Kizzire holds off furious Fowler charge

• COURSE: Quail Hollow Club, 7,600 yards, par 71. Already a player favorite as host of the Wells Fargo Championship, Quail Hollow unveils a new look for its first step into the major spotlight. Tom Fazio’s latest upgrade created three new holes, including a new 524-yard opener made by merging the old first and second holes. Nos. 4 and 5 also are new, made from the previous par-5 fifth hole. There was no need to tinker with the “Green Mile,� already deemed perhaps the toughest closing three holes on the PGA TOUR. George Cobb built the original 1961 layout, with Arnold Palmer and later Fazio tabbed for modifications. Quail Hollow was the Kemper Open’s original venue (1969-79) and later staged the World Seniors Invitational (1980-89), with the Presidents Cup coming in 2021. • FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 600 points. • CHARITY: PGA Reach, formerly the PGA Foundation, has contributed more than $40 million over the past two decades to growth-of-the-game initiatives, ranging from establishment of The First Tee to teaching grants and funding for military veterans, disabled and special-needs golfers. • FIELD WATCH: Jordan Spieth, atop the FedExCup standings and pointing toward a shot at the career Grand Slam, is joined by No.2 Dustin Johnson and defending champion Jimmy Walker to headline one of the year’s deepest fields. … All but two of the top 115 in the world rankings are slated to compete, missing only No.63 Martin Kaymer (shoulder) and No.75 Scott Piercy (unspecified). … Spots remain for the winners of this week’s WGC Bridgestone Invitational and Barracuda Championship, if not already qualified. … The lineup also includes the top 20 finishers from June’s PGA Professional National Championship. • 72-HOLE RECORD: 265, David Toms (2001 at Atlanta AC). • 18-HOLE RECORD: 63, Bruce Crampton (2nd round, 1975 at Firestone CC), Raymond Floyd (1st round, 1982 at Southern Hills), Gary Player (2nd round, 1984 at Shoal Creek), Michael Bradley (1st round, 1993 at Inverness), Vijay Singh (2nd round, 1993 at Inverness), Brad Faxon (4th round, 1995 at Riviera CC), José María Olazábal (3rd round, 2000 at Valhalla), Mark O’Meara (2nd round, 2001 at Atlanta AC), Thomas Bjorn (3rd round, 2005 at Baltusrol), Tiger Woods (2nd round, 2007 at Southern Hills), Steve Stricker (1st round, 2011 at Atlanta AC), Jason Dufner (2nd round, 2013 at Oak Hill), Hiroshi Iwata (2nd round, 2015 at Whistling Straits), Robert Streb (2nd round, 2016 at Baltusrol). • LAST YEAR: Walker stood tall on the PGA Championship’s longest day, enduring a 36-hole finale at Baltusrol to hold off Jason Day’s late charge and complete a wire-to-wire victory for his first major title. Walker shot 68-67 on the final day, playing his final 29 holes without a bogey to stay one stroke clear of Day’s bid for back-to-back Wanamakers. A Day eagle at Baltusrol’s par-5 18th hole made it interesting, though, especially after Walker’s 3-wood from 289 yards came down in greenside rough. The 37-year-old Texan pitched to 30 feet, though, and two-putted from there to emerge triumphant. The win had special meaning for Walker and caddie Andy Sanders, who met at Baltusrol when both were competing in the 2000 U.S. Amateur. Eight years later, Walker turned his bag over to Sanders. • STORYLINES: Spieth, fresh off his adventuresome Open Championship triumph, needs only the PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam – and can best Tiger Woods as the youngest to do it if he wins at Quail Hollow. The Texan celebrated his 24th birthday just last week. … Rory McIlroy has been Quail Hollow’s master, using a final-round 62 to win his first PGA TOUR title there in 2010 and shooting 61 on the way to a 2015 victory. He also lost a playoff to Rickie Fowler in 2013. … Johnson, who took three consecutive wins into Augusta back in April, is down to his final chance to win a major in 2017. • SHORT CHIPS: Eight of the past 11 major winners have been first-timers, including Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka this year. The exceptions: Spieth (twice) and Zach Johnson at St. Andrews. … Before that, five of the previous six winners already had a major title on their portfolio. … This marks the 60th year in which the PGA Championship has been decided by stroke play, after match play was employed for the first 39 editions. • TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. ET (TNT). Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (TNT), 2-7 p.m. (CBS). • PGA TOUR LIVE: None. • RADIO: Thursday-Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-7 p.m. (SiriusXM).

