Officialsportsbetting.com Golf Betting José de Jesús Rodríguez overcame hardship and tragedy to become a must-watch rookie on the PGA TOUR

José de Jesús Rodríguez overcame hardship and tragedy to become a must-watch rookie on the PGA TOUR

José de Jesús Rodríguez was 5 when he started picking corn with the rest of his family in the field adjacent to the golf course in Irapuato, Mexico. Plumbing was a luxury for others and personal computers almost unheard of in his small hometown, which is more than a mile above sea level in the state of Guanajuato. It was, he said, triste. Sad. Food was scarce, work ceaseless. His house had dirt floors. And the bathrooms? In the arboles (trees). “There were days that we didn’t eat,� Rodríguez recalls in a series of interviews with the PGA TOUR at the Sanderson Farms Championship and Mayakoba Golf Classic last fall. “For one, two, three days. We ate when we had enough after picking. If we ate, we had only one tortilla.� One tortilla for an entire day? For the entire family? “Yes,� he confirms. The memories start flooding his mind. He’s trying hard to keep his emotions in check. Now 37 years old, his future finally is bright. But he cannot bury his past. “You are going to make me cry,� he says. Already a legend in Mexico, Rodríguez made three cuts in five starts in the fall portion of the 2018-19 season and is coming off a T57 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He will tee it up again at this week’s Desert Classic at La Quinta, California, as he continues to battle it out with the 20 other rookies in this year’s class to solidify his status on TOUR. If you’re wondering which new player to cheer for, Rodríguez might top the list. It starts with those cornfields, next to which was a golf course. Rodríguez and his siblings scrounged for lost balls and resold them. At the time, he preferred soccer – but the spark had been lit. “Look where I am now,� he says. Indeed, look. From one tortilla per day to the world’s top chefs cooking most anything he could possibly want in player dining. From scrounging for lost balls to state-of-the-art equipment and the finest courtesy cars. His journey has included hunger, border crossings, and a brutal murder over which his grief may never fully subside. Years after he worked his way up from mowing greens to putting on them, he still wrestles with the notion that golf is for rich people, not him. And while most TOUR pros played Division I golf in college, Rodríguez never finished high school. Or started it. Patton Kizzire tweeted last week that Rodríguez had just become “my new favorite player,� so wild and improbable is his origin story. His game is pretty good, too. REBAR AND A BICYCLE TIRE “The first time I saw him on the driving range, I thought this guy is unbelievable,� says Mike Dwyer, a club caddie who began working for Rodríguez a week before he won his first Web.com Tour title last April. “It’s just a pure swing, it’s not technical; it’s not going to go away. It’s just so rhythmic; the timing of it is always money, it’s free-flowing. Just straight back and let it rip, all feel. And then when I saw his short game, I thought, this guy has got it all.� In one sense, Rodríguez is unremarkable. He went from the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada to PGA TOUR Latinoamerica to the Web.com Tour to the PGA TOUR. He got married, had a few kids. It’s just that his journey included dropping out of school at age 12 to help his family put food on the table. And setting out for America three years later for the same reason. And always, to this day, feeling like an outsider. “It’s a game of rich people,� he says, describing the occasional voice of doubt in his head. “When you have nothing, you think they’re going to look at you and say, ‘What are you doing here?’ But my wife said, ‘No, you go play. It’s the golf clubs that talk. You have money, you don’t have money, the clubs don’t care.’� The clubs don’t, and the ball doesn’t, either. And if Emerson was right and we acquire the strength we have overcome, no one can touch Rodríguez. “He’s a great guy who’s been through some crazy stuff,� says Abraham Ancer, one of a record four Mexicans with PGA TOUR cards this season. “And he’s found a way to get to the best tour in the world.� Rodríguez was given his nickname, El Camarón (The Shrimp), by his godmother because his face was red at birth. He’s fine with it, and the Mexican media call him Camarón. He is one of eight siblings, four boys and four girls. Ask him for his favorite childhood memory, and he cites their games of canicas (marbles). The siblings were ages 10-14 when they helped their father, Jota Jesús, build their house out of concrete. Construction took some six months, and the children helped out however they could, including unloading and loading a three-wheel cart. Those who were old enough caddied, and soon that included Rodríguez. His first golf swing utilized some construction rebar with a piece of bicycle tire for a grip, as he mostly left the golf to his brother Rosendo, who would become an instructor. (He coaches Rodríguez.) The game seemed unimportant, and Rodríguez began to consider crossing the border to earn more for himself and his family. Finally, at age 15, he struck out for America. From Irapuato, the closest border town was Matamoros, the Rio Grande standing between him and the U.S. It would not be easy. He was alone – and he didn’t know how to swim. Undeterred, he pressed on and at one point found himself wading through water up to his armpits. “I knew I was taking a huge risk and that I could die crossing that river or anywhere for that matter,� recalls Rodríguez, who subsisted on whatever food he could find during the ordeal. He had a few false starts, but on the third attempt, he made it across. Rodríguez began working as a dishwasher in Arkansas. He joined