DraftKings preview: ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Tiger Woods’ comeback will hit another benchmark this week, regardless of the outcome. He’s playing consecutive PGA TOUR events for the first time since 2015. It’s a positive sign about his health. Now his game needs work. Woods arrives at one of the PGA TOUR’s most penal layouts on the heels of shooting 72-76 at the Genesis Open. He hit less than half his fairways and greens at Riviera. He missed the cut by four shots after shooting 39 on his final nine holes. Much of the enthusiasm that amassed after Woods scrambled his way to a top-25 finish at Torrey Pines was dampened by last week’s performance, which made it evident that Woods may be farther from contending than previously thought. He needs more “repsâ€� under tournament conditions to see how his new swing, and new body, respond under the pressure of tournament competition, he said. “I can’t create the same angles that I used to be able to create naturally, … and I’m still learning what that feels like under the gun,â€� Woods said after Wednesday’s pro-am. After taking last weekend off, he practiced Monday and Tuesday before playing the pro-am at PGA National. Woods, who isn’t working with a swing coach, didn’t change course after playing poorly last week. He worked on the same swing keys that have been his focus since his latest comeback began. “I just need to get better at (it),â€� he said. He’ll be challenged this week by a course that threatens to harshly expose the slightest miscue. Riviera and Torrey Pines aren’t easy, but they offer a more traditional test. PGA National’s Champion Course is one of those water-lined Florida courses where players can quickly rack up penalty strokes. Over the past two seasons, it had the third-most balls hit in the water (590) on the PGA TOUR. Excluding the majors, PGA National was the 12th-hardest course on TOUR in 2017. It was the second-hardest the previous year. Its infamous “Bear Trapâ€� has been the third-hardest three-hole stretch on TOUR over the past decade. “It’s a place that demands your full attention at all times,â€� said defending champion Rickie Fowler. The south Florida breezes are expected to blow all week, as well. Woods should know. Scanning the weather forecast has been one of the habits he’s resumed now that he’s back to competing on a regular basis. “I’m starting to get into that flow again,â€� he said. There have been promising signs with his short game and putting, but he has struggled with his full swing. He would rank 152nd in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green if he had enough rounds to be listed in the official stats. He’ll have to hit the ball better to have a chance this week. “It’s a ball-striker’s golf course,â€� said 2012 Honda champion Rory McIlroy. “You can’t up-and-down it around here and expect to win. You have to hit fairways. You have to hit greens and you have to just take your chances when they come along.â€� Woods first played The Honda Classic in 1993, when he was 17 years old. He played the Monday pro-am with a foursome of NFL quarterbacks: Dan Marino, Bernie Kosar, Phil Simms and Mark Rypien. Woods shot 72-78 to miss the cut. It would be 19 years until he returned, after he moved to nearby Jupiter Island. Woods played at PGA National for three consecutive years before back problems prevented him from playing. His 69.0 scoring average in limited action at PGA National is the lowest at the course since 2010 (minimum six rounds), though that won’t make this week’s task any easier. This will be his first start in this event in four years. He withdrew from the final round of the 2014 Honda Classic with a bad back. He had the first of his four back surgeries a month later. Two years earlier, Woods fired a final-round 62 to nearly earn his first victory after his personal scandal. Seeking his first win since 2009, Woods almost chased down McIlroy. Woods eagled 18 to put pressure on McIlroy, but ultimately finished two shots behind him. The 62 remains the low final round of Woods’ career. He never broke par the next year, finishing 37th. He was inside the top 20 entering 2014’s final round before walking off on the 14th green. This will be just his 20th TOUR event since. “I’m so happy I’m not in pain anymore,â€� Woods said Wednesday. Getting his game back is the next step.

