Monday qualifiers: Farmers Insurance Open

All in on Rickie Fowler at Royal Birkdale

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One can only wonder what their walk-up music might have been after PGA TOUR superstars Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson revealed they were planning a potential partnership at the 2020 Zurich Classic of New Orleans before the tournament was officially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. RELATED: McIlroy, Johnson, Fowler, Wolff headline TaylorMade Driving Relief to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts | Live golf is finally on the horizon | Seminole Golf Club is ready for its close-up Thankfully we will see two-time FedExCup champion and current world No. 1 McIlroy and 20-time PGA TOUR winner Johnson team up on May 17 for TaylorMade Driving Relief – a $3 million charity skins match against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff – to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts. But it turns out we may have had the opportunity to see the incredible power duo earlier had the pandemic not claimed the one team event on the PGA TOUR regular season calendar. Speaking to Mike Tirico on NBC Sports, the pair admitted the partnership was one they had discussed before their upcoming match at Seminole Golf Club sees the return of live golf. “I’m happy Rory is my teammate for sure,â€� Johnson said. “We’ve played a lot of golf together and we even talked about playing at the New Orleans tournament. I think we will be a good team.â€� McIlroy, who had finished inside the top 5 in 10 of his last 11 worldwide starts with two wins before the pandemic, confirmed it was a serious consideration. “It was funny, DJ rang me up the week after THE PLAYERS Championship when he was out on his boat and he said, ‘Hey, if the New Orleans tournament happens, would you want to be partners?’â€� McIlroy said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah sure. I’m not sure if it is going to happen but if it does, yeah, that would be fun.’ We didn’t get a chance to do it there, but we’re getting the chance to do it at Seminole in a couple weeks’ time and that’s going to be fun.â€� No word yet as to if they might revisit the pairing for the 2021 Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana but should they play well at Seminole, it is one partnership that shouldn’t be discounted. In the three previous iterations of the tournament in its team format, some glamour pairings have included Justin Rose-Henrik Stenson, Patrick Reed-Patrick Cantlay, Jason Day-Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia-Tommy Fleetwood. But a McIlroy-Johnson combo could be the most formidable yet. First up though, they must get past Fowler and Wolff at Seminole, an enticing team in its own right. As such, practice schedules will be amped up. “I’m excited to play again. I’ve hit balls twice since THE PLAYERS for about an hour as they closed down the courses here in Palm Beach,â€� Johnson admitted. “But they did reopen last week … and I was actually very surprised at how well I hit it. “For me it’s the little things around the greens like chipping and putting … that’s what takes a little bit longer to get your touch back. But full swing wise … sometimes a break actually helps me because I forget all the bad thoughts I had before I stopped playing.â€� McIlroy joked he’d have his partners back after a couple of good practice rounds last weekend. “I’m pretty encouraged. Sometimes you pick it up and it takes you a couple of days to find the middle of the clubface but thankfully this wasn’t one of those times,â€� McIlroy said. “So hopefully DJ can take some comfort in that and know that his partner is in pretty good form.â€� As for that walk-up song … might we suggest “All I Do Is Winâ€� by DJ Khaled.

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Carlos Ortiz (+10000) … For some, the long trip from Japan will be only that – long – but it might be exactly what he needs after likely experiencing mixed emotions after plummeting from T3 to T42 in the final round of the Olympics. His closing 78 was three higher than anyone else in the field on Sunday. However, nothing can replace the fulfillment of representing his native Mexico at the Games. Returning to life as a touring professional at 35th in the FedExCup, he’s poised for his deepest run in the Playoffs. Possesses a balanced attack that has generated a trio of top 10s this season, including his breakthrough title in Houston last fall. It also doesn’t hurt that he can look at his record in stroke-play WGCs and find a pair of top 20s, one at Chapultepec in 2019, the other at Concession five months ago. Martin Laird (+20000) … He was the first to turn an extension of status in the modified graduate reshuffle category into victory when he prevailed in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open nearly 10 months ago. The Scot has managed only one more top 25 in a full-field event since (T23, PGA Championship) but he placed T28 in his most recent start at the John Deere Classic. It ended an 0-for-3 skid, too. Currently 15th on TOUR in both fairways hit and greens in regulation, it’s a potent combination at TPC Southwind that he hasn’t seen since 2013, which also happens to be the last time he’s qualified for a World Golf Championship. Jim Herman (+30000) … This is just third career appearance in a World Golf Championship and his first since the 2016 edition of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational when it was contested at Firestone, but the 43-year-old has connected four top 30s upon arrival, he’s 49th on the PGA TOUR in ball-striking and T31 in proximity. Most of all, as one of the unlikeliest qualifiers (for winning the 2020 Wyndham Championship), he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s a mantra that could be applied to the timing of each of his three career victories. Aaron Rai (+15000) … In one of the quirks of rescheduled competition, there are two winners of the Scottish Open in this week’s field. Min Woo Lee of Australia prevailed in that tournament four weeks ago, while Rai of England connected for his title 10 months ago. His first European Tour title at the Hong Kong Open in 2018 yielded his TPC Southwind debut in 2019, and he didn’t squander the opportunity in finishing T12. After scattering a trio of top 25s early in 2021, he’s arriving with five consecutive paydays, two of which for a top 20, including a T19 at The Open Championship. Currently 16th on his circuit in fairways hit and 12th in greens in regulation. Ryosuke Kinoshita (+30000) … It’s been a career-defining summer for the 30-year-old from Japan. His breakthrough victory at the Japan Golf Tour Championship served as his ticket to TPC Southwind and what is his PGA TOUR debut in the United States. In his next start three weeks later, he won again on his home circuit and later finished T59 at The Open Championship in his first-ever appearance in a major. Currently second in earnings on the JGTO, third in greens hit and sixth in scoring average. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 5 a.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.

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