The First Look: Wyndham Championship

The second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs takes place this week from Caves Valley in Maryland at the BMW Championship. The top 70 in the standings qualified, and the field is stacked with stars. Bryson DeChambeau narrowly missed out on shooting 59 on Friday making eight birdies and two eagles. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action, including Featured Groups for PGA TOUR LIVE. Leaderboard Full tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 12 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC) PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes). Sunday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (Featured Groups), 2 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). TOURCast: Get shot-by-shot info in real time with shot tracks and video with TOURCast. TOUR Pulse: Get the PGA TOUR app to utilize TOUR Pulse, which provides users the ability to experience a mix of content, such as video highlights, written hole summaries and stat graphics on every player after every hole they complete. FEATURED GROUPS Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau, Harry Higgs (Tee times) Harris English, Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas (Tee times) MUST READS Bryson DeChambeau narrowly misses historic 59 FedExCup update: Sergio Garcia making run at TOUR Championship Bryson DeChambeau leads BMW Championship Recovery to play huge role as hot, humid conditions hit BMW Championship Storm remnants bring preferred lies into effect for BMW Championship Five things about Caves Valley The 15 best moments in FedExCup Playoffs history

Click here to read the full article…

The big news of the week is what we’ve been waiting for – an official adjustment. The release on June 9 stated how the PGA TOUR would respond to golfers who resigned (and will resign) membership and to those who were (and will be) suspended. On Tuesday of this week, the Eligibility Points List was released. It confirms that the top 125 who haven’t resigned membership and who haven’t been suspended will determine the fields for the FedExCup Playoffs and Korn Ferry Tour Finals. The list consists of all 235 golfers with greater than zero FedExCup Points through the 3M Open. It can be deduced that non-members are chasing the same targets for the non-member top 125 category (for fully exempt status in 2022-23) and the top 200 (to qualify for the KFT Finals). RELATED: Horses for Courses, Sleeper picks At times, for golfers who are on the bubbles, it will be important to cite both rankings. For example, PGA TOUR rookie Callum Tarren is 126th in the FedExCup, but he’s 118th on the Eligibility Points List and just under 25 points clear of Austin Smotherman, who is 126th (but 134th in the FedExCup). Please bear with the references as they will exist only until the fields are set in two weeks. They are intended to provide clarity and reliability for your considerations. POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Denny McCarthy (+150 for a Top 20) … Shocked that I fielded zero complaints that he was omitted from the Power Rankings. With three top 10s in his last four starts, he presented as a no-brainer. It’d be a fair gripe. The primary reason I’m relatively cool is that his game always plays up on harder courses because his short game and putting are so strong. He landed as the Wild Card for the Travelers Championship when he projected for a personal-best finish. Alas, he missed that cut, thus fulfilling the tacit nod to how he usually don’t make noise on gettable tracks. Naturally, he then responded with a personal-best T6 at the John Deere Classic despite an even-par 71 in the finale. The narrative is that his game is evolving in front of our eyes and with success most of the time, but conservative investors would like another sample of it when scores are low before dipping more than one toe in. DRAWS Adam Scott (+140 for a Top 20) and (+200 for Top Australian) … With Cam Davis defending his title, and even though he’s No. 7 in the Power Rankings, investing in Scott as Top Australian for twice the kickback has merit. Quite a bit of what Davis is experiencing this week is fresh, so we can’t rule out that as a distraction regardless of his sturdy form upon arrival. Meanwhile, Scott recorded top 15s in his last two starts, both of which majors. He has six worldwide this year, and he’ll find Detroit GC to his liking in his debut. Matt Kuchar (+240 for a Top 20) … Another household name who is making his tournament debut, the 44-year-old is promised another deep run