Thomas motivated to keep last year’s momentum going in 2020

Rory McIlroy tried mind games. Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth pushed their opponent to the breaking point. Even fans were against the local leader. But Patrick Reed brushed them all aside to win his first major, at Augusta no less.

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Ron Wright is a passionate volunteer for the Wells Fargo Championship, where he has served as the hole captain of hole 3 and tournament volunteer for 17 years. His efforts have earned him recognition as the “Mayor� of the hole captains, and he is regarded as one of the tournament’s most effective and respected of the tournament’s 2,300 volunteers. Ron is passionate about engaging with patrons of all ages and making sure they leave with the most positive experience possible while ensuring players have favorable conditions. He also started the Junior Marshal program at the tournament to increase youth engagement. “I am a people person,� Ron said. “The best thing I can do is send somebody home with a smile on their face.� Ron was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in June 2017. Sadly, after many months of treatment, his cancer progressed and is now at an advanced stage. He also recently spent time in the hospital after suffering a related stroke and is now focusing on spending quality time together with his wife, Sandy, and extended family. Ron returned to the course this week to receive special recognition for his dedication and enthusiasm that has inspired his peers. He was escorted by golf cart to his hole by close family friend Kendall Alley, Charlotte Regional President for Wells Fargo, where fellow marshal volunteers from hole 3, PGA TOUR Rules Officials Dillard Pruitt and Mark Russell, along with PGA TOUR Tournament Business Affairs (TBA) Community Impact team member Ericson Balcita, were waiting to help present Ron with tickets to the 18th hole hospitality for Sunday along with parking and tournament merchandise. Watching Sunday’s final action will be an exciting first; in past years, he has been unable to watch the final round given his commitment to tournament preparation and volunteering. Ron’s special recognition is part of the #IVolunteerBecause initiative. This onsite experience features volunteers at select tournaments and is part of the 2019 PGA TOUR Volunteer Appreciation Program Sponsored by Myrbetriq® (mirabegron). “I volunteer because I make a difference in somebody’s day,� Ron said. “If they are happy, I’m happy.� What’s your inspiration for volunteering in your community? Tag #IVolunteerBecause on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and share your story.

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San Antonio, Texas — A two-and-a-half-hour fog delay to the second round of Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Q-School-Central at TPC San Antonio didn’t faze Englishman David Wicks, who followed up his opening round 65 with a 71 to hold onto the lead among players to finish 36 holes after darkness halted play.    “After I finished, our group looked at each other and said, ‘was it harder out there today, or were we just worse’?’� said Wicks. “We couldn’t really tell because the weather was great, but the pins were a little bit tougher and the wind was swirling a bit, so it definitely played harder today, in my opinion.� Wicks’ cogitation was quickly confirmed by the leaderboard. Despite near ideal conditions, a hardened TPC San Antonio surrendered only four sub-70 rounds on Wednesday (though, just over half the field posted an 18-hole score, with the remainder left to finish their second round on Thursday morning). Starting on the back nine, the Jacksonville University alum quickly picked up where he left off on Tuesday, making birdie on hole No. 12 before making two in a row on both 17 and 18, as he did in the opening round. After making eagle on hole No. 2 after hitting his second shot within three feet of the pin from 285-yards, Wicks made his first bogey of the week, and then made double bogey on hole No. 4 due to a loose swing off the tee.    “The driver departed me on the last seven or eight holes, and you have to hit fairways on this course, there’s no way around it,� said the Englishman. “Especially on the front nine, which was my finishing nine, but hopefully I can get that figured out before tomorrow and go again.� Meanwhile, Case Cochran trails by one while five players sit three-strokes behind. Key Information · Shotaro Ban, the older brother of Shintaro Ban, who shot a second-round 74 on Wednesday in San Antonio to put himself T3, is currently playing in the PGA TOUR China qualifier in Guangzhou. Shotaro played at Cal and had limited success in China in 2018. Through two rounds, Shotaro Ban is even par and T10. · Case Cochran found some success on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, with his best finish coming in 2016 in the form of a 24th place finish on the year-end order of merit, which including two runner-up finishes. Cochran has made only three bogeys through two rounds to go along with nine birdies. · During his first round, Kolton Crawford made nine consecutive pars on his closing nine. On Wednesday, Crawford made seven pars, total. He matched that number with seven birdies to go along with four bogeys for a 69 and a two-day score of 5-under. · Amateur Kyler Dunkle, who is currently completing his senior year at Utah, made his way to TPC San Antonio a week after a T19 finish at The Prestige. The 23-year-old has made only two bogeys through 36 holes and sits T3.   · Past Clemson roommates Bryson Nimmer (70-70) and Doc Redman (67-73) each sit at 4-under after two days. · Scott Secord, who claimed the Canadian University Championship twice (2014, 2016) and finished in seventh at the 2013 Canadian Amateur Championship, is currently the low Canadian at 1-under through 36 holes.  Quotable “Despite the finish today, I’ve played some good golf this week, but have lots to work on going forward, which is nice. I can see some more good days out there hopefully on Thursday and Friday.� – David Wicks “Hopefully we can get everything done and finished tomorrow. I know a few guys are stuck having to come out again tomorrow morning, so it was nice knowing that we got ours in today.� – David Wicks “Without the wind, you can be aggressive if you’re hitting it good, and I’ve been hitting it good for two days, so I’m looking to just keep the momentum going.� – Case Cochran “I got to three or four holes yesterday and it started heating up and I realized I can hit a two iron and a seven iron into the hole instead of blasting driver into the narrow areas. This golf course challenges you off the tee, but it doesn’t stop there, so you have to hit your second shot just as good. You have to plot along and know there’s no cut, so you want to get to the top of the leaderboard and feel good about it.� – Case Cochran “I would have been shocked by this score a week ago, but knowing the forecast without wind, I’m very happy with it. I would have thought 7-under would be impossible on this course with it blowing twenty miles, but with none, it’s definitely gettable. – Case Cochran “I know I’m playing well, so the big thing this week is staying focus, you’re going to have a few bad holes in four days, so every time you have a bad hole you have to have short-term memory and re-focus.� – Austin Quick How the Tournament Works There are 120 players competing this week with hopes of earning Mackenzie Tour membership for the 2019 season. Below is a breakdown of the status available at each of the six Qualifying Tournaments: Second-Round Weather: Sunny. High of 23. Wind at 10 KPH.

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