WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, Round 2: Leaderboard, tee times, TV times

MEXICO CITY – Jon Rahm aced the 17th hole on the way to a course-record, 10-under-par 61 at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec. He reached 11 under total, just four off the lead of previous course record holder Justin Thomas (65), after a round that saw Rahm birdie six of his first seven holes. “With the start I had today, the only thing in mind was trying to get as close as possible to the leaders,� said the 25-year-old Rahm, who has three PGA TOUR victories. RELATED: Leaderboard Thomas and Erik van Rooyen had previously shot 62. Thomas had done it twice. The hole-in-one on 17 was from 158 yards and Rahm used a gap wedge. It was his second career ace on the PGA TOUR. Chez Reavie also had a hole-in-one, at the third hole, Saturday. Rahm’s hot start was tempered some by a three-putt bogey at the eighth hole and his failure to birdie the downhill, par-5 11th, but he finished with birdies on 13 and 15 before his ace on 17. When did he begin to suspect it might be a special day? “After four,� he said. “I basically had tap-in, tap-in, tap-in and 10 feet for birdie.� Rahm hit nine of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, and took just 25 putts, his fewest of the week by three. He made 111 feet of putts, and ranked third in Strokes Gained: Putting for the day. “I think a lot of us like to talk sometimes about how unlucky we get,� said Rahm, who got up and down for par both times he missed the green, “and I think today was one of those days where I got fortunate. I hit the right shots and I got the right bounces, and I took advantage of it.�

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods and Fred Couples spent months discussing their Monday practice round at Augusta National. The patrons had been waiting so much longer. When Woods teed off at 2:55 p.m. Monday, it was the first time he’d played Augusta National in public since the final round three years ago. He played Sunday of the 2015 Masters in the third-to-last group, shooting a 73 alongside Rory McIlroy. This latest round was an informal nine-hole affair, as Woods, Couples and Justin Thomas breezed around the first nine in little more than two hours. The pent-up anticipation for Woods’ return, which has only increased in intensity with his promising play, was obvious from the roars he received for both the impressive, like his long chip-in from behind the second green, and the mundane. Woods was greeted by cheers each time he appeared on a tee box. Patrons even applauded when he asked caddie Joe LaCava for another ball on the fourth tee. “There’s no other tournament you hear roars in a practice round,� said Thomas, one of the young stars many are hoping will challenge Woods in an intergenerational tussle on Sunday’s second nine. Woods spent the two weeks since his last start visiting Augusta National and preparing in his backyard practice facility. There are four greens there. Three are meant to mimic geographic regions: the Northeast, his native California and his adopted home state of Florida. Only one is modeled after a specific course. “The Augusta green is a little elevated with sharp aprons, a deep bunker and it’s always the fastest green in the facility. It’s firm and they mow the aprons around them extremely tight,� said his former Stanford teammate, Notah Begay. “That way, when he gets to Augusta it feels extremely normal for him.� There’s little doubt he’d feel that way even without a dedicated practice area. No tournament has more defined Woods’ career, and he has impacted the event in a way few others have. His 12-shot victory in his first Masters as a professional led to dramatic changes to Alister Mackenzie’s masterpiece. He completed the Tiger Slam here in 2001, won again in 2002 and then hit what may be the most memorable shot of his career, the chip-in from behind the 16th green that helped him hold off a gritty Chris DiMarco. Only Jack Nicklaus has won the Masters more times. Woods has proven his ability to contend here even when in the midst of his deepest struggles, but he arrives at Augusta National this year showing his best form in five years. He contended at both the Valspar Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. He’s displayed strong iron play, a good short game and swing speed that’s comparable to the kids he’s now competing against. Most courses are quiet this early in the week, but for some patrons Masters Monday is their Sunday. It’s their first time seeing a course they’ve admired for years, and they’re uncertain if they’ll ever be able to return. They were lined 10 deep on some holes. With cell phones banned from the grounds, point-and-shoot cameras, many of them saved for this single week each year, were raised in the air each time Woods approached. Patrons formed a human wall across many fairways as they stopped in the cross-walks to watch Woods’ pre-tournament preparations. This is Augusta National, though, and the enthusiasm for Woods caused some to occasionally cross the line of staid decorum that is expected on these stately Southern grounds. Patrons were gently made aware of their transgressions by security guards in red hats and white shirts. Turns out it’s impermissible to prop another patron on your shoulders. Running isn’t allowed, and the shouts and some of the shouts and screams heard at other events are frowned upon here. The excitement surrounding Woods is understandable, though. He’s finished outside the top 25 just once in 18 appearances as a professional, even when his game was in much worse shape. His last Masters start came just weeks after he shot 82 in Phoenix and took a self-imposed exile from the game. He started the final round in fifth place before fading to 17th. He finished fourth in 2010, even though he hadn’t played an event since the previous November because of his personal scandal. Woods’ play Monday reminded Couples of the better days. “He hit a few drives there that were well worth it, whether you paid for (admission) or whether you’re in the tournament like me,� Couples said. “Today wasn’t any different than it was 10 years ago when I played with him. “I think he’ll be a factor this week. I don’t know why he wouldn’t be.�  

