Our third annual ranking of the biggest names in sports

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Here are nine tidbits from the third round of the Genesis Open that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Even Money Bubba Watson, the 54-hole leader after his 65 (-6) in Round 3 in 2018, also won this event in 2014 and 2016. After surviving the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game last night, the lefty opened with eagle 3 at the first hole and never looked back. His 65 was tied second-best total in Round 3. When making the cut at Riviera, he’s never finished worse than T17 in six other tries so I wouldn’t expect a regression tomorrow. He held the 54-hole lead by one here in 2016 and held off Dustin Johnson and a crew of others so he knows how to close the deal. Cameron, Champ Cameron Champ was the 2018 Charley Sifford Memorial Exemption for this week but missed the cut. Cameron Tringale missed the cut for the first time in eight tries. Australian Cameron Smith matched Watson’s 65 and moved up 12 spots to T3. This is his third consecutive year at Riviera and his last two rounds are his best of the 11 he’s played. He’ll begin Sunday two shots out of the lead after his second bogey-free round this week (Round 1). He’ll lean on his short game and the good vibes from his win at the Australian PGA in December. Na or Never It’s been awhile for Kevin Na, 2011 to be exact, since his last trip to the winner’s circle. He was up for the fight in Round 3 as he posted 67 (-4) that included an eagle to open and a double bogey-bogey combo on the back nine. He persevered with two birdies and three pars in his final five holes and it also just two back. Na is looking to improve on his T4 from last year and to pick up his first top 10 since the Dell Technologies Championship last Labor Day. Former Winners Dustin Johnson shot 64, again, just like he did in Round 3 last year, and posted the lowest round of the day. Gamers are rejoicing as he was the most-selected player in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO and the most-selected player in PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO. After moving up 45 spots to T8, he’ll probably need one more 64 to defend his title but WE HAVE HOPE, PEOPLE! … Aaron Baddeley won the 2011 edition as Kevin Na and Fred Couples joined him in the final group. He’s also T8 after a 68-67 Friday-Saturday combo. … Two-time champ Phil Mickelson moved up 13 spots to T13 after 67. He’s looking to paint the top 10 for the third consecutive week for the first time since 2009. … James Hahn, the dragon slayer in the playoff from 2015, sits T16. That Watson guy is doing well too… Moving Day Canadian Adam Hadwin tweeted … that he was packed up and ready to go home before sliding into the weekend on the number after 70-74. He took advantage of his second wind and signed for 66, moving up 44 spots to T20. Pro gamers will point out he was one of Rob Bolton’s Sleepers this week and that he’s never finished worse than T34 in three prior starts. … Talor Gooch has been in this column plenty a few times already as the rookie has posted eight cuts in 10 tries. His 67 pushed him up 33 to T20 as he looks to improve on his best finish of the season, T16. Moving Day: Wrong Way After plaudits for Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Austin Cook yesterday, I’m forced to backtrack. The Spaniard fired 73 to drop from T10 to T37 and Cook matched his score and his drop, as he moved from T15 to T42. You’re on your own tomorrow! … Martin Kaymer had one of the three, bogey-free rounds after 36 holes. He made up for lost time today with six squares and a 75, dropping 39 spots to T54. … Chez Reavie couldn’t stop the bleeding after a 76 in Round 2 as he threw up a pair of hockey sticks (77) in Round 3 and currently sits last. Finding Rory After completing two rounds in the circus with Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas and lurking at T15, McIlroy couldn’t get anything going in Round 3. His 73 included only half of the fairways and half of the greens as he slid 10 shots out of the lead (T42). He scrambled at just over 55 percent but was only successful once from four tries in the bunker. He lost strokes on the poa annua greens for the third day in a row as well. I’m hoping the earlier tee time and frustration push him to air it out Sunday. He stays in my lineup. Study Hall Morgan Hoffmann withdrew during Round 2 but no reason has been given. Hoffmann announced that he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy late in 2017 but has been playing a full, normal schedule. Stay tuned. … Haotong Li aced No. 6 and the sponsor exemption is currently T26. If you’re not familiar with him, don’t be last to the party. … There are eight players who have made five bogeys or less thru 54 holes. Of those eight players, seven reside T8 or better. The outlier is T13. Par is a good score this week!

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Throughout time, La Quinta, California, has been a destination for golfers from all walks of life to find their games in the heart of winter. It’s a fact that includes PGA TOUR membership as it descends on the Coachella Valley for the 60th edition of the Desert Classic. With receptive greens tipping at a friendly 11 feet on the Stimpmeter, the TPC Stadium Course at PGA WEST, the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST and La Quinta Country Club will be co-hosting another shootout. Scroll beneath the ranking for information about the courses, the tournament format and other details. Zach Johnson, Si Woo Kim, Pat Perez, Joaquin Niemann and Daniel Berger will be among the notables covered in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. The Desert Classic hosts the first of three 156-man fields on the West Coast Swing. Fields are maximized to yield playing time for members deeper in the overall pecking order. To accommodate membership at this latitude in mid-January, multiple courses are utilized for each. Every professional is paired with one amateur this week, and each duo is grouped with another pro-amateur pairing for each of the first three rounds. Every foursome will play each course in the rotation one time before the 54-hole cut of low 70 and ties. If more than 78 pros survive, only the low 60 and ties will tee it up in the final round on the TPC Stadium Course. (In that situation, those who survive the cut but finish outside the top 60 will receive FedExCup points and official earnings.) This is the fourth consecutive edition of the Desert Classic that has utilized the current trio of courses. All three are stock par 72s. Unlike previous combinations, La Quinta Country Club is now the easiest of the set; in fact, it was the easiest among all par 72s on the PGA TOUR in each of the last two seasons. Last year’s scoring average was 68.831. The Nicklaus Tournament Course slotted second-easiest at 69.445. The TPC Stadium Course checked in at 71.181 last year. Because only host courses are lasered by ShotLink technology, it will be the only course this week that will measure distances that contribute to statistics such as distance of all drives, proximity to the hole and all strokes-gained data. There haven’t been any modifications to any of the courses and all returning participants can rely on consistent overseeding on all 54 greens. Two-inch primary rough also will be framing the targets on each. After the threat of inclement weather moves out on Thursday, conditions will improve to the proverbial golf-in-a-dome experience. Light winds the daytime highs flirting with 70 degrees are forecast. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done

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