Rory McIlroy ends drought, wins Wells Fargo Championship

DETROIT – Absorbed in its entirety, Cameron Champ’s round of 7-under 65 Friday morning would provide ample explanation for his 36-hole lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. But upon further review, you could look at the torrid 8-under 28 going out on Detroit Golf Club’s front nine, then measure it against the inward 1-over 37 and wonder, why such a stark contrast in performance? Champ could, in turn, smile, and suggest you widen the lens if you want to really study the roller-coaster of this, his rookie season. To wit: In his first seven tournaments there was a win, four other top-15 finishes, and 592 FedExCup points, but since the Farmers Insurance Open in late January, Champ has missed eight cuts, withdrawn once, had a best finish of T-28, and earned a mere 39 FEC points. All of which – the 28-37 in Round 2, the fact that he went four months on the PGA TOUR without breaking 70 with Thursday’s opening 66, and a return to contention after months of early exits – he is most happy to explain. “You know, I’m still young,� said Champ, who signed his card and headed home at 13-under 131, at the time two better than Ryan Armour (69) with the entire afternoon wave on the golf course. “I just turned 24, so I had a lot coming at me and distractions. I had to just really adjust and prioritize.� As explosive as Champ’s power is, it is another commodity he possesses that likely will maintain the much-needed balance in his game. “He’s a good kid, a gentle soul,� said Jeff Camp, Cameron’s father, who walked Friday’s round as his son put up back-to-back scores in the 60s for the first time since the Sony Open in Hawaii, way back in January. “He knows he has to just grind.� On his first nine Friday, though, it was not a grind. It was Champ at his very best, flashing the sort of incomparable power that would make you wonder how anyone can beat him. He hit six of seven fairways, reached both par-5s in two, was on in regulation at all nine greens, and required but 12 putts. For a sampling of the unmatched power Champ can unleash, consider the par-5 seventh, set up at 545 yards. J.B. Holmes, hardly a singles hitter, was dead center, out there a robust 327 yards. Yet, Champ was 38 yards beyond him, and provided with the opportunity to hit just a 177-yard second shot to 8 feet. He made that eagle, which coming on the heels of five birdies in a row went a long reason in explaining the sprint to the turn in 28. “One of those nines, kind of everything went my way,� said Champ, who also drove it 368 yards at the 635-yard, par-5 fourth and reached in two to set up a two-putt birdie. True enough, that, because a ticklish 15-footer straight downhill at the par-4 wasn’t one he expected to make but did. And at the par-3 ninth, his 20-footer found the hole, too. But Cameron Champ lets those words of his greatest mentor in life – his grandfather, Mack Champ – constantly echo in his head. “It’s not where you start that matters, it is where you finish.� So, the six birdies and one eagle on his first nine didn’t matter; it was the bogey on the par-4 13th and the bogey at the par-4 18th that offset the only inward birdie, at the par-5 17th, that Cameron Champ digested after his round and will use as motivation for Saturday’s third round. It’s not dissimilar to how he maintained composure these past few months. “Just embracing failure,� he said. In other words, he has put the early-season success behind him and learned much from that stretch where he failed to play on the weekend of six straight tournaments. “I think it has, personally,� said Champ, when asked if the rough stretch was in some ways better for his career than the win at Sanderson Farms last October and the string of high finishes that stopped at the Sony. “At times, I can definitely be tough on myself. But I’m learning, especially the last month-and-a-half (has been good for me). It’s sent me back to the drawing board and to think back to how I play good golf, how I think around the course.�

