Matt Jones clears anchoring concern to make great par at Sony Open

Francesco Molinari closed with an 8-under 62 for an eight-shot victory Sunday in the final edition of the Quicken Loans National, matching the largest margin this year on the PGA Tour and breaking the tournament record.

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After an exciting week at The CJ CUP in South Carolina, where Rory McIlroy became No. 1 in the world again, the PGA TOUR will shift to Bermuda for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. It will be an interesting week of golf betting, with players looking to secure vital FedExCup points earlier in the season. This happened a year ago with Lucas Herbert picking up his first career victory. So, who might that be this year? Based on the action at the BetMGM online sportsbook, Brandon Wu and Denny McCarthy are two players to watch. As of Tuesday, Wu (+5000) is generating the most tickets (5.9%) and second-most handle (10%). Meanwhile, McCarthy is pulling in 9.9% of the handle. While Wu missed 14 cuts in 26 starts a year ago, he had some strong finishes. The Stanford product recorded four top-10 finishes, including a T3 at the Puerto Rico Open and a T2 at the Mexico Open at Vidanta. Wu will enter the event having made three straight cuts, including a T29 finish at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in his last start. Meanwhile, McCarthy is a popular play despite his +1600 odds to win, which are the best in the field. The 29-year-old is seeking his first victory on TOUR. In 2021-22, he recorded 12 top-25 finishes in 29 starts, including five top 10s. McCarthy is one of the best putters on TOUR (second in Strokes Gained: Putting last a year ago), so it feels like only a matter of time before he breaks through. It’s worth noting just three top-10 finishers in this event a year ago were outside the top 15 in putts per round. Current Handle & Tickets Handle Seamus Power – 11% Brandon Wu – 10% Denny McCarthy – 9.9% Adrian Meronk – 6.7% Thomas Detry – 5.1% Tickets Brandon Wu – 5.9% Seamus Power – 5.7% S.H. Kim – 5.6% Russell Knox– 5.6% Brian Gay – 4.7% Power (+2200) is another popular pick. The Barbasol Championship winner will look to add a second PGA TOUR title to his resume. At 6,828 yards, Port Royal Golf Course is one of the shortest courses players will play all year. But, the course can play much longer in rainy and windy conditions, which is something to keep an eye on. * Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM is available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, KS, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada. Responsible sports betting starts with a game plan. Set a budget. Keep it social. Play with friends. Learn the game and know the odds. Play with trusted, licensed operators. CLICK HERE to learn more at HaveAGamePlan.org

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SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda - When Fred and Taylor Funk are asked to recall their favorite golf memories of each other, both go back to May 2012, when Fred won the PGA TOUR Champions' Insperity Invitational with son Taylor on the bag. The event was contested at The Woodlands CC in the Houston metroplex, same site as Fred's inaugural PGA TOUR victory in May 1992 - three-plus years before Taylor was born. "An awesome experience," Taylor said of caddying his dad to victory. "That was a really cool experience there," echoed Fred. Now the father-son duo is about to embark on another week destined for the scrapbook, regardless of how the competition unfolds. Fred and Taylor are paired together for the opening two rounds of this week's Bermuda Championship, beginning at 1:15 p.m. local time Thursday alongside Mark Anderson, off the No. 1 tee at Port Royal GC. This marks Taylor's second career TOUR start, and No. 650 for his dad. Both plan to embrace the moment as they navigate the seaside Port Royal layout, knowing the unique rarity of a father-son, same-group TOUR pairing - especially as Fred, 64, enters the latter stages of a career that has included eight TOUR wins and nine on PGA TOUR Champions. "It's almost beyond a dream come true," said Fred. "It's something you just wanted to happen, and it's happening. We've spent a lot of time playing a lot of golf together, and I'll just be his major-league cheerleader tomorrow. So I'm really excited about it." "He better not be too much of a cheerleader," smiled Taylor, 24, in response. "I don't want to get all psyched-out out there with pom-poms or doing the YMCA or something. But it will be fun. Just a dream come true. I grew up on the road with him and we played a lot of golf together growing up, and I give a lot of credit to him for where I've come. "Just to be able to play in a PGA TOUR event together is pretty incredible. To be in the same group is going to be really fun. Special." Growing up, Taylor and his sister Perri were home-schooled on the road by their mom Sharon, as the Funk clan crisscrossed the country on the PGA TOUR - Fred fashioning a career that has included 204 top-25s on TOUR, and a signature victory at the 2005 PLAYERS Championship. "Watching him throw the hat down at THE PLAYERS was pretty amazing," recalled Taylor, who was on-hand at TPC Sawgrass to celebrate Fred's title in the family's hometown of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Taylor grew up on TOUR - "I always had a club in my hand" - but didn't start playing for score until age 10 or so. His first time breaking 90, alongside Fred and longtime caddie Mark Long, came at age 11 or 12. "He was a real little dude, and Mark about killed him," laughed Fred of the round at Berkeley Hall in South Carolina. "Taylor was like ‘this' big (motioning toward the ground), and Mark was about 230 pounds running toward him, and just picked him up. It was hilarious." Taylor hit a growth spurt in high school - "I grew, like, 9 inches in one year" - and his game continued to blossom. He played collegiately at the University of Texas, and has been playing the mini-tour/Monday qualifier circuit over the past couple of years, chasing his TOUR dreams. "He's a great putter," Fred said of Taylor. "His short game around the green is really solid, and you add that to the length that he has ... he can overpower any golf course; there are not any par-5s ... and it's just a matter of him putting it all together. It's fun to watch. "I've seen him play at a really high level, really good, and it's as good as it gets." "Overpowering a golf course" would not be a phrased used to describe the elder Funk, who offset below-average driving distance numbers with superior accuracy and a well-rounded game that endured across a generation. As he walked countless TOUR events throughout childhood following his dad, Taylor witnessed this firsthand. "Obviously everyone in the world would love to hit it as straight as my dad does, but he has also overcome how short he has hit it by beating them in other ways," Taylor said. "He's always in position and knows his game. He knows he can hit his hybrids closer than other people can hit their 7-iron, and he never gave up. He kept fighting and put together an incredible career. "Just to see someone that might not hit it as far as Bryson, or might not hit it as far as Tiger back when he was playing, but still be able to win eight times on the PGA TOUR ... there's a lot to say about that." Inspiration Taylor has channeled for nearly a quarter-century, and will plan to forever.

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