Koepka the man to beat at the U.S. Open

The PGA TOUR’s Asia Swing concludes with the 15th World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions. This is the 11th time the tournament will be contested as part of the WGC calendar. A year ago it was Xander Schauffele who topped Tony Finau in a playoff. It was Schauffele’s first win of the season (he’d also go on to capture the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January). FIELD NOTES: Xander Schauffele returns to defend his title in China. It’s his second event of the season after teeing it up at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP… Five of the last six winners at the WGC-HSBC Champions will be in the field. The only golfers who are not teeing it up from that group are Dustin Johnson (2013) and Russell Knox (2015)… 2017 winner Justin Rose is making his PGA TOUR season debut… Kevin Kisner is the lone 2019 World Golf Championships winner who will be in the field this week (Johnson and Brooks Koepka are not playing)… Seven golfers who are teeing it up at the Presidents Cup are in the field including six from the International Team. Only Schauffele from the U.S. Team is in the field… Six Chinese golfers will be selected to play in the WGC-HSBC Champions including Xinjun Zhang, who topped the Korn Ferry Tour’s Regular Season Points List this season… Presidents Cup hopeful Jazz Janewattananond will play his second PGA TOUR event of the season after he played THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES… Seventy-eight golfers are in the field, including reigning FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 550 points COURSE: Shenshan International GC (West), 7,261 yards, par 72. The course, one of China’s most exclusive, has hosted every edition of the WGC-HSBC Champions save for one. In 2012, the tournament was played at Mission Hills. STORYLINES: 14-under has won the last two WGC-HSBC Champions… Although not in the field this year, Dustin Johnson has feasted on World Golf Championship events in his career, including in China, having both win and finishing runner-up the last five years… Two events remain in the PGA TOUR calendar this portion of the season: the Mayakoba Golf Classic and The RSM Classic… Last year’s runner-up Tony Finau looks to have more success this year as he looks for his second career PGA TOUR title… Phil Mickelson, who won the 2009 HSBC Champions, will be returning to China for the first time since 2017 when he finished T15. 72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Dustin Johnson (2013). 18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Martin Kaymer (3rd round, 2013), Danny Willett (4th round, 2015). LAST TIME: After shooting the round of the day on Sunday, Xander Schauffele’s 4-under-par 68 was enough to get him into a playoff with Tony Finau. Schauffele, who birdied his final two holes Sunday, also birdied the first extra hole while Finau made par, en route to winning his first WGC title. Defending champion Justin Rose just couldn’t get anything going on Sunday and stalled with an even-par 72. He ended up in third place. Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Andrew Putnam rounded out the top-five finishers. It was Aphibarnrat’s second top-5 result in a WGC that year, and it was Putnam’s first-ever WGC event. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Wednesday-Thursday, 10 p.m.-4 a.m. ET (Golf Channel). Friday-Saturday, 10:30 p.m.-4 a.m. ET (Golf Channel). Tournament ends early Sunday morning and starts Wednesday night Eastern Time. PGA TOUR LIVE: N/A Radio: N/A

Click here to read the full article…

Satoshi Kodaira came from six shots back at the beginning of the final round to win the RBC Heritage in a sudden-death playoff. Kodaira confirmed after the win that he would take up full-time membership on the PGA TOUR going forward. Under contract with Japanese-based equipment manufacturer PRGR, Kodaira had 11 of the company’s clubs in play. But it was a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 prototype putter that landed the decisive blow with a 25-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to secure his first TOUR title. Here’s a look at Kodaira’s entire equipment setup. Driver: PRGR RS F Prototype (Graphite Design Tour AD DI Quattro Tech 65TX shaft), 10.5 degrees 3-wood: TaylorMade M2 ’17 (Graphite Design Tour AD DI Quattro Tech 75X shaft), 15 degrees 5-wood: PRGR iD Nabla Black (Graphite Design Tour AD GP Quattro Tech 75X shaft), 18 degrees Utility: PRGR iD Nabla RS Tour (3-iron; Graphite Design Tour AD HY 105TX shaft) Irons: PRGR Tune Forged 01 (4-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts) Wedges: PRGR iD Nabla Tour Forged (52 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shaft), Fourteen Golf RM-22 (60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shaft) Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 prototype Ball: Titleist Pro V1x PGA TOUR Superstore: Buy equipment here

Click here to read the full article…

If you haven’t read the Power Rankings, then you might have been looking around the website for Sleepers, but we’ve gone big for the first major of the 2017-18 season. All 87 in the field at Augusta National are slotted somewhere on the page dedicated to the Power Rankings, including what has to be a record eight Sleepers. The absence of Sleepers in my writing schedule in the Power Rankings was the tip-off that that weekly staple is in hiatus (until next week’s RBC Heritage), but the Fantasy Insider column doesn’t shut down until the week off during the FedExCup Playoffs. This week’s edition is abridged given this week’s approach in the Power Rankings. Segment 3 of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO begins this week. It’s going to be a doozie, but we’re treated to a soft open with the Masters since the emphasis rests on bonus points. No tournament caters to course history buffs better and it’s one of just two tournaments in the Segment that won’t utilize ShotLink (U.S. Open). So, the strategy is simple. Ride the favorites and be prepared to pounce in case either on your bench is in contention. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Masters (in alphabetical order): Paul Casey Phil Mickelson Justin Rose Jordan Spieth Justin Thomas Tiger Woods You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Jason Day; Rickie Fowler; Sergio Garcia; Dustin Johnson; Rory McIlroy; Alex Noren; Jon Rahm Driving: n/a Approach: n/a Short: n/a Notable WDs Brooks Koepka … Originally hoped to return this week, but a partially torn tendon in his left wrist extends his time away indefinitely. He’s the only qualifier for the Masters who is not scheduled to compete. Power Rankings Recap – Houston Open Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Phil Mickelson T24 2 Henrik Stenson T6 3 Justin Rose T52 4 Jordan Spieth T3 5 Rafa Cabrera Bello MC 6 Daniel Berger T18 7 Rickie Fowler T43 8 Charles Howell III T18 9 Matt Kuchar T8 10 Russell Henley T8 11 Jason Dufner T64 12 Luke List T24 13 Keegan Bradley T43 14 Tony Finau T24 15 Steve Stricker MC Wild Card Lee Westwood T80/MDF Sleepers Recap – Houston Open Power Ranking Golfer Result Aaron Baddeley 74th Bud Cauley T18 James Hahn T32 Grayson Murray T14 Sean O’Hair T64 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR April 3 … none April 4 … none April 5 … Henrik Stenson (42); Brendan Steele (35) April 6 … none April 7 … Robert Streb (31); Daniel Berger (25) April 8 … none April 9 … none

Click here to read the full article…