Els shoots 65 to take 3-shot lead at rainy En-Joie

Joel Dahmen … It was only two starts ago when he last appeared on this page, and he delivered with a T8 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD. After a solid summer, it's his only top-35 finish in six starts as he descends on Mayakoba for the fourth consecutive year. Given his relative success, it's easy to understand why he keeps booking the trip. He's 3-for-3 with a T23 in 2017 and a T6 last year. All 12 of his scores are red and his average is 68.33. Rory Sabbatini ... The grasses are different in Hawaii than they are at Mayakoba Resort, but the native of South Africa always has had an affinity for teeing it up in the islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Certainly, that goes for many guys who qualify for either of the first two events that launch a calendar year, but his longevity and success prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. His talent has flourished in non-tropical settings, of course, but he's also thrived at El Camaleón with a pair of top fives baked into a 7-for-9 record. The 44-year-old also has a pair of T12s already this season, including in the last event along the water at Sea Island. Scott Piercy ... Among the throng of tee-to-green surgeons who have found the fountain of youth at Mayakoba. In his first five appearances, a T20 in 2009 was the lone highlight, but he's gone T16-T4-T6-T26 since 2014. That run included a final-round 62 that equaled the course record in 2018. Now 42 years of age and separated from the distractions of a few months ago, he's positioned to pile on having gone 5-for-5 with three top 20s upon arrival. Chesson Hadley ... Disappointed recently at TPC Summerlin but he's recovered with top 25s in two starts to make it three on the season and four in his last eight. He's been streakier than consistently solid throughout his career, so it's fair to consider this moment in time as a good one to put his first FedExCup points on the board at Mayakoba. He did make the cut in his last trip in 2017, but he withdrew during his third round with an illness. En route to five top 25s among 12 cuts made in 2019-20, he ranked 22nd in fairways hit, 20th in greens in regulation, T4 in proximity to the hole and 19th in putting: birdies-or-better. Those ingredients helps explain why he's been making noise of late. Doug Ghim ... If victories by Martin Laird (Shriners) and Robert Streb (RSM) don't resonate as second chances fulfilled (since both would have needed to retain their fully exempt status at the Korn Ferry Tour Finals if that series wasn't canceled), try Ghim's resurgence on for size. It's the learning curve incarnate. After a lackluster rookie season during which he started near the bottom of the KFT graduate category and didn't climb higher than 35th after any reorder (en route to finishing 184th in the FedExCup), the 24-year-old has pounced early and often to sit 56th in points for his debut at Mayakoba. He's 4-for-5 with three top 20s and a T23. Currently 28th in greens hit and 44th in converting those chances into par breakers. NOTE: Sleeper is a relative term, so Rob uses unofficial criteria to determine who qualifies. Each of the following usually is determined to be ineligible for this weekly staple: Winners of the tournament on the current host course; winners in the same season; recent major champions; top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking; recent participants of team competitions.

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Was it Team Australia? Or Team Mullet? Either way the duo of Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman ultimately prevailed in another super exciting Zurich Classic of New Orleans that once again proved professional golf can be both intense and fun at the same time. Team golf just has a way of bringing another layer of excitement and the Foursomes, sometimes referred to as alternate shot, brings in complexity and volatility on Sunday, ensuring it’s never over till their singing in the streets of New Orleans. The Aussie mates eventually closed things out over veteran South African’s Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel in a playoff as the two teams traded the lead throughout the final round. Smith jumped all the way to third in the FedExCup with Leishman moving to 29th. Here are five stories you may have missed from TPC Louisiana. 1. Leishman refused to yield to the captivity of negativity – chipping in after a penalty drop. Cameron Smith’s tee shot on the drivable par-4 16th had just taken a wicked bounce to the left and ended up in alligator territory. The Australian team had held a two-shot lead a few holes prior but were now one behind Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen and perhaps staring down the barrel of a missed opportunity. It was the type of situation many might have folded under, ruing the luck of the bounce, and letting oneself find the captivity of negativity as they took a penalty drop off the back of making bogeys on two of the previous three holes. Instead Marc Leishman said, “Why don’t we just chip this in.” And he went ahead and did just that for a critical birdie to tie things up again. The teams remained tied over the final two holes before the Australians would prevail in a playoff. The prediction from Leishman wasn’t one of arrogance – it was a continuation of the mindset and spirit the team had played with from day one. Smith knew he had the tools to make it happen and as such wasn’t dwelling on the position he’d put his partner in. The duo are very close mates and by nature have each other’s back. They’d rented a house together to stay in with their caddies Matty Kelly and Sam Pinfold such is the close bond of all four. But with Smith arguably providing the majority of big moments through the first three rounds, Leishman knew this was his moment. “Where it went in, I was dropping it on an up slope and I said, boys, why don’t we just make it,” Leishman recounted. “I didn’t think I was actually going to do it, but the power of positive thinking is a pretty good thing. If you’re thinking about making it, you probably have a better chance of making it rather than thinking about – don’t chunk it in the water. I’ve learned that over the years that positive thinking’s really helpful.” Now Leishman is a six-time PGA TOUR winner and Smith has three to his name – two at this event having won in 2017 with Jonas Blixt. And the pair have shown International Presidents Cup captain Trevor Immelman how incredible they can be as a team ahead of the 2022 Cup at Quail Hollow. Read more about the winning duo here. 2. Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel did not deserve to go down that way. No one saw it coming. Oosthuizen had been money off the tee all week at TPC Louisiana – and perhaps his entire life such is the beauty of the former Open Championship winners swing. So to see his tee shot from the 18th tee in the sudden death playoff rocket to the right and into a watery grave was shocking to say the least. It wasn’t the ending the veteran team deserved so it shouldn’t overshadow what was a great week for the South Africans. “Disappointed, but I felt we played well, gave ourselves loads of opportunities. Alternate shot’s always a tough format,” Oosthuizen said afterwards. They had begun the volatile Foursomes session with a one-shot lead and increased it to two shots on the fourth hole. Through no fault of their own they were tied up again at the turn before their first blemish came on the 10th and a hole later they were suddenly two shots down. Staring at a two-shot deficit with six to play may have been a little daunting but these old-stagers knew very well things could change on a dime. Three holes later they once again held the outright lead. They could almost feel the title belts around their waists only to lose their buffer thanks to a Leishman’s sensational chip in birdie on the 16th. Both teams had critical putts that could’ve been the difference on the 17th and 18th greens but failed to convert, sending them back out for more golf. That’s when Oosthuizen’s usually clockwork swing betrayed him. Schwartzel had to retee for the team and they’d make a double bogey, allowing the Australians to win with a conservative par. “We have a third here (2018). We have a second. I feel next time we’ll come back and get the first,” Oosthuizen said. 3. Cameron Smith’s mullet is here to stay. There was a rumor flying around New Orleans suggesting Cameron Smith was going to lop off that long flowing mullet hairstyle should he win the Zurich Classic for the second time. Turns out he’d told his girlfriend that’s what it would take for him to consider getting rid the flowing mane that has become a marketable figure on its own over the last few months as Smith contended multiple times including at both the November and April Masters. But with the weight of crowd support in his corner on Sunday Smith knew it was a promise he’d ultimately have to break. “He’s got a cult following now. You should hear the fans out there. They’re all over it. It’s awesome,” Leishman – who acted as Smith’s barber pre-tournament enthused. “It was like, it almost felt like a home crowd. Obviously they love Cam’s hair.” Leishman got further in on the Team Mullet act by buying a mullet wig of his own and wearing it on the first tee on Saturday as the team came out to “The Mullet Song” by Jay Powell. It all convinced Smith he must soldier on with the look first inspired by his rugby league heroes in Australia who used last year’s quarantine bubble to see who could grow the best one. “I have to apologize to my girlfriend; it’s not going away. I feel like it’s part of me now,” Smith said. “It’s really cool. It gives the fans something to get behind. Lots of people love it and it’s good fun as well. It makes people laugh. I love it.” 4. Peter Uihlein and Richy Werenski almost came from the clouds. The Massachusetts duo put up a tournament best 5-under 67 in the Foursomes format Sunday to post 19 under in the clubhouse well ahead of the final groups. One figured it wouldn’t be enough but in the end a bogey on the 17th would prove the difference between their third-place finish and a shot at the playoff. It’s been lean times on the TOUR for the once heavily touted Uihlein but a win last week on the Korn Ferry Tour provided the momentum into New Orleans. Werenski, a winner on TOUR at the Barracuda Championship last season, expects we’ll see more of his teammate in the future. “He says I played good, but he carried the team,” Werenski said. “He knows it. But we had a great time. I love coming to this one, Louisiana is fun, so we had a great week, and looking forward to next year.” 5. Cameron Champ and Tony Finau failed to fire on Sunday. For the opening two rounds the big-hitting power duo looked pretty impressive as they pushed to the lead and even when their best golf started to leave them in the third round both men found a way to get into the clubhouse just one shot off the pace. Finau has famously had trouble closing out a plethora of chances over the past few seasons but the feeling was that perhaps the addition of a partner might help pave the path to victory. Instead they were never a factor. After a run of five opening pars on Sunday “Team Send It” dropped four shots before the turn and their quest for the title was over. A 76 to finish dropped them all the way back to 17th place. But while they may have failed to find their groove in the final round, they certainly continue to lead the way by using their voices and profiles in the continued fight for racial equality in the U.S. In the midst of last week’s verdict in the Derek Chauvin case the duo added their voice as they have many times before. 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. The competition will conclude prior to the FedExCup PLAYOFFS where the top 10 FedExCup points leaders will be recognized and awarded as the most elite in golf. Week after week, shot after shot, each event matters more than ever before. Who will finish in the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10? Click here to follow the weekly action.

