Matt Kuchar captures second win of season at Sony Open in Hawaii

Andrew Putnam (+170 for a Top 20) … If you’ve been paying attention, then you have solid ground on which to stand and argue his absence in the Power Rankings, but he’s just 2-for-4 at Mayakoba with zero top 60s. Furthermore, anytime a guy who’s been simmering takes a blow, he can be forgotten quickly. It’s the phenomenon of the sport. Case in point, since a T11 at the 3M Open in late July, he’s connected nine paydays, two of which going for a top five and another three for a top 25. At 33 years of age, he’s in his prime and befitting of the model proven to succeed at El Camaleón, but he’s also the ball-striker that the course rewards. Obviously, the projection is for a personal best this week. Nick Taylor (+350 for a Top 20) … The 34-year-old from Canada is on a heater to start the new season. He’s covered one missed cut with a T6 (Fortinet) and a pair of top 25s, including a T23 in Bermuda on Sunday. He’s a two-time PGA TOUR winner who’s retained his fully exempt status since splashing in 2014-15, but this burst is unlike him. Consider that in each of the last four completed seasons, he totaled no more than four top 25s. He’s cycled through Mayakoba six times previously, four of which yielding a payday, the only top 25 of which a T15 in 2016, but piggyback his confidence and reach for this finish. Ryan Armour … He led the PGA TOUR in both fairways hit and proximity to the hole last season, but he was limited to 19 starts due to conditional status. No biggie. He regained fully exempt status via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and already has a T13 on the board this season at the Sanderson Farms Championship. As a bunter of a certain age (46), he’s among the throng licking its chops this week. He’s also a regular attendee when eligible. Since 2017, he’s 3-for-4 with a set-best T21 in 2018. Tyler Duncan … With his profile and despite the results more often than not, he looks good a lot, but he looks even better this week, and it doesn’t hurt that this is a short course. Give a 33-year-old ball-striker a stage like El Camaleón and watch him dance. He’s 5-for-5 in the tournament with a personal-best T23 in 2020, so if you can find a top-30 market, go shopping. He’s also coming off a full season during which he ranked eighth in fairways hit, T11 in proximity to the hole and 34th in scrambling. Adri Arnaus … With the DP World Tour dark this week, the Spaniard had an opening to take on Mayakoba, albeit not for the first time. He made the first of seven career PGA TOUR starts here in 2018. He missed the cut, but that was before he was a rookie on what is now his home circuit. Since 2019, he’s finished a respective 41st, 39th and 33rd in DPWT ranking, and he’s currently 27th with this season’s finish line on the horizon. He also broke through for victory for the first time on that tour six months ago. A month later, he crashed into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. He just turned 28 and he speaks the native language of the Riviera Maya, so the transatlantic trip will have had a soft and welcome landing. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. For live odds, visit BetMGM. Responsible sports betting starts with a game plan. Set a budget. Keep it social. Play with friends. Learn the game and know the odds. Play with trusted, licensed operators. CLICK HERE to learn more at HaveAGamePlan.org.

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BRESCIA, Italy — Martin Kaymer compiled a bogey-free 63 on Friday to lead the Italian Open by one shot at the halfway stage, as several of Europe’s top golfers came to the fore. The Ryder Cup player from Germany birdied five of his last six holes, and had eight in total, as he produced the lowest round of the week to move to 11-under after 36 holes on another day of low scoring at the Gardagolf Country Club. “It’s been a while since I played that solid,” said Kaymer, who missed the cut in three of his last four events. “I was getting very close recently but that positivity was missing on the golf course because I haven’t had a lot of good results. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve won majors and had the situations I had at the Ryder Cup, it’s really exciting to be in a position that you can win a golf tournament again.” Kaymer, whose last win yielded a second major title at the 2014 US Open, was one ahead of Italy’s Francesco Molinari, 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett, Graeme McDowell, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Thomas Pieters. Willett reached a career-high ninth in the world after claiming his first major title at Augusta National, but has plummeted to 462nd after struggling for form. The 30-year-old Englishman returned a 65 on Thursday, his lowest round of the season, and followed it up with a 67. “I haven’t made a cut for a while so to actually be this side of the leaderboard is pretty nice,” said Willett. “I’ve been working really hard. I’ve not been getting any results and you just have to keep your head down and hope that you get a couple of days like this under your belt.” The entire field will be separated by just seven shots over the weekend after the cut fell at 4 under par.

