Featured Groups: THE PLAYERS Championship

Sam Horsfield (England) (+200 for a Top 40) … When you’re talented, you’re talented. The 26-year-old from England took the title at the Soudal Open in Belgium on Sunday. He had been sidelined for two-and-a-half months with an injured back before returning for a T18 (with Matt Wallace) at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. A T21 at home followed two weeks later. It’s Horsfield’s third DP WORLD Tour victory but first of the last 21 months after he picked off a pair on what was the UK Swing immediately after the circuit’s shutdown in response to the pandemic. Does his best work with his putter. Although he’s still on the rise globally, he’s no stranger to the brightest lights having made five starts in majors previously. That includes going 2-for-2 in the set last year. Rikuya Hoshino (Japan) (+333 for a Top 40) … The five-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour is comin’ in hot. In his last five starts, all on his native circuit, he’s finished T6, T7, second, second and third. It’s been exactly one year since his last victory and he just turned 26. Performance always is relative, but no one has a better scoring average on the JGTO. He also leads in par-5 scoring, par breakers and scrambling. He’s been comfortable navigating the redwoods of the PGA TOUR with six paydays in 10 starts, including a career-best T26 at the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines where he ranked second in Strokes Gained: Approach-the Green and co-led in par-3 scoring. Bio Kim (South Korea) (+400 for a Top 40) … If the name rings a bell, it’s probably because you’ve been an avid PGA TOUR fan long enough to remember when he was the youngest member at the age of 20 in 2011. Now just three months from his 32nd birthday, the native of Seoul, South Korea, is making his PGA Championship debut as the fifth-best golfer from his homeland (at 115th in the Official World Golf Ranking). He’s fresh off a spirited run of performances on the Asian Tour, including his first victory on the circuit two weeks ago. It propelled him into the bubble for a special exemption at Southern Hills. Dean Burmester (South Africa) (+275 for a Top 40) … The very recent winner of the PGA Championship – OK, so it was the tournament of the same name on the Sunshine Tour in November, but it’s not wrong and no one ever can take it away from him – the 32-year-old representing South Africa has eight wins on his home circuit. He just closed out his second season of the last five as the runner-up on its Order of Merit. He’s also 6-for-8 on the PGA TOUR, including a 3-for-4 in the majors. He even had his own Tiger Woods-like, boulder-moving experience at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in late March. Sadom Kaewkanjana (Thailand) (+550 for a Top 40) … You’re familiar with his fellow countrymen, Jazz Janewattananond and PGA TOUR member Kiradech Aphibarnrat, but this 23-year-old currently is Thailand’s top talent at 118th in the Official World Golf Ranking. With three wins and a runner-up in a span of six weeks late in 2021, he was the Order of Merit leader on the All Thailand Golf Tour. That generated momentum onto the Asian Tour where he picked off a T2 and a T5 before New Year’s. In his second start of 2022, he prevailed at the SMBC Singapore Open and finished second on the Asian Tour’s OOM (behind Joohyung (Tom) Kim, who finished T17 at last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson after appearing as a Sleeper at +550 for a Top 20). Making the cut in his debut in the U.S. is the proper bet for Kaewkanjana (where you can find it), but with nothing to lose and everything to gain, he could be compelling early and certainly someone on whom to keep an eye moving forward. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

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Just five players — Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Marc Leishman and Jon Rahm — control their own fate entering the TOUR Championship, the final event of the FedExCup Playoffs that will decide the 2016-17 FedExCup champion. Should any one of those five players in the FedExCup standings win at East Lake, he will be guaranteed the FedExCup title. Players inside the top five could still win the FedExCup but would need certain scenarios to fall into place. Based on recent history, the TOUR Championship winner will also be the FedExCup champ, which has been the case every year since 2010. Here’s a quick look at each player inside the top five going into Thursday’s first round at East Lake. 1. JORDAN SPIETH THE SET-UP: Spieth won the FedExCup title two years ago from the No. 2 spot. Now he’s seeking to become the first No. 1 seed since Tiger Woods in 2007 to win the TOUR Championship. Tiger also won the 2009 FedExCup title from