Confidence Factor: Fantasy advice for the Dell Technologies Championship

Official PGA TOUR Statement: John Mutch, Ken Tackett and Gary Young have reviewed the Rory McIlroy videos from No. 18 yesterday and determined that it was virtually the same situation that Patrick Reed faced on No. 10 during the third round. It was reasonable for both players to conclude – based on the fact that they did not see the ball land, but given the lie of the ball in soft course conditions – that they proceed as the Rule allows for an potential embedded ball. They marked, lifted and assessed the situation to determine if the ball was embedded. Patrick went one step further and called in a Rules Official to be sure his assessment would not be questioned (although this step is not required). Both players took proper relief under the Rule 16/3. The Committee is comfortable with how both players proceeded given the fact that they used the evidence they had at the time. RELATED: Reed's drop on 10 declared ‘textbook' by rules official

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PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – A trio of golfers lead at 6-under after the first round of the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship. Past TOUR winner Matt Jones, Joel Dahmen, and Paul Dunne all shot matching 66’s on a windy Thursday at Corales Golf Club. Jones, who won the 2014 Shell Houston Open in a playoff over Matt Kuchar, said his 6-under was “probably the worse scoreâ€� he could have shot. Teeing off early, the wind was down and the course was more scoreable than it was later in the day. That didn’t stop Dahmen and Dunne from posting solid numbers. Jones said his iron game and distance control were the keys to his success Thursday. The Australian finished T-28 here a year ago, and is in the midst of one of his more solid PGA TOUR seasons in recent memory. He’s made his last five cuts in a row, and has notched two T-13 finishes, tied for his best results of the season. The 38-year-old held off Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott to capture the Australian Open on his childhood course in 2015, and although he said he rarely thinks about that victory, the good memories are there if he needs them this week. “That’s a long time ago and I’ve got a lot of war wounds since then out here on this Tour,â€� he admitted. “But if I get in that position again with a chance to win, I’ll probably lean on that experience.â€� Dahmen, meanwhile, came into the week having made his last two cuts – after a run of four-straight misses – including a T-13 at THE PLAYERS Championship. He said his season has been “better than it looks on paper,â€� as his Thursday 66 was his best round since a matching 66 at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. “At THE PLAYERS I was close, just a couple bogeys on the back nine that really could have had me in the hunt there,â€� said Dahmen, whose usual caddie is at home with a week off before a busy stretch. “Leading up to the first round last week, my game’s close and hopefully we can keep it going through three more rounds.â€� The last time Dahmen held a piece of a first-round lead was at the 2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but he went on to finish T-48. He drained a 23-foot birdie try on the par-3 9th – his final hole of the day – to get to 6-under, and the 2014 Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Player of the Year said he wouldn’t be changing his approach for Friday. “I’m not a range rat as it is,â€� said Dahmen. “So we’re going to have a cold beer, put the feet up and just enjoy this place.â€� Rounding out the threesome at the top is Irishman Paul Dunne, who finished T-5 in Punta Cana in 2018 and managed to parlay that top-10 result into a T-8 at the Houston Open the following week. He also played The Open Championship and the PGA Championship last year, but this week marks his first start at a PGA TOUR event since last August. He’s played six European Tour events so far this year, finishing third at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth. “It’s been fairly average,â€� Dunne said of his year. “Things are starting to get better, I’m starting to get back in the swing of tournaments. “It’s nice to fill the gap there with a great event and hopefully I can make the most of it.â€� Dunne, who got a Sponsor Exemption this week, was 1-under through his first nine holes, but turned it on late. He played his second nine (the front) in 5-under. He said he was feeling some good vibes from last year early on. “I feel comfortable here,â€� said Dunne. “The couple of loose tee shots I normally hit in a round I can get away with here, so play to my strength a little bit. The breeze blowing for the week is nice, we’re used to that.â€� Sungjae Im, who has finished in the top-5 in two of his last three tournaments and is the top-ranked golfer in the FedExCup standings in the field this week, is one shot back of the leaders at 5-under. Sam Burns, who won on the Web.com Tour exactly a year ago this week, leads a group of six golfers at 4-under, rounding out the top-10.

