History beckons for big stars at The Open Championship

All right. Here we go. Striding the tee box for the first time this season are Brooks Koepka, Gary Woodland, Webb Simpson and Tony Finau. No, they’re not the first golfers who advanced to the TOUR Championship in August to make their 2019-20 season debuts – 14 of those guys already have done that, 10 of whom are committed to the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open – but that foursome as a whole generates a electricity we haven’t experienced since East Lake. Since we get three starts per golfer per Segment in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, you are free from rationing any on each of the four studly debutants. There are only seven tournaments remaining in Segment 1 and the three stops on the upcoming Asian Swing won’t have cuts. RELATED: Tee times | Power Rankings | DraftKings daily fantasy preview   Also of importance, bonus points in events that won’t use ShotLink will be equivalent to 10 percent of FedExCup points earned by your final-round starters, just as they’re determined in events with ShotLink. Holdover gamers from 2017-18 may recall that non-ShotLink events at the time yielded bonus points of 50 percent to offset a significant reduction of fantasy points. With the playing field evened this season, you no longer need to consider the punch of a victory in South Korea, Japan or China any more than the same in Vegas. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Bryson DeChambeau Brooks Koepka Collin Morikawa Scottie Scheffler Webb Simpson You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Keegan Bradley; Dylan Frittelli; Charles Howell III; Hideki Matsuyama; Denny McCarthy; Andrew Putnam; Adam Scott; Aaron Wise; Gary Woodland Driving: Keegan Bradley; Tony Finau; Lanto Griffin; Charles Howell III; Jason Kokrak; Robby Shelton; Harold Varner III; Gary Woodland Power Rankings Wild Card Hideki Matsuyama … Because he’s a machine, it’s understandable why you’d get bent out of a shape by any missed cut such as his quick exit at the Safeway Open, but keep two things in mind. First, he rarely goes even 0-for-2. His last MC-MC “slump” occurred in July of 2018 at the Scottish Open and The Open Championship. Second, there’s been no news of an ailment that generated last week’s MC. Gamers who have been around long enough understand the value of the absence of that negative. Quite simply, he putted poorly at Silverado, going just 5-for-28 in scoring chances. Finished T10 in his only previous trip to TPC Summerlin in 2014. Draws Joaquin Niemann … Taking last week off might have served as good a break as any he’s had. After opening the season with his breakthrough victory at Greenbrier, he finished T54 in Mississippi with what had to feel like decompression. Immediate letdowns are predictable but we still hold our breath because of the talent. After the separation, it’s time again to invest with confidence. Kevin Streelman … He’s playing possum with me. After alternating a top five with a missed cut when my recommendations were for the reverse results in each the last two weeks, he’s not escaping a 9-for-9 record with five top 25s at TPC Summerlin. Aaron Wise … He’s 3-for-3 at TPC Summerlin with a pair of top 15s and a scoring average of 68.58. Also enters having connected six cuts made. Scott Piercy … He wants to win in his hometown badly, naturally, but we’re OK with a leaderboard appearance even short of victory. Since 2009, he’s 9-for-10 with five top 15s and another two top 25s at the Shriners. Matthew Wolff … I love that he took a minute to reset after what was a historic summer. Because he won the 3M Open in what was his third career start as a professional, it’s easy but unfair to elevate expectations for regular leaderboard appearances. Certainly, his sights are set on exactly that, and his rhetoric will reflect it. Of course it will. It has to. He’s an athlete. However, for the time being, count on him as a contributor, not a contender. There’s value in that, too, and you want to be in position to capitalize. Nick Watney … Because he’s a NorCal native, my hopes always are high when he pegs it at Silverado, but until last week’s T10, he hadn’t done anything on that track worthy of our attention. Now that he’s bouncing off what is his fourth top 10 in the last five months, I’m chasing his shadow at TPC Summerlin. Arguably best utilized in DFS, he’s hung up five top 20s here since 2010. Russell Knox … Punctuated his fortnight in the U.K. with a T15 in his native Scotland on Sunday. Now poised to pile onto a 5-for-5 record at TPC Summerlin. It includes a solo third in 2014. Byeong Hun An Keegan Bradley Jim Furyk Zach Johnson Jason Kokrak Ryan Moore Sebastián Muñoz Ryan Palmer J.T. Poston Andrew Putnam Robby Shelton Harold Varner III Fades Phil Mickelson … In recent seasons and for different reasons, notables such as Hunter Mahan and Bill Haas have been mainstays in this section before evolving into omissions due to absence of a turnaround. Lefty has reached that point. Continue to abstain and I will as well. Lucas Glover … After opening the season 0-for-2, he’s seeking to right the ship at TPC Summerlin where he finished third (2016) and T7 (2018) in his last two tries. But onto what should we attach our faith? Exactly. Bubba Watson … In the 11 years that only TPC Summerlin has hosted the Shriners, he’s appeared only once, finishing T51 without a red number in 2017. But it’s not like his game doesn’t translate to