Spieth’s putter stone cold in second round

ORLANDO – Kevin Streelman had worked his way up near the lead when fate intervened in the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. His driver cracked, leading him to play his last six holes in 2 over for a somewhat disappointing 70 that left him five off the early lead of Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello. “I had to hit 3-wood all the way in,� Streelman said. Things were going well as he saved par at the third hole, his 12th of the day, to stay at 4 under. Then he smashed his drive at the par-5 fourth hole, and it made a funny sound. “I looked down at my driver and there was a big, old crater in it,� Streelman said. “Which just is demoralizing. I’ve had that thing for like 15, 16 months, and it’s been my baby. We just did a renovation on our house, and I could name the renovation after this driver, it’s been so good to me.� Absent his driver, a Ping G400 Max, Streelman went with a 3-wood, over-swung, and fought a left miss as he double-bogeyed the fourth hole and bogeyed the sixth, both par-5s. “They’re two of the easiest holes on the course,� he said. “It really could’ve been a good day, even though 2-under is still good. This has never really happened to me mid-tournament before. I’ve got two other ones sitting in my locker; I’ve got to go do some testing now.�

Click here to read the full article…

THE OVERVIEW Bill Haas is the poster boy for Hail Mary FedExCup champs. When he won in 2011, he entered the TOUR Championship that week ranked 25th in points. None of the other nine FedExCup champs were ranked lower than 11th. All the scenarios fell into place for Haas that week. The miracle occurred. Will it happen again this week at East Lake? Seems unlikely. Consider this: Of the top eight players in FedExCup points, three already have won in these Playoffs (Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Marc Leishman); three have finished top-10 in every event (Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose); and the other two are ranked among the world’s top seven players (Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler). It’s doubtful all eight will fall far enough to allow a longshot to swoop in and claim the FedExCup. If No. 6 Rory McIlroy had not won a sudden-death playoff last year, then the FedExCup would’ve gone to top-ranked Dustin Johnson. Johnson tied for sixth in the tournament, which would’ve been good enough to deny the other two sudden-death participants (No. 14 Ryan Moore and No. 15 Kevin Chappell) the FedExCup even if either one had won the TOUR Championship. Spieth is No. 1 in points this week and wouldn’t be surprised if the same scenario plays out this Sunday. “I think there’s a likelihood that I’ll be in that situation this year,â€� Spieth said. “I’m not sure. I don’t know who the Rory will be.â€� If there is a longshot FedExCup winner, who are the most likely candidates? Consider these three names: No. 19 Kevin Chappell – He’s talked about the unfinished business he has at East Lake after losing the playoff. He doesn’t have to answer any more questions about playing his way onto the U.S. Presidents Cup team (which he did at TPC Boston). He’s in solid form. And based on his four rounds at East Lake, the course seems to fit his game (two rounds of 66, two rounds of 68). No. 25 Sergio Garcia – His credentials speak for themselves, of course. Has just one top-10 since his Masters win, but he did play well (T12) last week at Conway Farms. Well-familiar with East Lake; this is his ninth appearance at the course. Although he’s never won, he finished solo second in 2008. Having sat out the first Playoffs event, he theoretically should be fresher than anybody else in the field. No. 29 Patrick Cantlay – Amazing effort this season to reach the TOUR Championship in just 12 starts. One of just two TOUR rookies in the field (along with Xander Schauffele). Has been playing his most consistent golf of the season in these Playoffs, finishing T13 or better in each of the three events. Oh, and one other thing about Cantlay – he’s one of eight players in the field making their first start at the TOUR Championship. On two previous occasions in the FedExCup era – and four times since 2003 — a first-timer has won the TOUR Championship. One of those was the miracle boy, Bill Haas. THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER 1. Jordan Spieth Displaying much better form entering this year’s event than he did in 2015; that’s bad news for the rest of the field. 2. Marc Leishman Billy Horschel showed in 2014 that the FedExCup can be won with a hot streak. Is Leishman following that same gameplan? 3. Justin Rose Only golfer in the world with the opportunity to complete this unique career trifecta: Major win, Olympic gold, FedExCup. THE FLYOVER The nines were flipped for the first time last year, allowing players to end their rounds on a 600-yard par 5 instead of a 235-yard par 3 (and theoretically creating the potential for more fireworks down the stretch). The new 18th ranked as the second-easiest hole on the course last year (to the other par-5, the sixth hole), playing to a stroke average of 4.581. “Hitting the fairway is crucial in terms of not only getting to the green but being able to get over the water,â€� said Justin Thomas. Here’s a closer look at the 18th. THE LANDING ZONE One of the most interesting par 3s on the PGA TOUR, the 15th hole can play drastically different depending on its tee-box set-up. In the first round last year, it played to 138 yards with a shorter water carry. (Incidentally, that was the shortest set-up for this hole in the history of the FedExCup Playoffs; traditionally, the shorter distance had been in the 150-155 yard range and used in the third round, not the first.) As for the other three rounds last year, the farther tee boxes were used, making the tee shot more challenging over the entire length of water. In fact, Jordan Spieth called it “one of the harder shots we hit all year.â€� The field stroke average for the 138-yard set-up was 2.867; the cumulative average for the other three rounds was 3.126 (see chart below). But as Dustin Johnson said, “You would take three on that hole every day. Doesn’t matter where the tee is.â€� Here’s a look at where all the tee shots landed last year, along with a stroke average breakdown for each round. WEATHER CHECK Isolated thunderstorms are forecast in the first two rounds by PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams, but he expects drier and more stable air over the weekend as Hurricane Maria moves up the East Coast. Above-normal temperatures are also expected. Wind conditions are expected to be negligible. Click here for the latest weather conditions from Atlanta, Georgia. SOUND CHECK “It doesn’t matter who you are or how much you’ve achieved – you always want more. I think we’re always very greedy and I think anybody who says that they aren’t is lying to you.â€� – Justin Thomas on being motivated after seeing good friend Jordan Spieth’s early success ODDS AND ENDS 1. SMALL-FIELD VICTORIES. Two years ago, Marc Leishman won the Nedbank Golf Challenge, a 30-man field on the European Tour held in South Africa. He beat Henrik Stenson by six shots. “That’s good stuff to put in the memory bank,â€� Leishman said. “Hopefully I can make this No. 2.â€� Two of Jordan Spieth’s 11 career PGA TOUR wins have come in fields of 35 players or less, including the 2015 TOUR Championship. He also has won the Sentry Tournament of Champions, as has Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia. 2. FIRST-TIME PARTICIPANTS. The eight players making their first trips to East Lake are (with FedExCup ranking) No. 5 Jon Rahm, No. 11 Pat Perez, No. 20 Brian Harman, No. 21 Adam Hadwin, No. 22 Kyle Stanley, No. 24 Tony Finau, No. 26 Xander Schauffele and No. 29 Patrick Cantlay. Rahm, Schauffele and Cantlay are playing in their first FedExCup Playoffs. 3. BUSTING TOP 30 BUBBLE. These five players started the FedExCup Playoffs outside the top 30 in points but managed to play their way into the TOUR Championship – Justin Rose (32), Xander Schauffele (33), Patrick Reed (38), Jason Day (49) and Patrick Cantlay (78). 4. WINLESS BUT ALIVE. Ten players in this week’s field advanced to East Lake without benefit of a win this PGA TOUR season: Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman, Jason Day, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed, Tony Finau, Gary Woodland and Patrick Cantlay.

