College golf’s top player, John Pak, signs with TaylorMade

LAS VEGAS – Kamaiu Johnson, whose journey against adversity amidst mutliple PGA TOUR sponsor exemptions captivated golf fans this winter, shot a final-round 70 to overcome a top-tier field and capture the APGA Tour Las Vegas tournament Tuesday at TPC Las Vegas. The 28 year-old from Tallahassee, Florida, started the day in a three-way tie for first place and managed his way at even par around the 7,081-yard, par-71 TPC layout until carding a birdie three on the 14th hole to eke out the one-stroke victory over Nyasha Mauchaza of Port St. Lucie, Florida, with a two-day total of 138. The players navigated winds estimated at 25 mph in pursuit of the title as the APGA Tour made its debut at the prestigious PGA TOUR-owned course. Tommy Schaff of Ridgeland, South Carolina, was another stroke back at 140 after his three-under 68 with Marcus Manley of Kissimmee, Florida, and Rovonta Young of Huntsville, Alabama, tied for third at 141. In fourth place were APGA Tour stalwarts Willie Mack and Landon Lyons at 142. Young and Lyons have APGA Tour victories this year and longtime APGA Tour star Mack played as a sponsor exemption in two PGA TOUR events this winter. Johnson was selected for a sponsor exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January but his dream was shattered when he contracted COVID-19 and had to withdraw. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Honda Classic responded with exemption invitations later that week and Johnson was able to compete on the big stage in those events. International media picked up on the narrative of dream shattered and revived, introducing Johnson to golf fans around the world. He sank a 15-footer for the birdie at 14 and then knocked in an eight-footer at 18 to avoid a playoff with Maukaza and pocket the $7,500 top prize out of the $25,000 purse. “The whole experience of playing at the PGA TOUR level has been a great process,” said Johnson, who dealt with 40 mph winds in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Emerald City Classic last month. “I went back to all those events and relied on what I learned. It all has made me believe in myself and it helped me today.” The APGA Tour title is his first since winning the APGA Tour Championship tournament last September, leading to his sponsor exemption adventures. Johnson and the full field of the APGA Tour’s top players will now travel to Arizona next week for APGA Tour Scottsdale April 18-20 at TPC Scottsdale. The APGA Tour then travels to PGA of America-owned Valhalla Country Club for APGA Tour Louisville in May before playing two more PGA Tour-owned prestige venues, TPC New Orleans and TPC Deere Run (Silvis, Illinois) in June and July. The 59-player field included Alfonso Ribeiro, the TV personality and host of America’s Funniest Home Videos, who supports the APGA Tour’s mission of bringing greater diversity to the sport of golf. Ribeiro is a top-notch celebrity golfer and he represents the PGA TOUR as a Brand Ambassador for the PGA TOUR Champions circuit. The tournament was conducted under social-distancing and health/safety guidelines in conjunction with regional authorities.

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PGA TOUR officials plan to continue play at THE NORTHERN TRUST on Saturday at Liberty National in New Jersey but they are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Henri in relation to Sunday’s scheduled final round. With the National Hurricane Center issuing a hurricane watch for the Northeast United States on Friday morning, TOUR officials will have contingency plans in place for the completion of the opening FedExCup Playoff event. “Strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Henri is expected to become a hurricane by Saturday and be at or near hurricane strength when it makes landfall in southern New England,” the NHC said in a statement. The TOUR said a Monday finish is an option with the current forecasts. “We are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Henri and its potential impacts on THE NORTHERN TRUST. There is no impact from the storm on Saturday’s forecast, and therefore play will be as scheduled in twosomes from the 1st tee with a 6 p.m. scheduled local finish time,” the PGA TOUR said via statement. “We will evaluate the track of Henri throughout the day tomorrow and expect to issue the plan and schedule for the final round by late afternoon Saturday. Henri is not currently predicted to have any effect on the forecast for Monday. Depending on the forecasted track of the storm, it is possible that the final round may be rescheduled for Monday.”

