Live leaderboard: Round 1 of Wyndham

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Each day at U.S. Open, PGATOUR.COM’s staff writers will dive into the big issues and questions everyone is discussing. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas each admitted they hadn’t known the USGA changed the playoff format, from an 18-hole Monday playoff to a two-hole Sunday one. What else surprised you from the press conferences so far? Sean Martin, Senior Editor: I appreciated Jason Day’s boldness and honesty. “I think if I want to be the best player in the world, I’ll be the best player in the world,â€� is a quote that really stuck out to me from Tuesday. He definitely seemed inspired. Ben Everill, Staff Writer: Hearing Jason Day talk about Tiger Woods’ “MC Hammer pantsâ€� from 2004 at Shinnecock and then Bubba Watson’s messy burrito habits was something I was not expecting in the lead-up to this tournament. Jonathan Wall, Equipment Insider: Probably D.J. admitting he hit mid irons and even a couple long irons into some of the holes at Shinnecock. And here I thought he carried driver and a bunch of wedges.  Cameron Morfit, Staff Writer: Given the way the ’04 U.S. Open ended, I’m surprised that the only complaining has been about the traffic. But it’s early. Shinnecock’s greens are like upside-down cereal bowls, and once balls start landing in the wrong places and funneling 50 yards away, it’s on. Who is the one player almost no one is talking about who is nonetheless on your radar?  Martin: I don’t think enough people are talking about Tommy Fleetwood. He finished fourth in last year’s U.S. Open and remains very much one of the world’s best players. I think he’ll like Shinnecock Hills’ linksy characteristics. Everill: Lucas Herbert. The 23-year-old Australian dominated the Portland Sectionals and is a highly touted youngster out of Australia. Won’t be overawed and could easily replicate Cameron Smith’s U.S. Open debut from 2015 (T4). Wall: Tommy Fleetwood. He’s finished outside the top 25 three times in 10 TOUR starts this season. And did I mention he was fourth last season at the U.S. Open? He has the game to contend at Shinnecock. Literally no one is talking about him. Morfit: He got injured, so Brooks Koepka fell out of the conversation. Now he’s back. He’s posted 63s in two of his last three starts and said in his presser, “I feel like I always play well at U.S. Opens. I play very conservative, middle of the greens a lot of times, and I feel like major championships are kind of where I shine.â€� I’d be shocked if the defending champ doesn’t finish in the top 10. Dustin Johnson looked strong in winning the FedEx St. Jude Classic by six, but is Shinnecock a course that favors touch around the greens more than power off the tee?  Martin: I think the short game is going to be very important this week. Between the wind and the sloping greens, those chipping areas around the putting surfaces are going to get plenty of work. The last three U.S. Opens here were won by stellar short games. Raymond Floyd was one of the best chippers in the game. Corey Pavin hit less than half the greens when he won here. Retief Goosen hit only six greens in the final round. Everill: It is clearly a mixture of both but there must also be a premium on accuracy. At the end of the day the guy who gets up and down from trouble and makes the clutch par putts will hoist the trophy. Wall: I think you need to have an all-around game to contend. It’s important to find the fairway, but you can’t continually lay back and have mid and long irons into the greens. Even the best short game in the world won’t keep you from making a couple bogeys with that game plan. Morfit: I don’t think a bomber wins, especially as dry as it is this week. Shinnecock is a second-shot course (Goosen was a specialist with the irons), and being crafty and economical around those crazy green complexes counts for a lot, too. Phil Mickelson is making his 27th U.S. Open start, and says he loves the setup. He’s tried just about everything. How would you prepare if you were him?  Martin: I think take it easy and rely on your past work here. He’s played here twice and done well. And energy management is key for Mickelson at this stage in his career, as we saw at THE PLAYERS Championship. Everill: By renting a bigger yacht than Tiger’s and parking it right next door. Phil needs to be Phil – that is relaxed and trying to be funny. Forget all this career slam pressure. Just go out and play. Wall: What he’s doing right now: Resting. Phil played last week in Memphis and needed a recharge. Playing the course in advance of this week meant he didn’t need to grind out practice rounds. Work on the short game and conserve energy for what should be a 72-hole grind at Shinnecock.   Morfit: Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte has him practicing and playing off-site at nearby Friar’s Head with, among others, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. I hope they’re taking a cart, because he should do as little as possible to preserve his legs and (admittedly) sporadic ability to drill down and focus. It’s a long week.

