Mickelson targets Presidents Cup push

Here are nine tidbits from the final round of The RSM Classic that gamers can use down the road. Austin Powers: As I pointed out after Friday’s round, Austin Cook is a known quantity among pro gamers. His result today, his first PGA TOUR win in only his fourth career start with a TOUR card, is still an eye-opener as he only had 13 previous starts on TOUR. He becomes the fifth player in eight editions to win in his first start at this event. I’m not a detective but I’ll suggest the absence of course form shouldn’t deter gamers at this event. He led the field in birdies (23) and only made two bogeys, both while holding the 36 and 54-hole leads. He bucked the recent trend on putting, finishing 11th in putts per GIR. He had plenty of chances as he hit 60/72 greens (T2). He’s exempt for the rest of this season and the next two that follow so load up! J.J. is OK: It’s never easy to follow up a round in the low 60’s especially in the final round on Sunday. J.J. Spaun rewarded gamers that recognized he was on the boil recently with a round of 66 that included a final birdie to take second alone. That putt might not have won him the tournament but it was for a nice chunk of cash and he made it. It’s his best finish on TOUR, and like Cook, he’ll be disappointed to have the break arrive as he’s 33-under in his last three events. Looking ahead, he cashed T9 at Torrey Pines and T4 at TPC Scottsdale as a rookie last year. Life of Brian: With T4 (2014) and solo third this year, Brian Gay has cashed handsomely in two of his last three tries on Sea Island. The last time he was here Kip Henley was on his bag. Henley was on Austin Cook’s bag this week in the winner’s circle. Gay’s not going to any to win any long drive contests but, at 45, he usually keeps it down the sprinkler line and can really putt (third, putts per GIR). Dawgs Barkin’: Former UGA Bulldogs Kevin Kisner and Brian Harman both fulfilled gamers’ prophecies this week as they shared T4. It’s now three top 10’s in the last four here for Kisner and two in the last five for Harman. Kisner’s layoff from the Presidents Cup didn’t seem to bother him much while Harman chalked up his third top 10 in as many starts in the new season. Canadian bacon: Ben Silverman couldn’t channel his inner Mac Hughes this week, but his 66 on Sunday (T8) gave the Canadian his second top 10 in five events in his rookie season on TOUR. He had his first child in July and named him Jack Palmer. He won three weeks later in August. So is this a continuation of “Nappy Factor” or is he just a very solid player? I can’t answer that today but he’s gotten my attention! Zach Johnson finally cracks the top 10 in his eighth try. He stuck all four rounds in red figures to bang out his third consecutive top 23 in the new season. He hasn’t won since St. Andrews in 2015 but he’s a monster, if he plays, at Waialae (Sony Open). C.T. Pan seems to be settling in nicely on the bermudagrass on Sea Island. He cashed T6 last year and returned this season to collect T13. He’s 26-under-par during that span. Like Spaun, he also likes a bit of Torrey Pines as he was T2 last year for his best finish on TOUR. A year Wise-r: Former NCAA champion Aaron Wise has the exact pedigree that gamers are looking for: winning. In May of 2016 he won the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Q-School and followed that up with his NCAA title. Two months later he won a Mackenzie Tour event. Last June, he won in his eighth start on the Web.com Tour. His T13 this week gives him four top 25’s in 13 career TOUR starts. Giddy up. What jinx?? William McGirt survived my “keep an eye on the backdoor” mention after yesterday’s round of 65. His 66 on Sunday moved him up five more spots to T8. He closed the 2017 portion of the schedule T25, T10 and T8. This was his best finish since T3 at Harbour Town last April, another seaside course on the Atlantic Ocean. 

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Matt Kuchar and Harris English took a 5-stroke lead Saturday in the QBE Shootout, opening and closing with long birdie runs for an 11-under 61 in modified alternate-shot play.

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Madelene Sagstrom shot a 5-under 66 to hold a one-shot lead after the first round of the Olympic women’s golf tournament, as heat soared and a tropical storm approaches.

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