in the Playoffs. All told, it’s been a rock-solid season set up by hot starts. Currently second on TOUR in R1 scoring and first in fewest putts per round in R1. Also tops in one-putt percentage, Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green and scrambling. He makes sense in every format. Joohyung Kim (+220 for a Top 20) … Nothing not to love about the 20-year-old from South Korea. Even though he qualified for an accepted Special Temporary Membership [STM], this default endorsement would be incomplete if it didn’t serve as a reminder that he’s ineligible for the FedExCup Playoffs unless he wins this week or next. For a comprehensive review of what STM yields, please read this. Wyndham Clark Mackenzie Hughes Alex Smalley Scott Stallings Callum Tarren Cameron Tringale Jhonattan Vegas Odds sourced on Tuesday, July 26th at 7 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm FADES Webb Simpson … With only one top 15 in eight months(!), it shouldn’t have been a surprise to notice that he was excluded from the Power Rankings. That he’s 125th in the FedExCup and 117th in Eligibility Points is telling. Yes, the injured neck robbed him of a few starts early in 2022, but he hasn’t responded strongly. He presents solely as a contrarian this week. Regardless of the result, the best test will be next week’s Wyndham Championship where he’s the all-time earnings leader. Gary Woodland … When he cashes, that momentum tends to carry forward, so he’s a terrific candidate for live odds, but he’s traded too many missed cuts for too long to retain even average trust. He’s also 0-for-2 at the RMC. Brian Stuard … When we think of him, the very next thought often is this tournament. The Michigan native is a product of nearby Oakland University and he finished T5 in the inaugural edition in 2019, but he’s missed 10 consecutive cuts upon arrival. He also missed the cut here last year with a pair of 1-under 71s. Nothing beats home cookin’, but it doesn’t guarantee anything, either. Jason Day Harris English Russell Henley Charley Hoffman Si Woo Kim Patton Kizzire Luke List RETURNING TO COMPETITION Danny Lee … Third time’s a charm? Since withdrawing during the first round of the Travelers a month ago with an injured hip, he pulled out early from the Scottish and 3M. But he can afford not to push it. At 84th in the FedExCup, he’s been set for the Playoffs pretty much since early November after a T2-T7 surge. Because of his propensity to WD during tournaments and the uncertainty of his health in general, you’re advised to abstain in every format. NOTABLE WDs Emiliano Grillo … With a pair of co-runner-up finishes in July, he’s climbed from the top-150 bubble to 53rd in the FedExCup. Brendon Todd … The timing of his decision presents a good moment to reflect on his career resurgence. Currently 67th in the FedExCup and headed to his third consecutive Playoffs after a four-year downslide. The 37-year-old has remained a reliable contributor once again. RECAP – 3M OPEN POWER RANKINGS Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Adam Svensson MC 2 Davis Riley MC 3 Cam Davis T16 4 Adam Hadwin T38 5 Maverick McNealy T49 6 Tony Finau Win 7 J.T. Poston T11 8 Sahith Theegala MC 9 Sungjae Im T2 10 Cameron Tringale MC 11 Chez Reavie T49 12 Joohyung Kim T26 13 Michael Thompson T26 14 Adam Long T16 15 Brendan Steele MC Wild Card Hideki Matsuyama WD SLEEPERS Golfer (Bet, if applicable) Result Dylan Frittelli (+260 for a Top 20) MC Nate Lashley (+333 for a Top 20) MC Michael Gligic T16 Cole Hammer MC Justin Lower MC GOLFBET Bet: Maverick McNealy (Top 10) – +280 Result: T49 BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR July 26 … Tim Wilkinson (44) July 27 … Jordan Spieth (29) July 28 … Taylor Moore (29) July 29 … none July 30 … Justin Rose (42) July 31 … none August 1 … none

Click here to read the full article…

FORT WORTH, Texas — News and notes from Thursday’s opening round of the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational, with Derek Fathauer, Kelly Kraft and J.T. Poston each shooting 5-under 65 to share the lead by one stroke. Click here for more from Colonial Country Club. KRAFT’S LAST COLONIAL APPEARANCE Kelly Kraft’s first appearance at Colonial in 2012 was memorable for several reasons. It was his first made cut after turning pro just a few weeks earlier. He shot a front-nine 29 in the third round; just 14 players in tournament history have gone that low or lower. “I made everything; it was a lot of fun,â€� he said. He finished the third round with a 64 to start the final round among the leaders … and then crash-landed with a 10-over 80 that taught him some valuable lessons. “Definitely learned a lot since then and had some good tournaments this year,â€� said the Dallas resident. “Whenever I’m up there, I know I can hang.