Bryson DeChambeau flirted with becoming the 12th player in PGA Tour history to break 60 during a competitive round, instead missing a 6-footer on No. 18 to “settle” for a 12-under 60 at the BMW Championship.
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Current FedExCup champion Justin Thomas was named the 2017 Male Player of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America, while four-time Charles Schwab Cup winner Bernhard Langer was named the Senior Player of the Year, the GWAA announced Thursday. Lexi Thompson was named as the Female Player of the Year after winning twice on the LPGA Tour in a season that included soaring highs and emotional valleys. It’s the first time that Thomas and Thompson have won the GWAA Player of the Year awards. Langer won it for the fourth time, having previously been honored in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Thomas was the near-unanimous choice after winning four times in 2017 as part of his five-victory season in the PGA TOUR’s wraparound schedule. After winning the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in late 2016, Thomas won the first two events in Hawaii in 2017, picked up his first major championship victory at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club and won the Dell Technologies Championship in the FedExCup Playoffs. The 24-year old went on to capture the FedExCup title in a year that also included 12 top-10 finishes. He also had a 3-1-1 record for the winning United States Team in the Presidents Cup. He earned 94 percent of the GWAA vote. “Being honored by the GWAA means a lot,� Thomas said. “Obviously a lot of hard work went into it, a lot of time. It was something that you can’t expect something like that to happen. I felt like I was capable of it. In terms of whether it will happen in the future, you never know but it was obviously a very fun year.� Langer dominated the PGA TOUR Champions again, winning seven times in 2017 including three major championships, while also finishing second four times. Langer finished in the top 10 in 18 of his 21 starts and finished second to Kevin Sutherland in the Charles Schwab Cup after winning it the previous three years. Langer also won the Charles Schwab Cup in 2010. “I am thrilled and feel very honored to have won the GWAA Golf Writers Award for the 2017 season once more,� said Langer, who received nearly 90 percent of the vote. Thompson had an unforgettable 2017 season that included two LPGA Tour victories, six runner-up finishes and a controversial four-stroke penalty that prevented her from winning the ANA Inspiration early in the year. The 22-year old Thompson won the Race to CME Globe and also set the LPGA Tour’s single-season scoring record with a stroke overage of 69.114 to capture the Vare Trophy. She won the award in a close vote over Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu. “I am extremely honored and proud to be named female golfer of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America,� Thompson said. “2017 was an extremely challenging year for me and my family, both on and off the golf course. But with the support, love and guidance of my mom, dad, and brothers, I was able to overcome these challenges and go on to have my best year as a professional golfer. “I want to thank my fans from all around the world who have always supported me, because your kind words and encouragement continue to inspire me to pursue my dream. And thank you to the Golf Writers Association of America. It is truly a privilege to receive this award.� Thomas, Thompson and Langer will receive their awards at the 46th ISPS HANDA GWAA Annual Awards Dinner presented by The PGA of America and USGA on April 4 in Augusta, Georgia.
Tiger Woods will make his 2019 calendar debut at next week’s Farmers Insurance Open, an event he’s won seven times. The tournament made the official announcement Wednesday. Woods also committed to playing in the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles on February 14-17 where he doubles as the tournament host. Woods’ last PGA TOUR appearance was the memorable TOUR Championship in September when he walked up the 18th fairway en route to victory through a crowd of fans. That win was the 80th of his TOUR career, putting him just two shy of Sam Snead’s all-time record. The last time Woods played competitively was the week after Thanksgiving at his Hero World Challenge, a non-TOUR event in the Bahamas. Woods did not fare well that week, finishing 17th in the 18-man field. Still, the thought of a healthy Woods for a full season will be a huge storyline this season. A year ago when Woods played at Torrey Pines, he was still unsure how much he could play after enduring four back surgeries. After being limited to just two tournaments in the span of more than two full calendar years, Woods made his comeback in 2018, starting at Torrey Pines. He played 18 tournaments, securing 12 top-25 finishes and seven top-10s – including a pair of runner-up placings and his TOUR Championship win, his first victory in more than five years. He finished T6 or better in The Open Championship and the PGA Championship and earned more than $5 million for just the second time in nine seasons. Woods won the Farmers in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2013, and earned his most recent major championship victory in a 19-hole playoff at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008. In addition to his seven victories, Woods has finished in the top 10 six other times in 16 appearances. He is the tournament’s all-time leading money winner, with $6,915,700. “We couldn’t be happier to have Tiger back in our field,â€� said Century Club of San Diego CEO Peter Ripa. “He really launched his fairytale comeback season right here last January, and he has enjoyed incredible success at Torrey Pines Golf Course and in our tournament over the years. It will be exciting to see him alongside many of the game’s other top players Jan. 24-27.