Ko wins LPGA Tour opener after winless 2023

NORTON, Mass. – Bryson DeChambeau spent a good portion of his third round Sunday chatting up his playing partner. You could’ve sworn he was prepping for an oral exam in quantum mechanics. Meanwhile, he also managed to fit in four birdies in his first seven holes, showing he had lost none of the momentum from last week’s victory in the FedExCup Playoffs opener. He was on top of his game, on top of the FedExCup standings and having a blast. Yet he was nervous. With good reason. “It’s Tiger Woods, guys,â€� DeChambeau explained, the simplest answer always being the best. For the first time in his blossoming career, DeChambeau played a competitive round with his childhood idol. Although they’ve become frequent practice partners, DeChambeau knew Sunday was different. Tiger would have his game face on. As it turns out, DeChambeau can deliver one pretty good game face, too. The FedExCup leader shot an 8-under 63 that left him at 12 under through three rounds of the Dell Technologies Championship and gives him a golden opportunity to claim the first two Playoffs events. For the second straight week, he’ll be in the final twosome in the final round, this time with tournament leader Abraham Ancer, who’s 13 under. Meanwhile, Woods had to settle for a 3-under 68 that left him at 7 under and perhaps too far back to break his five-year victory drought in Monday’s Labor Day finish at TPC Boston. Afterwards, DeChambeau wore a huge smile, and it was tough to tell if it came from moving up the leaderboard or simply because he fulfilled a childhood fantasy. “I’ve admired him my whole entire life,â€� DeChambeau said. “And to be finally able to play with him under tournament conditions, it was different. I was a little nervous, for sure. But I was able to get out there and execute shots and worry about my game and focus on hitting the best shots possible – and I was able to play really well like that.â€� DeChambeau said his nervousness didn’t disappear until after the seventh hole. By then, he was 4 under on his round. Woods was 3 under on his round at that point, but while DeChambeau remained hot on the back nine, Woods quickly cooled off. He wouldn’t post another birdie until the par-5 18th. “I didn’t get a lot out of my round today,â€� Tiger shrugged. Still, it was an interesting, entertaining Sunday – even if Bryson did most of the talking. Told that Woods didn’t always seem this chatty, DeChambeau corrected, “He still isn’t, by the way.â€� Woods was asked if earlier in his career – in other words, the dominant Tiger years — he would have been as willing to engage with his playing partner. He referenced the names of players much older than him: Mark O’Meara, Mark Calcavecchia, Davis Love III, Fred Couples and the late Payne Stewart. “We were always chatty,â€� Tiger said. “When you’re playing with friends, yeah, you’re competing, but you’re still playing with friends.â€� Whether DeChambeau has reached that level of friendship is tough to say. But it’s apparent that Woods has taken a shine to the 24-year-old and fellow California native. “He’s fantastic to play with,â€� Woods said of DeChambeau. “He’s great. … Two friends going out there competing and playing. We both have jobs to do today and try to shoot as low rounds as we possibly could do today. And he did that.â€� It helps, obviously, that DeChambeau has emerged at one of the game’s top young golfers. His win last week at THE NORTHERN TRUST was the third of his PGA TOUR career and made him just the 11th player in the last 30 years to post three wins before turning 25. Besides taking over the FedExCup lead, he also moved to 12th in the world rankings. “Pretty impressive,â€� Woods said. “And just the way he’s played, especially the last couple of weeks. He’s had opportunities and had runs, but I think he’s cleaning up the rounds. He’s not making that many mistakes. And if he does … I’ve talked to him over the past couple of months, he’s missing the ball in the correct spots. That makes all the difference.â€� Their friendship has grown to the point of open speculation that they will be partners at next month’s Ryder Cup. The fact neither of them are yet on the U.S. team seems to be a moot point. Three of Jim Furyk’s four Captain’s picks will be announced next Tuesday, and expectations are that Woods and DeChambeau will be chosen. “I think if all the stars were to align and that were to happen, I think we could feed off of each other pretty well,â€� said DeChambeau, whose focus the next few weeks remains squarely on the FedExCup race. As for Tiger’s perspective on the pairing? Well, Sunday’s 63 at TPC Boston was a pretty strong statement. “If he goes around and shoots 8 under par every time,â€� Tiger said, “that will work.â€�

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Bryson DeChambeau survived a major test at Winged Foot and claimed his first major at the U.S. Open. Here’s a look inside his bag. RELATED: Final leaderboard Driver: Cobra King SpeedZone (7.5 degrees @5.5) Shaft: LA Golf BAD Prototype 60 TX (45.5″) 3-wood: Cobra King SZ Tour (14.5 @11.5 degrees) Shaft: LA Golf BAD Prototype 70 TX (43″) 3-wood: Cobra King SZ Tour (14.5 degrees @13.5) Shaft: LA Golf BAD Prototype 80 TX (41″) Irons: Cobra King SZ One Length (4, 5), Cobra King Forged Tour One Length (6-PW) Shafts: LA Golf Rebar Proto (37.5″) Wedges: Artisan Prototype (50 @47, 55 @52, 60 @58) Shafts: LA Golf Rebar Proto shaft Putter: SIK Prototype Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X Grips: Jumbo Max Tour

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So much for respecting the elders. One of this season’s notable changes was the shift of Firestone Country Club’s South Course from the PGA TOUR to the PGA TOUR Champions. It hosted the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship two weeks ago. At 7,400 yards, it was the longest course on the 50-and-older circuit in nine years and the field averaged 72.820 on the par 70. Retief Goosen prevailed at 6-under 274. Only six golfers finished under par in the 72-hole event. With that challenging track dispatched, the firm, fair and scorable TPC Southwind has taken over as the host of the newly named World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Scroll past the projected contenders for a profile of the stroll in Memphis, the field’s experience on it and more. Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau and Phil Mickelson will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. From 1989-2018, TPC Southwind hosted the FedEx St. Jude Classic. It’s been a par 70 since 2006 and it will set up for a potential stretch of 7,237 yards this week. That reflects a one-yard decrease at the par-3 eighth hole that now tips at 171 yards. Traditionally slotted in the week before the U.S. Open and open to the maximum field of 156, the course has been reassigned to serve as the backdrop for a limited field of the sport’s elite. There is no cut and there are no alternates. As of midday Monday, 64 of the 69 qualifiers are committed to competing. (Rickie Fowler, Francesco Molinari, Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger and Tiger Woods declined.) Forty pegged it at TPC Southwind at least once before; 25 made at least two appearances. Overall, this field went a collective 82-for-117 with 28 top 10s in the old iteration of the tournament. Two-time champion Dustin Johnson (2012, 2018) is the only winner of the FedEx St. Jude Classic who qualified for and committed to this week’s WGC. After sharing the 54-hole lead here in 2018, DJ ran away to win by six strokes, the largest margin at TPC Southwind in 14 years (David Toms, 2004). Johnson’s 19-under 261 was the second-lowest winning aggregate to John Cook’s 258 in 1996. Indeed, those who attempted to tame Firestone in the past won’t miss it. This isn’t to say that TPC Southwind is a pushover, however. It averaged 70.520 as a 156-man contest last year, and that hit the bull’s-eye for expectations. With a smaller and exponentially stronger field that has course experience, overall scoring should drop. The fairways are narrow, but TPC Southwind essentially is a second-shot test because the bermudagrass rough is trimmed to two-and-a-half inches. It’ll be juicy because it’s been a rainy 2019, but there’s not enough overall length to intensify the challenge. The dozen par 4s are sturdy as a group, but finding the small greens in regulation is the priority. TPC Southwind surrendered only 10.67 GIR on average last season, good for the fifth-lowest clip among all courses. However, it’s one of the easier layouts on which to salvage par (58.72 percent), so it’ll benefit both course management and aggressive types who can get up and down. The Champion bermuda greens will touch 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. Among other perks, the champion will receive 550 FedExCup points and a three-year PGA TOUR membership exemption. Warm and pleasant conditions will facilitate scoring. Daytime highs in the mid- to upper 80s will complement the omnipresent sunshine every day. Winds will be light.   ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings (WGC) TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Barracuda), Sleepers (WGC), Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done (WGC), One & Done (Barracuda), Champions One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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