Amy Bockerstette gained viral fame in 2019. Soon she’ll become the first with Down syndrome to compete in a national college championships
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CROMWELL, Conn. — Brian Harman shot a 4-under 66 on Friday to move to 10-under par and watched that hold up for the second-round lead in the Travelers Championship, thanks in part to a 10-second rule. Harman finished a stroke ahead of Matt Jones and first round co-leader Zach Johnson, who lost a stroke during his round of 68 when his birdie putt hung on the lip of the cup at the third hole for longer than the maximum allowed 10 seconds before falling in, giving him a par. “After 10 seconds, the ball was moving and at that point even if the ball is moving, It’s deemed to be at rest, because it’s on the lip,” Johnson said. “Don’t ask me why, but that’s just the way it is.” Harman had his short game working for the second consecutive day, taking 26 putts after needing only 23 during the first round. “The putter has been really good so far, but I’ve been in position a lot,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of good looks at it. I’m just able to put a little pressure on the course right now, which is nice.” Jones hit 16 of 18 greens for the second consecutive day, following up his first-round 65 with a 66. Bryson DeChambeau (66), Paul Casey (67) and Russell Henley (65) were two strokes back going into the weekend. But Johnson, who started on the 10th tee, had the day’s most interesting round, which included just two birdies, but one amazing par save. He hit the ball into the TPC River Highland’s signature lake on No. 17, dropped across the water near the 16th tee box and then put his third shot within 8 feet of the hole from 234 yards away. “You can’t hit that shot and then not make that putt,” he said. “It felt good to get away with that four. That’s as good an up and down as I’ve ever witnessed or performed.” Lanto Griffin and two-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson were at even par coming into Friday. But both shot a 63 to move into contention heading into the weekend, three shots behind the leader. Watson jump started his round with an eagle on his third hole, the par-5 13th. “I had some mental mistakes yesterday, and then I didn’t make some putts,” said Watson. “Today I started out hotter. I made a good shot on 11, our second hole, made the putt, making a solid par putt on 12, and then that freed me up a little bit. Gave me some confidence going into the next hole where I made the eagle.” Rory McIlroy also is at 7 under after a 69. McIlroy, Watson and Justin Thomas (5 under) were grouped together Thursday and Friday, drawing large galleries. “It definitely helps, Thomas said. “It’s fun playing with good friends. You definitely get more momentum when guys are playing well. I obviously couldn’t get a whole lot of momentum out there. I was kind of hovering around 1- or 2-under. It was pretty much just Bubba today. Rory didn’t play great either and both of us definitely could have had a lot lower rounds” Defending champion Jordan Spieth, tied with Johnson after an opening 63, had a 73 to drop into a tie for 25th at 4 under. His round, which started on the back nine, included a triple bogey on the par-5 13th hole and an eagle on the par-5 sixth, when he put his second shot within 2 feet of the hole from 276 yards away. “I don’t go to the range after 63s very often, and I was there for an hour yesterday trying to figure out the golf swing,” he said. “So it’s not like things are on. Sometimes it can get disguised by rounds, but it’s not far off. It really is close.” Masters champion Patrick Reed, coming off a fourth-place finish in the U.S. Open, shot a 67 to miss the cut by a shot at minus-1.
