Monday Finish: McIlroy close like a champion at THE PLAYERS

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Things were looking good after Russell Henley shot what appeared to be a 2-under 69 in the second round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic. At 7 under overall, he was on the first page of the leaderboard. And then he wasn’t. While sorting through his bag in search of golf balls to sign and give away after signing his card, Henley realized he had inadvertently used a different type of Titleist Pro V1x during the round, violating the PGA TOUR’s One Ball Rule. Related: Leaderboard | Tringale, Seiffert make back-to-back aces “It was a small dash, a different way it was marked that would have been easy to overlook,â€� said TOUR Rules Official Brad Fabel. “He came to us and said he didn’t know how it had gotten in his bag.â€� The eight Rules of Golf officials on site conferred for about an hour and a half and even brought in the USGA to weigh in on the matter. “We researched it pretty thoroughly,â€� Fabel said. There was no question, Henley said, that he’d used the ball. He gives balls he’s put into play to his caddie to mark accordingly, and the Pro V1x in question was marked as such. That left two questions: Where had this single, differently marked ball come from (just to satisfy his curiosity) and for how many holes had he used it, i.e. how many penalty strokes would he take? Where it came from would have to wait, but ultimately, Henley decided he’d used it on holes 9, 10, 11 and 12, costing himself two shots per hole. He had made par on all four holes, but now four straight double bogeys would turn his 69 into a 77, leaving him outside the cut line. The mix-up ends Henley’s made cuts streak at eight, including the last four starts of last season and the first four of this season. He took the news well. “He was great,â€� Fabel said. “I’ve got a ton of respect for that gentleman.â€� Here is the USGA’s explanation: “When changing balls, the player is permitted to substitute a ball of another brand or type unless the Committee has adopted the One Ball Condition of Competition (see Appendix I; Part C; Section 1c). This optional condition (usually referred to as ‘The One Ball Rule’) is generally adopted only in events that are limited to professional golfers or highly-skilled amateur golfers. Generally, this condition of competition is not adopted in club-level competitions.”

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THE OVERVIEW PARAMUS, N.J. – Justin Thomas hoped to be asleep by 8:15 p.m. Wednesday night in advance of the start of THE NORTHERN TRUST at Ridgewood Country Club, which kicks off the PGA TOUR’s postseason. With an unprecedented second straight FedExCup title well within his grasp going into the TOUR’s four-tournament, five-week Playoffs, he won’t lack for something to dream about. Hint: It’s shiny, silver, and has two handles. “I understand how important these Playoffs are,â€� said Thomas, who is just 83 points behind FedExCup No. 1 Dustin Johnson and vying to become the first player to successfully defend the FedExCup since its 2007 inception. How important are they? Perhaps historically so, in his case. “It would be an honor,â€� he said of the prospect of going back-to-back. “And anytime you can do something that nobody else has done before, it’s huge. But there’s a lot of great players and a lot of players that are playing really well that have just as good a chance as I do. “I just need to worry about myself and try to get myself in position come Atlanta,â€� he added, “and from there we’ll see what we can do.â€� For Thomas and others, the Playoffs come down to keeping momentum and conserving energy. With high-pressure tournaments on tap in the New York area, Boston (Dell Technologies Championship), Philadelphia (BMW Championship) and Atlanta (TOUR Championship), which player comes out on top will depend on who positions himself to peak at just the right time. To that end, Thomas is all about early bedtimes and other energy-saving techniques. Last week he flew to Chicago to spend time with his girlfriend and go to a Cubs game, then went to New York and appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He didn’t want to play golf, and so he didn’t touch the clubs until last Friday, when he played 27 holes.   “At this point in the year,â€� he said, “it’s so important to be rested.