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Shinnecock Hills is a hard act to follow, figuratively and literally, but if any course is capable, it’s Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland, host of The Open Championship. Indeed, if any of the 81 in the field at the 148th edition of the season’s third major who was victimized at the U.S. Open and is now digging in his heels in pursuit of the Claret Jug, Carnoustie is ready to remind the world that it’s right up there among the world’s most challenging tests. Beneath this full-field Power Rankings is more on the course that has co-hosted the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship since 2001, how to survive it and other trends that project success. Off since he finished third at Shinnecock Hills, so he’s poised to unleash that disappointment with a bevy of drivers at Carnoustie. With his precision, it could get silly for the World No. 1. As prepared as he can be. Solid record in The Open with a pair of top fives baked into a 7-for-8 slate. Three top fives and another three top 25s in his last six majors. It’s his time. A legitimate contender every time he plays. Four wins in last 19 starts worldwide. Third appearance at Carnoustie in The Open; T12 in 2007. Seventh(!) on TOUR in strokes gained: putting. Remember that the U.S. Open champ cut his professional teeth in Europe. Co-runner-up in the last of three appearances at the Dunhill Links in 2015. Still fresher than most since injury. Took two weeks off after coming out on top of a dynamite field at the Open de France. It’s one of five top-three finishes in 2018. Veteran of eight Dunhill Links appearances; three top 20s. He wasn’t ready for Shinnecock Hills, but it hasn’t deterred his long game. He bracketed the missed cut with T5s in Fort Worth and in France, and then added a T4 in Ireland. Will pound drivers. Last seen by U.S. fans racing home in 63 at Shinnecock Hills to finish alone in second place. Owns the course record at Carnoustie (63). Also 7-for-7 in the Dunhill Links. Not unfamiliar with Carnoustie, but has zero top 35s in seven starts at the Dunhill Links. Also facing challenge of long trip following his T2 in the Quad Cities, but in career-best form. The Race to Dubai leader – that’s not a typo – placed T23 in Scotland on Sunday. Chased his Masters breakthrough with a solo fourth at the U.S. Open. Potent combo of power and imagination. Rested since a co-runner-up finish at the Travelers. Only three finishes outside the top 20 anywhere in the last 13 months. The 11-time veteran of the Dunhill Links placed T27 at the 2007 Open. The 2015 champ at St. Andrews has five top 15s in his last six Opens. It makes sense given the test of grit and elements that cater to his wheelhouse. Top 20s in last three starts upon arrival. The only constant for the last year-plus is his inconsistency, relatively speaking, but it doesn’t mean he’s any less dangerous. Three-time runner-up of the Dunhill Links (2009, 2011, 2014). Relatively silent since runner-up finish at Trinity Forest, but that blend of barren land with a bit of wind is why he’s among the favorites at Carnoustie. Three top-six finishes in last three Opens. Winner of the last two Dunhill Links Championships. The Englishman also is surging after a T6-T16-T9 sprint from Shinnecock Hills to France to Scotland. T5 at the 2016 Open Championship. The hard-track specialist has four top 10s and another four top 25s in 2018, including a T25 at Shinnecock Hills. Benefited by only two par 5s. Winner of the 2012 Dunhill Links. Maybe the Nappy Factor is finally kicking in. After nearly three months of struggle, he’s finished T12 (Italy) and T8 (France) in last two starts. Playoff victim at the 2007 Open Championship. Has only one top 20 in seven Opens (T4 at St. Andrews in 2015), but he’d be hard to beat around and on the greens anywhere, including at Carnoustie. Two wins among four top fives in 2018. Seeks to turn the page on an eventful few weeks since the U.S. Open. Prior to it, he was crashing most leaderboards. The 2013 Open champion should enjoy and thrive on dried-out Carnoustie. The 25-year-old has yet to showcase a knack for links-style golf, but the only thing lacking is more experience to prove otherwise. Currently second in the FedExCup and Official World Golf Ranking. With his power and precision tee-to-green, he gets benefit of the doubt over relatively lackluster return from injury. Connected three top 20s through the U.S. Open. Three top 20s in five Opens. RANK PLAYER COMMENT POWER RANKINGS: THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP WILD CARD Jordan Spieth … Even though he’s the defending champion, he’s competing at Carnoustie for the first time and in a field that has exhibited much better form as a whole than he has over the last three months. Consider that he’s gone seven starts (since the back-door solo third at the Masters) without a top-20 finish. The drought includes a T41 at THE PLAYERS and a missed cut at the U.S. Open. When humming along as he has for the majority of his career, he should be a target on courses like this week’s that rewards guile and moxie, but in a week that favors bombers when he arrives without his A-game, it’d be surprising if he contends. NOTE: The remaining 135 golfers in the field of 156 are segregated as seen below. Those who competed professionally last week are noted. Of the 26 golfers who finished inside the top 25 at the 2017 Open Championship, 19 played the week prior. Champion Jordan Spieth did not, but the majority proves that sharpening the skill set immediately in advance was of value. CHALLENGERS If you’d prefer, label them as the snubs from the Power Rankings. Each could appear and few would argue. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (* – competed last week) *Ian Poulter Tony Finau *Russell Knox *Andy Sullivan Tiger Woods (2000/2005/2006 champ) Webb Simpson *Matthew Fitzpatrick *Charley Hoffman Keegan Bradley Xander Schauffele Henrik Stenson (2016 champ; nursing a sore elbow) *Rafa Cabrera Bello *Kiradech Aphibarnrat *Lee Westwood Kevin Na Adam Scott *Matt Kuchar *Ryan Moore Jimmy Walker Charl Schwartzel Brandt Snedeker *Louis Oosthuizen (2010 champ; withdrew during the first round of the Scottish Open with a sore right shoulder) SLEEPERS Because it’s a major, loosen the restraints as to who qualifies as a Sleeper. Ignore current world ranking, distant victories in majors and recent inclusion in team competition. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (* – competed last week; ^ – debutant) Thorbjørn Olesen *Ryan Fox Russell Henley Emiliano Grillo *Chris Wood *Peter Uihlein *Alexander Björk *Paul Dunne Anirban Lahiri *Thomas Pieters *Dylan Frittelli Byeong Hun An *^Matt Wallace *Matthew Southgate Jason Dufner *Julian Suri *^Jazz Janewattananond *Hao Tong Li *Nicolas Colsaerts *Grant Forrest QUESTION MARKS This cuts both ways. For golfers who have yet to scale to a position from which they can disappoint, they remain full of promise. On the other side of the ledger are talents, many of whom household names, who present negatively for any number of reasons. The doubt includes, but is not limited to, form upon arrival, course fit, history in majors, overall career trajectory and relative inexperience in the face of higher expectations. ARROW UP Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (* – competed last week; ^ – debutant) *^Luke List ^Patrick Cantlay *Eddie Pepperell Brian Harman *Danny Willett *Chesson Hadley *Brandon Stone *^Jorge Campillo Shane Lowry *^Austin Cook Bubba Watson ^Beau Hossler Stewart Cink Charles Howell III Gary Woodland *^Jess Dantorp Michael Hendry Retief Goosen *^Kelly Kraft *Matt Jones *^Andrew Landry ^Ryan Armour *^Bronson Burgoon Adam Hadwin Yuta Ikeda *^Gavin Green ^Shota Akiyoshi Tom Lewis Sang-Hyun Park ^Minchel Choi ^Abraham Ancer ^Danthai Boonma Shaun Norris Kodai Ichihara *^Michael Kim *Sung Kang Jason Kokrak *^Erik van Rooyen *Jack Senior ^Ryuko Tokimatsu ^Brady Schnell *^Ashton Turner ARROW DOWN Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (* – competed last week; ^ – debutant) *Ross Fisher Jhonattan Vegas Daniel Berger *Cameron Smith Kevin Kisner *Martin Kaymer *Kyle Stanley *Padraig Harrington *Bryson DeChambeau (withdrew during the opening round of the John Deere Classic with soreness in his right shoulder) *Si Woo Kim *George Coetzee Pat Perez *Kevin Chappell Brendan Steele *Chez Reavie Oliver Wilson ^Marcus Kinhult ^Cameron Davis ^Lucas Herbert *Scott Jamieson *^Jordan L. Smith *Ernie Els Satoshi Kodaira *Patton Kizzire *Jonas Blixt *Hideto Tanihara *^Shubhankar Sharma *Brett Rumford *Fabrizio Zanotti *Zander Lombard *Bernhard Langer *Alexander Levy ^James Robinson *Tom Lehman *Yusaku Miyazato Rhys Enoch Masanori Kobayashi ^Haraldur Magnus ^Marcus Armitage ^Masahiro Kawamura ^Sean Crocker ^Thomas Curtis *Mark Calcavecchia David Duval *Sandy Lyle *Todd Hamilton *Darren Clarke AMATEURS It’s been only three years since Paul Dunne shared the 54-hole lead in The Open Championship at St. Andrews as an amateur. He’d eventually tumble to T30 with a final-round 78, which isn’t bad, but consider that he didn’t finish inside the top-three alternates. With red numbers in their finales, Jordan Niebrugge (T6), Ashley Chesters (T12) and Ollie Schniederjans (T12) stole the thunder. The aggregate success also was an anomaly. In 2014, 2016 and 2017 combined, only Alfie Plant made the cut at The Open. He finished T62 last year. In the two recent editions of the championship at Carnoustie, only one amateur survived the cut: Rory McIlroy (T42) in 2007. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (with World Amateur Golf Ranking; ^ – debutant) ^Nicolai Hojgaard (9) ^Jovan Rebula (55) ^Lin Yuxin (141) ^Sam Locke (439) NOTE: Joaquin Niemann and Doc Redman forfeited exemptions into The Open Championship when each turned pro earlier this year. Neither requalified. Paul Lawrie (back, foot), Bernd Wiesberger (wrist) and John Daly (knee) withdrew due to injuries. You’re unlikely to find someone under the age of 25 who has any memory of the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, so the youngest generation of golf fans can’t comprehend the real-time emotion of Jean Van de Velde’s meltdown on the final hole of regulation. For the rest of us, that still overshadows the fact that Van de Velde, Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard completed regulation in a whopping 6-over 290. And while Lawrie had help en route to victory, even devotees of the sport might not know that he still owns the PGA TOUR record for the largest come-from-behind win. He was positioned 10 strokes back at the conclusion of 54 holes. There’s no question that Carnoustie’s reputation precedes itself. The scoring average on the par 71 in 1999 was 5.816 over par, which remains the highest in relation to par of all courses since records were first maintained in earnest in 1983. The second-easiest hole that week was the par-3 13th, which averaged 0.029 strokes over par. However, you’re less likely to know that when it returned to host the 2007 Open, it ranked as the easiest major that season at “just” 2.381 strokes over par. Before Padraig Harrington emerged from the playoff with Sergio Garcia in 2007, the duo completed regulation in a more acceptable 7-under 277. That target is in play this week with consistently challenging winds from a prevailing westerly direction. The course will play as expected. Spitting rain can’t be ruled out at any time and daytime high temperatures probably won’t touch 70 degrees, so this is poised to be a textbook Open Championship in terms of conditions. Then there’s the matter of the course itself. It’s as dry as it’s ever been, so it’s going to play long. With strategic bunkering that adds to the premium on club selection, and with only three par 3s, the longest hitters have the advantage. The course tips at 7,402 yards but has just two par 5s. When Harrington won, he found 37 of the 60 fairways (ranking T37) and 47 greens in regulation (T12), but led the field in scrambling in going 19-for-25. A low, boring ball flight combined with the experience and patience of a veteran will likely define this week’s champion. Total prize money of $10.5 million will be distributed of which the winner will receive $1.89 million. In addition to innumerable spoils and a spot cemented into the history of the sport, he’ll also take possession of the Claret Jug, 600 FedExCup points and a five-year PGA TOUR exemption. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton reviews and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings (Open Championship) TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Barbasol), Fantasy Insider, Facebook Live WEDNESDAY: One & Done (Open Championship); One & Done (Barbasol) * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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It’s the 100th anniversary of the Valero Texas Open, and the big-time milestone will feature a big-time field led by former FedExCup champions Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Spieth is also the defending champion at TPC San Antonio. His win at last season’s Valero Texas Open marked his first victory on TOUR since 2017. FIELD NOTES: Rory McIlroy will tee it up the week prior to the Masters for the first time in eight years. McIlroy finished second behind Martin Laird at this event in 2013 … Bryson DeChambeau is set to play the Valero Texas Open for the first time since 2017 (MC). DeChambeau had an early exit from the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and continues to recover from injuries that kept him off the TOUR for more than a month-and-a-half … Hideki Matsuyama returns to action before his Masters title defense. Matsuyama withdrew from THE PLAYERS Championship due to injury … Twenty upcoming Masters participants are playing at TPC San Antonio. Some of the Masters first-timers who are also Valero first-timers include Garrick Higgo, Takumi Kanaya, Min Woo Lee and Robert MacIntyre … University of Oklahoma star Logan McAllister and Texas Tech’s Ludvig Aberg are among the sponsor exemptions. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course), 7,438 yards, par 72. The course plays host to the Valero Texas Open for the 13th time. Featuring just 100 feet of elevation, the Oaks Course boasts a traditional design that balances wider fairways with narrower tree-lined fairways for strategic options to the greens. The downhill holes play into the prevailing wind, while uphill holes play downwind. All greens and tees have been treated with Poa trivialis grass in preparation for the Valero Texas Open. STORYLINES: If the winner of the Valero Texas Open is not yet qualified for the Masters, he’ll earn the final spot in the field. The last time this happened was in 2019 when Corey Conners captured his maiden TOUR title and secured the last spot in the first men’s major of the year. Conners Monday qualified into TPC San Antonio that week … Among those not yet eligible to compete at Augusta National is Rickie Fowler, who missed the Masters in 2021 for the first time since 2010 … Plenty of star power will be on hand for the 100th anniversary of the Valero Texas Open including previous champs Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and past TOUR commissioner Deane Beman (who won the event in 1969) … Jordan Spieth is looking to become the first back-to-back Valero Texas Open winner since Zach Johnson in 2008-09 … Can Charley Hoffman continue his very good play at the Valero? Hoffman is the event’s overall money leader and added to his total a year ago with a runner-up result. He also finished runner-up in 2019 and hasn’t missed a cut in 15 starts. 