DraftKings preview: Hero World Challenge

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Three paces. That’s all you get on the right of the flag on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass on the iconic 17th island hole. Any more than three and your ball faces a watery grave. The traditional back right pin placement has been a staple for years at THE PLAYERS Championship — so much so that when the man who sets up the course took the job, he was told it was non-negotiable. It is part of the three-hole gauntlet that allows a player to come home with a serious flourish should they step up and execute under the final-round pressure. But don’t be off … because if you are, your chances at becoming PLAYERS champion could drown in Pete Dye’s lakes. For the seventh year in a row, Sunday’s pin placements on the final three holes at TPC Sawgrass will be in their traditional “risk-rewardâ€� spots. On the par-5 16th, this means the front right quadrant, 17 paces from the front and four paces from the right edge that’s guarded by water. The par-3 17th is 14 paces from the front and three from the right. The par-4 closing 18th is just eight paces on and four from the left — where once again water sits. The similarities among the pin positions are a very deliberate ploy from officials. No matter what the scenario on the leaderboard … this thing ain’t over till it’s over. “You can stand on the 16th tee three or four shots behind and still have a chance to win the golf tournament,â€� says PGA TOUR rules official Robby Ware. In the early hours before Saturday’s final round, Ware and Vice President of Rules and Competition Mark Russell are marking Sunday’s pins with a white dot and hitting a few putts towards each location to ensure everything looks in order. It is routine for officials to not only set the hole for the current round, but to also mark where the next round intends to be. This is why you often see caddies stalking out areas of greens their player isn’t actually putting towards. Ware was a big part of 18’s traditional Sunday placement being moved away from what used to be a much more difficult back left. “The one thing I was told when I took over set-up was that it was non-negotiable that the hole was going to be back right on 17 on Sunday and it was going to be back left on 18,â€� recalls Ware, who is now in his 12th year in in his current position. “But when we did a greens reconstruction, I talked them in to levelling out the front left area at 18 because I thought that would be a more exciting hole placement than the back left. The back left is so hard to make birdies. Guys hit it in the middle of the green or they hit it long and they make par. “I wanted to design that part of the green so the balls would actually funnel down towards the hole where a guy could make a birdie and win the golf tournament.â€� Ware says the idea for the last three holes is quite simply to create volatility and excitement. This Saturday morning, despite the fact the first group won’t come through the stretch for three hours yet, fans already have claimed their patch of grass in the amphitheater. On Sunday, they come in even earlier. “The theme of these locations is excitement for sure,â€� Ware adds. “Where great shots are rewarded and if you hit poor shots, you can make a big number. Let’s face it – it’s why all these people want to be around here.â€� Creating excitement is exactly what Rickie Fowler was able to do on Sunday in 2015. Sitting well back coming down the stretch, Fowler finished eagle-birdie-birdie. It pushed him into a three-hole aggregate playoff – which is, of course, played on the final three holes – with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner. It took four playoff holes, but Fowler prevailed. He ended making birdie three times in one day on the 17th as he took dead aim. Asked about the Sunday pins, Fowler smiles. “They’re great locations. They’ve been fun for me,â€� he says. “A lot can happen. It can go either way. Someone can make a three on 16 as easy as they can make six. There is a lot of risk-reward involved. And that’s great. “You can chase the leader and if you have a two-shot lead going into the last three holes, you know it is not safe as guys can put low numbers up.