the No. 1 spot but didn’t win at East Lake. If Spieth wins, he’ll join Tiger as the only two-time FedExCup champs. PATH TO EAST LAKE: Lost in a playoff to Dustin Johnson at THE NORTHERN TRUST … Finished solo second by three strokes to Justin Thomas at the Dell Technologies Championship … Tied for seventh at the BMW Championship. TAKING SIMILAR PATH AS … 2009 winner Tiger Woods. No FedExCup champ has ever finished top 10 in all four events of his winning year, but Woods came the closest with a T2, a T11 and a win before claiming the FedExCup title with a second-place finish to Phil Mickelson at East Lake. Of course, Spieth hasn’t won a Playoffs event yet, but his consistency has kept him atop the standings. Spieth has the best chance to finish second and still win the FedExCup — provided none of the other top-5 players win. If he does so, he would become the first FedExCup champ to win the title without winning a Playoffs event. HISTORY AT EAST LAKE 2016 … Tie for 17th. Shot 68-72-72-68 to finish at even-par 280. 2015 … Won. Shot 68-66-68-69 to finish at 9-under 271 2014 … Tied for 27th. Shot 71-70-80-71 to finish at 12-over 292. 2013 … Tied for 2nd. Shot 68-67-71-64 to finish at 10-under 270. IF HE DOESN’T WIN AT EAST LAKE … Spieth has a reasonable chance of winning the FedExCup title with a top-5 finish and can still finish as low as 29th and have a mathematical chance of winning the FedExCup. PREVIOUS FEDEXCUP FINISHES 2016 … 9th 2015 … 1st 2014 … 15th 2013 … 7th 2. JUSTIN THOMAS THE SET-UP: No player has won more this season than Thomas, who has five vctories, including his first major at the PGA Championship, and then the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston. Now he’s seeking to put his name on the same FedExCup trophy as good friend and rival Jordan Spieth. PATH TO EAST LAKE: Tied for sixth at THE NORTHERN TRUST … Won by three strokes at the Dell Technologies Championship … Tied for 47th at the BMW Championship. TAKING SIMILAR PATH AS … 2012 winner Brandt Snedeker. Snedeker posted a solo second and a solo sixth in the first two Playoffs events, then was a non-contender at the BMW Championship. Thomas has two impressive showings (including the win at TPC Boston) but was a non-factor at Conway Farms. Snedeker regained the momentum at East Lake; Thomas hopes to do the same. HISTORY AT EAST LAKE 2016 … Tie for 6th. Shot 68-71-69-67 to finish at 5-under 275. IF HE DOESN’T WIN AT EAST LAKE … Thomas has a reasonable chance of winning the FedExCup title with a top-3 finish and can finish as low as a two-way tie for sixth and still have a mathematical chance of winning the FedExCup. PREVIOUS FEDEXCUP FINISHES 2016 … 12th 2015 … 32nd 3. DUSTIN JOHNSON THE SET-UP: He came so close to winning the FedExCup title last year. Had Ryan Moore or Kevin Chappell won the sudden-death playoff against Rory McIlroy, DJ would’ve claimed the FedExCup. It was a cruel lesson on the importance of taking care of your own business — a lesson Johnson hopes to implement this week. PATH TO EAST LAKE: Won a sudden-death playoff against Jordan Spieth at THE NORTHERN TRUST … Tied for 18th at the Dell Technologies Championship … Tied for 33rd at the BMW Championship. TAKING SIMILAR PATH AS … 2016 winner Rory McIlroy. A year ago, McIlroy sandwiched a win at TPC Boston between a couple of so-so results, but he found the winning path again at East Lake. Johnson looked ready to streak through the Playoffs after his Glen Oaks win but surprisingly hasn’t been late Sunday contender since then. HISTORY AT EAST LAKE 2016 … Tie for 6th. Shot 66-67-69-73 to finish at 5-under 275. 2015 … Tie for 5th. Shot 69-72-71-64 to finish at 4-under 276. 2013 … 5th. Shot 68-68-67-69 to finish at 8-under 272. 2012 … Tie for 10th. Shot 69-67-73-70 to finish at 1-under 279. 2011 … Tie for 23rd. Shot 70-73-70-70 to finish at 3-over 283. 2010 … Tie for 22nd. Shot 73-71-73-66 to finish at 3-over 283. 2009 … 27th. Shot 69-74-73-73 to finish at 9-over 289. Note: Johnson also qualified for the 2014 TOUR Championship but did not play. IF HE DOESN’T WIN AT EAST LAKE … Johnson has a reasonable chance of winning the FedExCup with a second-place finish and can finish as low as a tie for fourth and still have a mathematical chance of winning the FedExCup. PREVIOUS FEDEXCUP FINISHES 2016 … 2nd 2015 … 7th 2014 … 30th 2013 … 13th 2012 … 8th 2011 … 4th 2010 … 5th 2009 … 14th 2008 … 134th 4. MARC LEISHMAN THE SET-UP: Besides Leishman, his family and friends, and all of Australia, you know who else is very happy right now? It’s International Captain Nick Price, who no doubt will lean heavily on the red-hot Australian at next week’s Presidents Cup. But until then, Leishman is position to produce his biggest individual achievement — and no one has played better in the last two Playoffs events. Can he keep it going in his first