Ames wins 2nd senior title at Principal Charity

Voting has now been completed for the Round of 16 and quarterfinals of our Mythical Match Play Championship. That means we’re down to the final four players from the original field of 64, leaving us with these two semifinal matches: • Rory McIlroy vs. Xander Schauffele • Jon Rahm vs. Sungjae Im Our fans helped to break three ties in the Round of 16 matches. With our 10 expert voters deadlocked at 5-5 for matches involving Schauffele vs. Hideki Matsuyama, Im vs. Collin Morikawa and Rahm vs. Marc Leishman, we enlisted the help of fans via the Twitter account of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. Schauffele, Im and Rahm earned the nods, and now they’ve each won another match to joine the world’s No. 1 player as the four survivors after clear-cut voting from the experts in the quarterfinals. Our Mythical event is the just-for-fun exercise we’re conducting this week in lieu of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, which was among the canceled events by the PGA TOUR in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The TOUR conducted a draw to produce a bracket, and now our 10 experts are voting for the winner of each match. We released the Round 1 results on Wednesday (click here), the Round 2 results on Thursday (click here) and the Round 3 results on Friday (click here) that determined the 16 survivors advancing to the single-elimination phase. We’ll crown the Mythical Match Play champion on Sunday. The voting rules are simple: Each expert was asked to pick a match winner, and the golfer with the majority of votes is the match winner. Our 10 expert voters include: GolfBet’s Jason Sobel from The Action Network; GolfTV’s Jamie Kennedy; Tom Alter and Jim McCabe from PGA TOUR Communications; Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton; PGATOUR.COM writers Ben Everill, Sean Martin, Mike McAllister and Cameron Morfit; and a combined vote from the TOUR’s ShotLink team. The results of all quarterfinals and Round of 16 matches are below (player seeds in parentheses). QUARTERFINALS Rory McIlroy (1) vs. Webb Simpson (9): 7 votes for McIlroy, 3 votes for Simpson. McILROY wins. Why I picked McIlroy: “I was surprised to see the injured Oosthuizen advance — I had him going 0-3-0 in his pool — so not only is McIlroy in better form than everyone else, he’s also more rested to face anyone later in the same day, much less Simpson, who grinded past Patrick Cantlay in the Round of 16.” – Rob Bolton Justin Thomas (4) vs. Xander Schauffele (12): 6 votes for Schauffele, 4 votes for Thomas. SCHAUFFELE wins. Why I picked Schauffele: “Statistically, these two are so close. In five of the six Strokes Gained categories, they are within 6 ranking positions of each other. Ultimately, I based my decision on Sunday Singles at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne. Schauffele knocked off the biggest homegrown star in Adam Scott, while JT lost to young Aussie Cameron Smith.â€� – Mike McAllister Jon Rahm (2) vs. Patrick Reed (7): 6 votes for Rahm, 4 votes for Reed. RAHM wins. Why I picked Rahm: “While Reed is incredibly tough in match play, so, too, is this Spanish star who has previously been threatening to win it all at Austin CC. A 30-foot birdie on 18 seals a 1-up win.â€� – Ben Everill Adam Scott (6) vs. Sungjae Im (23): 6 votes for Im, 4 votes for Scott. IM wins. Why I picked Im: “I’ll take golfing machine Im over Scott, whose putting admittedly deserts him at times.â€� – Cameron Morfit ROUND OF 16 RESULTS Rory McIlroy (1) vs. Louis Oosthuizen (19): 9 votes for McIlroy, 1 vote for Oosthuizen. MCILROY wins. Why I picked McIlroy: “Oosthuizen is terrific at match play, but he can’t match the No. 1 player in the world. Rory rolls into the quarterfinals.â€� – Tom Alter Patrick Cantlay (8) vs. Webb Simpson (9): 7 votes for Simpson, 3 votes for Cantlay. SIMPSON wins. Why I picked Simpson: “Simpson simply looks like he knows every putt is going in.â€� – Jim McCabe Justin Thomas (4) vs. Ian Poulter (58): 8 votes for Thomas, 2 votes for Poulter. THOMAS wins. Why I picked Thomas: “Even though Poulter is the guy with the long-term reputation for stepping it up in match play events, Thomas is a sneaky 10-3-2 over the last three years of Ryder/Presidents Cup competitions, proving his skills translate well to this format.