California to list glyphosate as cancer-causing; Monsanto vows fight

FedExCup Playoff spots go on the line this week at the Wyndham Championship and if you want success at Sedgefield Country Club you better be ready to go low. The ability to make birdies in bunches is critical when you look at the statistical history of the event and this new column, splintered off from Horses For Courses, will focus on the key statistics to success and the players who have them in their locker to compete and win this week The Par-70 of Sedgefield Country Club plays only 7,131 yards and has historically produced a shootout. Let’s take a look at what we know and who is likely to contend. Five Key Statistics Only players listed are competing this week; click stat headline for a full list of players. Rounds in the 60s Last season was the first in SIX YEARS that the tournament scoring record wasn’t tied or under threat with the winner posting 21 or 22 under from 2016-2020 but there’s still no time to figure it out. Even though last year’s winning total was only 15-under, 34 players still managed to post 10-under or lower. The worst total of players posting 10-under or lower is 2017 when the number was just 27. The halcyon days of 2019 saw 47 players hit that mark for the week. Strokes Gained: Approach the Green Defending champion Kevin Kisner (12th) was the first champ since Davis Love III in 2015 (12th) to not finish in the top 10 of this key stat. In fact all winners during this time frame came in fourth or better. I’ll point out that the other five guys in the playoff last year ranked second, third, fifth, 10th and 26th. More rules than exceptions! Par-5 Scoring Not picking on last year’s champ but Kisner is the only winner to not finish in the top 10 in this category. He was T11! The point stands as the Par-5 holes here are some of the easiest on TOUR and must be attacked and taken advantage of over four rounds to push that 20-under magical mark for contention. Putting: Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage Probably should have stuck this right underneath Strokes Gained: Approach the Green! I’m not breaking any news here that the key to contending and winning a shootout is to hit as many GIR as possible and hole as many putts for birdie as allowed. Recent winners all hover in and around the top 12 with the exception of J.T. Poston. He decided to lead the field in GIR so expecting him to hole everything is a bit silly. But he didn’t make a bogey all week so the putter was still pretty effective! Interestingly Keith Mitchell comes up in three of the four traditional stats categories as a leader this season. He is at +5000 with BetMGM to win the tournament, +1000 for a Top 5, +450 for a Top 10 and +200 for a Top 20. Russell Henley and Harold Varner III also find their place highlighted more than once… Henley is +2200 to win while Varner III is +4000. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. For live odds, visit BetMGM. The Bubble Boys One statistic not rooted as much in the golf clubs themselves is the trend of players making their way into the FedExCup Playoffs at the expense of others in a last-ditch push. The excitement of watching the points shuffle shot by shot is great for television but not so much for organizing lineups, fantasy and gaming. Since the points structure changed in 2009, an average of over 2.5 players per year have entered the final week of the FedExCup Regular Season outside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings and gone on to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs. Three players did so last year. This is what we know. What we don’t know is who is or isn’t going to move into the top 125 this season. The last chance saloon applies to all in the field but below are the players on the outside of the FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List and the minimum finish they need at Wyndham for a chance to move through. Which two / three players would you bank on? If you like Max McGreevy for example, currently one spot outside the mark, you can get +550 from BetMGM for a Top-40 this week. McGreevy enters Wyndham knowing he needs to be inside the top 46 at the bare minimum to have a chance to advance. Others: Top-seven finish: Garrick Higgo, Brice Garnett, Henrik Norlander Top-six finish: Jonathan Byrd Top-five finish: Austin Cook Top-four finish: Charley Hoffman, Ben Martin, Bill Haas, Andrew Landry, Ryan Armour, Satoshi Kodaira Top-three finish: Dylan Wu, Chase Seiffert, Paul Barjon, Cameron Percy, Luke Donald, Sung Kang, Joseph Bramlett, Scott Gutschewski, Seth Reeves, Roger Sloan, William McGirt, Vaughn Taylor, Ben Kohles, Kevin Chappell, Curtis Thompson, Camilo Villegas, Jim Knous Top-two finish: Richy Werenski, Brandon Hagy, Tommy Gainey, Scott Brown, Aaron Baddeley, David Skinns, Harris English, Ryan Moore, Brian Gay, Wesley Bryan, Bo Hoag, David Lingmerth, Robert Garrigus, Jared Wolfe, Dawie van der Walt, Jim Herman, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Bo Van Pelt, Jason Dufner, Joshua Creel, Chris Stroud, Ricky Barnes, Brett Drewitt Win: Davis Love III

