Day trails Sydney youngster at Open

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Rickie Fowler needed a special invite to get into the 103rd PGA Championship but he’s already locked up a spot in the 104th after an impressive week at the Ocean Course. Fowler won’t be sweating on a spot at Southern Hills in Oklahoma next May as rounds of 71-76-69-71 left him at 1-under and in a tie for eighth with the top 12 and ties getting a return ticket. RELATED: Final leaderboard | Mickelson makes history It was Fowler’s first top-10 on the PGA TOUR since he finished T10 at The American Express in January of 2020, over 16 months ago. Having slipped to 128th in the world rankings and 147th in the FedExCup, the result came timely as Fowler looks for an 11th hour push towards playing in his hometown US Open at San Diego’s Torrey Pines next month. He is now 101st in the world rankings and onto the playoff bubble at 125th in the FedExCup. Fowler can make the U.S. Open field either by forcing his way into the world top 60 after the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide or by getting through final qualifying in Columbus on June 7. “I’m starting to feel pretty darn good. The last few months, it’s been a lot more just go play golf and not play golf swing. Put a lot of time in prior to the last few months of working on swing and doing the stuff we kind of needed to work on and accomplish. Now it’s just go play golf,” Fowler said during the PGA Championship tilt. “I’m very happy with where we’re at. Things can still get better, but we’re back to playing golf and hitting shots and having fun.” While Fowler was celebrating the milestone, so too was Harry Higgs who surged into a tie for fourth in his first major championship with a final round 70. Higgs not only earns a trip back to the PGA Championship next year but also finds his way into the 2022 Masters. “You don’t really want to root for people to make bogeys, but I’m going to be rooting for people to make bogeys,” the affable Higgs joked when he finished up well ahead of the leaders at 2 under. “When I get focused at the task at hand I can perform at this level. Even though these golf shots are treacherous and they look brutal, the clearer that I am, the more focused that I am, I can pull these things off, and then just simply (I know) I can win these things.” Veteran Padraig Harrington was also part of the top four and while as a past champion his spot at the PGA is always secure he will now return to Augusta for the first time since 2015. Another set for the 2022 PGA Championship that may not have found a way otherwise was Kevin Streelman who pulled within a shot of the lead early in the final round before settling for a 75 and tie for eighth.

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Thomas wins FedEx Cup, Schauffele takes Tour Championship

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SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER EARNS BREAKTHROUGH TOUR TITLE Scottie Scheffler plays with a casual yet self-assured demeanor, cultivated through accomplishments. The 25-year-old New Jersey native has risen to the top at every level – winning the 2013 U.S. Junior, starring collegiately at the University of Texas, earning 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year honors, and even compiling a 2-0-1 record in his maiden Ryder Cup appearance last fall. There was just one blank on the resume, a PGA TOUR title. That blank was filled in dramatic fashion Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open, as Scheffler delivered a 26-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, then watched Patrick Cantlay’s tying attempt slide just by. With a raucous contingent of fans cheering “Scottie! Scottie!” on a sun-kissed Sunday afternoon, Scheffler carded a final-round 67 in the penultimate pairing to post 16-under total, which proved enough for extra holes once Cantlay’s 10-foot birdie attempt at the 72nd hole burned the edge. The two matched pars on the first two playoff holes before Scheffler delivered a signature winning moment, punctuated by multiple fist pumps, a wave to the crowd and a high-five with caddie Ted Scott. The victory moves Scheffler to No. 4 on the FedExCup – 500 points accrued – as he continues to cement a place in golf’s legion of young stars. REVVING UP FOR RIVIERA Current FedExCup leader Hideki Matsuyama, along with the rest of the top 10 players in the world, is set to tee it up at storied Riviera Country Club for this season’s The Genesis Invitational. Max Homa looks to defend his hometown title after a dramatic playoff victory over Tony Finau a year ago. The invitational field will include Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay. Rory McIlroy makes his first start of 2022 on the PGA TOUR. This is the 59th time the George C. Thomas Jr./William P. Bell design will host The Genesis Invitational. Its compact design with primary rough of club-grabbing Kikuyu makes it a challenge for the best players in the world. Aaron Beverly is the 2022 recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption. Beverly was a celebrated college golfer and competes on the APGA Tour. 550 FedExCup points will be up for grabs come Sunday. FEEL-GOOD STORIES OF THE WEEK D.J. Gregory has been a fixture on the PGA TOUR since 2008. Gregory, who was born with cerebral palsy, attends more than 40 events each year and picks a player to follow each week. All told, he has covered more than 14,000 miles and raised more than $1 million for his Walking For Kids Foundation, predominantly through the donations of TOUR players like world No. 1 Jon Rahm. On Tuesday at TPC Scottsdale, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan surprised Gregory with the TOUR’s Courage Award, presented to a person who has overcome personal tragedy or debilitating injury or illness to make a meaningful contribution to the game. He became the first person to receive the award who is not a member of the PGA TOUR. “He’s captured a lot of hearts of us players — definitely mine,” Rahm said. Rahm was also part of another emotional moment last week. He met up with Phoenix Small, 14, a Shriners patient who was born with clubfoot, which Rahm was diagnosed with as a child. The two had an emotional initial meeting at the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale, then played the final three holes together. “I think I would have been a lot more nervous than he was,” Rahm said after the round. “He composed himself in such a great manner, it was incredible.” VIDEO OF THE WEEK Fans react to Sam Ryder’s incredible ace Saturday on the raucous par-3 16th hole in Phoenix. And not to be outdone, Carlos Ortiz followed it up with another ace on Sunday. MIC CHECK “I’m like, ‘Let’s just put that one away,’ and we kind of put it in a different pocket. There were a couple other balls in there and I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa.’ But we got the right one.” – Sam Ryder on making sure he and his caddie kept the ball from his ace on the 16th hole in a safe spot in his golf bag. BY THE NUMBERS 600 – Starts for Charles Howell III after competing at the WM Phoenix Open. He reflected on the impressive mark before missing the cut after rounds of 75-69 at TPC Scottsdale. 1 – Brandon Matthews secured his first Korn Ferry Tour win in dramatic fashion with an eagle on 18 at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard. 67 – Final-round score for Steve Stricker last season on his way to victory at the Chubb Classic. The PGA TOUR Champions returns this week to Naples, Florida, after nearly one month off. COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.

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