Waters takes 3-shot lead at rain-affected UK Championship

This is the last time that you will forget that the Dell Technologies Championship starts on Friday and ends on Labor Day. We creatures of habit will adapt to a new norm next year when the FedExCup Playoffs already will have ended by now. TPC Boston also will shift into its new position in the rotation for THE NORTHERN TRUST beginning in 2020. Until then, there’s the not-so-insignificant matter of the second leg of this year’s Playoffs. Scroll past the ranking for more about the only course ever to host the Dell Technologies Championship, what to expect from the field of 98 and more. For analysis on Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson, Webb Simpson, Charley Hoffman, Marc Leishman, Wyndham Championship winner Brandt Snedeker and other notables, read the Fantasy Insider on Tuesday. Francesco Molinari (rest) and Rickie Fowler (oblique) are sitting out this week, but at a respective 13th and 22nd in the FedExCup standings, both will advance to next week’s BMW Championship. The leading 70 in points at the conclusion of the Dell Technologies Championship will qualify for the third event of the Playoffs. Despite a steady evolution of modifications and moderate stretching, TPC Boston has been one of the most predictable tracks on the PGA TOUR. It’s a par 36-35–71 taping off at 7,342 yards. This year’s only noticeable aesthetic change occurred at the par-4 12th hole where the bunker in the middle of the fairway short of the divide has been removed. Whether that eases scoring remains to be determined, but it probably won’t hurt. The longest par 4 on the course (at 510 yards) was the hardest hole in last year’s tournament. Averaging +0.343 strokes to par, it was the 13th-most difficult par 4 of 538 on TOUR last season. Given its familiarity, it comes as no surprise that experience at TPC Boston has helped define most champions. Since Adam Scott claimed the inaugural edition in 2003, Phil Mickelson (2007) is the only winner here who prevailed in his tournament debut. Justin Thomas was only 24 years of age when he recorded a three-stroke victory last year. Not that he profiles as a horse for any course, but he’s still building a stable of reliable sites, so it probably mattered that even the 2016-17 Player of the Year had appeared twice before at TPC Boston. Thomas put his stamp on an extreme week. He led the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green, scrambling and par-4 scoring, but he finished T32 in par-3 scoring and T30 in par-5 scoring. It was merely one way to get the job done during what can’t be ruled out as a shootout. Of the 11 who finished inside the top 10 on the leaderboard, eight ranked inside the top 25 in greens hit (Thomas was T13) and eight completed the week inside the top 20 in scrambling. All 11 left town having landed somewhere inside the top 25 in strokes gained: putting. This week’s field projects to score similarly to last year’s average of 70.781. After favorable conditions during the first two rounds when daytime highs will reach the mid-70s, an increase in both the heat and risk of inclement weather spikes by Monday. The Dell Technologies Championship is the last tournament of the season with a cut of low 70 and ties. (The 54-hole/MDF cut provision does not apply in the Playoffs.) Since the current scoring system was adopted in 2015, all golfers who have recorded a top 20 at TPC Boston have advanced to the BMW Championship. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton reviews and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done, Facebook Live THURSDAY: Champions One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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Just as David Duval always will have the 2001 Open Championship, the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic forever is Bryson DeChambeau’s. The connection drawn is that of a manifestation of a commitment to optimize physical fitness on the individual level. Competing on what would be borrowed time as a proverbial flat belly, Duval captured his only major in a frame that was at a fraction of what he carried during, say, his walk-off 59 at the 1999 edition of what is now The American Express. In the other direction, DeChambeau capitalized on rare extended free time during the 2020 shutdown and bulked up, in the process proving that golf doesn’t discriminate. Forgotten during our adjustment to the visual is how DeChambeau prevailed at Detroit Golf Club last year. Even if it triggers the memory, it’s understood how it’s overlooked. We can process the long ball easier than the summation of relative ability to roll it into the cup. For the refresher on that, what’s new in Motown and more, scroll past the projected contenders for the third edition of the RMC. RELATED: The First Look | Inside the Field ROCKET MORTGAGE CLASSIC Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider will include reviews of Travelers runner-up Kramer Hickok, 2019 RMC champion Nate Lashley, 2020 RMC runner-up Matthew Wolff, Rickie Fowler, Sungjae Im and other notables. Before DeChambeau pummeled Winged Foot at the 2020 U.S. Open to break into the winner’s column in the majors, he previewed that muscle in Detroit. En route to posting 23-under 265 to win by three, he led the field in distance of all drives with an astonishing average of 329.8 yards. Of all courses measured and not situated at an elevation that increases distance, it was the longest average anywhere in four years. It also was 10.1 yards longer than Cameron Champ, who slotted second in the stat for the tournament. Plain and simple, it was an unfair fight off the tee, but DeChambeau didn’t waste it. Despite ranking T58 in fairways hit (33 of 56), he led the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and averaged 14 greens in regulation per round on the 5,150-square foot targets, good for T13 overall. And while he was last of the 70 who made the cut in proximity to the hole – his average of 37 feet, six inches was six feet, four inches longer than the field average – he led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting, thus becoming the first in ShotLink history (2004-present) to pace any tournament