Watson doubts PGA Tour-LIV deal happens soon

PGATOUR.COM fantasy columnist Rob Bolton lists his five against-the-grain selections for this week’s event at the Old White TPC. Scott Brown … Back in action after a three-week break that supplanted seven straight weeks of competition. He hit that road trip running with a playoff loss teaming with Kevin Kisner in New Orleans. Brown doesn’t fit a specific profile other than he’s simply proven to be dangerous often enough to warrant attention. This isn’t to say that he slips into slumps; rather, he sustains a comfortable level before spiking without notice. Labeling him as a proven flier wouldn’t be wrong. When he finished T2 at Riviera in February, he led the field in strokes gained: putting, and when he placed T12 at Colonial in late May, he ranked T3 in greens hit, first in proximity and second in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Simply a pro’s pro. Robert Garrigus … If last week’s performance is the warm-up act, then this week’s appearance could be the main event. Mired in a slump for months (0-for-7 upon arrival at the Quicken Loans National) and constantly battling demons on the greens, the 39-year-old recorded a season-best split in strokes gained: putting at 6.200, best in the field at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. He also set the pace with a birdies-or-better percentage of 40.0, his second-highest clip of 2016-17. He knows what he needs to do now: hit more greens in regulation, which is his strength, anyway. Currently 33rd on TOUR in GIR. Grayson Murray … The baseline goal for any rookie is to retain his card. With an entire season that’s nothing but a learning curve both inside and outside the ropes, the mere accomplishment of keeping one’s job is a mammoth achievement. After making quick work of one year on the Web.com Tour and pacing the Finals in earnings to earn exempt status from the reshuffle category this season, the 23-year-old took some time to find his footing on the PGA TOUR despite a pair of early top 15s. However, he struts into The Greenbrier Classic having survived 10 consecutive cuts and positioned 113th in the FedExCup standings. He ranks 46th in birdie-or-better percentage, but more impressive is his improvement from 4-8 feet. During his streak, he’s up nearly six percentage points and slots a season-best T44 in the stat. Tyrone Van Aswegen … No golfer puts four rounds together regularly, but the absence of it entirely is the ironic constant among rank-and-filers. When expectations need to remain high to sustain a livelihood at this level, any spark can be monumental, not to mention lucrative. The 35-year-old from South Africa has only three top 10s in 101 PGA TOUR starts, but he’s figured out how to remain a fixture on the circuit since 2014. Currently 117th in the FedExCup standings, he’s coming off a T26 at the Quicken Loans National where he ranked second in strokes gained: approach-the-green and T10 in converting his chances into par breakers. It was his best result in individual competition in five months. Chris Stroud … You have to hand it to him. He’s a man of conviction. Rather than attempt to moonlight on the Web.com Tour, he’s toiled away on the PGA TOUR with conditional status this season. This is just his 14th start but he’s 158th in the FedExCup standings and a lock to secure a berth in the Web.com Tour Finals at worst. With that as a safety net (and notch above Veteran Membership that he secured last season), the Texan can take aim at The Old White TPC where he’s recorded two top 10s in five trips. Yes, the rebuild is new to all, but comfort can transcend. Statistically uninspiring until you zero in on the fact that half of his six cuts made this season yielded a top 15.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Rarely has a tie for 11th place provided such riveting theater. Showing flashes of the man who won THE PLAYERS Championship in 2001 and 2013, Tiger Woods made six birdies in his first 13 holes to get within four shots of front-runner Webb Simpson at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday. Alas, Woods went 3-over the rest of the way for a final-round 69 (T11) that he said was another giant leap forward in his continuing comeback. “I hit it so good,â€� Woods said. “It was nice. I had control of it from tee to green; I made some putts; I felt good on basically every facet of the game, and it’s weird; not to really mishit a shot today and only shoot 3-under par is just weird, because I played much better than that.â€� Woods went out in 32 and got to 14-under with his birdie at the 12th hole. He was in second, breathing down the neck of the leader Simpson. Could it be? In retrospect, there were several problems with this comeback scenario. Woods was too far back to start the day (11 shots), he was playing with Jordan Spieth (74, T41) and not Simpson, and he would have needed to make zero mistakes the entire day. That didn’t happen. Still, he was hugely encouraged after scores of 72-71-65-69. “It was just a matter of time,â€� Woods said, “and this weekend was it.â€� In retrospect, Woods would have needed to go 4-under for his last six holes to tie Simpson (73). Instead, Woods went the other way, dropping three strokes coming in. He spun his approach shot off the front of the 14th green and bogeyed the hole, which has vexed him for years. After a par at 15, he failed to birdie the par-5 16th hole, one of the easiest on the course. Woods finished with a double-bogey 5 at the 17th, where he misjudged the wind and hit his tee shot short in the water, and made par at the last. He hit 11 of 14 fairways for the second straight day, was 12 for 18 in greens in regulation, and took 27 putts. He ended the week T19 in strokes gained: putting, and was 14th in strokes gained: around-the-green. “He looks like the old Tiger,â€� said Tom Lehman, who was on hand for this PLAYERS and who played against Woods when the 79-time PGA TOUR winner was in his prime. Woods had finished second at the Valspar Championship earlier this season, but still considered his T11 performance at TPC Sawgrass a massive step in the right direction. “There’s no way I would have predicted I would be at this point the beginning of the year,â€� he said. “The way I was just coming back and just trying to get a feel for it and then hopefully have a schedule. Didn’t know. But now I feel like I’ve got my playing feels and I’m playing tournament golf and I’ve got it — I’m not that far off from winning golf tournaments.â€� As for where he goes from here, Woods said he’s aiming to try to qualify for the next World Golf Championships tournament, the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone South, Aug. 2-5. “This summer is — there are some big events to be played,â€� he said, “and one of my goals is to get into Akron, one last time, before we leave there. I’ve won there eight times and I would like to get there with one more chance. But I got to do some work between now and then, hopefully put together one good event.â€�

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Stephen Gallacher, Mackenzie Hughes and children from the Stephen Gallacher Foundation have all been supporting the DP World Tour’s Green Drive at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open, taking part in a beach clean as part of the OCEANTEE Sustainability Series. The stunning 13th is the signature hole at The Renaissance Club and Gallacher and company headed down to the adjacent beach to help the Marine Conservation Society conduct an analysis of the shoreline waste. The data collated from the beach clean will be added to a national database that helps the charity understand ocean pollution. The Marine Conservation Society also carried out an education session for the children before heading to the beach for the first of five sustainability activations that OCEANTEE will deliver at DP World Tour tournaments in the coming year to educate fans on important sustainability topics. The beach by the 13th is a beautiful place but home favourite Gallacher was surprised to find how much mess there was when you get up close. “It looked a perfectly normal clean beach but when you get down to it and you see all the plastic and towels and bags and stuff, it’s great to get it picked up and make it as clean as we can,” he said. “I’ve seen sustainability become more prominent at the Scottish Open. Now we’re seeing electric cars coming in, as Genesis are bringing in electric cars as courtesy cars. “I think you’ve just got to do it slowly and chip away and get the word out there that we’re doing our best and we’re going to keep doing that for the future.” Canadian Hughes has already been impressed by golf’s efforts in sustainability and emphasised the importance of the work both for today and the future. “We have one planet earth, taking care of the ecosystem and the environment is really important for not only us currently but our kids to come,” he said. “I played The Open Championship last year and saw their commitment to reducing plastic waste… the amount of plastic we could use on a weekly basis out here is significant with this many players and staff, so it’s a small change but it’s got a huge impact.” OCEANTEE last month became the DP World Tour’s Official Sustainable Products Supplier and Founder Ed Sandison was delighted to see the partnership raising awareness of how we need to look after our oceans. “This has been a fantastic day,” he said. “Collecting data, like the children and players have today, is an essential part of the work that the Marine Conservation Society carries out. “We all need to understand the impact that our lives have on the ocean and I am delighted that through our partnership with the DP World Tour we are able to raise awareness of the important work this amazing charity does around the country.” To view the details outlined in the Marine Conservation Society’s education session, please click here. This story originally appeared here and was provided courtesy of the DP World Tour.

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