Officialsportsbetting.com Golf Betting Quick look at the Quicken Loans National

Quick look at the Quicken Loans National

THE OVERVIEW A little less than two years ago, Kyle Stanley was ranked 327th in the world. Not so coincidentally, he ranked outside the top 125 in the PGA TOUR’s key putting statistics. The problem was obvious. This week, Stanley enters the Quicken Loans National as the defending champion. He’s currently ranked No. 38 in the world — and 34th in the FedExCup standings. He’s also ranked 43rd in Strokes Gained: Putting. The problem may not be completely solved – after all, who really solves the mystery of putting? – but it’s certainly been successfully addressed by the 30-year-old Stanley. Consequently, he’s playing the most consistent golf of his professional career. “The goal is to obviously be a complete player,â€� Stanley said. “I wouldn’t trade necessarily the way I hit the ball for really anyone out here.  On the weeks when I putt OK, I’m going to have a good week.â€� He’s having more and more good weeks. Last October, he tied for fifth at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, his first top-10 finish in his sixth career WGC start. He added another top-10 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and another top-5 finish at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. Earlier this month, he was the 36-hole co-leader at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, eventually losing to Bryson DeChambeau in a three-man playoff. Last week, he posted four solid rounds at the Travelers Championship to finish T-15. If you think you’re seeing his name with more frequency on the first page of the leaderboard, well, it’s not a mirage. But there is room for improvement. He knows his short game isn’t as productive as his ball-striking, and he wants to be less of a streaky putter. In his win a year ago at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, the closer he got to the pin, the less productive he was. He ranked first in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, fourth in Approach the green, 32nd in Around the Green and 52nd in Putting. Still, he’s feeling good about where his game is trending. “I’m just really comfortable with what I’m doing out there,â€� Stanley said. “My preparation has been really good. Sometimes when you put the time in, maybe it might not pay off the next week. But, yeah, just from a preparation standpoint, I feel like we’re doing the right things. You know, getting a little bit older and figuring out maybe how to play some of these golf courses better.â€� It started in the spring of 2017 when he posted three top-10s in a five-tournament stretch, including a T-4 at THE PLAYERS, and culminated with last year’s victory when he beat Charles Howell III with a par on the first playoff hole. He comes into his title defense this week on another good stretch, with five top-15 finishes in his last eight starts. “I think at the beginning of the ’17 season I was ranked somewhere around 300 in the world, so in a pretty short period of time we’ve made some pretty significant strides so I’m really happy with that,â€� Stanley said. “I think it’s all about the perspective you have and in my mind, I feel like we’re doing a lot of really good things and our preparation’s been really good… “I think we just have to stick on the path that we’re on right now, seems to be working OK.â€� THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER Tiger Woods Will the mallet putter be the key to returning Tiger to the winner’s circle? Rickie Fowler Is the highest ranked player in the field in FedExCup points (16th overall). Stewart Cink His T-2 finish at Travelers was his best result since his last win, the 2009 Open Championship. THE FLYOVER Want to see some eagles made this week? Then check out the 10th and 14th holes at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farms. A year ago, the par-5 10th allowed five eagles, while the drivable 299-yard par-4 14th gave up 15 eagles. More than 85 percent of all tee shots attempted to drive the green last year. LANDING ZONE Say hello to the hardest hole on the PGA TOUR. The 470-yard par-4 11th played to a stroke average of 4.521 last year, making it statistically the most difficult of all 900 holes played in the 2016-17 season. With brutally long rough, hitting the fairway is a must. “I remember last year I hit 5‑wood off that tee just to get the ball in play,â€� said defending champ Kyle Stanley. “… The rough last year was really pretty thick so if you were in it, it was somewhat difficult to get a long iron or what you needed to get to the green.â€� Here’s a look at where all tee shots landed a year ago. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “Scattered showers and thunderstorms should end by daybreak Thursday morning, with drier air allowing for clearing skies for the afternoon. High pressure is expected to build over the region and dominate Friday through the weekend, with hot and more humid conditions returning. Highs will likely top out in the low to mid-90s this weekend. Heat index values will likely make it feel like 100-105 degrees F during the afternoons.â€� For the latest weather news from Potomac, Maryland, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK There are no low scores here. BY THE NUMBERS +199 – Combined score by the field at the par-4 11th, the second-highest score of any hole on the PGA TOUR last season (the 18th at TPC Sawgrass was 214 over par). +1.458 – The average score over par last season at the Quicken Loans National – highest average of any tournament on the PGA TOUR 18 – Rounds in the 60s by Bill Haas at the Quicken Loans National, most sub-70 rounds of any player in this event. SCATTERSHOTS Like a lot of young players, Rickie Fowler grew up watching Tiger Woods, but he said the 14-time major winner didn’t impact his game. “I don’t want his head to get too big,â€� Fowler said with a smile. “He didn’t have an impact on me changing anything, but guys like him, Phil (Mickelson),, Freddie (Couples) was another guy that I enjoyed watching, looking up to, to Payne Stewart, really guys that were the best players in the world, guys that I looked up to and that was the position I wanted to be in.â€� Four of this season’s top-five birdie makers are in the field this week: Beau Hossler (314), Chesson Hadley (310), Brandon Harkins (304) and Kevin Tway (292). Kyle Stanley isn’t the only player in the field who knows what it’s like to win at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. David Lingmerth won the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Championship on the Web.com Tour when it was played on this course. A potential of four spots in the upcoming Open Championship at Carnoustie are available this week at the Quicken Loans National as part of the Open Qualifying Series. Open invites will go to the leading four players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 12 and ties.

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Type: To Win A Major 2025 - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler+160
Bryson DeChambeau+350
Xander Schauffele+350
Ludvig Aberg+400
Collin Morikawa+450
Jon Rahm+450
Justin Thomas+550
Brooks Koepka+700
Viktor Hovland+700
Hideki Matsuyama+800
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Rory McIlroy+450
Scottie Scheffler+450
Bryson DeChambeau+900
Justin Thomas+1800
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Jon Rahm+2200
Xander Schauffele+2200
Ludvig Aberg+2500
Joaquin Niemann+3000
Brooks Koepka+4000
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Kensei Hirata+2000
Mitchell Meissner+2200
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Neal Shipley+2500
Seungtaek Lee+2800
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Chandler Blanchet+3500
Pierceson Coody+3500
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Stewart Cink+550
Steve Stricker+650
Ernie Els+700
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Rory McIlroy+500
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Bryson DeChambeau+1200
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Ludvig Aberg+1400
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Brooks Koepka+1800
Justin Thomas+2000
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Rory McIlroy+500
Scottie Scheffler+550
Xander Schauffele+1100
Ludvig Aberg+1400
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Jon Rahm+1600
Bryson DeChambeau+2000
Shane Lowry+2500
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USA-150
Europe+140
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Tiger and Charlie Woods finish T8 at the PNC ChampionshipTiger and Charlie Woods finish T8 at the PNC Championship

Tiger and Charlie Woods carded 18 birdies and two eagles across 36 holes at the PNC Championship, but it wasn’t enough for the duo to earn the event’s championship belts for the first time. Team Woods finished 20-under total at Ritz-Carlton GC, good for a T8 finish at the team scramble event. Vijay and Qass Singh won the event at 26-under, marking Team Singh’s first victory in the event after a series of runner-ups and third-place showings. Team Woods has now finished seventh, second and eighth in its first three PNC Championship appearances. Although Tiger and Charlie finished short of their ultimate goal, there were plenty of memorable shots and moments throughout the weekend in central Florida. Here’s a hole-by-hole look at Team Woods’ final round at the PNC Championship. Hole 18 (par 5, 557/500 