Janzen wins Tour Champions event in playoff

The new Titleist U-500 and U-510 utility irons, which were first spotted by PGATOUR.COM at the Memorial Tournament in May and put it play by a slew of TOUR pros including Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Jimmy Walker, officially have a retail release date set. Titleist has also revealed information about the new designs ahead of the release. The two new utility irons from Titleist are designed to expand the arsenal of shots at the top end of the iron set with constructions that “produce more distance than a standard iron and less spin than a hybrid,� according to the company. While the U-500 and U-510 have differing designs for different golfers and purposes, they’re each made with forged SUP-10 L-face inserts and have “extreme amounts� of high-density tungsten, according to Titleist. The multi-material constructions are designed for higher launch and faster ball speeds. The U-500, which Titleist calls a “player’s iron,� has a smaller profile, thinner topline, thinner sole, and less offset than the U-510; Titleist says the U-510 has a more hybrid-like performance. The U-500 irons have 98 grams of Tungsten on average, designed to lower the CG (center of gravity) compared to its previous T-MB irons, thus creating “increased launch with trajectory control,� according to the company, and a higher MOI (moment of inertia) for stability. “U-500 is the incredibly versatile utility iron that tour players have been asking us for,� said Marni Ines, Director of Iron Development, Titleist Golf Club R&D, in a press release. “It shares a similar size and shape to our prior generation T-MB iron, but has been completely reimagined to give players specialized long iron performance. It’s faster, launches higher, lands softer, and feels better through impact.� The U-500 irons are available in 17, 20 and 23 degrees of loft. The larger U-510 irons, on the other hand, have 95 grams of tungsten on average, placed for a lower and deeper CG for maximum launch, and high MOI for forgiveness. Due to the higher launch and greater forgiveness of the U-510, Titleist has a made a 16-degree 1-iron available, in addition to 18-, 20- and 22-degree options. “U-510 is the launch king,� Ines said. “The larger shape and wide sole allowed us to place the tungsten weighting so that the CG is lower and further back than any iron we’ve developed – and what that translates into is a lot of launch angle.� The U-500 and U-510 clubs each come stock with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 90 graphite shafts at +0.25 inches in length, but they will also be available for custom order at no upcharge. They will sell for $250 each, available in shops worldwide starting on August 30.

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FORT WORTH, Texas – The worst car that veteran caddie Kenny Harms ever owned was a green 1973 Chevy Camaro. He paid $200 for it and soon nicknamed it the Putty Box because that’s the material he kept using to fix the rust. On Sunday, Harms became the owner of another car built in 1973. This one’s considerably more valuable … and certainly more significant, as it comes courtesy of his man Kevin Na, who romped to a four-shot victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Among the perks for winning at Colonial are a plaid jacket, the Texas-sized Leonard trophy, a permanent spot on the Wall of Champions and a hefty check. This year, another perk was added – a 1973 blue Dodge Challenger to commemorate the year the Charles Schwab company was founded. It’s a unique prize, one that Na remembers hearing about months ago. Harms was equally aware of it too, and during a recent promotional piece on the car for the Caddie Network, he had a message for Na: “You wouldn’t really look so great in this but I will. I should I get the car if you win.â€� Then on Tuesday during the practice round, they spotted the Challenger sitting just off the 10th fairway. “Kevin, that’s my car, right?â€� Harms said. “Yeah, if I win, I’ll give it to you,â€� replied Na. “BOOM!â€� Harms said as he retold the story on the 18th green at Colonial, the trophy presentation having just completed. “Pretty smart for a caddie.â€� Said Na: “I don’t know how my caddie convinced me to give him the car, but he’s a good salesman I guess. He sold me into it. But I’m more than happy to give it to him. He deserves it.” “I got something cooler right here.â€� Na then patted the Leonard Trophy, which stands 42 inches tall and weighs 55 pounds, making it one of the biggest trophies on TOUR. It’s one he’s long coveted – and one he long imagined winning, perhaps even expecting to at some point. Colonial is one of the few courses on the PGA TOUR that Na thinks fits his shot-maker’s game. It’s not overly long, it rewards precision, and several of the holes play to his strengths. “I think a lot of my draws work out here,â€� he said. He also called it a second-shot-in golf course, noting that a majority of well-struck tee shots end up in the same spot in the fairway. “It’s about how good you can hit it with the irons and how well you can putt,â€� said Na, whose career-low 61 came here last year, and who shot a 62 on Friday to jump into contention. “I’m a pretty good player fairway in.â€� He was more than good on Sunday, hitting 14 of 18 greens and making several key putts. Starting the day with a two-stroke lead, Na birdied three of his first six holes – including a 33-foot putt at the fourth — then bounced back from his first bogey with another birdie from 20 feet at the par-3 eighth. Na, known for walking in putts, kind of side-walked this one, then pumped his first. A few steps later, he smiled for the first time in his round. No one would catch him on this day. He eventually finished at 13 under, and his 4-under 66 was exceeded by only one player Sunday, Russell Knox’s 65. “A well-deserved win this week,â€� said Tony Finau, his closest pursuer at 9 under. A little less than a year ago, Na won at The Greenbrier. It was his second TOUR win but his first in 158 starts. Na said the drought lasted so long – despite several close calls – that he wondered if he would ever win again. He’s not wondering any more. Although he feels like there are just seven or eight courses he can legitimately contend it – that may explain why he had just one top-10 this season coming into this week — Na is now converting those opportunities. “I feel like this week was the next chance at a win, next time I legitimately could contend – and I won,â€� Na said. “I felt so much more comfortable. Had so much more confidence. I think me winning Greenbrier last year has obviously taken a lot of pressure off.” “There is always pressure, but it’s taken a lot of the load off, weight off my shoulders. I think it helped me today.â€� Harms – who has been on Na’s bag since the end of the 2008 season when he jumped off Hale Irwin’s bag – has noticed the difference. “Ever since his win at Greenbrier, that was the first time I actually saw a calmness to him that all the greats have in golf,â€� Harms said. “I can tell when he’s nervous. I never really saw any nervousness from him today.â€� Until this week, 2019 had not gone all that smoothly. A finger injury forced him to withdraw from the Sentry Tournament of Champions and sidelined him for a month. A neck injury at Valspar also slowed him down. Then there are courses that simply don’t serve him well, like last week at Bethpage Black when he failed to make the cut. But Colonial will always be a special place for him. Just before starting his round Sunday, he looked at the Wall of Champions next to the No. 1 teebox and noted the engraved name of last year’s winner, Justin Rose. Then he looked at the empty spot just below it. “In my head, I engraved my name in it,â€� Na said. He won’t have to visualize any longer. Next time he arrives at Colonial, his name will be there, alongside all the other winners, including four-time champ Ben Hogan. The ’73 Dodge Challenger, though, will not be in his garage. Harms said he has ample room in his own garage, right next to his 911 Porsche Carrera. But don’t feel too bad for Na. Asked if he owned a car that could race the Challenger, he cracked a smile. “I got a Lamborghini at home.â€�

