Keita Nakajima: Five Things to Know

President Donald Trump has awarded golfer Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

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FORT WORTH, Texas – There were plenty of hand waves Tuesday as PGA TOUR pros said hello to fellow competitors that they had not seen for three months. Handshakes, of course, are not acceptable in the COVID-19 environment, so a friendly gesture from social distance must suffice. That’s not to say, however, that fist and elbow bumps also completely disappeared. Playing partners finishing their practice rounds at Colonial just couldn’t help themselves. It felt so good to return to work, to prepare once again for a tournament, that 6-foot rules were occasionally violated. “People need to realize that some mistakes will happen because we’re so used to a routine that it’s going to be hard to just be constantly aware of the situation we’re living in,â€� said Jon Rahm. “At some point somebody is going to slip. Somebody is going to fist bump.â€� For the golf world, the Charles Schwab Challenge marks the first time TOUR pros have gathered en masse since March 12, the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship. After the rest of the TOUR’s signature event was canceled as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the 2019-20 season also was suspended … until this week. Excited to get back into action, many players arrived at Colonial on Monday to go through the on-site protocols and get in some practice time. Rahm was not one of them. One hour into his flight on a private plane, Rahm realized his golf bag and suitcases had not been loaded. So the pilot turned the plane around and headed back to Arizona. Load the bags, refuel the jet, and take off again. It threw off Rahm’s entire schedule. But he just shrugged. Even in the new normal, old nuisances can still happen. “It’s not the first time that a suitcase gets forgotten,â€� he said. “Travel inconveniences are extremely common. It’s kind of like, welcome to life again, right? Where things can go wrong. You can do nothing but laugh about it.â€� Rahm wasn’t laughing, though, early Tuesday morning when he underwent the mandatory testing for players. The 6-inch cotton nasopharyngeal swab hurt more than expected. “I’m not going to lie,â€� he said. “I think it was pretty far up your nose.â€� Despite the COVID-19 fears and the uncomfortable tests (as of Tuesday morning, no players or caddies had tested positive) and the underlying nervousness that permeates our daily lives now, seeing players laugh and smile and just enjoy being back inside the ropes should lift the spirts of all golf fans watching from afar this week. There was Jim Furyk, who just turned 50, sharing a story with Bud Cauley, 20 years his junior, while the two were practicing their chipping. Furyk’s longtime caddie, Fluff Cowan, kept his hands in his pockets, his way of curtailing the urge to toss golf balls to his man. There was Billy Horschel and Danny Willett, trying to decide who was going to putt on a particular hole on the practice green. “Are you going to use this right now?â€� Horschel asked. There was Jordan Spieth with his longtime friend Kramer Hickok against Colonial members Ryan Palmer and Franklin Corpening in a friendly nine-hole match. Spieth won the Charles Schwab Challenge in 2016, but the local knowledge paid off for the members, who “won a little bit,â€� said Palmer. The match has becoming something of an annual tradition among the four, so it was a good thing to rekindle. “That sense of normalcy was nice to have today that we haven’t had in three months,â€� noted Palmer, who has the honor of hitting the opening tee shot Thursday. There was Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson – partners in the recent TaylorMade Driving Relief charity match – checking out something on DJ’s phone while standing on the 10th tee box as they waited for the fairway to clear. Whatever it was, they were clearly enjoying it. Even though the general public is not allowed on-site this week, that doesn’t mean there aren’t fans in attendance. Corpening, who played collegiately at nearby TCU and received a sponsor’s exemption this week, is making his fourth TOUR start of his career. Each one has been at Colonial, where his family are long-time members and where he’s worked in a variety of roles when not in the field. “Rory is my favorite player,â€� Corpening told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I love his action. I’m going to sit on the top putting green just so I can watch him tee off or hit some balls. That’s where we all want to be — No. 1 in the world.â€� For others on-site, no fans means being able to listen to exchanges and conversations that might otherwise be drowned out, like Brooks Koepka – sporting a bushy mustache — talking about a particular hairstyle Tuesday in between putting practice. And no grandstands nor hospitality tents means getting an unique look at Colonial, which has hosted an annual PGA TOUR event since the 1940s, making it the longest-running non-major venue on TOUR. The compact, old-school layout can be appreciated in all its original glory. Standing near the 10th green Tuesday, you could see parts of at least seven holes on the back nine. In previous years, that 360 view would include several stands. “It’s awesome,â€� said Justin Thomas, getting his first up-close look at Colonial, as he had never been able to work it into his playing schedule in previous seasons. “It’s a place that I’ve always watched on TV and I love how it looks. It’s a fun tournament to watch.