Thomas, Fowler throw away five hole lead at Presidents Cup

AKRON, Ohio. – Notes and observations from Saturday’s third round of the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational, where Zach Johnson and Thomas Pieters pushed themselves to the top. Johnson (65) and Pieters (66) will play in the final group Sunday after moving to 9-under par for the week, one clear of a charging Scott Hend (63) and two ahead of Hideki Matsuyama (67). For more from Firestone Country Club, check out the Daily Wrap. OPPOSITES ATTRACT Zach Johnson hit 12 of 14 fairways on Saturday, making it 26 of 42 for the week at the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational. Thomas Pieters has hit just 13 fairways this week, adding four to his tally Saturday. It ranks him last in the 76-man field. Yet the two players will head out tied for the lead in Sunday’s final group at Firestone Country Club, sitting in the box seat for victory. Pieters made his strokes back on approach, leading the field in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green. Johnson’s keys to success include a cooperative putter. He’s leading the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. Whichever way they have made it to the top, they both clearly are excited to stay there. “My ball striking was good, driver was not good. It’s been like that for ages but I managed to score really well, so pretty happy,â€� Pieters said. “I’m in a good position for tomorrow.â€� Pieters is a three-time European Tour winner and has three top-5 finishes this season on the PGA TOUR. Now the 25-year-old wants to close out what would be the biggest win of his young career. “The wins I’ve had I finished really well. But I think the ones I’ve gotten in contention this year I’ve gotten very quick, and changing direction, my backswing got a little quick,â€� Pieters admitted. “Not so much nervous but just anxious to finish and to have a good finish. Maybe tomorrow I have to get back to being calm and just let it come to me.â€� Johnson is a 12-time PGA TOUR winner and two-time major winner, yet he hasn’t won since the 2015 Open Championship. He was on his way to a potential win a few weeks ago at the John Deere Classic only to fall away, admitting nerves got the best of him. He’s ready this time. “I was ready when I signed my scorecard on 18 that day,â€� Johnson said. “I had nerves, unfortunately I probably saw the board a little too early and had nerves around that 13, 14, and it kind of caught up with me. Since I signed my scorecard, I’ve been ready for this. “Not suggesting it’s going to happen, you know, still too many holes, but I’m anxious for the opportunity is really what it comes down to.â€� HOT HEND HUNTS TOUR RETURN AND PRESIDENTS CUP BERTH Scott Hend might be a foreign name to some, but the Australian has been on the PGA TOUR before. In fact, he led the TOUR in driving distance in 2005, his second and last full-time season in the USA. Now, some 12 years later, Hend has popped back up after a sublime tournament best 7-under 63 rocketed him to third place, just one shot off the lead. The 43-year-old certainly hasn’t been missing, winning 13 international titles including two European Tour events. He’s been a staple on the European and Asian Tours for a long time and was a member of the Australian Olympic team last year. But he still lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and dreams of a return to the PGA TOUR. Should he win in Akron on Sunday, he will secure a three-year exemption. “I would play here tomorrow, no worries,â€� Hend said of the prospect of taking up PGA TOUR membership. “This is the place where all professionals want to play full time and be out here for as long as you possibly can because this is where the majority of the best golfers in the world play. “I reside here, my kids go to school here, it would be a lot less travel for me and I love playing golf here.â€� Hend’s great play will not go unnoticed by International Presidents Cup captain Nick Price, who dropped the Aussie’s name in a pre-tournament press conference about guys outside the box he’s got his eyes on for his captain’s picks. “I have a lot of hard work to do before I could actually be considered as a pick, but I would like nothing more than to play on a Presidents Cup team,â€� Hend said. “If I play well enough and I was in a position where Nick could actually pick me, I’d be very honored to take that spot.â€� SHOT OF THE DAY MATSUYAMA LURKING Hideki is back. In his 100th PGA TOUR appearance, Japan’s Matsuyama has quietly positioned himself in fourth place, just two off the lead. It is the continuation of a resurgence for the 25-year-old who already has two wins and three runner-up results this season to sit third in the FedExCup standings. After winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open in early February, Matsuyama failed to find another top 10 until the U.S. Open where he was tied second. In his last start at The Open Championship, he was T14, fading on the final day. Now he’s up top again. “I did play well early. I haven’t really come back from that yet, but I’m working hard toward it and hopefully in these next six weeks I can get a victory here or there,â€� Matsuyama said. “I’m just happy to be in the position I’m in. I didn’t really expect this earlier in the week and I’m pleased to be where I have a chance to maybe get a win.