Leaderboard: Quicken Loans National round 1

Russell Knox … It’s not often that a PGA TOUR member cracks this field by winning an event on another tour, but that’s what the Scot achieved when he prevailed in his homeland three weeks ago. It chased a co-runner-up finish in Paris the week prior. Despite a leaking Official World Golf Ranking that reached a nadir of 145th in the second week of June, he’s been showing promise time and again en route to a series of top 20s, which served as his calling card when he crashed on TOUR four years ago. He’s also reconnected with an elevated level of tee-to-green proficiency and now sits 54th in the OWGR. With all of that serving as the foundation for this week, there’s also the not-so-insignificant fact that he placed T5 at Firestone last year while mired in a slump during which it was his only top-25 finish from late April through early November. Austin Cook … It’s an achievement for any true PGA TOUR rookie to gain entry into the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Because of the longer-term success required to qualify via the Official World Golf Ranking or earn a coveted spot in the last team competition that triggers an exemption, the easiest – and certainly fastest – path is to win a qualifying tournament. And, of course, that’s not easy. Yet, here he is at Firestone. A year ago at this time, Xander Schauffele was a winner (Greenbrier) with three top 10s and positioned at 31st in the FedExCup standings. Today, Cook is a winner (RSM) with three top 10s and slotted 27tn in the FedExCup. While he doesn’t motor it off the tee like last season’s Rookie of the Year, Cook’s bag is as balanced as any veteran would want while sizing up his first go at this week’s test. Andrew Landry … No profile is airtight, but the first-timer at Firestone is a solid fit as an emerging tough-track specialist. When he broke through for victory at the Valero Texas Open and later en route to a T8 at the Quicken Loans National (where it’d be unfair to use runaway winner Francesco Molinari as a good example of the challenge of TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm), Landry’s tee-to-green game was on point. He also flashed a taut game around the greens and didn’t do any damage with his putter. That blend of skills will work just fine in Akron. Brendan Steele … The winner of the season-opening Safeway Open is 30th in the FedExCup standings, so he’s in a great place with the Playoffs on the horizon. He has seven top 20s in 2017-18, but it’s been almost five months since his last in stroke-play individual competition (T20, WGC-Mexico). At T25 in total driving and ninth in greens hit, he’s poised for another top 20 this week. The 35-year-old came within a stroke of that bubble at Firestone last year and placed T24. Ryuko Tokimatsu … The 24-year-old from Japan qualified when he won the Bridgestone Open on his home circuit last October. The tournament was limited to just 36 holes due to inclement weather, but he won again in May and added a runner-up finish at the JGT Championship two weeks later to climb inside the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking at the time. He leads the Japan Golf Tour in earnings and ranks second in par-5 scoring despite his profile as a ball-striker.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – Thirteen tournaments were honored with “Best Of� awards by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR’s annual Tournament Meetings on December 6. For the third time in five years, the Waste Management Phoenix Open was named the PGA TOUR “Tournament of the Year,� one of two accolades earned in 2018. The Phoenix-area TOUR stop also tied with the Safeway Open for the newly introduced “Most Fan-First Event� Award, which recognizes significant enhancements to the on-site fan experience. The 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, won by Gary Woodland in a playoff, saw record attendance, social media engagement and charitable impact. Held at TPC Scottsdale and known for its famous coliseum-style 16th hole, the Waste Management Phoenix Open continues to shatter attendance records, with the 2018 event drawing a weekly total of 720,000 fans, nearly 63,000 more than the previous year. As part of a four-day concert series, over 37,500 fans attended a sold-out performance by Florida Georgia Line after Thursday’s opening round, and fans took to their social channels to share their experience, with tournament channels seeing an influx of more than 20,000 followers, a 36-percent increase. As fan numbers increased, so did the charitable impact, with the 2018 event raising a record $12.2 million for local charities, eclipsing $12 million for the first time. “On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to congratulate the Waste Management Phoenix Open for these special recognitions,� said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder. “The Thunderbirds and Waste Management worked tirelessly to continue and raise the bar across all facets of the event, and the fans responded. With the TOUR’s renewed focus on the fan experience onsite at TOUR events, we are excited to recognize the Waste Management Phoenix Open and all tournament winners on their efforts to improve and innovate the experience at PGA TOUR events.� Below is a complete list of award-winning tournaments: Most Fan-First Event (tie) Waste Management Phoenix Open Safeway Open Best Use of Players The RSM Classic Most Engaged Community Charles Schwab Challenge Best Tournament Sales Wells Fargo Championship Salesperson of the Year Scott Auker, Wells Fargo Championship Best On-Site Staging The Honda Classic Best Title Sponsor Integration John Deere Classic Best Product Club 360, AT&T Byron Nelson Best Integrated Marketing Plan (tie) Farmers Insurance Open RBC Heritage Best in Class Element The Rink, RBC Canadian Open Best Special Event Cheers to 50 years Countdown Party, RBC Heritage Best Charity Integration Sanderson Farms Championship Tournament of the Year Waste Management Phoenix Open Players Choice Travelers Championship

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