From Josh Allen to Mookie Betts, a look at celebs playing Pebble

With a stated goal to return to No. 1 in the world, Jason Day reached the second position in the FedExCup with a two-stroke victory at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club on Sunday. Welcome to the Monday Finish, where Day became the fourth multiple winner on TOUR this season after Patton Kizzire, Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson. FIVE OBSERVATIONS 1. Day: ‘I’ve obviously got a lot of work to do’ When was the last time the winner said that? Day, 30, knew better than anyone that he was saved by his otherworldly short game, taking a tidy 22 putts in the final round.   He was off the mark from tee to green. His driving accuracy (42.86 percent) was well off his driving accuracy for the week (48.21), and so was his greens-in-regulation percentage (44.44 compared to 56.94 percent). Such imprecise play may be hard to overcome at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, as THE PLAYERS Championship winner two years ago well knows. “Obviously, THE PLAYERS is such a huge event,â€� he said. “It feels like a major to me, and I’m sure it feels like a major to most guys. It’s really nice to be able to play pretty solid for the most part of the week [at Quail Hollow]. The short game is really nice; it’s rounding out nicely for next week. I’ve obviously got a lot of work to do over the next few days.â€� Trailing only Justin Thomas in the FedExCup, Day made big strides toward his stated goal of returning to No. 1 in the world. He moved from 14th to 7th in the Official World Golf Ranking. 2. Day touch draws raves from Mickelson Not all compliments are created equal. Considering the source, one can’t help but raise an eyebrow at short game wizard Phil Mickelson (69, T5) raving about Day’s short game. “He’s got a lot of parts of his game that’s impressive; obviously power off the tee, he’s a phenomenal driver,â€� Mickelson said. “And he’s a great putter; he’s got a very deft, soft touch. He’s one of the best putters in the game.â€� (Day’s strokes gained: putting in the final round, +3.498, was even better than his strokes gained: putting for the week, +2.061.) “So you put those two things together, and he’s not lacking in wedge play, either,â€� Mickelson added. “He’s a really good wedge player. So he’s got strengths in all the areas that he needs.â€� 3. Mickelson (69, T5) up one to third in FedExCup Lefty missed short par putts on the first two holes, but a quick tutorial from his brother, Tim, got him back on track. Now Mickelson returns to TPC Sawgrass and the site of one of the most significant victories of his career: THE PLAYERS Championship in 2007. How is he feeling about it? “It’s certainly hard to say because that golf course is very difficult, too,â€� Mickelson said. “The concern I have is that after grinding out so hard this week, that the energy level isn’t up for next week. But conversely, I’ve got a little bit of momentum from playing well after having not played for three weeks, and I’m excited to get in such a big event.â€� The World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship winner in early March, Mickelson, 47, has racked up six top-10 and nine top-25 finishes in 12 TOUR starts this season. His seven birdies in the final round at Quail tied T.J. Vogel for best in the field and gave him his eighth top-five at the Wells Fargo. No one else has more, although the Wells remains one of eight TOUR events in which he has made 10 or more starts without a victory. 4. Watney makes quantum leap Nick Watney was part of the TOUR’s elite when he made the 2011 U.S. Presidents Cup team. While the 37-year-old, former Fresno State walk-on saw his career stall due to injuries and poor play, his T2 at Quail Hollow represented a quantum leap both figuratively. Playing in the last group with Day, he looked more like the guy who won five times from 2007 to 2012, and made a giant leap up the FedExCup standings, climbing 68 spots to No. 66. “To be in the heat, last group, you know, it was really fun just kind of remembering feelings that I had in the past, and I absolutely love it,â€� Watney said. “I’m excited to try to get back again.â€� He won’t have to wait long; Watney is in the field for THE PLAYERS Championship this week. He shot an opening-round 64 and finished T4 at TPC Sawgrass in 2011. 5. Wise thrilled with T2 finish Rookie Aaron Wise has leaned on his former college golf coach, Oregon’s Casey Martin, for tips on playing the TOUR. (Tip one: Work on your short game.) The winner of the 2016 NCAA individual title, Wise also knew he had to work harder on his mental game. With his T2 at Quail, his first top-10 in 16 starts this season, he’s finally seeing the work start to pay off. “It means the world,â€� Wise said. “I’m going to gain so much confidence not only from being in contention, but being there at a place like this where you knew you were going to get a great champion. … I kept my head about me and pulled off some incredible shots.â€� Wise, 21, made four birdies and one bogey to move up 54 spots to 51st in the FedExCup. He was playing for not just his first victory at Quail, but also a berth in THE PLAYERS Championship. While he didn’t quite punch his ticket to TPC Sawgrass, he was reminded of his tremendous upside. He also said he drew inspiration from a surprising source: NBA star LeBron James. “Me and my caddie actually talked about it,â€� Wise said. “We made the turn going to 10; it’s that crunch time, it’s like second half with LeBron. It’s an attitude you have to carry with yourself that you can get it done, and I was able to do that today.â€� FIVE INSIGHTS 1. Day has now converted seven of 14 third-round leads/co-leads into victories, including THE PLAYERS Championship two years ago, and is six for his last seven at closing the deal. He led the field in strokes gained: around the green, thanks in part to his 15 sand saves in 16 chances. He also was second in the field in strokes gained: putting, needed 101 strokes on the greens for the week, and just 22 on Sunday. 2. No need to look far for the most pivotal moment of this Wells Fargo. The 231-yard, par-3 17th was the hardest hole of the final round (3.573), but Day, with just a 7-iron, clanked his tee shot off the stick. His deuce was one of just three birdies there Sunday. 3. Masters champion Patrick Reed (67-69 weekend, solo eighth) has now racked up six straight top-10 finishes on TOUR. 4. Bizarre stat of the week: Quail Hollow Club member Johnson Wagner eagled Nos. 14 and 15 in the first round to become just the second player to record back-to-back eagles this season. A few hours later, John Peterson (Nos. 7 and 8) became the third. 5. Justin Thomas (70-70 weekend, T21) participated in the marriage proposal of the year, but couldn’t wrest the No. 1 world ranking away from Dustin Johnson. Still, Thomas retains a 389-point lead over Day for pole position in the FedExCup.

