Jordan Spieth takes solo lead at Charles Schwab Challenge

Here are nine tidbits from the opening round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Since this is my column and it’s relatively brand-new, I can make up the rules as I go along. Tonight, I’m bending them slightly as our first stop on the Emergency 9 will be “The Playoff”. The three-man shootout included Patrick Cantlay, Whee Kim and Alex Cejak as they all signed for nine-under-par 275. The spoils went to Cantlay as his par on the second playoff hole saw him claim the big prize for the first time on TOUR. 1. When Patrick Cantlay shot 60 at TPC River Highlands as an AMATEUR, the cat was out of that bag. Every gamer worth his salt wrote that score down and saved it for when he turned pro. Cantlay’s story is too long to tell in here so check his bio page at PGATOUR.COM for more information. Let’s just say not many will be surprised when they’ve learned he’s won on TOUR. Whee Kim has finished in the top six in his last eight rounds on Tour. He was T-5 at Puerto Rico last March. Keep reading for that correlation from this week! Alex Cejka was featured in this column earlier in the week. Gamers, we learned today that judging a pro by his trouser selection isn’t a sound strategy. Cejka reinforced his excellence on this track and is now 46-under in the last four years. Tough luck for him in the playoff as he posted his 63 to reach nine-under-par two hours before the final players signed for theirs. #CourseHorse. 2. Pro gamers will point out that J.T. Poston cashed checks in 20 of 28 attempts as a rookie on TOUR last year. They will also note that he only picked up one top 10, T10, at the Puerto Rico Open. Is it a coincidence that Alex Cejka, Chesson Hadley and Tony Finau all have won that event and all contended this week? I’ve often argued that there are few games where making the cut hurts. He finished No. 132 in the FedExCup standings last season so he’ll fly under the radar but he’s made 22 of his last 30 cuts on TOUR. 3. I tip my tam-o-shanter to the almost 28% of you who stuck Bryson DeChambeau on your PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO roster. He was the fifth-most popular selection this week and with only one top 25 in his last seven events, I agree I was skeptical. Digging deeper it appears he figured something out here last year as he played his final three rounds 10-under-par. The 2017 John Deere Classic champ will pick up a top 10 check on TPC course again this week. 4. With six missed cuts in 11 events starting at Erin Hills, Graeme McDowell jumped onto the radar this week. This was his first finish inside the top 14 anywhere in the world since last March at the Valspar Championship. I’ll fairly point out that he signed for a pair of 73’s and a pair of 77’s last time out at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. I’ll also fairly point out his last win, anywhere in the world, came at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in 2015, the next stop on TOUR. Yep, he’s in the field! 5. Alex Kang might not be the best golfer in his family as his sister, Danielle, won the KPMG PGA Championship on the LPGA Tour in early July at Olympia Fields. He finished third on the PGA TOUR China in 2016 that earned him a chance to compete on the Web.com Tour. The Las Vegas resident parlayed his sponsor’s exemption into T-10 in only his second TOUR event (2015 Puerto Rico Open, T-47). He finished 83rd on the Web.com money list last year so I wouldn’t include him in your long-term plans. Along with A.J. McInerney (T-10), I didn’t think they would be the Las Vegas residents sneaking in the top 10! 6. It seems like gamers should always being keeping an eye on Oklahoma State’s college program as they tend to turn out plenty of pros. Talor Gooch, no Y needed, was hotter than summer in Stillwater last July in August on the Web.com as he cashed for T11, T10, solo second and a victory in a four tournament stretch. He’s No. 14 on the Web.com priority list that will be reshuffled throughout the year. He’s now three-for-three on TOUR and each finish has been an improvement. His 64 today moved him up 39 spots to collect T16. 7. After a birdie at No. 12 to reach eight-under-par, Tony Finau looked like he would be charging down the stretch. After three bogeys in the final those final six holes he instead signed for T-16. He began the final round in third place chasing two guys who had never won on TOUR before. He had also won in the wind in Puerto Rico. His T16 was his second-WORST finish in his last six events so I’m not going anywhere and will continue to load up on him. 8. Charley Hoffman was the big winner this week as he donated his check to the victims of the Las Vegas Shootings. The gamers who backed him probably won’t want to keep reading but he deserves mention. His all-or-nothing continues at TPC Summerlin as his T-18 interrupted three consecutive years of missing the cut. This was a tough one for gamers and charity as the UNLV alum doubled the 70th hole that knocked him out of the top 10. Those of you who didn’t push him in PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO will have a couple of other places to use him, including the Valero Texas Open or next week at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba where he won in 2014. 9. Kevin Streelman still has never missed the cut here, perfect in eight tries. The Scottsdale resident definitely knows his way around desert golf evidenced by a streak of five years T22 or better at TPC Summerlin. His last two years have included T-61 and 67th this year so he’ll get a deeper look next year.

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