Inside Scottie Scheffler’s winning putter switch in Phoenix

Perspective needs a refocus. That is one of the many byproducts to the pandemic that has enveloped our world and created excruciating fear and pain. That view of the Waste Management Phoenix Open from two months ago, for instance. You likely have a vision of the enclosed stadium at the par-3 16th, the incomparable hijinks and one-of-a-kind merriment that generates layers of attention and entertainment. It is unique, it is loud, and it is dynamic. But right now, it is incumbent upon you to look at it differently. Perhaps refocus with a filter of the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley or any of the other four groups in dire need of help during this coronavirus crisis that were gifted charitable dollars to by what is at the heart and soul of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The Thunderbirds. They aren’t ever on that stage at No. 16, but they are somewhere far more important. Standing in the shadows, supporting of their community always, but especially in a time of urgent need. Like right now. “It highlights their generosity, that in this pandemic they’re thinking of others, thinking of those who need it most,� said Webb Simpson. Back on Feb. 2, Simpson defeated Tony Finau in a playoff, winning the WMPO with a closing rush of birdies. Simpson and Finau, and everyone else at TPC Scottsdale, were basked in sunshine that day, but nearly two months later we are all gripped by uncertainty. Simpson, however, is sure of this: “That I love the (Waste Management) Phoenix Open for many reasons.� Those reasons increased exponentially last week when it was announced that the Thunderbirds Council had approved a gift of $1 million to charities that had been severely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the initial gifts went to the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley, St. Mary’s Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul. The Thunderbirds followed up this week with donations to both the The Human Services Campus and Family Promise of Greater Phoenix. Impressive as the number is, it is even more so when you consider this: That this was “emergency community funding,� said Chance Cozby “and outside of the charitable funds that the Thunderbirds Charity will donate from the tournament. That giving is still to come.� Cozby, the Executive Director of the WMPO and “Big Chief� of the Thunderbirds, had announced weeks ago that this year’s tournament would generate $14 million to Arizona charities. That the Thunderbirds Council – which manages the Thunderbirds Charity – at its monthly meeting agreed to keep that number intact and earmark another $1 million in immediate emergency assistance adds yet another glowing chapter to the history of this philanthropic group that dates to 1937. But it was community need, not applause, that led the Thunderbirds Council to act. “People needed help, and as quickly as we could offer it,� said Cozby, who used the Boys and Girls Club as a shining example. “Many kids in the valley have parents who are considered to have ‘essential jobs.’ Maybe they’re firefighters or first-responders, but in any case, these kids need a place to go. It takes about $105,000 to keep the Boys and Girls Club open for a week, so that’s a lot of money.� Similarly, Cozby said The Human Services Campus feeds and nourishes the homeless in downtown Phoenix. That need takes on a greater urgency during a crisis and it registered with the Thunderbirds Council. Ditto the opportunity to purchase 32 mattresses for the Family Promise of Greater Phoenix charity. “When you look at all that has happened, we know we are fortunate because our tournament was played; it’s over,� said Cozby. “We can look in the rear-view mirror. It’s all so unbelievable.� But instead of resting on yet another annual success, Cozby, his WMPO team, and the Thunderbirds stepped up. The move to offer $1 million in emergency charitable funds deserves a standing ovation, but Cozby would prefer it ignite a spark in the philanthropic arenas and remind people that the PGA TOUR has surpassed the $3 billion mark in charitable giving. “We weren’t looking for recognition for this. We wanted zero,� Coxby said. “But we looked at it and thought if we could offer a feel-good story, maybe offer hope at a time when there hasn’t been much, then that would be worth it.� These are, he concedes, challenging days, unprecedented times. But Cozby is of brilliant golf pedigree and knows what the sport and the PGA TOUR are capable of. His father, Jerry, is a member of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame, a legendary club pro whose three sons – Cary, Craig, and Chance – all played at the University of Oklahoma and the quality and character run deep in this family. “I’ve always felt that the PGA TOUR was one of the best, if not the best, at using its platform to raise charitable dollars for the community,� said Cozby. “So, if (providing $1 million in emergency funds) inspires others to give more, then it’s a win for the game of golf in general.�

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As golf fans and fantasy gamers, we’ve been fortunate to witness live action and have fun with it for a month now. The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide already is the sixth tournament since play resumed after the three-month hiatus. It’s also the last stand-alone event with as few as 132 golfers until the FedExCup Playoffs. We’re about to embark on one of the busiest, most diverse and unprecedented runs of wall-to-wall PGA TOUR action in history. Consider that after next week’s full-field 3M Open, there’s a doubleheader, a major (PGA Championship), the conclusion of the regular season and the three-event Playoffs. That takes us through Labor Day. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks After an “offseason” that will last only two(!) days, the 2020-21 season will commence with the Safeway Open. Another major (U.S. Open) will follow, as will a full slate of stops until the weekend before Thanksgiving, including yet another major (Masters). Then, because of the massive shifting of events, the Mayakoba Golf Classic was moved to the week after Thanksgiving. You can view the fall portion of the 2020-21 season here. When consumed all at once, it makes the last five weeks feel tame. So, if you’ve yet to get on the horn – smartphones qualify, right? – to assemble your league for Draft Day, consider this a timely reminder. As noted in this space recently, the curtailed Segments 3 and 4 in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf serve as a soft open for rookie gamers. Consideration on how to ration starts takes a back seat to the general learning curve of the format. However, on the other end of the educational spectrum is the benefit that front-runners possess because starts for the most valuable talent work as a line of defense without as much worry about missing out. Now, because Segment 4 includes a World Golf Championship, a major and three Playoffs events, it presents as more challenging, but three of the six tournaments will not have a cut, so league leaders need only concern themselves realistically with leaderboard finishes for bonus points. It’ll become increasingly difficult for those of us in pursuit to gain ground in the final two, especially. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Bryson DeChambeau Dustin Johnson Rory McIlroy Jon Rahm Xander Schauffele You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Daniel Berger; Rickie Fowler; Viktor Hovland; Collin Morikawa; Ian Poulter; Patrick Reed; Webb Simpson; Justin Thomas; Gary Woodland Driving: Abraham Ancer; Daniel Berger; Paul Casey; Lucas Glover; Billy Horschel; Viktor Hovland; Hideki Matsuyama; Doc Redman; Webb Simpson; Kevin Streelman; Gary Woodland POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Jason Day … What to do, what to do. Punctuated the Workday Charity Open with a 67 to finish T7. It’s his best finish in 12 appearances at Muirfield Village. In fact, he had only one top 25 prior (T15, 2017). The performance was balanced, too, with the usual emphasis on his short game and putting. Could it be that he’s turned a corner? On one hand, while the results haven’t been impressive lately, he has connected 11 red numbers since the second round of the RBC Heritage. He’s also sleeping in his own bed this week, which didn’t hurt last week. Gamers in pursuit should consider stowing him on the bench just in case. And, obviously, as the co-narrative applies in these cases, surround him with more reliable value to survive the cut. DRAWS Brooks Koepka … He was a late entry after missing the cut on the number last week. While he returns to the same course, this week’s event has the look and the feel of a major. That’s all that matters. Daniel Berger … Makes his way back to Muirfield Village for the first time in four years, but his forgettable history here is irrelevant. Instead, this automatic green light has everything to do with how well he played both before and after the hiatus. He’s rested since a T3 at Harbour Town, which was his fifth consecutive top 10. Rickie Fowler … OK. While he’s logged just two top 25s after opening the restart with a