Woodland delivers surprise invite to Bockerstette

Pine Valley Golf Club, long held in high esteem in the golf community for its architectural features and stern test to high-end players, is set to break from tradition and allow women members for the first time.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – News and notes from the final round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow where Justin Thomas fired a 68 to win his first major championship  by two strokes. For more information on the final round, click here to read The Daily Wrap. THOMAS WINS AMONGST FRIENDS We’ve seen those SB2K17 spring break pictures from the Bahamas plastered all over social media. Think Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler swimming, soaking up the sun, sinking putts and shooting hoops. A pint-sized pig even nosed his way into some of the photos. On Sunday at Quail Hollow, Spieth and Fowler stood as inconspicuously as they could on the 18th fairway watching as their best bud won his first major championship. “It’s awesome and I think they know I would do the same for them,â€� Thomas said. “It’s a cool little friendship we have.â€� Also on hand was Bud Cauley, Thomas’ roommate in Jupiter, Florida, and also a former Alabama golfer, who teed off at 9:35 a.m. in the 10th group of the day. “I just didn’t believe Bud Cauley stayed around,â€� Thomas said. “He’s one of my best friends. I was about ten minutes from going to tee off and he was walking off to go sign his scorecard. “So he hung around for an entire 18 holes just to stick around, and not knowing what could happen.â€� Spieth, who won the Open Championship last month, had started the final round 11 shots off the pace, his chance to complete the career Grand Slam essentially gone. When he finished off his round of 70, though, Spieth could tell things were going Thomas’ way. Fowler, who is seeking his first major championship, was in the thick of things, playing just six groups ahead of Thomas. He shot 67 and waited with Spieth, both players maintaining a low profile and letting the spotlight shine on their friend. “But I think that kind of shows, you know, where the game is right now, where all of us are,â€� Thomas said. “I mean, we obviously all want to win. We want to beat the other person. “But if we can’t win, we at least want to enjoy it with our friends. I think that we’ll all be able to enjoy this together, and I know it’s going to make them more hungry, just like it did me, for Jordan at the British, or whatever you want to say.â€� REED SETTLES IN The way Patrick Reed saw it, Sunday was a microcosm of his season. Yes, he had a chance to win the PGA Championship. But everything had to fall into place, and while Reed closed to within a shot as the Green Mile loomed, Justin Thomas was just too strong. “This year’s kind of been, kind of the moral of the story of today,â€� Reed said with a sigh. “Very frustrating; a lot of good things going on, but falling just a little short.â€� He knew he had no margin for error on Sunday. Reed started the final round of the PGA Championship five strokes off the lead. He couldn’t afford to make bogeys. He couldn’t squander birdie opportunities, either – not on a course like Quail Hollow. Reed succeeded in making birdies, carving out seven through 15 holes. But he gave three shots back with bogeys, including at the 18th, and ended up falling two shy of victory. “To be as far back as I was coming in today, to win a golf tournament, you have to make every one of them,â€� Reed said. “You can’t sit there and you can’t miss putts. Even if they are 30-footers, if you’re that far back to win, you have to make all of them. “Unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that, and that’s why I’m sitting here disappointed.â€� Still, Sunday’s tie for second came with some positives. It was, after all, Reed’s first top 10 in 16 major championship starts and his best finish of the season, as well. The five-time PGA TOUR champ also moved inside the top 10 for an automatic Presidents Cup berth.  Most of all, though, Reed came away pleased by how comfortable he felt being in contention at one of the game’s biggest events. “My first two years at the majors, I was putting too much pressure on myself,â€� Reed said. “I was making them way bigger than they needed to be. They are still golf tournaments. There’s still 72 holes. You’ve got to go out and play some good golf. “At the end of the day, what I loved to see was when I got in contention today, when I went on that run to get myself actually in the golf tournament … I didn’t feel any different. I didn’t feel any pressure.â€� KISNER HUNGRY FOR MORE Kevin Kisner was nothing if not resilient at the PGA Championship. He held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds, and even when Kisner finally lost it on Sunday, he kept fighting back. In the end, though, the treacherous Green Mile – and the surging Thomas – simply proved too much for him. But Kisner is ready for more.  “It’s fun trying to compete,â€� he said.  “Fun trying to see what you can do. There’s only a certain number of people in the world that get that opportunity, and that’s why we’re out here.â€� Kisner says he gets his tenacity from his parents. And nowhere was that determination on display more than during the 2015-16 season when he lost in three playoffs before picking up his first win last fall.  “They taught me about being a good person and believing in yourself,â€� Kisner said. “And to be the best you’ve got to work hard and that’s what I’ve done in my career.â€� This week at Quail Hollow, Kisner, who ranks 127th in driving distance, was able to offset that deficit with a red-hot putter. At least through the first three rounds. On Sunday, though, the putts that fell early in the week spun out of the cup. Kisner estimated he missed at least three of 8 feet or less but even so, he was feeling good about his chances. “I really liked the way I started out, hitting the ball solid and gave myself a lot of looks,â€� Kisner said. “Just not making the putts that I need to make to win major championships A waterlogged approach at the par-5 seventh was a jolt to the system. It led to his first bogey and is something Kisner says will “hauntâ€� him. “I actually went back for one more club and got too greedy with it,â€� he said. “That should be — that’s one of the holes I have to make 4 on to compete, and walk away with 6 was painful.â€� A birdie at the 10th hole was followed by back-to-back bogeys. But Kisner rolled in birdie putts at Nos. 14 and 15 to get within a touch of Thomas before he faltered over the Green Mile, playing it in 3 over for the second straight day. “That’s not going to be fun to look at,â€� Kisner said. “I thought I had to get to 10 starting the day to win and that was about right. I had every opportunity. I just didn’t finish it off.â€� ODDS AND ENDS Chris Stroud picked up his first PGA TOUR win seven days ago at the Barracuda Championship. On Sunday, he played in the final group at the PGA Championship and ended up with his first top 10 in a major, a tie for ninth. Not a bad week’s work. Stroud, undaunted by the closing 76, called it a “dream come true,â€� adding later the experience was “absolutely unbelievable.â€� “You know, all these guys, J.T., I mean, he’s a deserving champion.â€� Stroud said. “He came out hard. Once he won, everybody knew he was going to win a lot, and he won two in a row, I think, this year, both in Hawai’i he won, Mr. 59. “These guys are really good. The commercial’s right.â€� … As if the Green Mile isn’t taxing enough, Jon Rahm had an added challenge on the 18th hole. His approach landed on the bank of the creek. He had no stance and ended up standing to the side of the ball, facing away from the green. Rahm then held the club backwards in his right hand and made contact, advancing the ball onto the green. He then two-putted for bogey – which certainly would have made the great Seve Ballesteros proud. “If I tried to stand in front of the ball, I’d really have to chop it down,â€� Rahm said. “The only way to hit it on line would be to hit in front of my legs, so that was no option. I’m not gonna hit it left-handed because that’s too much of a gamble for me. And I couldn’t stand in the water because it was so high. “To me, it seemed like the only logical option. It’s straight back, it’s straight backthrough. It’s a very consistent movement.â€� Louis Oosthuizen, who shot 70 on Sunday and tied for second with Francesco Molinari and Reed, has now finished runner-up in all the majors – and THE PLAYERS Championship. He lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters, tied for second at the 2015 U.S. Open and Open Championship and was runner-up at the PLAYERS earlier this year. Oosthuizen has one major to his credit – he won the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews. 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Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the 147th The Open Championship gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom plays to Par-71 (36-35) and is hosting for the eighth time. Champion Golfer of the Year Francesco Molinari fired a final-round 69 to post eight-under-par 276 to win The Open Championship by two shots. Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele all shared second place. Molinari’s first major championship was also the first for Italy as he picked up his third win in his last six events worldwide. Even more impressive than his recent run of form, Molinari didn’t make a bogey in his final 37 holes as he tamed the feared Carnoustie on the weekend. He was 74th of 79 players in hitting fairways but still kept squares off his card and he made par-saving putts all day. His winning round included 13 consecutive pars to begin Sunday and finished with his second birdie from five feet on the 72nd hole. Playing with Tiger Woods, it was never going to be easy, but he looked anything but fazed by the situation. He joined Justin Rose as the only two players to post both weekend rounds in the 60’s as he signed for 65-69. The 35-year-old has now rattled off T2, T20, T25 and WIN in his last four majors as he’s in the form of his life. Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. Not even a pair of firsts in his last five events plus a runner-up finish last week at the John Deere Classic could convince a majority of gamers to stick Molinari into the lineup! Don’t worry, he’ll be in the other three majors for the next five years and The Open Championship until he’s 60. PAIN OR GAIN These were the top-10 selected golfers (plus one) in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: It was incredible to see five of the top six players in the conversation at some point on Sunday. Molinari should be a popular selection at the PGA Championship at Bellerive next month or the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational before that. Winning for the first time on the PGA TOUR didn’t bother him so I doubt a major championship will cause him to shut it down. … Of the last 12 major champions, 10 have been first-timers. Only Koepka and Spieth have won more than once. Justin Time After making birdie on the last Friday to make the weekend, England’s Justin Rose took full advantage of his second chance. He backed up his 64 on Saturday, the lowest round of the week, with a grandstand finish on Sunday. His 69 included an eagle on No. 14 and taking the clubhouse lead after making birdie on the final hole for the fourth round in a row. His T2 is his best Open Championship finish and is his fifth top-10 in his last five starts worldwide. Return of the McIlroy In his last four Open Championships Rory McIlroy has nearly won them all. His T2 this week adds to T2 (’14), WIN (’15) and T5 last year. It’s not a surprise he heats up this time of year and this week he put all four rounds in the red this week. Sadly he didn’t make anything besides the monster eagle on No. 14 in the last round. Gamers do know when he turns on the class, it’s time to jump on board and they will have MULTIPLE events to use him coming down the stretch. X Marks the Spot If Xander Schauffele (T2) was your entrant in this week for lowest score of Class of 2011, please step up and claim your prize! Playing in the final group with Spieth won’t do anything except enhance his confidence moving forward in his second season on TOUR. His four top-10 paydays this season have come on Riviera, TPC Sawgrass, Shinnecock Hills and Carnoustie. He’s played six majors over the last two years had has three top-six finishes including the best of the bunch from this week. Scar Tissue Kevin Kisner shared the 54-hole lead with Spieth and Schauffele but posted 74 Sunday to share second. Kisner was the solo 54-hole leader last summer at Quail Hollow Club at the PGA Championship and also posted 74. He’s now played from the final group and the penultimate group in two of the last four majors. Remember in 2015 when he lost three playoffs before finally breaking through? This was his first top-10 paycheck since Harbour Town the week after the Masters. Sunday Stunners Tiger Woods led in the final round in a major championship after his first 10 holes on Sunday. He was seven-under before doubling No. 11 and squaring a bogey on No. 12 to knock him out of the top spot. He rallied for a birdie on No. 14 and shared T6 three ways, just enough to get him to No. 50 in the OWGR and into the field at the WGC-Bridgestone in two weeks. He’s won that event eight times and this will be the final year it hosts this or any PGA TOUR event. … Eddie Pepperell was T16 at Erin Hills in 2017, the last major he played before T6 this week. … Kevin Chappell is now working with Sean Foley. I’d say it’s working after picking up his first top 10 (T6) since API in March. … The defending champion, Jordan Spieth, and runner-up, Matt Kuchar, from Royal Birkdale both cashed T9. It’s Spieth’s second top 10 in the majors after solo third at Augusta. It’s Kuchar’s first top 10 since Houston in late March. I didn’t know Carnoustie had such healing powers. I thought it was supposed to be difficult and punishing! … Tony Finau has hit the top 10 in all three majors this season after finishing T9. Study Hall As predicted by many Marcus Kinhult (T61) and Erik Van Rooyen (T17) led the field in fairways with 42 of 60 (70%). … Tommy Fleetwood (T12) and Finau (T9) were Nos. 1 and 2 in GIR. … Molinari was joined by Koepka and Cameron Davis (T39) in circling the most birdies for the week with 17. In 2007 the leader in this category circled 18. … Gary Woodland has never MC in seven Open Championships but only has one top 25 (T12, 2016). … Jason Dufner has now made the weekend in seven straight across the pond. … The 2019 Open Championship will be contested at Royal Portrush. The Barbasol Championship has been fighting weather all weekend and is currently suspended in Round 4. The top 20 players haven’t been on the course yet.

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