a construction crew, putting the roofs on Walmarts. He shingled houses. He made money, sending it back to his grateful family, but began to burn out. The work was exhausting, and Rodríguez missed his family terribly. A golf course-maintenance job in Fayetteville, Arkansas, gave Rodríguez new life, and he later followed his manager to a course in Duncan, Oklahoma. He played every day after work. Although they didn’t know each other, Ancer, who grew up in Texas and Mexico and played for the University of Oklahoma, practiced at the same course where Rodríguez was working maintenance. They only learned of the coincidence at the Mayakoba Golf Classic last fall. “The world is very small,� Rodríguez says, shaking his head. Not until he was 25 did he go back to Mexico for good. Alfonso Vallejo was waiting for him. AN ANGEL APPEARS Vallejo, who owned a string of drug stores, had never wanted Rodríguez to go to America in the first place. The businessman had urged him to stay home, and even said he would set up Rodríguez, his favorite caddie, with a small, mom-and-pop-style market. It was Vallejo who had first seen something ineffable in Rodríguez that made him stand out from the other caddies. What did Vallejo see? Natural talent, for one. But it wasn’t just that. “He saw my values,� responds Rodríguez. “He told me.� Values? “We were very hungry, but we didn’t grab what wasn’t ours,� he explains. “He always left food out and we would leave it there, and it stayed there until the next day.� Vallejo was a member at the fancier Club de Golf Santa Margarita, which was a short bike ride up the hill from Rodríguez’s childhood home. Rodríguez began to play golf there thanks to Vallejo and the caddie master, who would set him up with the clubs of members who hadn’t played in years. Once, a member unexpectedly called for his bag while Rodríguez was out on the course and was told the equipment could not be found. It miraculously reappeared the following week. Alas, caddies were forbidden from playing, and when Rodríguez was caught, he was suspended for three months. The second time, he got six months. There was no third time, because Vallejo intervened. They not only played 18 holes, they retired to the clubhouse for beers. “Everybody stared at me as I was drinking my beer,� says Rodríguez. “The manager comes and asks to speak with me, he scolds me for being there and said some pretty hurtful things. I came back to the table and Alfonso asked me what was wrong, so I told him, ‘I can’t be here.’� Vallejo took out his phone and called his chauffeur, with Rodríguez looking on and fearing the worst. What now, a lifetime ban? In walked the chauffeur, who placed a folder on the table. “Open it,� Vallejo said. Rodríguez did. Inside was a certificate declaring that Mr. José de Jesús Rodríguez was a member of Club de Golf Santa Margarita, with all rights and responsibilities therein. He was stunned. “You are now a member,� Vallejo said, “just like everybody who is sitting here.�   I started playing more often and all of a sudden I shot 78. I played every day. A KNACK FOR THE GAME A vastly more polished player than he’d been before he left Mexico, Rodríguez soon turned professional, in 2007. Vallejo would be his sponsor. Rodríguez entered his first tournament at Club Campestre in Aguascalientes, Mexico, but was late to the first tee and dealt a two-stroke penalty. It was a rude awakening, but he birdied the first two holes to get back to even par. “Funny story,� he says, smiling at the memory. “I was thinking to myself, well, that was easy.� He won a qualifier to get into the 2008 Mexico Open presented by Corona, a Web.com Tour tournament, and finished T7. He flew on a plane for the first time at 28 to get to a Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada event in 2009. His success there led to an invitation to play that tour fulltime, but he told officials he couldn’t because of his illegal time in the United States. Rodriguez never tried to hide his past. “They told me not to worry,� he says, “and in a week, I had my papers to travel to Canada.� Everywhere, he won. Everywhere, he talked to his golf balls, which somehow eased his mind from the quotidian frustrations of the game. “When I talk to the ball, I’m more relaxed, more patient,� he explains. “‘Vamos, Reyna (queen); vamos, Hermosa (sister); vamos, Linda (pretty one).’ I start at night: ‘Hey, tomorrow we start. Please get in the hole.’� He won the 2011 Mexican PGA Championship, a Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada event, and won again on that tour later that year. Be aggressive, Vallejo urged. Rodríguez was. He went to the American embassy in Mexico and sought legal travel status, explaining himself to the agent. “He asked me a couple questions,� Rodríguez says. “I filled out a questionnaire, and he told me I was an honest person because I had told him truthfully everything I had done.� With his documentation sorted out, America was no longer off-limits. PGA TOUR Latinoamérica launched in 2012, creating a gateway to the Web.com Tour, and Rodríguez won for the first time on the new Latinoamérica circuit in early 2013. Then he won again. All the while, he knew that Vallejo had his back. “He used to ask me, ‘Are you missing anything? Do you need something?’� Rodríguez says. “I didn’t. He would reply, ‘Concentrate on hitting to the flag.’ He would make me use driver instead of irons from the tee so that I could attack the flagstick. I needed to learn how to be aggressive. When I travelled, he would pay everything for me, including a salary for me, and for my family.