Koepka taking ‘major’ approach at Travelers

When Adrian Stills, 63, first played Osceola Golf Course in Pensacola, Florida, in the mid-60s, he says, “They had just integrated it like eight years before I started playing golf there.â€� And that was good. When he reached the PGA TOUR in 1986, he was among a small cadre of African Americans that included 1985 PLAYERS Championship winner Calvin Peete, Jim Dent, Jim Thorpe, Tom Woodard and Charles Owens and Lee Elder on PGA TOUR Champions, and others. That, too, was good. Today, there are four African-American players on TOUR: Harold Varner III, Joseph Bramlett, Cameron Champ and, of course, Tiger Woods. For a few hours last Saturday, Varner and Bramlett led tournaments on the PGA TOUR and the Korn Ferry Tour, in Texas and Florida, respectively. RELATED: Monahan: ‘We should communicate and learn’ | WATCH: Varner III, Monahan talk social injustices, solutions Varner finished T19, Bramlett T2, but that was almost beside the point. In a game where diversity has come in fits and starts, leaders are looking inward and having hard conversations while the wider world does the same, everyone wrestling with terms like white privilege, unconscious bias and structural racism, not to mention the death of George Floyd and others. “From my perspective there has been some progress,â€� says Stills, who is now is the General Manager and teaching pro at Osceola. “The unfortunate part of it all is it’s just been so slow.â€� The Charles R. Drew Charter School in Southeast Atlanta last year became the first all-black high school team and first public school in the city to win the Georgia (public-school) state boys’ golf championship. It was a gratifying moment for the school, but also the TOUR and the TOUR Championship, which have played a big role in the revitalization of the East Lake Community. Support from the TOUR Championship reached $3.5 million last year – a tournament record – which went to the East Lake Foundation, Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and the First Tee of Metro Atlanta. The First Tee is well established nationally, and other programs to introduce minorities to the game have sprung up in New York, Orlando and beyond. Still, there’s much more work to do. “We need to grow out of this,â€� said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, who sat for a videotaped conversation with Varner in the wake of the Floyd tragedy. “We need to diversify those that have access to our sport and make sure we’re making a difference there.â€� Says Stills’ friend Ken Bentley, CEO of the Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour (APGA), which aims to promote diversity in golf and which the PGA TOUR has supported since 2012, “When Adrian was on TOUR there were like 11 African Americans out there.â€� To begin to tackle that problem, he and Stills co-founded the APGA in 2010. Stills is Director of Player Development, Bentley the CEO. The APGA made history by playing at Torrey Pines North while the Farmers Insurance Open used the South in January, but went on hiatus due to the pandemic. The circuit will start up again at TPC Sugarloaf in Atlanta next Monday. With help from the TOUR, which provides access to TPC courses and the PGA TOUR Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass, the APGA will increase its number of tournaments to 10 by 2022. It is expected to reach 2,000 young people a year, and develop a database of qualified minority candidates upon which golf organizations and manufactures will be able to draw. Alumni like Varner, Bramlett and Tony Finau are a beacon of hope. And last week Farmers Insurance announced it is sponsoring two APGA members, Willie Mack III from Flint, Michigan, and Kamaiu Johnson of Tallahassee, Florida. (Both now live in Orlando.) Tweeted Rickie Fowler, “Welcome to the @WeAreFarmers team, boys!!â€� [Desk: Please link to https://twitter.com/RickieFowler/status/1271853092724604928?s=20] A few years ago Mack, a former winner of the Michigan Amateur, got through the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica qualifying school, but soon lost momentum for reasons unrelated to golf. “He didn’t have the money to go and play in the tournaments,â€� Bentley says. “Farmers has really stepped up, and the sponsorship will help with that. In tennis, if you show promise, they send you to a USTA training center. They take cost out of the equation. Golf has to use that model. “I really believe in the next five years you’re going to see a completely different golf landscape,â€� he adds. “I think the unrest we see now will help speed that up.