Rory McIlroy could reach world No. 1 at CJ CUP

Pat Perez proved Sunday that, on a PGA TOUR dominated by lithe, young superstars with physiques crafted in the gym and clubhead speed that can overheat a TrackMan, there is still room for a 41-year-old who prefers late nights with a beer (or a few) over early-morning workouts. He shot 24-under 264 at this week’s CIMB Classic to win by four shots over Keegan Bradley and finish seven shots ahead of Sung Kang and the reigning Rookie of the Year, Xander Schauffele. Perez started his 17th PGA TOUR season with the third win of his career, and his second in the past 11 months.  “I’m such a different person than I was 17 years ago, even like five years ago,â€� he said. “I’m learning how to play the game and learning how to play my own game and stay within myself and that kind of stuff. I’m a late bloomer.â€� Perez took the 36-hole lead at TPC Kuala Lumpur and never relinquished it. He started Sunday with a four-shot lead and won by that same margin. He shot four consecutive rounds in the 60s (66-65-64-69) and made just three bogeys all week. He hit 62 of 72 greens but said it was the putter that carried him to victory. “If I didn’t putt well I probably would have finished 40th,â€� he said Perez is coming off a career-best finish in the FedExCup (15th) and the first TOUR Championship appearance of his career. He’s second in this season’s early FedExCup standings, 56 points behind Safeway Open champion Brendan Steele. Steele followed last week’s win with a 13th-place finish in Malaysia. Perez, who’s been on the PGA TOUR since 2002, now has two victories in his past 25 starts after winning once in his first 378. He was one of just five players in their 40s to win last season. Compare that to a record-setting 18 victories by players under 25, a group that includes FedExCup champions Justin Thomas (2017) and Jordan Spieth (2015). Last year’s lengthy layoff after shoulder surgery has inspired his good play, giving him a new perspective on the game. Perez, who won the 1993 Junior Worlds over Tiger Woods, was always known for having tons of talent but also a hot temper. “It took me a lot longer to probably mature, if you can even use that word for me,â€� he said. He may give up yards off the tee to today’s young stars, but he makes up for it with a strong short game. His winning score this week was just two shots off Thomas’ tournament record. “It’s frustrating because I see these guys, perfect builds, they’re tall and they’re skinny and they’ve got all this strength, and then there’s me who kind of waddles around,â€� Perez said at the TOUR Championship. “I don’t like working out, I like to sit, kind of do nothing, so it’s kind of my own fault, I guess, on the strength. “But when those guys go, they just keep running, like Justin Thomas. They just have those extra gears that can get them on the par-5s in two. I can’t get to the par-5s in two so my short game’s got to be sharp.â€� This week’s win came a continent away from home, but at a place that is special to him. Last year’s CIMB Classic was Perez’s first start since surgery that March to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He’d been dropped by his equipment sponsor and thought his return to the PGA TOUR was still months away. Then the CIMB Classic’s executive director, Todd Rhinehart, called and offered him an invitation. Perez’s wise-cracking ways apparently have international appeal. A middle-of-the-pack finish (T33) may not have looked impressive on paper, but it was an encouraging return after several months on the sideline, and it set the stage for the best year of Perez’s lengthy career. He finished seventh in his next start, at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and then won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. His second win came nearly eight years after his first one, at the 2009 CareerBuilder Challenge “If he hadn’t given me the spot, the funny thing is I don’t know if I would have started the TOUR until January,â€� Perez said Sunday. “So all those chain of events might not have happened. So I can’t thank him enough for doing that. I really can’t explain it, it’s been an amazing 12 months.â€� Perez said he starts every season with two goals, to win and qualify for the TOUR Championship. He has the win under his belt. Now he wants to get back to East Lake. He estimates that he’ll need another 800 FedExCup points to accomplish that.  Today’s game emphasizes distance, but Perez has had success despite ranking 112th in driving distance (290.9 yards) and 130th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee last season. He was fourth in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green and 37th in Strokes Gained: Putting. “They’re just different type of players than I am,â€� Perez said of the TOUR’s 20-somethings. “I try to get mine where I can and that’s what it is.â€�

