Romo enjoys hot start with 2-under 70 at Safeway Open

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea (AP) — Brooks Koepka won THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES on Sunday by four strokes. Koepka, the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, shot a final-round 8-under 64 for a 21-under total of 267. Koepka led by four strokes after three rounds. Gary Woodland certainly made it interesting. Woodland started the day five strokes behind Koepka but pulled level after making six birdies in seven holes on the front nine. The two dueled on the back nine, with Woodland birdieing Nos. 15 and 16 to again pull level. But Koepka did the same, and a bogey by Woodland on the par-3 17th gave Koepka the cushion he needed to close out the win despite a birdie on the 18th by Woodland. The biggest moment came on the 16th. Koepka went from a fairway bunker to just left of the green, about 70 feet away. Koepka hit a chip-and-run that was stopped by the pin and dropped for the birdie. Koepa finished with a 25-foot eagle putt for a 29 on the back nine. Woodland finished second after a 63. Ryan Palmer birdied his last seven holes to shoot 62 and finish in a tie for third place with Rafa Cabrera Bello (65), four strokes behind Koepka. Defending champion Justin Thomas finished at 5-under after a 68 Sunday. It was Koepka’s 12th victory worldwide, including four wins on the European Challenge Tour. He now has won in seven countries – the U.S., South Korea, Spain, Italy, Japan, Turkey and Scotland. The PGA TOUR heads to Shanghai next week for the final stop on its Asian swing, the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions.

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Sometimes, they’ll ask her if the bag is too heavy. But Varada Maulkhan, all 5-foot-4 and 90 pounds of her, just smiles, hoists the bag and all those golf clubs on her shoulders and goes about her business, which is caddying at places like Baltimore Country Club or Greenspring Valley Hunt Club three or four times a week. The 18-year-old has even looped occasionally at Caves Valley Golf Club, a course Maulkhan calls “absolutely gorgeous,” where the BMW Championship begins its 72-hole run on Thursday. And that’s where this story gets good. Proceeds from the second event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards full tuition and housing scholarships to caddies with outstanding character who demonstrate leadership, academic excellence and have financial need. Caddies just like Maulkhan, the daughter Guyanese immigrants who found out in March that she would be part of the inaugural Evans Scholar class at the University of Maryland. Maulkhan, an honor roll student at Catonsville (Md.) High School, will move into her dorm on Sunday. But not before a whirlwind week at Caves Valley where she will speak at the BMW Championship pro-am party and caddie for 14-time PGA TOUR champ Justin Thomas. “This is going to be a lifetime opportunity,” Maulkhan says. “Definitely a memory to remember for the rest of my life.” Maulkhan is one of a record 1,070 Evans Scholars going to school at 21 different schools this fall. The program was founded by the Western Golf Association and World Golf Hall of Fame member Chick Evans in 1930 and has since sent 12,500 caddies like her to college. She was introduced to the game when she was 7 years old by her father Kris, a recreational golfer who took her to First Tee-Greater Baltimore. The program operates from five different facilities, one of which is home to the Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation Learning Center at Forest Park that offers five target greens, practice bunkers and a putting green. Maulkhan liked being outdoors and she thrived on the life skills and core values central to the First Tee experience. She says she was shy at first but has become more comfortable in social situations and meeting new people, which has come in very handy with her part-time job. While she liked golf, though, Maulkhan didn’t begin to take the game seriously until she was a teenager. She’s competitive — earning Middle Atlantic PGA Junior Player of the Year honors in 2020 – but she’s just as comfortable playing casual rounds with friends. “For me, golf is a really good stress reliever,” she says. “If I’m really stressed, I can probably go out and make a tee time and just go play 18 holes with maybe by myself or a couple of girls that I normally play with. “But I like meeting new people. I like honing, forcing a lot of the communication skills I have to balance, and it taught me a lot about responsibility and respect.” Matt Bassler, the executive director of First Tee-Greater Baltimore, said Maulkhan was one of the first students to join the program. A decade later, he was helping the young woman he calls “very driven internally” with college applications – she applied to 14 different schools. “I’ve seen her grow from a 6-, 7-year-old young girl to now going to the University of Maryland at College Park,” he says. “And not only her golf game has got better, but she’s always been so mature. She does great in school. “I just think the world of her, and I think she’s going to do great things in the future.” Several years ago, Maulkhan became involved with the Baltimore Caddie Academy which is a collaboration between First Tee, Baltimore Country Club and the Western Golf Association, which became involved in an effort to grow the reach of the Evans Scholars program. For Maulkhan, it was a no-brainer. She liked golf, she enjoyed being outdoors and she wanted a summer job. But she’s been surprised at how much she’s learned, including honing more formal communication skills in talking with the adults whose bags she carries. “It has helped me tremendously with my golf game,” Maulkhan says. “I learned a lot of tips from the members. They’re so nice and they’re so helpful. “And it’s really enforced my aspect of responsibility because it’s not my clubs I’m carrying; I’m carrying someone else’s property. And I treat it the way I’d want my clubs to be treated.” Maulkhan first heard about the