Euan Walker one step from Open and Masters after reaching Amateur Championship final

His work was over for the week, but Scott Brown, like a lot of PGA TOUR pros, is always on the job. So, after having missed the cut at Bethpage Black in the first FedExCup Playoffs event last August, Brown wanted to get right back at it. Surrounded by a plethora of golf options out on Long Island, he hit balls at the Tam O’Shanter Club in Glen Head where the head professional, Mark Brown, presented an intriguing suggestion: Why not go look at the Glen Oaks Club in nearby Old Westbury? “So, I went over and played it, and I’m glad I did,� said Scott Brown. “It’s my kind of golf course.� The impetus to play Glen Oaks went deeper than practice, though. Scott Brown knew that THE NORTHERN TRUST would open the 2017 FedExCup Playoffs at Glen Oaks, a course that may be a mystery to PGA TOUR pros but certainly isn’t to many members of the Metropolitan section of the PGA of America. Mark Brown, for instance. A week before the FedExCup Playoffs at Bethpage Black, Glen Oaks hosted the 101st Met Open where the Tam O’Shanter head pro shot 69-69-68 for a 4-under 206 and four-stroke win. He was excited to point Scott Brown toward Glen Oaks, but Tim Shifflett isn’t surprised to hear that it came with advanced billing. “We call it the Augusta of the north,� Mark had said. “I know people say that, but I just don’t like that expression,� said Shifflett, the head professional at Glen Oaks since 2001. “It certainly wasn’t our intent when we renovated.� Mark Brown understands the pretentiousness to compare any golf course to the home of the Masters, “but, honestly, (Glen Oaks) is that pure, that perfectly conditioned.� What Mark Brown might not have known is that Scott Brown is a native of Augusta, Ga., and knows Augusta National well. He was in synch with Mark Brown’s assessment. “It’s a fabulous golf course, similar (in style) to Augusta National in that you have to play shots to certain quadrants of the greens,� said Scott Brown. “It’s not crazy tight (nor is Augusta National) and it’s fun to play. The greens are firm and you have a lot of options for shots around the greens.� Jason Caron, the head professional at the Mill River Club in Oyster Bay, has heard the “Augusta of the north� expression and said it fit. “Seriously, Glen Oaks is that good,� he said. Certainly, its history is that good, too, flavored in large part by its connection to the “Roaring ‘20s� when so many of America’s wealthiest families established sprawling estates on Long Island. Shifflett noted that the Glen Oaks Club started in 1924 on the Queens-Nassau border, built on land purchased from William K. Vanderbilt’s “Deepdale Estate� which curled around Lake Success. When reporters wrote of two-time PGA Champion Leo Diegel’s exploits in the 1920s, he was said to have been from Glen Oaks. As urban sprawl spread on Long Island in the ‘60s, the Glen Oaks Club gave way to the North Shore Towers. Club members bought land about 15 miles west and in 1971 re-opened Glen Oaks in Old Westbury as a 27-hole course designed by Joe Finger. Not that it wasn’t a good course — the routing was praised and the putting surfaces were splendid— but Shifflett used the word “unmemorable� to describe it. “It was not interesting. Every hole looked similar — trees left, bunkers right; trees right, bunkers left. Every green had a bunker left, a bunker right, a bunker to the rear,� said Shifflett. “It was all so redundant.� The hiring of superintendent Craig Currier – who had done brilliant work at Bethpage Black for both the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens and had also worked at Augusta National and Garden City GC – signaled a change of direction for Glen Oaks. With credit to a membership that trusted their vision, Shifflett and Currier were told to pick an architect who would oversee a renovation. After considering bigger names, they decided on Joel Weiman, senior designer with McDonald & Sons of Maryland, with whom Currier had worked on a Bethpage project. Together, they went to work . . . and work . . . and work. “It was more work than I ever envisioned. But once we started, there was no stopping,� laughed Currier. “It’s like when you start tearing your kitchen apart.� The overall goal, said Shifflett, was for “green grass, white sand and mulch around the trees – three distinct looks.� Hurricanes of 2011 (Irene) and 2012 (Sandy) contributed to the aesthetics all three wanted by clearing several swaths of trees. Mostly, though, it was the collaborative efforts of Weimer, Currier and Shifflett that produced sweeping vistas and such a clean, fresh look. Scott Brown, who played Glen Oaks with firm and fast conditions, gave it thumbs up. He loved the sprawling piece of property with wide and tightly-mown fairways that run into sharp-edged bunkers, shaved areas around the greens, and putting surfaces which can offer speeds that will command your respect. If similar conditions exist August 24-27 for THE NORTHERN TRUST, Scott Brown suggested his brethren will be tested. But Mark Brown, who was the only competitor to break par at last year’s Met Open, said Mother Nature will be in charge. “If it does get soft,� he said, “I could see the guys eating it up. It’s not terribly long (using Nos. 1-3 and 6-9 from the White Course, 4-5 from the Red Course, and all nine of the Blue Course, Glen Oaks will offer a composite layout of approximately 7,300 yards) and these guys usually figure things out quickly.