Bland fires 66, ahead by 1 shot at Senior PGA

Can Wake Forest have another player in the mix? What big name is coming in without much fanfare? A look at all the key storylines.

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THE OVERVIEW Dustin Johnson leads the PGA TOUR in driving distance with a 312.7-yard average. This week at the RBC Heritage, he takes on a course that doesn’t require much distance off the tee. In fact, of the 50 courses on the PGA TOUR last season, Harbour Town produced the shortest driving distance average and the fewest percentage of 300-yard drives. So, is DJ worried that his most recognizable weapon will be marginalized? Uh, no. “You’ve still got to hit good golf shots, no matter what you’re hitting off the tee,” said Johnson, the South Carolina native making his first start in Hilton Head since 2009. “I like this golf course. I like tight, tree-lined golf courses. It’s what I grew up playing. It’s not like it’s anything new.” Johnson estimates that’ll he still be able to use driver a handful of times each round, depending on wind conditions. There are three par 5s, but he doesn’t expect it to use it on all those holes. Of course, anybody who has seen DJ’s rise to world No. 1 knows that his game is much more well-rounded than just hitting it long off the tee. His strength gives him an advantage anywhere from tee to green, and his short game is ranked inside the top 15 on TOUR. He was pleased with his ball-striking last week at the Masters, but his putter didn’t cooperate, rendering him a non-factor down the stretch while finishing tied for 10th. This week, his putting will be tested on Harbour Town’s small greens. But even though Johnson hasn’t played this course in a while and won’t pull driver very often from his bag, he’s still one of the heavy favorites. “Last time I checked, he’s the No. 1 golfer in the world,” said defending champ Wesley Bryan, paired with DJ in the first two rounds. “He’s the best golfer on the planet. So as long as we’re playing the game of golf, I think that he’s got a good chance of winning anywhere he tees it up. “There’s a lot of holes he doesn’t have to hit his driver. He can hit his 2-irong and be out there with a lot of guys that are hitting driver. It’s an advantage of have that length, especially on this golfer course.” Bryan was asked what it would be like if Dustin tried to win this week without putting a driver in his bag. “That would kind of be like telling me to take putter out of the bag,” Bryan said. “That’s the best weapon he’s got. He definitely has to use it. He drives it plenty straight enough, he hits it far, but he hits it plenty straight. So he can still be able to use it a fair number of times out here.” How would DJ respond to that request? “Well, no,” he said, drawing a laugh. “I have a hard time beating guys with all my clubs, without taking one out.” THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER Dustin Johnson The best news for DJ coming out of the Masters? He didn’t slip on any stairs and injure his back. Luke Donald If ever a player was overdue to win an event, it’d be Donald, a five-time runner-up at the RBC Heritage. Matt Kuchar Won here in 2014 – hard to believe that was his last win on the PGA TOUR. He’s had 32 top-10 finishes since then. THE FLYOVER The 472-yard par-4 18th was easier in 2017 than it was the previous year, but it remains one of the PGA TOUR’s most difficult closing holes. A year ago, the stroke average was 4.151, which tied for 12th among the toughest closest holes. In 2016, the average was 4.415, ranking it third most difficult. Despite the difficulty of the hole, player can take solace in the fact that they will likely hit the fairway – last season, 94.27 percent of all players found the fairway at 18, the highest percentage of any single hole on TOUR. THE LANDING ZONE The drivable 332-yard ninth ranked among the 20 easiest par 4s on the PGA TOUR last season, with a scoring average of 3.771. That made it easier than the par-5 15th. Nearly 28 percent of all players went for the green last year, with four eagles and 128 birdies recorded. Here’s a look at where all tee shots landed last year. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “High pressure building from the west will provide mostly sunny skies on Wednesday with highs in the 60s. The high will shift east Thursday into Friday allowing a warming trend to occur with highs in the 70s each day under sunny skies. The warmest day will be Saturday with highs in the upper 70s before an approaching cold front brings a good chance for showers and thunderstorms Sunday afternoon into the evening hours.â€� For the latest weather news from Hilton Head, South Carolina check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK You have to do everything well. You can’t just say the long hitters or iron players will do well. All aspects of the game. You have to hit it in the fairway, you have to be in the proper position in the fairway to be able to attack the flag. And you obviously have to putt well. But you look at the players that have won here, it’s not one style of player. BY THE NUMBERS 3,700 – The average green size, in square feet, at Harbour Town. The course is regarded as having the smallest greens on the PGA TOUR. 273.4 – Average drive, in yards, by the field last year. That’s the lowest of any tournament on TOUR. 69.28 – Stroke average by Jim Furyk at the RBC Heritage, the best stroke average of any player at the event (minimum 18 rounds) since 2003. Luke Donald is second at 69.38. SCATTERSHOTS Of the top 30 players in FedExCup points, 14 will be in action at Harbour Town, led by Patton Kizzire (2), Dustin Johnson (7) and Paul Casey (10). Kizzire trails No. 1 Justin Thomas by 440 points – that’s the largest separation between No. 1 and No. 2 the week after the Masters since 2009. Luke Donald’s five runner-up finishes at the RBC Heritage ties for the third most by any player at any official PGA TOUR event since 1934. The only players who exceed it – Jack Nicklaus at the RBC Canadian Open (7) and Phil Mickelson at the U.S. Open (6). Saturday is Plain Nation Day at RBC Heritage, with all fans encouraged to wear plaid. It’s appropriate since the winner receives a plaid jacket. In addition, to honor the 50 years of the RBC Heritage, the historic lighthouse behind the 18th hole will be wrapped in plaid.

