Grace delights home crowd to win Nedbank title

Tiger Woods didn’t compete at the Hero World Challenge, but the tournament host made his presence felt throughout the week. The 82-time TOUR winner conducted a State of the Union-type press conference early-week at Albany in the Bahamas, gave putting lessons to pro-am participants, walked his dogs via cart, spectated alongside son Charlie and more. Woods is scheduled to compete at The Match this Saturday, partnering Rory McIlroy against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, and at next week’s PNC Championship alongside Charlie. Here’s a rundown of five memorable Woods quotes from the week at the Hero World Challenge. “I can hit whatever shot you want. I just can’t walk.” Tiger Woods had the intent of competing in the Hero World Challenge, of which he is a five-time champion, but a bout with plantar fasciitis prevented his appearance. The condition, one of the most common causes of heel pain, is an inflammation of a thick band of tissue (plantar fascia) that connects the heel bone to the toes. Woods said that his form has been sound in casual rounds at home, noting “a couple 63s and 64s,” and that he can walk nine holes but the prospect of 72 holes was likely too much at this point. He remains confident in his ability to compete in a cart the next two weeks at The Match and PNC Championship, respectively. “You don’t want to go down the surgical route. I chose to stretch and relax.” Just 5% of those with plantar fasciitis opt for surgery, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, as a number of surgical risks include infection and nerve injury. Consequently, Woods has opted for the more common recovery route, allowing the inflammation to decrease via staying off his feet as much as possible. “To get not only just one, but I’d like to get a big one too.” Woods was posed the question by Paul Azinger on Saturday’s broadcast of the Hero World Challenge: How motivating is the prospect of earning an 83rd PGA TOUR title to break a tie with Sam Snead as winningest player in TOUR history? Woods was direct. It is motivating to be sure, and he doesn’t intend on limiting his ambitions to a standard TOUR event. He’s intent on pursuing another major title. Woods built his 2022 schedule around competing at The 150th Open at St. Andrews. Not only did he achieve this goal, but he also competed at the Masters and PGA Championship, advancing to the weekend in each. He missed the cut at The Open but remains steadfast in his belief that he can go toe-to-toe with “the kids” and return to contention in TOUR starts, including majors, moving forward. “I told Charlie, ‘Don’t copy my swing. Copy Rory’s.’” The comparisons between Tiger and Charlie Woods are inevitable. As documented in a PGA TOUR compilation video by social content manager Scott Kunath, their mannerisms are uncanny. But Tiger isn’t necessarily encouraging Charlie to copy his swing move-for-move. In fact, he suggests taking notes from the action of world No. 1 Rory McIlroy. Woods notes that McIlroy is rarely off-balance on his swing, a trait that Woods finds more difficult to maintain as he works through various injuries. “Have you ever seen Rory off balance on a shot? Not ever,” Woods said on the Hero World Challenge broadcast. “That’s one of the things my dad instilled in me, is that you should be able to balance and hold your finish until the ball rolls and stops. You can swing as hard as you want, but you need to have balance.” “It’s getting to a point where I can’t get in his head and then no one else can get in there, either. That’s what my dad believed in.” Woods always felt autonomy with his own swing, and he wants Charlie to feel the same way. When it comes to the mental side, though, the elder Woods isn’t afraid to make his mark. Woods fondly remembers the mental tricks his dad would utilize to bolster his mental toughness, and he recalls certain tricks that TOUR veterans would try on younger players to keep them on their toes – “certain things with clubs and shoes and timing and trying to get into your head; the early walk.” He intends for his son to be ready for whatever might come his way. As a dad does.

