PGA Tour to end weekly virus testing in late July

No more majors, no more invitationals and no more additional events. From now until the conclusion of the regular season, it’s nothing but fastballs right down the middle. See ‘em, hit ‘em and score. RELATED: Play Pick ‘Em Live | The First Look | Inside the Field The 3M Open is the first of three consecutive, 156-man opens that serve as the home stretch to determine the 125 qualifiers for the FedExCup Playoffs, and TPC Twin Cities is ready. Scroll past the projected contenders for what it likely will require to contend, an analysis of the host course and more. POWER RANKINGS: 3M OPEN Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day and defending champion Cameron Champ will be among those reviewed in Draws and Fades. TPC Twin Cities is in its fourth year as host of the 3M Open. It’s a par 71 with three par 5s. After surrendering scoring averages below 70 in its first two spins, last year’s field checked in at 70.44 with all four rounds within 0.13 strokes in either direction of that average. Calling that statistically even wouldn’t be inaccurate, and it’s what anyone involved in any competition would want. Drilling too deep into why scoring was higher overall isn’t encouraged given that variables including hole locations and makeups of fields vary. However, there was a odd correlation to how last year’s field hit fewer greens (but still at a clip of 70.38 percent) and converted with less frequency on those chances and inside 10 feet (again, anomalies, if barely). Yet, because the champion will conclude four rounds at double digits under par, what yields that scoring is fortified as the game plan – to pile up scoring opportunities and sink putts. At 7,431 yards, TPC Twin Cities tests the same as it has since 2020, although the longest rough is up to four inches this week. That reflects a rise of half an inch. Bentgrass greens averaging 6,500 square feet again are poised to reach 12½ feet on the Stimpmeter. The tournament will open to potentially breezy air, but it will be dry and warm. Daytime temperatures will climb into the mid- and upper-80s throughout, while the impactful threat for inclement weather is forecast to hold off until Saturday. It will extend into Sunday’s scheduled conclusion. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Draws & Fades WEDNESDAY: Pick ’Em Preview SUNDAY: Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Rookie Ranking * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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DUBLIN, Ohio – Notes and observations from the wild third round of the Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide, where Daniel Summerhays (68) surged into the lead while Jason Dufner (77) swooned, bringing several players into the tournament. Matt Kuchar, the 2013 champion here, shot 67 and was in second at 10 under, three back, while Bubba Watson (68) and Justin Thomas (69) joined Dufner at 9 under. For more coverage from Muirfield Village, click here for the Daily Wrap-up. SUMMERHAYS EYES BREAKTHROUGH Daniel Summerhays, 33, has swung from being completely under the radar to just mostly under the radar. When he left BYU for his Mormon mission to Santiago, Chile, where he perfected his Spanish and swung nothing but a taped-up broom from 2003 to 2005? Totally under the radar. He has been just mostly under the radar during his 10-year career on the PGA TOUR. Until this year. Summerhays came into this week 157th in the FedExCup standings, his best result a T16 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He was working on his swing, but all that work wasn’t showing up in his scores. He was a non-factor. Ironically, a missed cut at last week’s DEAN & DELUCA Invitational at Colonial sent him to Muirfield Village on a high note. “He called me and said, ‘Bro, I played good, it’s clicking,’â€� said Boyd Summerhays, Daniel’s older brother by four years and also his coach. (He also coaches Tony Finau.) A swing change to improve his iron game was working, and kept working Saturday. Paired with Dufner, whose game was by his own admission “pathetic,â€� Summerhays played his own game and hit a rock-solid 12 of 14 fairways and 15 greens in regulation at Muirfield Village on Saturday, which marked his best performance of the week so far from tee to green. That he is vying for his first win in his 185th career start might be a surprise to some, but not to Boyd or the other members of the small contingent of Utahans on TOUR. Summerhays has finished in the top 100 in the FedExCup for each of the past five seasons, and last year finished T8 at the U.S. Open and third at the PGA Championship. He is sneaky good. He also has some good career mojo in Ohio, having won the Web.com Tour’s 2007 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational at the Scarlett Course at OSU Golf Club. While the world was atwitter over Tiger Woods winning the 2012 Memorial Tournament, Summerhays finished T4. “Last summer was a big deal for me, playing in the final two, three groups at the U.S. Open,â€� he said. “That was probably the most nervous I’ve ever felt. That and trying to keep my job back in 2011 after my rookie year at Q-School.â€� He played through nerves, as well, in contending at the PGA at Baltusrol, won by Jimmy Walker.

