Monday Qualifiers: The RSM Classic

NAPA, Calif. – Tony Romo got more than halfway to making his first PGA TOUR cut, Stephen Curry entertained in the pro-am, and Phil Mickelson showed off his new physique. But no story was more compelling than that of Cameron Champ. On a day that was fraught with emotion, Sacramento native Champ made a clutch birdie on 18 to edge Adam Hadwin by one, then dedicated the victory to his paternal grandfather, Mack “Pops� Champ, who got him started playing the game and was watching it all play out on TV while in hospice care back home. Welcome to the Monday Finish. THREE KEYS TO SUCCESS 1. Champ was playing for more than himself. Grandpa Mack was denied the opportunity to play golf for years, but taught himself the game while stationed overseas in the Air Force. He made sure Cameron had the opportunities he did not, buying the boy a set of plastic clubs and setting up games in which they played what Cameron termed “jack it around the backyard� golf. Now, though, Mack is in hospice back with Stage IV stomach cancer in Sacramento. Cameron said his grandfather’s situation put golf in perspective, and dedicated the victory to Mack. For more on Champ, click here. 2. He got back at the par 5s. One day after failing to birdie any of the par 5s, Champ, one of the game’s longest hitters, birdied three of the four when he needed it most. No birdie was bigger than the one he made on 18, after Hadwin had birdied three straight to briefly tie for the lead. Champ reared back and hit easily the longest drive of the day on the hole, leaving himself just an 8-iron second shot into the final par 5. He came up short, but with his father, Jeff, and a large contingent of other family and friends on pins and needles, made a clutch up and down to win.   3. He led the field in driving distance, with no drive more crucial than his 369-yard missile at the last. The shot was 33 yards longer than the next longest on 18 in the final round, and set him up for a final birdie to edge Adam Hadwin by one. But Champ’s brawny game also paid dividends at the end of the front nine, when after his drive missed left of the fairway he was somewhat blocked out by the trees at the par-5 ninth hole. No worries. Into the wind, Champ blistered a 232-yard long iron around the tree to just in front of the green, and got up and down for birdie. OBSERVATIONS Hadwin reminds how good he is: There’s still time to impress International Presidents Cup Captain Ernie Els, and Adam Hadwin (67, solo second) is on the right track. His play at the Safeway marked his best finish on the PGA TOUR since winning the 2017 Valspar Championship. “I feel like I’m continuing some of the momentum coming from last year,� he said. “Results didn’t show it, but I was playing some pretty good golf at the end of last year, I just couldn’t put weekends together. To go out, make eight birdies today, I think, on what can be a difficult golf course, depending on where you put your golf ball, I’m proud of the way I played, proud of the way I fought, and yeah, hopefully good things to come.�   Leishman’s back feeling better: It wasn’t that long ago that Marc Leishman had to withdraw from A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier with back pain. “It’s feeling good,� he said after signing for 65, which was tied with Canada’s Corey Conners for the lowest round of the day. “… Been getting treatment. It was a little stiff at the start of the week, but it got better as the week went on, which was nice. Yeah, feeling good again. Happy with how I’m striking it.�    Thomas off to strong start: Justin Thomas (69, T4) opened the new season with another top-five finish, his third straight and the second time in his career that he has posted three in a row. This, after a melanoma scare led to leg surgery and limited some of his preparations for the Safeway. “I just need to keep doing what I’m doing,� he said. “I played very well this entire week, I felt like. I hit a lot of really good putts that just didn’t quite drop, or some things here or there. … Just get ready for Korea and Japan, but just try to get the game sharp and get some rest next week, and see if we can try to go get one or two over in Asia.�    QUOTEBOARD “At least I made him think about it a little bit, didn’t I?� – Hadwin (67) after his three closing birdies briefly tied Champ atop the leaderboard. “I didn’t panic.� – Champ, who bogeyed 17 but won with a birdie at the par-5 18th. “It’s a strange game, isn’t it?� – Marc Leishman (65, third), who birdied from over 23 feet on 18 after having missed twice from inside 6 feet on 16 and 17. “It’s just big for the confidence to get it done and play well.� – Zac Blair (68, T4) SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

