Hatton faces fine after snapping club, cursing

In his Draws and Fades for the RBC Heritage on Tuesday, Rob detailed how the champion of PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live for the Masters, Pault27, got the job done. It was an exercise in elegant simplicity. Make three picks – yes, only three! – and nail ‘em. Just like that, a deposit for $2,500 is processing. At the conclusion of the tournament, 10,356 entries were counted. No, not all were in by the first tee ball on a delayed opening round on Thursday, but you don’t have to be to have success. And no, it’s not easy to finish inside the top five, but it sure isn’t as hard as you think it is. Play often enough and you just might experience it. Remember, Rob himself already has placed third (Honda) and 10th (PLAYERS). If he can do it… Glass came out on top of our tandem in the first major of the year, so he’s regained bragging rights. He has the first swing at Harbour Town. Register for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live here and monitor Rob’s and Glass’ progress as Influencers. For a broader explanation of the format and FAQs, click here. Before you dive into the advice and banter, please be advised that PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live will be in play for next week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. WEEKLONG Outright Glass … Denny McCarthy (+10000) From the leadoff spot, I’ll remind gamers that this pick SHOULD BE a longshot! It’s the beauty of this game. So, like golf itself, use the rules to your advantage! Harbour Town produced first-time TOUR winners in the last four editions before the pandemic. McCarthy has cashed in five straight and eight of nine on the PGA TOUR, and it’s not lost on me that his best result was at Pete Dye’s Stadium Course at PGA WEST. The short game stands up and he’s more than accurate off the tee. T33 in spring of 2019 was followed by T13 in spring of 2021, so he’s moving in the right direction here. Go big! There’s no downside! Check the pre-tournament odds from past winners in Horses for Courses just in case. Rob … Shane Lowry (+2000) I’m simplifying after last week’s thumping (because Glass connected for one 2-ball on Sunday). As noted here most weeks, I agree with his strategy for the opening value play that’s supported by our ongoing power to make in-tournament changes, but I’ll counter with the No. 1 in my Power Rankings. The best thing about Lowry not winning lately is that he’s still chasing that rabbit. He’s doing everything well and in deep fields no less. He’s also been loyal to the RBC Heritage where he has a pair of top 10s, so there’s nothing foreign to him on the property. He’s a proper fit for the track. Another reason why I’m launching in at short odds is because the field is thick, so someone in his vicinity likely will prevail. I’ll be on board with a big, crooked number when Glass is hoping to get plus odds at the turn on Sunday. Rob … Beau Hossler (+1100) Here’s where I’ll cannonball into the deep end because odds will remain reasonable when the 36-hole cut falls. If you’ve been monitoring the same over time, you know. The 27-year-old has been terrific since a solo third at Pebble Beach. He’s added three top 20s, including a T4 two weeks ago at TPC San Antonio. Best of all, he’s playing on house money, er, FedExCup points. Saddled with conditional status, he’s currently 50th and headed back to the Playoffs. The confidence of his recent form sharpens the singular focus of winning on the PGA TOUR for the first time, but I don’t need that for these coins. Glass … Troy Merritt (+725) I like heat and love a bit of Horse for Course and he lines up quite nicely. Similar to THE HOSS, Merritt finished one shot behind the former Longhorn at Pebble Beach on the smallest greens on TOUR. Similar to THE HOSS, Merritt finished T4 last time out at Valero. Merritt arrives on six of seven, and his last four are trending in the proper direction. I guess I’m paying a premium for solo third in 2015, which included tying the course record of 61, and a T10 in 2019. Hell, maybe we’ll just tie! Top 20 Rob … Danny Willett (+550) His class should be permanent, but there he is lounging outside the perimeter of the notables. It’s baffling, so we might as well exploit it. Yes, he finished T12 at the Masters and T18 at last year’s RBC Heritage, so the obviousness of those results would suggest converging trends, but there’s nothing trendy about it, which, again, is why he’s available with that inflated kickback. I target this value at the cut line, anyway, but it might be more difficult to find at that time given the talent in play. Glass … Ben Martin (+1100) We all saw how tough it was not to close the deal at Corales (T2) on the final hole. The South Carolina native regrouped and made the cut the following week. That showed me all that I needed to know. He cashed five of seven here, including a T3 back in 2014. Receiving a sponsor exemption in his backyard should have this former Clemson Tiger ready to repay the faith in the locals. As we’ve learned in this game, changing Top 10 and Top 20 markets isn’t guaranteed but we’ve also learned nothing ventured, nothing gained. Oh, and perfect games are for baseball! Fortune favors the bold! Or something… R1 Leader Rob … Kevin Streelman (+6600) What Glass is trying to say is that fortune favors the Bolton. He can