Fantasy Insider: New fantasy game recap and enhancements

When Tom Hoge stood on the 72nd hole of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this season, about to claim his first career PGA TOUR title, there was, no doubt, a lot running through his mind. Not only had victory eluded the North Dakota native in 202 previous TOUR starts, but he was about to clench a two-stroke victory over former World No. 1 and 2017 tournament winner, Jordan Spieth. Not only did the dragon slayer take down one of the game’s grittiest competitors, but at the same time, he was helping build up the hope and resolve of some of Texas’ children in need. Enter the PGA TOUR Charity Challenge. To further its mission of growing and strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion work, the PGA TOUR developed the PGA TOUR Charity Challenge – a unique, season-long fantasy competition beginning this season to work toward the TOUR’s minimum commitment of $100 million for DE&I priorities over a 10-year span. For each TOUR event from the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January through the BMW Championship in August, Host Organizations across the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and Korn Ferry Tour have the opportunity to generate charitable donations. Larger amounts are provided to the designated charities of the winner and top finishers at season’s end. Each participating charity receives $5,000 just for being selected. To date, 89 teams have selected a local charity and drafted its fantasy team of eight TOUR players. Each week, the number of FedExCup points that each tournament’s eight-player roster earns is totaled. The team with the highest total wins the week and earns a $5,000 contribution to its charitable beneficiary. In addition to a weekly winning team, points are cumulative throughout the season. The team with the most points after the BMW Championship nets the top prize of $100,000 for its charitable partner. So far this season, the PGA TOUR Charity Challenge has provided over $500,000 through the program to charities serving DE&I causes nationwide, with more than half of the selected charities being new community partnerships. That’s where the Charles Schwab Challenge comes in. The Charles Schwab Challenge selected HOPE Farm as its beneficiary for the 2022 PGA TOUR Charity Challenge. HOPE Farm is a long-term leadership program in Fort Worth for at-risk boys without fathers. “We decided with the PGA TOUR that the Charles Schwab Challenge was going to make HOPE Farm our charity to support,” said Charles Schwab Challenge Executive Director, Michael Tothe. “Just by signing them up, we were able to give them $5,000. I then texted Tom Hoge, who now lives in Fort Worth, just asking him how much he planned to play this season. He said he was going to play as much or more than anyone else on TOUR. So, we picked Tom as one of our fantasy players.” In addition to the enlisting gift of $5,000, because of Hoge’s 500-point FedExCup victory at Pebble Beach, the Charles Schwab Challenge won another $5,000, bringing the donation amount at a Tuesday presentation on site at Colonial Country Club to $10,000. “It’s all great because it benefits all the communities we play in,” said Tom Hoge. “Now that I live in Fort Worth, I have a personal vested interest in going out and playing well. It’s made it even more motivating to know that, just by me playing well in an event anywhere on the schedule, I can help make a direct and positive impact right here in Fort Worth.” “To have these kids from the underprivileged communities out here and experience what the tournament is about is a remarkable thing,” said Victor Neil, VP, Marketing and Development, HOPE Farm. “To be honored on the national level through the PGA TOUR just tells these kids how important their future is to us. We so very much appreciate this.” HOPE Farm brings in young men, beginning at the age of five, and tries to keep working with them through their high school graduation. “We are Christ-centered, and we have a big reading program to make sure literacy rates are up,” said Neil. “We also feed them every day. A lot of these kids don’t know that they’re going to get dinner at home, so we feed them at HOPE Farm. That way, when mom comes to get them at 7 p.m., all they’ve got to do is shower up and go to bed.” A multi-layered initiative, the PGA TOUR Charity Challenge is designed to strengthen TOUR and tournament-led partnerships, highlight year-round contributions and successes in markets and communities, and showcase the relationships between Host Organizations and DEI-focused charities in their markets. The Charles Schwab Challenge team currently ranks 18th out of 89 participating tournaments. “I can’t imagine that many – if any – of these kids have ever been out here to Colonial and probably don’t know anything about golf,” said Neil. “But, for them to see and meet a guy like Tom Hoge, who is contributing and actually knows who they are is huge. “It’s not only huge for the kids, but it’s huge for the game of golf, too.”