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Propelled by a scorching final-round 61, McIlroy finished the Canadian Open with a tournament-record 22-under 258.

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Golf’s future in the Olympics is expected to extend into 2024, thanks to a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board. In a meeting held Friday at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Executive Board approved the inclusion of all 28 sports that were held at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. That includes golf, which made its return to the Olympics program after a 112-year absence. The recommendation is scheduled to be ratified by all IOC members at the 130th IOC Session held on Sept. 13 in Lima, Peru. That’s also when the host city for the 2024 Summer Games will be announced – either Paris or Los Angeles. The International Golf Federation released a statement Saturday: “The IGF is gratified to learn of the IOC Executive Board’s decision to include golf in its recommendation for the Olympic Games Programme in 2024. We look forward to learning the outcome of the final vote at the IOC Session in September. “We were always confident that golf would deliver exciting men’s and women’s competitions in Rio de Janeiro and even at that, it exceeded our expectations. Now, we are excited to build upon the success from last year as we prepare for the 2020 Games in Tokyo and, hopefully, beyond.â€� Golf had previously been approved for 2020 in Toyko, with the men’s and women’s competition held at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Golf’s return to the Olympics in Rio was considered a success, especially by the players involved. Justin Rose (gold), Henrik Stenson (silver) and Matt Kuchar (bronze) were the medalists in the men’s competition, with Inbee Park (golf), Lydia Ko (silver) and Shanshan Feng (bronze) grabbing podium spots on the women’s side. In a non-traditional golf country, players were pleased to see a significant amount of fans at the new Olympic course designed by architect Gil Hanse and his team. “To look at the support that was out here, to look at the guys that came through, won medals – I think it speaks for itself,â€� Kuchar said after winning bronze. “This event has gone over, I think, fantastically well.â€� The fan support should be larger in Tokyo. According to a 2015 study by the R&A, there are 2,383 golf facilities in Japan, second most in the world next to the United States. Included among the estimated 10 million golfers in the country are Hideki Matsuyama, the fourth-ranked men’s player in the world, and Harukyo Nomura, ranked 18th among all women’s players. Korean golf fans, who made up a big contingent for the women’s event in Rio, should have an even larger presence in Japan, its next-door neighbor. Eight of the current top 14 women’s players in the world are from South Korea. If Los Angeles gets the 2024 Olympics bid, the host venue is expected to be Riviera Country Club, the annual site of the PGA TOUR’s Genesis Open. If Paris gets the bid, the host venue will be Le Golf National, the host course at next year’s Ryder Cup.

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