‘Bryson’s in the backyard’: A Masters contender comes to visit

What a weekend. Rory McIlroy continued his incredible 2019 with another victory at the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions. That makes it four wins in his last 15 PGA TOUR starts. The reigning FedExCup champion probably wishes the 2020 season of championships was right around the corner. But that wasn’t the only story this past week. Brendon Todd completed a serious career turnaround with his win at the Bermuda Championship. Todd had entered the 2019 calendar year having made the cut in just six of his previous 47 starts. From the depths of the yips, Todd never gave up, and now he is a winner again. Welcome to the Monday Finish. THREE KEYS TO SUCCESS 1. A commitment to forward progress. Rory McIlroy – like most humans – has learned plenty as he matures in life. Now 30, McIlroy has decided the best way to increase his legacy is to go hard or go home. There is no protecting leads anymore for McIlroy. It’s just foot to the floor with trust in his aggressive style. After 54 holes in China, McIlroy sat in the lead and had just one strategy in mind: keep making birdies. He did just that. At the end of 72 holes, he still had the lead, albeit shared with defending champion Xander Schauffele. But when they went to a playoff and McIlroy drew the chance to hit first, he once again thought nothing but aggression. “I knew that was the big moment because I could hit a drive down the fairway and put the pressure on him,â€� McIlroy said. And that’s what he did with a booming drive that would lead to an easy birdie. Schauffele couldn’t match it and his brave charge ended. Read more about McIlroy’s 18th PGA TOUR win here. 2. Consistency and confidence. Fresh off one of the best statistical seasons ever on the PGA TOUR, McIlroy continues to produce beautiful, consistent golf. After the third round, his confidence came shining through when he said, “Right now, the game feels pretty simple.â€� In China, his accuracy was actually fairly average as he hit just 34 of 56 fairways and 52 of 72 greens. Usually he is dominating with the driver and striping his approaches from great spots. But this season, in his two starts, the consistency has come in scoring. McIlroy has notched a top-10 finish in 16 of his last 21 starts on the PGA TOUR. He opened the 2019-20 season with a 2-over 72 in Japan. His highest score in the seven rounds since is 68. He’s 34 under in those seven rounds, making just eight bogeys in that span and averaging 66.3 strokes per round. 3. Never give up. We now pivot to the key factor for Brendon Todd and his sublime effort at the Bermuda Championship. After he won the 2014 AT&T Byron Nelson, you could not have scripted the path Todd would take. In 2015-16, he missed 25 of 29 cuts. His spiral would send him outside the top 2000 in the world. The journey is a long and detailed one. Read about it all here. But the bottom line is, on Sunday in Bermuda, Todd started in contention and his comeback was put under final round pressure. His response? A 9-under 62 and a four-shot win. No matter how bad it gets, you can always find a way to fight your way out. OBSERVATIONS Time is now up for Presidents Cup hopefuls to prove themselves. Tiger Woods and Ernie Els will make their four captain’s picks each later this week to round out their squads of 12 for the showdown at Royal Melbourne Dec. 12-15. On the U.S. side of the coin, Woods is expected to pick himself after his incredible record-tying 82nd PGA TOUR win in Japan. Others in line include Gary Woodland, who finished behind Woods at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Kevin Kisner, Chez Reavie and Patrick Reed. Reed left a decent last impression with a final round 66 in China. On the International side of the coin, PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Sungjae Im continued to impress in China with a T11 finish. Byeong Hun An, Jazz Janewattananond and Corey Conners also tried to make late claims. Jason Day was dormant this week, and aside from a Japan Skins win, didn’t set the world on fire on the Asian swing, but should still garner a spot. Joaquin Niemann’s win at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier has him in good shape. Branden Grace will need to rely on past deeds after his poor form continued with a missed cut in Bermuda. Read more on the contenders here.  Xander Schauffele is better than most people still give him credit for. Despite having the flu all week, Schauffele found his way into a playoff in his World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions title defense. He had to birdie two late holes, including the 72nd, to get it to extra holes against Rory McIlroy. He’s a feisty bulldog and the PGA TOUR is lucky to have him. It won’t be long before he will be a winner again, and it will be no surprise if it comes at THE PLAYERS or a major championship. “My time will come. Looking forward to getting healthy. Not coughing. Sleeping,â€� he said. “It was a lot of fun and I’m glad I tried to put on a show for everyone out here.