Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship announces record-setting $3,186,546 charitable donation

NAPLES, Fla. – Luke Donald hasn’t played a shot on the PGA TOUR since he missed the cut at the RBC Heritage in April, but he will tee it up with partner Andrew Landry at the QBE Shootout starting Friday. Donald, who will turn 41 later this week, missed six months with a lower back injury in 2018. In nine starts he made just three cuts and earned 42 FedExCup points, and he will start the 2019 season on a major-medical extension. “The state of the game is unknown,� he said after his pro-am round Wednesday. “We’ll see. I’ve been able to work hard the last couple months with no pain. I’ve certainly been putting in the time, but to bring it from your home course out here into a competitive situation, we’ll see how it goes.� Donald will get 15 starts this season in which to earn 336 FedExCup points. While there are no points on offer at the unofficial QBE, which he’ll play with partner Andrew Landry, he’s hoping the tournament stokes his competitive fire. “It’s nice to get some reps in but without as much pressure,� he said. The 30th QBE features 24 players and 12 two-person teams, only two of which return from last year. Tony Finau and Lexi Thompson, the only LPGA player here, reprise their partnership from last year, as will defending champions Sean O’Hair and Steve Stricker. There are two former FedExCup champions, Billy Horschel (2014) and Brandt Snedeker (’12), who, fittingly, will play together as a team. Donald, a five-time TOUR winner, reached No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking in the spring of 2011 and stayed there, on and off, for 56 weeks. This week he’s 548th. His health has been part of the problem, and Donald was hospitalized with chest pains prior to teeing off at The RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia, in November, 2017. He withdrew and underwent testing, which ruled out a heart attack. (He decided it was the remains of a stomach flu given to him by his kids.) The other setback: his decision to part ways with his longtime coach, Pat Goss. (They’ve since reunited.) It was Goss, then the men’s golf coach at Northwestern, who recruited Donald to go to college in America, and their partnership continued after Donald turned pro. But in 2013, Donald began working with Chuck Cook. A little over a year later, he went back to Goss.   “The impetus was to … hit my driver a little bit straighter and gain a little bit of distance,� Donald said at the RBC Heritage. “I thought that would give me a better chance to win majors. Certainly, Chuck’s method was very different to what I had been doing, and after 13 months, what he was trying to get me to do, I couldn’t do. “But in trying to do it,� Donald added, “I got into some bad habits that took a long time to get out. I’m certainly not blaming Chuck. He’s a wonderful teacher; it just wasn’t the right fit for me.� Donald had a couple starts on the European Tour in the fall, but didn’t play well. He’s been more encouraged by some of his rounds at home, in South Florida.  “I’ve had a mixture,� he said. “Some good. I had a 64 at Medalist the other day.� As for turning 41 on Friday, he said he had no big plans. “I’ll be playing the first round here. I’ll have dinner with some friends when I get back next week.�

Click here to read the full article…

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Two-time champion Stewart Cink moved into position for a third RBC Heritage title, shooting a second straight 63 to set the 36-hole scoring mark at Harbour Town. RELATED: Leaderboard | Wesley Bryan back in happy place at RBC Heritage Cink, 47, appears unstoppable after two amazing days. He sits at 16-under 126, five shots ahead of Corey Conners. The previous best midway score was 129, set by Jack Nicklaus en route to victory in 1975 and matched by Phil Mickelson, who wound up third in 2002. Conners shot 64 and was 11 under. Emiliano Grillo (64) was another shot behind. Collin Morikawa, preparing to defend his PGA Championship title next month, was tied for fourth at 9-under with Sungjae Im (65), Billy Horschel (67) and Cameron Smith, who followed his opening-round 62 with a 71. Cink was hardly overwhelmed by the scores he posted, chalking them up to smart preparation and strong execution alongside his 24-year-old son, Reagan, who’s caddying for him. “It doesn’t feel all that special, to be honest with you,” Cink said. “We just kind of worked our game plan.” It was certainly unexpected. Cink hasn’t finished in the top 20 at Harbour Town in a decade, hadn’t led halfway since the Travelers Championship in 2008 and is closer to the PGA TOUR Champions than his prime. Yet Cink has had a renaissance on golf’s biggest stage this season. He won for the first time in 11 years at the Safeway Open in September and has added five top-20 finishes including a tie for 12th last week at the Masters. Cink was down three shots to Conners when he teed off Friday. No matter. Cink quickly erased the deficit with an eagle on the par-5 second and a birdie on No. 3. Cink moved in front with a birdie on the sixth and steadily built his margin the rest of the way, adding birdies on the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th holes. The veteran is two solid rounds away from adding a third plaid jacket to the two he earned in 2000 and 2004. In both of those wins, Cink came from behind on Sunday. This time he’ll need to just maintain his strong overall play. Since Reagan became his caddie, father and son have been collaborating on strategy before tournaments. “We call it bludgeoning and we’re just bludgeoning that plan almost to death,” the elder Cink said with a grin. “When you manage yourself around a course like that and execute, the golf courses yield.” Conners entered the week with Masters momentum, having tied for eighth at Augusta National for his second top-10 finish there in five months. He birdied seven of his final 13 holes. “Giving myself lots of chances and was really nice to see some go in,” Conners said. “Hopefully, can keep that up going into the weekend.” Morikawa had chances, too, He had seven birdie opportunities from 20 feet or less on his final nine holes, but the only one that dropped was an 18-footer on No. 6. Morikawa said changing wind conditions made it difficult to judge green speeds. “It was tough not seeing a few birdies in,” he said. “But we’ll work on a few things and be fine for the weekend.” Smith, who was bogey-free in his opening 62, dropped three shots in a five-hole stretch on Friday. “I think the golfing gods got a few back on me today,” the Australian said. Dustin Johnson used a back-nine surge to avoid his second straight missed cut and after leaving the Masters early, returning only to slip the green jacket on new champ Hideki Matsuyama. Consecutive bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes at Harbour Town dropped him to 1-under, but four birdies coming in gave him a 67 and left him 11 shots behind Cink. Those going home included Patrick Cantlay, Harris English, Sergio Garcia and Kevin Na, all among the top 30 in the FedExCup standings this season.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…