yards) Charlie pulls driver and executes on an aggressive line, striping it down the left center of the fairway. From 234 yards, he scoots a low burner that narrowly eludes a greenside bunker and skips up to the fringe, 40 feet from the hole. “Where’d it go?” Charlie asks his dad with a smile. “Just get in the cart,” quips Tiger. Tiger’s approach hangs out to the right, settling in the fairway some 40 yards from the hole. Tiger doesn’t hold back on the eagle attempt, as the ball burns the edge with plenty of pace and rolls 8 feet by. Charlie produces a smooth stroke on a good line, but the ball holds up 3 feet short of the hole. Charlie drains the birdie to conclude the week on a positive note. Tiger and Charlie embrace, with hugs exchanged all around between the Woods and Thomas duos. Team Woods, 20-under (7-under Sunday) Winner: Team Singh, 26-under Hole 17 (par 3, 171 yards) Charlie selects 6-iron and plays a high fade that settles on the right side of the green, leaving a lengthy birdie try of some 40 feet. Tiger plays next with a tight draw that doesn’t quite move all the way back, catching the right fringe and settling 30 feet from the flagstick. Playing from Charlie’s ball, Tiger gives the birdie try an aggressive rap but it rolls out 8 feet past the hole. Charlie’s birdie try is on a promising line but pulls up 3 feet short. Both players miss the par putt on the right side, a stinging moment as Team Woods heads to its final hole of the event. Team Woods, 19-under (6-under Sunday thru 17) Leader: 25-under, Team Singh (thru 17) Hole 16 (par 4, 425/375 yards) Tiger stripes a drive down the left side of the fairway that flirts with a fairway bunker but settles a few yards shy, safely in the short grass. Charlie takes driver and strikes it well, but with slightly too much juice, as it finds the fairway bunker. Playing from dad’s position, just 87 yards out, Charlie is less-than-enthused upon impact; the ball leaks right and finds a watery grave. Tiger doesn’t miss a beat though, as his well-struck wedge lands 25 feet past the hole and spins back to within tap-in range. The crowd roars in appreciation. Tiger arrives at the green and cleans it up. Birdie for the Woods duo. Team Woods, 20-under (7-under Sunday thru 16) Leader: 25-under, Team Singh (thru 16) Hole 15 (par 4, 467/423 yards) Playing from a fairway bunker, Charlie goes first from 135 yards. With his dad keenly looking on, Charlie advances it to the front of the green, but leaving a cross-country birdie effort to a back hole location. Tiger takes an aggressive line and delivers, the ball landing soft just long-right of the hole and leaving a 12-foot birdie try. Tiger putts first and produces a smooth stroke, the ball tracking all the way but narrowly missing on the left side, burning the edge. Five strokes off the clubhouse lead (Team Daly) with four to play, Charlie faces essentially must-make territory, but the putt is left the whole way; Charlie walks after it quickly in dismay. Par for Team Woods. Meanwhile, Team Singh makes a tap-in birdie at the par-4 16th to move even further ahead. Team Woods, 19-under (6-under Sunday thru 15) Leader: 25-under, Team Singh (thru 16) Hole 14 (par 5, 565/526 yards) Charlie plays first and pulls driver, uncorking a moon shot that just carries a fairway bunker and finds the short grass, providing Team Woods a chance to give the green a go. Tiger plays next from the back tee and follows suit with a high cut that never leaves the center of the fairway. Team Woods elects to use Charlie’s tee shot, with 217 yards to the flag. Tiger plays first and stares it down with a long iron, but the ball leaks right and catches a greenside bunker. Charlie plays a smart shot to short-right of the green, taking the left-side pond out of play. Charlie opts for wedge on the eagle chip and catches it slightly heavy; the ball stops some 15 feet short of the flag. The same story applies on Tiger’s chip, as the wedge perhaps sticks in the grass to keep the ball from releasing fully. Another 15-foot birdie look. With Team Singh having just made eagle at this hole to move to 24-under, time is running out for Team Woods. Tiger putts first and misses on the right side; Charlie then misses on the left side. A disappointing par for Team Woods at the gettable par 5. Five strokes off the pace with four holes to play. Team Woods, 19-under (6-under Sunday thru 14) Leader: 24-under; Team Singh (thru 14), Team Daly (F) Hole 13 (par 4, 352/317 yards) After a well-struck drive on the short par 4, Team Woods has just 48 yards to the hole for approach. Charlie plays first on a conservative line to the back part of the green, taking the bunker out of play, the ball settling some 30 feet past the hole. Tiger executes a vintage low nipper that lands just 