thank me later; I’ll be here all week. Harbour Town is a par 71 with three par 5s, two of which on the outward nine, but each side is balanced in the aggregate. So, if you wanted to be persnickety about momentum, open with a morning waver going off 1. That’s my play. Streels brings big stick energy to the Lowcountry. He beat par in his most recent eight rounds (on Copperhead and TPC San Antonio) and he’s been terrific in this tournament time and again. And yes, he’s goes off 1 on Thursday at 7:21 a.m. ET. Glass … Tom Hoge (+6600) R1 scores 65 = RSM 66 = Sony 65 = Amex 63 = Pebble Beach 66 = THE PLAYERS Career year has been buoyed by fast starts. I’m on board with Rob – earlier is better because you have all day to, ahem, correct any errors made with early tee times! Hoge is off No. 10 at 8:05 a.m. ET, but we hardly live in a perfect world. Make the Cut Glass … Matt Kuchar (-250) It’s 17 straight at Harbour Town, and he’s found form with T16 at Valspar backed with T2 at Valero. Didn’t have the grind of Augusta on his bones, either, but I bet he was a bit salty not to be invited. I could have used KOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH in a few of these categories this week! Rob … Alex Noren (-250) One word per coin for how many this rewards – 10. 3-Ball Glass … Corey Conners over Daniel Berger and Mackenzie Hughes Conners has sat in second place after 36 holes in the last two editions, so he’s used to getting off to hot starts here. Working the golf ball isn’t his problem; neither his form after another top 10 at the Masters that backed up a solo third at the Match Play. Berger hasn’t bounced back since his Honda Sunday struggle, and Hughes hasn’t posted lower than 70 in the first round in seven events in 2022. Rob … Russell Henley over Henrik Norlander and Stephan Jaeger To my trained eye, and no doubt to the same among hardcore fans, you know a mismatch when you see it, even when we’re considering only one round. Henley has seven straight rounds under par at Harbour Town. He placed T9 here last year. He’s 13-for-13 this season, sits 21st in the FedExCup and ranks third in first-round scoring with an average of 67.75! Norlander has limited experience in this tournament (72-74=MC last year). He’s 130th in the FedExCup and T126 in R1 scoring (70.47). Jaeger has failed to capitalize on his status north of the Korn Ferry Tour graduate reshuffle category and arrives for his debut at Harbour Town slotted 160th in the FedExCup. He’s T124 in R1 scoring (70.44), and that’s easily his best among all rounds.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Coming back from a 15-week hiatus due to left wrist surgery, Brooks Koepka wasn’t sure how much rust he’d need to knock off when he made his return to the course at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Based on how he’s performed over the last month, even Kopeka admitted he’s surprised how quickly he’s managed to get back into contention. “I didn’t expect that,” Koepka said. “You feel like coming back after an injury you’ve got to take some time, two or three weeks to kind of get back into it. Basically came out to TOUR right away. I feel like it healed nicely.” Despite missing the cut with teammate Marc Turnesa in New Orleans, Koepka has improved his finish in the last three starts, including a runner-up finish at the Forth Worth Invitational, where he closed with 63 for the second straight start. Returning to a place where he owns a T2 and T3 in his last three starts, Koepka hasn’t skipped a beat in Memphis, opening with 66 on Thursday to begin one shot off the lead at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Koepka strung together four straight birdies in the middle of the round but suffered an untimely three-putt bogey with three holes to play that left him with mixed emotions regarding the round. “I didn’t really play that great, but scored a lot better that I played,” he said. “It was kind of a weird round. Played good for a little bit of a stretch and then kind of sloppy. But 4 under, I’ll take it.” Koepka credited the 66 to a strong round with the putter that saw him make over 100 feet worth of putts and gain nearly two shots on the field (plus 1.990) in the strokes gained: putting category. With just three rounds left before his U.S. Open title defense, it would be understandable if Koepka was already looking ahead to Shinnecock. But that isn’t the case. His sights are firmly set on TPC Southwind and finding a way to secure his third TOUR title. “I’m not looking forward towards next week,” said Koepka. “There’s nothing better than winning a golf tournament going into a major. I feel like I’m playing well enough to do that, so just keep doing what I’m doing.” NOTABLES Seamus Power was born in Waterford, Ireland, but has a connection to the state of Tennessee. It was at East Tennesee State University that Power played his collegiate golf. Even though ETSU is roughly a nine-hour drive from TPC Southwind, Power noted the bermuda grass made him feel at home. He follwed last season’s T27 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic by grabbing the solo lead with a 65. “It’s a great start. I played here last year and it kind of suits my eye, so I kind of feel good going out,” Power said.  