Wise claims Byron Nelson crown with record win

The easy part is over. As it always does, time ran its course. Thankfully, we were guaranteed not to hang in 2020 forever. Of course, much work remains to transition from dealing with its extraordinary remnants on the daily to filing all its infamy into the history books. Among the innumerable steps of varying degrees to completing that task are adjustments that the PGA TOUR made that will continue to remind us of the impact of last year. This week's Sentry Tournament of Champions serves as the annual reentry of the season following the holiday hiatus. Because three months of competition were lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the construct of the field at Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course is, what else, unprecedented. For the explanation on what is anticipated to be a one-time decision, how Kapalua played in its first edition after its comprehensive renovation a year ago, and much more, continue reading beneath the projected contenders. RELATED: The First Look | Inside the Field POWER RANKINGS: SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS The other 27 in the field will be ranked 16-42 in Tuesday's Fantasy Insider. (There are no Sleepers for the tournament.) When considering the entirety of calendar-year 2020, there was a potential net negative of 11 unique winners of 10 tournaments. Three events originally scheduled for the 2019-20 season (during which 13 tournaments were canceled, including the Zurich Classic of New Orleans from which both members of the winning team qualify for the Sentry Tournament of Champions) were shifted to the fall of the 2020-21 season. Understanding how this could impact the field at Kapalua, it was announced over the summer that all qualifiers for the TOUR Championship would be extended an exemption to tee it up on Maui for the first and probably the only time. With the special provision in place, 45 golfers qualified for what has been the most exclusive event on the schedule because only winners since the last edition have been eligible. This year, 17 qualified via the TOUR Championship only. This includes Abraham Ancer and Scottie Scheffler, neither of whom ever have won a PGA TOUR event. (Rory McIlroy also gained entry via this exemption but has elected not to compete. Tyrrell Hatton and Jim Herman qualified traditionally as winners, but both also didn't commit. Herman cannot play due to contracting COVID-19.) Ignoring the fact that neither Ancer nor Scheffler has experienced the thrill of winning at this level, the chance of either breaking though at Kapalua isn't supported by tournament history. Since David Duval won the inaugural edition of the tournament on the course in 1999, only Sergio Garcia (2002) and Daniel Chopra (2008) have prevailed in a first appearance. In all, there are seven first-timers in the field, but there are only 15 who got a look at the course changes last year. This includes defending champion Justin Thomas, who survived a three-way playoff after settling for 14-under 278 amid challenging conditions in regulation. It was the highest winning aggregate in 13 years. Given the soft turf and strong winds during the renovation's debut, it's possible if not likely that the results will present as an anomaly over time. The machine for trade winds (out of the northeast) will be humming at times, but it won't be cranked up to 10 like last year. And the chance for rain is all but zero. With pleasant weather forecasted, designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw no doubt are eager to observe how the beefier field goes about reeling in the beautifully artistic, blue-and-white glass trophy representing a whale's tail and a crashing wave. The course tips at 7,596 yards and plays to the only par of 73 all season. There are only three par 3s. In this land of extremes, last year's field averaged 80.93 percent (or 12.14) fairways hit per round, easily the most of 41 courses used all season. Now, that's not unusual no matter the conditions since there's considerable real estate within favorable sightlines framed by two-inch primary rough off most tees, but it didn't translate into a commensurate amount of scoring opportunities, largely because of the wind. The field averaged 12.60 greens in regulation per round, which is 1-2 fewer per round than expected. It also registered an average proximity to the hole reading of 45 feet, longest among all tracks measured by ShotLink. The tournament wasn't without an alignment of expectations, however. The new TifEagle bermudagrass greens, which continue to mature but still could show a little spring this week, challenged marvelously. One-putt percentages always will be low and three-putt avoidances always will be high on the massive surfaces, but nothing measured leaps off the page as an outlier. If anything, they were easier because guys could be aggressive within striking distance. That's probably going to change. Greens were flattened as part of the upgrade. This yielded an increase of hole locations and the opportunity to increase speed. Weather-pending, they could run upwards of 11 feet on the Stimpmeter, which is a foot longer than before they were modified. Although Kapalua always has rewarded the full game, the premium on putting has been elevated. 