Final pool play results at WGC-Match Play

MEDINAH, Ill. – 2015 was one of Jim Furyk’s best years. He captured the RBC Heritage on one of his favorite tracks, Hilton Head. That summer, he was ranked No. 3 in the world; it was his highest ranking in eight years. And with the 2016 Rio Olympics looming, he was one of the four top Americans and thus, went through the protocol required of all potential Olympic athletes. Pretty neat stuff. But his left wrist soon began to bothering him, and in the second FedExCup Playoffs event that year at TPC Boston, the pain sharpened. His next start was the BMW Championship – it was at Conway Farms, where two years earlier he had shot 59 – and Furyk teed off in the first round gritting his teeth and hoping to grind it out for four rounds. He lasted six holes before having to withdraw. It was the start of a lengthy downward spiral. Furyk was sidelined the rest of that year, forcing him to miss the Presidents Cup (he served as an assistant captain). He eventually needed surgery and didn’t return to action until May of 2016. By then, he was no longer a candidate for the U.S. Olympic team. It took him another year before he started finding his stride … only then to be hit with another injury, this time to the SC joint in his shoulder. “That set me back another year,â€� he said. Related: Leaderboard | Projected FedExCup standings | Tiger ready to resume FedExCup chase Thus, he went from peak form prior to the 2015 BMW to essentially losing three years. In his late 40s (he’s 49 now), it was a tough break. Plus, he spent a large part of 2018 with non-playing responsibilities as captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Juggling those duties can make it challenging to stay competitive as a player. But while his window of opportunity may be reduced, Furyk showed on Thursday it hasn’t closed yet. In his first BMW start since his WD four years ago, Furyk produced a bogey-free 66 that left him near the top of the leaderboard at Medinah. The highlights were many – two birdies to open his round, an eagle at the par-5 fifth when his 5-wood finished inside 10 feet, and a near-ace at the 17th, his 6-iron leaving him inside 1 foot. Given his FedExCup ranking – he started this week 48th – he’ll need to continue his good play the rest of the week to secure a top-30 spot and a trip to the TOUR Championship. “I’d much rather be in 20th place and know I’ve got a ticket stamped,â€� said Furyk, the 2010 FedExCup champ. “But I don’t have much to lose this week, to be honest with you … the only thing is upside.â€� Maybe it’s not a surprise that Furyk has good vibes this week. After all, he says, “Chicago has been good to me.â€� He has that 59 at Conway Farms. He won the 2005 BMW at Cog Hill. And his lone major victory came in the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields, which will host the BMW Championship next year. And he’s certainly shown flashes this season of his 2015 form. There was his runner-up finish to Rory McIlroy at THE PLAYERS Championship in March. Two months later, he was in the hunt through 54 holes at the Charles Schwab Championship at Colonial. Ranked 217th in the world in February, Furyk has worked his way back inside the top 50 (49th entering this week). Still … “This summer was a little lean,â€� Furyk said. “I didn’t play bad. It wasn’t like I missed a bunch of cuts. I’m really good at finishing 30th to 50th right now, which sucks. “But I’ve been working at it real hard and seeing some results. I feel like I still have a little left in me.â€� So, exactly how close is he to his pre-BMW 2015 form? Is he 90 percent back? 80 percent? Furyk took a few seconds to think about his answer … and then took a few more. It was difficult to put a number on it. “How close am I?â€� he responded. “I’m not there.â€� No worries. If he’s holding the trophy on Sunday, maybe he’ll adjust his answer.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – Thirteen tournaments were honored with “Best Of� awards by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR’s annual Tournament Meetings on December 6. For the third time in five years, the Waste Management Phoenix Open was named the PGA TOUR “Tournament of the Year,� one of two accolades earned in 2018. The Phoenix-area TOUR stop also tied with the Safeway Open for the newly introduced “Most Fan-First Event� Award, which recognizes significant enhancements to the on-site fan experience. The 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, won by Gary Woodland in a playoff, saw record attendance, social media engagement and charitable impact. Held at TPC Scottsdale and known for its famous coliseum-style 16th hole, the Waste Management Phoenix Open continues to shatter attendance records, with the 2018 event drawing a weekly total of 720,000 fans, nearly 63,000 more than the previous year. As part of a four-day concert series, over 37,500 fans attended a sold-out performance by Florida Georgia Line after Thursday’s opening round, and fans took to their social channels to share their experience, with tournament channels seeing an influx of more than 20,000 followers, a 36-percent increase. As fan numbers increased, so did the charitable impact, with the 2018 event raising a record $12.2 million for local charities, eclipsing $12 million for the first time. “On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to congratulate the Waste Management Phoenix Open for these special recognitions,� said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder. “The Thunderbirds and Waste Management worked tirelessly to continue and raise the bar across all facets of the event, and the fans responded. With the TOUR’s renewed focus on the fan experience onsite at TOUR events, we are excited to recognize the Waste Management Phoenix Open and all tournament winners on their efforts to improve and innovate the experience at PGA TOUR events.� Below is a complete list of award-winning tournaments: Most Fan-First Event (tie) Waste Management Phoenix Open Safeway Open Best Use of Players The RSM Classic Most Engaged Community Charles Schwab Challenge Best Tournament Sales Wells Fargo Championship Salesperson of the Year Scott Auker, Wells Fargo Championship Best On-Site Staging The Honda Classic Best Title Sponsor Integration John Deere Classic Best Product Club 360, AT&T Byron Nelson Best Integrated Marketing Plan (tie) Farmers Insurance Open RBC Heritage Best in Class Element The Rink, RBC Canadian Open Best Special Event Cheers to 50 years Countdown Party, RBC Heritage Best Charity Integration Sanderson Farms Championship Tournament of the Year Waste Management Phoenix Open Players Choice Travelers Championship