Evans Scholar program during caddie orientation. She wasn’t a rising senior, though, so it wasn’t really top-of-mind at the time. But she started to think seriously about it when an Evans alum who she’s caddied for encouraged her to apply. To be eligible Evans Scholars must have caddied regularly for two years and be evaluated by the sponsoring club. So first, Maulkhan talked with Greg Jones, the director of golf at Baltimore Country Club, about increasing her loops. The application process begins in October each year. Maulkhan had to write an essay and submit transcripts and recommendation letters. She learned she was a finalist early this year and then in March, she got a letter saying she was going to receive the scholarship. The letter took Maulkhan completely by surprise. She actually thought it was one of the credit cards her dad had recently ordered for the family. It came in the same kind of standard 8-by-11 envelope he’d gotten his in – he even told her, ‘Hey, your credit card’s here.” When Maulkhan opened the envelope, there was another smaller one inside. “I was like, okay, well it’s a credit card — maybe it’s because I’m like, a first-time user for this credit card company that they’re sending such a fancy package,” she recalls. “So, I opened it up and I kind of just pulled out the papers. “Then on the left top corner saw the Evans Scholars logo, and of course I screamed because it really shocked me.” Maulkhan’s mother, Sandy, happened to be working from home that day. When her daughter explained her outburst, Sandy called to her husband to come over. “We read it all together and it was a really big happy moment,” Maulkhan says. “It was a really good surprise for us.” Maulkhan plans to double major in secondary education and history, particularly the ancient civilizations like the Mayans and the Aztecs. Had she not gotten the Evans Scholarship, she says she might have had to take a break, find a different job or choose a more affordable college. (The average value of the scholarship is $120,000.) Instead, she’s going to attend Maryland, which is about an hour away from home and was ranked among the top 20 among public universities by U.S. News & World Report last year. She’ll finish up her packing between trips to Caves Valley this week to see favorites like Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Jordan Spieth play. And Maulkhan will do a little more work on Wednesday, toting Thomas’ bag. All the caddies in the pro-am are current or former Evans Scholars who donate their tips to the Foundation. And who knows? Maybe Jimmy Johnson, Thomas’ regular looper who was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame by the Western Golf Association this week, will give her some advice. “I’m a little nervous because normally when I do caddie it’s for members and they know me in some sense, or I’ve met them previously at some event,” Maulkhan says. “And as I said previously, I’m a very tiny person. So, I’m nervous on how me carrying his bag will go. “But I’m sure it will go perfectly fine.”

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Savanna Wiegand and Tony Layher have never met. It’s not likely they ever will. With the best days of her young life still ahead of her, Wiegand is thriving as a sophomore at Columbia College in South Carolina, playing golf on scholarship. Layher is a medically-retired Electrician’s Mate Chief who spent 18 years in the Navy, which is almost the same amount of time Wiegand has been on earth. As a result of two traumatic brain injuries, Layher suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and is prone to epileptic seizures. Along with his wife, Sarah, and seven children, home these days is on a rural parcel of land on the westside of Jacksonville, Florida. Savanna Wiegand and Tony Layher have nothing in common. Or so it would seem. On Wednesday of this week’s RBC Heritage, their worlds became one by virtue of the Kisner Foundation, organized and operated by PGA TOUR member Kevin Kisner and his wife, Brittany. The mission of the Kisner Foundation is to support organizations which lend support to the physical and emotional well-being of kids. Broad strokes paint a big picture of charity’s success. The truest, most resounding impact, though, is credited to the details, those being the lives of specific individuals and families enhanced by that organization. One result of that success is the First Tee of Aiken in Kisner’s South Carolina hometown. “I was about nine years old when my mom heard about The First Tee starting a chapter in Aiken,� said Wiegand. “From the get-go, she wanted me involved. I had played every other sport known to man, but had never touched a golf club. At first, I hated it and thought I couldn’t do it. But, as I kept going, I really started enjoying it. One time led to two and two times led to seven. Then, 10 years later, I became the first female graduate of the Ace program at the First Tee of Aiken. The program goes in levels, with Ace being the highest.� From a humble beginning in lean financial times, Wiegand’s life today is a far cry from what it once was. “I wouldn’t be nearly the woman I am today without The First Tee of Aiken,� she said. “When I started there, I had a really low self-esteem and didn’t like going out to meet people. I didn’t get out of my comfort zone. I was like a little shelled child. Not only did it give me the confidence and self-esteem to go out and make friends, but it helped me with school, essays and resumes. It’s so much more than just golf.� Wiegand’s first real passions were volleyball and dance. When her passion for golf developed through The First Tee of Aiken, for financial reasons, she needed to make a decision as to what she would stick with and pursue. “I chose golf and am so glad I did,� she said. “Without having made that decision, I wouldn’t have had nearly the number of opportunities I’ve had to grow into who I am today.