Koepka may be limping to the finish of golf season

The ball was sitting in a pot bunker. Hunter Stewart was standing outside of it. It was a textbook example of the awkward lies that can occur on the links courses of Great Britain & Ireland. Stewart hadn't hit the ball there, but it was his job to extricate it. Maverick McNealy struck the tee shot that wound up in this trap. It was on the first hole of their first match of the Walker Cup, a competition that pits the United States' best amateurs against their peers from GB&I. "Brutal" is how McNealy described the lie Stewart faced. "I put him in some really bad spots that first day in alternate shot," McNealy recalled recently. "His first shot of the entire Walker Cup, he was standing on his head." Six years later, Stewart is still trying to help McNealy get the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible, but in a much different capacity. McNealy is in his second year on the PGA TOUR while Stewart, who has an economics degree from Vanderbilt, is in his second season working as a strategy consultant for TOUR players. Stewart's statistical analysis speaks the language of McNealy, a Northern California native who brings a Silicon Valley ethos to his career. "He's always coming up with ideas and ways to get better," Stewart said. "He innovates himself." McNealy finished 68th in the FedExCup last year. He made the cut in 17 of 23 starts, including six top-25s. A fifth-place finish at last year's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was his best of the season. The 25-year-old has four top-25s this season and is 87th in the FedExCup. McNealy has seen some of his peers enter the winner's circle before him, but he derives satisfaction from the improvement he's seen since turning pro. The son of former Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy, Maverick expressed interest in entering the business world after college. Knowing he could still get better - even after a stellar career at Stanford, where was the NCAA player of the year, won 11 times and was and a two-time Walker Cupper - was a deciding factor in turning pro. "I've been asked when do I think I wouldn't want to play golf anymore and the answer is, ‘When I don't think I can get any better, when there's no stone unturned,'" McNealy said recently. "I love the fact that there's always room to improve." Scott McNealy used to roam the hallways of Sun and ask, "If you were CEO for a day, what would you do?" Maverick does the same with his employees, conducting annual interviews where each member of his team reviews their performance and his. "I ask, ‘How did the year go? What did you do well? Where did you struggle? Is there anything you need to do your job better? And, if you were me, what do you think you would do differently on and off the golf course?" McNealy said. "My dad said one of the most important things you can do is listen and give your employees a chance to talk openly and freely." Stewart said McNealy runs his team "like a business, and he's the CEO. He's a businessman who happens to be a PGA TOUR player. "Everyone has a role, and he's made it very easy for everyone on his team to do their job to the fullest. That's great leadership on his part." McNealy's swing instructor is Butch Harmon, who helped him sort out his swing when he was struggling with his ball-striking on the Korn Ferry Tour. McNealy has had the same caddie, Travis McAllister, since turning pro. They spent two years together on the KFT before reaching the PGA TOUR. "He's very detail-oriented and probably more of a perfectionist than I am," McNealy said. Susie Meyers is McNealy's mental coach. While McNealy was recruited out of college by the largest agencies, he decided to sign with Peter Webb, who runs a one-man operation. His trainer Is Scott Norton and physical therapist Jimmy Greathouse helped him recover from a shoulder injury he suffered last year. Karen Hallstein, who was Scott McNealy's secretary, helps Maverick with his travel. And Maverick's grandfather, Paul Ingemanson, is his financial adviser. "He'll let me know if there's a $5 fee on one of my credit cards that shouldn't be there," McNealy said. "I'm still driving my mom's 2011 Ford Explorer and I have A-list preferred status on Southwest. I think a lot of my spending habits come from my grandpa." Stewart is one of the newest additions to the team. He's not the first person to parse the ShotLink data to help players save shots, but he's the only one with a top-10 finish on TOUR. Stewart finished 10th in the 2015 Mayakoba Golf Classic, just his third TOUR start as a pro. Earlier that year, he finished third in the NCAA Championship, behind only future TOUR winners Bryson DeChambeau and C.T. Pan. Stewart's pro career stalled out on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and in 2019 he decided to change careers. "I'm just trying to help them do the right thing on each shot," Stewart said. "It might not work on every shot because that's golf but the goal is to increase the probability of success." Stewart doesn't just help his players pick the right play on the course. He helps them set their schedule with events that fit their skillset, determine specific shots to focus on in practice