Pick ‘Em Preview: Rocket Mortgage Classic

Dustin Johnson is everywhere. If you've spent any time at the newsstand lately, you've seen this week's defending Masters champion on the cover of Golf Digest. And Golf Magazine. And Cigar Aficionado, with fiancée Paulina Gretzky. And Modern Luxury Manhattan. He is posing with his driver, hitting a shot, smoking a cigar, and rocking not the green jacket but a stylish black leather one. Two of the cover stories mention the name of his yacht, Just Chillin'. One of them enlists DJ in making a pimento cheese sandwich. Another has him recreating an iconic cover shot from 24 years ago. Another still reveals his unusual standard breakfast on tournament days. But which writer was surprised to wind up sharing a pizza with him? Herewith, a quick rundown. CIGAR AFICIONADO Headline: "The Natural" Writer: David Savona Gist of article: The human side of a superstar with a dream life. "I was home, he was home," Savona says of their interview. "I got him in the morning, before his workout. When I called him at 7:30, there were some kids' noises, and he was like, ‘Hey, man, I need a few minutes, can you call me back?' It turned out he was taking his kids to school." Fun fact: Johnson made his high school golf team as a seventh grader. Cover backstory: The magazine recreated a March/April 1997 cover of Wayne Gretzky and wife Janet; Gretzky suggested the concept to Cigar Aficionado publisher and owner Marvin Shankel while they were playing golf. "We recreated the pose down to the outfits," Savona says. "White dress shirt and black slacks for Dustin and Wayne, the smoking jacket for Paulina and Janet. The way they're holding the cigars is the same. It's a real homage to when Paulina's parents appeared on the cover. We got a great reaction to it; people really liked the image." Where interviewed: "We're actually not supposed to say precisely where we did it," Savona says. "It was at a golf club. And I had about an hour with him on the phone for the story." Quote wall: "The distance he hits it, as straight as he hits it, we all wonder how he ever loses a golf tournament." - Jack Nicklaus DJ on DJ: "My favorite thing about the Masters is the sandwiches." Takeaway: "I'd never spoken with him before, even though he had gone to a couple of our events," Savona says. "We're co-sponsors of the Els for Autism Pro-Am, and he's participated in the past, down in Jupiter, at Old Palm. The overall impression I got is he comes across as a pretty easygoing guy, despite being the world's No. 1 golfer and being engaged to the daughter of the greatest hockey player ever. He has a lot of regular guy to him, which is pretty remarkable." GOLF DIGEST Headline: "Might it be that Dustin Johnson's greatest strength is his mind?" Writer: Daniel Rapaport Gist of article: Johnson has a Zen-like ability to stay in the present moment. Fun fact: Johnson had to tame his aggression and learn to manage his game. "He was a free-wheeler," Butch Harmon says. "As he used to say, on every hole, ‘I'm just sending it, bro.'" Where interviewed: Floridian Golf Club. "We spent about four hours with DJ capturing a bunch of different content—instructional videos, fun videos, cover shots, fun shots—before I sat down with him for an extended interview," Rapaport says. "I wanted to take a deeper dive into DJ's mind ... it's clear that his outlook is the envy of his peers. I'm a big meditation guy, and from afar I thought he best personifies the benefits of a quiet mind and thought control. The guy is 36 and he's been a force in golf for a decade, so you have to find an angle to avoid simply re-stating what's already been written." Quote wall: "Dustin has a wonderful ability to be very interested in what he's doing but to underreact to everything." - Dr. Bob Rotella DJ on DJ: "I try not to overcomplicate stuff - shots. Obviously, I've played enough golf. I understand the game very well." Takeaway: "I believe there are lessons in the way he goes about his business," Rapaport says. "That there are only a few select people whose opinions matter, and that the key is identifying who those people are, and who they are not. As far as golf goes, that there's no need to add any significance to a bad shot or a bad round. We all have a tendency to try to add a second sentence to a poor outcome. I played terrible...so I am terrible. I hit this bad shot...because I stink at hitting draws. There is no need to add the second sentence. Dustin has an innate ability to ignore narratives entirely. Some things in life just are." GOLF MAGAZINE Headline: "Master of One" Writer: Josh Sens Gist of article: Johnson has worked hard to get the most from his talent. Fun fact: "I was less surprised by DJ than I was by his brother Austin, who was very engaging and