Monday Qualifiers: Wells Fargo Championship

DETROIT – Bryson DeChambeau birdies three of the first four holes to seize the lead, and when it gets tight on the back nine he birdies three in a row to finish. His final-round, 7-under 65 is more than good enough to salt away the Rocket Mortgage Classic for his sixth PGA TOUR title. He moves from 12th to 4th in the FedExCup and serves notices that his new style, otherworldly power combined with astonishing touch, might just be changing the game. Welcome to the Monday Finish. THREE KEYS TO SUCCESS 1. He was a master of both touch and power. DeChambeau said he had heard the Donald Ross layout was a bomber’s paradise, and finding that to be the case, he took full advantage, nearly driving the green at the short par-4 first and 13th holes. He led the field in driving distance – he was outdriving even the TOUR’s longest hitters by as many as 30 yards – and in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (6.672). But in a first for the ShotLink era, the winner also led in Strokes Gained: Putting (7.831). That’s a fearsome combination. 2. He didn’t crumble on 14. The par-5 14th was like a par 4 for DeChambeau, but he hacked his second shot out from the right trees, through the fairway and into the water hazard. Things were not going well, with Matthew Wolff finally finding his game and making a run in the group behind him. Still, DeChambeau didn’t panic. He took a drop, gave himself a par putt (he missed), and resolved to not let the bogey ruin his day. “I held my head high and I was able to almost make par,” he said, “but I just kept moving forward.” 3. He had perfect timing. As DeChambeau eyed his birdie putt from just over 30 feet at the 16th hole, it was time to make something happen. Wolff had bounced back from his own failure to birdie 14 – after being just behind the green in two – with a birdie at the 15th. DeChambeau’s comfortable lead was now down to a shot, but not to worry. He rolled in the 30-footer at 16 for birdie to restore a two-stroke lead, then gave Wolff no chance by making more birdies on 17 (an easy two-putt after hitting the green) and 18 (huge drive, stuck the approach to inside four feet). DeChambeau’s start (three birdies in first four holes) and finish (three straight) were impeccable. OBSERVATIONS McNealy has Motor City roots Stanford product Maverick McNealy isn’t just a product of Silicon Valley, where his dad Scott founded Sun Microsystems. Before that, Scott McNealy lived in Detroit, and Maverick and his three brothers, Dakota, Colt and Scout, are all named after cars. “My dad grew up here in Detroit and my grandpa worked for American Motors,” said McNealy, who shot a final-round 66 to finish 15 under and T8. “… It’s fun thinking back the last time I was here was when my dad caddied for me at the U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills a couple years ago. “Our family all drives American cars,” he added. “I’ve got my mom’s old Ford Explorer and we have two Explorers and two F‑150s in the family right now between my brothers and I. It’s special.” One brother, he added, is just finishing up his computer science degree at Stanford while working for Autonomic, which McNealy described as Ford’s cloud computing capability. “A lot of Motor City connections with our family,” McNealy said. His final round would’ve been even better were it not for a missed four-foot birdie putt on 18. Still, he was pleased with the performance. “Making East Lake is my goal this year,” he said. Hubbard marches to own drummer Colorado native Mark Hubbard, who now lives in Houston, shot 72 to finish T12. In the third round he played alongside DeChambeau, presenting viewers with a drastic contrast in styles. “Me and my caddie were joking about it on the first tee,” said Hubbard, a devout skier. “I don’t know if there’s two more polar opposite people or players on the PGA TOUR.” DeChambeau’s epic tee shots bring down rain; Hubbard’s low ones run forever. DeChambeau is the Mad Scientist; Hubbard admitted he hadn’t heard about “specs” on a golf club until he was a freshman at San Jose State. Basically, he said, “I just kind of see it and hit it.” His only equipment quirk is his 33-inch putter; he bends so much at the waist to putt that his torso verges on horizontal. “I just see the lines better down there,” he said. His pairing with DeChambeau reached its comic apex at the par-5 14th hole, after DeChambeau “hit his usual drive about 100 past me,” said Hubbard, who was well back in the right rough. When CBS on-course reporter Trevor Immelman asked what club DeChambeau had used, and was told 8-iron, Hubbard chirped that he himself had only needed a 9-iron. “So I one upped him,” he said, “but mine was a layup to 85 yards.” Hubbard (69) was beating DeChambeau (67) until a four-shot swing in the last three holes. QUOTEBOARD “It’s nice to actually play on the weekend.” – Rickie Fowler, who moved up the board with a final-round 67 (14 under, T12) after earlier making his first cut since the Return to Golf. “It’s been a long week, mentally draining week.” – Cameron Champ, a late addition to the field after being medically cleared. He flew in Thursday and shot a final-round 66 (T12). “The level of play on TOUR these first four weeks has been incredible.” – Kevin Kisner (66, solo third, his best result since winning the 2019 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play) WYNDHAM REWARDS The Wyndham Rewards Top 10 is a season-long competition that offers a $10 million bonus for the 10 golfers who end the regular season at the Wyndham Championship inside the top 10 in FedExCup points. The player atop the standings will earn $2 million, with varying payoffs for the others through $500,000 for the 10th place finisher. Bryson DeChambeau enters the Top 10 at No. 4 after winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic, while Lanto Griffin shoots a final-round 69 for a T21 in Detroit to inch up one spot. Webb Simpson (70, T8), meanwhile, maintains the top spot in the standings. Here’s how the standings look heading into this week’s Workday Charity Open. SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