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It's been a busy couple of days for what already promised to be a busy couple of days. Every PGA TOUR doubleheader presents additional attention, but two significant events on the schedule updated their qualifying criteria immediately before and after the weekend. On Friday, membership was informed that the top 125 in the 2019-20 FedExCup was eligible for THE PLAYERS Championship in two weeks. It's a traditional exemption, but it wasn't extended originally because of the shortened 2019-20 season due to the pandemic. It has been replaced by an exemption to the top 125 in a special points list extending from the beginning of last season through this week's doubleheader. That unique exemption still applies, so both lists will yield automatic qualifiers into what will be a larger field at TPC Sawgrass. Until then, 69 more golfers have been confirmed as exempt. On Monday, the USGA released its qualifying criteria for the U.S. Open in June. As expected, the majority of the traditional criteria remained the same, but a couple of adjustments were made due to the pandemic. The news means that 48 golfers officially are eligible to compete. In time, the field will grow to be 156. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks The Qualifiers page that I maintain is current with both waves of entries and details of the changes to the U.S. Open criteria. It also includes all remaining qualifying criteria for the U.S. Open in its customary position below the alphabetical list of all qualifiers. Turning our attention to PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession is the penultimate stop of Segment 2. With no cut and a strong helping of international non-members, you shouldn't have any problem juggling it with next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. For any golfers for whom you have only one start remaining and you might not want to burn it at The Concession, the logical approach if to keep one or two of those guys on your bench until the field for the API is released on Friday afternoon. From there, you can decide what to do based on who's committed at Bay Hill and how you're faring in real time this week. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession (in alphabetical order): Bryson DeChambeau (+2000) Tony Finau (+1600) Tyrrell Hatton (+2200) Viktor Hovland (+2000) Dustin Johnson (+550) Jon Rahm (+900) You'll find my starters in Expert Picks Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Patrick Cantlay; Tommy Fleetwood; Rory McIlroy; Joaquin Niemann; Patrick Reed; Xander Schauffele; Cameron Smith; Justin Thomas Driving: Daniel Berger; Patrick Cantlay; Tommy Fleetwood; Sungjae Im; Rory McIlroy; Collin Morikawa; Joaquin Niemann; Scottie Scheffler; Webb Simpson POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Collin Morikawa (+4000) ... He's way ahead of the curve, obviously, so we can dismiss the youth factor from eliminating him from the test presented. He's so proficient tee to green that he's ideal to illustrate the value of ball-striking over putting on greens with which very few in the field are familiar. Yes, touring professionals adapt faster than anyone, but all things being just about equal upon entry, his skill set gives him a fairer chance to contend over a peer with the reverse split. Odds sourced on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 5 a.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. DRAWS Joaquin Niemann ... Inspired to provide a major assist to his cousin, the 22-year-old has been on a heater since a T3 at the BMW Championship in late August. He does everything exceptionally well and he'd be on everyone's short list to pick off a victory in a WGC sooner than later. Sungjae Im ... Set off bells and whistles - and not the preferred varieties - when he, gasp, took two weeks off, but he's locked in. He's also balancing, gasp, rest with what will be the rigors of the Florida Swing and beyond. It includes his first title defense at PGA National in three weeks. Tommy Fleetwood ... Humming along with three top 10s among six top 20s in his last 10 starts worldwide, none of which resulted in a missed cut. Not only is he an automatic in every format but he's here to stay for a while. It's like adding a front-line starter exactly when you need it in the middle of a MLB season. Bernd Wiesberger ... While normally a default Fade when he appears, the tide might be shifting into a positive direction. In what was his 56th career PGA TOUR start at The RSM Classic in November, the 35-year-old from Austria finally recorded his second top 10 on the circuit with a T4. He had been trending on the European Tour, but we've witnessed that trajectory before, and we're always the wiser, but he's since added two top 10s and a T25 in a 5-for-5 bridge over the holiday break. Christiaan Bezuidenhout ... Since a T15 in his native South Africa in mid-November, he's picked off two wins at home and added two top 15s among three top 25s. A DFSer's delight. Abraham Ancer Marc Leishman Scottie Scheffler Adam Scott Lee Westwood FADES Hideki Matsuyama ... Unlike Morikawa above, this ball-striker from Japan has not been playing up to his reputation of late. Yes, he's inside the top 30 on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and par-5 scoring, and he's missed only two cuts in the last seven months, but he hasn't been putting four rounds together with enough regularity to warrant the reach in this field and on this course. Jason Day ... It's harsh but I'm chalking up his T7 at Pebble Beach to the top-heavy field and his massive level of comfort on those courses. Worst case, because his value is low at the moment, stow him on your bench and remain patient for the what-if. Harris English ... Can't say that he's fulfilling the classic case of the freefall occasionally seen