Inside Gary Woodland's switch to Cobra clubs

Viktor Hovland is looking to join the record books this week in Mexico as he tries to win the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba for an elusive third time in three years. The Norwegian is trying to become the 10th man to three-peat at an event since World War II. Seven of the previous nine men to three-peat are World Golf Hall of Famers. Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper, Tom Watson, Johnny Miller and Gene Littler are the Hall of Famers who have three-peated since World War II. Steve Stricker is the most recent to achieve back-to-back-to-back wins. He won the John Deere Classic in 2009-11. Hovland won the 2020 edition of the World Wide Technology Championship with a score of 20-under winning by a shot over Aaron Wise. Last year he shot a tournament-record 23-under and won by four. “It’s a special place. I loved it even before winning it two times,” Hovland said when asked about El Camaleón Golf Course. “It was the first time I played a PGA TOUR event. To come back here as a two-time champion is very special. Yeah, let’s see if I can add another one this week.” Hovland is the first of six players who will be looking to win the same event three years in a row. Sam Burns (Valspar Championship), K.H. Lee (AT&T Byron Nelson), Rory McIlroy (RBC Canadian Open and THE CJ CUP), Patrick Cantlay (BMW Championship) and Max Homa (Fortinet Championship) who will have to wait until next season. On 26 occasions, a player has won an event in at least three consecutive seasons. Eighteen men have accomplished the feat. Woods has achieved this feat six times, including two four-peats. This also includes two separate three-peats at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Three other players – Palmer, Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen – have won multiple events in at least three consecutive seasons (and, yes, the Miami Open and Miami Beach Opens are separate events). PLAYERS TO WIN AN EVENT IN 3+ CONSECUTIVE SEASONS FOUR IN A ROW Tom Morris, Jr., The Open Championship: 1868-70 (no event 1871), 1872 Walter Hagen, PGA Championship: 1924-1927 Gene Sarazen, Miami Open: 1927-1930 Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer Invitational: 2000-2003 Tiger Woods, Farmers Insurance Open: 2005-2008 THREE IN A ROW Jamie Anderson, The Open Championship: 1877-1879 Robert Ferguson, The Open Championship: 1880-1882 Willie Anderson, U.S. Open: 1903-1905 Walter Hagen, Metropolitan Open: 1916, 1919-1920* Gene Sarazen, Miami Beach Open: 1927-1929 Henry Picard, Tournament of the Gardens: 1935-37 Ralph Guldahl, Western Open: 1936-1938 Ben Hogan, Asheville Land of the Sky Open: 1940-1942 Gene Littler, Tournament of Champions: 1955-1957 Billy Casper, Portland Open: 1959-1961 Arnold Palmer, Texas Open: 1960-1962 Arnold Palmer, Phoenix Open: 1961-1963 Jack Nicklaus, Disney World Golf Classic: 1971-1973 Johnny Miller, Tucson Open: 1974-1976 Tom Watson, AT&T Byron Nelson: 1978-1980 Tiger Woods, Memorial Tournament: 1999-2001 Tiger Woods, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: 1999-2001 Stuart Appleby, Sentry Tournament of Champions: 2004-06 Tiger Woods, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: 2005-2007 Tiger Woods, WGC-Cadillac Championship: 2005-2007 Steve Stricker, John Deere Classic: 2009-2011

