FedExCup: Cabrera Bello, Grillo, Cink crack Top 70

Look down the fairway of most golf courses and you’ll eventually see a small, undulating path of short green grass, often framed by a stand of trees. Or on a links course, perhaps some wispy fescue with a sandy beach in the distance. Not at Liberty National. Take the par-3 14th hole, which due to some rerouting for the Presidents Cup will play as the 10th this week. Stand on the tee there and looming large in the distance is none other than the Statue of Liberty – that iconic beacon of inclusion situated a mere 896 yards away from the green in the Upper New York Bay. “It’s pretty cool,� says Geoff Ogilvy, who is an assistant captain on the International Team this week. “You don’t really see the statue until you get to 13 and then you go, wow, we’re pretty close to it. This is pretty special. “It’s a really, really cool place.� Liberty National, which opened on July 4, 2006, is the brainchild of businessman Paul Fineman and his son, Dan. Built on a New Jersey landfill, it is an intriguing and challenging golf course designed by Tom Kite and Bob Cupp that maximizes its location across the bay from lower Manhattan, the Statue and nearby Ellis Island.   And you can bet that Golf Channel and NBC Sports will take full advantage of every opportunity the next four days to showcase the treasured national landmark, which was a gift from France to the United States after the Civil War. The Verrazano Bridge and New York skyline will also be front and center this week. “When I walked out on the set for the first time today and saw the Statue of Liberty, I got goosebumps,� analyst Mark Rolfing said Tuesday. “I can’t imagine what the players are experiencing … seeing this backdrop as they prepare for the week. “This is a different kind of pressure.� As much as the Statue of Liberty is a classic symbol of Americana, it also showcases the country’s openness to other citizens of the globe. And in a nod to the International Team, remember that the seven spikes on the crown represent the continents of the world. The copper – yes, it’s green now, but that’s due to the patina that forms when the metal oxidizes and is exposed to the elements – statue rises 305 feet into the air. It takes 377 steps to reach the crown, which is equivalent to climbing roughly 20 stories, and advanced reservations are necessary to make the taxing vertical hike. There are other ways to see the Statue of Liberty, though. Patrick Reed got his first look from above after he won the 2013 Wyndham Championship in a playoff with Jordan Spieth. Reed’s Sunday evening had been consumed with interviews and sponsor commitments so he and his wife Justine missed their commercial flight to New York for THE NORTHERN TRUST. But the Wyndham folks let the couple hitch a ride on their private jet. Suffice it to say, the view as they approached Lady Liberty was inspiring for Reed, who practically bleeds red, white and blue. “It was awesome,� Reed says. “We were right near it and it was such a cool site. I’d never seen a national monument like that at that point. I’ve been to the White House and everything – but the Statue of Liberty, I’d never seen that. It was pretty cool.� Rickie Fowler, who is playing on his second Presidents Cup team this week, had a similar experience. He and FedExCup champ Justin Thomas took a helicopter from the Hamptons to Liberty National, which has its own landing pad, for a practice round last month. “When we flew in, (you) kind of fly right over the Statue of Liberty and into the course,� Fowler says. “The stands (were) already up over there. I was with my girlfriend and J.T., and they had not really seen it that way. “… It’s not your normal view. That was pretty cool.� Thomas agrees. “To be able to see the city and the Statue of Liberty was awesome,� he says. And the trip to Liberty National from Manhattan by water taxi is nothing to sneeze at, either. The Statue of Liberty looms even larger that way. “There might not be any better commute in golf,� Ogilvy says. South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen notes that his first look at the Statue of Liberty was “probably in a movie.� A few years ago, he finally saw it in person. “I had flown in through New York, and we had a great view coming in on the plane,� he recalls. “After that we’ve done a helicopter tour around and seen it from Liberty National when we did a golf day there. “It’s something special.� Oosthuizen, who is playing in his second Presidents Cup, says a visit to the city earlier this month turned into a learning opportunity for his three kids. “They did the boat trip there because with their home schooling they had a Statue of Liberty project that they had to do,� he says. “They’ve got their little toys. So, they loved it. They loved seeing it.� Just like the rest of us will this week on TV.

