Stone falls short of first ever European Tour 59

The World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions not only unites the PGA TOUR with talent from multiple tours for the first time since the PGA Championship in August, it’s the last opportunity of the calendar year for the 78 in the field to see how their game matches up against many of the best on the planet. Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai is the backdrop. The 7,261-yard par 72 has served as the site for this tournament as a FedExCup points-contributing contest every year since the PGA TOUR’s wraparound schedule was introduced in 2013, but it also hosted from 2009-2011. There is no cut, total prize money is $9.75 million and the winner will receive 550 FedExCup points. Turned Sheshan International into a video game en route to victory last year. T5 at CIMB Classic two weeks ago was proof that the stress and fatigue of 2016-17 is history. Season debut. Fizzled in the Playoffs after winning THE NORTHERN TRUST, but then went 4-0-1 at the Presidents Cup. Winner here in 2013. Added a T5 in 2015. Fresh off the sting of a P2 at THE CJ CUP, but led field in putts per GIR and birdie-or-better percentage despite ranking T36 in GIR in the wind. Two top 15s in Shanghai. First start since the Playoffs that he blistered in T10-T10-T2-T10 and ranked second in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Two top 10s in three trips to Sheshan International. Sustains world-class form despite aches and ailments. Shared distant runner-up honors here last year. Averaged 68.25 in his last eight rounds at Sheshan. Runner-up finishes in his last two starts. T3 (2015) and T6 (2017) at Sheshan with a scoring average of 68.125 in those eight rounds. Sixth on the European Tour in GIR. Incredibly streaky but now arguably the hottest golfer on the planet at the moment with victories in his last two starts. Prefaced the double with a T3-T8 fuse. In eight starts since winning the U.S. Open, has just one result outside a top 20. Ranked T3 in par-5 scoring in 2016-17. T40 in debut at Sheshan International last year. At this time last year, he was outside the top 120 in the OWGR. He’s now fifth and making his tournament debut. His only weakness remains inexperience, but not for long. Continues to thrive as he owns his schedule. Opened three-week Asian swing with a T10 in Malaysia, and then answered with a T11 in South Korea. T19 here last year. Riding another Pat(ented) heater. Backed up CIMB title with a T5 at THE CJ CUP. Hasn’t seen Sheshan International since a T10 in his debut in 2010 but it doesn’t matter. Ol’ reliable. A T19 at THE CJ CUP was his 15th top 20 in eight months. The 40-year-old has also recorded top 25s in all five trips to Sheshan International since 2010. Finished 25th in South Korea on Sunday, but he’s been a bit of a horse for Sheshan International. In five appearances, he’s registered four top 25s, including a T14 last year. Winner here in 2010 has another pair of top 10s, including a T6 last year. Placed T6 in his native Italy two weeks ago. Fourth in strokes gained: tee-to-green in 2016-17. Opened the season with a T11 at THE CJ CUP where his brilliant short game bailed out pedestrian ball-striking. Has a pair of top 25s in three tries at Sheshan International. It’s hard to believe but this is his first appearance in a WGC. No biggie. He logged top 20s in his debuts at the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship. Tournament debut. Placed T11 at THE CJ CUP to open a rare fall schedule for him. Ranked second in the field in putting. Three top 10s since the PGA Championship. Won the inaugural stop at Sheshan International in 2009. Last appeared in 2013 and placed 14th. Rested since a confident T3 to open the season at Silverado. Still slumping in individual competition, but Sheshan International has brought out his best. He’s gone T11-T2 and averaged 68.25 in eight rounds on the course. Hasn’t resonated in the biggest events anywhere near as much as in this one where he’s placed T7 (2015) and T16 (2016). Strides in on a Win-T11-T15-T15 burst, too. POWER RANKINGS: WGC-HSBC CHAMPIONS RANK PLAYER COMMENT Hideki Matsuyama was at the peak of his game at this time last year. In a six-start stretch over a three-month period, he won four times and finished second twice, but he was arguably at his best at Sheshan International. In challenging weather conditions that inflated the scoring average to 71.904, Matsuyama scored 23-under 265 and won by seven strokes. Yet, he still finished a shot shy of matching Dustin Johnson’s tournament record in 2013. This is what’s possible at Sheshan International, but Matsuyama’s performance still exceeded expectations given that the elements lined up similarly to the 2014 edition won by Bubba Watson at just 11-under 277. This week’s forecast favors low scoring early and the proverbial par-is-a-good-score narrative by the final round when the wind is expected to howl. Mostly clear skies will accompany relatively cool air throughout. With four par 5s that averaged as the fifth-hardest set on the PGA TOUR all season, finding par breakers on those holes isn’t just important, it’s a prerequisite. Tuesday’s Confidence Factor will shed more light on this and how recent winners manufactured their victories. ROB BOLTON’S WRITING SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Columnist Rob Bolton will be filing his usual staples leading up to this week’s event. Look for the following columns this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings (WGC-HSBC) TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Sanderson Farms), Sleepers, The Confidence Factor, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done (WGC-HSBC), One & Done (Sanderson Farms) THURSDAY: Ownership Percentages in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf and One & Done presented by SERVPRO * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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The U.S. Open went off the rails Saturday. The course was impossible. The players were losing their minds. But then, that is what this tournament is all about.

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