Francesco Molinari back after 7-month break

Dustin Johnson? Crossed his name off the list a year ago. Henrik Stenson followed the next month. A scant two weeks later, it was Jimmy Walker’s turn. Sergio Garcia, some had feared, had become a permanent resident on the list. But in April, he finally bid adieu. Best player without a major. Those four had either been atop the list or at least in the discussion, each having spent time inside the world’s top 10 list without benefit of major success (albeit Stenson and Garcia have each won THE PLAYERS Championship, which some consider … well, you be the judge). But thanks to their respective wins in the last 12 months, they’ve gracefully bowed out, more than willing to let others carry the torch — or shoulder the burden, depending on your perspective – starting at this week’s U.S. Open. Consider it an unprecedented string of success for the list … and we’re not even including 2015, when Jordan Spieth and Jason Day won their first majors. There was a seven-major stretch in the late 1950s when Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper and Gary Player all won their first majors, but each of those future World Golf Hall of Famers was still in his 20s at the time, still relatively unscarred. Casper was making just his seventh major start when he won; Palmer and Player were at nine each. Compare that to Garcia, who won in his 74th major start. Or Stenson’s 41 or Johnson’s 25 or Walker’s 18. Plus, these four were older – in their 30s, or in the case of Stenson, 40. Of course, that’s the thing about the list. Not only is it unofficial, the definition is a bit murky. Zach Johnson never considered himself on the list. He was still in the growing phase of his career and had never contended in a major prior to his 2007 Masters win, the first of his two major victories. “I don’t know if there’s an age parameter,â€� Zach said when asked to define the list. “If we’re talking rookies or 2-3 years out of the gate, that’s hard to say. I’m not suggesting they’re flashes in the pan, but to me, that best to never win is a connotation or description of an individual that’s been out here for a long time and put himself in position a lot but never came through. “Does that make sense? I don’t know what the age is, but I think it’s more of an experience factor.â€� Still, it’s difficult to avoid factoring in a player’s current world ranking, regardless of his age or experience. Should Hideki Matsuyama, ranked No. 4, not be on the list simply because he’s 25? Erin Hills will be his 19th major appearance, one more than when Walker won the PGA Championship last year. “Certainly to be considered one of the top guys to not have won a major means you’re one of the top guys. It also means you’ve not won a major,â€� said Matt Kuchar, who’s most definitely on the list. “I think at some point kind of everybody has been on that list, every great player is on it until they win their first.â€� But do players actually like being on the list? Some do; others want nothing to do with it. Younger players see it as a promise of things to come; the grizzled vets wonder if it reflects their shortcomings. Perhaps another way to look at the list – it’s a positive to be on it until it becomes a negative. “You never want to be on that list, you never want to be the top player that hasn’t won the major,â€� said Patrick Reed, whose name has certainly been under consideration the last few years. “It’s one of those things that to be able to make it in the Hall of Fame, to be able to be a household name and that kind of thing, I would think you do need to have a major underneath your belt.â€� You never want to be on that list, you never want to be the top player that hasn’t won the major. Charley Hoffman was in contention through three rounds at the Masters this year, and he’s won four times on TOUR. But he isn’t on the list, nor does he necessarily want the expectations that come with being on it. “I wouldn’t put my name in that category. It’s not a place I don’t put a lot of stress on,â€� he said. “That’s why I play all right at the Masters. I wouldn’t say I don’t care but it’s not like someone is picking me to win that week.â€� “Obviously I would love to be in that conversation because that means you need one, you want one. I think the more pressure I put on myself at the major championship, the worse I tend to play.