Waste Management Phoenix Open, Round 3: Leaderboard, tee times, TV times

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – With the upcoming 2018-19 PGA TOUR schedule reflecting previously announced, significant structural changes, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan today unveiled further innovations that elevate the entire FedExCup season – from the Regular Season through the FedExCup Playoffs and ultimately, at the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship.  These changes include a simplified scoring system at the TOUR Championship that will determine the FedExCup Champion and a new $10 million program for the FedExCup Regular Season sponsored by Wyndham Rewards: the “Wyndham Rewards Top 10.� The FedExCup Playoffs – which have been reduced from four to three events beginning next season and will conclude before Labor Day, allowing the TOUR to compete to own the August sports calendar – will feature fields of 125 for THE NORTHERN TRUST, 70 for the BMW Championship and 30 for the TOUR Championship, where the FedExCup Champion will be determined. While the points structure for the first two events will remain the same (awarding quadruple points compared to FedExCup Regular Season events), there will be a significant change to the format for the TOUR Championship. Instead of a points reset at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, beginning with the 2018-19 event the TOUR is instituting a strokes-based bonus system related to the FedExCup standings through the BMW Championship. The FedExCup points leader after the first two Playoffs events will begin the TOUR Championship at 10-under par. The next four players will start at 8-under through 5-under, respectively. The next five will begin at 4-under, regressing by one stroke per five players until those ranked Nos. 26-30 start at even par. With the implementation of this change, the player with the lowest total score will be the FedExCup Champion and be credited with an official victory in the TOUR Championship competition. “This is a significant and exciting change for the PGA TOUR, our players, our partners and – most importantly – our fans,� said Monahan. “As soon as the TOUR Championship begins, any fan – no matter if they’ve followed the PGA TOUR all season or are just tuning in for the final event – can immediately understand what’s going on and what’s at stake for every single player in the field. And, of course, players will know exactly where they stand at all times while in play, which will ratchet up the drama, consequence and volatility of the competition down the stretch. “Compared to the current system, the beauty here is in the simplicity.  Fans are very familiar with golf leaderboards in relation to par, so they will have a clear understanding of the impact every shot makes during the final run for the FedExCup – ultimately leading to a singular champion without conflicting storylines.� “It has been gratifying to witness the growth, popularity and importance of the FedExCup since its launch in 2007,� said Davis Love III, a current Player Director on the PGA TOUR Policy Board who also served on the Board during the development and launch of the FedExCup. “Several important refinements have been made along the way to help accelerate the FedExCup’s universal acceptance as a tremendous achievement in professional golf. However, I believe this new strokes-based bonus system for the TOUR Championship might well be the most important of them all, as it will lend absolute clarity to where everyone in the field stands and what exactly they must do to win the FedExCup. It will make for a very exciting and dramatic four days.� Meanwhile, the new $10 million Wyndham Rewards Top 10 not only will add drama to the Wyndham Championship as the final event before the FedExCup Playoffs but will also put an even greater premium on excelling over the course of the FedExCup Regular Season.  The top-10 Regular Season finishers in FedExCup points through the Wyndham Championship – also sponsored by Wyndham Rewards – will reap the benefits of the Wyndham Rewards Top 10. The leader will earn $2 million, followed by $1.5 million for the runner-up with the 10th-place finisher earning $500,000. Additionally, each player in the top 10 will be invited into Wyndham Rewards at its most exclusive Diamond level, unlocking all the travel perks and unique Wyndham benefits that go along with it. And while the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 will be recognized at the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship, the impact of the program will be felt throughout the season; a player’s performance every week becomes more critical than ever before, elevating the significance of each tournament on the schedule and producing drama for PGA TOUR fans at every turn. “We are excited to unveil the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 next year, which will place an even greater premium on excelling over the course of the Regular Season,� said Andy Pazder, Chief Tournament and Competitions Officer for the PGA TOUR.  “Season-long success is tantamount to qualifying for and advancing through the FedExCup Playoffs, and this is an exciting way to reward the best of the best and provide an added layer of drama for our fans in each market and around the world.� In addition to the $10 million Wyndham Rewards Top 10, the existing FedExCup bonus pool will increase by $25 million, to $60 million.  The FedExCup Champion will receive $15 million, versus the $10 million prize from previous years. “Our players and fans have invested in the FedExCup over the past 12 seasons, and with these enhancements, we are reinvesting in the FedExCup in order to raise the stakes, so to speak, for their benefit,� said Monahan.  “We are able to grow and diversify our fan base because we have the best athletes on the planet competing on the PGA TOUR.  Now is the time to make these changes, and thanks to significant input in the process by our players, partners and fans, I believe we’re making exactly the right moves. “To that end, these changes wouldn’t have been possible without the full support of the TOUR Championship’s outstanding Proud Partners – Coca-Cola and Southern Company – as well as longtime partner FedEx and an enhanced partnership with Wyndham Rewards,� he added. “They shared our vision for how we can challenge ourselves to raise level of excitement and fan engagement throughout the season up until the moment our FedExCup Champion is determined.�

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Collegiate standout Matthew Wolff, who’s fresh off winning the 2019 NCAA men’s individual title by five shots, announced that he’s making his professional PGA TOUR debut at the 2019 Travelers Championship, and that he’ll be joining Team TaylorMade. After his six-win sophomore season at Oklahoma State University, 20-year-old Wolff’s decision to turn pro was a matter of when, not if. While he has what some would call an unorthodox golf swing, Wolff has proven he can compete on the PGA TOUR. He made the cut at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open as an amateur, finishing T50. His decision to sign with an equipment sponsor, however, was less certain. In today’s age of equipment, it’s no guarantee anymore that a player – even as highly touted as Wolff — will sign an equipment deal. Look at Brooks Koepka; after four major championship victories, he still remains an equipment free agent, certainly leaving huge sponsorship money on the table. Wolff, however, already played a bag full of TaylorMade golf clubs while at Oklahoma State University, so his decision to sign with that particular company is less surprising. TaylorMade has yet to comment on the signing, but based on the video posted to Wolff’s Twitter, it does seem that Wolff has signed a full equipment deal with TaylorMade. In addition to using TaylorMade clubs, Wolff is wearing a TaylorMade hat, he has a TaylorMade staff bag, and he’s hitting TaylorMade TP5x golf balls. At the 2019 NCAA Championships, Wolff used a TaylorMade M5 driver, an M5 fairway wood, P-750 irons, Milled Grind wedges and a Spider X putter. In the Twitter video, however, it seems Wolff may be testing between a TaylorMade M5 driver and an M6, since he is hitting both drivers in the video. It will be interesting to see if Wolff makes any changes to his NCAA-winning club setup when he makes his pro debut at the Travelers Championship later this month.

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That’s right! PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live is, uh, live for the Presidents Cup. Strap in for an experience unlike all others. As alluded to by our guys in their weeklong picks below, dispose of the conventional wisdom you’ve used if you’ve played before. We’ll pick up on that strategy again next week. The general advice regarding weeklong odds is that it’ll be unlikely for any bet to grow longer and still result in coins. If it does, it’s most likely to occur in the “To Win” bet. That said, there isn’t any doubt about who’s favored, so neither Rob nor Glass has selected the U.S. They’ve explained why below. Odds also will not fluctuate as wildly as they do during stroke-play competition. Because aggregate points totals will determine who yields coinage in the Top USA Points Scorer and Top International Points Scorer bets, it’s possible that at least one guy will be shut out from paying off halfway into Saturday’s pair of sessions. So, if he’s still on the board as an option, ignore him. Just a note that R1 bets were not released in time to make Pick ‘Em Preview. Register for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live here and monitor Rob’s and Glass’ progress as Influencers. For a broader explanation of the format and FAQs, click here. TOURNAMENT TO WIN Rob … Draw (+2000) Before knowing which bets will be presented for every round, the nature of the competition suggests that overall scoring will be low and/or condensed. So, with still just the five real-money payouts, there’s no reason not to go heavy on this bet to open. That the Internationals are 7-to-1 dogs to win is actually respectful because expect that to balloon in this mismatch. The opening line for the USA at (-714) would yield only 14 coins, so I’ll trust that I can make that up at some point during the competition. Glass … Internationals (+700) I don’t think anyone is confused WHY the USA is a massive favorite. The OWGR rank. The host course. The most experience. Right, got it. Putting up seven to win one is a bit lopsided and unnecessary on a game that isn’t played on paper. Pressure is real and taking care of business in front of a home crowd for six newbies won’t be as easy as some believe. The Internationals have EIGHT fresh faces and probably are tired of hearing how bad they will get killed this week. Frees the mind and the body, no? I wouldn’t touch the favorites or the draw, but since we’re here, I’ll risk a little to win a lot instead of getting stuck on the wrong end of a major upset. TOP USA POINTS SCORER Glass … Tony Finau (+900) I would think that he would be happy hanging in the shadows and not having to answer why he hasn’t won recently. The flourish of fun continues after his two wins, and who wouldn’t want a big hitter in this massive ballpark? Opponents will get tired of the bomb-and-gouge, and if he makes anything, look out. Sits in the top 15 of all Strokes Gained ball-striking categories and has no problem making birdies (11th on TOUR). By playing in either the fourth or fifth pairing, he’ll avoid the heaviest International hitters and should feast. Rob … Jordan Spieth (+1000) Not unlike an outright bet, this will help separate gamers because of ownership dispersion before the opening session. However, only three golfers are longer than +1000 to open, so you might as well reach. Not that my Man of the Match is that at all. I’ve been looking forward to watching how Spieth’s added length off the tee will play at Quail Hollow. While I’m holding my breath that he’ll get at least one chance in Four-ball, he’s 5-0-0 in Foursomes in the Presidents Cup, so that alone is worth the plunge. TOP INTERNATIONAL POINTS SCORER Rob … Sungjae Im (+600) There’s always at least one surprise on both teams, but 2½ points might reward you for the visitors. While I leaned on Spieth’s quality of potential quantity for the U.S. – maybe he sits out one Four-ball – I’m riding the South Korean who is all but guaranteed to play in all five sessions. To my delight, he opens as the third-longest on the board, albeit only +50 longer than Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama for whom the house is careful due to projected handle on those two pillars of the competition. A guy like Cam Davis at +1100 is intriguing, but by opening with Im, it gives me (probably) at least one session to determine if I want to pivot from Im to the Aussie, who might still be longer than +600 at the time. Glass … Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+1100) If I’m on the upset, I’ll need some help from the rank-and-file after Scott and Matsuyama. I’ll ride the cut-making machine from South Africa who holes just about every putt he sees. He won’t be bothered by another new course as he’s playing a new layout every week in his first months on the PGA TOUR. Holing putts to save pars and racking up birdies is fantastic for morale and momentum. A captain’s pick, he’ll be excited to pay off his fellow countryman for having the faith to stick him in. NOTE: While Glass and Rob typically stick with their selections as detailed in Pick ‘Em Preview, they are allowed the right to make changes at any time.

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