Tiger Woods finishes strong at PGA ahead of FedExCup Playoffs push

Angela Stanford won her home LPGA Tour event in front of her parents, closing with a 4-under 67 for a two-stroke victory Sunday in the Volunteers of America Classic.

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Last week was all about the chalk. This week, it’s about the eraser. THE PLAYERS Championship arguably is the most equitable of all tournaments. Survival trumps solution. Repeated success cannot be ruled out as coincidence. No matter your flavor to attempt to describe the PGA TOUR’s home game, there’s never a fluke performance at TPC Sawgrass. This reality should generate pause when solidifying your six in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. If you invest only in household names, it’s a recipe for regret. Furthermore, with nine more tournaments in Segment 3 to follow, including the U.S. Open (the only at which ShotLink will not be utilized), you’re going to want those household names lining up where course history matters. The fortunate beauty of THE PLAYERS is that there’s no shortage of value inside the ropes. As one of the deepest fields anywhere, you could craft five or six lineups and contend. Focus on getting four to the weekend and accept everything else as a bonus. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for THE PLAYERS Championship (in alphabetical order): Jason Day Zach Johnson Francesco Molinari Webb Simpson Kyle Stanley Henrik Stenson You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Bryson DeChambeau; Dustin Johnson; Marc Leishman; Rory McIlroy; Phil Mickelson; Jon Rahm; Justin Rose; Justin Thomas Driving: Kevin Chappell; Bryson DeChambeau; Tommy Fleetwood; Rickie Fowler; Sergio Garcia; Emiliano Grillo; Alex Noren Approach: Emiliano Grillo; Chesson Hadley; Matt Kuchar; Rory McIlroy; Ian Poulter; Justin Rose; Jordan Spieth Short: Branden Grace; Chesson Hadley; Brian Harman; Kevin Kisner; Rory McIlroy; Phil Mickelson; Alex Noren; Jon Rahm; Justin Rose Notable WDs Graham DeLaet … Remains on the mend from stem-cell treatment on his back in January. Hasn’t competed since October, but has intimated that he might be ready to return soon. He won’t push it, of course, and he’d qualify for a Major Medical Extension for next season if he needs it. Every week he sits out, he rises a notch in value for full-season salary gamers in 2018-19. Luke Donald … It would be dramatic to state that he’s still stinging from his missed cut at the RBC Heritage, but that surprising result is his most recent. Prior to that tournament, the Englishman cited physical discomfort for his decision not to play the Houston Open, but he didn’t get specific. Currently 195th in the FedExCup standings. Camilo Villegas … Withdrew after his last three commitments due to ongoing pain in his right shoulder. The 36-year-old Colombian is 173rd in the FedExCup standings. Jim Herman … Continues to recover from surgery on both feet on March 6. Hasn’t competed since the Genesis Open, so he’d need to sit out until late June to qualify for a Major Medical Extension for 2018-19. At 222nd in the FedExCup standings, there’s little urgency to rush back. Morgan Hoffmann … Hasn’t competed since finishing T49 at The Honda Classic. Since, he’s launched the MH Foundation, which was inspired by his fight with Muscular Dystrophy. Brandon Hagy … Tendonitis in his left wrist has sidelined him for five months now. He’s been sharing progress of his recovery on Twitter recently, so perhaps a return is imminent. Seung-Yul Noh … Currently fulfilling his military conscription in his native South Korea. Won’t regain fantasy relevance until the 2019-2020 season. Power Rankings Recap – Wells Fargo Championship Power Ranking Player Result 1 Rory McIlroy T16 2 Justin Thomas T21 3 Rickie Fowler T21 4 Phil Mickelson T5 5 Webb Simpson T21 6 Patrick Reed 8th 7 Jason Day Win 8 Louis Oosthuizen MC 9 Tony Finau T21 10 Ryan Moore MC 11 Kevin Kisner MC 12 Paul Casey T5 13 Tommy Fleetwood MC 14 Chesson Hadley T16 15 Kevin Streelman MC Wild Card Hideki Matsuyama T76/MDF Sleepers Recap – Wells Fargo Championship Player Result Byeong Hun An T63 Scott Brown MC Charles Howell III T21 Grayson Murray T59 Kyle Stanley T13 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR May 8 … Andres Romero (37); Chris Kirk (33) May 9 … none May 10 … Parker McLachlin (39) May 11 … Briny Baird (46) May 12 … Jim Furyk (48); Mike Weir (48) May 13 … none May 14 … none

