Everything you need to know one month before the Masters

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – FedExCup champion Justin Rose has started his quest to be the first back-to-back champion in style. In the much trickier afternoon conditions at Liberty National Rose fired a 6-under 65, the best of the afternoon wave, to be three shots back and into a tie for fifth at THE NORTHERN TRUST. No one has ever won the FedExCup in consecutive seasons. Tiger Woods is the only two-time winner (2007, 2009). In fact the defending champion has only qualified for the TOUR Championship three out of 11 occasions. Only Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas have returned to East Lake the year after winning it all. “Everything,â€� Rose said when asked what defending meant to him. “No one’s done it yet. Justin Thomas came the closest I think, right? There was a bit of a FedExCup curse, wasn’t there, for a while; guys who won it had a terrible next season. “I feel like I’ve given myself a good opportunity to have a run at it. I’ve made the most of this year, even though I haven’t had my best. I feel like I have a great shot.â€� RELATED: Big stars shine in opening round | Tiger starts slow with 75 | FedExCup Playoffs new format detailed Starting the FedExCup Playoffs 11th on the points list Rose is looking to climb his way into a better position before the TOUR Championship so he can create his history. In a change from the past the FedExCup leader heading to the TOUR Championship will start at 10 under at East Lake. Second place will be at 8 under, third 7 under, fourth 6 under with fifth at 5 under. Players ranked 6-10 will start at 4 under, 11-15 at 3 under, 16-20 at 2 under, 21-25 at 1 under and 26-30 at even par. As the leaderboard stands at Liberty National right now Rose projects to ninth. But he has designs on being higher. “If you could be within four shots, I’d say. One a day, you can chisel away at that lead,â€� Rose said of what he’s looking to achieve. “Brooks and Rory, these guys, you don’t want to spot them too many. If they go ahead and play well, you don’t want to give them an insurmountable lead. But listen, if I win one or two of these next few events, then I’m going to be that guy, 10-under, so it offers everybody that opportunity.â€�

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BRADENTON, Fla. — Webb Simpson ran off three straight late birdies for a share of the lead Thursday in the WGC-Workday Championship at Concession. Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau ran up some big numbers. Simpson matched Matthew Fitzpatrick with a 6-under 66 at The Concession in the World Golf Championships event moved from Mexico to Florida because of COVID-19 circumstances. Simpson birdied the par-4 15th and 16th and par-5 17th. The 2012 U.S. Open champion won twice last season and has seven PGA TOUR victories. Fitzpatrick had a bogey-free round. The Englishman has six European Tour titles. The top-ranked Johnson had two double bogeys in a 77. DeChambeau and Bubba Watson also shot 77, with DeChambeau making a triple bogey on the par-4 16th. Brooks Koepka was a stroke out of the lead at 67 with Billy Horschel, Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner. Koepka won the Waste Management Phoenix Open this month for his eighth PGA TOUR title. Second-ranked Jon Rahm bogeyed the final hole late in the afternoon for a 68. Tony Finau, coming off a playoff loss to Max Homa last week at Riviera, also was at 68 with defending champion Patrick Reed, Wade Ormsby, Sungjae Im and Cameron Smith. Rory McIlroy had three bogeys in a 69. Justin Thomas birdied three of the last four for a 73. He dropped four strokes in a three-hole stretch on his first nine, making a double bogey and two bogeys. Homa also shot 73.

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