� Vallejo set them up in a house 20 minutes from Santa Margarita, and bought Rodríguez a car, a white Nissan Tsuru that was so new he had to peel the plastic off the interior. Life was good. EVERYTHING STOPS When he was home in Irapuato, Rodríguez had a usual game at Santa Margarita with his sponsor. It was a simple pleasure that he looked forward to. One morning a few weeks before Christmas in 2014, Vallejo was late for their 6:40 tee time. Rodríguez waited. And waited. Finally, at around 7:30 a.m., he received a call, but not from Vallejo. “‘Jose, where you at?’� Rodríguez says, recounting the conversation. “I say, ‘I’m here, waiting for my sponsor.’ He say, ‘No, no.’ ‘Why no?’ ‘Because he died.’� Rodríguez fell to the ground. He recalls someone asking him if he was OK, and saying he was not. He staggered to his car, turned the engine, and drove the Tsuru into a pole, badly crumpling the hood. “I didn’t know how I even got there,� he notes. “I was in shock.� The police came and eventually drove him home. The investigation into the death of Alfonso Vallejo Esquivel would conclude he’d been shot at close range in either a robbery or a botched kidnapping on the night of Dec. 16, 2014. One news account had him driving in his truck as he collected cash from his pharmacies. Police would find his killer and sentence him to 30 years, 11 months in prison. Rodríguez considered quitting golf, but his psychologist reminded him of his friend’s sacrifices, pointing out that Vallejo would want him to continue working at it. Vallejo’s daughter got in touch and reminded him of the same thing, staking Rodríguez with $2,000. He started over, winning twice in Mexico in 2015, but he also endured more losses. His grandmother died, and a year after that his father, Jota Jesús, succumbed to cancer. Rodríguez played on, bouncing back 20 days later with an emotional final-round 64 to win the 2017 Avianca Colombia Open, the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica season-opener. “I felt a good vibe coming from above,� a tearful Rodríguez said. “I’m sure he was cheering for me up there in heaven and that he is very proud of me.� He was PGA TOUR Latinoamerica’s Player of the Year in 2017 after winning once more, and his success earned him status on the Web.com Tour. In April, Rodríguez chased down Stanford product Maverick McNealy, whose father is Sun Microsystems founder Scott McNealy, to win the United Leasing and Finance Championship at Indiana’s brutally hard Victoria National. The contrast between their backgrounds could not have been sharper, but Rodríguez’s wife had been proven correct: The golf ball hadn’t cared. The victor’s spoils included a Rolex watch and all but clinched his PGA TOUR card. Asked on Golf Channel what the victory meant, Rodríguez looked to the sky and was almost to the end of his first answer when his voice broke and he quickly walked away. The victory, the Rolex, the TOUR promotion—these things were Vallejo’s, as well. “Every shot, good or bad, he would smile and laugh,� Rodríguez says. His late father also won that day in Indiana, and Jota Jesús is never far from Rodríguez’s thoughts. Rodríguez continues to support his mother, Josefina, back in Irapuato. Still impoverished but now dangerous, his hometown has become a hard place to visit, Rodríguez notes, calling it “insecure� and “complicated.� He lives with his wife, Blancanieves, daughter, Ximena, 12, and son, José de Jesús, 9, in the house Vallejo gave them. It has four bathrooms, and Rodríguez tells his kids not to take them for granted. They ask him about his upbringing and are wide-eyed with disbelief at the stories. Rodríguez has a photo of himself picking corn when he was 5. He thinks someone at the adjacent golf course must have taken it, as his family owned a tiny, black-and-white TV but not a camera. The image of that boy is a reminder of just how far he has come. Now, in addition to wearing a lucky red bracelet on his left wrist, he has a Rolex. He wears the Santa Margarita logo on his sleeve in exchange for not having to pay dues at the club. Beyond that, he’s still seeking endorsements. “Someday, somebody will want to sponsor me,� he says. “Someone will notice me.� He is admittedly not the player he was before the tragedy. He’s not as aggressive, struggles with confidence. Dwyer, his caddie, calls him “a showman� who loves big occasions and boisterous crowds. He is considering adding a U.S. base, in either Jupiter, Florida, or Austin, Texas, but first will need to obtain a different visa. Triste? Yes, it was sad, what it took to get here. The tears are never far from the surface. But it’s also a happy story. “I look back and I feel things,� Rodríguez says. “At the same time, I’m very proud, because I realize where I am and that makes me very happy.� Every morning, he says, he wakes up and thanks God for the new day. He calls his late sponsor an angel, a man who appeared out of nowhere and changed everything. “I stop and think: Wow, life gives you a lot of opportunities,� Rodríguez says. “And I’m very thankful for this opportunity. Every time I play, I play like it’s the last day of my life.�

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3rd Round 2-Balls - J. Highsmith / N. Dunlap
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Joe Highsmith-185
Nick Dunlap+155
3rd Round 2-Balls - M. Pavon / A. Hadwin
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Adam Hadwin-120
Matthieu Pavon+100
3rd Round 2-Balls - T. Pendrith / W. Zalatoris
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Taylor Pendrith-125
Will Zalatoris+105
3rd Round 2-Balls - S. Stevens / P. Rodgers
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Patrick Rodgers-115
Sam Stevens-105
3rd Round 2-Balls - M.W. Lee / B. Cauley
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Min Woo Lee-125
Bud Cauley+105
3rd Round 2-Balls - M. Homa / S. Theegala
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Sahith Theegala-135
Max Homa+115
3rd Round 2-Balls - A. Eckroat / M. Kim
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Michael Kim-135
Austin Eckroat+115
