Vegas keeps PGA lead despite late double bogey

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Daniel Berger was playing some of the best golf that no one noticed. Three months away because of the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t slow his momentum, and he made it pay off Sunday with a victory at Colonial. The PGA TOUR made a healthy return to golf at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Berger saved par from behind the 17th green on the first playoff hole and won when Collin Morikawa missed a 3-foot par putt. Berger closed with a 4-under 66, his 28th consecutive round at par or better dating to Oct. 11 at the Houston Open. Even over the final hour, a half-dozen players were still in the mix. All that was missing was the sound and energy of a gallery, with the PGA TOUR not allowing spectators for the opening five events in its return. Berger won for the third time — all victories during this week on the calendar, just not in circumstances like this. It was the first PGA TOUR event since March 12 when the spread of the new coronavirus shut down golf and other sports. From no positive tests to a dynamic finish at history-rich Colonial, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan sized up the week by saying, “This has been a phenomenal start to our return.” Morikawa has been equally steady. Since graduating from Cal a year ago, he has won and made every cut, a streak now at 21 events, the longest streak by a newcomer since Tiger Woods. He took a share of the lead with a 50-foot putt on the 14th hole. It was the short ones that hurt. Morikawa also missed a birdie putt from 6 feet on the 18th hole in a 67. Berger was the only one who delivered, making a 10-foot birdie on the final hole that put him at 15-under 265. The last time Berger was in a playoff, Jordan Spieth holed a bunker shot to beat him at the Travelers Championship. So he could feel for what Morikawa felt int he loss. “It’s going to hurt for a little while, but he’ll get over it and he’ll be winning again,” Berger said. Even the optimism of being back to golf didn’t eliminate the sting, and more than Morikawa felt it. Xander Schauffele gave new meaning to the phrase “Horrible Horseshoe” at Colonial. He hit into the water on the 15th from a fairway bunker, hit a poor chip after the penalty shot and then made a 30-footer to escape with a bogey. He followed with a 25-foot birdie to regain a share of the lead. And then his 3-foot par putt on the 17th hole dipped in one side of the hole and spun out of the other. His 25-foot birdie putt to join the playoff came up just short and he shot 69. Bryson DeChambeau cringed when his 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th narrowly missed, giving him a 66 and leaving him one shot out of the playoff. Ditto for Justin Rose, whose 18-foot birdie on the last hole was a turn short. He also had 66. Jason Kokrak finished well ahead of everyone else. he also missed a birdie on the last hole in his round of 64. Spieth, trying to end three years without a victory, left with a consolation prize of progress. He missed a 2-foot par putt on the sixth hole — part of three bogeys in a four-hole stretch — but was still in the mix until a tee shot out of bounds on the 14th. Even then, he made a 35-foot putt to save bogey. He wound up with a 71 and tied for 10th. Rory McIlroy had seven straight tournaments no worse than fifth, a streak that came to a stunning halt. Starting the final round three shots behind, he was 5 over through seven holes and closed with a 74 to tie for 32nd. The final round was as wild as expected with eight players taking turns or sharing time in the lead, all without having any idea without fans to give a hint of what was going on. “If there are fans and everything with the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs,’ I’d probably be a little more (ticked) off,” Schauffele said. “Maybe that’s a good thing for me right now. But it was definitely weird. It was sort of an internal battle, which it always is for me, but more so internal this week just with no fans.” Monahan conceded his biggest concern going into the week, even with its testing and safety procedure, was positive tests popping up. “That’s something, candidly, that I lost a lot of sleep over in the weeks that preceded coming in,” he said. All 487 tests at Colonial were negative, and the golf lived up to its part with a star-filled leaderboard and a half-dozen players still in the mix the final hour. Next up is the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head on the South Carolina coast, and Monahan said the first week won’t be complete until then to see how players handled the interstate travel. Those on the charter were tested for the new coronavirus after the third round. Everyone else would be tested when they arrived at Hilton Head. “This is about a sustained return,” Monahan said. “But I think as we sit here late in the day Sunday, there’s no question that this has been an exceptional week.”