â€� Haotong Li will take valuable experience from his home event. The 25-year-old took the first round lead in Shanghai, and despite some dips from there, found himself right in the mix early Saturday in the third round. Five birdies in six holes had him rejoin the lead and the possibility of the first Chinese winner of a World Golf Championship was in the cards. But as quickly as he moved into contention, he dove out of it. Five bogeys and a triple bogey later, Li’s dreams were over. The lesson here was brutal. And will sting a while. But if Li can harness it and react differently, the next time his adrenalin kicks in, the value will be limitless. He will be a vital cog in the International Presidents Cup team in December. QUOTEBOARD “Maybe more so than say when I first came out on TOUR, I try 100 per cent over every shot, I think because I realize I don’t have as much time left as I used to when I was 20. Even if I’m having a bad day, I’m trying over every single shot. My concentration is better and my mental capacity on the golf course is much better than it ever has been, and I think that’s a big key to why I’m able to play consistently week-in, week-out.â€� – Rory McIlroy after his win. “I was talking to my manager about potentially opening up another business.â€� – Brendon Todd talking about getting near giving up before fighting on and ultimately winning again. “Unfortunately a good attitude doesn’t make you hit it 350. But I tried, I tried my best. Played great. I did. I beat him on the day just to get in a playoff, and a little bit of déjà vu unfortunately and I couldn’t pull it off.â€� – Xander Schauffele after his runner up finish to McIlroy. “To come out and play like I did on Sunday, the day that really matters, to go out and shoot a low one… I know at the end of the day, Tiger will pick the guys he feels like are the best for the team to help win the Cup.â€� – Patrick Reed with a last ditch plea to captain Tiger Woods.

Click here to read the full article…

THE OVERVIEW By Ben Everill, PGATOUR.COM Timing can be critical in sports. Hideki Matsuyama had a sensational season in 2016-17, but his timing was just a little off. He hopes to get things more on point this season. He opened last season with a runner-up finish at the CIMB Classic, won the World Golf Championships–HSBC Champions, was runner-up at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and soon after won the Waste Management Phoenix Open. TOP 30 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2018: We’ll countdown our list with one new player each day in December. Click here for the published players. MORE: Top 30 explanation and schedule He was also a winner in Japan (and also won the 2016 Hero World Challenge during the holiday break). It had him as one of the men to beat in the race for the FedExCup all season long — despite the fact he cooled off for a section of time. He fired back up again for the U.S. Open where he was second before a T14 at the Open Championship and then a third win of the season at the World Golf Championships–Bridgestone Invitational had him well and truly primed for the final major of the year. Come Sunday at the PGA Championship, Matsuyama appeared headed to becoming Japan’s first ever major winner, but instead it was American and eventual FedExCup winner Justin Thomas who claimed his first. In a case of bad timing, the loss hit Matsuyama hard and he became a virtual passenger in the FedExCup Playoffs despite opening the series as the top seed. By the end of the TOUR Championship, he had dropped to eighth. Why are we dragging the past back up? Because this season Matsuyama is focused on maximizing his energy. Can he maintain his peaks longer throughout the year or if not, can he time his peaks and valleys to coincide with the big events and the Playoffs? That’s his hope.  We easily forget he is part of the youth brigade at just 25 because he’s been playing majors since he was 19. His ongoing battles with Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Co. should be enthralling stuff. BY THE NUMBERS How Hideki Matsuyama ranked in Strokes Gained statistics during his last full season on the PGA TOUR. FEDEXCUP Current 2017-18 position: 66th Playoff appearances: 4 TOUR Championship appearances: 4 Best result: 8th (2017) INSIGHTS FROM THE INSIDERS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Hideki Matsuyama in 2018. TOUR INSIDER by Cameron Morfit If he putts well, Matsuyama is close to unbeatable. Consider his 3-and-1 takedown of Justin Thomas at the Presidents Cup at Liberty National, where despite a deflating week for the International Team, Matsuyama