How to win the PGA Championship: A hole-by-hole guide to Bethpage Black

During a practice round ahead of this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, PGA TOUR Champions pro Jim Furyk was addressed by playing partner Brent Grant with the deferential ‘sir’ formality. Grant, 25, then asked Furyk, 51, what he liked most about his early career on the 50-and-older circuit. “No one calls me ‘sir,’” Furyk replied. Grant was born in March 1996, a month after Furyk’s first Sony Open victory, carding 11-under total and besting Brad Faxon in a playoff for his second PGA TOUR title. Furyk, now a 17-time TOUR winner in addition to three PGA TOUR Champions victories, has intentions of adding a second Sony Open title to his collection. The Pennsylvania native, inspired by his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers’ late-season push to a playoff berth, carded an opening-round, 8-under 62 at Waialae CC – including a hole-in-one at the par-3 17th hole. Furyk becomes the oldest player to shoot 62 or better on TOUR since 1983, doing so with a torrid 5-under stretch on his final five holes – including a par at the par-5 18th. Playing on a sponsor’s exemption as the first leg of an Aloha Double – en route to next week’s PGA TOUR Champions season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai – Furyk proved early that he’s looking to do more than solely fill a spot in the field. “I love (the) Sony (Open) … it’s a place I’ve had a lot of success,” said Furyk after signing for his eighth round of 62 or better on TOUR. “I’m not hitting the ball far enough to compete out here on a regular basis on a lot of the golf courses, but Waialae is a place I still feel I can get around and shoot under par pretty well, and so it’s fun. “Places I’ve won, Valspar, Heritage, those are courses I can still compete on. Once in a while, I’ll dip out here, but I’ll predominantly play on PGA TOUR Champions.” When he does dip back out onto the PGA TOUR though, Furyk strategically picks his spots to maximize his opportunity to make an impact. Venerable Waialae CC appears the perfect venue – Furyk has recorded 10 top-25s in 17 Sony Open appearances, including his 1996 victory and a 1997 runner-up. The Sony Open demands a precision game. Tree-lined, par-70 Waialae CC plays to just 7,044 yards and requires players to shape the ball both ways, preferring precision to power. Three decades into his professional career, Furyk’s game fits that bill. Averaging 271.9 yards off the tee, Furyk rebounded from an opening bogey to record seven birdies and an eagle, including his sixth career TOUR ace at the 187-yard, par-3 17th. “I thought I was in-between clubs, but (caddie) Fluff assured me it was a 6-iron for me,” Furyk recollected of his decision-making process on No. 17 tee. “It was the right club and I had it teed up a little bit, trying to get the ball in the air and hit down on it. Caught it just a smidge high in the face. “And so I loved the line it was on, but I wasn’t quite sure I caught enough of it to cover it. And carried on the green probably two or three yards and landed in a perfect spot and then released towards the pin. I guess that’s kind of the line I was looking.” Yes, sir!

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Shane Lowry chipped in for an eagle at the par-4 ninth hole. Nice, right? Then he did it again at the par-4 10th.

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SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER EARNS BREAKTHROUGH TOUR TITLE Scottie Scheffler plays with a casual yet self-assured demeanor, cultivated through accomplishments. The 25-year-old New Jersey native has risen to the top at every level – winning the 2013 U.S. Junior, starring collegiately at the University of Texas, earning 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year honors, and even compiling a 2-0-1 record in his maiden Ryder Cup appearance last fall. There was just one blank on the resume, a PGA TOUR title. That blank was filled in dramatic fashion Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open, as Scheffler delivered a 26-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, then watched Patrick Cantlay’s tying attempt slide just by. With a raucous contingent of fans cheering “Scottie! Scottie!” on a sun-kissed Sunday afternoon, Scheffler carded a final-round 67 in the penultimate pairing to post 16-under total, which proved enough for extra holes once Cantlay’s 10-foot birdie attempt at the 72nd hole burned the edge. The two matched pars on the first two playoff holes before Scheffler delivered a signature winning moment, punctuated by multiple fist pumps, a wave to the crowd and a high-five with caddie Ted Scott. The victory moves Scheffler to No. 4 on the FedExCup – 500 points accrued – as he continues to cement a place in golf’s legion of young stars. REVVING UP FOR RIVIERA Current FedExCup leader Hideki Matsuyama, along with the rest of the top 10 players in the world, is set to tee it up at storied Riviera Country Club for this season’s The Genesis Invitational. Max Homa looks to defend his hometown title after a dramatic playoff victory over Tony Finau a year ago. The invitational field will include Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay. Rory McIlroy makes his first start of 2022 on the PGA TOUR. This is the 59th time the George C. Thomas Jr./William P. Bell design will host The Genesis Invitational. Its compact design with primary rough of club-grabbing Kikuyu makes it a challenge for the best players in the world. Aaron Beverly is the 2022 recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption. Beverly was a celebrated college golfer and competes on the APGA Tour. 550 FedExCup points will be up for grabs come Sunday. FEEL-GOOD STORIES OF THE WEEK D.J. Gregory has been a fixture on the PGA TOUR since 2008. Gregory, who was born with cerebral palsy, attends more than 40 events each year and picks a player to follow each week. All told, he has covered more than 14,000 miles and raised more than $1 million for his Walking For Kids Foundation, predominantly through the donations of TOUR players like world No. 1 Jon Rahm. On Tuesday at TPC Scottsdale, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan surprised Gregory with the TOUR’s Courage Award, presented to a person who has overcome personal tragedy or debilitating injury or illness to make a meaningful contribution to the game. He became the first person to receive the award who is not a member of the PGA TOUR. “He’s captured a lot of hearts of us players — definitely mine,” Rahm said. Rahm was also part of another emotional moment last week. He met up with Phoenix Small, 14, a Shriners patient who was born with clubfoot, which Rahm was diagnosed with as a child. The two had an emotional initial meeting at the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale, then played the final three holes together. “I think I would have been a lot more nervous than he was,” Rahm said after the round. “He composed himself in such a great manner, it was incredible.” VIDEO OF THE WEEK Fans react to Sam Ryder’s incredible ace Saturday on the raucous par-3 16th hole in Phoenix. And not to be outdone, Carlos Ortiz followed it up with another ace on Sunday. MIC CHECK “I’m like, ‘Let’s just put that one away,’ and we kind of put it in a different pocket. There were a couple other balls in there and I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa.’ But we got the right one.” – Sam Ryder on making sure he and his caddie kept the ball from his ace on the 16th hole in a safe spot in his golf bag. BY THE NUMBERS 600 – Starts for Charles Howell III after competing at the WM Phoenix Open. He reflected on the impressive mark before missing the cut after rounds of 75-69 at TPC Scottsdale. 1 – Brandon Matthews secured his first Korn Ferry Tour win in dramatic fashion with an eagle on 18 at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard. 67 – Final-round score for Steve Stricker last season on his way to victory at the Chubb Classic. The PGA TOUR Champions returns this week to Naples, Florida, after nearly one month off. COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.

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