PGA Tour still tax-exempt, with an assist from Nicklaus

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – News and notes from Friday’s second round of THE NORTHERN TRUST, the opening event of the FedExCup Playoffs. Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Jhonattan Vegas share the early clubhouse lead at 6-under. VEGAS WORRIED ABOUT HURRICANE Jhonattan Vegas enters the weekend at THE NORTHERN TRUST with a great chance to grab his third PGA TOUR win, but his mind may be elsewhere as Hurricane Harvey makes its way towards his Houston base. Vegas, who successfully defended his RBC Canadian Open title this year, shot a sublime bogey-free 5-under 65 on Friday, moving him to 6 under. But his thoughts were with his wife, his 17-month-old daughter, and his mother who are back in Texas about to bear the brunt of the storm. The National Weather Service expects heavy rain, flooding, strong winds and “life-threateningâ€� storm surges, with the potential to be the worst hurricane to hit the U.S. since Katrina ripped apart the New Orleans area in 2005. “It’s hard. It’s hard not being home, not being able to help with the house and with everything. I think I’m a little bit fortunate that we live up north in The Woodlands, and historically, by the time hurricanes come into Houston, it takes a little longer to get into Houston,â€� Vegas said. “But you never know what could happen. I’m in touch with them the whole day today and hopefully it will be just some precipitation but nothing more than that.â€� Vegas is hoping his performance can be a positive distraction although he is worried TV service could be knocked out in the storm, leaving his family isolated. “We’ve been through many hurricanes, even some tough ones, Ike several years ago was a really tough one through Houston that we had to get out of there,â€� he said. “And so hopefully this one doesn’t look as it’s going to be as big, but it’s always scary. It’s always scary when you have a wife and daughter and mom at home by themselves, so God willing, nothing will happen. “Obviously it’s something that it’s going to be in the back of my mind for the next few days.â€� LITTLE RICKIE HOLDS HIS OWN Glen Oaks was supposed to favor the bombers so there is no surprise to see Dustin Johnson up top but playing partner Rickie Fowler has more than held his own through the opening two rounds at THE NORTHERN TRUST. It’s one thing to get the ball out there with the long boys. It’s another to do it accurately. Fowler is averaging 296 yards off the tee through two rounds, well and truly amongst the top bracket in the field and just two yards short of Johnson’s current average. But perhaps more importantly he’s missed just three fairways in two rounds. He backed up his opening 68 with a 4-under 66 to move to 6 under and a share of the early clubhouse lead. “This (course) is right up DJ’s alley, there’s not many courses that don’t fit him. Long courses, they become somewhat shorter for him, and the shorter courses, can basically take driver and lob-wedge and putter,â€� Fowler said. “I think the biggest thing is it continue to drive it well to give myself a legitimate chance this week and continue to make putts. Stuff that I think I’ve done well all year. “I would say there are some holes, certain carries and stuff like that, that open it up for DJ a little bit but by no means does that mean I can’t go out and beat him.â€� Fowler entered the FedExCup Playoffs as the 5th seed and a win would all but secure he gets through to the TOUR Championship inside the top 5. The top 5 at East Lake are guaranteed to win the FedExCup if they win the TOUR Championship. CASEY IN CONTENTION AGAIN A year ago Paul Casey was hot during the FedExCup Playoffs, chalking up runner up results at the Dell Technologies Championship and the BMW Championship before finishing 4th at the TOUR Championship. Had he won in Atlanta he would have been the FedExCup champion. After opening 69-68 at THE NORTHERN TRUST to be just three back of the clubhouse lead at 3-under the Englishman once again has designs on breaking his PGA TOUR victory drought. His lone victory in the USA was the 2009 Houston Open. “That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Didn’t you get the memo? I’ve had a solid season so far but no question now is the time to really up it,â€� Casey, who entered the Playoffs ranked 18th in the FedExCup said. “This has grown in stature. Now we’re over a decade in. It means a big deal. Guys are putting this down on the list of things they want to accomplish on the golf course. “And my goal this time of year to try and get hot. I did it last year with a couple of second-place finishes. It gave me an opportunity to win the FedExCup when we got to East Lake, and I want to do the same. “Guys are playing good. I’ve got to continue to play my good form.â€� Casey admits he has begun to try to dissect the reasons why he has been ultra-consistent the last three seasons with eight, seven and six top-10 finishes respectively but yet has not won an event. But it’s a delicate balance as he tries not to mess with methods that are clearly giving him multiple chances to salute. “I’ve been looking at it. I’ve been looking at things like strategy on the golf course recently. It’s no question, the game has evolved. Certainly, since I’ve been out on TOUR. But the last few years, it’s really, really changed,â€� he adds. “Johnny (caddy) and I have been looking at strategy recently: Have we been aggressive enough off the tee? We talk about, since you have the shots-gained statistics which has come out and you look at the guys who have not only won this year but won multiple times, how have they played golf, how have they attacked golf courses, are we doing the right thing. “So I think my love for the game and enjoyment we’re getting is certainly the right thing. It’s other little aspects that we’ve got to change and see if we’re doing the right thing that might be the difference between winning and not winning.â€�

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Charles Howell III is headed to the TOUR Championship … provided that the historical trend of recent FedExCup Playoffs holds in the revamped schedule for the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season. Thanks to his win Sunday at The RSM Classic, Howell moved to the top of the FedExCup standings after the completion of the fall portion of the wraparound schedule. The previous five players who have finished the fall atop the standings each eventually advanced to the 30-man Playoffs finale at East Lake in their given season. That’s the good news for Howell. The bad news is that none of those five won the FedExCup. Jimmy Walker, the fall points leader in the 2013-14 season, had the best overall finish at seventh in points. Last year’s fall leader, Patton Kizzire, just squeezed into East Lake and finished 30th. This season’s FedExCup Playoffs offers an unknown factor than previous seasons, since the Playoffs have been reduced from four to three tournaments. But if Howell can maintain his position inside the top 30 after the second event, the BMW Championship, he will advance to the TOUR Championship for the first time since 2011. PREVIOUS FALL POINTS LEADERS ON THE FLIP SIDE None of the last five FedExCup champions earned less than 34 points in the fall events (Jordan Spieth in 2015). In fact, the other four champions earned at least 100 points in the fall; last season’s champ, Justin Rose, finished the fall a year ago with 550 points. That historical trend is bad news for notables such as Dustin Johnson (who currently has 28 points), Rory McIlroy (six points) and Jordan Spieth (six points). PLENTY OF POINT-GATHERERS A total of 215 players earned at least one point this fall – that’s the most in the six seasons of the wraparound schedule. Getting at least one point in the fall gives a player better than a 50-50 chance of making the Playoffs. In the previous five seasons, a total of 1,023 players earned points in the fall – and nearly 57 percent of those players went on to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs Taking it one more step, more than 12 percent of those players made it to the TOUR Championship. But here’s the most telling statistic that emphasizes the importance of the fall – just 21 of a possible 150 players earned a spot in the TOUR Championship after failing to play or earn at least a single point in the fall. Tiger Woods did that last season … and he’ll hope to do it again this season. WHO IS THE FALL KING? In the five years of the wraparound schedule, no player has earned more FedExCup points than Justin Thomas – not surprising since three of his nine career wins have come in the fall (CIMB Classic in 2015 and 2016; CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in 2017). Ryan Moore, Russell Knox and Charles Howell III are the next three players on that list. Thomas has made 18 fall starts in the history of the wraparound schedule to accumulate his 2,087 points. That’s an average of 115.9 points per start – good, but not the best. No player has been more efficient in the fall than current FedExCup champ Justin Rose. He has made five starts in the wraparound schedule since the 2013-14 season and has averaged 195 points per start. Dustin Johnson (five starts) is next at 185.6, followed by Patrick Cantlay (six starts, 164.3 average), then Thomas. Reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year Brooks Koepka is fifth on the list (12 starts, 109.2 average).

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SILVIS, Ill. — Roberto Diaz shot a 9-under 62 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the John Deere Classic. Playing in the final group of the day off the first tee, the 32-year-old Mexican player birdied four of the first five holes, eagled the par-5 10th and birdied three of the last five in the bogey-free round at TPC Deere Run. He took the lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th. Diaz is winless on the PGA TOUR. Adam Long and Russell Henley were two strokes back. Martin Laird was another stroke back at 65 with Ryan Palmer, Andrew Landry, Vaughn Taylor, Zack Sucher and Ryan Blaum.

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