Thomas battles for his fifth win of the season

On Tuesday afternoon in the locker room of the CareerBuilder Challenge, Zach Johnson made an observation aloud to no one in particular. “I’ll tell you what’s crazy,â€� Johnson said. “A lot of guys I’ve been paired with on Thursday and Friday have gone on to win that week. Either I’m incredibly motivating or they’re just incredibly good.â€� In Rounds 1 and 2 of last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, Johnson was paired with Patton Kizzire. On the sixth hole of sudden death, the longest in Sony Open in Hawaii history, Kizzire emerged victorious over James Hahn. The win at Waialae Country Club, his second on the PGA TOUR, came in his 66th start and came just three starts after his maiden victory at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. As such, Kizzire became the season’s first two-time winner and jumped to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings. A towering figure that strikes the ball with the smooth style and grace of Ernie Els, Kizzire’s Tuscaloosa, Alabama roots lend to a deep and slow Southern drawl and demeanor that parallels his effortless swing. Until this season on the PGA TOUR, Kizzire’s ascent into golf’s upper echelon was more of an amble than a stride. It could be said that contentment trumped commitment. After graduating from Auburn University with a business degree in 2008, Kizzire lacked the tenacity and discipline a career in professional golf requires. “Yeah, I was a little bit stuck in college, but I think that was all part of the deal,â€� Kizzire said. “I kind of got a little bit of that out of my system and was able to move on and start being a little bit more serious about the profession and I think it all kind of just gelled together at the right time.â€� In order to resurrect the fire he displayed in college that resulted in top honors at the 2007 SEC Championship, Kizzire relocated to Georgia to place serious focus on his game. “I guess it was just maturity kind of coming into play there,â€� Kizzire said. “I was living in Auburn and decided to move to St. Simons and really take it seriously and take advantage of the resources we have down there. I have my management group, great coaches, Davis Love III, Zach Johnson and Jonathan Byrd and all the other guys down there. We have a lot of competition amongst ourselves. So, I decided to take advantage of that. I was kind of kicking myself for not doing it sooner, but I think the time was right.â€� After making just one cut in six starts on the Web.com Tour between 2009 and 2014, Kizzire finished T21 at the 2014 Qualifying Tournament, good for fully-exempt status onto that Tour in 2015. In 23 starts, two victories highlighted 12 top-10 finishes and the money list’s No. 1 spot. In his rookie year on the PGA TOUR in 2015-16, Kizzire claimed five more top-10 finishes, including a tie for second in his first start of the season at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He posted a final-round, 8-under 63 to claim the runner-up finish. In his next start, he finished T4 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Responsibility was paying off handsomely. “The accountability factor was absolutely there in Sea Island,â€� Kizzire said. “I can’t say I do a whole lot of really tough stuff, but I stay on top of it. I try to stay in golf shape, I’m no physical specimen or anything, but my coaches and managers really hold me accountable. There’s also my wife. She’s a planner. I was never much of a planner, but I’ve learned that you’ve got to make a plan and execute it, and that’s been big for me.â€� That season, Kizzire advanced through the first two of four events in the FedExCup Playoffs, before finishing 82nd in the FedExCup standings. Kizzire began his sophomore season on the PGA TOUR in 2016-17 as he did his rookie year. At the Safeway Open, he finished just one stroke back of Brendan Steele at 17-under 271, good for solo second place. He would again advance through the first two FedExCup Playoffs events, before finishing 99th in the final FedExCup standings. Even though he finished lower in the FedExCup standings his second year on the PGA TOUR than his first, he knew he was burning. Stronger than ever before, the fire was back. “I knew I needed the kind of reigning in I get in Sea Island,â€� Kizzire said. “But, I guess I wasn’t disciplined enough to do it on my own. Just to have a taste of that…for them to give me a taste of that and make it part of me made all the difference. I started holding myself accountable after a while and that led to the progression.â€� On the PGA TOUR this season, that newfound, but rooted resolve has elevated Kizzire to unprecedented heights that not even he felt he was ready for. A week after finishing T10 and T4 at the Sanderson Farms Championship and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, respectively, in his second and third starts of the season, Kizzire reached a mountain top. At the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, he made 10 birdies en route to an opening-round, 9-under 63 and the 18-hole lead by two strokes. With ensuing rounds of 70-66-67 to finish at 19-under 265, Kizzire held off a hard-charging Rickie Fowler to claim his first PGA TOUR title. “Yeah, to win in that fashion, with Rickie Fowler breathing down my neck, gave me a nice big head. It was pretty cool,â€� Kizzire said. “He’s obviously a world-class player, so to have it come down to he and I was what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to beat the best.â€� Three starts later, second- and third-round, 6-under 64s resulted in the eventual win in Honolulu. The Mexico win gave me the confidence to do it again at Sony,â€� Kizzire said. “The first win was like a big hurdle for me and the second win was a little bit more validation. I don’t really think anybody deserves wins, I think you just have to work for it and it just happens. It has all just been a part of the process.â€� So, now, with two wins in four starts and the No. 1 spot in the FedExCup, a lot more people are paying a lot more attention to the man who previously preferred to remain unaccountable and in the shadows. Anything else went against his grain. On Tuesday of this week’s CareerBuilder Challenge, Kizzire arrived on site at PGA WEST staring at a schedule that included a Titleist photo shoot, a clothes fitting, media obligations and time for practice. As smooth as is his swing and Southern drawl, Kizzire responded accordingly. After all, that’s precisely what commitment calls for. “I imagine I’ll be pulled in certain directions and have to manage that, but that comes with the territory and I’ll welcome that just like I welcome any part of being a professional golfer,â€� Kizzire said. “I’m just going to keep working hard. I want to get the third win. That’s all I want to do. I love playing golf. I love trying to get better and putting myself in uncomfortable spots. That’s all I want to do is just to be somewhere that I’ve never been because that gets me uncomfortable. That’s when I know I’m doing something right.â€� Although Zach Johnson is quite the motivator, he was clearly onto something when he suggested that it takes an incredibly good player to win on the PGA TOUR. But, the thing is, the most significant ingredient to being good is being dedicated.

