Woodland delivers surprise invite to Bockerstette

Those of you with an attention to detail might already be confused. But no, Rob Bolton hasn't suddenly got rounder cheeks, a combover and a thick Australian accent. As loyal readers know, Power Rankings is Rob's domain, and will continue to be, except for this exception. The fact is... it is 2020... so it makes sense that a complete rookie in this space tells you all who are the most likely contenders for the FedExCup in this COVID-19 affected season. So as you read on keep in mind this could be like sending a college quarterback in for Tom Brady, or perhaps in baseball parlance (Rob does love his Cubs) it's like having Ian Happ pinch hit for Babe Ruth. And while Rob deals completely in cold hard numbers and facts, personally I add his most feared component... "feel". As an employee on the ground at many tournaments sometimes you just know what's coming. Remember the Playoffs are just three weeks and this season points have been adjusted to drop from four times value to three for the opening two weeks of Playoffs. More on that below the list of projected contenders... along with trends that help project the top 30. POWER RANKINGS: FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS In a one off move thanks to the reduced season caused by COVID-19 cancelations, Playoff points this season for THE NORTHERN TRUST and the BMW Championship are tripled as opposed to quadrupled. Regular season points carry into the Playoffs but now winners of THE NORTHERN TRUST and the BMW Championship receive 1,500 points. A solo second is worth 900 points, third yields 570, and so on. This change will most certainly affect those who will make the top 30 come TOUR Championship time. The top 20 from the regular season are inside these power rankings by default - this is by design as I noticed Rob did the same a year ago based on the knowledge that for the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Playoffs the top 20 remained inside the top 30 after the first two tournaments in the Playoffs. (Prior to last season there were three Playoff events before the TOUR Championship). Looking at last season results we see the top 19, and 22 of the top 23 from the start of the Playoffs all made Atlanta. In total just seven players came from outside the top 30 as the Playoffs began. Three of those seven started in 31st, 32nd and 33rd place. The longest shot was Abraham Ancer who started at 67th but made his move with a runner up finish in week one of the Playoffs. Of course the triple points throws us into some unchartered territory. It was made to protect a good regular season. We might get even more of the current top 30 stay there but there is also a compaction of total points given less tournaments played. Wyndham Clark is in the 125 slot with 276 points. Cameron Smith is in the 30 slot with 807 points. In other words a 531 points gap. Clark could surpass Smith this week with a solo third place finish. A year ago the gap from 125 to 30 was 593 points. For someone to replicate Ancer, they will need to win or go close to it, in the opening two weeks. That starts at TPC Boston, a Playoff host course from 2007 through 2018. It will feature the standard 36-hole cut of top 65 and ties and once results are official, the top 70 in points will qualify for the BMW Championship. Since 2015, 27 golfers who started the Playoffs outside the top 70 played their way inside the bubble after one tournament. Last year had four players play their way in from outside 70th, but none of those kept it going to get to Atlanta. The BMW Championship this season is to be help at Olympia Fields outside Chicago. While it is not a regular TOUR stop it did play host to the 2003 U.S. Open won by Jim Furyk. The 1928 U.S. Open and the 1925 and 1961 PGA Championships were also at Olympia Fields and the precursor to the BMW Championship, the Western Open, was played there five times, but not since Bruce Crampton won in 1971. Outside of Furyk's win in 2003, modern day has seen the 2015 U.S. Amateur played at Olympia Fields where Bryson DeChambeau was victorious. Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa are just some names that were also in that field. With no cut at Olympia Fields, it’ll be more difficult for the worst seeds to advance to the TOUR Championship, but it’s doable. Since 2015, 17 golfers who started the BMW outside the top 30 played their way in, nine of whom were outside the top 40. The longest shot was Roberto Castro in 2016. As the 53-seed entering the BMW, he finished in solo third and rose to 21st. Remember when we get to Atlanta the old mathematical equations are gone, instead we have the scoring system used for the first time last season. Once the top 30 is determined at the conclusion of the BMW Championship, FedExCup points no longer apply. The top seed entering the finale will begin the tournament at 10-under par. The 2-seed will start at 8-under, and so on down to those seeded 26-30 who open at even par. The winner of the TOUR Championship will be the FedExCup champion. He’ll be credited with an official victory, but there is no separate prize fund. Beginning with bonus money of $15 million to the winner, all earnings will reflect final FedExCup finish. East Lake has held the TOUR Championship since 2004 (and in 2002, 2000, 1998). It has served as the Playoffs culmination since its inception in 2007. But we only have one year of data for the new scoring system. Rory McIlroy won the FedExCup last season despite starting five shots behind Justin Thomas at the beginning of the TOUR Championship. Interestingly enough McIlroy's golf would have been good enough to beat the field had everyone started from scratch. Ok Rob... Come on back now.