appearance at East Lake since 2009? PATH TO EAST LAKE: Missed the cut at THE NORTHERN TRUST … Tied for third at the Dell Technologies Championship … Went wire-to-wire to win the BMW Championship. TAKING SIMILAR PATH AS … 2014 winner Billy Horschel. Horschel missed the cut in his first Playoffs start, nearly won at TPC Boston, did win the BMW and kept it going at East Lake. Leishman was the 54-hole co-leader at TPC Boston before a disappointing final round, but focused on the positives and won at Conway Farms. If he continues to follow Horschel’s path, he’ll be hoisting two more trophies on Sunday. HISTORY AT EAST LAKE 2009 … Tie for 28th. Shot 70-74-70-78 to finish at 12-over 292. IF HE DOESN’T WIN AT EAST LAKE … Leishman has a reasonable chance of winning the FedExCup title with a second-place finish and can finish as low as tied for third and still have a mathematical chance of winning the FedExCup. PREVIOUS FEDEXCUP FINISHES 2016 … 68th 2015 … 72nd 2014 … 58th 2013 … 59th 2012 … 46th 2011 … 65th 2010 … 44th 2009 … 20th 2015 … 32nd 5. JON RAHM THE SET-UP: Making his first FedExCup Playoffs appearance, Rahm has been impressively consistent, with top-5 finishes in each of his three starts. Still, he had to sweat out a potential birdie bid by Rickie Fowler on the 72nd hole at Conway Farms that would have knocked Rahm out of the top five (Fowler ultimately settled for par). No one will be surprised if he emerges as the FedExCup champ. PATH TO EAST LAKE: Tied for third at THE NORTHERN TRUST … Tied for fourth at the Dell Technologies Championship … Tied for fifth at the BMW Championship. TAKING SIMILAR PATH AS … 2009 winner Tiger Woods. Like Spieth above, Rahm has played well in every start without a win. In his 12 rounds in the Playoffs, Rahm is a collective 36 under, with 11 of those rounds in the 60s. His scenarios to win the FedExCup without winning at East Lake are not as favorable as Spieth’s, so Rahm will likely need to post his second win of the season to secure the FedExCup. HISTORY AT EAST LAKE First appearance IF HE DOESN’T WIN AT EAST LAKE … Rahm can finish as low as a two-way tie for second and still have a mathematical chance of winning the FedExCup. PREVIOUS FEDEXCUP FINISHES None

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Green Mile nickname was not yet attached to Quail Hollow’s closing three holes when David Toms stepped onto the 18th tee in 2003. It was the final round of the first PGA TOUR event held at Charlotte’s most prestigious course. Toms led by six shots. Victory was a formality. He started with an errant tee shot into deep rough. Opted to chip his second shot backwards – and found more rough. Took two more shots to land the green. Heard some acerbic fan mention Jean van de Velde’s name. Then four-putted from 50 feet. Quadruple bogey. A relieved Toms still won by two shots. Since 1983 – when such records were first kept — four players have won a TOUR event despite suffering a quadruple bogey at some point during the week. Toms is the only one to shoot his snowman in the final round. The point of bringing up this memory is not to belittle Toms’ finish – as he said afterward, “I know all you guys want to talk about that, but I want to talk about how I dominated the golf tournament for 71 holesâ€� – but to illustrate one thing about the Quail Hollow finishing stretch that will likely decide the PGA Championship winner Sunday. It did not develop cruelty; it was born that way. Perhaps you’ve heard: No closing three-hole stretch on the PGA TOUR is as difficult as Quail Hollow’s 16, 17 and 18. Since 2003, the cumulative stroke average for the Green Mile is 0.916 above par; the next hardest stretch is at Muirfield Village at 0.598. Another stat to use on trivia night: Entering this week, 6,441 rounds on TOUR have been played at Quail Hollow. The world’s best players are a combined 5,899 above par. Of course, that total was accumulated during the 14 years that Quail Hollow hosted the Wells Fargo Championship. Being a major championship venue simply raised the punishment level. Through the first three rounds, the Green Mile is playing at 1.07 strokes above par. That’s similar to other tough closing stretches at major venues in recent years – Oakland Hills (2008 PGA) at 1.40; Merion (2013 U.S. Open) at 1.36; Winged Foot (2006 U.S. Open) at 1.12; and Carnoustie (2007 Open) at 1.09. Kevin Kisner, who’ll take a one-stroke lead over Chris Stroud and Hideki Matsuyama heading into Sunday, was asked how much tougher the Green Mile is playing this week as opposed to his six appearances at the Wells Fargo. “Probably a shot in my opinion,â€� Kisner said. “For some reason, 18’s playing way longer. I think it’s just the firmness of the fairways is not there. 16, normally if you chase one down there, you can hit a 6- or 7-iron in and I’ve been hitting four and five.