Click here to read the full article…

Here are nine tidbits from the first round of the BMW Championship gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Aronimink Golf Club just outside Philadelphia plays 7,267 yards to Par-70. Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected, plus TWO, golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. I included all players who were owned by 20 percent or more. Big temperatures, big landing areas, big greens and big amounts of birdies welcomed the remaining 69 players in the FedExCup Playoffs at Aronimink Golf Club. The wind was non-existent so fairways and greens were to be had. Perfect greens were running at around 11.5 feet on the Stimpmeter that rounded out perfect scoring conditions. First In #59Watch was in full effect as Tiger Woods went out in 29 to kick-start the buzz for the week. His four birdies and an eagle set the tone but he couldn’t keep up the pace on his final nine (front nine). His 33 included his only bogey of the day plus three more birdies. It was by far his best opening round in sometime and it tied the course record. Gamers will point out it wasn’t based smoke or mirrors. He checked in second in Strokes-Gained: Tee-to-Green, third in proximity and sixth in Strokes-Gained: Putting with old favorite Scotty Cameron bag in the bag. Not bad for a guy who didn’t break par here in four rounds in 2010! 62 No. 2 After hearing the roars all afternoon in front of him, Rory McIlroy didn’t exactly back down from the challenge in the opening round. After making eight birdies in a row in his pro-am round on Wednesday, he added 10 more in Round 1 to share the course record with Woods and Nick Watney (2011). After five consecutive birdies to open his final nine (front nine), the 2014 BMW champ was nine-under with four holes to play. Our second #59Watch ended with bogeys Nos. 16* and 17* before a final birdie added up to 62. People’s Choice I was surprised that Bryson DeChambeau didn’t grace more than 70 percent of the rosters this week but the contrarian in me made me see the light. Winning two FedExCup Playoff events in one year is pretty astounding; winning two events in a row is even crazier. He hit it great and is T20 after three birdies against only one bogey with a chilly putter. Tony Reward It was pointed out by colleague Sean Martin that Tony Finau has been in pretty elite company despite not winning this season. The big hitter opened with 68, another round in the red, and sits T30. He’s posted four rounds above par since Shinnecock Hills. That’s insane. He’s collected cash for solo second and T4 to open the FedExCup Playoffs and should be awarded the final spot on the Ryder Cup team. Returning to Action Rickie Fowler suggested that in a long season his injury was probably fortunate as he was forced to recharge his battery. He took his time coming back and the patience was rewarded with a bogey-free 65. The iron play was rusty but his trusty short game (5 for 5 scrambling) and smooth putting stroke kept him in the top 10. Defender No player in the history of the FedExCup Playoffs has defended an event title. Marc Leishman is the defending champion of the event but Aronimink is hosting for the first time. The Aussie, along with countryman Adam Scott, looked anything but comfortable on the new digs as they joined Brendan Steele T67 (last) on four-over 74. Bubble Boys The top 30 will advance to the next round of the FedExCup Playoffs next week at East Lake Golf Club. Here’s how the guys under the gun are performing: Study Hall Round 1 played under-par at 68.130 (-1.870) with 48 of 69 rounds under-par. … Fowler was joined in the bogey-free department by Brian Gay, Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson. … Billy Horschel (T4) and Xander Schauffele (3rd) made eight birdies, two shy of McIlroy’s 10. … Of the top 10 players in Strokes-Gained: Approach-the-Green seven are T12 or better. … Gamers will need to adjust their lineups ASAP as tee times have been moved up Friday to avoid afternoon storms. Round 2 will tee off from both tees between 7 and 9 am.

Click here to read the full article…

Golf is back. The schedule is condensed. There are three majors still on the table. So who is ready to pick up where they left off, shake off the rust or make a big move? Our panel broke it down.

Click here to read the full article…