Reavie-Glover, Zhang-Dou share Zurich Classic lead

Sometimes patience goes a long way, and things can be worth the wait. Just ask Kevin Na, who has produced plenty of highlights between victories on the PGA TOUR, but finally produced those that matter most: Winning ones. Welcome to the Monday Finish, where Na said yeah on the greens at The Old White TPC over the weekend to streak away Sunday for a dominant win. FIVE OBSERVATIONS 1. Good things come to those who wait. When Kevin Na won the 2011 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, the prevailing thought was it would not be his last victory. Most pundits might not have said he’d win an epic number of tournaments, but the majority expected Na to make his presence felt in the winner’s circle again. The confidence of that happening dwindled with each passing missed opportunity and throughout a period where Na just could not pull the trigger on his swing. He had six runner up results since his Las Vegas triumph leading into this week. But after a less than stellar opening round, where he gave up nearly two strokes on the field in putting, Na found his groove. His performance on the greens on the weekend was first class. His Sunday efforts on the way to a 6-under 64 and a five-shot win showed a calmness in the moment he’d been missing. Saturday he made 124 feet, seven inches of putts. Sunday it was 143 feet, eight inches. See more about his putting stats below. Six birdies in seven holes set up the win. And a clutch par putt on the 12th, after his only bogey the hole before, showed he was ready. Much maligned at times for his pace of play or above mentioned “yips� Na always kept a positive attitude. And sported an infectious smile. His 16 at the Texas Open a few years back will always be the stuff of legend… but it is great to see him add a different set of highlights. 2. Phil Mickelson never really troubled those near the top of the leaderboard all week, but it didn’t stop him from dominating some headlines. Mickelson revealed a high stakes exhibition match against long-time rival Tiger Woods is in the works and had initially been mooted for the recently passed July 3 date. If it does happen, it’s sure to bring plenty of attention. It might be a decade or so after almost everyone wanted to see them head to head, but that’s okay. Now older and wiser, the pair could really add to the theatre of it all with plenty of barbs back and forth. It’s a watch this space scenario for sure. 3. He’s a familiar name with eight PGA TOUR wins, but Brandt Snedeker has been noticeably absent from regular contention this season as he returns from last year’s sternum injury. Sneds was one of those players you could always count on finding his way in and around the lead, but this reboot has been a tester on his patience as the great play hasn’t come as easy as often. But his steady perseverance started to bear fruit and now he has second top-10 finish from his last four starts. A tie for sixth at FedEx St. Jude Classic and his third place this week after a sublime Sunday 64 have Snedeker moving in the right direction to return to the FedExCup Playoffs. The 2012 FedExCup champion missed them last season with the injury. But an important move up to 84th this week — and booking a place in the Open Championship with his finish — has given him some breathing space and a platform from which to make further moves. 4. Sunday might have belonged to Na, but it was also significant to dig a little deeper and see how a bunch of players dealt with the furnace of pressure as they look to take their own dreams to another level. First there was Kelly Kraft and Harold Varner III, who held the 54-hole lead as they looked to secure their first wins on the PGA TOUR. They will certainly learn from the experience. Kraft hit the ball beautifully off the tee but couldn’t quite dial in his approach and putting game on Sunday. As each putt missed he saw Na just streak further and further away. But to his credit, he stayed solid enough to be runner up. Varner’s putter was also cold on Sunday and his tee game was also not quite up to scratch in terms of pushing for a win. But while it was clear he didn’t have his best stuff, Varner didn’t give up and ultimately finished in a tie for fifth. He shared that place with Sam Saunders, among others. Saunders was another with a chance for his first win, particularly with the good vibes of using Arnold Palmer’s old putter, but a Sunday 70 was all he could put together. Joel Dahmen had a chance to win but also failed to go low Sunday. But he put his experience of playing with Tiger Woods at the Quicken Loans National to immediate use, finishing with his first top-10 of the season. The tie for fifth is a career best finish on TOUR and just his second career top-10. And then there was John Peterson. Playing on his last start of a Major Medical exemption, Peterson needed a very high finish to get his TOUR card back. He needed a fairly high one for conditional status. Otherwise he would retire and move into real estate. After making a final hole birdie on Friday to make the cut on the number, he made his push all weekend and closed with a 66 to push into a tie for 13th. It meant a nervous wait. And in the end, it wasn’t the outcome he hoped for finishing an agonizing 0.58 points shy of the mark. If Peterson really is done with professional golf we wish him well in his new endeavors. 