Paradise found: Howell enjoys his time in Hawaii

2022 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Round 2 Top 10 win probabilities: 1. Hideki Matsuyama (1, -8, 32.9%) 2. Cameron Tringale (2, -7, 16.3%) 3. Joaquin Niemann (T5, -5, 8.5%) 4. Tommy Fleetwood (T5, -5, 7.2%) 5. Matt Wallace (T3, -6, 6.8%) 6. Brendan Steele (T3, -6, 5.9%) 7. Alex Noren (T7, -4, 3.8%) 8. Matt Jones (T7, -4, 2.8%) 9. Lanto Griffin (T7, -4, 2.7%) 10. Sebastian Munoz (T7, -4, 2.2%) Top Strokes-Gained Performers from Round 2: Putting: Patrick Reed +4.3 Around the Green: Webb Simpson +2.4 Approach the Green: Abraham Ancer +4.2 Off-the-tee: Charley Hoffman +1.9 Total: Mackenzie Hughes +6.2 NOTE: These reports are based off of the live predictive model run by @DataGolf. The model provides live “Make Cut”, “Top 20”, “Top 5”, and “Win” probabilities every 5 minutes from the opening tee shot to the final putt of every PGA TOUR event. Briefly, the model takes account of the current form of each golfer as well as the difficulty of their remaining holes, and probabilities are calculated from 20K simulations. To follow live finish probabilities throughout the remainder of the Shriners Children’s Open, or to see how each golfer’s probabilities have evolved from the start of the event to the current time, click here for the model’s home page.

Click here to read the full article…

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea — India’s rising star Shubhankar Sharma is keen to maintain his push for a PGA TOUR card and a spot on the Presidents Cup’s International Team when he tees up at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES starting on Thursday. The young Indian finished T10 at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia last weekend after entering the final round as the joint third-round leader, but the disappointment was quickly forgotten when South African legend Ernie Els, who  is captain of the Presidents Cup’s International Team, invited him for a nine-hole practice round here on Tuesday. It brought back great memories for Sharma, who was hand-picked by Els to hit shots during a golf clinic in New Delhi in 2008. He is now fired up to launch another strong run in this week’s event, which is the only PGA TOUR tournament in South Korea. “We were just chatting a lot about his life on TOUR,â€� said Sharma of his day with Els. “He said he’s so happy that kids like me are coming up now and that the International Team is actually looking really strong. I think he’s a great captain and definitely we’ll have a great team together.â€� He recalled travelling to Delhi Golf Club to watch the Indian Masters and remembers vividly what Els, a four-time major winner, told him during the clinic.  “I traveled a long way just to get to Delhi,â€� said Sharma. “I walked with Ernie in the first round and I think after the second round was when he had his clinic. I was one of the lucky ones to go up to him and say hi and then obviously hit a few shots with his 9‑iron. There was like a 100-yard board on the range and I hit both my shots, landed right next to the board. The crowd was clapping and it was quite a good moment for me.  “There were two or three kids before me who tried to hit it and they couldn’t really connect. It was his club, it was like a heavy 9-iron, so just to hit those two shots was very special and that made my day.â€� “And then Ernie gave me his card, he signed his card and gave it to me and he said, ‘You’ll be a good player one day, just keep working hard.’ So we were talking about it yesterday, and it’s always nice when I remember that day.â€� Els, who has competed in eight Presidents Cups, believes Sharma will contend for a place on his International Team.  “I played with Shubhankar, who’s had an incredible year. He’s won a few times around the world in one year and he’s only 22 years old,â€� said the 49-year-old.   “I wasn’t familiar that he was right behind me when we were hitting balls and we were talking about it. Those kind of stories doesn’t normally happen. You watch your hero play and you want be like him. It’s not many times (that) it comes to fruition,â€� added Els. “I had the same situation with Gary Player where I asked him for his autograph when I was a kid and he doesn’t even remember. But it made such an impact in my life, and it’s amazing how it translates in your mind and changes your life. It’s amazing how you can touch lives without even knowing.â€� With countryman and close friend Anirban Lahiri having played the last two Presidents Cups, Sharma has made it a goal for him to get to Royal Melbourne. “The next Presidents Cup is going to be huge with Ernie and Tiger (Woods) being the captains,â€� he said. “The International Team could have pulled off a great win in Korea (in 2015). It definitely ranks in the top three (goals) with the majors and with the WGCs. Playing the Presidents Cup would be a huge honor.â€� “Anirban has done it, and if both of us can make the team, that will be the icing on the cake. Obviously we’ll have more fans back home in India. We have more than a billion people in India, and maybe a few percent will follow the Presidents Cup if we do make it. I think it will be great for our country and for golf back in Asia.â€� Sharma contended in Malaysia last weekend before slipping back with a closing 72. As he is in the field at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES and also in next week’s World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, both with no halfway cuts, he is hoping to take a big step towards earning his PGA TOUR card via the non-member FedExCup points category. “Only good things, positives to take away from last week,â€� said Sharma, who got into this week’s field as the highest ranked player from the Asian Tour. “It’s always good when you’re in contention at a PGA TOUR event and I’ve been lucky enough to be in contention twice this year, leading after three days in both the tournaments. So I just want to take positives. “A top‑10 finish is never bad on the PGA TOUR even though I would have liked to be slightly higher than that, but I just want to take positives out of last week. I feel like my game’s in a good spot and I have two more weeks, this week and next week as well, so (I’ll) try and do my best and we’ll see how it goes,â€� said Sharma who finished T9 at the WGC-Mexico Championship in February.