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MAMARONECK, N.Y. - The phone was in the bag. He put it there before the round, and by golly, it was going to stay there. Instead of snapping a photo, caddie Todd Thompson looked at the leaderboard and burned it into his memory. Davis Thompson, his 21-year-old son, was at 4-under-par and leading the 120th U.S. Open. "It was cool to see his name up there," said Todd, who in his day job is the tournament director for The RSM Classic, the PGA TOUR's regular stop in St. Simons Island, Georgia. PGA TOUR UNIVERSITY: Get to know Davis Thompson Cool? Well, OK, that's an understatement, but then Todd and his son are understated guys. Thompson bogeyed three of the last six holes for a 1-under 69 at Winged Foot, just four back of early leader Justin Thomas, while playing partners Harris English and Brendon Todd each shot 68. The all-Georgia group were the only threesome to all shoot under par in the morning wave. Familiarity helped. English, who like Thompson lives in Sea Island, Georgia, played a practice round with the kid at Ocean Forest last week as part of their preparation for Winged Foot. The kid won. Todd, who lives in Athens, Georgia, sometimes plays with Thompson when they're in town, and calls the younger player remarkably poised for his age. Thompson called it, "a comfortable pairing." He is the fourth-ranked player in PGA TOUR U, a new program that sends the top collegiate players to the Korn Ferry Tour to begin their professional careers, and the fourth-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, earning his U.S. Open start. But he still looks as guileless as the paperboy, and his nerves needed soothing, at least early in the week. "Yeah, the first guy I think I saw was Rory," he said. "That was pretty cool. Growing up, I was around - I was growing up and getting really serious about golf when he was winning all of his majors. So I kind of looked up to him. I’m just very thankful to be here." He showed no signs of nerves with birdies on holes 6, 7 and 8, sending shock waves far and wide. On the other coast, Todd Thompson's boss Davis Love III was in Pebble Beach for the PURE Insurance Championship on PGA TOUR Champions, and cheering through his TV. "I woke up and my phone was blowing up," said Love, the 21-time TOUR winner who won the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot. "The whole island is excited for Davis." So was Chris Haack, who is going into his 25th year as coach of the Georgia men's golf team. "When he was 2 under I was not surprised," Haack said. "When he went to 3 under, I thought, Awesome! When he went 4 under, I thought, Oh, my God, this is great. He's a momentum player. He's not flashy, not very talkative. I just love the work ethic. I've had a lot of really good players, and he works as hard or harder than anybody I've ever had." And as for Thompson? What did he make of being 4 under? "Just keep everything physical, not emotional," he said. "Just stay through my routines and just keep doing what I’m doing. Just take it one quality shot at a time, one hole at a time, and not thinking about the future or 18, but staying in the moment." Yep. Understated. He is not, by the way, named for Davis Love III. Todd Thompson and wife Leigh just liked the name. Their son grew up playing golf and basketball in Auburn, Alabama. When he was 12, Todd turned the golf instruction over to Eric Eshleman, Director of Golf at the Country Club of Birmingham, to avoid mixing up the father-son relationship. Davis Thompson helped lead Lee Scott Academy to six state titles, including individual titles in 2013 and 2015. He was an All-America at Georgia as a junior, and finished T23 as an amateur at The RSM Classic. Today, his legend extends all the way from Auburn to Sea Island. The most famous story might be Keith Mitchell, also a Georgia alum and the winner of The Honda Classic last year, making seven birdies in a match against Thompson - and losing 4 and 3. "He's unbelievably good," Mitchell told the PGA TOUR. English and Todd concur. "He’s just been very disciplined since day one," Todd said. "He doesn’t party. He practices efficiently. He has a very easy-going temperament, doesn’t seem to get too mad." Thompson hit what appeared to be a good tee shot at the par-3 13th hole Thursday, but the ball went too far and he made bogey. Todd got in his ear as they walked to the 14th tee, saying they were all fooled by the wind gust, that he'd hit a good shot, that he should keep his head up. Todd Thompson, who also played for Georgia, tried to qualify for the U.S. Open a handful of times, but never made it. So being on his son's bag has worked nicely on a few levels. "With the rules here for COVID and everything, it was the only way I could get here," he said. "My wife's not happy she's not here, because she would have loved to watch." Love III sees in Davis Thompson a player who will have absolutely no trouble making the transition from college to the PGA TOUR, when the time comes. "He knows how to play golf," Love said. "... I'm impressed with his demeanor; he's very even, doesn't get upset. It's perfect for a U.S. Open, perfect for pressure." Perfect for the TOUR, too, but there's no hurry. Davis Thompson is taking it one shot at a time.