“There will definitely be nerves,â€� Summerhays said of his expectations for Sunday’s final round. “I’ll probably hit a few putts with the hands shaking and everything like that. But it’s nothing that I haven’t experienced before.â€� DUFNER FALTERS Jason Dufner could do no wrong while shooting a tournament-record 14 under (65-65) through 36 holes. Alas, Saturday was a reminder that some days are diamonds, some days are stones. “Today was pretty pathetic on all accounts,â€� said Dufner, who bogeyed four of his first five holes, missed a 2 foot, 9 inch putt at the fifth, and ranked -4.799 in strokes gained: putting. “So [I] have to play better tomorrow.â€� After righting the ship to go 1-under from holes 6-10, Dufner laid up at the 11th hole only to spin his approach shot into the water and make double-bogey 7. His sudden struggles gave new life to the chase pack, some of whom were surprised to find themselves back in the tournament. “I will say this: super classy, Duf—he was nothing but class out there, always,â€� Summerhays said. “He was always cheering me on. ‘Good shot. Great job.’ So that’s definitely a good lesson for me to learn. It went about as bad as it could for him today, and he was nothing but class.â€� CALL OF THE DAY BUBBA BACK IN THE MIX Bubba Watson continues to obliterate the back nine at Muirfield Village. One day after he toured the inward nine in 31 strokes, he got through it in 30 strokes to post a third-round 68 and move into position to end his slump. A nine-time TOUR winner and two-time Masters champion, Watson came into this week at 118th in the FedExCup standings. The free-swinging lefty and his caddie Ted Scott have had to stay patient all season, and Saturday was no exception, as Watson made no birdies and shot 38 on the front nine. Then he birdied the 10th hole and eagled the par-5 11th, and the floodgates opened even as he dealt with a heckler for part of the back nine. “We knew that a birdie would come eventually,â€� Watson said, “and somehow it just came in bunches, so it worked out.â€� Watson was second in strokes gained: putting (+2.798) in round three, and is seventh for the week (+3.792). “I feel good,â€� he said. “It’s always nice to have a chance.â€� HAHN SHOOTS ‘DISAPPOINTING’ 65 James Hahn started the day in a tie for 60th place, but after a two-putt birdie at the par-5 15th hole he was 9 under par on the day. He had just reeled off 10 birdies in a span of 13 holes, he seemed to be threatening the course record (61) as he walked to the 16th tee. A young boy held his arm over the rope and urged him to finish strong. Hahn smiled and slapped the kid’s hand and continued onto the tee, out of earshot. “I jinxed him,â€� the boy said. “He jinxed him,â€� the boy’s father said, chuckling and shaking his head. Yep, he jinxed him. Hahn bogeyed 16 and 17 before his 13-foot birdie putt on 18 lipped out, giving him a 65 that left him “disappointed,â€� he said, for what might have been. At 5 under, he is eight off the lead. “I guess any sport is very mental,â€� Hahn said, laughing at the high-five moment. “Walking from 15 to 16, a little kid just kind of gave me a high five and said, ‘You’re going to break the course record today.’ I said [in my head], ‘Are you serious?’ The first time we talked about it the whole day.â€�

The pin at 16 was back-left, and Hahn played it safe but watched as the wind blew his tee shot into the right greenside bunker. He blasted out to just under five feet but missed the putt. “I don’t know how that doesn’t go in,â€� he said.
 He split the fairway at 17, but left his 190-yard approach right of the green. He misjudged the chip shot, his ball rolling 14 feet too far, and bogeyed again. Poised to end on a high note, he watched as his 13-footer for birdie lipped out on 18.

“Those are the ones—it just happened to be a coincidence,â€� Hahn said. “But you never know what would happen if the little kid didn’t call me out. It’s almost like a baseball pitcher and guys saying, ‘Hey, you’re pitching a perfect game! Did you know that?’ It’s like, No.