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The first of three FedExCup Playoffs events tees off this week at TPC Southwind in the Memphis suburbs. A field of 121 (four players missing through injury, not replaced) will tangle with Ron Prichard’s 1988 design. There only job this week is to be in the top 70 on the FedExCup Points Lists when the final scorecards are signed on Sunday night. Those finishing No. 71 to No. 121 will not join the remaining folks as they head to Wilmington Country Club (South Course) for the BMW Championship. Before dreams of Delaware dance through the heads of the competitors it’s time to tame TPC Southwind. The Par-70 stretches just over 7,200 yards but length isn’t the issue this week. Fairways are tight and heavily protected by water, sand and Bermuda rough. The putting surfaces are no picnic either as they are some of the smallest on TOUR. Let’s take a look at the key stats to dissect this week and who is set to contend accordingly. Key Statistics Only players listed are competing this week; click stat headline for full list Strokes Gained: Tee to Green Before last season seven of the last nine winners here led the field in this category. The 2021 winner, Abraham Ancer (not eligible) was fourth last season. Keeping the ball out of trouble off the tee and on the short grass in regulation is paramount this week. Since 2003 TPC Southwind has ranked in top five for balls in the water. Bogey Avoidance Knowing when to take your medicine will not hurt on a course where balls find the rough and water at an alarming rate. Standing on the gas pedal for 72 holes isn’t the formula here. Avoiding crooked numbers takes the pressure off of racking up birdies. Par is a decent score this week but over par rounds are trouble. The last three winners have made six or less bogeys for the week. Strokes Gained: Approach the Green The only winners in the last six finishing outside the top 10 in this category were 11th and 12th. Finding fairways is fantastic this week but pegging approaches from less-than-ideal conditions is huge. Players who can navigate the golf ball into tiny greens will be rewarded. So will those who take advantage of wedges from the middle of the sprinkler line. Get it closer. Make more putts. Par-4 Scoring It’s not the U.S. Open so scoring still matters. With 10 Par-4 holes on the card the last four winners have slotted T3-T2-1-1 in this category. If you were paying attention above you’ll notice Justin Thomas, Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele feature in all four key stats. Thomas is paying +1800 for a win at BetMGM Sportsbook as is Schauffele with Finau starting at +2200. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

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DUBLIN, Ohio – When a 34-year-old Jack Nicklaus officially opened Muirfield Village Golf Club in on May 27, 1974, he unveiled an imperfect masterpiece, though a masterpiece nevertheless. Although Nicklaus already was golf’s all-time leader in major championship victories, he was still a relatively inexperienced course designer, having worked on fewer than a dozen, many in collaboration with fellow Ohioan Pete Dye. But the young Golden Bear possessed the most critical eye for shot values, and he possessed an uncompromising vision for the overall presentation of his dream course. It opened to rave reviews, was highly ranked when it debuted on Golf Digest’s list of top courses in America, and was widely complimented by his peers when he hosted the first Memorial Tournament in 1976. And, yet, until a few years ago, when he redesigned the par-3 16th hole and built a new tournament tee for the par-4 18th in preparation for the 2013 Presidents Cup, Nicklaus continually had tinkered with his prized layout, transforming that imperfect masterpiece into one of the most revered designs in the world. Not only is Muirfield Village the site this week of the 44th playing of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, it also has been the venue for some of golf’s most popular and prestigious events. It is the only golf course in the world to host the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup and Presidents Cup. It also was the site of the 1992 U.S. Amateur. Long before Muirfield Village hosted any of those prestigious events, or even the first Memorial Tournament, Nicklaus made clear his intentions and aspirations for Muirfield Village as “a showplace of what the game of golf should be.â€� To do that, he had to have a very clear blueprint – even if just in his head, which mostly it was – and the proper amount of inspiration. The latter was not difficult to find. As early as 1965, not long after witnessing the enthusiastic reception his hometown showered on the 1964 PGA Championship at Columbus Country Club, Nicklaus pondered the viability of bringing a PGA TOUR event to central Ohio. A year later – and just days before becoming the first back-to-back Masters winner in 1966 — he turned his thoughts to actions, charging his friend Ivor Young with the task of finding property suitable for bringing his plans to fruition. He was barely into his fourth year as a professional golfer. A farm in the undeveloped Columbus suburb of Dublin was the second site that Young showed Nicklaus. Riding shotgun was Dye, who introduced Nicklaus to design across town at The Golf Club in New Albany the year prior, and he couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about the initial 180 acres that Nicklaus ultimately purchased. “Curly,â€� Dye said, uttering his pet name for Nicklaus, “this is the best site I’ve ever seen that doesn’t have mountains or the ocean—the best inland site I’ve ever seen.