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They’re back! After a one-year hiatus, FedExCup bonus points in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf will be returning for the 2019-20 season. Count on managing every tournament and Segment with that promise. Bonus points were eliminated this season, so it took just one week to realize that cuts made would fill the void as the most valuable currency. For gamers who didn’t register or start playing until 2018-19, your starters in every final round were credited with a fraction of FedExCup points applied to their finish. In events with ShotLink, the bonus was one-tenth the actual. In events without ShotLink, the bonus was one-half (to compensate for lighter fantasy scoring overall). While details concerning everything regarding the next iteration of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf are forthcoming, the absence of bonus points grumbled the masses. Consider yourselves heard, gang! With no bonus points in play and with no cut at this week’s BMW Championship, only the nail-biters among contenders will lose sleep. This does not apply to my little league in which Ben Everill holds a 245-point edge over me in second, this despite one of my best efforts of the season at THE NORTHERN TRUST. I totaled 800 points, but because Ben got four to the weekend, I outpaced him by only 63. So, it’s over; well, as long as he remembers to save a lineup. Shhh… Looking ahead, with a full-field Power Rankings for next week’s TOUR Championship, this preview column will be abridged. It also means that this week’s Sleepers is the last edition until Tuesday, September 10, for A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier. My annual full-membership fantasy ranking should publish by Friday, Sept. 6, but timing on that always is fluid due to the numerous resources required to generate the finished product. As always, keep an eye on the FANTASY page and my Twitter for everything. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the BMW Championship (in alphabetical order): Tony Finau Dustin Johnson Brooks Koepka Louis Oosthuizen Patrick Reed Adam Scott You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Patrick Cantlay; Bryson DeChambeau; Rory McIlroy; Andrew Putnam; Jon Rahm; Justin Rose; Jordan Spieth; Justin Thomas Driving: Paul Casey; Jason Day; Bryson DeChambeau; Tommy Fleetwood; Lucas Glover; Jason Kokrak; Rory McIlroy; Jon Rahm Power Rankings Wild Card Jason Day … Classic rebound candidate. That I loved his short-lived commitment to Steve Williams to spark a relatively lackluster season, I guess you now know in which school I belong. (Hint: It’s not new.) Now handing caddie duties to friend and former PGA TOUR member David Lutterus, he of the different-colored eyelashes – black on the left, blond on the right – Day should have more fun in theory. Quite simply, I’ll buy that and the fresh start at 50th in the FedExCup. Draws Rickie Fowler … Inconsistency is killing this cat, but we have to set aside our emotion and remember that he doesn’t slump. A quietly strong T6 at The Open Championship is his only top-40 finish in five starts, and he’s managed a busy by sitting out the WGC-St. Jude, so fatigue isn’t a factor for the 17-seed. Keep the faith even though you can’t attach anything empirical to it. Bryson DeChambeau Jim Furyk Lucas Glover Kevin Kisner Francesco Molinari Xander Schauffele Vaughn Taylor Fades Keegan Bradley … He’s the defending champion, but he prevailed at Aronimink outside Philadelphia. If only he could find the kind of mojo with the putter that fellow major champions Justin Rose, Webb Simpson and most recently Adam Scott has captured, the 66-seed likely would be enjoying consistently strong form instead of looking up and seeing only one top 25 in his last 13 starts. Tiger Woods … It comes as zero surprise that he devoured the par 5s en route to both victories in the PGA Championship at Medinah. He led the field in 1999 with a scoring average of 4.44 on the set, and then “settled” for T4 at 4.50 in 2006. That narrative applies to every par 72 throughout his career, and he loves this course, but when his health interrupts performance, well, it’s worthy of more concern than just about anyone else. If there’s good news, it’s that he merely strained an oblique muscle. The learning curve continues as he balances how much he needs to rest without getting rusty competitively, but his body rules that court. Seeded 38th, he might need a top 10 to advance. Matt Kuchar … If there’s a bright side, it’s that he can’t miss consecutive cuts for the first time in eight years, but he hasn’t been himself since a closing 79 at Royal Portrush that bumped him 29 spots to a T41. He’s broken par just twice in his last seven rounds and has gone three starts without a top 40. However, he’s been a lock for the TOUR Championship as the top seed for months during the regular season. Currently fourth. J.B. Holmes Hideki Matsuyama Phil Mickelson C.T. Pan Gary Woodland Returning to Competition Rafa Cabrera Bello … Talk about a win-win! The Spaniard sat out THE NORTHERN TRUST for the birth of his first child and he retained position inside the top 70 in the FedExCup after sliding only eight spots to 67th. He’ll need to contend for a spot on the podium at Medinah to advance, but with nothing to lose in a no-cut event and in conjunction with the Nappy Factor, it’s a headline in waiting. Kevin Chappell … Out since November after having a microdiscectomy, the 33-year-old is giving it a go at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. He’ll receive a Major Medical Extension in 2019-20 with somewhere in the vicinity of 22 starts to earn 268.297 FedExCup points and retain status, but a successful blast through the Korn Ferry Tour Finals would set up a safety net for the entire season. With a price tag of just $257K, full-season salary gamers especially will be monitoring his progress intently, as they should. Notable WDs Kevin Na … Done for the season at 55th in points, but for the best of reasons. His wife is due to deliver the couple’s second child soon. Power Rankings Recap – THE NORTHERN TRUST Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Brooks Koepka T30 2 Rory McIlroy T6 3 Webb Simpson T18 4 Justin Rose T10 5 Jon Rahm T3 6 Justin Thomas T12 7 Rickie Fowler MC 8 Patrick Cantlay T12 9 Billy Horschel T21 10 Francesco Molinari 82nd 11 Matt Kuchar MC 12 Patrick Reed Win 13 Tommy Fleetwood T43 14 Adam Scott 5th 15 Dustin Johnson T24 16 Sungjae Im T38 17 Rory Sabbatini T43 18 Jason Day MC 19 Collin Morikawa T52 20 Louis Oosthuizen T6 Wild Card Xander Schauffele MC Sleepers Recap – THE NORTHERN TRUST Golfer Result Brian Harman T52 Russell Henley T59 Troy Merritt T12 Joaquin Niemann T30 Kyle Stanley T71 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR August 13 … Tommy Gainey (44) August 14 … none August 15 … Ted Purdy (46); Harold Varner III (29) August 16 … none August 17 … none August 18 … Cameron Smith (26) August 19 … Jhonattan Vegas (35)
