Johnson starts strong in S.C., 1 shot shy of lead

You know you wanna, so go ahead. You learned your lesson. Make it count. One & Doners trapped between caution and conviction were second-guessing themselves when Tiger Woods emerged from the logjam at the Masters to secure his fifth green jacket. Now there’s no doubt that Woods gets the call at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course, site of the PGA Championship as well as his 2002 U.S. Open title. You saw – and felt – what transpired at Augusta National, and you’ve observed him exert careful ownership of his schedule. If there are tournaments that you know he won’t bypass, they are the majors. Despite what you’ll find below, those are the only Future Possibilities on which you should be focusing. RELATED: Tee times | Power Rankings | Expert Picks | Horses for Courses | Fantasy Insider Pebble Beach hosts the U.S. Open in a month, so pick your pleasure. Woods is a winner there, too – twice, in fact, if you include the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. It’s been 19 years since both, but it had been 14 years since his last victory at the Masters. As Woods has acknowledged, Father Time is undefeated, but GOATs make sure that he doesn’t prevail before receiving a powerful punch. If you’re also sitting on Phil Mickelson, then save him for Pebble Beach where’s he’s won five times in the annual PGA TOUR event contested every winter. That includes earlier this year. Lefty couldn’t have hand-picked a better site to convert on the career grand slam. Default to Woods at the PGA and you’re solid. Of course, it’s 2019 and not 2000 or 2002, so there are more than enough familiar faces in whom to invest at Bethpage. Defending champion Brooks Koepka will run away with the highest ownership percentage in PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done. And he should. His swagger is what every gamer wants. His form is tip-top and he has a chip on his shoulder since he probably still can’t believe how his birdie try on the 72nd hole of the Masters didn’t fall. Rory McIlroy has spent the majority of this year camped out atop leaderboards. He’s also proven that he’s human when the pressure mounts, but he’s going to thrive at Bethpage. Long and accurate off the tee plays everywhere, but it’s a cheat code on Long Island. Pause only to holster him for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland. Rickie Fowler continues to inch closer to his first victory in a major. You can’t rule it out anywhere, but Bethpage is the best fit of the remaining three this season. He’s ideal if you’re chasing. If you’ve burned Mickelson and have a plan other than Dustin Johnson this week, then save DJ for the U.S. Open. He’s another gem at Pebble Beach where his experience, success and comfort will supersede the setup. He’ll also be seeking revenge for a final-round meltdown the last time the course hosted in 2010. Of all of the other notables at Bethpage, only Jason Day and Francesco Molinari pique my interest. Pivot to either if you’re in need of a contingency. Like Fowler, Jon Rahm also presents strongly to cut into a deficit. He’s rapidly figuring out how to put four rounds together consistently by neutralizing emotion while saving strokes. It’s scary to consider his potential once he climbs over the hump of intangibles that have nothing to do with the swing. The Spaniard possesses every athletic requirement for golf. It’s where we can find Koepka now. All of the others in the first 20 of my Power Rankings deserve a peek in two-man games, but scan Future Possibilities to map out short- and long-term strategies. Choices such as Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Sergio Garcia, Matt Kuchar and Hideki Matsuyama project as smart saves given who’s expected to flex for the Wanamaker Trophy. FUTURE POSSIBILITIES NOTE: Select golfers committed to the tournament are listed alphabetically. Future tournaments are sorted chronologically and reflect previous success on the courses on which the tournaments will be held in 2018-19. The numerical values in parentheses represent the order of relative confidence of where to use each golfer if multiple sites are listed (e.g. 1 for strongest, 2 for next-strongest and so on). To present weighted confidence in real time, numerical values will not change all season no matter how many tournament remain listed for each golfer. All are pending golfer commitment. Byeong Hun An … Memorial (1) Daniel Berger … Travelers (1) Keegan Bradley … Memorial (5); Travelers (4) Rafa Cabrera Bello … Wyndham (4) Patrick Cantlay … Memorial (3) Paul Casey … Travelers (1); TOUR Championship (3) Jason Day … PGA Championship (3); U.S. Open (10); Open Championship (9) Bryson DeChambeau … Travelers (4); John Deere (7) Jason Dufner … Charles Schwab (6); Memorial (5); U.S. Open (2); Wyndham (8); TOUR Championship (10) Tony Finau … Memorial (2) Rickie Fowler … PGA Championship (9); Memorial (5); U.S. Open (10) Sergio Garcia … Open Championship (5); TOUR Championship (2) Branden Grace … U.S. Open (4) Emiliano Grillo … Charles Schwab (3) Adam Hadwin … John Deere (5) Brian Harman … Charles Schwab (1); Travelers (5); John Deere (4) Charley Hoffman … Charles Schwab (6); Travelers (1) Billy Horschel … Wyndham (6); TOUR Championship (1) Dustin Johnson … PGA Championship (11); Memorial (10); U.S. Open (1); WGC-St. Jude (6); TOUR Championship (7) Zach Johnson … Charles Schwab (5); John Deere (1); Open Championship (2); TOUR Championship (8) Kevin Kisner … Charles Schwab (2); Memorial (6) Brooks Koepka … PGA Championship (2; defending); Charles Schwab (6); U.S. Open (1; two-time defending); Open Championship (8) Matt Kuchar … Charles Schwab (7); Memorial (1); Open Championship (8) Marc Leishman … Memorial (4); Travelers (3); Open Championship (8) Hideki Matsuyama … PGA Championship (13); Memorial (8); U.S. Open (14); Wyndham (7); TOUR Championship (5) Rory McIlroy … Memorial (5); Travelers (8); Open Championship (1); TOUR Championship (6) Phil Mickelson … U.S. Open (6); Open Championship (9); WGC-St. Jude (3) Francesco Molinari … PGA Championship (4); Open Championship (1; defending) Ryan Moore … Memorial (11); Travelers (6); John Deere (8); Wyndham (2); TOUR Championship (9) Kevin Na … Charles Schwab (3); Wyndham (5) Louis Oosthuizen … PGA Championship (4) Ryan Palmer … Charles Schwab (4) Scott Piercy … Canadian (7; last winner at Hamilton in 2012) Jon Rahm … Charles Schwab (1); TOUR Championship (7) Patrick Reed … PGA Championship (4); U.S. Open (3); Travelers (7) Justin Rose … Charles Schwab (7; defending); Memorial (4); Open Championship (8); TOUR Championship (2) Xander Schauffele … Open Championship (4); TOUR Championship (1) Adam Scott … PGA Championship (8); U.S. Open (9); Open Championship (7); TOUR Championship (3) Webb Simpson … Charles Schwab (8); Travelers (9); Wyndham (1) Cameron Smith … Wyndham (3) Brandt Snedeker … Charles Schwab (7); U.S. Open (5); Travelers (9); Wyndham (1; defending) Jordan Spieth … PGA Championship (7); Charles Schwab (5); Memorial (13); U.S. Open (4); Travelers (9); Open Championship (6); TOUR Championship (8) Henrik Stenson … PGA Championship (4); Open Championship (6); Wyndham (8); TOUR Championship (7) Bubba Watson … Memorial (7); Travelers (2; defending); TOUR Championship (8) Gary Woodland … Memorial (4) Tiger Woods … PGA Championship (6); Memorial (4); THE NORTHERN TRUST (7); TOUR Championship (5; defending)