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*: 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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NORTON, Mass. – Playing partners Peter Uihlein and Keith Mitchell entered Monday’s final round of the Dell Technologies Championship facing the same do-or-die situation. Bust the Top 70 bubble or go home. Thanks to some late-round fireworks, both PGA TOUR rookies remain alive for one more week in the FedExCup Playoffs. Uihlein birdied his last three holes to shoot a closing 3-under 68 and move from 83 to 64 in the standings. Mitchell birdied his last two to shoot 69 and move from 78 to 66. Depending on how the tee times shake out, those two may find themselves again as playing partners for the first two rounds later this week at the BMW Championships. Four others also played their way into the top 70 who’ll advance to Aronimink after entering TPC Boston outside the bubble: C.T. Pan (72 to 33), Tyrrell Hatton (71 to 54), Abraham Ancer (92 to 56) and Brice Garnett (81 to 63). Although they spent 18 holes together, neither Uihlein nor Mitchell felt the need to talk about their Playoffs chances Monday. “I think we both knew where we were at,â€� Uihlein said. “I think when he bogeyed 14, I bogeyed 14 as well. I think we both kind of had an idea that we needed to make some birdies coming down the stretch.â€� Added Mitchell: “Peter is great. He’s loose, walking up 18 knowing he had to make birdie as well. When he made that putt on 16, I could see it in his eyes. And we birdied the last two holes. “It’s great when you’re feeding off somebody. It definitely helps.â€� Mitchell had entered the Playoffs ranked 68th in points, and the missed the cut at last week’s THE NORTHERN TRUST to fall outside the top 70. In Friday’s first round at TPC Boston, he shot a 73 and was tied for 70th on the leaderboard. That left him with no option but to play aggressively over the final three rounds – which he did, shooting 66-67-69. “Pretty much had to do everything we could to play our best to finish in the top 20,â€� Mitchell said. “… And I think we did that, so it was awesome.â€� Uihlein, meanwhile, acknowledged he didn’t do himself any favors with a TOUR playing schedule that included just three starts – all majors – during a two-month stretch of the summer. That dropped him from 53 to 76 in the standings, and then he missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship, falling to 81 entering the Playoffs. “It was one of those things if I didn’t get into next week, it wouldn’t have been because of lack of effort this week or today’s round,â€� Uihlein said. “It would have been playing more of a schedule. I don’t think I played enough when I needed to. “After Memphis, I didn’t play again until Wyndham, other than the majors. I think that may have been a bit more of a mistake on my part. I feel like I got it done this week.â€� DISAPPOINTED BUT MOVING ON: Abraham Ancer, seeking his first TOUR win Monday, was in the mix until a tough back nine that included four bogeys. The last one came at 18 when his second shot was lost in the native area guarding the green, forcing him to take a drop. Had Ancer birdied the hole, he would’ve moved to 29th in the standings. An eagle would’ve secured a spot in the TOUR Championship. But despite the bogey, he played well enough to climb inside the top 70. “Coming into this week, knowing I’d move forward, obviously I’d be excited,â€� Ancer said. “But obviously a little bitter, especially finishing like this. Shouldn’t have ever happened. But it’s part of it. You’ve got to learn from it.â€� A STEP FORWARD: A year ago, C.T. Pan finished 88th in the FedExCup standings, missing out on a trip to the BMW. He was determined not to let it happen again. A tie for second at last month’s Wyndham Championship moved him to 63rd in the standings and then after falling outside the top 70 last week, he came up with a clutch performance this week, including a final-round 66 that left him tied for fourth. “Honestly, for the whole summer, I’ve felt good about my game,â€� Pan said. “I just need to click, need to put everything together to put up good scores for four rounds – which I did this week. I feel great.