Follow Tiger’s second round at the U.S. Open

The top 100 players in the FedExCup standings will qualify for the Dell Technologies Championship — the second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs. Track the latest movement here: Projected FedExCup standings. • COURSE: TPC Boston, 7,342 yards, par 71. Carved into the New England countryside about midway between Boston and Rhode Island, the original 2002 layout carried Arnold Palmer’s stamp before a thorough remodel just five years later. Gil Hanse and consultant Brad Faxon introduced “chocolate-dropâ€� mounds and grass bunkers to give the course more of a regional feel. The Dell Technologies Championship has been engrained in the Labor Day calendar since 2003, using the holiday to offer up the PGA TOUR’s only scheduled Monday finish. • FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 2,000 points. • CHARITY: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester and MassGeneral Hospital for Children are the tournament’s new primary beneficiaries, selected with a mission of improved health, wellness, and academic achievement. Six other charity partners include The Red Sox Foundation and Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund. • FIELD WATCH: Rory McIlroy, the reigning FedExCup king, defends in Boston against a lineup currently at 97 entrants. Among them: PGA TOUR Season points leader Hideki Matsuyama and new PGA Championship titleholder Justin Thomas. … Masters champion Sergio Garcia jumps into the fray after sitting out the Playoffs opener for the third consecutive year. He began the postseason at No. 22 on the points list, still on track to make the finale at East Lake. … Adam Scott, now a father of two after welcoming a son this week, was a late addition after initial indications he’d sit out the first two events. He entered the Playoffs at No. 66, with little wiggle room to get into the BMW Championship. … Brandt Snedeker and Scott Piercy are qualified for Boston, but have shut down their seasons with injuries. • 72-HOLE RECORD: 262, Vijay Singh (2008), Charley Hoffman (2010), Henrik Stenson (2013). • 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Vijay Singh (3rd round, 2006), Mike Weir (1st round, 2008). • LAST YEAR: McIlroy made up a six-shot deficit on the final day, firing a 6-under 65 to chase down a faltering Paul Casey for his 20th victory worldwide and first on U.S. soil in nearly 16 months. McIlroy played his first three holes of the week in 4 over, but followed his opening 71 with rounds of 67-66-65 that left him with a two-stroke triumph. He moved in front for good with a 20-foot birdie at TPC Boston’s 12th hole, then left no doubt with a 3-wood approach into the wind at No. 18 that set up a birdie from a bunker. Casey began the day with a three-shot lead, but closed with a 73 in his bid for a first PGA TOUR victory since 2009. Three weeks later, McIlroy won again at East Lake to take the FedExCup. • STORYLINES: While there’s always a shakeup atop the FedExCup standings after the first Playoffs event, Matsuyama’s missed cut at THE NORTHERN TRUST virtually assures a change at No. 1. Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Jhonattan Vegas all were tied for the lead after 36 holes at Glen Oaks Club. … Jon Rahm, down to No. 6 in points after once topping the chart, entered the Playoffs without a top-10 finish on U.S. soil since May. … The FedExCup bubble now moves to the top 70 in points for the BMW Championship. A year ago, Billy Hurley III and David Hearn were among six who extended their seasons after coming to Boston outside the cut line. • SHORT CHIPS: Two of the past four winners at TPC Boston have gone on to win the FedExCup, with McIlroy’s feat preceded by 2013 champion Henrik Stenson. … McIlroy’s triumph also made it seven consecutive winners at TPC Boston who have come from behind on the final day. Just one of the past 10 champions, in fact, have closed out a 54-hole lead. … Phil Mickelson is set to become the first man to make 40 starts in the FedExCup Playoffs. Bubba Watson will join him if he can move into the top 100 in points. … Scott, Patrick Reed, Ryan Moore and Jason Kokrak all posted top-10 finishes at each of last year’s first two Playoff events. That matched the total for the previous three postseasons. • TELEVISION: Friday, 2:30-6:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 3-6:30 p.m. (GC). Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC). Monday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (GC), 1:30-6 p.m. (NBC). • PGA TOUR LIVE: Friday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (featured groups), 3-6:30 p.m. (featured holes). Sunday-Monday, 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (featured holes). • RADIO: Friday-Saturday, noon-7 p.m.; Sunday-Monday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.COM).

Click here to read the full article…

PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO The depth of the field at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide is a blessing and curse for fantasy gamers. On one hand, the embarrassment of riches eases the decision-making process. Want to save a start here or there? No problem. You could form three or even four worthy rosters without crossover. The downside is that you better connect on a contender or three just to maintain position. It’s within that rub that establishes an expectation to just survive and advance. The ownership dispersion among just the golfers in my Power Rankings is telling. Three household names – Bill Haas, Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson – slot outside the top 20 most-owned. But that club also includes Jason Dufner (24th, 5.7 percent), Ryan Moore (25th, 5.6 percent), defending champion William McGirt (27th, 5.3 percent), Bubba Watson (31st, 3.4 percent) and Zach Johnson (32nd, 3.1 percent). We could keep going, but you get the idea. After the 13.5-percent fall from Hideki Matsuyama at the top to Adam Scott in second, the next noticeable drop-off occurs after Matt Kuchar in 10th at 22.6 percent. Patrick Cantlay is 11th at 14.9 percent. It won’t be long before the 25-year-old is a regular inside the top 10. NOTE: Rob’s Rating refers to where our Fantasy Insider slotted a golfer in his Power Rankings. Golfers in the Power Rankings and outside the top 10 in most owned PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO Weather rarely influences decisions in this format, but it made sense to consider it in advance of last week’s DEAN & DELUCA Invitational where the early-late draw was predicted to have an advantage. Sure enough, that half of the field scored nearly three strokes lower over the first 36 holes. As a result, only three of the 11 golfers who finished inside the top 10 in the tournament, and just eight of the 28 who posted a top 25, came out of the late-early draw. Caught up in the whirlwind, literally, were the top-three most-picked in the One & Done. Both Jason Dufner (first) and Pat Perez (second) missed the cut. Colonial Country Club member Ryan Palmer (third) tied for second-to-last of the 72 who completed 72 holes. Fourth-most-owned overall but most-owned among early-late guys was champion Kevin Kisner. Boom. While there are no such concerns with the weather or wind at Muirfield Village over the first two rounds, it’s still valuable to revisit how things shook out last week. The lesson is that even though enough golfers navigated trouble with success to prove that it’s not an all-or-nothing experience, gamers should never underestimate the impact as long as there’s validity to spark a conversation about it. There’s strong support for my pick, Tony Finau, at the Memorial, but he has work to do after a roller coaster of a 2-over 74 in the opening round. Local resident Jason Day is a surprise inside the top 10 due to an uninspiring track record here. The same could be argued for Rickie Fowler. There’s simply no need to force the issue with either of those guys, much less with anyone in this format. Good to see Patrick Cantlay on board and getting the call. Gamers are rapidly picking up on his value in all formats. As you should. Notables outside the top 10 include Byeong Hun An (11th, 2.9 percent), Dustin Johnson (12th, 2.7 percent), Jordan Spieth (13th, 2.3 percent), Phil Mickelson (22nd, 0.9 percent) and defending champion William McGirt (27th, 0.7 percent).

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…