rounds and set practice routines based on the state of their game and what an upcoming course may require. His goal is to help his clients save one stroke per tournament. That may not sound like much but it can have a huge impact on a player's season. McNealy uses the 12th hole at Detroit Golf Club, site of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, as tangible evidence of Stewart's impact. Stewart uses ShotLink to look at putts that players seem to consistently misread. In the practice rounds at Detroit GC, Stewart instructed McNealy to hit putts from a specific spot to the Sunday hole location. "When he tells me that, I know it's because guys never make that putt," McNealy said. He badly misread his first attempt but made an 18-footer on the same line when it mattered on Sunday. He finished T8, one of three top-10s last season. Stewart, a former SEC Conference Player of the Year and Kentucky native, also helps McNealy with his short game, especially with shots from the Bermudagrass common in the South. McNealy has learned to focus on shoring up his strengths instead of trying to fix every weakness. Stewart used Strokes Gained to devise a "winning formula" for McNealy, who was ninth in Strokes Gained: Putting last season. If he putts well, then he can garner a good finish by not losing strokes in Strokes Gained: Approach and avoiding penalty strokes with his driver. "I'm not in the business of asking guys to become something that they're not," Stewart said. "I think a lot of times people get bogged down in trying to become the best player in the world. The Tiger effect has skewed everyone's view of success in golf. I'm not saying we should limit what we try to do, but just because the Tigers and the Rorys of the world are winning all the time - they're great measuring sticks, but you shouldn't let that barometer of their success rob you of the joy of becoming the best player they can be." It's a journey that McNealy has enjoyed as he pursues his first PGA TOUR win.

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How is a 35-year-old father of five, especially one who ranks in the bottom half of the PGA TOUR in driving distance, one of the world's top 10 players? It's a valid inquiry in an era dominated by big hitters who've never changed a diaper. Webb Simpson is the outlier among today's top players, for factors ranging from the physical to familial. The other nine players in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking have an average age of 28, seven years younger than Simpson. Only Dustin Johnson, 36, is older, and 31-year-old Rory McIlroy is the only other one in his 30s. Simpson averaged 296.2 yards off the tee last season, making him the shortest hitter among the world's top 10, as well. The other nine players were an average of 10 yards longer and only one other, Collin Morikawa, averaged less than 300. And Simpson has more kids (5) than the other nine players combined (3). After his win at last year's Waste Management Phoenix Open, Simpson cracked the top 10 in the world ranking for the first time since 2012. He has been inside it ever since. He birdied the final two holes at TPC Scottsdale to tie Tony Finau, one of the TOUR's longest hitters, before beating him with a birdie on the first extra hole. Simpson also won the second event of the TOUR's Return to Golf, the RBC Heritage. It was his first multi-win season since 2011 and led to a 12th-place finish in the FedExCup. Simpson's secret? Less is more. It turns out Rory McIlroy isn't the only player who enjoyed the book Essentialism. Simpson read it about five years ago and its teaching resonated with him. "People who make a dent in this world aren't people who are good at a lot of things, but are great at a few," Simpson said. "That's helped me be productive in what God has called me to." He used to over-extend himself in an attempt to please everyone. The book helped him narrow his focus and set priorities, both personal and professional. "Instead of being a good friend to 100 people, I want to be a great friend to 15," he said. In golf, the philosophy impacts everything from what tournaments he plays to how much he practices. Simpson has slowly pared down his schedule over the past few seasons. He focuses on courses that fit his game and tries to avoid being away from his family for more than two consecutive weeks. He played just 14 events last season, but had eight top-10s, including five top-three finishes. Playing less helps him feel excited when he arrives at an event and grateful for the opportunity, Simpson said. Only Tyrrell Hatton (11) qualified for last year's TOUR Championship in fewer starts. When Simpson is home, he practices just two or three days per week. He actually spends more time with his trainer, Cornel Driessen, than at the course. Simpson used to feel guilty about leaving the house but his wife, Dowd, has encouraged him to be "all-in where his feet are." "I get more done in three hours of golf than I used to in a day because I have a gameplan," he said. "The night before, I know what I am going to work on, for how long and how I am going to work on it. I go into it with a plan, with no distractions while I'm doing it. "And when I get home, my golf stays in the