Missed cut helps vintage Rickie Fowler return at ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2022 edition of The American Express has put the fun back in function. After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, amateurs are again in play in La Quinta, California. La Quinta Country Club also returns after giving way to the PGA WEST’s Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Courses in last year’s adjustment. For other details of the format, the tracks and other information, continue reading beneath the projected contenders. Tournament host Phil Mickelson, defending champion Si Woo Kim, Sony Open in Hawaii runner-up Russell Henley and Rickie Fowler will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. Back at full strength across the board in the Coachella Valley, The American Express hosts its usual 156 golfers on three courses. Every entrant gets one loop around each before the 54-hole cut of low 65 and ties. All who survive are treated to a second spin on the Stadium Course in the final round. Save an 11-yard increase on the par-4 10th hole on the Stadium Course and a reduction of 34 yards on the par-4 first hole on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, the triumvirate of stock par 72s tests the same as the last time each was prepared for the tournament, and that comes with a reminder. Because amateurs were omitted from last year’s edition, a logical consideration was that both courses at PGA WEST could be set up to be more challenging than how they are presented customarily. In terms of scoring, that’s how it shook out as the Stadium Course (70.809) was nearly a half-stroke harder than its average in 2020, while “Nick Tourney” (70.949) checked in more than one-and-a-half strokes higher. While both have landed at similar scoring averages in recent years and Si Woo Kim’s 23-under 265 was in line with tradition, the field could be in store for a regularly tougher Nick Tourney from now on. The 2021 staging was devoid the easiest par 72 of the previous four PGA TOUR seasons as La Quinta CC is the pushover of the trio. It had been followed closely by Nick Tourney, but the latter figures to remain more difficult because this is the second year since its greens were enlarged significantly and replaced with TifEagle bermuda. So, it again could challenge the Stadium Course as the toughest even though the host annually ranks as the hardest of the set, and that includes final rounds that haven’t spiked scoring. All greens are prepped to run no longer than 11 feet on the Stimpmeter. As usual, to retain fairness, hole locations for the second and third rounds will remain in close proximity to positions in the first. ShotLink is used only on the Stadium Course, so all Strokes Gained data and measurements apply only to it. The proverbial dome of the desert is forecast to remain closed except for Saturday when winds out of the north will persist. 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, Fantasy Insider SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Ranking * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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TNT to Televise Live Golf Competition, Friday, Nov. 27, at 3 p.m. ET, with Exclusive Live Content Available on Bleacher Report Event to Benefit Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Among Additional Initiatives to be Announced Turner Sports will present Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change, a premier golf event with the World Golf Hall of Famer and crossover legends competing - Phil Mickelson, Charles Barkley, Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning. TNT will exclusively televise the event, to be held Friday, Nov. 27, at 3 p.m. ET at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Ariz. Bleacher Report will also provide exclusive live content leading up to and during the event on the B/R app. Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change will uniquely contribute toward and highlight diversity, equality and inclusion through donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), while raising awareness and spotlighting opportunities for diversity and equality in sports. All four players have previously supported diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout their careers, which has led to them teaming up for this event. Additional information on these elements, among others, will be announced at a later date. "Capital One's The Match has become a franchise featuring some of the best in sports and entertainment, and we're looking forward to this next iteration and the meaningful awareness it will raise for social change," said Lenny Daniels, President, Turner Sports. "With Phil, Charles, Stephen and Peyton on the course, there's sure to be no shortage of must-see moments, in addition to the important causes driving each athlete's participation." The competition format will be modified alternate shot match play with five-time Major Champion Mickelson teaming with Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, as they take on three-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry - a near scratch golfer - and two-time Super Bowl Champion Peyton Manning, who played a key role in his team winning the last edition of Capital One's The Match. "I'm excited to return for the third edition of Capital One's The Match and get out on the course with these three legendary athletes," said Mickelson. "While we may need a handicap for Chuck, I'm looking forward to playing with Peyton and Stephen and to help raise money for another important cause. It's also going to give fans and viewers an up-close look at Stone Canyon Golf Club, a place that I'm extremely proud of and excited to show how special it is." Barkley, Mickelson's teammate, added: "Capital One's The Match has been a lot of fun to be a part of over the past few years and I'm excited to finally show off my skills on the course. Phil