Kim leads entering final round of Valero Texas Open

NAPA, Calif. – PGA TOUR rookie Keith Mitchell has a collection of hats and T-shirts safely stored in his home. Mementoes from his high school days at the Baylor School less than a decade ago, each piece of apparel is adorned with a six-letter acronym: O.A.C.O.A.W. It’s what his old legendary golf coach, Henry King Oehmig, used to stress to his student-athletes. Open A Can Of Ass Whoop. “That’s what he would always say,â€� Mitchell said. “Open a can, open a can. That’s his No. 1 right there.â€� It was Oehmig’s endearing way of stressing the importance of constantly competing, relentlessly push yourself, always try your hardest. His goal was to bring out the best in his golfers, help them reach their full potential. His message has never been more evident on the PGA TOUR than at last week’s Safeway Open, the opening event of the 2017-18 season. Four of his players – Mitchell, Harris English, Stephan Jaeger and Luke List — were in the 144-man field at Silverado, a remarkably high percentage at for one high school. It also beats the three grads from Florida’s Milton High School – Bubba Watson, Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum. “I think we’ve got them,â€� English said with a smile. This weekend, English will return to the Baylor campus at Chattanooga, Tennessee, for Alumni Weekend. On Sunday, he and List will be inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame, becoming part of a club that also includes Oehmig, a 1969 Baylor graduate who was inducted in 2014. (List will not be in attendance, as he’s playing in this week’s CIMB Classic in Malaysia.) Sadly, Oehmig, who coached both the boys’ and girls’ teams to a combined 21 state championships in 12 years, will not be there. Less than a year after his Hall of Fame induction, he died suddenly at age 63 from a heart attack while fly fishing. Had he lived, no doubt he would have enjoyed the weekend and taken great pride in seeing four of his best players compete against each other in golf’s highest level. “He’s definitely smiling right now,â€� English said while standing just off the practice green at Silverado. “Four guys that he coached that we all kind of leaned on him and all had success at Baylor and beyond because of him. That’s pretty cool to see.â€� Here is their story. ATTENDING BAYLOR As a private institution that offers boarding for non-local residents, Baylor School can draw from not only the United States but all over the world. List was the first to arrive in the late 1990s, then English a few years later, soon followed by Jaeger – an exchange student from Germany – and Mitchell, the only one raised in Chattanooga. It’s not cheap to attend Baylor. According to the school’s website, the current tuition costs for this school year are $23,980 for day tuition, $48,842 for boarding domestic and $52,422 for boarding international. Scholarships and other financial aid are available. GRIFFIN: “Baylor had such a name for itself in all these sports that if a kid’s parents wanted to send them to a school where they got an incredible education but fulfilled their athletic needs or dreams, Baylor was the place to go. It didn’t matter what sport it was. It was just a great academic school that you kind of had everything you needed if you wanted to play sport at the next level but still get an education that was suited enough to go to any school in the country. You didn’t have to recruit. I don’t think it’s allowed. It didn’t matter. People knew about it. People wanted to go there.â€� LIST: “I was living in Jasper, Georgia at the time. I found out about it and I boarded my first year, so I was away from home. And then I have two younger sisters and my parents decided to move the family there, because my sisters were competitive swimmers. They also had a really good swim team, and my mom wanted all of us home. It worked out nicely just being home. I know Harris was a boarder there and Stephan Jaeger was a boarder.â€� ENGLISH: “I went in ninth grade. It was after Luke, but I knew he was a really, really good player. I had met him before. It was really because of Coach O. I went up there and visited and really loved the place. It was a place for me to get better in my golf game, get better in academics and to set me up to go to a college I wanted to, which was Georgia. It was the next step in kind of the whole process. My parents really believed in that, and it was probably one of the best decisions of my life, them sending me to Baylor, affording for me to go to a school like that.