pair of missed cuts, that’s something. It’s evidence that the swing changes are taking hold and yielding confidence. With a pair of runner-up finishes among four top 15s at the Memorial, he owns as solid a record as any contemporary non-winner of the tournament, so he knows the place and it’s been kind. He’s ideal in DFS and for chasers. Billy Horschel … Well, he passed the litmus test about which I wrote last week. That said, his tee-to-green game for the Workday was substandard, especially on a welcoming layout like Muirfield Village, but he more than made up for it on the greens en route to a share of seventh place. With three top 15s in the last five editions of the Memorial in which to tap, he connected with course history and easily earned the endorsement this week. Abraham Ancer … He’s been playing too well of late to ignore, and now that he’s come into his own at this level, we should expect something inside the top 55 for the first time in what is his third appearance at Muirfield Village. Matthew Wolff … Tremendous rebound candidate. Needless to say, I believe in him even after a disappointing debut at Muirfield Village last week. Despite the positivity in his rhetoric post-round on Sunday at Detroit Golf Club prior to it, it’s possible that the inability to close imparted a greater effect on him than he was able to withstand. He’ll be fine, and now he has two rounds of experience on the course. Paul Casey Matthew Fitzpatrick Sergio Garcia Kevin Kisner Matt Kuchar Joaquin Niemann Louis Oosthuizen Patrick Reed FADES Justin Rose … After teasing with a fantastic display of putting right out of the break at Colonial, where he placed T3, he overcame suspect work on the greens at Harbour Town to finish T14. For the optimistic, and with a doubleheader at Muirfield Village on tap, even a poor effort at TPC River Highlands could have been classified as a one-off, but he continued to slide, and even worse, at the Workday where he hit only 17 greens in regulation and still need 57 putts to complete 36 holes. Even contrarians must pause. Jordan Spieth … Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us X-number of times, well, you lose our trust. Muirfield Village presents as a soft landing to work on his game off the tee, but his inaccuracy continues to apply pressure on his approach game, and he’s just not giving himself enough chances to score. Ignore his course success as a predictive component until further notice. Ryan Moore … With a sparkling record at Muirfield Village, he deserves at least fractional ownership in DFS, but he’s 0-for-3 in the restart and he limped into the hiatus as it was. Brandt Snedeker … New week, same message. With last week’s missed cut, he’s now a combined 0-for-7 at Muirfield Village. Byeong Hun An … Since 2016, he’s finished no worse than T25 (2017) at the Memorial. He also lost in a playoff in 2018. That track record aligns with his profile as a long hitter with a nice touch around greens, but the 28-year-old either hasn’t been able to go low enough or even avoid big numbers since the break. Trap. Charles Howell III Phil Mickelson Cameron Smith Bubba Watson Bernd Wiesberger RETURNING TO COMPETITION Kevin Na … His chronic back injury forced him to walk off Detroit Golf Club during the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic two weeks ago. He finished fifth at the Travelers the week prior. Lost in a playoff at the 2014 Memorial and finished T13 the following year. They’re his only notable performances in eight trips, but he’s exactly the kind of swing for the fence in whom chasers need to reply to make a dent. League leaders can’t risk touching him in short-term formats. Harris English … He had planned on competing in Detroit, but he tested positive for COVID-19 and has rested since. He’s built for Muirfield Village where he finished T18 in his last visit in 2015, so DFSers should be all over him. Tyrrell Hatton (wrist surgery), Daniel Berger (wrist injury), Bryson DeChambeau (transformed physique) and Collin Morikawa (first missed cut) all have overcome degrees of challenge to win recent PGA TOUR events, so it only makes sense that someone who has had to sit out due to COVID-19 will be the first to prevail. Wyndham Clark … He stumbled out of the gates of the restart, and then withdrew during his first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic with a sore back. Now making his Muirfield Village debut. NOTABLE WDs Bill Haas … Currently 203rd in the FedExCup, but he’s assured of no worse than conditional status for 2020-21. His fantasy value is marginal at best, but it’s curious to wonder if he’s considering burning