â€� Some things are clearly working. The TOUR Championship’s connection to the East Lake Foundation and Drew Charter is a great example of how golf and the TOUR can help. Nearly all of the students in Drew’s first three senior classes graduated and were accepted to college. Test scores have surged while violent crime has declined 99% since 1995. In the vision of Tom Cousins and boosted by the TOUR Championship’s presence and charitable commitment, East Lake has become a community where every child and family has a chance to succeed. Stills hopes we’re moving beyond the era when he was mysteriously denied entry into an elite junior tournament that still exists. Later, his almost entirely black golf team at South Carolina State was denied entry at certain hotels. Still, the struggle continues. “I’ve stopped using the word change,â€� Stills says, “but I’m emphasizing the word grow. People have to learn to grow. You may not change, but you should never stop growing. You should be able to process and come to different conclusions. And even if you don’t, you should at least have some opportunity to interact with people you don’t know. Golf is a good catalyst for that. “Not everybody has malice in their hearts,â€� he adds. Varner and Bramlett continue to share their thoughts on current events. “I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me,â€� says Bramlett, who adds that he is still trying to figure out how to best use his platform to make change. He will play in the Korn Ferry Tour’s King & Bear Classic this week, while Varner is competing in the RBC Heritage. “Golf has to change, but I’m optimistic,â€� Bentley says. “You see Cameron Champ doing a clinic in Compton during the Genesis Invitational, with no media, on a par-3 course there. Joseph came and talked to our (APGA) guys in San Diego at the Farmers Insurance Open.â€� Interviewed at the Charles Schwab last week, Brooks Koepka said, “There needs to be change, and I want to be part of the solution.â€� Other stars like Jon Rahm have also stepped up, denouncing racism in all forms, as has Monahan. The TOUR reserved the 8:46 tee times to honor the memory of Floyd last week, and is developing a long-term, focused commitment to address racial justice issues, the details of which will be shared in the weeks to come. “There’s a generation of guys coming up who really want to change things,â€� Bentley says. “It’s not just a black problem, it’s an American problem, and Americans are finding creative ways to solve it.â€�

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Matthew Wolff’s dramatic eagle at the 72nd hole earned him his first PGA TOUR title at the 3M Open. Here’s a look at Wolff’s equipment: Driver: TaylorMade M5 (8 degrees) Shaft: Graphite Design AD-TP 7TX 3 Wood: TaylorMade M5 (15 degrees) Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-BB Irons: TaylorMade P760 (2 iron), TaylorMade P750 Tour Proto (4-PW) Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Tour 130X Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind (52, 56 and 60 bent to 62 degrees) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Putter: TaylorMade Spider X Tour Shaft: KBS CT Tour putter shaft Golf Ball: 2019 Titleist Pro V1 Related: Matthew Wolff: In-depth ‘What’s in the bag?’ and one of the coolest headcovers in golf

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Whether your fantasy golf season starts this week or started last October, every gamer is raring to go for this week’s first major, the Masters. The Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia will host for the 82nd time as a loaded field will test every theory, analysis, rumor, trend and stat known to gamers. There’s not a doubt in my mind that this is the most popular major, by some distance, for gamers and golf fans alike. The former Fruitland Nurseries course is as familiar and comfortable as an old T-shirt to gamers and golf fans alike. Each year, we get to know the layout just a little bit better than the year prior, and that familiarity makes us all experts. We all know putts break to Rae’s Creek, a draw is better than a fade and the tournament doesn’t begin until the back nine on Sunday, right? Augusta National will welcome 87 players this week including last week’s winner Ian Poulter, the last man into the field after his victory at the Houston Open. The field hasn’t been