â€� So what exactly is the play on each hole to get the most reward for your risk? The 16th pin “On the 16th you can aim at the middle of the green on your approach and it can feed to the hole, so really it puts the pressure on the tee shot,â€� Marc Leishman explains. “You need to find the fairway.â€� But even doing that doesn’t bring immediate ease. If you are on the right side of the fairway or even towards the middle of it, the long approach shot carries a significant amount of water. The landing area to find the funnel towards the hole is quite generous, perhaps 20 feet or more left of the pin, but that’s easier said than done with a tournament on the line. “You just have to man up and hit a good shot to get the reward,â€� 2004 PLAYERS champion Adam Scott says. “The pin sits in the bowl but it is also close to the water so there is reward there if you are in the vicinity of the pin,â€� adds 2012 PLAYERS champ Matt Kuchar, “but if you bail out and steer clear of water it can be a tricky chip — even though you have some green to work with.â€� The 17th pin If you think pressure is applied on 16, well, 17 takes it up a notch. Sure, it’s just a short par 3. Sure, it’s a wedge most times. And sure, there is a little more than 20 yards to the left of the pin to play with on Sunday’s pin at 17. But if you need a birdie, anything more than four paces left of the flag means you won’t catch the slope that sends the ball towards the hole. And if you’re taking dead aim … your depth target sits within 10 paces because the island is not a perfect circle. If you’re short, you might get lucky and find the tiny bunker. If not, you’re likely wet. “It just depends on the wind. If it is not very windy, it is a 145-yard shot. Theoretically it is not very hard. But when you get a chance to win the tournament or you get some wind off the right, it’s a pretty tough shot,â€� 2017 FedExCup champion Justin Thomas says. “The thing is, though, if you don’t get it down on that slope, it’s a quick putt. If you are stuck down the front of the green or anywhere above the slope, it’s tough, speed-wise.â€� One man who knows the agony and ecstasy of Sunday’s 17th pin is 2008 champion Sergio Garcia. It was pivotal in his win over Paul Goydos, but in 2013 as he chased down Tiger Woods, Garcia came up short twice going for the glory. “It’s not a long club but you are not going right of the hole — you are trying to hit left,â€� Garcia explains. “You need to control your distance. You have about four yards to catch the slope. It’s not a massive target but it’s a short club. The last few holes of a tournament certainly adds pressure to it though.â€� For Jason Day, the 2016 champion, the key is mental discipline. “It’s got more risk than reward,â€� Days says about the final-round pin location. “But you stand up there with a wedge in your hand and you feel like you can hit it close.â€� “You have to remember there is an intimidation factor. To the right you are souping it, if you are short, you have a tough putt. The smart play is to be left and on the top shelf and hope you can make a putt.â€� The 18th pin As for the closing hole … once again the tee shot can be critical as water protects the entire left side. If you bail too far right, you have rough and trees to contend with. An approach roughly 20 feet right of the pin will still catch the slope and feed the ball in close, so there’s no need to be super-aggressive. But if you miss the mark to the left, you’re wet. Short leaves a tricky pitch off a tight lie. Long or too far right and you have to judge the downhill speed to perfection. “They provide a lot of fireworks in the last three holes and that’s what you want when you’re playing a tournament of this caliber,â€� Garcia adds. “They’re perfect. It is supposed to provide theatre,â€� adds Day. “It means you come down the stretch still confident you can make a big move. You’re not dead yet. Or if in front, you’re not totally safe yet. It has you thinking.â€� Ware hopes the locations will stay for years to come. “What Rickie did – that’s what you set it up for. That was so great to see,â€� he says. “Obviously the players hit the shots, but you set up the hole locations knowing if a guy hits a great shot, he is going to be rewarded for it. “We think we’ve ensured that.â€� They certainly have. So sit back, relax and get ready for the annual fireworks.