3 feet left of the hole and spins to settle at a similar distance. “A little smile as he walked back to the cart,” observes the broadcast team, and for good reason. Tiger arrives at the green and wastes no time in cleaning up the birdie. Not many holes remain, but Team Woods has no intention of going down without a fight. Team Woods, 19-under (6-under Sunday thru 13) Leader: 22-under; Team Singh (thru 13), Team Daly (thru 17), Team Harrington (F) Hole 12 (par 3, 192 yards) Tiger hoists a mid-iron into the sky and the ball catches the front of the green, leaving a lengthy birdie try of 35 feet or so. Charlie plays next with 8-iron and produces a slight fade that attacks the flag, settling on the left corner of the green just 10 feet from the cup. A strong birdie opportunity for Team Woods, which likely needs to run the proverbial table at this point. Charlie had been putting first throughout the week, but Team Woods changes it up; Tiger goes first this time. The birdie putt tracks toward the cup but tails to the left at the last second. Charlie studies the break and doesn’t miss a beat, draining it center-cut with perfect pace. He provides a smooth fist pump, knowing this birdie was essential to maintain hopes of the championship belts. Team Woods, 18-under (5-under Sunday thru 12) Leader: 22-under; Team Singh (thru 13), Team Daly (thru 16) Hole 11 (par 4, 410/375 yards) Charlie pulls driver and produces a bold strike, but the ball drifts into pine straw off the fairway. It will be a short iron into the green nonetheless. From 130 yards, Charlie plays a smooth shot that safely lands on the front-center of the green, 25 feet from the hole. Tiger plays next with an aggressive line to the back pin, the ball spinning and coming to rest just 12 feet away. A mid-length birdie opportunity for Team Woods. Neither can convert, though, and the duo settles for a less-than-ideal par at this juncture. Team Woods, 17-under (4-under Sunday thru 11) Leader: 22-under, Team Daly (thru 15) Hole 10 (par 4, 387/355 yards) Charlie pulls driver and takes an aggressive line over a waste area, clearing it with ease; the ball bounds down the fairway to leave a flip-wedge in. From just 40 yards, Charlie hoists his approach high but cannot get it to check; the ball releases into a fairway collection area behind the green. Tiger plays a mid-height pitch toward the flag that releases just to the right, leaving an 8-foot birdie try. Charlie putts first and delivers, the ball dropping in the right-center of the cup. Birdie for Team Woods to begin the final nine. They’ll need several more. Team Woods, 17-under (4-under Sunday thru 10) Leader: 22-under, Team Daly (thru 14) Hole 9 (par 4, 453/389 yards) After two solid shots into the green, Team Woods faces 20 feet for birdie from the back of the green. Charlie lags it close, allowing Tiger to putt without fear, and he gives it plenty of pace but rolls it by on the right side. Team Woods trails current leader Team Daly by six strokes at the turn. Last year, Team Woods strung 11 consecutive birdies on Sunday (Nos. 6-17) en route to a runner-up finish, two back of Team Daly. The Tiger-Charlie duo will need some similar back-nine magic in order to contend on the final holes. Team Woods, 16-under (3-under Sunday thru 9) Leader: 22-under, Team Daly (thru 13) Hole 8 (par 3, 215/178 yards) Tiger takes 4-iron and stripes it toward the flagstick; the ball holds a perfect line but settles 20 feet short of the hole. Charlie selects 5-iron and plays a high fade; he leans slightly but the ball lands and stops hole-high, with a makeable birdie look of 15 feet or so. Charlie misses a foot short, right in the heart, and Tiger’s birdie try slides to the right. A slightly disappointing par for Team Woods, five strokes off the pace with 10 holes to play. Team Woods 16-under (3-under Sunday thru 8) Leader: 21-under, Team Daly (thru 12) Hole 7 (par 4, 363/329 yards) Tiger takes driver and is displeased upon impact, the ball sailing into the trees. Charlie finds trouble as well, and the duo faces an uphill battle in hopes of saving par and remaining within striking distance. Playing the third shot from flip-wedge distance, Charlie catches it heavy and the ball catches a greenside bunker short. Tiger plays a low spinner that checks too soon and stops 25 feet short. Team Woods will have some heavy lifting to save par. Charlie misses the par putt right, and Tiger misses it left. Bogey for Team Woods, a potentially devastating occurrence at this juncture. In a slight bit of saving grace, Team Thomas fails to convert on its mid-range birdie look and settles for par. Team Thomas now trails Team Daly, playing five holes ahead, by a stroke. Team Woods, 16-under (3-under Sunday thru 7) Leader: 21-under, Team Daly (thru 