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If you’re wondering if crowds are “back” on TOUR, this week should answer that question LOUDLY! RELATED: The top 5 aces at TPC Scottsdale’s 16th | The First Look TPC Scottsdale will host the 86th WM Phoenix Open as it has since 1987 with eager fans set to create an atmosphere like no other. The famous 16th hole will be rocking as always with what are historically some of the largest crowds of the year. Tom Weiskopf’s 2014 redesign stretches to just 7,261 yards (Par-71) and has been dinged between 19-under and 17-under the last five editions. There have only been five winners in the seven events since the redesign as Hideki Matsuyama and Brooks Koepka have both won twice. Defending champion Koepka returns to lead the field of 132. Phil Mickelson (not entered) is the last player to post 60 (2013) and shares the course record. He also shares the tournament record of 256. Statistically we need eyes on precision players given six of the last seven winners ranked sixth or better in Ball-Striking and five of the last six were first or second in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green. Let’s find some horses for courses! Horses for Courses Odds sourced on Tuesday, February 8 at 1 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. Recent Event Winner Stats Extra Credit (players entered this week only) 2021 Winner Brooks Koepka trailed by six after 54 holes before a 65 on Sunday claimed his second WMPO title. … Koepka played the final six holes 15-under for the week. … KH Lee (T2) T4 GIR and only five bogeys. … Xander Schauffele (T2) shared the 54-hole lead after 64-65 in Rounds 2 and 3. … Carlos Ortiz (T4) closed with the low round of the day (64) and led field in birdies (24). … Jordan Spieth (T4) posted the low round of the week (61) and led field in SG: Approach the Green. … Matthew NeSmith (T7) led after 18 holes with 63 and closed with 66 on debut. … Andrew Putnam (T7) was bogey-free for the week! … Scottie Scheffler (T7) holed almost 400 feet of putts (T2). … James Hahn (10th) picked up his third T25 or better in his last four here. … Louis Oosthuizen (T11) backed up his solo 3rd from 2017 after posting 63 in Round 3. … Defending champ Webb Simpson (T42) opened with 73. 2020 Winner Webb Simpson birdied the final three holes, including the first playoff hole, to win for the 6th time on TOUR. … Simpson played the final 54 holes 17-under (63-64-69). … Tony Finau (P2) made just two bogeys all week and posted 62 on Saturday to lead after 54 holes. … Nate Lashley (T3) followed with a T17 in 2021 and has posted all eight rounds in the red (67.75). … Justin Thomas (T3) closed with 65 and has never cashed worse than T17 in five weekends here. … Bubba Watson (T3) picked up his third podium and sixth top 10. … Max Homa (T6) signed for his best finish in three trips. … Scott Piercy (T6) sat three off the 54-hole lead. … Adam Long (8th) MC the year before and the year after. … Daniel Berger (T9) sat T1 Putting but MC the year before and the year after. … Branden Grace (T9) backed up solo second in 2019 in just his second appearance. … Billy Horschel (T9) is on a current streak of seven straight with this the best of the bunch. … Jon Rahm (T9) has never MC in six tries but his best finish is T5 as a student at Arizona State in 2015. … Hudson Swafford (T9) sat just two back after 54 holes before closing with 74. … Defending champion Rickie Fowler cashed T37. 2019 Winner Rickie Fowler sat 20-under after 54 holes and closed for his fifth win on TOUR. … First winner since 1983 to have a triple and double on the card in the final round. … Lost a playoff in 2016 and finished second in 2010. … Branden Grace (2nd) was one of just three players to post all four rounds in the 60s and did so on debut. … Justin Thomas (3rd) was second in Proximity. … Chez Reavie (T4) backed up his playoff loss in 2018 with another top five. … Bubba Watson (T4) ranked T7 Fairways and T4 GIR. … Matt Kuchar (T4) was 16-under after 54 holes and trailed by four! … Defending champion Gary Woodland (T7) has MC-T40 the last two years. … Russell Knox (T10) only squared five bogeys for the week. … Jon Rahm (T10) to this day has 23 of 24 rounds in the red for a 68.17 scoring average. … Xander Schauffele (T10) has never MC and his worst finish is T17. … Harold Varner III (T10) shared the 18-hole lead with Fowler and Thomas after a 64. Notes • Two winners have defended since 1970 (Johnny Miller, Hideki Matsuyama). • Mickelson is the only wire-to-wire winner this century (no ties, sorry Rickie). • Only two 54-hole leaders have won since 2013. • Just three international winners since 2000, including ZERO Europeans. • JB Holmes (not entered), Kyle Stanley (2012) and Brooks Koepka (2015) are the only three first-time winners on TOUR since 2000. • Kenny Perry (48) is the oldest winner and Matsuyama and Holmes (both 23) are the youngest. • Wyndham Clark opened with 61 in 2020 to tie Spieth for the post renovation low round. • Matthew Wolff made his professional debut here in 2019. • Charles Howell III will make his 600th start this week and cashed 13 of 15 here. His last visit was T24 2016. • Matt Kuchar has cashed nine straight with four top 10s. • Brian Harman has cashed six straight, but none inside the top 20. Key stat leaders Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week • Of the last seven winners, six are 6th or better Ball-Striking. • Of the last six winners, five finished 1st or 2nd Strokes-Gained: Tee to Green. • The last six winners were 1st, 2nd or 3rd Par-Breakers. • Rickie Fowler is the only winner since 2015 to be in the top 10 Strokes-Gained: Putting.

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SHANGHAI — U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka made birdie from a water hazard late in his round and opened with an 8-under 64 to build a one-shot lead in the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions. Koepka already threw away one opportunity by three-putting from 4 feet on the third hole for bogey. Then, he hooked a 3-iron off the tee at the par-5 eighth and into a tiny stream. He removed his shoes and blasted it out of the water onto the fairway, ripped a 3-wood from 275 yards onto the green and made a 20-foot birdie putt. He had a one-shot lead over Gavin Green of Malaysia and Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand. Patrick Reed was another shot behind with a 66. Dustin Johnson, former PGA TOUR Player of the Year, opened with a 68.

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