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HONOLULU, Hawaii – When Jordan Spieth made the turn on Sunday in last year’s Sony Open in Hawaii he wasn’t the least bit concerned with Justin Thomas. Because as far as his friend was concerned – Thomas had already won. “I felt like there was a second tournament for second place,â€� Spieth recalled this week. Thomas was of course continuing his stunning pace after an opening 11-under 59 on Thursday at Waialae Country Club and was way out in front. He wanted the trophy but he also had his sights set on another magic number on the PGA TOUR – 253. Tommy Armour III’s 72-hole scoring record of 254 shots had held up since the 2003 Valero Texas Open – but Thomas wanted it for himself. Here’s a look back at how Thomas took aim – and ultimately took down – the PGA TOUR scoring record.  ROUND ONE – SUBLIME SUB 60 TIME Thomas was coming off an incredible win at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, staving off a late charge from Hideki Matsuyama to take his third PGA TOUR win. But as good as the win was, we still weren’t expecting the blitzkrieg that was the opening round in Honolulu. Paired with Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger in the opening round Thomas began his day on the 10th hole. He was given an early indication of what might be on the cards when he chipped in for eagle from just off the green. But then he was unable to get up and down from the sand on the 11th, recording his only bogey of the day. Birdies on the 13th and 14th followed before he kicked things up a gear to record five straight birdies around the turn from the 16th through to the 2nd. Another birdie on the 4th sent Thomas to 9-under and left him with the prospect of playing the last five holes in two under to make his mark in history. Forget 59, he was thinking 58 or even 57 to match or beat Jim Furyk’s all-time round record.  “There are so many holes you can make birdies on. You can definitely make bogeys quickly if you’re not driving it straight or if you get out of position but the chances are there,â€� Thomas said this week. “At 9-under through 13 I felt there were four or all five holes there where I could get some more birdies. I didn’t have 57 specifically in my mind but I was trying to make as many birdies as I could.â€� It seemed a foregone conclusion at the time given how Thomas was flushing the ball but the golf gods refused to make it easy. At the 5th Thomas missed a nine-foot birdie putt. At the 6th he could not convert from 15-feet. When it came to the par-3 7th Thomas left himself plenty of meat on the bone at 29 feet, eight inches but hit a lovely putt down the slope, only to see it somehow trickle to the right at the very last moment to sit on the lip. Spieth already had the putter raised before dropping to his knees in disbelief. “His two best putts missed,â€� Spieth said referencing the 5th and 7th holes.  “I wish there was a camera with my view on the putt that he hit on No. 7. It was ridiculous. I’ve never seen a putt that I thought was so sure that it was going in with just drip speed, somehow missed the cup.â€� A nice par save on the 8th after his drive found tree trouble and his approach found the sand left him needing an eagle on the par-5 9th. Things looked a little grim when his tee shot found a fairway bunker. “We all know it’s the magical number in golf and I was so bummed when that tee shot went in the bunker,â€� Thomas said after the round. “Thought I hit a perfect drive. I was going to carry the bunker at the downslope and have about an 8-iron in, and I saw some sand flying and I was ready to punch something. “I was pretty upset about that, because I felt like all chances right there were gone; barring holing a wedge or something like that.â€� But after seeing Berger find the green from the same trap Thomas knew it was possible and the green light was on. A 5-iron from 206 yards found the mark leaving him with his chance at history from just 14 feet, 11 inches. “I was calm, I wasn’t too nervous over the putt,â€� Thomas added. When he let it roll and it dropped Spieth and Berger showed more emotion then the man himself. “I think I might have fist pumped harder than he did. I think he was in the zone and I don’t think he knew where he was at the time,â€� Spieth laughed when recalling the moment this week. Of course Spieth and Berger had played their part – by not creating tension. “It was kind of like a pitcher throwing a no-hitter or a perfect game,â€� Spieth said. “You just kind of talk about anything else other than the round. I’m not out there going, hey, JT you’re on 59 watch with five holes left. “It was a special day as part of a special year for him.â€� When the dust settled he had become the youngest player in history to shoot 59 on the PGA TOUR at just 23. David Duval was 27 when he managed the feat at the CareerBuilder Challenge in 1999. “Any time you can be the youngest at something is awesome,â€� Thomas said. “Obviously you only have so long to achieve it. That was cool to get that done.â€� He was just the second player to go sub-60 with a bogey (Furyk). It matched the lowest opening in PGA TOUR history with Paul Goydos from the 2010 John Deere Classic. It was three shots better than the previous lowest first round in Sony Open history.   ROUND TWO – EAGLE LANDS AGAIN Thomas played his opening nine holes on Friday in 2-under before making three straight birdies on the back nine. But he played the next five holes 1-over meaning his chances at a new 36-hole scoring record appeared slim. But just like the day before a final hole eagle left him with a 6-under 64, taking the all-time 36-hole PGA TOUR scoring record at 123. It knocked Pat Perez, David Toms and Jason Day from the mantle. “I definitely haven’t shown the world my best golf. I haven’t even shown the world great golf, or consistent, great golf,â€� he famously said afterwards.  It beat the Sony Open 36-hole record by three shots and his five-shot lead was an equal record with Paul Azinger (2000) and Brad Faxon (2001).   ROUND THREE – LATE SURGE The weekend began with the question – could Thomas possibly keep the roll going or would he inevitably slow down. Eight straight pars had most thinking the record run would be over. But Thomas would dig deep when not at his best and find five birdies in the last 10 holes for a 65. He wanted six. His 188 stroke total tied the TOUR 54-hole scoring record with Steve Stricker from the 2010 John Deere Classic. “I really wanted to birdie those last three because I was aware of the record,â€� Thomas said. “Not that I’m disappointed with anything that I did today, but yeah, I wanted it.