12) Hole 6 (par 4, 422/380 yards) Playing from the center of the fairway, 123 yards out, Charlie sees his approach land 15 feet short but catch a ridge and funnel back down the slope to leave a 35-foot birdie try. Tiger tugs his wedge left; it misses the green and settles in the fairway some 40 feet from the hole. Charlie’s lengthy birdie try up the hill starts out right and never turns back left, the ball running out to leave a 4-foot comebacker for par. Tiger plays next and perhaps overcompensates, the ball missing left and running out to leave 3 feet for par. Charlie cleans it up with no problem. Justin and Mike Thomas have 25 feet for birdie. Mike misses but Justin calmly rolls it in, moving Team Thomas into the solo lead by one stroke over Team Singh and Team Daly, and now three clear of Team Woods. Team Woods, 17-under (4-under Sunday thru 6) Leader: 20-under, Team Thomas (thru 6) Hole 5 (par 5, 558/528 yards) Tiger pulls driver and strikes a controlled fade down the center of the fairway, his ball speed recorded at 174 mph. He has been keeping pace with Justin Thomas off the tee throughout the week, a testament to his career-long ability to adapt his swing to accomodate various injuries. Charlie pulls driver and displays a dynamic recoil with the ball flight to match; the ball has plenty of juice and safely finds the left side of the fairway, leaving just 200 yards into the green on the short par 5. Playing his second from the left side of the fairway, Charlie stares it down all the way, but the ball catches a pond just short of the green. Tiger is unfazed, as he launches a high mid-iron that tracks toward the flag and settles just 15 feet short. Justin and Mike Thomas are both off the green, giving Team Woods a chance to cut into the deficit. Charlie attempts eagle first, and he judges it perfectly, the ball starting out right and creeping back toward the center. It falls over the left edge and into the cup as Charlie raises his putter and pumps his fist twice. “I finally made one,” Charlie says with a smile as he exits the green. Team Thomas makes birdie, but Team Woods cuts into the deficit, which is now two. Team Woods, 17-under (4-under Sunday thru 5) Leader: 19-under; Team Thomas (thru 5), Team Singh (thru 6) Hole 4 (par 4, 187/152 yards) Tiger plays first and launches a high mid-iron that finds the left side of the green, some 25 feet from the flag. Charlie plays next with a short iron and is displeased immediately; he displays a one-handed finish as the ball leaks right and catches the greenside bunker. After Justin Thomas finds the bunker, his dad Mike carries the moment with a crisp iron to 12 feet, giving the team yet another birdie opportunity. As per team practice, Charlie putts first. He does not provide enough pace, the ball settling 4 feet shy of the cup. Tiger provides plenty of pace, the ball trying to turn left-ro-right into the hole but just hanging out on the left side. A tap-in par, which matches Team Thomas, as Mike and Justin each see their mid-range birdie attempt slide by. The margin remains three strokes in chase of the leaders. Team Woods, 15-under (2-under Sunday thru 4) Leader: 18-under, Team Thomas (thru 4) Hole 3 (par 5, 529/510 yards) Playing from the right side of the fairway, 228 yards out, Charlie pulls a fairway metal and executes a high fade that catches the right side of the green, leaving 50 feet for eagle. Tiger plays next and launches a high fade with a long iron that safely finds the center of the green, 30 feet for eagle. Not outside the realm of possibility. Charlie putts first, and his eagle try has good pace but slides off a couple feet to the left. Tiger gives his eagle bid plenty of pace and it slides by on the right side, running out 8 feet past the hole — emboldened by Charlie being near tap-in range. Charlie indeed cleans up the birdie. In the meantime, Mike Thomas drains a 15-foot eagle for Team Thomas, extending the duo’s margin to three over Team Woods. Team Daly and Team Singh are one off the pace. Team Woods, 15-under (2-under Sunday thru 3) Leader: 18-under, Team Thomas (thru 3) Hole 2 (par 4, 410/380 yards) Tiger stripes his drive well over 300 yards, leaving a flip wedge from just 72 yards. Charlie leaves his approach short, but dad takes care of things with a high wedge that lands soft and settles within 6 feet. Sporting a red sweater, Charlie putts first and misses on the right side. Tiger studies it intently but also misses the left-ro-right slider on the right side. A disappointing par for Team Woods considering the opportunity, but the silver lining is that Team Thomas makes par as well. Pace is kept. Team Woods, 14-under (1-under Sunday thru 2) Leader: 16-under, Team Thomas (thru 2), Team Daly (thru 6) Hole 1 (par 4, 395/380 yards) Tiger and Charlie arrive on the tee sporting the trademark Woods Sunday red, after exuding confident vibes in their range warm-up. Team Woods finds the fairway to begin the proceedings, and a wedge to 6 feet leaves a short-range birdie try. Charlie putts first and misses, but Tiger handles with no problem. Team Thomas also makes birdie, though, to remain two strokes clear of the Woods duo. Team Woods, 14-under (1-under Sunday thru 1) Leader: Team Thomas, 16-under

