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In a season devoid of a traditional rookie class, it's predictable that there will be lulls in attention for golfers who could crash the conversation for the potential to trigger voting for an Arnold Palmer Award winner. In fact, that Will Zalatoris already has achieved Special Temporary Membership is a bonus. Alas, there's no news out of The RSM Classic. The only non-member who made the cut was Bernd Wiesberger, and he finished T4, but the 35-year-old Austrian exhausted his rookie eligibility with 11 starts during the 2014-15 season. Only four others in the field of 156 at Sea Island still have rookie eligibility, but Michael Hebert now is a career 0-for-4 on the PGA TOUR, Brandon Crick is 0-for-2, PGA Georgia Section representative Anthony Cordes was making his TOUR debut, and Davis Thompson is an amateur. Of that smattering, the only golfer who presents as a strong possibility to contend for ROY at some point is Thompson, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Georgia. He was No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the start of the week of the RSM. In the latest update of the WAGR (in which Thompson slots second), Andy Ogletree rose to a career-best fourth. It's also where he finished his amateur days since he turned professional after finishing T34 at the Masters. Only professionals collect the equivalent of FedExCup points, so hejoins the play-for-pay ranks with zero. Elsewhere, Takumi Kanaya outlasted Tomohiro Ishizaka in a playoff to determine the winner of the Dunlop Phoenix in southern Japan. After trading a par and two birdies on the par-5 18th hole, Kanaya's birdie on the fourth time through secured the title. It was Kanaya's third start since turning professional, but it's already his second victory on the Japan Golf Tour. He's now 126th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Remarkably, both Kanaya and Ishizaka still are college students. Rafael Campos (only 2020-21 PGA TOUR rookie) Starts = 3 Cuts Made = 0 FedExCup Points = 0.000 FedExCup Rank = n/a Last Week = DNP Next = TBD ^ – The value beside Will Zalatoris reflects where he would rank among members with his total of equivalent FedExCup points. If he’s inside the top 125 at the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship, he’ll earn PGA TOUR membership in 2021-22. He can become a member this season with a victory on the PGA TOUR or with two more wins on the Korn Ferry Tour. Non-members: Through the 2020 RSM Classic * – Because the 2019-20 season was contracted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this season’s target for Special Temporary Membership is 288.035 FedExCup points. It’s what Martin Kaymer totaled en route to ranking 150th in the FedExCup during the 2018-19 season. Non-members who achieve STM receive numerous benefits, three of which are primary as it concerns opportunities to compete on the PGA TOUR: 1) Unlimited sponsor exemptions; 2) Unlimited starts; 3) Position in the Beyond 150 Reshuffle. However, a non-member who achieves STM remains ineligible for the FedExCup Playoffs unless he wins a tournament. NOTE: The Player Advisory Council and the Player Directors nominate annually a list of first-season PGA TOUR members for the PGA TOUR members for the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. A player's rookie season ("Rookie Year") is defined as the season in which he becomes a PGA TOUR member (including Special Temporary Members) and plays in 10 or more events as a member or finishes in the Top 125 on the official FedExCup points list or qualifies as a Top 125 non-member, whichever occurs first. Further, for purposes of this definition, a new member (including Special Temporary Members) shall not be eligible to be a rookie if he has previously played in more than seven official PGA TOUR money events as a professional in any prior season. PGA TOUR members who have played in at least 15 official money tournaments vote on this award. The Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and Olympic Games each count as one the 15. In their discretion, the Player Advisory Council and Player Directors may determine that circumstances (the potential lack of nominees due to the absence of 2020 graduating class from the Korn Ferry Tour) may not warrant the selection of an award recipient in the 2020-21 season

