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PGA Tour: John Deere Preview

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SILVIS – John Deere Classic favorite, Steve Stricker, WD from the tournament after a runner-up outing in last week’s Senior U.S. Open. He shot (-9) 275 and fell one stroke behind tournament champion Padraig Harrington.

The John Deere Classic has a long history of successful outings by Sponsor Exemptions. Players competing on sponsor exemptions this year that have not yet been a PGA Tour member include:

  • Luke Gannon: 3rd career PGA TOUR start (MC at 2021 John Deere Classic and 2022 U.S. Open); PGA TOUR Canada member
  • Patrick Flavin: 8th PGA TOUR start this season (five as Open Qualifier); 76 non-member FedEx Cup points
  • Christopher Gotterup: 5th PGA TOUR start this season (best: T-7/Puerto Rico Open); 2022 Division I Player of the Year
  • Quinn Riley: PGA TOUR debut (MC at 2022 REX Hospital Open on Korn Ferry Tour); No. 1 in 2021-22 APGA Collegiate Ranking

Daniel Berger, the highest ranking PGA Tour pro entered this week, withdrew

John Deere Classic

from the John Deere Classic and stated via Twitter: “Gutted to have to withdrawal from the @JDCLASSIC this week. I am working on getting back to 100% but do not feel prepared to tee it up on Thursday. I want to wish all the players luck and thank @JohnDeere for their continued support.”

In his 3rd start at the John Deere Classic this week, Illinois native Nick Hardywill tee-it-up at TPC Deere Run on the heels of his career-best finish of T-8 at last week’s Travelers Championship.

Sperry, Iowa native Charles Jahn will make his PGA TOUR debut at the John Deere Classic this week. Jahn holed a 40-foot putt for birdie at the third extra hole to advance in a 6-for-1 playoff on Monday.

There are eight events over the next six weeks remaining until the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. With 76 of the top 125 in the FedExCup standings not competing this week, the John Deere Classic provides an opportunity for players outside the Top 125 to make a move before the end of the FedEx Cup Regular Season.

Schauffele vs Cantlay | Final at Travelers

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CROMWELL – Xander Schauffele is seeking his sixth career PGA Tour title today and his first individual stroke-play victory since the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions. Patrick Cantlay, who partnered with Schauffele to win this season’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, is in pursuit of his eighth career Tour victory and seventh Top-5 finish of the season after carding the low score of the day on Saturday with a (63).

Schauffele and Cantlay will play in the final round together for the second time in their careers on Tour.

After making his professional debut at the 2020 Travelers Championship (MC), Sahith Theegala seeks his first career Tour title in his 38th start. He can become the second rookie winner on Tour this season.

In only his third PGA Tour start, 20-year-old amateur Michael Thorbjornsen(T-7) is playing to become first amateur to win on Tour since Phil Mickelsonat 1991 Northern Telecom Open.

Travelers Championship | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

Xander Schauffele 63-63-67—193 (-17)

Patrick Cantlay 64-67-63—194 (-16)

Sahith Theegala 67-65-64—196 (-14)

Kevin Kisner 67-64-66—197 (-13)

Schauffele Leads Going Into Hot Weekend at The Travelers

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PGA Tour Stop at TPC River Highlands Stacked with Talent

CROMWELL – Coming off a T-14 at last week’s U.S. Open, Xander Schauffele made big strides towards his sixth career PGA Tour title and first individual stroke-play victory since the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions by shooting his second straight (63) at TPC River Highlands. He leads Patrick Cantlay by five strokes heading into the weekend.

Reigning FedEx Cup Champion Patrick Cantlay (T-2/-9) opened his eighth Travelers Championship in (64-67). In his first start at TPC River Highlands in 2011, Cantlay posted a second-round 10-under (60), which still stands as his career-low score. Cantlay, who partnered with Schauffele to win this season’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, closes in on a seventh Top-5 finish of the season.

Harris English will attempt to become the second player to successfully defend a Travelers Championship title (Phil Mickelson/2002) and fifth player to successfully defend a title in the 2021-22 season.