� Currier, after two U.S. Opens at Bethpage, knows the landscape. If he could dial it up, “I’d wish for a good, dry week with a little wind,� and he’s confident that “from tee-to-green (the players) will love it.� The firmness of the greens and their speeds will likely decide the overall scores, but for Currier there is a bigger picture. The Met Section has a long line of world-class golf courses and the Glen Oaks Club — with a distinctive look that is its own — is getting mentioned in the conversation. “They’re talking about our golf course,� said Currier. “That’s kind of cool to see.�

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Things weren’t exactly looking good for Roger Sloan on Thursday midway through his first round of the Wyndham Championship. The 34-year-old Canadian had started on the back nine and after a birdie at No. 11, he proceeded to make four bogeys over his next nine holes. It took a pair of birdies on the fifth and eighth holes just to salvage a 1-over 71. Sloan found his range during the second round, though, shooting 64 on the Donald Ross gem that opened in 1926. And he matched that score of 6 under on Saturday to move into a six-way tie for third, four strokes off the pace being set by Russell Henley. “I think in the first round I dusted off a few of those jitters and then I was just able to settle in the last few holes on Thursday,” Sloan said. “I really like this golf course. I like a lot of the sightlines off the tee. These greens are so good, you just put the ball online and it’s going to go in the hole. “It’s a great track.” Not only has he put himself in the hunt for his first PGA TOUR victory, Sloan is also on the cusp of making the FedExCup Playoffs for the second time in his career. Sloan came to Greensboro ranked No. 131 in the FedExCup, needing to finish 19th or higher to move into the top 125. He’s projected inside the magic number at No. 102 through three rounds but it’s clear he’s focused on even more. “I’ll let you guys kind of figure that out,” he told the sportswriters at the flash area when asked about the FedExCup permutations. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s a trophy to be won and everything will kind of take care of itself.” This is Sloan’s fourth appearance at the Wyndham Championship. He’s needed to play his way into the top 125 on two of the three previous trips but was unsuccessful. This year, though, Sloan arrived with momentum after tying for sixth at the Barracuda Championship last week. It’s his lone top 10 of the season. NOTES: Justin Rose, who has made the Playoffs every year since its inception, came to Greensboro on the outside looking in, ranked No. 138. He’s in a six-way tie for ninth after shooting 69 on Saturday and is now projected out at No. 126 with one round remaining. … Tyler Duncan, who is tied for ninth at 10 under, is the only player who is projected to move into the top 150 through three rounds. Normally that’s important because it gives a player conditional status for the following season on the PGA TOUR. But Duncan already has his playing privileges locked up by virtue of his win last year at the RSM Classic. … That said Satoshi Kodiara, who missed the cut and has dropped one spot to No. 151, isn’t exempt so he’ll likely be watching what happens on Sunday closely. If he doesn’t finish in the top 150, though, Kodiara will be able to compete in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. … David Lingmerth and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who played together in the third round, remain projected inside the top 200 now, which would also give them access to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Lingmerth moved from No. 205 to 199 in the projections while Aphibarnrat went from 204 to 198. PROJECTED IN Roger Sloan (131 to projected 102) – Sloan shot his second straight 64 to move to 11 under and into a tie with Brandon Grace, Kevin Kisner, Kevin Na, Scott Piercy and Rory Sabbatini. Rory Sabbatini (141 to projected 122) – The 69 that Sabbatini shot on Saturday was his highest of the week, but it was also his grittiest. The Olympic silver medalist only made one bogey during the first two rounds but scrambled to overcome four in the third round. Scott Piercy (126 to projected 93) – Piercy has hung in there all week. He was tied for second after the first two rounds and Saturday’s 69 kept him in the hunt, four strokes behind Henley. PROJECTED OUT Ryan Armour (122 to projected 127) – Armour shot 68 on Friday but he missed the cut by one. He’s projected one shot lower after the third round than he was after the second. Patrick Rodgers (123 to projected 128) – Rogers rallied with a 67 on Friday but also missed the cut by one. He, too, dropped one more in the projections after the third round. Bo Hoag (125 to projected 129) – Hoag followed up his 67 with a one-over 71 to miss the cut by a stroke, as well. Like Armour and Rodgers, the bubble boy now does not control his own fate in the FedExCup.