â€� – Jason Sobel Xander Schauffele (12) vs. Hideki Matsuyama (22): 5 votes for Schauffele, 5 votes for Matsuyama. Fan voting: 61% for Schauffele, 39% for Matsuyama. SCHAUFFELE wins. Why I picked Schauffele: “Xander is a pit-bull who waits for the slightest scrap and attacks. The first missed putt from Hideki would provide Schauffele a lead he would never relinquish.â€� – Ben Everill Jon Rahm (2) vs. Marc Leishman (15): 5 votes for Rahm, 5 votes for Leishman. Fan voting: 75% for Rahm, 25% for Leishman. RAHM wins. Why I picked Rahm: “Leishman is a tough match play guy with two trips to the round of 16 in the last three years, but 2017 runner-up Rahm is so comfy in Austin, he looks destined to win this tournament someday.â€� – Cameron Morfit Patrick Reed (7) vs. Tommy Fleetwood (10): 6 votes for Reed, 4 votes for Fleetwood. REED wins. Why we picked Reed: “Both players are really similar in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green ranking T-38 (Reed) and 34th (Fleetwood). However, Reed has a huge edge on and around the greens, ranking 38th in SG: Around-the-Green & third in SG: Putting to Fleetwood’s 176th SG: Around-the-Green & 96th in SG: Putting. Reed has Fleetwood by over a stroke on and around the greens per round this season on TOUR.â€� – ShotLink team Sungjae Im (23) vs. Collin Morikawa (44): 5 votes for Im, 5 votes for Morikawa. Fan voting: 56% for Im, 44% for Morikawa. IM wins. Why I picked Im: “Quite the battle among two of the PGA TOUR’s biggest and brightest young stars. This one comes down to putting – Im ranks 36th in Strokes Gained: Putting this season while Morikawa ranks 174th.â€� – Mike McAllister Adam Scott (6) vs. Tiger Woods (11): 9 votes for Scott, 1 vote for Woods. SCOTT wins. Why I picked Scott: “Having not played a lot in recent weeks, a fourth straight match for Tiger could catch up with him. Scott’s putting has improved drastically in the last 18 months and that helps him knock off the Masters champ.â€� – Jamie Kennedy

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The PGA TOUR and the Waste Management Phoenix Open announced that fans will be able to experience the excitement and drama of the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale through a live 360 and virtual reality (VR) experience during all four rounds of competition at the upcoming Waste Management Phoenix Open, February 1-4. The live VR experience can be viewed on Samsung Gear VR headsets on a global basis through the “PGA TOUR VR Live� app available on the Oculus store. The “PGA TOUR VR Live� app will also launch on Daydream by Google – available on the Google Play Store – at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, giving fans an additional way to experience hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale. In addition to Daydream, fans can also view 360 content through TOUR’s mobile app. The app will be compatible with a Google Cardboard. For fans who don’t have a headset, the 360 video experience will be available on Twitter and Periscope during all four days of the event, and for the first time ever, via the PGA TOUR app on iOS. Using any smartphone, fans will be able to watch live, 360 video from the 16th hole during Waste Management Phoenix Open. Fans can find the coverage starting on February 1 at twitter.com/PGATOUR, by following @PGATOUR on Twitter and Periscope, or by downloading the official PGA TOUR app from the App Store. “The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during the Waste Management Phoenix Open is one of the most exciting in golf,� said Rick Anderson, PGA TOUR Chief Media Officer. “We look forward to bringing that excitement to our fans who can’t physically be at the tournament through live virtual reality. They will be able to experience all the thrills from home.� As the exclusive live virtual reality provider of the PGA TOUR, Intel will produce the live VR experience with Intel® True VR technology, providing unprecedented access to areas on the course that can’t be experienced – even by fans on-site. Intel True VR uses panoramic, stereoscopic camera pods to create a more natural and realistic view from any direction for a more immersive VR environment. Up to eight cameras will be placed around the 16th hole, in addition to a dedicated sideline reporter bringing a unique aspect to the experience. Teryn Schafer will be reporting live for the duration of the tournament. “Intel True VR technology turn sports into amazing immersive experiences, and Intel is always working with our partners to deliver new ways for fans to get closer to the action,� said David Aufhauser, managing director, Intel Sports Group. “We’re thrilled to work with the PGA TOUR to continue delivering compelling experiences with Intel True VR technology at the Waste Management Phoenix Open by leveraging our technology – from the cameras to the data processing to our application platform – to create interactive ways for fans to participate.