Horses for Courses: WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

TORONTO — Tony Finau birdied the final hole Saturday for an 8-under 62 and a share of the RBC Canadian Open lead with defending champion Rory McIlroy. “I didn’t finish the way I wanted to yesterday and I think all it did was kind of light a fire in my belly to get after it today,” Finau said. “That’s pretty much what I did. I made some birdies and I just played really clean golf. ” McIlroy had a 65 to match Finau at 11-under 199 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. “I’m just happy to give myself a chance, be in the final group,” McIlroy said. “Once I saw, I think Tony had got to 10 or maybe 11, I think I was on like 8 or 9 at the time. I just said to myself, `Let’s just try to get yourself in the final group.’” McIlroy had to wait three years to defend his 2019 title because of the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled golf’s fourth-oldest championship the last two years. “I need to set myself a number and be super aggressive,” McIlroy said. “I know I’m going to have to make some birdies out there to win this thing tomorrow.” Finau had the best round of the week, eagling the par-5 ninth in a front-nine 29 and making four birdies and a bogey on the final nine. He won the FedExCup Playoffs opener last season at Liberty National for his second PGA TOUR victory. “I knew I was playing well, but at any given moment on this golf course you can make a number,” Finau said. “So, there’s no reason to get ahead of myself. I just tried to stay in the moment as much as I could and put together a nice round all the way to the end.” PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas (63), Colonial winner Sam Burns (65), Wyndham Clark (68) and Alex Smalley (67) were 9 under. Thomas eagled the par-5 15th. “It was very — it was easy,” Thomas said. “I mean I just, I played really solid. I didn’t do anything great. I just didn’t do anything bad. … I took advantage of some of the opportunities when I had them there in kind of the middle of the course and just stayed patient and waited for my run.” Clark led after each of the first two rounds. “I got off to a little bit of a slow start.” Clark said. “I was nervous, a lot of people out here, hadn’t been in contention in a little while. But then I calmed down and I really felt good about my game.” Nick Taylor was the top Canadian at 5 under after a 67.

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HONOLULU, Hawaii – Zach Johnson had to delay his arrival to Hawaii due to the flu and with things being so uncomfortable he spent six days straight over the new year unable to leave his house. A planned trip to the Big Island for his family was canceled with the 12-time PGA TOUR winner instead coming straight to Oahu, later than expected. Even then he really wasn’t ready. So his opening round 7-under 63 in the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club to share the top spot after Round 1 came somewhat as a surprise. “I was not right getting on the plane to come here. I am one that likes to prepare,â€� Johnson said. “I got here Friday, and I touched a golf club Saturday through Wednesday. Saturday was awful. It was about a three-hour session. It was at least two hours too many because I was not right. “My legs were shot and my back hurt.â€� Things progressed for Johnson with some normality returning on Wednesday but he still tempered his expectations in a course he’s had great success. Johnson won the Sony Open in 2009 and has been inside the top 10 three of the last four years at Waialae. “Probably (unexpected) more than expected,â€� he said of his start. “But I’ve had many weeks where I’m rested from a mental standpoint, certainly a physical standpoint, where I play great. “I remember a couple of times I’ve had a couple ski trips and I come back the next week, didn’t even touch a club, and I start preparing on the golf course, and I play great. I don’t necessarily win, but I play great. I know it can happen.â€� Johnson’s last win was the 2015 Open Championship at St Andrews but his fall showed a 13th win might not be far off. In three starts he finished no lower that 23rd leaving him currently 45th in the FedExCup. CALL OF THE DAY OBSERVATIONS KIRK EYES PUTTING REDEMPTION: Four-time PGA TOUR winner Chris Kirk has rid himself of some lazy behavior as he eyes a return to his best golf. And it might be working as he opened the Sony Open with a 7-under 63 to share the lead. Kirk has pinpointed his putting as the biggest key if he is to return to his winning ways with the last of his four wins coming at the 2015 DEAN & DELUCA at Colonial. His T4 finish at Sea Island last November was his first top five PGA TOUR finish since being runner-up at the Sanderson Farms Championship in October 2016. Last season Kirk played well in the fall, with three top 10s, before failing to do so again. It added up to a 92nd-place finish in the FedExCup. “The real reason I didn’t play well last year is I’ve had my worst putting year I had since I’ve been on TOUR,â€� he said bluntly after being ranked 125th in Strokes Gained: Putting. “I actually hit it fine, but I’m not somebody that’s going to overpower a golf course ever. My game is hit fairways, hit irons close, and make some putts. To have a year like that where I really struggled putting made it very difficult mentally and difficult in every possible way that it could.