Click here to read the full article…

ERIN, Wis. – Xander Schauffele’s name may be featured prominently on the large white leaderboards at Erin Hills, but that doesn’t mean everyone on the property recognizes the PGA TOUR rookie who’s contending at the U.S. Open. “I’ll sign some autographs and kids will be like, ‘Dad, who is that?’â€� Schauffele said. “That’s just how it is. … Schauffele is a pretty weird name to remember.â€� More people are becoming familiar with the German surname that translate to “tiny shovel,â€� a testament to his family’s centuries-long lineage in the construction business. Schauffele held the lead for parts of Friday morning before finishing at 5-under 139 (66-73). Erin Hills’ wide, fescue-lined fairways and bent-grass greens remind the 23-year-old of one of his home courses in college, Barona Creek, where he won a tournament during his senior year. And the same strong ballstriking and mental fortitude that has helped him make a quick progression through pro golf’s meritocracy is paying off in this notoriously tough tournament. “That’s been engraved in him forever, to be tough,â€� said his caddie and former college teammate, Austin Kaiser. “His attitude is huge. … He doesn’t want it to be sugar-coated.â€� His father, Stefan, has tried to imbue such fortitude in his son from a young age. Stefan, whose German roots give him a strong preference for honesty over flattery, is his son’s only swing coach. Now he’s watching the fruits of their labor in this major championship that always concludes on Father’s Day. Stefan started his son in the game at age 9, when he was strong enough to carry his junior bag for 18 holes. Xander wasn’t allowed to use tees in those early junior tournaments on par-3 courses, knowing that the temporary disadvantage would pay off later. It has this week, at the tournament that puts such a heavy emphasis on accurate ballstriking. We may have seen a record number of sub-par scores in the first round, but this U.S. Open is not a warm and cuddly championship. The struggles of several of the game’s stars show that Erin Hills is no pushover for those who are errant off the tee. Schauffele has averaged 314.8 yards off the tee this week, while hitting 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in each of the first two rounds. He’s learned how to handle pressure from his father, who passed along the breathing and concentration techniques he learned from his own athletic days. Stefan played semipro soccer in Germany and was en route to a training session for Germany’s national decathlon team when he was hit head-on by a drunk driver. He was in and out of the hospital for two years because of multiple surgeries on his left eye, which he lost sight in. The accident convinced him to take a risk and move to the United States when he was 23. He landed in San Diego and lived next to a golf course. With his physical activity limited because of the accident, he decided to take up the game. His first instructor, A.J. Bonar, related the golf swing to the sports like discus that Stefan was familiar with. He was scratch within two years. Xander has had a rapid rise in pro golf. He aced the grueling examinations that young pros face, Q-School and the Web.com Tour Finals, on his first try. After turning pro in 2015, the San Diego State alum needed just one season on the Web.com Tour to earn his card. Now Schauffele, who ranks 135th in the FedExCup, is playing well in his first major championship. “He just keeps improving every year,â€� said Ryan Ressa, who recruited him to Long Beach State, where Schauffele played his freshman season before transferring to San Diego State. “He always seemed to have a knack for (playing well) when he needed to.â€� For proof, Ressa refers to a 2-under round during a windy final day at the 2015 Web.com Tour Q-School that allowed Schauffele to earn his card on the number. Then he finished T9 in the final tournament of last year’s Web.com Tour season to earn his TOUR card for this season. And now he’s excelling in his first U.S. Open.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…