Click here to read the full article…

Sergio Garcia closed out 2017 as an equipment free agent. When the calendar turns to 2018, the reigning Masters champion should be unveiled as the newest member of Callaway’s Tour staff once new equipment contracts go into effect on Jan. 1.  Garcia has remained coy about his status since he parted ways with TaylorMade after 15 years. Just last month in Italy, Garcia said he would “probably start testing some new things and see what’s kind of out there that drives me and go from there. Then at the end of the year, we’ll make a decision and move forward.” Since the Dell Technologies Championship, Garcia has slowly added new Callaway products, including a Toulon Design putter and Callaway prototype wedge. In a surprise move, he accelerated the equipment transition process last week at the DP World Tour Championship with a new Callaway GBB Epic driver and Apex MB prototype irons that were spotted in the bag for the first time. While the driver appeared to be a stock GBB Epic head, Garcia’s irons were stamped with his personal logo on the toe.  If that wasn’t enough evidence to confirm Garcia’s pending arrival, he also tagged Callaway’s Twitter account in a tweet that included that rest of his current sponsors, following a T4 finish in Dubai.  Garcia and Callaway will have to wait until the beginning of the year to make things official, but it would appear his landing spot is all but assured.  TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedge makes appearance: Dustin Johnson had equipment forums buzzing several weeks ago when he let slip he was testing a new high toe wedge from TaylorMade. Based on his glowing review, many were surprised when Johnson opted to keep the wedge in the locker and stick with his usual Milled Grind setup.  Instead of Johnson getting to do the unveiling honors, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose became the first two staffers to break in the new wedge at the DP World Tour Championship. Based on the wedge photo posted on social media by Rose, the Milled Grind “Hi-Toe” has a distinct high toe that’s reminiscent of the classic Ping Eye 2 and, more recently, Callaway’s Mack Daddy PM Grind popularized by Phil Mickelson.  The three openings in the back of the head likely remove weight that’s repositioned in the toe, shifting the center of gravity even higher in the head for open-face shots.  Cook stretches fairway wood: The rise in popularity of larger-headed fairway woods has seen TOUR players embrace the technology in recent years. Austin Cook became the latest winner to have one in the bag at the RSM Classic. The TOUR rookie is one of four PING staffers using the company’s G400 Stretch 3-wood. With 13 degrees of loft, the fairway wood features a slightly larger overall head shape — 193cc vs. 184cc — for those who primarily use a fairway wood off the tee. Compared to the standard 3-wood, the CG weight was repositioned towards the back of the head to produce low-spin characteristics. For Cook, the club gives him another option to use off the tee on tight driving holes where driver isn’t necessarily the play. The club came in handy at Sea Island, where Cook won by four shots and ranked 12th in Strokes Gained: Off the tee (plus 2.325). Kirk’s strong finish sans gear contract: Along with Brooks Koepka’s nine-shot win at the Dunlop Phoenix Open, Chris Kirk put together a strong week on the course without an equipment contract. Kirk split from PXG at the beginning of the 2017-18 TOUR season to play a mixed bag of equipment.  His T-4 finish at the RSM Classic was his best showing since a T2 at the 2016 Sanderson Farms Championship. During the fall portion of the TOUR season, Kirk made four cuts in five starts. The only noticeable change he made at Sea Island was a driver swap from Callaway’s GBB Epic to TaylorMade’s M1 2017. 

Click here to read the full article…