Reed ends 16-month wait with Northern Trust win

For years, PGA TOUR players have used raw wedges to help maximize spin around the greens for increased control of their wedge shots. Raw wedges, versus those that have a finish or coating applied, reduce the material between the golf ball and the grooves to ensure maximum friction as the ball runs up the face of the wedge. Callaway’s new Jaws Raw wedges – which replace the previous Jaws Mack Daddy 5 (MD5) wedges – have raw faces and extremely sharp grooves to enhance greenside spin. While Callaway is officially launching the Jaws Raw wedges to PGA TOUR players this week at the Travelers Championship, a number of players have already put them into play. Marc Leishman, Xander Schauffele and Kevin Kisner, for example, have each used the wedges in recent weeks. In fact, as Callaway reports, nine Jaws Raw wedges were in play at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. “I love the look,” said Marc Leishman. “I actually used to grind the leading edge of my old wedges to look like this (straighter leading edge). I’ve actually been playing with it since (the Zurich Classic of New Orleans), I took it from the photo shoot.” The relatively quick adoption of these wedges — very, very quick in Leishman’s case — can be attributed to Callaway’s willingness to work with TOUR players when developing the new wedges. Legendary wedge designer Roger Cleveland and the Callaway team used feedback from TOUR players to make a number of changes to the new Jaws Raw wedges compared to the previous Jaws MD5 models. The new Jaws Raw wedges introduce tungsten weighting and progressive hosel lengths to provide the optimal center of gravity for increased feel, trajectory control and forgiveness. The higher-lofted wedges have longer hosels that are balanced by two tungsten weights in the toe section. This configuration helps balance CG from heel-to-toe, but also moves it slightly higher to influence a lower shot with greater spin. The lower lofted wedges, on the other hand, have shorter hosels and less tungsten weighting in the toe sections to help lower CG for higher-flying shots from the fairway. Kevin Kisner, who’s been using the 52-degree Jaws Raw wedge, told GolfWRX.com on Monday that the “grooves are more aggressive, and I find it easier to hit from the fairway on full shots.” The raw-faced wedges have ultra-sharp grooves with a 37-degree wall angle. They also have groove-in-groove technology, which feature micro-milled grooves at a 20-degree angle to promote added spin on both straight-faced and open-faced shots. Golfers will notice that the new Jaws Raw wedges have a straighter leading edge, the toe pad has been muted to reduce glare, and they feature a smooth transition from the hosel section to the heel area that doesn’t show a pronounced “hook.” This feedback comes directly from TOUR players, according to Callaway. With 17 loft-grind combinations in total, the Jaws Raw wedge lineup introduces an all-new “Z” grind. The Z grind – which Callway says is used by Leishman – is a low-bounce option, but there’s significant chamfer, or roundness, on the leading edge to help reduce digging at impact and eliminate chunk shots. Other grinds in the Jaws Raw family include the standard S-grind, the versatile C-grind, the wide-soled W-grind, and the high-bounce X-grind. Available to the public on July 22 for $179.99 in steel, $189.99 in graphite, the Callaway Jaws Raw wedges will be available in either a Raw Face Chrome or un-plated Raw Black Plasma option. Brian Stuard, for example, opts for the Raw Black Plasma option, as pictured below. It’s important to note that the faces of the wedges are raw, which means they will rust over time. The stock shaft options include True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner 115 grams (steel) and Project X Catalyst 80 grams (graphite), with a stock Lamkin UTx Charcoal grip. Callaway’s Jaws Raw wedges will have up to 13 color options to choose from within the Callaway Customs platform, as well as different medallions, emojis, and stamping options for further personalization.