this compact since 1997 when 86 players teed it up to witness the coronation of the new “King.” Things have changed just a bit over the last 20 years. The course has since been “Tiger-Proofed” and updated for modern equipment and technology. The course will play as a Par-72 at 7,435 yards for the 10th year running, according to the official scorecard. After the 2006 renovation, the next two editions were played at 7,445, before settling on the current yardage. Greg Norman (1996) and Nick Price (1986) share the course record, 63. Branden Grace set the major championship scoring record last year at Royal Birkdale with 62. The tournament record is 270 posted by Tiger Woods (1997) and Jordan Spieth (2015). Jason Day holds the major championship scoring record of 20 under par at Whistling Straits in 2015.  TALES OF THE TAPE Speaking of 2015, it was a record-setting performance in multiple ways for Spieth. He is the only golfer to reach 19 under par at Augusta National Golf Club to this day and only a bogey on the final hole saw him fall back into a tie with Woods for the tournament record. He incredibly circled 28 birdies, breaking the old mark by three. He led wire-to-wire, becoming only the fifth player in Masters history to do so. The last to accomplish this feat was Raymond Floyd in 1976. The commanding performance was one for the ages, but it was helped out by the conditions during the week. The course played soft and wet, and the winds were non-existent, resulting in the top five players all posting double-digit scores under par. Justin Rose made 25 birdies, tying the old record, and lost by four shots! Of the 55 players to make the cut, 32 finished in red figures. Even though the scoring conditions were ripe, no player posted all rounds in the 60s. No player ever has. Spieth looked well on his way to repeating in 2016 before hole No. 12 made another in the history books. Spieth found the water from the tee and his resulting drop and eventually made seven, a quadruple bogey. His lead turned into a three-shot deficit and Danny Willett took home his first major championship and TOUR victory with a perfect, bogey-free 67 in the final round. With blustery conditions and chilly conditions, only six players were under par for the week. Spieth was looking to join Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02) as the only repeat champions. Instead, it was the Englishman who joined Charl Schwartzel as the only players this century to make the Masters their first victories on the PGA TOUR. Schwartzel (66), like Willett, also had the round of his life on Sunday in 2011, as he birdied the final four holes, the only player to do so to win the Masters. Garcia finally found the extra gear he was searching for in his previous 18 editions at Augusta National, as he won in a playoff against Rose. The Spaniard joined his heroes Seve Ballesteros and Jose-Maria Olazabal after making up a two-shot deficit with six holes to play to catch Rose and force a playoff, the 18th in tournament history. His 19th Masters and 74th major championship finally saw him cross the finish line first. Garcia’s ball-striking has always been his calling card and it was on full display. Nobody remembers any of the putts he made on the back nine because they were all inside five feet! The average winning age of a Masters champion was just over 35; Garcia was 37. NOTE: Golfers inside the top 25 in each statistic on the 2016-17 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete in the Masters. * – Finished inside the top 10 at the Masters since 2013. Greens in Regulation Rank Golfer 2 Kyle Stanley 3 *Paul Casey 4 *Jordan Spieth 8 *Sergio Garcia 9 *Dustin Johnson 11 Gary Woodland 13 Patrick Cantlay 16 *Hideki Matsuyama 17 Tony Finau 21 Jon Rahm 25 *Justin Rose Bogey Avoidance Rank Golfer 1 *Jordan Spieth 3 *Paul Casey 4 *Dustin Johnson 5 Chez Reavie 6 Patrick Cantlay 7 *Ian Poulter 8 *Matt Kuchar 11 *Rickie Fowler 13 Webb Simpson 14 Jon Rahm 15 *Hideki Matsuyama 17 *Sergio Garcia 18 *Marc Leishman 19 Pat Perez 21 Justin Thomas 22 Tony Finau Par-4 Scoring Rank Golfer 1 *Jordan Spieth 2 Justin Thomas 3 *Paul Casey 4 *Hideki Matsuyama 4 Jon Rahm 6 Tony Finau 6 *Justin Rose 6 *Rickie Fowler 6 Francesco Molinari 6 *Dustin Johnson 6 Chez Reavie 15 *Ian Poulter 15 *Daniel Berger 15 *Matt Kuchar 15 *Sergio Garcia 15 Xander Schauffele 15 Kyle Stanley Par-5 Scoring Rank Golfer 1 *Hideki Matsuyama 3 *Dustin Johnson 5 *Phil Mickelson 5 *Rory McIlroy 7 Tony Finau 7 Patrick