â€� On the flip side, Ryan Palmer – like Hoffman, a multiple winner on TOUR but with a spotty record in majors – would love to elevate his game and be considered for the list. “If you’re considered one of the best players without a major, you’ve done some pretty good things in this game and had some pretty good success,â€� Palmer said. “I don’t look at it as a negative thing being the best player not to win a major. I know Sergio had so many close calls, and I know it was pretty cool to finally see him breakthrough and win, that’s for sure.â€� So now that Garcia, DJ, Stenson and Walker are off the list, who belongs at the top? “Still gotta say Westwood, right?â€� said Zach Johnson. Certainly, Lee Westwood and Garcia have spent much of their careers as 1 and 1A on the list. With Sergio out of the mix, it’s easy to consider the 44-year-old Englishman as the leader in the clubhouse. He’s been the European Tour’s Player of the Year three times, he’s played on 10 Ryder Cup teams, he’s won 39 golf tournaments on five continents, and he’s a former World No. 1, having held that position for 22 weeks. The only other player to have been No. 1 and not won a major is Luke Donald. Plus, Westwood has been in contention many times to cross his name off the list. Of his 76 major starts, he has 11 top-5s, including three runner-up finishes. “Majors are the only thing missing,â€� Westwood once said a few years ago. “Maybe I’ll never win one. Maybe I will. I could. I’ve got no answer to that. Keep working hard and trying to get myself into the position. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.â€� A few years ago, Steve Stricker’s name would have been more prominent. During the 2009 FedExCup Playoffs, he rose to world No. 2 and won three events that season. But at age 50 and playing a reduced schedule, he’s five years past the age of the oldest first-time major winner (Jerry Barber, who was 45 when he claimed the 1961 PGA). History is against him this week. Still, after qualifying as a sectional medalist, he could ride the emotion of playing the first U.S. Open held in his home state of Wisconsin. If it happens, he’ll be the feel-good story of the year. Soon after Garcia’s win in April, the best-player-without-a-major question was posed to Kuchar, another familiar name up for consideration. His seven TOUR wins includes a PLAYERS Championship and a World Golf Championship. He’s a consistent top-10 machine, arguably the best on TOUR in that category in recent years, and he has eight top 10s in his 45 major starts. Oh, and he won the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics last year behind two major winners in Justin Rose and Stenson. The 38-year-old Kuchar contemplated his answer for a few seconds before responding. “It’s funny,â€� he said. “I’ve not run through who the other names would be, but I’d certainly think I would be one of those guys, sure.â€� There’s one other thing he’s also sure of. “I’m hoping that I can get off that list sometime quickly,â€� he said. “Sometime soon.â€� Perhaps, he hopes, as soon as this week. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION Depending on the criteria, here’s an unofficial list of the active Best Players Without a Major. IF WORLD RANKINGS MATTER … Players without a major currently ranked inside the world Top 10: Hideki Matsuyama (4th), Alex Noren (8th), Rickie Fowler (9th), Jon Rahm (10th). IF EXPERIENCE MATTERS … A few players with 45 or more major starts without a win: Lee Westwood (76 starts), Steve Stricker (68), Luke Donald (53), Paul Casey (52), Matt Kuchar (45). FYI: Donald is not in the field at Erin Hills. IF FEDEXCUPS MATTER … Three players in the U.S. Open field have won FedExCup titles but not a major: Bill Haas (2011), Brandt Snedeker (2012), Billy Horschel (2014). IF AGE IS NO FACTOR … These players have plenty of time to break through: Si Woo Kim (age 21), Justin Thomas (age 24), Thomas Pieters (age 25), Tyrrell Hatton (age 25) IF THE EYE TEST MATTERS … A few names (but certainly not all) who just seem like they have the game to win a major: Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Branden Grace. 

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J.R. Smith is the first male golfer to sign a brand ambassador deal with Lululemon.