5. Bring on Joaquin Niemann. The youngster from Chile once again showed his mettle on Sunday. He could have mailed it in on Sunday after a disappointing third round sent him spiraling out of serious contention. But knowing every non-member FedExCup equivalent point is critical in his quest to join the PGA TOUR next season, the 19-year-old was outstanding on Sunday. His bogey-free 64 took him all the way into a tie for fifth and moved him to 414 non-member points. That would put him at 100th place on the list this season, seemingly locking up a place in the top 125 with just six weeks remaining. We are going to see a lot more of this guy. FIVE INSIGHTS 1. Na ranked inside the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green (8th), Strokes Gained: Around- the-Green (4th) and Strokes Gained: Putting (2nd), marking just the second winner this season to rank inside the top 10 in all three of these Strokes Gained categories (Dustin Johnson, Sentry TOC). 2. Almost half (42 percent) of Na’s total strokes gained for the week were a result of his putting performance, gaining +1.772 strokes per round in Strokes Gained: Putting. In the last two rounds Na outperformed the field by +6.91 total strokes on the greens, compared to +0.19 in the first two rounds. 3. Na made five birdies in his opening nine holes of the final round, posting a 29. He’s just the fifth PGA TOUR winner in the ShotLink era to record an opening nine-hole score under 30. Na ranked inside the top four in several key putting statistics leading the field in Putts Per Round (26.50) and One-Putt Percentage (50%). He made three putts from outside 25 feet, tying Francesco Molinari (Quicken Loans National) and Webb Simpson (THE PLAYERS Championship) for the most Total One Putts from this distance by a winner this season. 4. Kraft (2nd), Snedeker (T3), Jason Kokrak (T3) and Austin Cook (T5) earned a berth into the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie. The leading four players who finished in the top 12 and ties not already exempt earned spots into the field. Cook received the invite for being the highest-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking of those who finished T5. 5. The big FedExCup movers this week included some critical moves with Playoff ramifications: Na — from 58th to 18th; Kraft — from 119th to 59th; Kokrak — from 95th to 64th; Snedeker — from 115th to 84th; Joel Dahmen — 126th to 108th; Saunders — 132nd to 113th and Varner — 139th to 123rd.

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GUYANCOURT, France – Eleven Ryder Cuppers from America played last week’s TOUR Championship. Jordan Spieth did not, having finished in the dreaded 31st position in the FedExCup standings that denied him access to the 30-man TOUR Championship. But perhaps there is a silver lining to missing out on East Lake for the first time since becoming a TOUR member. In the off-week prior to the TOUR Championship, he put the clubs away. Then last week, he gradually worked his way back into competitive shape – and now obviously hopes it will pay off for the American team at this week’s Ryder Cup. He fully expects to play better than he did two weeks ago when he finished T-55 at the BMW Championship, enough to drop him outside the top 30. “My game was in the best state that it had been in until BMW, and I kind of just ran out of gas there,â€� Spieth said. “I should have taken more breaks in the Playoffs this year, and I went something like 26 of 28 days from before New York that that Saturday afternoon of BMW, of at least six-hour days on the course and gym. … “I don’t wish that it happened, considering it was the end of the season. If it was the middle of the season, I would’ve looked at it like a blessing in disguise. But I certainly wish I was at East Lake, no question. If anything, I will not take that week for granted and work that much harder not to miss it.â€� Spieth officially finished the season without a win, but he said a good performance and a USA win this week could change his outlook when assessing the year. “I think if I came out and played really solid golf this week, I would feel like I accomplished a lot this year,â€� Spieth said. “… The years after I’ve played in Ryder Cups have been phenomenal years for me. I look at this week as very important going forward for next season.â€� PRACTICE PAIRINGS: Wednesday’s pairings for Europe: Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton, Thorbjorn Olesen and Paul Casey in the first group; Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari, Alex Noren and Ian Poulter in the second group; and Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose in the third group. Note that the veteran pair of Stenson and Rose were split, and with Stenson still dealing with a left elbow problem that might limit the number of sessions he plays. Pairings for the U.S. team included: Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods in the first group; Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson in the second group; and Tony Finau, Ricky Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka in the third group. Speculation is growing that Woods and Reed might be paired at some point, leaving Spieth to go with his good buddy JT. We’ll find out Thursday when the first set of matches are announced at the opening ceremony. RORY NOT FOCUSED ON TIGER: Just a few days ago, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods played the final round together at the TOUR Championship. While Woods earned his first PGA TOUR win in five years, McIlroy struggled to a 74 to finish tied for seventh. McIlroy said he wasn’t intimidated playing with Woods (and the massive gallery that followed the twosome). He said the East Lake rough was the toughest thing to handle. “That was the most intimidating part about it,â€� McIlroy said. Neither is he worried about the Americans getting a Tiger boost from the win. “This week, he’s one of 12,â€� McIlroy said. “We’re not looking at any individuals. We’re just trying to beat the U.S. Team. It’s great what he did on Sunday. It was great for golf. It brings a lot of excitement to the game. “I think to focus on one player is silly, especially when I might not even see him this week at any point. … You know, we’re looking to beat the U.S. team. We’re not looking to just beat Tiger Woods.