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LAS VEGAS — J.J. Spaun shot a 6-under 65 on Friday at breezy TPC Summerlin to take the lead in the suspended second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Spaun rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 third with birdies on the par-4 fourth and par-3 fifth and closed with a birdie on the par-5 ninth to get to 11-under 131. “I think we were just real deliberate on our numbers out there,” Spaun said. “It’s super swirly, windy. … Out here you’ve got so many undulations around the greens and you’ve got tight hazards next to the pins and the greens, so it’s crucial to get the right number, and we did that well today. That kind of set us up for having a bunch of looks out there.” Kelly Kraft was second at 8 under with three holes left when play was suspended for the day because of darkness. He had a hole-in-one on par-3 fifth, using a 6-iron on the 174-yard hole. Spaun is making his third start of the season after finishing 97th in the FedExCup standings. He missed the cut in the opener at Silverado and tied for 34th last week in Mississippi. “I’m putting well, I’m hitting it well, I’m just trying to play simple golf,” Spaun said. “I know it’s not going to be easy on the weekend, but just trying to keep things in perspective and stay within myself and give myself a shot on Sunday.” Robert Garrigus was four strokes back at 7 under after a 65. “I really didn’t swing it as good as I wanted to off the tee,” Garrigus said. “I was hitting some squirrelly shots, but the putter worked really well today, which can cure a lot of things.” Aaron Baddeley and Patton Kizzire each shot 66 to get to 6 under, and Round 1 leader Whee Kim was 5 under after a 72. “It was windy today,” Baddeley said. “There were a couple holes there where it was like a two- or three-club wind, which is really unusual here in Vegas. But it’s just nice because it really brings out the good ball-hitters and also the people who can be patient in this type of weather.” Charley Hoffman was 3 under after a 71 in his hometown event. Bubba Watson is in position to make the cut on the number at 1 over in his first event of season, shooting 72-71. Defending champion Rod Pampling also was 1 over after a 73.

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