Sleeper Picks: Palmetto Championship at Congaree

NORTON, Mass. – For a second straight week, a FedExCup Playoffs event had slipped out of Jordan Spieth’s hands, but save your curiosities about his state of mind. “Things are in good shape,� he said, shrugging off his second runner-up in two weeks. Last week to Dustin Johnson, Monday to Justin Thomas at the Dell Technologies Championship on a sun-splashed, warm and breezy day at TPC Boston. He could have bemoaned the repetitive disappointment, but instead, Spieth saluted a sense of familiarity that provides great pleasure – the latest battle with Thomas. One pairing ahead of Thomas, Spieth finally got a chance to cross paths at the end. He congratulated Thomas, who had just made par at the 18th hole to wrap up a tidy 5-under 66 for 17-under 267, three clear of Spieth. “We grew up together,� said Spieth, responding to a question about this closeness with a competitor. “You grow up and you watch each other work from when you’re 14. He’s one of my best friends inthe whole world.� On the other end of the hug, Thomas conceded he appreciated the best wishes, but acknowledged that it was Spieth’s early success (a win in ’13, five more in ’15) that stoked his competitive juices. “Any time any of my friends wins and I don’t, I’m extremely happy for them, I’m pumped for them,� Thomas said. “But I’m jealous.� With his fifth win of the year and sixth in his young career, Thomas is closing the gap (Spieth owns three wins this year, 11 in all). Not that their rivalry needs fuel, but there is this: It is Spieth who remains No. 1 in the FedExCup standings, with Thomas second. It sets up a great backdrop to the next two Playoffs events – the BMW Championship in two weeks, followed by the TOUR Championship – but for now, it’s best to savor what took place Monday. As sure as the letter R remains silent in these parts, it’s wild how this annual gathering at TPC Boston concludes with a Monday show that is a salute to the ideals that we hold dear on Labor Day. Strength: Incredibly deep field that spit out leaderboards dotted by marquee names. Prosperity: An opportunity to pile up red numbers on the outward nine. Laws: Mix up the names, alter the weather, but in the end, you get a strap-your-seatbelt back nine that is part Newman and Redford, and part Sinatra and Bennett. The best. It was 10 years ago when a guy named Phil Mickelson closed with 66 to beat a guy named Tiger Woods and his 67 and the hits have just kept coming. Rory McIlroy rallied with a fourth-round 67 to edge Louis Oosthuizen in ’12 and a year later Henrik Stenson’s sizzling 66 overtook Steve Stricker. The year 2015 saw Rickie Fowler finish with 68 to rally past Stenson and last year was vintage McIlroy – out in 31, a neat 65 in all, he stormed to a win that put in motion his FedExCup title. Topping McIlroy’s outward brilliance might have seemed improbable, yet there was even more electricity. Spieth – two behind the co-leaders, Thomas and Marc Leishman – started birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie. Leishman answered with four birdies in five holes. Thomas, who birdied the par-5 second and slam-dunked a 50-foot eagle putt at the par-4 second, seemed to be stunned that his 3-under start left him chasing. “Patience,� stressed Thomas’ veteran caddie, Jimmy Johnson. “This is a marathon.� Out in 30, Leishman led at 18-under. Spieth (30) and Thomas (32) were two back. But if it was an ill-timed wild tee shot left at the 10th that set Leishman into the background with three straight bogeys and an inward 40, it was a pair of declarative wedge shots by Thomas – 8 feet at the 13th, 5 feet at the 15th – and a gut-check up-and-down from left of the par-3 16th green that highlighted the latest installment in this rivalry between two special young golfers. It was an AJGA Junior All-Star tournament in Mansfield, Texas, when Spieth, 13, and Thomas, 14, first chased one another to the finish. “He came up and introduced himself on the range. I thought that was cool,� Thomas said. Spieth went 68-71 to win, Thomas was 68-76 for second and likely none of us realized the chapters that would unfold. AJGA for a few seasons, an unforgettable NCAA Championship in 2012 when Spieth pulled off some miracles to beat Thomas and give Texas a title, and now this hard-to-script stuff on the PGA TOUR. “Great memory,� said Spieth of that epic Riviera match. “I’ll have that one on him every time we’re there.� But five years later, their pro careers appear on a similar trajectory. That is quite all right with Spieth – who fell behind with bogeys at the par-4 12th and par-4 14th and managed just one birdie on the back as he shot 67. “We can share experiences with each other that we can’t really describe or explain,� he said. Should things continue in a way that unfolded Monday at the Dell Technologies Championship, Thomas – whose brilliant play included just two bogeys over 72 holes – might just be able to share something else that his friend earned in 2015: A FedExCup title.

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Ingrid Lindblad had a 2-under 70 on Thursday, giving her a share of the lead with top-ranked Rose Zhang going into the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