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Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Closing Time Gary Woodland fired a final-round 64 (-7) to post 266 (-18) and eventually win a playoff at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale. His final round included nine birdies, and his haul of 26 for the week led the tournament. The past three winners of this event finished in the top four strokes-gained: tee-to-green and GIR. Woodland kept the tradition alive and well as he finished second and fourth, respectively. The clues were there for gamers as he was in the mix last Sunday before a final-round 75 knocked him to T12. His other start of the season was T7 at Sony, which also included another 64 on a Sunday. Woodland said after his win, his first since Barracuda in the summer of 2013, that he’s very confident in his short game recently. Noted. At 33 and with a new baby, he’s in the prime of everything right now and deserves all the accolades he’s receiving. Sun(day) Devil All Arizona State alum and Phoenix native Chez Reavie had to do on Sunday was beat world No. 2 Jon Rahm (72) and world No. 7 Rickie Fowler (73) in a three-ball, which he did by shooting 66. If that wasn’t enough, the 36-year-old needed to play his final two holes two-under-par to force a playoff after his bogey on No. 16. He did, including a 21-foot putt on the final hole to get to extra holes. Reavie has fought through an injury that saw him lose basically all of 2014. He’s been steadily trending up over the last two seasons as he looks to regain form. The good news is he’s made eight cuts in eight tries and seven have gone for top-25 paydays. His streak of cashing is now 19 events counting back to last year. His best finish last season was T4 twice, the last coming at TPC Southwind. That’s not the first time this week I’ve mentioned TPC Southwind… Timing the Market Ollie Schniederjans can be fun! And crazy. And. And. We went over this last week, but this is why he’s worth it each week. His 65 on Sunday missed the low round of the week by a shot. His T3 payday was his second-best result on TOUR after he closed with 64 at last summer’s Wyndham Championship to finish second to Henrik Stenson. WHAT ABOUT LAST WEEK??? I hear you, I hear you but hear that all five of his weekends this year have cashed for top-25 earnings. Buy some antacid and enjoy! Kuuuuuuuuuuuch Matt Kuchar had a very eventful weekend. He lit it up Saturday for 64 with eight birdies against only one bogey. He was in the guts of the tournament on Sunday as he was inside the top five with four holes to play. He nearly aced No. 16 to blow the roof off the place, but he drove it in the water on the following hole to kill his chances. Angry gamers won’t remember his 12-foot par putt on the final hole to save some serious cash…Not bad for his first official event on TOUR this season as he enjoys this Arizona desert (back-to-back top 10’s at WMPO) over the Middle East desert (T32, Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship). Former Champions Phil Mickelson was looking to become the only four-time champion of this event, but his Sunday charge ended with a double-bogey six on the final hole after an errant tee shot. Mickelson now has an impressive 11, top-10 finishes in 29 tries. I’d point out that he has excellent recent history at TPC Southwind as well! … Hideki Matsuyama withdrew with a hand/wrist/thumb injury and was not able to join The King, Arnold Palmer in winning three events in a row. We’ll tweet any news on progress to the injury moving forward. … Kyle Stanley, J.B. Holmes and Hunter Mahan, all champs in the last 10 years, all MC. Horses for Courses Brendan Steele is eight-for-eight with four top-10 checks after his T3 this week. It’s also his best finish of the lot. Steele needs to be circled in permanent marker for, obviously, Silverado and TPC Scottsdale. … Martin Laird has three top-10 paydays in the four years since Weiskopf’s redesign. Stop over-thinking this. Sunday Silence Part I Rickie Fowler made three bogeys in his final four holes to finish T11 after leading by one after 54 holes. This just proves what kind of expectations he’s set for himself over the years. BUT I will sympathize with those in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO who were licking their chops after Matsuyama WD! Sunday Silence Part II Winning golf tournaments is difficult, and Jon Rahm is illustrating that over the last three weeks. He’s been lauded and loathed for his temper on the golf course but I’m more interested in his results. If winning is the absolute in your game, I wish I could send you back to 2000 when Tiger Woods won a whopping 25 percent of the time. I don’t know if Rahm and Fowler were daydreaming about the Ryder Cup, but I sure didn’t expect Chez Reavie, who had NEVER played well at this event, to thump each of them! … Daniel Berger gets a mention here as I’m very high on this fella as well. His check for T11 is his third inside the top 12 in four tries. Oh, and he’s the defending, two-time champion at TPC Southwind! Study Hall Phil Mickelson wasn’t the only lefty lurking this weekend. Eric Axley, Edward Loar and Scott Langley were all battling for the title at the Panama Championship. Langley shot 65 (-7) in the final round, that included a double on his 70th hole, to win by two. It’s his first victory as a professional. … Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma becomes the third-youngest multiple winner in European Tour golf annals. His 62 at the Maybank Championship was his second win in two months and makes him eligible for The Open Championship and WGC-Mexico Championship. He also won the Joburg Open. Noted. … Vaughn Taylor jumped up to T11 on Sunday after his 67. Taylor is a recent winner at Pebble Beach as you will recall.  