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How is a 35-year-old father of five, especially one who ranks in the bottom half of the PGA TOUR in driving distance, one of the world's top 10 players? It's a valid inquiry in an era dominated by big hitters who've never changed a diaper. Webb Simpson is the outlier among today's top players, for factors ranging from the physical to familial. The other nine players in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking have an average age of 28, seven years younger than Simpson. Only Dustin Johnson, 36, is older, and 31-year-old Rory McIlroy is the only other one in his 30s. Simpson averaged 296.2 yards off the tee last season, making him the shortest hitter among the world's top 10, as well. The other nine players were an average of 10 yards longer and only one other, Collin Morikawa, averaged less than 300. And Simpson has more kids (5) than the other nine players combined (3). After his win at last year's Waste Management Phoenix Open, Simpson cracked the top 10 in the world ranking for the first time since 2012. He has been inside it ever since. He birdied the final two holes at TPC Scottsdale to tie Tony Finau, one of the TOUR's longest hitters, before beating him with a birdie on the first extra hole. Simpson also won the second event of the TOUR's Return to Golf, the RBC Heritage. It was his first multi-win season since 2011 and led to a 12th-place finish in the FedExCup. Simpson's secret? Less is more. It turns out Rory McIlroy isn't the only player who enjoyed the book Essentialism. Simpson read it about five years ago and its teaching resonated with him. "People who make a dent in this world aren't people who are good at a lot of things, but are great at a few," Simpson said. "That's helped me be productive in what God has called me to." He used to over-extend himself in an attempt to please everyone. The book helped him narrow his focus and set priorities, both personal and professional. "Instead of being a good friend to 100 people, I want to be a great friend to 15," he said. In golf, the philosophy impacts everything from what tournaments he plays to how much he practices. Simpson has slowly pared down his schedule over the past few seasons. He focuses on courses that fit his game and tries to avoid being away from his family for more than two consecutive weeks. He played just 14 events last season, but had eight top-10s, including five top-three finishes. Playing less helps him feel excited when he arrives at an event and grateful for the opportunity, Simpson said. Only Tyrrell Hatton (11) qualified for last year's TOUR Championship in fewer starts. When Simpson is home, he practices just two or three days per week. He actually spends more time with his trainer, Cornel Driessen, than at the course. Simpson used to feel guilty about leaving the house but his wife, Dowd, has encouraged him to be "all-in where his feet are." "I get more done in three hours of golf than I used to in a day because I have a gameplan," he said. "The night before, I know what I am going to work on, for how long and how I am going to work on it. I go into it with a plan, with no distractions while I'm doing it. "And when I get home, my golf stays in the garage with my clubs." The book helped him focus on a few specific steps he could take to play his best. He knows he'll never be one of the longest hitters but he consistently ranks in the top 25 of Strokes Gained: Approach and Around-the-Green. To fortify those areas, he started working with instructor Butch Harmon and short-game coach Pat Goss in 2015. Once he found the arm-lock putting method, he returned to the game's elite. He started working with sports psychologist John Silva in 2016 and Driessen in 2017. "In 10 years, I'm never going to look back and wish I'd won this tournament or that tournament," Simpson said. "It's going to be, ‘Did I get the most out of the talent I was given?'" Simpson has made the last four TOUR Championships after missing in 2015 and '16 while struggling with the transition from the belly putter. In addition to his two wins last season, he won THE PLAYERS Championship in 2018. Last season, he was sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach, 13th in SG: Putting and 32nd in SG: Around-the-Green last season. His caddie, Paul Tesori, said he's a better all-around player than in 2011 and 2012, when he won three times, including the U.S. Open. His efficient approach to playing and practicing also has paid dividends. "When he feels like he's more present at home," Tesori said, "it gives him more joy when it is time to tee it up on TOUR." Last year's win in Phoenix would not have been possible if not for his physical and mental transformation, Simpson said. Silva, the first sports psychologist Simpson has worked with, has taught him to be patient, especially during frustrating times. Simpson was 10 off the lead after the first round at TPC Scottsdale. With eight holes remaining in his second round, he was still just one shot inside the cut line. He birdied six of his final eight holes to shoot 63, however, and followed with a 64 in the third round. "The part of my mind that has gotten better is ... just hanging in there," he said. "In the course of 72 holes, you might figure something out and find something and then you play 27 holes in (13 under)." Physical strength was key, as well. That paid off on two holes on TPC Scottsdale's front nine, where it's easy to overlook a player's performance. According to Tesori, Simpson's weight has increased from 174 pounds in 2017 to 200 today. He lost three pounds of body fat in the process. His increased strength has allowed him to summon an extra 7-8 yards off the tee when necessary and rely more on his "fairway finder" swing without leaving himself too far behind the competition. Simpson's average driving distance in 2020 was eight yards longer than the previous season, and he rose from 145th to 107th in that statistic. That allowed Simpson to hit it over a fairway bunker on TPC Scottsdale's sixth hole that he couldn't carry before, turning that hole into a birdie opportunity. He played it in 2 under par last year. In the second round, he pulled his tee shot on the eighth hole but carried a penal fairway bunker that used to catch his drives. His ball went into a further bunker with a shallower lip. He made birdie from that bunker. "A year earlier, I wouldn't have won simply because I wouldn't have been able to carry those bunkers," Simpson said. Before this week's title defense, Simpson visited Pinehurst with his wife. The American Express was on television and Simpson turned to Dowd to express the enjoyment his new approach has given him for the game. "I said, ‘I love golf more than I ever have,'” Simpson said. “I’m enjoying the challenge more than I ever have, and part of that is having a very simplistic approach to my game. Paul (Tesori) and I are very clear about what we’re working on. We’re not wavering from the process or trying this thing and that thing.” So, how is a 35-year-old father of five one of the game’s top players? Turns out it’s a simple answer.

