Live leaderboard: Can Tiger keep Zozo lead?

It’s time to lace up. The race is on. While it’s cliché, it’s not wrong to define the latest version of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO as a marathon, not a sprint. Similar to what golfers themselves experience in pursuit of the FedExCup, the long game applies to gamers. Total fantasy points scored has mirrored overall tournament finish, but the variance between the best and the rest is slight if not nominal. As a result, making cuts is the priority and easily at that. Swallowing even one zero will apply pressure in future events. Because the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is the second tournament of the season with a 36-hole cut, expect separation in your ranks by the time your standings are tabulated. With that in mind, I’m advising that you remain patient in case you’re the one who is dealt a blow. Even if you’re chasing only Segment prizes, you can’t afford one zero when you consider how many thousands of others who play regularly will be scoring. In that context, league play has never been of more value to retain the most discerning level of fun. Meanwhile, if you already haven’t been paying attention, when ShotLink is utilized as it is at the Shriners, you’re going to learn that golfers who contend are going to score approximately 10-15 percent of their fantasy points via the bonuses for shot levels and rounds. The key word is “bonus.” They can’t be targeted specifically with reasonable expectations. For example, drives over 300 yards and longer aren’t rare, but they award just 1 point per. If you’re going after bonuses, anyway, saving starts on notables in shootouts should yield a handful bogey-free rounds (5 points apiece) and scores of 65 or lower (3 points each). Because of its ease, TPC Summerlin is the kind of fast track on which fantasy scoring projects to land higher than at other par 71s such as Riviera, Copperhead and Quail Hollow. At those sites, you might be inclined not to burn starts on golfers expected to contend if there are other spots in the same Segment at which they can do more damage. Slow and steady wins. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Tony Finau Rickie Fowler Jordan Spieth Kevin Streelman Gary Woodland You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Cameron Champ; Bryson DeChambeau; Beau Hossler; Si Woo Kim; Martin Laird; Ryan Palmer; J.J. Spaun; Aaron Wise Driving: Bronson Burgoon; Bryson DeChambeau; Scott Piercy; Patrick Rodgers; J.J. Spaun; Brendan Steele; Kevin Streelman; Aaron Wise Power Rankings Wild Card Martin Laird … Slots as an extension of the Power Rankings proper this week. He’s connected with his horse-for-a-course profile all year, so it stands to reason that investors won’t wait to latch on at TPC Summerlin when he prevailed in 2009 and owns an overall record of 7-for-9 with a scoring average of 68.25. If last year’s missed cut worries you, remember that there was a governor on scoring due to gusty winds. Draws Kevin Tway … Now that he’s had a week to rest after opening the season with his breakthrough victory at Silverado and sticking with his commitments in Malaysia (T27) and South Korea (T52), our expectations are elevated again. His win didn’t come out of nowhere – he was targeting it for months – so he’s presented no reason why he won’t cash more chips in Vegas where he’s making his fourth start. Joaquin Niemann … Surely there’s a sense that the honeymoon is over for the 19-year-old – no one escapes the learning curve – but he’s still connected eight cuts made over the last four months and he won’t see a host course that he’s played before on TOUR until the Masters, and that’s only if he qualifies. Continue to enjoy his ascent. Brendan Steele … This close to returning to the circle of trust thanks to a strong back half of a T14 in South Korea. The recent freefall in form is uncharacteristic, but TPC Summerlin has been a reliable track for him to shine. He’s 5-for-6 with a pair of top 20s, albeit in 2011 and 2012. Patrick Rodgers … As well as he rolls it, he should be a short-lister in a shootout, but he’s connected for only one cut made at TPC Summerlin (T13, 2015). Instead, his form upon arrival is the impetus for this endorsement. After sitting out the Playoffs to attend a wedding in Europe, which followed a T25 at the Wyndham Championship, he’s gone T25-T14. It’s the first time in three years that he’s strung together a trio of top 25s. Anders Albertson Si Woo Kim Ryan Palmer                                              Nick Watney Fades Kevin Na … I could open every analysis of him with the disclaimer that he’s been my Kryptonite throughout his career. He’s cooperated with his projection in recent months, so we’ll see how he shakes out at the Shriners where he captured his first PGA TOUR title in 2011 and shared runner-up honors three years ago. That T2 is his only payday of his last four appearances. However, it’s