‘He’s a linebacker’: U.S. Amateur medalist Wilson Furr ready to tackle anything in way

THE PLAYERS Championship winner Webb Simpson and fast-rising Cameron Champ headline the roster as Georgia’s Golden Isles once again serve as the backdrop to hand out one more trophy – and Sentry Tournament of Champions invitation – before the season enters its holiday break. Tournament host Davis Love III, elder statesman among pros who call St. Simon’s Island home, again leads a local lineup at least a dozen strong. Residents have yet to cheer a “true� home winner, though two of the Classic’s eight previous champions had significant ties to the island. FIELD NOTES: Patton Kizzire, the only St. Simon’s Island pro to reach the FedExCup finale at East Lake, and Zach Johnson also will fly the island’s banner along with former PGA TOUR winners Brian Harman, Harris English, Hudson Swafford and Jonathan Byrd. … Retief Goosen, set for entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame next year, makes his second start since receiving the news. That makes it a trio with Hall of Fame credentials, along with Love and Ernie Els. … U.S. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk makes his third consecutive start since bringing his clubs out of hibernation. … Invitations were given to LSU freshman standout Garrett Barber, who won last February’s Jones Cup at Sea Island, along with Love’s son Dru. It’ll be Dru’s third chance to tee it up on home soil. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points. STORYLINES: The race remains on to become the first man to keep the RSM Classic trophy on the island. Though Chris Kirk lived there 6 ½ years, he relocated to Atlanta months before his 2013 victory. Two years later, Kisner won while in temporary housing as his South Carolina home underwent remodeling. The closest a fulltimer has come is a pair of fourths – Love in 2012 and Harman last year. … It’s the final chance for someone to punch his ticket to Kapalua in January, a timely perk for each of the Classic’s first eight winners. … Champ, winner of the Sanderson Farms Championship, makes his first visit to Sea Island as a PGA TOUR pro. The Texas A&M alum is plenty familiar with the place, though, with the SEC Championship making an annual stop. … Champ and Sam Ryder, with a pair of top-4 finishes in the new season, are among a handful with a chance to displace Xander Schauffele atop the FedExCup standings before the holiday break. Schauffele is taking the week off. … When Austin Cook won by four last year, it was just the second time in eight editions that the winner finished more than one shot clear. Kisner holds the record with a six-shot romp in 2015. COURSE: Sea Island GC (Seaside), 7,005 yards, par 70. Framed against tidal creeks, dunes and salt marshes, the layout at the southern tip of St. Simons Island got its start as a nine-hole track built in 1929 by English architects Harry Colt and Charles Alison. Bobby Jones once described Seaside as among the best nine holes he’d ever seen. Joe Lee created the “Marshside Nine� in 1973, and Tom Fazio was commissioned to bring the two together in 1999. Seaside places a premium on shot selection and sound course management. Entrants also play one of their first two rounds at the par-72 Plantation course, which joined the format three years ago after Rees Jones fused two other nine-hole layouts into an 18-hole test. • 72-HOLE RECORD: 260, Kevin Kisner (2015). • 18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Tommy Gainey (4th round, 2012). • LAST YEAR: Cook fired a second-day 62 and held off any late threats with three birdies in his last four holes, pulling away on a windy afternoon to a four-shot romp for his first PGA TOUR victory. The Arkansas pro took a three-shot lead into the final day, but saw it reduced to one over J.J. Spaun as winds made things increasingly difficult on the Seaside layout. A bogey by Spaun at No.16 allowed Cook to enjoy a little more cushion, and Cook drained a 4-foot birdie at No.15 to start his closing flourish. Cook, who finished with a 67, broke into the winner’s column in just his 14th TOUR start and fourth of his official rookie season, becoming the fifth player to win the Classic in his first pro visit to Sea Island. Brian Gay was another stroke back in third. HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Thursday-Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). PGA TOUR LIVE: None. RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-4:30 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).  

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AUSTIN, Texas — With Day 1 in the books at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, a number of matches take on extra significance tomorrow as players look to get in position for the Round of 16, or keep their match play hopes alive at Austin Country Club. Here’s a look at five matches to watch on Thursday. DUSTIN JOHNSON, USA (0-1-0) vs. ADAM HADWIN, Canada (0-0-1) The good news for defending champion Dustin Johnson is that the top-seed has advanced to the Round of 16 every year since the event added a group stage in 2015. The bad news is just eight players have managed to book their spot in the knockout stage after losing their opening match. Bottom line, Johnson is going to need a win on Thursday against Adam Hadwin and some results to go his way in the other matches to have a shot at advancing out of the group. The last time Johnson failed to advance was in 2015. Despite going 9-over in his first 11 holes, Johnson managed to keep things interesting, taking Wiesberger to the 17th hole before losing, 3 and 1. The loss snapped a string of seven consecutive wins dating back to his Round 1 victory last year over Webb Simpson. Adam Hadwin finds himself in a better position following his halved match against Kevin Kisner. Hadwin has Presidents Cup experience, but it would have to be categorized as an upset if he finds a way to end Johnson’s week with another defeat in Austin. RORY McILROY, Northern Ireland (0-1-0) vs. JHONATTAN VEGAS, Venezuela (0-0-1) In a similar spot as Dustin Johnson, McIlroy needs to get something out of his match against Jhonattan Vegas to make Friday interesting. Failing to do so would put him in danger of missing out on the Round of 16 for the second consecutive year after advancing to at least the semifinals in 2015 and 2016. “Obviously it’s out of my control now,” McIlroy said, after dropping his match against Peter Uihlein. “So I’ve just got to win my next two matches and hopefully the draw works in my favor.” Vegas will have some momentum on his side, earning a half-point against Brian Harman with a birdie on the 18th hole. He’s now picked up at least a half-point in his last three matches since making his debut last year. JON RAHM, Spain (0-0-1) vs. CHEZ REAVIE, USA (0-1-0) The battle between fellow Arizona State alums doesn’t have must-win implications for Rahm, who managed to secure a half-point against Keegan Bradley with a par on the last. Regardless, Rahm will need to get the best of his good friend to improve his chances of finding the Round of 16 for the second year in a row. Making his match play debut, Reavie has the opportunity to play the role of aggressor as the underdog in the match. You can bet bragging rights will be on the line. ALEX NOREN, Sweden (1-0-0) vs. THOMAS PIETERS, Belgium (0-1-0) Noren has quietly put together a strong match play resume since last year’s run to the quarterfinals and looks to be a strong candidate to make the 2018 European Ryder Cup team. He’ll have the opportunity to take on a former Ryder Cupper in Pieters in what should be an intriguing match. Pieters is trying to avoid missing out on the Round of 16 for the third straight year. He dropped his opening match on Wednesday, falling to another big hitter in Tony Finau. Interestingly, Pieters has never won his second match of the group stage, which doesn’t bode well for his chances against an in-form Noren. JORDAN SPIETH, USA (1-0-0) vs. HAOTONG LI, China (0-1-0) / PATRICK REED (1-0-0), USA vs. CHARL SCHWARTZEL, South Africa (0-1-0) It’s worth keeping an eye on Spieth and Reed tomorrow. A win or at least a half-point for both would set up must-see television on Friday for arguably the most anticipated match of the group stage. Spieth said the match will matter regardless of where the Ryder Cup duo stands, but you can bet both will be looking to bring their best stuff if a berth in the next round is on the line. They have to take care of business first to make that a possibility.

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