Colonial now called Fort Worth Invitational

LEXINGTON, Kent. – Turns out, the entry in his online bio is a little dated. Wes Roach actually has been to New York City. Once. But he’d love to make a return trip — particularly if it meant playing in the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs. And if he keeps playing the way he did on Thursday in the opening round of the Barbasol Championship, the former Duke standout just might be making his Playoffs debut. Roach fired a bogey-free 64 with matching nines of 32 at the Champions Course at Keene Trace Golf Club to finish two strokes off the lead held by J.T. Poston. He hit 11 of 14 fairways, all but two greens in regulation and ranked third in Strokes Gained: Total. “I played solid,â€� Roach acknowledged. “Hit a lot of fairways, gave myself some good opportunities with some wedges and short irons, and was able to hit some quality shots, and putted nice.  So yeah, everything was pretty good today.â€� Actually, Roach has been playing well for the last six weeks or so. In his last five starts, he’s finished 11th or better three times – shooting four rounds in the 60s each time. “Yeah, I’m starting to play a little better,â€� Roach said. “Been working awfully hard.  The first part of the year was a little bit tough, but had to keep grinding away.  You know, still a lot of work to do, a lot of golf to play, but I’m happy with the start.â€� Roach, who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, is pleased to see the work he’s done with his swing coach, Brad Rose, pay dividends. He’s also been working on his fitness with Randy Myers since the beginning of March – which could come into play with heat indexes in triple digits expected the next three days. “My body’s moving pretty good, warms up pretty good with the heat,â€� Roach said. “I like playing in the heat.  I’m not too afraid of that at all.â€� The payoff could be job security for the 2019-20 season, should he solidify his spot in the top 125 in the FedExCup. He came to Kentucky ranked No. 124 with this tournament and two others remaining in the regular season. Oh, and a second trip to New York City, this time to to play in THE NORTHERN TRUST at Liberty National.  “I’m happy, but there’s a lot of golf left,â€� Roach said. “I’m very happy with the performance today, but can’t be satisfied, I guess.  There’s still a long ways to go.â€�

Click here to read the full article…

Happy New Year! As the date above shows, it’s literally the first day of the year, so you know that the greeting is genuine. Beginning at some time later this week, we can debate (and disagree) when the message jumps the shark, but if the PGA TOUR in 2018 provides even a fraction of what we witnessed last year, we’ll be happy all year. The season resumes with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course on Maui. He’s gone 2nd-Win-T3 and has averaged 67.67 in those 12 rounds since debuting here in 2014. Arrives having recorded six straight top 10s, the last a T3 at the Hero World Challenge. Beginning a fortnight of title defenses in Hawaii. Ranked third in proximity and fourth in strokes gained: putting here last year. Gutted out victory in South Korea in October. Concluded 2017 with a solo second at Mayakoba and a victory at the Hero. T6 (2013) and solo fifth (2016) in previous two appearance at Kapalua. Checks every box. Since 2013 title here, he’s logged four top 10s in as many trips and a scoring average of 69.00 in 15 rounds. Began the 2017-18 season with a disappointing T2 at the WGC-HSBC. When you insert a long-hitting ball-striker into the spaciousness of Kapalua, you’d expect a T3 (2015), a solo second (2017) and a scoring average of 68.13 in eight rounds. Return trip, albeit five years since his debut (T23). Cannot overstate his confidence in the wind. Four top-four finishes in his last six starts worldwide capped a career year. Keeps on keepin’ on and giving no reason why he won’t continue his remarkable pace. Currently second in FedExCup points. Ended a six-year hiatus at Kapalua with a T3 last year. Third appearance and second consecutive after winning the Safeway. Ranked fifth in proximity en route to a T6 at Kapalua last year. Shared 13th place in his last start at the CIMB. Fits the profile (read more on this below) to prevail. Terrific putter in his second appearance. Already has two top fives and a solo eighth on the board this season. Sealed 2017 with victory at the DP World Tour Championship, his latest in a litany of impressive performances in tournament debuts. Maui’s trade winds are new to him this week. Opened 2017-18 with a T4 at The RSM Classic. Second in proximity and T3 in strokes gained: putting during a solo ninth in only previous Kapalua appearance in 2016. T14 in what was a sum-is-greater-than-parts showing as a debutant last year. Won’t mind another go at the Bermuda greens, but still needs to rely on his balanced attack. The first-timer already has a T3 at the CIMB Classic on his ledger this season and he placed (a distant) T2 in his last start at the Dunlop Phoenix. Now 25th in the OWGR. Rested since breakthrough victory at the Shriners. Expect first-time lumps, but since resuming his career 11 months ago, he’s 15-for-15 with five top 10s and another five top 25s. A T3 here in 2016 is the best finish by any first-timer in the last two editions. Now recovering from a sore left wrist that has overshadowed a T2 and a win this fall. POWER RANKINGS: SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS   RANK PLAYER COMMENT With only 34 golfers in the field, there is no Sleepers this week. Instead, all remaining golfers will appear in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. It was announced in August that Sentry Insurance assumed title sponsorship of the winners-only Tournament of Champions through 2022. Of this year’s 37 qualifiers, only Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson have chosen not to compete. Fourteen of the 34 in the field are making their tournament debut, including Adam Hadwin of Canada, Jon Rahm of Spain and Cameron Smith of Australia. Not only is each attempting to become the first first-timer to prevail in 10 years (Daniel Chopra), but each would be ending the Americans’ streak of seven consecutive victories. If it doesn’t seem like that should matter in the context of an individual sport – you’re right, it really doesn’t outside of fact – consider that the previous nine editions were won by internationals. Sticking to another trend, with his three-stroke victory last year, Justin Thomas became the third straight winner in his second appearance, following Patrick Reed (2015) and Jordan Spieth (2016). There is a learning curve at Kapalua, but the youth of today are ruining it for the rest of the class, not that the formula for success is a mystery this week. With generous fairways, one of the largest and most receptive sets of greens on the schedule and an exclusive field comprised only of winners, the extremes baked into the challenge amplify the necessity to hit the ground sprinting. As you’d expect on a par 73 (with four par 5s but only three par 3s on a 7,452-yard layout) and with a field of this quality, Kapalua is three years running as the easiest course in relation to par. Last year’s average landed at 70.375. Connecting on approach or with the putter are prerequisites to contend, but the overlying objective is to knock it in tight what with the top of the leaderboard often eclipsing the field average of greens in regulation with easy targets. Bermudagrass surfaces are prepped to run at just 10 feet on the Stimpmeter, while the introduction of a fringe cut extending nearly two feet around the perimeter of every green figures to grab a handful of aggressive approaches. Textbook weather conditions are expected throughout the tournament. Moderate-to-gusty trade winds present the greatest test for the 14 newcomers, while sun-splashed vistas accompanying daytime highs in the upper 70s will remind most of us on the mainland why Hawaii is an even more popular destination at this time of year. ROB BOLTON’S WRITING SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Columnist Rob Bolton will be filing his usual staples leading up to this week’s event. Look for the following columns this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: 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.