funny," Sens says. "It’s probably easier to be the caddie than the star. It made me wonder whether DJ has some of that in him and just doesn’t show it. I was also surprised to learn that DJ’s nickname in high school was Styles DJ. A snappy dresser who really cared how he looked." Where interviewed: "The cover shoot was in Florida a few weeks before we met," Sens says, "so I only interacted with DJ for the interview, which we did on an outdoor patio at the Fairmont in Santa Monica. DJ looked ridiculously relaxed, lounging back on a chair, enjoying the weather. But he hadn’t had time to eat and was really hungry. His agent ran out and got him a pizza from down the street. I was hungry, too, but didn’t want to mooch food off my subject. I think DJ saw me eying the pizza because he offered me a slice. And, when I ate that slice, he offered another. He was insistent that I share with him. That seemed like good southern manners to me." Quote wall: "Dustin was obviously a big hitter and a good player, but I'd be lying if I said that I knew how good he was going to be." - Allen Terrell, Johnson's coach at Coastal Carolina DJ on DJ: "When I retire, I'm going to buy a bigger boat." Takeaway: "I had watched him on the range at Riviera, and he went to the very far end, far from all the other guys," Sens says. "It was like he just needed to be in his own private Idaho. About 20 minutes into DJ’s range session, Rory wandered up, said hello and started hitting balls beside him. He and DJ would pause now and then and engage in conversation. They seemed to have an easy rapport. I guess there’s nothing too remarkable about this, but I was reminded of all the praise and supportive things Rory has said about DJ in the press in recent times. In particular, at Harding Park, where Rory was one of the first to leap to DJ’s defense when Koepka threw shade on DJ’s record in the majors. It underscored for me the level of respect DJ commands on Tour." MODERN LUXURY MANHATTAN Headline: "Golf Pro Dustin Johnson on Family, Focus And The Future" Writer: Phebe Wahl Gist of article: Johnson is stylish and successful, but also a soft-spoken family man. Fun fact: Johnson recently learned he's allergic to gluten. "I'm very routine in what I do every day - especially before a tournament round," he tells Wahl. "I eat the same breakfast, usually an omelet and an oatmeal pancake." Where interviewed: "The shoot was at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica," Wahl says, "and we also caught up over the phone while he was at home with his family. Sometimes with athletes at this level there are big egos, but Dustin was so humble and grounded. He was so pleasantly down-to-earth. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse inside his mind and understanding how much he loves the game. I loved seeing how much he loves his family. The joy and pride he has playing with his young children was apparent." DJ on DJ: "Paulina helps with my style for sure. She's way more stylish than I am." Takeaway: "I walked away thinking Dustin is in it for the true love of the game," Wahl says. "It was so refreshing to learn that someone at this level still feels that joy from the sport that got them interested in it as a kid."

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THE OVERVIEW By Ben Everill, PGATOUR.COM After his breakthrough win at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in November, Patton Kizzire finished the fall as the FedExCup points leader and the man to chase in 2018. It’s a big step forward in a career that has shown promise but had lacked the desired consistency. Kizzire had a runner-up finish in each of his first two seasons on the PGA TOUR, along with eight top 10s. But last season, he missed as many cuts as he made, with his mental toughness put to the test. But this fall, the tall strapping former mini-tour grinder held off none other than Rickie Fowler in Mexico for his breakthrough win and the confidence garnered is set to catapult him into a huge season. Asked after his victory if he’s leaving Mexico as a different player, Kizzire replied: “Same player, different resume. It gives me a lot of confidence to beat such a great field here, and to finally get my first win, it gives me such great vibes. I’m excited to take that confidence into my future tournaments and the rest of my career.