a career earnings exemption (he’s currently 39th all-time). Just 38 years of age, he’s younger than the average usage, but with what’s set up to be a beefier season, the Geoff Ogilvy argument rushes to mind. The Aussie used his career earnings exemption in his age-40 season of 2016-17. His philosophy was that he’ll be more competitive at a younger age. Lo and behold, after a two-season hiatus from qualifying for the Playoffs, Ogilvy returned and finished 108th. Padraig Harrington … Also withdrew early from the Rocket Mortgage Classic. No change to my advice pertaining to him as shared in the Fantasy Insider for that event. Tom Lehman … He was eligible as the 1994 champ. Because winners of the Memorial before 1997 are add-ons, they are not replaced if they withdraw early. So, when he stepped out, the field dropped to 132 and cannot increase. POWER RANKINGS RECAP – WORKDAY CHARITY OPEN Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Hideki Matsuyama T22 2 Justin Rose MC 3 Patrick Cantlay T7 4 Justin Thomas P2 5 Brooks Koepka MC 6 Gary Woodland T5 7 Xander Schauffele T14 8 Matthew Wolff MC 9 Matt Kuchar T39 10 Viktor Hovland 3rd 11 Rickie Fowler T22 12 Kevin Streelman T7 13 Cameron Champ 67th 14 Marc Leishman MC 15 Jon Rahm T27 Wild Card Patrick Reed T39 SLEEPERS RECAP – WORKDAY CHARITY OPEN Golfer Result Adam Long T52 Henrik Norlander T31 Kyle Stanley MC Cameron Tringale MC Richy Werenski T35 BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR July 14 … Michael Kim (27) July 15 … none July 16 … Adam Scott (40) July 17 … none July 18 … Brendon de Jonge (40) July 19 … none July 20 … none

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Through two rounds at The Open Championship, Cameron Smith leads by two strokes, highlighted by an 8-under 64 in Friday’s second round. But there are plenty of top players right behind him, which will make for a great weekend of live golf betting. There are plenty of options this weekend for golf betting at the BetMGM online sportsbook, including some special prop bets for some leaders heading into Saturday’s third round. Smith (-13) leads Cameron Young (-11) by two shots and then Rory McIlroy (-10) and Viktor Hovland (-10) by three shots. Meanwhile, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (-8) sits five shots back after back-to-back 68s. Let’s break down the numbers on the props to see if there’s value to be found. Birdie the first hole: Rory McIlroy (+275), Cameron Smith (+275), Scottie Scheffler (+275) The par-4 first hole played slightly over par in the first two rounds, yielding 55 birdies to 37 bogeys and 45 scores of double-bogey or worse. Specific to the three players, McIlroy and Smith made one birdie against one par on the hole in the first two rounds, while Scheffler made a bogey in Friday’s second round after making par on Thursday. To shoot 68 or lower: Rory McIlroy (+110), Scottie Scheffler (+120), Cameron Smith (+130) Shooting 68 or lower means going 4-under or better at St. Andrews. All three players have done this through the first two rounds so far this week. In third-round scoring this year, Smith and Scheffler have the advantage over McIlroy. Scheffler ranks third on TOUR this year in third-round scoring, Smith is eighth and McIlroy is 115th. To make an eagle: Rory McIlroy (+900), Cameron Smith (+900), Scottie Scheffler (+900) With only two par-5s at St. Andrews, there are limited eagle chances. Some of par-4s are drivable depending on wind direction, but the par-5 fifth hole and par-5 14th hole will be the best opportunity. There have been 26 eagles in the first two rounds, 12 of which came on the fifth and 14th holes. Smith is the only one of the three players to make an eagle this week (14th hole on Friday). 6 or more birdies/eagles: Rory McIlroy (+100), Scottie Scheffler (+105), Cameron Smith (+110) McIlroy and Smith have accomplished this in both rounds this week, while Scheffler has made five birdies/eagles to one bogey in both of his rounds. For the year, all three players rank high in birdies per round. Smith ranks second (4.7), Scheffler third (4.66), and McIlroy sixth (4.39). Bogey free: Rory McIlroy (+900), Scottie Scheffler (+1000), Cameron Smith (+1100) Smith is the only player of the three to have a bogey-free round this week, which came on Friday. Scheffler has made one each day, while McIlroy made one Thursday and two on Friday. In bogey avoidance this year, Scheffler is 18th, McIlroy 24th, and Smith T-57th. * Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM is available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada.

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