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Rory McIlroy’s pro-am push at BMW ChampionshipRory McIlroy’s pro-am push at BMW Championship

NEWTON SQUARE, Pa. – It’s not often that Rory McIlroy gets a momentum bump from a pro-am round. Wednesdays generally are not a productive scoring day for him “My stroke average in pro-ams is probably about 75.7,â€� he acknowledged. But this Wednesday at the BMW Championship was different. McIlroy played his final nine holes of the pro-am at Aronimink in 8-under 27, including a stretch of seven consecutive birdies. McIlroy was still on fire a day later. He played his first 14 holes in Thursday’s first round in 9 under, reeling off six straight birdies at one point. By the time he got to his 15th hole, the par-4 sixth, he was thinking 59. A couple of late bogeys dashed those dreams, but his 8-under 62 still was good enough to share the first-round lead with Tiger Woods. And that 23-hole stretch over two days in which he shot 17 under? “Oh, that’s pretty good,â€� McIlroy said. Two weeks ago, McIlroy sat out the FedExCup Playoffs opener in order to work on a few things. Last week, he tied for 12th, shooting 67-66 in his middle two rounds at TPC Boston. On Thursday, he was in full Rory mode, hitting 11 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens and averaging 24 feet, 3 inches proximity to the pin – second-best average of the day. “It’s a golf course that just seems to fit my eye,â€� McIlroy said. “I like the greens. You can work the ball in off the slopes. You got to hit it pretty wild to start missing fairways. So if you get your ball in the short stuff, you can get it going.â€� McIlroy’s 62 was his lowest round of the year by two strokes and is just one off his career low. But through 14 holes, it looked like he was headed for the record books. Asked if he was disappointed not to have shot 59, McIlroy could only smile. “Geez, Debbie Downer here,â€� he said. “… I’m not going to say it stinks too bad because I’d much rather shoot 62 today and win the golf tournament Sunday than shoot 59 today and maybe not win.â€� No matter how things turn out the rest of the week, though, perhaps McIlroy will take a new approach toward pro-ams. “Maybe I should try a little harder on Wednesdays,â€� he said. “It seemed to work this time.â€� NOTABLES One person who did not play in the pro-am was Tiger Woods, who took off on Wednesday after playing nine holes with McIlroy on Tuesday. “I needed it, I really did,â€� Woods said after his 62, his lowest score on the PGA TOUR in five years. “I just played a lot of golf in the last six weeks and I needed a day to recover and make sure I was fresh for today.â€� Woods is the co-leader after 18 holes for the first time since the 2013 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. Rickie Fowler missed the first two FedExCup Playoffs events with an oblique injury, but it certainly didn’t impact him Thursday. He shot a bogey-free 5-under 65, his round getting off to a quick start with a birdie putt from just inside 12 feet. Fowler hit 12 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens. “I’m happy we’re back this early as far as coming back from the injury,â€� Fowler said. “You never know exactly how long those things are going to last, and especially with our sport being very rotational-oriented, having the oblique was a little scary. But happy that we’re in a good spot now. Speaking of Fowler … he worse custom-made yellow shoes that honored the late Jarrod Lyle. The shoes included the birth and death dates for Lyle, along with his initials on the back of one shoe and an image of his bucket hat on the other. Fowler said he was hoping to wear the shoes on the weekend at the PGA Championship (Lyle died the day before the first round) “but I didn’t have anything to wear them with, so I couldn’t really make it work. … Obviously we don’t want to ever forget Jarrod.