Kupcho, Salas shoot 61 to win LPGA team event

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VIDANTA VALLARTA, Mexico – Anytime Jon Rahm arrives in Mexico, he feels a trace of nostalgia. RELATED: Leaderboard | Why Jon Rahm uses weaker lofts than his PGA TOUR peers As an Arizona State junior, Rahm made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2014 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. He missed the cut, including a penalty in the second round for the “only time in my life where I made a practice swing chipping and the ball moved,” but looks back fondly on the week. He channeled the experience into his next TOUR start, finishing T5 at the WM Phoenix Open the following February. Fast forward seven-plus years, and Rahm is among the game’s elite. He’s a six-time TOUR winner, including the 2021 U.S. Open, and he stands No. 2 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Among the milestones eluding Rahm: a title in Mexico. He has been close, with two third-place showings at the WGC-Mexico Championship at Chapultepec. Rahm aims to change that. He has started strong at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, the event’s first appearance on the PGA TOUR schedule in a history dating back to 1944. Propelled by a chip-in birdie at the par-3 13th hole – his fourth of the day – and an eagle at the short par-4 seventh, Rahm opened in 7-under 64 at Vidanta Vallarta, matching the low score of the morning wave on a sun-kissed day on the western Mexican coast. Rahm was asked early in the week about how he game-plans for a new course, and he replied that “plan A is to hit driver everywhere.” With generally wide fairways, Vidanta Vallarta lends itself to aggressive play, matching Rahm’s ethos. “Really comfortable off the tee,” said Rahm after completing his opening round Thursday. “Not like it’s ever bad, but today felt especially comfortable. It’s not the most demanding course off the tee, besides 10 and maybe 1 … you’re not really in real danger of being in bad position, but even though it’s generous, when I’m hitting shots with the trajectory and the ball flight that I wanted, it just gives me more confidence for every other shot.” Rahm hasn’t missed a cut on TOUR since the Fortinet Championship in September, but he also hasn’t won on TOUR since the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines last June. He admitted this week that his game hasn’t been at its best, numbers-wise, but said he feels confident about his prospects for the coming months. Perhaps a return to the country of his first TOUR start will provide the proper boost for a return to the winner’s circle. With one round in the books at the Mexico Open, he’s on pace to do just that. “There’s no trick; you have to go out there and try to win,” Rahm said this week of advice he would give to players making their TOUR debut. “Don’t come trying to make the cut. If you’re playing, play to win. If not, don’t play. I think that is the mindset they should have. “If they’re invited, they’re probably good enough to be out here, so just believe what you can do and try to win.” This weekend, Rahm will aim to channel his own perspective.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The final 18 holes at THE PLAYERS Championship can seem like an eternity. The finish line feels so far away. That’s because the final result often hangs in the balance until the very end. Rarely do we see a player jubilantly walking down the final fairway, doffing his cap to the crowd. He still has stressful shots to hit to complete his victory. The closing holes on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass were designed to induce drama, and they usually fulfill their purpose. It looks like Sunday could be another PLAYERS Championship that won’t be decided until the final putt drops, thanks to difficult conditions and a crowded leaderboard. Kyle Stanley and J.B. Holmes share the lead at 9-under 207, taking disparate paths to the top of the leaderboard. Holmes has been one of the least accurate drivers this week but leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. Stanley has taken a more traditional road to the lead, ranking in the top 15 of both driving accuracy and greens in regulation. Holmes’ wild play – he also ranks 65th in greens hit — has bucked the conventional wisdom at the Stadium Course. Pete Dye’s design emphasizes accuracy over brute strength, especially when conditions are firm and the greens are hard to hold. Ball-striking is important because the penalty is so high for wayward shots on Dye’s penal design. “This golf course just beats you up,” said Emiliano Grillo, who’s three shots back. “You just have to play well.” There were 74 scores of double-bogey or worse recorded Saturday, and 238 this week. There have been 286 shots hit into the water, including 142 on the famed trio of finishing holes. “Around this golf course, with 16, 17 and 18, anything can happen,” said Louis Oosthuizen, who’s one shot back. “No lead can be big enough. You can be three back and you can win the event. That’s what makes this golf course great. We’ve seen over the years great finishes around this golf course and horrible finishes.” The volatility of the finishing holes, especially when the anxiety is highest on a Sunday afternoon, is one reason comebacks have been prevalent at TPC Sawgrass Seven of the past 10 PLAYERS have been come-from-behind victories, including four wins by players who trailed by three or more strokes entering the final round. There are six players who will start Sunday within three strokes of the lead. It was just two years ago that Rickie Fowler was 4 under on those three holes before winning in a playoff. And, of course, we’ve seen the heartbreak that players such as Sean O’Hair and Len Mattiace have suffered on the island green. “I like the course, but some shots are a bit too scary for me,” said Francesco Molinari, who’s five shots back. “Even if you are suffering out there, you know that everyone is doing the same.” That’s especially true this year. The field averaged 74.04 strokes Saturday. There were seven scores in the 60s on Saturday, as well as seven scores of 79 or higher. This week’s cumulative scoring average is 73.4, on pace to be the highest since 2008. The winner that year? Sergio Garcia. He’s in contention again this week after shooting a 67 on Saturday that moved him within four shots of the lead. He’s looking to become the only player other than Tiger Woods to win the Masters and THE PLAYERS in the same year. Woods won the 2001 PLAYERS a month before completing the Tiger Slam at Augusta National. Garcia is the most successful player among those in the top nine of the leaderboard. He and Oosthuizen are the only major champions among the bunch, and Garcia’s 10 PGA TOUR titles lead the group. Patrick Cantlay and Alex Noren are seeking their first PGA TOUR victories, while four of the top nine have just one TOUR title (Stanley, Oosthuizen, Grillo, Si Woo Kim). The task will be even tougher because high winds are expected to hit the Stadium Course again on Sunday. The final 20 players to tee off Saturday averaged 74.8 strokes, including eight scores of 75 or higher. Of the seven scores in the 60s shot on Saturday, only one came from a player who teed off after noon. Kim, who teed off at 1:30 p.m., shot 68. “Around this golf course without wind, it’s a pretty fine line,” said Fowler, who sits at even par. “You start adding wind to the equation (and) it makes this place, to the average golfer, almost impossible.” These aren’t your average golfers, but they’ll face a tough task Sunday if they want to walk away with THE PLAYERS Championship.

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