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Harold Varner Jr., better known to his family and friends as Duece, is the unofficial ticket broker for this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. And Varner is more than happy to help. After all, that’s one less thing for his son, Harold III, to worry about as he makes his debut in the exclusive global series in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. “I got 20 a day,â€� the second-year PGA TOUR pro says with a smile. “He’ll take care of it.â€� The younger Varner punched his own ticket to play at Firestone Country Club when he won the Australian PGA Championship in December. He closed with a 65 to beat Andrew Dodt by two and former world No. 1 Adam Scott by four. Varner dedicated the win at RACV Royal Pines Resort to his “Day 1s,â€� which is what he calls the people who have been “pulling for me since day oneâ€� of his pro career. Plenty of “Day 1sâ€� will be in his gallery at Firestone this week. Varner, who was born in the same hospital as his favorite athlete, LeBron James, lived in Akron until he was 6 years old. That’s when Varner’s father, a car salesman, moved his brood to Gastonia, N.C., which is about half an hour west of Charlotte, where next week’s PGA Championship will be played. But most of his extended family still resides in Akron. “I really don’t know what it will be like,â€� Varner said when asked about playing in his hometown. “… All (but one of) my aunts and uncles on my mom and dad’s side live in Akron, so it’s great.â€� In fact, one of those aunts, Janet Varner, spent nearly two decades working at Firestone as a cook. Varner’s father, also an avid golfer, got to play there a couple of times before they moved but his son was too young. Still, the elder Varner, who usually shoots between 75 – on a really, really good day,â€� Harold III says, grinning – and 85, got his son Fisher-Price golf clubs when he was 2 years old. It didn’t take the youngster long to gravitate toward the game as he grew older in N.C. “He just dropped me off on the way to work,â€� Varner recalls. “I loved it. There was a lot more opportunity, obviously, down in North Carolina, especially when it comes to golf. You play year around.â€� Varner used to come back to Akron in the summers to visit his grandparents, though. When he was in the Rubber City, he’d often go practice and play at J.E. Good Park, a municipal course designed by Bert Way in 1924, two years after the Englishman created nearby Firestone South, which not coincidentally hosts the Bridgestone Invitational this week. (Robert Trent Jones redesigned the South course in 1960). Varner even played in the Good Park Junior twice. He won it the first time he played, when his age group only played nine holes, but the following summer was somewhat forgettable. “I moved up the next year and I played so bad,â€� Varner said, shaking his head. “I had to be 12, 13, 14 maybe. I was obviously young because I remember the course being so long.â€� Varner, who turned pro in 2012 after earning a marketing degree from East Carolina, has enough length to tackle any course these days, averaging 301.2 yards off the tee to rank 28th on TOUR. He is looking for FedExCup points, though, so this week’s Bridgestone Invitational is much more than a trip down memory lane. Varner ranks 133rd right now and has three weeks to work his way into the top 125 to make the Playoffs and secure his card for next season. He’d also like to play his way into the PGA and have back-to-back “hometownâ€� events. “It’s a great opportunity for me to get the year going back in the right direction,â€� says Varner, who tied for 23rd last week at the RBC Canadian. “Starting to play well, so I’m excited.â€� Not only has Varner been preparing for the Bridgestone Invitational, he also found time to give PGATOUR.COM these 18 things people might not know about him. And he wrote this piece published Tuesday in The Players Tribune. 1. I’m allergic to shellfish. 2. I am a huge NBA fan. 3. I am a huge NFL fan. 4. I am a huge fan of Lebron and any team he plays for (you heard me Cleveland). 5. My girlfriend and I love HGTV. 6. I am a big-time neat freak. 7. My closet is color coordinated. 8. During an off week I love being on the lake to boat and jet ski. 9. I hate the ocean (you can’t see anything down there). 10. I listen to every type of music except techno (give me some words….) 11. I am addicted to working out. 12. I am huge East Carolina University fan (not a fan of UNC or Duke….) 13. My favorite color is purple. 14. I love Gas Town (Gastonia, N.C.) 15. I am a brand-new uncle to my niece. 16. Someday I am going to pound the drum at the Carolina Panthers game. 17. I credit my dad, aka Deuce, for getting me into golf. 18. We Here – that’s my motto.

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