and I got this, I GUARR-AAAN-TEEEE!!!" "Last year I had the incredible opportunity to play a small role in the rich history of Howard University through the game of golf," said Curry. "I truly believe an investment in HBCUs is an investment in our future and I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to support these great institutions alongside some of my favorite players...and Chuck." Manning, Curry's teammate, added: "Capital One's The Match in May was such a memorable experience for me - not just competing against rivals and friends but, more importantly, contributing to COVID-19 and food insecurity relief efforts. I'm proud of the work the PeyBack Foundation has done to support HBCU students in both Louisiana and Tennessee, and I'm looking forward to helping raise additional funding and awareness for HBCUs through Capital One's The Match." Live event coverage airing on TNT will once again feature unprecedented access with all players having open mics throughout the entire competition, including the capability to communicate directly with other golfers and the broadcast commentators. "Cart Cam" will also once again be featured throughout the competition. The event will be closed to the public and tournament organizers are working with public health officials on competition and production logistics to ensure the event follows safety and health protocols. More information on the live production, including the commentator team, will be announced leading up to the event. The Stone Canyon Golf Club, owned by Mickelson Golf Properties, is considered one of golf's preeminent desert settings and regularly ranks among the best courses in the country. Stone Canyon's 18 uniquely designed golf holes are situated at the base of the picturesque Tortolita Mountains, offering views of the Santa Catalina Mountains in all directions. The media agreement with WarnerMedia and Turner Sports was completed in partnership with SPORTFIVE, which represents Mickelson and is the tournament organizer. The event will also be co-operated with Excel Sports Management. Turner Sports is proud to be working with a number of marketing partners to host Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change, which is a sanctioned PGA TOUR event. Capital One has been the title sponsor of The Match series since it began, and the company is returning to collaborate on a number of social, digital and broadcast integrations leading up to and during the live event. To learn more about the company and its commitments to change banking for good, visit https://www.capitalone.com/about/our-commitments/. "HBCUs are testaments to the ongoing achievements of the Black community in this country. As part of our work to advocate for equity and justice, we are honored to use the funds raised from Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change to help strengthen HBCUs and create pathways to greater opportunity for the graduates of these vital institutions," said Andy Navarrete, Head of External Affairs at Capital One. Michelob ULTRA will serve as a presenting sponsor of Capital One's The Match. DraftKings will serve as a content integration partner, with AT&T, Callaway Golf, E-Z-Go, Stephen Curry's OXIGEN Water and Wheels Up as associate sponsors of the event. Autotrader will be the presenting sponsor of pre-show coverage. Additional partners will be shared prior to the event.

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John Mallinger, Jack Maguire and Derek Barron shot 66 on Monday to share medalist honors in the qualifier for the Farmers Insurance Open. Tyler Torano grabbed the fourth and final spot in this week’s PGA TOUR event with a 5-under 67 at El Camino Country Club in Oceanside, California. Mallinger, 38, will be making his first PGA TOUR start since withdrawing from the second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in October 2015. The Long Beach State alum has two runners-up and seven third-place finishes in 186 career PGA TOUR starts. He lost a playoff to Bo Van Pelt at the 2009 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee and finished two shots behind Mark Wilson at the 2012 CareerBuilder Challenge. He twice finished third at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (2007, ’08) and was third at the 2009 PLAYERS Championship. He finished in the top 70 in the FedExCup standings in three consecutive seasons (2007-09). Mallinger played with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at last year’s BMW Charity Pro-Am on the Web.com Tour. The native of nearby Escondido, California, had surgery on his left shoulder in 2013 and played the 2013-14 season on a medical extension. He was unable to regain his status, and has made just two PGA TOUR starts since 2014. Last year, he made the cut in just one of eight starts on the Web.com Tour. Maguire, 23, made the cut at the 2015 U.S. Open (T58) as an amateur and played the past two seasons on the Web.com Tour. He has conditional status on that circuit after finishing 93rd on the money list. He also finished T42 at last year’s U.S. Open, his best finish in four career PGA TOUR starts. Barron, 32, made his only previous PGA TOUR start at last year’s U.S. Open, missing the cut with rounds of 70-83. He finished 38th on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada’s money list last season, posting two top-10 finishes in nine starts. Tyler Torano, 26, is an alumnus of Loyola Marymount and was born in nearby Chula Vista. He will be making his PGA TOUR debut. He has made 24 starts on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica over the past two years, posting one top-10 and missing 16 cuts. Sony Open in Hawaii qualifiers T67. John Oda, 68-70-69-71 T69. Steve Allan, 68-70-72-69 MC. Ricky Barnes, 72-69 MC. Gunn Yang, 74-71 2017-18 Monday qualifiers Qualifiers: 24 Made cut: 9 Top-10s: 1 (Scott Strohmeyer, T4 at Sanderson Farms) Top-25s: 1

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