“18, I’ve had 5-iron both days into until today, I had 7-iron to that front pin. I think the length is causing it. The last two days it was firmness of the greens, but today they were not as firm and I just think everybody is hitting longer clubs into it.â€� On Saturday, the last three groups – nine players — played the Green Mile in a cumulative 17 over. The specific damage: 9 bogeys, 3 doubles, 1 quad against just two birdies. The most notable victims were Rickie Fowler and Jason Day. Fowler was 5 under until he went bogey-double-bogey, a water ball at 17 sandwiched by a couple of three putts. “You can’t limp in,â€� said Fowler, now six shots behind. “You’ve got to finish it off.â€� Day was also at 5 under after a rare birdie at 16. He bogeyed 17, then found all kinds of trouble after an errant tee shot at 18. The end result was a quadruple bogey, his 6-over 77 wiping out two previous days of productive work. Louis Oosthuizen, meanwhile, managed to play the stretch at even par Saturday despite not having an 8-iron to use. He had bent the club earlier in his round when hitting a tree root, forcing him to use 7-iron for his approach at 16 (bogey) and his tee shot at 17 (birdie). “Those aren’t holes you want to go with different clubs,â€� he said. Not to worry; he’ll have a replacement in his bag Sunday. Perhaps the most significant victim, though, was Kisner. Thanks to consecutive birdies, he was 10 under going into the closing stretch and leading by two shots. With the opportunity to create serious breathing room had he simply stayed out of trouble, Kisner instead doubled the 16th and bogeyed the 18th. It may come back to haunt him Sunday as he chases his first major title. “I had a chance to run away from guys and take people out of the tournament that were four or five, six back, and I didn’t do it,â€� Kisner said. “Now I’m in a dogfight.â€� Assuming Kisner or none of his competitors run away with the tournament, the Green Mile will decide this 99th PGA Championship. A slim lead on golf’s toughest closing stretch will test nerves. The chasers, however, will have to figure out how to make up ground on three holes that have coughed up few birdies this week. It’s the balance of aggressiveness versus caution. “You can go in three behind and you can still win it with those holes,â€� Oosthuizen said. Billy Horschel, at 2 over, is too far out to make a charge. But he does have an interesting perspective about the Green Mile. Horschel entered this week as one of just six players in TOUR history with a career score under par on Quail Hollow’s final three holes. That’s out of the 570 different players who have recorded at least one competitive round there. In essence, Horschel is a 1 percenter. Through three rounds this week, he’s 1 over in that stretch. Asked Saturday what his secret was to playing the Green Mile, Horschel replied: “Just put it on the green. You can even have a club you want to be more aggressive with. Just put it on the green and try to make a putt. Too many times you get a club in your hand and think, ‘Oh, OK, I can be aggressive.’ “I’ve got a great example today on No. 17. Pin’s front left, very accessible, and just sort of want to go at it. You tug it a little bit and you’re in the water. So understanding what a good shot is and what a bad shot is.â€� Horschel doesn’t think the Green Mile will decide the tournament if the leader has a 4-shot lead entering 16. Anything less … well, game on. “It depends on who’s leading too,â€� he said. “Usually guys who are leading are playing really well. The guys up there now are proven winners, they don’t get nervous. If you get someone up there who’s not proven and you’ve got a 1-shot lead, I think you’re going to see him falter a little bit.â€� Earlier this week, before his career grand slam opportunity was put on hold until 2018, Jordan Spieth was asked about the best place to watch golf at Quail Hollow. Replied Spieth: “There’s fans that want to hang around 16, 17, 18 and see some triumph and disaster.â€� Fourteen years ago, David Toms supplied both on the 18th green. Luckily for him, it only cost him a few strokes but not the tournament. Someone else will gladly accept the same fate Sunday.

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