Sleeper Picks: Wells Fargo Championship

Superstitions, jokesters keep the game fun

Click here to read the full article…

SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Andrew Landry called it last week. The Arkansas Razorback grad told caddie Kip Henley that his former teammate Austin Cook doesn’t know how good he is. “But he’s about to find out,” Landry said. “I feel a win coming pretty soon.” Landry’s words proved prescient. The rest of the field at The RSM Classic found out just how good Cook can play as he fired a final-round 3-under 67 to win The RSM Classic by four strokes over J.J. Spaun. It’s the first PGA TOUR victory for Cook, 26, in just his 14th start. “I knew I had a good bag, but I didn’t know he was going to be this good this soon,” said Henley, who started caddieing for Cook during the Web.com Tour Finals. “I’ve got a 5-foot, 7-inch Matt Kuchar. He’s going to be hanging around the lead all the time.” Cook grabbed the lead on Friday with a bogey-free 62 at the Seaside Course and never relinquished it. He didn’t make a bogey until he three-putted the 14th hole of the third round, which led to Henley declaring, “The dream is over.” Cook made birdie at the next hole and opened a three-stroke lead heading into the final round. Cook conceded he endured a restless night’s sleep. He hadn’t won a tournament since a 2014 Adams Tour Winter Series mini-tour event, which earned him $4,000. An early bogey at the second hole allowed Chris Kirk to climb within one stroke of the lead, but he fell back and eventually finished T4. Cook never cracked, even as Spaun tried to erase his five-stroke deficit. “I saw what he was doing,” Cook said. Cook made birdie at No. 7 and skated along with seven consecutive pars in the middle of his round. “He’s impervious to pressure,” Henley said of Cook. Cook finished in style, making birdies on three of the final four holes, including holing a 14-foot putt at the last. When asked how winning compared to how he envisioned such a scenario growing up, he said, “Better. It was way better because it actually happened. You always grow up thinking that you can do it, but actually being able to get the job done and perform and hold all these nerves down and still put in a good round especially in these conditions and on this golf course, I’m just so happy.” All of the perks that go with winning on the PGA TOUR were just beginning to sink in for Cook. He recalled that he had attended a Tuesday practice round once before at the Masters and promised himself he would never go back until he earned an invitation. Mission accomplished. And he’s well on his way to achieving much more. “My goal coming into the year was to win Rookie of the Year, and I’m on a good path so far,” Cook said. OBSERVATIONS SPAUN KNOCKS ON THE DOOR AGAIN. A solo second-place finish for J.J. Spaun is the best finish of his young PGA TOUR career. Spaun, 27, became the forgotten man in his rookie season when he cooled off after three top-10 finishes through April. But he showed this fall that he’s got the game to win and win soon. Spaun held the 54-hole lead at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, but struggled down the closing stretch and fell to T10. He bounced back the next week at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, finishing T14. His runner-up at The RSM Classic vaulted him 36 spots in the FedExCup to No. 10, and likely secured his playing privileges for next season. “I feel like I’m just knocking on the door,” he said. “Eventually I think that door will open.” HARMAN’S BEST FALL. EVER. That’s how Brian Harman termed the start to his 2017-2018 season. It’s tough to argue with three top-eight finishes, topped off by a T4 at the RSM Classic. “I tend to fade out at the end of the year, so I’m proud of how I played this fall.I drove it really well in Asia and again this week and started to make some putts,” he said. Harman, who finished T5 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES and eighth at the WGC-HSBC Champions, improved his score all four days at The RSM Classic. He closed with a 65 at Seaside that included a 6-iron into the wind at No. 13 to 3 feet. Harman, a Sea Island resident, had missed the cut the last two times he played The RSM Classic. He also finished tied for low-Georgia Bulldog honors with Kevin Kisner and Chris Kirk. “It’s been a great year,” Harman said. “Doesn’t mean it can’t get better.” SILVERMAN SHINES. What a difference a year makes for Ben Silverman. A year ago, he had to play all three stages of PGA TOUR Q-School to regain his Web.com Tour status. He did that, notched a win and finished 10th on the Web.com Tour money list to earn his card. And he’s off to a fast start as a PGA TOUR rookie. Silverman shot 66 on Sunday to cap a week of four rounds in the 60s, and his second top-10 finish of the Fall Series. Silverman finish T8 to