Jordan Spieth holds 54-hole lead at Travelers

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DETROIT – Wyatt Worthington II was feeling it on the greens as he shot 65 to win THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Golf Invitational presented by Rocket Mortgage on Sunday, earning a spot in the field at this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. In fact, the teaching pro from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, said, his second round featured so many birdie bombs as to recall a similar performance watched by millions worldwide. “It was pretty much like Cameron Smith at The Open,” Worthington said. “I just rolled every single putt I looked at. I gave myself as many chances as I could. It wasn’t as smooth sailing on stretches from 13 through 15, I scrambled to make pars and kind of keep the momentum going and made birdie on 16 and 17 and secured my par on 18. It all worked out.” The efforts to diversify golf will continue with the Rocket Mortgage at Detroit Golf Club this week. THE JOHN SHIPPEN, designed to showcase Black amateur and professional golfers, debuted last year, when Tim O’Neal triumphed for the spot in the Rocket Mortgage field. This year it was Worthington (73-65), who finished one ahead of Michael Herrera (71-68). “I’m like, ‘You guys know who I am? This is crazy. I know who you are!’ Worthington was 14 when he met Tiger Woods at a Tiger Woods Foundation junior clinic in Columbus, Ohio. Woods told him to trust the process, but that can be easier said than done, what with the cost of trying to make it. Worthington qualified to play in this year’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Although those were great accomplishments – Worthington tied for fourth at the most recent PGA Professional Championship, punching his ticket to Southern Hills – Black players have been underrepresented in the game’s upper echelon. “Playing in the PGA Championship (via the PGA Professional Championship), I believe there’s only two individuals, Tom Woodard and myself, that’s made it through that route,” Worthington said. The minority-focused APGA Tour has ramped up to try to make positive change, and Flint native Willie Mack III, one of its stars, made his first cut on TOUR at last year’s Rocket Mortgage. That was also the first year for THE JOHN SHIPPEN, which is named after John Shippen, Jr., who was the first American-born golf professional and the country’s first Black golf professional. (Shippen was bestowed PGA of America membership posthumously in 2009.) The tournament pays all costs, from entry fees to travel and lodging, for competitors. When Worthington shot 75-70 last year, he said, “I’ve never had anything like this.” Now that he’s won the tournament, he’s entering yet more uncharted territory. “It’s life-changing,” he said. “But the more that I look at it, it’s actually a dream come true. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Tiger’s interviews like this. I can’t imagine myself actually being here. I know I wanted to work on my game to get to this point, but actually living this, I can’t really fathom that. Yeah, this is an unreal experience.” Worthington said he gives between four and eight lessons a day at The Golf Depot, a driving range and renovated nine-hole course in central Ohio. There are camps in the summer, and junior clinics. He plays in as many APGA Tour events as he can get to, and caddies in the winter. Anything to keep chasing the dream of playing on the PGA TOUR. “I’ve been getting shown a lot of love actually even from the TOUR guys congratulating me,” Worthington said of his reception since earning his spot in the field. “I’m like, ‘You guys know who I am? This is crazy. I know who you are!’ “And the members from the Detroit Golf Club, it’s been nothing but love and support,” he added. “Everyone’s cheering me on and wants to see me succeed, so hopefully I can do that for them.”

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HIDEKI USED TO NO. 1: Thanks to his win at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, Hideki Matsuyama is making his fourth stint of the season atop the FedExCup standings. Matsuyama spent five weeks at No. 1 after winning the WGC-HSBC Champions last October. After winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he spent another four weeks at No. 1. He briefly moved back into the top spot the week after the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard; his tie for 45th allowed him to jump past Justin Thomas, who did not play that week. And now he’s back at No. 1. The consistency that the Japanese star has shown this season is reflected in his FedExCup points ranking – he’s never dipped below No. 3 in any week. In fact, since the 11th week of the 2015-16 season, he’s never been outside the top 20 after any week. If Matsuyama ends the regular season at No. 1, he would be the fourth non-American to claim that spot entering the Playoffs. The others: Australia’s Jason Day in 2016, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy in 2014 and South Africa’s Ernie Els in 2010. In the first 10 years, Tiger Woods entered the Playoffs ranked No. 1 five times. The other Americans: Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Nick Watney in 2011. STROUD’S BIG MOVE: Chris Stroud went into the Barrucuda Championship ranked 144th in points and in serious danger of missing the Playoffs. But now he’s all but guaranteed a spot in the first two Playoffs events and is on knocking on the door of the third event. Stroud’s win in Reno moved him to 76th in points, his best position this season and the first time he’s been inside the top 125 in points since week nine. Stroud did not make the Playoffs last year, and he’s advanced to the BMW Championship just three times. With 70 players advancing to the BMW, Stroud’s path just became a lot less difficult. SCOTT NOT YET SECURE. Adam Scott said last week that he will take time off to be with his wife for their birth of their second child, and thus will not play in the first two Playoffs events. He said last week’s Bridgestone Invitational and this week’s PGA Championship are his last two events to secure enough points to earn a spot at the BMW. Scott produced a nice showing at Bridgestone, finishing tied for 13th. That moved him from 70th to 61st in the standings but still leaves him vulnerable. He’ll need a similar showing at the PGA Championship, which offers increased point values (600 points to the winner). A similar finish at Quail Hollow would likely leave him around the 700-point total. That total hasn’t been good enough in recent years to advance to the BMW, but projected totals are lower this season, so he may have a chance. THREE FOR ALL THREE: Just three players have qualified for the BMW Championship in each of the first 10 years of the FedExCup Playoffs – Charley Hoffman, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson. Hoffman is guaranteed to continue that streak, currently sitting at 11th in the standings after his third-place finish at Firestone. Mickelson is 45th and should be also be set for the BMW. Watson, however, remains on the outside looking in. He gave himself a little breathing room just to make the Playoffs, moving from 117 to 111 with his tie for 17th at Firestone. But he still has lots of ground to make up. HELPING THEIR CAUSE: Richy Werenski and Greg Owen lost to Stroud in the playoff at the Barracuda, but they made big moves up the FedExCup standings. Werenski went from 154 to 122, and must only maintain his position the last two weeks to secure a spot inside the top 125 that advance to the Playoffs opener, THE NORTHERN TRUST. Owen, meanwhile, went from 162 to 136 and now has a fighting chance. Sam Saunders also had a good week, with an eighth-place finish, and is now 127th in points. Unfortunately for Werenski, Owen and Saunders, none are in the field at this week’s PGA Championship, so they could find themselves slipping back before next week’s regular-season finale, the Wyndham Championship. Meanwhile, at the Bridgestone Invitational, Zach Johnson’s runner-up finish moved him from 83 to 36 and guaranteed his spot in the BMW Championship.

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