Only one thing can bump the lede this week – another reminder that the Farmers Insurance Open is scheduled to begin on Wednesday. As a result, the roster deadline for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf is 9:00 a.m. PT. That’s noon on the East Coast. Adjust accordingly. All right, hopefully you arrived here without too much trouble. Whatever your experience, thank you for making the effort and, as always, for your loyalty. Indeed, the Fantasy Insider now is Draws and Fades. RELATED: Five Things to Know: Torrey Pines | How to watch Wednesday start That’s it. Nothing else changes. It’s just a rebranding. Everything you’ve come to expect from this space remains, well, except for my lineup at PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. That’s over in Expert Picks where it always has been. Once ShotLink was removed from scoring, it became redundant to park it here, too. I’d ask for you to tell the others of the name change, but I learned long ago in this business that the more I help you, the less you share it. As a result of that, it’s still a strange feeling when any gamer spreads the word, but, and of course, it’s always appreciated. With that message out of the way, you know what to do at the Farmers Insurance Open. As noted in Monday’s Power Rankings, the North Course at Torrey Pines will surrender much lower scores in comparison to the South, so exploit it. With the North co-hosting the first and second rounds, PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf gamers can map out a maximum of six starts on it. Weather conditions should be similar in both rounds, so it won’t matter if you load up with four in either round or split it into three per. POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Scottie Scheffler (+110 for a Top 20) … Consider him as an extension of the Power Rankings proper. Paid off sneaking inside the cut line at The American Express with a Sunday 67 and a T25. You love to see it. He’s 0-for-2 at the Farmers but connected for a T7 at the 2021 U.S. Open, so he deserves our trust. DRAWS Daniel Berger (+200 for a Top 10) … It took him a while but he finally got over on Torrey Pines for a T7 at the 2021 U.S. Open. He’s been dynamite just about everywhere for two years, so it’s fair to say that he’s a snub from the Power Rankings. Jordan Spieth (+160 for a Top 20) … He’s never contended at Torrey Pines – last year’s T19 in the U.S. Open equaled his best finish in six Farmers starts (2014) – but this is as simple as being able to trust in him again. His last missed cut anywhere was here last year, but that’s a long time ago. The site is a coincidence. Dustin Johnson (+100 for a Top 20) … This is just his second start of the season and first in over three months since a T45 at THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT. It’s especially hard to believe given the time of year because he didn’t qualify for the Sentry TOC, but don’t let that fool you into a no-play. He’s logged 30 rounds in this tournament where he’s 6-for-9 with three top 20s (albeit it’s been six years since his most recent) and another four en route to a T19 at the 2021 U.S. Open. Go ahead and let this dog eat. Brooks Koepka (+150 for a Top 20) … He never makes it easy on us, but I believe his rhetoric about wanting to perform consistently stronger in non-majors. He wouldn’t put himself out there if that wasn’t the case. A T4 in last year’s U.S. Open is his only top 40 among two paydays in four appearances at Torrey Pines, so he’s had success here. Yeah, yeah, that was a major, but the stage showcases the best for a reason. Joaquin Niemann (+275 for a Top 20) … His 3-for-3 record at Torrey Pines is highlighted by a T31 at the 2021 U.S. Open, but he closed out his first two Farmers with an 80 and a 75, respectively. So, as every touring professional can attest, it’s just a matter of putting four rounds together. Although he closed out the fall with a pair of missed cuts, he’s battled for paydays at an exponentially higher rate than even gamers realize. Keegan Bradley Corey Conners Talor Gooch Billy Horschel Sungjae Im Matt Jones Maverick McNealy J.T. Poston Brandt Snedeker Matthew Wolff Odds sourced on Monday, January 24 at 5 a.