â€� TOP 30 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2018: We’ll countdown our list with one new player each day in December. Click here for the published players. MORE: Top 30 explanation and schedule It came after back-to-back top 10s at the Sanderson Farms Championship and the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. It’s evident this Auburn grad is trending in the right direction. And now, with the luxury of knowing his card is secured for this season and two more after it, the shackles have been released. It should free him up to trust his ball-striking more and allow his sometimes-hot putter to work him into contention more often. But he will have to secure up his accuracy off the tee to really take things to the next level. While he got away with 58 percent of fairways in the fall, those numbers are likely to catch up with him over a full season. Kizzire will be buoyed by the knowledge all four previous players to lead the FedExCup heading into the new year have gone on the make the TOUR Championship that season. So, the 31-year-old’s record of bowing out in week two of the Playoffs in each of the last two seasons is likely to be broken. Click here to follow Ben on Twitter FEDEXCUP Current 2017-18 position: 1st Playoff appearances: 2 TOUR Championship appearances: 0 Best result: 82nd (2016) BY THE NUMBERS INSIGHTS FROM THE INSIDERS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Patton Kizzire in 2018. TOUR INSIDER by Cameron Morfit Kizzire turns heads with his height at 6-feet-5, but with his mental game finally coming around, the sky is the limit for this 31-year-old from Auburn. It’s not just that he won for the first time at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba; it’s how he did it, holding off Rickie Fowler on a mentally taxing, 36-hole Sunday. “I wanted to see how I’d respond to that,â€� said Kizzire, a veteran of the Web.com Tour and the Hooters Tour. Self-belief will help going forward, as would fairways and greens. Always a gifted putter, Kizzire could win again soon if he elevates his tee-to-green stats with instructor Todd Anderson. Click here to follow Cameron on Twitter FANTASY INSIDER by Rob Bolton It’s fitting that he’s atop the FedExCup standings over the holidays since he’s done some of his best work in the fall. However, given he concluded the first two autumns of his career at a respective 16th and 13th and still hasn’t advanced to the third leg of the Playoffs, there’s legitimate concern for another letdown. The original curiosity when he broke onto the PGA TOUR was that he was a late bloomer. Now 31 years of age – older than the likes of Keegan Bradley, Kevin Chappell, Billy Horschel, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler to name a few more accomplished contemporaries – Kizzire’s ramp into his prime is steeper than most, but he’s in that magical third season when it has come together for so many before him. Click here to follow Jonathan on Twitter EQUIPMENT INSIDER by Jonathan Wall Switched to a mixed Titleist 718 iron setup at the Safeway Open that includes T-MB (4-iron), CB (5-6) and MB (7-PW). The T-MB helps with gapping and ball flight at the top of the set. Replaced Titleist 915D4 driver with 917D3 the first week it was available at Quicken Loans National. Vokey SM6 Oversize K has changed slightly, keeping the width but changing the bounce angle for conditions. Has offset added to the wedge for an old school look.  Click here to follow Jonathan on Twitter STYLE INSIDER by Greg Monteforte Off the course, Kizzire is all about hunting and fishing, making his Columbia Sportswear shirts a natural fit for him. Look for him to stick with what works best for him in 2018 — classic looks with traditional colors and fits. Click here to follow Greg on Twitter

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2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions, Round 2 Top 10 win probabilities: 1. Cameron Smith (1, -17, 42.3%) 2. Jon Rahm (T2, -14, 20.0%) 3. Daniel Berger (T2, -14, 12.9%) 4. Patrick Cantlay (4, -13, 11.4%) 5. Sungjae Im (T5, -12, 3.4%) 6. Hideki Matsuyama (T5, -12, 2.8%) 7. Sam Burns (T8, -10, 1.1%) 8. Kevin Na (7, -11, 1.0%) 9. Bryson DeChambeau (T15, -9, 0.9%) 10. Xander Schauffele (T8, -10, 0.9%) Top Strokes-Gained Performers from Round 2: Putting: Max Homa +3.0 Around the Green: Jason Kokrak +1.1 Approach the Green: Patrick Cantlay +3.7 Off-the-tee: Jon Rahm +1.7 Total: Cameron Smith +3.8 NOTE: These reports are based off of the live predictive model run by @DataGolf. The model provides live “Make Cut”, “Top 20”, “Top 5”, and “Win” probabilities every 5 minutes from the opening tee shot to the final putt of every PGA TOUR event. Briefly, the model takes account of the current form of each golfer as well as the difficulty of their remaining holes, and probabilities are calculated from 20K simulations. To follow live finish probabilities throughout the remainder of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, or to see how each golfer’s probabilities have evolved from the start of the event to the current time, click here for the model’s home page.

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