Save for a bogey on the par-4 5th, Phil Mickelson closed out his round without any major issues, despite missing the last four fairways. In typical Mickelson fashion, he managed to get up-and-down on three of the four holes while adding a birdie on the 8th to shoot 66. “I was able to finish the round off even though I didn’t quite have it there at the end,” he said.  Seamus Power holds a one-shot lead after Round 1, but he has crowded pack right behind him. A whopping eleven players shot 66 on Thursday, good enough for a share of T2 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. The list of pursuers includes Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Wesley Bryan and Steve Stricker. The last wire-to-wire winner in Memphis was Ben Crane in 2015.  Steve Stricker and Mackenzie Hughes punched their tickets to the U.S. Open on Monday, getting through 36 holes of sectional qualifying at Ridgeway Country Club and Colonial Country Club. On Thursday, the pair opened with 66 and currently sit one behind Seamus Power. For Stricker, it’s the seventh time in eight starts this season he’s opened with a sub-70 round.  With one foot in the water, Dustin Johnson chipped in from 40 feet off the green on the par-3 12th for birdie. It was the lone highlight of a relatively quiet round for Johnson, who shot 67 with a double bogey on the 9th hole. “I felt like I played well, just didn’t really make any putts, but gave myself a lot of chances and I’m really confident in my game right now,” Johnson said.  QUOTABLES We don’t believe in humidity in Idaho, so this is a little bit different for me.That’s obviously nice but there’s no prizes given out after Round 1.I still feel like I should play out here and I belong out here and that’s my mentality and I’m trying to stick with that. SUPERLATIVES Low round: Seamus Power’s 5-under 65. Longest drive: Zecheng Dou with a 360-yard drive on the 3rd hole. Longest putt: Johan Kok with a putt of 86 feet, 6 inches for birdie on the 17th hole. Hardest hole: The 485-yard par-4 5th, which played to a stroke average of 4.244, with just 15 birdies on Thursday. Easiest hole: The 530-yard par-5 16th, which played to a stroke average of 4.609, with 4 eagles and 68 birdies on Thursday. Greens in regulation: Andrew Putnam hit 17 greens and shot 67. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of Round 2 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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David Skinns became the first player to Monday qualify for multiple events this season, while the season’s most successful qualifier narrowly missed another opportunity to tee it up in a PGA TOUR event. Skinns, 35, was one of three players to shoot 64 on Monday at Brunswick (Ga.) Country Club and earn a spot in this week’s RSM Classic. He shared medalist honors in the four-spot qualifier with T.J. Vogel and Dan McCarthy. Andrew Novak shot 65 and grabbed the final berth into the RSM in a three-man playoff with Sebastian Vazquez and Curtis Thompson. Scott Strohmeyer, who finished T4 after qualifying for last month’s Sanderson Farms Championship, shot a bogey-free 67 but missed the playoff by two shots. Strohmeyer failed to advance past the first stage of Q-School and has no status on any major tour. He must rely on Monday qualifiers and sponsor exemptions for starts. Skinns also qualified for the Sanderson Farms Championship, where he finished T53. He finished runner-up in the final event of the Web.com Tour’s Regular Season, the WinCo Foods Portland Open, just to qualify for the Web.com Tour Finals, then withdrew from the second Finals event to be with his wife as she gave birth to the couple’s second child. He was T9, five shots off the lead, when he withdrew after the second round. Skinns, 35, has never held a PGA TOUR card. This is the fifth PGA TOUR start of his career, and his first time making multiple starts in a single season. Vogel, of Hollywood, Florida, finished 10th on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit thanks to two top-10s in 12 starts, including a runner-up in the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open. Vogel, 26, won the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links. He has missed the cut in five previous PGA TOUR starts, including the 2013 Masters (77-75). McCarthy, 32, won four times on Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada in 2016 to win the Order of Merit and earn his Web.com Tour card for 2017. He finished 109th on the Web.com Tour’s Regular Season money list despite finishing fourth in his first start of the season. He didn’t post another top-25 finish in his remaining 11 starts of the year and missed nearly five months because of a wrist injury. He has missed the cut in two previous PGA TOUR starts (2010 U.S. Open, 2016 RBC Canadian Open). Novak, 22, finished his college career at Wofford College earlier this year. He played on Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada this summer, making the cut in five of 11 starts. Novak, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, had a best finish of T19. This will be his PGA TOUR debut. OHL Classic at Mayakoba qualifiers T55. Tim Wilkinson, 70-71-70-71 T68. Ken Duke, 68-68-77-71 MC. Sean Jacklin, 71-74 MC. Jordan Niebrugge, 76-71 2017-18 Monday qualifiers Qualifiers: 16 Made cut: 7 Top-10s: 1 (Scott Strohmeyer, T4 at Sanderson Farms) Top-25s: 1 Average qualifying: 66.13 Qualifiers’ average tournament score: 71.95

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