Assistant Head Golf Professional Alex Rodriguez of TPC Harding Park, named network’s employee of the year

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Tony Finau had thousands of messages when he finally grabbed his phone after breaking a five-year win drought at THE NORTHERN TRUST to take the lead in the FedExCup race, but one name stood out from the pack. Tiger Woods. The 82-time PGA TOUR winner – who is still recovering from a car accident in February – made sure Finau knew he was watching his steely performance down the stretch at Liberty National where he bested Cameron Smith in a playoff. “One of the very first (messages) was from Tiger, and that was a very special one. He was just explaining to me that he was proud of me and the fight and grit that I had. That was obviously a very, very special one for me to see,” Finau said from Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland where he takes the FedExCup lead into this week’s BMW Championship. “He was one of the first, which means he was watching, which for me is very, very cool. I have to throw that out there as probably right at the top. And then countless athletes. Donovan Mitchell is an amazing basketball player for the Utah Jazz. Being a Jazz fan, that was a cool one for me. My buddy Mike Conley, who’s a point guard for the Jazz… but those are just a few of I feel like so many people. It’s been really cool to see how many are following my career and are generally happy for this victory.” Finau’s second TOUR win came 1,975 days after his first at the Puerto Rico Open of 2016 and he’d notched up 39 Top-10s without winning since. That included eight runner ups. As one of the nice guys on TOUR the love came thick and fast when he closed the deal. “I’ve kind of starved a lot of my fans and supporters of a win for five years, so this one is special in that I’ve gained a lot of fans in these five years, and to be able to share this with so many people has been very, very special,” Finau added. “It’s just pretty amazing how many people were willing to reach out and just show their support and how happy they were for me… Selfishly I want to win, and of course that’s a really cool thing, but to be able to see how many people have enjoyed this win for me, my family, my friends, it’s been really, really cool for me.” The Utah native revealed he celebrated with a steak dinner before loading up again on McDonalds at 3a.m. when the adrenalin didn’t allow him to sleep. It had been a long time since he’d allowed his body to soak up that much fast food. “I had a lot. I ordered a Big Mac, I had a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and then 10 chicken nuggets,” he revealed. “It reminds me of when I was a kid… and I had a large fry with an Oreo McFlurry and a bottled water. I had no problem cleaning all of it up.” Finau now turns his attention to winning the FedExCup but first he looks to keep top spot on the points list with another big performance at the BMW Championship. Should he do that he will head to East Lake with the maximum head start – beginning the TOUR Championship at 10-under in the chase for the $15million bonus and coveted title. If he wins it all there’s no telling how much McDonalds he might demolish.

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A lawyer representing Phil Mickelson is taking issue with a Detroit News report that linked the golfer to an alleged mob bookie in a 2007 trial.

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Using a combination of strong iron play and clutch putting, Dustin Johnson came from five shots back during the final round to defeat 54-leader Jordan Spieth on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff at THE NORTHERN TRUST GOLF. Unhappy with his putting coming into the week, Johnson removed his TaylorMade Spider Tour Black mallet and replaced it with the company’s TP Collection Juno blade. Made from 303 stainless steel, the 35.75-inch Anser-style blade freed Johnson up and improved his feel — something he noted was a key difference between the two putters. “I got a little bit more feel with the putter, instead of the Spider I was using,” Johnson said, “I was getting a little bit too mechanical and a little bit too — I was worrying about too many things when I was putting instead of just putting.” The high-MOI mallet is designed to increase forgiveness and features an 80/20 PureRoll insert that offers a different overall feel from the milled blade Johnson had in the bag. Johnson ranked 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting during the final round and made several critical putts with the new flatstick, beginning with a 17-footer for birdie on the 15th that pulled him level with Spieth. He would then go on to bury a must-make par putt from 17 feet on the last to extend the tournament. During the playoff, Johnson took an improbable line off the tee with his TaylorMade ’17 M1 460 driver and hammered the shot 341 yards, setting up an approach from 95 yards that nestled 3 feet from the hole for birdie. Johnson led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to green (plus 14.810) and proximity to the hole (24 feet 10 inches) with an all-TaylorMade setup. Here’s a look at Johnson’s entire bag. Driver: TaylorMade ’17 M1 460 (Fujikura Speeder Evolution 2.0 Tour Spec 661X shaft), 11 degrees 3-wood: TaylorMade ’17 M1 3HL (Project X HZRDUS Black 95X shaft), 17 degrees 5-wood: TaylorMade ’17 M1 (Project X HZRDUS Black 95X shaft), 19 degrees Irons: TaylorMade Tour Preferred MB ’14 (3-PW; True Temper DG Tour Issue X100 shafts) Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind (52 and 60 degrees; KBS Tour 130X Black Nickel shafts) Putter: TaylorMade TP Collection Juno Prototype Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

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