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The city of Chicago and the Western Golf Association once again play host to the BMW Championship, the penultimate stop in the 2018-’19 PGA TOUR season. Results will go a long way toward determining who makes the all-important top-30 TOUR Championship at East Lake. Several players in the BMW field, such as reigning FedExCup champion Justin Rose and 2016 champion Rory McIlroy, last played the course at the 2012 Ryder Cup, a victory for Europe. A year ago, Rose lost a playoff at the BMW, but his 2-P2-T4 in his last three starts was good enough to win the FedExCup. He is trying to become the first to successfully defend his FedExCup title. FIELD NOTES: Tiger Woods, who withdrew from THE NORTHERN TRUST with a strained oblique, won the PGA Championship at Medinah in 1999 and 2006. He said on Twitter that he is still hopeful that he can play the BMW. … Ian Poulter, who was 60th in the FedExCup going into last week, went 4-0-0 for Europe as they came back from 10-6 deficit at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah.Justin Rose made putts of 12, 35 and 12 feet on the last three holes, respectively, to beat Phil Mickelson in singles. … Keegan Bradley, the defending BMW champion, partnered with Mickelson and went 3-1-0. … Bradley’s only loss came in singles to Rory McIlroy, who was almost late for their tee time and required a police escort. … Paul Casey is set to return after sitting out the first Playoffs event to see his family after a four-week stretch on the road. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 2,000 points. STORYLINES: This is the last chance to crack the 30-man FedExCup Playoffs finale, and the results at Medinah could also determine who goes into the revamped TOUR Championship at 10 under par and with a two-shot lead over his closest pursuer before the tournament starts. … Players had just one week, as opposed to two, to work their way into the top 70 in the FedExCup to qualify for the BMW. … Jordan Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion who has gone over two years without a victory, was projected to move from 69th to third in the FedExCup as he went into the weekend atop THE NORTHERN TRUST leaderboard. … Proceeds from the BMW will help fund Evans Scholarships for caddies; since ’07, the BMW Championship has raised more than $30 million for college scholarships for caddies of modest means. COURSE: A Rees Jones redesign of a Tom Bendelow original, Medinah No. 3 is a 7,657-yard, par 72. This will mark the fourth time the WGA’s professional golf event will be held at Medinah No. 3, but the first since 1966. Founded in the 1920s by a group of Shriners, the club boasts three courses, all designed by Bendelow. The massive 120,000-square foot clubhouse designed by Richard Schmid is a unique architectural blend with Byzantine, Oriental and Louis XIV influences. Medinah is one of the Chicago area’s best known venues for championship golf. Course No. 3 has the Ryder Cup (2012), three U.S. Opens (1949, 1975, and 1990), two PGA Championships (1999, 2006), three Western Opens (1946, 1962 and 1966), and other events in the pre-PGA Tour era. Players who have won at Medinah include “Lighthorse” Harry Cooper, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Billy Casper, Gary Player, Hale Irwin and Tiger Woods. For those visiting the Chicago area, must-play courses include Prairie Landing Golf Club, Ravisloe Golf Club, and Cog Hill Golf & Country Club. Make your reservations through TeeOff.com. 72-HOLE RECORD: 261, Marc Leishman (2017). 18-HOLE RECORD: 59, Jim Furyk (2nd round, 2013). LAST YEAR: After faltering on the weekend at THE NORTHERN TRUST, Keegan Bradley bounced back at the BMW, winning for the first time in over five years at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Bradley, who had used a belly-putter to win three times in his first two seasons, including the PGA Championship and a World Golf Championship event, had seen his career flatline as anchored putting was outlawed starting Jan. 1, 2016. He lost his full swing, as well, but pieced it together under coach Darren May and held off Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff to advance to the TOUR Championship for the first time since 2013. HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 12-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 12-2 p.m. (GC), 2-6 p.m. (NBC) PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 9:45 a.m.-7 p.m. (featured groups). Saturday, 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m. (featured groups), 3-6 p.m. (featured holes). Sunday, 8:15 a.m.-2 p.m. (featured groups), 2-6 p.m. (featured holes). International subscribers (via GOLF.tv): Thursday-Friday, 11:15 to 22:00 GMT. Saturday-Sunday, 12:30 to 22:00. RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).

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