â€� Officially eliminated With only 70 players making it to the BMW Championship the season is now over for 30 more players: Ryan Moore, Whee Kim, Stewart Cink, Nick Watney, Jimmy Walker, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Streelman, Bronson Burgoon, Charley Hoffman, Joel Dahmen, Michael Kim, J.B. Holmes, Kevin Chappell, James Hahn, Jamie Lovemark, Brian Stuard, Kevin Tway, Branden Grace, Russell Knox, Kelly Kraft, Troy Merritt, Tom Hoge, Scott Stallings, Satoshi Kodaira, Jhonattan Vegas, Russell Henley, Danny Lee, Ollie Schniederjans, Anirban Lahiri and Jason Dufner. Moving in/out Here are the players who busted the bubble and moved inside the top 70. C.T. Pan (T4): From 72 to 33 Tyrrell Hatton (T12): From 71 to 54 Abraham Ancer (T7): From 92 to 56 Brice Garnett (T12): From 81 to 63 Peter Uihlein (T12): From 83 to 64 Keith Mitchell (20): From 78 to 66 Here are the players who fell out of the top 70 and saw their seasons end: Ryan Moore (T71): From 60 to 71 Whee Kim (75): From 61 to 72 Stewart Cink (T62): From 65 to 73 Nick Watney (T62): From 67 to 74 Jimmy Walker (T71): From 68 to 75 Kevin Streelman (MC): From 70 to 77 Biggest movers Biggest moves made after the Dell Technologies Championship Up 39 spots – C.T. Pan (72 to 33) Up 36 spots – Abraham Ancer (92 to 56) Up 30 spots – Hideki Matsuyama (58 to 28) Bubble boys Kevin Streelman, who started the week ranked 70th, was officially eliminated after missing the cut. The new bubble boy for next week is Gary Woodland, who moved from 37th to 30th in the standings. Only the top 30 after the BMW Championship will advance to the TOUR Championship. Top 5 watch The top five players in FedExCup points after the BMW Championship will control their own destiny entering the TOUR Championship. A win at East Lake would guarantee any of the top five the FedExCup title. Here’s how the current Top Five fared at the Dell Technologies Championship. 1.Bryson DeChambeau (still 1st) – Won for the second straight week after shooting a 4-under 67. 2. Dustin Johnson (still 2nd) – Shot a 7-under 64 to finish tied for 7th. 3. Justin Thomas (now 5th) – Shot a 6-under 65 to finish tied for 24th. 4. Tony Finau (still 4th) –  Shot a 3-under 68 to finish tied for 4th. 5. Brooks Koepka (now 6th) – Shot a 3-under 68 to finish tied for 12th. NOTE: Justin Rose moves from 6th to 3rd after finishing solo second.

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Facing one of the most delicate shots in the game – a pitch off the putting surface over the ridge that bisects the 17th green – Gary Woodland taps into the resolve and positivity of a friend (Amy “I got thisâ€� Bockerstette) and stays cool under pressure from beginning to end to win the U.S. Open by three over two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka.  Welcome to the Monday Finish, where Woodland converted a 54-hole lead/co-lead into a victory for the first time in eight tries on the PGA TOUR, and signaled he has reached a whole new level of excellence as he jumped to fifth in the FedExCup. FIVE OBSERVATIONS 1. Woodland is one-dimensional no more. With his broad back and an athlete’s swagger, Woodland made no secret of his competitive advantage over the course of his first 244 starts on TOUR. He was strong. He was long. Now he’s a lot more than that. “It was just learning how to play golf,â€� the popular winner said after not only hanging onto his one-shot lead but extending it to three by the time the day was done. There were plenty of reasons to doubt Woodland, starting with his seven failures to close out 54-hole leads/co-leads, extending to his streaky putting, and grinding to a halt at his pedestrian record at Pebble. (He shot 76-76 to miss the cut at the 2010 U.S. Open there, and had missed three cuts in four starts at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the other one a T5 in 2017.) But this really was not the same guy. Woodland, 35, was unrelenting in his quest to improve. He already had one of the best coaches in the game in his corner in Butch Harmon, but found another in Pete Cowan, and yet another in putting specialist Phil Kenyon. It was his work on the greens that stood out most as he captured his first major in his 31st career attempt. He made highlights with a 42-foot par save at the 14th hole Saturday, but was just as solid Sunday, even when his work on the greens meant swinging a sand wedge on 17. In the end, Woodland made just four bogeys all week, tying a U.S. Open record, and was a career-best 2nd in Strokes Gained: Putting (+8.3).  For more on how Woodland became a complete player, click here. 2. It all started when he changed everything. “You look at guys that are successful,â€� Woodland told the PGATOUR.COM prior to defending his title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open earlier this season, “and you ask yourself: What are they doing that I’m not?