Click here to read the full article…

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Patrick Cantlay was part of an All-Star chasing pack until he holed out from 106 yards for eagle and carried that to a 6-under 65 on Saturday, giving him a one-shot lead and a chance to become the first back-to-back winner of the BMW Championship in the FedExCup era. RELATED: Leaderboard | Will Zalatoris withdraws from BMW Championship Next up is another round with a familiar face. Xander Schauffele, his closest friend on the PGA TOUR, had a bogey-free 66 and was a shot back, along with Scott Stallings (66). Cantlay and Schauffele play practice rounds together just about every week when they’re at the same tournament, just never with this much on the line. More than just $2.7 million for the winner, Cantlay or Schauffele could go to No. 1 in the FedExCup — that also depends on how Masters champion Scottie Scheffler fares — with a win and start the TOUR Championship with a two-shot lead. Cantlay knows the value of that from experience. After his dynamic playoff win in the BMW Championship last year at Caves Valley, he had the No. 1 seed and a two-shot lead at the start and wound up winning by one shot to claim the $18 million prize. “My head is not even there right now,” said Cantlay, who was at 12-under 201. “I think the best way to handle this playoff system is to just focus on doing your best in the tournament that you’re in and not worry too much about the points. So that’s what I’m going to do.” And there’s another reason. This is far from a two-man show on the South course at Wilmington Country Club that is sun-baked and fast on the greens. Adam Scott, trying to work his way into the top 30 who reach the TOUR Championship, held his own with a 69 and was only two shots behind. He started the postseason at No. 77 and is coming off a tie for fifth last week just to make it to the BMW Championship. Also two back was Scheffler, the world No. 1 who answered consecutive bogeys late in his round with a 4-foot birdie for a 68. Collin Morikawa (65) and Aaron Wise (67) made it seven players separated by three shots. Rory McIlroy started slowly and could only manage a 70, leaving him five shots off the lead. Jordan Spieth, who began the weekend just one shot behind, missed par putts of 3 feet and 2 feet and didn’t have much else go right in his round of 74 that took him out of contention. Cantlay and Schauffele became fast friends at the Presidents Cup in 2019 at Royal Melbourne and now take holidays together, along with countless practice rounds. It’s different with a scorecard in hand, though the comfort level is obvious. “I know how he hits the ball, he knows how I hit the ball. If I flush one or he flushes one, it sort of is extra information that we can use. I like to use that as an advantage, and we’re good friends, so it’s a very sort of easygoing pairing even though we’re trying to beat each other,” Schauffele said. Give this round to Cantlay, just barely. Schauffele was leading when Cantlay missed a 3-foot par putt — he also missed one from a little closer on the 17th — and after they matched two-putt birdies on the 12th, Cantlay holed a birdie putt from 8 feet on the 13th and then spun back a lob wedge for eagle at the 14th. That put him in the lead, and after the shocker of a short miss for par, he finished with another lob ledge that expertly used a backstop and rolled down to 8 feet for birdie. Delaware has never hosted a PGA TOUR event, so this is new for everyone. That explains why Cantlay with a wedge in hand was walking to the front of every green to see the slopes and find the best play. It worked on the 14th for his eagle, and on the 18th for his birdie. Stallings has plenty at stake on Sunday, too. He came into the BMW Championship at No. 46 in the standings and now is clearly within range of playing one more week. “That was my No. 1 goal to start the year,” Stallings said. This is his 12th year on the PGA TOUR and the closest he has ever been to the TOUR Championship.

Click here to read the full article…

With only 10 events left before the FedExCup Playoffs begin, players will look to make a move in the standings at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. David Lingmerth continues to lead after Round 2 at Quicken Loans National. Round 4 tee times Round 4 leaderboard HOW TO WATCH PGA TOUR LIVE: Featured Groups – (11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET), CBS Simulcast – (2:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET) Telecast: Golf Channel (1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET), CBS (3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET) Listen: Free coverage on PGA TOUR Radio: (1 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET) NOTABLE PAIRINGS Peter Malnati, Patrick Reed 11:25 a.m. ET Rickie Fowler, Brian Gay 12:25 p.m. ET Ricky Barnes, Harris English 12:55 p.m. ET David Lingmerth, Daniel Summerhays 2:05 p.m. ET (Final pairing)

Click here to read the full article…