Jack Nicklaus praises Tiger Woods for Trump comments

Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the Genesis Open that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Walk of Fame Bubba Watson played the back nine three-under-par 33 to post 12-under-par 272 to win the Genesis Open by two shots over Kevin Na and Tony Finau at The Riviera Country Club. The left-handed, 39-year old picks up his third win at the Genesis Open (2014, 2016 and 2018) and joins legends MacDonald Smith (4), Lloyd Mangrum (4) and Ben Hogan (3) as the most decorated winners at this event since its inception in 1926. Watson picks up his 10th win on TOUR but first since his second triumph here in 2016. Watson, who said after the round he contemplated retirement multiple times over the last year, played fantastically again on a course he loves. He’s 42-under-par in his three wins with 11 of the 12 rounds in red figures (the 12th round is even par for a stroke average of 70.03). His “worst” finish in seven weekends in Pacific Palisades is T17. He was excellent in all phases of the game and throughout all of the clubs in his bag. He checked in T21 or better in all of the strokes-gained categories with tee-to-green his best of the bunch (2nd). He only made eight bogeys on the week (6th-best total) and circled 20 birdies (2nd most) and one eagle. Moving forward, Watson said he would re-evaluate his professional goals once he picked up win No. 10. After winning just over $1.2 million last season, gamers who invested in him have already been rewarded. Weekly players will need to circle the Masters and the Travelers for later in the season. Sorry if you were on board earlier at Farmers Insurance Open and Waste Management Phoenix Open when he didn’t fire on courses he’s played well. Gamers’ Choices — PGA TOUR Fantasy Game presented by SERVPRO Everything always looks sooooooo good on Wednesday night! This list would have been even worse if not for big Sunday rounds from Mickelson and Spieth. Pro gamers will remind all of us there’s a reason they count all 72 holes. Gamers’ Choices — PGA TOUR One & Done presented by SERVPRO It was a big week for those who chose not to fade Johnson. He’ll be on the radar in two weeks as he defends at the WGC-Mexico Championship and will also defend at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. The Mickelson backers will lament T6 but they shouldn’t! Read more on Mickelson below. Close Encounters Diamond Bar, California, native Kevin Na continued a streak of all-or-Nada at Riviera. He’s 21-under-par the last two years and has cashed for T4 in 2017 and T2 this year. He missed the cut in three of the four years prior. … Tony Finau joined Na and Cameron Smith (T6) for collecting the least amount of bogeys on the week with six. Finau collects his third top 10 of the season with all of those paydays coming in California. He was second at the Safeway Open and T6 at Torrey Pines. Noted. Not Stalling Out Scott Stallings posted the co-lowest round last Sunday at Pebble Beach and rode that momentum this week at Riviera. He posted a trio of 68’s to end the week and pick up his best finish on TOUR (T4) since last July. He improved on his T23 in Phoenix and solo seventh last week. He’s in the field at The Honda Classic. Full-Phil-ling Expectations Mickelson (T6) continued his excellent play on with his third-consecutive top-10 finish for the first time since 2009. This lefty now has four top-10 finishes in six weekends this season. Like Finau, three have been in California but he also added T5 at TPC Scottsdale. He was pleased with his play but is taking next week off before heading back to more kikuyu grass in Mexico City in two weeks. He said he’s pleased with his putting and driving but needs a break mentally and physically. It was interesting to hear him say that he feels he needs to win before Augusta, as he doesn’t want to go there with that streak hanging over him. Sneaking in the Back Door Gamers invested in Adam Hadwin this week went through the entire gamut of emotions. Hadwin matched his Saturday 66 with another one on Sunday, the lowest of the final round, to move him up 14 more places and into the top 10 (T6). That’s four years in a row T34 or better here. … Spieth also repaid the faith of those on board this week as each round improved (71-70-69-67) over the four days. His 67 on Sunday was the second-best round and vaulted him up 11 spots into the top 10. Sunday Silence After a noisy Saturday with 64, Dustin Johnson couldn’t pull a “Bubba Watson” with 64-64 to steal the event on Sunday. The world’s No. 1 player added two more doubles to his card and any dreams of a comeback were doused. … Rory McIlroy’s 68 on Sunday moved him up 22 spots to T20. He only made 12 birdies on the week (T50) and that wasn’t going to be enough to factor. I’m not sure I’ll be starting him on Poa annua any time soon after these last two weeks. Study Hall Kiradech Aphibarnrat won the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth last week and he’s in the field at The Honda Classic. … Joost Luiten won the inaugural NBO Oman Open on the European Tour. … Joe Durant won the Chubb Classic in Naples by four shots on the PGA TOUR Champions. … Patrick Rodgers finished in the top 30 for the second week in a row (T26). … Graeme McDowell faded from T3 to T26 with 77 but he’s been in the mix at PGA National recently. … Alex Noren added T16 this week to P2 at Torrey Pines to reinforce he plays difficult courses well. He’s also in the field at The Honda Classic. … Martin Laird’s T9 was his third-consecutive check of T11 or better at the Genesis Open.

