Dufner’s 65 opens up big lead at the Memorial

The PGA TOUR announced that Vivint Smart Home, Inc., a leading smart home company in North America, will become title sponsor of the Houston Open for 2020 in support of tournament host and beneficiary, the Astros Golf Foundation. The Vivint Houston Open will be played November 5-8 and returns to Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston for the first time since 1963. The Astros Golf Foundation, led by Houston Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane, operates and serves as the host organization for the event. The commitment to the Houston Open from the Astros Golf Foundation, with the support of a number of community partners, is in place through 2023. The Astros Golf Foundation recently completed a $34 million renovation to Memorial Park Golf Course over a two-year period in order to bring the tournament back to the heart of the city. "The Houston Open has been a staple on the PGA TOUR calendar since 1946 and this year marks its celebrated return to Memorial Park Golf Course, thanks to the Astros Golf Foundation whose dedication to community is unmatched in Houston," said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. "We are thrilled to partner with Vivint whose enthusiasm and innovative thinking allowed us to finalize this partnership just a month before the tournament." All four rounds of the Vivint Houston Open will be televised on the Golf Channel, featuring a 132-player field, 500 FedExCup points and a $7 million purse. "We are excited to bring the Houston Open back to the City of Houston's Memorial Park Golf Course," says Giles Kibbe, President Astros Golf Foundation. "We recognize this is a unique year and are appreciative of Vivint for their support in Houston in 2020 and their commitment to helping us serve our community through the game of golf." "We're proud to partner with the PGA TOUR and the Astros Golf Foundation for this incredible event," said Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint Smart Home. "Giving back is a core company value for Vivint so we're delighted to participate in a charitable effort that will benefit one of our flagship markets." The Houston Open was first played in 1946, with the inaugural event captured by Byron Nelson at River Oaks Country Club. Other notable winners throughout the 72-year history of the event include World Golf Hall of Fame members Arnold Palmer, Jack Burke, Jr., Bobby Locke, Cary Middlecoff, Gary Player, Curtis Strange, Payne Stewart, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. Most recently, Lanto Griffin won the 2019 Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston. One of Houston's premier sporting events, the tournament has also made significant contributions to the Houston community, raising more than $69 million for charitable causes.

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CROMWELL, Conn. — Kramer Hickok finished the third round of the Travelers Championship too late in the day to go fly fishing again. RELATED: Leaderboard | An exciting finish in place at the Travelers Championship | Remembering John Shippen He’ll have to wait until Sunday to try to reel in the biggest catch of his career. The 29-year-old shot a 2-under 68 on Saturday to tie for the lead with three-time winner Bubba Watson. Hickok, who has never won on the PGA TOUR, opened a two-stroke lead before bogeying the final two holes. “I thought I’d be a lot more nervous than I am,” said Hickok, who went fly fishing on the nearby Farmington River after the first round. “I know those nerves are going to be there. It’s just embracing those nerves, not trying to fight it.” Watson shot a 68 at the TPC River Highlands, picking up three strokes on Hickok over the final two holes. Jason Day was also also in a tie for the lead before a bogey on No. 18 dropped him into a three-way tie at minus-9. “When you’re playing in the afternoon you know the challenge ahead of you,” said Watson, who won the event in 2010, ‘15 and ’18. “You don’t want to play safe. In my stage of my career if I have a chance to win I’m going to go for it. That’s the key. I’m not going to worry about third or fourth place. I am going to try to go for it if I can.” Hickock was 12 under — two strokes ahead of Day and three in front of Watson — heading to the 17th before flying the green and missing a 10-foot par putt. He was still a stroke ahead of the final pairing before three-putting from 8 feet on No. 18 to fall back into a tie. “I’ve been in contention before,” said Hickok, who has one victory on the Korn Ferry Tour. “Obviously, this is a bigger stage. But it’s just about going out there and playing golf, and I play my best when I’m relaxed.” Watson birdied No. 17 to move to 10 under and then missed a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that would have given him the lead. Day, the overnight leader, putted past the 18th hole from 22 feet for a bogey to finish at 70. Cameron Smith (66) and Russell Henley (68) also were 9 under, and three players were another stroke back. Defending champion Dustin Johnson, who birdied the last two holes on Friday to make the cut on the number, shot 65 to climb into a tie for ninth at minus-7. The former world No. 1 reached the clubhouse just two strokes off Day’s 36-hole lead. “To birdie the last two yesterday to make the cut, which I definitely wanted to be here for the weekend, and obviously go out today and shoot a nice score, it was good,” he said. “So I feel like the game is coming around.” Johnson shot 61 on Saturday last year to move from a tie for 20th into second, two strokes behind leader Brendan Todd. His victory was his first in 490 days; a win on Sunday would give him his first victory of 2021.

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