Race to FedExCup Playoffs takes center stage at 3M Open

The PGA TOUR is back in action with the first event of 2021, the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Scenic views and a star-studded field of 42 players will take on one of the TOUR's most unique designs, the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua, which is defined by strong winds and severe slopes. Below are four of the top groups to watch in Thursday's prime-time telecast of the opening round from Maui. The field will be re-paired based on scores after the first round. Justin Thomas-Dustin Johnson – Who will have the better 2021, Dustin Johnson or Justin Thomas? SEAN MARTIN: After closing 2020 with wins in the FedExCup and Masters, Johnson seems to be the easy answer but I don't think it's that simple. I'm picking Thomas. He started working with a new putting coach late last year and it has paid off. He's finished no worse than T12 in any of his five starts this season. His iron game is impeccable and has allowed him to have success the last few years even while struggling with his putting. He's gaining three-quarters of a stroke per round on the greens this season, so I could see him having a big year if his improvement on the greens continues. CAMERON MORFIT: It's going to be a photo finish because they're both going to have a big year. DJ is just now fully realizing his potential, which is a terrifying thought. JT could really be in for something spectacular if he improves on the greens. In the end, though, JT seems to run more hot and cold with the driver; I like DJ's consistency off the tee just a little better, so I'm going with him. BEN EVERILL: Man, this one is a toss-up. You wouldn't be that surprised if both won five times! I expect both to be near the top all season long but I have a feeling, after perhaps an initial lull, Johnson will continue to kick on. He's added a FedExCup and second major recently. If his desire continues he could be setting up a dominant 2021. Xander Schauffele-Jon Rahm – Rahm just joined Xander as a Callaway staffer. What will Rahm’s first start with new gear look like? MARTIN: There's always some apprehension when a player makes a switch. It helps that he played Callaway clubs in college and that he enjoys playing on the West Coast but an adjustment period should always be assumed. Let's chalk him up for around a 10th-place finish, equaling his showing at Kapalua last season. He's finished second, eighth and 10th in three Sentry starts. MORFIT: I'll say Rahm contends immediately with the new gear. It's the artist, not the paint brush, and Rahm is plenty familiar with the new clubs as attested by his sparkling collegiate record and his recent 59 in a casual round back home in Arizona. EVERILL: It will be a study in focus and accountability. There will come a point where Rahm will hit a shot he doesn't like and he will have the choice to blame the tool or the tradesman. If he allows himself to shift blame off himself then doubt can creep in. His Callaway stuff, just like the TaylorMade gear before it, is top notch. He will dial it in sooner rather than later. And hey, Rahm could most likely beat most of us if we gave him a pool cue. Scottie Scheffler-Collin Morikawa – Scottie and Collin were teammates at the 2017 Walker Cup. Seven of the nine members of that team who turned professional now have TOUR status: Scheffler, Morikawa, Cameron Champ, Will Zalatoris, Doc Redman, Maverick McNealy and Doug Ghim. How many of that group win this year and who wins the most? MARTIN: I think three of the seven will be victorious and I wouldn't be surprised if Scheffler leads the way with two wins in 2021 after winning Rookie of the Year last year. I'll also take wins from Champ and Zalatoris. MORFIT: I feel like Cameron Champ is figuring it out, and the driver is just a huge advantage out there. I'll say he leads the way with two victories. And out of the seven, I like four to get into the win column this year. EVERILL: I'll say five of them with Morikawa once again leading the way but Scheffler breaking through as well. Patrick Reed-Sebastian Munoz – Patrick Reed finished eighth in the FedExCup last year and third in the Race to Dubai. Which will he finish higher in in 2021? SEAN MARTIN: Reed made a bit of a switch in the coaching department this fall, going full-time to David Leadbetter and Sean Hogan, a pair he has worked with some in the past. Reed has talked about the importance he places on the Race to Dubai and I could see him winning it all with some well-timed double-dipping (majors and World Golf Championships count in both standings). He has four consecutive top-15 finishes in majors and two wins in World Golf Championships. With 50 events in the PGA TOUR's Super Season, it will be hard for players who play a split schedule to keep pace, so I could see him finishing higher in the Race to Dubai again while still qualifying for his eighth consecutive TOUR Championship. MORFIT: A coaching change can mean a slow start to the year, but as long as you're hot for the FedExCup Playoffs it's all good. I'll say Reed turns it on at the end of the season and finishes top 30 in the FedExCup, top 15 in the Race to Dubai. EVERILL: I'll say the Race to Dubai again just because he's a proven force on the European circuit and in the Middle East. Reed could easily have won it all in 2020 and I expect he will threaten to do so again - perhaps even closing the deal. That doesn't mean he won't contend at home also. He will be at East Lake, and if you have a chip and a chair you're a chance.