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Astros Golf Foundation and PGA TOUR announced today that Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE), an enterprise information technology company based in Houston, will become title sponsor of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open for 2021 in support of tournament host and beneficiary, the Astros Golf Foundation. All four rounds of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open, scheduled for the week of Nov. 8-14, will be televised on Golf Channel, featuring a 132-player field, 500 FedExCup points awarded to the winner and a $7.5 million purse. Carlos Ortiz is scheduled to defend his 2020 title. “We’re excited to partner with Hewlett Packard Enterprise to help further the Astros Golf Foundation’s impact in the Houston community,” said PGA TOUR President and EVP Tyler Dennis. “Since 1946, the Houston Open has enjoyed a rich history and the move to Memorial Park Golf Course last year set up the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open for long-standing success. Our players enjoyed competing at Memorial Park last year and being in the heart of Houston, a place that Jim Crane and the Astros Golf Foundation are so passionate about.” The Astros Golf Foundation, led by Houston Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane, operates and serves as the host organization for the event. The commitment to the Houston Open from the Astros Golf Foundation, with the support of several community partners, is in place through 2023. The Astros Golf Foundation completed a $34 million renovation to Memorial Park Golf Course and is set to host the tournament in the heart of the city for the second-straight year. “We are excited to have Hewlett Packard Enterprise on board as the title sponsor for the 2021 Houston Open,” said Giles Kibbe, President Astros Golf Foundation. “Based in Houston, Hewlett Packard Enterprise shares the same mission as the Astros Golf Foundation, and we are proud to have them join us in representing world-class PGA TOUR golf, while giving back to our local Houston community.” “HPE is honored to partner with the Astros Golf Foundation and the PGA TOUR as the Houston Open title sponsor in 2021,” said Hewlett Packard Enterprise President and CEO Antonio Neri. “Our culture of giving strengthens the communities where we live and work and empowers our team members to use their passion and expertise to serve others. We are committed to being a force for good in our communities and partnering with the Astros Golf Foundation for the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open furthers that commitment.” The Houston Open was first played in 1946, with the inaugural event captured by Byron Nelson at River Oaks Country Club. Other notable winners throughout the history of the event include World Golf Hall of Fame members Arnold Palmer, Jack Burke, Jr., Bobby Locke, Cary Middlecoff, Gary Player, Curtis Strange, Payne Stewart, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. One of Houston’s premier sporting events, the tournament has also made significant contributions to the Houston community through the work of the Astros Golf Foundation, giving back to the citizens and community of Houston through park improvements, charitable fundraising and investing in the local youth. The 2021 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open field promises to be a good one, with the likes of four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, Sam Burns, Jason Day, Patrick Reed, Shane Lowry and Scottie Scheffler already committed to the tournament. The past two winners in Ortiz (2020) and Lanto Griffin (2019) are also committed to play. General admission tickets and venue hopper tickets are on sale now for the 2021 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open. Visit www.houstonopengolf.com/tickets for information on ticket purchases. In 2021, the tournament features the first-ever Houston Open Concert Series, featuring world-renowned artist KYGO on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Minute Maid Park, and Jake Owen on Friday, Nov. 12. To purchase tickets, visit houstonopengolf.com/hoconcertseries.

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The Wells Fargo Championship shifts locations, moving to TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Here is how to watch the action on ESPN+.

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