Viktor Hovland wins World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba

Click here to read the full article…

From catering, to early bonding, to data analysis, new International Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els is leaving no stone unturned as he looks for the secret to end U.S. dominance in the biennial team event. While there are still many months left before the International team is finalized for the Dec. 12-15 showdown at Royal Melbourne against the U.S. team, Els’ planning has long begun. Having been on the receiving end of many dominant U.S. performances at the Presidents Cup – the U.S. is 10-1-1 all time at the event – Els believes he is uniquely qualified to change the fortunes of the International team this fall. And he’s already making his presence felt – imploring prospective International team players to team up in this week’s Zurich Classic in New Orleans so he can get a feel for their play in the team environment. Of the 80 teams in New Orleans this week, 14 of them are made up of players who are both eligible for International team duty (one of those teams features Els and his assistant Trevor Immelman). There are an additional 13 players in the field who are eligible for the International team but are paired with Americans or Europeans for various reasons – like Cameron Smith, who has stayed with Jonas Blixt since they won the event in 2017. Only three of the top 13 players on the current International Presidents Cup points list (Marc Leishman, Hideki Matsuyama, Haotong Li) aren’t in New Orleans. “This event is the only one of its kind, and players that were able to play, we thought we’ll look at getting some of them paired up. It’s not exactly what’s going to be happening in December, but it’s an opportunity for the guys to get playing in this kind of format, playing foursomes and fourball in competition,â€� Els explained. “It’s also a team building week. We’re staying in the same hotel… a lot of new, new guys that haven’t really been around some of the other guys, and we want to just get them familiar with each other.â€� Familiarity has been a problem in the past. While the Australians always get on with the other Aussies and the South Africans get on with each other, there can be a cultural gap with Asian or South American nations. While the teams have always bonded by the weekend, generally they’ve already found themselves well behind on the scoreboard. There is a common line around the Presidents Cup – the U.S. Team wins the Cup but the Internationals always win the after party. If they could go back out a week later, they feel things could be different. “I don’t think there is an easy way to do it, but I think we’ve got to find a way to make that diversity our strength,â€� Immelman says. “Obviously a massive hurdle for our team has always been and will always be the fact that we’re trying to meld together so many different countries and cultures and languages. So that’s always the thing that we’ve been trying to work on.â€� Els is already micromanaging some aspects to ensure people feel comfortable. His team room catering will take in ALL cultures. While Melbourne is not known for its biltong and boerewors, you can find some if you look hard enough. For every meat pie or vegemite sandwich, it does offer decent kimchi and bulgogi, and sushi is also prevalent in parts of the city. Thai and Chinese food is scattered throughout, and with some minimal effort, you can find some poutine. If you need a burrito or some fajitas, they’ve got you covered there as well. Els will make sure everyone can stay on the diet they are accustomed to and enjoy. “There is a lot of moving parts. Culturally, religiously…â€� Els confirms. “It’s quite something when you dig into it.â€� But what of the pairings? This week, we will see Australian duo Adam Scott and Jason Day together. In the past four Presidents Cups, the pair have played just one session together for a half. This is mainly due to veteran Scott being used as a bridge to young Asian players over the years such as Ryo Ishikawa and Hideki Matsuyama. Scott was the catalyst to his pairing with Day. Els – who intends to use analytics to help create pairings – is not sold on them yet. He clearly will be if they perform in New Orleans, but Els will make the big calls if he needs to. “I think data is important. Like the modern game, I think a lot of the guys are using data. We’re going to do that,â€� Els says. “We’ll play the physical part of the game, the mental part of the game, and then the analytical side of the game, and throw that all together and see what we get, see if we can get the perfect pairing. “The mentality is I think 80 percent of the battle. If you can get the right mentality in the guys on in the team then you’re halfway there.â€� Day admitted to struggling with the mental side in the past. As a top ranked player, Day needs to produce more for his team – he needs to find a way to become a leader. Els and his teammates will tug on his ego if they can. All players would like to leave a legacy when they hang up the sticks… Day has the opportunity to become an International hero much like Ian Poulter is for Europe. One thing the U.S. dominance has provided is a chance to be part of history as an International player. A famous upset will go on the record books forever and have the stars remembered as heroes for decades to come. Australian fans will long pat Day and his teammates on the back for a win like that, perhaps more so than any major title they win. Els is also gearing up for another battle to swing some momentum towards his team. He is imploring the local Australians to create an atmosphere that is challenging for the Americans. While the U.S. team goes into a hostile environment when they hit European shores for the Ryder Cup, it has been a different story away from home in Presidents Cups. The U.S. team is so star-studded that fans in the past have been cheering for the visitors as much as the home side, given its usually the only time they’ve seen their heroes up close. Because Tiger Woods will lead the U.S. team to Melbourne, the fear remains they will be treated too well by the locals. Australia (2011) and Korea (2015) were guilty of this in the past and Els is calling on the supporters to really create something special for his team. “You want to feel like you’re going to our home turf, our Australian home turf. It’s going to be huge,â€� Els said. “We want to get the people behind their team, which is the International team. Although they’re big fans of the U.S. team, we’re going to be their home team, and we want to be regarded as that. That’ll give us a big boost, the players a big boost, when they feel they’re playing at home and not abroad.â€� The above are just some of Els’ plans. He will keep some things close to the vest and additional plans will be revealed as the team takes shape, but this week is certainly full of hints. If a few International teams are in contention down the stretch on Sunday, you won’t find a bigger smile than the one on the face of The Big Easy in The Big Easy.

