Varner eagles final hole to take win over Watson

Tyson Alexander earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title Sunday at the Veritex Bank Championship, carding a final-round, 7-under 64 at Texas Rangers GC for a one-stroke victory over Theo Humphrey at 23-under total. Alexander, a 12th-year pro out of the University of Florida, trailed Humphrey by five strokes entering the final round. After a 3-under opening nine, he surged into the conversation with three consecutive birdies to begin the final nine, and an up-and-down birdie at the short par-4 16th proved the ultimate difference. With the victory, Alexander moves to No. 31 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List as he eyes his first PGA TOUR card via the 2020-21 combined season. “The creativity around the greens,” reflected Alexander of a key to success this week in Arlington, Texas. “There are a lot of options. You can run it up there, you can flop it up there … there are just options, and I like that.” Here’s what was in Alexander’s bag this week in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Driver: Titleist TSi2, 9 degrees 3-wood: Titleist TS3, 13.5 degrees Hybrid: Titleist TSi3, 20 degrees Irons (4-6): Titleist CB Irons (7-9): Titleist 620 Forged Wedges (46, 52, 56, 60 degrees): Titleist Vokey SM8 Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 7 Ball: Titleist Pro V1

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – That three-hole stretch late on PGA National’s back nine earned the nickname “The Bear Trap� by intimidating even the world’s best players. Justin Thomas conquered it to earn a spot in the final group at The Honda Classic. He birdied the back nine’s two water-lined par-3s, Nos. 15 and 17, to shoot 65. He’s one shot behind 54-hole leader Luke List, a 33-year-old who’s seeking his first PGA TOUR win. Thomas is nearly a decade younger, but already owns seven victories and is the reigning FedExCup champion. Thomas’ 65 matched Alex Noren for the low round of the week. “To play the Bear trap in 2 under was stealing, I felt like,� said Thomas, who hit 6-iron on both holes before making birdie putts of approximately 15 feet. There were only four birdies on No. 15 Saturday and only 11 birdies on the 17th. Thomas, who’s No. 9 in the FedExCup, could take over the lead with a win. He already owns one win this season, at the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. That’s not the only reason he’s hoping for a victory. Winning at the notoriously-tough PGA National would be a point of pride. “Half of my wins, or a decent amount of my wins, have been on easier golf courses, so it would be cool to get it done at a place like this,� he said. The par-70 Champion Course has played to a 72.2 scoring average this week, which would rank it as the toughest this season if the scoring holds. There’s only 10 players under par after 54 holes. List is one shot ahead of Thomas and Webb Simpson, while Tommy Fleetwood and List’s former roommate, Jamie Lovemark, are two shots back.   SHOT OF THE DAY  NOTABLES Rory McIlroy salvaged a 73 after being 6 over on his first eight holes. McIlroy won here in 2012 and was in a playoff in 2014, but this was his eighth consecutive over-par round at PGA National. He’s 22 over in those eight rounds. Tiger Woods hit a season-high nine fairways and 13 greens en route to his first sub-70 round of the season. Woods, who’s even par, trails List by seven shots. On Saturday’s first 11 holes, he hit 10 approach shots within 25 feet of the hole. “It could have been even lower,� Woods said. His Sunday playing partner will be Sam Burns, a 21-year-old Web.com Tour player. Burns turned pro last year after his sophomore season at LSU. He was the 2017 Nicklaus Award winner as the top player in college golf. Click here for more on his round. Webb Simpson will start the final round one shot off the lead as he seeks his first victory since 2013. Last season, Simpson qualified for the TOUR Championship for the first time in four years. He shot a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, making birdies on 3, 8, 9 and 13. Alex Noren matched Thomas for the low round of the tournament with a 65 on Saturday. Noren, who lost a playoff to Jason Day at the Farmers Insurance Open, will start the final round within three shots of the lead after making eagle on 18. Noren’s 65 was a 10-shot improvement over his second round. CALL OF THE DAY QUOTABLES My responsibility tomorrow is to go out there and put something in the red and post a numberI don’t want to watch myself. SUPERLATIVES Low round – Thomas and Noren both fired 65 on Saturday. Those are the lowest rounds this week. Hardest hole – The 479-yard, par-4 sixth hole played to a 4.46 scoring average Saturday. There were only two birdies. Easiest hole – The 556-yard, par-5 18th played to a 4.7 scoring average. Noren made one of three eagles on the hole. There were 24 birdies, as well.