go along with a T7 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. “It feel like it happened fast,” he said. If you’re looking for a player with a good underdog story, look no further than Silverman. He walked on to the “B team” at Johnson & Wales University, tried his hand at the Hooters Tour in 2010 and lost his savings in five events, and ended up winning more than 30 times on the Minor League Golf Tour before working his way up the food chain to the PGA TOUR. “I never gave up,” he said. “The road I took has made me mentally tough.” Silverman, a Canadian who makes his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., is hoping his strong performance will get him into the Waste Management Phoenix Open so he can experience the rowdy crowds, the Honda Classic near his adopted home, and the RBC Canadian Open, where he was a Monday Qualifier in 2014. He missed the cut and watched Jim Furyk play on Saturday. A breakthrough 2017 also included the birth of his first child, 4-month-old Jack Palmer Silverman. With a name like that he may be destined to be a golfer, but dad cracked, “he probably won’t even play when he’s older.” NOTABLES GAY’S WALK-OFF – Bogeys at Nos. 2 and 4 took Gay out of the trophy hunt early, but the 45-year-old TOUR veteran rebounded with two late eagles at Nos. 15 and 18 to finish alone in third, his best finish since a T3 at the 2017 Barbasol Championship. Gay holed out from 161 yards with a 9-iron. When asked to recall the last time he had holed out his final shot from the fairway, Gay said, “I don’t think I ever have. Never, ever, not even at home.” SNEDEKER PASSES THE TEST – In his first start since mid-June, Brandt Snedeker finished T29 at The RSM Classic. He said he felt no pain after being sidelined with a rib injury. “I’m as relieved as I’ve ever been coming off an injury. Usually there’s a setback,” he said. “I’m ready to hit the ground running on the West Coast.” Snedeker, 36, said he expects to play four tournaments in a row beginning at the CareerBuilder Challenge. POTTER’S ACE – Davis Love III was in a deer stand a week ago when Johnnie Morris, the owner of Bass Pro Shops, called and said he wanted to contribute to The RSM Classic. “How about you do something if someone makes a hole-in-one,” Love said. Ted Potter Jr., was the beneficiary of this phone call. Potter holed an 8-iron at the 180-yard par-3 sixth hole and was awarded a $10,000 gift card to Bass Pro Shops. “I’m sure a lot of it may go to my son, find the toy section there, and then hopefully find some hunting gear,” he said. “They’ve got plenty of stuff.” A $10,000 donation also will be made to the Davis Love Foundation. BABY LINGMERTH – Four rounds in the 60s left a smile on the face of another Arkansas grad, David Lingmerth. He played three times this season, and his T17 at The RSM Classic was his best finish. Now, Lingmerth, 30, is getting ready for a new addition to the family. He and his wife, Megan, are expecting their first child on Dec. 19. “Timed it perfectly in the off-season,” he cracked. LOVE’S SURGERY – Davis Love III said he is scheduled to undergo hip-replacement surgery on Nov. 21. Love knew something was wrong with his left hip when he played the Sanderson Farms Championship, but he wanted to delay surgery until after competing in and hosting this week’s RSM Classic. Love will undergo surgery at the Andrews Institute Total Joint Center in Birmingham, Ala. Love said he expects to be sidelined for three months. “I hope to be back for the Florida swing,” Love said. QUOTABLES “I had a small moment with myself, teared up a little. I had to put the sunglasses back on.”– Austin Cook on the moment he sensed he was going to win after making a 15-foot birdie putt at No. 17 to take a three-stroke lead. “You say, ‘Go in the hole,’ so many times and they never do. I’m like ‘Go in,’ and then it rolled right in.” — Brian Gay on holing a 9-iron from 161 yards on 18 to finish alone in third place. SUPERLATIVES Low final round: On a blustery day, Ryan Armour, Brian Harman and David Hearn shot 65. Lowest round of the week: Winner Austin Cook shot a bogey-free 62 on Friday to grab the lead and never surrendered it. J.J. Spaun matched his 62 on Saturday. Longest drive: Trey Mulinax belted a 361-yard drive at the 15th hole Sunday. In case anyone thought it was a fluke, he cranked a 357 yarder at the 16th, which was the second-longest of the day. Fewest putts, final round: Ben Martin, who tied for the lead with 10 one-putt greens, and Ben Silverman each took 24 putts on Sunday. Longest putt: Tom Hoge drilled a 54-foot, 1-inch putt for birdie at the par-3 3rd. Easiest hole: The par-5 15th hole at Seaside played to a scoring average of 4.452. Hardest hole: The par-4 14th hole played to an average of 4.153. CALL OF THE DAY SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Click here to read the full article…