â€� HOFFMAN HIGH UP AGAIN Charley Hoffman’s days of flying under the radar might soon be over if he can rally from three back to win the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational. Hoffman is a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR and has been regularly in the mix this season, yet still somehow fails to garner the attention of other stars. So far in 2017, his results have included a T4 at the Genesis Open, T2 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a T3 at the Travelers Championship and he lost in a playoff last week at the RBC Canadian Open. He also led at times during the Masters, and contended at the U.S. Open on the way to finishing eighth. It has him 12th in the FedExCup, the highest rank of any non-winner this season. “I think I’m starting to realize my potential and what I can do. I mean if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you,â€� Hoffman said when asked if he felt underappreciated. But he doesn’t mind not having to deal with the hype and responsibilities being an elite star comes with. “I would like to win more big events and be under the radar. Is that possible? I don’t know if that’s possible,â€� he smiled. “I think it’s a double-edged sword. I like where I’m at.â€� CALL OF THE DAY ODDS AND ENDS Rory McIlroy set a 54-hole record at the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational by notching up 38 drives over 300 yards. The 2014 champion has had his driver cranking, beating J.B. Holmes record of 37. He sits T5 at 6-under just three back. McIlroy is 1st in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee at 4.952 above the field average, 1st in driving distance (344.2 yards for the two official measured holes and 328 yards for all holes recorded by ShotLink). In addition to his length off the tee, McIlroy is also T11 in accuracy, hitting 24 of 42 fairways. The third-round leader has only won three of the last 10 times at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. This season on the PGA TOUR, the 54-hole leader has gone on to win 12 of 38 events, most recently Jordan Spieth at The Open Championship. There have been 24 wins by 19 players in their 20s this season on the PGA TOUR with Thomas Pieters, Hideki Matsuyama and Rory McIlroy among players who could increase this trend. Scott Hend could well and truly buck it. At 43, Hend would be the second-oldest player to win a World Golf Championships event. Vijay Singh won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2008 at 45 years, 5 months and 12 days. Also the lowest ranked player to win a World Golf Championships event is fellow Australian Craig Parry (118th in the world), who won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2002 at Sahalee Country Club, the one year the event was not played at Firestone Country Club. Hend is currently 107th and would be the second-lowest ranked player to win a World Golf Championships event. BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA Thomas Pieters has hit 13 fairways this week. Zach Johnson hit 12 Saturday. They share the 54-hole lead (-9). pic.twitter.com/micry8vP8i— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 5, 2017 From the wrong fairway … 😳 From 245 yards … 😳 Led to a birdie and the lead for @Thomas_Pieters.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/oqqypeZKgk— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 5, 2017 I’m all for a good, strong relationship between player and caddie… but you guys took it to another level today 😂😂 @JBHolmesgolf @DBParsons pic.twitter.com/jqSL2RtM0V— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) August 5, 2017 Rocking these sweet puppies in honourof all the Military people here today. @WGC_Bridgestone @EuropeanTour #appreciated @RaimondiGolf 🤗😎😀😉 pic.twitter.com/yiIliBaBwz— Scott Hend (@hendygolf) August 5, 2017