desert golf, there’s more than enough evidence to dispense of that angle, but his form for months has been uninspiring. Since a T12 at the Masters, he’s recorded only one top-45 finish, and that was at the no-cut WGC in Memphis (T9). Rory Sabbatini … Something will give, so you’re advised to observe only. After a terrific 2018-19 during which he missed only four cuts, one of them occurred at TPC Summerlin. A closer examination reveals that he’s 1-for-9 in the tournament (T25, 2015) since the course has hosted solo (2008-present). Cameron Smith … He’ll turn it around at some point, and it just might happen at TPC Summerlin where he finished T10 in his last visit three years ago, but his extended slump as compared to our expectation continues. Keith Mitchell … Back at TPC Summerlin since missing the cut in his debut two years ago, he’s gone 10 consecutive starts sans a top-35 finish. Extending the definition of his dry spell, a T8 at the Wells Fargo Championship is his only top 35 in 15 starts. Pat Perez …  Now 0-for-3 since the Wyndham Championship and without a top-35 finish in nine consecutive starts. Lucas Bjerregaard … The Dane is making his PGA TOUR membership debut this week. He made his hay with a fourth-place finish at the Match Play, but he’s yet to pick off a top 10 in stroke-play competition on this circuit. Just be aware, if you already aren’t, that he’s eligible for the FedExCup Playoffs in case he makes any noise. Tom Lewis … The KFT Championship winner is fresh off a T5 at the Dunhill Links, but he presented stronger at Greenbrier in the wake of his title a month ago. Suffice it to say that we’ll need time to learn more about how his game translates at this level. Joel Dahmen Branden Grace Emiliano Grillo Charley Hoffman Kevin Na Chez Reavie Returning to Competition Matt Jones … Withdrew from the Sanderson Farms Championship before his second round with a sore back, and then pulled out of his commitment to last week’s Safeway Open. Mixed results at TPC Summerlin include only one top-55 finish in five tries, but because he’s risen into contention at times this year, he warrants a taste fractionally in DFS. James Hahn … Making his first start in eight months. He was sidelined with a partial tear in a triceps tendon. As a result, he has 17 starts to earn 305.136 FedExCup points and retain status. Give him at least one start to feel the competitive juices again before consideration in every format. Graham DeLaet … Take three. The 37-year-old committed to and withdrew from a Korn Ferry Tour stop in July. He repeated the process at last week’s Safeway Open. If he keeps his date at the Shriners, it’ll mark his first sanctioned action since THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES nearly two years ago. Treatment and surgery on his back has prevented him from competing, but he has 24 starts on a Major Medical Extension to continue to try. Notable WDs Ben Martin … It’s understandable that he wants to preserve and smartly ration the last four starts on his Major Medical Extension, but TPC Summerlin is the site of his only PGA TOUR victory (in 2014), so if he was going to burn one of those starts, logic would tilt most into this favor. What’s more, he’s already secured conditional status (before he needed the medical). However, in his last four rounds of the tournament, he’s failed to break par and missed two cuts. He also scuffled before and after the back injury that sidelined him for about a year (save one start). Power Rankings Recap – Safeway Open Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Justin Thomas  T4 2  Sungjae Im  T49 3  Hideki Matsuyama  MC 4  Patrick Cantlay  T40 5  Ryan Moore  MC 6  Adam Scott  T17 7  Collin Morikawa  T10 8  Scott Piercy  67th 9  Kevin Na  MC 10  Byeong Hun An  MC 11  Brandt Snedeker  T17 12  Francesco Molinari  T23 13  Troy Merritt  MC 14  Kevin Streelman  MC 15  Sebastián Muñoz  T33 Wild Card  Chez Reavie  T33 Sleepers Recap – Safeway Open Golfer  Result Bud Cauley  T44 Scott Harrington  T23 Martin Laird  MC Adam Long  T23 Cameron Tringale  T44 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR October 1 … Grayson Murray (26) October 2 … George McNeill (44); Zack Sucher (33) October 3 … Danny Willett (32) October 4 … none October 5 … Kelly Kraft (31) October 6 … none October 7 … none

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‘Heartbreaking' is the word that best describes what happened on the 72nd hole of the 2006 U.S. Open. Phil Mickelson, who was chasing his first U.S. Open and fourth major title, experienced a nightmare finish at Winged Foot. "I still am in shock that I did that, I just can't believe I did that. I am such an idiot," he famously said afterward. Mickelson stepped to the 450-yard par-4 18th needing a par to win and a bogey to tie. And, as we all now know, the unmentionable happened. RELATED: Tee times for Rds. 1 & 2 | Nine things to know about Winged Foot | Looking back at wild finish in 2006 The details of that final hole are well told. We saw a fan favorite carrying the weight of himself, his expectations, and the golf fans across the world. Every demon came out in the span of about 20 minutes. The risks never turned into rewards, aggressiveness never favored him, and desperation set in at the worst possible time. The U.S. Open is still the one major that stands between him and the career Grand Slam after a record six runners-up in his national championship. Mickelson is the epitome of constant evolution, a notorious searcher for what’s next. His equipment has evolved in parallel with his game and body over the years. As you can see below, the bag has changed quite a bit in 15 years. The more-traditional set up of 2006 has been replaced by a bag that’s designed for gapping, optimal launch conditions and plenty of options in the area where he might be the best ever: wedges. Since 2006, Mickelson has incorporated a higher-lofted wood in his arsenal, the now-famous 64-degree wedge, and combo iron sets. That's in stark contrast to his lifelong competitor, Tiger Woods, who is a staunch traditionalist and has only added a 5-wood to his bag over the years. Here is Phil Mickelson's WITB from the 2006 U.S. Open and what he's playing for the 2020 edition. 