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Here are the recaps from the completed matches in Saturday’s two sessions at the Presidents Cup. Foursomes are being played in the morning at Liberty National with Four-ball matches set for the afternoon. MORNING FOURSOMES MATCH 11: USA wins, 4 and 3 Jordan Spieth/Patrick Day (U.S.) def. Jason Day/Marc Leishman (International) Holes won: USA 6, International 2 Holes led: USA 8, International 2 Recap: The powerhouse American duo won the final four holes to break open a tight match and continue their domination in these team events. Spieth and Reed are now 2-0-1 this week and 7-1-3 in team events (including Ryder Cup results). Meanwhile, the Aussie partners are 0-2-1 this week, with Day now 0-6-2 in his last eight Presidents Cup matches. Day did have the biggest highlight for the Internationals, chipping in for birdie to win the 7th hole and put his team 1 up. But the Americans responded two holes later with a birdie at the par-5 ninth to square the match. They then dialed it up a notch on the back nine. A terrific approach by Reed set up a tap-in birdie at the 12th. A Spieth approach set up a Reed 7-foot birdie putt at the 13th. The Internationals lost the 14th with a bogey after Day found the bunker with his tee shot. And then Spieth’s approach to 7 feet at the 15th set up Reed for the match-ending birdie. QUOTES Jason Day: “I didn’t do Leish any favors hitting driver off the tee on 12. I didn’t do too well hitting a driver off on 14, as well, obviously putting him in a bunker there wasn’t a go, and then Jordan hit a great bunker shot out of there. I mean, it is what it is. Unfortunately we just didn’t have it today, more so myself. Leish played great. You know, it sucks.” Marc Leishman: “I didn’t hole the putts today that I needed to hole. I teed off the holes where you need to be holing them and wasn’t, but they just played too good. You know, today is a day where you’re going to make a few mistakes, and we did, but they outplayed us, so credit to them.” MATCH 12: USA wins, 4 and 3 Dustin Johnson/Matt Kuchar (U.S.) def. Adam Scott/Adam Hadwin (International) Holes won: USA 8, International 4 Holes led: USA 13, International 0 Recap: The Americans won six of the first nine holes, thanks in large part to some poor International play, and maintained control the rest of the way. Pars were good enough for the U.S. to win hole Nos. 1, 3 and 6, and the Americans even won the fifth hole with a bogey. The Internationals suffered another double bogey at the seventh, but the U.S. won it with a 17-foot birdie putt from Johnson. DJ also won the ninth with a 7-foot birdie putt, putting the Americans 4-up at the turn. Hadwin started the Internationals’ rally with a 24-foot putt to win the 10th and also made an 8-footer to win the 13th. But a third double bogey cost them the 14th and stopped any momentum. QUOTES Dustin Johnson: “We play a lot of practice rounds together, and we really enjoy playing this alternate-shot together. It’s a fun format, especially on a day like today. It’s tough out there. I thought we played really solid.” Matt Kuchar: “I love playing with this guy. I think anybody would do well playing with this guy. I’ve been a lucky recipient a number of times. We make a great team and it’s really been a fun ride.” MATCH 13: USA wins, 2 and 1 Phil Mickelson/Kevin Kisner (U.S.) def. Jhonattan Vegas/Emiliano Grillo (International)  Holes won: USA 5, International 3 Holes led: USA 6, International 1 Recap: In one of the most well-played matches of the day, the Americans led off with a birdie at the first hole and went 4 under to beat back the steady new South American tandem of Vegas/Grillo. Mickelson and Kisner improved their record to 2-0-1 this week. The Internationals briefly took the lead when the U.S. bogeyed the 7th, but the Americans responded with a birdie to square the match and never trailed again. A terrific approach by Mickelson won the 15th, and his approach at the 17th to 7 feet set up Kisner to close out the match. MATCH 14: Halved Louis Oosthuizen/Branden Grace (International) halve with Justin Thomas/Rickie Fowler (U.S.) Holes won: International 4, USA 4 Holes led: International 5, USA 2 Recap: The South African duo remained the strongest pairing for Nice Price’s team, claiming a half-point in the final match against the red-hot American pairing which had rolled through the first two sessions. Oosthuizen and Grace won three of the first six holes and were 2 up at that point, Oosthuizen having set up Grace for a 7-foot birdie putt at the sixth. But the U.S. won the next two holes with a par and a birdie and were 1 up through 10. Oosthuizen rolled in a 38-foot putt at the 11th to square the match and the two sides halved the rest of the holes. AFTERNOON FOUR-BALLS Match 15: Louis Oosthuizen/Jason Day (International) vs. Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed Match 16: Jhonattan Vegas/Hideki Matsuyama (International) vs. Justin Thomas/Daniel Berger Match 17: Anirban Lahiri/Si Woo Kim (International) vs. Kevin Chappell/Charley Hoffman (U.S.) Match 18: Marc Leishman/Branden Grace (International) vs. Brooks Koepka/Dustin Johnson (U.S.)

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