Click here to read the full article…

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a unique week on the PGA TOUR calendar. When its new format debuted in 2017, it was the first team event on TOUR in more than 30 years and the first to use foursomes, or alternate shot, in stroke play. Unfortunately, this event will not be played in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. But, because the Zurich Classic is one-of-a-kind, so much of its intrigue happens before a shot is struck. The players’ selection of teammates gives us an insight into their relationships. Measuring how their skills complement each other is a fun exercise in analysis. So even though we won’t see players at TPC Louisiana this week, we can still celebrate the Zurich Classic. In that vein, here’s a look at 10 modern teams (active PGA TOUR players) we’d love to see if the Zurich Classic was being played this week (and one that had already confirmed its pairing). With this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans canceled, PGATOUR.COM writers will publish a series of our favorite two-man partnerships in honor of the tournament’s unique team format. Each day, we’ll focus on a specific category. Use the comments section to let us know which two-man teams you’d most enjoy seeing: TODAY: Modern teams. Sean Martin picks out his 10 favorite teams from today’s active pros. WEDNESDAY: Classic teams. Tom Alter picks out his 10 favorite teams from former PGA TOUR and golf greats. THURSDAY: Fantasy teams. Jim McCabe picks out his 10 favorite teams using partners from different generations. FRIDAY: ShotLink teams. PGA TOUR’s ShotLink crew picks out its 10 best partners utilizing analytics from the ShotLink Era (since 2003). 1. Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson Who else would you put first? And we can almost guarantee that this pairing will have more success than it did at Oakland Hills in the 2004 Ryder Cup. 2. Rory McIlroy-Brooks Koepka There were final-round showdowns at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, as well as the TOUR Championship with the FedExCup on the line. Then there were the quotes exchanged in the fall and the talk of a rivalry. But what if they joined forces for just this week? 3. Collin Morikawa-Matthew Wolff They were competing in college events this time last year. Now they’re both PGA TOUR winners and part of the TOUR’s youth movement. Morikawa and Wolff are two of five TOUR winners age 22 or younger since July. Compare that to the 15 years from 1985-2000, when there were four winners from that age group. Morikawa and Wolff have known each other since high school. They’ve already dueled once on TOUR, going head-to-head down the stretch at the 3M Open. Wolff won with an eagle on the final hole. Their duel was one of the highlights of last summer. They have the potential to be a strong team, as well; thus, no surprise they were scheduled to partner had this week’s event been played. Wolff’s length off the tee will leave Morikawa, who’s known for his laser-like approach play, with shorter iron shots in the alternate-shot format. 4. Charles Howell III-Viktor Hovland Let’s not forget Hovland, who was playing with Wolff at Oklahoma State in 2019. Hovland has a win of his own, at this year’s Puerto Rico Open. Another former Cowboy, Charles Howell III, could be a good partner for Hovland even though he’s nearly two decades older. Howell has served as a mentor for his fellow OSU alum during his brief pro career. They play practice rounds together and share a swing coach (Dana Dahlquist). Their games could complement, as well. Hovland admits that the short game is his weakness. Howell is 23rd in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green this season. 5. Francesco Molinari-Tommy Fleetwood Remember MoliWood? They were the stars two years ago at Le Golf National. Fleetwood has been his usual consistent self, while Molinari has struggled recently. Perhaps pairing with his former Ryder Cup partner is just what Molinari needs. 6. Bryson DeChambeau-Harry Higgs The former college roommates are a study in contrasts. DeChambeau is the mad scientist, in an unceasing quest to eliminate the variables. Higgs is a little more laid-back, as evidenced by his unbuttoned collars that often expose his chest hair. Don’t let his easygoing demeanor obscure his talent, though. The rookie is 42nd in the FedExCup thanks to a runner-up finish in the Bermuda Championship and ninth-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open. 7. Maverick McNealy-Danielle Kang The first-year TOUR player and his LPGA-major-winning girlfriend have become one of golf Instagram’s power couples. McNealy is having a strong debut season on TOUR after Kang introduced him to instructor Butch Harmon. McNealy, who had a decorated amateur career at Stanford, is 57th in the FedExCup. His missed cut in his last start snapped a streak of 11 straight cuts made. That includes a T5 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and three other top-25s. Kang’s most recent LPGA victory came in October, and she’s currently fifth in the Rolex Rankings. 