â€� As such Kirk has reverted to using the putting drills that helped him at his best a few years ago, forcing himself to do them post round regardless of his scores. He ranked 17th in the field in the opening round. “I had a great day today, and I’m about to go do it. It takes about 5 or 10 minutes. It’s laziness, I guess, not doing it consistently over the last couple of years,â€� he said. “I’m hoping that will stay consistent this year, and if I putt consistently well, then I think I’ll have a good year.â€� HARMAN ALONG: Brian Harman kept his Hawaii vibes going after putting himself in contention again this week. A week after finishing runner-up behind Dustin Johnson’s exploits at the Sentry Tournament of Champions Harman notched an opening round 6-under 64 to share third place just one shot off the lead at Waialae. “I don’t feel like I’m doing anything heroic or special,â€� Harman said. “I’ve been working pretty hard. My tee shots, I feel like I’ve kind of tightened up just a little bit. I think I only missed three, four greens maybe, which is pretty tough to do around here.â€� KISNER PAYS OFF DEBT: Kevin Kisner cannot be accused of failing to deliver on his bets after the Georgia alum adorned an Alabama jersey on the 17th hole at Waialae Thursday. Kisner, a very proud Bulldog, lost his bet with Justin Thomas, a Crimson Tide alum, over the result of the National Championship football game this week. As such Kisner threw on the jersey as they walked from tee to green on the par-3, a hole he bogeyed. “I’m blaming that bogey on him. I would have never hit that bad of a shot if I wasn’t thinking about that ‘Bama jersey,â€� Kisner laughed. “No, it’s all in good fun. We’re going to do a lot of good with that and raise a bunch of money. We’re going to raffle it off through my foundation, sell a bunch of raffle tickets, pick out a winner, and then give that money back to the children in our community. Justin is good enough to let me do it, and I’ll get him back in the future.â€� NOTABLES Justin Thomas – The defending champion and FedExCup winner shot a respectable 3-under 67 to be tied 20th, eight shots worse than his opening 59 a year ago. Jordan Spieth – The former FedExCup champion and world No. 2 torpedoed a great round with a quadruple-bogey 8 on his penultimate hole. He settled for a 1-under 69 to share 65th. Charles Howell III – Posted a 3-under 67, his 16th consecutive round in the 60s at the Sony Open in Hawaii and 24th out of the last 25. He owns nine top-10 finishes in 16 starts at the Sony Open in Hawaii (T8-2017, T8-2014, T3-2013, T2-2012, T5-2010, 4-2009, T2-2007, T3-2005, T4-2002). J.J. Henry – In his 500th start on the PGA TOUR Henry shot a 3-over 73. Jimmy Walker – The two-time Sony Open winner – who continues his climb back from Lyme disease – struggled to a 4-over 74. QUOTABLES I had a double from a fairway bunker, and I was in it and thought about it, and it was the first fairway bunker shot I’ve had in like two months.It’s Hawaii. How could I not be enjoying a beautiful walk with my incredible caddie and family and friends out here.It helps when you make a bunker shot and make a couple long ones.I didn’t play or practice a ton when I was at home, and when I did, you’re usually wearing a jacket or a sweater. So how your swing feels in 50 degrees or 45 degrees versus how it’s going to feel in 80-some degrees here, is very different.It’s definitely the best ‘Kis’ has ever looked in a jersey. SUPERLATIVES Low round: 7-under 63 – Chris Kirk and Zach Johnson each had seven birdies without any bogeys. Longest drive: 382-yards – Harold Varner III drilled his tee shot on the par-4 first hole. He was unable to find the green on approach though and settled for a par. Longest putt: 51 feet, three inches – Nicholas Lindheim made birdie on the par-4 10th, his opening hole. He made 148 feet, nine inches worth in his round. Easiest hole: The par-5 18th played at almost a shot under par at 4.236 with eight eagles, 94 birdies and nothing over par. Hardest hole: The par-3 11th played at 3.292 with just six birdies and 48 bogeys.

