DraftKings preview: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Bravo! Bravissimo! Just weeks ago, Italian Francesco Molinari broke a 70-year drought by winning on the PGA TOUR at the Quicken Loans National and now he has upstaged himself with his Claret Jug claiming efforts. Welcome to the Monday Finish where Molinari became the first Italian to win a major championship, continuing a serious purple patch of form with his efforts at Carnoustie. A healthy congratulations also to Troy Merritt, who needed an actual Monday finish to win the Barbasol Championship. FIVE OBSERVATIONS 1. The search for the perfect golf swing has been going on since before Thomas Kincaid tried to master it, and write it down, in 1687. Through the times of Old and Young Tom Morris. Past the likes of Harry Vardon, Walter Hagan, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan. Into the era of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. And, of course, it continued through Tiger Woods and the plethora of young talent we see before us now. The reality is – there is no perfect swing. But if you find one that works – and you can replicate it often – you just might make something of yourself at this game. Francesco Molinari’s ball-striking of late has been downright incredible. Many of us would wish for that sort of consistency in our game for just one round. The way in which his swing held up on Sunday as Carnoustie showed some of its infamous teeth was incredible. The only player in the field to go bogey-free on Sunday (he also was blemish-free on Saturday!), his 2-under 69 deserved the reward. The first Italian to win a major. Incredible stuff. It came not long after he destroyed the field at the Quicken Loans National. That week Molinari had a birdie putt from inside 20 feet on 40 of his 72 holes. (55.6 percent). Insanity. While distance has clearly changed the game and been advantageous to big athletes, it is great to see measured accuracy can still flourish. Now Molinari missed plenty of fairways at Carnoustie … but it was generally by mere fractions and not into dangerous bunkers or deep rough. His last six starts worldwide now include three wins and two seconds. If he keeps replicating that swing of his there is no telling when this run might end. 2. While his mechanics are one thing, you also have to pay special tribute to Molinari’s mental toughness. Sunday produced one of the all-time great final rounds in terms of entertainment. Tougher winds and pin placements meant the difficulty of Carnoustie came out. And with a history of players coming from behind at the venue fresh in everyone’s minds there were multiple challengers. There were stumbles from the guys out front, including the defending champion Jordan Spieth. There were charges – from the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, no less. At one point a six-man playoff for the Claret Jug looked extremely plausible. But amongst all this hysteria and roars, Molinari stayed calm. Playing with Woods he could have easily been pulled into the madness. For a good stretch it appeared Woods was about to produce history. Woods pulled ahead of the Italian early in the round. Others might have tried to chase him. Molinari stayed steady. And Woods, like the others, dropped a few shots. The game plan never wavered. The pressure mounted but – at least on the outside – Molinari showed no signs of feeling it. That’s a special type of human. 3. If you haven’t been converted to the side that says Woods can win again – you’re too tough. Two early birdies on Sunday and the golf world was heading for meltdown. Woods joined the lead, then held it alone. Most likely vintage Woods – the guy who notched up 79 PGA TOUR wins – puts the hammer down from there. But this version still has some kinks. Woods used to be able to recover from his bad shots. But a double bogey on the 11th hole was a killer blow and when followed by a bogey the dream became a long shot. But hey, perspective still needs to be maintained. A year ago you would have received better odds on Woods never playing an Open again as opposed to leading on Sunday in one. His return from back surgery continues to take strides upward. And his T6 finish was enough to have him sneak into the field at the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. He has won there eight times. Maybe this was all part of the script … a farewell to Akron with a famous victory anyone? 