Adam Scott looks to keep FedExCup Playoffs streak alive

Nestled inside the West Coast Swing is a fortnight of bucket-list experiences during which we’re at the midpoint. Simply attending the Waste Management Phoenix Open checks off one box for all fans of the PGA TOUR, but to play Pebble Beach Golf Links even once in a lifetime sits atop the ranking of targets for all golfers. But how about twice in four months? After it anchors this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the host course will gear up in earnest for the U.S. Open in mid-June. As of midday Monday, 13 of the 156 golfers in this week’s field officially are qualified for the season’s third major, and many more entrants will gain entry over time without having to endure sectional qualifying. So, this week presents the bonus of a scouting trip for the major. Those who have flocked to the Monterey Peninsula will be treated to a sampling of what to expect in the U.S. Open. Scroll past the ranking for details on that, how co-hosts Spyglass Hill Golf Club and Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course fit in, an explanation of the tournament’s format and more. Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider will include defending champion Ted Potter, Jr., 2014 winner Jimmy Walker, Adam Scott, Patrick Reed and Tony Finau. It also will dive into more detail about the difficulty of each course and how fantasy gamers should approach the tournament. To prepare Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open, primary rough already has been allowed to grow on the perimeters of the fairways. While landing areas will be noticeably tighter than usual, the longest of the grass will be capped at two inches for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. In 2010, when Pebble Beach was striding to the plate to host the U.S. Open, the field split 65.40 percent of the fairways in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier in the year. That represented a decrease of 10-12 percent compared to the years leading into that season. Field averages have fluctuated in between since, but finding the short grass will again have some value this week. Considering that Pebble’s distance of all drives of 271.3 yards was the shortest average among all courses measured last season (and in line with its long-term trend) and that the course’s putting surfaces average a tiny 3,500 square feet, boring golf is great golf amid the best of vistas. This is the 10th consecutive edition of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for which the current rotation of courses is used. Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill are par 72s, while MPCC’s Shore Course is a par 71 with five par 3s. Three of MPCC’s par 5s are on the inward nine, so the respective pars are 34 and 37. All three tracks are among the shortest tackled all season, but Spyglass Hill now boasts the longest walk of the trio, if barely. Thanks to an increase of seven yards on the par-3 third hole (to 172 yards), its overall yardage is 6,960 yards, two yards longer than MPCC. Pebble Beach checks is as usual at 6,816 yards. (It was stretched to 7,040 yards for the 2010 U.S. Open.) Severe weather over the weekend caused damage to temporary structures erected for the tournament. Trees also were uprooted, but none of the three courses were affected directly. So, the only twister you’ll see is Ho Sung Choi’s swing. The 45-year-old from South Korea is making his PGA TOUR debut this week (on a sponsor exemption). His action went viral last summer, and then he won the Casio World Open in late November. If he can replicate or improve on the result of Matthew Wolff – he of his own unique swing – at last week’s WMPO (T50), it’ll be a mission accomplished. After every golfer records one round on each course, only the low 60 and ties at the conclusion of 54 holes will play the finale at Pebble Beach. However, just like at every non-major with a cut, the low 70 and ties will collect FedExCup points and official earnings. Furthermore, the low 25 pro-am teams also will compete for their respective title at Pebble Beach on Sunday, even if the pro in the partnership missed the cut in the tournament proper. Because ShotLink will be used only on Pebble Beach for the tournament, lasered statistics including distance of all drives, proximity to the hole and all stroked-gained data will apply only to the host course. Winter is hanging on tightly along the Northern California coast. Daytime highs may not even reach the mid-50s throughout, and even that reflects a mild warming. After a dry opening round, rain is all but guaranteed during each of the last three, so the Poa annua greens likely won’t touch 11-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter as designed. Sustained winds at 10-15 mph will accompany the precipitation. Indeed, a bucket-list experience at Pebble Beach.   ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done THURSDAY: Champions One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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How the field qualified for the Sony Open in Hawaii as of 1/3/2020: Check here for updates. Winner – PGA/U.S. Open Championship Jordan Spieth Justin Thomas Jimmy Walker Winner – THE PLAYERS Championship Webb Simpson Winner – The Masters Patrick Reed Winner – The Open Championship Zach Johnson Winner – World Golf Championships Event Kevin Kisner Hideki Matsuyama Winners of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard & the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide (Last 3 Years) Jason Dufner Marc Leishman Tournament Winner in Past Two Seasons Ryan Armour Keegan Bradley Corey Conners Tyler Duncan Dylan Frittelli Brice Garnett Lanto Griffin Jim Herman Charles Howell III Sung Kang Patton Kizzire Russell Knox Satoshi Kodaira Matt Kuchar Andrew Landry Nate Lashley Adam Long Graeme McDowell Troy Merritt Keith Mitchell Collin Morikawa Sebastián Muñoz Kevin Na Joaquin Niemann Ryan Palmer Pat Perez Scott Piercy J.T. Poston Ted Potter, Jr. Andrew Putnam Chez Reavie Brandt Snedeker Brendan Steele Brendon Todd Martin Trainer Kevin Tway Aaron Wise Career Money Exemption Bo Van Pelt Sponsors Exemptions – Korn Ferry Tour Finals Michael Gellerman Anirban Lahiri Sponsors Exemptions – Members not otherwise exempt Smylie Kaufman Jerry Kelly Sponsors Exemptions – Unrestricted Rikuya Hoshino Shugo Imahira Parker McLachlin Tyler Ota Designated Sponsor Exemption Kazuki Higa Mikumu Horikawa Ryuko Tokimatsu PGA Club Professional Champion – 6 Events Alexander Beach PGA Section Champion\Player of the Year Eric Dugas Past Champion of Respective Event Fabián Gómez Life Member Vijay Singh Top 125 on Prior Season’s FedExCup Points List Sungjae Im Abraham Ancer Rory Sabbatini Vaughn Taylor Joel Dahmen Emiliano Grillo Adam Schenk Charley Hoffman Chesson Hadley Brian Stuard Cameron Smith Matt Every Russell Henley Brian Harman Michael Thompson Matt Jones Luke List Roger Sloan Sam Burns Bud Cauley Mackenzie Hughes J.J. Spaun Talor Gooch Kyle Stanley Patrick Rodgers Sam Ryder Kyoung-Hoon Lee Scott Brown Carlos Ortiz Sepp Straka Aaron Baddeley Peter Malnati Brian Gay Nick Taylor Top 125 (Prior Season Nonmember) Doc Redman Major Medical Extension Daniel Berger Chris Kirk Graham DeLaet James Hahn Ben Martin Jamie Lovemark Hudson Swafford Brandon Hagy Colt Knost Top 10 and Ties from the Previous Event Henrik Norlander D.J. Trahan William Gordon Alex Noren Top Finishers from Korn Ferry Tour Prior Season (reordered) Mark Hubbard Scott Harrington Tom Hoge Harry Higgs Xinjun Zhang Robby Shelton Zac Blair Cameron Percy David Hearn Hank Lebioda Robert Streb Bo Hoag Matthew NeSmith Rob Oppenheim Kramer Hickok Joseph Bramlett Rafael Campos Chase Seiffert Mark Anderson Kristoffer Ventura Rhein Gibson Ben Taylor Tyler McCumber Chris Baker Michael Gligic Tim Wilkinson Doug Ghim Cameron Davis Ryan Brehm

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Winning a major – winning any golf tournament for that matter – is a series of decisive moments. Three memorable back-nine moments Sunday at Quail Hollow helped turn Justin Thomas into the PGA Championship winner. THE 10-SECOND WAIT Thomas likes to talk to his golf ball. A lot. With his tee shot in the air at the par-5 10th – listed at 601 yards on Sunday, it was playing as the longest hole of the week – he made an urgent plea. He could see the ball drifting left toward the trees. He needed divine help. “Get lucky,â€� he requested. “Just spit it out for me, please.â€� Two days earlier, in Friday’s second round, Thomas had also pulled his drive at the 10th. He thought the ball would be OK, but instead it hit a tree and kicked 30 yards into trouble. He did not get lucky that time, although he did scramble for a birdie that day. Now here he was, starting the back nine of a major just one shot off the lead, and – wouldn’t you know it — his ball was headed for that very same tree. Thomas silently hoped fate would intervene. “I feel like that tree kind of owed me one,â€� he said. The debt was indeed paid. The ball bounced off the tree and into the fairway, niftily avoiding the fairway bunker. A huge break. Walking down the fairway toward his ball, Thomas turned to his caddie Jimmy Johnson and said, “That’s why you ask.â€� But the 10th wasn’t finished making Thomas sweat. With a birdie putt from 8 feet, 3 inches, Thomas faced what he called a “weirdâ€� read, with the grain in and from the right at the beginning of the putt, then switching to the left closer to the cup. He opted to play a straight line, expecting the grain to feed the ball back-and-forth into the hole. But the ball stayed left. It reached the cup … and then hung there, one half of the little white sphere suspended in mid-air. Thomas turned his back to the hole in disbelief. How had the ball not dropped? “It was acting like a child and threw a little tantrum,â€� he said. Johnson was also shocked. “Oh my gosh,â€� said the veteran caddie. “I didn’t see how there was any way it was staying out.