â€� When we last saw Thomas in competition, he was making a title defense of another sort at the PGA Championship in St. Louis. He ran out of magic on the back nine, bogeying two of his last five holes to finish T6. Since then, he has been marshalling his energy for a big Playoffs push, and he is well aware of how nicely the stars have aligned. First and most crucially, he’s hot. He won the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational on Aug. 5, his first TOUR win in the presence of his paternal grandparents, who had driven from nearby Columbus, Ohio. And he was one of four players (Thomas, Adam Scott, Tiger Woods, winner Brooks Koepka) who had a realistic shot at winning the PGA at Bellerive. This week brings some uncertainty, as THE NORTHERN TRUST moves back to Ridgewood for the first time since 2014, which was before Thomas had established himself on TOUR. He didn’t play; Hunter Mahan won. Now 25, Thomas is a draw on late-night TV and a legitimate threat to win anywhere. His first week of the 2018 FedExCup Playoffs began Monday with a golf day for a sponsor in which, Thomas said, “I hit 145-yard 9-irons for 24 groups.â€� He smiled. “Hopefully I’ll have that yardage dialed in this week.â€� He spent a lot of time on Ridgewood’s practice green and in the short-game area Tuesday, working with his father/coach, Mike, and coach Matt Killen. “It’s been low-key and just trying to get rest, more than anything,â€� Thomas said. The FedExCup top five consist of Dustin Johnson, for whom winning the whole thing is still on his to-do list; Thomas; Koepka; Justin Rose; and Bubba Watson. “Yeah, 83 points in the Playoffs is not a big lead,â€� Johnson said. And yeah, Thomas is taking it seriously. He said Wednesday that it still irks him that he didn’t win the PGA two weeks ago, that he barely missed out on advancing to the TOUR Championship at East Lake in 2015, and that he “totally choked the U.S. Kids when I was 8 years old.â€� Several people laughed; Thomas did not. “I’m dead serious,â€� he said. “I lost in a playoff.â€� Thomas, whose father, Mike, was caddying for him, even remembered the name of the kid who beat him that day at Jekyll Island (although he couldn’t pronounce it). It was a big moment. Unforgettable. So is this. The Playoffs are here, and for Thomas, especially, history hangs in the balance. THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER Dustin Johnson Just three of the 11 FedExCup champs entered the Playoffs ranked No. 1 – and Tiger did it twice (Spieth the other time). Brooks Koepka Lots of discussion on whether he’s already wrapped up Player of the Year honors. A FedExCup title would make it clear-cut. Tiger Woods Wasn’t sure if anybody noticed, but he’s making his first Playoffs appearance in five years. THE FLYOVER The par-3 15th is 155 yards, the shortest hole at Ridgewood and one of the shortest on the PGA TOUR. In fact, of the 188 par 3s previously played this season, just nine are of shortest distance. Four years ago, it played to a stroke average of 2.819, but it’s not necessarily a pushover. Bunkers surround almost all of the green, and players will be hard-pressed to scramble for par on the undulating putting surface. LANDING ZONE When Ridgewood last hosted a PGA TOUR event in 2014, this 291-yard drivable par 4 was on the front side (specifically, the fifth hole). But with the re-routing, it will now provide some fireworks on the back nine as the 12th hole, giving players another eagle opportunity down the stretch (along with the par-5 13th and 17th holes). It doesn’t sound like FedExCup points leader Dustin Johnson will try to drive the green, though. “Today I went for it but probably during the tournament I’m not going to,â€� he said after his Wednesday practice round. “There’s nowhere good to hit it except on the green. And it’s not very easy — that green’s not very big. So I’ll probably lay up most of the day.â€� In 2014, it played to a stroke average of 3.778, with five eagles and 133 birdies. Here’s a look at where all tee shots landed in 2014 when it was the fifth hole. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “Showers and thunderstorms will be likely Wednesday around daybreak before lifting north. A lull in the precipitation will be likely for several hours before additional showers and isolated t-storms redevelop just ahead of the cold front Wednesday afternoon. Finally, drier conditions return late in the day as the front moves away to the east. High pressure will provide dry and less humid conditions Friday and Saturday with before warmer temperatures return on the weekend.â€� For the latest weather news from Paramus, New Jersey, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK I think the FedExCup has become a really big part of the PGA TOUR and it’s going to continue to just get bigger. It’s something that I really want to win. BY THE NUMBERS 2,000 – FedExCup points awarded to the winner of each Playoffs event. That’s four times more than the standard regular-season event. 22 – First-time participants in the FedExCup Playoffs this season. Tommy Fleetwood is the highest-ranked first-timer at No. 23 in FedExCup points. 