Click here to read the full article…

OVERVIEW Webb Simpson returned to the winner’s circle in emphatic fashion this year with a dominant performance at THE PLAYERS Championship. He won by four shots despite a double-bogey on the final hole, after the final outcome had already been decided. He led by five at the tournament’s halfway point and took a record seven-shot advantage into the final round. Simpson tied the Stadium Course’s 18-hole (63) and 54-hole (197) records and shot a record-setting 129 (66-63) over the opening 36 holes. It was his first win in 4-1/2 years. “It means everything to me. I feel like it’s my first win,â€� Simpson, 33, said. He won the 2012 U.S. Open and finished second in the 2011 FedExCup before his beloved belly putter was banned by the U.S. Golf Association. After four straight trips to East Lake, he failed to qualify for the TOUR Championship in 2015 and 2016. Winning at TPC Sawgrass was fitting because it was where, a year earlier, former PLAYERS champion Tim Clark introduced Simpson to the arm-lock method that cured Simpson’s putting woes. He ranked sixth in Strokes Gained: Putting last season en route to his best FedExCup finish since 2013. Simpson’s nine top-10s were fifth-most on TOUR in 2018. He closed the season with a flourish, finishing second at the Wyndham Championship before back-to-back top-10s at the BMW Championship (T6) and TOUR Championship (T4). Simpson’s title reign may be truncated after THE PLAYERS’ move to March, but considering the way he dominated TPC Sawgrass, it’s likely he can’t wait to return. — By Sean Martin Click here to see who else made the Top 30 list. BY THE NUMBERS FEDEXCUP UPDATE Current 2018-19 position: 24th Playoff appearances: 10 TOUR Championship appearances: 6 Best FedExCup finish: 2nd in the 2011 season SHOTLINK FUN FACT Webb Simpson ranked fourth on the PGA TOUR in putting from inside 10 feet, making 90.1 percent of all putts within that distance. INSIDER INSIGHTS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Webb Simpson in 2019. TOUR INSIDER: Six of Simpson’s nine top-10s last season came on par-70 courses. Those courses have fewer par 5s for the long hitters to feast on and many of them are classic courses like the ones he played as a kid in North Carolina. Simpson, who ranked outside the top 90 in both driving distance and driving accuracy last season, thrives on layouts where distance isn’t a prerequisite for success. Shorter courses allow him to display his strong wedge game, as well. Last season, Simpson was third on TOUR in proximity from 50-125 yards and second from 75-100. — By Sean Martin FANTASY INSIDER: Typically, when any high-level touring professional focuses so heavily on improving a specific area of his game, such as he did with his putting, other areas pay the price. However, when those other areas are already at a world-class caliber, the cost can be negligible. Always known as a preeminent ball-striker, he not only enjoyed the best season of his career on the greens in 2017-18, but the 33-year-old also recorded a seven-year high in greens in regulation. You don’t need to enroll in Strokes Gained 101 to understand the confidence that that combination yields upon arrival at every tournament. We didn’t know that this is what he’d look like entering his prime, but his current level of excellence is exactly what we expected when he crashed onto the PGA TOUR in 2009. — By Rob Bolton EQUIPMENT INSIDER: Until last year, Simpson was playing a set of Titleist 680 MB irons that he used since before the 2012 U.S. Open. That changed when Simpson finally switched into new Titleist irons — the 718 MBs — citing the blade length and similar look of the 680 irons. On the greens, Simpson goes with the not-so-classic Armlock-claw putting grip. To do so, he uses an Odyssey Tank Cruiser V-Line putter with an Odyssey Arm Lock grip. The rest of the Titleist-staffer’s bag is Titleist, aside from a TaylorMade M4 fairway. — By Andrew Tursky STYLE INSIDER: Since arriving on TOUR, Simpson has relied on classic looks and fits. He is one of the few players still sporting traditional kicks, which sync well with his apparel. Expect more of the same from the reigning PLAYERS champ in the new year. Keep an eye on how Simpson accessorizes his outfits. He typically matches his belts to his pants or shirts for a smooth transition from top to bottom. — By Greg Monteforte

Click here to read the full article…