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. FADES Hudson Swafford … It’s not wrong to label The American Express as a putting contest, but only when you accept that those putts better be for par breakers. He averaged 13 greens in regulation per round to rank T21 and converted a higher percentage into par breakers (55.77%; 29-for-52) than everyone else. He used the same formula to prevail at Corales in 2020, and he acknowledged his timely knack for finding the hole that week. Putting isn’t necessarily a strength, but it’s not a liability, either, so we need him to put it on display in consecutive starts. At Torrey Pines, he’s cashed only once (T13, 2016) in five trips, so we can play the role as spectator this week. Mackenzie Hughes … Off to a blazing start this season with a T4 (ZOZO) and a solo second (RSM) baked into a 5-for-5 record. He’s also signed for a pair of 62s and a 63. I’m inclined to go all-in or abstain completely because he hasn’t made much noise at the Farmers (2-for-5, no top 25s), but he did finish T15 here at the 2021 U.S. Open. This typically means that he’d be a gamechanger in DFS. Mito Pereira … Given how he seemed to be everywhere last summer – because he was – it’s been odd not to follow him for over two months now. After opening his rookie season with a solo third at Silverado, he lowered his sails by comparison, so use the deep field at Torrey Pines as an opportunity to see how he fares in his debut. Cameron Champ Jason Day Rickie Fowler Emiliano Grillo Keith Mitchell Patrick Rodgers Jhonattan Vegas Gary Woodland RETURNING TO COMPETITION Bryson DeChambeau (+180 for a Top 10) … He’s in the Power Rankings, but it’s relevant to add here that this is his first start since citing a sore left wrist that precluded his appearance at Waialae two weeks ago. It shouldn’t be surprising given how he tests the limits of his body, but we also shouldn’t be concerned given his intelligence in resolving challenges. In other words, trust him. NOTABLE WDs Charley Hoffman … This stinks as it would have been his 25th appearance at the Farmers. The San Diego native hasn’t competed since missing the cut at Mayakoba in early November. He withdrew early from Houston with a sore back, and he was an early exit from last week’s Amex. Lucas Herbert … He’s committed to the DP WORLD Tour’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic. The recent winner of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship is juggling the welcome problem of calculating when to honor obligations on multiple circuits. We watch it happen every year with dual-tour members. K.H. Lee … Connected for his sixth consecutive payday last week, but closed with a 76 and a three-way share of 63rd place. Whatever. He’s rapidly become a favorite among hardcore gamers and he’s 74th in the FedExCup. Nate Lashley … After opening this season with three paydays in as many starts, he’s gone just 1-for-5 with a T51 at Sea Island. The 39-year-old deserves consideration only in the deepest of full-season formats. Ryan Moore … After missing the cut at The American Express, he’s down to three starts on his Major Medical Extension to earn 94.203 FedExCup points and retain status. His safety net is conditional status, but the 39-year-old is too close to the primary target to settle for that. Still, it makes it difficult to own him in any long-term format until he shows signs of escaping the worst-case scenario, not to mention the proof that he can put four rounds together again. Kelly Kraft … Has five starts on his medical, but he’s safe all season as a Korn Ferry Tour grad. It’s just that there’s only one paycheck on the board in eight starts this season. Chris Stroud … Yet another on a medical extension, his in the KFT graduate reshuffle category. With 14 starts remaining, he can spread those over quite a bit of the remainder of the season and not sweat it in the short-term. RECAP – THE AMERICAN EXPRESS POWER RANKINGS Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Jon Rahm T14 2 Patrick Cantlay 9th 3 Matthew Wolff MC 4 Scottie Scheffler T25 5 Sungjae Im T11 6 Seamus Power T14 7 Tony Finau T40 8 Corey Conners MC 9 Talor Gooch MC 10 Abraham Ancer T40 11 Justin Rose T33 12 Patrick Reed T55 13 Michael Thompson MC 14 Cameron Tringale MC 15 Will Zalatoris T6 Wild Card Si Woo Kim T11 SLEEPERS Golfer (Prop) Result Sebastián Muñoz (top 20) MC J.T. Poston (top 20) T25 Rory Sabbatini (top 20) MC Brendan Steele (top 20) MC Vince Whaley (top 20) T40 GOLFBET Bet, Result Hayden Buckley – Top 30 (+310) MC BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR January 25 … Andrew Putnam (33) January 26 … Adam Schenk (30); Nick Hardy (26) January 27 … Jonathan Byrd (44) January 28 … none January 29 … none January 30 … none January 31 … none
