2017 Presidents Cup, Day 3, Leaderboard, tee times, TV schedule

When Dylan Frittelli heard the news, he was more than a little impressed. John Deere, the company that sponsors the PGA TOUR event he won last year, had switched gears – quite literally — and started making face shields to protect healthcare workers along with all those iconic green tractors and all that heavy machinery at its flagship factory in Moline, Illinois. So far, John Deere has manufactured more than 200,000 of the shields and plans to double that number in the coming weeks. The first orders went to healthcare workers in areas where Deere employees live, but deliveries have now been made to more than a dozen states and Canadian provinces. “I think it’s awesome,â€� Frittelli says. “And technology-wise, I’m very interested. It’s cool — how did they figure out that they could do it and then cool in the sense that they’re obviously trying to help the cause and protect people and do what they can to speed up the containment and elimination of the virus.â€� Frittelli was in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, at THE PLAYERS Championship when the sports world abruptly shut down after an NBA player tested positive for the coronavirus. First, the TOUR announced its signature event would go on without spectators. Less than 12 hours later, it was canceled. Subsequent announcements, including the postponement of the first three major championships and the cancellation of the Open Championship, meant no tournaments until at least June 11 with the scheduled Charles Schwab Challenge. The first four events will be played without fans. The fifth is the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run, where Frittelli came from two strokes off the pace on Sunday and ended up winning by three after closing with a 64. The tournament is slated for its original July 9-12 dates and could be the first to host spectators, although health and safety issues will be evaluated before a final decision is made. Frittelli says this is the longest break from golf that he’s had since graduating from Texas in 2012 with a degree in geography. While mindful of the reason behind it, the well-traveled South African has made the most of the time he’s had at home. “I’ve enjoyed it to be honest,â€� says Frittelli, currently 50th in the FedExCup standings. “The beginning was a little tough, but after the first week my trainer was back in town and he’d built a gym in his garage. It made it way easier for me to relax and chill because I was actually burning calories and getting stronger in the gym and I had something to do for an hour to two hours a day. That helped a lot.â€� The 29-year-old didn’t start playing golf again until late April. He wanted the work he’d done in the weight room to settle in before working too much on the practice range. “And also, you swing a golf club, it does mess up your back and your neck and you do get out of alignment often,â€� Frittelli explains. “So, I just thought, hey, I’d rather be way more symmetrical and feel more consistent when I stay away from the golf. “So, I’ll balance a bit of that heavy lifting, do some recovery and be ready.â€� Frittelli also took time to decompress. He did some projects around the house, cleaning out closets and drawers and the garage, as well as adding some lights outside. Nothing particularly major — “just made sure the space I was in was a nice, happy, comfortable place,â€� he says. Always searching for that “edge and new techniquesâ€� that can help him with training and on the golf course, Frittelli read several performance-based books. But at the same time, he finished “Where The Crawdads Sing,â€� the best-selling novel by Delia Owens. And of course, there’s been some binge-watching. He knocked out “Tiger Kingâ€� on Netflix in a day and has also watched “WE ARE LAFC,â€� the 10-part all-access documentary series about the inaugural season of the Los Angeles Football Club. And a little “Brooklyn 99â€� for comic relief. “(The LAFC series) was really interesting,â€� he says. “Kind of a bit of research for me because the new Austin team is starting next season. They’ve already built most of the stadium now.â€� While restaurants were open for takeout and delivery in Austin, Frittelli has done most of the cooking for himself. He wants to eat healthy to make sure that the work he’s put in with his trainer to get bigger and stronger doesn’t go by the wayside. An air fryer is a key component of that process. Salmon and chicken are his go-to proteins while he gets his vegetables in salads and carbs from sweet potatoes, potatoes or rice. “Then tons of supplements, protein shakes and all kinds of added in things just to try and build some mass,â€� he says. Now that he’s back playing and practicing, Frittelli can often be found at UT Golf Club. His roommate, Toni Hakula, who was two years behind Frittelli at Texas, plays PGA TOUR LatinoAmerica, and they frequently play with another former Longhorn, Tayler Termeer, who now plays the mini-tours. Austin is home to a lot of other TOUR pros like Andrew Landry, Nick Watney and Sergio Garcia, though. PGA TOUR Champions is also well-represented with Mark Brooks, Omar Uresti, Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw and Bob Estes also in the neighborhood. So, when the urge for competition strikes, there are lots of options. “That’ll be my main focus, just chatting to a few guys on TOUR that are here in town and just getting some money games, playing with them leading into that first event,â€� he says.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…