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Throughout his career, Adam Scott has been one of the most stylish players on the PGA TOUR. If there is a best-dressed list in golf, the Aussie’s name likely will be on it. While athletic brands have made strong inroads into the game of golf, Scott has favored apparel labels that place a premium on fashion and performance. Not surprisingly, he subscribes to the “look good, feel good, play greatâ€� mentality. “I’ve enjoyed the fashion on the golf course,â€� Scott said. “If I think back to my childhood, my favorite was always Greg Norman. I thought he presented himself very well.â€� In 2013, Scott’s passion for fashion led him to Uniqlo. Scott was drawn to Uniqlo’s philosophy that clothing is lifewear. Trying to escape the typical golf uniform, he liked that the brand’s apparel could easily transition to off-course settings. “They don’t really pigeonhole one product into a certain category,â€� Scott said. “The pair of pants I wear on the golf course could be the pair of pants somebody wears to the office. It could be the pair of pants they wear out to dinner at night. It’s whatever you want to make it.â€� Scott began wearing Uniqlo’s threads at the Masters that year. At the end of the week, he added another key piece to his new wardrobe — a green jacket. Fast forward six years and Scott was once again making a buzz at Augusta National in Uniqlo’s sophisticated looks. This time it was due to a double-pleated trouser, which is part of Uniqlo’s new U line. This vintage golf look is one Scott will continue to sport at the other major championships this year, including this week’s PGA Championship. “I think the skinny tapered trouser has certainly run on trend for a long time now,â€� he said. “We talked a lot last year about relaxing the silhouettes a little bit and then also relying on the team at Uniqlo U, which is headed by Christophe Lemaire, who’s an incredible designer, to add some detail and more fashion elements. So that’s when the pleats came back in.â€� In working with Lemaire and his team, Scott turned to old photographs of Ben Hogan, Claude Harmon, Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead for inspiration. The result was a ‘new classic’ trouser with a modern feel and a relaxed urban style. Beyond the actual silhouette, Scott also worked with the design team to dial in the proper blend of fabrics. The pants are constructed of a wool-like polyester with the addition of Toray, a breathable, water-repellent fabric. The combination provides him with the vintage drape he wants while also delivering the necessary performance qualities. “With the wool-like polyester, the pants have been incredibly comfortable,â€� Scott said. “It was almost unseasonably warm and humid at Augusta. I certainly had no problem playing in these. They’re very lightweight.â€� So what was the reaction to Scott’s pleats from the other players? “It was noticed, that’s for sure,â€� he said. “I certainly don’t think anything I wore at the Masters was outrageous. It was paying tribute to the great vintage golf styling of the past. The trousers were obvious because they were much roomier than most of the other guys’ trousers. A few guys looked like they would be pretty happy to dig in their closet from 15 years ago and bust out their double pleats again.â€� As much attention as the pleated trousers received, Scott’s choice of a 100% Supima cotton polo also made him stand out from the crowd. Besides, pairing a slim-fitting, high-tech polo with a classic pair of trousers just wouldn’t work. The luxurious cotton and the looser fit fed into his “new classicâ€� silhouette and gave off an air of old school sophistication. “With the Supima cotton polo shirt, the material just looks a lot better than the very technical ones,â€� Scott explained. “In testing, there was no kind of restriction, even if it is unseasonably hot at Pebble Beach or even at the PGA [Championship]. I am not going to have any problem at all playing in it, especially with the Airism underneath.â€� The Airism that Scott is referring to is Uniqlo’s high-tech, Poly/Spandex undershirt, a piece of clothing that he wears on a daily basis. “It is a cooling material,â€� he said. “I’ve played golf with an Airism underneath my polos since I joined Uniqlo. It’s just part of my daily life. It’s so lightweight, you can’t even feel it and most people don’t even see it underneath my shirt. I’ll be wearing that underneath the Supima cotton polo.â€� Looking forward this week to Bethpage Black, Scott will continue the vintage look that he debuted at Augusta. He’ll start the tournament in a soft, yet energetic lilac polo before turning to classic navy, white, and black shirts the remaining three days. With temperatures expected to be cool, Adam will layer up with one of his go-to pieces—Uniqlo’s Merino sweater. “The Merino sweater is a Uniqlo staple,â€� he said. “It’s one of my favorite items to travel with. The ones I’m wearing out of the Uniqlo U range have more detail on the shoulder and collar, plus more stretch, which is very nice.â€� At the U.S. Open in June, Scott will sport classic looks that complement Pebble Beach’s laid-back resort vibe. Inspired by designs from the Golden Era of golf, he will pair wide-leg, relaxed bottoms with an open collar polo. The color palette that Uniqlo has created is a great example of how the brand is in tune with the player’s personality and style. Combining Adam’s love of surfing with Pebble Beach’s crashing waves, Uniqlo will dress him in refined earth tones that possess a vintage surfing attitude. “At the moment I’m into the whole vintage thing,â€� Scott said. “I’m really enjoying having a bit of a change of pace at the majors with the clothing and the silhouettes this year. Some of those colors are more me, too. The bright colors have their moments. But the colorful washed-out tones or bright earthy tones are more my style. It’s kind of that understated elegance. That’s probably more suited to my personality on the golf course.â€� Of course, these “new classicâ€� looks wouldn’t be complete without proper kicks. After a bit of experimenting, Scott decided to lace up shoes from FootJoy’s 1857 Collection with premium Italian calfskin leathers, leather outsoles, full leather linings, and traditional stacked heels. “I played in FootJoy Classics for the first 10 years of my career and it’s almost like walking back into my youth,â€� he said. “They have a little bit more of a pronounced heel and the angle from the heel to the forefoot is a little different from what I’ve been wearing. I got into a setup position with them and they felt really good. I’m going to continue wearing them for the time being, and certainly through this major season where I think they complement the clothing very well.â€� Scott is careful to mention that his new looks aren’t about recreating outfits from the past, though. Instead, he is creating modern versions of classic looks that can go anywhere and do anything. “Certainly, we’re not trying to go back and be like Ben Hogan,â€� he said. “This is more about the modern classic, but also being able to walk right off the course and out to dinner or into the office and be stylish.â€�

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