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Here’s how the field qualified for The Honda Classic as of 3/12/2021. Check here for updates. Winner – PGA/U.S. Open Championship Jimmy Walker Gary Woodland Winner – THE PLAYERS Championship Rickie Fowler Winner – The Masters Danny Willett Winner – The Open Championship Zach Johnson Shane Lowry Henrik Stenson Winner – World Golf Championship Event Phil Mickelson Winners of the Arnold Palmer, Memorial, Genesis (Last 3 Years) Jason Dufner Adam Scott Tournament Winner in Past Two Seasons Ryan Armour Daniel Berger Keegan Bradley Stewart Cink Austin Cook Tyler Duncan Dylan Frittelli Brice Garnett Brian Gay Jim Herman J.B. Holmes Sungjae Im Sung Kang Michael Kim Patton Kizzire Russell Knox Satoshi Kodaira Andrew Landry Nate Lashley Adam Long Graeme McDowell Troy Merritt Keith Mitchell Joaquin Niemann Cheng Tsung Pan Pat Perez Scott Piercy J.T. Poston Ted Potter, Jr. Ian Poulter Chez Reavie Brendan Steele Robert Streb Hudson Swafford Nick Taylor Michael Thompson Martin Trainer Richy Werenski Aaron Wise Career Money Exemption K.J. Choi Luke Donald Jim Furyk Hunter Mahan Steve Stricker Bo Van Pelt Sponsor Exemptions: 2018-19 FEC / 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Category Rafa Cabrera Bello Matt Wallace Sponsors Exemptions – Members not otherwise exempt Padraig Harrington Martin Kaymer Sponsors Exemptions – Unrestricted Lucas Herbert Ryo Ishikawa Kamaiu Johnson Chase Koepka PGA Section Champion\Player of the Year Alan Morin Life Member. Vijay Singh Top 125 on Prior Season’s FedExCup Points List Mackenzie Hughes Kevin Streelman Byeong Hun An Brian Harman Mark Hubbard Tom Hoge Alex Noren Adam Hadwin Harry Higgs Russell Henley Talor Gooch Robby Shelton Maverick McNealy Doc Redman Denny McCarthy Henrik Norlander Xinjun Zhang Sepp Straka Harold Varner III Cameron Tringale Cameron Davis Vaughn Taylor Patrick Rodgers Brian Stuard Matt Jones Kyoung-Hoon Lee Scott Harrington Matthew NeSmith Ryan Moore Sam Ryder Adam Schenk Wyndham Clark Sam Burns Scott Brown Beau Hossler Lucas Glover Luke List Scott Stallings Rory Sabbatini Tom Lewis Bo Hoag Top 125 (Prior Season Nonmember) William Gordon Frederick van Rooyen Major Medical Extension Chris Kirk James Hahn Charl Schwartzel Kevin Chappell William McGirt Sean O’Hair Jamie Lovemark Camilo Villegas Wesley Bryan John Huh Seung-Yul Noh Kelly Kraft Top 10 and Ties from the Previous Event Jhonattan Vegas Grayson Murray Rafael Campos Rob Oppenheim Brandon Wu Cameron Percy Lee Westwood 2018-19 Top 125 FEC/2019 Top Finishers Korn Ferry Tour (reordered) Peter Malnati Tyler McCumber Doug Ghim Kyle Stanley Kramer Hickok Anirban Lahiri Kristoffer Ventura Michael Gligic David Hearn Chesson Hadley Hank Lebioda Chase Seiffert Roger Sloan

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The Dallas area’s longtime PGA TOUR stop enters a new era with its move to Trinity Forest Golf Club, as Jordan Spieth hopes a change of venue might produce his first victory in his hometown event. Sergio Garcia, a two-time Nelson champion and now Texas resident, also returns to test the treeless new layout along with Marc Leishman and Matt Kuchar. Billy Horschel is defending champion, coming three weeks after teaming with Scott Piercy to win in New Orleans. FIELD NOTES: Hideki Matsuyama tees it up for the first time at the Byron Nelson, marking just his second start in Texas other than the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. He also played Colonial in 2014. … In all, Trinity Forest welcomes five of the top 25 in the world rankings to its coming-out party. … Chilean teen Joaquin Niemann is set for his third professional start. The last time he teed it up in Texas, he was sixth at the Valero Texas Open. … Maverick McNealy, also a former world No. 1 amateur, takes his first sponsor exemption since the West Coast Swing. He’s coming off a third-place finish at the Web.com Tour’s United Leasing & Finance Championship. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points. STORYLINES: The curiosity factor is high for Trinity Forest, once a landfill in Dallas’ southwest quadrant that was renovated by the renowned Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore design tandem. It’s a dramatic change from its former home at TPC Four Seasons, with native grasses and push-up greens as dominant features. … Spieth, winless since last year’s Open Championship despite four top-3 finishes, again seeks his first Nelson win. His best finish remains a share of 16th as a 16-year-old in 2010; he missed the cut last year. … Garcia sets out again to join Sam Snead and Tom Watson as the only three-time winners of the event. … Horschel’s victory made it 12 of the final 18 winners at TPC Four Seasons to shoot all four rounds in the 60s. What will Trinity Forest bring? … The top 60 in the world rankings after Sunday’s conclusion receive automatic berths into next month’s U.S. Open. Charles Howell III is among those trying to break into the club at No. 61. COURSE: Trinity Forest Golf Club, 7,380 yards, par 71. Built over 160 acres of sand-capped landfill in Dallas’ southwest quadrant, Trinity Forest begins the tournament’s new chapter after leaving the northern suburbs. The name’s something of a misnomer, as there’s not a tree on the layout – resembling more of a windswept rolling meadow that gives off a links feel. Most striking is a double green serving Nos. 3 and 11, one of the largest in North America at roughly 35,000 square feet. Opened in 2016, Trinity Forest also is home to the SMU golf teams. 72-HOLE RECORD: 259, Steven Bowditch (2015 at TPC Four Seasons). Note: Rory Sabbatini’s 19-under-par 261 in 2009 is the lowest against par; Bowditch was 18-under after heavy rain turned TPC Four Seasons into a par-69 layout for the final three rounds. 18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Arron Oberholser (2nd round, 2006 at Cottonwood Valley GC), Keegan Bradley (1st round, 2013 at TPC Four Seasons). LAST YEAR: Horschel dispatched Jason Day in a playoff to end a 2 ½-year winless drought, secured when Day stunningly missed a 4-foot par putt on the first extra hole. Horschel, Day and James Hahn battled down the back nine at TPC Four Seasons, with Hahn briefly taking the lead until dropping back with three consecutive bogeys. Horschel’s 59-foot birdie at No. 14 brought him even with Day, only to see the Aussie chip in at No. 15 to regain the lead. Horschel pulled even again with a birdie at No. 16, and they parred out until Horschel birdied the playoff hole. Horschel’s fourth PGA TOUR victory might have been his most unexpected, having missed four straight cuts before arriving. It also was his most emotional, with news a day later that wife Brittany had just celebrated one year of sobriety after seeking help for alcoholism. HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:45 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (featured groups), 4-7 p.m. (featured holes). Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (featured groups). RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).

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