The First Look: Valero Texas Open

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NOTE: For the first three events of the FedExCup Playoffs, Rob focuses only on golfers outside the bubble to advance. In this last installment, all five below enter the BMW Championship outside the top 30 in FedExCup points. Charl Schwartzel … The South African is the only qualifier on this page with experience at Conway Farms. He shared eighth place in 2013. For the second consecutive season, he begins the third leg of the Playoffs slotted 43rd in the FedExCup standings. Last year, after opening T53-70th, a five-way share of fourth place at Crooked Stick yielded a rise to 30th in points and into the TOUR Championship. This time around, he strolls in with better form after a T29 and a T25 in the first two legs, respectively. Mackenzie Hughes … At 31st in FedExCup points, he’s the easiest to pluck from the 40 outside the top 70, but to lean on that as the reason would be ignoring why he’s 31st. As I laid out in a recent edition of the Rookie Ranking, the Canadian cannot be ruled out to scoop up the once-in-a-lifetime honor, but he’s probably going to need to advance to the TOUR Championship given the depth of his class. A T13 at the Dell Technologies Championship served a reminder to his competition as it matched his third-best result of the season and best since mid-February. Through two legs of the Playoffs, he’s ninth in strokes gained: putting. Xander Schauffele … Not that Hughes needed any additional motivation to secure a tee time at East Lake, but his fellow rookie, Schauffele, is one notch back at 32nd in the FedExCup standings. The 23-year-old from California could be part of a photo finish for the Rookie of the Year award. It would cap a flourish that was sparked in earnest by a T5 at the U.S. Open and has included four top 20s since, including a breakthrough win at The Greenbrier Classic. He leads the FedExCup Playoffs in par-5 scoring average. Hudson Swafford … It’s reasonable to assume that he experienced an emotional letdown after breaking through for his first PGA TOUR title at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January. After all, expectations were high following his phenomenal career at the University of Georgia. He connected top 10s two months post-victory, and then went virtually silent until hanging up a T10 in his debut at Firestone in August. A T13 at TPC Boston two weeks ago lifted him to 33rd in the FedExCup standings and to without shouting distance of his debut at East Lake. It’d make for a proper way to celebrate his 30th birthday (on Sept. 9). Ranks seventh in the Playoffs in strokes gained: tee-to-green, sixth in proximity and T11 in bogey avoidance. Rafa Cabrera Bello … Populated this space two weeks ago, and then finished T18 at the Dell Technologies Championship to climb 20 spots to 60th for the BMW Championship. The Spaniard is seeking to become just the fourth in Playoffs history to play his way into the TOUR Championship after starting both the second and third legs outside the bubble. Only Marc Leishman (2009), Geoff Ogilvy (2011) and Morgan Hoffmann (2014) have previously scaled the same ladder. (Hoffmann is the only golfer of the three to begin the Playoffs outside the top 100.) RCB ranks 13th in the Playoffs in strokes gained: putting and 12th in scrambling, so he’s connecting with his bread and butter.

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AVONDALE, La – A small tweak in the format of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans looks set to ensure some Sunday fireworks at TPC Louisiana. While last year teams played alternate shot Foursomes on Thursday and Saturday and Four-ball on Friday and Sunday the order will be flipped this time around. The end result means the volatile Foursomes on Sunday will open up multiple possibilities for winning teams. With only one ball in play per team the potential for mistakes is heightened as is the value for a low round. It will likely lessen the chance of a leading team running away with the tournament. It will also ensure a swift pace of play on Sunday helping any possible playoff scenario. If a sudden death playoff is needed – as it was last year between eventual champions Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt and Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown – the teams will switch between alternate shot and Four-ball each hole as required. “We’re pretty excited about the changes in the format,â€� Jordan Spieth said. “You can lead, four or five behind, and certainly still be in it in an alternate shot format, but in best ball it’s probably too difficult to overcome.â€� Spieth partnered with fellow Texan Ryan Palmer last year to finish fourth, unable to reel in the leaders Sunday despite a 64 to finish. The pair return this year ready to make amends with Spieth expecting the final three holes to produce plenty of excitement. TPC Louisiana finishes with a short 355-yard par-4, a testing 215-yard par-3 and then a par-5 18th. All three holes have water in play. “There’s a birdie opportunity on 16 and then 17, in alternate shot, when you feel like you have that extra pressure of a teammate you are playing for… that will certainly add to that shot on Sunday if you are in contention,â€� Spieth continued. “Playing 18 there is an opportunity for eagle but hazards on the hole as well. You can come back from three down with three to go in alternate shot just like that out here.â€� David Duval, who will take a break from his regular Golf Channel analysis to make a rare playing appearance with Jim Furyk, believes the switch will certainly bring excitement to the fans on site and at home. “It will be a lot more of a hold-on as opposed to a catch-up,â€� he said. William McGirt, playing with local favorite Sam Burns, hopes to be one of those teams in the mix on Sunday. The former Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance champion feels like tactics will prove pivotal this year. “You can really hit a stretch where you don’t hit a putt for five or six holes depending on how you’re playing so I think there will be a lot more strategy involved,â€� McGirt said of Sunday’s final round. “You really have to think it through as to who is going to tee off on what holes. “I think it’ll make for some good TV on Sunday, because you’re not necessarily going to have a group that’s in the last two or three groups of the day with a good chance to win.â€� Jason Day, who will partner with countryman Ryan Ruffels after missing the cut with Rickie Fowler last year, was also welcoming of the change. For Day it was more about the opening round and playing his own ball from the start. “It gives you a chance to feel your way into the tournament a little, although you will still need to get away to a good start,â€� Day said. “Whichever way it is you need to just play good golf.â€�  

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