Flag-in putting works for Bryson Dechambeau

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Welcome to the Carolina Swing. No, it does not pay taxes or have a passport, so you’ll find no proof of existence, but rest assured it’s a real thing. Well, it is this year, anyway. Thanks to the vagaries of the pandemic, and scheduling, this week’s RBC Heritage presented by Boeing marks the start of a nine-week stretch with four tournaments in the Carolinas. “Yeah, I love it,” said Charlotte resident and defending Heritage champ Webb Simpson, who shot 71 Thursday. “I’m going to be home it looks like for seven of the next nine weeks maybe after this week. It’s a nice part of the year for me. I love driving to tournaments.” After temporarily moving to June last year due to the pandemic, the Heritage returns to its customary April date this year. From here, the PGA TOUR will hop over to New Orleans and then Tampa, then circle back to Charlotte for the Wells Fargo Championship, May 6-9. Two weeks later: the PGA at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, May 20-23. Then comes the stop-gap Palmetto Championship at Congaree, also in South Carolina, which will occupy June 10-13. No wonder the Carolinians are in such a good mood this week. Said Kevin Kisner, who is from Aiken, a three-hour drive from Hilton Head, “It’s going to really help on my airfare bills for the year that I get to drive to multiple tournaments, and I’m excited.” He shot 72 in the first round Thursday, while fellow Aiken pro Matthew NeSmith carded a 3-under 68. Stewart Cink shot 63 to take the lead until Cameron Smith shot 62 in the windier afternoon conditions. While not technically from here, Cink did win the 2000 and 2004 Heritage. So, yeah, he’s kind of an honorary South Carolinian. As for Smith, he’s from Australia but lives in Jacksonville, Florida, some three and a half hours south down I-95, which is also close enough to be almost, sort of, semi-local. Who leads the race for low Carolinian? That would be Harold Varner III, who earlier this week announced his foundation’s expanded commitment to Youth on Course, which helps make golf available to kids of diverse backgrounds. He shot a bogey-free 66. Two things are motivating Varner: his low FedExCup number (105th in the standings) and the fact that he’ll be playing for the home fans at the Wells Fargo in just three weeks. “Just want to give myself – you know, just it’s my major, I guess, for me,” said Varner, who with wife Amanda is anticipating the birth of their first child, a boy, Harold Varner IV, in October. “In a selfish way I want to play well in front of the home crowd at the Wells Fargo. “I think we need to get going a little bit here,” he added. FedExCup No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who grew up in Columbia and played for Coastal Carolina University – but lives in Jupiter, Florida – double-bogeyed the fourth hole on the way to a 1-under 70. Russell Henley, of Kiawah Island, shot 69. Will Zalatoris, a product of Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, N.C.) shot 68 despite fighting post-Masters fatigue. As with Varner, Lucas Glover, who opened with a 4-under 67, is playing for a higher cause this week. Technically a resident of neither South nor North Carolina – he plays out of Tequesta, Florida – Glover was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and went to Clemson. He is playing this week in part to help spruce up a down-on-its-luck course called The Sarge at Sargeant Jasper Park, an hour west of here. The initiative, set up by the Congaree Foundation, enlists players to pledge $100 per birdie and $500 per eagle. Glover’s birdies added up to $600 to help “recharge the Sarge.” “We’ve re-branded it and a handful of guys have joined me this week,” he said. “There is a lot of history there. Just trying to get them to where they can water the golf course appropriately.” Fans enjoyed the warm, occasionally blustery weather as they sipped from plaid beer koozies and wore plaid face masks. It felt normal. “I always look forward to Hilton Head for the obvious reasons with the beaches,” Simpson said. “My family comes. It’s a laid-back feel. “But it seems like I’m getting a little more of that coming up here,” he added. Indeed, the wins will keep coming for the Carolinas. Simpson played the PGA at Kiawah in ’12, and loves the course. Kisner is an ambassador for Congaree and is excited to show it off. Both continue to save a bundle on airfare. “It is a nice feeling,” Simpson said, “knowing I don’t think I’m getting on an airplane until maybe U.S. Open.” And that’s not even counting the regular season-ending Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., set for Aug. 12-15. We’ll have to wait and see who wins the FedExCup, but in the 2020-21 season, the Carolinas and all who live there have already won.

