Collin Morikawa builds two-shot lead at Sentry Tournament of Champions

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Elton John is on a farewell tour in 2019. So is rocker Bob Seger. And don’t forget golfer Kenny Perry. He may not be selling t-shirts to tournament attendees, but he is the midst of one last go-around, too.  Perry, 58, firmly established as a force on the Champions Tour (where he has won 10 times, including the 2017 U.S. Senior Open), decided to use his career top-50 earnings exemption this season to go back and compete at some of his favorite PGA TOUR spots. Innisbrook’s Copperhead is one of those tracks he loves, with Perry having played here 10 times since 2000. Friday, he was inside the cutline at the Valspar Championship with two holes to play before a double-bogey at the par-3 eighth (his 17th) would send him home early once again.  For those keeping track, that’s five starts and no made cuts this season for Perry, who a decade ago on the PGA TOUR still was a cash machine.  You know what? He may be 0-for-5, but Perry nonetheless is managing to enjoy himself.  When Jim Furyk, soon to be 49, talked earlier this week about staying competitive on the regular tour beyond his 50th birthday, he pointed to Perry, with a heaping of respect and a dash of amazement. “When I think back,� Furyk said, “Kenny Perry was a stud at 48, 49. He was playing on Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teams and not only playing on those teams, he was one of our best players on those teams.� But Perry said Friday at Valspar that competing against the young guns on lengthy PGA TOUR layouts – Innisbrook’s Copperhead this week is a par 71 measuring 7,340 yards – is something he doesn’t possess the firepower to do any longer.  “My results tell me that I can’t play out here,� Perry, a 14-time winner who has made 648 PGA TOUR starts and has more than $32 million in career earnings, said after a second-round 72 left him at 3-over 145. “I don’t hit it far enough and I don’t spin the ball enough. I mean, I’m playing with Louis Oosthuizen, and his ball is spinning and dancing all over the place out there.� When Perry won the U.S. Senior Open two years ago, he talked about struggling to find the motivation needed to get him playing good golf again. Asked if competing against the best players in the world was motivating him, he said, “Honestly, it probably works the other way for me. It just tells me that I can’t play out here. That’s OK. I love being out here, and love watching friends of mine like Scott Stallings and Justin Thomas compete. I’ve almost become a fan. I’m 58, and I still love to compete.� Perry will return to the Champions Tour next week when it visits Biloxi, Miss., but he’ll soon be back for more action on the PGA TOUR. He wants to play Colonial, where he’s won, and Memorial, where he’s won, and possibly Hilton Head.  “I’m definitely playing the 3M, too,� he said, referencing the first-year PGA TOUR event in Minneapolis at TPC Twin Cities, which has undergone some significant changes to better challenge PGA TOUR professionals. “I’ve won that event three times on the Champions Tour – though it won’t on the same golf course.�

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Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the Quicken Loans National that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm hosts for the second time and measures 7,107 yards (Par-70). Italian Stallion Italy’s Francesco Molinari posted 21-under-par 259 to cruise to his first victory on the PGA TOUR. His final round 62 lapped second-place finisher Ryan Armour by eight shots and third-place finisher Sung Kang by nine. Tiger Woods and playing partner Abraham Ancer shared fourth 10 shots back. On a day of sweltering heat and humidity Molinari turned in 33 and had a three-shot lead. He ruined any hopes or dreams of those chasing as he began the back with a 48-foot eagle putt and then piled on four consecutive birdies after that. The only thing Molinari “struggled” with on Sunday was setting the course record. His miss from just inside eight feet would have put the cherry on top of the sundae Sunday but I doubt he’s too bothered. He torched TPC Potomac as he led (or tied) the field in the following categories:  SG: tee to green  SG: approach the green  Scrambling  GIR  Par-4 scoring  T-1 birdies (Woods)  T-1 birdie or better percentage (Ryan Palmer)  Bogey avoidance  T- course record  Tournament Record Molinari said it was a tough decision to skip the French Open this week but there are $1.278 million reasons why that pain won’t last. He also grabbed 500 FedExCup points and now is No. 42 on that list. Every since he MC at THE PLAYERS, as my O&D nonetheless, he’s rattled off a win, second, T25 plus this victory. There’s not a hotter player on the planet! Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. The winning score last year was seven-under set by Stanley and Howell. Hitting that number this time around didn’t get into the top 10! TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm was hot but the winds never materialized and the course remained receptive to solid shots all week. Gamers with players in the top eight above should have done well! PAIN OR GAIN These were the top-10 selected golfers (plus one) in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: I’d have to scroll through the archives but I don’t remember, off the top of my head, the most or second-most selected player in this format winning. Molinari adds this to his list of firsts as well and his investors thank him! Farmer Ryan Gamers are always looking for trends and the next one for Ryan Armour is to play him regardless if the event has “Farm(s)” in the event title or course. His win at Sanderson Farms last fall was his first on TOUR and his solo second this week at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm is his second-best finish on TOUR. Too bad Conway Farms isn’t on the schedule this year! His worst round in his last 20 rounds is 72 once. I can dig it. Kang Kong Some guys have that one course where they just can’t do anything wrong. For Sung Kang it is TPC Potomac as he graced the top five for the second year running after birdies on three of his last five including the last two. How he arrived at solo third was impressive as he spotted par two strokes and began Round 2 T89 before playing the final three rounds in 14-under. He also was T6 when this was a Web.com event in 2013. Simmering Tiger Woods has picked up both of his best finishes in 2018 on courses he’s never played or not recently played as he was T2 at Innisbrook and T4 this week after co-leading the field in birdies with 21. That’s shocking to me as he’s made a ton of money at a handful of courses over the years. One of those tracks is Firestone South, site of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Gamers that are “saving” him for early August need to be aware that he’ll need a big finish at Carnoustie as, according to the broadcast, he’s not adding any events before or after. Maybe he should! Usual Suspects The curious case of Beau Hossler continues as he doubled No. 16 on Sunday to drop from T3 to T6. Can you imagine when he puts it all together? He’s leading the TOUR in birdies and cashing big checks for fun. … Brian Gay (T8) picked up No. 4 top-10 payday of the year and his 10th top-25 accolade. … Another week, another top 25 for Stewart Cink (T23) as he runs his streak to three events on the bounce. … Sunday Silence Abraham Ancer had a front-row seat with Molinari in the final group after his course-record tying, bogey-free 62 on Saturday. He shot 72 and didn’t make a birdie but posts his best-ever payday on TOUR. … Zac Blair was looking for his first top-10 finish since the Houston Open last spring as he began the day two shots behind the leaders. He posted a pair of hockey sticks and dropped to T27. … Kevin Streelman did the difficult work on Saturday as he backed up his Friday 62 with 67. The mojo ran out on Sunday as he only beat Blair by a shot and dropped from sixth to T32. … Kyle Stanley began the round T16 and gave the defending champion hopefuls hope but his 73 slashed his earnings to T32. Study Hall The course FINALLY played over-par in the final round but just barely at 70.041. It was the only round in the black and the average for the week checked in at 69.877, just a little easier than 71.369 average from last year. … There were only eight bogey-free rounds last year and that number, like the scoring, skyrocketed this year to 20 and included Molinari, Kang and Doc Redman on Sunday. … The best four players not already qualified who finished inside the top 12 qualified for The Open Championship. Gamers can add Armour, Kang, Ancer and Bronson Burgoon to their list of options for Carnoustie. Burgoon needed to make a birdie at the last to complete the quartet and he stuck it to four feet. Proper finish. … Across the pond Russell Knox (T2), Julian Suri (T2) and Marcus Kinhult (T5) also punched their tickets to The Open Championship. Alex Noren won the French Open while Jon Rahm (T5), Sergio Garcia (T8) and Justin Thomas (T8) cashed top-10 checks.

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Nineteen-year-old Joaquin Niemann lead Thursday’s morning wave with a 7-under 63, with other young names like Austin Cook and Xander Schauffele close behind at 4 under.  Returning this weekend, Featured Groups coverage will also be available on Facebook Watch on Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. ET (U.S. only). Featured Holes on Facebook Watch will begin at 1 p.m. ET and is available in all markets. You can find Facebook Watch coverage at facebook.com/pgatourlive. Here’s everything you need to know for round 2: Round 2 leaderboard Round 2 tee times HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN (ALL TIMES ET) FACEBOOK WATCH: (Saturday, Sunday) 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. PGA TOUR LIVE: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. TELEVISION: 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (CBS)  RADIO: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (PGA TOUR RADIO on Sirius XM or at PGATOUR.COM) NOTABLE GROUPINGS 7:40 a.m.: Webb Simpson, Brian Harman, Tony Finau 7:50 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Kevin Kisner, Brandt Snedeker 12:40 p.m.: Aaron Wise, Austin Cook, Xander Schauffele 12:50 p.m.: Bubba Watson, Ted Potter Jr., Patton Kizzire MUST-READS New name, new focus at The Greenbrier

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