Tiger out of Match Play after missing 4-foot putt

Li Haotong recorded an eagle on the same hole for the third consecutive day to open 3-shot lead at the BMW International Open.

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Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. TPC Southwind, located just outside Memphis, has been the host since 1990 and plays 7,244 yards to a Par-70. No. 1 Again Dustin Johnson sent his message loud and clear to the prospective contenders at the U.S. Open next week that the path to the trophy will have to go through him. Johnson closed up the proceedings as he holed his final shot of the day from 169 yards to post 19-under-par 261 to defeat Andrew Putnam by six shots. Johnson’s winning total is the new tournament record (post-2004 renovation) and his victory moves him to No. 1 in the OWGR. The big-hitting 2016 U.S. Open champ squared only four bogeys and a double this week as led the field in SG: tee to green, driving distance and birdies (21). He was second in SG: approach the green, Proximity, Bogey Avoidance and Putts per GIR. His 18th victory on TOUR since his rookie year of 2008 ties Tiger Woods for the most on TOUR during that timeframe. Johnson picks up his second victory at TPC Southwind and will lower his ridiculously low stroke average here with his record-setting performance. In six trips he’s now posted two wins and four total top-10 paydays. Next season the strength of field will increase as this event will replace Firestone as the last WGC event on the TOUR schedule. I don’t think he’ll care or be bothered next year or next week. He also won’t care that the winner the week prior to the U.S. Open has never claimed the second major. He’s too good to worry about any of that. I hope you saved a start for next week! Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO.   Tough week for the chalk in a game where playing the chalk is paramount. The only player inside the top 10 was the winner so those who strategically played DJ this week will be handsomely rewarded. PAIN OR GAIN These were the top-10 selected golfers (plus one) in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: I added one more this week because I thought it was interesting where the eventual winner fell. Fantasy gaming is about taking chances and getting lucky and those who backed Johnson for his first win since January get the last laugh. Close Encounters Andrew Putnam (2nd) began the final round all-square but was two-down after one and three-down after three and it was all over but the shouting. Putnam picks up his best paycheck in 44 events on TOUR and his third top-10 accolade of the year. It shouldn’t be lost that his first 54 holes were AWESOME as he was 15-under with exactly ONE dropped shot. His final round 72 had one bogey and one double but it was the 14 pars that did him in. He’s no longer a nice “cuts-made” story. Holmes Honing In J.B. Holmes carried the momentum of his best finish in five months from the Memorial (T11) last week to his biggest payday in five tries in Memphis. His checked in the top five in SG: off the tee (3rd), tee to green (5th) and approach the green (8th). He painted 54 of 72 GIR (T3) and isn’t exactly short of the tee either. T6 Six Pack Arkansas native Austin Cook continues his home-court advantage at TPC Southwind as he collected his third top-25 finish and first top-10 check in three tries. His bogey-free 65 moved him up 33 spots but along with Phil Mickelson, were on my bench in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. #FireMe. … Retief Goosen, two-time U.S. Open champ, including the last winner at Shinnecock, was NOT given a special exemption for next week by the USGA. I’m not sure if that was used as motivation but his bogey-free 66 vaulted him up 23 places. … Trey Mullinax picked up his second top-10 finish of the year. … Chris Kirk, like Mullinax, hit the top 10 for the first time since the Valero Texas Open. … Brandt Snedeker’s 62 in Round 2 was the reason he’s in the top 10 this week. His three other rounds were played in one-over. #FalsePositive. … Chez Reavie didn’t continue his trend (T27, T12 and T4 his last three appearances) but those who rode his course form were rewarded with T6. It’s his first top-10 appearance since Pebble Beach. #Play72 I suggested yesterday that after 73 in Round 3 Phil Mickelson would be mentally preparing for Shinnecock. He rewarded the gamers who kept the left-hander in the lineup for the final round as he fired the co-low round of the day with 65. Mickelson did have his worst showing in the last six years, T12, but after beginning the day T49 I doubt any of those investors will care! … Sunday Silence There were nine guys who played themselves out of the top 10 in the final round. The most painful, according to the charts above, was obviously the most selected player in both formats. For the second year in a Brooks Koepka row carded 73 (T30) and finished two-over for the weekend. Last year he played the final two rounds in four-over and collected T37. Trend or not a trend? … The Georgia Tech duo of Richy Werenski (T4) and Stewart Cink (T4) combined for three-over-par in the final round but both collected their first top-10 checks of the year. Study Hall The final round scoring average was 71.104 (+1.104), the most difficult of the four rounds. The average for the week was 70.455 (+0.455), the lowest aggregate total in the last four years. The weather and wind never factored the entire week but the move to August next year might change that. … Cook and Goosen had the only two bogey-free rounds on Sunday. There were only 10 total on the week. … Defending champion Daniel Berger’s MC made sure there was no three-peat. … The low round for the week was Snedeker’s 62 in Round 2. … Of the last seven winners, six have finished in the top 20 in SG: off the tee. Johnson was fourth.

