Couples, 63, oldest to make cut at the Masters

Gary Woodland broke through with his first major win at the U.S. Open, a sure sign that he’s taking the next step. Woodland is among PGATOUR.COM’s top 30 players to watch entering 2020. Click here for more on all 30 players. Insider Insights PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Gary Woodland in 2020. TOUR INSIDER by Ben Everill This will be the season Woodland finally becomes a serious threat for the FedExCup. He’s made the TOUR Championship seven times before but last season’s 15th place is his best result. The breakout win in the U.S. Open last season is the catalyst to greater things. That and his relationship with Amy Bockerstette which has helped his mental fortitude. The U.S. Open triumph caused a small hangover last season but with that behind him, Woodland will go from strength to strength. The fall series already procured two top-5s and a captains pick for the Presidents Cup, which was well-deserved. If Woodland ever picks up a few percentage points around and on the greens he would almost certainly become a multiple win threat inside a season, something this four-time winner is yet to accomplish.  STATS INSIDER by Sean Martin Woodland is one of eight players to finish in the top 20 of both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Approach-the-Green last season. It’s good company to keep. Seven of them – Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Corey Conners, Paul Casey, Jason Kokrak and Woodland – qualified for the TOUR Championship.  FANTASY INSIDER by Rob Bolton The 2019 U.S. Open champion is 35 and in his prime. With his debut in the Presidents Cup capping a career year, he’s also at his peak. He should stay there for a while, too. Plays a lot, misses few cuts and fills up the box score. Fairly known for his muscle, but that’s a bonus. His precision on approach from tee to green truly is his primary weapon.  EQUIPMENT INSIDER by Andrew Tursky Woodland made waves in the equipment world when he signed with Wilson Golf early in 2019. He used an eye-catching set of Wilson Staff Model Blade irons to win the 2019 U.S. Open, and then he put social media into a frenzy when he switched into a Staff Model Blade 2-iron at the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. Seriously, his 2-iron is why the “butter knifeâ€� stereotype exists.  STYLE INSIDER by Greg Monteforte Bold, patriotic designs from Puma’s Volition Collection have helped the reigning U.S. Open champ to carve out a unique look compared to the brand’s other TOUR players. These threads benefit a great cause, too, as Volition supports the families of military heroes through the Folds of Honor Foundation. Look for Puma to hook up Woodland with more limited edition shoes in 2020.  BEYOND THE ROPES by Helen Ross Most golf fans know Woodland played basketball at Washburn University as a freshman before transferring to Kansas – where he’d always wanted to play hoops. He did get to play an exhibition game against the Jayhawks where he guarded Kirk Hinrich, who would go on to be drafted in the NBA’s first round. That’s when he decided golf was his future. Ping-pong is another favorite – he started playing after having shoulder surgery as a rookie on TOUR in 2009 and has two tables at his home.  By The Numbers Strokes Gained rankings for Gary Woodland in the 2018-19 season.