had eight made or conceded birdies and an eagle. Who’s going to beat that? But that putter comes and goes, and Matsuyama can look strangely ordinary, as when he followed up opening rounds of 70-64 with rounds of 73-72 at the PGA Championship. No Japanese male player has won a major, and it will be interesting to watch Matsuyama take on that mental hurdle the next time around. Click here to follow Cameron on Twitter FANTASY INSIDER by Rob Bolton Despite three wins and as many runner-up finishes last season, the 25-year-old from Japan evolved into an enigma of sorts. It became comical at how often he duped television viewers with pessimistic body language as his ball flew to one terrific result after another. We can’t rule out a level of expectation with which we are not familiar and we’re not going to complain about it. However, when he cited in November that “there’s a huge gap between” Dunlop Phoenix champion Brooks Koepka and himself (after finishing a distant fifth), it’s fair to consider that rhetoric similarly as a visceral reaction to one of his flagstick-covering approaches. Yet, Matsuyama’s results accurately portrayed fatigue that he cited during a lackluster FedExCup Playoffs. All told, full-season salary gamers weren’t buying at $8.38 million, anyway, and the rest of us will assume that he’ll be just fine even though components of his self-doubt seem strange. Click here to follow Rob on Twitter EQUIPMENT INSIDER by Jonathan Wall Matsuyama alternates between a TaylorMade M2 Tour 3-iron and Honma TW727 U19 hybrid depending on course conditions. Recorded wins last season with Srixon’s Z945 and Z965 irons. Swapped his “ace” Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS Timeless putter for a TaylorMade TP Collection Mullen at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational; he eventually went back to the Cameron (also used a Cameron mallet along the way).  Click here to follow Jonathan on Twitter STYLE INSIDER by Greg Monteforte Matsuyama isn’t afraid of making a statement with bold color blocking, modern geometric prints, and bright colors. When executed well, he is one of the eye-catching dressers on TOUR. When his colors and patterns fall out of balance, though, his outfits can look confusing. A less is more approach will serve Hideki well in 2018. Click here to follow Greg on Twitter

Click here to read the full article…

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Given that THE PLAYERS Championship is “our Super Bowl,� said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, the decision to cancel the event Thursday night was not made lightly. But Monahan said on Friday that he has no doubt it was the proper call, as the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic. The PGA TOUR not only canceled THE PLAYERS Championship (which had played one round), it also canceled the next three events on the schedule: the Valspar Championship, the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, and the Valero Texas Open. Events on other tours also were canceled. RELATED: Official statement from TOUR | FAQ for PLAYERS ticket refunds | The Masters postponed “Our goal now is to focus on a plan for the near and long-term and maintain the strength we’ve built through our organization over the past 51 years, and I’m confident we’ll do exactly that,� Monahan said in a Friday morning news conference. Here are a few more topics the Commissioner touched on: WHAT PROMPTED THE DECISION? There were several factors, including two big ones. Some players after finishing their rounds Thursday had questions, particularly the international players in regard to the travel bans announced by President Trump. “A lot of uncertainly, trying to figure out what they do with their family, how they get home, how they get their families here,� Monahan said, adding, “There were some players that were concerned. That’s something that we took into consideration and took very seriously.� Various feedback from other players, including defending champion Rory McIlroy, also voiced concern that maybe it was not the right time to play. “The fact that everybody is questioning, or asking questions like that, is something you have to take very seriously, and we did,� Monahan said. The news that Walt Disney World and Universal theme parks in Orlando, Florida – approximately 150 miles from TPC Sawgrass – are temporarily shutting down became the final straw. “That was the final thing that we had heard that said, you know what, even though we feel like we have a safe environment and we’ve done all the right things, we can’t proceed, and it’s not right to proceed,� Monahan said.  “And when you’re doing the right thing as the litmus test, to me … those two things together were really the things that drove the decision.