Living single at the TOUR Championship

Lexi Thompson carded a 68 on Saturday at the CME Group Tour Championship, and she will carry a 3-shot lead over Nelly Korda into the final round.

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Welcome to the new-look FedExCup Playoffs. With three tournaments instead of four, the rush to keep advancing should be Fast and Furious (speaking of which, check out the PGA TOUR’s tie-in with the just-released Hobbs & Shaw movie). Liberty National is the venue for this week’s THE NORTHERN TRUST, which means the Statue of Liberty will get plenty of air time … but probably not as much as Tiger Woods, the only two-time FedExCup champ. The Flyover The signature hole at Liberty National is the shortest on the course, the 150-yard par-3 14th. The views are what makes it so – the green is next to the water, and the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty seem just an arm’s length away. As for the hole itself? It played to a stroke average of 2.949 and is the best bet for an ace this week (K.J. Choi and Greg Chalmers had aces in 2013). Landing Zone The 325-yard 16th is a drivable par 4; no surprise that it was the easiest par 4 here in 2013, playing to a stroke average of 3.810. Of the 390 tee shots struck that week, 155 attempted to drive the green, with 17 of those successful (Ryan Palmer made three attempts and was successful twice). The set-up was actually shorter on the weekend, with the hole playing to 289 yards in the third round and 299 in the final round. Wind coming in from the left and water on the right can pose issues. Here’s a look at where all tee shots landed in 2013. Weather Check Forecast by TOUR meteorologist Wade Stettner: “There is a slight risk for an isolated shower or thunderstorm on Thursday, then expect dry conditions from Friday through Sunday as high pressure settles across the area. Temperatures will be in the upper 80s on Wednesday and Thursday with slightly cooler temperatures expected this weekend.â€� For the latest weather news from Jersey City, New Jersey, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. Sound Check Last year, I said I was a man on a mission, and I’m still a man on a mission trying to make that team. By The Numbers: Special FedExCup edition 8 – Rookies in this year’s FedExCup Playoffs: Cameron Champ, Wyndham Clark, Sungjae Im, K.H. Lee, Adam Long, Collin Morikawa, Sepp Straka and Matthew Wolff. 9 – Players who have qualified for all 13 FedExCup Playoffs: Charley Hoffman, Charles Howell III, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Ryan Moore, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Brandt Snedeker and Bubba Watson. Of those nine players, only Mickelson has made it to the BMW Championship in each of the previous 12 seasons. 12 – Non-rookies qualifying for their first FedExCup Playoffs: Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Sam Burns, Corey Conners, Dylan Frittelli, Talor Gooch, Max Homa, Nate Lashley, Denny McCarthy, Sebastian Munoz, Joaquin Niemann, Adam Schenk and Roger Sloan. Please note that Burns is not playing due to injury. Scattershots DEFENDING CHAMP: A year ago, Bryson DeChambeau won the first two FedExCup Playoffs events – THE NORTHERN TRUST at Ridgewood and the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston. He’s not defending on either course this time, with Liberty National as this week’s host and TPC Boston not hosting until next year’s Playoffs opener. DeChambeau said he was glad to see TPC Boston included in THE NORTHERN TRUST rotation. “To have us on the rotation for years to come is something that was necessary,â€� he said. “That golf course is amazing. Obviously I’m biased because I won it, but I do enjoy it.â€� TOP 70: The reduction to three Playoffs events starting this season has created the largest elimination in Playoffs history, with 55 players being eliminated this week as the field size is reduced from 125 to 70 for next week’s BMW Championship. Based on projections, roughly nine of the top 70 spots have yet to be solidified. That would be fairly consistent with previous Playoffs. Since 2009, 73 players have entered THE NORTHERN TRUST outside the top 70 and moved inside that number. But just 11 players have been outside the top 100 and played their way inside the top 70 … including the 2009 winner at Liberty National, Heath Slocum, who moved from 124 to 3. WELCOME BACK: Of the 125 players qualifying for the Playoffs this season, Michael Thompson had the longest absence between appearances. He last qualified in 2014, missed the cut in the Playoffs opener and finished 117th in points. Meanwhile, Matt Every, Matt Jones and Carlos Ortiz are returning to the Playoffs for the first time since 2015, while Jim Furyk (the 2010 FedExCup champ), Cameron Tringale, Aaron Baddeley, Graeme McDowell and Peter Malnati are back for the first time since 2016.