â€� It beat the previous best Sony Open 54-hole record by five-shots and his own personal 54-hole record by eight.  He had amassed a seven-shot lead, the biggest through three rounds in Sony Open history, beating Jack Nicklaus’ six-stroke lead in 1974.   ROUND FOUR – CAPPING IT OFF IN STYLE. As Thomas warmed up for Sunday’s final round his nerves were intense. “All I could hear about from everyone and reading everything is no one has ever blown a seven-shot lead before. A lot of things go through your head when you wake up at 6:30 and you don’t tee off until 12:40,â€� Thomas said. “It definitely affected me. I woke up nervous and anxious and with unknowns. It was in the back of mind the entire warm up. “The whole day I knew I needed to shoot 5-under. I said that on the car ride here. I was trying to shoot seven or eight (under). But I knew five (under) was the lowest or the highest I wanted to shoot.â€� When he was 1-over through his opening seven holes things did not look promising.  But five birdies in his next seven holes meant he needed just one more in the last four holes to break the 72-hole mark. Par on 15. Par on 16. Par on 17… It would come down the to the last again. “I knew I needed to birdie 18 on Sunday to break Tommy Armour’s record so it was something to aim at for sure,â€� he said. “To do it was cool. This week was something different. For me to win by seven is a huge, huge deal to me. I know if I get there again in the future, I will be able to have this to look back on.â€� Of course history shows Thomas would win twice more last season, including a maiden major championship, to take his tally for the year to five and set him up for his win in the FedExCup.   STATS THAT MATTERED  Thomas ranked first in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and second for Strokes Gained: Putting on his way to victory at Waialae. He was also fourth in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green as part of a well-rounded performance.  His +1.886 per round gained on the greens marked a career best for him on the PGA TOUR at the time. He led the field in driving distance at 309.6 yards and was 18.3 yards longer than the tournament average and 4.6 yards longer than second placed Tony Finau. A whopping 69.6 percent of his drives were over 300 yards. This translated into the shortest average approach after tee shots at 21.2 yards shorter than the field. He averaged just 138 yards left on approach.

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Welcome to this week’s edition of Numbers to Know, where we’ll take a closer look at Bryson DeChambeau’s victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. DeChambeau’s radical transformation of his game, and body, finally led to a victory after several weeks in contention. Let’s take a closer look at how he did it. 1. DIGGING THE LONG BALL: You may have heard that DeChambeau is hitting it farther. Just how far? He led the field with an average of 350.6 yards per measured drive. That was 9.6 yards farther than the second-place finisher in that statistic, Cameron Champ. DeChambeau hit 16 drives over 350 yards at Detroit Golf Club, an average of four per round. That was more than twice as many as the next two players on the list, Matthew Wolff (7) and Cameron Champ (6). Those are two players who aren’t exactly known for being short hitters. 2. LONG AND SHORT OF IT: DeChambeau is the first player in the ShotLink era to win an event while leading the field in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Putting. He’s been outstanding with the clubs he hits the farthest and shortest. He’s gaining +1.113 strokes off the tee per round, trailing TOUR leader Cameron Champ by just 0.003. DeChambeau is 12th in Strokes Gained: Putting (+0.69). Just nine players have averaged +1.0 Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee per round over an entire season. DeChambeau is on pace to become the first player to gain at least 1 stroke off the tee and 0.5 strokes on the greens in the same season. Players who have gained at least 1 stroke off the tee have averaged just +0.06 strokes gained on the greens in the same season. DeChambeau is on pace to gain the most strokes per round from the driver and putter in a season since ShotLink began in 2004. Every player who gained at least 1.4 strokes per round with their driving and putting won multiple times in that season. 3. GAINING ON THEM: The Rocket Mortgage was the best Strokes Gained: Putting performance of DeChambeau’s career. It wasn’t the top Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee performance of his career – it was his third-best – but it continued a recent trend. The top four Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee performances of his career have all come in his last six starts. 4. WHAT A TURKEY: DeChambeau and Wolff were separated by just a stroke after DeChambeau’s bogey on the par-5 14th and Wolff’s birdie on the par-3 15th. DeChambeau sprinted away from his closest pursuer with birdies on the last three holes to win by three shots. It was a measure of revenge for DeChambeau, who watched Wolff eagle the 72nd hole to beat him by one on the previous Fourth of July weekend. DeChambeau is the first player since 2016 to birdie the final three holes to win a stroke-play event by three or fewer strokes. 5. BREAKING BAD: Wolff started the final round with a three-shot lead, but shot 38 on the front nine to fall off the pace. He put some pressure on DeChambeau, though, with four birdies in the final seven holes. Wolff led the field with 31 par-breakers (30 birdies, 1 eagle) but was undone by 12 bogeys. It was the most par-breakers in a 72-hole event by a player who didn’t win since Ryan Palmer at the 2014 AMERICAN EXPRESS. It was the first time since 2008 that a player made that many par-breakers at an event other than THE AMERICAN EXPRESS and didn’t win. In the last decade, only two players have made more birdies and eagles in a 72-hole event than Wolff’s 31. Justin Thomas (2015 CIMB) and Patrick Reed (2014 AMERICAN EXPRESS) both made 32 in their victories.

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