Frittelli clinches first European Tour title

Patrick Reed didn’t just end a long drought by winning the Northern Trust. He put himself back in the conversation for the Presidents Cup and a U.S. team captained by Tiger Woods.

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The PGA TOUR announced today the four featured groupings for Thursday-Friday at the Workday Charity Open, to be contested at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. The Workday Charity Open is a one-year, full-field FedExCup event contested at Muirfield Village Golf Club the week immediately preceding the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. Thanks to title sponsor Workday, and the support of Muirfield Village Golf Club and the Memorial Tournament host, Jack Nicklaus, the tournament fills the week vacated by the cancellation of the John Deere Classic, which will return to the PGA TOUR schedule in 2021. Full groupings and starting times for the first two rounds of the Workday Charity Open will be released officially at approximately noon ET on Tuesday, July 7. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (featured groups), Saturday-Sunday 7:00 a.m.-3 p.m. (featured groups). Saturday-Sunday 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (featured holes). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). FEATURED GROUPS Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day • Thomas, No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, has two top-10s since the season resumed (T10/Charles Schwab Challenge, T8/RBC Heritage) • Koepka is making his first start since withdrawing before the start of the Travelers Championship out of an abundance of caution following his caddie testing positive for COVID-19. • Day, who resides just outside of Columbus, has made one cut in four starts since the season resumed (T46/Travelers Championship) Patrick Cantlay, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth • Cantlay, who will be defending his Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide title next week at Muirfield Village, has not missed a cut in 15 starts since the 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, tied for the longest active streak on TOUR (Tyrrell Hatton, Paul Casey) • In his most recent start, Mickelson held the 36-hole lead at the Travelers Championship before finishing T24, his first start since turning 50 on June 16 • Spieth enters the week No. 95 in the FedExCup standings; since 2009, he is one of only two players to stand outside the top 50 with six weeks remaining and finish the Regular Season inside the Wyndham Rewards Top 10, accomplishing the feat in 2013 Patrick Reed, Matthew Wolff, Rickie Fowler • Reed has one win (World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship) and one runner-up (Sentry Tournament of Champions) in 12 starts on the season • Wolff held a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic before finishing second to Bryson DeChambeau • Fowler enters the week No. 84 in the FedExCup standings and has never finished the season worse than 43rd in his career (2010-present) Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, Gary Woodland • Hovland has finished in the top 25 at each of the four events since the season resumed (T23/Charles Schwab Challenge, T21/RBC Heritage, T11/Travelers Championship, T12/Rocket Mortgage Classic) • Rahm is currently No. 24 in the FedExCup standings and qualified for the TOUR Championship in each of his first three seasons on TOUR • With five top-10s in 11 starts, Woodland enters the week No. 38 in the FedExCup standings

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Rory McIlroy hopes his strong finish Friday at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship is a good sign. The top-ranked McIlroy, who leads the Race to Dubai standings, went birdie-birdie-eagle on this final three holes for a 4-under 68 that left him seven shots back of co-leaders Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton. “It was nice to finish with a flourish there and put myself a little closer to the guys going into the weekend,” said McIlroy, who is bidding to be the DP World Tour’s leading player for the fourth time in his career. Fitzpatrick’s 67 puts him at 12-under 132 overall to not only share a three-shot lead with Hatton after two rounds but also keep him out in front in the Race to Dubai. “I’ve played two good rounds to start with to put myself in position,” the U.S. Open champion said. “Just keep doing more of the same and see where it gets me come Sunday.” Fitzpatrick would clinch a first Race to Dubai title with a third win at the DP World Tour Championship, provided McIlroy or Ryan Fox don’t finish the event in second. A second-place finish would also be good enough for Fitzpatrick if McIlroy finishes lower than seventh. Fitzpatrick had six birdies and a bogey at the 12th hole on the Earth Course, where he is a two-time winner. Hatton’s 67 included eight birdies and three bogeys. Fox, who is second in the points table to McIlroy, shot a 72 and was in 37th place after two rounds. McIlroy’s brilliant approach shot set up his eagle on the par-5 18th. He described his first 33 holes as “very mediocre golf” but said “something sort of clicked.” He’s not sure what. “I’m not sure, but whatever it is I need to bottle it for the weekend,” the Northern Irishman said. “You never know, that finish here on Friday could be key to something that happens over the next 36 holes.” McIlroy is trying to win the FedExCup and Race to Dubai in the same year for the first time, having won each event on three occasions. His last Race to Dubai title came in 2015, having also won it in 2012 and 2014.

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