8. Hideki Matsuyama-Denny McCarthy Hideki’s prowess with his irons, and struggles with the putter, have been well-documented (he’s currently third this season in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green but 198th in Strokes Gained: Putting). That’s where McCarthy comes in. He’s the undisputed best putter on the PGA TOUR. He led the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting last season and is first among players with at least 15 measured rounds this season. 9. Bubba Watson-Webb Simpson Watson beat Simpson in a playoff at TPC Louisiana nine years ago, so they’ve had success here. Simpson is already a top-10 player in the world. He’d be even closer to the top of the world ranking if he had another 30 yards off the tee. That’s what this pairing gives him. TPC Louisiana’s wide fairways allow Watson to be aggressive off the tee. They’re both in good form, as well. Simpson won this year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open and has four top-7 finishes in five starts this season. He’s fifth in the FedExCup. Watson finished sixth in this year’s Farmers Insurance Open and third at TPC Scottsdale, three shots behind Simpson. 10. Sungjae Im-Justin Thomas This would have been a shrewd move on Sungjae’s part. If he paired with JT, then Thomas wouldn’t have been able to gain on him in the FedExCup. Im is atop the FedExCup thanks to his win at The Honda Classic and three other top-3 finishes, but his lead is just a slim 55 points over Thomas. It will be quite the race when the season resumes. Im, despite his good play and stellar Presidents Cup performance, remains underrated, so giving him a week with JT would help expose more people to his impressive game.

Click here to read the full article…

PARAMUS, N.J. – Bryson DeChambeau takes a four-shot lead into the final round, then keeps his nerve for a 2-under 69 and a four-shot victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST at Ridgewood Country Club. Welcome to the Monday Finish, where DeChambeau picked up his third PGA TOUR victory and second this season, this one kicking him into first in the FedExCup. FIVE OBSERVATIONS 1. Seeing is believing for DeChambeau. Bryson DeChambeau sat down before the press, the tournament and FedExCup trophies in front of him, and was asked what he likes most about his work. “It’s being able to step up to a shot like I did on 17 today, knowing it’s a difficult tee shot, and executing it exactly the way I wanted to,â€� said DeChambeau, who was T27 in driving accuracy. “That’s what brings me joy and that’s why I work so hard, and all this other stuff is fantastic and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but the No. 1 thing that makes me happy is seeing a golf ball go exactly the way I felt it should go.â€� DeChambeau is a true original, but his work habits are reminiscent of Vijay Singh. What did DeChambeau do after his third-round 63 had staked him to a four-shot lead on Saturday night? The same thing he always does: He hit balls, closing down the range. Told that some guys wouldn’t have camped out for so long after such a round, he was quick with a response. “Well, it’s not a 54—it’s not birdieing every hole,â€� he said. He and his caddie have an inside joke that they repeat to one another when they find themselves logging the long hours on the range or practice green: Just another day at the office. “You could say what I do is crazy,â€� DeChambeau said, “but in the end, I’m the one with the trophy this week.â€� 2. Finau is a phenomenon. Hard to believe Tony Finau doesn’t have a win this year, given his consistency. The long-hitting Utah pro finished second to move from 12th to 4th in the FedExCup, the highest position among players without a win this season. He has nine top-10 finishes and 16 top-25 finishes in 25 starts so far this season. How’s that for week-in, week-out excellence? Finau played three of the four days alongside Phil Mickelson, and more than held his own as he collected his third runner-up finish on TOUR. If he can remain in the top five in the FedExCup going into the TOUR Championship, he will control his own destiny. “Yeah, great position to be in and that’s where I want to be,â€� said Finau, who qualified for his first TOUR Championship last season, when he ultimately finished 19th in the FedExCup. “When I do win, hopefully it means a lot and maybe even a FedExCup. … Bryson was extremely tough to catch. He didn’t really open a window for us.