Netflix tees up documentary series set inside the PGA TOUR and golf’s major championships

Marc Cohn might have been famously Walking In Memphis but Dustin Johnson was walking off after a stunning hole out eagle put an exclamation point on an impressive victory at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Welcome to the Monday Finish where Johnson proved himself the best in the land of the Delta Blues, pouring in more birdies than anyone else for a dominant six-shot win at TPC Southwind. FIVE OBSERVATIONS 1. Dustin Johnson is quite simply a freakish talent. That is not to say he doesn’t work hard… those who have seen his gym workouts can attest to his drive… but his ability to just pound the ball so far and also have the finesse to wedge the ball close… it’s frightening. The combination of distance and proximity from close range is usually enough on its own for him to contend, but when he has a decent week with the putter, he’s near unbeatable. It is on the greens where Johnson can sometimes look out of his element, but this week he made more than enough to dominate. Sitting 12th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting was enough to help him towards a shellacking of the field. And then of course there are times he doesn’t even need a putter. His hole out eagle from 171 yards on the 72nd hole was a big reminder that while the 20-somethings on the PGA TOUR have been getting plenty of worthy praise, Johnson is still the top dog in town. 2. Johnson says he isn’t focused on rankings. He claims the fact he moved to second in the FedExCup and back to No. 1 in the world rankings was just a byproduct of what he really loves. Winning. And he’s done plenty of that. Now an 18-time PGA TOUR winner, Johnson is in heady territory. Since World War II, there has now been 30 players win that many TOUR events with at least one major among them. A whopping 28 of them are in the Hall of Fame. The other two are Tiger Woods and Johnson. It’s a fair bet they’re heading there. Johnson has made a habit of winning. He’s won at least once in all 11 seasons he’s been on TOUR. And since his 2016 U.S. Open win, he’s won nine times (22.5 percent) – the most on TOUR in that span. His 22 Top-10s in the same period are also the most on TOUR and represent 55 percent of his starts. In stroke play events in that period he has spent a TOUR-leading 50 rounds inside the top-5 on the leaderboard. And to round things out, he’s spent 57 weeks inside the Top-5 of the FedExCup standings (second most). 3. Andrew Putnam may not have had the Sunday he was after in his showdown with Johnson, but importantly he held on to finish runner up – the best finish of his career. His impressive 67-64-64 start to the tournament had him stuck to Johnson like a fly when everyone expected a walkover. A double bogey to open the final round might have been nerves, but it was also a necessary learning curve. Next time he’s in that position, the 29-year-old will be better prepared. He struggled in his rookie season on TOUR back in 2015 with just two top-25s in 23 starts, sending him back to the Web.com Tour. He’s a two-time winner there, including last season to get back to the big stage. This time around he’s used his experience and already has six top-25s in 19 starts, including this runner up and two further top-10s to sit 49th in the FedExCup and headed for the Playoffs. 4. It’s been a rather tough year by J.B. Holmes’ standards since he was fourth at the Farmers Insurance Open. Having copped a lot of criticism on Sunday at Torrey Pines for his pace of play on the 72nd hole, Holmes seemingly didn’t respond well. His best finish in the 12 starts afterwards was a T32 and he missed five cuts in that span. But something seems to have clicked again for the four-time TOUR winner. A T13 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and a deep finish yesterday to be third in Memphis has Holmes trending. He’s not in the U.S. Open but perhaps keep a keen eye on him in coming starts. 5. Speaking of the U.S. Open, plenty of players certainly grabbed some momentum in Memphis. Johnson of course now goes to Shinnecock with tremendous confidence. Phil Mickelson rebounded from a dreadful third round to post 65 on Sunday and move to T12, perhaps finding something as he chases the elusive national title and career slam. Mickelson has six runner up finishes at the U.S. Open. Steve Stricker, Henrik Stenson and defending champion Brooks Koepka also showed flashes of play that could prove very useful this week and beyond. Memphis has long been a great lead-in to the U.S. Open and now will take its new place as a World Golf Championship in a new slot for next season. Already, TPC Southwind has more hole outs than any other course. With the top players in the world all lining up… it will be even better. FIVE INSIGHTS 1. A whopping 71 percent of Johnson’s total strokes gained for the week were a result of his performance off the tee and approach to the green. He gained 3.71 strokes per round in these two categories combined. 