â€� JAEGER: “I was 17. I was a junior in high school. The (exchange) organization we were with worked with 40 schools, 40 high schools that they had contacts with. It was between that and a couple other ones and I picked that one. Had read about Harris. He was the oldest guy there. Luke was already gone. He was committed to Georgia and all that. So we just kind of knew that the team was going to be good. Ended up winning State all the years I was there.â€� GRIFFIN: “I was very, very fortunate. My dad went there, actually. He played sports there. So I was kind of just bred that I was going to go there and that’s what I was going to do.â€� COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT Once on campus, the student-athletes quickly realized the depth of talent on their team – as well as the expectation level that came with it. Practices were competitive, sometimes tougher than tournaments, and nobody received a free pass from Coach O. Ultimately, teammates pushed each other, and success followed. List was the Tennessee state champion in 2001 and 2002; English won state in 2005 and also led his team to four straight team championships. Mitchell said in his first three years, Baylor never lost a single tournament. LIST: “I came in and no one really knew who I was. I won the qualifying as a ninth grader. I was No. 1 as a ninth grader, and the guys were kind of pissed. King was just, You keep opening a can on those guys, it’ll push them. He was always competitive. Everything we did was a competition. Eating contests, cards, whatever it was, we were always competing. So that was cool.â€� ENGLISH: “We had a really good team and pushed each other. I really liked that. I liked the competition. That is what I saw at Baylor. I thought I was a really good player in eighth grade. Then I went to high school and I was playing No. 3 on the team. Two guys were better than me. I like having that, I like practicing and playing with guys who are better than me. That’s what made me better at Baylor.â€� MITCHELL: “If you didn’t prepare and you didn’t practice and you didn’t want to be the best, then you weren’t even going to make the high school team. That was the difference at Baylor than most other places. That was the norm there. That was the going rate.â€� JAEGER: “It was kind of like a college feel there. You practiced. You would practice in the afternoon with each other. You work every day and stuff. It was a cool experience for sure.â€� MITCHELL: “Just with practice schedules and the tournaments and qualifying. It was run like a college program with our coach. He was incredible at just motivating us and keeping us striving to be the best we could be. And that’s really the difference was we looked less of it as a really good high school team and more of it as we all wanted to play on the PGA TOUR from that day forward.â€� ENGLISH: “We all pushed each other and helped each other get better, and practicing and playing and learning different things from each player. Coach just had a great system. We played a lot. We practiced a lot. We had fun on the road. When we show up at tournaments, we knew we were going to win. We had the confidence that we just knew we’d lean on each other and play well. “ MITCHELL: “We all had aspirations to play in college and on the PGA TOUR even at that age. It was less of winning in high school. It was more of we were trying to be the best players we could be for the future. It really helped having that environment with such good players around us, and a coach that treated us like we were going to play on the PGA TOUR and not just really good high school players.â€� BEYOND BAYLOR List attended Vanderbilt and earned All-American honors all four years; he was also runner-up at the 2004 U.S. Amateur. He turned pro in 2007 and comes off his best TOUR season in which he ranked 50th in FedExCup points.English went to Georgia and, like List, was a four-time All-American. Since turning pro in 2011, he’s won twice on TOUR. Jaeger stayed in the area after graduating from Baylor, as he attended Tennessee-Chattanooga. He won twice on the Web.com Tour last season, and in 2016, he won the Ellie Mae Classic after shooting an opening-round 12-under 58, the lowest score in Web.com Tour history. Mitchell followed English’s path, attending Georgia and has also moved to the Sea Island, Georgia, area, where English lives. Each one appreciates the Baylor connections. ENGLISH: “I’ve known Keith for a long time. He was in eighth grade when I first met him or maybe even younger. I think he played on the team in the eighth grade. Jaeger came over from Germany my senior year. We all got to play on the same team for one year. We stayed in great touch, we’re great friends. And then Luke List, he was kind of a mentor to me. Obviously five years older, but he’s had a great career and he was a reason why I went to Baylor and why Baylor had such success.