Expert Picks: AT&T Byron Nelson

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Zach Johnson hopes Tiger Woods returns to his best if only to show the new young wave of stars on the PGA TOUR what he – and many others – had to deal with on a regular basis. Speaking just a few weeks before Woods will return at the Farmers Insurance Open, Johnson hoped the 79-time TOUR winner could show the likes of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas just how incredible his game can be. “I’d love to have these young guys that are dominating the game have a piece, just one year of what we experienced,â€� Johnson said after moving into a tie for second at the Sony Open through 36 holes. “I’m not going to disregard the talent that is out here right now. I guess I look at it like this — you had the Hogans, the Sneads, Byron Nelsons, Palmer, and then Nicklaus and Watson. Then Greg Norman, Couples, Seve era, and then it pretty much went into Tiger and it was Tiger for a long, long time. “Now, who are you going to pick? Are you going to pick Jordan? Are you going to pick Justin? Are you going to pick Jason (Day)? Are you going to pick Rory (McIlroy)? There are four or five guys carrying the torch, but there was one for a long time.â€� Johnson thinks some vintage Woods performances are certainly possible despite the four back surgeries the 42-year-old has endured. “If he’s playing well and he’s healthy then there’s no individual in the world who amazes me more than him on the golf course,â€� he said. Woods is due to play Genesis Open after his debut at Torrey Pines.  

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He has four headcovers in his bag this week: a 10.5-degree Stealth Plus driver, a 16.5-degree Stealth 3HL (high launch) 3-wood, 21-degree Stealth 7-wood and the 22-degree Stealth 4-hybrid. A 4-iron is the longest in Johnson’s bag. Johnson also used the 4-hybrid at the Farmers Insurance Open to help him hit the ball higher out of Torrey Pines’ thick rough. A TaylorMade representative said his use of the club is “infrequent,” however. Johnson did use a 3-iron when he set the Masters scoring record two years ago, shooting 20-under 268 to win by five shots. His winning total also was the lowest score in relation to par in major history. The higher launch that a hybrid offers wasn’t necessary during that unique fall Masters, however, as the course played softer than usual. AUGUSTA, Ga. – Hybrids can help even the best players hit their long approach shots higher. That’s why Dustin Johnson took the 3-iron out of his bag this week as he seeks his second Green Jacket. Johnson replaced the club with a TaylorMade Stealth 4-hybrid with 22 degrees of loft. The club has a Project X HZRDUS RDX Black 100 TX shaft. Johnson hits both the 3-iron and Stealth 4-hybrid 245 yards, but gave the nod to the hybrid because he launches it higher. “With par-5s being crucial scoring holes at Augusta National, DJ took out his 3-iron during practice this week and put the Stealth 4-hybrid he played back at (the Farmers Insurance Open) back in the bag,” said Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade’s vice president of tour operations. Johnson switches between the 3-iron and 4-hybrid based on course conditions. While higher-lofted fairway woods and hybrids are often thought to provide the biggest benefit to players with lower swing speeds, Johnson shows that even one of the TOUR’s longest hitters can use them to his advantage.

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OnScene: Curry impresses, doesn’t make the cut

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