4. As always, there can only be one winner and the list of those who got very close was long in Scotland. Along with Woods having his chance, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele tied second. Kevin Chappell could’ve stolen it. Jordan Spieth let it slip. We tend to overanalyze the guys who don’t win. Point out what they could’ve done. But all of the contenders added to the incredible story this week. Rose had to birdie the last on Friday to make the cut so his weekend was superb. McIlroy had early stumbles Sunday so we shifted focus elsewhere … then, as true champions do, he eagled the 14th and announced his intentions. Kisner had bunker troubles early but he never gave up, showing fighting spirit. It was similar for Schauffele, who could have given up when he dropped four shots in three holes. Instead, last season’s TOUR Championship winner fought back and showed the future is bright. Spieth’s Sunday 76 was the most deflating. But his form hasn’t been great this season so it wasn’t too shocking. Instead, let’s hope the former FedExCup champ takes the positives out of the week and surges forward. 5. While the fight for the Jug was going on in Scotland in near perfect weather, the Barbasol Championship faced multiple weather delays that stretched into Monday. The opposite field events are always critical for so many players looking to keep their FedExCup hopes alive and Troy Merritt was no exception. Since claiming a breakout win at the 2015 Quicken Loans National, Merritt had been unable to truly kick on like he would have preferred. He was 56th in the FedExCup that year but then barely snuck into the Playoffs the season after. Last year he slumped to 151st and had to fight his way back via the Web.com Finals. Entering this week he sat 131st just looking to surge his way into the top 125. Now he’s projected to 65th and has a two-year exemption. His poise under the gun down the stretch was impressive as multiple players tried to run him down. FIVE INSIGHTS 1. In the space of 21 days, Molinari moved from 123rd to 7th in the FedExCup. 2. Molinari averaged 307.37 yards off the tee and hit just 26 of 60 fairways. But he was able to hit 48 of 72 greens. He needed just 111 putts for his four rounds and three-putted just once. 3. It was Molinari’s third win in last six starts worldwide. (Won – The Open Championship; T2 – John Deere Classic; Won – Quicken Loans National; T25 – U.S. Open; 2nd – Italian Open; Won – BMW PGA Championship) 4. The last three Open Championship winners at Carnoustie have trailed going into the final round (Francesco Molinari – three back in 2018; Padraig Harrington – six back in 2007; Paul Lawrie – 10 back in 1999). 5. Rory McIlroy now owns top-five results, including victory in 2014, in his last four appearances at The Open. (T2 2018, T4 2017, T5 2016, Won 2014). Also posted a T3 in 2010, giving him top fives in half of his 10 starts.

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Charlie Woods, the 11-year-old son of Tiger Woods, is catching the attention as he becomes the youngest player to ever compete at the PNC Championship.

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Adam Scott’s golf bag waited for him on the practice tee as he signed autographs before his round. About to tee off against Si Woo Kim, Daniel Berger doubled over on the first tee not with nerves but with laughter at one of the songs by the Fanatics. (One of them went acapella on “Eye of the Tiger.â€�) Patrick Reed, waiting on the first tee to start his singles match against Louis Oosthuizen, got a chuckle out of the “12-0â€� sign in the stands and motioned for the yellow-clad sign-holder to flip it upside-down, as in “0-12.â€� (Oosthuizen won 1 up, making Reed 0-1-1 in Presidents Cup singles.) The Presidents Cup is never supposed to be life or death, and neither team treated it that way Sunday, for obvious reasons. The U.S. Team needed to win just one point in 12 singles matches, and while the International Team won the day 7.5-4.5, that only made the final tally 19-11 in favor of the Americans.   There was suspense, if you can call it that, around whether Jordan Spieth would finally win a singles match. He did not, losing 2 and 1 to Jhonattan Vegas to go 0-3 in Presidents Cup singles. Dustin Johnson, trying to become the sixth player to go 5-0-0, was thwarted as he and Branden Grace halved their match. Oh, and Kim shushed the crowd, his index finger up to his lips, after making a birdie putt at the par-4 11th hole. That was fun. Berger, though, would beat Kim 2 and 1, pushing the U.S. Team’s point total past the 15.5 required to win, making it official as a cigar-chomping Charley Hoffman chased him around with champagne.   