8 – Rookies who made the FedExCup Playoffs this season – Aaron Wise, Austin Cook, Keith Mitchell, Satoshi Kodaira, Peter Uihlein, Brandon Harkins, Tyler Duncan and Sam Ryder. 529 – The projected number of FedExCup points needed to advance to next week’s Dell Technologies Championship. Currently, 93 players are above that total, with the top 100 in points advancing to TPC Boston. Click here for this week’s Scenarios. SCATTERSHOTS The average age of the FedExCup field is significantly younger than when the Playoffs format first started in 2007. That year, the average age of the participants was 34.67. This year, the average age is 32.22, with 47 of the 125 qualifiers in their 20s (61 are in their 30s; 17 are in their 40s). Ten players have qualified for the Playoffs in each of the first 12 seasons: Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, Charles Howell III, Zach Johnson, Ryan Moore, Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott and Charley Hoffman. Rose is the highest-ranked player among the 10, currently residing at No. 4 in FedExCup points. Dustin Johnson has been the FedExCup points leader for the last 10 weeks. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, he has led for a total of 28 weeks, most of any player. Justin Thomas ranks second with 23 weeks at the top – including, of course, the final week of last season when he won the FedExCup. Justin Rose is the only player on the PGA TOUR who has made more than 80 percent of his attempted putts from 4-8 feet (109 of 136 for 80.15 percent). This season, Rose ranks sixth in Strokes Gained: Putting after ranking 123rd in that category last season. Bubba Watson has played 38 career rounds in THE NORTHERN TRUST, and 33 of those rounds have been at par or better. All 12 of his rounds at Ridgewood Country Club have been at par or better. Watson, who has won three times this season, is looking for his first tournament win in the FedExCup Playoffs. WHERE TO PLAY For those visiting the area, must-play courses include Pelham Bay GC (Bronx, N.Y.), The Golf Club at Mansion Ridge (Monroe, N.Y.) and Galloping Hill GC (Kenilworth, N.J.). Book your reservations via www.teeoff.com. United Airlines’ shared purpose is to help unite the world by connecting people to moments that matter most. The company’s partnership with Special Olympics helps corporate partners connect people with intellectual disabilities to the broader communities they serve. For more information, click here.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Rory McIlroy raised his hands slowly as he was approached by a small throng of reporters waiting at the front steps of the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse for reaction to the cancellation of THE PLAYERS Championship. “Not too close,â€� he said with a hint of nervous humor, but also just enough seriousness as the group closed in to create a six-foot buffer. Related: Commissioner Monahan explains PLAYERS cancellation, discusses future | TOUR statement on cancellations The defending PLAYERS Champion will carry that title another year as the PGA TOUR cancelled TPC PLAYERS prior to the second round, as well as the upcoming Valspar Championship (March 19-22), World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match Play (March 25-29), Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship (March 26-29) and Valero Texas Open (April 2-5). Augusta National also announced the Masters (April 9-12) will be postponed, meaning the PGA TOUR is on competitive hiatus until, at least the RBC Heritage, which currently due to start on April 16. “It’s the right decision,â€� McIlroy said. “A hundred percent. If in a few weeks’ time this dies down and everything is okay, it’s still the right decision. The regining FedExCup champion wasn’t alone in his positive reaction to the decision. “This is obviously a very serious deal, and I think it’s only going to get worse right now, so it’s best for us not to be playing golf. The main deal right now is for everybody to be safe,â€� U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland said. “We had to do it. It would have looked horrible if we showed up and played today with every other sports leagues not playing. It probably would have been insensitive, so I’m glad the commissioner made the decision that he did. It’s best for us. It’s best for the fans and our families. Hopefully the world comes together and we get over this. This is a very serious deal.