“He looked like 8, 9, 10 years old. Probably 12 years old. But it’s all fun. We’re here to entertain.â€� ODDS AND ENDS Justin Thomas, tied for third and just four off the lead, would take the FedExCup lead with his fourth victory this season. He is currently third in the FedExCup, 415 points behind leader Dustin Johnson and 10 behind Hideki Matsuyama. Johnson missed the cut, and Matsuyama sits T65. A win comes with 500 FedExCup points. … Kuchar, who won the 2013 Memorial Tournament, would join Hale Irwin, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Tom Watson as two-time winners of the tournament. Kenny Perry has won the Memorial three times, while Tiger Woods leads the pack with five victories at Jack’s place. … Rickie Fowler shot what he called a ho-hum even-par 72, remained at 8 under par—and gained a shot on the leader (Summerhays at -13 as opposed to Dufner at -14). Fowler finished second here in his first start in 2010. … Pat Perez, who is 17th on the list to make the U.S. Presidents Cup team that will play at Liberty National Sept. 28-Oct. 1, had a chance to impress captain Steve Stricker as the two played together Saturday. Perez did just that, as they each shot 69. “I like Pat,â€� Stricker said. “I think he’d be great in the team room. He tells you what he thinks. You could tell he wanted to play well today. I told him he’s going to have to go on a good run.â€� … Hideki Matsuyama, David Lingmerth and William McGirt were first-time TOUR winners as they won the last three Memorials, respectively. Of the top 10 on this year’s leaderboard only Summerhays and Jamie Lovemark (70, T6) haven’t won and would keep the streak alive. … Si Woo Kim, who won THE PLAYERS Championship three weeks ago, withdrew after hurting his ankle hitting a bunker shot on the 17th hole. He was 5 over par at the time. … Stewart Cink’s 4-under 68 in round three marked his 54th round of par or better. Another such round Sunday would put him in a tie with three-time Memorial Tournament winner Kenny Perry, at 55. The record belongs to Jay Haas, who has 68 rounds of par or better at this event. SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Tiger Woods shot the lowest score of his comeback Saturday at The Honda Classic. And it could have been even lower. Woods continued to display the controlled ball-striking that he has all week at a breezy PGA National, hitting a season-best nine fairways and 13 greens in Saturday’s 1-under 69. He’s even-par through three rounds, close enough that the leaders may have to keep one eye on him in the final round. “I’ve got a shot,� he said. It was six years ago that Woods, looking for his first victory in three years, shot a final-round 62 here to nearly chase down Rory McIlroy. Now it’s been five years since his most recent win. Even if it doesn’t come this week, Woods has proven that he’s capable of winning in 2018. He ranks second this week in proximity to the hole and 13th in both Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and Strokes Gained: Putting. On Saturday, he hit 10 of his first 11 approach shots within 25 feet of the hole. He only converted one for birdie, though. “It probably was the highest I could have shot today,� he said after his three-birdie round. Woods made a 6-foot birdie putt on the eighth hole to pull within three shots of the lead. His putter, and PGA National’s bumpy greens, kept him from getting any closer. He missed birdie putts of 14, 16 and 11 feet on the next three holes before burying a 17-footer for par after driving into a fairway bunker. He missed another 15-footer for birdie on 13 before once again struggling on the back-nine’s water-lined par-3s. One day after blocking it into the water at No. 15, he pulled his tee shot onto the grassy downslope left of the bunker. His flop shot stayed in the rough, inches from rolling close to the hole. He yanked his tee shot left of the greenside bunker on 17, as well. This flop shot found the green, but he missed the lengthy par putt. Those were his only two bogeys Saturday. Woods birdied the last hole after nearly chipping in for eagle. It’s his first round in the 60s in an official PGA TOUR event since a third-round 68 in the 2015 Wyndham Championship. Jason Dufner, who played alongside Woods, said his play resembled what he’d seen in casual rounds before Woods’ return at Torrey Pines. “The stuff I saw at home was a little bit better than what I saw in San Diego and L.A., but I think he’s starting to get the wheels going a little bit and figuring out how to play golf again,� Dufner said. “There’s a lot involved in playing the PGA TOUR, more than anybody knows, and just getting comfortable with situations. “I don’t think he’s that far away. It’s probably not going to take him that long if he’s healthy. He’s a smart guy. He’ll figure out what it takes to play good golf out here.� Woods is closer to the lead than he was six years earlier, when he shot the low final round of his PGA TOUR career. He was nine shot off the lead back then. An eagle at 18 left him two shots behind McIlroy. Woods said he doesn’t see a similar score this year. The low score thus far has been a 65 shot Saturday by Alex Noren and Justin Thomas. A victory is still within reach, though.

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