Inside Scottie Scheffler’s winning putter switch in Phoenix

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Notes and observations from Saturday’s third round of the Greenbrier Classic where Sebastian Munoz set himself up for his first PGA TOUR win with a steady 2-under 68. The Colombian sits 14-under and leads by two over Robert Streb (65) at 12 under. Rookie Xander Schauffele (66) and former prodigy Jamie Lovemark (66) will also try to chase down a maiden PGA TOUR win from three back at 11-under. For more from Old White TPC check out the Daily Wrap. MUNOZ MOVIE NIGHTS Sebastian Munoz has turned off his phone and retreated to his room for 1980s movie nights as he tries to stem the nerves during his battle for a maiden PGA TOUR win at the Greenbrier Classic. The 23-year-old Colombian, who prior to this week had finished no higher than T27 on the TOUR and ranks 198th on the FedExCup, has led through all three rounds at the Old White TPC. His two-shot buffer over Robert Streb in his first 54-hole lead on TOUR and represents the chance to significantly change his life bringing with it significant nerves. Knowing his phone would be blowing up with well wishes and social media notifications he simply turned it off. “I am going to try to do the same thing. I’ve had my phone off since Thursday. We’re going to keep it that way,â€� he smiled as he explained how he kept a calm demeanor. After Thursday’s hot start Munoz retreated to his room to watch 1980s classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and after another good effort Friday kept the theme going by watching Rainman. Slightly superstitious he will once again find an 80s classic and is considering Top Gun for his Saturday night flick. As for tomorrow’s final round? He hopes keeping a simple game plan will allow him to continue on to victory. “I’ll try to play boring golf. I try to hit the fairway and hit the greens,â€� he said. “I’ll try to keep it steady, but you just take what you can get.â€� And he will try to continue to make putts. Munoz leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting at an incredible 9.181 through three rounds making 396’1â€� worth of putts. STREB SADDLES UP FOR REVENGE Two years ago Robert Streb had the chance to win the Greenbrier Classic, joining a four-man playoff for the title. Just getting there had been an impressive effort given he broke his putter at the turn on Sunday and putted with a wedge on the back nine that yielded five birdies. Ultimately, he was unable to get the win but the 2015 McGladrey Classic champion has the chance for revenge this week, starting Sunday just two back in second place. It’s a timely performance as he currently ranks 137th in the FedExCup. “I’m trying to put that aside and trying to just focus on winning here and see if we can play well,â€� Streb said. “Hopefully the points will take care of themselves.â€� Streb’s Saturday effort was highlighted by a brilliant hybrid out of the rough on the par-5 12th hole from 232-yards that almost went in the hole. The resulting eagle and round of 65 has him in great shape. “Maybe I left a couple out there coming in, but hopefully have a chance tomorrow,â€� he said. SHOT OF THE DAY ROOKIE XANDER READY TO ATTACK When Xander Schauffele nabbed a top-5 finish in just his second PGA TOUR event in the fall last year he was already liking his chances of a trip to the FedExCup Playoffs. With four made cuts out of the blocks in his rookie year the confidence was starting to certainly build. But then six missed cuts in the next eight starts followed and by the time he headed to the U.S. Open last month he had faded to 135th on the FedExCup list and was in danger of losing his card. The 23-year-old then surprised plenty by contending at Erin Hills, finishing in a tie for fifth, catapulting him back into the high confidence realm once more. Decent efforts at the Travelers Championship (T14) and the Quicken Loans National (T35) have moved him to 94th on the FedExCup list entering the Greenbrier Classic, virtually securing a Playoff berth. “Knowing that I have a job virtually taken care of for next year is a huge relief,â€� he said. “It frees me up to maybe go at a few more pins tomorrow. Really get aggressive at times and push for a win. “You can only do as much as you can with the swing and with putts. But if I can kind if keep this attitude, never know what can happen. “I don’t really know what’s going to go on with by body and how my mind works, but hopefully I can prepare for it properly.â€� CALL OF THE DAY   LOVE CHASES HISTORY Davis Love III will attempt to create history on Sunday as he looks to become the oldest winner on the PGA TOUR. A Life Member on the TOUR based on a minimum of 20 victories (21), Love III carded a third-round 2-under 68 and will enter the final round at T5, four strokes behind. A victory Sunday would come in Love’s 741st official PGA TOUR start at the age of 53 years, 2 months and 26 days breaking Sam Snead’s record of 52 years, 10 months and 8 days at the 1965 Wyndham Championship. Love would also set a record for most years between first and last victory on the TOUR (30 years, two months and 20 days since his first win at the 1987 RBC Heritage). “I don’t think much about age. I think I want to get out and compete. There is a reason why I keep having surgery and coming back and doing the rehab and trying to play,â€� he said. “I think I can play out here. I watch Vijay (Singh) go out there and pound balls and keep having a good finish here and there, keep making the FedExCup 125. I want to keep doing that. I want to keep staying out here and competing. “I’m just trying to hang in there. I feel like if I can make some putts I can still compete with them.â€� ODDS AND ENDS Jamie Lovemark (T3), in search of his first victory in his 113th PGA TOUR start, owns runner-up finishes at the 2009 Safeway Open and 2016 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The former prodigy admits there will be nerves but he’s excited about the prospect of a breakthrough win. “I think everyone feels more comfortable as time goes on. I’m 29; I’m getting kind of old. So hopefully get one of these someday soon,â€� he said. “Everyone is more nervous on Sunday. That’s fine. That’s why we play. Not a huge deal. Just got to take it slow and give myself a lot of decent looks and don’t be too aggressive going into the greens.â€� Defending champion Danny Lee (64-68-70) sits six back in a tie for 8th. After making the cut on the number (his first made cut in four tries at The Old White TPC), Phil Mickelson posted a 1-over 71 Saturday to fall to T61. Opening this week with rounds of 69-67, Greenbrier resident Bubba Watson (T67) struggled to a 5-over 75 Saturday, his first-over par score in 15 rounds at The Greenbrier Classic. Smylie Kaufman (T54) has a current streak of 258 consecutive holes without a three-putt. BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA Munoz needs just 9 more feet of putts in his final two holes to get to 400 feet of putts made this week😳😳😳 #isthatgood — Teryn Schaefer (@TerynS_PGATOUR) July 8, 2017 🔥 🔥 🔥@jsmunozgolf has the flat stick dialed in.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/b5jCY0GI8P — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2017 Missed green? No problem. Robert Streb (@therealstrebber) converts from 91’6″ on his opening hole. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/tovjnvg6yS — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2017

