IMG ARENA announces partnership with BetMGM for the Golf Event Centre

Conrad Shindler hadn’t competed on the PGA TOUR since fall 2019, but as he prepared to compete in Monday’s qualifier for the AT&T Byron Nelson in his home Dallas metroplex, he had some factors in his favor. The avid hockey fan had plans to attend his beloved Dallas Stars’ NHL playoff game against Calgary on Monday evening, providing an extra layer of motivation for his qualifying round at Hurricane Creek CC. He also had a major champion on the bag, good friend and 2004 Open Championship winner Todd Hamilton. Shindler carded 6-under 66 in his qualifying round, good for a spot in a 4-for-3 playoff for the final three of four available spots in this week’s field at TPC Craig Ranch. (Wesley Bryan carded 8-under 64 to comfortably earn the first spot.) Shindler survived the playoff, as did Kyle Wilshire and Andrew Loupe. The odd man out was Austin Eckroat. “Always nice to play at home, sleep in your own bed,” said an appreciative Shindler, when thinking about what the week would mean to him and wife Theresa. “We’ve got a 5-month-old … little emotional. Been here before, but excited to have him and do this. So excited. “Just proud. It’s been a trying three years since I was on TOUR in 2018, fought hard, had a lot of close calls. But it’s nice to be back under the big lights and give it a go.” In all, 73 players competed for four spots in this week’s field. For all scores from Hurricane Creek CC, click here. Here’s a capsule look at the four Monday qualifiers for this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson … Wesley Bryan (64) Age: 32 Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina Alma mater: University of South Carolina PGA TOUR starts: 86 Cuts made: 49 Best PGA TOUR finish: Win; 2017 RBC Heritage Notes: Holds past champion TOUR status via his 2017 victory at Harbour Town as a rookie … Has made 11 TOUR starts in 2021-22, highlighted by a T15 at the Corales Puntacana Championship in March … Began 2021-22 season on medical extension due to wrist injury, but was unable to fulfill terms of extension in six starts (concluding at Valspar Championship in March). Has made five starts since, via a combination of categories … 2016 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year; won three times that season to secure an automatic Three-Victory Promotion to the TOUR … Prior to earning Korn Ferry Tour membership, built a social media following with brother George via “Bryan Bros” video content that showcased trick shots and various antics around the game of golf … Avid fan of musician Justin Bieber. Conrad Shindler (66; advanced through 4-for-3 playoff) Age: 33 Hometown: Dallas, Texas Alma mater: Texas A&M PGA TOUR starts: 23 Cuts made: 10 Best PGA TOUR finish: T15; 2018 Barbasol Championship Notes: Held 2017-18 PGA TOUR membership after earning TOUR card via 2017 Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season … Won Korn Ferry Tour’s 2017 Rex Hospital Open outside Raleigh, North Carolina … Close friends with 2004 Open Championship winner Todd Hamilton, who caddied for Shindler in Monday’s successful qualifying effort. Hamilton also caddied for Shindler at Final Stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in 2016 … Avid Dallas Stars (NHL) fan; planned to attend Stars playoff game Monday evening after qualifier … Set for first PGA TOUR start since 2019 A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier. Kyle Wilshire (66; advanced through 4-for-3 playoff) Age: 29 Hometown: Georgetown, Kentucky Alma mater: University of Central Florida PGA TOUR starts: 2 Cuts made: 1 Best PGA TOUR finish: T62; 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship Notes: Successful Monday qualifier for third TOUR event of 2021-22 season; also qualified for Butterfield Bermuda Championship and The RSM Classic last fall … Played 2017 season on Korn Ferry Tour, making 10 cuts in 22 starts, highlighted by a T38 at the Corales Puntacana Championship … Opened with rounds of 64-62 at 2017 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank on Korn Ferry Tour … Has undergone multiple knee surgeries as he continues to chase his dreams … Has worked as a trash porter to help make ends meet in professional golf … Helped lead Central Florida to NCAA Championship appearances in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Andrew Loupe (66; advanced through 4-for-3 playoff) Age: 33 Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Alma mater: LSU PGA TOUR starts: 94 Cuts made: 34 Best PGA TOUR finish: T3; 2016 The American Express Notes: Set for first TOUR start since 2021 Barbasol Championship, where he finished 74th … Played four consecutive full seasons on TOUR from 2013-14 to 2016-17. Best FedExCup showing came in 2015-16, where he recorded six top-25 finishes in 27 starts and qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs … Won 2015 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship as part of Korn Ferry Tour Finals, regaining his TOUR membership in the process … As a high school athlete, twice earned all-state honors in basketball and was invited to the Louisiana All-Star game (didn’t play due to injury).