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Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the Travelers Championship that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. TPC River Highlands hosted since 1991 and measures 6,841 yards (Par-70). Wonderful Watson Bubba Watson overcame a six-shot deficit as he posted 17-under-par 263 to win the Travelers Championship for the third time in nine years. This was his second come-from-behind victory at the event when trailing by six shots. The left-hander’s final round of 63 put the pressure on the leaders and in the end his margin of victory was a comfortable three shots. He becomes the first player to win three times on TOUR this season and the first player to win this event three times since Billy Casper in 1968. The regret is palpable from gamers who passed on Watson this week based on his current form (raises hand). With nothing to lose on a course he already painted for 63 earlier in the week he let it fly heading out in 33. His inward 30 saw him match his low round of the week (63) and it dropped the hammer on the guys still on the course. The exclamation point was his wedge to less than three feet on the final hole for his eighth and final birdie of the day and the clubhouse lead on 17 under. There wasn’t any surprise to the formula he used as he didn’t hit many fairways (T70) but still found plenty of GIR (T7). He measured T22 or better in every strokes-gained category but the key was he was fifth-best in putts per GIR. After opening level par he played the final 54 holes in 17 under with only four bogeys (no others). The mystery of Watson shouldn’t exist anymore for gamers. When he’s in the mood, and boy has he been this season, there are a handful of tracks where he is no-brainer, green-light special. He’s won on two of them (Riviera and TPC River Highlands) this year and added a “new” title with World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. Gamers aren’t out of luck yet as he’s gone close at Glen Abbey (if he plays) and Firestone South so there may be time to right the ship and get one more. Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO: It’s been tough sledding for gamers who leaned on Berger at the last two TPC stops where he’s had immense successes. I guess the “up” side is that he did outscore Casey in the final round but that’s hardly a consolation. Pain or Gain These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: It was a brutal Sunday two ways for Casey’s investors. He had the largest 54-hole lead at TPC River Highlands in history and his share of second was chopped four ways. If fantasy golf was played in a vacuum it would have been, on paper, a great week. Instead it was probably a disappointment. N-Cink Stewart Cink matched the round of the week with 62 and picked up his first podium since 2009. The course historians were rewarded again as the two-time champ felt right at home Sunday circling a magnificent 10 birdies against two bogeys. To say the disappointment of his 72 in the final round in Memphis (T4) was squashed is probably underplaying it. He’s as hot as the Georgia summer and is 22 under in his last eight rounds. Next in Line I’ve been asked multiple times who I believed to be this year’s Xander Schauffele and the retort I’ve given is Beau Hossler. Although he hasn’t won yet he’s been a consistent force. This week he picked up his 10th-consecutive paycheck and his second runner-up finish of the season. At No. 36 in the FEC standings a trip to Atlanta isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. No Memphis Blues Similarly to Cink, J.B. Holmes was looking to build on his excellent week in Memphis but a missed six-footer for par on the last saw him share second instead of claiming it himself. He won’t be upset with back-to-back podium finishes on TOUR but I bet the putting green will get a work out starting next week. His last 13 rounds on TOUR are in the red and so are 15 of the last 16. He demands a detailed look next week at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farms. Life of Brian The “other” left-hander on the weekend that was trying to make noise was 36-hole leader Brian Harman. He posted rounds of 69-68 but dropped all the way to T6 when the dust settled. After two years of deflated scoring, TPC River Highlands was back to its original giving self this year but Harman couldn’t get it over the finish line. He quietly goes about his business and his top-10 payday is his eighth of the season, tying Dustin Johnson for the most on TOUR. Sunday Silence There were only three scores on Sunday worse than Paul Casey’s 72 with only five players accumulating 73 or worse. His worst finish when making seven of his last eight cuts is T17 so I’m not going anywhere. … Russell Henley (T6) was in charge of putting the pressure on his playing partner in the final pairing but his 69 was also left in the dust by the peloton. He squared only two bogeys and nothing worse for the week so it’s obvious he likes it here. He’s 22 under in two trips with a 67.25 scoring average. … Anirban Lahiri is still trying to become the first Indian to win on TOUR and that can’t be easy with a couple of billion people weighing on his shoulders. His 69 dropped him from T6 to T9 but he cashes his first top 10 since November and is comfortably inside the top 100 in the FEC standings at No. 89. Study Hall Round 1 scored 69.776 (-0.224) while Round 2 crept just higher at 69.994 (-0.006). Saturday’s excellent scoring conditions were realized as the field averaged 69.108 (-0.892) but the field went even lower on Sunday. Even with the course tipped out past the scorecard total of 6,841 at 6,868 the final round produced the lowest aggregate of the week at 68.865 (-1.135). … Interestingly there were only two bogey-free rounds as Sam Ryder (64) and Adam Hadwin (66) will take their momentum forward. Neither cashed in the top 25. … Matthew Fitzpatrick accepted STM this week and will have unlimited exemptions for the rest of the TOUR season. He’s currently ranked No. 39 in the world. Remember, he’s only eligible for the FEC Playoffs if he wins a TOUR event before they begin. … Brooks Koepka was looking to join Ernie Els (1997) as the last player to win the U.S. Open and win the following week. Koepka, who is clearly not human, signed for 65 in the final round to move up 19 spots to T19. … Phil Mickelson is the last player to defend at TPC River Highlands as Jordan Spieth’s 63 on Thursday never kept any momentum. He cashed T42 in his defense.

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