For a game day, Sunday’s vibe was relaxed. The only thing missing, perhaps, was Phil Mickelson starting the wave around the eighth green, as he had the day before. The International Team came out with something to prove, namely that they belonged on the same golf course as the Americans, and they did that. They were huge underdogs from the start, and everyone knew it. The U.S. Team, historically dominant, was on form and would have the crowd on its side. What could you do? Assistant Captain Geoff Ogilvy was among the Internationals who wore a New York Yankees cap during Thursday’s pageantry, with Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama in attendance. “You do what you can,â€� Ogilvy said with a bemused smile. International Captain Nick Price also did his best to enjoy the ride, and at least won the interview room. Early in the week, when a reporter’s cell phone rang as Price huddled with his assistants to set their lineup, Price popped his head up and said, “I’ll get it!â€� Later, when the U.S. Team had taken a 14.5-3.5 lead, he enjoyed a chuckle when U.S. Captain Steve Stricker was asked about complacency. “Tell your guys not to panic,â€� Price said, bringing laughter. But there were poignant moments, too. “This one’s going to sting,â€� Ernie Els said as he and his wife, Liezl, waited for players to come down the 15th fairway late Saturday. The cold wind whipped, and fans, assistants and wives crossed their arms in front of them, some in ski hats, many scooched together on the backs of golf carts. It will be left to Els, the presumed captain for the International Team that will take on the U.S. at Royal Melbourne, Australia, in 2019, to pick up the pieces after this loss. As points continued to accrue, national debt clock style, for the Americans, players and assistants from both teams fought the urge to rush to Price’s side with hugs and hot chocolate. Ever a good sport, he wore a yellow Fanatics cap as he watched the singles matches Sunday. His reign now ends after three losses, to U.S. Captains Fred Couples (Muirfield Village, 2013), Jay Haas (Jack Nicklaus G.C. in Incheon, South Korea, 2015) and now Stricker. The U.S. Team’s 18.5-15.5 victory at Muirfield led to a format change, trimming the number of matches from 34 to 30. It was meant to bolster the Internationals, who traditionally lack depth, and it seemed to work. The 2015 Cup came down to the anchor match, Captain’s pick Bill Haas beating local hero Sang-Moon Bae 2 up to give the U.S. the 15.5-14.5 win before his dad/Captain, Jay, broke down in tears. It was storybook stuff. The narrative at Liberty National, alas, took a different turn. The intrigue surrounded what songs would be sung. (“Jason Day, all my troubles seem so far away…â€�) And the tension came down to whether the Americans would clinch a day early. That they did not was due to Anirban Lahiri’s two late birdies, including a left-to-right breaker on 17 that even Jordan Spieth said was almost impossible. The match ended in a rare International W when Hoffman and Kevin Chappell gave Lahiri (and partner Si Woo Kim) his 4-1/2-foot par putt on 18. “I think it’s the spirit of the game,â€� said Lahiri, who halved his singles match with Kevin Kisner. It was left to the Internationals to look for such smaller victories in the blowout. Price appeared to be on the verge of tears as Els, sitting next to him Saturday night, came to his defense. “This guy deserves a lot of credit,â€� Els said. “It’s been a very tough week on him, obviously. We played an exceptionally well organized, very talented group of players, and they were on.â€� In the end, there would be no more eloquent epitaph than that. Yes, Stricker admitted, it would be odd to contest 12 singles matches Sunday with the Americans needing just one point. But players from both sides would keep grinding, PGA TOUR pros being a competitive breed and none of them wanting to lose, ever. Sure enough, while Scott signed autographs before his singles match against Brooks Koepka on Sunday (Scott won 3 and 2), Reed didn’t join him. Nor did Mickelson, even if one of those who asked for his signature was 1983 Sony Open of Hawaii champion Isao Aoki. Where did this U.S. Team rank relative to other great teams throughout history? Price paid due respect but said it was hard to tell, as the Americans were never tested. In any event, Els has a lot of work to do. He said he was already planning to huddle with Price and review what worked, and what didn’t, and begin to consider how the Internationals might regroup. Stricker, meanwhile, was done pulling the strings, though he admitted that as the week wore on his job was simply to get out of the way. Asked if this was the strongest U.S. Team he’d seen, top to bottom, he said it was. The licking at Liberty National was a bravura performance, the 12-man, four-day equivalent of a 59, but the event, he added, would go on. It always does.

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