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The appeal of U.S. Open sectional qualifying comes from its combination of simplicity and high stakes. Approximately half of the spots in the season’s second major are determined by the game’s most straightforward metric: score. No algoritihms or advanced analytics are used to determine who will earn a tee time at Erin Hills via Monday’s 10 qualifying tournaments, which are being conducted across the United States. Shooting the lowest score is all that matters. It’s that simple. It doesn’t matter if the person signing the scorecard is a major champion, an NCAA champion or a club champion. World Golf Hall of Famers are competing Monday alongside working men. Players who you may have seen at your home club last week are now competing for the chance to tee it up alongside Dustin Johnson and company on one of the world’s largest stages. We’ve compiled a list of notable participants below. These are names you already know, and others that you soon may hear more about. There’s also links to live scoring so that you can follow along as the drama unfolds. PGATOUR.COM also has staffers at four sites who will provide live updates. June 5 Brookside Golf & CC/The Lakes Golf & CC  Columbus, Ohio 120 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Keegan Bradley, whose three PGA TOUR victories include the 2011 PGA Championship — Patrick Cantlay, the former No. 1 amateur who was runner-up at this year’s Valspar Championship. He was runner-up in the 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills. — K.J. Choi, whose eight PGA TOUR wins include the 2011 PLAYERS Championship. — Stewart Cink, whose six PGA TOUR titles include the 2009 Open Championship. — Luke Donald, the former World No. 1 who has won five times on the PGA TOUR. — Mackenzie Hughes, winner of The RSM Classic and No. 19 in the FedExCup. — Smylie Kaufman, winner of last season’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. — Kelly Kraft, winner of the 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills. He was runner-up at this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. — Danny Lee, winner of the 2015 Greenbrier Classic and a member of that year’s International Team at the Presidents Cup. He collected back-to-back top-10s at the AT&T Byron Nelson (T5) and DEAN & DELUCA Invitational (6th). — Luke List, No. 35 in the FedExCup. — Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion and a captain’s assistant for this year’s International Team for the Presidents Cup. — Rod Pampling, winner of this season’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. — Andrew Putnam, who currently leads the Web.com Tour money list. — Ollie Schniederjans, the PGA TOUR rookie who is No. 44 in the FedExCup. — Scottie Scheffler, a Texas All-American who finished T3 at this year’s NCAA Championship. He qualified for last year’s U.S. Open, shooting 69 in the first round before missing the cut. — Cameron Smith, who won this year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Jonas Blixt. Smith finished fourth in the 2015 U.S. Open. Germantown CC/Ridgeway CC Memphis, Tennessee 108 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Sam Burns, who won the 2017 Jack Nicklaus Award as the top player in college golf. Burns qualified for last year’s U.S. Open (MC) at the Memphis site. — Harris English, whose two PGA TOUR victories include the 2013 FedEx St. Jude Classic near Memphis. — Retief Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open winner (2001, ’04). — Cody Gribble, winner of this season’s Sanderson Farms Championship. — Andrew Landry, who ranks third on the Web.com Tour money list. He played in the final group of last year’s U.S. Open before finishing 15th. — Steve Stricker, a 12-time PGA TOUR winner and captain of this year’s U.S. Presidents Cup team. The Wisconsin native is trying to qualify for the first U.S. Open in his home state. — Hudson Swafford, winner of the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge. — Braden Thornberry, winner of the 2017 NCAA individual championship. Hawks Ridge GC Ball Ground, Ga. 36 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Zecheng Dou, who won four times on PGA TOUR China last year and was the tour’s Player of the