Cantlay 7 Jon Rahm 11 *Rickie Fowler 12 *Charl Schwartzel 12 *Justin Rose 12 *Charley Hoffman 18 *Jordan Spieth 18 Pat Perez 18 *Marc Leishman 18 Kyle Stanley 18 *Jason Day 24 Gary Woodland 24 Justin Thomas Gamers who use ONE SET of data to determine their paths won’t last long in any formats. Using absolutes doesn’t work either. There are too many factors, including having human beings behind the wheel, that make these declarations silly and unnecessary. For example, there is an old thought that you have to hit a draw to win the Masters. Jack Nicklaus won six green jackets, the most ever, playing a fade. Another misnomer is great putters win at Augusta. They sure do and they sure can. Does anyone rattle off Adam Scott, Bubba Watson, Danny Willett or Sergio Garcia as great putters? Well, they’ve won five of the last six here, and Watson has won TWICE, so that theory is also flakier than a pimento cheese sandwich left in the sunshine. There are many reasons why experience counts this week, but I’ll also point out a few examples of how it might not. This isn’t a course players can drop by and play as much as they like when they would like. There are finite opportunities to get acquainted if you’re not an annual attendee. I’ll point out Paul Casey (T6), Jason Day (T2), Jordan Spieth (T2) and Thomas Pieters (T4) have vanquished this theory. Heck, Day posted 12-under that included 64 and 68 in his first trip and didn’t win. That’s a record by the way for low score from a first-time participant. If you head back to 1979, Fuzzy Zoeller is the only player to win on his first try after 1950. Schwartzel, Spieth and Willett all won on their second try. Tiger Woods and Bubba Watson needed three. Experience is the trend but it doesn’t disqualify those without. Augusta National challenges every facet of the game and every club in the bag, but rewards excellent golf shots while punishing marginal ones. The multi-tiered greens are difficult to attack from the first cut, where the golf ball won’t hold any spin. Once on the greens, being below the hole is imperative to scoring, as the greens can run at any speed they would like. The risk-reward holes of the back nine remind us that Bobby Jones wanted action coming down the stretch to identify a champion, but it’s interesting that 22 of the last 27 winners have come from the final pairing. The five exceptions have all been since 2007 and include Zach Johnson (2007), Schwartzel (2011), Watson (2012), Scott (2013) and Willett (2016). There are ALWAYS exceptions to the rules! With uneven lies everywhere besides the tee boxes, elevation changes, closely-mown areas, nuanced greens, swirling winds and immense pressure on the weekend, even the best, most-experienced players (see: Garcia, Sergio) can and will struggle. I lean on the experience angle this week not to identify the winner, but rather to figure out who’s going to be lurking Sunday. I just want a chance. I can’t project 66 from Schwartzel or 67 from Willett on Sunday, so I’m searching for the most likely candidates. I’m leaning on players who know when to attack and from which spots and who might have learned a few lessons over the years. I’m leaning on guys who won’t get confused over which way a putt breaks or what the roars across the property could mean. I need guys who won’t care who is charging up the leaderboard or who the crowd is rooting for. Their names stick out like sore thumbs below and there’s a reason for that. Course Ratings: 2015: Fourteenth-most difficult of 52 played; 0.536 strokes above par. 2016: Third-most difficult of 50 played; 2.421 strokes above par. 2017: Second-most difficult of 50 played; 1.887 strokes above par. Rob Bolton’s Power Rankings will give you more juice for the week so make sure you stop by. It’s also who I trust with the weather each week so pay attention! NOTE: The groups below are comprehensive to assist in data mining. Inclusion doesn’t imply automatic endorsement in every fantasy game as all decisions are specific to your situation. CONFIDENCE MEN Selected golfers with multiple cuts made sorted by rank on the tournament’s money list. BUILDING CONFIDENCE Sorted by best finish, selected golfers who are either finally finding form on the course or are still relatively new to the tournament but have enjoyed some success. OTHER SIGNS OF CONFIDENCE Sorted by most recent top 10s, selected golfers for whom it’s been a few years since their last.

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