Perez extends lead with superb 64

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Lee Westwood clinched the Race to Dubai title to end a season as the European Tour's No. 1 player for the third time, at the age of 47, after a crazy finish to the DP World Tour Championship won in dramatic circumstances by Matt Fitzpatrick on Sunday. Westwood finished in second place outright on 14 under par after a 4-under 68 in his final round, which was enough to jump to the top of the Race to Dubai standings — but only after meltdowns by his rivals in the final holes at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Patrick Reed, seeking to become the first American to be Europe's top player, bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17 to drop out of contention for the Race to Dubai title. Then Laurie Canter double-bogeyed No. 17 and could only par the last, leaving Westwood alone in second. Fitzpatrick made par at No. 18 for a one-shot victory to win the Tour's season-ending event for the second time, after 2016, but Westwood was already celebrating a bigger prize after watching the final holes in the scoring hut with his girlfriend, who caddied for him as well. "It was a great finish," Westwood said. “I sat there watching it — it's always exciting this tournament, coming down the stretch and there’s always thrills and spills. "There was the Race to Dubai up for the grabs, the tournament. It was an exciting end to the year. It's hard to quantify." Westwood won what was formerly known as the Order of Merit title for the first time 20 years ago at Valderrama, and again in 2009 in Dubai. A former top-ranked player, Westwood is renowned for being one of the greatest golfers never to win a major but there’s no doubting his status as an elder stateman on the European Tour. Still a champion, too. And, he was reminded, almost a shoo-in now for a place in the European team for next year’s postponed Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. It would be his 11th appearance in golf’s biggest team event. "The Ryder Cup would be great if I got in again," Westwood said, before hesitating. “I would love to play again but at some point I'm hoping the captaincy will be offered to me. I would love to do that. "At certain times, you've got to move into different chapters of your life. It’s nice to watch these young kids play, they tear it up out there. I enjoyed the Ryder Cup last time out when I was vice-captain. It's a lot less pressure than having to hit the greens and hole the putts yourself." The baby-faced Fitzpatrick is one of those young guys, with the 26-year-old Englishman now a two-time winner of the DP World Tour Championship. He started the final round tied for the lead with Reed and Canter, and birdied the first four holes after some precise iron play to move into a three-shot lead. Reed managed to keep in touch courtesy of his short game that has been in great form all week, chipping in for birdie at the par-5 7th hole and again at No. 15 to move from a tie for third into outright second place, which would have been enough to win the Race to Dubai. However, he pushed a long par putt at No. 16 to drop out of the projected lead for the Race to Dubai — putting Fitzpatrick in it instead — and bogeyed par-3 17th, too, after finding a bunker off the tee. Chipping in from the fringe at No. 18 lifted Reed to third place alongside Viktor Hovland after a 70. They were two strokes behind Fitzpatrick, who knew a par at No. 18 would be enough to win the tournament, if not the Race to Dubai title. He pulled his tee shot into the rough, chipped back onto the fairway, and found the center of the green with his approach. He left himself a nervy 3-footer for par, but it was never in doubt. Fitzpatrick was full of praise for Westwood. "Lee is just the definition of the Tour, isn’t he?" he said. "Just a phenomenal player, and has been for so long now. I can’t speak highly enough of him."