� Earlier in the day, the TOUR had announced it would not allow fans into TPC Sawgrass for the final three rounds but “as the situation continued to escalate and there seemed to be more unknowns, it ultimately became a matter of when, and not if, we would need to call it a day,� Monahan said. HOW DID THE TITLE SPONSORS RESPOND? “They’re fully supportive of the decision we made,� Monahan said. “They had proper input into the decision we made. And now it’s on to, how do we address and help the communities that we vacated? Hold us accountable to that because we’re going to do some great things.� One thing already being worked on at TPC Sawgrass was utilizing the food supplies for the tournament in a proper manner. The tournament is working with former FedExCup champ and local resident Billy Horschel, who is an ambassador for Feeding Northeast Florida, to put those supplies to use locally. “That’s something we’re going to do immediately,� Monahan said. WHEN WILL PLAY RESUME? That’s one of the big questions, of course. With the PGA TOUR suspending play through the Valero Texas Open, that left the Masters as the next tournament on the schedule. On Friday, Augusta National announced it would postpone the Masters until “some later date,� according to club chairman Fred Ridley. That leaves the next event on the schedule as the RBC Heritage starting the week of April 12, followed by the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and its unique team-event format. Given how fluid things are unfolding, the TOUR will continue to monitor the situation, work with necessary health and local officials, and adjust if necessary. “We need to continue to understand what’s happening on the ground in the markets where we would be returning to play, continue to work with our partners in those markets, continue to understand what’s happening with the CDC and the World Health Organization, and then ultimately that will guide our decision. We’re going to make sure that we protect the safety and well-being of all of our constituents as we make that decision.� HAVE ANY PLAYERS, CADDIES OR STAFFERS TESTED OR CONTRACTED THE VIRUS? No, said Monahan, who noted that the PGA TOUR has a business unit specifically focusing on the issue. “Right now there aren’t enough tests out there,� Monahan said. “And so the responsible things to do is to make certain that the tests are being used appropriately, and if we wanted to test everybody out here … we might be taking away from that. … “If anybody in our ecosystem – our players, our employees – anybody is feeling like they’re in any way compromised, we’d certainly recommend and help them do anything we can to help them get tested. But right now, that’s certainly not the case.� WILL THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP BE RESCHEDULED? Said Monahan: “It’s not a possibility. As you look into the rest of the season, tournaments in every market are well on their way towards playing their events, to fundraising. You’ve got charities just like we have here that are counting on those events. … We’re going to continue to go forward with the schedule that we’ve outlined and hopefully we can get back and play as soon as possible.� WILL THE FIELD RECEIVE PRIZE MONEY? Yes. PGA TOUR regulations stipulate that “if you complete one round of a championship, we pay 50% of the purse,� said Monahan. Although four players had yet to complete the first round, the TOUR will pay the 50%, equally distributed among the players. That means a half purse of $7.5 million for 144 players, or $52,083.33 per player. The earnings will be considered unofficial. Per rule, any player withdrawing prior to teeing off is not considered part of the field and will not be paid. WILL STATISTICS FROM THURSDAY’S FIRST ROUND BE COUNTED? No. All results will be wiped out of the record books and from players’ statistics. For instance, Hideki Matsuyama will not be credited with a course-record tying 63. THE NEXT MONTH. Even though there are no TOUR events to attend or follow, Monahan hopes that fans who play the sport will continue to be active. “Golf is the greatest game on the planet,� Monahan said. “There are a lot of people that are in this business, in this industry that make their living through this game, and I hope that everybody as they go through this uncertain time gets an opportunity to get out, play golf, be outside, support their PGA of America profession, support this game, be inspired by this game. “Of course, everybody needs to think about what’s happening in their local marketplace, but I want to make sure that not only are we inspiring the communities where we play, but hopefully people are inspired to continue to use this game to get through a challenging time, and that’s what we’re going to encourage people to do.� For more on the coronavirus disease, please visit the Center for Disease Control’s information page.

Click here to read the full article…