Phil Mickelson has never won this major but has won four times at Pebble Beach — including earlier this year — offering him hope for that elusive victory.
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ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – It was past 8 p.m. as Rory McIlroy made the eastward turn toward St. Andrews’ final hole, walking out of the shadows cast by the Old Course Hotel and toward an expanse of grass bathed in the golden light of a summer’s dusk. He’d just made an unlikely birdie on the Old Course’s most penal hole, the one that forces players to overcome both a blind tee shot lined with O.B. and an approach shot over a sand-filled pit. Playing so late into the evening is a unique aspect of The Open, and McIlroy has had some memorable moments among the overserved Open galleries following him on a Friday night. Three years ago, his countrymen tried to cheer him to the weekend in the Open’s return to Northern Ireland, a tournament whose significance extended far beyond golf. The outpouring of love from a country where he hadn’t resided for years nearly brought him to tears. Similar roars could be heard Friday in St. Andrews. They chanted McIlroy’s name and stomped their feet in the grandstands behind the 17th green after he made his 25-foot birdie putt. McIlroy was in contention this time, though, just three shots off the lead. It’s hard to not get romantic during times like these, as the setting sun performed alchemy on these ancient stone buildings, turning them from grey to gold. The grandstands couldn’t fit all the interested observers who wanted to see him finish his round. They packed the road that runs down the right side of the 18th hole, watched from rooftop balconies and open windows. McIlroy couldn’t author the perfect finish for the partisan crowd, making par on the pedestrian finishing hole, but he still has two more rounds to author a story befitting golf’s spiritual home. Five hours earlier, McIlroy had doffed his cap in a show of respect directed at Tiger Woods as Woods walked down St. Andrews’ finishing hole for what may be the final time. Only Augusta National has played a role in Woods’ career that can rival the importance of St. Andrews to his legacy. He won twice here by a combined 13 shots, completing the career Grand Slam with his 2000 victory. Woods calls St. Andrews his favorite course in the world. Players compete for myriad reasons, but only a select few have the privilege of playing for legacy. They compete with the knowledge that their accomplishments will be remembered for generations, serving as inspiration and worthy of enshrinement. Players must win multiple majors and dozens of TOUR titles to be a member of this class. Only Woods, when his body allows him to play, competes with a greater awareness of his lasting impact than McIlroy. And so it would be fitting if McIlroy, two days after showing deference to the greatest player in this year’s Open, were to walk down St. Andrews’ 18th hole to a similar reception. “You could feel the warmth and you could feel the people from both sides,” Woods said. Friday’s raucous roars would simply serve as an appetizer for the reception that McIlroy would receive with a win Sunday, following the footsteps of European legends like Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo in crossing the Swilcan Bridge en route to lifting the Claret Jug. Bobby Jones said that a player must win at St. Andrews to truly be considered great. There’s a bit of hyperbole to that statement. Players get so few opportunities to play an Open at St. Andrews that many of the best players in the game’s history lack that line item in their otherwise gilded resumes. Greatness is McIlroy’s lone concern at this point in his career. At 33, he’s already a Hall of Famer. Majors are the only metric by which his career will be judged. He has four, but it’s been eight years since his last one. He still has time to win more than any other European. Faldo holds the modern record with six, while Harry Vardon won seven before World War I. After shooting 66-68 this week, McIlroy will start the second half of The 150th Open in third place, three shots behind leader Cameron Smith (67-64) and one back of TOUR rookie Cameron Young (64-69). McIlroy is tied with Viktor Hovland and they’re one ahead of Dustin Johnson. Scottie Scheffler, the man who sits atop the world ranking and FedExCup standings, lurks at 8 under. Earlier this week, McIlroy said the Old Course is playing “fiddly.” Scores may be low, and rounds long, because the modern game may be more than the Old Course can handle but it has put up an admirable fight and produced a hearty list of contenders because it only allows players who can produce a variety of shots to succeed. McIlroy said he isn’t concerned with the names who stand atop major leaderboards, even if they are THE PLAYERS champion, a two-time major winner, the world No. 1 or some of the game’s rising stars. “You just look at where you are on the leaderboard,” McIlroy said. “It doesn’t matter what name is beside the 13 under.” That may be true for McIlroy, who is in the heat of competition, but the quality of this leaderboard is fitting for a course and tournament that is so important to the game’s history. Woods’ walk down 18 on Friday will be remembered for years if it is indeed the close of his career at St. Andrews. McIlroy’s same steps on Sunday may be memorable, as well. Legacies are made at St. Andrews.