â€� 3. FedExCup movers were everywhere. Give credit to Danny Lee, who entered the week at 103rd in the FedExCup standings but birdied five straight holes (Nos. 10-14) on the way to a 4-under 67 that gave him a T34 finish and gave him just the boost he needed to 98th. That means he’s on to the next stop in the Playoffs, the top-100 Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston, starting Friday. It was a similar story for Nick Watney, who was making his 350th TOUR start and finished T11 to move from 102nd to 67th in the standings and on to Boston. The biggest leap was by Ryan Palmer, who was the Bubble Boy at No. 100 in the standings but carded a timely 65 in the final round to finish T5 and move up to 50th in the standings. That should get him not only to Boston but all the way to the BMW Championship in Philadelphia. “It’s huge,â€� Palmer said. 4. Woods not discouraged. Tiger Woods was coming off a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship two weeks prior, so his T40 at THE NORTHERN TRUST was slightly underwhelming. He never really made much happen at Ridgewood, where his putter remained cold all week, but now he heads to TPC Boston and the site of his win in 2006 and runner-up finishes in ’04 and ’07. “Well, welcome to golf,â€� Woods said of his suddenly dry birdie well. “I’m sure you guys are used to seeing me win five times a year or more. It’s not that easy to win out here. That’s what you’re seeing is that I’m close and just one shot here, one shot there, per day, flips momentum. “That’s what either I had been missing or I had gotten and I would lose it,â€� he added. “It’s just looking for one shot a day here and there, and you just never know when that shot may come, early in the front nine, late in the back nine, but it’s not that far.â€� 5. Mickelson taking nothing for granted. New York favorite Phil Mickelson (71, T15) got off to a good start at THE NORTHERN TRUST, his pair of 68s getting him at least within shouting distance of the lead. Alas, a third 68 didn’t do him much good, though, as DeChambeau began to run away, and Mickelson, 48, struggled in hitting just 5 of 14 fairways during an even-par final round Sunday. Now he heads to TPC Boston, where he won in 2007, for the Dell Technologies Championship. “I’m going to go down to Boston and build on that and get myself in contention,â€� he said. “I’ve played well there, I’ve won there, and my game’s comin’ around, and I’m gonna put it together.â€� Mickelson is 10th in the FedExCup, and while he’s won in Boston, and at East Lake, he’s never won the whole thing. Also on his mind: He has played on every Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup team since 1994, and is hoping to keep that streak going at the Ryder Cup in the fall. “I’m still fighting hard to get on that team,â€� he said. FIVE INSIGHTS 1. DeChambeau came into the week T67 in Strokes Gained: Putting, but was fifth in that statistic at Ridgewood; T116 in one-putt percentage, but was T12 at Ridgewood; T93 at putting inside 10 feet, but was T1 at Ridgewood; and 145th at putting from 4-8 feet, but was fifth at Ridgewood. All told, he made 65 of 68 putts from inside 10 feet. 2. Finau (68, solo second), the winner of the 2016 Puerto Rico Open led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (+12.562) and Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (+7.8) in collecting the third runner-up finish of his career (2017 Safeway Open, 2018 Genesis Open). 3. Billy Horschel (68, T3) played his final 46 holes without a bogey and led the field in scrambling (14 of 17). He moves to 14th in the FedExCup as he tries to join Woods as the only player to win the FedExCup more than once. 4. Cameron Smith (69, T3) notched his fifth top-five finish this season and moved from 53rd all the way to 16th in the FedExCup. He had shot under par only four times in his last 20 rounds coming into THE NORTHERN TRUST, but shot in red numbers all four rounds at Ridgewood. 5. Adam Scott (69, T5), who came into the field outside the top 150 in Strokes Gained: Putting, led the field (+8.464) in that stat at Ridgewood. He made nearly 368 feet of putts, and all told it was his best performance on the greens since winning the 2004 Booz Allen Classic.

Click here to read the full article…