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For many over time, the physical withdrawal from the first major of the year has presented itself in the form of a 143-mile road trip to the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The RBC Heritage has followed the Masters all but once (2011) since Seve Ballesteros slipped on the green jacket a second time in 1983. Of all tournaments on the PGA TOUR schedule, no other pair contested consecutively at singular host sites have as long history as the duo occupying this familiar fortnight, but the world was robbed of both this year. The fanfare of the parade and cannon blast along the Calibogue Sound was silenced at the latter this week. The RBC Heritage launched four months after the United States landed on the moon for the first time in 1969. There have been 51 champions, 10 of whom are multiple-time winners. In the era as the soft landing after the Masters, 11 winners at Augusta National Golf Club have gone on to compete at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island. Given their success, it’s fair to wonder why more haven’t wanted to keep the rally rolling. Beginning with Bernhard Langer’s victory in 1985, as a group they’ve made 10 cuts with three top-10s and another six top-25s. With such a rich history of success, this all-time Power Rankings slots the top 15 and acknowledges five more who deserve attention. And yet, winners Jack Nicklaus (1975) and David Edwards (1993) didn’t make the cut. Craig Stadler also was omitted despite eight top-10s, including a T2 and three T5s. Gil Morgan and Ernie Els each posted seven top -0s with three podium finishes apiece. Even three-time runner-up David Frost (1988, 1993, 1995), his five top-10s and course-record 61 in 1994 didn’t generate enough consideration. ALL-TIME POWER RANKINGS: RBC HERITAGE 15. Tom Kite He was Luke Donald at Harbour Town before Luke Donald was Luke Donald at Harbour Town. Kite made 22 starts at Harbour Town and didn’t win, but he finished second (1984), T3, fourth and T5 (twice). Ten of his 17 career cuts made here were top-10s. 14. Luke Donald Five times the groomsman, including a playoff loss in 2011, and still not the groom. He also has a pair of T3s and sits second in all-time earnings at Harbour Town. 13. Nick Price Ekes into the ranking portion as the 1997 champion. Beginning with a solo third in 1992, he rung up all five of his top-10s in the span of six appearances. Cashed in each of his last 14 ending in 2006. 12. Bernhard Langer In addition to becoming the only Masters champion to capture victory at Harbour Town in consecutive weeks, he finished T3 twice and fourth once en route to 12 cuts made in 14 appearances. 11. Matt Kuchar It took him 11 starts to secure a plaid jacket in 2014, but he already had shown a liking to the course with two top-10s among four top-25s in the lead-up. Since, he’s added three top-10s, including a runner-up finish last year. 10. Greg Norman The 1988 champion also was a two-time runner-up (1986, 1994). Totaled five top-10s among 12 cuts made in 17 trips. Finished T22 the week after settling for second at the 1996 Masters. 9. Boo Weekley The most recent to successfully defend a title (2008) also has a T6 and another three top-25s. All told, he’s 12-for-12. He’s the only winner in tournament history who hasn’t missed a cut in at least seven appearances. 8. Hubert Green In 26 years on the PGA TOUR, he missed only three editions and picked off two victories (1976, 1978). He also banked a T9 and another four top-25s among 19 cuts made. 7. Stewart Cink Hasn’t missed an edition since winning as a tournament debutant in 2000, but he front-loaded his 15-for-20 record with another victory in 2004 and three more top-10s through 2008. 6. Fuzzy Zoeller Ten times a champion on the PGA TOUR, Harbour Town is the only site where he won more than once. Victories here in 1983 and 1986 headlined five top-10s. Added a T4-T3 burst in 1992-1993. 5. Payne Stewart After two forgettable results early in his career, he established himself as a regular with consecutive titles in 1989 and 1990. In another eight appearances, he added a T4 (1991) and T3 (1998) and a P2 (1999). 4. Jim Furyk His sterling record at Harbour Town includes two victories – the latter of which in 2015 is the most recent of 17 on the PGA TOUR – runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006 and another four top-10s. 3. Tom Watson Twice a winner (1979, 1982), including the last before the tournament transitioned to the week after the Masters. Also the runner-up in 1977. In all, he logged seven top-10s and another seven top-25s in 25 tries. His last career cut made (of 501) was a T72 here as a 65-year-old in 2015. 2. Hale Irwin The 20-time PGA TOUR winner collected his first, second and 20th career victories at Harbour Town, the last as a 48-year-old in 1994. He also finished second twice and added a T3, a T4 and a T5 en route to nine top 10s. His last of 16 top-25s was a T24 in his title defense and last appearance in 1995. Missed only two cuts in 26 career trips. 1. Davis Love III He’s done it all at Harbour Town, including successfully defending one of his five titles (1992) spanning 1987-2003. Also finished T2, T3, fourth and T5. Eleven top-10s among 23 cuts made in 30 trips. HONORABLE MENTIONS Johnny Miller Really? The Desert Fox? Yes, indeed. The regionally charged moniker disrespects his career as a whole. Piled onto the mountain of evidence is the fact that he was a two-time champion at Harbour Town (1972, 1974). Alas, he didn’t register another top-20 in another 11 trips. Arnold Palmer The first winner of the RBC Heritage (in 1969), and the only under par in that edition at 1-under 283, didn’t trail after any round. After a T3 in his title defense, he went 5th-T10-T14-T23 through 1975. Doug Tewell Prevailed here in 1980 for his first of four PGA TOUR titles. In 23 starts at Harbour Town, he logged four top-10s among seven top-25s. Impressive on its own but unremarkable compared to others excluded from special recognition here, his extra credit is the fact that he’s currently in a 10-way T23 with six consecutive cuts made on the PGA TOUR despite not competing in the last 15 years. Even better, his last two career cuts made (of 338) occurred at Harbour Town in 2002 (T68) and 2005 (73rd), the latter of which when he was 55 years of age. Aaron Baddeley Broke through for victory for the first time on the PGA TOUR here in 2006 and added a T2 in 2008. They were among four top-10s and seven top-25s, six of which consecutively through 2011. Lanny Wadkins Days before his 21st birthday in 1970, he debuted at Harbour Town with a runner-up finish … as an amateur. In a career that extended through 2005, he totaled 692 starts, 29 of which at the RBC Heritage. (As an active member of the PGA TOUR, he missed only the 1985 edition.) His commitment to the tournament didn’t yield a victory, but he added a third-place finish in 1991 and another four top-10s among 17 top-25s.

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LA QUINTA, Calif. – Jon Rahm will need another final-round comeback if he wants to win the Desert Classic for a second consecutive year. Rahm shot 68 at PGA West’s Stadium Course on Saturday. At 16-under 196 (66-66-68), he is six shots behind 54-hole leader Phil Mickelson. Rahm made eight birdies Saturday but also had two bogeys. “It was good,� Rahm said. “I would say it was a B, B-plus. … The first five holes is what cost me, going 1 over par on those holes, hitting it pretty good. It was the one part of the course that if I had shot 1 or 2 under like you can, it would have been a great round.� Rahm started his round with four consecutive pars before hitting his second shot on the par-5 fifth hole into the water and making bogey. He birdied his next two holes, though. The Stadium Course will host the Desert Classic’s final round Sunday. Large swings are possible on the water-lined fairways of the Pete Dye design, but Mickelson has just one over-par hole thus far this week. He made double-bogey in the second round after hitting his approach into the water on the Nicklaus Tournament Course’s 18th hole. Mickelson shot a bogey-free 66 at the Stadium Course on Saturday. “I’m going to need to play really well and I’m going to need the leaders to have a slow start, but anything can happen,� said Rahm, who’s 69th in the FedExCup standings. Southern California has been the site of Rahm’s two TOUR wins. He overcame a final-round deficit in each win, as well. Rahm was three behind when he started the final round of the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open. He won by three shots after shooting a 65 that included eagles on Torrey Pines’ two back-nine par-5s. He was two back after the first three rounds of last year’s Desert Classic. He shot 67 on Sunday, then beat Andrew Landry in a playoff.

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