2006 U.S. Open Driver: Callaway FT-3 Tour (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 73X 3-wood: Callaway X (15 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 73X Irons: Callaway X Tour (2-PW) Shafts: Project X Rifle (Satin) 7.0 Wedges: Callaway X Forged (54, 60) Shafts: Project X Rifle (Satin) 7.0 Putter: Odyssey PM Proto Mallet Blade #9 Grips: Royal Grip Sand Wrap Ball: Callaway HX Tour 2020 U.S. Open Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS TD 70 C5 TX 3-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero 3+ (13.5 degrees) Shaft: KBS TD 80 C5 TX 5-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (18 degrees) Shaft: KBS TD 80 C5 TX Irons: Callaway Epic Forged (4-7), Callaway Apex MB (8-PW) Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 S+ (4-PW) Wedges: Callaway MD3 (56 degrees bent to 53.5), Callaway PM Grind '19 "Raw" (60-12, 64-10) Shafts: KBS Tour-V 125 S+ Putter: Odyssey WHXG Blade "Phil Mickelson" Grip: SuperStroke Pistol GT Tour Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X (with Triple Track) Grips: Golf Pride MCC (White/Black)

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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Brian Harman hit all 18 greens in Friday’s second round of The RSM Classic. It’s the second time in his career that he’s accomplished that feat. “I think my ball-striking is probably as good as it’s ever been,â€� said Harman, who’s won twice on the TOUR, was runner-up in a major and once ranked 20th in the world. A lot has changed in just a few months. This summer, he felt “crippling anxietyâ€� about losing his PGA TOUR card. Harman was 170th in the FedExCup last March and still ranked outside the top 125 as late as June. He earned a spot in this year’s FedExCup Playoffs, though, with three top-10s in his final six starts of the regular season. It started with a T8 at the Travelers, where he overcame a first-round 72 with three consecutive 66s. Two weeks later, he was in contention at the 3M Open before a bad third round. Tired of stressing about his game, he sent a text to his agent that Sunday saying, “This ends today.â€� He shot a final-round 65 to lock up his card and Playoffs spot. RELATED: Leaderboard | Plantation Course’s new look for The RSM Classic “I made the choice that day that whatever happened, I was going to act like I had been there before,â€� Harman said. “It let me know that I really did need to change the way I was thinking about things and not get so bogged down.â€� That freedom has helped him play the same creative golf he played during his younger days, when he won the U.S. Junior Amateur and was the world’s top-ranked amateur. Harman started this new season with a third-place finish in A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, finished in the top-20 in his next two starts and is back in contention at The RSM. He shot 67 on Thursday at Sea Island’s Plantation Course before following with a 66 on the Seaside Course that will host the final two rounds. Harman, a Georgia alum, played Sea Island in the SEC Championships and now makes his home here. He only had one top-25 in his first five starts in the RSM, though. He missed the cut in both 2015 and 2016 before finishing a career-best fourth. He was T32 last year. “I wanted to play well so bad,â€� Harman said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve embraced it. It’s a fun week. Let’s have fun.â€� His family is staying at his house, as is his caddie. They’ve cooked out each night, eating elk tenderloin and tomahawk pork chops. Harman is enjoying the game again after suffering from burnout at the start of last season. His game reached new heights two years ago, when he won the Wells Fargo Championship, finished runner-up in the U.S. Open and qualified for his first TOUR Championship. All that success led to new opportunities, but also a busier schedule. “I was really tired,â€� he said. “It’s a fine line out here. You take a little bit of a mental break, and I did because I was tired of grinding all the time, and your game takes a hit,â€� Harman said. He started working with swing coach Justin Parsons in the spring and promptly finished T8 at THE PLAYERS. Harman still works with longtime swing coach Jack Lumpkin, as well. Parsons also helped Harman’s former Georgia teammate, Harris English, turn around his career. Harman described working with Parsons, who moved to Sea Island from Dubai earlier this year, as a “shot in the arm.â€� “I just didn’t really feel like myself anymore,â€� Harman said. “I was trying to be something I wasn’t. (Justin) helped me be more creative with my ball-striking and freed me up to do some of stuff that I know I can do.â€�

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