Click here to read the full article…

The PGA TOUR visits the birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll this week for the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Memphis is known for blues, barbecue and one of the toughest tracks on TOUR. TPC Southwind always provides a stern test for the game’s best. Daniel Berger is going for the three-peat this week in Memphis. The two-time defending champion will star in PGA TOUR LIVE’s Featured Groups coverage along with names like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. The Thursday and Friday broadcasts will begin at 8 a.m. Eastern. Featured Holes coverage of the par-3 14th and par-5 16th will run from 4 p.m. until the broadcast’s conclusion at 7 p.m. Eastern. PGA TOUR LIVE also can be viewed on Twitter from 8 a.m. to approximately 9:15 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. Here’s a closer look at this week’s Featured Groups. (Note: FedExCup ranking in parentheses.) THURSDAY Henrik Stenson (44), Brooks Koepka (47), William McGirt (109): Stenson, a former FedExCup champion, is playing alongside the defending U.S. Open champ. Koepka has impressed in his return from a wrist injury, tying the course record at TPC Sawgrass (63) en route to a T11 at THE PLAYERS before shooting a final-round 63 to finish second at the Fort Worth Invitational. McGirt, a former winner of the Memorial, rounds out the group. Tee times: 8:40 a.m. Eastern off No. 10 on Thursday; 1:40 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 on Friday. Phil Mickelson (5), Tony Finau (12), Luke List (17): This group features three of the top 20 players in the FedExCup standings. Mickelson has a great track record at TPC Southwind – five consecutive finishes of 11th or better – as he continues his pursuit of his first FedExCup. Finau is making his debut in this event, while List finished T18 last year. List played his college golf in Tennessee, at Vanderbilt. He was an All-American and runner-up to Ryan Moore in the 2004 U.S. Amateur. Tee times: 8:50 a.m. Eastern off No. 10 on Thursday; 1:50 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 on Friday. FRIDAY Scott Piercy (33), Charles Howell III (36), Billy Horschel (38): Piercy and Horschel teamed to win this year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They’ll play alongside Charles Howell III in a group that features three players on the cusp of cracking the top 30 in the FedExCup standings. Horschel is looking to get to East Lake for the first time since winning the FedExCup in 2014. Piercy played the TOUR Championship in 2012 and 2015. Howell is among the select group who has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in every season since their inception, but he hasn’t qualified for the TOUR Championship since 2011. Tee times: 1:40 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 on Thursday; 8:40 a.m. Eastern off No. 10 on Friday. Dustin Johnson (8), Austin Cook (29), Daniel Berger (86): Two former FedEx St. Jude champions are playing with a local who got his career started at TPC Southwind and is now a TOUR winner. Johnson won here in 2012. Berger has won the past two FedEx St. Jude Classics. He’s trying to become the first person since Leonard Gallett (1929, 1931, 1933 Wisconsin PGA) to win his first three titles at the same event. Cook is from Jonesboro, Arkansas, about an hour from Memphis. Cook made his PGA TOUR debut here in 2014 after Monday qualifying. He finished T14. Austin’s grandfather, John, played with Jack Nicklaus in the final round of the 1965 Memphis Open. Nicklaus shot 65 to win. Tee times: 1:50 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 on Thursday; 8:50 a.m. Eastern off No. 10 on Friday.

Click here to read the full article…

CROMWELL, Conn. – Forever a piece of history, it is yellowed and frail, this picture of him that ran on page 25 of the Chino Champion in August of 2006. Sahith Theegala of Chino Hills had brought Presidio Hills to its knees, a closing 51 giving him a two-stroke win. He was a Junior World champion for the second time – and he was only 8. A local hero, so the community paper understandably trumpeted Theegala’s feat with the headline, “Another Tiger.” Pure hyperbole, of course, given that the real Tiger, the esteemed Eldrick Woods who had grown up 40 miles away, in Cypress, was winning The Open Championship and PGA Championship, major titles 11 and 12, in that Summer of ’06. But, hey, the local kid made it three Junior World titles in 2008 so maybe the Chino Champion was on to something. Theegala smiles at the sweet nostalgia. But, alas, “it looks like I peaked (too early),” he laughs. On the contrary, young man, if it’s possible to get a photo of you holding both the Fred Haskins and Ben Hogan awards it would provide proof that you are respectfully humble. Fact is, Sahith Theegala might just be reaching his potential at just the right time for him and the right time for the game. Kids, after all, are earning accolades in impressive speed and as the son of immigrants from India, Theegala provides more flavor to the growing multi-cultural landscape that is the PGA TOUR. It seemingly is a rite of early summer, this stop at TPC River Highlands for the annual