Here are nine tidbits from the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte has been the host since the creation of the event in 2003 and plays 7,544 yards to a Par-71. The 2017 WFC was played at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, NC. Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 picked golfers in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. With swirling winds and tricky pin positions, John Peterson holds the lead alone after posting 65 (-6). Only 33 players are in red figures and only three of them occupy the list above. McIlroy is the low-man of the group with 68 followed by Finau and Day with 69. People’s Choice Rickie Fowler was the clear choice this week by gamers by almost 20 percent. While I don’t think that is a wrong decision, I’m curious how McIlroy was the THIRD choice here. Fowler, who defeated McIlroy and D.A. Points in a playoff here in 2012 to win on TOUR for the first time, hasn’t won this season but was coming off a back-door runner up at the Masters. Fowler hit 14-of-18 greens and was seventh in proximity yet only made one birdie against two bogeys for 72 (T59). If his putter warms up, he’ll be fine, so he’s sticking in my lineup. The Landlord The THIRD choice this week is the guy who holds the tournament record (-21), the course record TWICE (62, 2010; 61, 2015) and is the only multiple champ at this event. Rory McIlroy only hit four of 14 fairways but managed 14 of 18 GIR. He birdied all three par fives and had the putter rolling (T22, SG: putting) for his 68 (T7). On the Prowl He hasn’t visited Quail Hollow Club since 2012 (MC) but the 2007 champion Tiger Woods gave his investors hope in Round 1 with 71 (E). The one aspect I’ve taken away from Woods in this latest comeback is the tracks he is playing. Plain and simple, they’re not easy. I haven’t seen THAT nine holes yet where he’s circling birdies for fun. He’s grinding and, just as I predicted in my preview, is frustrated with the greens, their grain and speed. He finished No. 119 in SG: putting and yet is T34. Not the Norm, Peterson Texan John Peterson made back-to-back eagles late in Round 1 to post 65 (-6) and a two-shot lead. He was the second player to have back-to-back eagles on the day but the only one leading. Playing on a Major Medical Exemption, Peterson has only eight events this season to earn 274 FedExCup points to keep his full privileges. After playing five events he’s earned 20 of those 274 so a big result this week would go a very long way. Defending Champions The event defending champion is Brian Harman who won last year at Eagle Point Golf Club. Harman leads the TOUR in top-10 finishes this year so if you didn’t know that he didn’t win on this track last year, you’ve still picked a good one. He posted 72 and is T59. … The last player to win on this track at the 2017 PGA Championship was Justin Thomas. He sits T79 as he only found 10 GIR and checked in at 102nd in SG: putting. Gamers won’t like to hear that Round 2 is his worst scoring average of the four this season. He’ll need something positive to avoid missing his second straight weekend. Home Cookin’ Charlotte resident Johnson Wagner (T2) also made back-to-back eagles and added a birdie as he played his first six holes in five-under-par. He gave a couple back on “The Green Mile” (Holes Nos. 16-18) before playing the front in one-under 34. His 67 was his second best loop here in 33 rounds proving that home court advantage doesn’t mean much. His best finish in the previous 11 tries is T28. Shock and Awe There are six players that are four-under or better after Round 1. Quail Hollow Club annually plays as one of the most difficult on TOUR so riddle me this: Study Hall The only two bogey-free rounds were turned in by Keegan Bradley (68) and Sam Burns (69). … Patrick Reed (71) didn’t make any birdies either but did have a double bogey. … Round 1 played 72.883 (+1.883). … Andrew Landry, winner at the Valero Texas Open two weeks ago, WD after Round 1 with an illness. … Martin Piller was a last-minute WD last week as he was headed home for the birth of his first child. He’s back playing this week but the #NappyFactor stork must have missed his house as he posted 75.