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It’s hard not to chuckle while contemplating the absence of an offseason, but we’ll rest over the holidays. Just like the 144 golfers at Silverado, it’s time for us to get back to work. The Safeway Open is the first of eight tournaments in the fall portion of the 2017-18 season. All but the Sanderson Farms Championship will contribute to your progress in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, but only the Safeway and the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open feature full fantasy scoring. The other five will measure only actual scoring for each round before rewarding one-half FedExCup points earned. Because there are only seven tournaments in Segment 1 and gamers are still allowed up to three starts per golfer per Segment, it’s unlikely that the strategies in non-ShotLink events will come into play much. Meanwhile, the game will now award bonuses based on FedExCup points at the conclusion of Playoffs, if applicable. This will parallel how points are collected in the One & Done game, which also renews for the Safeway Open. The Roster game awarded prizes for the winners and runners-up of each of the four Segments as well as the entire season. The top three in the season-long chase in the One & Done will collect. See both platforms at FantasyGolf.PGATOUR.com for details. Beginning with this week’s FI, I’m evolving Draws and Fades to cover more golfers in specified formats sans extended commentary and analysis. These cheaters should assist in case you’re looking for quick yeas and nays from me. If you’ve somehow missed it, Qualifiers, Medical Extensions, Reshuffle and Rookie Ranking are live on the site. So is my annual full-membership fantasy ranking. If you haven’t already, bookmark PGATOUR.com/Fantasy or navigate the MENU at the top of most pages. It’s awesome to be back with you for another season on the PGA TOUR. Never hesitate to reach out to me via discussion threads, Twitter (public or private) or email. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Safeway Open (in alphabetical order): Bud Cauley Tony Finau Jamie Lovemark Kevin Na Sam Saunders Brendan Steele You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Brandon Hagy; Smylie Kaufman; Luke List; Phil Mickelson; Grayson Murray; Ollie Schniederjans Driving: Lucas Glover; Martin Laird; Ryan Moore; Chez Reavie; Harold Varner III; Richy Werenski Approach: Chad Campbell; Lucas Glover; Zach Johnson; Ryan Moore; Chez Reavie; Ollie Schniederjans; Webb Simpson; Vaughn Taylor; Richy Werenski Short: Scott Brown; Mackenzie Hughes; Zach Johnson; Phil Mickelson; Chez Reavie Power Rankings Wild Card Peter Uihlein … Here we go. He enters his rookie season on the PGA TOUR at the age of 28. It was a long time coming what with his promise and pedigree. While expectations will likely exceed his results unless he wins, if he hangs up four top 10s and finishes inside the top 70 of the FedExCup standings, consider it a successful foray. Just give him a start or two before diving in on a weekly basis. His win in the first leg of the Web.com Tour Finals is his only top 25 anywhere in his last six starts. Draws Matt Atkins (DFS) Scott Brown (DFS) Chad Campbell (SERVPRO) Lucas Glover (all) Brandon Hagy (all) Smylie Kaufman (DFS) Luke List (DFS) Grayson Murray (DFS) Vaughn Taylor (DFS) Harold Varner III (all) Richy Werenski (DFS) Fades Sangmoon Bae Jonas Blixt Graham DeLaet Cody Gribble Emiliano Grillo David Hearn Beau Hossler Sung Kang Chris Kirk