3rd Round 2-Balls - T. Finau / B. Hun An
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Tony Finau-120
Byeong Hun An+100
3rd Round 2-Balls - C. Conners / J.J. Spaun
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Corey Conners-145
J J Spaun+120
3rd Round 2-Balls - E. Cole / T. Hoge
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Tom Hoge-135
Eric Cole+115
3rd Round 2-Balls - S. Straka / D. Thompson
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Sepp Straka-135
Davis Thompson+115
3rd Round 2-Balls - N. Taylor / C. Bezuidenhout
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Nick Taylor-115
Christiaan Bezuidenhout-105
3rd Round Match-Up - A. Bhatia v C. Young
Type: Request - Status: OPEN
Akshay Bhatia-120
Cameron Young+100
3rd Round 2-Balls - C. Young / L. Aberg
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Ludvig Aberg-230
Cameron Young+190
Miscellaneous
Type: Requests - Status: OPEN
3rd Round Exact Scores - Cantlay 68 + Scheffler 67+6500
3rd Round Exact Scores - Cantlay 68 + Scheffler 68+6500
3rd Round Exact Scores - Cantlay 69 + Scheffler 67+6500
3rd Round Exact Scores - Cantlay 69 + Scheffler 68+6500
3rd Round Exact Scores - Schauffele 68 + Morikawa 68+6500
3rd Round Exact Scores - Schauffele 68 + Morikawa 69+6500
3rd Round Exact Scores - Schauffele 69 + Morikawa 68+6500
3rd Round Exact Scores - Schauffele 69 + Morikawa 69+6500
3rd Round 2-Balls - G. Woodland / J. Bridgeman
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Jacob Bridgeman-135
Gary Woodland+115
3rd Round 2-Balls - R. MacIntyre / J. Rose
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Robert MacIntyre-125
Justin Rose+105
3rd Round Match-Ups - A. Bhatia v J. Rose
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Akshay Bhatia-120
Justin Rose+100
3rd Round Match-Ups - R. MacIntyre vs A. Rai
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Aaron Rai-110
Robert MacIntyre-110
3rd Round Six Shooter - X. Schauffele / V. Hovland / S. Lowry / J. Spieth / A. Rai / R. MacIntyre
Type: 3rd Round Six Shooter - Status: OPEN
Xander Schauffele+320
Shane Lowry+400
Viktor Hovland+400
Jordan Spieth+450
Aaron Rai+475
Robert MacIntyre+500
3rd Round 2-Balls - R. Fowler / H. English
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Harris English-130
Rickie Fowler+110
3rd Round 2-Balls - S. Lowry / L. Glover
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Shane Lowry-135
Lucas Glover+115
3rd Round Match-Ups - S. Lowry vs J. Spieth
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Shane Lowry-115
Jordan Spieth-105
3rd Round 2-Balls - A. Scott / S. Im
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Sungjae Im-155
Adam Scott+130
3rd Round Match-Ups - D. McCarthy vs S. Im
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Sungjae Im-115
Denny McCarthy-105
3rd Round Match-Ups - A. Scott vs S. Burns
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Sam Burns-120
Adam Scott+100
3rd Round 2-Balls - S. Burns / A. Bhatia
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Akshay Bhatia-115
Sam Burns-105
3rd Round 2-Balls - C. Kirk / A. Rai
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Aaron Rai-165
Chris Kirk+140
JM Eagle LA Championship
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Minjee Lee+500
Ashleigh Buhai+550
Ingrid Lindblad+550
Jeeno Thitikul+900
Nelly Korda+1000
Lauren Coughlin+1200
Miyu Yamashita+1200
Jin Hee Im+1800
Sei Young Kim+1800
Akie Iwai+3000
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3rd Round 2-Balls - R. Hisatsune / T. Detry
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Thomas Detry-115
Ryo Hisatsune-105
3rd Round 2-Balls - J. Spieth / D. Berger
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Daniel Berger-120
Jordan Spieth+100
3rd Round 2-Balls - D. McCarthy / V. Hovland
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Denny McCarthy-115
Viktor Hovland-105
3rd Round Match-Ups - X. Schauffele vs V. Hovland
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Xander Schauffele-130
Viktor Hovland+110
3rd Round Score - Collin Morikawa
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5-110
Under 68.5-120
3rd Round Score - Xander Schauffele
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5-125
Under 68.5-105
3rd Round Score - Scottie Scheffler
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-150
Under 67.5+115
3rd Round Score - Russell Henley
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5-150
Under 68.5+115
3rd Round Score - Tommy Fleetwood
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5-165
Under 68.5+125
3rd Round Score - Justin Thomas
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5-165
Under 68.5+125
3rd Round Score - Si Woo Kim
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Under 69.5-130
Over 69.5+100
3rd Round Score - Brian Harman
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 69.5+110
Under 69.5-145
3rd Round Score - Patrick Cantlay
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5-150
Under 68.5+115
3rd Round Score - Jason Day
Type: 3rd Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 69.5+120
Under 69.5-155
3rd Round 2-Balls - X. Schauffele / M. Kuchar
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Xander Schauffele-185
Matt Kuchar+150
3rd Round 2-Balls - M. Greyserman / B. Horschel
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Billy Horschel-125
Max Greyserman+105
3rd Round 2-Balls - J. Day / S. Jaeger
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Jason Day-140
Stephan Jaeger+120
3rd Round Match-Ups - J. Day vs W. Clark
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Jason Day-125
Wyndham Clark+105
3rd Round 2-Balls - A. Baddeley / R. Hoey
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Rico Hoey-200
Aaron Baddeley+220
Tie+750
3rd Round Six Shooter - J. Day / W. Clark / M. McNealy / B. Harman / SW Kim / K. Bradley