â€� He’s up there again now as one of the co-leaders. It’s the first time he’s been a leader/co-leader after any round on TOUR. He has two top-10 finishes – including a T-3 with Kevin tway in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event – in his 17 starts. He’s also missed nine cuts. “It’s been a little bit of everywhere,â€� Kraft said of his season. “Some really good, some not so good. But I felt like whenever I’ve played well, I’ve been up there and kind of in the hunt.â€� DUSTING OFF AN OLD PUTTER To describe the cord grip on his old Scotty Cameron putter, the one he used in high school and college, Derek Fathauer uses words such as “rustedâ€� and “crackingâ€� and “peeling.â€� There’s a reason the putter is in that condition – it’s been sitting in his closet for more than eight years. But this week, that putter has a more prominent spot – inside Fathauer’s bag. “It was ready to come out,â€� he said. It certainly paid quick dividends. Fathauer’s 5-under 65 in the morning wave Thursday at Colonial set the early pace, and the score was his lowest in three months. On the greens, Fathauer rolled in four putts from outside 11 feet, including a 31-1/2 footer at the par-4 10th. Fathauer had entered this week tied for 64th on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting. That’s not bad, but it’s not to his previous standards in which he’s ranked inside the top 40 in that category. Thus, he felt a club change was needed. He put away the mallet putter he had been using and went back to his old, old blade. “The putting has been a little stale the last couple of months,â€� Fathauer explained. “Just cleaning out my downstairs room and just brought it out.â€� The new/old putter seems to be part of a reset process for Fathauer, whose results have been lacking for awhile now. He tied for third in his second start of the season back in October at the CIMB Classic. But in his ensuring 15 starts, he’s missed the cut nine times and has not finished inside the top 20. During his last tournament, a missed cut at THE PLAYERS Championship, Fathauer visited with sports psychologist Bob Rotella for the first time. Rotella told him to get back to the basics and not compare his tournament prep work to others. “You can walk up and down the range, see guys with Trackman and swing coaches and gadgets and stuff,â€� Fathauer said. “That’s not how I learned to play golf. Just hit the ball, go find it, hit it again … “I’m not far off. I just complicated things. I was working on my swing [but] I don’t need to work on my swing. Just go play golf.â€� Fathauer also has his twin brother Daryl on the bag this week, a partnership that’s happened a few times in his pro career. As for the putter … well, there are no plans to replace the grip with a new one. Fathauer will stick to what he has – cracked and rusted and peeling. Or, as Fathauer put it, “It’s got a little character.â€� G-MAC FINALLY MAKES IT TO COLONIAL Many years ago, someone told Graeme McDowell that Colonial Country Club – much like Harbour Town, site of his 2013 TOUR win — would be perfect for his game. That he would appreciate playing a shot-maker’s course that can’t be dominated by big hitters. Others kept telling him the same thing. But the Northern Irishman is usually in England this time of year, playing the European Tour event at Wentworth. That prevented him from playing Colonial as well as Muirfield Village, site of next week’s Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. This year, G-Mac decided to pursue FedExCup points in a non-Ryder Cup year, so he added the DEAN & DELUCA to his schedule. His 4-under 66 is an early confirmation that Colonial is a good fit for him. “I’ve had guys that I look to for schedule hints and tips, guys like Jim Furyk, (Brandt) Snedeker, Zach Johnson – guys that I would sort of put my game on a similar statistical level,â€� McDowell said. “Guys like that have been telling me for years and year I would love this place.â€� McDowell is missing the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth for just the second time since 2003 (the first time happened when he was wife was pregnant). McDowell’s bogey-free round Thursday made it easier to accept his decision. “I don’t want to have to answer the question, did I make the right decision to come here or should I be in Wentworth?