� THE PLAYERS Championship in 2017 marked the first time Twitter distributed a live 360 VR experience during a major sports event. Following THE PLAYERS, the PGA TOUR and Intel announced an exclusive relationship to produce and globally distribute live virtual reality (VR) and live 360 video at six PGA TOUR events in 2017 and 2018. The TOUR Championship and Presidents Cup in 2017 also featured live VR coverage. The collaboration between the PGA TOUR and Twitter follows the live streaming relationship announced in 2016. Twitter’s early round distribution of PGA TOUR LIVE coverage, viewable weekly at pgatourlive.twitter.com, has averaged almost half a million unique viewers each day, and more than 70 percent of those are under the age of 35.  

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IRVING, Texas — James Hahn shot a bogey-free 6-under 64 on Saturday to take the lead after three rounds at the AT&T Byron Nelson, where Jason Kokrak’s record advantage disappeared. Hahn settled for a 12-under 198 total after his eagle chance at the 16th and a birdie putt at 17 both stopped just inches short. The two-time PGA TOUR winner was a stroke ahead of Billy Horschel, who birdied his last three holes for a 66 to take second place alone. Jason Day had his own string of birdies, five in a row midway through his round and then a 60-footer at the 17th, during a 63 that was the best of the day and got him to 10 under. The fourth-ranked player in the world was tied for third with Kokrak, who shot a 72 after setting a Nelson 36-hole record with a five-stroke lead. Cameron Tringale and Sergio Garcia also finished with birdies on Nos. 16-18. Tringale was fifth at 9 under after a 67, with defending Nelson champion and Masters Tournament winner Garcia tied for sixth at 8 under after a 64 that also included three straight birdies at Nos. 11-13. Top-ranked Dustin Johnson shot a 71 with five bogeys and four birdies to reach 5 under, seven strokes off the lead and tied for 19th. He had started the day in a six-way tie for third and six strokes behind Kokrak. Hahn shared the first-round lead after an opening 64, but slipped back with a 70 on Friday before another impressive round for him at TPC Four Seasons that included a 65-foot chip-in birdie at the par-4 No. 3 hole. This is Hahn’s fourth Nelson, and he has shot 64 or 65 in half of his 14 rounds there. The last birdie for Day in his long streak came after driving the green at the 311-yard par-4 11th and two-putting from 37 feet. Day’s only bogey came when he blasted out of greenside bunker at the 14th, then pushed his 4-foot par chance just left of the home and 2 1/2 feet past. When his 60-footer at the par-3 17th caught the left edge of the cup and dropped in, Day lifted both arms into the air, pumping his right fist while still grasping the putter in the other hand. About the same time Day’s 16-foot birdie try at No. 18 curled just under the hole, causing him to wince, Hahn went to 11 under for the lead with his 13-foot birdie at the 15th hole. Hahn then added another birdie at the 527-yard par-5 16th after come up just short of an eagle on the easiest-playing hole at TPC Four Seasons. Kokrak had his first bogey in 34 holes after missing the fairway at No. 3, then three-putting on the sloping green. He quickly made up that stroke with a 15-foot birdie at No. 4 and was back to 12 under with a five-stroke lead. But his advantage was down to one by time he finished his next hole, the par-3 5th, with a triple bogey. Garcia beat Brook Koepka in a playoff last year to become the first two-time Nelson winner since Irving became the tournament’s home in 1983. Day, who won the Nelson in 2010, could match that Sunday in the last round at TPC Four Seasons before a move to the new Trinity Forest Golf Club in south Dallas next year.

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