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SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Each day at U.S. Open, PGATOUR.COM’s staff writers will dive into the big issues and questions everyone is discussing. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas each admitted they hadn’t known the USGA changed the playoff format, from an 18-hole Monday playoff to a two-hole Sunday one. What else surprised you from the press conferences so far? Sean Martin, Senior Editor: I appreciated Jason Day’s boldness and honesty. “I think if I want to be the best player in the world, I’ll be the best player in the world,â€� is a quote that really stuck out to me from Tuesday. He definitely seemed inspired. Ben Everill, Staff Writer: Hearing Jason Day talk about Tiger Woods’ “MC Hammer pantsâ€� from 2004 at Shinnecock and then Bubba Watson’s messy burrito habits was something I was not expecting in the lead-up to this tournament. Jonathan Wall, Equipment Insider: Probably D.J. admitting he hit mid irons and even a couple long irons into some of the holes at Shinnecock. And here I thought he carried driver and a bunch of wedges.  Cameron Morfit, Staff Writer: Given the way the ’04 U.S. Open ended, I’m surprised that the only complaining has been about the traffic. But it’s early. Shinnecock’s greens are like upside-down cereal bowls, and once balls start landing in the wrong places and funneling 50 yards away, it’s on. Who is the one player almost no one is talking about who is nonetheless on your radar?  Martin: I don’t think enough people are talking about Tommy Fleetwood. He finished fourth in last year’s U.S. Open and remains very much one of the world’s best players. I think he’ll like Shinnecock Hills’ linksy characteristics. Everill: Lucas Herbert. The 23-year-old Australian dominated the Portland Sectionals and is a highly touted youngster out of Australia. Won’t be overawed and could easily replicate Cameron Smith’s U.S. Open debut from 2015 (T4). Wall: Tommy Fleetwood. He’s finished outside the top 25 three times in 10 TOUR starts this season. And did I mention he was fourth last season at the U.S. Open? He has the game to contend at Shinnecock. Literally no one is talking about him. Morfit: He got injured, so Brooks Koepka fell out of the conversation. Now he’s back. He’s posted 63s in two of his last three starts and said in his presser, “I feel like I always play well at U.S. Opens. I play very conservative, middle of the greens a lot of times, and I feel like major championships are kind of where I shine.â€� I’d be shocked if the defending champ doesn’t finish in the top 10. Dustin Johnson looked strong in winning the FedEx St. Jude Classic by six, but is Shinnecock a course that favors touch around the greens more than power off the tee?  Martin: I think the short game is going to be very important this week. Between the wind and the sloping greens, those chipping areas around the putting surfaces are going to get plenty of work. The last three U.S. Opens here were won by stellar short games. Raymond Floyd was one of the best chippers in the game. Corey Pavin hit less than half the greens when he won here. Retief Goosen hit only six greens in the final round. Everill: It is clearly a mixture of both but there must also be a premium on accuracy. At the end of the day the guy who gets up and down from trouble and makes the clutch par putts will hoist the trophy. Wall: I think you need to have an all-around game to contend. It’s important to find the fairway, but you can’t continually lay back and have mid and long irons into the greens. Even the best short game in the world won’t keep you from making a couple bogeys with that game plan. Morfit: I don’t think a bomber wins, especially as dry as it is this week. Shinnecock is a second-shot course (Goosen was a specialist with the irons), and being crafty and economical around those crazy green complexes counts for a lot, too. Phil Mickelson is making his 27th U.S. Open start, and says he loves the setup. He’s tried just about everything. How would you prepare if you were him?  Martin: I think take it easy and rely on your past work here. He’s played here twice and done well. And energy management is key for Mickelson at this stage in his career, as we saw at THE PLAYERS Championship. Everill: By renting a bigger yacht than Tiger’s and parking it right next door. Phil needs to be Phil – that is relaxed and trying to be funny. Forget all this career slam pressure. Just go out and play. Wall: What he’s doing right now: Resting. Phil played last week in Memphis and needed a recharge. Playing the course in advance of this week meant he didn’t need to grind out practice rounds. Work on the short game and conserve energy for what should be a 72-hole grind at Shinnecock.   Morfit: Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte has him practicing and playing off-site at nearby Friar’s Head with, among others, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. I hope they’re taking a cart, because he should do as little as possible to preserve his legs and (admittedly) sporadic ability to drill down and focus. It’s a long week.

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