� Among those opportunities, thanks to The First Tee of Aiken, is a golf scholarship. Today, Wiegand is in her second year at Columbia College with a double major in Communications and Business Administration, with a minor in Leadership. Not only is she active on the college’s golf team, but she also holds down two jobs and an internship. “I credit The First Tee of Aiken entirely for being able to get a scholarship to college to play golf,� she said. “She told me she used to go through life with no confidence,� said Kisner, winner of last month’s World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. “But, now she has a golf scholarship to take care of the cost of her education and is as confident as ever. That makes me feel like everything we do is worthwhile.� Kevin and Brittany were instrumental in getting The First Tee of Aiken started and have been staunch supporters since its 2015 inception. In addition to financial assistance, the Kisner Foundation donates clubs and clothes and is continually trying to entice kids who’ve never been exposed to the game to give it a try. Kisner began fundraising in 2017. He and Brittany gave out seven grants in 2018 and have already provided 13 grants this year, as well as two scholarships – one for a male and one for a female – to go to college. “It’s always great to see kids go through The First Tee of Aiken program and make it,� said Kisner. “I loved Savanna’s comment about having built confidence in the program. That’s the best.� “The leadership ability they helped bring out in me has allowed me to go so far and overcome so much,� said Wiegand. “But, just having Kevin as the face of The First Tee of Aiken is amazing. I mean, he was just in the Masters last week and is from my town. He helps out my favorite organization on the planet and has truly changed lives forever.� To celebrate Wiegand’s success, she was treated to a unique experience during Wednesday’s RBC Heritage pro-am. She connected with Kevin formally for the first time, which included walking inside the ropes with him for several holes and even hitting a few shots. With confidence and talent, she did so in front of a crowd, something the old Wiegand would have never attempted. “My favorite thing about today was getting to hit that drive on 18,� Wiegand said. “But, one thing that really stood out was his advice to go bold and not play safe. His point was that if I didn’t go bold, I would never learn how to improve myself. I’m going to really try to incorporate that approach more often into everything I do. “He also encouraged me to only try to control the controllable. In other words, if I can’t control it, why focus on it? I need to try and focus on the things I can change. He was so enthusiastic about everything, so it was really an incredible experience for me.� Meanwhile, also at Harbour Town Golf Links, Brittany was representing the Kisner Foundation as an integral part of Operation Shower. Founded in 2007, Operation Shower provides expecting moms with ties to the Armed Services with gifts and a day of feeling appreciated for their hand in keeping America a safer, free country. The PGA TOUR partnered with Operation Shower in 2010. “Operation Shower has always been near and dear to our heart,� Brittany said. “Even though our foundation is based locally, it’s so great that we have been given the skills to do what we do because of the PGA TOUR. This mission of Operation Shower is so near and dear, because these men and women make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. So, anytime we can give back to them, we say, ‘Yes.’� A lot of broad strokes provide validation to Operation Shower, but, again, the clarity is in the details. In the case of Wednesday, that clarity came in the form of Tony Layher. Before two on-the-job traumatic brain injuries, Layher was a Nuclear Submariner. As such, he dealt with propulsion and electrical generation on nuclear submarines. He was on four different ships along the east coast and commissioned some of the newer classes of submarines.     As a surprise, Layher, his wife and the couple’s two-week-old baby – their seventh child – were featured as special guests. The Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes found the Layhers through their connection with Navy Wounded Warrior Safe Harbor. When an organization called Angel Flight Soars learned of the invitation, they prepared a “Compassion flight,� free of charge, from Jacksonville to Hilton Head and back. “This is absolutely amazing,� Layher said. “This is the first time we’ve had an organization do anything like this for us. Because I wasn’t a boots-on-the-ground combat veteran, I wasn’t given some of the avenues some of the others were presented. So, to be invited to this is pretty amazing. Everyone is treating us so well.� “I cannot even imagine the sacrifices they have made,� Brittany said. “As a result of brain injury, he battles PTSD and seizures. They’ve just had their seventh child and Tony’s wife is his primary caregiver. So, any help we can give to them and their children is something I’m happy to be a part of.� Kevin Kisner is peaking right now on the PGA TOUR. Having recently claimed his third career PGA TOUR title, he’s excited with where his game is. But, more than anything, he’s thrilled with where the collective heart of he and Brittany remains. “What I did with the PGA TOUR Wives Association gave me the courage and insight into the non-profit world,� Brittany said. “I’ve always worked with children in healthcare, but Kevin is the name and face. Everyone wants to see him. We’re so fortunate to have great sponsors that appreciate him and give back to our foundation. But, the work is just beginning.� And, for two individuals that have never met and may never come face-to-face with one another, it’s a fresh start as well. If the details that are Wiegand and Layher are any indication, the Kisner Foundation has become a pretty impressive portrait amongst a lot of broad strokes. “At the end of the day, when you can look around and see that the work you’re doing is making a difference, it makes all the work and effort worth every second,� Kevin said. “If you can see that kind of success, then that’s all we could ever ask for.�

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