Featured Groups: The Genesis Invitational

IRVING, Texas – For just the second time since 2002, John Senden is not in the AT&T Byron Nelson field, a tournament that’s generally a fixture on his playing schedule. The reason is heartbreaking: Senden is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the PGA TOUR after announcing three weeks ago that his 13-year-old son Jacob has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Shortly after the announcement, Senden’s good friend and fellow Aussie Steven Bowditch – who lives close to the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas and won this event in 2015 – came up with an idea for TOUR pros to show their support. During Thursday’s first round, players wore on their caps a patch resembling a Rubik’s Cube, which happens to be Jacob’s favorite toy. While Senden is not here in person, the family – and especially Jacob – is in the thoughts of Bowditch and his fellow competitors. “We’re all thinking of him all the time,� Bowditch said. “Anything we can do to try and put a smile on his face and help him get through this. We just all hope he can punch on through.� Another Aussie, Cameron Percy, was on the practice green at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans when he heard that Bowditch and his partner Rod Pampling had withdrawn in the team event. Soon after, he was informed of the reason. “I had a tear in my eye,� Percy recalled Thursday. “Everyone felt the same way – just devastated. We had played a practice round in San Antonio the previous week, had dinner twice and we spoke that Friday night. I had no idea. Neither did he. “There couldn’t be two nicer people than John and (wife) Jackie. It’s not fair, is it?� Ernie Els had not been aware of the development until he showed up at the course Thursday at TPC Four Seasons and saw the patches of support. Nine years ago, Els announced that his son Ben was autistic, and since then, the South African and his wife Liezl have been instrumental in raising awareness for the disorder. Many TOUR pros have donated their time and participated in Els’ charitable functions for his foundation. “It just makes you think,� Els said. “We’re chasing birdies and pars out here, but when you hear something like this, we pull together as a TOUR, as a friendship, as a unit. We’ve done it with me. We’ve done it with other guys. We’re going to do it for John and his family now.� Jason Day has dealt with his own family’s cancer issues lately, his mother Dening having been diagnosed in Australia with terminal lung cancer. Day brought his mother to the United States, where further tests were done. Surgery was recently performed that resulted in a much more encouraging diagnosis, and Dening is now back in Australia with an improved outlook. “I know exactly what he’s feeling like in regard to that,� Day said. Day and his wife Ellie have two young children. Day said he “could never fathom thinking about going through something like that. It breaks my heart for him and I’m just hoping and praying for the best for him and his family because it is a difficult time for him.� And now the fight begins. Bowditch reports that Jacob had his first treatment last weekend. “I’m sure he’ll pull through and come out the other side,� Bowditch said. “He’s a strong kid, a great kid with a great family.�

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Jason Day is primed to go on another giant run according to those who know him best. Over a run of 17 tournaments in 2015-16 Day won seven times on the PGA TOUR including THE PLAYERS, the PGA Championship, two FedExCup Playoff events and a World Golf Championship event. He was a dominant world No. 1. But after his 2016 victory at TPC Sawgrass it started to fall away and his next 32 starts on TOUR came and went without a trophy. There were extenuating circumstances. First an ongoing back complaint. And then a cancer diagnosis for his mother and a miscarriage for his wife. Concentration was gone. His desire lacking. He admitted to burnout. But the now 30-year-old has found his hunger again. And those close to him can sense a big shift. Their message to everyone? – look out. Day won the Farmers Insurance Open in February and the Wells Fargo Championship last week giving him two wins in his last seven starts. He was also runner up at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am this season to move to second in the FedExCup standings. “Potentially you could look at it as the start of another run for sure,â€� coach Col Swatton says. “I’m not surprised. That’s what he should be doing. Everybody knows that if he’s healthy and focused and committed than he’s a player who should win multiple tournaments each season on the PGA TOUR. It’s just a matter of him buying into that. “I don’t want to put the cart before the horse but all we have to do is keep doing the little things right. Putting the work in, preparing well for events and then let everything flow from there.â€� Day has stated some of his new goals including wanting to win the FedExCup, becoming Player of the Year and returning to World No.1. He knows the only way to do it is to win. And that is something he knows how to do having now done so 12 times in his career on the PGA TOUR. “I am hungry again now. I want number one back. I want to achieve more. There is a lot more to do. The climb back up the mountain can be very motivating,â€� he says. “There are no excuses.â€� And while he certainly hopes some dominance can return to his game he has learned thinking ahead is fruitless. The only way to get it done is focus on the now. “It’s about what got me here. How hard I’ve worked. I’ve got to keep doing it,â€� Day adds. “As long as I keep up the work ethic it should keep building and the wins hopefully keep coming.â€� Tiger Woods, the man who has spent more time at the top of the game than anyone, implored people to understand the difficulty of dealing with family issues as intense as Day faced while trying to juggle golf. Having seen his friend Day get to the top before Woods says he can do it again. Particularly now he has a new weapon in his arsenal. Woods says Day proved last week he can win without his best. “That’s learning how to win. I’ve won out here numerous times not playing well but found a way to score and get the job done. And that’s what he’s doing,â€� Woods said. “There’s no wonder he struggled and didn’t play well (last season), his mind wasn’t committed to it. But now that he’s fighting through it and he’s on the upward tick, you can see that he’s able to put the time in, and when he puts the time into it and he’s devoted, he knows he can get to No. 1 player in the world.â€� It is not just on the golf course that Day has shown change. The women in his life – wife Ellie and his mother Dening – have also seen the shift. Dening, who is in remission for her lung cancer and is “doing very wellâ€� is extremely happy to not be part of any distractions any more. She admitted to screaming at the television while watching Sunday’s final round at Quail Hollow as Day kept things interesting with some scratchy play. But it was exactly what she needed to see to be at peace in the end. “He would relax when he’s near the top, but the good thing is he would fight again when things went bad. Those qualities he is famous for are back,â€� Dening said from Australia. “He thankfully isn’t as worried about me and is more focused on his game. It is good to feel better and it is a nice bonus that it has lifted some worries from him. “Sometimes I would tell him that he was running out of time to use me as an alibi. I told him whatever it is to be, it will end up as it should be. If it is my fate it is my fate. “But it was hard for him to accept that.â€� In Ohio for checkups in February Dening knew her boy was back in the right frame of mind. “I could see it in the way he was in his routine and practice. Every day he was practicing, and his mind was clear. Nothing was hindering him like it was before,â€� she added. “I feel he has some really big wins ahead of him.â€� The person who sees him the most – Ellie – is also brimming with confidence. Now pregnant again with their third child, she couldn’t be happier. “It feels very much like it did back when he was winning a lot,â€� Ellie says. “He is more resilient again in his golf and at home.â€� For Ellie it is great to see him win. But it is better to see him happy. At times, when his desire was starting to waver, she worried for Jason. But now there are no worries. “I can just tell he’s in a better space,â€� she says. “When you are around someone a lot you get a sense of when they are most settled, and his focus and drive are certainly back. “It’s great to see him smiling so much.â€� If the winning run does continue you can be sure there will be plenty more smiles.

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HONOLULU — Matt Kuchar kept another clean card and shot a 4-under 66 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii as he goes for his second victory this season on the PGA TOUR. Kuchar ended a three-year drought by winning the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico last fall. He has made only one bogey through 54 holes at Waialae Country Club, and his 18-under 192 was the lowest 54-hole score of his career. Andrew Putnam was two shots behind after a 67. Keith Mitchell had a 63 and was four behind, along with Chez Reavie (66). Those were the only players within five shots of the lead, and all of them are chasing Kuchar. He is 2-2 in his career when leading going into the final round.  

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