a home game and he’s missed only one cut in his last 13 starts worldwide, so consider him a contrarian. Matt Kuchar … Given his low, boring ball flight, it would have been intriguing to see how he would have performed in last year’s wind, but even though it’s been nine years since his last appearance, he’s fared well at TPC Summerlin when red numbers were available in boatloads. In his last two trips, he finished second in 2008 and T7 in 2009. What gives, then? Well, a year ago at this time, he was 15th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Today, he’s 38th with only two top 25s in his last nine starts worldwide. The inconsistency and surprisingly pedestrian form can be chalked up to a mild regression across the board. It’s to be expected at age 40. So, while hopes are for an improvement this week, use it as a gauge for what we do with him at The RSM Classic where he’s been a regular in his backyard. Corey Conners … I remain fascinated by the analytical 26-year-old, and he’s coming off a close call at the Sanderson Farms Championship where he did work tee to green and around the targets, but the pressure will remain on to perform every time out due to his conditional status. He’s in the field at TPC Summerlin because of last week’s top 10, but he’ll be fortunate to nab 20 starts this season. For now, consider him only fractionally in DFS. Chesson Hadley … Easy to see a T5 in his debut here in 2013 and last year’s T4 in breezy conditions during a torrid stretch of form, but he’s hung up only one top-40 finish in his last 10 starts (T2, CIMB). For a guy who’s proven to be streaky, that’s not the trend we desire. Jason Dufner … Since The Open Championship, he’s 3-for-8 without a top 40. His appearance at TPC Summerlin is just his second in the last 11 editions (MC, 2016). Chris Kirk Troy Merritt Ollie Schniederjans Peter Uihlein Jhonattan Vegas Returning to Competition Grayson Murray … Walked off the Country Club of Jackson during last week’s second round. An explanation wasn’t released, but he’s been battling back and shoulder discomfort for months. It was his third mid-tournament withdrawal since May. Freddie Jacobson … First PGA TOUR start since May of 2017. Sat out 15 months due to hand surgery, and then went 1-for-3 while rehabbing on the European Tour. Has 18 starts on a Major Medical Extension, so he’s a no-brainer throw-in for deeper salary gamers if you already haven’t nibbled on that line. Notable WDs Andrew Putnam … In his World Golf Championships debut last week, he tied for fourth at Sheshan International. He led the field in greens hit and ranked fifth in par-5 scoring. While obviously impressive, it’s merely an extension of the breakout form that he’s illustrated throughout 2018. Would have been gunning to become the first to win both of the PGA TOUR starts in Nevada in the same calendar year. With wins in Vegas in 1992 and in Reno in 2001, John Cook is the only golfer to prevail in each at least once in any year. Vijay Singh … First time in seven years he’s skipping the Shriners, but the week off will allow him to rest and prep for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. After he won the Toshiba Classic this past March, the 55-year-old World Golf Hall of Famer stated that he was going to throttle back on PGA TOUR action. To wit, he played only six more times to total just 10 starts on the season. His best finish was but a solo 49th at the Masters. Ernie Els … Turned 49 years of age on October 17 and finished T36 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES the following weekend. He hasn’t recorded a top 25 on the PGA TOUR since a solo fifth at the Quicken Loans National in June 2016. Didn’t make his debut at TPC Summerlin until later that fall. Power Rankings Recap – World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Brooks Koepka  T16 2  Justin Rose  3rd 3  Rory McIlroy  T54 4  Dustin Johnson  T30 5  Francesco Molinari  T43 6  Jason Day  T11 7  Tommy Fleetwood  T7 8  Rafa Cabrera Bello  T14 9  Tony Finau  P2 10  Tyrrell Hatton  T22 11  Ian Poulter  21st 12  Paul Casey  T16 13  Cameron Smith  T54 14  Hideki Matsuyama  T30 15  Matthew Fitzpatrick  T54 16  Adam Scott  T18 17  Eddie Pepperell  DNP 18  Jon Rahm  T22 19  Kyle Stanley  T22 20  Patrick Cantlay  T7 Wild Card  Xander Schauffele  Win Sleepers Recap – World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions Golfer  Result Lucas Bjerregaard  T69 Yuki Inamori  T73 Hao Tong Li  T11 Andrea Pavan  T22 Matt Wallace  T50 Power Rankings Recap – Sanderson Farms Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Lucas Glover  T14 2  Bill Haas  T14 3  Chris Kirk  MC 4  Hunter Mahan  T61 5  Harold Varner III  MC 6  Ryan Armour  T54 7  Nick Taylor  T26 8  Dylan Frittelli  T54 9  Cameron Davis  MC 10  Patrick Rodgers  T14 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR October 30 … none October 31 … Mark Wilson (44) November 1 … none November 2 … James Hahn (37); Adam Hadwin (31) November 3 … Kris Blanks (46) November 4 … Kevin Streelman (40) November 5 … Jim Herman (41); Bubba Watson (40)

