Stewart Cink named 2017 Payne Stewart Award recipient

In my comment beside my lineup in Expert Picks (linked as usual below), I cite this as a position week. I steal the phrase from bowling leagues that establish checkpoints to determine tournament seeding. No, it's not apples-to-apples in that sense, but it feels similar because our standings at the conclusion of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open likely will not change much in the following two weeks. Since there won't be a cut at THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD, all gamers will score points in every round (assuming no mid-tournament withdrawals and disqualifications as usual) in both of those tournaments. Unless you are on board with the winner(s) or have multiple podium finishers contributing in the final round, where you sit in your little league after this weekend should resemble where you sit two weeks later. RELATED: Power Rankings | Preview the course, storylines | Expert Picks First things first, however. We have much more to lose at TPC Summerlin because it's a traditional event with a 36-hole cut, so continue to be motivated to think big picture and get four to the weekend. Because front-runners will want to be as conservative as possible entering the next fortnight, if you're already trailing by a lot, then this also presents as a perfect time to be aggressive. Lean on long hitters with a reputation of weekly inconsistency. Use course success as a tiebreaker. See, for the first time this season, league leaders and contenders are mapping out how to use three starts on top-shelf talent with the limited-field invitationals lined up and the Masters in November. It still will be valuable to roster the highest finishers, but because of the absence of zeroes at THE CJ CUP and the ZOZO, separation from the pack will be more difficult. That's why positioning right now is key. It can change short-range philosophy. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Bryson DeChambeau Denny McCarthy Webb Simpson Cameron Smith Matthew Wolff You'll find my starters in Expert Picks Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Cameron Davis; Chesson Hadley; James Hahn; Charley Hoffman; Luke List; Tyler McCumber; Pat Perez; Scottie Scheffler; Kristoffer Ventura Driving: Paul Casey; Stewart Cink; Charley Hoffman; Sungjae Im; Luke List; Tyler McCumber; Collin Morikawa; Scottie Scheffler; Kristoffer Ventura POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Francesco Molinari … He picked a heckuva time to relocate from England to California, but there's never a perfect time for that given his profession. His focus has been on his family and settling into the new digs. While he'll be rusty, the good news is that he's not injured. He's rested and he should be mentally recharged to resume a routine. It doesn't hurt that he placed T4 with a walk-off 61 in his only prior appearance at TPC Summerlin in 2016, but temper expectations for at least one start. DRAWS Sungjae Im ... Given his propensity to go low and thrive in shootouts, it's a knock that he didn't crack the Power Rankings, but he's been inconsistent since play resumed in June. It's not out of the realm of possibility that, after he went Win-3rd in the last two weeks before the hiatus to sit No. 1 in the FedExCup, he set it on cruise control all the way to East Lake. Expect a top 25 at TPC Summerlin (where he placed T15 in his debut last year) for all of the usual reasons. Rickie Fowler ... Swing changes have dogged the 31-year-old all year, but if he's going to make noise again, TPC Summerlin is on the short list of tracks where it'd happen. He made only four appearance from 2009-2019, but each resulted in a top 25, the last a personal-best T4 with a closing 63 as the kicker. Slot him as a contrarian if your format would categorize him as such. Fractional play in DFS also is encouraged. Will Zalatoris ... My contention is that his missed cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship was a product of his success. He top-10'd into the field at Corales and had planned the week off. Yet, with Special Temporary Membership within reach - a two-way T5 at TPC Summerlin would do it - it's understandable why he'd give it a go. It's important for us to accept that he's learning how much he can bite off before he can't chew anymore. As for this week, not only did he get two invaluable days of rest on the weekend, but he accepted this sponsor exemption two weeks ago, so this has been on his mind since before the T8 at Corales. Jason Kokrak ... Just one top-35 finish in his last five trips, but he's cashed in each. He also arrives having connected four top 20s since the Wyndham Championship. Ideal in all formats. Abraham Ancer ... Gonna leave it up to DFSers to determine if his price tag warrants the plunge. He's just 1-for-4 at TPC Summerlin with a T4 in 2018, but his game remains on the rise, so early-career disappointment should be ignored. Rather, I'm looking at the 29-year-old's consistently strong body of work of the last two years overall. Chesson Hadley ... A Sleeper here last year, but that was like cheating given he had gone for a trio of top 10s at TPC Summerlin before fulfilling the expectation with a T18. He's flashed enough form of late to warrant a similar hope. Stewart Cink Cameron Davis James Hahn Charley Hoffman Charles Howell III Si Woo Kim Joaquin Niemann Pat Perez Scottie Scheffler Brendan Steele Kristoffer Ventura FADES Jason Day ... Just like that, the lights went off. After a T7-T4-T6-T4 surge across five weeks over the summer, the Aussie was a non-factor in