Monday Finish: Rory McIlroy ends on high note at TOUR Championship

The desert sand of Las Vegas will be replaced by the pink sand beaches on Bermuda this week as a field of now 127 tees it up for the third consecutive autumn at Port Royal Golf Club. Constructed in 1970 by Robert Trent Jones, the windswept 6,828 yards of Port Royal plays to Par-71 (36-35). As wind is always a factor in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, there’s not a heavy penalty for missing fairways. Only two inches of Bermuda bounds the fairways. TifEagle greens are ample targets averaging 6,000 square feet and won’t be as slick as their cousins Stateside in summer time. 88 bunkers and water on five holes will also provide the other defenses outside of the steady sea breeze. The previous two winners should provide ample clues on what it takes to get it over the finish line. Brian Gay and Brendon Todd are notorious for their accuracy off the tee and ability to hole putts. Neither will win any long drive contests on TOUR but are both veteran winners who knew how to keep it out of trouble (check Bogey Avoidance) and get the ball up and down. They both took care of business on the back nine and closed the deal against the next generation. No longer an opposite field event, the purse is $6.5 million with the winner pocketing $1.117 million plus 500 FedExCup points. The winner is also eligible for the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the Masters and all of the other perks awarded to full field winners. Recent Event Winners Recent Winners Last year – Brian Gay (-15, 269) Birdied the first playoff hole to win. … Birdied the 72nd hole to reach a playoff. … Closed with 64, T2 round of the day. … Trailed by as many as four shots on the back nine. … Posted all four rounds 70 or better. … T3 2019. … 44 birdies in 144 holes over two years. … Picks up his fifth TOUR win at age 48. … First win since 2013 American Express. … Entered the week on four consecutive MC. Notables in the field this week: Denny McCarthy (T4) co-led the field with 21 birdies and posted the low round on Sunday with 63. … Ryan Armour (T8) matched his 2019 result as he shared the 36 hole lead. … David Hearn (T8) matched his 2019 result as he closed 67-66. … Kramer Hickok (T8) posted all four rounds in the 60s and was T1 GIR. … Kiradech Aphibarnrat (T11) was T4 Fairways and T4 Putts. … Michael Gligic (T11) only made seven bogeys (T2). … Anirban Lahiri (T11) co-led the field with 21 birdies. … Peter Malnati (T21) led after 18 holes with 63. … Defending champ Brendon Todd missed the cut. … The top 11 players were 10-under or better. … The cut was 1-over par. 2019 – Brendon Todd (24-under, 260 – not entered) Tied the course record with 62 on Sunday to win by four. … Made birdie on holes 2 thru 8 and went out in 29. … Began Round 4 two shots off the lead. … Posted 63 in Round 2. … 17-under on the front nine for the week. … Hit it great and made everything (check table). … Picks up his second TOUR victory in 177th start at age 34. … Won the following week at Mayakoba. … T28 Houston previous outing. Notables in the field this week: Brian Gay (T3) circled 24 birdies (T4). … Hank Lebioda (T4) fired 63 on Sunday. … Fabian Gomez (7th) closed 66-65 and was T2 GIR. … Ryan Armour (T8) posted 25 birdies and was 9th Putting. … David Hearn (T8) led the field with 41 Fairways. … Bo Hoag (T11) posted two rounds of 64. … Russell Knox (T11) only squared four bogeys and was T2 GIR. … Beau Hossler (T24) T2 Birdies with 26 and No. 1 in Putting. … Weather was perfect. … Cut was 2-under. … There was only TWO rounds OVER par in the top 23. … 22 bogey-free rounds. … Scoring average 69.656. KEY STAT LEADERS Top golfers in each statistic on the PGA TOUR (thru 2021 season) are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. Horses for Courses – Butterfield Bermuda Championship

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IRVING, Texas – For just the second time since 2002, John Senden is not in the AT&T Byron Nelson field, a tournament that’s generally a fixture on his playing schedule. The reason is heartbreaking: Senden is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the PGA TOUR after announcing three weeks ago that his 13-year-old son Jacob has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Shortly after the announcement, Senden’s good friend and fellow Aussie Steven Bowditch – who lives close to the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas and won this event in 2015 – came up with an idea for TOUR pros to show their support. During Thursday’s first round, players wore on their caps a patch resembling a Rubik’s Cube, which happens to be Jacob’s favorite toy. While Senden is not here in person, the family – and especially Jacob – is in the thoughts of Bowditch and his fellow competitors. “We’re all thinking of him all the time,” Bowditch said. “Anything we can do to try and put a smile on his face and help him get through this. We just all hope he can punch on through.” Another Aussie, Cameron Percy, was on the practice green at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans when he heard that Bowditch and his partner Rod Pampling had withdrawn in the team event. Soon after, he was informed of the reason. “I had a tear in my eye,” Percy recalled Thursday. “Everyone felt the same way – just devastated. We had played a practice round in San Antonio the previous week, had dinner twice and we spoke that Friday night. I had no idea. Neither did he. “There couldn’t be two nicer people than John and (wife) Jackie. It’s not fair, is it?” Ernie Els had not been aware of the development until he showed up at the course Thursday at TPC Four Seasons and saw the patches of support. Nine years ago, Els announced that his son Ben was autistic, and since then, the South African and his wife Liezl have been instrumental in raising awareness for the disorder. Many TOUR pros have donated their time and participated in Els’ charitable functions for his foundation. “It just makes you think,” Els said. “We’re chasing birdies and pars out here, but when you hear something like this, we pull together as a TOUR, as a friendship, as a unit. We’ve done it with me. We’ve done it with other guys. We’re going to do it for John and his family now.” Jason Day has dealt with his own family’s cancer issues lately, his mother Dening having been diagnosed in Australia with terminal lung cancer. Day brought his mother to the United States, where further tests were done. Surgery was recently performed that resulted in a much more encouraging diagnosis, and Dening is now back in Australia with an improved outlook. “I know exactly what he’s feeling like in regard to that,” Day said. Day and his wife Ellie have two young children. Day said he “could never fathom thinking about going through something like that. It breaks my heart for him and I’m just hoping and praying for the best for him and his family because it is a difficult time for him.” And now the fight begins. Bowditch reports that Jacob had his first treatment last weekend. “I’m sure he’ll pull through and come out the other side,” Bowditch said. “He’s a strong kid, a great kid with a great family.”

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