Click here to read the full article…

Scottie Scheffler and Joaquin Niemann shot 62 in the second round at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier to move to the top of the leaderboard. Robby Shelton, the first-round leader, followed an opening 62 with a 65. They were at 13 under. Scheffler, a PGA TOUR rookie, won two Korn Ferry Tour events last season and finished as the season points leader. His bogey-free round Friday included 10 one-putt greens. Starting on the back nine, he birdied six of his first eight holes. RELATED: Tee times | Chappell’s historic round | New members came to play “I haven’t put myself in too many bad situations,” Scheffler said. “Just hoping to keep that going for the weekend. Pretty stress free so far.” The 20-year-old Niemann tied for fifth at the tournament in 2018. “It’s a really special place,” he said. “I have fun here.” Kevin Chappell was the story of the day at the Old White TPC. Last fall, Chappell was at home recuperating from back surgery. On Friday in his first PGA TOUR event since surgery, he had the 11th sub-60 round in TOUR history. Chappell shot an 11-under 59 in the second round at The Greenbrier. He missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth to fall a stroke short of Jim Furyk’s PGA TOUR record. “I was trying to keep the mindset, keep the foot on the gas and attack,” Chappell said. “All in all, couldn’t be happier with where I’m at.” A day after shooting a 71, Chappell opened with a par on No. 10, then birdied the next eight to make the turn in 28. He birdied No. 1 to tie the PGA TOUR record for consecutive birdies set by Mark Calcavecchia in the 2009 RBC Canadian Open, and got to 11 under with birdies on Nos. 5 and 7. Furyk set the record in 2016 with a 58 in the final round of the Travelers Championship. Chappell was 10 under for the tournament, three shots behind Scheffler, Niemann and Shelton. “Ten months ago I was on the couch and couldn’t walk,” Chappell said. “So many people had a lot to do with getting me back out here and getting me competitive. I haven’t accomplished a goal yet. While I can win the golf tournament, this is the step in the right direction.” It was the first sub-60 round on the PGA TOUR since Brandt Snedeker’s 59 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship. Stuart Appleby shot 59 at The Greenbrier in the final round to win by one stroke in its inaugural season in 2010. After his birdie at No. 7, Chappell saved par from 6 feet on the par-3 eighth and hit a 120-yard wedge into the ninth. He had 24 putts. After his surgery, Chappell didn’t play again competitively until last month on the Korn Ferry Tour. The 33-year-old former UCLA player had four-top 10 finishes during the 2018 PGA season. His lone tour win came at the 2017 Valero Texas Open. “I’d like to say I never stopped believing, but it’s always nice to see you can do it and have the evidence to move forward,” Chappell said. “We have a few shots to make up on the leaderboard this weekend and it’s going to take some good playing to win the golf tournament.” Adam Long was fourth at 12 under after a 62. Denny McCarthy followed an opening 72 with a 61 to get to 7 under. Under a rule change this season, the field was cut to the top 65 players plus ties instead of the top 70. Bryson DeChambeau, the No. 10 ranked player in the world, was at 2 under and missed the cut. Australian Marc Leishman withdrew with a back injury after shooting 76 in Thursday’s first round. According to the PGA TOUR, Leishman has four bulging disks that flare up occasionally. Leishman is on the International Team competing in the Presidents Cup in December.

Click here to read the full article…