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Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the Quicken Loans National that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm hosts for the second time and measures 7,107 yards (Par-70). Italian Stallion Italy’s Francesco Molinari posted 21-under-par 259 to cruise to his first victory on the PGA TOUR. His final round 62 lapped second-place finisher Ryan Armour by eight shots and third-place finisher Sung Kang by nine. Tiger Woods and playing partner Abraham Ancer shared fourth 10 shots back. On a day of sweltering heat and humidity Molinari turned in 33 and had a three-shot lead. He ruined any hopes or dreams of those chasing as he began the back with a 48-foot eagle putt and then piled on four consecutive birdies after that. The only thing Molinari “struggled” with on Sunday was setting the course record. His miss from just inside eight feet would have put the cherry on top of the sundae Sunday but I doubt he’s too bothered. He torched TPC Potomac as he led (or tied) the field in the following categories:  SG: tee to green  SG: approach the green  Scrambling  GIR  Par-4 scoring  T-1 birdies (Woods)  T-1 birdie or better percentage (Ryan Palmer)  Bogey avoidance  T- course record  Tournament Record Molinari said it was a tough decision to skip the French Open this week but there are $1.278 million reasons why that pain won’t last. He also grabbed 500 FedExCup points and now is No. 42 on that list. Every since he MC at THE PLAYERS, as my O&D nonetheless, he’s rattled off a win, second, T25 plus this victory. There’s not a hotter player on the planet! Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. The winning score last year was seven-under set by Stanley and Howell. Hitting that number this time around didn’t get into the top 10! TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm was hot but the winds never materialized and the course remained receptive to solid shots all week. Gamers with players in the top eight above should have done well! PAIN OR GAIN These were the top-10 selected golfers (plus one) in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: I’d have to scroll through the archives but I don’t remember, off the top of my head, the most or second-most selected player in this format winning. Molinari adds this to his list of firsts as well and his investors thank him! Farmer Ryan Gamers are always looking for trends and the next one for Ryan Armour is to play him regardless if the event has “Farm(s)” in the event title or course. His win at Sanderson Farms last fall was his first on TOUR and his solo second this week at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm is his second-best finish on TOUR. Too bad Conway Farms isn’t on the schedule this year! His worst round in his last 20 rounds is 72 once. I can dig it. Kang Kong Some guys have that one course where they just can’t do anything wrong. For Sung Kang it is TPC Potomac as he graced the top five for the second year running after birdies on three of his last five including the last two. How he arrived at solo third was impressive as he spotted par two strokes and began Round 2 T89 before playing the final three rounds in 14-under. He also was T6 when this was a Web.com event in 2013. Simmering Tiger Woods has picked up both of his best finishes in 2018 on courses he’s never played or not recently played as he was T2 at Innisbrook and T4 this week after co-leading the field in birdies with 21. That’s shocking to me as he’s made a ton of money at a handful of courses over the years. One of those tracks is Firestone South, site of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Gamers that are “saving” him for early August need to be aware that he’ll need a big finish at Carnoustie as, according to the broadcast, he’s not adding any events before or after. Maybe he should! Usual Suspects The curious case of Beau Hossler continues as he doubled No. 16 on Sunday to drop from T3 to T6. Can you imagine when he puts it all together? He’s leading the TOUR in birdies and cashing big checks for fun. … Brian Gay (T8) picked up No. 4 top-10 payday of the year and his 10th top-25 accolade. … Another week, another top 25 for Stewart Cink (T23) as he runs his streak to three events on the bounce. … Sunday Silence Abraham Ancer had a front-row seat with Molinari in the final group after his course-record tying, bogey-free 62 on Saturday. He shot 72 and didn’t make a birdie but posts his best-ever payday on TOUR. … Zac Blair was looking for his first top-10 finish since the Houston Open last spring as he began the day two shots behind the leaders. He posted a pair of hockey sticks and dropped to T27. … Kevin Streelman did the difficult work on Saturday as he backed up his Friday 62 with 67. The mojo ran out on Sunday as he only beat Blair by a shot and dropped from sixth to T32. … Kyle Stanley began the round T16 and gave the defending champion hopefuls hope but his 73 slashed his earnings to T32. Study Hall The course FINALLY played over-par in the final round but just barely at 70.041. It was the only round in the black and the average for the week checked in at 69.877, just a little easier than 71.369 average from last year. … There were only eight bogey-free rounds last year and that number, like the scoring, skyrocketed this year to 20 and included Molinari, Kang and Doc Redman on Sunday. … The best four players not already qualified who finished inside the top 12 qualified for The Open Championship. Gamers can add Armour, Kang, Ancer and Bronson Burgoon to their list of options for Carnoustie. Burgoon needed to make a birdie at the last to complete the quartet and he stuck it to four feet. Proper finish. … Across the pond Russell Knox (T2), Julian Suri (T2) and Marcus Kinhult (T5) also punched their tickets to The Open Championship. Alex Noren won the French Open while Jon Rahm (T5), Sergio Garcia (T8) and Justin Thomas (T8) cashed top-10 checks.

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