Fleetwood, Bradley tied for lead at Bay Hill

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MELBOURNE, Australia – International Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els is hopeful a new world order is upon us for the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne after several changes have been afforded to his team. Speaking at the announcement of Geoff Ogilvy as his first captain’s assistant for the biennial match up against the U.S. team Els believes things are on track for a turnaround after a huge run of American dominance. A year ago the U.S. team were comprehensive winners in New Jersey to the tune of 19-11, taking their record to 9-1-1 over the Internationals in the competition. But with their recent defeat in the Ryder Cup to Europe Els feels the door might be opening to finally wrestle back the ascendency come December 11-14, 2019. Changes he has already overseen in meetings with U.S. captain Tiger Woods and PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan include a new one-year points selection policy, rather than the old two-year system, ensuring his top eight automatic places are taken by players in form. Of course this means he now has four captains picks instead of the previous two, once again allowing flexibility into his lineup. Els has also been given more say in the golf course setup as the home team, and also gets to choose the order of play. Even catering has been changed, with Els given more flexibility to ensure all cultures and tastes in his side are looked after. “It feels a lot more positive. I spoke with Tiger in the room with Jay Monahan, just the three of us, and we went through a lot of stuff,â€� Els said. “I can now play a guy once before Sunday, which was never the case; a guy almost had to play every session. Tiger didn’t like that much, but I got it through eventually. I feel it’s a lot fairer and I think we’ve got a good shot at it now.â€� Els was also very vocal on the need to create a cauldron like atmosphere at Royal Melbourne and implored the local Australian fans to step up much like they did in 1998 when the lone International Team victory was secured. Having seen the intimidation like thunder clap in Paris a few months ago, Els wants something similar. “We really want the crowd behind us this time,â€� Els said. “I know our play will dictate the noise of the crowd, but if we can get them from that first shot, I know how intimidating it can be. “It’s going to be a feeling of when or if we lift the trophy, it’s for the Australian people. The Australian people are pulling us over the line. “We want to respect our visiting team, but we want to, at the end of the day, win and beat them and win the Cup back.â€� Els expects huge competition for spots on his team and signaled his captains picks are open to anyone who shows form and a hunger to be part of the squad. “I’m not going to have any problem having a motivated team next year,â€� he said. “I like spending time with them. I’m still playing a bit, so I’m going to play a lot with them and we’ll have a lot of meetings, a lot of talks and I’ll keep them exactly in the loop where I’m at, so I’ll really look forward to take them out to the first tee.â€�

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Patrick Reed comes into the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession with a ton of momentum. He’s not only the defending champion (from last year's edition in Mexico) but also comes in fresh off a victory a few weeks ago at the Farmers Insurance Open. All in all, it’s looking like "Captain America" is making a big push to play for Captain Steve Stricker in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits later this year. When it comes to his equipment, Reed is quite the interesting case study. He’s basically a free agent hybrid with his only contractual obligations being to Japanese iron maker Grindworks. Beyond that, Reed is a player who isn't afraid to test the waters across the board. The Grindworks relationship has been a successful one for Reed. Not only did he have the opportunity to put his own expertise into an iron, but it also gave the industry a look at just how detailed Reed is in regards to his equipment. As an ambassador, the 2018 Masters champion has done an amazing job of promoting the Japanese start-up, which from a personnel standpoint, is packed with some serious club making talent. Grindworks CEO Kiyonari Niimi, who is a 40-year veteran of the club making business as well as a member of the honored International Clubmakers Guild (ICG) Hall of Fame, gives the company serious gravitas. So too does former president of the legendary Endo forging house Kenji Kobiyashi. Reed recently gave aspiring TOUR player and APGA regular Charles Penny II the gift of Grindworks after being inspired by an email he read. "I read his email about him as a person, as well as what his dreams and ambitions are in golf and how hard he’s working on it and his goals," Reed said. "And when I sat back and actually read all the stuff that he was saying and all the things that he was trying to get to and his goals and ambitions, I was like, man, this is somebody I would love to try to help out." You can get the full story here. This week at The Concession, Reed will try to keep the momentum going as the season of championships is coming fast and furious. Take a look at what he had in the bag for his victory last year and what he has in play this week. 2020 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship Driver: Ping G400 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X 3-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (15 degrees @ 13.9) Shaft: Aldila RIP Alpha 75 TX (42 3/8 inches) Hybrid: Callaway Apex (20 degrees @ 18.8) Shaft: Aldila Rogue Black 105 TX (40 inches) Irons: Grindworks Patrick Reed Prototype (4-PW) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (50 @ 51 degrees), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (56, 60 at 61 degrees) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat I Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Grips: Golf Pride New Decade MCC Black/White 58 R (2 wraps double-sided tape) Current equipment setup Driver: Titleist TSi3 (9) Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70TX 3-Wood: TaylorMade SIM (15) Shaft: Aldila Rogue Black 130MSI 80TX Hybrid: Callaway Apex Pro (20) Shaft: UST Mamiya Recoil Prototype 95 Irons: Grindworks Patrick Reed Prototype (4-PW) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Wedges: Artisan Proto (51), Vokey SM8 (56-08M), Vokey SM6 (60-04LAD+ @61) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat Ball: Titleist Pro V

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