HAMILTON, Ontario – It’s been 65 years since a Canadian last won the RBC Canadian Open, but the ghost of Pat Fletcher isn’t haunting Hamilton Golf and Country Club – at least through one round. Nick Taylor, of Abbotsford, British Columbia, shot a 6-under-par 64 to lead the Canadian contingent, followed by Adam Hadwin (also of Abbotsford) at 5 under. David Hearn of nearby Brantford, Ontario, Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ontario (a winner on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica this year), and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ontario, shot matching 4-under-par 66’s.  Taylor is just a shot back of the lead after the first round of the RBC Canadian Open – held by Keegan Bradley. He’s looking for his best finish on the PGA TOUR since his win at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2014. The 31-year-old admitted Thursday his less-than-stellar record at the RBC Canadian Open is likely because he’s put too much pressure on himself in the past. “I tried to come in this week, I knew I was playing pretty well, and just kind of see the shots and try and hit them. That’s what I been doing,â€� he said. Taylor is 111th on the FedExCup standings and knows a good week could do wonders for his season. Taylor shot a Sunday 63 at the Wyndham Championship last year to finish T-8 and 123rd on the FedExCup. Avoiding a repeat of having to contend in the final event of the season before the FedExCup Playoffs to regain full TOUR status is high on his priority list this year. Taylor was paired with countrymen Hearn and Mike Weir (playing in his 28th Canadian Open) in a fan-favorite group, and said some “little thingsâ€� had been costing him so far in 2019, like being misaligned off the tee. But he had some momentum Thursday – he made four birdies in a row after making the turn – and that helped his confidence. Related: Bradley’s schedule change pays off | Koepka ‘not too concerned’ with three-week layoff | McIlroy ‘excited’ to make Canadian Open debut | Conners on home turf in Canada | Canadian golf on PGA TOUR stronger than ever | DJ ready to defend title He’s missed his last two cuts on the PGA TOUR, but did qualify for the U.S. Open, so he said he knew he was playing well.   “I wouldn’t say I knew I was going to shoot 6 under today, but I knew my game was there,â€� said Taylor, “and if I got things going it was going to be a good day.â€� Hughes, meanwhile, had it to 6 under at one point as well before making a double bogey on the par-4 18th. He had fired up the already sizeable crowd at the par-3 13th hole – rebranded as ‘The Rink’ for this week, featuring hockey boards and volunteers dressed like referees – by throwing on a Kawhi Leonard Toronto Raptors jersey. The Raptors, who won in convincing fashion Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA finals, have a huge following in Hamilton – just an hour west of Toronto. The crowd broke out into a ‘Let’s Go Raptors’ chant when Hughes put the jersey on. “Life is short, so whatever. I’m just going to have some fun. The crowd enjoys that stuff, so it’s fun for me to do. Fun for me to support Toronto sports teams in general,â€� said Hughes. “It was cool. I heard that going and I was hoping they would keep going and get loud.â€� He thought it was loud on 13, until he nearly made an ace on the par-3 16th. “I couldn’t get a feel for the crowd because they kind of cheered like it might have been a hole-in-one. I couldn’t quite tell,â€� said Hughes. “I’m like, ‘is that in? Is that in?’ It was just short.â€� Hughes sits 101st on the FedExCup this year but after a tough season in 2018 – he had just become a new father – he seems to have found his groove adjusting to his new normal. Hughes was T-2 at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in March, and T-8 two weeks ago at the Charles Schwab Challenge. His hometown of Dundas is a mere 10 minutes from Hamilton Golf and Country Club, and he’s played the course – constantly ranked as one of the best in Canada – more than anyone in the field – upwards of 50 times, he said. That experience paid dividends on Thursday, save for one bad hole, and he said the golf course now – although it went through a recent tree-removal project that took more than 1,000 trees off the course – doesn’t play much different than when he was growing up. “When you’re driving it well, which I did for most of the day, you give yourself a fair number of scoring opportunities,â€� he said. There were 26 Canadians in the field to start the week, the most in the modern era. Fifteen finished at even par or better on Thursday.