â€� LIST: “He’s (English) done well without any of my influence. And obviously he’s won a couple of times, so he’s had a far better career than I have so far. I’m hopefully a late bloomer. … I’ve got nothing but great things to say about Harris and his game and his personality. If I did anything to help with that, then I’ll take very little credit.â€� MITCHELL: “Played the last two seasons with Stephan Jaeger on the Web.com Tour, so we spent multiple weeks rooming together, playing practice rounds together, everything. Just helping each other with each other’s games. Then Harris lives in Sea Island. So when I’m home, I get to see Harris. Stephan and I were both in Harris’ wedding. We’re as close as friends can get. I live in the same city as Harris. Now I’m going to see him a lot more being on the road and the same city. … I think Luke lives in California now. I haven’t seen him in a while just because of the difference in the schedules. But he actually texted me when I got my card and said he was looking forward to hanging out.â€� JAEGER: “We have so many new memories about college and out here and on the Web with me and Keith. I think it’s more of a live-in-the-present kind of thing. … It was a good time (in high school) and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.â€� ENGLISH: “He’s (Mitchell) kind of been a little brother to me. He played on the team in eighth grade and I have seen him grow up. I’ve seen him mature as a person as well as a player. His game has really come around and he’s a solid, solid player. I don’t think he has any weaknesses. There were times where he had some weaknesses throughout high school and college, but he’s definitely worked hard and he’s got to all-around game that he can hit it far, he can chip and putt. He can do everything. That’s why he’s had such success this year on the Web.com. I don’t think anybody in our group was surprised by the way he played. Every time we go home, he plays well. He’s got a lot of confidence. “Same thing with Jaeger. I’ve said from day one since I met him, he’s one of best guys I’ve seen. He’s got probably the best work ethic I’ve ever seen. Believes in himself. He’s got that will to win. You could see that when he shot 58, when he won the tournament by a lot.â€� LIST: “It’s cool to see Keith getting his card right away. He’s playing great. And Stephan also. He played so well last year and to continue this year, well, those guys have bright futures.â€� ENGLISH: “It’s good to have guys out here who aren’t trying to beat you up, who you can say, ‘Hey, man, what do you think about this? What do you think about this swing or what do you think about my stance?’ They are willing to help and give their advice. It’s good to have guys like that out here who are really good friends of yours and can help out. It for sure can get lonely out here traveling, so it’s been awesome. We have a special bond.â€�

Click here to read the full article…

A quick look at Saturday’s third round of THE PLAYERS Championship. THE LEADER A year ago, maybe even as recently as eight months ago, Jon Rahm probably wouldn’t have found himself with the 54-hole at THE PLAYERS Championship. He would have lost his patience after hitting what seemed like a good shot to the 14th hole that missed the green and left him with a difficult up-and-down. He would have been frustrated at the next hole, too, when his approach came up short and landed in the pine straw. “I might have made both pars, but I don’t think I would have been as relaxed as I was today, and I think that’s what enabled the whole day, right,â€� Rahm said. Indeed. What he calls a year of personal growth has reigned in the 24-year-old Spaniard’s emotions and allowed him to put his best golf on display as it was Saturday during a third-round 64 that left him at 15-under. Rahm will start the final