Burns stuns buddy Scheffler in Colonial playoff

The final round of the U.S. Open was anything but boring. As it unfolded, it was hard to imagine what might happen next.

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It’s the annual exhale following the Masters, but this year’s RBC Heritage presents its own hype. The tournament is celebrating its 50th edition this week. Thirty-three who competed at Augusta National Golf Club — three of whom recorded a top 10 and another six a top 25 — made the short trip to Harbour Town Golf Links along the Calibogue Sound that helps frame Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. For details on how the Pete Dye design should test the 132-man field, scroll beneath the ranking. POWER RANKINGS: RBC HERITAGE COMMENT PLAYER RANK The native of nearby Savannah, Georgia, recorded top 10s here in 2014 and 2017. Since last year’s T9, he’s added 11 top10s. He’s got no weaknesses as he’s dangerous throughout his bag. The recent runner-up at the Match Play lost in a playoff at Harbour Town in 2015. He also finished T11 last year after sitting T3 through 54 holes, and is eighth on TOUR in strokes gained: putting. It’s comical how well he’s performed at Harbour Town and still remains in pursuit of his first victory. Since 2009, he’s 9-for-9 with five seconds (one playoff loss), two thirds and a T15. His first appearance since 2009 allows him to test a newly refined approach game on a course where he can holster the driver. The world’s top-ranked talent leads TOUR in adjusted scoring. Perfect in all 14 appearances since 2004, he’s logged five top 10s, including the 2014 title. He’s no worse than T11 in the last four editions. Top 10s most recently in Austin and Houston. It’s remarkable how he’s adapted with his putter. He’s currently 10th on TOUR in strokes gained: putting and seventh in scrambling. A playoff victim here in 2013 and 7-for-7 since 2010. So much for the expectation to slide after Valspar win. He was eliminated from Match Play in pool-play playoff; T15 at Masters. Spot starts at Harbour Town include three top 25s from 2009-2014. He continues to impress on the biggest stages. Chased a T5 at the Match Play and the same at the Masters. He now has 11 top 20s in his last 14 starts worldwide. T15 here in 2015. He made it 5-for-5 at the Masters with a T12 punctuated by an ace at the par-3 16th on Sunday. He’s got top 20s in three of last five starts, and has a trio of top 15s at Harbour Town in eight visits. He’s 4-for-4 with no worse than a T18 at Harbour Town since 2014. Co-runner-up in 2016. Three top 20s in 2018. Inside the top 30 in both greens in regulation and proximity to the hole. Only has one top 25 (T9, 2013) in eight appearances, but is now a threat everywhere he commits. Four top 10s in 2018, including a solo ninth at the Masters where he was T4 in scrambling. He’s quietly crafting a solid season with six top 25s, including in each of his last five starts. Elevated ball-striking has yielded consistency, and top-shelf putting vaults him onto leaderboards. Failing to put four rounds together is shrouding his slots in GIR (46th), proximity (5th), scrambling (27th) and adjusted scoring (18th). The 2012 runner-up is 9-for-12 at Harbour Town. He finished T44 at the Masters as the last qualifier. The sometimer at Harbour Town posted top 20s in 2015 and 2017, and now has renewed confidence with his putter to match strong ball-striking. He’s comfortable at Harbour Town with three top 10s since 2014 and a scoring average of 69.44 in his last 16 rounds. His up-and-down 2017-18 features a T16 at the Valspar a month ago. Kevin Chappell, Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker and Luke List will be among the notables covered in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. Harbour Town is a third-shot track if there ever was one. The notion that greens averaging just 3,700 square feet demand precision on approach ignores the ease of salvaging par on a course where par has value. In benign conditions last year, the field averaged 70.676 on the par 36-35=71 measuring 7,099 yards. So, there’s no reason to panic after failing to find targets from the sky. Although the 2017 field averaged a little better than 11 greens in regulation per round, when it needed to scramble for par, it did so successfully nearly two-thirds of the time. En route to his breakthrough victory, Wesley Bryan authored a classic case for the opportunity that doesn’t discriminate against the extremes. Despite slotting just T55 in fairways hit and T66 in GIR, he carded four rounds in the 60s. He ranked seventh in proximity to the hole and led the field in scrambling. We should witness a mixed bag of (front-loaded) scoring this week. Primarily cooperative conditions are forecast through Saturday, albeit with intensifying winds of 10-15 mph by the third round. Come Sunday, the elevated risk of rain and storms will be accompanied by sustained winds flirting with and likely exceeding 20 mph. Therefore, experience, low ball flight and patience should connect the contenders for the tartan jacket. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton covers numerous angles in between tournaments. Look for his following contributions this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Facebook Live, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done THURSDAY: Expert Picks for PGA TOUR 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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Xander Schauffele has been sheltering in place in his apartment in San Diego with his girlfriend and their 5-month-old puppy. His brother, who lives eight minutes away, sometimes comes over to play Scrabble, Monopoly and Risk as they while away the time. Like so many other sidelined players, Schauffele is just trying to stay healthy and sane as the coronavirus pandemic rages across the globe. RELATED: Golf in these times: A series of reports from across the country “Haven’t really taken a deep dive in any card games yet,� Schauffele said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday. “… It’s been strange. I haven’t completely lost it, but speaking for myself I’ve lost a sense of purpose in terms of work.� Schauffele, 26, is a four-time PGA TOUR winner who was 12th in the FedExCup when the season was suspended. He came oh, so close to a successful title defense but lost a playoff at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (Justin Thomas), and was coming off a T24 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Now, though, he’s in the same boat as everyone else, waiting for the season to resume. He said he hasn’t touched a club since THE PLAYERS Championship was cancelled nearly three weeks ago. Sometimes he goes out on his balcony to look out at the bay, but venturing outside feels like “walking on eggshells.� He said authorities recently closed San Diego area parks to the public, and he didn’t want to tempt fate or step out of line. “I’m just trying to be a law-abiding citizen here and just do my part, I guess,� Schauffele said. He keeps a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer in his pocket, but has no masks. He sometimes hops on the cardio machine in his living room, and otherwise occupies himself with games, screens and the occasional news article. As it happens, he was already thinking about his health, having had a few more bouts with the flu than he’d like in recent years. He had blood work done at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, but now feels fine while hundreds of thousands worldwide battle the ravages of COVID-19. Schauffele has texted back and forth with Charley Hoffman, a fellow San Diegan who is Player Director on the PGA TOUR Policy Board, but otherwise hasn’t had much contact with his fellow pros. His parents, both in their 50s, are healthy. He’s healthy, too, as are his brother and girlfriend. “I have groceries here; I’m ready for the next two weeks,� he said. “Just waiting for news from the commissioner on how we’re going to adjust our schedule. “I could play in a TOUR event tomorrow,� he continued. “That’s just how I think, though, and what I believe. I feel like I can pick my clubs up and play whenever.�

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