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Austin Smotherman’s routine before the Korn Ferry Tour event every week is the same. He must chat with his grandfather to give him the course rundown. Not so his grandfather can check up on how it fits his game. It’s more of a preliminary strike on his grandfather’s nerves by letting his grandfather know how the course is playing, so when he is following along at home he’ll know when to sweat and when not to. “I have to give him the whole rundown of, ‘Alright, when the PGA TOUR app says first cut, the first cut is nothing this week, don’t even worry about it. When it says primary rough, the rough is nonexistent this week, so do not worry,” Smotherman said. “Because he’ll see me in the rough and he’ll start freaking out.” Smotherman’s grandfather, Bill Acquistapace, is the man who introduced him to the game. When he was three or four, his grandfather cut in half an old Sam Snead 7-iron blade and a persimmon 5-wood and taped them with duct tape and electrical tape for grips. Now that his grandson is on the Korn Ferry Tour, Acquistapace and his daughter, Smotherman’s mom, have become pros at figuring out his proximity to the hole with minimal info when they can’t be at the tournament. If his two playing partners scores post on the app before him, they get excited because they know he’s got a nice look at birdie. “They live and die by the PGA TOUR app every single week,” Smotherman said. “But they love it.” Smotherman, who played at SMU despite never having a coach until college, even jokes with his grandfather every year at Christmas time on the present he’s going to get him based on that love. “I always joke with my grandfather that every Christmas I’m going to have to get him a new keyboard because he’s hitting enter and refresh so often that he’s going to break it every single year,” Smotherman laughed. When Smotherman’s playing on the East Coast with an early tee time on Thursday or Friday, it can make for some early mornings for Acquistapace, who lives in Sacramento. So Smotherman tries to do his best to take care of him for the weekend. “I’ve been getting some early morning tee times, 7 o clock on the east coast, 4 o clock for him.” Smotherman said, “So, he’s like, ‘Alright, I’ll catch you on the sixth hole. I’ll be on my second cup of coffee by then!’ And then I’m like, ‘Don’t worry I’ll get you a late tee time on Saturday so you can sleep in, alright?’” The two still make sure and talk for a couple minutes after every competitive round. Acquistapace is quite the player himself too. Although he doesn’t get to play much anymore, he has six hole-in-ones and shot his age when he was 77. And he’s been a major part of getting his grandson to the Korn Ferry Tour, and maybe even the PGA TOUR soon. “He’s been a big part of it all,” Smotherman said. At No. 25 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points Standings, his grandfather will surely be hitting refresh a lot over the final two events as Smotherman chases one of the 25 PGA TOUR cards that will be handed out in Omaha. His grandfather won’t be there but will be in Boise the following week to kick off the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, and Smotherman’s hoping they’ll have a PGA TOUR card to celebrate together. He got a lot closer to that dream last week with a T4 that helped him jump back inside the top 25. “Last week was huge. I think I kind of proved to myself that I could keep those thoughts of [the top 25] out of my head,” Smotherman said. The California native admits it’s hard to keep the bubble out of your head at this stage, especially when his caddie’s wearing a top-25 bib, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s obviously going to be crunch time, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Smotherman said. “To be in this position at the start of the year, I would have said, ‘Give it to me. Embrace it, go play well.’ And you know what someone’s gotta be the bubble boy, and I feel like I can handle it. And now I gotta go kind of prove that. Whether I finish 25, 26 or 15, I feel confident, and it’s a very cool feeling.” It’d be hard for him to not feel confident with as well as Smotherman has been hitting it. He ranks sixth in ball striking, seventh in total driving, 10th in greens in regulation and 11th in driving accuracy. At Lakewood National earlier this year, he posted the best mark of the Korn Ferry Tour season to this point, hitting 44 greens in a row. He also won his first Korn Ferry Tour event in a wire-to-wire victory in May at the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation, and he’s added two additional top-5s in his last five starts. It’s the type of season that has the 27-year-old on the verge of a lifelong dream – a PGA TOUR card – that would complete a journey that goes far beyond just him. “To make a start as a PGA TOUR member that would be accomplishing a lifelong dream of me,” Smotherman said. “It would definitely be rewarding and to have that sense of pride. My family and everyone that sacrificed things around me through my whole life from traveling to junior events, to spending time away from my wife, we got married young and I traveled a ton, but I think it’d be rewarding for me and everyone around me that have seen my work put in.” And if he starts to feel that pressure of the bubble the next two weeks, he knows where to turn. “My family’s support…those are the things coming down the stretch if I have any nerves the next couple of weeks, how can I not fall back on that and just know, ‘Hey, relax a little bit, Austin, this game’s done a lot for you? Let’s go take care of business now!’” His grandfather will certainly be refreshing and following along.

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