â€� NO TIGER-PHIL PAIRING: U.S. Captain Jim Furyk said he would never rule out the possibility, but it doesn’t appear that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be partners this week, 12 years after their ill-fated pairing by then-U.S. Captain Hal Sutton. “I won’t ever say it wouldn’t happen,â€� Furyk said, “but it’s probably not too likely.â€� SERGIO HAS NOTHING TO PROVE: The most controversial of European captain Thomas Bjorn’s four captains’ picks may have been veteran Sergio Garcia, who’s form was so poor this PGA TOUR season he failed to make the FedExCup Playoffs. In his last 11 starts on the PGA TOUR, Garcia missed eight cuts and finished no higher than a T24 at the Wyndham Championship. But Bjorn was never concerned and happily took Garcia, who is suiting up for his ninth Ryder Cup and boasts an impressive 19-11-7 record. Bjorn admitted Garcia’s presence in the team room was a big factor and reminded people that “we’re talking about a Masters champion from last yearâ€� who was “no mug on the golf courseâ€� and “very capable of delivering.â€� Interestingly Garcia’s last top 10 on the PGA TOUR came at the World Golf Championships – Dell Match Play Championship in March. But having not played in over a month the Spaniard teed it up on the European Tour’s Portugal Masters last week and found a little form to finish tied for seventh. When asked if he had to repay the faith of his captain this week Garcia said he had nothing to prove. “At the end of the day, the captain’s picks, they are not easy for captains and vice captains, but they have their way of doing it and they know what they want to choose that can bring something extra to the team,â€� Garcia said. “What I’m going to do is just do what I do best and try to make sure that everyone feels good, comfortable, happy, enjoying themselves, and if we can do that, then it’s much easier for everyone to play their best game. “I think that I’ve proved myself over and over, and the only thing I can do out there is when I get called upon playing, just do my best, do what I do, do what I’ve always done here at Ryder Cups, and that’s everything. “If we are able to do that and play well, then we’ll have a good chance. If not, we’ll have to fight really hard.â€� WEBB’S POP-UP: Four years ago, Webb Simpson had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot to start play at the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles. It was a 3-wood pop-up that went 190 yards and started trending on Twitter – and not in a kind way. Yes, he was nervous, as every player is when striking that opening drive at a Ryder Cup. But there was more to it, he explained Wednesday. “That was a shot I had in my bag all year,â€� Simpson said. “It was like the fifth time I had done it. I was losing my concentration a little bit and I teed it up a little too high, and I had done it a few other times that year.â€� He said the most embarrassing moment came not from the crowd reaction but from the cameramen and TV crews scheduled to follow his group. They had positioned themselves down the fairway at the usual landing zone for tee shots but had to walk back up the fairway to where Simpson would strike his second shot. As for a potential repeat on Friday? Simpson acknowledged he’ll be nervous again but he expects to handle it better if given the opportunity. “The first tee, that environment is fun – probably a little more nervous than the second hole or third hole,â€� Simpson said, “That’s why you might see me teeing off on the evens.â€� BUBBA GLOVE: Bubba Watson wore a golf glove to his only pre-tournament press conference for this week’s Ryder Cup. It is not something golfers generally do when sitting on a dais while addressing members of the media. The details as to exactly why he wore the glove are a bit hazy and unsubstantiated. But perhaps Bubba eventually summed it up best: “Just being dumb with the team,â€� he said. Consider it Bubba’s playful side during a stress-filled week in which the competition doesn’t start until Friday. When initially asked about the glove, Bubba explained: “Every time we have a team event, there’s people that you’ve got to say so many words or you’ve got to do something, we’ll say, dumb. So I said I’ve got to wear my glove the whole interviews. So I’m doing it.â€� He added at least one of his U.S. teammates had to use a certain word during his news conference. That person evidently was not Jordan Spieth, who followed Watson into the interview room Wednesday. Asked if there was a certain word he needed to use, Spieth replied, “I don’t think so.â€� He did, however, know there was something up Bubba’s sleeve – or rather on his hand – on Wednesday. “He just was in the locker room and said, ‘I think I’m going to wear my glove in media.’â€� Spieth said. Bubba wouldn’t reveal the player’s name or the word that needed to be spoken. “I was the glove guy,â€� he said, “so I don’t know.â€� Friday’s first session can’t get here soon enough.

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AUGUSTA, Ga — A new women’s amateur tournament will be played partially at Augusta National Golf Club the week before the Masters Tournament. Masters chairman Fred Ridley announced the tournament Wednesday, calling it a move to help grow the game of golf. It will be called the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The tournament will be played over three rounds, with the first two at the Champions Retreat outside Augusta and the final round played on the Saturday before the Masters at the famed Augusta National course. Ridley said Masters officials believe it will be the most widely attended amateur tournament in the world, and by a large margin. The field will consist of 72 women invited by the Masters.

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