Fear a factor in Joel Dahmen’s fall success

Here’s a quick look at what each player in the field at East Lake will need to do to claim the FedExCup. The trophy, and its $10 million prize, will be awarded at the conclusion of the TOUR Championship. * = A possible tie for the FedExCup that would result in a sudden death playoff HOW EACH OF THE TOP 30 COULD WIN THE FEDEXCUP RANK PLAYER WINNING SCENARIOS • If he wins the TOUR Championship, he wins the FedExCup • Has a reasonable chance of winning with a top-five finish • Can finish as low as 29th and still have a mathematical chance of winning • If he wins the TOUR Championship, he wins the FedExCup • Has a reasonable chance of winning with a top-three finish • Can finish as low as a 2-way tie for 6th and still have a mathematical chance of winning • If he wins the TOUR Championship, he wins the FedExCup • Has a reasonable chance of winning with a second-place finish • Can finish as low as T4 and still have a mathematical chance of winning • If he wins the TOUR Championship, he wins the FedExCup • Has a reasonable chance of winning with a second-place finish • Can finish as low as T3 and still have a mathematical chance of winning • If he wins the TOUR Championship, he wins the FedExCup • Can finish as low as a 2-way tie for 2nd and still have a mathematical chance of winning Must win the TOUR Championship AND • No. 1 must finish T2 or worse • Can finish second and still have a mathematical chance of winning Must win the TOUR Championship AND • No. 1 must finish in a three-way tie for 2nd or worse • No. 2 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish third or worse* • No. 2 must finish T2 or worse* • No. 3 must finish second or worse.* Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 2 must finish third or worse • No. 3 must finish T2 or worse • No. 4 must finish second or worse* Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish fifth or worse • No. 2 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 4 must finish T2 or worse • No. 5 must finish second or worse* • Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish T6 or worse • No. 2 must finish T4 or worse • No. 3 must finish T3 or worse • No. 4 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 5 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish in a 3-way tie for 6th or worse • No. 2 must finish T4 or worse • No. 3 must finish T3 or worse • No. 4 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 5 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish T7 or worse • No. 2 must finish T4 or worse • No. 3 must finish T3 or worse • No. 4 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 5 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish T8 or worse • No. 2 must finish T4 or worse • No. 3 must finish T3 or worse • No. 4 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 5 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish ninth or worse* • No. 2 must finish T4 or worse* • No. 3 must finish T3 or worse • No. 4 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 5 must finish T2 or worse • Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish in a 3-way tie for ninth or worse • No. 2 must finish in a 3-way tie for fourth or worse • No. 3 must finish T3 or worse • No. 4 must finish third or worse • No. 5 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish in a 3-way tie for tenth or worse • No. 2 must finish in a 3-way tie for fourth or worse • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 4 must finish third or worse • No. 5 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish T-11 or worse • No. 2 must finish fifth or worse • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 4  must finish third or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish T12 or worse • No. 2 must finish fifth or worse • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 4 must finish third or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish in a 3-way tie for 12th or worse • No. 2 must finish fifth or worse • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 4 must finish third or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 13th or worse* • No. 2 must finish fifth or worse* • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 4 must finish third or worse* • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T-2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish in a 3-way tie for 13th or worse • No. 2 must finish T5 or worse • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 4 must finish T3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 15th or worse* • No. 2 must finish T5 or worse • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 4 must finish T3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 17th or worse* • No. 2 must finish in a 3-way tie for fifth or worse • No. 3 must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse • No. 4 must finish T3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 19th or worse* • No. 2 must finish in a 3-way tie for fifth or worse • No. 3 must finish fourth or worse • No. 4 must finish T3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 21st or worse* • No. 2 must finish sixth or worse* • No. 3 must finish fourth or worse* • No. 4 must finish T-3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T-2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 23rd or worse* • No. 2 must finish T6 or worse • No. 3 must finish T4 or worse • No. 4 must finish T3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T-2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 25th or worse* • No. 2 must finish T6 or worse • No. 3 must finish T4 or worse • No. 4 must finish T3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 27th or worse* • No. 2 must finish in a 3-way tie for sixth or worse • No. 3 must finish T4 or worse • No. 4 must finish T3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse Must win the TOUR Championship, AND • No. 1 must finish 29th or worse* • No. 2 must finish in a 3-way tie for 6th or worse • No. 3 must finish T4 or worse • No. 4 must finish T3 or worse • No. 5 must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse • No. 6 must finish T2 or worse