â€� Looking back several years later, Nicklaus acknowledged sharing Dye’s view. “It’s a pretty site. When I saw it, I like the way it flowed through the valleys, and I knew I wanted to create a gallery golf course. The valleys were wide enough to accommodate that goal,â€� said Nicklaus, who, in essence, is the true inventor of “stadium golfâ€� with the elevated vantage points he blended into Muirfield Village. “I can’t say I was a golf course designer because I didn’t have much experience. I just liked the property. When it came to designing the course, it was about finding the best areas. There were two creeks that came together at one end of the property, which today is where the creeks come down at 11 and 15. We had another creek that came down where the second hole is now, coming down from the fifth hole. That creek goes out at the third hole, providing the drainage for the property. I just worked myself back through those valleys.â€� Construction began on July 28, 1972. Long before then, Nicklaus and Dye had sketched out an initial routing. Later, he collaborated with Desmond Muirhead on a land plan. Those who witnessed the transformation of the property into the lush golf course that opened two years later marveled at the process. Ed Etchells, the first course superintendent, was on site throughout the construction process and couldn’t remember there being many site plans, telling Paul Hornung for “The Story of Muirfield Villageâ€� that “mostly it was Jack’s verbal instruction and waving his arms.â€� “It was mainly by-the-seat-of-my-pants design,â€� the Golden Bear conceded. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have a vision. Most certainly he did. No one ever would mistake Muirfield Village Golf Club for Augusta National Golf Club, but there exist striking similarities between the two, not the least of which is you could not find two more immaculately prepared golf courses. This was true from the outset at Muirfield Village, and it did not go unnoticed. During the first Memorial Tournament, Lee Trevino noted that, “with the exception of Augusta, we’d never seen anything like Muirfield.â€� As for the design of the layout, Jack borrowed liberally from the best source at his disposal – his encyclopedic mind. “I realize that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in no way is [Muirfield Village] meant to resemble the old Muirfield or any other course,â€� he once said. “The fact that I like Augusta National has nothing to do with the design of this course, either. This course is really a conglomerate of what’s happened to me in my life and what the game of golf has meant to me.â€� The “oldâ€� Muirfield to which Nicklaus was referring is the course of the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers in Gullane, Scotland, where he won the 1966 Open Championship to complete the career Grand Slam. It also happened to be where he was introduced to golf in Great Britain when he played in the 1959 Walker Cup. When it came time to give his project a name, Muirfield Village seemed most appropriate, especially because the property sat in a low valley, or moor. As a further nod to how meaningful the Open Championship has been to him (he has won it three times among his record 18 professional major titles), Nicklaus got permission to incorporate the Claret Jug into the Muirfield Village crest, though it appears backwards as a gesture of respect to the R&A. There is no escaping the fact that Nicklaus appreciates the work of Donald Ross, who designed Scioto Country Club, the course where the young Golden Bear learned the game growing up. But when it comes to his overarching approach to course design, Nicklaus, in his book, “Nicklaus by Design,â€� writes that Bobby Jones “influenced my design philosophy enormously … through his and Alister Mackenzie’s design strategy at Augusta National. Augusta’s overarching philosophy is to give you plenty of room off the tee and then to place a premium on the second shot. Most of my life I’ve played that way.â€� It is in that vein that Muirfield Village resembles Augusta National. (That and the par-3 12th hole and the recently renovated par-3 16th bear some similarities with their numerical counterparts at Augusta.) With its wide fairway corridors trundling to difficult and well-bunkered greens, Muirfield Village demands approach shots of proper distance control and placement, not necessarily close to the hole but on the correct side. “I’ve always liked this golf course,â€� said Tiger Woods, who has won the Memorial Tournament a record five times. “I played here in the Amateur, and I absolutely loved it then and loved it as a pro, because you have to play to certain spots and make your way around the course. We all know that Jack built an incredible golf course.