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…

Here are nine tidbits from the first round of the Valspar Championship that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida plays to 7,340 yards and is par-71. Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 picked golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. Each week there are always a few from the list above that don’t fire in Round 1. This week is not the exception as Stenson (74), Finau (74), McIlroy (74) and Spieth (76) did not pay off for investors on Thursday. People’s Choice: Sergio Garcia It looks like the #NappyFactor supporters are out in full force this week, and I’m on board as well. Garcia’s nous and ability to work the ball sticks out on difficult courses and the Copperhead Course more than qualifies. His opening round of 70 was one of 20 pros at -1 and included four circles against three squares without any “others”. The leaderboard today, similar to the parking lots and galleries, is packed tightly. Morning Show Corey Conners has appeared in this column a couple of times over the early part of the new season, so his name shouldn’t be unfamiliar to the regulars here. He opened with 67 (-4), the lowest round of the day, and was perfect until a bogey on his final hole. His key stat was ranking second in Strokes Gained: Putting. He’s made cuts in nine of 10 starts but the rookie’s best finish is just T29. Afternoon Edition Whereas Conners has never played this event, Nick Watney is more than comfortable on the Copperhead Course. He’s cashed in all of his previous 10 tries. He signed for the low round of the afternoon wave, 68 (-3), and that will put him in an excellent position to keep that perfect record intact. He’s posted five consecutive rounds in red numbers after his T14 last year. The key to his round today was sitting in the top 10 for both fairways hit (T9; 10 of 13) and GIR (T8; 12 of 18). Weather Report Suite The Copperhead Course played brutally difficult to open the proceedings. The greens are still growing in after being completely regrassed after the 2015 edition and are playing firm. The grain in the TifEagle Bermuda also makes for plenty of second-guessing on speed of putts. Throw in blustery and gusting winds and the field couldn’t hit 50 percent GIR. Even with four par-5 holes, there wasn’t much scoring throughout the afternoon with only 27 players breaking par. There were six pros that didn’t make a birdie today, including Ryder Cup studs Stenson, Ian Poulter (78) and Ross Fisher (76). Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth each made one. The course played +1.861 strokes above par. #Hard. The Tiger Factor The interesting question entering this week was how Tiger Woods would fare on a course he hasn’t played in over 20 years. His opening round 70 (-1) was under par and in his words, the hardest test of his season to date. He’s three shots off the lead and wasn’t near hitting top gear. His trusty flat stick ranked third in putts-per-GIR. The harder it plays, the better his chances as nobody grinds out rounds like he does. Collateral Damage I’m still trying to figure out how Sam Burns (T28, E) beat Woods by two shots two Sundays ago at The Honda Classic. He’s been the exception rather than the rule of Woods’ playing partners. I argued that the more experienced players could handle the circus but Stenson and Spieth didn’t keep up today. Stenson’s 74 was only his second round above par from 13 rounds and his worse by two. Spieth opened with 76 here last year and bounced back for 68. Last week he opened 70-67, so he’s a quick fix. Of his last nine rounds here, five are in the 60’s. I’m not panicking with either of these studs. Worry? Who Me? I’m trying to find angles to embrace as Rory McIlroy looks to get back into the top 10, let alone the winner’s circle. It’s not like he’s forgotten how to play the game but gamers are starting to wonder when the switch is going to flip. He teed it up three weeks in a row in February and never went lower than 68 and had more rounds above par than below it. This is his first trip to Innisbrook, and I thought a change of scenery and difficult track would be right up his alley. His opening round 74, with only six fairways and seven GIR, was saved by his ability to get up-and-down. He needed 14 putts on the seven greens he hit but just 12 on the 11 he didn’t. Please hold me. Study Hall For those of you who are invested with Bryson DeChambeau (No. 13 overall), it was mentioned during the broadcast that his back was bothering him. His opening round 76 didn’t inspire. … Kevin Na withdrew before his tee time in the afternoon wave. There are plenty of you who were pinched today that shouldn’t be tomorrow. … Jimmy Walker (69) and Luke Donald (70) signed the only clean cards on the day. Harold Varner III didn’t make a bogey, but his double disqualified him from joining this duo. Walker and Donald combined for 33 pars and three birdies. … Emiliano Grillo continues his very temperate form, as he’s the leader at the Hero Indian Open in New Delhi after 65. … Tweet of the Day

Click here to read the full article…