Rod Pampling eagles 18th, shares lead in Champions debut

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Brooks Koepka sauntered into TPC Southwind just 45 minutes before his final round showdown with Rory McIlroy and the elite chasing pack at the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Clearly sporting some sort of illness all week, Koepka had people nervous as to whether he was going to be ready to play at all as the minutes ticked by. They need not have worried. The 29-year-old joined 54-hole leader McIlroy at the top just three holes into Sunday’s final round before taking the lead outright on the fifth hole. He would never lose control from there, posting a bogey-free 5-under 65 to win by three over Webb Simpson. McIlroy failed to create the epic showdown all had hoped for and was relegated to just a bystander with his 71, falling five shots back. With his first World Golf Championship win, Koepka now boasts seven PGA TOUR titles, six of those coming in a little over two years, four of which are majors. He not only wrapped up the tournament, but also the top spot in the regular season long Wyndham Rewards battle and its $2 million bonus, a week before the final event. And barring Alex Noren making two albatrosses next week on the par-5 15th at Sedgefield Country Club, Koepka claimed the $1 million Aon Risk Reward Challenge. All up that is a $4.745 million Sunday. Not bad work if you can get it. “It’s incredible. To look at what I’ve done this year, just show consistency, try to take my game to a new level and I’ve done that. To be up there in the FedExCup with a chance in Atlanta, that’s incredible,â€� Koepka said. “But to win the Wyndham Rewards is incredible. That’s what you shoot for. You want to be No. 1, when the season’s done and going into the Playoffs, and then to add Aon Risk Reward, it just comes from the consistency. It’s incredible to look at how much you could have won today, and to do it, it’s been incredible.â€� Koepka has three wins this season including the PGA Championship and THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. He was runner up at the Masters and the U.S. Open and was fourth at the Open Championship. It was the quick trip back from Northern Ireland and it’s tough weather that left Koepka vulnerable to illness this week. But he was not making excuses. And he claimed coming in late was far from a big deal. “It doesn’t affect your play. It doesn’t affect me hitting a golf ball. I mean, I don’t feel good. I haven’t felt good all week, but I don’t want to make an excuse, I’m not trying to complain. Just get on with it. People go to work sick all the time,â€� he said. “I always take less time on Sunday. I’m already loose when I get to the golf course. I don’t even need to hit balls. I’ve already stretched, I’ve already done everything. I don’t know why everybody else is in a panic, I’m not. I’m sure you didn’t see one ounce of stress on my face.â€� He’s right on that count. It was a stress-free day for Koepka as the chasers failed to mount enough pressure to worry him. McIlroy missed a short birdie putt on the par-5 3rd and it went downhill from there. Simpson shot a tidy 64 on Sunday to post his best result since winning the 2018 PLAYERS Championship but never actually caught Koepka. Marc Leishman had five back nine birdies, but a couple of bogeys also meant he was never really in the hunt. Now that he has the regular season locked up, Koepka can set his sights on the FedExCup proper. He finished 10th in the FedExCup in 2016-17 and ninth in 2017-18. “The year’s not done, I’ve still got a few things to finish off and hopefully it will go my way. I haven’t thought that far ahead, but if I did (win it), that would be incredible,â€� Koepka said. “This run I’m on the last couple years has been so special. I’ve given myself some good chances but I’ve just never played well in the Playoffs. I don’t know what it is, whether it’s just a little burnt out or what, but I haven’t gotten it done. So this year, in a little better shape. Hopefully a week off will just kind of relax and take it easy and then get back in the swing of things.â€� Even if he waits until Thursday to turn up at THE NORTHERN TRUST, you’d be brave to bet against him.