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MAMARONECK, N.Y. - The memories are not great. Tiger Woods shot 76-76 and missed the cut by three at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, but his head wasn't really in it. "I think it was just - I was not prepared to play and still dealing with the death of my dad," he said Tuesday. At the 120th U.S. Open at Winged Foot this week the questions will be about Woods' body, not his mind. In '06, he was just six weeks removed from the death of his father Earl. RELATED: Tee times for Rds. 1 & 2 | Nine things to know about Winged Foot | Looking back at wild finish in 2006 "Yeah, when I didn’t win the Masters that year, that was really tough to take because that was the last event my dad was ever going to watch me play," Woods said. "He passed not too long after that, and quite frankly, when I got ready for this event, I didn’t really put in the time. I didn’t really put in the practice, and consequently missed the cut pretty easily." Woods went on to win the Open Championship later that summer, sobbing on the shoulder of his caddie, Steve Williams, on the 18th green. But at Winged Foot? A month earlier? No. It wasn't happening. He made six bogeys and a double in the first round, three bogeys and two doubles in the second. He was there but not there. Not really. A lot has changed since, starting with the fact that Woods, 44, made just seven official starts last season due to mobility issues with his surgically fused back. One of those, the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP last October, turned into his 82nd PGA TOUR victory, but there was precious little else for the highlight reel. Woods had only one other top-10 finish last season, a T9 at the Farmers Insurance Open. He did not feel well enough to play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, which like Torrey Pines is one of his favorite courses on TOUR. He also missed The Honda Classic, his hometown tournament, and elected to sit out THE PLAYERS Championship (cancelled after one round anyway because of the pandemic). And when he came back along with everyone else in June? Meh. He finished T37 at the PGA Championship, T58 at THE NORTHERN TRUST, and T51 at the BMW Championship. "This year I really haven’t putted as well as I wanted to," Woods said, "and the times I did make a few swing mistakes, I missed it in the wrong spots. Consequently, I just didn’t have the right looks at it. I’ve compounded mistakes here and there that ended up not making me able to make pars or a birdie run, and consequently I haven’t put myself in contention to win events." Now he comes to Winged Foot, a course he also played at the 1997 PGA Championship, making history, of sorts. Woods and Phil Mickelson were paired together for the first time as professionals in the final round. Each shot 75 in the rain, each finished T29. (Davis Love III won.) In terms of difficulty, Woods ranks Winged Foot alongside Oakmont in Pennsylvania and notoriously nasty Open Championship venue Carnoustie. "The winning scores here have never traditionally been very low," Woods said. (Hale Irwin won the 1974 U.S. Open at Winged Foot at 7 over par; Geoff Ogilvy was 5 over in 2006.) "I don’t see that changing this week." The Memorial Tournament and BMW Championship brought especially hard conditions, but the rough at Winged Foot is something else entirely. Most players have said it will be impossible to advance the ball from the long stuff. Gary Woodland said he was practicing his chipping, his caddie tossing him balls, when they lost one and couldn't find it for five minutes. Marshalls, Woodland added, are going to be invaluable. Tuesday brought chilly temperatures, with Patrick Cantlay donning a ski hat and Woods wearing rain paints for warmth. He played nine holes with Presidents Cup partner Justin Thomas (they're also together for the first two rounds, along with PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa) and 2019 U.S. Amateur runner-up John Augenstein of Kentucky. The weekend forecast is for even cooler weather. "The golf course is going to be hard," said Woods. "It depends on how difficult they want to set up these pins, give us a chance at it. But with the forecast, it’s going to be difficult no matter what."

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