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RENO, Nevada — News and notes from Thursday’s first round of the Barracuda Championship, with John Huh leading by 1 point over Miguel Angel Carballo and Stuart Appleby in the Modified Stableford event. Huh scored 15 points Thursday and Carballo and Appleby each picked up 14 points in the first round of the PGA TOUR stop. Huh, from South Korea, had eight birdies Thursday and 24 putts. He finished tied for third at Montreux last year. Huh is at 112 on the FedExCup points standings. Carballo, from Argentina, finished ninth at Montreux last year. This is his fourth time playing the tournament. He had two eagles Thursday, good for 5 points each, on holes No. 2 and on No. 17. He also had a birdie on No. 16 when he holed out from the bunker, which he said changed his round. Carballo is No. 201 in the FedExCup standings. “I’m hitting really good because having played here already gives me a little confidence,� Carballo said. “I didn’t start off that well so during the middle of the round got a little bit better and started hitting the ball better, so I’m feeling really good right now.� Appleby is looking to continue the run of success for Australians in the Barracuda as Greg Chalmers won it last year. He said there no courses like Montreux in Australia. “I really, I just want to get to the weekend and see what happens. It’s been a struggle to get to the weekend. If I can get out play decent (Friday) and feel I can find the line and get some flow going, we’ll see what happens,� Appleby said. He made eight birdies Thursday. There are four golfers tied for second with 13 points each, Brandon Hagy, Ben Martin, Ryan Palmer and Dicky Pride. Martin, who has two top-10 finishes at Montreux, made a 50-foot putt on No. 18 for an eagle and 5 points. ACE IN THE HOLE, SHANK YOU VERY MUCH There were two aces Thursday at Montreux as Jay McLuen made a hole-in-one on hole No. 11 and JJ Spaun had an ace on No. 16. Spaun won a two-year lease on a Lexus for his ace. He has 11 points and is tied for ninth. “The pin was probably in the most accessible location on the green. And I just hit, put a really solid swing on it. Contact was good. It started about five yards left and just started falling right at the hole,� Spaun said. “And once it landed on the green, it landed like I thought maybe it was going to be long. But it landed like maybe 10, 15 feet short of the hole. “And then that’s when like everyone said it was kind of quiet and I was quiet and was starting to think is it going closer to the hole or not. And sure enough like 30 seconds later it just, perfect weight, just right in the cup and it just disappeared. We all freaked out. I didn’t even know I won a car until Alan said you get that car over there sitting on the front of the hole.� It was the second ace in his career. He had one on the Web.com Tour last year. McLuen said his caddy told him he had room on the right of the 171-yard hole. “I really had a good plan today. My caddy helped me out quite a bit, with trying to stay shot by shot. Picking small targets,� McLuen said. It was the third ace he’s made in tournament play, his eighth overall. He used a pitching wedge. “It was right at the flag. I saw it bounce, but we couldn’t see it go in. I saw the crowd stand up and started yelling when it went in,� he said. He also had a shank Thursday, which was the only green he missed all day in picking up 11 points. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a hole-in-one and a shank in the same round,� McLuen said. Last year at Montreux he was tied for second after the first round, but ended up tied for 76th. “Kind of let off the gas a little bit, but this year there’s a different formula,� McLuen said. “It’s a good start, can;t ask for much more.� Defending champ on track: Greg Chalmers had a solid start as he picked up 11 points Thursdayand is tied for ninth place. Chalmers, who got his first win on the PGA TOUR after 386 starts last year in the Barracuda Championship, birdied his first three holes Thursday. “If I can hit some greens (Friday) and I’m rolling the ball nicely, I’ll have some chances,� Chalmers said. “I’m pleased. I’m happy with 11 points. Would I like to one shot different? Sure, but I don’t think there’s one golfer who doesn’t wish he hit one shot better.� He said last year’s win is so far in the past it has no effect on this year. “My confidence is based on my recent performance and I cant say that’s been fantastic,� Chalmers said. CHALMERS DEFENSE STARTS STRONG Greg Chalmers had a solid start on Thursday as he picked up 11 points to sit inside the top 10 of early starters. Chalmers, who won last year’s Barracuda Championship for his first PGA TOUR victory after 386 starts, birdied his first three holes Thursday. “If I can hit some greens and I’m rolling the ball nicely, I’ll have some chances,� Chalmers said. “I’m pleased. I’m happy with 11 points. Would I like to (hit) one shot different? Sure, but I don’t think there’s one golfer who doesn’t wish he hit one shot better.� He said last year’s win is so far in the past it has no effect on what happens at Montreux this time around. “My confidence is based on my recent performance and I can’t say that’s been fantastic,� Chalmers said. ON THE BUBBLE The top 125 golfers in the FedExCup standings earn spots in the FedExCup Playoffs, as well as exemptions for next season on the PGA TOUR. Several players at the Barracuda Championship this week are hovering right around the bubble. With only two events left before the Playoffs begin, time is of the essence for anyone outside the top 125. Any player without status for next season finishing between 126-200 in the FedExCup would need to compete in the Web.com Tour Finals to regain TOUR status. Golfers between 126-150 would earn conditional TOUR status that can be improved in the four-event Web.com Tour Finals. Those on the bubble include J.T. Poston (125), Seamus Power (126), Trey Mullinax (127), Daniel Summerhays (128) and two-time Barracuda champion, J.J. Henry (130). Henry, a 16-year TOUR veteran, has won twice at Montreux (2012 and 2015). He tied for 16th last year at the Barracuda Championship. He has only missed the top 125 once (2014) in his career. BARRACUDA BONUS Three golfers scored 5 points each on hole No. 18 at Montreux. Whoever scores the most points on No. 18 this week earns a $50,000 bonus for the charity of his choice. Ben Martin, Brad Fritsche and Graham DeLaet each scored 5 points in the first round. The Barracuda Bonus is a $50,000 charitable donation given in the name of the player who collects the most Modified Stableford points on the par-5 18th hole over the course of the four competitive rounds. Greg Chalmers, who won the Barracuda last year, also won the Barracuda Bonus in 2016 with 11 points on No. 18. BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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