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It was only a month ago when we lost Pete Carril, arguably most notable as the men’s basketball coach at Princeton University for 30 years. Through his tenure into the mid-1990s, Carril deployed an offense that yielded low-scoring games and, therefore, more opportunities for victory. It demanded similar skill sets among the players and a higher floor of their weakest components to stay competitive. RELATED: Play Pick ‘Em Live | Schedule of Events | Nine Things to Know about Quail Hollow Club It also required commitment and discipline to play as a unit. Separate but connected. Chess, athletically. Depending on your perspective, it was either graceful and artistic or agonizing and boring to watch, but it was two things always – compelling and successful. Carril is enshrined in Halls of Fame, plural. The Presidents Cup has been a one-sided affair since it was introduced in 1994, so it might require the Internationals to steal pages out of Carril’s playbook. For how that can translates to golf, the format of the competition and more, continue reading below the full-field ranking of the participants. NOTE: In a match-play team competition consisting of five sessions over four days, only one of which is Singles on Sunday, and with matchups and momentum determined in real time, the ranking of the players below reflects projected impact on the event. INTERNATIONALS Rob’s prediction of the outcome will be included in a special Expert Picks on Tuesday. Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosts the 14th edition of the Presidents Cup. The U.S. leads the series all-time, 11-1-1. Given that record, it could be argued plainly that International team captain Trevor Immelman is in a position to lose, but it’s entirely the opposite. When history suggests that you have no chance, there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. For example, when Carril’s Princeton squad squared off against the defending national champion, UCLA, in the first round of 1996 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the Tigers were in the same position .., and they prevailed, 43-41. Forget style points, it’s all about the objective. For Immelman’s crew to join the 1998 team as Internationals to win the Presidents Cup, it will need to be a cohesive unit, plan meticulously in advance of every session, retain focus on every stroke and set whatever result aside to be ready for the next game. Play until the whistle blows because becoming legends of the competition is at the finish line. Regardless of par over time, Quail Hollow annually has been one of the most difficult courses on the PGA TOUR. It’s been a par 71 since the PGA Championship was contested there in 2017. It’s also among the longest tracks visited regularly. For the Presidents Cup, it will be able to stretch to 7,576 yards, but serious elasticity on a handful of holes will prevent that. Speaking of the flexible, the course has been rerouted to elevate the potential impact of The Green Mile. Traditionally holes 16, 17 and 18 for the Wells Fargo Championship, they have been shifted to play as Nos. 13, 14 and 15 for the Presidents Cup. It’s still a par-4-3-4 sequence, but now the signature stretch of the stage is all but promised to factor into the result of every match. Overall, holes 1-8 are the same as they are for the WFC, but Nos. 12-18 are Nos. 9-15 this week, so each is three sooner in the round than the familiar walk. Nos. 16, 17 and 18 for the Presidents Cup are Nos. 10, 11 and 9, respectively, for the WFC. Because of the challenge of the course proper, birdies will be good gets, even in Four-ball, so the Internationals should be encouraged to attempt to eliminate problems with safer and saner decisions. Elevate the floor of possibilities. Retain possession of the ball, work the clock, be more patient and let the hosts make mistakes. Of course, United States captain Davis Love III is no stranger to anything inside the ropes, so he’ll be opposing with a front line worthy of keeping the trophy for the ninth consecutive time. He also has the luxury of natural combinations for Foursomes and Four-ball, whereas Immelman is saddled with language barriers for even basic messaging. However, and this goes for all, golf is golf no matter the nationality. Like you, Mother Nature also wants to kick back and watch. Largely favorable conditions are forecast throughout the four-day competition. After a sweltering launch in mid-90s heat for Foursomes on Thursday, it will cool into the 70s for Friday’s Four-ball. Wind could be an influencer on either day. Gradual heating will occur on Saturday for Foursomes in the morning and Four-ball in the afternoon, with another bump into the mid-80s poised for Sunday’s Singles. Rain is not expected at any time. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Draws & Fades WEDNESDAY: Pick ’Em Preview SUNDAY: Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle

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