Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler: ‘I made Tiger great again’

The PGA Tour’s Dylan Frittelli says it was hard not to feel like an outcast Thursday but said playing despite a positive coronavirus test was still fun.

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KAPALUA, Hawaii – Cameron Smith led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting en route to his win at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Clearly 2022’s new rule surrounding yardage books – and the banning of the old, in-depth greens books – didn’t impact the Australian. The winners-only event at Kapalua’s Plantation Course was the first TOUR event since the implementation of a local rule on TOUR that limits the information in players’ yardage books. From this week forward, only committee-approved yardage books can be used and players can only add handwritten notes from information they’ve seen with their naked eye or on a broadcast. Measuring instruments cannot be used to gather information for notes added to the book. That eliminates the old greens books that used technology to measure the slightest slopes on a putting surface. “I’ve never really been a big fan of the greens books,” Smith said. “I do AimPoint Express and I like to feel a lot of stuff. I like to see stuff and I like to feel stuff, so the greens books, for me, took away a lot of that. I gave them a crack a couple of times but I was never really a fan.” That seemed to be the overwhelming sentiment from the 38 players who teed it up last week. “I haven’t really consulted the green book too much in the past,” said FedExCup champ Patrick Cantlay. “Every once in a while, I used to ask my caddie to consult it. I don’t think it will make too much of a difference for me.” Last year’s Sony Open in Hawaii champion, Kevin Na, said he might’ve entered the history books if not for a reliance on the books a year ago. “I remember last year at the Sony Open I looked at it one time on 17 when I had a chance to shoot 59 and it didn’t work out too well, so that was the last time I saw it,” Na said. “My caddie used to carry one, and he would look at it here and there. But I don’t feel like it’s a huge change for me because we’ve never really looked at it a lot. So, I actually like that it’s gone. I feel like I am a pretty good green reader out there so it’s an advantage for us.” The changes were player-driven through the TOUR’s Player Advisory Council (PAC). A former chairman of that committee, Jordan Spieth, believes he also will find an edge with the new rule despite the fact he’s used the books extensively in the past. “It will be an adjustment, certainly as we get to the West Coast, and places like Riviera, but there’s three things to putting. There’s reading the putt, there’s stroking it on line and there is hitting it at the right speed,” Spieth said. “I think that two of those were skills that you don’t technically need to have with (arm-lock) putting and the greens books. At least one of them right now is back to where it will become a skill to have to read them.” While Spieth’s caddie, Michael Greller, studied AimPoint in the off-season to broaden his knowledge base, Spieth wasn’t planning to do the same anytime soon. He will rely on his natural feels. “We’ve never had the greens books at Augusta,” Spieth added, “and I seem to find myself in a really good space on the greens there, really feeling putts. My Strokes Gained at Augusta has always been really solid so I like looking at that as a reference point. “I think if anything this could potentially help me in the Strokes Gained area. I’m not saying I’m going to make as many putts as I would with them, … but relative to other people, I would say green reading would be a strength of mine and therefore I feel good about the differences.” Other players who used the books heavily in the past were hopeful it would free up their mind and allow some instinct to come in. “I’m excited for it,” said FedExCup leader Talor Gooch. “I use the green reading books, but I think it was to a detriment at times and I play my best when I think less, I calculate less, I kind of try to be reactive and so having no greens books is great for that.” Joel Dahmen added that it could be good for him to get his head out of the book. “I probably bury my head in them too much as it is,” Dahmen said. “I don’t use them at home and I putt OK, so there’s no real reason to have them out here for me. But it’s a little more work for the caddie on Tuesday and Wednesday for them to get the slopes and the grain out there.”

