Expert Picks: Sentry Tournament of Champions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jordan Spieth has displayed a new skill set in 2017, and it’s one that we still have to get accustomed to. His ballstriking has been the key to his success, while his trusty putter has failed to live up to his standards. That was the case again Thursday as Spieth began his pursuit of the career Grand Slam at Quail Hollow. This is a course that requires players to drive the ball well, and Spieth leaned heavily on the longest club in his bag. It was the shortest one that frustrated him, though. “It was just the putter,â€� Spieth said after a first-round 72 that left him five shots behind leader Thorbjorn Olesen. Spieth had 32 putts Thursday, and didn’t make a putt longer than 5 feet. “If you told me I was going to hit my driver the way that I did today, I would have definitely thought I shot a few under par,â€� Spieth said. “I can’t putt any worse than I did today.” This was only the fifth time this season that Spieth had 32 or more putts. It was his fifth-worst performance in Strokes Gained: Putting (-2.15 strokes) this season, as well. If Spieth is to become the youngest player ever to complete the career Grand Slam – and this is his lone opportunity to break Tiger Woods’ record – then Spieth will have to win in a way that is unprecedented for him. Spieth has never finished in the top 10 in a major after shooting over par in the first round. His best finish was a T11 at this year’s Masters, where he shot a first-round 75 after making a quadruple-bogey at the 15th hole. He battled to within two shots of the lead after 54 holes, but shot another 75 in the last round. Spieth’s caddie, Michael Greller, used that tournament as inspiration when Spieth arrived at the seventh tee Thursday at 3 over par. “He goes, ‘Grind these last few. You had a chance to win Augusta and we were in a worse position at this point,’â€� Spieth said. “And he was spot on.â€� They knew birdie opportunities awaited, at Quail Hollow’s par-5 seventh and the short, par-4 eighth hole. There was still the possibility to turn in an even-par scorecard. “If I were to finish par, par, par, I would have thrown myself out of the tournament,â€� Spieth said. Instead, he made two birdies and a solid par at the final hole. His rally started with a 296-yard drive into the fairway at the seventh hole. His playing partners, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia, had to lay-up after missing the fairway, but Spieth was able to hit a hybrid that just trickled through the green and set-up a two-putt birdie. A 290-yard drive into the fairway on the next hole set up a 57-yard approach that he knocked stiff. Spieth hit 10 of 14 fairways while averaging 298.8 yards on all tee shots. He gained 2.03 strokes off the tee Thursday, his second-best performance in that stat this season. He also hit 12 of 18 greens. “If I would have shot 1 over and didn’t strike it well and everything was average, it would have been fine. But when I had the chances that I had and I just couldn’t get the ball to go in on the greens, that is when I get the most frustrated I can get out there,â€� Spieth said. He is in the midst of the best ballstriking season of his career, leading the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green. Earlier this year, he said that his playoff victory at the Travelers Championship was the first time that he won on the PGA TOUR without putting well. His Open Championship win, the one that set the stage for the career Grand Slam, will be remembered for the long putts he holed down the stretch, but he also wasn’t content with his putting performance at Royal Birkdale. He ranks 47th in Strokes Gained: Putting this season, his worst ranking in that statistic in his career. Spieth, who teed off on No. 10 on Thursday, missed a downhill, 8-foot birdie putt at the par-3 13th. He drove the green at the next hole, but his 120-foot eagle putt rolled off the back of the green, leading to par. Spieth also three-putted the sixth and seven holes from just off the green. He missed 10-foot par putts on both holes. “He didn’t make as many putts as he usually does. I feel like that 15- to 20-foot range, usually see him make a bunch of putts. He just didn’t make any,â€� said Koepka, who shot 68. “He had a couple putts that he just ran 10, 15 feet by. But he struck it really well.â€� Spieth knows he has ground to make up. He has started with 68 or better in all three of his major wins. He held the 36-hole and 54-hole leads in all three victories, as well. “I know I’m still in it, but I know that tomorrow’s round becomes that much more important. … I’ve got to make up ground,” Spieth said. “If I’m five back at the start of the day, I’ve got to be less than five back after Friday to really feel like I can play the way this golf course needs to be played and still be able to win.”

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So even if Tiger Woods isn’t threatening at tournaments so far this year, that doesn’t mean he’s not positioning himself well for Augusta National.

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People travel from all over the world to experience the natural beauty of Bermuda’s pink-sand beaches and scenic ocean views. Protecting this natural environment is crucial for not only it’s tourism-based economy, but also for the health and well-being of its 64,000 residents. Being that the small island nation is only 21 total square miles and located 653 miles from the nearest mainland, everyone must be considerate of their impact. Large events must be especially thoughtful of the waste they generate. This is certainly the case for the PGA TOUR’s official stop on the island, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. The tournament is committed to being intentional and responsible with all aspects of the event, which this year has implemented several new and innovative sustainability solutions. The tournament, however, isn’t accomplishing this alone. “Collaboration and partnership with local leaders have been key to all of our sustainability progress,” said Danielle Baiunco, Tournament Director of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. “Guidance from Keep Bermuda Beautiful, the Ministry of Public Works, and support from our Sustainability Partner, Aspen Bermuda Limited, have made this all possible.” The sustainability program starts with a significant reduction of single-use plastic used throughout Port Royal Golf Course during the week. Ticket holders are encouraged to bring their own reusable bottles and the tournament will be giving away bottles to the first 500 fans each day courtesy of Aspen Bermuda Limited. Water stations will be positioned around the course so spectators can refill their bottles and concession stands will serve drinks in reusable cups rather than single-use plastic. All Butterfield Bermuda Championship volunteers will also be provided a reusable bottle and 90 percent of the polo shirt they will be wearing is made from recycled plastic. In addition to reducing plastic on site, the tournament is focused on recycling the items accepted on the island. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works, the tournament has adopted a TAG – tin, aluminum, glass – recovery program. Bins will be placed throughout the golf course to separate these items from general waste, ensuring that they can be correctly processed at the local recycling facility. Tin and aluminum are sold for a small return, but the Ministry of Public Works has innovated the re-use of its recycled glass. With the help of a machine that crushes the glass into various grades, the facility is able to provide a permeable drainage solution for construction projects on the island, namely used under the grass-playing surface of sporting fields and golf courses. “It is so cool to know that glass from our event will be turned into something else used on the island,” Baiunco said. “Promoting circularity and re-use is one of our main goals.” All other general tournament waste will be disposed of at Tynes Bay Waste to Energy Facility, where an incinerator converts waste to energy. This facility generates produces enough energy to power 10 percent of Bermuda’s residential dwellings, or 3,000 homes. To reduce paper waste, the tournament has also moved to digital tickets, pairings guides, and course map. These items that were printed in previous years will be accessible via smartphone and QR code in 2022. Throughout the year, the tournament works with Keep Bermuda Beautiful to ensure that the areas of the island that were directly impacted by the tournament are maintained and that the Butterfield Bermuda Championship is doing all it can to minimize its environmental footprint. “We are still at the beginning of our sustainability journey, but we are proud of the strides we have been able to make this year,” Baiunco said. Through an honest and thoughtful approach, the tournament hopes to set sustainability standards that can be followed by sporting events held in Bermuda and other golf tournaments around the world.

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