â€� Although admittedly tired after winning the first two FedExCup Playoffs events, points leader Bryson DeChambeau spent more than an hour on the practice green after signing for a 3-under 67. DeChambeau missed a birdie putt inside 10 feet early in his round but likely was more frustrated with missing a 6-foot par putt at the par-3 eighth for his only bogey of the day. DeChambeau is assured of No. 1 status after this week, no matter how he fares. Jordan Spieth played in the same threesome as Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler. Those two got off to hot starts, but it took longer for Spieth to heat up, as he birdied three of his last four holes to shoot a 3-under 67. “The toughest part is when there’s that many birdies within the group, him and Rickie, it’s tough not to force it when I was out of position all day,â€� Spieth said. “So I thought my 3 under was fantastic from places I played today.â€� Due to the threat of inclement weather Friday afternoon, tee times for the second round have been moved up. Play will begin at 7 a.m. ET, with threesomes off two tees. QUOTABLES My body just remembers it.That was weird, right? All three of us.I’m not very old but I feel like I shouldn’t be making those mistakes, second year veteran out here. SUPERLATIVES Lowest rounds: The 8-under 62s shot by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Combined, they made 1 eagle, 17 birdies and 3 bogeys. Bogey-free rounds: Rickie Fowler (65), Brian Gay (66), Henrik Stenson (66), Paul Casey (69). Longest drive: Brooks Koepka’s 361-yard tee shot at the par-5 ninth. Koepka also had a drive of 354 yards at the seventh hole. Longest putt: Beau Hossler’s birdie putt from 70 feet, 1 inch at the par-4 15th. Hardest hole: The 246-yard par-3 eighth played to a stroke average of 3.420. Just three birdies were made by the 69 players in the field (Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Chris Kirk). Easiest hole: The 542-yard par-5 16th played to a stroke average of 4.304. Six eagles and 38 birdies were made there, while just two players suffered bogeys (Chesson Hadley, Brandt Snedeker). CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the second round of the BMW Championship, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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Weather maintains advantage, but rules staff makes it fair contestWeather maintains advantage, but rules staff makes it fair contest

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda – Of the few things in golf that cannot be debated, the ageless adage that “it’s an outdoor game” remains at the top of a very short list. RELATED: Full leaderboard | ‘Brutal’ conditions lead to wild day Acceptance of that has, in turn, always opened the door to reminders that Mother Nature is in charge, that “rub of the green” needs to be part of the process, and that you are defenseless against the unpredictable ways of weather. Fair enough, all of that, but here’s a disclaimer: You can take measures to be proactive against extreme weather and that’s why Nick Watney was among a steady parade of players who offered good cheer to the PGA TOUR rules and competitions folks. “I think they did a really nice job of setting the course up to where it was playable with this much wind,” said Watney, who teed off at 8:08 in the fourth pairing at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course and competed when the weather was at its worst. Wind blew steadily at about 25 m.p.h. and gusted up to 35-to-40, rain came down at various points, sometimes in sheets, and the word every rules official dreads – oscillating – was very much in play. Ricky Barnes certainly was thinking about that. After all, he has played at Pebble Beach and St. Andrews when play came to a halt, despite brilliant sunshine, because balls were moving on the green. Yet with wind blowing hats off players’ heads and efforts to even hold an umbrella proving futile, officials never had to blow the air horn. Credit the decision to keep green speeds to “around 10,” said PGA Tour rules official John Mutch, who got here Sunday and has seen a series of accurate forecasts. “I didn’t have a ball move,” said Barnes. “It was difficult, but it was playable.” The decision to make one of the shorter courses on the PGA TOUR (Port Royal is 6,828 yards) even shorter focused on the demanding par 3s. Yardage was trimmed from each (Nos. 3, 8, 13, 16) and when Watney talked of “shots that are scary” at Port Royal, he circled 16. There, both tee and green hang out over the ocean. “Playing that hole at 235 with that sort of wind in your chops, that wouldn’t have been right,” said Mutch, who set it up at 165. Ditto No. 13, which was 195 yards downhill into wind, but not the 235 it could have been. “But they still gave you all you wanted,” said Mutch, and the numbers supported him. The 13th and 16th played over par and were ranked third- and second-most difficult. Which isn’t to say that Port Royal won’t grow a little bit overnight and into the weekend. “Friday, it will be a little more sporty,” said Mutch. “We have a better forecast.”

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