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LA QUINTA, Calif. – The American Express announced its initial wave of player commitments toward its 2023 tournament includes a foursome in reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, Long Beach native and UCLA product Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau. Together, the four American teammates from September’s victorious Presidents Cup squad, are ranked among the top 12 golfers in the Official World Golf Ranking. Additionally, they will be joined at the 64th edition of The American Express by World No. 19 Sungjae Im – a two-time PGA TOUR winner, the PGA TOUR’s 2022 FedExCup Playoffs runner-up and the 2019 Arnold Palmer Award winner as the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year – and Idyllwild, Calif. native and Irvine, Calif. resident Brendan Steele, a three-time PGA TOUR winner and a 2005 graduate of UC Riverside. The American Express, featuring a record $8 million purse, will showcase 156 professional golfers and 156 amateurs playing at PGA WEST’s Stadium Course (host course) and Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, Calif. from Jan. 19-22, 2023. The American Express is the first PGA TOUR regular season event in the continental U.S. each year and kicks off the TOUR’s West Coast swing. “We are grateful and thrilled to announce such a high-profile group of players committing this early to play in The American Express tournament next month,” said Pat McCabe, Executive Director of The American Express. “Our field strength continues to grow stronger year after year. Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau have been loyal to our tournament, and welcoming Xander Schauffele back to the desert gives the tournament three of the world’s top six players. Sungjae Im showed his class in September’s FedExCup Playoffs and Presidents Cup while playing for the International Team. Brendan Steele is a hometown favorite as he may end up being the player who grew up closest to our event.” Daily ticket options for The American Express are now on sale at the tournament’s website, www.theamexgolf.com. American Express Card Members receive a 20% discount on any online ticket price (terms apply). World No. 2 Scheffler and World No. 4 Cantlay are the PGA TOUR’s past two Players of the Year. Scheffler will make his fourth consecutive start in The American Express, since graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour as its 2019 Player of the Year. It will be the third consecutive start for Cantlay, the PGA TOUR’s 2021 FedExCup champion who was The American Express’ 2021 runner-up and owns eight PGA TOUR wins. Scheffler, the PGA TOUR’s 2021-22 Player of the Year, won his first four PGA TOUR titles in a six-tournament stretch from February to April that led to his ascent to the world’s No. 1 ranking. The PGA TOUR’s 2020 Rookie of the Year also finished runner-up in four tournaments last season, including the U.S. Open and the TOUR Championship. Schauffele, a native of La Jolla, Calif. and a San Diego State product, is set to make his third start in The American Express, and his first start since 2017. The world’s No. 6-ranked player won three of his seven PGA TOUR titles last season. Finau, ranked No. 12 in the world and one of the sport’s longest hitters, has broken through as a frequent winner on the PGA TOUR, having claimed four of his five PGA TOUR titles over the past 16 months. This streak began with him winning THE NORTHERN TRUST during the 2021 FedExCup Playoffs. He will make his fourth consecutive, and sixth overall, appearance in The American Express. Annually, The American Express has become a leading entertainment staple, combining golf and music, in the Coachella Valley. The tournament earlier announced that its upcoming Concert Series, which returns for its sixth year (after debuting in 2017), will feature a pair of three-time GRAMMY Award winners with iconic Southern California native Gwen Stefani and singer/songwriter Darius Rucker on the PGA WEST Stadium Course driving range. Stefani, born and raised in Anaheim; a singer songwriter and charismatic frontwoman of No Doubt, will open The American Express’ Concert Series after the conclusion of second-round play on Friday, Jan. 20. Rucker, who first achieved musical prominence as the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish and has since become a hugely successful Country artist, will take the stage after the tournament’s third round on Saturday, Jan. 21. The American Express also continues to be one of the desert region’s most charitable sporting events, giving back to its community. In November, The American Express announced a $1 million charitable donation to 37 local Coachella Valley organizations, bringing the event’s all-time donation to more than $64 million since its inception in 1960 as the Palm Springs Golf Classic. Follow The American Express on Facebook (www.facebook.com/theamexgolf), Twitter (@TheAmexGolf) and Instagram (@TheAmexGolf).

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