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Judging by the questions I’ve received since the start of the season, this is a good time to plug my full-membership fantasy rankings. See, the extended introduction serves as a reference board of sorts. Built in are all kinds of bits and pieces regarding membership, tournaments, provisions, exemptions and, whoa, even fantasy-specific information. Included in the latter is an adjustment made to PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. Beginning in 2017-18, golfers who lose in playoffs are awarded bonus points based on actual finish. Marc Leishman was the first golfer impacted when he was defeated by Justin Thomas at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES on Sunday. The Aussie’s fantasy bonus was 150 points, which is equal to one-half his actual haul in FedExCup points (since the tournament didn’t utilize ShotLink data). Until now, playoff losers were under the same bonus structure as the winners who beat them. The only wrinkle is that Leishman’s bonus points weren’t manually adjusted in the platform until Monday. It occurred at the usual time that all non-members who contributed to fantasy teams were credited with their equivalent bonuses. Please relay this to others if you’re a commissioner or if you know of anyone who isn’t yet aware. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions (in alphabetical order): Dustin Johnson Brooks Koepka Marc Leishman Hideki Matsuyama Jon Rahm Justin Rose You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Daniel Berger; Jason Day; Tony Finau; Brian Harman; Phil Mickelson; Pat Perez; Patrick Reed Driving: n/a Approach: n/a Short: n/a Power Rankings Wild Card Alex Noren … Turning points are visible only with hindsight, so it remains to be seen if the WGC-HSBC Champions is a launch pad or a flat tire for the Swede. It’s not often when a 35-year-old from anywhere debuts as a PGA TOUR member, but that’s his reality this week. Thanks to four wins in 2016 and a statement victory at the BMW PGA Championship five months ago, he’s secured a spot on all of the planet’s biggest stages for the recent past and near future. He descended for his fifth appearance at Sheshan International with just one top 25 in his last five starts, but he has a pair here, including a T12 last year. Strongest for his aerial approaches and greenside game, he occupies the inside lane for a mammoth 2017-18. Draws Tommy Fleetwood (all) Branden Grace (DFS) Bill Haas (all) Brian Harman (DFS) Matt Kuchar (all) Michael Lorenzo-Vera (DFS) Thomas Pieters (all) Haydn Porteous (DFS) Hyun-woo Ryu (DFS) Peter Uihlein (DFS) Bernd Wiesberger (DFS) Fades Wesley Bryan Adam Hadwin Russell Henley Charles Howell III Charl Schwartzel Jhonattan Vegas Returning to Competition Brandon Hagy … A sore wrist thwarted a start at the Safeway Open where he had committed. Last year’s T14 at the Country Club of Jackson was his second-best finish of 2016-17. Roberto Diaz … Had to call it quits during his second round in his rookie debut at the Safeway Open with a back injury. A T20 at the Web.com Tour Championship the week prior was his first top 25 in 15 starts dating back to June. George McNeill … Eked into the field of the Sanderson Farms Championship as the fifth alternate. Hasn’t pegged it since withdrawing during the final round of the Barbasol Championship. An explanation wasn’t released. The 42-year-old is embarking on his second straight season in the Past Champions category. He made only seven PGA TOUR starts in 2016-17 and hasn’t cashed since last year’s SFC. Notables WDs Louis Oosthuizen … Unexpected withdrawal from the WGC-HSBC Champions because he tweeted last Saturday that he was eager to resume playing. Mackenzie Hughes … Second consecutive early withdrawal (this time in China) due to the imminent birth of his first child. Luke Donald … Withdrew from the Sanderson Farms Championship with a sore rib. It would have been his first appearance in 14 years. It was in that event in 2002 when he broke through for his first of five PGA TOUR victories. Power Rankings Recap – THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1 Tony Finau T26 2 Justin Thomas Win 3 Paul Casey T19 4 Pat Perez T5 5 Xander Schauffele T72 6 Russell Henley T33 7 Rafa Cabrera Bello T11 8 Marc Leishman P2 9 Jason Day T11 10 Keegan Bradley T47 11 Cameron Smith 3rd 12 Chez Reavie T15 13 Anirban Lahiri T5 14 Sung Kang T54 15 Kyle Stanley T19 Wild Card Patrick Reed T11 Sleepers Recap – CIMB Classic Golfer  Result Scott Brown T5 Jinho Choi T36 Luke List T5 Ollie Schniederjans T19 Young-han Song T58 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR October 24 … Marc Leishman (34) October 25 … Troy Merritt (32); Xander Schauffele (24) October 26 … none October 27 … Fabián Gómez (39) October 28 … none October 29 … none October 30 … none