garage with my clubs." The book helped him focus on a few specific steps he could take to play his best. He knows he'll never be one of the longest hitters but he consistently ranks in the top 25 of Strokes Gained: Approach and Around-the-Green. To fortify those areas, he started working with instructor Butch Harmon and short-game coach Pat Goss in 2015. Once he found the arm-lock putting method, he returned to the game's elite. He started working with sports psychologist John Silva in 2016 and Driessen in 2017. "In 10 years, I'm never going to look back and wish I'd won this tournament or that tournament," Simpson said. "It's going to be, ‘Did I get the most out of the talent I was given?'" Simpson has made the last four TOUR Championships after missing in 2015 and '16 while struggling with the transition from the belly putter. In addition to his two wins last season, he won THE PLAYERS Championship in 2018. Last season, he was sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach, 13th in SG: Putting and 32nd in SG: Around-the-Green last season. His caddie, Paul Tesori, said he's a better all-around player than in 2011 and 2012, when he won three times, including the U.S. Open. His efficient approach to playing and practicing also has paid dividends. "When he feels like he's more present at home," Tesori said, "it gives him more joy when it is time to tee it up on TOUR." Last year's win in Phoenix would not have been possible if not for his physical and mental transformation, Simpson said. Silva, the first sports psychologist Simpson has worked with, has taught him to be patient, especially during frustrating times. Simpson was 10 off the lead after the first round at TPC Scottsdale. With eight holes remaining in his second round, he was still just one shot inside the cut line. He birdied six of his final eight holes to shoot 63, however, and followed with a 64 in the third round. "The part of my mind that has gotten better is ... just hanging in there," he said. "In the course of 72 holes, you might figure something out and find something and then you play 27 holes in (13 under)." Physical strength was key, as well. That paid off on two holes on TPC Scottsdale's front nine, where it's easy to overlook a player's performance. According to Tesori, Simpson's weight has increased from 174 pounds in 2017 to 200 today. He lost three pounds of body fat in the process. His increased strength has allowed him to summon an extra 7-8 yards off the tee when necessary and rely more on his "fairway finder" swing without leaving himself too far behind the competition. Simpson's average driving distance in 2020 was eight yards longer than the previous season, and he rose from 145th to 107th in that statistic. That allowed Simpson to hit it over a fairway bunker on TPC Scottsdale's sixth hole that he couldn't carry before, turning that hole into a birdie opportunity. He played it in 2 under par last year. In the second round, he pulled his tee shot on the eighth hole but carried a penal fairway bunker that used to catch his drives. His ball went into a further bunker with a shallower lip. He made birdie from that bunker. "A year earlier, I wouldn't have won simply because I wouldn't have been able to carry those bunkers," Simpson said. Before this week's title defense, Simpson visited Pinehurst with his wife. The American Express was on television and Simpson turned to Dowd to express the enjoyment his new approach has given him for the game. "I said, ‘I love golf more than I ever have,'” Simpson said. “I’m enjoying the challenge more than I ever have, and part of that is having a very simplistic approach to my game. Paul (Tesori) and I are very clear about what we’re working on. We’re not wavering from the process or trying this thing and that thing.” So, how is a 35-year-old father of five one of the game’s top players? Turns out it’s a simple answer.

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Pick any year and Sergio Garcia is an automatic call at THE PLAYERS where he’s a former champion and the tournament’s all-time earnings leader. However, when he poured in the putt in the playoff to win the Masters, it was immediately fair to ponder if you’d be picking up the phone this week at TPC Sawgrass. One & Doners are famously – infamously? – prone to overthink and overreact with the first ripple or success or failure. At times, it’s absolutely warranted, but this isn’t one of those times. The Spaniard checks all of the boxes. Possibly overlooked in the accomplishment of his coronation in a major is that it was also the culmination of phenomenal form going back to as long as you’d like. With that victory, you can’t argue that he’s in the best form of his life. And then there’s the obvious fact that he’s not an upstart in whom we might expect regression. The Masters also wasn’t last week. It was a month ago. He celebrated, basked and separated. In the process, he was able to turn the page normally. A man in complete control. Within the context of our game, THE PLAYERS is also the most likely event at which we’re comfortable burning Garcia, well, it and The Open Championship. This is due in part to his success in both events, but equally so as defense to the crapshoot that often