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RENO, Nev. — Ollie Schniederjans scored five points with a closing eagle to take a three-point lead Thursday in the Barracuda Championship, the PGA TOUR’s only modified Stableford scoring event. Schniederjans hit a 5-iron approach to 3 feet from 275 yards to set up the eagle on the par-5 18th at Montreux Golf and Country Club. “Eagles are huge in this format,” Schniederjans said. “So, it’s a little more nerve-wracking, 3-footer being three more points. It’s interesting you have putts that are worth more than others.” He finished with 17 points, also making six birdies. Players receive eight points for an albatross, five for eagle, two for birdie and zero for par. A point is subtracted for bogey, and three points are subtracted for double bogey or worse. Denny McCarthy was tied for the lead with a hole to play just before sunset, but lost three points with a double bogey on the par-4 ninth to drop into a tie for second with Aaron Baddeley. Robert Streb was fourth at 13 points, followed by Ryan Palmer and Hudson Swafford at 12, and John Merrick and Tyrone Van Aswegen at 11. The winner will earn a spot in the PGA Championship next week at Bellerive, if not already eligible. Schniederjans is using the event to stay sharp for the PGA. “Just my game is finally coming around,” Schniederjans said. “I really feel in control of my swing for the first time in a while. So, I felt really good coming in. And I kind of wanted to just get playing, because I felt like my stuff was finally in a place. Instead of taking a week off, I kind of wanted to get on a roll, play a little bit before the PGA and roll into next week with some rounds.” Chasing his first tour victory, he’s using his Georgia Tech education to crunch numbers on the high-altitude course. “It’s pretty simple math, but I think it helps,” Schniederjans said. “The wind makes it really tough. I factor in the flight that I’m going to hit, and I do the elevation first. And then I factor in the wind.” McCarthy, playing in the final group of the day off the 10th tee, eagled the par-5 13th and made five more birdies — three on par-5 holes — before the messy finish. The former Virginia player is 149th in the FedExCup standings in his first PGA TOUR season, with the top 125 advancing to playoffs and keeping their tour cards. Baddeley is 135th in the FedExCup race. “I’m not stressed, to be honest,” Baddeley said. “Whether you go to Web finals or whether you finish in the 126 to 150 category, you’re going to get starts and my game’s in a good spot. I’m not stressed. I’m at ease with whatever happens. Just got to go out and play and try and win a golf tournament.” Rod Pampling holed out for eagle from 123 yards on the par-4 14th to get to 15 points, then dropped six points on the final four holes with three bogeys and a closing triple bogey. Norman Xiong, the Nicklaus Award winner at the University of Oregon, scored eight points playing on a sponsor’s exemption. He missed the cuts in his other three PGA TOUR starts since turning pro. Defending champion Chris Stroud had seven points. Geoff Ogilvy, the 2014 winner, also was at seven points along with Hunter Mahan. David Duval, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, scored three points.

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CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Good morning, golf fans. Here’s a quick look at Friday’s early developments in the second round of The Open Championship at Carnoustie. HELLO, RAIN. After a lengthy dry spell in Scotland that left Carnoustie’s fairways with racetrack-like conditions, the weather we’re accustomed to seeing at The Open finally arrived. The rain picked up throughout the mid-morning, forcing players to pull out the umbrellas and rain gear for the first time this week. Game plans were adjusted for the slower conditions, but the good news is that the winds remained calm. PAST CHAMPS MAKING NOISE. Rory McIlroy, the 2014 Open winner, moved into a tie for the lead with Kevin Kisner at 5 under with a birdie at the par-5 14th. McIroy shot an opening 69, and then on Friday birdied the seventh, 10th, 13th and 14th holes (with a bogey at the 12th). Meanwhile, Zach Johnson, the 2015 winner, was 4 under through 12 after shooting a 69 on Thursday. FLEETWOOD OUT FAST. Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who opened with a 72 on Thursday, played the front nine in 3 under, then added two more birdies after the turn. He was 5 under on his round through 14 holes and 4 under for the tournament, just one shot off the lead. Fleetwood was solo second last month at the U.S. Open, shooting a final-round 63, and he owns the course record at Carnoustie, also 63. TIGER BATTLING. With a mid-morning tee time, Tiger Woods set out to improve on his even-par 71 on Thursday. Things didn’t go well early – on his second shot from the rough on the second hole, he hit a spectator. But after two straight bogeys, he bounced back with two straight birdies to remain even par through five holes. Woods has missed the cut in five of his last seven major starts, so the first order of business will be to get to the weekend. (Click here for our Tiger Woods blog in Round 2.) And yes, he’s still wearing the kinesio tape on the back of his neck that caused such a commotion on Thursday. DAY GETS IT GOING. After a first-round 71, Jason Day moved up the leaderboard with three birdies in his first 10 holes. In seven previous Open starts, Day has just one top-10 finish – a T-4 in 2015. WILL KISNER MAINTAIN? First-round leader Kevin Kisner has a 12:53 p.m. tee time (that’s 7:53 a.m. ET). It’s the second time in four majors that he’s been atop the leaderboard after the opening round. At the 2017 PGA Championship, he was the co-leader with Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen after 18 holes and maintained that position through the next two rounds, taking the solo lead by a single stroke entering the final round before finishing T-7. He took only positives from his performance at Quail Hollow. “I love myself under the gun and down the stretch,� Kisner said. CHASING THE CUT. The top 70s and ties make the cut following the second round. Patrick Reed will tee off this afternoon locally (10:21 a.m. ET) below the cutline after shooting a 4-over 75 on Thursday. Reed has missed the cut in two of his previous four Open starts, including last year at Royal Birkdale. Since then, his major results include: T-2 at PGA, win at Masters, solo fourth at U.S. Open. NO. 1 IN TROUBLE. After opening with a 5-over 76, Dustin Johnson started the day outside the cutline, and was drifting farther away. He was 1 over through 12 holes, leaving him at 6 over at that point. Johnson had made the cut in his last eight Open starts after missing the cut in his Open debut in 2009. EARLY/LATE ADVANTAGE. The rain was forecast to subside late in the day, and winds were expected to remain relatively calm, so those players in the afternoon could have ideal scoring conditions. They already had the better side of the draw with early first-round tee times – 11 rounds under par were shot by the first 12 groups Thursday compared to none in the last 12 groups.

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