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When it was announced in the early fall of 2014 that the former TPC Avenel was slated to return as host to a PGA TOUR stop, veteran gamers may have been surprised. If you were playing fantasy golf when the Booz Allen Classic completed its run there in 2006, you may recall the general criticism about the layout. So, serious credit was and remains due the dignitaries who approved a massive renovation that rose easily into eight figures in 2007-2008. The product was the newly named TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. If time heals all wounds, the clock resets with this week’s Quicken Loans National. It plugs a gap created when nearby Congressional agreed to hosting the tournament every other year through 2020. (The host site for 2019 remains undetermined at the moment.) It’s always an intriguing exercise and a learning experience to go into any PGA TOUR event with little empirical data around which to form a profile of the host course. However, there is a handful of default mechanisms that helps shape and refine our focus. Brief explanations are included with each identifier below. Beneath them are the results of the two Web.com Tour events that were staged at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in 2012 and 2013. Any experience is helpful, but just as you wouldn’t push all of your chips into any one statistic, limit the course experience that exists to aiding in tiebreaker situations that arise in DFS. NOTE: For each of the stats below, all in the field who rank inside the top 25 on the PGA TOUR are cited. * – In the Power Rankings Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green The value of season-long statistics is greater on full shots. Just as we reviewed the top two categories here for the Wells Fargo Championship at unknown Eagle Point Golf Club, both apply at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Rank, Golfer 5 Tony Finau 8 Kyle Stanley 11 *Rickie Fowler T17 Byeong Hun An T17 *Brendan Steele 20 Lucas Glover 21 *Marc Leishman 22 Luke List Proximity to the Hole Averaging 5,300 square feet, greens are smaller, so the combination of confidence and execution while taking aim matters more. Rank, Golfer T2 Kyle Stanley 6 *Boo Weekley T7 Nick Watney T15 Chris Kirk T15 Kevin Na T15 Scott Stallings 21 Blayne Barber T22 Graham DeLaet T22 David Hearn T25 Lucas Glover T25 Ollie Schniederjans T25 *Brendan Steele T25 Chris Stroud T25 Vaughn Taylor Scrambling If the first three sanctioned events contested at renovated TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm are any indication, par will be a good score at the Quicken Loans National. Furthermore, having a knack at getting up and down for par on smaller greens will be critical since totals for missed greens in regulation will be elevated. Rank, Golfer 1 John Huh 2 Charles Howell III 6 *Rickie Fowler 7 *Bill Haas 10 Adam Hadwin 11 Matt Jones 12 Zac Blair 14 *Brendan Steele T15 Tim Wilkinson 24 Whee Kim Finishes of those in this week’s field at the Web.com Tour event in 2012 Sorted by finish (players in bold appeared in both 2012 and 2013) Win: David Lingmerth T6: Morgan Hoffmann T8: Sam Saunders T13: Luke List T25: Adam Hadwin; Robert Streb T36: James Hahn T38: Troy Merritt T44: Tim Wilkinson T52: Fabian Gomez T57: Jason Gore 65th: Andrew Loupe MC: Jim Herman; Ben Martin; Hudson Swafford; Tyrone Van Aswegen WD: Derek Fathauer Finishes of those in this week’s field at the Web.com Tour event in 2013 Sorted by finish (players in bold appeared in both 2012 and 2013) T6: Sung Kang 10th: Tim Wilkinson T11: Jason Gore; Si Woo Kim T15: Jim Herman T27: Hudson Swafford T34: Kevin Tway T47: Adam Hadwin; Tyrone Van Aswegen 60th: Brett Stegmaier MC: Blayne Barber; Derek Fathauer; Billy Hurley III; Whee Kim; Kelly Kraft; Danny Lee; Andrew Loupe; Troy Merritt; Kyle Reifers; Sam Saunders WD: Alex Cejka

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