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ATLANTA (AP) — Xander Schauffele ended his rookie season by winning the TOUR Championship. Justin Thomas ended the best season with the FedExCup. Schauffele, a 23-year-old from San Diego who was worried about keeping his PGA TOUR card just over three months ago, swirled in a 3-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot victory over Thomas. He became the first PGA TOUR rookie to win the TOUR Championship since it began in 1987. Thomas never had more reason to celebrate finishing second. He capped off a season of five victories, including his first major at the PGA Championship, by claiming the FedExCup and the $10 million bonus. It was the first time in eight years that two players celebrated at East Lake. Tiger Woods won the FedExCup and Phil Mickelson won the TOUR Championship in 2009. The surprise guest to the party was Schauffele. “It’s been a wild ride,” he said. It began with a tie for fifth in his U.S. Open debut, and he followed that a month later by winning the Greenbrier Classic. He wouldn’t even have been at the TOUR Championship until he played his final six holes in 6-under par last week at Conway Farms to get into the top 30 in the FedExCup. And then he played like he belonged on such a big stage, especially on the back nine. Starting on the par-3 11th hole, he one-putted four straight greens from outside six feet — one of them for birdie, the rest for pars, all of them clutch. Thomas caught up with birdies on the 16th and 17th, but the PGA champion missed the fairway on the 567-yard closing hole and couldn’t reach the green in two. His 25-foot birdie putt snapped off to the left just in front of the cup. Schauffele saved par from right of the 17th green for the fourth time on the back nine, and then smashed a 347-yard tee shot on the 18th that left him an approach just short of the green. He putted that up to three feet and then nearly missed. The ball hit the left edge and swirled 270 degrees before dropping in the front. But it was enough to finish at 12-under 268, a victory worth $3.75 million, $2 million of that for finishing third in the FedExCup. He also moved to No. 32 in the world. Thomas was among the first to congratulate him outside the scoring room. “It was a grueling day for sure,” Thomas said. Schauffele is another member of the high school class of 2011, and by far the most unheralded against the likes of Spieth, Thomas, Daniel Berger and others. Asked earlier in the week what he knew about Schauffele, Thomas replied, “Not much, except that he’s very good or he wouldn’t be here.” Thomas won more than the FedExCup. He also wrapped up the PGA of America’s points-based award for player of the year. He’s a lock to get the players’ vote as PGA TOUR player of the year, and he won the Arnold Palmer Award for claiming the money title with over $10 million. Thomas wrapped up the FedExCup when Jordan Spieth, the No. 1 seed, couldn’t sustain momentum after holing out from the 10th fairway for eagle and nearly holing out again from the 13th fairway. Spieth closed with a 67 and tied for seventh, earning a $3 million bonus for finishing second in the FedExCup. He had few regrets, not after a season in which his three victories included the British Open for the third leg of the career Grand Slam. “J.T. obviously is very well deserving of winning the FedExCup,” Spieth said. “Not winning a playoff event, I almost cheated my way into winning the FedExCup when he really deserved it.” Thomas had the FedExCup wrapped up with two holes to play thanks to mistakes behind him. Paul Casey, who now has gone 144 starts on the PGA TOUR since his last victory in the 2009 Houston Open, lost a two-shot lead in five holes but was still in the game until he put his tee shot into the water on the par-3 15th. He played alongside Kevin Kisner, who also went into the water and lost his chance of winning at East Lake. Kisner had a 70 and tied for third with Russell Henley, who shot a 65. Casey closed with a 73 and finished fifth.

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