in both SG: Off-the-Tee and SG: Putting. DeChambeau connected on half of his par-breaker opportunities to finish second in putting: birdies-or-better. He also led the field in par-4 scoring and finished T2 in par-5 scoring. Detroit GC is stock par 72, so it’s imperative to take advantage of the par 5s. DeChambeau netted an eagle, 10 birdies and four pars to offset a lone bogey on Nos. 5, 7, 14 and 17. That value is boosted by the fact that the par 5s are hardest comparably versus the par 3s and the par 4s. But make no mistake, just as it did in its first two turns as host, the course will yield deeply red numbers throughout the tournament. Last year’s scoring average of 70.052 was lowest among all par 72s in tournaments with only one course hosting during the 2019-20 season. The 36-hole cut landed at 5-under 139. The Donald Ross design technically is a composite course for the RMC because the par-4 third is the opener for members on the South Course. All the other 17 holes contribute to the walk on the North. This includes the par-4 12th that’s been increased by 30 yards with the addition of a new tee. Detroit GC now tips at 7,370 yards. The blend of bentgrass and Poa annua greens could reach a Stimpmeter reading of 12-and-a-half feet. The bluegrass rough is trimmed to four inches and it could be thicker this year, so don’t be surprised to consume reaction emphasizing a higher premium on finding fairways. That said, shootouts on decently sized stages almost never are determined by contests of accuracy. The first full weekend of summer will be defined by daytime highs that are lower than average, but mid-70s can play through anytime. The chance for rain and even a thunderclap can’t be ruled out, but the risk is moderate at worst, and only early in the event. Wind could kick up if any energy encroaches but it will not be sustained. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers; Fantasy Insider SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Watch * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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Headed into what was scheduled to be this week’s Valero Texas Open, Charley Hoffman would have been armed with the best tool for success – a strong history in San Antonio. Last year’s bogey-free, 5-under 67 Sunday at TPC San Antonio was good for solo-second, his sixth top-10 finish in 14 starts in the event. Hoffman won the Valero Texas Open in 2016. But, rather than being poised for another solid finish on one of the TOUR’s most challenging layouts, like everyone else in the world, Hoffman is home and wondering what’s next. While he and wife, Stacy, don’t have all the answers for their two young daughters, they do have the resources to give back to a community in need. And, through the Charley Hoffman Foundation, they also do have Texas-sized hearts. Via video message, Charley, Stacy and their daughters recently announced a donation of $25,000 from the Charley Hoffman Foundation to the Valero Texas Open. The funds will be distributed by the tournament to a variety of area charities at their discretion. “It was important to give to the Valero Texas Open because we understand that without PGA TOUR events, the tournaments just don’t have the ability for the same community outreach from a financial standpoint,� Charley said. “Stacy and I looked back at what is one of our favorite tournaments of the year, the Valero Texas Open, and thought about how we could help the community of San Antonio.� “We thought it was right to give to the Valero Texas Open not only because Charley has had so much success there, but also because the tournament has been a big supporter of the Charley Hoffman Foundation,� said Stacy. “That means a lot for them to take note of what we’re doing with our foundation.� In its 11 years of existence, the Charley Hoffman Foundation has generated more than $1.8 million. In their hometown of San Diego, the foundation supports cystic fibrosis, San Diego Junior Golf & Pro Kids Golf as main charities. “To have the funds available to give back is something Stacy and I are so grateful for,� Charley said. “And, when something unusual like this pandemic comes along, it means a lot to us to be able to draw from funds we have in the foundation.� “We really are so pleased that the Charley Hoffman Foundation is able to help other organizations and charities through this really hard time,� Stacy said. “We understand that it’s hard for charities that try to support those who need extra help throughout the year.� So, in a time of uncertainty, Stacy knew it would be even harder for those who need more during this challenging time. And, the charities themselves may actually begin with less to give back. “It’s said that everything’s bigger in Texas, and the Valero Texas Open has always given a really big amount back to their San Antonio community,� Stacy said. “It was really important for Charley and I to give back, because we knew they could be missing out on a lot of charity dollars this year. We thought we could at least help a little bit with some of those charities that really rely on those funds.� “In my opinion, the Valero Texas Open is a major standout among TOUR events when it comes to giving back to the community year after year,� Charley said. “It seems like the Valero Texas Open gives more to charity than almost every event on TOUR. I think that’s amazing.� Thanks to a healthy Charley Hoffman Foundation, a reserve had built up enough to where the couple could make the donation. Charley and Stacy are hoping to give an even larger amount back to their San Diego charities next year, typically announced during the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines each January. “We’re proud to be able to help people when the help is needed,� Charley said. “All along, that’s the vision Stacy and I had of this foundation – to be able to help people. “I always say that I dreamed of playing on the PGA TOUR and winning tournaments like the Valero Texas Open. But, I could have never dreamed that we would be able to give back to the communities in which we live and play golf tournaments. I get chills just thinking about it all the time.�

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