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Since there is a contingent of gamers who either don’t review the Rules for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO or assume that tournaments contested outside the United States don’t use ShotLink, consider this your public service announcement of the week. The World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship is one of only two PGA TOUR events held internationally that uses ShotLink. The other is the RBC Canadian Open. This means that bonus points are one-tenth of actual FedExCup points earned. With no cut at Club de Golf Chapultepec, it also means that you can get away with broadening your focus to save precious starts for busier talents who we’ll see again at the Valspar Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and/or the Houston Open, which concludes Segment 2. The second WGC of the 2017-18 season also presents career-changing potential for non-members. In last year’s edition, Tommy Fleetwood, Ross Fisher, Thomas Pieters and Tyrrell Hatton recorded top 10s in Mexico City. Each would go on to total enough non-member FedExCup points to secure fully exempt status this season. (Alex Noren was the fifth non-member to achieve the same status for 2017-18. He finished T55 here last year.) This season’s target for Special Temporary Membership [STM] is 268.552 FedExCup points. For any non-member who qualifies, he’ll then have the option to accept STM. It would lift the restriction on starts allowed, grant unlimited sponsor exemptions and yield a spot in the Beyond 150 reshuffle (category No. 32 in the Priority Ranking. To date, non-member Sam Burns paces non-members with the equivalent of 122 FedExCup points. Of the notables in the field in Mexico, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Bernd Wiesberger are out front with 81 apiece. Dylan Frittelli slots third among entrants at Chapultepec with 70. Click here to monitor progress of non-members chasing this carrot. For any threatening STM who have yet to exhaust rookie eligibility on the PGA TOUR, I keep the pulse of those guys in my weekly Rookie Ranking. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship (in alphabetical order): Ross Fisher Tommy Fleetwood Phil Mickelson Alex Noren Justin Rose Justin Thomas You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Patrick Cantlay; Rickie Fowler; Dustin Johnson; Marc Leishman; Jon Rahm; Xander Schauffele; Brendan Steele Driving: Patrick Cantlay; Paul Casey; Kevin Chappell; Brendan Steele; Gary Woodland Approach: Rafa Cabrera Bello; Jason Dufner; Matt Kuchar; Webb Simpson; Jordan Spieth Short: Jason Dufner; Matt Kuchar; Webb Simpson; Gary Woodland Power Rankings Wild Card Kevin Chappell … There are no guarantees in golf, but he’s as close to a lock to improve on last year’s T55 as you’re going to find. Known as a tee-to-green tactician, he couldn’t get out of his own way for the first three months of 2017. He then placed T7 at the Masters, and then broke through for his maiden title on the PGA TOUR in San Antonio. The 31-year-old returns having started 2018 with five consecutive paydays, two of which for a top 10. He also tied for 20th at Riviera two weeks ago. Given his profile to keep his ball on the straight and narrow, and because he’s a lofty 10th on TOUR in scrambling, Chapultepec fits neatly into his wheelhouse. Draws Gary Woodland … At worst, he’s handy in the Roster game due to the value of his length off the tee, but he won just four weeks ago and checks all of the boxes that demand our attention. Matt Kuchar … Quintessential spell for another monster you can stow for a tournament with a cut later in Segment 2. Then again, getting to the weekend is his calling card, so there’s reason to keep him on the shelf as well if you’re pacing. Either way, he never lets us down. Marc Leishman … With a T31 (WMPO) and a missed cut (Genesis) in his last two starts, he’s poised to reverse the arrow just as he has time and again over the last couple of years after a stumble or two. The only negative is that he’s a first-timer at Chapultepec in a field with 35 returning participants. Patrick Cantlay … Remains every gamer’s dream. Frankly, I could copy and paste all of the advice conveyed in just about all of his previous starts, and it would apply again this week, but you don’t even need it. He continues to climb steadily, efficiently and smartly. Tied for 15th in his WGC debut in China four months ago and tied for fourth in his last start at Riviera two weeks ago. Louis Oosthuizen … Launched his 2017-18 season with a T24 at the Honda. He sat in solo eighth after 54 holes, and then closed with 75. For as little as he plays and for as consistent as he performs, there’s rarely a spot at which he doesn’t make sense. Just don’t lead with him in any format. Rafa Cabrera Bello (all) Branden Grace (all) Adam Hadwin (DFS) Pat Perez (DFS) Xander Schauffele (all) Charl Schwartzel (SERVPRO) Kyle Stanley (DFS) Brendan Steele (all) Fades Patrick Reed … It’s relative but he’s scuffling. Just two top 25s among five starts in 2018 and he missed the cut in the other three. T61 here last year. Tyrrell Hatton … Didn’t grumble about his wrist that led to his early withdrawal in Perth three weeks ago, but didn’t necessarily eradicate doubt about it at PGA National, either. He missed the cut on the number. The first-time PGA TOUR member will put FedExCup points on the board as long as he completes the tournament this week, but only DFSers should invest fractionally. Chan Kim … He was one of my Sleepers for the WGC-HSBC Champions where he placed T58. The following week, he recorded his third and final victory of the season on the Japan Golf Tour before settling at third on the money list. Didn’t officially gain entry into the WGC-Mexico Championship until Satoshi Kodaira (No. 2 in 2017 earnings) qualified via the Official World Golf Ranking, but Kim has known for several weeks that he’d crack the field at Chapultepec. He lands in this section due to a series of unexplained withdrawals to conclude the year. That includes the final stage of Web.com Tour qualifying school, which was his last scheduled start in December. Paul Dunne Charley Hoffman Kevin Kisner Francesco Molinari Brandon Stone Returning to Competition None. Notable WDs Jason Day … Devoting time to his mother as she undergoes tests related to her recovery from lung cancer. Hideki Matsuyama … The recently turned 26-year-old (Feb. 25) is resting his sore left wrist and pad of thumb for at least another week. He’d be making his debut at the Valspar Championship where he’s in the preliminary field. Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson … Both opting to rest in advance of next week’s Valspar. Brooks Koepka … Targeting the Masters to return from a partially torn tendon in his left wrist. Power Rankings Recap – The Honda Classic Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Rickie Fowler MC 2 Justin Thomas Win 3 Sergio Garcia T33 4 Gary Woodland T49 5 Rory McIlroy T59 6 Brian Harman T33 7 Tyrrell Hatton MC 8 Jason Dufner T17 9 Brandt Snedeker MC 10 Scott Stallings T29 11 Patton Kizzire MC 12 Graeme McDowell MC 13 Alex Noren 3rd 14 Tommy Fleetwood 4th 15 Kiradech Aphibarnrat T68 Wild Card Adam Scott T13 Sleepers – The Honda Classic Golfer Result Derek Fathauer T13 John Huh T24 Sung Kang MC Ben Martin T33 Sean O’Hair MC Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR February 27 … Ryan Armour (42); Abraham Ancer (27) February 28 … none (February 29 … none) March 1 … Pat Perez (42) March 2 … none March 3 … Patton Kizzire (32) March 4 … Seamus Power (31); Denny McCarthy (25) March 5 … none

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