72-HOLE RECORD: 254, Tommy Armour III (2003 at La Cantera). TPC San Antonio record: 268, Corey Conners (2019). 18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Bart Bryant (Round 3, 2004 at La Cantera), Zach Johnson (Round 3, 2009 at La Cantera). TPC San Antonio record: 62, Trey Mullinax (Round 3, 2018) LAST TIME: Jordan Spieth returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since the 2017 Open Championship – a drought of 83 PGA TOUR starts. Spieth closed with a 6-under 66 to defeat Charley Hoffman by two shots. He was tied with Matt Wallace through 54 holes but quickly started to separate himself after a birdie on the par-5 second and knocking his tee shot on the par-3 third to just 2 feet. He cruised home with three birdies on the back nine. It was Spieth’s 12th victory on TOUR and the culmination of ascendant form that spring. The win marked his sixth top-15 finish in seven starts (he would add a T3 at the Masters). Despite an opening 75 and a T95 position on Thursday night, Hoffman would bounce back with rounds of 66-65-66 to finish runner-up. Wallace finished third, Lucas Glover finished fourth, and Anirban Lahiri finished fifth: HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 1 p.m.–7 p.m. ET. Saturday, 3 p.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m.–6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course • Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups • Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes

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Titleist had a singular goal in mind during the creation of its new TS drivers and fairway woods: Build a product that was not only markedly better than its predecessor but focused specifically on increasing club head and ball speed. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the TS stands for “Titleist Speed.” “We wanted to get rid of the slow, spinney label that had been placed on Titleist drivers in recent years,” said Josh Talge, Titleist’s VP of golf club marketing. “We measured every little thing to get better results, with the goal of creating a club that’s considerably faster than anything we’ve created in the past.” MORE: See photo gallery below Titleist believes the new TS2 and TS3 drivers check all the boxes when it comes to speed. In fact, they were so good during prototype testing that Justin Thomas and Rafa Cabrera Bello — Cabrera Bello picked up more than 15 yards — pushed to get the driver in the bag ahead of the usual TOUR launch at Quicken Loans National. Constant pressure from the Tour staff led Titleist to move the launch date to U.S. Open week, where 17 players put the new drivers in play, including Thomas, Jimmy Walker and Adam Scott. Thomas wound up recording the longest drive of his career that week (422 yards) with a 9.5-degree TS3. “It was very easy to transition, as it always is,” Thomas said. “The new TS driver was instantly faster off the club and I was able to get a few more yards carry when needed. More importantly for me, my spin numbers were more consistent therefore it has helped me drive the ball much better. The fairway metal too has gone up in spin to give me control and can easily fly it 280-285 off the tee if needed. Which is such a great asset and club to have.” TS DRIVERS Most of the newfound speed comes the company’s Speed Chassis, which is comprised of four different technologies. Titleist engineers began by significantly thinning out the Radial VFT face, getting it to .35 millimeters in some regions. In previous years, the face thickness on a Titleist driver was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5 to 2.8 millimeters. With a paper-thin face, Titleist was forced to get creative with the score lines and laser them on, as opposed to etching them into the face as they’ve done with prior generations. The new face design yielded a weight savings of six grams that was repositioned low and back in the head to create the deepest center of gravity (CG) position ever in a Titleist driver for a higher launch angle and lower spin, as well as a 12 percent increase in Moment of Inertia. Titleist also plans to 100 percent inspect each face that comes off the line to ensure every driver, regardless if it’s going to a TOUR winner or a recreational golfer, has the maximum allowable speed. “We don’t want the guys on TOUR to get something special and the rest of us to get something that’s not as warm,” said Talge. “We’re always going to be within the rules of golf, but we want to give people something that says, ‘We’re going to be legal here, but we’re not going to be so slow that you’re going to be giving something up.'” An ultra-thin titanium crown, the lightest in the industry, and new streamlined shape round out the new Speed Chassis package. Titleist toyed with the idea of adding bumped or raised areas to the crown to improve airflow efficiency but opted for a sleeker, more aerodynamic shape that reduces drag by up to 20 percent for more speed through the hitting area.  “What we found during testing was that there was no real competitive advantage, so we really wanted to provide a very classic, clean look,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s director of metalwood development. “We don’t think it stands out from a shape perspective, but we really think it makes a difference.” Due to the new CG position and weight savings that was gained from the crown and face, Titleist removed the Active Recoil Channel (ARC) from the sole, believing it no longer served a purpose. Luttrell was quick to point out that with ARC no longer in the picture, players should notice a more pleasing sound at impact. Player feedback also led to a return of the classic, high-gloss black crown that was last featured on the 915 Series. Both drivers come in at 460cc with the high launch, low spin TS2 being the “pure distance” model in the lineup. Instead of adding a SureFit CG cartridge to the sole, Titleist kept the profile simple, focusing on forgiveness across the entire face. The mid launch, low spin TS3, which has the same forgiveness as 917D2, will continue to house the SureFit CG cartridge in the sole that makes it possible to alter center of gravity, via a cylindrical cartridge, to produce a fade or draw. The Surefit hosel can be found on both drivers and offers 16 independent loft and lie settings. A multitude of premium aftermarket shafts (45.5 inches stock length) are available as well, including Mitsubishi’s Kuro Kage Black Dual Core 50 (high launch, moderate spin), Tensei AV Series Blue 55 (mid launch, spin), Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 60 (low to mid launch, spin) and Even Flow T1100 White 65 (low launch and spin). From a usage standpoint on TOUR, Titleist currently has a near split between the TS2 and TS3 worldwide. The percentage differs greatly from what it’s seen in recent years with 917 and 915, where 917D2 and 915D3 were the runaway favorites. TS FAIRWAY WOODS Titleist’s TS2 and TS3 fairway woods take a page from the thinner, lighter TS driver playbook with a Speed Chassis that’s designed to reduce weight in the crown by 27 percent. Discretionary weight from the .4 millimeter crown was placed low and back to produce a higher launch, more spin and 11 percent higher MOI than 917 for additional stability. An optimized aerodynamic shape and thinner VFT face boost ball speeds and clubhead speed, and work in tandem with a third-generation Active Recoil Channel that’s taller than its predecessor — producing even more flexibility for consistent face deflection and speed across the face. “We still had a need for ARC in the fairway woods,” Luttrell said. “Players will be using these clubs a lot off the turf, which means the bottom of the face is a crucial area for ball speed retention.” Similar to the drivers, the TS2 fairway wood no longer includes then SureFit CG cartridge in an effort to focus on forgiveness and speed. The 175cc head is designed with a more playable, modern shape for a high launch and mid spin. The TS3 is also 175cc but features more traditional shaping and the company’s SureFit CG. For players who require more adjustability with a mid launch and low spin, TS3 should be a consideration during product testing. Titleist has seen a similar TOUR adoption to the TS fairway woods with more than 75 put in play since they were introduced at Quicken Loans National. Jordan Spieth (15 degrees) and Bill Haas (15 and 18 degrees) are currently playing the TS2, while Justin Thomas (15 degrees) and Jimmy Walker (13.5 degrees) opted for TS3. Mitsubishi’s Kuro Kage Black Dual Core 55, Tensei AV Series Blue 65 (mid launch, spin), Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 (low to mid launch, spin) and Even Flow T1100 White 75 (low launch and spin) are the stock aftermarket shaft offerings. Each shaft will be making its debut with the TS fairway woods. PRICING AND RETAIL DATE Titleist’s TS2 (8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 degrees) and TS3 (8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degrees) drivers retail for $500 and will be available Sept. 28. The TS2 (13.5, 15, 16.5, 18 and 21 degrees) and TS3 (13.5, 15, 16.5 and 18 degrees) fairway woods are offered for $300 per club.

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