Why Stanford star Maverick McNealy decided to go pro

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – When Lucas Glover finished solo second last September at the Web.com Tour Championship, it was his best result in 187 professional starts since his most recent victory at the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship. It also helped secure Glover’s PGA TOUR card for 2018-19; otherwise, he would have leaned on a major medical extension (due to knee surgery last June to repair two meniscus tears) to start this season, needing to make enough FedExCup points in a limited number of starts to earn full status. Perhaps just as important, the runner-up finish to Denny McCarthy gave Glover the confidence that his game was headed in the right direction. “It just showed me that what I had been working on leading up to that was the right stuff,� said the three-time TOUR winner. “That was the biggest thing. Anytime you play well like that, you get confidence. That was huge.� Glover carried that momentum into this season, producing five consecutive top-20 finishes, including a T-7 in Las Vegas last fall, before missing the cut last week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He’s bounced back nicely this week with two strong rounds to start the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, including a 6-under 66 at Pebble Beach that left him at 10 under and tied atop the leaderboard. Given that his Saturday round is at Monterey Peninsula, regarded as the easiest of the three courses used in the tournament rotation, Glover might have the advantage among the players in contention. “I got a few things straightened out last weekend,� Glover said. “You hate to have a weekend off but sometimes it’s a silver lining. That’s how I looked at it. It’s motivating, I can tell you that.� Glover’s putting has not been his strong suit in recent years – he entered this week ranked 122nd in Strokes Gained: Putting – but Friday was one of his strongest putting rounds. He made 128 feet, 3 inches of putts, including two birdies from outside 20 feet, and was ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting among all golfers who played Pebble Beach in the second round. He did miss a 5-foot eagle putt on the par-5 sixth but countered that by rolling in a 14-foot putt to save par on the 17th. “We know the game gives and takes away,� Glover said. “You hit a 5-wood from 250 [yards] to 5 feet, might have been the hardest putt I’ve had all week. It was a good two balls outside of the hole left and I couldn’t hit it very hard. But a four’s a four on No. 6 at Pebble Beach and I’m pretty happy with it.� This summer, Glover will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his biggest win, the 2009 U.S. Open. It’s also the last year of his exemption for winning that event. This year’s U.S. Open, of course, will be at Pebble Beach, which is why Glover is working in a little reconnaissance this week along with trying to win the tournament. “Sometimes it feels like yesterday,� Glover said of his win at Bethpage Black. “Sometimes it feels like 30 years ago.� And sometimes it takes just one good result for a past major winner to get back on track.

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Even with a tee shot into the water for another double bogey, Tiger Woods could see the big picture in the Honda Classic. He was four shots out of the lead going into the weekend. Luke List delivered a round not many others found possible in such difficult conditions Friday, a 4-under 66 that gave him a share of the lead with Jamie Lovemark (69). They were at 3-under 137, the highest score to lead at the halfway point of the Honda Classic since it moved to PGA National in 2007. So bunched were the scores that Woods was four shots out of the lead and four shots from last place among the 76 players who made the cut at 5-over 145. More importantly, he only had 13 players in front of him. “This is a difficult golf course right now,” Woods said. “Making pars is a good thing. I’ve done that, and I’m right there with a chance.” And he has plenty of company. Tommy Fleetwood, who won the Race to Dubai on the European Tour last year, scratched out a 68 and was one shot out of the lead along with Webb Simpson (72), Russell Henley (70) and Rory Sabbatini (69). Justin Thomas and Daniel Berger each shot 72 and were in a large group at 139. They were among only 10 players remaining under par. Fleetwood laughed when asked the last time he was at 2 under after 36 holes and only one shot out of the lead. “Maybe some junior event,” he said. “It’s good, though. These are the toughest test in golf. Generally, one of the best players prevail at the end of weeks like this. Weeks like this challenge you to the ultimate level. Whether you shoot two 80s or you lead after two rounds, you can see what you need to do and see where your game is. Because this is as hard as it’s ever going to get for you.” The difficulty was primarily from the wind, which blew just as hard in the morning when List shot his 66 as it did in the afternoon. More aggravating to the players are the greens, which are old and bare, firm and crusty. It’s a recipe for not making many putts. Defending champion Rickie Fowler had six bogeys on his front nine and shot 77 to miss the cut. “It’s unfortunate that the greens have changed this much in a year,” Fowler said. “They typically get slick and quick on the weekend because they dry out, but at least there’s some sort of surface. But like I said, everyone’s playing the same greens.” It looked as though List was playing a different course when he went out with a bogey-free 32 on the back nine, added a pair of birdies on the front nine and then dropped his only shot when he caught an awkward lie in the bunker on the par-3 seventh. “It’s very relentless,” List said. “There’s not really too many easy holes, but if you hit fairways and go from there, you can make a few birdies out there.” List and Lovemark, both Californians, have never won on the PGA TOUR. This is the third time List has had at least a share of the 36- hole lead, most recently in South Korea at the CJ Cup, where he shot 76-72 on the weekend. “It’s kind of irrelevant because there’s going to be 30 guys within a couple shots of the lead,” List said. “It’s going to be that type of week.” He was exaggerating — there were 11 players within three shots of the lead. And there was another guy four shots behind. Woods brought big energy to a Friday afternoon that already was hopping before he overcame a sluggish start and holed a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 9 to make the turn at 1 under for his round, and leaving him two shots out of the lead. Everyone knew it just from listening to the roars. Woods had his chances, twice missing birdie putts from inside 10 feet at Nos. 10 and 12, sandwiched around a 12-foot par save. His round appeared to come undone when he found the water on the 15th and made double bogey for the second straight day. Then, he hit out of a fairway bunker, over the water and onto the green at the dangerous 16th hole and faced a 65-foot putt. He misread the speed and the line, so badly that it was similar to a car driving from Chicago to Denver and winding up in Phoenix. A bogey dropped him to 2 over. The big moment was the 17th hole, 184 yards into the wind and over water. That’s where Rory McIlroy made triple bogey earlier in the day that ruined his otherwise solid round of 72, leaving him seven behind. Making it even tougher for Woods was that Brandt Snedeker hit 5-iron before him to about 6 feet. Woods got to the tee and the wind died, meaning 5-iron was too much and 6-iron wouldn’t clear the water. He went with the 5-iron. “I started that thing pretty far left and hit a pretty big cut in there because I had just too much stick,” Wood said. It landed 12 feet below the hole for a birdie putt. Thomas made 17 pars and a double bogey when he three-putted from 6 feet on No. 16. He felt the same way as Woods. “I’m in a good spot — really good spot — going into this week,” Thomas said.

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It’s time for gamers and pros to unwind as the TOUR returns to Sea Island, part of the Golden Isles off the coast of Georgia, for The RSM Classic. After grinding out two majors in the last 10 weeks the pros can see the finish line for the 2020 portion of the 2021 season and Sea Island Resort will provide the chance to exhale. This will be the 11th consecutive year the Seaside Course will determine the champion. In calendar 2016 Sea Island Resort added the Plantation Course to the Seaside Course to accommodate the full field of 156 players. Each player tees it up one time on each track to establish the top 65 and ties before returning to Seaside on the weekend to determine the champion. This is the last of four multi-course events of the season. The RSM Classic joins The American Express, Farmers Insurance and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as the others. The Plantation course renovation occurred before last year’s event so it has had a year to settle in. The Love brothers, Davis and Mark, should have things in perfect running order at 7,060 yards and Par-72. With that par and distance, scores should be had. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | Sleeper Picks The host Par-70 Seaside course was put together by Tom Fazio and will be the only track using ShotLink this week and annually. With plenty of room to move it off the tee and big targets (read: wind) for approach, it’s hardly a wonder why the average winning score here is pressing 20-under annually. Both tracks use TifEagle Bermuda on the greens and there isn’t much rough that’s going to bother these resort “guests” this week. The RSM Classic has never in 10 tries had a champion post a round OVER par so it’s a wide-open, scoring affair. The host Seaside courses barely tips at 7,000 yards so the door is open for all comers. Signs of a shootout appear everywhere as first-time winners are prevalent and defending or multiple champions don’t exist. In the previous 10 events all but two were decided by a playoff or one stroke so 72 holes of concentration is also expected. Recent Event Winners Stats Recent Winners and Notables 2019: Tyler Duncan (-19, 263) Defeated Webb Simpson on second playoff hole to win for the first time on TOUR. … First winner to have three bogey-free rounds. … Closed with 65, best round of Sunday, to force playoff. … 36 hole leader by two after 61. … Made 18 pars in Round 3 to drop to T5. … Won in his third appearance. … Entered the week with one top 25 in six starts in the new season. Notables: Webb Simpson (P2) was defeated for the second time in a playoff (2011, Ben Crane) here. Led after Round 1 and led the field in birdies with 25. … Sebastian Munoz (3rd) added to his win at Houston and T7 at Greenbrier and was T2 in birdies with 22. … Brendon Todd (4th) set the 54-hole record after 62 in Round but could not win for the third consecutive week on TOUR. … K.H. Lee (T5) made 21 birdies on debut. … Henrik Norlander (T5), vanquished in the five-man playoff of 2017, picked up his second top five in five starts here; made 23 birdies in 2018. … Denny McCarthy (T8) is 24-under in his last seven rounds at this event including 62 in Round 2. … D.J. Trahan (T8) picked up his second top 10 in four tries career and also circled 21 birdies. … T10 was shared by Alex Noren, Brian Stuard, Vaughn Taylor and Will Gordon. … Top 29 players were 10-under or better. 2018: Charles Howell, III (-19, 263) Defeated Patrick Rodgers in a playoff. … Led after 18, 36 and 54 holes. … Not considered “wire-to-wire” because of playoff. … Second in the field with 25 birdies. … Broke the streak of four consecutive first-time winners. … Oldest winner at 39. … First time converting 54-hole lead on TOUR. … Sea Island resident won in his ninth attempt. Notables: Patrick Rodgers (P2) set at TOUR record closing 61-62, the two lowest rounds of the week and led the field in birdies with 26. … Webb Simpson (3rd) closed 63-65 to miss the playoff by a shot. … Luke List (T4) also closed 63-65. … The first champion on two courses, Kevin Kisner (T7) picked up his fourth top 10 in five years. … Resident Zach Johnson (T7) backed up his T8 from 2017, his only two top 10 finishes. … Top 45 players were 10-under or better. 2017: Austin Cook (-21, 261) Won by four on debut for his first TOUR victory in his 14th attempt. … Tied low round of the week with 62 in Round 2. … Led the field in birdies with 23. … Tied 36-hole record and set 54-hole record (-18). … Missed tying Kisner’s tournament record by a shot. … Fourth consecutive first-time winner in the event. … Only squared two bogeys for the week. … T11 in his defense and is 39-under the last three years. Notables: J.J. Spaun (2nd) shot 62 in Round 3 and circled 21 birdies on the week. … Past champions Kevin Kisner (2015) and Chris Kirk (2013) shared T4 with resident Brian Harman and Andrew Landry. … Kirk set the Plantation record with 63 to lead after Round 1. … Zach Johnson and Vaughn Taylor rounded out the top 10 on T8. … Kevin Streelman (T17) only made one bogey on the week but just 12 birdies. … Top 24 players 10-under or better. Key stat leaders Top golfers in each statistic on the 2019-2020 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. * – Top 10 finish here since 2016 Rounds in the 60s 1 Sungjae Im 1 Mark Hubbard 3 Harris English 6 *Brian Harman 9 *Brendon Todd 12 Adam Long 16 Talor Gooch 16 Doc Redman 20 *Kevin Kisner 20 Joel Dahmen 23 Harry Higgs 23 *Patrick Rodgers 23 *Webb Simpson 23 *Henrik Norlander 23 *Sebastian Munoz Ball-Striking 1 Corey Conners 4 Martin Laird 4 Doc Redman 6 Jhonattan Vegas 7 *Webb Simpson 9 Harold Varner III 10 Emiliano Grillo 11 Chesson Hadley 13 Harris English 15 Adam Schenk 15 *Will Gordon 17 *Lucas Glover (T9, 2016) 17 *Henrik Norlander 20 Aaron Wise 22 Tyrrell Hatton 24 Cameron Davis 26 Kyle Stanley 26 *D.J. Trahan Birdie-or-Better Percentage 2 *Webb Simpson 8 Justin Rose 10 Tyrrell Hatton 11 Kristoffer Ventura 14 *Denny McCarthy 15 Charley Hoffman 17 Wyndham Clark 19 Chesson Hadley 20 Bronson Burgoon 23 Ian Poulter 28 Sungjae Im Horses for Courses

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