three starts. He's not quite in the Sergio Garcia lane of "what haven't you done for me lately," and as good as a putter that Day is, he'll probably keep his eyes open, but only full-season investors should get back on this ride. It's been way too bumpy for way too long. Matt Kuchar ... Now 42 years of age, time is catching up. Just two top 25s since the hiatus and he's a far cry from the kind of consistency that has defined his career. Also just one appearance at TPC Summerlin in the last 10 years, and that resulted in but a T57 in 2018. Scott Piercy ... He's had a rough go of it for months, but he should feel more comfortable here than anywhere else given that it's a home game. The tournament means a lot to him personally, so it'll be an elixir for his soul more than anything. In 14 appearances, he's scattered three missed cuts among four top 10s and another three top 25s, but the absence of something impressive lately is more noticeable. J.T. Poston ... When he's on, he looks so, so good. Certainly, that's a refrain that could apply to every touring professional, but those moments remain too far and few between for the 27-year-old. Now that he's fresh off a solo third at the Sanderson Farms Championship, it's almost automatic to hop off. His record at TPC Summerlin also is a microcosm of his early career trajectory. He's 1-for-4 with a T4 in 2017. Patrick Rodgers ... Failed to deliver on the faith last week (see Power Rankings Recap below), but now it's truly time to resist. Only one top 40 among just two cuts made in six prior trips to TPC Summerlin, and it's been five years now since he finished T13. Jimmy Walker ... It was encouraging that he held the co-lead after one round of the Sanderson Farms Championship, but he didn't break 71 the rest of the way and finished T46. And that was his best finish of eight starts since play resumed. If you're a newer gamer and not aware, the 41-year-old has been battling Lyme disease for a few years. Byeong Hun An Scott Brown Sam Burns Emiliano Grillo Max Homa C.T. Pan Chez Reavie Rory Sabbatini RETURNING TO COMPETITION Danny Lee ... Cited a wrist injury for his exit from the U.S. Open after the third round but the lasting image is of the disgruntled six-putt on the final green. Three days later, he issued an apology. Just 2-for-6 at TPC Summerlin and without a top 40. John Huh ... He had committed to the Safeway Open to launch into 2020-21 but then withdrew before it began. He hasn't teed it up since play resumed in June but an explanation hasn't been released as to why. Has 15 starts on a Major Medical Extension. Jonas Blixt ... Committed to the Korn Ferry Tour's Orange County National Championship presented by Knight 39. It's the finale of the 2020 portion of the KFT schedule and it'd mark his first live action in 14 months. The 36-year-old has dealt with back discomfort for several years. He has 23 starts on a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR, so salary gamers and other season-long formats should be paying close attention to his form early on. Robert Garrigus ... Also in the KFT field, but he was at this point last week as well before withdrawing from the tournament. We last saw him at Corales where heat exhaustion forced him to call it quits in the second round. Doesn't carry much fantasy value in the long-term because he's on Past Champion status. NOTABLE WDs Tony Finau ... Tested positive for COVID-19. Lucas Glover ... As noted in this space last week, there was reason to consider the positive and unquantifiable impact of the loss of his maternal grandmother the previous Friday, but he missed the cut. Ryan Moore ... The problem with his back must be serious enough for him to miss the PGA TOUR event in his own backyard for the first time in 10 years. He hasn't competed since withdrawing from THE NORTHERN TRUST during the second round. POWER RANKINGS RECAP - SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Scottie Scheffler T37 2 Sungjae Im T28 3 Adam Long MC 4 Sam Burns MC 5 Doc Redman T28 6 Sebastián Muñoz T23 7 Brian Harman T37 8 Xinjun Zhang MC 9 Pat Perez MC 10 Will Zalatoris MC 11 Carlos Ortiz MC 12 Stewart Cink T12 13 Hudson Swafford MC 14 Patrick Rodgers MC 15 Denny McCarthy T6 Wild Card Zach Johnson T23 SLEEPERS RECAP - SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP Golfer Result Bronson Burgoon MC Dylan Frittelli MC Fabián Gómez MC Cameron Percy T59 Davis Riley MC BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR October 6 ... none October 7 ... none October 8 ... none October 9 ... none October 10 ... Charlie Beljan (36) October 11 ... Greg Chalmers (47) October 12 ... none

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ATLANTA – The standards have changed for Tiger Woods. How could they not, after all that he’s endured? He already considers this season, his first in years that hasn’t been interrupted by injury, a success. In his prime, Woods would have never been content with a winless year. But, after four back surgeries, there was much to celebrate in 2018. He started the year unsure how much he’d be able to play. Not only did his back hold up, but he quickly proved that he was capable of contending. And he qualified for his first TOUR Championship in five years. A victory is the obvious next step in his comeback. He’s given himself another opportunity for win No. 80 win after shooting 65 on Thursday at East Lake Golf Club. He shares the first-round lead with Rickie Fowler. “It would just enhance the year,â€� Woods, the only two-time FedExCup champion, said about a win. “To be able to play golf again and to earn my way back to this level is something that I was hoping I would do at the beginning of the year, but I didn’t know. And I’ve done it.