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AUSTIN, Texas — It’s time to shuffle up and deal. With the Round of 16 set at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, PGATOUR.COM’s Jonathan Wall ranked the 16 players left in the field based on current form and how they’ve fared after three days of play at Austin Country Club.  1. Alex Noren, Sweden: Last year’s quarterfinalist has trailed for just two of the 48 holes he’s played this week. Took out an in-form Tony Finau by making big putts down the stretch, including a 14-footer on the last to close it out. Leads the field in strokes gained: putting and has recorded just one bogey this week. Don’t forget he already has a runner-up (Farmers Insurance Open) and third-place (The Honda Classic) finish this year.  Next opponent: Patrick Reed.  2. Justin Thomas, USA: Looks like a completely different player after only winning one match the last two years. Hasn’t trailed this week in 48 holes and has form on his side with a win and runner-up finish in his last two starts. Match play is a different beast, but Thomas hasn’t skipped a beat this season.  Next opponent: Si Woo Kim 3. Patrick Reed, USA: Reed’s match play pedigree alone is enough to rank him inside the top-3. Went undefeated in group play and downed Jordan Spieth to make the knockout stage. Hasn’t advanced beyond the Round of 16 since the event went to a round-robin format in 2015, but he’s peaking at the right time.  Next opponent: Alex Noren.  4. Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thailand: Looks right at home in his second appearance and has only trailed for one hole (out of 49) this week. Was victorious earlier this year at the World Super 6 Perth that features a match play final round. Defeated last year’s Match Play runner-up Jon Rahm to advance.  Next opponent: Charles Howell III 5. Ian Poulter, England: Thrives on the pressure of match play. Poulter’s return to the Odyssey mallet he used to win the 2016 Ryder Cup has fueled an impressive run that’s seen him win all three of his matches before the 18th hole.  Next opponent: Louis Oosthuizen 6. Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa: The 2016 runner-up advances to the knockout stage for the third time in four years. Ranks sixth this week in strokes gained: putting while recording 15 birdies. Made it through a tough group that included Jason Day, Jason Dufner and James Hahn.  Next opponent: Ian Poulter 7. Sergio Garcia, Spain: Has embraced the windy conditions at Austin Country Club. Leads the field in birdies (18) and ranks second in strokes gained: off the tee. Posted a spotless 3-0-0 record despite trailing after nine holes in all three matches.  Next opponent: Kyle Stanley 8. Bubba Watson, USA: Moves on to the knockout stage for the second straight year. Battled from 2-down with three holes to play to earn a halve against Julian Suri to advance. Game seems to be clicking on all cylinders since his Genesis Open win. Has the creativity to deal with the blustery conditions.  