Believe in the process. Ohio State alum Ryan Armour has maintained that mantra over the past few years of a professional golf career that have seen him rise from the mini-tour grind, to the Web.com Tour, to the PGA TOUR – back down to the Web.com Tour, then back up to the PGA TOUR. ‘The process’ can be perceived as a generality, used by sports teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Buffalo Bills in reference to a rebuilding strategy that takes a holistic, long-term approach. But when broken down to its nuts and bolts, ‘the process’ means an unwavering commitment to a defined strategy, meant to increase performance over time. ‘The process’ means discipline backed by motivation. ‘The process’ came together for Armour in a big way at the Sanderson Farms Championship, where the 41-year-old won by five strokes over Chesson Hadley to secure his first PGA TOUR title. For a player who had earned just two prior top-5 PGA TOUR finishes in the first 18 years of his professional career, it meant validation of consistently staying true to ‘the process,’ regardless of the result at the time. It also means job security, in the form of a TOUR exemption through the 2019-20 season. When interviewed Sunday afternoon on the 18th green at the Country Club of Jackson, it was apparent that ‘the process’ had paid off. “I’m tearing up,â€� said Armour when asked to describe the emotion of the moment. “I’m not gonna lie. There were some lean times. Thought about quitting, but my wife wouldn’t let me. “It goes back to, ‘Have faith in what you do.’ If you believe in something, go do it. Work hard at it, and have fun doing it.â€� So what exactly is ‘the process’ for Armour? The Ohio native doesn’t like to reveal the specifics, but it consists of a defined on- and off-course plan that involves eating right, sleeping right, exercising right, and working on the correct things in his game at the right times. Armour and his New York area-based instructor, Jason Carbone, devised a five-year plan earlier this summer, and Armour admitted after his win in Mississippi that it came together ‘a bit quicker’ than he might have expected. Prior to the 2016-17 PGA TOUR Regular Season-ending Wyndham Championship, Armour made a list of goals for the week, both on and off the course, outlining ‘the process’ he intended to maintain for the week. The 1993 U.S. Junior runner-up (to Tiger Woods) finished fourth that week, his best showing of the season. Although it wasn’t quite enough to maintain his TOUR status, the finish gave him momentum that carried into the Web.com Tour Finals, where he placed second at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship to secure his TOUR return. Throughout the week at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet course, in front of avid fans and friends from his collegiate days, Armour again stuck to a defined plan that served him well – and set him up for a career-defining week at the CC of Jackson. “I won’t tell you what’s on it, but I did it,â€� when asked in Columbus if he again made a list of process goals. “Very similar what was on the list (at the Wyndham Championship). A little less focus on golf, and more on exercise and eating.â€� One might be inclined to ask, if the process is so effective, why does it take sometimes take so long for results to kick in? Simply put, life gets in the way. The life of a professional golfer means balancing family, practice, competition and travel, as well as the world’s various trials and tribulations. Armour is married with two young sons, and it isn’t always the easiest to stick to ‘the process’ 24/7/365, in a profession that requires being on the road for more than half the year. But powered by the unwavering support of his wife Erin – who has made healthy living a family focal point, and who is running this weekend’s New York City Marathon – and sons Patrick and Nicholas, Armour has propelled his game to new heights as he enters his 40s. “I think that’s when you forget it,â€� said Armour in Columbus, when asked how to stick to the process in times of struggle. “You forget to believe, ‘Hey, you’re working on the right stuff; you’re exercising correctly. You’re eating healthy. You’re getting the right amount of sleep.’ “It’s all a process, as I get into my 40s, that I have to watch. If I believe in it and stick to it, I mean, it’s shown it’s successful. “We’re running around the country, and I’ve got two little ones at home that I love playing outside all day with, and you sometimes neglect to take care of yourself first. That’s just the way it is.â€� If I believe in it and stick to it, I mean, it’s shown it’s successful. Armour turned pro in 1999, and it took him until 2004 to earn full Web.com Tour status. He played eight full Web.com Tour seasons, with three PGA TOUR seasons mixed in, before breaking through for his first Web.com Tour title at the 2016 Panama Claro Championship, which propelled him to TOUR status for the 2016-17 season. Although he had needed to regain his TOUR status for 2017-18 via the Web.com Tour Finals, Armour arrived at the Sanderson Farms Championship knowing he was playing some of the best golf of his life, as evidenced by his recent top-5 finishes at the Wyndham Championship and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. It all coalesced over four magical days in Mississippi, where he became the oldest competitor to win on TOUR since Rod Pampling at the 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The win in Jackson propelled Armour to No. 9 in the FedExCup standings while earning him spots in the 2018 Sentry Tournament of Champions, THE PLAYERS Championship and the PGA Championship. These are heady times for Armour, as he strives to emerge into a consistent contender on TOUR over the next few seasons. And if he sticks to the process, the sky’s the limit. “It just proves that if you keep grinding and keep working, believing in the process … the process will get you there,â€� said Armour after his 2016 win in Panama. “I don’t think you can do what we do and not believe in yourself.â€� There may be debate between Bills and 76ers fans regarding ownership of the ‘process’ mantra. But Armour deserves a place in the conversation, as well. –Royce Thompson contributed reporting.

Click here to read the full article…