â€� He capped off Thursday’s round with an eagle at 18 that was reminiscent of earlier times. After hitting a 320-yard tee shot on the downhill par-5, Woods hit a high, fading 5-wood that landed softly on the green. He holed the 28-foot putt for eagle. “That was a good one,â€� he said with a smile. Dustin Johnson was the only other player to eagle the hole Thursday. This is the second consecutive tournament where Woods has shared the first-round lead. He opened with a 62 two weeks ago in the BMW Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. Woods said Thursday’s round, though it was three strokes higher, was “far betterâ€� because of East Lake’s demanding layout and slick greens. He was in control of his game from tee to green on Thursday. His only mishit was a “neckedâ€� 3-wood off the 17th tee. He missed just four fairways and four greens. “Conditions were soft there,â€� Woods said about Aronimink Golf Club. “It’s hard to get the ball closer (at East Lake). There’s so much chase in it. If you drive the ball in the rough, you know you can’t get the ball close. The Bermuda rough, you just can’t control it. It puts a premium on driving and puts a premium on allowing for a little bit of chase on some of these greens. When I had some good looks, I went right after it, and otherwise I played pretty conservatively.â€� His first round at East Lake started inauspiciously, with a three-putt from 24 feet. It was his only bogey of the day. He made consecutive birdies at Nos. 5 and 6, holing putts of 26 and 15 feet, to make the turn in 1-under 34. He added birdies at 12 and 14 before his eagle at the finishing hole. On 14, he hit his 206-yard approach shot to 8 feet. Woods finished T6 at the BMW Championship. He was hampered by his putting in his second-round 70, then shot 66-65 in the final two rounds. He pulled within a shot of the lead in the final round before finishing three back of winner Keegan Bradley. Woods drove the ball well at the BMW Championship and continued that trend Thursday. He was 12th in driving accuracy at Aronimink while averaging 301 yards off the tee. Only two players – Paul Casey and Justin Rose – hit more fairways than Woods on Thursday. He has thrived with his driver since increasing its loft and changing shafts at the first event of the Playoffs, THE NORTHERN TRUST. “I had enough of it that I couldn’t turn the ball over,â€� Woods said Thursday. “I was pretty one-dimensional with a flat cut, or if I hit a straight ball, it was just not carrying far enough. I’d have to make a different swing with a driver than I would with a 3-wood or 5-wood or 2-iron, and I didn’t want to do that anymore.â€� With the TOUR Championship re-pairing after each round, Woods and Fowler will play in Friday’s final group. They also were paired in the first two rounds at Aronimink, where Fowler shot 65-65 in his first start since an oblique injury. “In my eyes, looking at it, the biggest win for him is just staying healthy and being out here all year consistently,â€� Fowler said. An actual victory would be an even bigger story. In the final event of the season, Woods has another opportunity to make it happen.

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DUBLIN, Ohio — Collin Morikawa had another favorable result at Muirfield Village on a golf course that looked and sounded a lot different from when he won last year. RELATED: Leaderboard | Rickie Fowler turns to prescription sunglasses for help on the course Morikawa felt good vibes from an old putter and posted a 6-under 66 in rain-softened conditions Thursday morning at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. That gave him a one-shot lead over Adam Long among early starters, with Xander Schauffele in the group two shots behind. The weather was bad enough that the first round was suspended twice, with only half the field finishing the round. For Morikawa, the name of the tournament is different, too. He won a playoff at Muirfield Village last year in the Workday Charity Open, a one-time event to replace the pandemic-canceled John Deere Classic. But there’s a comfort level at the course Jack Nicklaus built, no matter how much it has been renovated and reshaped. And it was noisy Thursday as the tournament has let at least 25 percent capacity of fans on the course. Jon Rahm is the defending champion at the Memorial and faced a far stronger test. Nicklaus knew he was going to be redoing the fairways and greens, so he let them go for the Memorial and conditions were as tough as a U.S. Open. Rahm did OK in the soft conditions with a 69, tied with Open Championship winner Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who needs a runner-up finish to move into the top 60 in the world ranking and avoid U.S. Open qualifying on Monday. Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy didn’t make it past a couple of holes before the weather stopped everything. They were to return Friday morning to finish the first round, and then right back out for the second round. The forecast was better for the rest of the week, and darkness doesn’t set in until about 9 p.m. What made Schauffele’s round interesting is that he used the arm-lock method to putt. It’s a putter he’s only had for about a week. He’s among the best statistically putting. And he thinks the putting style should be banned. Kuchar, meanwhile, withdrew when he was 9 over after 14 holes for what the PGA TOUR described as a left forearm injury.

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