Harris English … Those who survive the gut check of qualifying for the FedExCup Playoffs with timely success at the Wyndham Championship – as he did with a T11 to open the 2018 Playoffs as the 124-seed – present as intriguing storylines as soon as the next season commences. The 29-year-old has responded admirably to his latest lease on PGA TOUR playing privileges. He’s 7-for-7 in 2018-19, albeit with only one top-35 finish. It’s a stark departure from the disappointment of last season when he missed 20 of 31 cuts, and he’s in position to perform well again. He’s perfect in six appearances at Torrey Pines with three top 15s, including playoff loss in 2015. Last year’s T8 is his best finish in a non-additional event in his last 63 starts overall. He also comes having beaten par in his last 12 rounds, his longest such streak since he connected 20 in a row to bridge the holiday break of the 2013-14 season. J.J. Spaun … Can’t forget about this guy, especially in the event nearest his college stomping grounds at San Diego State University. The comfortable climes have been kind as he’s gone T9-T23 in his pair of appearances since debuting as a PGA TOUR rookie in 2017. He arrives this week having survived 12 straight cuts since August. Four went for a top-15 finish, two of which a T3. Although he scales to just five feet, nine inches, the 28-year-old holds his own off the tee while setting the standard in terms of precision tee to green. When considering a locale for his putter to catch fire, there’s no place like home. Rory Sabbatini … The 42-year-old born in South Africa made news recently for becoming a citizen of Slovakia. However, he’s made noise throughout his career at Torrey Pines. In 13 appearances since 2002, he’s rattled off two top fives among seven top 25s, including a T14 in 2017. En route to last year’s T20, he led the field in fairways hit and co-led in par-4 scoring. Ranked inside the top 25 in par-5 scoring in each of the last two completed seasons. Sam Burns … Casual fans are likely to remember him bettering Tiger Woods, 68-70, in the final round of The Honda Classic last year – going bogey-free no less – to finish T8. Heck, hardcore fans will recall that rare opportunity and execution as well, but they’ll also understand that it was anything but fluky. Although he doesn’t qualify as a rookie by definition this season, the 22-year-old is a first-time PGA TOUR member as a Web.com Tour graduate. He ranked third in the all-around on the developmental circuit in 2018 and led in putts per GIR, putting: birdies-or-better percentage and par-3 scoring. He’s fresh off a T18 at the Desert Classic where he finished T2 in fewest putts (100) and T3 in one-putt percentage. With length to give off the tee and supreme confidence with the flat stick, it’s not out of the realm of consideration that he’ll be smiling once again with Woods nearby at Torrey Pines. Adam Svensson … The PGA TOUR rookie from Canada made a wave with an opening 61 at Waialae Country Club two weeks ago. He didn’t sustain the ride to finish T43, but he regrouped for a career-best T18 at the Desert Classic. Like numerous entrants in the Farmers field every year, he has experience on the South Course at Torrey Pines via the Junior World Championships. In fact, among his numerous appearances was a victory in the boys 15-17 division in 2010. Other notables in that field included Xander Schauffele (T21), Beau Hossler (T27), Brandon Stone (T27), Gavin Green (T31), recent Mauritius Open champ Kurt Kitayama (58th) and Bryson DeChambeau (MC). Experience never hurts, but positive experience isn’t universal. While he hasn’t flashed it enough this season to prove it, Svensson profiles as an above-average putter. NOTE: Sleeper is a relative term, so Rob uses unofficial criteria to determine who qualifies. Each of the following usually is determined to be ineligible for this weekly staple: Winners of the tournament on the current host course; winners in the same season; recent major champions; top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking; recent participants of team competitions.
