Tiger hits full yardages, wants ball roll back

The 44th edition of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide gives us everything we can handle, and even a little more. As of midday Monday, 11 of the top 15 in the FedExCup standings are scheduled to compete alongside numerous other notables including five-time winner Tiger Woods (22nd) and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau (26th). Related: PGA TOUR LIVE | How Jack created a masterpiece | Featured Groups | The First Look | Tiger Woods, Chasing 82 Among several perks, whoever emerges victorious from this week’s field of 120 will earn a three-year PGA TOUR membership exemption and a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship through 2022. Scroll past the ranking to learn more about Muirfield Village Golf Club, how DeChambeau prevailed and more. Xander Schauffele, Kevin Kisner, Henrik Stenson, Kyle Stanley and 2018 champion Bryson DeChambeau will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. Unlike last week’s annual stop at Colonial, which also hosts a limited-field invitational, experience and talent of a certain age aren’t prerequisites for success at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Simply put, Jack Nicklaus’ design rewards sound course management and execution. Course knowledge and a few years in the rear-view mirror are merely side notes on the résumé. Those who can send it off the tee are welcomed by spacious landing areas on the stock par 72 that tips at 7,392 yards. Smallish greens prepped to run upwards of 13 feet on the Stimpmeter protect par, but last year’s field scoring average of 71.396 is a reasonable target again this week. In just his second appearance last year, DeChambeau ranked inside the top 15 in distance of all drives, greens in regulation, proximity to the hole and strokes gained: tee-to-green. He led the field in scrambling and finished sixth in strokes gained: putting. As a whole, the field hit 11.86 GIR per round, which is about the TOUR’s average, and connected for a par breaker 33.12 percent of the time, good for the sixth-highest clip of the season. To emphasize the value of setting up scoring opportunities, even if it’s to lag a long look to secure par, Muirfield Village surrendered a stingy 54.36 percent in scrambling, 11th-lowest among all courses. When the weather cooperates, those are expected measurements across the board. The unsettled pattern that’s been sustained for months won’t relent for the tournament. Rain is all but a guarantee on Thursday, and the threat for storms will keep local meteorologists busy. A milder chance remains in the forecast on Friday and returns on Sunday. Daytime temperatures won’t reach 80 degrees and winds will be light once action on the first day is complete. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done, Champions One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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ST. LOUIS – With his FedExCup Playoff spot on the line Adam Scott produced a vintage performance at Bellerive on Friday. Sitting in 119th spot on the FedExCup standings, Scott entered the PGA Championship with his FedExCup Playoff future in doubt. The Australian is one of only 13 players who have qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs every year since its inception in 2007 but a rough 14 months put the streak under threat. So a tidy 5-under 65 was very welcome indeed, ensuring he will start the weekend just five shots back of leader Gary Woodland. As a 13-time PGA TOUR winner and former Masters champion it has surprised many to see the 38-year-old’s spot in jeopardy. Including Scott himself. But the reality is he has just one top-10 finish in 14 months, a tie for ninth this season at the AT&T Byron Nelson. “The difference between the level I think I’ve played at and the top level is very fine and really after a little while it’s just that little bit of confidence that you lack,� Scott said. “And it is very very hard for anyone to give you that other than yourself. “That self-belief has to come out and I feel like the last six to eight weeks has been a real positive for me. My results look a lot worse than what it has felt. I have played some good golf but inconsistently.� Scott said his warmup before an opening round 70 was the best he’s had all season. Having recently re-hired his brother in law Brad Malone as a swing coach after a two-year hiatus the benefits are beginning to show. “It felt like the young Adam Scott swinging the golf club. With a bit of ease, a bit of grace, bit of flow and rhythm,� Scott said. “That was enough to make me play a little more freely. There were good signs that carried over to today, and hopefully tomorrow it gets better and better.� At 5-under through 36 holes Scott projects up towards 100th place on the points list. It would be enough to secure his spot and give him the option of not playing the season ending Wyndham Championship should he wish to rest up for THE NORTHERN TRUST. But he’s got his sights set on another number. One. He believes he can win at Bellerive. He believes he can secure a FedExCup Playoff berth. And he believes he can get to the TOUR Championship for the eighth time in the FedExCup era and ultimately win the FedExCup. “If I can get myself to New York then I can get myself to East Lake,� he says. Scott won the TOUR Championship in 2006, the year before the FedExCup Playoff system was implemented. Another former Masters champion in Sergio Garcia has not been so fortunate in terms of his FedExCup Playoff push. Garcia is projecting towards a missed cut and having started the event at 131st in the standings he will indeed head to the Wyndham Championship next week. Like Scott, he has qualified every year since 2007. He has made it to Atlanta six times and was runner up at East Lake in 2008. Garcia also needs a 15th event to meet his PGA TOUR minimum start requirement, a mark he will hit next week. Bill Haas (147th) and Luke Donald (212th) also need a late surge if they are going to keep their 100 percent playoff record alive. Justin Rose (3rd), Bubba Watson (4th), Phil Mickelson (9th), Charles Howell III (44th), Zach Johnson (51st), Ryan Moore (57th), Matt Kuchar (58th), Brandt Snedeker (77th) and Charley Hoffman (92nd) will all make it 12 straight FedExCup Playoff runs.