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Here are nine tidbits from the opening round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Since this is my column and it’s relatively brand-new, I can make up the rules as I go along. Tonight, I’m bending them slightly as our first stop on the Emergency 9 will be “The Playoff”. The three-man shootout included Patrick Cantlay, Whee Kim and Alex Cejak as they all signed for nine-under-par 275. The spoils went to Cantlay as his par on the second playoff hole saw him claim the big prize for the first time on TOUR. 1. When Patrick Cantlay shot 60 at TPC River Highlands as an AMATEUR, the cat was out of that bag. Every gamer worth his salt wrote that score down and saved it for when he turned pro. Cantlay’s story is too long to tell in here so check his bio page at PGATOUR.COM for more information. Let’s just say not many will be surprised when they’ve learned he’s won on TOUR. Whee Kim has finished in the top six in his last eight rounds on Tour. He was T-5 at Puerto Rico last March. Keep reading for that correlation from this week! Alex Cejka was featured in this column earlier in the week. Gamers, we learned today that judging a pro by his trouser selection isn’t a sound strategy. Cejka reinforced his excellence on this track and is now 46-under in the last four years. Tough luck for him in the playoff as he posted his 63 to reach nine-under-par two hours before the final players signed for theirs. #CourseHorse. 2. Pro gamers will point out that J.T. Poston cashed checks in 20 of 28 attempts as a rookie on TOUR last year. They will also note that he only picked up one top 10, T10, at the Puerto Rico Open. Is it a coincidence that Alex Cejka, Chesson Hadley and Tony Finau all have won that event and all contended this week? I’ve often argued that there are few games where making the cut hurts. He finished No. 132 in the FedExCup standings last season so he’ll fly under the radar but he’s made 22 of his last 30 cuts on TOUR. 3. I tip my tam-o-shanter to the almost 28% of you who stuck Bryson DeChambeau on your PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO roster. He was the fifth-most popular selection this week and with only one top 25 in his last seven events, I agree I was skeptical. Digging deeper it appears he figured something out here last year as he played his final three rounds 10-under-par. The 2017 John Deere Classic champ will pick up a top 10 check on TPC course again this week. 4. With six missed cuts in 11 events starting at Erin Hills, Graeme McDowell jumped onto the radar this week. This was his first finish inside the top 14 anywhere in the world since last March at the Valspar Championship. I’ll fairly point out that he signed for a pair of 73’s and a pair of 77’s last time out at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. I’ll also fairly point out his last win, anywhere in the world, came at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in 2015, the next stop on TOUR. Yep, he’s in the field! 5. Alex Kang might not be the best golfer in his family as his sister, Danielle, won the KPMG PGA Championship on the LPGA Tour in early July at Olympia Fields. He finished third on the PGA TOUR China in 2016 that earned him a chance to compete on the Web.com Tour. The Las Vegas resident parlayed his sponsor’s exemption into T-10 in only his second TOUR event (2015 Puerto Rico Open, T-47). He finished 83rd on the Web.com money list last year so I wouldn’t include him in your long-term plans. Along with A.J. McInerney (T-10), I didn’t think they would be the Las Vegas residents sneaking in the top 10! 6. It seems like gamers should always being keeping an eye on Oklahoma State’s college program as they tend to turn out plenty of pros. Talor Gooch, no Y needed, was hotter than summer in Stillwater last July in August on the Web.com as he cashed for T11, T10, solo second and a victory in a four tournament stretch. He’s No. 14 on the Web.com priority list that will be reshuffled throughout the year. He’s now three-for-three on TOUR and each finish has been an improvement. His 64 today moved him up 39 spots to collect T16. 7. After a birdie at No. 12 to reach eight-under-par, Tony Finau looked like he would be charging down the stretch. After three bogeys in the final those final six holes he instead signed for T-16. He began the final round in third place chasing two guys who had never won on TOUR before. He had also won in the wind in Puerto Rico. His T16 was his second-WORST finish in his last six events so I’m not going anywhere and will continue to load up on him. 8. Charley Hoffman was the big winner this week as he donated his check to the victims of the Las Vegas Shootings. The gamers who backed him probably won’t want to keep reading but he deserves mention. His all-or-nothing continues at TPC Summerlin as his T-18 interrupted three consecutive years of missing the cut. This was a tough one for gamers and charity as the UNLV alum doubled the 70th hole that knocked him out of the top 10. Those of you who didn’t push him in PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO will have a couple of other places to use him, including the Valero Texas Open or next week at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba where he won in 2014. 9. Kevin Streelman still has never missed the cut here, perfect in eight tries. The Scottsdale resident definitely knows his way around desert golf evidenced by a streak of five years T22 or better at TPC Summerlin. His last two years have included T-61 and 67th this year so he’ll get a deeper look next year.