KAWAGOE, Japan (AP) — Lexi Thompson had to bring in a team manager the last three holes when her caddie succumbed to the heat. Players walked down sunbaked fairways using umbrellas, some of them occasionally holding a bag of ice on their heads. Madelene Sagstrom had a hot start of her own Wednesday in women’s golf. With a tough pitch to 4 feet for par on the final hole, the Swede kept bogeys off her card on a day of searing heat for a 5-under 66, giving her a one-shot lead over top-ranked Nelly Korda of the United States and Aditi Ashok of India. Extreme heat is nothing new for most of the top players, with an LPGA Tour schedule that includes stops in Singapore and Thailand. This ranked right up there. The heat index topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius), and at that point caddies were allowed to remove their bibs. Heat wasn’t the only problem. A tropical storm is approaching, and the current forecast is for a 70% chance of heavy rain on Saturday, a slighter higher chance on Sunday. The competition must finish by Sunday when the Olympics close. Heather Daly-Donofrio, an International Golf Federation technical delegate in charge of the women’s competition, said players have been informed about the possibility of a 54-hole event. That depends on the weather, and a decision likely won’t be made until after the second round at the earliest. The extreme heat ruled out any thought of playing 27 holes apiece over the next two days because of player health. “It’s hot, I’m not going to lie. It’s very hot,” Sagstrom said. “But it’s manageable. Most of us have been in Asia, played a lot of golf over here, so we know what to do. You drink a lot of water, you have cooling towels, umbrella, just maintaining the energy and not go crazy. I think at this point it’s harder for the caddies than it is for the players.” No need to explain that to Thompson. She was walking up the 15th fairway when she said her caddie, Jack Fulghum, turned to her and said, “Do I look white to you?” “I didn’t really notice. But he just didn’t look good,” Thompson said. “I just want him to be healthy, that’s all.” She had him sit down off the green and brought in Donna Wilkins, who works in player services for the LPGA Tour and is on the staff for Team USA at the Olympics. Thompson birdied three straight holes, closed with a bogey and shot 72. Sagstrom managed just fine, opening with a 4-foot birdie, using her power to set up a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth and navigating a Kasumigaseki course that was drier and faster than it was for the men last week. Of her five birdies putts, the only one outside 10 feet was a 15-footer on the par-3 10th. Korda, who reached No. 1 in the world by winning her first major six weeks ago at the Women’s PGA Championship, overcame a pair of early bogeys with enough birdies to not fall behind, and she eventually worked her way up the leaderboard with a 67. One of her bogeys was on the par-3 fourth hole, playing 205 yards. She hit 5-iron that never strayed too far from the flag, landed well short of the hole and didn’t stop rolling until she faced a birdie putt from 40 feet. She three-putted. Korda had talked to a few of the American men about Kasumigaseki and heard all about how soft it was. The opening two rounds of the men’s competition was delayed by storms. “The greens have definitely firmed up from the men,” he said. “I remember JT (Justin Thomas) was saying how soft it was. And you can kind of see it on the color of the greens. They’re getting a little browner, and there’s some spots that just like ricochet.” As for the heat? That was more wearisome than worrisome. Korda says she was drinking a bottle of water on each hole, almost to the point of being sick of drinking water. “You have to keep yourself hydrated and you kind of lose it a little out there,” Korda said. “Like when I was teeing up some balls, I definitely felt a little lightheaded. But kept myself in it.” Jin Young Ko, who was at No. 1 in the world for nearly two years until Korda replaced her, was among those at 68. Inbee Park, the Olympic gold medalist from Rio de Janeiro in 2016, couldn’t get a putt to fall on the back nine and had to settle for a 69. Danielle Kang and Sei Young Kim also were at 69. The surprise was Ashok — or maybe not considering this is the Olympics. She was 18 and fresh out of high school when she made her debut in Rio and opened with a pair of 68s before fading on the weekend. Now she’s off to another good start, even after having to hit so many hybrids into the par 4s. She was tied for the lead until missing the 18th green to the left and failing to save par. Ashok remembers the reaction from Rio when she started well, which speaks to how much influence an Olympic golfer can have on a country where cricket is king. “My social media following just blew up,” Ashok said. “I think a lot of people were trying to figure out what golf was so that they could understand how I was playing and if I had a chance to win a medal.” She has won three times on the Ladies European Tour since then and became the first player from India on the LPGA Tour. No matter. “People still remember me as the girl who did well at the Olympics,” she said. “Just knowing that kind of motivates me this week, too.”
SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods was unaware of the tragic passing of friend and NBA legend Kobe Bryant as he was trying to set a new mark for all-time wins on the PGA TOUR at the Farmers Insurance Open. RELATED: Golf world reacts to passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant The news of Bryant and his daughter being on board a downed helicopter that took several lives in Los Angeles filtered across Torrey Pines midway through Woods’ final round, but his caddie Joe LaCava decided not to pass it on until the round was over. As more and more fans caught up with the news, an eerie quiet filled the vast course, something Woods assumed was more about his inability to make a serious charge towards victory, rather than anything else. Even with spectators calling out for him to “Do it for Mamba,â€� a nod to Bryant’s nickname, Woods remained unaware of the tragedy. When he walked from the course, LaCava finally broke the news, and Woods was clearly shaken. “It’s unbelievable, the reality that he’s no longer here,â€� Woods told reporters. “I just can’t imagine what their entire family’s going through right now. It’s just shocking. “LeBron breaks his record and he passes today. I grew up a die‑hard Laker fan, always have been my entire life. That’s all I remember, and he was part of the most historic franchise in all of the NBA.â€� Woods and Bryant became close having started their professional careers around a similar time frame. They often worked out together and would engage each other in discussion on what it took to be at the top of their chosen athletic endeavors. “When he retired we’d work out at Equinox together. I was always getting up early, he’d get up early, we’d work out,â€� Woods said. “We really connected on more the mental side of it, the prep, how much it takes to be prepared. “For me, I don’t have to react like he does in my sport, we can take our time, but you’ve still got to pay attention to the details and that’s what he did better than probably any other player in NBA history. He paid attention to the details, the little things.  “The amount of hours that he spent in the gym in the offseason and during the summers to work on shots and do all the different things, it looked like it came natural to him on the court during game time, but he spent more hours looking at film and trying to figure out what’s the best way to become better. That’s where he and I really connected, because we’re very similar.â€� Along with the work ethic, Woods also revered Bryant’s toughness both mentally and physically, another trait he tried to share with the five-time NBA Champion. “What made him so impressive is that he was dominant on the offensive side … we know that, but he would lock up on (defense). He played their best guard and shut ’em down for all 48 minutes. That’s what made him so special, he played both ends of the court,â€� Woods continued. “There are maybe two guys, three guys in the entire NBA history that you can say that, that would do that. He was up for that challenge. And one of the more impressive things that I’ve ever witnessed is when he ruptured his Achilles and he went to the foul line, made his shots. “Ultimate toughness, ultimate competitor, and one of the most shocking, tragic days that I’ve ever been a part of in a very quick span here … Life is very fragile as we all know. You can be gone at any given time and we have to appreciate the moments that we have.â€� On the course Woods’ chase for an 83rd PGA TOUR win and ninth win at Torrey Pines started in crazy fashion. Starting five back of the lead Woods looked to be in huge trouble early when he made a sloppy bogey from the fairway on the first hole. But on the second he took dead aim from 141 yards and after two hops his ball disappeared into the cup for what would’ve been an insane eagle. Incredibly though, despite going all the way to the bottom of the cup the ball hopped back out and settled next to the pin. Woods had to settle for a tap in birdie. Three pars followed before Woods gave himself a great look at eagle on the par-5 sixth from 18 feet, but the putt slipped under the cup. Birdie there had him just three off the lead at the time. Woods, who has seven Farmers Insurance Open titles and a U.S. Open win at Torrey Pines, would not get any closer. He had great looks at birdie on the par-4 seventh and the par-3 eighth but failed to connect and failed to birdie the par-5 ninth. A bogey at the 10th made thoughts of a win extremely distant and despite birdies on the final two par 5s he would settle for a T9 finish, his 13th Farmers Insurance Open top-10 from 19 starts. Woods is currently tied with Sam Snead with 82 PGA TOUR wins, the most of all time and will next be seen at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on Feb. 13.