â€� On the CBS broadcast, analyst Nick Faldo began to count. “1 … 2 … 3 … 4 … 5,â€� he said, ticking off the seconds. Thomas either had to mark – or in this case, tap in – once 10 seconds were reached. “6 … 7 … 8 … 9 …â€� That’s when gravity was restored at Quail Hollow. The ball dropped. The roars came. Thomas tipped his cap to the golf gods and gave a wry shrug. His caddie kept quiet. “I didn’t say anything,â€� Johnson revealed. “I didn’t say much all day except for the yardages and the clubs. I was just trying to survive.â€� But in that silence, Johnson processed the ramifications. Last month, Thomas’ good friend Jordan Spieth had won the Travelers Championship by holing a bunker shot. Perhaps the good breaks at 10 were a sign of things to come. “I thought it might be our day, like it was Jordan’s at Hartford,â€� Johnson said. “I thought that might be an omen. You have to have good things happen to you to win golf tournaments.â€� Thomas was 7 under. Soon he would be the solo leader. GOING BERSERK Less than 30 minutes after his birdie putt fell at 10, Justin Thomas was on the 12th green when he realized there was a five-way tie for the lead. His playing partner, Hideki Matsuyama, had just dropped a stroke. The twosome in the final group, Kevin Kisner and Chris Stroud, were each at 7 under. Well ahead, Francesco Molinari had just birdied 15 to also reach 7 under. “To see that was kind of crazy,â€� Thomas said. A few minutes, the craziness continued. After making par at 12, Thomas remained at 7 under – but everyone else had lost a stroke. He was now the solo leader. But he appeared in danger of giving that stroke away when his tee shot at the par-3 13th missed the green left. It left him in the rough, 39 feet, 7 inches from the pin. It was a tricky chip shot just to get the ball close to the pin. “That first cut is so tough to chip,â€� Thomas explained. “This entire course, it’s tough to chip out of the rough. But that first cut you get, you can really look stupid in a heartbeat because it’s all into the grain and it’s really to where you can just flub it.â€� Thomas said even if the play is to simply hit it in front, the ball could come out hot and run past the hole. This one did not come out hot. It came out perfect, rolling into the cup for an unexpected birdie. He thought the cheers at 10 were loud. The ones at 13 were louder. “Exactly like I saw,â€� Thomas said. “That was a roar like I’ve never experienced.â€� On the bag, Johnson began to believe. “He hit a lot of good shots today,â€� Johnson said, “but when he chipped in on 13, I thought it might be his day.â€� Thomas was now 8 under. His lead was two strokes with five holes to play. VISION IN HIS HEAD Thomas started the Green Mile – Quail Hollow’s last three holes, the toughest closing stretch on the PGA TOUR since 2003 – with a par at the 16th. Now he was at the par-3 17th, playing at 221 yards Sunday. Kisner was hot on his trail after consecutive birdies, cutting Thomas’ lead to one upon reaching the 16th. Patrick Reed also had been at 7 under but had just bogeyed the 18th. Thomas contemplated his tee shot. He just needed par on a hole with a “really brutalâ€� pin. Anything short of the green would fall off against the collar and likely result in a bogey. Anything long would also be a sure bogey. He just needed to land his shot at about 200 yards just past the false edge. He could pull the shot and still get away with it, albeit with a long putt. When he’s practicing at home, Thomas hits a 6-iron 200 yards. But 7-iron was the play now. He never considered another club. His adrenaline level had red-lined, so he figured a full 7 was better than a finesse 6. “You’re pumped up, you’re feeling it,â€� Thomas said. “You’re kind of not full bore, but you want to swing at something.â€� So he swung. Hard. Then he stared. A perfect shot. “I’ll never forget that vision in my head,â€� he said. Thomas’ shot landed 14 feet, 6 inches from the pin. He poured in the putt. It was his sixth and final birdie of the day – and it was all he needed. It allowed him breathing room to make bogey on the final hole and still win by two shots. It’s the first major for the 24-year-old Thomas … and also the first for his veteran caddie. Johnson began caddying in 1997 for Nick Price, who by then had already won his three majors. Johnson then caddied for Steve Stricker, annually one of the best players without a major during his prime. Johnson left Stricker’s bag two years ago to caddie for Thomas. “That was probably the hardest decision I ever made in my life, to be honest with you,â€� Johnson said. “Strick’s such a good guy, great player, quality guy. It was very tough.â€� But he had seen something in Thomas. “He’s got some of those special shots that some of the guys can’t hit,â€� Johnson said. And now Thomas has a major. Doubt it will be his only one.

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