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IRVING, Texas – For just the second time since 2002, John Senden is not in the AT&T Byron Nelson field, a tournament that’s generally a fixture on his playing schedule. The reason is heartbreaking: Senden is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the PGA TOUR after announcing three weeks ago that his 13-year-old son Jacob has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Shortly after the announcement, Senden’s good friend and fellow Aussie Steven Bowditch – who lives close to the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas and won this event in 2015 – came up with an idea for TOUR pros to show their support. During Thursday’s first round, players wore on their caps a patch resembling a Rubik’s Cube, which happens to be Jacob’s favorite toy. While Senden is not here in person, the family – and especially Jacob – is in the thoughts of Bowditch and his fellow competitors. “We’re all thinking of him all the time,� Bowditch said. “Anything we can do to try and put a smile on his face and help him get through this. We just all hope he can punch on through.� Another Aussie, Cameron Percy, was on the practice green at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans when he heard that Bowditch and his partner Rod Pampling had withdrawn in the team event. Soon after, he was informed of the reason. “I had a tear in my eye,� Percy recalled Thursday. “Everyone felt the same way – just devastated. We had played a practice round in San Antonio the previous week, had dinner twice and we spoke that Friday night. I had no idea. Neither did he. “There couldn’t be two nicer people than John and (wife) Jackie. It’s not fair, is it?� Ernie Els had not been aware of the development until he showed up at the course Thursday at TPC Four Seasons and saw the patches of support. Nine years ago, Els announced that his son Ben was autistic, and since then, the South African and his wife Liezl have been instrumental in raising awareness for the disorder. Many TOUR pros have donated their time and participated in Els’ charitable functions for his foundation. “It just makes you think,� Els said. “We’re chasing birdies and pars out here, but when you hear something like this, we pull together as a TOUR, as a friendship, as a unit. We’ve done it with me. We’ve done it with other guys. We’re going to do it for John and his family now.� Jason Day has dealt with his own family’s cancer issues lately, his mother Dening having been diagnosed in Australia with terminal lung cancer. Day brought his mother to the United States, where further tests were done. Surgery was recently performed that resulted in a much more encouraging diagnosis, and Dening is now back in Australia with an improved outlook. “I know exactly what he’s feeling like in regard to that,� Day said. Day and his wife Ellie have two young children. Day said he “could never fathom thinking about going through something like that. It breaks my heart for him and I’m just hoping and praying for the best for him and his family because it is a difficult time for him.� And now the fight begins. Bowditch reports that Jacob had his first treatment last weekend. “I’m sure he’ll pull through and come out the other side,� Bowditch said. “He’s a strong kid, a great kid with a great family.�

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