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Cantlay wins first PGA Tour title in playoff

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The most striking part of Brooks Koepka’s win at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES last week was his ability to recognize the importance of the moments down the stretch and execute under that pressure. Gary Woodland threw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at Koepka, but he stepped up and swatted away each challenge like he was a script writer in Hollywood with a flair for the dramatic. Woodland made a long putt across the length of a green. Koepka answered immediately. Woodland just miscued slightly. Koepka turned a missed green into a chip in. It was the greatest takeaway from his win at the PGA Championship also — how seemingly effortlessly he absorbed the pressure of a Tiger Woods Sunday charge. And not just any charge, but one at the time that saw virtually the entire world tune it to witness what they hoped to be an ultimate comeback story. No disrespect to Brooks, but of the three men in contention at Bellerive he may have been the least supported that day. It wasn’t because he didn’t deserve it, or because he isn’t a phenomenal player. Just because he’d recently won the U.S. Open, and the fairytale of either a Woods comeback win or an Adam Scott resurgence the week he had lost good friend Jarrod Lyle to cancer may have played better in those Hollywood scripts mentioned above. There is no doubt Koepka felt the groundswell of support shifting from him that day. Yet — he was able to absorb it all and fire the killer blows under the gun. His long-iron into the lengthy par-3 16th was as good as it gets under the pump. And so the question is — how does one manage to do this? How can you find a way not to let a flood of endorphins and increased heart rate affect you? How can you block out negative consequences from your thoughts? “There’s always a moment where you feel, if I make this or if I do this, this is going to cap it and you’re going to win,â€� PGA TOUR Player of the Year Koepka said. “Those are when it’s fun, like I enjoy that. I look forward to that shot. I look forward to that feeling of, ‘Hey, I’ve got the opportunity to really close it out here and that’s what I want to do.’â€� That is the difference between a really good player and an elite one. Koepka wants the moment. He craves it. It’s like the quarterback who wants to run the two-minute drill to win a game. Or the soccer player who wants the penalty kick to be the deciding one. The pitcher who wants to come out with the bases loaded and the World Series on the line. “Maybe I give it a little more attention or whatever it might be,â€� Koepka said. “But I just know that that’s going to be a momentum shift in my favor if I can get it to go. “To me, it kind of feels like life or death. Like, okay, this is what I have got to do if I want to win a golf tournament. If you’re not going to embrace it and enjoy it, enjoy that moment, then I don’t think you’re ever going to capitalize on those moments.â€� Neale Smith, a former PGA TOUR player now sports psychologist, advises his clients to find the sweet spot of these moments. “Every golf psychologist will tell the client to focus on one shot at a time but we also know there are certain shots that are key shots in a round and they have a higher psychological weight on them,â€� Smith said. “It is in these moments where an ability to really be intense with focus, without tightening up, is a real art form. “Some guys get tense. Others don’t get the focus up high enough. The superstars on the PGA TOUR are the ones with the physical and mental skills who will work hard at both.â€� Smith said when a player feels the juices flowing in a clutch moment they need to embrace it. It is something they’ve deserved. It is in this mental state you can achieve great things. “Feeling anxious or nervous … players should feel like I’ve earned the right to get nervous,â€� he said. “Sitting T66 on Sunday is not getting the juices flowing so when you get into contention you better embrace it because you’ve earned the excitement. “When you have that you can do really special things physically and mentally. You can do things beyond the normal. We see this from elite players often.â€� FedExCup champion Justin Rose — who this week defends his title at the World Golf Championships–HSBC Champions — tries to ignore the ramifications of each shot in his mental approach. A year ago he started eight shots off the lead on Sunday, yet was able to reel in a faltering Dustin Johnson, and then more importantly stay in control when he went from a relatively pressure free environment to having plenty on his shoulders. For Rose, the Shanghai win came because he kept the free-flowing process going all day. He didn’t succumb to the tenseness of finding an unexpected lead. He recognized the moment but was able to execute as if it wasn’t really there. “For me, it’s about freeing it up,â€� Rose said. “I think trying harder is the opposite for me. It’s becoming in the moment, just freeing it up. That’s the best way I can describe it: Releasing the putter head, flowing everything, great rhythm. “It’s sort of not trying to over-control the result, because I think when you do that, you generally tighten up and it doesn’t go your way. It’s kind of trusting yourself and trusting that your commitment and execution is going to take you to the finish line.â€� Marc Leishman, winner of the CIMB Classic just two weeks ago, said it is all about knowing yourself on an intimate level. First you have to want those moments. Then you have to learn from them, study them, when they happen because they cannot be replicated in practice. “It helps having been there before,â€� Leishman said. “Knowing how your body reacts. Knowing you. It doesn’t matter how Tiger, Justin or DJ do things, it is knowing your body and how you react. “You need to live it to understand it. For me it is most important to breath properly. It becomes the only thing I think about. You trust the practice you are doing is the right things and you hope you’ve done enough to ingrain it in your body. “Anyone on TOUR can play great golf when they are comfortable. But it is more important to have a method when you’re uncomfortable.â€� You can be sure this week’s winner — and the trophy holders throughout the remainder of the season — will face the uncomfortable moments. The thing is, they’ll be ready for it. 

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