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Erik van Rooyen … It’s doubtful that the missed cut in his last start at the Made in Denmark dented the South African’s confidence. He finished T8 at the PGA Championship the preview week and ranked T9 in greens hit, ninth in proximity, eighth in strokes gained: tee-to-green and third in putting: birdies-or-better at Bethpage. That secured his exemption (via the top 10) into the RBC Canadian Open, which will be his fourth PGA TOUR start of the season and fifth of his career. He’s 19th on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai standings with a pair of runner-up finishes among five top 15s in the last three months. And now he’s fresh off qualifying for his first U.S. Open at the sectional in Columbus, Ohio. Danny Willett … Given that he won the Masters only three years ago, that he lands here is all you need to know about how far he’s separated from the main stage. The 31-year-old battled injuries in the interim but he was buoyed by a smattering of consistent results in the second half of 2018. The rise was punctuated with a victory at the DP World Tour Championship in November. As a renewed member of the PGA TOUR, he’s had only one top 25 since, but the waters are a-gurglin’. En route to a T41 at the PGA Championship, he ranked T3 in greens in regulation. Last week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, he finished T11 in GIR. Hot irons will play at Hamilton this week, so his next objective is to put four rounds together. Nick Watney … While the Zurich Classic of New Orleans presents as a twist to break up the routine of the season, it shouldn’t be overlooked as an opportunity to regain form. He and partner Charley Hoffman placed T9 for what was Watney’s first top-15 finish of the season. It also lifted him back inside the top 125 of the FedExCup standings and sparked a 3-for-4 run in individual competition entering the RBC Canadian Open. Even better, he’s reclaimed confidence with his staple as a powerful ball-striker. En route to a T8 at cozy Colonial, he ranked T4 in greens hit, seventh in proximity and led the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Last week at the bigger ballpark of Muirfield Village, he finished T11 in GIR and paced the field in proximity. The 38-year-old now sits a much more comfortable 98th in the FedExCup. Tyler Duncan … The PGA TOUR sophomore made news at the AT&T Byron Nelson where he struck his wife, Maria, in the head on the first bounce of his drive on the 13th hole of Trinity Forest in the second round. (She’s OK.) Despite that shot, he performed wonderfully and in line with his profile as a ball-striker, but it was improved putting that made the difference between another forgettable result and the career-best-tying T5 that he logged. And that was on large greens. Hamilton’s smaller targets project to accentuate his strength even more. Cameron Tringale … He’s had a helluva career and he’s still only 31 years of age. Most wouldn’t trade a record of 156-for-256 as a professional with eight figures in earnings, but the Georgia Tech product remains winless in PGA TOUR-sanctioned competition. It’s also been three seasons since he qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs and he’s currently 138th in points, but the RBC Canadian Open could springboard him back. In fact, it’d be a continuation of form first captured in earnest at the Valero Texas Open where he finished T17 while ranking T3 in greens in regulation and T5 in proximity. After a T5 with Roberto Castro at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Tringale posted a T23 at the AT&T Byron Nelson and slotted T4 in GIR and second in conversion percentage inside 10 feet (66-for-70). As he’s conjuring old form, it’s relevant to cite that he finished T19 at Hamilton in 2012, finishing T5 in GIR and 12th in strokes gained: tee-to-green. He also co-led the field in fairways hit. NOTE: Sleeper is a relative term, so Rob uses unofficial criteria to determine who qualifies. Each of the following usually is determined to be ineligible for this weekly staple: Winners of the tournament on the current host course; winners in the same season; recent major champions; top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking; recent participants of team competitions.