â€� McDowell said. “Looking at the sunny skies in London this morning and watching a little bit of the golf on TV, yeah, looked beautiful there. “But I’m here for all the right reasons and not really here to prove anything to anybody … I’m here because I want to be here and I want to chase some FedExCup points.â€� It doesn’t sound like this will be a one-time appearance. “Let’s be honest – going forward, this really is where my focus is,â€� he said. “My family are here (in Florida). I love the product that’s the PGA TOUR and the FedExCup. It’s hard not to play a lot of your golf over here at the moment. “Of course, I will keep my European Tour card and continue to play some back there, but the FedExCup is so lucrative, and I’ve never made it to Atlanta [for the TOUR Championship]. I would like to make it there sometime.â€� BAD END OF A DRAW – AGAIN A year ago, Jordan Spieth was on the wrong end of the draw at the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational. It didn’t matter. He still won. He’s facing the same challenge this week. Spieth shot an even-par 70 in the much windier afternoon conditions Thursday. The afternoon scoring average was 72.67 – more than two strokes higher than the morning wave (70.49). “We knew ahead of time we were going to get the kind of raw end of the deal this week,â€� Spieth said. “It happens. It evens out over time. It’s a bit of a bummer when it happens. … It doesn’t mean you can’t come through.â€� Spieth’s round was certainly a rollercoaster one – six birdies, four bogeys and one double. After dropping three shots at holes 15 and 16, he bounced back with two birdies to end his round and get back to even par. He’ll start Friday tied for 34th. “A great finish,â€� he said. “Kept me in the tournament. If I was a couple over, you know, in the back of my mind I would be wondering about the cut line.â€� But he’ll need to make a push Friday. “I’ve got to be inside of five shots going into the weekend, I think, to have a chance,â€� he said. CALL OF THE DAY RAHM INSPIRED BY ASU WOMEN A four-time All-American at Arizona State – and a two-time winner of the Ben Hogan Award that recognizes the outstanding amateur and collegiate golfer of the year – Jon Rahm is a proud Sun Devil alum, having graduated a year ago with a degree in communications. So he was ecstatic to see the Arizona State women’s team win the NCAA golf title this week, the eighth in school history. ASU’s Monica Vaughn also took the individual title. “That’s the closest I’ll ever be to experiencing something like that,â€� Rahm said. “I’m happy for them. The cool thing is from now on to the rest of their days, they’re going to wake up [as] National Champions. Nobody can take that away from them. “It’s something I’m jealous about but extremely happy and proud to be a Sun Devil.â€� Rahm, the emerging superstar from Spain, celebrated in his own fashion Thursday – shooting a 4-under 66 in which he used his driver 12 times in 14 opportunities. The day before during his practice round, he struggled off the tee, but on Thursday, he hit a respectable eight fairways. He said the Sun Devils’ victory helped fire him up. “To be honest, that energy and positivity helped me today,â€� he said. “If they could do what they did, why couldn’t I play good today?â€� ODDS AND ENDS Two-time winner Phil Mickelson, making his first appearance at this event since 2010, ended his round with three consecutive birdies to shoot a 3-under 67. His last birdie putt was from 33 feet. He got a good read from playing partner Matt Kuchar. “That was thoughtful of him to hit his ball just behind mine. I appreciated that,â€� said Mickelson, who put a new grip on his putter this week. … Rookie J.T. Poston hit 15 of 18 greens en route to his 65. “This is honestly one of the first rounds I feel like my ball-striking was the way it can be and should be,â€� said Poston, who – like Kraft – has a co-lead for the first time at a TOUR event. … Scott Brown was 6 under through 17 holes and had the solo lead. But after finding the fairway with his drive at 18, his approach landed in the greenside bunker – he said the wind changed on him mid-swing — and it took two shots to get out. The double bogey left him with a 66. “Unfortunately that’s kind of what happens in this game,â€� Brown said. “Won’t be the last, but hopefully not one for awhile.â€�… G-Mac said he planned to visit the Hogan Room in the Colonial clubhouse and check out the memorabilia of the club’s most famous member. “I was a big Hogan fan; read his biographies,â€� McDowell said. “It’s tough not to be pretty intrigued by the man.â€� SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Click here to read the full article…