Scottie Scheffler clings to one-shot lead as TOUR Championship delayed

As Hideki Matsuyama brushed in his winning putt at Augusta National on Sunday evening, the setting Georgia sun glistened off his 2012 Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Tour Prototype as he carried the wand with him off the famed Georgia course’s 18th green. While most viewers who have seen the Masters champion in action over the past two years likely assumed from the finish and shaping it was the same flatstick Matsuyama has been stroking putts with all season, Japan’s first men’s major winner actually only put this particular putter in play at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play two weeks ago. Matsuyama consulted with Scotty Cameron TOUR rep Drew Page and had a Lamkin Deep-Etched Cord Full Cord installed as well as a stepped putter shaft. And while Hideki’s exact specs are under lock and key, Page and company dialed in the same loft, lie, and head weight as the Newport 2 GSS Timeless Matsuyama has played since the 2020 BMW Championship. Sources indicate that, while testing multiple models, it was the feel of the grip, ultimately, that knocked Matsuyama’s long-time gamer out of the bag. Additionally, we’re told Matsuyama likes a “loud” putter that offers maximum feedback at impact, and the proto Newport 2 fit that bill. Clearly, the swap two weeks ago in Austin was a wise one as demonstrated by Matsuyama’s donning of the green jacket. A historically below-average putter, he finished 18th in strokes gained: putting at Augusta National.

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2019 The Open Championship, End of Round 2. Top 15 win probabilities: Shane Lowry (T1, -8, 13.3%) Tommy Fleetwood (T3, -7, 12%) Justin Rose (T5, -6, 11%) Lee Westwood (T3, -7, 6.6%) J.B. Holmes (T1, -8, 6.4%) Brooks Koepka (T8, -5, 6.3%) Jon Rahm (T12, -4, 4.7%) Dustin Johnson (T18, -3, 3.6%) Matt Kuchar (T12, -4, 3.1%) Justin Harding (T5, -6, 3%) Cameron Smith (T5, -6, 3%) Andrew Putnam (T8, -5, 2.4%) Jordan Spieth (T8, -5, 2.4%) Dylan Frittelli (T8, -5, 2.2%) Xander Schauffele (T18, -3, 2.2%) NOTE: These reports are based off the live predictive model run by @DataGolf. The model provides live “Make Cut�, “Top 20�, “Top 5�, and “Win� probabilities every 5 minutes from the opening tee shot to the final putt of every PGA TOUR event. Briefly, the model takes account of the current form of each golfer as well as the difficulty of their remaining holes, and probabilities are calculated from 20K simulations. To follow live finish probabilities throughout the remainder of The Open Championship, or to see how each golfer’s probabilities have evolved from the start of the event to the current time, click here for the model’s home page.

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SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jordan Spieth shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to move into a tie for the lead heading into the final round of the Valero Texas Open. Spieth and Englishman Matt Wallace are at 12 under after each player birdied their final two holes of the day. Wallace also posted a 67, and Charley Hoffman is alone in third at 10 under after shooting a 65. RELATED: Full leaderboard Hoffman was seven shots back after a bogey at No. 4, but he finished up with six birdies and sank a five-foot eagle putt at the 14th. He won here five years ago. Three consecutive bogeys early on the back nine sent second-round leader Cameron Tringale to a 1-over 73 that put him at 8 under for the tournament. India's Anirban Lahiri is at 7 under after a 69. Tom Hoge finished with five birdies and moved up 26 spots on the leaderboard with a third-round 66. He is in a group of four players at 6 under that includes Lucas Glover (70), Gary Woodland (67) and Matt Kuchar (70). The start of play was delayed for more than two hours by rain. Time has just about run out on Rickie Fowler's chances to make his 11th straight Masters appearance next week. He has to win to get in, but his 69 Saturday has him in 21st place and nine shots out of the lead. With four birdies in an eight-hole stretch, Spieth was tied with Wallace and Hoffman for the lead heading to the 308-yard 17th. Spieth sailed his tee shot about 50 yards off line, right of the green, still just about pin high. His ball had rolled several yards down a concrete cart path and settled onto a gravel maintenance path. Wallace nailed his tee shot to the fringe of the green. Spieth got free relief with a drop off the gravel. From about 52 yards, Spieth opened the face of his wedge and sailed it upward, a nifty recovery shot that trickled the ball to about three feet from the cup. With his chip and short putt, Wallace also birdied 17. Wallace and Spieth reached the 18th in two and each birdied again. Spieth, winless since his 2017 Open Championship title, has been knocking on the door the past two months. He led heading into the final round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He shared the lead with 18 to go at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and he led at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard with 11 holes to go. Wallace was a stroke back of Tringale entering the day and took the lead after opening with two birdies. He bogeyed No. 11 but came in with four birdies after that. The 2016 Valero Texas Open is one of four wins on the PGA TOUR for Hoffman. He also was runner-up here in 2019 and 2011, and finished third in 2013. Hoffman bogeyed his fourth hole Saturday and was seven back. But he birdied 6 and 8 with putts inside eight feet, and put away a 17-footer for birdie at the 12th. His putter stayed hot at 16 and 17 - both of those birdies came from past 13 feet. He finished it off with a 340-yard drive on 18, reached the par-5 in two from 260 yards out and left his 40-foot uphill eagle putt just a couple of feet short for an easy birdie.

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