Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are among the many stars with an early morning tee time at TPC Sawgrass. See who gets off to a fast start.
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Woods is 0-for-10 in his career at Riviera Country Club, site of this week’s Genesis Invitational. It would be something if he could set the all-time PGA Tour wins mark here.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Justin Rose enjoys an annual trip to Philadelphia, usually in the fall when the weather is cool and sweaters are a necessary article of clothing. “That’s my favorite time of year to play golf,â€� he said. “It reminds me of how I grew up playing golf in the U.K.â€� The yearly trip serves as a reminder of his biggest triumph. He takes friends to Merion Golf Club, where he won the U.S. Open in 2013. The club cuts the hole in the same back-left location that was used when he won five years ago. On Rose’s first return, all his companions wore his outfit from the U.S. Open’s final round. They forced him to change into matching clothes. “Slightly embarrassing, but it was fun,â€� he said. Merion is closed this year to undergo a Gil Hanse renovation, so Rose’s trip has undertaken a different context. Instead of playing with friends, he’s among the top contenders for the FedExCup. He’s third in the FedExCup standings with just two events remaining. If he remains in the top 5 after this week, he can clinch the Cup with a victory at the TOUR Championship on Sept. 23. Rose is playing on familiar territory at this week’s BMW Championship. Aronimink, which is less than eight miles from Merion, is on the list of historic venues where he has hoisted a trophy. He won the 2010 Quicken Loans National here. He’s also won at Colonial, Congressional, Muirfield Village, Valderrama and Royal Aberdeen. Aronimink underwent a restoration since the TOUR last visited here in 2011. Hanse, one of the top architects of this era, oversaw the work, which returned the course to its original Donald Ross design. Trees were removed, fairways were widened and bunkers were added. The greens were expanded, as well, to add hole locations. “It’s may be slightly more gentle, a bit more room out there than when I last played in 2011,â€� said Rose, who won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics on a Hanse design. Rose arrives in good form, as well. He birdied four of his final six holes Monday to finish runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau at the Dell Technologies Championship. It was Rose’s fifth top-3 finish of the season. He has qualified for the TOUR Championship in seven of the past eight seasons, but just once has he been in the top 5 of the FedExCup entering the TOUR Championship. He was third in 2011 (after winning the BMW Championship). He finished T20 at the TOUR Championship as Bill Haas won at East Lake to claim the FedExCup. East Lake, site of the season finale, is a historic venue that would fit in nicely with Rose’s other victorious venues. He has finished second at the home course of Bobby Jones on two occasions (2012, ’15). Even in the midst of golf’s youth movement, the 38-year-old Rose is still having one of the best seasons of his career. His nine top-10s are third-most on TOUR, trailing only Dustin Johnson and Tony Finau. Johnson and Rose are the only players to finish in the top 10 in more than half their starts this season (Rose is 9 for 16). Rose also finished in the top 10 in all four of last season’s FedExCup Playoffs events, giving him 13 top-10s in his last 20 TOUR starts. The biggest improvement in his game has come on the greens. He ranks ninth in Strokes Gained: Putting (+0.51), an improvement of more than 100 spots and 2.3 strokes per tournament from last season. “Sometimes people are afraid to change what they do or how they do it,â€� said Rose’s long-time instructor, Sean Foley. “His lack of satisfaction in what he’s doing has really pushed us to look under every rock.â€� Many players suffer a fall-off in other parts of their game when making such a large improvement in another. They spend so much time practicing their weakness that they neglect their strengths. That hasn’t been the case for Rose, though. He’s remained one of the TOUR’s best ball-strikers while becoming an elite putter. He ranks ninth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green this season. He’s also in the top 15 of Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green, a testament to the well-rounded game that has made him one of this season’s best players. Rose started using the claw grip in the fall of 2016 and has improved areas like green-reading and alignment. Rose said he employs “three or fourâ€� different strategies, including AimPoint, to read putts. “You can have a perfect stroke and not make putts,â€� Rose said. “The green-reading, the speed control, all of that is a huge factor.â€� This is just the second multiple-win season of his career. The other came in 2010, when he earned his first two PGA TOUR titles in a three-event span. He sandwiched a ninth-place finish at the Travelers Championship – where he shot 75 after starting the final round with a three-shot lead – between wins at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and AT&T National. The latter was played at Aronimink. Rose started the final round with a four-shot lead. He led by five strokes after eagling the par-5 ninth hole with a 5-wood that stopped inches from the hole. Three-putts on the back nine’s first two holes put the title in tenuous position, though. He made par on the final seven holes to finish one shot ahead of Ryan Moore. Moore’s 65 matched Sunday’s low score. “I knew having not closed out last week, it was important for me to do it today,â€� Rose said after that win. He knows what it takes to win at Aronimink. That experience could help him hoist the FedExCup for the first time.
It is that time of the year again. The days are a little shorter, the leaves more colorful, and the temperatures a bit cooler. Mother Nature is looking to bring the golf season to a halt, but adidas Golf has other ideas. To keep players on the course, the brand has launched the new Frostguard Collection to combat brisk fall and winter conditions. In creating the Frostguard Jackets and Vests, adidas designers focused on providing warmth without sacrificing playability. To achieve this, the Frostguard pieces feature down-filled panels on the front and back to insulate the body where it needs it most—in the core areas. To further lock in warmth, these insulated panels use a bonding technique that prevents heat from escaping while also shielding against the season’s harsh winds. Staying warm is one thing, but if a layering piece is too bulky, it can prevent the body from moving freely during the swing. To maintain playability, adidas opted for a thin, lightweight layer of duck down in the panels to provide warmth without bulk. For better mobility during the swing, designers attached the insulated panels to side panels and sleeves made from recycled polyester. These stretchy, water-resistant panels and sleeves allow the body, shoulders, and arms to rotate in an unfettered motion. This helps TOUR players like Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm maintain feel, rhythm, and clubhead speed while staying warm. Hybrid jackets and vests have become one of the biggest trends in golf outerwear over the last few years. Previously reserved for the ski slopes, advances in insulation and fabric technology have turned these puffer-style pieces into cold-weather essentials on the fairways. adidas’ Frostguard stands out from the crowd of puffers for a few reasons. The use of down provides a higher warmth-to-weight ratio than synthetics. Therefore, it is lighter, less bulky, and compresses easier for storage in a golf bag. Also, many hybrid jackets and vests include a single insulated panel on the front of the garment. adidas has taken this a step further by providing insulation on the front and back of the Frostguard pieces for added warmth. From a style standpoint, the stitching on the panels offers an intriguing and elevated look compared to the typical square and rectangular channels. Joining the insulated jackets and vests in the Frostguard Collection is the lighter Quilted Competition Jacket. Xander Schauffele sported this jacket at the Open Championship and it is easy to see why. It offers the perfect blend of style, warmth, and playability. The ¼-zip pullover features a dual knit construction with a single knit polyester in the upper half for enhanced range of motion. On the bottom half, a double knit jersey was used for warmth. The good news is you don’t have to be a TOUR player to slip on the Frostguard Collection. The Insulated Jackets and Vests along with the Quilted Competition Jacket are arriving on retail store shelves now, just in time for the falling temperatures.