â€� In some ways, the new normal looked very much like the old one. Players working on their games, instructors nearby to offer advice. Volunteers in golf carts filled with water bottles scurrying around to resupply coolers on tee boxes. Leaderboards and videoboards in their usual spots. The fairways roped off – except for the crossover areas. Two security officers on bikes even accompanied McIlroy and DJ, even though no one was following the world’s No. 1 and No. 5 ranked players. It’s McIlroy’s first visit to Colonial; practicing in shorts, his bare legs seemed ripped from the pages of the latest fitness magazine thanks to all his recent Peleton work. But the reality is that golf is entering unchartered territory this week. Tests and protocols and social distancing and no fans and no high-fives and Jim Nantz in a booth (not even behind the 18th green) by himself. Maybe it’ll be a brief trip. Or maybe some things will be permanently changed. “You can’t go into this thing [saying] it’s going to be normal because it’s not,â€� Thomas said. “I would say 2020 is beyond a bizarre year so far, and especially in the world of sports — it’s just going to be different. ‘If we all want to get back and play the game that we love and not just for us but for the fans and everybody at home, we’re just going to have to get over the fact that it’s going to be different and be a little weird.â€� Weird, however, can be interesting. Different can be a positive. It’s just a matter of keeping an open mind. The good news is that the world’s best golfers are back in action this week. After 91 days, the time finally has arrived.

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Here is a look at the two players who Monday qualified for the Travelers Championship. The qualifier was held at Ellington Ridge Country Club in Ellington, Connecticut. There was a five-for-two playoff for the two spots. There are just two spots available at each Monday Qualifier following the resumption of the 2019-20 PGA TOUR season after the COVID-19 break. QUALIFIERS David Pastore (67) Age: 28 College: University of Virginia Turned pro: 2014 PGA TOUR starts: 3 PGA TOUR earnings: $0 Twitter: @dP_pastore Notes: This will be his fourth PGA Tour start. In 2019 he Monday Qualified for both the Farmers Insurance Open and The Honda Classic … In that Honda Classic Monday Qualifier, he missed a very short putt on the first playoff hole for eagle to win but managed to come back and get through … He played in the 2015 Travelers Championship … He is a 2020 Korn Ferry Tour member but hasn’t made any starts yet this year after finishing T126 at final stage … Has played three career Korn Ferry Tour events, the last in 2019 at the LECOM Health Challenge … Finished seventh on the Mackenzie Tour – Canada Order of Merit in 2019 … He finished the year with one runner-up, one third place finish, among four total top 10s … After his freshman year at University of Virginia, he had to re-earn his spot back on the team through an open tryout … His senior year he injured his hand and only played two events Chase Koepka (67) Age: 26 College: University of South Florida Turned pro: 2016 PGA TOUR starts: 5 PGA TOUR earnings: $197,400 Twitter: @ChaseKoepka Notes: This will be his third PGA TOUR start of 2020 … He finished 46th at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES and finished 67th at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open … His career-best finish on the PGA TOUR is a fifth-place finish at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans where he teamed with his brother Brooks … Is a 2020 Korn Ferry Tour member after making it to final stage and finished T68 … Koepka has played in one 2020 Korn Ferry event, The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic, where he missed the cut … In 2019 was a Challenge Tour member in Europe … Made two of 12 cuts that year … 2017 was his best year on the Challenge Tour as he made 14 of 18 cuts and finished eight on the Order of Merit … Was a European Tour member in 2018 … That season he made 11 of 28 cuts, with a best finish of seventh in South African Open … In January, he had a 20-foot putt on the last hole to shoot 59 on the Minor League Tour. He shot 64 the second day and won the event. It was his 11th win on the Minor League Tour. KOEPKA Q&A A quick chat with Chase Koepka after Monday qualifying at the Travelers Championship: PGATOUR.COM: Last year you decided to come home after playing in Europe for a few years. Did you think it was time for a change, or was the distance from your family an issue? CHASE KOEPKA: “It was a little bit of both. I was definitely a little bit homesick from playing over there for a few years, and it doesn’t help that I wasn’t playing my best golf over there last year. And that makes the homesick worse playing poorly that