Leaderboard: Round 1 of Open Championship

DUBLIN, Ohio – Steve Stricker is throwing it all the way back to 2006 with Titleist 755 Forged irons in the bag ahead of the 2019 Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. Stricker recently won the 2019 Regions Tradition – his first senior major championship victory – using new Titleist 718 AP2 irons. That’s especially noteworthy because Stricker said he had been using Titleist 710 AP2 irons (released in 2009) for “forever� before switching. He was still using the 710 AP2 irons as of the 2019 Valspar Championship Despite the success with the new 718 AP2 irons, Stricker wasn’t satisfied with the new head-shaft combination, so he went to use his older KBS Prototype shafts that he had in the Titleist AP2 710s, and simply put those shafts into the new 718 AP2 heads. Except there was a problem; the tips of the shafts were bent. The KBS iron shafts, however, are not easily replaceable; they were one-off prototypes from “6-7 years ago,� according to Stricker.  “That was really the only set that [KBS] knows of,� Stricker said. “It was a one-off shaft that they made. I don’t know what it was. So I’ve been struggling to try to find a head and a shaft that I really enjoy playing.� Now what? Before using the Titleist 710 AP2 irons, Stricker used Titleist 755 Forged irons, which released in 2006. Those were equipped with the original Project X Rifle shafts with a satin finish. The 755 Forged irons, which Stricker used as far back as the 2006 U.S. Open championship at Winged Foot Golf Club, have been sitting in Stricker’s home office since he replaced them with the AP2 710 irons, sometime between 2009 and 2011. The 755 irons aren’t on the bench anymore, though. Stricker had them in the bag on Tuesday at the Memorial, and the irons are equipped with the original Project X shafts in them. While the USGA lists the grooves of the Titleist 755 irons as non-conforming, Stricker says he had the grooves checked in Hawaii in 2011, and they were approved for competition. As a reminder, the new groove rules went into effect in 2010. Stricker says he also has a backup set of the 755 irons, but he has not had the grooves approved yet for competition. Stricker will most certainly use 755 Forged irons (4-PW) this week, but he has both a 755 Forged 3-iron and a 718 AP2 3-iron that he’ll decide between come competition time on Thursday. Either way, Stricker’s irons will undoubtedly be the oldest irons in the field this week. He does, however, have fresh Golf Pride grips on the irons.

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LOS ANGELES – Kamaiu Johnson stood in an alcove at Wilshire Country Club last month with bittersweet feelings. The APGA Tour star was excited to award a PGA TOUR exemption to his good friend, Ryan Alford, but he also was reminded of his own missed opportunity. This year’s Farmers Insurance Open was supposed to be Johnson’s PGA TOUR debut, the culmination of an inspiring road from eighth-grade dropout to professional golfer that was made possible by the generosity of so many. But Johnson had to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open after testing positive for COVID-19. Though he was later awarded sponsor exemptions to three other events, there was still disappointment in missing his chance to play San Diego’s famed seaside course that is the site of so many historic moments. Through the adversity, Johnson had kept his head up high. That attitude has allowed him to beat the odds and make it this far. The path to the PGA TOUR was never going to be easy – he knew that – and it just steeled him to work harder. He’s a firm believer that good things happen to good people. So, he pushed aside any personal disappointments and stood tall in front of the small gathering at Wilshire after the final event of the APGA’s newly-established Farmers Insurance Fall Series. Johnson spoke with gusto about the pride he had in Alford and how excited he was to be a part of presenting him a dream opportunity. There wasn’t a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice. “Ryan and I, we travel together, we push each other, we talk trash, we are like family, … and at the end of the day we really just want to see each other get better and succeed. We want to be out there on the PGA TOUR together,” Johnson said. “A lot of us here on the APGA Tour, we know that’s what Calvin Peete and Jim Thorpe and those guys did back in the day. They hung out together, they made each other stronger, they were like a big family, and they pushed each other and that’s what we want to do. It gives me so much pride to be able to announce this for Ryan. … I know he’ll do well at Torrey. I know that’s what he’s been waiting for, he’s a winner, and he deserves it.” Alford, rendered almost speechless, was picked by the tournament committee after an impressive two-win season on the APGA in 2021. He’d narrowly missed a third, finishing runner-up at Wilshire just moments earlier. As a high school teammate of PGA TOUR winner Sam Burns – where they claimed five state championships – Alford has been exposed to high level golf for some time. Now he gets his chance to join it. One man certainly not surprised to see Johnson’s professionalism in the moment was Marty Gorsich, the CEO of Farmers Insurance and Chairman of the Century Club that awarded the exemption. Farmers has been an industry leader in supporting the growth of diversity in golf and Gorsich followed up with some lovely words about both players before slipping in the second surprise. Johnson also would be receiving a spot in the field for the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open. “It’s a tough decision when trying to grant exemptions because there are always so many great stories and people who deserve opportunities,” Gorsich said. “But we thought Kamaiu was worthy last year and when we saw the way he handled himself leading into last year, going through the COVID experience and coming out of it with such class, that’s really what pushed it over the top for us.” As the news sunk in, Johnson’s thoughts immediately turned to how he would approach things differently this time around. “There’s a little bit of unfinished business there,” Johnson, 30, said. “This time around I’ll be more intentional in everything I do. That’s what the guys out there do so well. “Getting COVID, … it was a devastating moment. You work so hard to play on such a big stage, … but we got through it, and it goes to show what happens if you surround yourself with the right people and work hard, then the sky’s the limit. “You have got to let that stuff go to the side and it all just motivates me to get better. Just to get another chance to play on the PGA TOUR again, I know I’ll be ready more than I was after having COVID and I’m really looking forward to it.” For the 25-year-old Alford, the whole process is new, but in Burns he has a regular playing partner – and friend – who can walk him through it. The pair can often be found at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, Louisiana, mixing it against each other. Burns, the 13th-ranked player in the world, won twice on the PGA TOUR in 2021. Alford won back-to-back starts on the APGA in April and May and believes he can make the most of his opportunity. “This is a dream come true and I’m so thankful to everyone who’s making this possible,” Alford said. “I’ve played Torrey once back in college and I’m excited for the chance to test myself there again. I’m happy and I’m proud and confident that the process that has me here can continue. “In my humble opinion, I get to play on a regular basis with one of the best players in the world and I try to compare myself to him each day, and I definitely feel like my game is there and competitive.” Alford’s grounding in the sport started with the First Tee. His father now heads up the program’s Northwest Louisiana chapter. Ryan is a former participant in PGA TOUR Champions’ PURE Insurance Championship, which pairs kids from the First Tee with Champions players. Ryan was paired with Hal Sutton, and he’s also been lucky enough to share a tee time with another major champion from Louisiana, David Toms, on numerous occasions. The key advice from everyone has been to keep calm and play your own game. “I know I’ll just have to stick to my routine, and I know a lot of people can get blown away by this stage but at the end of the day it’s just golf and I’ve got to be mindful of that,” Alford said. “I’ve got to welcome any adversity and know that the hard work can get you through.” Burns – who sits second in the FedExCup race after picking up his second TOUR win at the Sanderson Farms Championship in October – was overjoyed with the news of Alford’s opportunity. And he’s adamant his former Calvary Baptist Academy teammate can hold his own. “I’m excited for him. I think it’s a great opportunity for him. Ryan and I play a lot of golf together and he’s a great player,” Burns said. “He hits it far, hits it straight, and he’s a really good putter. I don’t see any reason he won’t play well there and compete. It’s a good golf course for him and he’s had a great year so I’m excited to see what he can do.”