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Those keeping a close watch on equipment coverage often take notice of gear made specifically “just for the” PGA TOUR or “tour issue.” It’s every gearhead’s dream to find a way to procure a tour-prototype or something directly off a truck. Every now and then, the equipment manufacturers will make those “tour-issue” projects available in limited quantities. This week, Titleist Master Craftsman Bob Vokey released the tour-favorite T-Grind wedge — featuring a low-bounce and a narrow crescent surface — via WedgeWorks, the company’s custom-order arm. “Wedge play is an art, and the T-Grind brings out the best in the artist,” Vokey explained. “The leading edge stays low to the playing surface as the wedge is rotated which allows you to hit a variety of shots from tight lies. This is the wedge that really made Vokey Grinds an important part of our process and still to this day is a great option.” Designed for players looking for a shallow angle of attack in firm conditions, the Vokey T-Grind lob wedges both feature in the bags of PGA TOUR stars Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Vokey Wedge representative Aaron Dill provides the lowdown on the new T-Grind: GolfWRX: What was the origin of the T-Grind? AARON DILL: “The T-grind started with the collaborative efforts of both Bob Vokey and Tom Pernice. Tom has an incredible short game and ability to articulate feedback that Bob trusts when designing and studying soles. Together they created the T; today one of the best low bounce offerings we have.” GolfWRX: Who is it for? DILL: “The T is a great low bounce option that caters to players wanting the ability to slide under the ball in the open position. The wedge fits firm conditions and firm bunkers, or players with impeccable technique who want the most versatility.” GolfWRX: What do Jordan and JT like about it? DILL: “Both Jordan and JT love this grind because it sits so close to the ground when open. This visual inspires confidence and gives them the freedom to be aggressive in every short game situation. “A great example of that was when Jordan was using a 60-04L — this wedge was in the bag for a while and the biggest adjustments we made to the wedge was in the profile reducing the par height to look slightly smaller and increase topline curvature. This profile was precisely the look Jordan needed to see to feel comfortable and it was my focus with every wedge I made. “One day at Trinity Forest, Jordan was working with coach Cameron McCormick and saw an old rusty wedge resting against the wall. When Jordan picked it up, he realized it was an old 60T that he has used ages ago. The moment this wedge was put in the playing position that old feeling came back. Jordan called me and said, ‘I have this old 60T in my hands. I just love this thing. Do you still make this wedge?’” The T-Grind features the same technology found in Vokey’s SM8 wedges, which includes a reimagined progressive CG pushed forward from the face for increased MOI designed to provide improved distance, trajectory control and better feel. The wedges also include 100%-inspected spin milled grooves that aim to produce maximum spin and shot control. The WedgeWorks T-Grind (RH only) is available for custom order in golf shops and on Vokey.com in both 58-degree and 60-degree lofts in Tour Chrome and Raw finishes. Each wedge costs $199, which includes custom stamping, custom ferrule, and custom shaft band options.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. and HONOLULU – The PGA TOUR and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) today announced a four-year extension of their official marketing partnership that will continue to promote the state’s golf and tourism industry through 2022. “January has become synonymous with amazing golf in Hawai‘i, with two PGA TOUR events and one PGA TOUR Champions event,� said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Corporate Partnerships. “Our members have long enjoyed spending time in the Hawaiian Islands at the beginning of the year. We are pleased to extend our relationship with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and to continue highlighting Hawai‘i as a golf paradise through our tournaments on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.�   The PGA TOUR traditionally opens the calendar year with two weeks in Hawai‘i: last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua on Maui, won by Dustin Johnson; and this week’s Sony Open in Hawai‘i in Honolulu on O‘ahu, where 2017 FedExCup champion Justin Thomas is defending his title. PGA TOUR Champions opens its season January 15-20 with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hual�lai on the island of Hawai‘I, won last year by Bernhard Langer, his first of seven victories on the season. All tournament rounds for the three events are televised by the Golf Channel. In addition to supporting these tournaments, HTA also uses golf media as a platform to showcase the Hawaiian Islands and their many recreational activities. TOUR players are filmed participating in their favorite off-the-course activities when they visit the state, in which golf fans will be able to see in PSAs throughout the season. “Hawai‘i’s sunny warmth and unmatched beauty always welcomes golf fans around the world to a new year of optimism with the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui, Sony Open in Hawai‘i and Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hual�lai,� said George D. Szigeti, President and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. “We thank PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan for his aloha and continued commitment to the Hawaiian Islands as a destination for hosting world-class golf, and we appreciate that our longstanding partnership will continue through 2022 with this new four-year agreement. The PGA TOUR and Hawai‘i are a perfect pairing for hosting a global sports showcase in combining a worldwide sports brand with an iconic tropical setting revered by travelers, especially at a time when people everywhere are bundled up from winter’s chill.� The sponsorship dates back to 2001 when the PGA TOUR and HTA, created by the state legislature to oversee Hawai‘i’s multi-billion tourism industry, aligned to highlight Hawai‘i’s professional golf tournaments as a marketing package that could serve as the promotional cornerstone for the state’s $1 billion golf industry. The first PGA TOUR tournament held in Hawai‘i was the 1965 Hawaiian Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, which was won by Gay Brewer. The first PGA TOUR Champions event in the state was held in 1987 at the Royal K�‘anapali Golf Club North Course, won by Orville Moody.  

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