round with a one-stroke advantage over Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, the first 54-hole lead of his still-young PGA TOUR career. He’s broken 70 in each of the first three rounds on Pete Dye’s challenging creation – one of just two players who can make that claim. A victory on Sunday would be the third – and by far, the biggest of the Arizona State grad’s career. “It would be absolutely amazing to name yourself a PLAYERS champion,â€� Rahm said. “It’s definitely one of those events that they consider to get you in the Hall of Fame. It’s career-defining. “There’s very few select players that get to win here and only a very few number that have gotten to do it more than once, so it shows that to win out here you need to play really, really good golf, so it would be an incredible win if I get to do it.â€� Rahm says he played “OK golfâ€� in his first two appearances at TPC Sawgrass with four sub-par scores and an 82 in his seven rounds. He felt that it was a golf course he needed to learn but says the move to March has benefitted him. “I think the fairways hold up a little bit more,â€� Rahm said. “The greens are not as bouncy even though they’re getting firm. It’s just a little bit easier for me to read the grain on the chips and understand what it’s going to do, so I’m just a little bit more comfortable. “The course playing a little longer, it just plays to my strengths, especially if I’m hitting as good as I am with the irons.â€� He’s been playing well this season, though, winning the Hero World Challenge and posting five top-10s in his last six starts. Rahm ranks first in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, a key for playing the Stadium Course, as well as in Strokes Gained: Total. Rahm made seven birdies and an eagle on Saturday while dropping just on shot to par. And most importantly, he didn’t let that bogey get to him, playing his next 12 holes in 7 under. “I definitely feel a difference in myself, and it’s been great to feel that pride of all the work that I’ve done to get to this point, so hopefully I can keep doing it tomorrow,â€� Rahm said. ODDS AND ENDS Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy each showed some grit in bouncing back from tough starts Saturday in the final group. Fleetwood opened with a double bogey and was 3 over on his round through seven holes, then played his final 11 holes in 5 under. “The good thing about it was how good I was mentally, the character I showed,” Fleetwood said. McIlroy opened with two bogeys but was a bogey-free 4 under after that. “I showed some character out there, showed some grit,” McIlroy said. It’s the first time in tournament history that Europeans have been 1-2-3 on the leaderboard. Rory McIlroy just shrugged. “A coincidence more than anything else,” he said. “I don’t think you can put it down to much.” Mexico’s Abraham Ancer is solo fifth at 11 under — and evidently he’s eating well this week. He’s staying in a rental house with friends about 12 minutes from the course. Asked what’s on the grill, he replied, “Everything from ribeyes, New York strip filet. We aldo did some scallops. We’ve done a lot of Mexican food as well. It’s been great.” Jim Furyk was definitely worried he’d fall backwards into the water on his second shot at the 18th. His drive ended up just inches from the water, forcing Furyk to stand on the railroad ties. Furyk eventually used a wedge to punch out into the fairway, then quickly hopped forward to stay dry. “I just didn’t have the stability,” Furyk said. “I needed about three more inches and I would’ve been fine.” World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is five strokes off the pace and knows he needs a “special round” on Sunday. “I need to go out and shoot a really good score if I want a chance to win,” he said. Even if he doesn’t, Johnson is in prime shape to post his first top-10 in his PLAYERS career in his 11th start. Brandt Snedeker has recently reunited with swing coach Todd Anderson, and the move is paying off. Snedeker’s 65 on Saturday is his lowest round at TPC Sawgrass, and he’s missed just nine greens this week. “TA knows me so well, kind of knows my swing, and knows me personally, kind of how I process information,â€� said Snedeker, who worked with Anderson up until 2014. “We clicked right away.