2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Round 4: Leaderboard, tee times, TV schedule

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The stage at St. Andrews was all set for Rory McIlroy. The show belonged to Cameron Smith, and so did that silver Claret Jug he won in a Sunday stunner at The Open Championship with the best closing round the Old Course had ever seen. RELATED: What’s in his bag? Smith was four shots behind at the start as a record crowd was eager to see McIlroy cap off a week of celebrations at the 150th Open in style. He was three behind when he made the turn. And then the plucky Australian with his magical putter ran off five straight birdies to take the lead, stared down a nervy putt around the edge of the nefarious Road Hole bunker to save par and finished with two putts from 80 feet for birdie for an 8-under 64. “To win an Open Championship in itself is probably going to be a golfer’s highlight in their career,” Smith said. “To do it around St. Andrews I think is just unbelievable.” So was his golf. In the 29 previous times golf’s oldest championship was held at St. Andrews, no winner had ever closed with a 64. Smith finished at 20-under 268, a record score for the Old Course and matching the lowest score to par in any major. “I got beaten by the better player this week. To go out and shoot 64 to win the Open Championship at St. Andrews is a hell of a showing. Hats off to Cam,” McIlroy said. McIlroy hit every green in regulation and two-putted all of them — two were birdies, the rest were pars — for a 70 that left him in third place and having to wait nearly nine months before he can try to end his drought in the majors that now is at eight full years. Smith won by one shot over Cameron Young, who holed a 15-foot eagle putt on the final hole to ever-so-briefly tie for the lead. It wasn’t enough, and neither was anything McIlroy could muster. McIlroy couldn’t make a putt early. He couldn’t hit it close enough late. His last good chance was a 15-foot birdie attempt on the dangerous Road Hole at No. 17, and it narrowly missed to the left. McIlroy needed eagle to tie him, and his chip through the Valley of Sin had no chance. Smith won for the third time this year, all on entirely different courses — the generous fairways of Kapalua, the visual intimidation of water on the TPC Sawgrass and the oldest links in the world with its double greens and pot bunkers. He beat the No. 1 player in the world (Jon Rahm) at Kapalua. He beat the best field in golf at THE PLAYERS Championship. And he had to overcome a four-shot deficit against a heavy crowd favorite to capture his first major. Even with the silver Claret Jug in his hands, it was hard to believe. “All the names on there, every player that’s been at the top of their game has won this championship,” Smith said. “It’s pretty cool to be on there. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t think it will for a few weeks. Yeah, it’s just unreal.” Smith is the first Australian to win at St. Andrews since Kel Nagle in 1960, when he topped a rising American star named Arnold Palmer, the people’s choice. That’s what McIlroy is now. He moved into the void left when Tiger Woods missed the cut in what might be his final Open at St. Andrews. He had support that carried him to the cusp of winning at the home of golf. “The Holy Grail,” McIlroy had called it earlier in the week. All day there was an energy along the humps and hollows of the Old Course, all of them waiting to celebrate McIlroy as an Open champion at St. Andrews. He gave them little to cheer. “The putter went cold on me,” McIlroy said. “When both Camerons — especially Smith — went on that run on the back nine, I had to dig deep to make birdies. And I just couldn’t.” That left Smith, the 28-year-old Aussie known for his grit and his putting stroke, on the 18th green to be introduced as the “champion golfer of the year.” McIlroy was playing controlled golf, his only birdie a two-putt from 18 feet on the par-5 fifth. Viktor Hovland, who started the final round tied with McIlroy, was never a factor. He didn’t make his first birdie until the 12th hole and closed with a 74. That run by Smith on the back nine is now part of Open lore. He hit a nifty pitch to 5 feet for birdie on the short 10th. He was bold to a back pin on the par-3 11th and holed a 15-foot birdie, and he birdied the next two holes from about that length. His fifth in a row was a putt from 90 feet on the par-5 14th, over a huge mound and down the slope to tap-in range that gave him the lead for the first time. McIlroy couldn’t catch up. His lag putting was terrific. That wasn’t what he needed. And he got no help from Smith, whose one missed shot set up his biggest challenge. The Road Hole bunker was between him and the flag on the 17th. He used his putter to ride over the right edge of the bunker and onto the green, 10 feet away, and he poured in another putt, this one for par to stay in front. Young had his chances in his Open debut. He left short a 6-foot putt with about a foot of break on the 15th. He came up short with a wedge on the next hole. He drilled his drive and approach to the 17th, only to leave another birdie chance short. He finally delivered, but all that got him was a 65 and the silver medal. In two majors this year, the PGA TOUR rookie missed a playoff by one shot at the PGA Championship and made his best putt too late at St. Andrews. Smith made his last birdie and the engraver went to work on the Claret Jug, a prize first awarded to the 1873 champion at St. Andrews. There’s a lot of history around this gray, old town, and Smith became part of it in a big way.

