Presidents Cup: Day 4 match recaps

What a fortnight for Houston-area sports fans! The Astros prevailed in the World Series in six games, one of which with a combined no-hitter. The parade is over but as the celebration continues, locals can extend their attention to this week’s Cadence Bank Houston Open just five miles west of Minute Maid Park. RELATED: Play Pick ‘Em Live | The First Look As Yordan Álvarez has proven, there isn’t a yard can that contain him, but Memorial Park Golf Course would present a respectable challenge to his brawn. The par 70 capable of stretching 7,412 yards hosts a field of 132. POWER RANKINGS: CADENCE BANK HOUSTON OPEN Hideki Matsuyama, Will Gordon, Luke List and David Lingmerth will be among the notables reviewed in Draws and Fades. In its first two years after returning as the host of the annual stop in Houston – it served as the site for 14 editions in the middle of the 20th century and not long after the tournament was launched in 1946 – Memorial Park has been the most challenging track of the fall. Last year’s field average of 70.799 reflected a slight ease, but it still slotted it a hair harder than Colonial Country Club among all par 70s in 2021-22, and recall that winds were gusting to 30 mph and stronger on the weekend in north Texas later in the season. Memorial Park is unusual as a par 70 in that its routing includes five par 3s and three par 5s. While most tracks new to most golfers present a reasonable test merely in the context of unfamiliarity, Memorial Park hasn’t conceded much despite budding relationships. Consider that all three of the par 5s ranked inside the top-40 hardest of 163 par 5s played all of last season. As a set, they slotted second-hardest, and that was after they tied for most challenging in the super season of 2020-21. So, having muscle to move it off the tee has merit, but actually capitalizing on the par 5s isn’t as much of an objective as it is not being beat up by them. Overall, Memorial Park is no joke, and the lushest of the bermuda rough is a fraction taller this year at 2½ inches. Bermuda greens still are ready to run up to 12 feet on the Stimpmeter, and they’re poised to defend as the stingiest in yielding par breakers on average from a season ago. Although the host course ranked a firm and fair T16 in greens in regulation among all courses, no other surrendered a lower conversion percentage for birdies and better with a putter in hand. Primary levers are pulled for course management and patience this week. Distance is a bonus, but only if harnessed. Putting plays up more than usual. After a couple of days with seasonable conditions, jackets and umbrellas will be commonplace by Saturday. Daytime temperatures could cool as much as 20 degrees with highs in the low 60s, if that, and the wind will freshen as rain is a coin flip. Things should calm a bit for the finale. 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: Payouts and Points, 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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There are few things as comforting as seeing Phil Mickelson stalking the fairways of Pebble Beach. For some reason, Mickelson and the Monterey Peninsula just make sense. The California native made his pro debut in the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and he's played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am since 1995. He's a five-time winner at Pebble Beach, most recently in 2019, and finished third here last year at the age of 49. He's been playing the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for so long that he's competed against players born in every decade from the 1920s (Arnold Palmer) to the 2000s (Akshay Bhatia, who's playing this week on a sponsor exemption). As with any great player, it's always interesting to look at the evolution of his equipment. In Mickelson's case, his equipment setup has evolved since his second win at Pebble Beach in 2005, when he bested Mike Weir by four strokes. You can learn a lot about how Mickelson's mind works digging into his bag. These days, the top of the bag is built for long, unapologetic missile launching and the bottom is an artist's toolbox built for variety and satisfying every creative whim. As you will see from 2005 to now, the top of the bag stayed fairly traditional, and as time went on, hybrids, 5-woods, and utility irons found their way in. The wedge set up has always stayed quintessentially Phil, however. Let’s take a look at what he had the bag for three of his wins (2005, '12, '19) and what he has in play today. 2021 Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X 2-wood: TaylorMade "Original One" Mini Driver Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X 4-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (16.5 degrees) Shaft: KBS TD 80 C5 TX Irons: Callaway Epic Forged (4), Callaway Apex MB ‘21 (5-PW) Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 S+ Wedges: Callaway PM Grind '19 "Raw" (54-10, 60-12, 64-10) Shafts: KBS Tour-V 125 S+ Putter: Odyssey Milled Blade "Phil Mickelson" Grip: SuperStroke Pistol GT Tour Grips: Golf Price MCC Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X with Triple Track 2019 Driver: Callaway Rogue Sub Zero (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 3-wood: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (13.5 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Fubuki J 80 X Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (4,5), Callaway Apex MB ‘21 (6-PW) Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind 19 (54-10, 60-12, 64-10) Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 Putter: Odyssey Versa No. 9 White Grip: SuperStroke Slim 3.0 Grips: Golf Pride MCC Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X (with Triple Track Technology) 2012 Driver: Callaway RAZR Fit (9.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC7.2 X 3-wood: Callaway Big Bertha Diablo (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Rombax 80 X Hybrid: Callaway X Prototype (19 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Fubuki 73 X Irons: Callaway X-Forged CB (4,5), Callaway RAZR X MB (6-P) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Wedges: Callaway X Series Jaws (52@54, 60, 64) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG PT82 Grips: Golf Pride MCC Ball: Callaway Hex Black Tour 2005 Driver: Callaway Big Bertha Fusion FT-3 (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Graphite Design PM Proto 70 X 3-wood: Callaway Big Bertha WarBird 4+ (16 degrees) Shaft: Graphite Design PM Proto 80 X Irons: Callaway X-Tour (3-PW) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Wedges: Callaway Vintage Forged (52, 56, 60) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Putter: Odyssey PM Proto Milled Blade Grips: Royal Grip Sand Wrap Ball: Callaway HX Tour 56

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Tiger Woods won’t play as much as he did in 2018, which — considering the schedule — is why he could be in Hawaii in January.

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