THE OVERVIEW Club de Golf Chapultepec is in the heart of Mexico, but based on last year’s results, it may be the most European of courses on the PGA TOUR. Consider the leaderboard at the 2017 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship: Although American Dustin Johnson was the winner, the next four finishers were from Europe. Of the top 10 players, six were from Europe, and of the 27 players who finished T25 or better, there were more Europeans (13) than Americans (12). That’s not a ratio we see very often on the PGA TOUR. The Open Championship, of course, may favor Europeans since it’s played in the United Kingdom and has more Europeans in the field. Obviously, World Golf Championships fields generally will have a higher ratio of Europeans than regular PGA TOUR events, since several of this week’s participants are regulars on the European Tour. Still, perhaps the Europeans have found their comfort zone in the high-altitude course in Mexico City. Of the 65 players in the field, 17 are from Europe – including seven from England. “It is a very European layout,â€� said Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, runner-up last year to Johnson. “Last year it just reminded us of playing in Italy or some of the courses that we play. And it wasn’t just me that played well last year, there were a lot of Europeans up there. “It just is a bit of a European layout, a bit (more) of an old-school golf course (than) ones we’re kind of used to playing a little bit. It’s still different, it’s still a long way above sea level and the greens are a bit (more) slopey than what we’re used to. So there are still differences that we don’t get but just the general feel of when you’re walking down the fairways and seeing the tee shots, it’s tree-lined, that is quite a European feel to it.â€� Ironically, one of Europe’s best players did not fare well in Mexico last year. England’s Justin Rose failed to break 70 in his four rounds, eventually finishing T38 – even though he ranked first in strokes gained: tee to green. He may enter this week as Europe’s hottest player, having won three times in his last eight starts to move to No. 5 in the world. (Spain’s Jon Rahm, at No. 2, is the highest-ranked European in the world.) Rose doesn’t subscribe to the theory that Chapultepec favors long hitters, despite Johnson’s success last year. “It shouldn’t be a golf course that really suits the long hitter,â€� he said. “I think it’s the kind of golf course that suits everybody and offers everybody the opportunity to play well. It’s very strategic, there’s a lot of wedges in hand for most of the field. Yeah, it’s about kind of just getting the ball in the hole this week. “Just from memory, you can be aggressive, you can try and take it over tree lines occasionally. But if you’re on your own, that works for a long hitter, but equally there’s a lot of risk with that as well. So game plan’s very important around here, but I think all types of players can find their way around the golf course.â€� All types of players from all parts of the world, that is. THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER Dustin Johnson Defending champ is the only player to complete the World Golf Championships Slam. Justin Thomas FedExCup champ was the 54-hole leader a year ago before shooting a disappointing 72 on Sunday. Justin Rose His last five wins have come in Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Turkey and Jakarta. THE FLYOVER The 388-yard 18th is not the shortest par 4 on the course – in fact, there are three par 4s on the front nine that are shorter – but it’s the shortest and easiest par 4 on the back nine, offering players a chance to make up ground with a closing birdie. A year ago, it played to a stroke average of 3.974. THE LANDING ZONE The most difficult hole at Chapultepec is the 525-yard eighth, which just so happens to be the longest par 4 on the course. With a stroke average of 4.359 last year, the hole ranked as the 12th most difficult of all 900 holes on the PGA TOUR last season. Just 24 birdies were made against 104 bogeys, 10 doubles and three others, with the tree-lined fairway and heavily guarded multi-tiered green adding to the challenge. Here is where all tee shots landed last year. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Wade Stettner: “The weather pattern from Thursday through Sunday calls for sunny skies each morning with scattered thunderstorms each afternoon. Thunderstorms tend to develop after 4 p.m. in the mountains to our west and drift in the direction of the upper-level winds. Temperatures will be seasonal this week, with highs in the upper 70s each day and overnight lows in the 50s.â€�  For the latest weather news from Mexico City, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK “I like the course, it’s a fun little track. The course reminds me a lot of the Web(.com Tour) events I played down in South America. I played well in some of those, so I kind of have hopefully those good vibes and just got to hopefully get some more this week.â€� BY THE NUMBERS 7,835 – Altitude, by feet, of the highest point at Chapultepec. The lowest point is 7,603 feet. The course has the highest altitude of any on the PGA TOUR – nearly 2,000 feet higher than Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nevada. 77 – Number of hole-outs at last year’s WGC-Mexico Championship. That’s the most of any single event in the history of the World Golf Championships. 317.47 – Average distance (by yards) of tee shots at Chapultec last year when using a driver. That was the highest average using a driver of any course on TOUR last year. 528 – Scorecard yardage for the third hole at Chapultepec. Just two other par-4 holes were longer on the PGA TOUR last season – the 17th at Kapalua (549 yards) and the fourth at TPC Four Seasons (529 yards). SCATTERSHOTS Jordan Spieth has not won in his last 13 worldwide starts. That’s his longest drought since the 37 worldwide starts in between his first professional win at the 2013 John Deere Classic and his next win at the 2014 Australian Open. Here are the driving-distance leaders from last year’s event, broken down by club used: Driver (Rory McIlroy at 350.34 yards); Fairway wood (Justin Thomas at 333.52 yards); Iron (Dustin Johnson at 285.13 yards). Six players are making their World Golf Championships debuts this week – Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, Spain’s Jorge Campillo, South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli, Australia’s Wade Ormsby, England’s Chris Paisley and India’s Shubhankar Sharma. There are two fully-exempt players from Mexico on the PGA TOUR – Abraham Ancer (who was born in Texas but raised in Reynosa, Mexico) and Roberto Diaz (born in Veracruz). A year ago, Diaz finished T67, but he is not in the field this week. Ancer is in the field this week as the world’s highest-ranked golfer from Mexico.

Click here to read the full article…