Click here to read the full article…

FedEx is joining forces with Heart to Heart International to donate $100,000 towards their ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts. They'll do so this week by starting off the FedExCup Playoffs at THE NORTHERN TRUST with a birdie challenge between two PGA TOUR players. Justin Thomas - the 2017 FedExCup Champion, who enters this year's Playoffs ranked No. 1 in the FedExCup - and his close friend and fellow University of Alabama golf product, Bud Cauley (No. 80), will compete to donate the $100,000 to Heart to Heart International in their name. The player that makes the most birdies, or better, at the end of the tournament will ultimately win that right. "We are incredibly thankful for our relationship with FedEx and for this donation. Through this kind of generosity, we are better positioned to fight COVID-19 and work to stop the transmission of the virus," said Kim Carroll, CEO of Heart to Heart International. "That is why Heart to Heart International was founded, and we are so grateful to our supporters and partners for making it possible." "This birdie challenge at the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs is a great way to bring visibility to Heart to Heart International and provide them additional financial support," said Jenny Robertson, SVP of Integrated Marketing and Communications at FedEx. In support of the positive impact that FedEx and Heart to Heart International have on their communities, Thomas and Cauley will be wearing special shoes during THE NORTHERN TRUST that highlight the relief efforts of the two organizations. The shoes were designed by Roly Padron at Nomad Customs. "Nomad Customs does an unbelievable job, whether it's a simple or complex design," Thomas said. "I wore the shoes they did in Memphis, and I'm hoping these shoes will bring some more good vibes for an even better cause." The shoes have been designed in red and purple, for Heart to Heart International and FedEx, respectively, to both represent the partnership and FedEx Cares' global community engagement program. That relationship between FedEx and Heart to Heart International has been instrumental throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, the partners have helped to deliver a vast amount of PPE (personal protection equipment) to communities in need. Even further, the relationship, which started in 1995 between FedEx and Heart to Heart International, began so they could work together to respond to disasters around the world, delivering more than $2 billion worth of medicines and supplies to 131 countries. This collaboration strengthens communities through improving access to healthcare, providing humanitarian development and administering crisis relief worldwide. Based on identified need, Heart to Heart International delivers shipments of essential relief supplies and deploys experienced and self-sufficient teams of credentialed health care practitioners, disaster response personnel and logisticians to facilitate the provision of direct patient care. From the beginning of the pandemic, Heart to Heart International has relied on FedEx to ship masks from China over to their distribution center in Kansas. With the partnership, + International has been able to distribute more than 170,000 medical masks to healthcare workers in Kansas City. Other local areas in Kansas have also been helped with the distribution of these masks, along with a few towns in the neighboring state of Missouri. "FedEx is proud to work with Heart to Heart International year-round in support of their humanitarian relief efforts," Robertson said. "By making our powerful global logistics and distribution network available to them, we increase their capacity to serve people in need."

Click here to read the full article…