Reed following Masters game plan to a tee

Reigning FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy has fired his caddie and will use his best friend at this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and next week’s PGA Championship, according to published reports. Officialsportsbetting.com cited a source it did not identify as saying McIlroy has parted ways with J.P. Fitzgerald. They have worked together for the past nine years, during which McIlroy has won four major championships and reached No. 1 in the world. McIlroy is due to speak about the change Wednesday during his previously scheduled news conference at the Bridgestone Invitational. The Belfast Telegraph reported that McIlroy’s caddie at the next two tournaments will be Harry Diamond, a childhood friend from McIlroy’s hometown of Holywood in Northern Ireland. Diamond was the best man at McIlroy’s wedding to American Erica Stoll in April. According to the Telegraph, Diamond has prior experience on McIlroy’s bag. At the 2005 Irish Open, Diamond caddied for the then-16-year-old McIlroy in a practice round. They were also together at the 2011 Masters during the Par 3 contest, as well as the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2014. McIlroy, having battled through injury issues earlier this year, has made just nine starts this season on the PGA TOUR. He has five top-10s but no wins and is currently ranked 53rd in the FedExCup standings. His last win was the TOUR Championship in September when he claimed the FedExCup. He’s currently ranked fourth in the world after his tie for fourth at The Open Championship. If he doesn’t win next week at Quail Hollow – a course on which he’s won the Wells Fargo Championship twice – it will be his third consecutive year without a major victory. Before joining McIlroy, Fitzgerald spent several years as the caddie for Irishman Paul McGinley, the successful 2014 European Ryder Cup captain. McIlroy was a member of that winning team. “They’ve had a great partnership, culminating in four Majors and a huge amount of wins. They both can walk away from the relationship with really good memories,â€� McGinley told the Belfast Telegraph. “There’s a sell-by date with caddies, which is regularly illustrated on Tour. They’ve shared a lot of experiences, and they’ll walk away as friends, I’m sure.” It is the second significant player-caddie split this summer. Phil Mickelson and Jim “Bones” Mackay decided to end 25 years together. Mackay since has taken a job as an analyst on the course at NBC Sports.

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Old Westbury, New York – As attendees stroll the fairways at THE NORTHERN TRUST, the first event in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, they will be able to taste a slice of New York, as the tournament announced today that Junior’s Cheesecake will be served onsite, along with some of its other famous items. Served at the tournament’s Taste NY Marketplace, an upgraded concession and fan destination, Junior’s is one of several new food venues meant to capture the unique, world-class food culture of Manhattan. Featuring fashion, food and do-or-die drama as the top 125 players in the FedExCup compete on a world stage, THE NORTHERN TRUST will be played at the prestigious Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, New York, from August 22-27, 2017. Founded by Harry Rosen in 1950 in Brooklyn, Junior’s landmark restaurant is known as the home of New York’s best cheesecake. Today, Junior’s has several locations, from the original on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, to the theater district on Broadway in Times Square, and even at the Fox Tower Hotel at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. This August, Junior’s will add a new location during tournament week at THE NORTHERN TRUST, giving players and fans the chance to experience one of New York’s favorite traditions. “We look forward to showing PGA TOUR players and professional eaters from around the country what New Yorkers have known for over 67 years,â€� said Alan Rosen, third-generation owner of Junior’s Restaurant & Bakery. “We look forward to serving some of our signature items like Reuben’s, corned beef, pastrami and of course cheesecake at THE NORTHERN TRUST.” The recipe for Junior’s Cheesecake remains unchanged, featuring only the finest ingredients like premium cream cheese, fresh heavy cream, eggs and a touch of vanilla. In 1973, New York Magazine conducted a blind taste test and rated Junior’s the best cheesecake in New York, and since then, it has won several accolades and awards including the “Best Overall Mail-order Cheesecakeâ€� from the Wall Street Journal and “Best Food Gift NYâ€� from People Magazine. Junior’s will also be serving other items, like its famous Reubens, onsite. Junior’s will be available at THE NORTHERN TRUST in the Taste NY Marketplace as part of a partnership with New York State. Located in a shaded area adjacent to the 16th fairway of the Glen Oaks Club, Taste NY will sponsor the venue and feature menu items from various iconic New York restaurants that will be announced in the lead-up to the event. The area also features various other enhancements and is open to all fans onsite. New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “We are proud to sponsor the Taste NY Marketplace and highlight all of the great New York restaurants and businesses who make some of the best food and beverages in the world. The Taste NY Marketplace will be an exciting destination for THE NORTHERN TRUST fans and spectators who are looking to sample locally made products and unique dishes from iconic New York restaurants.  We look forward to connecting even more consumers to New York agriculture and cuisine.â€�  THE NORTHERN TRUST will kick off the FedExCup Playoffs at the Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, New York, August 22-27, 2017. For more information and a behind-the-scenes look at the tournament, visit thenortherntrust.com or follow the tournament on Twitter and Instagram @TheNTGolf, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheNTGolf. To purchase tickets, please visit www.thenortherntrust.com or call 844-868-7465.

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