off the tee (as Thursday) which hindered my iron shots,” said Wise. “But I felt like I chipped amazing, and I putted pretty well again and kept myself in it.” Wise is just five shots back of the 36-hole lead held by Matthew Wolff as he looks for another solid result to kickstart 2021-22. And, he said, his putter change is a big reason for that. “I putted bad for long enough that maybe it was getting in my head a little bit, and this was just a fresh start. I hadn’t missed any putts with it yet,” said Wise with a laugh. “I started on neutral ground, and I started to build confidence from there.”
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Brooks Koepka is looking to wrap up the top spot in the Wyndham Rewards a week early with a win at the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Koepka overtook Matt Kuchar as the FedExCup and Wyndham Rewards leader with his tie for fourth at The Open Championship last week, his fourth top-four finish in major championships this season. The current PGA TOUR Player of the Year won the PGA Championship and was runner-up at both the Masters and U.S. Open. He also won THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES this season. As such, he is now on top, but just 37 points ahead of Kuchar, who had led since he was runner up to Kevin Kisner at the World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match Play in late March. With 550 points on offer to the winner this week at TPC Southwind, Koepka could theoretically wrap up the top spot with a victory along a poor outing from Kuchar, among others. There are 500 points on offer to the winner of the Wyndham Championship next week, so any lead over that mark after play in Memphis would secure the title and the $2 million Wyndham Rewards Top 10 bonus. Of course, Rory McIlroy (142 behind), Xander Schauffele (507 behind), Gary Woodland (548 behind) and others can still have a significant say in the outcome. “(Winning the FedExCup is) the goal every time you step out and play an event out here on the PGA TOUR. You’re trying to build up FedExCup points, you’re trying to build as big as a lead as possible,â€� Koepka said. “That’s why we play, to make it to Atlanta. I’m sure everybody that tees it up on the PGA TOUR, that’s their goal, to make it to Atlanta and to have a chance to win. “So to be able to put myself in the spot that I have, it’s been an enjoyable ride to say the least and I think (winning the FedExCup) would just cap off a two-year stretch of great golf.â€� Koepka is not yet slated to play the Wyndham Championship, but has until Friday afternoon to commit. He did not rule out signing up, but said his early play in Memphis would dictate that. “If I do what I’m supposed to do this week and win, then everything takes care of itself. But yeah, there’s a lot of scenarios that can happen,â€� he confirmed. “I don’t know the actual breakdown of them, but there is a possibility that next week I could be out there and playing for a lot. So we’ll see where everything kind of falls.â€� Koepka is also in a battle with Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and a few others for a $1 million bonus in the Aon Risk Reward Challenge.
