Power Rankings: 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson

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CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Rory McIlroy’s return to the site of his first Open Championship has been rejuvenating. Seeing images of himself competing as a mop-topped amateur has reminded him of the care-free approach he once had. Expectations can be a heavy burden, and they’ve caused McIlroy to be too tense in the majors this year. He failed to seize the opportunity when he played his way into the final group at the Masters, then shot himself out of the U.S. Open before half the field had even teed off in the first round. “I’ve been a little too careful and too tentative,� he said. “Last day at Augusta, even the first day at Shinnecock, I was holding on a little too much. This week, one of my main thoughts is just to get it go. Just go out there and give it your all. I’d rather fail by trying 100 percent than by holding back. So far, it seems to have worked. McIlroy has opened The Open Championship with consecutive 69s to enter the weekend in contention for his second Claret Jug despite playing in the harder half of the draw. He shot 2 under par Friday while playing through the worst of the rain. Many players have been hitting irons off the tee at Carnoustie, using the firm fairways to roll their balls to the proper spot and avoid the penal pot bunkers. McIlroy didn’t want to be cautious, though. He wanted to rely on the best club in his bag, the driver. Friday’s rain forced him to abandon that plan, but the weekend’s sunny forecast should allow him to return to it. “With the dampness and the cold, a lot of fairway bunkers were in play with driver, where, if it’s dry and a little warmer, you’re flying those bunkers,� he said. “If the conditions do change and go back to the way they were yesterday, I’d see myself hitting a lot more drivers again. McIlroy, the 2016 FedExCup champion, is seeking his first major in four years. He won both The Open and PGA Championship in 2014, giving him four major victories in a four-year span. He has made just three bogeys through 36 holes at Carnoustie, where he was low amateur 11 years ago. He had four birdies and two bogeys Friday. “It was definitely a day where, don’t shoot yourself out of the tournament instead of trying to press on and build a lead or get an advantage,� McIlroy said. OBSERVATIONS Zach Johnson has already won one Claret Jug and been a consistent contender at The Open Championship. Over the past seven Opens, he has finished in the top 16 in six of them. “I feel like this championship more than any tournament completely magnifies exactly what I need to work on, my strengths and weaknesses,� he said. “Once I learned that – I don’t know if it was the first year or the second year or the third year – I just gravitated towards this style of golf. Johnson is back in contention at The Open after shooting 69-67 in the first two rounds. Johnson’s links career didn’t get off to a strong start. The Iowa native missed the cut in his first three Opens, shooting over par in five of those six rounds. He hasn’t missed a cut here since. He first played the weekend in an Open at Carnoustie in 2007, shooting 68-70 on the weekend to finish T20. He doesn’t remember much about that week, though. “The only shot I remember hitting here was an 8-iron on the eighth hole, which is a par-3, and I hit it out of bounds,� Johnson said. “I remember making the cut and thinking, ‘Man, this is good. Finally.’ He’s had a lot of success in the Open since, and it continued Friday.

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Farmers Insurance®, one of the nation’s largest insurer groups providing customers a wide variety of home, life, specialty, commercial and auto insurance products and services, officially announced today a multi-year sponsorship deal with two APGA Tour players, Willie Mack III and Kamaiu Johnson. The APGA Tour is scheduled to resume on June 22 after events were postponed in March due to the coronavirus. The revised 2020 APGA tournament schedule is available online by visiting apgatour.org. “As an organization that celebrates diversity and inclusion, we were proud to be able to host the first ever APGA Tour event during a PGA TOUR stop at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open® and help the APGA Tour further its mission of inclusivity in the game of golf,” said Jeff Dailey, CEO of Farmers Insurance. “We’re happy to continue our support of the APGA Tour by sponsoring two of their exciting players, Willie and Kamaiu, hopefully enabling them to focus on doing what they do best—competing.” The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as a non-profit organization with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA hosts and operates professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs and has helped introduce the game of golf to inner city young people. “This is another breakthrough for the APGA Tour. One of the biggest obstacles to make it to the PGA TOUR has been finances and these sponsorship arrangements will be a game changer for two very talented players,” said Ken Bentley, CEO of the APGA. “With the APGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open® and now the sponsorship arrangements with Willie and Kamaiu, Farmers Insurance has demonstrated leadership and vision in the effort to bring greater diversity to the game of golf.” In January of 2020, the AGPA Tour worked with Farmers Insurance to host its first-ever tournament in conjunction with a PGA TOUR event at the Farmers Insurance Open, an annual PGA TOUR stop at Torrey Pines Golf Course. The 27-hole APGA Tour tournament was held on Torrey Pines North Course during Saturday’s third round of the Farmers Insurance Open, played simultaneously on the South Course. Farmers Insurance is committed as the title sponsor of the PGA TOUR event in La Jolla, CA through 2026. “I’m excited to represent a great organization like Farmers Insurance,” said Willie Mack. “The financial support and most of all the belief they have given me will go a long way to helping me achieve my goal of reaching the PGA TOUR.” “I am beyond excited about the opportunity Farmers Insurance and the APGA Tour are offering me,” said Kamaiu Johnson. “The APGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open was a great way to kick off the 2020 season. My goal next year is to go back on Torrey Pines but playing on the South Course. The arrangement with Farmers will go a long way to helping that happen.” These new sponsorship arrangements add to the seasoned relationship Farmers has with PGA TOUR player Rickie Fowler. Fowler, a brand ambassador for the national insurer group since 2012, engages in Farmers community and marketing initiatives, including charitable activities during the Farmers Insurance Open to benefit local San Diego community and first responder non-profits. Visit Farmers.com/Golf for more information about the insurer group’s commitment to the game.

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