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TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The wind finally relented Friday in the PGA Championship. Will Zalatoris never did. From the fairway or the rough, Zalatoris kept hitting the golf ball on the button at Southern Hills and took advantage of gentler conditions late in the afternoon for a 4-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Mito Pereira of Chile. The weekend will include Tiger Woods in his second straight major, a remarkable achievement in its own right. Playing on a battered right leg from his car crash 15 months ago, Woods was outside the cut line after a double bogey on the par-3 11th hole. He played the final seven holes with two birdies and a pair of 15-foot par saves for a 69 to make it with one shot to spare. But he’s 12 shots away from Zalatoris, the 25-year-old from Dallas who is built like a 1-iron and could probably hit one flush with his eyes closed. No doubt, Zalatoris and his entire side of the draw was helped when wind that gusted over 30 mph Friday morning laid down over the final two hours. Bubba Watson had a shot at the first 62 in PGA Championship history. He missed from just inside 25 feet on the 18th hole and had to settle for the 18th round of 63 in this major, and the third at Southern Hills. He joined Woods (2007) and Raymond Floyd (1982). Pereira also had a chance at 63, missing from 7 feet on the ninth hole to close his round. “I lucked out with the draw, for sure. We played 11 on without any wind,” Zalatoris said. “When I got out of position, I got the most out of it.” He opened with a shot from the rough that tumbled across the length of the green to 2 feet. He hit another through a gap in the trees to 7 feet. Not only did he have a bogey-free card, all five of his birdies were inside 8 feet. Zalatoris was at 9-under 131. And all Justin Thomas could do was watch from the couch of his rental home in Tulsa. Thomas did the heavy lifting in the morning, when the wind was raging and limbs were swaying. He dropped only one shot on his way to another 67 that set a daunting target for Rory McIlroy and everyone else in the afternoon. And now Thomas is three shots behind, with Watson right behind him. Of some two dozen players under par, only five came from the wave that played Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, the two windiest windows of the week. McIlroy got the good side of the draw and failed to seize on the moment. He didn’t make a birdie until the 13th hole. That was his only one in a round of 71 that left him five shots behind. Jordan Spieth, playing alongside McIlroy and Woods, finally got back to even par for the tournament until driving into the water on the 18th for a bogey and a 69. He was 10 shots behind in his bid to get the major keeping him from the career Grand Slam. The weekend will not include Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who stumbled badly down the stretch and finished with a double bogey for a 75 to miss the cut — 4-over par — by two. Jon Rahm thought he might have worked his way back into the mix with a 69 to get to 2-over 142, and he was skeptical about the forecast of wind abating. “They said the wind was going to go down this afternoon. No, it’s not. It’s Oklahoma,” Rahm said. “It’s going to stay just as windy as we had.” If only. Watson had never scored better than 68 in his previous 49 rounds in the PGA Championship. And then he dropped nine birdies and goes into the weekend with a chance. Zalatoris and Pereira, who led the Korn Ferry Tour a year ago, will be in the final group Saturday, two players still searching for their first PGA TOUR title. Zalatoris has plenty of experience in the majors. He was runner-up in the Masters to Hideki Matsuyama in his debut in 2021. This is his eighth major, and he already has four top 10s. “When I took the sole lead on 12, I told my caddie, ‘Let’s enjoy this,’” Zalatoris said. “In my first Masters, I was runner-up and I wanted to enjoy it. I’ll take that same attitude.” Woods looked to be headed home after his double bogey on the par-3 11th, where he went from the high grass framing a stream to the bunker on the other side of the green. And then he saved par from a bunker on No. 12, hit wedge to 4 feet for birdie on the par-5 13th, saved par with another 15-footer on the next hole and hit his best shot on the 16th to 4 feet. “I had to go grind and go to work, and I did,” Woods said. “Hopefully, I can get a hot weekend and you never know.” Hot is a popular term in these parts, particularly with memories of 100-plus degrees in August when the PGA was last at Southern Hills in 2007 and Woods won by two. For Saturday, the temperatures were forecast for the low 60s.

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