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SYDNEY – Rory McIlroy was heading toward the end of 2013 feeling pretty ordinary after a winless year. Jordan Spieth was doing the same in 2014. And now Jason Day, who started 2017 as No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking but now sits 12th on the global list, is heading into the holiday season without a new trophy to admire. On each occasion, the criticism had started. The questions about what was wrong with them had well and truly begun. We hold our superstars to a high standard you see. Under pressure, McIlroy headed to Sydney in his off-season to play the Australian Open and ultimately won it by taking down a red-hot Adam Scott on Sunday. Scott had won the Masters at Augusta that season and was coming off wins at the Australian Masters and Australian PGA Championship in earlier weeks. But McIlroy came over the top of the national hero on Sunday and ultimately went on to dominate in 2014, winning The Open Championship, the PGA Championship, the World Golf Championships–Bridgestone Invitational and the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour. He was PGA TOUR Player of the Year and laid some credit on his Australian win for the resurgence. “I did take a lot from that victory,â€� McIlroy said as he lined up for his title defense in Sydney in 2014. “It was my one and only victory of 2013 but it ended the year for me on a high and gave me momentum going into 2014.â€� But that week in Sydney wouldn’t go the same way for McIlroy. Instead, it was Spieth’s turn. The Texan shot a still much talked about 8-under 63 in brutal winds on Sunday to bury the demons he was facing for not being able to close out multiple chances to win on the PGA TOUR that year. The following season, just like McIlroy, he would win two majors and be Player of the Year. Spieth actually won five times and claimed the FedExCup in a sensational season. “The Australian Open may have been the most important tournament that I’ve ever played in because at the time, it had been maybe a year and a half since winning the John Deere in that playoff where I kind of squeaked in, luckily,â€� Spieth said. “Going there to an elite field with the world No. 1 player (McIlroy at the time) and obviously with the local favorite Adam (Scott) and with a venue like The Australian, to put myself in a position and just have a level of patience that I had not had when I was in contention prior to that was important.â€� So now, it is Day’s turn. After a year to forget that has seen his standing in the OWGR slide quickly, the now 30-year-old has a chance for his first win since THE PLAYERS Championship 2016. Through two rounds at The Australian Golf Club the 10-time PGA TOUR winner Day sits at 8-under and just one shot behind 21-year-old leader Lucas Herbert. Cameron Davis, a 22-year-old, is a shot back at 7-under with Anthony Quayle, at 23 at 6-under. Clearly Day is the favorite with two rounds to go with TOUR winners Cameron Smith and Matt Jones five off the lead and Spieth eight shots adrift. The chance to create a springboard to a comeback season has not been lost on him. “I haven’t won this year. But this would be a nice little end of the year cap, just to know that it wasn’t such a disappointing year,â€� Day said. “This is a huge kind of confidence builder for me this week and if I can somehow pull the win off, that would be great. “A win is a win, regardless of where you are, where you play. To have the Stonehaven Cup on the mantel would be great. It would be a good kick start going to next year’s season, back on the PGA TOUR. “I just know how Jordan’s done from having the confidence coming from this event and going forward and winning two majors the year after and having a lot of confidence going to the start of the year.â€� Speaking of Spieth, Day won’t rest despite the healthy gap between the pair. While those closest to Day have merely fractions of experience in winning big events, Spieth is still a factor. “If he gets something going on the weekend he can hole a lot of putts and make a lot of birdies and make a charge, and usually he does make a charge on the weekend,â€� Day said. “Seven strokes is obviously not enough but I’d like to keep pushing forward and hopefully I don’t see him in my rear view mirror at all.â€� If Day does surge ahead this weekend, be sure to remember it when picking your 2018 major winners.

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