Next opponent: Brian Harman 9. Matt Kuchar, USA: Kuchar needed just 14 holes to defeat Ross Fisher on Friday in a must-win situation. Qualified for the knockout stage for the second time in the last three years. Only player in the field who recorded a hole-in-one this week.  Next opponent: Kevin Kisner 10. Charles Howell III: Ended all three matches before the 18th hole while going 3-0-0 in a group that included Phil Mickelson and Rafa Cabrera Bello. Second consecutive year he’s made the Round of 16 despite recording just eight birdies.  Next opponent: Kiradech Aphibarnrat 11. Si Woo Kim, Korea: THE PLAYERS Championship winner gets a red-hot Justin Thomas after getting through Group 15. Tends to play well on Pete Dye golf courses. Has yet to trail in the 51 holes he’s played. Recorded 15 birdies so far this week.  Next opponent: Justin Thomas 12. Cameron Smith, Australia: Smith has gone the distance in all three of his matches this week. Made it out of the group stage in his first Match Play appearance. Next opponent: Tyrrell Hatton 13. Kevin Kisner, USA: Trailed for just two holes in the three matches he’s played. Ranks fourth in driving accuracy. Defeated Dustin Johnson to move to the next round.  Next opponent: Matt Kuchar 14. Brian Harman, USA: Defeated Rory McIlroy to make the Round of 16 in his first Match Play start. Faces another fellow left-hander in Bubba Watson.  Next opponent: Bubba Watson 15. Kyle Stanley, USA: Two of his three matches went the distance. One of the best ball-strikers on the PGA TOUR, Stanley has the game to give Sergio Garcia a tough match.  Next opponent: Sergio Garcia 16. Tyrrell Hatton, USA: Recorded the fewest birdies (6) of any player who advanced. Managed to move on despite leading for only four holes (out of 32) in his last two matches.  Next opponent: Cameron Smith THREE MATCHES TO WATCH Alex Noren, Sweden vs. Patrick Reed, USA Based on the way Noren and Reed have played, this feels like a championship match. Both moved their way through group play without losing a match and have been making big putts when it counts. Expect a tightly contested battle that likely goes down to the last hole.  Bubba Watson, USA vs. Brian Harman, USA The former Georgia Bulldogs square off in a match between the only left-handed players remaining in the field. Harman comes in with six top 10s in his last 10 starts while Watson recorded a win last month at the Genesis Open. Given their current form, it’s difficult to pick a favorite between these two. Watson obviously has the length advantage, but Harman was able to take out Rory McIlroy on Friday with relative ease.  Justin Thomas, USA vs. Si Woo Kim, Korea Neither player has trailed at any point this week, so something has to give. Thomas is playing like the second-ranked player in the world this week and disposed of Francesco Molinari without breaking a sweat during their winner-take-all match. Kim has the game to hang with Thomas, but he’ll need to make sure it stays tight on the front nine. If Kim has something going for him, it’s that he seems to play his best golf on Pete Dye courses. 