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The PGA TOUR today announced commitments to two star-studded fields at this October's THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD. Joining defending champion, Justin Thomas at THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK will be 2020 FedExCup champion Dustin Johnson, World No. 2 Jon Rahm, newly crowned U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and 18-time PGA TOUR winner, Rory McIlroy. The five will be joined by Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth who have each accepted sponsor exemptions for the October 15-18 tournament, which will be played at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, Nevada. Johnson, Rahm and McIlroy will also headline the field at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD from October 22-25, along with Phil Mickelson, Fleetwood, Fowler, Rose and Spieth who have accepted sponsor exemptions to the event. Other notable players already committed to the event at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California include defending champion and 82-time PGA TOUR winner, Tiger Woods and Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama. "Adding this elite group of players to these fields alongside Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama lends a strong hand in showcasing a powerful lineup of PGA TOUR stars at both THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD. We are thrilled to offer world-class competition this October to our fans in Korea, Japan, the United States and across the globe. I would like to express our appreciation again to our title sponsors, CJ Group and ZOZO Inc., for their commitment in moving their tournaments from Korea and Japan respectively to the U.S. for this year only. This ensures a strong and robust schedule for the month of October that also features the Sanderson Farms Championship, Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and Bermuda Championship," said Ty Votaw, Executive Vice President, International, PGA TOUR. Dustin Johnson Johnson, a 23-time PGA TOUR winner, produced an amazing run of form over a five-week stretch to claim his first FedExCup title earlier this month. The big-hitting American won THE NORTHERN TRUST and TOUR Championship and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship and BMW Championship to claim the TOUR's Ultimate Prize, the FedExCup. Johnson, who was voted 2020 PGA TOUR Player of the Year, also won the Travelers Championship in June and finished tied sixth at the recent U.S. Open. 2020 will mark his tournament debut at both THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD. Johnson said: "I'm looking forward to playing in THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD in October, which should be two great weeks of golf. My game has been really good recently, so I am excited to play both tournaments. "I was excited to hear that THE CJ CUP will be played at Shadow Creek, where I have played some good golf in the past with family and friends. It's a really good golf course and should be a great venue for the tournament. As a proud member at Sherwood Country Club, I am thrilled the club will be hosting the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. I have played countless rounds there and love the golf course, so I'm really looking forward to the tournament." Rory McIlroy McIlroy enjoyed one victory and seven top-10s to finish tied eighth in the FedExCup in the recently concluded 2019-20 season. As the defending FedExCup champion in 2019-20, he claimed his 18th career victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China last November where he defeated Xander Schauffele in a playoff. It will be his first appearance in THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK. He finished equal third at the inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan last year and will arrive at Sherwood where he has made two previous starts, finishing fourth and 11th in the 2010 and 2013 Hero World Challenge, respectively. McIlroy said: I'm looking forward to playing in THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK in October. I've watched how the tournament has become a success over the past few years and it'll be exciting to have the opportunity to compete in it for the first time. I had a great time at the inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and will be hoping to build on last year's success when we play at Sherwood. I'll miss playing in Japan this year but hopefully, we'll get to return soon." Jon Rahm Rahm won twice at The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide in June and the BMW Championship in August to finish fourth on the final 2019-20 FedExCup standings. The five-time PGA TOUR winner also enjoyed four other top-10s, which saw him reach World No. 1 for the first time in June. Currently ranked second in the world, his victory at the BMW Championship was courtesy of an amazing 66-foot birdie putt in a playoff against Johnson. This will be his first appearance in THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK. Bryson DeChambeau Upon the Return to Golf in June following a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DeChambeau powered his way to victories at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July and the U.S. Open two weeks ago, which marked his first major victory. He also notched four other top-10s as he continues to reap the rewards of adding more muscle and distance to his unique approach to golf. DeChambeau will be making his debut at THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK. Rickie Fowler Fowler is a five-time PGA TOUR winner, highlighted by a popular victory in the TOUR's flagship tournament, THE PLAYERS Championship in 2015. He has also won three times internationally, including his first professional win at the Kolon Korea Open in 2011 where he won by six shots over Rory McIlroy. In 14 starts during the 2019-20 PGA TOUR Season, Fowler secured two top-10 finishes and was a member of the winning U.S. Team at the 2019 Presidents Cup hosted at Royal Melbourne. Phil Mickelson Mickelson, a 44-time PGA TOUR winner, will make his tournament debut stateside at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD. The World Golf Hall of Fame member returns to Sherwood having competed in the Hero World Challenge twice, where his best performance was a 10th-place finish in 2002. Mickelson is coming off the 2019-20 PGA TOUR Season having earned two top-10 finishes and ultimately went on to rank 75th in the final FedExCup standings. The 50-year-old secured a wire-to-wire triumph and became the 20th player to win in his PGA TOUR Champions debut at the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National last month. Mickelson said: "I heard wonderful things about the debut of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP last year and have had it circled on my schedule for some time. While we'll miss the opportunity to compete in front of fans in Japan, we look forward to putting on a show for them and golf fans around the world from my home state of California. With a great field, it should be a fantastic week for all involved." Ian Poulter A winner of three PGA TOUR titles, Poulter recorded one top-10 and five top-25s last season, which included a T16 finish at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. He also finished T10 and T15 in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Englishman also has 12 European Tour wins and is renowned for his Ryder Cup heroics where he has been on five winning European Teams since making his debut in 2004. Justin Rose Rose is one of the leading international players on the PGA TOUR, highlighted by a standout triumph in 2018 that led to him lifting the FedExCup. He also holds 10 PGA TOUR career wins, 12 international titles, five appearances for Europe in the Ryder Cup and was the winner of the Olympic Games Gold Medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He finished 91st in the final FedExCup standings last season. Jordan Spieth Spieth finished T8 in his debut at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES last season, which was one of three top-10 finishes during the 2019-20 season. A winner of 11 PGA TOUR titles, he holds three major victories at the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015, followed by The Open Championship in 2017. THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK will once again feature a 78-man field comprising of the highest ranked player of Korean nationality from the Asian Tour Order of Merit, up to five players designated by the Korean PGA and the top-3 available players of Korean nationality from the Official World Golf Ranking as part of CJ Group's vision to support the development of professional golf in Korea. The remainder of the field will be made up of the leading players from the 2019-20 FedExCup points list and sponsor exemptions. With a prize fund of US$9.75 million, THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK will be broadcast on Golf Channel October 15-18 from 5pm to 8pm (ET) and on both JTBC Golf and JTBC Golf & Sports channels in Korea October 16-19 from 3am to 9am KST. The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD will feature 78 professionals, including the leading players from the 2019-20 FedExCup points list, players designated by the Japan Golf Tour Organization and sponsor exemptions. In addition to the US$8 million purse, ZOZO, Inc. is planning a variety of charitable activities in Japan, the proceeds from which will be donated to fund programs and measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus among other initiatives. The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD will be broadcast on the Golf Channel from Oct. 22-25 at 5pm to 8pm (ET) and on Golf Network, NHK BS and GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR from Oct 23-26, 6am to 9am JST.

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