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NORTON, Mass. – Stewart Cink has learned his lesson. He promises to look at his projected FedExCup position down the stretch in Monday’s final round of the Dell Technologies Championship. Two years ago, he didn’t look at the projections. Playing the final round of THE NORTHERN TRUST, Cink arrived at the par-4 18th hole at Plainfield Country Club in great shape to take the next step in the FedExCup Playoffs. Cink, who had started the week ranked 116th, was projected inside the top 100. His caddie asked if he wanted to know where he stood. Cink was emphatic. “No!� The 18th was playing at 307 yards that day. Cink figured an aggressive approach on a drivable par-4 offered favorable odds. He took out driver … and hit a poor shot left into “the weeds,� Cink recalled. His second shot found the other side of the green. He pitched to 14 feet and missed the par putt. The bogey dropped him nine spots on the leaderboard – and dropped out of the top 100. He finished at 102nd in the FedExCup standings, two points behind Jason Kokrak, the No. 100 player who had missed the cut that week. Had Cink made par, he would’ve finished in the mid-90s in points and moved on to TPC Boston. When Cink told his wife Lisa about not wanting to know where he stood, she was just as emphatic in her reaction – only with a different spin. “You always want to know!� she said. Cink entered this week ranked 81st in points, leaving him outside the bubble for the top 70 advancing to the BMW Championship. After rallying from a poor start in Friday’s first round – he was 4 over through his first eight holes before getting back on track with an eagle – Cink is now in position after his second consecutive 68. He’s tied for 14th at 6 under – and projected to 61st in FedExCup points. Cink has not reached the third leg of the FedExCup Playoffs since 2010, the year after his win at The Open Championship. He hasn’t played in the TOUR Championship since 2009. It would be a tremendous story if he gets that far. After all, not only is he a member at East Lake, but he’ll be honored that week as the Payne Stewart Award winner. Is it difficult to keep East Lake out of his mind? No, Stewart said. “I’m having a lot more difficult time not thinking about Chicago,� he added. “East Lake’s not even in my mind to put out. That’s not a problem.� Cink was planning to huddle with his caddie prior to Monday’s final round to discuss their game plan. If the scenario boils down to the final few holes and Cink remains in contention to advance, there will be no question. He will want to know where he stands. “I’ve seen the other side,� Cink said, “and it cost me.� BUBBLE WATCH Here are the players who are projected to move inside and outside the top 70 that will advance to the third leg of the FedExCup Playoffs, the BMW Championship. QUOTE OF THE DAY I would look at winning the FedExCup like winning a major. I think it’s become that big. I think a lot of players, because it’s a season-long race, I feel like it’s got a lot of meaning. TOP 5 WATCH The Top 5 players entering the TOUR Championship will control their own destiny at East Lake. Here’s a look at how the current top 5 fared Saturday at the Dell Technologies Championship. 1. Dustin Johnson (66). Bogey-free round ended with a flourish – four birdies in his final five holes. Tied for seventh at 9 under. Projected to second. 2. Jordan Spieth (66). Suffered his first bogey on TPC Boston’s front side this week; otherwise a productive day. Tied for fourth at 10 under. Projected to third. 3. Justin Thomas (63). Posted his second consecutive bogey-free round; in fact, he has played 40 holes since his last bogey. Co-leader at 12 under. Projected to first. 4. Hideki Matsuyama (70). Produced his lowest score of the week but still giving up ground to the leaders. Tied for 36th at even par. Projected to fifth. 5. Jon Rahm (67). Entered the third round with the lead but three bogeys on the back nine dropped him off the pace. Tied for seventh at 9 under. Projected to sixth. Projected into the top 5 – Co-leader Marc Leishman, who started the week 20th in points, is projected to fourth. FEDEXCUP NOTES Paul Casey is again in position to win at TPC Boston, just like he was last year. In fact, he has finished inside the top five in four consecutive FedExCup Playoffs events, and has seven top-10s in 15 starts. Asked why the Playoffs seem to bring out the best of him, Casey said: “The end of the season is near. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know. I like the fact there’s a conclusion, I really do. I do like the volatility. I like the fact you can move up and there’s genuinely something to play for.� … The three players currently projected to move from inside to outside the cutline have few strokes to make up. Anirban Lahiri only needs to make up one stroke; Russell Knox two strokes, and Kevin Tway three strokes to keep their positions inside the top 70. … Five rookies are currently projected inside the top 70 in points – Wesley Bryan, Xander Schauffele, Mackenzie Hughes, Ollie Schniederjans, Grayson Murray and Patrick Cantlay. Schauffele and Schniederjans missed the cut on Saturday, but the other four will pick up points. Murray (T4) and Cantlay (T9) will begin the final round inside the top 10 on the leaderboard. “I’m going to have to go out there and play my ‘A’ game,� said Murray, noting the big names packed at the top of the leaderboard.

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