â€� And by “guysâ€� he meant more than golfers. Frustrated by injuries and looking to change things up, he called friend Ray Allen, then with the Miami Heat. “Ray told me to come to Miami to come check out this guy named David Alexander,â€� Woodland said. Alexander founded DBC Fitness, which stands for Dumbbells, Barbells and Cables, and boasts a deep roster of star athletes. DBC reshaped Woodland’s workouts, but also the way he ate, hydrated and even traveled. He even moved to South Florida (Delray Beach), which had the added benefit of facilitating further skull sessions with Alexander. “It’s just changed everything,â€� Woodland said. For more on Woodland’s decision to change everything, click here. 3. The Amy factor was huge. The final piece of the puzzle was attitude, and there was some kismet involved in how that one came together. Woodland played a hole with Special Olympics athlete Amy Bockerstette at the Waste Management at TPC Scottsdale, and after coaching herself up with self-talk (“I got thisâ€�) Bockerstette made a par that went viral on social media. Woodland made a friend who turned into more than that: an inspiration. Whenever things got tight at Pebble, and there were no shortage of such times, starting when Koepka birdied four of the first five holes ahead of him, he repeated those words from Amy in Phoenix: I got this. “She’s meant everything for me from a mental standpoint,â€� he said. For more on how Amy fueled Woodland’s major breakthrough, click here. 4. Mighty Koepka just keeps on rolling. Before he won his fourth major at the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, Koepka said he didn’t see why he shouldn’t aim for at least 10 major victories. At the time his prediction likely struck a few listeners as perhaps a bit over-ambitious. But now—did he aim too low? Koepka electrified fans with his hot start Sunday (he cooled and signed for a 68) and became the first player to shoot four rounds in the 60s at a U.S. Open and not win. He has now finished either first or second in the last four majors, and doesn’t seem to be going away. “It doesn’t sting,â€� said Koepka, who after birdies at four of the first five holes went 1 over the rest of the way. “I played great. Nothing I could do. Gary played great for four days. … He deserves it; he’s worked hard and I’m happy for him.â€�   5. Rose, McIlroy rue missed opportunities. Reigning FedExCup champion Justin Rose started the day just a shot off the lead but struggled from tee to green and did well to limit the damage to a final-round 74 (T3). “I didn’t have my “A” game this week,â€� said Rose, who gave a memorable congratulatory fist-bump to Woodland after the latter player had hit perhaps the shot of the tournament on 17. “And to contend in a major with no game, really, I take the positive from that…â€� Rory McIlroy, coming off a rousing victory at the RBC Canadian Open, had only an outside shot and needed to shoot a magical round. Instead, he doomed his chances with a double-bogey at the second hole, his first of several mistakes on the day, as he shot 72 to finish T9. FIVE INSIGHTS 1. Woodland was just too good on the greens, ranking +8.29 in Strokes Gained: Putting. That gave him a significant advantage over runner-up Koepka (56th, +0.24). 2. Koepka distinguished himself, among other ways, by ranking first in Greens in Regulation (54/72) and T5 in Driving Distance (310.80). But Woodland was right there with him, ranking second in Greens in Regulation (52/72) and also T5 in Driving Distance. 3. The last 10 U.S. Opens have given us seven first-time major winners. Woodland, Koepka and Jordan Spieth are the only players to win a major by three or more shots in the last three seasons. 4. One reason for McIlroy’s inability to carry his form from the RBC Canadian Open (runaway victory) to the U.S. Open (72, T9): putting. He went from +2.80 in Strokes Gained: Putting on Thursday to -2.98 in that stat on Sunday, and ranked 54th for the week. 5. Victor Hovland (67, 4 under, T12) became the first player to win low-amateur honors at the Masters and the U.S. Open in the same season since 1998. The reigning U.S. Amateur champ will turn pro at the Travelers Championship this week. WYNDHAM REWARDS The Wyndham Rewards Top 10 is in its first season and adds another layer of excitement to the FedExCup Regular Season. The top 10 players at the end of the FedExCup Regular Season will earn bonus payouts from the Wyndham Rewards Top 10. Matt Kuchar (73, T16) remains No. 1, while U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland jumped from 9th to 5th. Meanwhile, friend and playing partner Justin Rose (74, T3), the reigning FedExCup champion, fought his game but nevertheless moved up a spot from 10th to 9th.

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