Travelers Championship | Leaderboard After 36 Holes

Xander Schauffele 63-63—126 (-14)

Patrick Cantlay 64-67—131 (-9)

Harris English 66-65—131 (-9)

Nick Hardy 67-64—131 (-9)

Cam Davis 65-66—131 (-9)

Kevin Kisner 67-64—131 (-9)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour Swings Into Hartford

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CROMWELL – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines a very strong field which includes six of the Top-15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking; Scottie Scheffler (1), Rory McIlroy (2), Patrick Cantlay (6), Sam Burns (9), Jordan Spieth (11) and Xander Schauffele (15).

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A would-be seventh of that group, Justin Thomas (5), withdrew from the tourney.

Longtime Travelers favorite and former champion, Bubba Watson, is not in the field as he’s still recuperating from surgery.

With a win (RBC Canadian Open) and T-5 (U.S. Open) in his last two starts, McIlroy moved to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest ranking since July 25, 2020.

Harris English returns to TPC Highlands as the defending champion as he defeated Kramer Hickok in an eight-hole playoff to win his fourth PGA Tour title at the 2021 Travelers Championship. After playing in the West Coast Hawaii swing earlier this year, English underwent right hip surgery in February but returned to action in June at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (MC). In his most recent start, he finished T-61 at the U.S. Open.

Remember this? After matching pars with Kramer Hickok on the first seven extra holes of the 2021 Travelers Championship, Harris English made birdie on the eighth hole of sudden death (No. 18) for the win. The 2021 playoff is tied for the second longest playoff in Tour history.

While the TPC River Highlands annually attracts an amazing field, no matter if it’s positioned before or after the U.S. Open, this year the tournament comes smack in the middle of a newfound controversy as both Abraham Ancer and Brooks Koepka announced this week that they will switch to the LIV Golf circuit. The two players were suspended by the Tour.

To counter the lure of the LIV, the PGA TOUR announced it will undergo significant changes, including staging and additional six tournaments with $20 million-plus purses.

“These changes will further strengthen the FedExCup and create a strong, coordinated global schedule,” Monahan wrote, detailing a condensed FedExCup season that will run from January to August, “offering a more compelling product for our players, fans and partners.

“While different than it’s been in the past, I think it’s going to be very exciting for fans and I think will create great energy in the fall,” said Monahan, who added that he expects the fall events to be “very consequential, very meaningful.”

“There is more work to be done and details to confirm,” Monahan said in a lengthy press conference at TPC River Highlands, “but implementing substantial changes to our schedule gives us the best opportunity to not only drive earnings to our players, but also improve our product and create a platform for continued growth in the future.”

In his pre-tournament press conference at the Travelers Championship, two-time FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy reflected on the impact that the PGA TOUR has on the communities it plays in while also reflecting on the organization’s future.

“I think it’s not lost on me what PGA TOUR events … can do for the communities that they’re played in,” he said. “I think that’s not lost on the players that when they come and play PGA TOUR events they’re helping to do something really good in the community … and I think that’s important.”

 

Wet and Wild at the U.S. Open

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BROOKLINE – Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick, the two highest-ranked players in the Official World Golf Ranking without a win on the PGA Tour, share the lead at the U.S. Open entering today’s final round.

Last player to earn first PGA Tour win at a major championship was Danny Willett, at the 2016 Masters while the last player to earn first PGA Tour win at the U.S. Open was Graeme McDowell in 2010.

At the recent PGA Championship, Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick both entered the final round T-2. Fitzpatrick played in the final pairing and finished T-5 while Zalatoris went on to lose in a playoff.

Fitzpatrick won the 2013 U.S. Amateur at The Country Club.

Defending champion Jon Rahm made a double bogey at No. 18 and will enter the final round one stroke back. The last player to successfully defend title at a major championship was Brooks Koepka, 2019 PGA Championship.

Scottie Scheffler (T-4), Sam Burns (T-7) and Rory McIlroy (T-7), who have combined for nine TOUR wins this season, are within three strokes of the lead.

36-hole leader Collin Morikawa carded a 7-over (77), tying his highest score on the PGA Tour, his second score of (77) in his last four rounds on Tour.