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CROMWELL, Conn. – Monday qualifier James Driscoll is not taking any chances this week – specifically in protecting himself against the sun. The 40-year-old Boston native, making his first PGA TOUR start in 2-1/1 years, is not only wearing a long-sleeve shirt under his golf polo, he also wears a scarf that wraps around his face and covers his neck, along with a Byron Nelson-style Panama hat. It’s a different look from everybody else in the Travelers Championship field – especially this week as temperatures threatened to break 80 degrees on Friday — but nobody can argue about its effectiveness against the sun’s damaging rays. “Every dermatologist would recommend staying out of the sun as much as possible,â€� said Driscoll, who turned pro in 2001 and is making his 241st start on TOUR. “I just know everyone should protect themselves from the sun as much as possible.â€� To that end, Driscoll – who’s best TOUR finishes are two playoff losses in 2005 and 2009 — is working on launching his own golf clothing line that will specialize in long-sleeve apparel emphasizing sun protection. He expects to receive his first samples soon and would like to launch his line within the next year. “The last thing golf needs is another clothing company,â€� said Driscoll, who currently lives in Jupiter, Florida, and was a full-time Web.com Tour member last season. “But this is a long-sleeved golf shirt for the sun. … “I think the future is that people are going to be wearing a lot more coverage.â€� Asked what he thought of the long-sleeve button-down shirts that Phil Mickelson wore at THE PLAYERS Championship in May, Driscoll replied: “I like that it’s long sleeves and protects you from the sun. But it’s a little too formal for me. Mine’s a little bit more casual.â€� As for this week, Driscoll opened with a 4-under 66 and followed that Friday with a 2-over 72 that leaves him at 2 under, which had him sitting on the cut line when he signed his scorecard. Provided he makes the cut, he can credit a hole-out from the greenside bunker for birdie at the par-3 eighth, which was his next-to-last hole for the day. And as for what kind of reaction his apparel has received from the gallery, Driscoll – who began wearing a Mohawk a couple of years ago – just shrugged. “People think I’m a little weird anyway,â€� he said, “so I don’t think people are too surprised.â€�

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MEXICO CITY – Shubhankar Sharma’s fan experience has been excellent this week. The soft-spoken 21-year-old from India got a sweet up-close look at Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson on the driving range at Club de Golf Chapultepec. They were hitting balls right behind him! Oh, and Sharma has been seeing some really famous players in the hotel gym. “Some of them say hi to me,â€� Sharma said, “which is very nice.â€� The thing is, Sharma isn’t just a fan, and he isn’t just a player. He’s the solo leader. The youngest player in the field, and possibly the most wide-eyed, birdied the last three holes for a second-round 66 and a two-stroke lead at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.    “I’m really happy,â€� he said. “It’s a total dream come true.â€� Xander Schauffele (68), Rafa Cabrera Bello (67) and Sergio Garcia (65) were two strokes back, with defending champion Dustin Johnson (66) looming amid a huge logjam at 7-under, four off the pace of the fast-rising superstar from India. A few months ago, Sharma said, he was watching the PGA TOUR coverage on TV back in India, after midnight. Now he’s the one everyone is watching. “Everything has happened so fast for me,â€� said Sharma, who eagled the 317-yard, par-4 first hole for the second straight day. “In the past four months, my life has totally changed.â€� As usual, Sharma was followed by his father, retired Col. Mohan Sharma, as he toured the hilly, tree-lined Chapultepec course. Mohan wore a pink shirt, but otherwise was a quiet presence in a decidedly quiet gallery. (Sharma played in one of only two twosomes.) Ever since Shubhankar turned pro at 16, his father has been close at his side, and lately the duo, and Sharma’s caddie, Gurbaaz Mann, have seen their lives take a dramatic turn for the better. Sharma won two European Tour-sanctioned events to take pole position in the Race to Dubai, and saw his ranking rise all the way to 75th. Now he’s got his sights set on taking it even higher and getting into the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (top 66 or so) and the Masters (top 50).    “It’s impressive,â€� said Malaysia’s Gavin Kyle Green, Sharma’s playing partner. “He didn’t really miss many shots. It’s a perfect course for him. He hits it straight; doesn’t really move it much. “I really hope for the best for him,â€� added Green, who struggled with scores of 78-73 but kept up a conversation with the leader. “I’ve gotten to know him just playing in Asia and Europe the last couple years. He’s awesome. He’s super-chill. He’s fun to talk to, fun to play with.â€� That’s a common sentiment at Chapultepec; everyone, it seems, has fallen for Sharma. After he sat for a video shoot earlier this week, Sharma thanked the producer for making him feel at ease in his first big interview. On Friday, Sharma was toward the end of his media obligations when he was asked if he’s had any surreal moments this week. “Every day,â€� he said. Most surreal of all might be his first two scores of 65-66. “Really,â€� Sharma said, “I think I belong here and that I can be on the PGA TOUR, and that gives me a lot of faith and a lot of confidence going forward.â€� OBSERVATIONS SPIETH ENCOURAGED. Although he still wasn’t in top form on the greens (31 putts), Jordan Spieth went bogey-free and liked what he saw from tee to green during a 4-under 67. “I had three two-putt birdies, and a short-range birdie putt,â€� he said. “And then I had a lot of other looks, and that’s kind of what you need on this golf course. These greens get a little beat up on this poa annua surface; some go in and some don’t. I made a couple really good par saves that kept that bogey-free streak alive, but I’m going to need some more to fall to catch these leaders.â€� GARCIA LOVING CHAPULTEPEC. Making just his second PGA TOUR start this season, Sergio Garcia took 29 putts for the second straight day, eagled the par-5 11th hole, and shot one of just two 65s on the day. At 9-under, he’s two back going into the weekend. “Well, it’s the kind of golf course I like,â€� Garcia said. “You know, Valderrama is my favorite course, small greens. Sawgrass, one of my favorite golf courses, small greens. So, I do like these kinds of courses better, and when it gets a bit firmer like it’s getting, and a bit more challenging, I do feel, even though it’s not easy, a bit more comfortable.â€� Garcia finished T12 here a year ago. DJ LURKS 4 BACK. Dustin Johnson, the defending WGC-Mexico champion, holed his approach shot for eagle at the ninth hole and got himself right back into the tournament with a second-round 66. “It was much better today,â€� said Johnson, who hit 15 of 18 greens. “I hit the ball well, drove it well. I felt like I rolled it good, just didn’t make any putts today.â€� Johnson took 28 putts and ranked 49th of 64 players in strokes gained: putting. “Got a lot of confidence going into the weekend with the way I struck it today,â€� he said. NOTABLES XANDER SCHAUFFELE – He is the only player left not to make a bogey, and a 3-under 68 has him just two back and primed to chase down his third TOUR victory. The 24-year-old from San Diego hit 11 of 18 greens, but ranked T1 in scrambling. LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN – Making just his second TOUR start this season, the first-round leader spun his wheels with an even-par 71, joining a logjam of players four back. Best shot of the day might have been his 15-foot putt to save bogey at the 215-yard, par-3 13th hole. RAFA CABRERA BELLO – Birdied four of his first six holes and erased a few mistakes with eagle at the par-5 15th. Two back, but ranks first in strokes gained: putting through two rounds. BUBBA WATSON – After his disastrous finish in the first round, he shot a second-round 66 to get to 7-under for the tournament, which was where he was through his first 11 holes Thursday.  PHIL MICKELSON – A fourth straight top-10 finish is well within reach after a 68 put him at 5-under, just six back. Made a classic Mickelson par at 18 after hitting his second shot into the stands and taking a drop near the practice green. CHRIS PAISLEY – The most surprising name on the leaderboard in round one, England’s Paisley fell back with a 75 and goes into the weekend nine off the lead. We were in the room doing a bunch of homework. When I say we, it was Teddy doing a bunch of homework.I tried to make a lot of bogeys today, but somehow snuck those pars in. SUPERLATIVES Low round: 6-under 65 by Sergio Garcia and Kyle Stanley. Longest drive: 416 yds (Brendan Steele/No. 4) Longest putt: 36′ 6″ (Adam Hadwin/No. 13) Toughest hole: Par-3 7th (3.250) CALL OF THE DAY SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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