2. Johnson averaged over 23 yards longer off the tee than the field average. His overall performance off the tee was +1.250 strokes per round in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. The longest drive of the week came from Johnson on the par-4 13th hole in the final round, measuring 359 yards. It was 16 yards longer than the next best drive on that hole all week. With 12, Johnson hit the most drives 330 yards or longer of any player. 3. Johnson shot a final-round 4-under 66, marking his 45th final round of 4-under par or better since 2008. It is the most of any player on TOUR in that span, besting Matt Kuchar by one and Phil Mickelson and Charles Howell III by two. Johnson is now nine of 16 when holding the lead or a share of it through 54 holes. 4. Stewart Cink (T4) collected his first top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR since last year’s FedEx St. Jude Classic (T10). 5. No player has won the U.S. Open the week after winning on the PGA TOUR. Johnson will try to defy that history.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The roars were never louder. Tiger Woods won his fifth Masters on Sunday in dramatic fashion, taking the lead on the 15th hole and sending the patrons at Augusta National into a frenzy as they witnessed one of the game’s greatest players of all time claim his 15th major championship. “It’s overwhelming, just because of what has transpired,” Woods said. “Last year I was lucky to be playing again. At the previous year’s dinner, I was really struggling. I missed a couple of years not playing this great tournament. To now be the champion … 22 years between wins is a long time. It’s unreal to experience this.” Woods had never come from behind to win a major. Until Sunday. It was also Woods’ 81st PGA TOUR victory and his first since winning the TOUR Championship to end last season. Here’s a hole-by-hole look at Woods’ final round. RELATED: Final leaderboard | What’s in Tiger’s bag? | Tales of Tiger’s equipment Tiger hole-by-hole (Round 4) ROUND 4 STATS: 10 of 14 fairways hit, 15 of 18 greens in regulation, 32 putts 18 (465 yards, par 4): Tiger fits his tee shot between the trees, and it leaks just into the second cut. He has a two-shot lead, so he only needs a bogey to win. His second shot knicks a tree limb, though, and falls short and right of the green. He’ll have to get down in three from about 50 yards away. He pitches safely to 10 feet and his par putt just slides by the hole. The stage is clear for Woods, and he taps in for his 15th major championship and fifth Masters title. It’s also his 81st PGA TOUR victory, leaving him one short of Sam Snead’s record. (Overall: 13 under, winner)   17 (440 yards, par 4): Tiger is in complete control. Another tee shot down the middle of the fairway and an approach shot safely onto the green. Woods hit his approach shot to 10 feet, then two-putted for par to take a two-shot lead to the final hole. (Overall: 14 under, solo leader) 16 (170 yards, par 3): Tiger, now the solo leader of the Masters, takes advantage of the traditional Sunday hole location, hitting an 8-rion within 3 feet of the hole. He makes the birdie putt. TWO. SHOT. LEAD. (Overall: 14 under, solo leader) 15 (530 yards, par 5): Tiger’s strong driving continues with another high fade into the fairway. He hit the middle of the green with a 217-yard approach. The two-putt gives Tiger Woods his first solo lead of the week. He’s 13 under, one shot ahead of three players. (Overall: 13 under, solo leader) 14 (440 yards, par 4): A high power-cut finds the fairway, leaving Tiger just 157 yards to the hole. He hits it 15 feet left of the flag, just left of a slope that would have funneled his ball closer to the hole. Woods watches as the slick birdie putt slides by the hole, but he taps in for par to stay in a share of the lead with Xander Schauffele and Francesco Molinari. (Overall: 12 under, tied for the lead) 13 (510 yards, par 5): Tiger is tied for the lead! He slips at impact, but his tee shot still finds the fairway. He’s left with just 161 yards. He misread the wind, but he’ll have a 30-footer for eagle. He two-putts for birdie to reach 12 under and tie Xander Schauffele and Francesco Molinari for the lead. (Overall: 12 under, tied for the lead)  12 (155 yards, par 3): After his par on 11, Tiger is second up on the 12th. They have to wait for the group ahead of them to putt out, though. Woods hits his tee shot safely on the left side of the green after Molinari’s tee shot hits into the bank and rolls into the water. Tony Finau follows Woods into the water. After a lengthy wait while they took their drops, Woods lags his 51-foot birdie putt about 6 feet short of the hole. Woods makes it to tie the lead for the first time this week. There are seven players separated by a shot. (Overall: 11 under, tied for lead) 11 (505 yards, par 4): Tiger blasts driver well right of the trees, but he has a clearing through the trees. He blasts a low draw onto the green from 178 yards, leaving himself a downhill, 30-footer putt. He burns the edge, but two-putts for par. A good recovery. (Overall: 11 under, two shots