U.S. Open Leaderboard | After 54 Holes

Will Zalatoris 69-70-67—206 (-4)

Matt Fitzpatrick 68-70-68—206 (-4)

Jon Rahm 69-67-71—207 (-3)

Keegan Bradley 70-69-69—208 (-2)

Adam Hadwin 66-72-70—208 (-2)

Scottie Scheffler 70-67-71—208 (-2)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Final round Tee Times at The Country Club start at 8:49am (ET) and go to 2:45pm (ET) when 54-hole leaders Matt FItzpatrick and Will Zalatoris tee-off on No. 1.

Weather: Sunday morning rain and cloudy skies will greet the patrons and golfers for the final round of the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club. Chilly temperatures from 52-to-63 degrees. Showers diminish between 11am and 1:00pm while winds drop from 14 to 9 mph.

A Challenging Moving Day at U.S. Open

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BROOKLINE – Collin Morikawa, winner of the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship, holds a share of the lead as he attempts to win a major for the third consecutive season and would be well on his way for the career Slam.

The top three players in the Official World Golf Ranking are all within two strokes of the lead:

  • ‘22 Masters Tournament winner and FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler (No. 1)
  • Defending U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm (No. 2)
  • Four-time major champion and winner last week Rory McIlroy (No. 3)

Joel Dahmen, playing in his ninth career major, is tied for the lead with Morikawa. Dahmen has his first 36-hole lead/co-lead on Tour.

Notables to miss the cut include Cameron Smith, Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau and Phil Mickelson.

Cameron Young made a hole-in-one at No. 6, his first career ace on Tour. Young, who began the round on No. 10, also made a quadruple-bogey-8 at No. 3 and was 9-over with five holes to play before finishing 4-over and missing the cut by one stroke (Nos. 5-9: birdie, ace, birdie, birdie, par).

ESPN dot com noted: As stat guru Justin Ray pointed out on Twitter on Friday, 25 of the past 26 U.S. Open winners have been tied for sixth or better after two rounds. That’s enough of a trend to make seventh place — or worse — the spot you don’t want to be headed into the weekend. That’s not good for Scheffler (T-7), Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Burns (T-13) and more. The weekend could bring another exception to the rule.

U.S. Open Leaderboard | After 36 Holes

Collin Morikawa 69-66—135 (-5)

Joel Dahmen 67-68—135 (-5)

Hayden Buckley 68-68—136 (-4)

Jon Rahm 69-67—136 (-4)

Rory McIlroy 67-69—136 (-4)

Aaron Wise 68-68—136 (-4)

Beau Hossler 69-67—136 (-4)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Hadwin Leads at U.S. Open

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BROOKLINE – Adam Hadwin recorded a 4-under (66), his lowest score in a major championship, and leads the U.S. Open by one stroke after 18 holes while Rory McIlroy, winner of last week’s RBC Canadian Open, stands T-2.

The last player to win on Tour and win a major the following week was, indeed, McIlroy, at the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship the next weekend.

Five of the six players at T-2 or better (all but McIlroy) earned spots in the U.S. Open via Final Qualifying.

Defending champion Jon Rahm, 2022 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas enter the second round T14 (1-under 69s)

FedEx Cup leader and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened with even-par 70 (T-26).

U.S. Open Leaderboard | After 18 Holes

Adam Hadwin 66 (-4)

Callum Tarren 67 (-3)

David Lingmerth 67 (-3)

Rory McIlroy 67 (-3)

Joel Dahmen 67 (-3)

M.J. Daffue 67 (-3)

The Country Club is Ready

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BROOKLINE – Early tee-times at 6:45am in the ‘burbs of Boston, and the beautiful golf course at The Country Club. From Newton to Chestnut Hill to Brookline, the traffic will be horrendous. More importantly, the golf will be great.

Theoretically, a connected sports fan could be watching the U.S. Open in the morning, zip over to Fenway Park for the 1:35pm afternoon start, then head over to the North End, grab a bite of pasta and catch the Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of The NBA Finals. Rough day for a Boston sports fan, eh?

On the links, 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm will tee-off at 7:18am as he is the first player from Spain to be in title defense of any U.S. Open championship.

The last players to win on Tour, then win a Major was Rory McIlroy in 2014 when he won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and then the PGA Championship. As winner of last week’s RBC Canadian, McIlroy can do it again at the U.S. Open.