Patton Kizzire Colt Knost … After nearly eight months off, finished 70th in his only start of the Web.com Tour Finals. Equipped with a Major Medical Extension, so give him time to shed the rust. Maverick McNealy … Making his pro debut. Set with a series of sponsor exemptions. Respect the learning curve. Patrick Rodgers Kevin Streelman Chris Stroud Aaron Wise Returning to Competition Scott Piercy … Sat out the Playoffs with a sore shoulder and hasn’t played since the Travelers in late June. Should be feeling good at Silverado, though. He opened last year’s T3 with a course-record 62. Plant him as a sporty option in DFS. Fabián Gómez … Hasn’t competed since the Quicken Loans National during which he withdrew after one round. An explanation was never released. It’s just as well, though, as he enters 2017-18 as a salary bargain at $332K. He’s fully exempt by virtue of his win at the 2016 Sony Open in Hawaii. Fits nicely at Silverado, too, with a T17 in 2015 and a T26 last year. Expect a little rust, but he’s a sensible contrarian in DFS. Kelly Kraft … A mid-round withdrawal due to a foot injury in the opener of the Dell Technologies Championship ended his Playoffs. He concluded the season without a top-55 finish in five starts after a T5 at Greenbrier. That’s been his M.O., however. It can be fruitful in reality, but it’s a dangerous angle for fantasy gamers. With an 0-for-2 slate at Silverado on top of the concern, he’s an easy no-play. Ernie Els … Scheduled to compete in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. It’ll be his first action since withdrawing during the Wyndham Championship with a sore rib. The Big Easy is burning a top-25 career earnings exemption on the PGA TOUR this season. He’ll celebrate his 48th birthday on Oct. 17. Power Rankings Recap – TOUR Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Jordan Spieth  T7 2  Justin Rose  T10 3  Dustin Johnson  T17 4  Rickie Fowler  T26 5  Marc Leishman  T24 6  Justin Thomas  2nd 7  Paul Casey  5th 8  Jason Day  T17 9  Jon Rahm  T7 10  Kevin Chappell  T28 11  Webb Simpson  T13 12  Brooks Koepka  6th 13  Matt Kuchar  T10 14  Sergio Garcia  T10 15  Patrick Cantlay  T20 16  Gary Woodland  19th 17  Pat Perez  16th 18  Hideki Matsuyama  T26 19  Jason Dufner  T20 20  Daniel Berger  15th 21  Xander Schauffele  Win 22  Adam Hadwin  23rd 23  Tony Finau  T7 24  Brian Harman  T24 25  Charley Hoffman  T28 26  Patrick Reed  T13 27  Russell Henley  T3 28  Kevin Kisner  T3 29  Kyle Stanley  T20 30  Jhonattan Vegas  30th Power Rankings Recap – FedExCup Playoffs Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Jordan Spieth  2nd 2  Hideki Matsuyama  8th 3  Rickie Fowler  7th 4  Dustin Johnson  4th 5  Brooks Koepka  10th 6  Henrik Stenson  32nd 7  Rory McIlroy  58th 8  Daniel Berger  16th 9  Justin Thomas  1st 10  Paul Casey  11th 11  Matt Kuchar  14th 12  Patrick Reed  22nd 13  Francesco Molinari  37th 14  Kevin Chappell  27th 15  Charley Hoffman  20th 16  Marc Leishman  6th 17  Jason Dufner  30th 18  Brian Harman  25th 19  Jason Day  18th 20  Jon Rahm  5th 21  Tony Finau  19th 22  Kevin Kisner  12th 23  Zach Johnson  48th 24  Russell Henley  13th 25  Brendan Steele  33rd 26  Kyle Stanley  24th 27  Adam Hadwin  26th 28  Pat Perez  15th 29  Louis Oosthuizen  31st 30  Patrick Cantlay  29th Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR October 3 … none October 4 … none October 5 … Kelly Kraft (29) October 6 … none October 7 … none October 8 … none October 9 … none

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