â€� Ollie Schniederjans made a “lot of big swing changesâ€� in the off-season, which may explain his struggles to contend in any given start. He’s missed the cut seven times in 13 starts, and his best finish since the start of 2019 is a T-57. But through three rounds this week, he’s found his game, and his putting was superb in shooting 65 Saturday. “To finally have a round like today and just to feel like I do about my game, to feel like I have a chance out there to go low and get in contention in big tournaments – I haven’t felt like that,â€� Schniederjans said. “Last year I didn’t feel like that.â€� NOTABLES BRANDT SNEDEKER (65/10 under) – Not only was it his lowest score in 29 career rounds at TPC Sawgrass, it’s also the first time he has gone bogey-free here. KEEGAN BRADLEY (68/10 under) – The 18-hole co-leader bounced back from a tough Friday by playing the last 12 holes in a bogey-free 6 under. ADAM SCOTT (68/9 under) – Terrific front side (4 under) and was bogey-free until he found the water on his approach at 18. JUSTIN ROSE (68/8 under) – A birdie-birdie-birdie finish gives Roses a small glimmer of hope on Sunday. RICKIE FOWLER (68/7 under) – A bogey-free round and knocked it inside 6 feet for birdie at 17. DUSTIN JOHNSON (69/10 under) – Moved into prime lurking position with a solid round (15 of 18 greens). Has one eagle, 10 birdies and just one bogey on the back nine this week. PATRICK REED (69/9 under) – Shot 69 for the third consecutive day and has just four bogeys this week. BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU (69/8 under) – Missed only one fairway Saturday but his irons were a bit off (11 of 18 greens hit). WEBB SIMPSON (70/6 under) – The defending champ posted a 70 for the third straight day. Made 36-foot putt for eagle at 16. JUSTIN THOMAS (70/3 under) – Paired with Bubba Watson in the first group out Saturday, they raced around TPC Sawgrass in about 3 hours. Watson also shot 70. JIM FURYK (71/10 under) — The good news is that he avoided falling into the water after a uneasy stance on the railroad ties at 18. The bad news is he’s five shots off the lead. TIGER WOODS (72/3 under) – Three bogeys going out; three birdies coming in. At least he rallied to avoid missing Saturday’s second cut. FRANCESCO MOLINARI (72/2 under) – Last week’s winner at Bay Hill just hasn’t found the gear to get him in contention. BROOKS KOEPKA (73/Even) – Suffered back-to-back doubles on the front side, and another double on the 10th. Immediately bounced back with an eagle at 11. Hello, rollercoaster! SERGIO GARCIA (74/3 under) – Any chance of contending was snuffed out when he found the water at 17. The love-hate relationship continues. WORTH WATCHING 73-FOOT BIRDIE PUTT by Vaughn Taylor at the third hole 45-FOOT EAGLE PUTT for Tony Finau at the par-5 16th 35-FOOT EAGLE PUTT for Webb Simpson at the par-5 16th NEAR-ACE AT 17 for Tiger Woods THEY SAID IT I think I’m the better-looking one, so they put me in the last group.”You gotta use the left hand. He used the other hand. I’ll give him a lesson later. I think one at 17 tomorrow would be very appropriate on St. Patrick’s Day. BY THE NUMBERS 3 – Number of bogeys Rory McIlroy has made this week, fewest in the field. 7 — Players who did not make Saturday’s second cut, as the field was reduced to the top 70 and ties. The seven include: Jason Dufner, Anirban Lahiri, Tyler Duncan, Patrick Rodgers, Kevin Na, Adam Long and Patton Kizzire. 28 – Numbers of inches in Tommy Fleetwood’s bogey-putt that he missed on the opening hole Saturday. SUPERLATIVES STROKES GAINED LEADERS: Off-the-tee (Tommy Fleetwood, 2.289); Tee-to-Green (Jon Rahm, 6.090); Approach-the-Green (Jon Rahm, 5.477); Around-the-Green (Brooks Koepka, 4.088); Putting (Ollie Schniederjans, 4.017); Total (Jon Rahm, 7.513). LONGEST DRIVE: 368 yards – Ollie Schniederjans on 11. LONGEST PUTT: 73-feet, 11 inches. Vaughn Taylor drilled a birdie on the par-3 3rd. LONGEST HOLE-OUT: 190-yards – Ryan Moore. Holed an incredible eagle on the usually tough par-4 5th. MOST BIRDIES: 7 – Keegan Bradley (68), Hideki Matsuyama (66), Eddie Pepperell (68), Jon Rahm (64), Brandt Snedeker (65). BOGEY-FREE ROUNDS: Rickie Fowler (68), Brandt Snedeker (65) HARDEST HOLE: Par-8 8th and Par-5 18th. Played to 3.225 and 4.225 respectively. Just 18 birdies between the two.

Click here to read the full article…

Tiger Woods said course changes at Quail Hollow Club led to his first-round struggles at the Wells Fargo Championship, but the 2007 winner did finish the day at even-par 71.

Click here to read the full article…