behind) 10 (495 yards, par 4): Woods starts the second nine alone in second place, just one stroke behind Francesco Molinari. He takes fairway wood off the tee, trying to bend a draw around the corner. Woods leaves his shot out to the right, though, and his ball comes to rest in the pine straw. He’s 213 yards from the hole, but his ball is behind a magnolia tree. Pitching out is his only option. He still has 170 yards remaining for his third shot, which he hits to the back fringe. He two-putts for just his second bogey on the back nine this week, ending a streak of 19 straight bogey-free holes on that half of the golf course. (Overall: 11 under, two shots behind) FRONT 9 STATS: 4 of 7 fairways hit, 8 of 9 greens in regulation, 16 putts 9 (par 4, 460 yards): Tiger’s 288-yard drive is nicely placed, down the right side of the fairway, leaving him a nice angle on the dogleg left hole. From 168 yards, his approach brings a smile – of disgust – as his ball ends up at the back of the green on a front pin. Length of his birdie putt? 70 feet. No worries, as he judges it perfectly, aiming it right toward the fringe and letting it roll down toward the hole. A tap-in par and a sigh of relief. Molinari follows with another critical par to maintain the lead at the turn. (Overall: 12 under, one shot behind) 8 (par 5, 570 yards): His 310-yard drive is drifting right, but crisis averted as it finishes in the second cut with a nice lie. Much better than Molinari, who landed in the bunker. From 258 yards away, Tiger pulls the 5-wood and it comes out hot. “That may be on the next tee box,â€� he jokes as the ball rumbles past the green. From behind the green, near a camera tower, Woods chips back onto the green, leaving him 7 feet for birdie. But before his attempt, Molinari rolls in on his own birdie. Tiger matches him to stay within reach. (Overall: 12 under, one shot behind) 7 (par 4, 450 yards): The winds start to gust as Tiger steps up to the tee, so he backs off to reset. It’s a wise move, as his drive travels 296 yards and split the fairway. With 146 to the pin, Tiger’s approach is perfect – above the pin, with the ball rolling back and just missing the hole on the right side. It’ll be an easy 2-foot birdie, and with Molinari off the green and short of the right bunker, this could be a pivotal hole. When Molinari misses his 11-foot par save, it’s the first time in 50 holes he’s suffered a bogey (the second longest streak in Masters history) and the first time in 20 attempts all week he’s failed to successfully scramble. Tiger then taps in for birdie and the two-shot swing. (Overall: 11 under, one shot behind) 6 (par 3, 180 yards): Tiger gets a much-needed spark with a terrific tee shot that hits short of the pin and stays on the shelf, giving him a look at birdie from 11 feet. But his putt dies off to the right, and after he taps in for birdie, he stares at the hole and the lost opportunity. With Molinari successfully scrambling again for par, the potential two-shot swing turns into a par push. (Overall: 10 under, three shots behind) 5 (par 4, 495 yards): In each of the first three rounds, Tiger’s drive at this renovated hole found the left-side bunker, setting up bogey each day. This time, it’s a little victory, as his 278-yard drive stays in the fairway this time while both of his playing partners scatter the gallery on the right. Tiger leans on his approach from 219 yards but his ball stays right, finding the green but on the other side of the ridge from the pin, 39 feet away. It’s a difficult birdie putt, and Tiger’s ball finishes 11 feet away past the pin. His par save slides by on the left, and he suffers his fourth bogey of the week at this hole. Meanwhile, Molinari successfully scrambles for the 18th time this week to extend his lead to three shots. (Overall: 10 under, three shots behind) 4 (par 3, 240 yards): His tee shot is on-line but is a club short and ends up rolling off the front of the green, with the pin in the back 31 yards away. Tiger’s chip leaves him 10 feet short of the pin, and his par putt clips the right side. The bogey gives back the shot he gained on the previous hole and halts the momentum. (Overall: 11 under, two shots behind) 3 (par 4, 350 yards): Like Molinari, Tiger opts for a long iron off the tee to take the bunkers out of play. His downhill wedge shot from 126 yards draws cheers, as it stops pin-high left, 8 feet away. He’s the only one of his group to find the green in regulation, and it pays off, as he buries the tricky fast birdie putt to move within one shot of Molinari’s lead. “It’ll be an interesting chess match to see who blinks first,â€� says CBS’ Peter Kostis of Tiger vs. Molinari. (Overall: 12 under, one shot behind) 2 (par 5, 575 yards): Tiger’s first use of driver on the day doesn’t go well, as his 245-yard tee shot sails into the pine straw on the left side under the trees. Perhaps a bit fortunate, he’s got an uphill opening to punch out into the fairway, leaving him 217 yards for this third. He asks for it to get up “a littleâ€� but it’s about a yard short of optimal. The ball