Year. He is 34th on the Web.com Tour money list. — Stephan Jaeger, who fired 58 last year on the Web.com Tour. He recently won the BMW Charity Pro-Am and ranks seventh on the Web.com Tour money list. — Dru Love, the son of two-time PLAYERS champion Davis Love III. Dru’s father is playing the sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio. — Jimmy Stanger, a first-team All-American at the University of Virginia. Lakewood CC Dallas, Texas 58 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Woody Austin, who has won four times on the PGA TOUR and is a three-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions. — Steven Bowditch, a two-time PGA TOUR winner and member of the 2015 International Team at the Presidents Cup. — Noah Goodwin, the 2016 AJGA Player of the Year. — Hunter Mahan, a six-time PGA TOUR winner. — Ryan Palmer, a three-time PGA TOUR winner who ranks 107th in this season’s FedExCup. — Will Zalatoris, a first-team All-American at Wake Forest who also won the 2014 U.S. Junior. He’s No. 10 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Springfield CC Springfield, Ohio 77 for TBD Tee times/results — Tony Finau, the 2016 Puerto Rico Open champion. He qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open at this site, then tied for 14th at Chambers Bay. — James Hahn, a two-time TOUR winner who recently finished third at the AT&T Byron Nelson.  — Kevin Hall, the former Ohio State golfer who received the Charlie Sifford Exemption to compete in this year’s Genesis Open. Hall, who has been deaf since age 2, missed the cut at Riviera. — Dylan Meyer, an Illinois junior who was one of three finalists for the Ben Hogan Award, which is given to the top player in college and amateur golf. He is the world’s fourth-ranked amateur. — Brian Stuard, winner of the 2016 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Woodmont CC Rockville, Md. 50 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Jason Gore, who owns one PGA TOUR title and seven victories on the Web.com Tour. He played in the final group of the 2005 U.S. Open. He ranks 15th on the Web.com Tour money list. — Billy Hurley III, winner of the 2016 Quicken Loans National at nearby Congressional Country Club. — Dan McCarthy, who won four times on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada last year and currently ranks 55th on the Web.com Tour money list. — Kyle Thompson, who ranks fifth on the Web.com Tour money list. Canoe Brook CC Summit, N.J. 80 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Rich Berberian, winner of the 2016 PGA Professional National Championship. — Daniel Chopra, whose two PGA TOUR victories include the 2008 Tournament of Champions. — Mike Dunham, a former NHL goaltender and 2002 Olympics silver medalist. He is currently the New York Islanders’ goaltending coach. — Jim Herman, winner of the 2016 Shell Houston Open who was a club professional in New Jersey before making the PGA TOUR. — Nathan Smith, a four-time winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. — Richy Werenski, a PGA TOUR rookie who ranks 144th in the FedExCup. Jupiter Hills Club Tequesta, Fla. 49 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Robert Allenby, a four-time PGA TOUR winner and six-time Presidents Cup participant for the International Team. — Sam Horsfield, who has turned pro after two years at the University of Florida. Horsfield, who has been mentored by Ian Poulter, won four times at Florida and was a first-team All-American in 2016. — Jack Maguire, who ranks 46th on the Web.com Tour money list. — Joaquin Niemann, the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He is an incoming freshman at the University of South Florida. — Alejandro Tosti, a University of Florida golfer who won this year’s SEC individual championship. — Andy Zhang, who is the youngest person to ever qualify for the U.S. Open. He was 14 years old when he qualified for the 2012 U.S. Open. He now plays for the University of Florida. Big Canyon CC/Newport Beach CC Newport Beach, Calif. 