Type: 3rd Round Six Shooter - Status: OPEN
Jason Day+400
Wyndham Clark+400
Brian Harman+425
Maverick McNealy+425
Si Woo Kim+425
Keegan Bradley+450
3rd Round 2-Balls - M. Fitzpatrick / P. Cantlay
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Patrick Cantlay-175
Matt Fitzpatrick+145
3rd Round Match-Ups - P. Cantlay vs J. Thomas
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Patrick Cantlay-115
Justin Thomas-105
3rd Round Match-Ups - J.T. Poston vs M. Fitzpatrick
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
J.T. Poston-120
Matt Fitzpatrick+100
3rd Round 2-Balls - B. Martin / C. Ramey
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Chad Ramey+100
Ben Martin+110
Tie+750
3rd Round Six Shooter - S. Scheffler / C. Morikawa / P. Cantlay / J. Thomas / R. Henley / T. Fleetwood
Type: 3rd Round Six Shooter - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler+250
Collin Morikawa+375
Patrick Cantlay+450
Justin Thomas+500
Russell Henley+550
Tommy Fleetwood+550
3rd Round Six Shooter - JT Poston / M. Fitzpatrick / A. Novak / M. Hughes / R. Gerard / B. Campbell
Type: 3rd Round Six Shooter - Status: OPEN
JT Poston+350
Matt Fitzpatrick+375
Andrew Novak+425
Mackenzie Hughes+450
Ryan Gerard+450
Brian Campbell+550
3rd Round 2-Balls - S. Valimaki / K. Bradley
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Keegan Bradley-140
Sami Valimaki+120
3rd Round Match-Ups - S.W. Kim vs K. Bradley
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Si Woo Kim-115
Keegan Bradley-105
3rd Round 2-Balls - H. Hall / A. Tosti
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Harry Hall-110
Alejandro Tosti+120
Tie+750
3rd Round 2-Balls - C. Davis / B. Campbell
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Brian Campbell-110
Cam Davis-110
3rd Round Match-Ups - R. Gerard vs B. Campbell
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Ryan Gerard-120
Brian Campbell+100
3rd Round Match-Ups - K. Vilips vs C. Davis
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Cam Davis-130
Karl Vilips+110
3rd Round 2-Balls - S. Power / R. Hoshino
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Seamus Power-125
Rikuya Hoshino+135
Tie+750
3rd Round 2-Balls - D. Skinns / Z. Blair
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Zac Blair-110
David Skinns+120
Tie+750
3rd Round 2-Balls - K. Vilips / R. Gerard
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Ryan Gerard-135
Karl Vilips+115
3rd Round 2-Balls - C. Morikawa / M. McNealy
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Collin Morikawa-170
Maverick McNealy+145
3rd Round Match-Ups - M. McNealy vs B. Harman
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Brian Harman-110
Maverick McNealy-110
3rd Round Match-Ups - S. Scheffler vs C. Morikawa
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler-145
Collin Morikawa+120
3rd Round 2-Balls - W. Chandler / M. Wallace
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Matt Wallace-185
Will Chandler+210
Tie+750
3rd Round 2-Balls - J.T. Poston / B. Harman
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
J.T. Poston-115
Brian Harman-105
3rd Round 2-Balls - K. Mitchell / M. NeSmith
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Keith Mitchell-170
Matt NeSmith+185
Tie+750
3rd Round 2-Balls - S. Scheffler / W. Clark
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler-240
Wyndham Clark+195
3rd Round 2-Balls - C. Kim / D. Wu
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Chan Kim-135
Dylan Wu+150
Tie+750
3rd Round 2-Balls - T. Fleetwood / M. Hughes
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Tommy Fleetwood-155
Mackenzie Hughes+130
3rd Round Match-Ups - R. Henley vs T. Fleetwood
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Russell Henley-115
Tommy Fleetwood-105
3rd Round Match-Ups - A. Novak vs M. Hughes
Type: 3rd Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Andrew Novak-115
Mackenzie Hughes-105
3rd Round 2-Balls - C. Hoffman / M. Thorbjornsen
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Charley Hoffman+105
Michael Thorbjornsen+105
Tie+750
3rd Round 2-Balls - R. Henley / A. Novak
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Russell Henley-170
Andrew Novak+145
3rd Round 2-Balls - J. Dahmen / G. Higgo
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Joel Dahmen+100
Garrick Higgo+110
Tie+750
3rd Round 2-Balls - J. Thomas / S.W. Kim
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Justin Thomas-150
Si Woo Kim+125
3rd Round 2 Balls - N. Korda v M. Katsu
Type: 3rd Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN
Nelly Korda-190
Minami Katsu+210
Tie+750
3rd Round 2 Balls - J. Thitikul v P. Delacour
Type: 3rd Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN
Jeeno Thitikul-275
Perrine Delacour+290
Tie+800
3rd Round 2 Balls - A. Lee v P. Anannarukarn
Type: 3rd Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN
Pajaree Anannarukarn+100
Andrea Lee+110
Tie+750
3rd Round 2 Balls - L. Coughlin v Y. Liu
Type: 3rd Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN
Lauren Coughlin-190
Yan Liu+210
Tie+750
3rd Round 2 Balls - M. Lee v M. Yamashita
Type: 3rd Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN
Minjee Lee-105
Miyu Yamashita+115
Tie+750
3rd Round 2 Balls - A. Buhai v I. Lindblad
Type: 3rd Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN
Ashleigh Buhai+100
Ingrid Lindblad+110
Tie+750
Volvo China Open
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra+225
Haotong Li+225
Kiradech Aphibarnrat+600
Zecheng Dou+800
Yannik Paul+1100
Jordan Smith+1200
Tapio Pulkkanen+1200
Ashun Wu+6500
Jacob Skov Olesen+6500
Sam Bairstow+6500
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Major Specials 2025
Type: To Win A Major 2025 - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler+160
Bryson DeChambeau+350
Xander Schauffele+350
Ludvig Aberg+400
Collin Morikawa+450
Jon Rahm+450
Brooks Koepka+700
Justin Thomas+700
Viktor Hovland+700
Hideki Matsuyama+800
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PGA Championship 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+500
Scottie Scheffler+500
Bryson DeChambeau+1400
Ludvig Aberg+1400
Xander Schauffele+1400
Jon Rahm+1800
Collin Morikawa+2000
Brooks Koepka+2500
Justin Thomas+2500
Viktor Hovland+2500
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US Open 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+500
Scottie Scheffler+500
Bryson DeChambeau+1200
Xander Schauffele+1200
Jon Rahm+1400
Ludvig Aberg+1400
Collin Morikawa+1600
Brooks Koepka+1800
Viktor Hovland+2000
Justin Thomas+2500
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The Open 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+500
Scottie Scheffler+550
Xander Schauffele+1100
Ludvig Aberg+1400
Collin Morikawa+1600
Jon Rahm+1600
Bryson DeChambeau+2000
Shane Lowry+2500
Tommy Fleetwood+2500
Tyrrell Hatton+2500
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Ryder Cup 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
USA-150
Europe+140
Tie+1200

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Featured Groups: Shriners Hospitals for Children OpenFeatured Groups: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Risk/reward is always the name of the game in Las Vegas, and it’s no different at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin. The Bobby Weed/Fuzzy Zoeller design in the desert features a driveable, par-4 15th and a par-5 16th that may be the last, best birdie opportunities. Rod Pampling made four birdies in his last six holes to become the surprise winner last year, picking up his first PGA TOUR title since the 2006 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. The Shriners has seen 10 first-time TOUR winners in the last 15 years, plus champions with Vegas ties such as Kevin Na (2011) and Ryan Moore (’12). The winner gets 500 FedExCup points. Among the other headliners: Newly minted Web.com Tour graduate Chesson Hadley, who has gotten off to a great start this season and sits at sixth in the FedExCup; Ryan Armour, 41, who is coming off his emotional maiden victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship and is ninth; and FedExCup No. 5 Tony Finau, who is close to home (Utah) but must adapt to the 15-hour difference between the Shriners and the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions (Shanghai, China). Maverick McNealy will tee it up on a sponsor exemption. Former UNLV golfer Charley Hoffman will be playing for a cause greater than himself, donating his winnings to survivors of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival shooting. His Presidents Cup teammate Kevin Chappell is also in the field. And keep an eye on Patrick Cantlay, one of the big movers last season after playing his way from injury and career jeopardy all the way to the TOUR Championship. MORE SHRINERS: Field | Tee times | Power Rankings | Course | Past Results Here’s a look at this week’s featured groups (current FedExCup ranking in parentheses). All times ET: Webb Simpson (T-81), Smylie Kaufman (51), Rod Pampling (146): Three past champions, plenty of good mojo. Four years after his Vegas victory, Simpson is enjoying a career resurgence and one of six players in the field who made it all the way to last season’s TOUR Championship. He eventually finished 17th in the FedExCup. Kaufman, who won the Shriners two years ago, had an off year in 2017 but is trending upward after a tie for fourth at the Sanderson Farms. And Pampling is looking to recapture the magic that made him one of the biggest surprises of the last season when he won for the first time anywhere since the 2008 Australian Masters. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 3:25 p.m. 1st tee; Rd. 1 – 10:35 a.m. 10th tee. Bubba Watson (N/A), Graeme McDowell (T-156), Jimmy Walker (N/A): Three major champions who are coming off a down year hope to get the early jump on the 2017-’18 with a solid performance in the desert. Two-time Masters champion Watson will be playing Shriners event for first time since 2007, while Walker, who broke through with a life-changing win at the 2016 PGA Championship, hopes to bounce back from a lull triggered by his bout with Lyme Disease. Meanwhile, 2010 U.S. Open champion McDowell, 38, will perhaps find inspiration in the fact that he is coming up on another Ryder Cup year.   Tee times: Rd. 1 – 3:35 p.m. 1st tee; Rd. 1 – 10:45 a.m. 10th tee. Ryan Armour (9), Bryson DeChambeau (T-81), Billy Horschel (N/A_: Two of last season’s winners plus late-bloomer Armour, 41, who won by five at last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship in just the fifth tournament of the new season. Mad scientist DeChambeau is coming off a life-changing summer in which he won the John Deere Classic to punch his last-minute ticket to the Open Championship, while 2014 FedExCup champion Horschel got back in the game with a playoff victory over Jason Day at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 10:35 a.m. 10th tee; Rd. 2 – 3:25 p.m. 1st tee. Charley Hoffman (N/A), Ryan Moore (T-81), Kevin Chappell (N/A): Hoffman, who attended UNLV, is coming off the best season of his career, a campaign that saw him finish 20th in the FedExCup and make his first Presidents Cup team at age 40. This week he is paired with fellow UNLV alumnus Moore and Presidents Cup partner Chappell. Hoffman and Chappell paired up for one win and one loss in the U.S. Team’s easy victory over the Internationals. Hoffman will donate 100 percent of his earnings to PGA TOUR Charities, which will donate the entirety to the Direct Impact Fund in support of those affected by the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival shooting. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 10:45 a.m. 10th tee; Rd. 2 – 3:35 p.m. 1st tee.

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Aussie Cameron Smith hopes to be secret ingredient for International Team at Presidents CupAussie Cameron Smith hopes to be secret ingredient for International Team at Presidents Cup

There was just something about the kid. He was just 16 years old and he looked 12, but Cameron Smith walked into the Queensland state team in 2010 with an aura. A determination oozed from him. His eight soon-to-be teammates knew all about him before he arrived. They’d been seeing the young stud win plenty of golf tournaments. They’d been getting beaten by him. This despite seven of the eight having already reached their 20s — some even pushing mid-20s. The other one was 19. As they prepared for the Australian Interstate Series – a team match play competition between Australia’s six states that has been played since 1904 – the older players were expecting Smith to be one of those kids who thinks the sun shines out of his, uh, rear end. They figured they’d get a kid who feels bigger than the team because deep down he knows he’s the best player on it. Instead they got the opposite. “The most impressive thing was he came into the team environment and was so respectful of everybody — even though he was better than everybody,â€� teammate Rika Batibasaga says. “But then he was also an immediate leader. Not as the up-front guy, just the guy in the background doing all the things to rev us up. He defied his age. His actions, his words, he helped us feel damn near unbeatable. “The team stuff – he just loved it. He was all about it. He was always the one who wanted to get the players together away from the practice and play. He did his work, ground it out, but then made sure we all bonded as a unit afterwards.â€� Batibasaga, who now caddies part-time for Jason Day on the PGA TOUR, is adamant Smith could be one of the missing ingredients the International Team has been craving in the Presidents Cup. While Day is likely to bring some of the best skills to Ernie Els’ team at Royal Melbourne in December, Batibasaga says Smith can bring the mongrel and the motivation. This might sound strange to PGA TOUR fans who have seen Smith compete the last few years. He comes across as a laid-back and quiet individual, one who almost appears to not care. But there’s the rub — deep down he’s as gritty as they come. It’s like he is a football player, or elite team sport guy, trapped in an individual sport body. Give him the right environment and the instinct takes over. There is a feeling that Smith has the potential to be as motivating for the team as, say, Ian Poulter is for Europe in the Ryder Cup. Now that would be a big ask, but if Smith played well in an International Team upset – the home side will arrive at Royal Melbourne with a 1-10-1 record, having lost the last seven Presidents Cups —  it certainly would be one heck of a legacy to start. At fourth on the current International Team standings, the now 25-year-old Smith is in good shape to make his first Presidents Cup. Even if he slips out of the top eight by decision time, those who have been around him in a team environment are ready to sing his praises to the hilt to get him involved. The proof is already there … if you look close enough. Two years ago, he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Jonas Blixt – a guy he barely knew but had gelled with after moving to Jacksonville, Florida, where Blixt lived. Smith gave the team the right mix between comfort and competition. As things got tight down the stretch, and in a playoff, Smith stepped up and helped bring the team home. “He’s got a great attitude and he’s a great person. He’s a better person than he is a golfer – and he’s clearly a great golfer. Just hanging with him and just having fun with him … I think that’s just what it came down to,â€� Blixt said after the win. Late last year at the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup, Smith teamed with Marc Leishman for Australia, a somewhat controversial pick ahead of veteran Adam Scott. As the junior member of the duo, Smith might have been expected to sit in the passenger seat. But on the opening day, having made an early birdie and eagle, he turned to Leishman and told his teammate that he was welcome to turn up at any time. It spurred Leishman to make four birdies in his next eight holes. On Sunday they started six back of leaders Belgium in alternate shot before Smith decided to send the home crowds delirious. He buried birdie putts on the 12th and 13th holes and then, just as hopes looked gone after Leishman left a bunker shot in the sand, Smith holed out for another birdie. He had a sense of the occasion. He was playing under his national flag and so he found another gear. Sadly for the Australians, they just ran out of holes. The epic comeback would end as runner-up, but they proved they could be a very handy duo for Els at Royal Melbourne in December. “All around we made a great fit,â€� says Leishman, who leads the International Team standings and is a certainty for the side. “He would bring a lot of personality to the International team and hopefully a lot of birdies also. While he’d be a rookie, I’d expect he would be in some big pairings as he has the game to beat anyone. “And importantly he won’t be afraid or intimidated. And we need that as everyone in the U.S. team is an elite world-class player.â€� Els was in Melbourne on the final day and saw it firsthand. He won’t hand Smith any guarantees but knows someone with local ties and some serious passion would go a long way. “He’s got to make the team but he’s got good game,â€� Els says. “A straight hitter, a good putter, great team guy. So he’d be a real great asset to the team.â€� Another example of his edge in team play is, of course, the aforementioned Interstate Series when he was a teenaged assassin. “Honestly, there might not be a better team guy out there,â€� Batibasaga recalls.  “When it came to game day, he was a little savage. He was the young buck, but he was the guy getting stuck into others, giving the motivational talks, he was the guy revving us up.â€� History shows Queensland – Smith’s home state who has also produced the likes of Greg Norman, Scott and Day – would begin a dynasty under the kid. While they had broken a 35-year drought in 2001 with two-time PGA TOUR winner Steven Bowditch on the team and won again in 2004 with Day part of the crew, the state side had been through five lean years — including one where they were dead last, failing to beat any of the other five states. They won in 2010 with Smith going 9-1 overall and 5-0 in Foursomes with Batibasaga. “In one match there was a three-hole stretch I’ll never forget,â€� Batibasaga says. “We came to 15 I believe with a 1-up lead. I hit driver, he hit wedge to a foot. Pick it up, we go 2 up. He teed off 16 and hit it OB so I had to retee for us and I hit into fairway. He then proceeds to lip out his wedge shot for par and we halved with bogey. Next hole I put it in fairway and he actually lips out another wedge, we make birdie and we win 3 and 1. It was just amazing. “Even after his mistake, he just let it go and backed himself to come back. It was inspiring stuff. I knew he was destined for big things.â€� Smith would be part of Queensland teams that would defend the title in 2011 and win again in 2013. His record an imposing 18-3-2 over the three title winning years. He would also win the 2013 Australian Amateur title — which runs similar to the U.S. Amateur with stroke play qualifying into match play — before finding his path the PGA TOUR. “He has a killer instinct. He didn’t want to just win, he wanted to destroy teams. He expected that from himself and from the rest of us,â€� Batibasaga says. “And I expect he could bring the same to a Presidents Cup. He won’t be scared. He is ready to take down anyone. I know he has his mind on one or two American players particularly. He is craving it. He will be a force. He has the game to back it up. He loves a fight, and he needs to be in this fight to help turn the tide.â€� Of course the U.S. team has been the dominant force in the Presidents Cup; the Americans’ lone loss came at Royal Melbourne in 1998. The last time the teams met at Liberty National in 2017, it was almost over before the singles began. The history doesn’t intimidate Smith, it just fires him up more. “It’s a huge goal of mine to make the team, no doubt,â€� Smith says. “And if I do … I want to play the biggest names. I’m not about to take a step back. I think no matter what challenge I was given, I’d be ready to step up in that environment. It’s at the top of my goals.â€� Prior to Liberty National in 2017, Smith was not really in the crosshairs for then-captain Nick Price. His win at the Zurich Classic came without world ranking points and as such did not lift him in the team standings and meant he wasn’t getting mentioned as often as others. There were also only two picks back then. When the FedExCup Playoffs came that year, Smith knew he needed to make a serious statement. He tried to press to impress and faltered. He wanted it too much. It was a mistake he vowed never to make again. Sure enough, soon after he would finish inside the top five of his next four worldwide starts, including winning the Australian PGA Championship in his home state. As 2018 came to a close Smith was in a battle with Scott to partner Leishman in the World Cup. He decided he’d use the moment to prove he’d learned from the year before. He had. Smith opened the 2018 FedExCup Playoffs with two third-place finishes making him the chosen one. After the World Cup he defended his Australian PGA title. So far this 2018-19 PGA TOUR season, Smith has three top-10s but has trailed off a little of late dropping him from near the top of the International standings to fourth. As such the Zurich Classic has come at the perfect time. With Els deliberately getting prospective team members to pair up in New Orleans as he looks deep into analytics to perhaps find a new way past the Americans Smith has taken a small risk. He has declined to join up with a fellow International prospect, staying loyal to Blixt. Loyalty is, of course, another good team trait. He expects to make the team on merit in the top eight but at the same time wants Els – and others – to know he’s passionate for the cause. “Anything where I have played in a team format, I’ve tended to play really well. I guess I enjoy playing for someone and or something bigger than just myself. The Presidents Cup — it means a lot to me,â€� Smith said. “And I know it means a lot to the guys like Adam Scott who have been around it a long time but haven’t won it. “Sure we’ve struggled in the past but I just see that history as an opportunity to create something incredible. Imagine potentially being part of a team that were the ones to finally beat the Americans … well that would be hard to top.â€� If Smith was the spearhead for such a result, he’d never have to buy a beer in Australia again.

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Jordan Spieth appears on College GameDayJordan Spieth appears on College GameDay

With an intrastate battle between two top-25 teams taking place in Texas, College GameDay traveled to Austin on Saturday for tonight’s game between Texas and TCU. The show invited one of the best golfers in Texas history to serve as one of its guest pickers, as well. Jordan Spieth, who led Texas to an NCAA Championship a decade ago in his lone full season for the Longhorns, appeared on set to offer his picks for today’s top games, including the one involving his alma mater. Wearing a burnt orange letterman jacket emblazoned with a white ‘T’ on the left breast, Spieth’s selection for tonight’s game should come as no surprise. Spieth isn’t alone in thinking the Longhorns could pull off the upset of the undefeated Frogs tonight, however. Texas, which is ranked 18th in the College Football Playoff ranking with a 6-3 record, was listed as a seven-point favorite Saturday morning even though the Horned Frogs are 9-0 and fourth in the CFP ranking. TCU currently holds the final spot in the postseason, alongside perennial powerhouses Georgia, Ohio State and Michigan. The Longhorns are 64-27-1 all-time against TCU, their former Southwest Conference rival, including 36-15-1 at home. Texas is coming off a 34-27 win over No. 13 Kansas State. Spieth is the second TOUR player, and Texas alum, to appear on College GameDay this season. Scottie Scheffler was presented with the PGA TOUR Player of the Year Award while appearing on set for the September game between Texas and then-No. 1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide won that game, 20-19, on a field goal with 10 seconds remaining. Spieth is coming off a successful season of his own. He earned his 13th PGA TOUR title at the RBC Heritage, finished 13th in the FedExCup and went 5-0-0 for the victorious U.S. Team at the Presidents Cup. Spieth turned pro midway through his sophomore season at Texas, helping lead a resurgence for the historic program that won the 1971 and 1972 NCAA titles with Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw. The 2012 NCAA title was the third for the Longhorns’ golf program. Texas won its fourth national championship this year while being led by Pierceson Coody, the top player in PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global.

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