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As crowds admire the beauty and glory of Pebble Beach Golf Links this week during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, life and reality are a little different 20 miles down the road in Salinas, California. While the two areas are a short drive apart, they might as well be a world away. In Salinas, crime rates are high, gang violence common, and the city holds the highest homicide rate in the state of California. In the midst of the crime and violence there is a safe haven for youth. The First Tee of Monterey County, which is located in the most distressed neighborhood of East Salinas, keeps a high percentage of the city’s vulnerable youth safe by providing supervised, healthy activities that help strengthen their resilience to the gang influence and violence. And youth like 17-year-old Robert Aguayo are finding success in school and at home, and learning golf along the way. “The community I live in is plagued with gang violence,� said Robert, a participant with The First Tee of Monterey County. “I am thankful I have had The First Tee of Monterey County as a safe haven. I have had many friends give in to temptation of the streets, but with the guidance of my family, The First Tee staff, my mentors and following the Core Values, I am on the right path to having a successful future.� Robert first started visiting The First Tee of Monterey County during school with his first grade class. Through a partnership with the Alisal Union School District, The First Tee of Monterey County buses more than 9,000 students to their campus every three weeks to learn golf and The First Tee’s Nine Core Values. Kids like Robert can then take the experience to the next level. Robert quickly became involved with The First Tee’s after school program, and that’s when the doors started opening. Robert began excelling in his golf game, earning him opportunities like playing on his high school’s varsity golf team and being selected for the prestigious Sankaty Head Caddie Camp in Nantucket, Mass. This last September, he was one of 81 juniors from across the country selected for the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship impacting The First Tee, where he played Pebble Beach Golf Links with PGA TOUR Champions player Scott McCarron. “It has been kind of like the domino effect,� said Marilu Aguayo, Robert’s mom. “One opportunity led to another, and so on.� The impact has also extended beyond the golf course. Robert is part of the chapter’s Pay it Forward Scholarship & Mentoring Program. Through the program, Robert meets with his mentor, a local university student, five hours every month to help with academics – an area in which he has struggled, but is improving thanks to the program. This spring, Robert will be eligible to earn a $20,000 four-year scholarship to California State University, Monterey Bay through the program. If Robert is selected, he will then become a mentor to a young participant at The First Tee, starting the cycle over again. “The First Tee has changed my life in many ways,� Robert said. “The First Tee has kept me on the right path that will lead me to success. I have had the opportunity to visit one of the most amazing golf courses, Pebble Beach, and have been able to participate as a standard bearer there at many events over the years. I owe a lot to The First Tee and hope to someday be able to give back in appreciation of all they have done for me.� To learn more about The First Tee and its programs offered across the country and select international locations, visit www.thefirsttee.org.

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