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It wasn’t long ago that Patrick Reed was struggling to break par and seeking advice from a new swing coach. His struggles may be behind him. Reed played a solid round at one of the PGA TOUR’s most difficult courses to share the early lead at the Wells Fargo Championship. Reed hit 14 greens en route to a 4-under 67 at Quail Hollow Club. He was tied for the lead with Martin Laird, Nick Taylor and Adam Schenk after the morning wave ended. Reed is now 7 under in his past two rounds on the PGA TOUR. He closed his Masters defense with a 69 that was his first sub-70 round of the week. Reed was 17 over par in the six rounds preceding Masters Sunday. That stretch started with a final-round 78 at THE PLAYERS Championship. He shot 77-75 in his next start, the Valspar Championship, and was spotted working with swing coach David Leadbetter on the range. Reed’s wife, Justine, contacted Leadbetter after the first round at Innisbrook to help her husband sort out a swing that had grown excessively long. Reed also works with his longtime swing coach, Kevin Kirk. “At the top of my swing, I was getting a little long and kind of disconnected,â€� he said. “We’re just trying to feel like it stays a little shorter and a little bit more connected, and feel like it’s a little bit stronger at the top.â€� This is Reed’s first individual tournament since the Masters, where he was 1 over par after 54 holes. He finished T36 after his final-round 69. He and partner Patrick Cantlay missed the cut at last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Related: Featured Groups, tee times | Rose looks to rebound | The harsh lessons of losing can pay big dividends | Tiger’s inspiring message to Varner’s friend | Best-selling books gains popularity on TOUR Reed was bogey-free Thursday. He missed just one green on his front nine and made the turn in 35 after making birdie on the par-5 15th. He added birdies on Nos. 3, 7 and 8. The last birdie came on a 22-foot putt, his longest of the day. He didn’t make a putt longer than 3 feet on the front nine, then started his second nine by making an 18-footer for par. That was the only other putt he made from outside 10 feet. His strong ball-striking meant he didn’t need to lean on his putter. He wielded it well when necessary, gaining 2.9 strokes on the green. He was 3 for 4 on attempts from 5-10 feet. “When you’re hitting the ball well, it frees up the putter,â€� Reed said. “When you happen to miss a green, because you know how you’re hitting it, you’re a little bit more fresh.â€� Strong ball-striking is a necessity at Quail Hollow. Reed has had success here recently. He finished in the top-10 in his last two appearance here, including a runner-up at the 2017 PGA Championship. Reed has led after just one round since winning last year’s Masters, though. That was in the first round of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions. He is 66th in this season’s FedExCup thanks to six consecutive top-25s to start the season. His last top-25 in a stroke-play event came in February’s World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. Things may be looking up after Thursday’s round, though. “I kind of got out of my way,â€� Reed said. “I stopped thinking about the golf swing and just started swinging the golf club and played golf shots.â€�

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AUSTIN, Texas — It’s Day 1 of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. We’ll post recaps as each of the 32 matches are completed Wednesday at Austin Country Club, so check back often throughout the day. MATCH PLAY: Scores | Group Standings | Bracket Group 3 HaoTong Li (36) def. Alex Noren (27), 5 and 4 Li never trailed after winning the first two holes with a bogey and a concession, and then snuffed out any hopes of a late Noren comeback with a 31-foot eagle putt to win the 12th. Holes won: Li 8, Noren 3. Holes led; Li 14, Noren 0. Group 6 Bryson DeChambeau (6) def. Russell Knox (59), 3 and 1 Knox was 1-up at the turn, but consecutive DeChambeau birdies to start the back nine gave him a lead he would never relinquish. A DeChambeau up-and-down birdie at the par-5 16th was followed by a Knox concession at the 17th to end the match. Holes won: DeChambeau 5, Knox 2. Holes led: DeChambeau 7, Knox 2. Group 11 Tommy Fleetwood (11) def. Byeong Hun An (49), 3 and 2 With the match tied through 10 holes, Fleetwood birdied his next three holes to take command, then closed out the match by holing a 19-foot birdie putt at the 16th. Holes won: Fleetwood 6, An 3. Holes led: Fleetwood 7, An 5. Kyle Stanley (41) def. Louis Oosthuizen (19), 3 and 2 Oosthuizen self-destructed on the back nine with four bogeys while Stanley ended the match with nine consecutive pars. Oosthuizen three-putted the 16th to lose the closing hole. Holes won: Stanley 6, Oosthuizen 3. Holes led: Stanley 9, Oosthuizen 0.  

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