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It happens all the time. Even now, a year later, someone in the gallery will yell, “I got thisâ€� – just like Amy Bockerstette did that day — before Gary Woodland hits a shot. Or a fan, often on the verge of tears, will seek him out after a round to tell him about the confidence their child with special needs gained from watching Amy, who has Down syndrome, play – and par — the famed 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during last year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open pro-am. “She’s touched a lot of people,â€� says Woodland, who will reunite with Amy on Wednesday. “I was very fortunate to be there with her and experience that with her that day. I have grown people come up and when I started talking to them, they start crying from that impact that I was there with her. “I mean, I didn’t do anything besides be supportive and have a great time with a special, special person. Amy’s obviously had a huge impact on my life and it’s nice to continue to stay in contact with her. The world needs more of Amy.â€� That’s exactly what Ben Cole and Steve Anthony thought when they saw the now-famous video clip that went viral – it now has more than 44 million views and made the national news and ESPN – last year. The two were planning a golf tournament to raise money for Special Olympics in Fort Scott, Kansas. “And so, Steve says to me, he goes, ‘you know how awesome it would be if we could get her to come to our tournament?’â€� Cole recalls. “I said, ‘Yeah, good luck with that. How will we ever pull that off?’â€� Related: Amy inspires Woodland | Amazing Amy changing lives on and off the course Anthony went on Facebook and started corresponding with Amy’s mother, Jenny. But Fort Scott is 1,200 miles from Phoenix – about 18 ½ hours by car – and the distance was daunting. Could she at least send an autographed photo for a raffle, Anthony asked, and Jenny said, of course. In the meantime, as Cole and Anthony spoke with potential tournament sponsors, they found one, a local printing company called Ward-Kraft, that had a private jet. The company offered to let the tournament use the plane to pick up the Bockerstette family after Amy played in the North American Special Olympic Games in Nashville, Tennessee. When the plane landed in Fort Scott, a town of 7,000 that is 88 miles south of Kansas City, Amy was given the key to the city. Cole, who is the town’s Undersheriff gathered other law enforcement officers to witness Amy being sworn in as an honorary deputy, complete with her own badge. People, many of whom were clients of the Tri Valley Development Services for people with developmental disabilities, were waiting at the airport with high-fives and signs to welcome her. A local car dealership gave the Bockerstettes an SUV to drive during their visit and the Sleep Inn offered them complimentary rooms for two nights. “She’s basically an icon here,â€� Cole says with a chuckle. He had hot-pink t-shirts made for his foursome with the Special Olympics logo and Team Amy on the front and “#I Got Thisâ€� on the back. In part due to Amy’s participation, the second annual Golf Scramble to benefit Special Olympics Kansas sponsored by the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office was a huge success, raising just under $25,000. The previous year, the tournament had made $15,000. “It was an awesome day,â€� Cole says. “I get goosebumps and you’ll hear my voice started cracking every time I talk about it.â€� Woodland donated a signed U.S. Open pin flag while his equipment sponsor, Wilson, offered a new set of irons for the raffle. Kansas City native Tom Watson sent memorabilia and Jack Nicklaus gave them a signed scorecard from the 1986 Masters. The resourceful Cole and Anthony bought a golf cart for $900 and had it professionally painted and outfitted with new tires and a battery – all donated — for the raffle, too. Amy, though, was the star of the event. “She drove around and said hi to all the players and she’d stop and play a hole with them,â€� Cole says. “A lot of the players let her putt for them, or they’d say, ‘Hey Amy, you hit this shot for me.’â€� And she’ll be back for the third annual event on Aug. 29. On New Year’s Day, Amy made a video saying how much she missed Fort Scott and that she was looking forward to the tournament. Cole posted it “to let everyone know that Amy’s coming back.” “The town has just erupted,â€� Cole says. Within two days after registration opened for the tournament, 60 teams – nearly double the previous year – had entered, including some from as far as three hours away. “All of our golf friends and stuff are like, ‘hey, I see that Amy’s coming back, make sure I get in that golf tournament’,â€� Cole says. “Don’t forget me this year.â€� He and Amy have stayed in touch since the tournament, much as the 21-year-old – who plays golf at Paradise Valley Junior College and is the first person with Down syndrome to receive an athletic scholarship – does with Woodland. Cole said he was immediately drawn to her. He and Anthony even attended her birthday party last October where the family launched the I Got This Foundation. “That’s just the type of person she is, I don’t think she’s ever met a stranger,â€� Cole says. “Yeah, I don’t think she’s ever met a stranger. And I think that we have something in common. She loves golf and we do, too. I just thought it was awesome that she went out on No. 16 and she was able to par it.   “I hadn’t met her, but her outlook on life, her smiles, her waving to the crowd. I don’t think it wouldn’t have mattered if she would have birdied it or bogeyed it. She was having fun and her outlook on life is, ‘I’m going to live my life to the fullest I can, regardless of what disabilities I have.’â€�

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