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Keegan Bradley … Given everything he accomplished so early in his career, he all but eliminated himself from consideration as a Sleeper no matter where he played, but it’s still subjective to one’s relative criteria. For example, he’s now 31 years of age and has gone nearly five years since his most recent of three PGA TOUR titles. He’s also 120th in the Official World Golf Ranking in which he hasn’t been inside the top 95 in over 15 consecutive months. The surge at the end of 2016 (just before he got married) all but secured his card for next season, but that’s noteworthy because he wasn’t yet exempt. Pouring the ball into the hole has been his greatest challenge since the anchoring ban went into effect, but you can’t rule out his comfort level back in the Northeast. The New England native is 6-for-6 at TPC River Highlands with a pair of top 25s and a scoring average of 68.58. He remains sturdiest tee to green, ranking T5 in total driving and 32nd in greens in regulation. Chad Campbell … It was just two weeks ago when he appeared in this space for the FedEx St. Jude Classic. He finished T10, best of his last 14 starts. And while you can draw a correlation between par-70 TPCs South and River Highlands, this week’s canvas is 400 yards shorter. Not that that mattered to the 43-year-old. As he embarks on his 11th consecutive appearance, he can tap into successful weeks that yielded a T5 in 2010 and a T7 in 2014 among seven cuts made. Always a threat on approach, he’s currently T35 on TOUR in greens in regulation, but he’s also third in scrambling. Both of those ranks improved as a result of his play in Memphis. Kyle Stanley … Like a Major League Baseball talent with an option remaining and thus returns to Triple-A frequently, he’s been a regular “call-up” to this section all season, at least when he hasn’t cracked the Power Rankings. A modest 3-for-7 record at TPC River Highlands doesn’t tell the entire story since two of those paydays went for a top 20. The more recent was in 2015 (T20). This season, he’s missed only three of 18 cuts and sits 39th in the FedExCup standings with four top 10s. He recorded two in his last four starts, including a season-best T4 at THE PLAYERS to coincide with his last appearance on this page. Ranks third in total driving, second in greens hit, third in proximity to the hole, fifth in strokes gained: tee-to-green and 11th in adjusted scoring. Harris English … The career arc is a funny thing regardless of pedigree. He was on cruise control during his first five seasons. A continuation of that this season could have been classified as a glass ceiling, but a professional golfer arguably learns more about who he is inside the ropes when facing adversity or achieving the culmination of the potential. In other words, stagnation may not be as valuable as a rut because clarity and refined focus can be a byproduct of failure. As he encroaches on his 28th birthday (July 23), the two-time PGA TOUR winner is out there battling for his card for 2017-18, and he’d be winning in a decision right now. With glimmers in his last three starts, including a T10 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, he’s 102nd in the FedExCup standings and poised to pile on at TPC River Highlands where he’s 4-for-4 with a T7 in 2014 and a T25 in 2015. Wyndham Clark … The wiry 23-year-old from Denver is making his PGA TOUR debut and might need to downshift right out of the gate on relatively short TPC River Highlands. He’s fresh off Player of the Year honors in the Pac-12 Conference won outright for the first time by his Oregon Ducks. He claimed the individual title by three shots. It was the perfect conclusion to a phenomenal and, at times, heartbreaking college career that began at Oklahoma State. While enrolled in Stillwater, he lost his mother to breast cancer. Oregon presented a fresh (re)start for his senior season. He’s since secured status on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and a sponsor exemption into the John Deere Classic, just as he did for the Travelers Championship.

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