â€� Until last year, Woods hadn’t played four complete rounds in the Farmers since his last victory here in 2013. After missing the cut during an abbreviated comeback in 2017, he advanced to the weekend last year by making birdie on his 18th hole Friday to make the cut on the number. Rounds of 70 and 72 Saturday and Sunday left him tied for 23rd. He would go on to secure top-10 finishes in the Valspar Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Quicken Loans National, The Open Championship, the PGA Championship and the BMW Championship before his season-ending victory at East Lake. “This year as a whole was probably the most rewarding, because there was a point where I just didn’t know if I would ever do this again,â€� Woods said before the Hero World Challenge. “The expectations are much different this upcoming year. Now I know that I can do it, now it’s just about managing and making sure I’m fresh for events, because I know I can win tournaments again.â€� Twenty years ago, Woods captured his first title at the Farmers Insurance Open. It was his eighth victory on the PGA TOUR but carried extra significance because of the golf course on which he did it. Woods joins a strong list of early commitments that includes defending champion Jason Day; defending FedExCup champion Justin Rose; San Diego native Xander Schauffele; 2017 Farmers Insurance Open winner Jon Rahm; along with world top-30 players Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Marc Leishman, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren, Gary Woodland and Hideki Matsuyama. Joining Fowler and Schauffele among San Diego products committed to the Farmers Insurance Open are Torrey Pines High School graduates Pat Perez and Jamie Lovemark, Poway product Charley Hoffman and San Diego State University alum J.J. Spaun. Joining Woods and Rahm as past tournament champions who have committed are Day (2018, 2015), Brandt Snedeker (2016, 2012), Scott Stallings (2014), Ben Crane (2010) and Nick Watney (2009). Young up-and-coming players to watch who have committed include PGA TOUR rookie and long-bomber Cameron Champ and 19-year-old Chilean sensation Joaquin Niemann. Woods will look to better last year’s performance at Riviera in February. In his first appearance at the event since 2006 Woods missed the cut, just one of two (U.S. Open) missed weekends all season. Prior to that he had eight top-20 finishes at Riviera, including runner up finishes in 1998 and 1999. The Riviera Country Club was the site of Woods’ first PGA TOUR event in 1992, competing on a sponsor’s exemption as an amateur. Woods’ TGR Live manages the Genesis Open and proceeds from the tournament benefit his TGR Foundation. “I’m looking forward to being back in Los Angeles for the Genesis Open,â€� Woods said. “It’s always great to be able to play at Riviera and I am very proud of the impact the Genesis Open has been able to make on education through my foundation.â€�
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Abraham Ancer and C.T. Pan know the numbers are right there staring them in the face no matter how hard they try to ignore them. Both sit in or around important FedExCup bubbles and both are also in the mix for the International Presidents Cup team. Looking at projections and worrying about the scenarios though is not something they want to focus on. Good golf will take care of things. Finally, after what had been some lean times for the pair, they have kicked into gear when it counts. Ancer started the Playoffs in 67th in the FedExCup knowing he must play well at THE NORTHERN TRUST to stay inside the top 70 for the BMW Championship. Rounds of 67-65 have the Mexican at 10 under through two rounds, behind only Jordan Spieth in the clubhouse after the morning wave Friday. Pan has posted 68-67 to sit at 7 under and inside the top 10 at this stage. He started the Playoffs in 35th position knowing he has two weeks to push into the top 30 to ensure a place at the TOUR Championship. Furthermore, Pan (eighth) and Ancer (10th) now have an incredible chance to wrap up a spot in Ernie Els’ International Team for the Dec 12-15 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne. The top eight players secure spots after next week’s BMW Championship. With Jason Day (seventh) set to miss the cut and Cameron Smith (sixth) in danger of doing the same at THE NORTHERN TRUST Pan and Ancer are in position to jump the Australians on the points list. “Going into the tournament sitting at 67 I just have to play a solid tournament. That should be fine,â€� Ancer said. “But I don’t really think about it that much while I’m playing. I know if I just do a good job with my game plan, I should be just fine. “The Presidents Cup is definitely in the back of my mind as one of the goals for the whole year. But I think if I just keep thinking about it, it just adds pressure to what I’m doing and it’s not going to help. I just have to play solid golf and I’ll have a good chance to sneak in there.â€� Since winning the Australian Open and finishing runner up at the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf late last year Ancer has been on Els’ radar for the biennial teams competition. But with only one top 10 on the PGA TOUR since his victory down under he has slid out of the automatic zone. Els has made it known he’d like Ancer to play his way on to the team. Pan won the RBC Heritage in April and was third in the Charles Schwab Challenge in May but has not finished better than a T36 at the Travelers Championship since. “Getting into the top 30 has always been my goal. I haven’t done it yet but I won for the first time this year and that was a dream come true. Hopefully I can double down on that and make another dream come true,â€� Pan said. “The Presidents Cup is definitely on my mind but all we can do is hit one good shot at a time. I definitely want to be part of the team and play my best for captain Els.â€�
