Justin Rose took a unique route to new Titleist irons

It was wild enough that a pair of impossible haymakers from improbable contenders Sunday at the Island Green 17th – Eddie Pepperell’s 50-foot birdie roll followed in the next group by Jhonattan Vegas’ 70-footer – put a bit of a shock into what was seen as the long-awaited coronation of Rory McIlroy as THE PLAYERS Champion. But when this blast from the past came riding in on a cool spring breeze, a classy veteran so grizzled that he joked that “my first name has become ‘48-year-old’ and my middle name is ‘Jim,’ � well, Jim Furyk nearly left everyone speechless. Let the record show that the dynamic McIlroy birdied the 15th and 16th holes Sunday, then played 17 and 18 brilliantly to nail down his 15th PGA TOUR victory, but this was an occasion when a runner-up performance deserved significant attention and heaps of praise. “I don’t feel any less pride for the way I played because I didn’t win,� said Furyk, who wasn’t even qualified for his 23rd PLAYERS Championship untill he placed inside the top 10 at the Honda Classic a few weeks ago. “I have a lot of respect for (McIlroy) as a person. But it still stings (to finish second). I mean, I’m a competitor, and I want to win, and it pisses me off I didn’t.� Such an afterthought entering the tournament and even after opening with a 71 to sit six off the lead, Furyk ignited a little bit of attention with a second-round 64, then added more intrigue when he shot 71 Saturday to enter the fourth round in a tie for sixth, five off the lead. Against a heavyweight leaderboard of McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and Jason Day, Furyk probably did not generate much support from those picking a winner, but he had that fire in his belly that had been missing for a long time. “I played a great event at Honda (T-9) and was just excited. I knew how well I was playing . . . but it was nice to get in contention to get under the heat, to have to hit shots under a lot of pressure. It will be a confidence boost going forward.� Biggest gut-check? The stretch of holes between Nos. 5 and 8, “where I lost my tempo and lost my confidence and hit horrific shots,� he said. Somehow, he survived – a chip-in birdie at the fifth, then clutch par-saves at six, seven and eight. When a solid par at nine sent him to the 10th tee, “I told Fluff (caddie Mike Cowan) that I’ve got to build my confidence,� and Furyk suggested “3-under on the back in these conditions (cool and blustery)� would get him into the thick of things. When you’re in your 26th PGA TOUR season and have played nearly 600 tournaments, you’ve got “credentials,� as they say, and Furyk showed he knew what he was talking about. He birdied the par-4 10th and par-5 11th, was one of four players tied for the lead at 14-under mid-way through his back, and when he shook off a sloppy bogey at the par-4 15th with birdies at 16 and 18, “48-year-old Jim Furyk� was your clubhouse leader at 15-under. Daughter Caleigh had returned from a volleyball tournament in Orlando in time to watch her dad play 17 and 18, then she joined her mother, Tabitha, and brother, Tanner, to huddle with Jim after he signed for 67 – 273. They laughed near the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, then he disappeared into the sprawling building where he watched his lead melt away in McIlroy’s finishing kick. It might not have been easy viewing for Furyk, but this had been a four-day stretch that showcased the enormous amount of guts which defines him. He is not only nearing another birthday (he will be officially called “49-year-old Jim Furyk� May 12) and playing against kids half his age who hit it twice as far as he does, but Furyk admittedly has never felt comfortable at this brilliant Pete Dye design. No matter that he has lived just minutes away for more than 20 years, “there are hard edges, hard lines here and (for years) I couldn’t figure it out,� said Furyk. In 22 previous starts, he had finished Top 10 just four times, but more telling is that arguably the most consistent player of his generation not called Tiger Woods, Furyk had missed the cut five times and finished outside the top 30 on six occasions. But this week, riding new-found confidence in the aftermath of the Honda and a determination to be more aggressive at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, Furyk shined. Maybe not as brightly as McIlroy, but surely in a way that he hasn’t in years, not with his world ranking having fallen to 167th and his health a big challenge. But thrilled to be healthy for the first time since 2015, Furyk came into the year determined “to see how competitive I could be.� Finishing just one behind a dynamo named McIlroy in the PGA TOUR flagship tournament that features the best field in golf answered that in a very positive fashion.

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NAPA, Calif. — Brandt Snedeker birdied the final three holes Saturday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the PGA TOUR’s season-opening Safeway Open. Snedeker finished with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions to get to 16-under 200 on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa. “I’m really proud of the way I stepped up there and hit some quality shots when I needed to,” Sneaker said. “I made some birdies and gave me a little bit of cushion for tomorrow, which will be really important because tomorrow’s supposed to be tougher than today, so every shot is really important coming down the stretch.” He won the Wyndham Championship in August, opening with a 59 en route to his ninth PGA TOUR title. “It was a tough day, the wind kicked up the last 12 or 13 holes,” Snedeker said. “I just did a great job of staying patient knowing the last three holes were birdies holes.” Kevin Tway was second after a 68. “It was a tough day, the wind picked up,” said Tway, who had a bogey-free round with four birdies. “I kept the ball in play nicely. I made a nice save on 14 and that was my only real bad shot.” Sungjae Im (69) was 12 under, and Bill Haas (67) followed at 11 under. “I hit some nice quality shots coming down the stretch with the two par 5s,” Haas said. “I saw it (the wind) is to supposed to blow, and be even more difficult than today. But I am very pleased with mike back nine; I hit some nice shots.” Phil Mickelson, tied for second entering the round, had a 74 to drop into a tie for 15th at 8 under. Fred Couples also was 8 under after a 70 in his final regular PGA TOUR start. The 59-year-old Hall of Famer played the first two rounds with Snedeker, shooting a 65 on Friday. “I played pretty well,” said Couples, who eagled the ninth hole. “On the front, there were a couple of birdie opportunities, but when I made the turn, the wind started to pick up and I hit a couple of good shots on 10 and 11.”  

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When a golf course is approved to undergo a renovation, it usually means that it’s older and outdated. It’s tired. It’s getting (or has already been) passed by due to the never-ending advancement of equipment and its agronomy has deteriorated beyond the point of sustainable maintenance to achieve expectations. Then there’s what happened at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. After it hosted the PGA TOUR from 1987-2004 and once more in 2006, it not only required an overhaul to eliminate concern over poor drainage and substandard turf, it likely wasn’t going to rejoin any sort of rotation as a host at this level until something significant occurred. Done and done. A much tougher test is in store for the field of 120 at this week’s Quicken Loans National. Continues to sizzle and remains one of the most active among the elite. Since a T14 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, he’s 7-for-7 with six top 25s. Season-best T5 last week. The PGA TOUR’s leader in adjusted scoring took a week to lick his wounds after a T5 at the U.S. Open. Fifth in birdie-or-better percentage and 10th in bogey avoidance. To steal his phrase, wouldn’t be surprised if he just won this (the week after sitting atop the Power Rankings, naturally). Tops on TOUR in birdies-or-better percentage. The 2013 champ (a mile away at Congressional) struts in on a T12-T25-T5 burst. Sits eighth in greens in regulation, seventh in scrambling and third in bogey avoidance. His affinity for tough tracks doesn’t hurt, but foreign greens already enhance his ball-striking skill set. Four top 25s since the Masters, including breakthrough title at Valero. Keeps printing top 20s like money. A T14 at TPC River Highlands is his eighth in 2017 alone. A force throughout his bag, he’s also 13th in bogey avoidance. Scratched out four sub-70s for a T17 at TPC River Highlands, his third top 20 in the last six weeks. Ranks 10th in strokes gained: tee-to-green and sixth in adjusted scoring. Heating up again as we near the Presidents Cup. Last week’s T3 occurs just one month after he went T5-solo sixth in the final swing through Texas. Has always enjoyed a tough test. Win at the AT&T Byron Nelson and T4 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic illustrate recent connections with tiptop form. Twelfth on TOUR in GIR. Might fulfill the eye test more than any other golfer because his occasional brilliance transcends data. Always a threat to WD, but nonetheless rested since a T13 at Erin Hills. Radically improved putting has yielded progressively better top 20s in his last three starts. It’s paid off what was already a serviceable tee-to-green game. Captured his only Web.com Tour title here in 2012. Like Reed, the Swede was also sparked by a T14 at the Zurich Classic and is 7-for-7 since, albeit with one less top 25. No stranger to thriving on smaller greens is fresh off a T5 at TPC River Highlands where he ranked T3 in greens in regulation and 15th in proximity to the hole. Duties as a first-time defending champion may be distracting, but practices at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, so he likes the level of comfort and advantage it presents. The team event in NOLA has marked a turnaround for him as well. The rookie backed up a T5 at the U.S. Open with a T14 at the Travelers. Ranks 24th in GIR. POWER RANKINGS: QUICKEN LOANS NATIONAL RANK PLAYER COMMENT Along with many other notables, Tony Finau, Jimmy Walker, J.B. Holmes and Charles Howell III will be included in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. Back when TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm was a regular stop on the PGA TOUR and then known simply as TPC Avenel, it played as a pushover of a par 71. Charles Howell III owns the course record with a 61 in 2004. Three golfers share the tournament record of 263, most recently submitted by Adam Scott, also in 2004. Neither mark is expected to be threatened this week even. To shed perspective on the challenge, we turn to the career of World Golf Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer. He’s made 197 starts on the PGA TOUR Champions, but in only 14 has he completed a tournament over par. One of those occasions was during the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship in October of 2010 when TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm resurfaced following its overhaul (in 2007). Mark O’Meara prevailed in a playoff after the duo completed the 72-hole competition in 7-under 273. The Web.com Tour then swung into town in October of 2012, and then again on the weekend after Memorial Day in 2013. David Lingmerth’s 8-under 272 was good enough for the first title, while Michael Putnam’s 7-under 273 secured victory in the latter. Only a combined 21 golfers finished under par for the week in the two editions. Jason Gore’s opening 63 in 2012 is the lowest aggregate of any of the three sanctioned competitions since 2010. Since Ben Curtis was the last PGA TOUR winner to pose for pictures at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, none of the 18 holes were left alone during the upgrade and modernization. Multiple holes were completely redone and all 83 bunkers were rebuilt. Particular attention was paid to land directly affected when water rises on the Rock Run Stream Valley that crosses through the southern edge of the property. The course now tips at 7,107 yards. Bentgrass greens averaging 5,300 square feet and running at about 12 feet on the Stimpmeter place a premium on distance and accuracy on approach. They’ll also help hide poor putters, but the relative unfamiliarity of the surfaces already presents an even playing field. However, as of midday Monday, 17 in the field (including Lingmerth) competed in the Web.com Tour event in 2012 and 21 were here in 2013, including Quicken Loans National defending champion Billy Hurley III. He missed the cut. Overall, 28 played in at least one of the two with 10 pegging it in both. (All former participants will be listed in The Confidence Factor on Tuesday.) Summerlike weather is in store throughout the tournament, and that includes an increasing threat of rain and boomers into the weekend. Warm and muggy air will provide the ingredients, while prevailing winds from a southwesterly direction may play a role at times, especially early. ROB BOLTON’S WRITING SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Columnist Rob Bolton will be filing his usual staples leading up to this week’s event. Look for the following columns this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, The Confidence Factor, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done THURSDAY: Ownership Percentages in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf and One & Done presented by SERVPRO * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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