103 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Charlie Beljan, winner of the 2012 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. — Sean Crocker, the world’s ninth-ranked amateur. Crocker, a USC junior, was born in Zimbabwe and has been mentored by Nick Price, the International Team captain for the Presidents Cup. — Stewart Hagestad, the 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion and low amateur at this year’s Masters (T36). — Max Homa, a PGA TOUR player who won the 2013 NCAA Championship. — Beau Hossler, who first gained fame when he contended at the 2012 U.S. Open at the age of 16. Hossler is in his first full season of professional golf. — Collin Morikawa, a first-team All-American this season for Cal. Morikawa finished runner-up at the 2016 Air Capital Classic on the Web.com Tour, losing a playoff to Ollie Schniederjans. — Scott McCarron, who owns three titles apiece on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions. He ranks second in this season’s Charles Schwab Cup. — John Oda, a first-team All-American at UNLV who is coming off a T8 finish at the NCAA Championship. — Norman Xiong, who won this year’s Phil Mickelson Award as the top freshman in college golf. Xiong plays for Oregon. Tacoma Country & GC Lakewood, Wash. 70 for TBD Tee times/scoring — Tadd Fujikawa, who qualified for the 2006 U.S. Open at the age of 15. — Lee McCoy, who finished fourth as an amateur at the 2016 Valspar Championship. He is competing on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada. — Jordan Niebrugge, a Wisconsin native who’s trying to return home for the U.S. Open. Niebrugge finished sixth at the 2015 Open Championship. — Robby Shelton, who finished T3 at the 2015 Barbasol Championship while still an amateur. The former Alabama All-American recently was medalist at Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Q-School. — Aaron Wise, who ranks 27th on the Web.com Tour money list. Wise won the 2016 NCAA individual championship for Oregon and led the Ducks to the team title. May 29 Walton Heath Golf Club Surrey, England 111 for 15 Popular PGA TOUR rookie Andrew Johnston qualified for the U.S. Open in exciting fashion, making three eagles during his two rounds at Walton Heath Golf Club. He made a hole-in-one during his morning round on the New Course, then had two eagles in the afternoon. Johnston is 188th in the FedExCup. Haotong Li, a former winner on PGA TOUR China and winner of the 2016 China Open, finished second, one shot behind Aaron Rai. 1. Aaron Rai, 66-64 (-14) 2. Haotong Li, 67-64 (-13) T3. Alexander Levy, 63-69 (-12) T3. Richie Ramsay, 66-66 (-12) T5. Oliver Bekker, 67-66 (-11) T5. Joel Stalter, 68-65 (-11) T5. Bradley Dredge, 62-71 (-11) T5. Eddie Pepperell, 67-66 (-11) T9. Brandon Stone, 68-66 (-10) T9. George Coetzee, 64-70 (-10) T9. Andrew Johnston, 68-66 (-10) T12. Paul Dunne, 67-68 (-9) T12. Matt Wallace, 67-68 (-9) T12. Thomas Aiken, 68-67 (-9) T12. Wade Ormsby, 66-69 (-9) 1st alt.: Gregory Bourdy, 71-64 (-9) 2nd alt.: Callum Shinkwin, 65-70 (-9) Notable MCs: MC. Nicolas Colsaerts, 69-67 (-8) MC. Mikko Ilonen, 71-65 (-8) MC. Padraig Harrington, 77-68 (+1) May 22 Ono Golf Club Ono City, Japan 36 for 4 Four-time Japan Tour winner Satoshi Kodaira posted a four-shot victory at the U.S. Open qualifier in Japan. Kodaira, 27, will be making his U.S. Open debut. The other three berths to Erin Hills were decided in a 6-for-3 playoff that lasted eight holes. Yusaku Miyazato, the older brother of nine-time LPGA winner Ai Miyazato, ended the playoff by making an 18-foot birdie putt for the final spot. Yusaku, who finished 23rd in last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, has won twice on the Japan Tour this year. Chan Kim earned a spot in The Open Championship six days after qualifying for the U.S. Open. He won the Gateway to the Open – Mizuno Open on May 28 to qualify for The Open Championship. It was the first Japan Tour win for the 27-year-old Arizona State alumnus. Among those who failed to qualify were Trevor Sluman, the nephew of 1988 PGA Championship winner Jeff Sluman, and PGA TOUR member Hiroshi Iwata. 1. Satoshi Kodaira, 64-69 (-11) T2. Yusaku Miyazato, 66-71 (-7) T2. Chan Kim, 69-68 (-7) T2. Shugo Imahira, 68-69 (-7) 1st alt.: Sungjae Im, 68-69 (-7) 2nd alt.: Shintaro Kobayashi, 70-67 (-7) Notable MCs:  MC. Hiroshi Iwata, 68-70–138 (-6) MC. Trevor Sluman, 71-76–147 (+5) MC. Anthony Paolucci, 74-78–152 (+8)

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