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Tony Finau heard Bill Patterson before he ever saw him. “And it’s something that I don’t want to ever hopefully hear again,â€� Finau recalls, his voice suddenly turning solemn. “An older gentleman yelling for his life. That’s what it sounded like.â€� Patterson was crumpled under a golf cart, screaming as he was dragged across the range at TPC Scottsdale. Finau, who was the last player on the range after the Wednesday pro-am at the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, had just finished hitting balls when he heard the frantic cries for help. “You could see the skid marks all the way, and he was underneath the cart the whole time,â€� Finau says. Finau, his uncle and his coach, Boyd Summerhays, sprinted toward Patterson and lifted the golf cart off him. A nearby police officer radioed for help, and the EMTs arrived within minutes. Patterson was taken to a trauma center and later moved to the Barrow Neurological Center for more specialized care. The diagnosis? Well, Patterson had two broken vertebrae, 12 broken ribs, two shoulder lacerations and significant cuts on his arm. Doctors ended up breaking two more ribs in order to do the spinal fusion surgery where two 12-inch titanium rods with 16 screws were inserted in his back. Patterson, who was in what is called a neck-to-waist “turtleâ€� body cast for two months – “It was a joy the day I got rid of that thing, I’ll tell you,â€� he says — didn’t find out it was Finau who helped lift the golf cart off his battered body until weeks later when he was in rehab. Now, he describes himself as the pro’s No. 1 fan. The accident happened as Patterson, who has worked part-time at TPC Scottsdale for 13 years and was overseeing the driving range during the tournament, collected the last of the remaining magnetic A-frame boards used to identify the pros. He put two in his golf cart and had just picked up a third as he walked around the front of the vehicle to get in the driver’s side. “The third A-frame must have hit the golf cart,â€� Patterson recalls. “And one of those A-frames fell on the gas pedal and I was directly in front of it, so it ran me over and then pulled me underneath and then drug me about 50 feet. “I was awake through the entire thing, but I wasn’t sure what had just happened. All I know as I’m looking up, I see what I think is the undercarriage of a golf cart and I’m screaming. “I’m just so lucky and so fortunate that it didn’t land one of the wheels on my throat or on my head.â€� And that Finau and company were there. “That was a blessing,â€� Finau says. “… I finished, and we were just for some odd reasons, just talking in the back of the range for five, 10 minutes. “If we would’ve left right away when I was done with my range session, I think a lot of further damage could have been done, but I was happy just to kind of be there and, and be able to rush over to him and take that cart off in.â€� In the weeks after the accident, Finau quietly checked with TOUR officials and TPC staff to see how Patterson was doing. Patterson, in turn, tried to get in touch with the PGA TOUR veteran to say thank you, as well, but the email address he was given didn’t work. Patterson, who had gone back to as a starter at TPC Scottsdale last November, finally had an opportunity to talk with Finau earlier this year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Patterson was back at his usual spot on the driving range. Finau had chipped and putted and was making his way over to hit some balls. “Once I found out he was there, I was on my way over to see him and he was getting ready to walk over to the long range,â€� Patterson recalls. “We shook and embraced. And I said, Tony, I can’t tell you how much, it means to me for what you did for me. “And he says, well, I’m just so glad to see you and see that everything has been the way it turned out for you as compared to the way it could’ve been.â€� After months of rehabilitation for his back and his shoulder, Patterson was able to start playing golf again. The first time he teed it up, he shot 42 on the front nine of the Champions Course at TPC Scottsdale. “I shot light’s out. I couldn’t believe it,â€� Patterson recalls with a broad smile. “I was so methodical cause I was so afraid to bend or twist or pull and I shot a great nine hole round the golf and I was just thrilled. I had no pain. “So, I think there was a lot to be said for that slow and deliberate. Don’t try to kill the ball as they say.â€� Now that he’s able to play 18 holes again, Patterson admits some of his “old habitsâ€� have crept back into his game. But he’s happy just to be able to be playing again and beyond grateful to the TOUR pro who helped make it possible.