unravels in each. The risk managers among you might say that we’re OK in losing Garcia in a tournament where he’s most likely to prosper. Among the other short-listers in Future Possibilities below, Martin Kaymer and Francesco Molinari capture my attention the most. I’ve already burned both, so even though I’m settling with a push with our league leader, my decision to plug in Garcia was as easy as it gets. However, with no other attractive sites at which to consider the other two internationals, both have my blessing this week. Justin Thomas and Lee Westwood are the other two without a no-brainer kind of joint to line up later. Thomas’ limited expectations are in direct correlation to his limited experience. He’s in just his third season with a PGA TOUR card. Meanwhile, the veteran Englishman is a non-member well into the back half of his career. As a result, he presents perfectly as a secondary pick in a two-man game. If you’re in a two-man format and can’t or choose not to manufacture a team consisting of any of the aforementioned, also consider Jason Dufner, Kyle Stanley and Graham DeLaet, all of whom are among my Sleepers. Rory McIlroy’s signing with TaylorMade is worth pause in every fantasy format, but One & Doners were unaffected. While he’s atop my Power Rankings, the risk of burning him at TPC Sawgrass isn’t worth it even though the tournament distributes FedExCup points equivalent to every major. There’s also the obvious factor that he’s the kind of juggernaut who is worth reserving for the Playoffs when points are quadrupled. (I’m reserving McIlroy for the Dell Technologies Championship.) FUTURE POSSIBILITIES NOTE: Select golfers committed to the tournament are listed alphabetically. Future tournaments are sorted chronologically and reflect previous success on the courses on which the tournaments will be held in 2016-17. All are pending golfer commitment. Daniel Berger … St. Jude (defending) Jason Bohn … Greenbrier Keegan Bradley … Byron Nelson; Memorial; WGC-Bridgestone; Dell Technologies Paul Casey … Travelers; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Kevin Chappell … Dell Technologies Jason Day … PLAYERS (defending); U.S. Open; Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Luke Donald … Wyndham; TOUR Championship Jason Dufner … Byron Nelson; DEAN & DELUCA; U.S. Open; TOUR Championship Harris English … DEAN & DELUCA Jim Furyk … Memorial; U.S. Open; Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Sergio Garcia … PLAYERS; Byron Nelson (defending); Open Championship; TOUR Championship Branden Grace … U.S. Open; WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship Bill Haas … Wyndham Charley Hoffman … Byron Nelson; DEAN & DELUCA; Travelers; Canadian Billy Horschel … St. Jude; TOUR Championship Dustin Johnson … Byron Nelson; Memorial; St. Jude; U.S. Open (defending); Canadian; TOUR Championship Zach Johnson … PLAYERS; DEAN & DELUCA; John Deere; Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Martin Kaymer … PLAYERS Chris Kirk … DEAN & DELUCA Kevin Kisner … PLAYERS; DEAN & DELUCA; Wyndham Russell Knox … Travelers (defending); Dell Technologies Brooks Koepka … Byron Nelson; St. Jude; U.S. Open; PGA Championship Matt Kuchar … PLAYERS; Byron Nelson; DEAN & DELUCA; Memorial; Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone Martin Laird … Barracuda Marc Leishman … DEAN & DELUCA; Memorial; Travelers; Open Championship Hideki Matsuyama … PLAYERS; Memorial; PGA Championship; BMW Graeme McDowell … Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone; Wyndham William McGirt … Memorial (defending); Wyndham Rory McIlroy … PLAYERS; Memorial; WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies (defending); TOUR Championship (defending) Phil Mickelson … St. Jude; Open Championship; PGA Championship Francesco Molinari … PLAYERS Ryan Moore … Travelers; John Deere (defending); TOUR Championship Kevin Na … Memorial; John Deere; Wyndham Louis Oosthuizen … Dell Technologies Ryan Palmer … Byron Nelson; DEAN & DELUCA; St. Jude Scott Piercy … John Deere; BMW Ian Poulter … Arnold Palmer; Puerto Rico Patrick Reed … Wyndham; Dell Technologies Justin Rose … PLAYERS; Memorial; Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; TOUR Championship Charl Schwartzel … Memorial; U.S. Open; Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone Adam Scott … Memorial; U.S. Open; Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Webb Simpson … Greenbrier; Wyndham Jordan Spieth … DEAN & DELUCA (defending); John Deere; WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; TOUR Championship Brendan Steele … Travelers; Barracuda (already eligible for concurrent WGC-Bridgestone) Henrik Stenson … Open Championship (defending); WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Kevin Streelman … Memorial Justin Thomas … PLAYERS David Toms … PLAYERS; DEAN & DELUCA; Barbasol; Barracuda Jimmy Walker … Greenbrier; PGA Championship (defending); Dell Technologies Bubba Watson … Travelers; Greenbrier; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Boo Weekley … St. Jude; Barbasol Lee Westwood … PLAYERS Gary Woodland … Byron Nelson; Barracuda; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship

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