far away from my family. Just looking at my career though, I have never really been able to do Korn Ferry Q school up until this year, so I told myself I’d concentrate on that. I wanted to get ready for finals. It didn’t work out exactly how I wanted at finals, but I still have some status.” PGATOUR.COM: Do you have a number in mind once you play a practice round and get a feel for the course, or do you try not to think of a number instead just go as low as possible? KOEPKA: “At some courses you know, it’s going to take 8 or 9 under, but at this course coming in, I actually had no idea what to expect. I heard some guys discussing 67 that got into a playoff in years past, but that was with four spots. So, I really didn’t know what to expect with two spots. I thought 6 or 7 [under} would be a good round today. I was a little bit shocked when I came in that I was tied for the lead at 5 under. I thought it would be a little short.” PGATOUR.COM: With limited Korn Ferry Tour status, are you going to chase Mondays or play some mini-tour events? KOEPKA: “I will try to mix in some Mondays with some mini-tour events in between. You cannot do Monda’s 24/7 and expect to get better. One good thing that has come out of all this, is there is a lot of new mini-tours popping up and giving guys like me a place to play. I mean if you don’t have full status on Korn Ferry or PGA Tours, you are basically a mini-tour player, so I’m just glad there is places to play.” PGATOUR.COM: There are a lot more downs in this game then ups. Does successfully Monday qualifying like this give you a huge mental boost? KOEPKA: “Oh yeah definitely, if you get through one Monday qualifier a year, you are doing really well. When you do, it’s all about capitalizing on your opportunity. You see stories every year, there is maybe three or four guys that turn one Monday qualifier into status or a place in the Korn Ferry finals. Every single year. It’s awesome that we have those in this game, a way to play yourself into these events. It was a bit shocking that they even are having Monday qualifiers again, and so when they announced that they would, it gave everyone a little hope.” PGATOUR.COM: We saw Brooks was at the course watching you come up 18 and you sat down together between the round and playoff. What advice did he give you? KOEPKA: “When I got done, we talked and basically just told me, ‘Awesome job’ and asked me what holes we were playing for the playoff. I went and asked and once I told him he told me to get out to the range and practice those shots to be ready.” PGATOUR.COM: You have dealt with a lot of different types of pressure in your career. Where does a Monday qualifier playoff pressure fall? KOEPKA: “It was like I was trying to win a big-time golf tournament. It was a lot of pressure for sure. You are either in with a huge opportunity for your career or you are going home. I try to look back on putts that I have made in my career and use that. It’s just human nature to look ahead and think about getting into event and what could happen, but you really have to try your best to block that our and stay in the moment.” PGATOUR.COM: Now that you are in the field, do you set hard goals, such as a top 10 or just measure how you play and let the chips fall where they may? KOEPKA: “It’s pretty much play as well as I can and see where the chips fall. Play well and see where we stand on Sunday. I can’t look too far ahead. I am going to try get as many FedExCup points as I can. If I can finish in the top 10 and get into the next week, that would be a huge bonus. All I wanted to do this year is play as many tournaments as I can and just get better. This week’s event just happens to be a TOUR event and is a huge opportunity for me.” NOTES NOTABLE MISSES: Vincent Whaley 68, Chase Seiffert 68, Cliff Kresge 69, Spencer Levin 71, Ken Duke 72 STRENGTH OF TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP MONDAY QUALIFIER: Combined number of PGA TOUR starts: More than 2,130 Number of players with at least one PGA TOUR win: 2 (Ken Duke 1, Carlos Franco 4) Combined number of PGA TOUR wins: 5 Combined PGA TOUR earnings: More than $62 million Combined Korn Ferry Tour wins: 11 Player with most PGA TOUR wins in the field: Carlos Franco 4 COURSE INFO Name of course: Ellington Ridge Country Club, 6928 yds, 74.2 rating, 136 slope 2019-2020 SEASON MONDAY QUALIFIER STATS Average Medalist score: 65.4 Average last qualifying spot score: 66.7 Total number of cuts made: 10 of 47 (21.3%) Most recent results (Honda Classic): Hayden Buckley 69th, Arjun Atwal MC, Andrew McCain MC, Daniel Wetterich MC Money earned: $325,518 Best Finish: Garrett Osborn, T18, Sanderson Farms NEXT MONDAY QUALIFIER June 29: Rocket Mortgage Monday Qualifier, Oakland University Katke Course July 6: Workday Open Monday Qualifier, Country Club of Murfield Village NOTES FROM OTHER TOURS Ryan McCormick finished T14 at the Korn Ferry Classic at TPC Sawgrass after Monday Qualifying, then finished T6 at the King and Bear Classic. Paul Peterson finished T16 at the Korn Ferry King and Bear Classic after Monday Qualifying, earning a spot in the Utah Championship presented by Zion’s bank.

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