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AVONDALE, La. – When Tony Finau posted pictures of his busted ankle on social media after the Masters, it was anyone’s guess when he might return to competition. The one-time PGA TOUR winner made headlines all over the world on Masters eve when he dislocated his ankle while celebrating a hole-in-one in the traditional Par-3 Contest at Augusta National. Amazingly – after popping it back into place himself – he played. Even more amazingly he finished 10th in his Masters debut. But as the pictures graphically showed – he had suffered significant damage to his left ankle. While he admits he is not yet fully healed, Finau returns to competition this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, partnered up with Daniel Summerhays. They breed them tough in the Finau family. “We will see how it feels when I get out there and play. I haven’t been doing a lot of that, just a lot of rehab,� Finau said as he started practice at TPC Louisiana. He spent the last few weeks feverishly working on the injury with the help of trainers from the Utah Jazz and professionals from the University of Utah Orthopedic Centre. “I feel like their expertise; their working with something like this every day of the year; it seems like someone in the NBA has a high ankle sprain every day of the week,� Finau said. “I tried to make sure I had the best contacts in Utah to help me not rush the process but get me back asap.� While he could have certainly rested longer, Finau said this week was important to get a feel for just how successful the rehab journey has been. “We felt like it has gotten to a point where it is more mobile and the only way we are really going to know where we are at is to come out and compete and see how it feels,� he added. “The journey is far from over as far as dealing with the foot. I dealt with ankle injuries before, they can linger for a while; I don’t think it’s going to be 100 percent for a while, but I do feel like it’s ready to go and play and compete.� Finau now hopes to use the injury as a positive motivator going forward. His incredible play at Augusta has sparked even more belief into the already confident 28-year-old. While those on the outside of the golf world were impressed by his toughness, Finau was quick to point out many PGA TOUR players are always playing hurt. “I wanted to post those pictures after, but I didn’t want anyone to think I had excuses,� he explained. “When I tee it up I am ready to compete, I am ready to play. Same thing this week. “There is never any excuse, but I wanted people to just understand and respect that was what I was dealing with throughout the week and how much work it took for me to play. “It was an interesting week but man it was something I will never forget. To top it off with a top 10 in my first Masters just puts it in perspective – I think you can accomplish things that maybe your body feels like you can’t if you just put your mind to it.�

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods at the Masters. It’s always compelling theatre, whether he wins — which he’s done four times, most recently in 2005 — or not.  Woods tees off in Thursday’s first round at Augusta National with Spain’s Jon Rahm and China’s HaoTong Li at 11:04 a.m. ET. We’ll have hole-by-hole updates of Tiger’s round, so check back often. LEADERBOARD | TALES OF TIGER’S EQUIPMENT | TIGER FULL OF CONFIDENCE Tiger pre-round notes NEW PARTNERS: In his PGA TOUR career, Tiger has never been paired with Jon Rahm or HaoTong Li at a stroke play event That will change on Thursday. Of course, Woods and Rahm have had a recent encounter — at last fall’s Ryder Cup, when Rahm beat Woods 2 and 1 in Sunday Singles at Le Golf National in Paris. FIRST-ROUND POSITION: In Tiger’s 21 Masters starts, he’s been in the top 10 on the leaderboard after the first round just four times (1997, 1998, 2002 and 2010). He went on to win two of those times. The last time he won, he was 33rd after the first round in 2005, but shot himself back into the tournament with rounds of 66 and 65, ultimately beating Chris DiMarco on the first hole of the playoff. That remains the last time any eventual Masters champ has not been inside the top 10 after the first round. WATSON’S VIEW: Two-time Masters champ Tom Watson has no doubts that Tiger can win the green jacket for a fifth time this week. “I definitely think he can win the Masters,” Watson said during a Golf Channel interview. “Watching him swing from afar, he’s got it together. I fully expect him to be in the hunt.” PAR 3s, 4s, 5s: In his Masters career, Tiger is 28-over on the par 3s, 40-over on the par 4s, and 156-under on the par 5s.  82 LESSONS: Tiger Woods, with 82 career rounds at Augusta National, says he has “a pretty good little library in my head of how to play the golf course.â€� But it wasn’t just those competitive rounds in which he gained the knowledge. “Throughout the years, I also accumulated a lot of knowledge how to play it under different conditions, and playing practice rounds with guys who have won here a lot, who understand how to play it,â€� Woods said, “and then to be a part of the entire process of having to compete as they have evolved the golf course and trying to understand how to play it.â€� HISTORY AGAINST HIM: In each of his four Masters wins, Woods arrived at Augusta National that week having already pocketed at least one win earlier that calendar year.  In 1997, he won the season-opening event at Kapaula. In 2001, he won twice — including THE PLAYERS Championship when it was held in March. In 2002, he won at Bay Hill. And in 2005, he had two earlier wins. Tiger’s most recent win, of course, was the TOUR Championship at the end of last season.

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