Travelers Championship. What is different, of course, is the nature of the PGA TOUR in this pandemic – no spectators on site, but jam-packed leaderboards with top-of-the-world talents putting up a sea of red numbers. But what remains refreshingly brilliant about this tournament is the wide-eyed kids who get sponsor exemptions to give a boost to their new-found pro golf career. Theegala, 22, is this year’s star attraction, fresh off having become just the fifth player in the last 30 years to win both the Haskins and Hogan trophies as the nation’s top collegian. Bittersweet, in some respects, as the pandemic brought a screeching halt to the collegiate season in March and Theegala never got a chance to try and help Pepperdine’s chances in the NCAA Tournament. But life moves quickly and so Theegala had little time to wallow in disappointment. There were decisions to be made and the one he chose – to turn professional and turn down the NCAA’s offer to play his senior year over again in 2020-21 – is one he is at peace with. “I know others chose to go back (to college) and I respect that. For them, it was the right decision. I know Q Schools (for the Korn Ferry Tour) have been canceled, and (that is a big deal). But for me, I’ve already spent five years in college,” said Theegala, who redshirted the 2018-19 season because of a wrist injury. “I had that extra year to mature and develop, to get a new perspective on life. I feel I’m ready.” About to raise a cup of skepticism, are you? Be careful, because in serenity and warmth during a late-Tuesday practice round, Theegala walked side-by-side with a boyhood friend, a kid from La Canada Flintridge, only 40 miles from Chino Hills. Collin Morikawa would be right to knock that cup of skepticism out of your hands – only he’s far too well-mannered. Likely, though, Morikawa would offer you a reminder of what transpired at last year’s Travelers when he was making just his third PGA TOUR start as a pro, the same week that Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland were making their pro debuts. For the record, Mr. Skeptic, all three of those young men have since won on the PGA TOUR and Morikawa might never miss a cut. “It is so cool to see the journey they are on,” said Theegala, who played in far too many junior tournaments with Morikawa to count. He also crossed paths with Wolff, as all three of them grew up on Southern California munis. “But there is no one who knows those guys who would tell you they’re surprised at what they’ve already done. They are really good, and they prove that the level between the top collegians and the pro game isn’t that big a gap.” Theegala’s mission is to close that gap even more. But he surely appreciates that he’s taking on the challenge in crazy times. “I hope to play in a few (PGA TOUR) tournaments,” said Theegala, who has a spot this week and next week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, with some others in the pipeline. “If not, I know some minitours have stepped up and I’ll play in some Monday qualifiers. I’ll just play as much as I can.” Doubt him at your peril, for Theegala has already presented enough testimony to justify his plunge into the pro golf business. Ten years after that “Another Tiger” photo in the Chino Champion, Theegala as an 18-year-old pushed aside a trio of stellar youngsters in the U.S. Amateur – Justin Suh, Sam Burns, Joaquin Niemann – before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual winner Curtis Luck. Guess he hadn’t peaked before his 10th birthday, because six months after that performance at Oakland Hills, Theegala earned a sliver of the spotlight at one of his favorite layouts, Riviera Country Club, in the Genesis Invitational. Having gotten into by winning a qualifier for collegians, Theegala shot a first-round 67 to sit inside the top 10, made the cut and played 36 weekend holes next to Phil Mickelson. “I had so many family and friends, being just 20 minutes from Pepperdine,” said Theegala. “And two holes in, Phil was treating me like he’s known me for years. It was so great.” Mickelson edged Theegala, 71-69 to 71-71, on the weekend, but it was the best finish (T-49) for an amateur in the Genesis since Mike Springer in 1988. If you put stock in a kid who appears to be constantly moving forward, then Theegala deserves your attention. He got through a qualifier for the 2017 U.S. Open and his collegiate career (46 tournaments, three wins, 19 top 10s) shows steady improvement in scoring average until posting the nation’s best scoring average (69.04) in his final season. If there is a downside to this week’s tournament, it’s that his parents, Karuna and Muralidhar, can’t be in attendance to watch because of the pandemic. “They’re so supportive to me and that’s why I am at peace with this decision, because I have great people behind me,” said Theegala, who does have one familiar face to lean on at the Travelers – his caddie, Pepperdine coach Mike Beard. “He has always believed in me. I wasn’t a great recruit, but coach believed in me. Even when I was struggling in high school, he supported me,” said Theegala. “He knows my game.” It’s one that appears ready to make the leap into the pro game.

Click here to read the full article…