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Who’s on top of the leaderboard in golf’s newest tournament?

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Former PGA TOUR winner Arjun Atwal was among the four players to qualify Sunday for the FedEx St. Jude Classic. He’ll try to repeat his feat at the 2010 Wyndham Championship, where he Monday qualified for the event and then hoisted the trophy Sunday. He was the first qualifier in 24 years to win a PGA TOUR event. Atwal, 44, shot 4-under 66 on Monday at Windyke Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee, to share medalist honors with Jordan Russell. Chip Deason and Garrett Osborn grabbed the final two spots in a 6-for-2 playoff after firing 67. Former PGA TOUR winners Heath Slocum and Brendon Todd also took part in that playoff, as did Ben Wood and 56-year-old Jay Delsing. The FedEx St. Jude Classic’s qualifier was conducted Sunday because of Monday’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying. Atwal collected his last official victory at the 2014 Dubai Open on the Asian Tour. He has won on the PGA TOUR, Web.com Tour, European Tour and Asian Tour. Russell is a former Texas A&M golfer who was a semifinalist at the 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills, site of next week’s U.S. Open. Russell has competed on both the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, but has not played an event offering Official World Golf Ranking points since 2015. This will be his PGA TOUR debut. Osborn, 32, has one top-10 in seven career PGA TOUR starts. He finished T9 at the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship after Monday qualifying for that event. The Alabama-Birmingham alum also has played in 88 Web.com Tour events, posting two third-place finishes. He has played just 10 events on that circuit since the end of 2010, though. Deason, 42, has played in five career PGA TOUR events. His best finish is T54 at the 2008 Ginn sur Mer Classic. Deason, an Alabama alum, also has played in 20 Web.com Tour events, making three cuts. 2016-17 Monday qualifiers Qualifiers: 63 Made cut: 18 (28.6%) Top-25s: 4 (6.3%) Top-10s: 0 Best finish: T11, Keith Mitchell at Valspar Championship AT&T Byron Nelson qualifiers T66. Alex Moon, 74-66-72-73 MC. Sean Kelly, 74-71 MC. Y.E. Yang, 74-72 MC. Benjamin Polland, 75-75

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