bounces onto the green, but he’s left with a 59-foot birdie putt. His lengthy attempt offers a wide berth around the left side of the hole, and he rolls in the 6-footer to save par. With Molinari and Finau missing their birdie attempts, Tiger must feel like he got away with one after the poor drive. (Overall: 11 under, two shots behind) 1 (par 4, 445 yards): Tiger tees off last in his group, and not surprisingly draws the biggest cheers. With 3-wood again off the tee – he wants to avoid the bunkers on the right – his 277-yard drive ends up on the left side of the fairway. His second finishes 27 feet on the front part of the green, but his aggressive birdie attempt slides by on the left side. A stress-free par start. (Overall: 11 under, two shots behind) Tiger pre-round notes A few fun facts entering Sunday’s final round: Woods enters his round at 11 under. Each time he’s been 11 under or better through 54 holes at Augusta National, he’s won (2005/-11, 2002/-11, 2001/-12, 1997/-15) His 205 score (11 under) marks his best opening 54-hole total since 2005 (74-66-65—205), his last of four Masters wins. Seeks his fifth Masters title and 15th major championship victory while chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record in both (Masters/6, Majors/18). A win Sunday would be his 81st on the PGA TOUR, one shy of Sam Snead’s all-time record. At No. 12 in the Official World Golf Ranking, he’s the highest-ranked former champion in the field At 43 years, 3 months, 14 days on Sunday, would become the second-oldest winner: Jack Nicklaus/1986 (46 years, 2 months, 23 days) Would become the seventh player in his 40s to win the Masters (Jack Nicklaus/46/1986, Ben Crenshaw/43/1995, Gary Player/42/1978, Sam Snead/41/1954, Mark O’Meara/41/1998, Ben Hogan/40/1953) Ranks T2 in Greens in Regulation with 43/54 behind Thorbjorn Olesen (45/54). Best finish in five starts this season came in last start – T5/WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.  

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The field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard this week is stacked. Led by world No. 1 Jon Rahm, who currently has golf odds of +800 to win, and also featuring three more from the world top six in Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler and 2018 champion Rory McIlroy, the tournament sets up to be a special one. Additionally, the Bay Hill Club & Lodge just outside of Orlando, Florida has been compared to major championship courses given its thick rough, difficult greens and sometimes windy conditions. Given all that, it takes a special talent to beat the rest of the field and hold the trophy come Sunday evening. So, one would expect the betting action to be on an established player, who probably has experience winning other tournaments on the PGA TOUR. That is not the case. Will Zalatoris, who is just 25 and doesn’t have a PGA TOUR win to his name, is generating the earliest action at the BetMGM online sportsbook. As of Tuesday morning, Zalatoris, who has golf odds of +2500 to win, is pulling in 8.5% of the tickets and 14% of the handle, both of which are the most in the field. Believe it or not, it is easy to see why. The Wake Forest product has made three starts in the 2022 calendar year and has finished tied for sixth, second, and 26th. The second-place finish was a playoff loss to Luke List at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a course that has hosted multiple U.S. Opens. Over his short career, which is just 41 events, Zalatoris has two second-place finishes, 10 top-10 finishes, and 18 top-25 finishes. Clearly, he’s a special talent and is due for a win and that has been a trend of late on TOUR. There have been four first-time winners over the last five weeks, including Sepp Straka at the Honda Classic last week. Zalatoris can also fall back on a solid week at his only other Arnold Palmer Invitational appearance last year when he finished tied for 10th. Current Handle & Tickets Handle: Will Zalatoris – 14% Rory McIlroy – 10% Sungjae Im – 7.9% Viktor Hovland – 6.4% Hideki Matsuyama – 5.8% Tickets: Will Zalatoris – 8.5% Hideki Matsuyama – 6.8% Viktor Hovland – 6.0% Rory McIlroy – 5.8% Jon Rahm – 4.4% Rahm has seen his odds go from +900 to +800, while Im has seen the biggest movement, going from +3000 to +2500. Some other notable golf odds to win include McIlroy +1100, Hovland +1600, and Scheffler +1600. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau withdrew from the event on Monday due to a hand injury. A good mix of players – both long and short hitters – have won the event in the past, with winning scores typically being in the low double-digits under par. An exception was in 2019 when Tyrell Hatton had a winning score of -4, as the tournament was played in extremely windy conditions. You can view updated golf odds for the Arnold Palmer Invitational winner, top American finisher, wire-to-wire winner, and more at the BetMGM online sportsbook. * Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada.

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