after an emotional victory, but it also can't be ruled out. Since returning to the winner's circle at Kapalua, he's gone T32-MC-MC. Obviously, the short skid ends at The Concession, so the guarantee of four rounds elicits hope, just as it did on Maui, but it's his first WGC in five years. Shop elsewhere. Sebastián Muñoz ... Turned the page quickly on the dreadful two days at TPC Scottsdale but it was just a T43 at Riviera that contributes to the rebound. It's not unprecedented for any talent on the rise to bump into the glass barrier of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and even veterans flirt with that bubble regularly, but it can require much more exertion to pierce the bubble than perhaps it seems. Only 28 years of age and having just recently scaled to a career-best 55th - he's since slipped to 62nd - he's within one solid week of breaking through, but gamers needs to respect the inconsistency at the moment. Rafa Cabrera Bello Cameron Champ Matt Kuchar Erik van Rooyen Bubba Watson Matthew Wolff Gary Woodland RETURNING TO COMPETITION None NOTABLE WDs - World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession Tiger Woods ... Already on the mend from his fifth back surgery, he suffered injuries that required surgery after the car was driving near Los Angeles on Tuesday morning rolled over. Paul Casey ... It's rare for him to pass on a WGC but the shakeup of the Florida Swing this season is an adjustment for all. Don't sweat it. He's already 4-for-4 in 2021 with a win in Dubai and no worse than a T12 (in Saudi Arabia). NOTABLE WDs - Puerto Rico Open Scott Harrington, K.H. Lee, Luke List and Scott Stallings ... Each now is eligible for THE PLAYERS Championship via the top 125 in the 2019-20 FedExCup. Kyle Stanley ... Positioned 118th in the special FedExCup points list to determine entry into THE PLAYERS, so he's a virtual lock to qualify. Chesson Hadley and Hank Lebioda ... At a respective 142nd and 143rd on the special points list, either would have to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard to qualify for THE PLAYERS. Kevin Tway ... He'd also need to win the API to get into THE PLAYERS, but gamers would settle for a cut made. In the last 12 months, he's cashed only four times in 22 starts. Chris Stroud ... He's out indefinitely with a back injury. Now that it's been four months since his last start (MC, Sanderson Farms), he's eligible for a medical extension in the graduate reshuffle category if he eventually needs it. Alex Cejka ... Open-qualified for the Cologuard Classic. It's a heckvua way to debut on the PGA TOUR Champions. POWER RANKINGS RECAP - The Genesis Invitational Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Dustin Johnson T8 2 Xander Schauffele T15 3 Justin Thomas MC 4 Jon Rahm T5 5 Rory McIlroy MC 6 Tony Finau P2 7 Bryson DeChambeau MC 8 Patrick Cantlay T15 9 Joaquin Niemann T43 10 Carlos Ortiz MC 11 Adam Scott T38 12 Collin Morikawa T43 13 Daniel Berger DNP 14 Brooks Koepka T38 15 Max Homa Win Wild Card Jordan Spieth T15 SLEEPERS - The Genesis Invitational Golfer Result Sung Kang 67th K.H. Lee 66th J.T. Poston T43 Chez Reavie MC Brian Stuard MC BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR February 23 ... Steve Stricker (54) February 24 ... Zach Johnson (45); Kristoffer Ventura (26) February 25 ... Hideki Matsuyama (29) February 26 ... none February 27 ... Ryan Armour (45); Abraham Ancer (30) February 28 ... none (February 29 ... none) March 1 ... Pat Perez (45); Chris Baker (35) Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. CO, IA, IN,MI, NJ, NV,PA, TN, VA or WV only. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700 (CO, NV, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), Call or Text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN), or call 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN).

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Satoshi Kodaira came from six shots back at the beginning of the final round to win the RBC Heritage in a sudden-death playoff. Kodaira confirmed after the win that he would take up full-time membership on the PGA TOUR going forward. Under contract with Japanese-based equipment manufacturer PRGR, Kodaira had 11 of the company’s clubs in play. But it was a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 prototype putter that landed the decisive blow with a 25-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to secure his first TOUR title. Here’s a look at Kodaira’s entire equipment setup. Driver: PRGR RS F Prototype (Graphite Design Tour AD DI Quattro Tech 65TX shaft), 10.5 degrees 3-wood: TaylorMade M2 ’17 (Graphite Design Tour AD DI Quattro Tech 75X shaft), 15 degrees 5-wood: PRGR iD Nabla Black (Graphite Design Tour AD GP Quattro Tech 75X shaft), 18 degrees Utility: PRGR iD Nabla RS Tour (3-iron; Graphite Design Tour AD HY 105TX shaft) Irons: PRGR Tune Forged 01 (4-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts) Wedges: PRGR iD Nabla Tour Forged (52 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shaft), Fourteen Golf RM-22 (60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shaft) Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 prototype Ball: Titleist Pro V1x PGA TOUR Superstore: Buy equipment here

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