â€� And it only has gotten better. There have been significant, though not necessarily overt, changes throughout and the course yardage has steadily increased – as all tournament courses must – from 6,969 yards at the outset to today’s current 7,392 yards. Nature has done its part in changing the layout, mostly through the loss of aging trees. Jack has done the rest. The most consequential changes have come in the last two decades and focused on the Muirfield Village’s finish. Nicklaus first reworked the par-4 17th hole in 2002 and gave it both teeth off the tee and around the elevated green while stretching it to 478 yards. In 2011, in preparation for the Presidents Cup, he tore up the par-3 16th and installed a beauty measuring 201 yards and replete with a pond tucked up to the front of the green that was smaller than the original and repositioned horizontally to the teeing ground. The iconic par-4 home hole, a dogleg right par 4 with a well-bunkered, elevated green, always was arduous, but then Nicklaus gave it a new tee in 2013, adding 40 yards and making it 484 yards. Together they comprise one of the strongest three-hole closing stretches in tournament golf. Since 2003, the stroke average on those three holes is 0.600 over par. The only course PGA TOUR pros play on an annual basis that is tougher is Wells Fargo’s last three holes (with a stroke average of more than 0.900 over par). “Through the years,â€� Nicklaus explained, “I have made a lot of changes, some for the sake of the members, some to improve the spectator experience, and some simply to make the golf course a better and stronger test. Like any designer, I want the course to show well, and be able to hold up against the game’s best players, so I have tried to find ways to preserve shot values. “I think all golf courses are in continual evolution. I do,â€� he added. “Muirfield Village has been that way. You see something that can make it better and you go do it. But Muirfield Village is intrinsically the same golf course. You could go through the golf course and compare what it was when it opened and where it is today and you’d think the difference was night and day. But done over time you don’t notice it.â€� In June of 2010, prior to the 35th Memorial Tournament, then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem took to the podium to announce that Muirfield Village Golf Club would host the 2013 Presidents Cup. The selection of Muirfield Village was more than just a nod of appreciation to Memorial Tournament Founder and Host Jack Nicklaus, who served four times as captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup team. It was a recognition of something special that Nicklaus had created in his hometown area. “Jack created Muirfield Village to illustrate his passion for tournament golf and challenge the world’s best players,â€� Finchem remarked. “The selection of Muirfield Village as the site of the next Presidents Cup in the United States is confirmation of what the golf club and Jack Nicklaus have meant to the history of our sport.â€� After hosting the 1987 Ryder Cup and 1998 Solheim Cup, Muirfield Village was now on a path to an historic third “cupâ€� event. There wasn’t a thing that needed to be done in preparation, but Jack and his wife Barbara did them anyway. Jack made his changes to the golf course – and also made major upgrades to the practice facility, while Barbara took the lead in a remarkable and breathtaking renovation of the clubhouse that includes luxury suites, expanded outdoor dining for members, a permanent television broadcasting booth and an iconic clock tower. More recently, a modern workout room was added, and later this year a shiny new tournament headquarters will be completed. Nothing escapes the attention of the Nicklauses. “When you take into account that at its core, Muirfield Village Golf Club has one of the most highly rated and universally respected golf courses in the world and you add to it the accompanying clubhouse, lodging and support facilities not to mention 5-star service, you would be hard pressed to find a more complete golf facility today,” said Dan Sullivan, executive director of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. “It speaks to the vision of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus to build a world-class facility that is without question the leader in the club industry and it’s a beacon of pure excellence that sets an example for every other tournament site.” “Muirfield Village is like the Mona Lisa,â€� said Nicholas LaRocca, the general manager, who has been at Muirfield Village since 1997. “It’s a masterpiece. It’s Jack masterpiece in the game of golf. How can you possibly improve on a masterpiece? And yet Jack and Barbara Nicklaus continually find ways of doing that. Every year there is something new, not because anything was wrong; just to make it better. Their commitment to excellence is amazing.â€� Nicklaus, 79, once said that Muirfield Village means more to him than his playing career. Considering what that career entails – those 18 majors, 73 PGA TOUR titles overall, many more wins around the world and a significant role in making the TOUR the overwhelming success it is today – that’s quite a statement. “I’ve obviously spent more time here, more effort, and worked harder on this golf course to get it more the way I want it probably than any other golf course,â€� said Nicklaus, whose prolific design career includes more than 300 layouts. “Obviously, it’s where my passion was when I grew up. This is where I grew up. This is where I wanted to bring golf back to. This is where I wanted to say thanks to the community who had supported me for all the years that I played.’ “I’ve poured most of my life into what’s happened here … the golf course and everything else,â€� he added. “It’s been a fairly emotional thing for me. I can’t think of anything else that I’ve been more involved in more completely other than my family and my playing golf than Muirfield Village.â€� It shows. Of all the great strokes Jack Nicklaus executed in his career, Muirfield Village Golf Club might be one of his finest – a stroke of genius.

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