â€� Jack Nicklaus, who hosts the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide in early June, was quick to praise the move. “This has been a day and week of incredible concern, confusion and frustration throughout the sporting world, and, more important, our world in general. But as it relates to sport, I applaud the decisions made and the actions taken by all the sporting organizations and ruling bodies, and we hope they produce the intended result, which is simply to keep people safe and not expose them to significant health risks,â€� Nicklaus said via a statement. “As an enormous sports fan myself, I hope the passionate fan bases behind every sport are able to pause, take a step back, and reflect on the importance behind the decisions made. Until this COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is resolved and until things resume with some normalcy, my friends, please be safe, be smart and stay healthy.â€� Jon Rahm, who originally was on board to keep playing, said he realized the cautionary action was the right move as he read and heard more about the virus. “There’s bigger problem on our hands. People are getting affected; people are having problems. Like I’ve said many times, I’m pretty scared because there’s quite a bit of people in my family with asthma, and my 85-year-old grandma being one of them, which is a direct target,â€� he said. “And there’s nothing I can do because I can’t go home, I can’t come back. All we can all try to do is resume our lives as normal and try to be as clean as possible, wash our hands. I’ve been up since early in the morning, and I can’t believe how many times I’ve washed my hands already and I haven’t left my room. I’m just trying to be clean and do our part as citizens to improve this.â€� Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger was due to get on the last Austrian Airlines flight back to Vienna on Friday afternoon before travel bans start to take effect. He had made the decision to get the flight even before the Masters announced a postponement, knowing he may miss it as a result. He intended to do grocery shopping and other tasks for his mother and grandmother so they did not need to be put at unnecessary risk. “I think it’s the right move, what Jay Monahan and the PGA TOUR have done going forward. Obviously everyone here would have loved to see some golf, but in the bigger picture I’m in constant contact with family and relatives in Europe, and it’s pretty bad there,â€� Wiesberger added. “I’m looking forward to going back home and being with them and help out over there… but it’s unprecedented times. We all need to kind of stick together and do the right thing for everyone, for the elderly, to not have anyone affected that doesn’t need to be, and therefore I think it’s good we’re packing up today and kind of going home and try to have as minimal a social contact as possible and try not to spread it any further.â€� Zach Johnson said it was a chance for everyone to take stock. “I didn’t sleep well last night, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t competing. I didn’t sleep last night because it’s just the unfortunate scenario we’re in,â€� Johnson said. “I think obviously it’s a time to reflect and just really understand, it’s just golf. It’s just golf. It’s just a sport. So it pales in comparison to what we could be combating at some point.â€� With no concrete return date, given the ever-changing situation across the globe, there was uncertainty from players as to how they would spend the next few weeks. Most said they’d focus on their loved ones while trying to remain relatively sharp with a little practice. Others, including Jason Day, said they’d use it as recovery time from nagging injuries. “We’ll go home and relax a little bit, take this as a little bit of a mini offseason in a way,â€� Rickie Fowler said. “But the biggest thing is obviously we don’t want this to turn into something bigger than what it is and what it can be.â€� “This is one of these things where we just have to wait and see. It’s so uncertain, you’re obviously going to still keep playing golf, but you’re going out there practicing not knowing what you’re practicing for,â€� McIlroy added. “I was supposed to have my coach, Michael Bannon, fly out next week and we were going to spend some time together, and that’s probably not going to happen, him coming from Ireland. Probably have time just to spend some time at home, evaluate the situation, and see where we go.â€� In terms of when players expected they’d feel comfortable to return to tournament golf, McIlroy mirrored most when he said he’d be guided by the health experts. “Whenever the powers that be say it’s safe to do so,â€� McIlroy said of a return date. “All you can do is follow the guidelines from the CDC and from the people that really know about this thing.â€� For more on the coronavirus disease, please visit the Center for Disease Control’s information page.

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