Tuning up for Match Play, Bubba Watson dials it back at Valspar Championship and gets a nice result

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Kevin Chappell, needing two birdies in his final two holes to shoot 57 on Friday at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, was not only battling The Old White TPC golf course, but he was also battling a shortage of “newâ€� golf balls. After every birdie Chappell makes during competition, he switches to a brand new golf ball, because he says that there’s only one birdie in each ball. The problem on Friday was that Chappell made 11 birdies in 16 holes, and he only had 11 new Titleist Pro V1 golf balls in the bag to start the round. That meant, with two holes left and sitting at 11-under par for the day on the par-70 golf course, he had to reuse a golf ball that he had already made birdie with. Chappell said, in a press conference following his Friday round of 59, having to reuse birdied-out golf balls could be the reason why he failed to birdie his final two holes. “We ran into a problem there, and that could have been the reason… why I didn’t make those putts on the last few holes,â€� Chappell said. In troubleshooting mode down the stretch, Chappell tried out two different used golf balls on his final two holes (he started on the back nine). “When I made birdie on 7, and I reached in [my bag] on 8 tee, there were no more new balls in the new ball pile,â€� Chappell explained. “So I had to reuse a ball… I reused a ball on 8, and I didn’t like the way that one went. So I put that one back and grabbed another one, and reused a ball on 9.â€� Using the already-been-birdied golf balls, Chappell two-putted from 54 feet 3 inches on his 17th hole for par, and he missed a birdie putt from 10 feet 9 inches on 18. Throughout the course of the round, Chappell did make his fair share of putts, however. He made 141 feet 2 inches worth of putts in total, picking up 5.008 strokes over the field. While he may attribute those made putts to his golf ball superstition, he also has a new prototype putter in the bag that helps with his setup. Chappell has a custom, half-mallet TaylorMade Mullen putter in his bag with a hosel that adds offset to the putter. Since Chappell sets up with his hands behind the putter face on occasion, the offset helps Chappell achieve his desired putter loft. “It’s got a lot of offset on it,â€� Chappell explained about his putter. “I tend to get my hands back when I putt, so this the grip sits in front of the face already. So if my hands tend to get back, they’re already in front of the face, so the putter has the proper amount of loft on it. The putter is actually the second version of a prototype putter made by Chris Trott, Director of Global Tours at TaylorMade. Due to Chappell’s love of the onesie clothing style, Trott stamped the first prototype putter “onesie,â€� and the second one “twosie.â€� So, Chappell’s custom TaylorMade Mullen putter that he used to shoot 59 on Friday has “twosieâ€� stamped on the sole. “It’s the second iteration of a putter that TaylorMade makes, and I have quite the onesie collection at my house,â€� Chappell said. “Chris Trott with TaylorMade, he named the first [prototype putter] ‘onesie.’ This one has a little bit more offset, so this one is called ‘twosie.’â€� Chappell currently sits in 5th place at 10-under par through two rounds, three strokes behind the leaders.

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After a two-week break, the new PGA TOUR season begins with the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California. Cal product Max Homa will return to defend his title from last season, when he would win twice and qualify for the TOUR Championship for the first time in his career. Last week he was named as a captain’s pick for the U.S. Presidents Cup Team. FIELD NOTES: Homa, who finished fifth in the FedExCup, edged Stanford product Maverick McNealy, also in this week’s field, at Silverado last year… There will be plenty of Presidents Cup flare in Napa before the squads assemble at Quail Hollow. The International side will have Hideki Matsuyama, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, and Cam Davis, while Homa and American assistant captain Webb Simpson are also playing… Korn Ferry Tour graduates making their debuts as full-fledged PGA TOUR members include Justin Suh, who topped the combined Points List and will be fully exempt this season; Erik Barnes, who at 34 will be a TOUR rookie this season; and Kyle Westmoreland, who was No. 25 on the Korn Ferry Tour Finals Points List and will become the first graduate of the American Air Force Academy to play on TOUR… Zac Blair and Kyle Stanley are playing their first events of a major medical extension… Sponsor exemptions include Harry Higgs, Dylan Wu, Chris Gotterup and Jacob Bridgeman… Jason Dufner, Ryan Moore, and Jimmy Walker are using Career Money Exemptions this season and will be in the field in Napa… Other notables include 2020 winner Stewart Cink, plus Californians Cameron Champ (the winner here in 2019) Rickie Fowler, and Rookie of the Year nominee Sahith Theegala. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Silverado Resort and Spa (North), par 72, 7,123 yards. Located in the heart of California wine country, the course, opened in 1955, was refreshed by TOUR legend turned broadcaster Johnny Miller about a decade ago. This is the seventh playing of the Fortinet Championship at Silverado. The layout moves through mature trees and has undulating fairways and challenging greens. Last season’s scoring average was 71.038 as Max Homa relied on impressive ball-striking (second in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, sixth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee) to capture his third TOUR title. STORYLINES: This marks the final tune-up before the return of the Presidents Cup… It’s a big week for rookies on the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour grads keen to keep TOUR status for next season… Earning valuable FedExCup points in the fall has become even more important as only 70 golfers will earn their way into the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs… This marks the end of the wraparound-season era after a decade-long run. The PGA TOUR will return to a calendar-year schedule in 2024… Notable Korn Ferry Tour grads this season include Carl Yuan (who topped the Regular Season Points List), Robby Shelton (two-time winner in 2022), Paul Haley II (re-earned TOUR status for the first time in 10 years), and long-hitting Brandon Matthews. 72-HOLE RECORD: 262, Cameron Beckman (2008 at Grayhawk GC), Kevin Sutherland (2008 at Grayhawk GC), Troy Matteson (2009 at Grayhawk GC), Rickie Fowler (2009 at Grayhawk GC), Jamie Lovemark (2009 at Grayhawk GC). Silverado record: 267, Stewart Cink (2020) 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Mark Hensby (2nd round, 2007 at Grayhawk GC), Kevin Stadler (2nd round, 2008 at Grayhawk GC), Troy Matteson (2rd & 3rd rounds, 2009 at Grayhawk GC), Mike Weir (4th round, 2009 at Grayhawk GC), Chesson Hadley (2nd round, 2017 at Silverado). LAST TIME: Max Homa fired a 7-under 65 – tied for the low round of the day – to win by one over Maverick McNealy. It was Homa’s third PGA TOUR win, and he would later bank his fourth victory at the Wells Fargo Championship. In the final round at Silverado he birdied three of the last four holes on the front nine, bogeyed the par-4 10th, and dunked his approach for an eagle on the par-4 12th. He followed that with birdies on No’s 13, 16, and 17 to nip McNealy, who was leading Homa by three with seven holes left. It was a wild finish for McNealy – who was hunting for his first TOUR title – as he birdied No.16, double-bogeyed 17, and eagled 18 to shoot a 4-under 68. Mito Pereira finished 16 under, his third-place result kickstarting a 2021-22 campaign that saw him contend at the PGA Championship and ultimately earn a spot on the International Presidents Cup team. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Sunday: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.–9 p.m. ET. Saturday-Sunday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups

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