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Tony Finau heard Bill Patterson before he ever saw him. “And it’s something that I don’t want to ever hopefully hear again,â€� Finau recalls, his voice suddenly turning solemn. “An older gentleman yelling for his life. That’s what it sounded like.â€� Patterson was crumpled under a golf cart, screaming as he was dragged across the range at TPC Scottsdale. Finau, who was the last player on the range after the Wednesday pro-am at the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, had just finished hitting balls when he heard the frantic cries for help. “You could see the skid marks all the way, and he was underneath the cart the whole time,â€� Finau says. Finau, his uncle and his coach, Boyd Summerhays, sprinted toward Patterson and lifted the golf cart off him. A nearby police officer radioed for help, and the EMTs arrived within minutes. Patterson was taken to a trauma center and later moved to the Barrow Neurological Center for more specialized care. The diagnosis? Well, Patterson had two broken vertebrae, 12 broken ribs, two shoulder lacerations and significant cuts on his arm. Doctors ended up breaking two more ribs in order to do the spinal fusion surgery where two 12-inch titanium rods with 16 screws were inserted in his back. Patterson, who was in what is called a neck-to-waist “turtleâ€� body cast for two months – “It was a joy the day I got rid of that thing, I’ll tell you,â€� he says — didn’t find out it was Finau who helped lift the golf cart off his battered body until weeks later when he was in rehab. Now, he describes himself as the pro’s No. 1 fan. The accident happened as Patterson, who has worked part-time at TPC Scottsdale for 13 years and was overseeing the driving range during the tournament, collected the last of the remaining magnetic A-frame boards used to identify the pros. He put two in his golf cart and had just picked up a third as he walked around the front of the vehicle to get in the driver’s side. “The third A-frame must have hit the golf cart,â€� Patterson recalls. “And one of those A-frames fell on the gas pedal and I was directly in front of it, so it ran me over and then pulled me underneath and then drug me about 50 feet. “I was awake through the entire thing, but I wasn’t sure what had just happened. All I know as I’m looking up, I see what I think is the undercarriage of a golf cart and I’m screaming. “I’m just so lucky and so fortunate that it didn’t land one of the wheels on my throat or on my head.â€� And that Finau and company were there. “That was a blessing,â€� Finau says. “… I finished, and we were just for some odd reasons, just talking in the back of the range for five, 10 minutes. “If we would’ve left right away when I was done with my range session, I think a lot of further damage could have been done, but I was happy just to kind of be there and, and be able to rush over to him and take that cart off in.â€� In the weeks after the accident, Finau quietly checked with TOUR officials and TPC staff to see how Patterson was doing. Patterson, in turn, tried to get in touch with the PGA TOUR veteran to say thank you, as well, but the email address he was given didn’t work. Patterson, who had gone back to as a starter at TPC Scottsdale last November, finally had an opportunity to talk with Finau earlier this year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Patterson was back at his usual spot on the driving range. Finau had chipped and putted and was making his way over to hit some balls. “Once I found out he was there, I was on my way over to see him and he was getting ready to walk over to the long range,â€� Patterson recalls. “We shook and embraced. And I said, Tony, I can’t tell you how much, it means to me for what you did for me. “And he says, well, I’m just so glad to see you and see that everything has been the way it turned out for you as compared to the way it could’ve been.â€� After months of rehabilitation for his back and his shoulder, Patterson was able to start playing golf again. The first time he teed it up, he shot 42 on the front nine of the Champions Course at TPC Scottsdale. “I shot light’s out. I couldn’t believe it,â€� Patterson recalls with a broad smile. “I was so methodical cause I was so afraid to bend or twist or pull and I shot a great nine hole round the golf and I was just thrilled. I had no pain. “So, I think there was a lot to be said for that slow and deliberate. Don’t try to kill the ball as they say.â€� Now that he’s able to play 18 holes again, Patterson admits some of his “old habitsâ€� have crept back into his game. But he’s happy just to be able to be playing again and beyond grateful to the TOUR pro who helped make it possible.

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Jason Day expects he’ll be praising Brooks Koepka’s layup game as the pair get closer to the par-5 16th at TPC Southwind this week. The 530-yard hole will be a pivotal one in the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational, but also doubles as the site for a potential $1 million showdown. The pair are in a battle with Dustin Johnson, and potentially a few others, for the season long Aon Risk Reward Challenge – worth $1 million to the winner. Paired with Day over the opening two rounds, Koepka laughed that he won’t fall for the Australian’s reverse psychology and has his driver, along with his verbal jab game, warmed up if he needs it. While Ian Poulter, Jason Kokrak, Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Gary Woodland and Cameron Smith all have mathematical chances of winning over this week and next, the odds suggest a three-man showdown in Memphis. The Aon Risk Reward Challenge has seen players on the PGA TOUR (and LPGA Tour) record their best two scores on the designated hole of the week throughout the season and an average-to-par calculated. Players must have played 40 rounds at the eligible events to qualify, a feat Day and Koepka have already achieved, while Johnson will hit that mark this week. As it stands, all three are tied at the top, with an average of exactly 1-under par. If they make at least two birdies in their four rounds on the 16th hole this week, their average will stay on that mark. If either of them can make an eagle and a birdie as their best two scores, or perhaps even two eagles, they’d go a long way to securing the title. None of the three have committed to the Wyndham Championship next week, meaning this is their last chance to improve their average unless they join the field in Greensboro by Friday afternoon. Those behind would need to play exceptionally well on the 16th this week, and again at Sedgefield Country Club’s par-5 15th next week to track them down. While the birdie average over the entire season has been impressive by the trio, they have a better score in mind this week. The dogleg left 16th is certainly reachable in two in Memphis. “I think I’ll need at least one eagle and a birdie to get it done and to have four cracks at it is nice. I’m definitely thinking about it,â€� Day said. “The reality is I just have to put it to one side though and execute some good shots. In the last month or two I noticed I was leading and paid more attention to it.â€� Playing for $1 million on a hole is not something taken lightly by Day. His first golf club came from a landfill, and he often had to bathe with water heated by kettle in his childhood. His mother infamously cut the lawn with scissors, as they couldn’t afford a lawnmower. “It’s amazing the opportunities we get on the PGA TOUR and I am extremely grateful,â€� Day added. “It should create some good banter between Brooks and I in the opening few rounds, and I’ll be watching DJ for sure also.â€� Koepka, the FedExCup leader, is deep in a battle to win the $2 million season-long Wyndham Rewards battle also, and as such, promises to be switched on mentally. But he expects the 16th will provide some light-hearted moments. “I’m sure if myself or Jason makes eagle, I’m sure it will ring in the other person’s head,â€� Koepka said. “Anytime you can get a little bit of jabbing going on on the course where it’s lighthearted, it makes it fun, it makes it enjoyable. I like to be jabbed on the course, poked fun of, whether it be a bad shot, great shot, whatever. So it’s fun. Jason’s a good dude, he can laugh and joke and have a good time and that’s what you want.â€� Should there be a tie at the top, a tie-breaker scenario would be imposed. Only the rounds where the players played in the same tournament would be taken into consideration in the tiebreaker. You can follow the scores for the Aon Risk Reward Challenge here.

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