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POSTON NOTCHES WIRE-TO-WIRE VICTORY AT JOHN DEERE CLASSIC J.T. Poston was nervous and who could blame him. After all, he had held the lead after all three rounds entering Sunday at the John Deere Classic and expectations were high for him to win. But when his competitors began charging in the final round, he channeled the nervousness into a lazer-sharp focus. Poston, 29, shot a 2-under 69 for a three-shot victory at TPC Deere Run and became the first player to record a wire-to-wire win at the John Deere Classic since David Frost in 1992. “Wire to wire, having the lead for that long, it’s hard not to think about it and think about that finish line all week,” Poston said. “We got off to a great start and then I kind of started to give some back. But I hit a lot of great shots down the stretch.” It marked Poston’s second win on TOUR after having won the Wyndham Championship during the 2018-19 season. He also opened the week with a 9-under 62 after shooting 62 in Round 1 of last week’s Travelers Championship. Poston became the first player on record (since 1983) to open consecutive TOUR events with a 62 or better. “I was just trying to breathe,” Poston said. “There were a lot of nerves, a lot more than the first few days. I was just trying to battle through them. I think after this week, I feel like I know I can play with those nerves and still win and still score.” With the win, Poston is now fully exempt on TOUR through 2024 and he earned spots in this year’s The Open Championship and the 2023 PLAYERS Championship, Masters and PGA Championship. His 500 FedExCup points also moved him from No. 66 to No. 22 in the standings. DP WORLD TOUR, PGA TOUR EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN ALLIANCE The DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR have moved to significantly strengthen not only their existing alliance but also help develop players to compete at the pinnacle of men’s professional golf by unveiling a ground-breaking new 13-year operational joint venture partnership. As part of the new joint venture, the PGA TOUR will increase its existing stake in European Tour Productions from 15% to 40%, while utilizing the DP World Tour’s recognised international credentials and global footprint to continue to coordinate a worldwide schedule. From 2023, the leading 10 players on the end of season DP World Tour Rankings (in addition to those already exempt) will earn PGA TOUR cards for the following season. Other development news included that next year an unprecedented 30 PGA TOUR cards will be awarded to the top players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List at season’s end and Q-School would award PGA TOUR cards to the top five finishers and ties. It will mark the first time in a decade that Q-School will offer PGA TOUR status. THE SCOTTISH OPEN MAKES ITS TOUR DEBUT The Genesis Scottish Open makes its debut as a co-sanctioned event between the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR with a field consisting of members from both organizations. Scottie Scheffler, who sits atop both the FedExCup standings and Official World Golf Ranking, leads the field, while 14 of the top 15 in the world are set to tee it up. There will be 75 golfers from the PGA TOUR in the field, 75 from the DP World Tour, three from the KPGA, and three unrestricted sponsor exemptions. By field strength, the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open is set to be the strongest non-major DP World Tour tournament in history. Plenty of notables are teeing it up in Scotland including last season’s FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, recent Travelers winner and reigning Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele, PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas and former world No.1 Jon Rahm. Matt Fitzpatrick, who lost in a playoff at the Scottish Open a year ago, will tee it up for the first time since his U.S. Open triumph. Robert MacIntyre is the highest-ranked Scotsman who is teeing it up, while Padraig Harrington is in the field fresh off his win at the U.S. Senior Open. The Renaissance Club hosts this year’s event, marking the fourth edition of the Scottish Open to be contested at the Tom Doak design. Here’s what you Need to Know about the venue. WORLDS COLLIDE AT THE BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIP The Barbasol Championship returns this weekend, also making its debut as a co-sanctioned event with the DP World Tour. Past Barbasol champions Jim Herman, Grayson Murray and Aaron Baddeley are teeing it up at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Keene Trace is laid out through the rolling hills of central Kentucky with a dramatic par-4 finisher that’s built around the edge of a lake. Local legend and Kentucky native Josh Teater is in the field on a sponsor exemption, joining two past FedExCup champions in Brandt Snedeker and Bill Haas. DP World Tour representatives include Lucas Bjerregaard (who famously upset Tiger Woods in the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play), Oliver Wilson (European Team member from the 2008 Ryder Cup in Kentucky) and Julian Suri (a Floridian who played at Duke before winning on both the European Challenge Tour and DP World Tour). The winner of the Barbasol Championship, if he is not already qualified, will earn the final spot in The Open Championship and 300 FedExCup points. VIDEO OF THE WEEK MIC CHECK “I want to thank you for your consideration and assure you that if I were fortunate enough to receive an exemption, I would make you and the tournament proud” – An excerpt from Christopher Gotterup’s letter to tournament director Clair Peterson asking for a sponsor’s exemption into the John Deere Classic. Gotterup would finish T4. BY THE NUMBERS 5 – Players to keep an eye on this week as the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship gets underway at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. 67 – Final-round score for Zecheng Dou who won by one shot at The Ascendant presented by Blue on the Korn Ferry Tour. 2 – Players who have won in wire-to-wire fashion this season. Poston became the second to do so after Joaquin Niemann accomplished the feat at The Genesis Invitational. COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.

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