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RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Local favorite Rafael Campos took a share of the lead Saturday in the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open, waiting out a series of rain delays to shoot a 5-under 67 at windy Grand Reserve. The 32-year-old from San Juan followed a birdie on the par-4 17th with a bogey on the par-5 18th to drop into a tie for the lead with Grayson Murray at 14-under 202. “I know there’s a lot of things that can basically change my life tomorrow,” Campos said. “But truth is, I’m just really happy. I have been playing good golf the last two weeks, and I really want to keep that mindset of the work I have been putting in the last four months, I’m starting to see good results. “I think I will just focus on that, focus on playing the golf course the way I know how to play it, be aggressive when I have to be aggressive, and be conservative when I obviously don’t feel comfortable. So, yeah, I really don’t want to think about tomorrow. I just want to go out and hopefully play some good golf.” Murray bogeyed 17 and birdied 18 in a 65. Cameron Percy (67) and Branden Grace (68) were a stroke back. Play was delayed three times for about an hour total in the afternoon because of the short, heavy downpours. With expected heavy rain overnight and into the morning, the final round will feature threesomes off split tees. Campos has two top-10 finishes in the event, tying for eighth in 2016 and tying for 10th in 2017. After missing the cuts in seven of eight events to start the PGA TOUR season, he tied for seventh last week in Florida in a Korn Ferry Tour event. In 2019, he won the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic to become the first Puerto Rican winner in Korn Ferry Tour history. The former Virginia Commonwealth player played the front nine in 3 under, with birdies on the par-5 second, par-4 third and par-5 fifth. He also birdied the par-4 10th and 12th. “I felt today I hit the ball very well, with the exception of the last couple of holes,” Compos said. “But I’m really happy with where I’m standing right now, and I really think I can’t be in a better position basically for tomorrow. Hopefully, just kind of keep doing the same thing we’re doing. I really feel comfortable with my swing.” He won’t get to play in front of many of his fans Sunday because of coronavirus restrictions. “It feels very weird only seeing them for like three holes out of 18 holes,” Campos said. “So I got my mom, I got my wife, I got family supporting me. So that’s all I really need right now. And, obviously, I feel the great positive energy the fans actually give me, either text messages or out here on the course.” The tournament is being played opposite the World Golf Championships event in Florida. The winner will get into the PGA Championship in May. Murray won the 2017 Barbasol Championship, also played opposite a WGC event, for the 27-year-old former Arizona State player’s lone TOUR title. “It’s been a long time since I have been in a situation like this, but I’m not afraid of the moment,” Murray said. “And at the end of the day, you still got to play good golf, no matter — no matter who’s chasing you or who I’m chasing.” He birdied five of the first nine holes. “I had the putter rolling and just kind of kept it rolling throughout the round,” Murray said. “We had to stop and start. We were a little unfortunate, but they were quick. And the PGA TOUR did a good job of kind of keeping us out there and not bringing us in each time.” Second-round leader Brandon Wu (71) was 12 under with Andrew Putnam (67) and Nelson Ledesma (68). “Had to scramble a little bit harder today,” Wu said. “I think it was playing tougher, the start and the stop, the rain, crazy conditions.”

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