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SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER EARNS BREAKTHROUGH TOUR TITLE Scottie Scheffler plays with a casual yet self-assured demeanor, cultivated through accomplishments. The 25-year-old New Jersey native has risen to the top at every level – winning the 2013 U.S. Junior, starring collegiately at the University of Texas, earning 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year honors, and even compiling a 2-0-1 record in his maiden Ryder Cup appearance last fall. There was just one blank on the resume, a PGA TOUR title. That blank was filled in dramatic fashion Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open, as Scheffler delivered a 26-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, then watched Patrick Cantlay’s tying attempt slide just by. With a raucous contingent of fans cheering “Scottie! Scottie!” on a sun-kissed Sunday afternoon, Scheffler carded a final-round 67 in the penultimate pairing to post 16-under total, which proved enough for extra holes once Cantlay’s 10-foot birdie attempt at the 72nd hole burned the edge. The two matched pars on the first two playoff holes before Scheffler delivered a signature winning moment, punctuated by multiple fist pumps, a wave to the crowd and a high-five with caddie Ted Scott. The victory moves Scheffler to No. 4 on the FedExCup – 500 points accrued – as he continues to cement a place in golf’s legion of young stars. REVVING UP FOR RIVIERA Current FedExCup leader Hideki Matsuyama, along with the rest of the top 10 players in the world, is set to tee it up at storied Riviera Country Club for this season’s The Genesis Invitational. Max Homa looks to defend his hometown title after a dramatic playoff victory over Tony Finau a year ago. The invitational field will include Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay. Rory McIlroy makes his first start of 2022 on the PGA TOUR. This is the 59th time the George C. Thomas Jr./William P. Bell design will host The Genesis Invitational. Its compact design with primary rough of club-grabbing Kikuyu makes it a challenge for the best players in the world. Aaron Beverly is the 2022 recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption. Beverly was a celebrated college golfer and competes on the APGA Tour. 550 FedExCup points will be up for grabs come Sunday. FEEL-GOOD STORIES OF THE WEEK D.J. Gregory has been a fixture on the PGA TOUR since 2008. Gregory, who was born with cerebral palsy, attends more than 40 events each year and picks a player to follow each week. All told, he has covered more than 14,000 miles and raised more than $1 million for his Walking For Kids Foundation, predominantly through the donations of TOUR players like world No. 1 Jon Rahm. On Tuesday at TPC Scottsdale, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan surprised Gregory with the TOUR’s Courage Award, presented to a person who has overcome personal tragedy or debilitating injury or illness to make a meaningful contribution to the game. He became the first person to receive the award who is not a member of the PGA TOUR. “He’s captured a lot of hearts of us players — definitely mine,” Rahm said. Rahm was also part of another emotional moment last week. He met up with Phoenix Small, 14, a Shriners patient who was born with clubfoot, which Rahm was diagnosed with as a child. The two had an emotional initial meeting at the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale, then played the final three holes together. “I think I would have been a lot more nervous than he was,” Rahm said after the round. “He composed himself in such a great manner, it was incredible.” VIDEO OF THE WEEK Fans react to Sam Ryder’s incredible ace Saturday on the raucous par-3 16th hole in Phoenix. And not to be outdone, Carlos Ortiz followed it up with another ace on Sunday. MIC CHECK “I’m like, ‘Let’s just put that one away,’ and we kind of put it in a different pocket. There were a couple other balls in there and I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa.’ But we got the right one.” – Sam Ryder on making sure he and his caddie kept the ball from his ace on the 16th hole in a safe spot in his golf bag. BY THE NUMBERS 600 – Starts for Charles Howell III after competing at the WM Phoenix Open. He reflected on the impressive mark before missing the cut after rounds of 75-69 at TPC Scottsdale. 1 – Brandon Matthews secured his first Korn Ferry Tour win in dramatic fashion with an eagle on 18 at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard. 67 – Final-round score for Steve Stricker last season on his way to victory at the Chubb Classic. The PGA TOUR Champions returns this week to Naples, Florida, after nearly one month off. COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.

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