Vermont-born, Massachusetts-reared and New York-schooled (St. John’s),Keegan Bradley threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park on Tuesday night before the Red Sox vs Oakland Athletics game. Bradley won the PGA Championship in 2011. When he stepped to the mound at historic Fenway, he threw a strike and was on the field for a $25,000 presentation to First Tee of Massachusetts by the USGA.

McIlroy Defends RBC Canadian Title

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TORONTO – Rory McIlroy successfully defended his title at the RBC Canadian Open, carding a final-round (62) to win by two strokes over Tony Finau.

With his 21st career win, McIlroy moved into a tie for 31st on the all-time PGA Tour wins list and became the sixth player this season with multiple victories and fourth to successfully defend a title.

Justin Rose made bogey at No. 18 to card a 10-under (60), tying his career-low score and lowest score on Tour this season.

Corey Conners (solo-6th) took honors with the Rivermead Cup as the low Canadian professional.

Keith Mitchell and Wyndham Clark (both T-7) earned spots in The Open Championship via the Open Qualifying Series.

54-hole co-leader Tony Finau carded a final-round (64) to finish solo-second, earning his 10th career runner-up on Tour and 50th Top-10. … Finau has three Top-fives in his last five starts (T-2/Mexico Open at Vidanta, T-4/Charles Schwab Challenge, 2nd/RBC Canadian Open), but he fell to 0-for-5 with the 54-hole lead/co-lead.

Justin Thomas (solo-3rd) tied his career-high birdie streak with six in a row at Nos. 6-11 and moved to No. 3 in the FedEx Cup standings while World No. 1 and FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler finished T-18.

RBC Canadian | Final Leaderboard

Rory McIlroy 66-68-65-62—261 (-19)

Tony Finau 66-71-62-64—263 (-17)

Justin Thomas 69-69-63-64—265 (-15)

Justin Rose 69-70-67-60—266 (-14)

Sam Burns 67-69-65-65—266 (-14)

 

RBC Canadian: Star Studded Leaderboard

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TORONTO – The RBC Canadian Open leaderboard features the stars of stars in the game of golf. Take that LIV!

Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns and a hot Wyndham Clark are within two strokes going into the final round of the tournament, sure to be rain-soaked and exciting.

Today’s final grouping (Finau, McIlroy, Thomas) has 37 PGA Tour wins, three FedEx Cup titles, six majors, and an average OWGR of 10.7 on their collective resumes.

Defending champion and two-time FedEx Cup winner Rory McIlroy holds a share of the lead entering the final round, and with a victory, he would move into a tie for 31st on the all-time PGA Tour wins list with 21

Tony Finau tied his career-low score (62) Saturday to move into a tie for the lead.

Justin Thomas recorded his 19th score of (63) or better since joining the Tour, the most of any player in that span while World No. 1 and FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler carded a 1-over (71) and fell to T-29.

Nick Taylor is T-15 at 5-under (205), the best of any Canadian in the field.

All tee times and overall play are being adjusted to avoid thundershowers in the forecast.

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RBC Canadian | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

Tony Finau 66-71-62—199 (-11)

Rory McIlroy 66-68-65—199 (-11)

Justin Thomas 69-69-63—201 (-9)

Sam Burns 67-69-65—201 (-9)

Wyndham Clark 63-70-68—201 (-9)

Alex Smalley 67-67-67—201 (-9)

Full Leaderboard (link)

RBC Canadian | Tournament Facts

COURSE: St. George’s Golf and Country Club, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

YARDS/PAR: 7,014 yards/Par 70

ARCHITECT: Stanley Thompson

PRIZE Money – Purse/Winner’s Share: $8,7000,000/$1,566,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Rory McIlroy

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @RBCCanadianOpen

TV COVERAGE: Sunday coverage is set for 1:00pm to 3:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel and 3:00 to 6:00pm (ET) on CBS, weather permitting

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage will be featured on ESPN-Plus today with Main Feed, Featured Hole and Featured Groups from 10:30am to 7:00pm (ET).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live coverage of the RBC Canadian on Sunday with airtime at 1:00pm to 6:00pm (or completion of event). PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATourCom.

How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)