Leaderboard: History at stake for Spieth

Sniper research gives Dufner an edge

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Jim “Bonesâ€� Mackay will soon return to the fairways of the PGA TOUR, just not in his old role. Mackay, who spent the past 25 years as the caddie for Phil Mickelson, will join Golf Channel and NBC as an on-course reporter, the network announced Thursday. Mackay will start his new job in two weeks at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Mackay also will cover this year’s FedExCup Playoffs and Presidents Cup. “During my years as a caddie, I had the opportunity to watch Tommy Roy work his magic in the production truck and walk the fairways with Notah Begay, Roger Maltbie and Mark Rolfing. To join them and be a part of the coverage of some of golf’s biggest events – starting with The Open – is an opportunity I’m very grateful for,â€� Mackay said in a release. “I’m eager to add my take to help illustrate the strategic decisions golfers face inside the ropes. Mackay and Mickelson were known for their lengthy banter before shots, which was often captured by on-course microphones. Their debates about the myriad ways the imaginative Mickelson could potentially play a shot became the subject of memes and social-media satire. Fans appreciated how their conversations provided insight into one of golf’s most creative minds. Mackay, who could famously veto one shot per year, often played the conservative foil to his boss, who had a reputation as a swash-buckling shotmaker who reveled in risk. Mackay, 52, was on the bag for 41 of Mickelson’s 42 career wins and all five of his major championships, including the 2013 Open Championship. Mickelson has played in all 11 Presidents Cups, starting in 1994. A good player in his own right – he was a NCAA Division II All-American at Columbus State in 1988 – Mackay has a reputation for his strong golfing mind. He said it was his love of the game that led to this new role. “I was a golf rat as a kid. I would watch everything from start to finish. I would read golf magazines from beginning to end,” Mackay said. “I’ve always been fascinated by the game at this level.” Mackay got his first taste of broadcasting at the 2015 RSM Classic when he and Matt Kuchar’s caddie, John Wood, were on-course reporters for Golf Channel’s coverage. Mackay has signed a multi-year deal with Golf Channel and NBC, according to the release, marking the first time a full-time caddie has been added to a network’s broadcasting team. “The player-caddie dynamic in golf is often one of the most compelling and unique narratives being captured during our coverage,â€� said Roy, the lead golf producer for NBC Sports. “Bones has a career’s worth of experience being immersed in the most pressure-packed situations on golf’s biggest stages working alongside Phil, one of the most cerebral champions in the sport.â€� THE PLAYERS Championship, SBS Tournament of Champions, World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship and the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play are among the other tournaments on Golf Channel and NBC’s broadcast schedule.

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ATLANTA – Paul Casey rarely looks at leaderboards while playing the front nine on a Thursday. After all, what’s the point with so little movement that early in the tournament? But five holes into the first round of the TOUR Championship, Casey took a peek. This week’s new Starting Strokes format had him intrigued. “For once, first time ever,â€� Casey said, “[it was] anticipation to see scores.â€� Casey was one of five players who started the day at 2 under, eight strokes off the lead held by FedExCup points leader Justin Thomas. After shooting a 4-under 66, he’s now at 6 under – four shots behind co-leaders Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka – and has a realistic shot at winning the FedExCup at East Lake. RELATED: Big names tied atop leaderboard | Koepka to appear in ESPN’s Body Issue | How new format works for TOUR Championship In the previous format, Casey would have started the week needing a handful of scenarios to play out in his favor. In fact, a year ago, Casey arrived at East Lake ranked 26th in points. Not only did he need to win the tournament, he also needed seven different players to fall in line before he could claim the FedExCup. He entered this week ranked 16th in points. Sure, he started eight shots behind, but if he can make up the ground and beat everybody else at East Lake, the FedExCup will be his. No other scenarios need to play out. If he wins the tournament, he wins golf’s biggest prize. Pretty simple. “I guess it was a little bit strange,â€� said Casey when asked about teeing off eight shots behind. “It was nice once everybody was on the golf course.â€� Unlike previous TOUR Championships in the FedExCup era, there’s only one leaderboard needed this week. Once the leaderboard started to fill up Thursday, and players knew exactly where they stood, it seemed, well, a bit normal. “It didn’t feel that much different, to be honest with you,â€� said 2016 FedExCup champ Rory McIlroy, who started five shots behind Thomas but shot a 66 and is now just a stroke off the lead. “… I sort of had the mindset this week that I’m starting on even par, and I’m going to try to shoot a good four-round total and see where that leaves me at the end of the week.â€� Said Koepka: “You could say I played it like a five-day event. I knew I was three down and … by the time the turn comes, try to get back to all square.â€� Unlike previous TOUR Championships — in which each of the top five players in points controlled his own destiny by claiming the FedExCup title with a win – the only player wearing a target this week was Thomas. Entering with a staggered lead over the other 29 players in the field, Thomas – who won the FedExCup in 2017 by finishing solo second to Schauffele in the TOUR Championship – was the focal point. A hot start could have deflated the field. “If he came out with five straight birdies, it would be like, OK, we’re done,â€� Casey said. Instead, with Thomas shooting even par, the field is now bunched. Five players started the tournament within five shots of the lead; after the first round, there are now 12 players in that position. “If I were Justin Thomas, I would be more upset than me in my position,â€� said Charles Howell III, who opened at even par (10 shots off the lead) but shot a 68 to cut his deficit to eight. “Justin’s played phenomenal golf and has done what he’s done, and he could theoretically fall quite a bit, and I could move up, and he’s played better than I have.â€� Thomas said he didn’t think it felt weird with the lead, one he’s been sitting on since winning the BMW Championship on Sunday. “I felt I did a really good job in terms of getting myself where I need to be mentally,â€� he said. “I just didn’t quite hit enough fairways.â€� Without the need for scenarios, there is now clarity. Meanwhile, the volatility of the leaderboard certainly has made things intriguing. Top-five guys from the previous format rarely suffered a significant drop. Play poorly this week, though, and it may prove more costly. “There’s no insurance policy this week for anybody,â€� Casey said. For those in the middle and back half of the pack, aggressive play is the gameplan. Casey said he had four birdies inside 2 feet, and another inside 4 feet. “I aimed at a bunch of stuff, which I don’t always do on a Thursday,â€� he said. “I think it benefits the kind of middle of the pack in a way,â€� said Rickie Fowler, who started at 2 under but shot a 71 and is now nine shots off the lead. “Not that whoever starts in front doesn’t have a good chance of winning. They still do. You start with a little bit of a lead. But I think kind of the guys maybe in the 8 to 15 area for sure. “Before, you know, you look at Tiger winning the tournament last year, and you need a lot of things to kind of go your way in the old system to come out on top. Now you go play well, especially the first couple days, and you’re right in the thick of it, and you know exactly what you need to do. It’s not based on what someone else does.â€� For someone like Howell, there’s still a long climb before he gets into contention. But he’s got a chance. He’s also happy the Starting Strokes format gave those at the bottom of the field an acceptable score. “I’m just glad they didn’t started the leader off at even, and us at plus 10,â€� Howell said, offering a smile. “I think that would have been even more humiliating.â€�

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