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PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Jordan Spieth played 12 holes on Thursday, then six more on Friday morning. Despite the staggered schedule, it was a productive two days at Riviera, as he carded a bogey-free 7-under 64 to walk off the course with the lead midway through the first round of the Genesis Open. The rest of his Friday? Some light work, then a much-needed nap. He won’t start his second round until Saturday morning, which means he’ll need to cram 54 holes into the weekend. Time to conserve his energy for a long two days. “Be prepared for 27 to 30 holes tomorrow and potentially another 27ish on Sunday,â€� Spieth said. “I think less is more at this point. Try and get some really good, solid, quick work in and then lay around all day.â€� After storms dumped more than two inches of rain on the course and forced a seven-hour delay to the start of Thursday’s first round, players on both sides of the draw now face an arduous schedule in hopes of completing the tournament Sunday afternoon. For players in the early/late wave, such as Spieth and Tony Finau (tied for second in the clubhouse at 5 under with Patrick Rodgers and Kramer Hickok), it meant two early wake-up calls and now a challenging long weekend. Like Spieth, Finau walked off the course Friday morning with one objective: rest. “I think we deserve some chill time after a couple 4 a.m. wake‑up calls,â€� said Finau, adding that “emotionally we were kind of prepared for it. I saw the weather forecast for the week and knew it could be something similar to the AT&T last week at Pebble Beach, so mentally and emotionally you’ve got to prepare.â€� The final round of Sunday’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was delayed one hour by rain, then nearly 2-1/2 additional hours after a hailstorm hit the area. The final group of Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey had to play two holes on Monday morning, with Mickelson winning by three shots. Mickelson and Casey are both in the field this week and completed their first rounds Friday morning. Mickelson, a two-time Genesis Open champ, shot a 1-over 72 in which he failed to post a single birdie-or-better. Casey opened with a 70. For players in the late/early wave, who were unable to tee off Thursday, the prospects of a long Friday loom. Their wave teed off before 8 a.m., and after completing their first round, they will immediately start their second round in hopes of getting in 36 holes (or as many as possible) before darkness stops play. MUST READS: Round 1, Genesis Open Round 1 scores reset at Genesis Open due to weather Tiger, Phil keep pushing each other Cameron Champ’s grandfather helped pave the way Those players include the threesome of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. Woods, who has never won the Genesis Open in 12 career starts, suffered two bogeys in his first seven holes. Although Riviera hasn’t always been kind to Tiger, it should be fairly welcoming to the field. “This afternoon wave’s getting a soft golf course with the tees up and some pretty benign conditions,â€� Spieth said, “so even if you’re pushing to the lead of the morning wave, it’s likely that somebody’s going to shoot 7, 8, 9 under even though it’s Riviera. It’s as gettable as it can possibly be right now.â€� Perhaps that will make up for the 36-hole day that the afternoon wave faces Friday. “The way I look at it is — it’s going to be one very long round,â€� said Jon Rahm, who started his first round Friday morning in a group that includes Bryson DeChambeau and Matt Kuchar. “If you get hot, you don’t have to wait a whole day [to play again]. You can just keep going. And if you start off on the wrong foot, maybe a couple over through nine or something, you can think, ‘I’ve got 27 holes to make that up.’ Either way, you’ve got a lot of time to make it up or a lot of time to make birdies.â€� Harris English took time out from his practice session Thursday to watch how players were attacking the 10th hole, especially with the pin position on the right side. He’s not worried about playing 36 holes; he’s had to do it during U.S. Open qualifying. “It’s more of a mental test than a physical test,â€� said English. “It’s staying focused. Obviously, your body is going to be tired and you’re going to make some tired swings but you’ve got to keep your head in it as much as possible and try to not make any dumb mental mistakes. That can happen – especially on a tough course like this.â€� Just how tough Riviera actually is remains to be seen. And just which side of the draw has the advantage also remains in doubt. The one thing that’s assured is the at least one marathon session awaits each player. “I’ve had to play 30 holes, 36 holes in a day a couple years ago and it can be very taxing here,â€� Spieth said. “It’s tough, it’s spongy ground, it will wear on you a bit if you’re not careful. So it’s all about trying to save as much energy as possible more than anything else.â€�

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