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PGA Tour: Hodges Wins Wire-to-Wire

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BLAINE – Lee Hodges earned his first PGA TOUR title in his 65th career start at the age of 28 years, 1 month, 16 days, and in doing so, collected 500 FEDEx CUP points to move from No. 74 to No. 33 in the FedExCup standings. The Top 70 after next week advance to the 2023 FedEx Cup Playoffs.

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Hodges’ victory was the first wire-to-wire win in tournament history and the first on TOUR since J.T. Poston dominated at the 2022 John Deere Classic. Hodges became the 11th first-time winner of the season and third in as many weeks.

Martin Laird (T2/-17) recorded his seventh runner-up on TOUR and carded his best result since winning the 2020 Shriners Children’s Open.

Kevin Streelman (T2/-17) earned sixth runner-up and 52nd Top-10 of his career while seeking his third TOUR title and first since the 2014 Travelers Championship.

Poston (T2/-17) earned his third career runner-up and first since 2022 Travelers Championship when he went on to win in grand fashion the following week at the 2022 John Deere Classic.

Defending champion Tony Finau finished T7 at 15-under (269) in his bid to become the fourth player this season to successfully defend a title on TOUR and first since Scottie Scheffler (WM Phoenix Open).

With a T7 finish, Aaron Baddeley earned a spot in next week’s field at the Wyndham Championship, the final event of the PGA Tour regular season.

3M Open | Final Leaderboard

1st Lee Hodges 63 64 66 67 260 (-24)

T2 Martin Laird 68 68 67 64 267 (-17)

T2 Kevin Streelman 64 68 69 66 267 (-17)

T2 J.T. Poston 66 66 66 69 267 (-17)

Full Leaderboard (link)

PGA Tour: 3M Open Underway

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BLAINE – The 3M Open is the 43rd of 44 PGA Tour events in the FedEx Cup regular season, with just two weeks remaining until the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. New in 2023, only the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship (the first Playoffs event), down from 125 (2009-2022).

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Notable players outside the top 70 in the FedExCup standings include No. 75 Justin Thomas, No. 90 Gary Woodland and No. 118 Billy Horschel.

Thomas is currently No. 75 in the FedExCup standings with two weeks remaining until the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Thomas, in his ninth season as a TOUR member, has never missed the Playoffs.

He has advanced to the TOUR Championship in each of the last seven seasons and finished in the Top 10 in the standings in the last six, including his FedEx Cup title in 2017. Thomas has the most PGA TOUR wins (15) and major championship titles (2) of any player in the field and is also the most recent PLAYERS Championship winner (2021) and FedEx Cup Champion (2017).

There are (24) players in the field who made the trip from The Open Championship, including three that finished in the Top 10:

  • Sepp Straka (T2)
  • Emiliano Grillo (T6)
  • Cameron Young (T8).

Straka has a win (John Deere Classic) and a T2 (The Open Championship) in his last two starts, becoming the first player to win on TOUR and finish runner-up in his next start since Jordan Spieth in 2022 (Won/RBC Heritage, 2nd/AT&T Byron Nelson). Straka is No. 15 in the FedExCup standings, the second-highest of any player in the field (Finau/10), and is attempting to qualify for the TOUR Championship for the second consecutive season.

Grillo, who won the Charles Schwab Challenge earlier this season for his second career PGA TOUR title, has two Top-fives in three starts at the 3M Open, including a T-2 in 2022. His T6 at The Open Championship was his first career Top-10 in a major.

At No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Young is the highest-ranked player in the field. He is also the highestranked player in the OWGR that has not won on the PGA TOUR. Young is making his tournament debut at the 3M Open.

The 3M Open | Tournament Facts

COURSE: TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota

YARDS/PAR: 7,431 yards/Par 71

ARCHITECT: Arnold Palmer

PRIZE Money – Purse: $7,800,000/$1,404,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Tony Finau

PAST RESULTS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @3MOpen #GolfThatMatters

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

3M Round One: Thursday, July 27, 2023 – All Times EDT

7:45am – 7:00pm – Streaming on ESPN+

1:00pm – 7:00pm – Sirius/XM Radio (92) and PGA Tour.com/PGA Tour Radio

4:00pm – 7:00pm – Golf Channel

4:00pm – 7:00pm – Streaming on Peacock Network

Round 2 at The Open

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HOYLAKE – Amateur Christo Lamprecht made quite an impression in Liverpool and it wasn’t at 10 Mathew Street. Lamprecht – an amateur who will enter his senior year at Georgia Tech this Fall – accomplished a lot in Round 1 of The Open at Royal Liverpool. Here’s a brief go of it:

  • First amateur to hold the lead/co-lead after any round on TOUR sincePaul Dunne at the 2015 Open Championship (R3)
  • First amateur to hold the 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR since Tom Lewis at the 2011 Open Championship
  • First player to hold the 18-hole lead/co-lead in his PGA TOUR debut since Sepp Straka at the 2018 Fortinet Championship
  • First player to hold the 18-hole lead/co-lead in his major championship debut since Andrew Landry at the 2016 U.S. Open
  • Lowest first-round score (66) by an amateur in a major championship since Lewis carded a 65 at the 2011 Open Championship
  • Lowest score by an amateur in any round of a major championship since Matti Schmid carded a 65 in the second round of the 2021 Open Championship

As you’d expect in a major professional golf tournament, Lamprecht wasn’t alone. Popular Brit, Tommy Fleetwood posted his fourth 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR and second of the current season. Fleetwood is one of nine players with multiple 18-hole leads/co-leads this season.

  • It’s Fleetwood’s second career lead/co-lead after any round in a major (2017 U.S. Open; finished fourth)
  • Fleetwood’s opening-round 66 is his 11th score of 66 or better in majors

The Open | Leaderboard After 18 Holes

T1 Christo Lamprecht (a) 66 (-5)

T1 Tommy Fleetwood 66 (-5)

T1 Emiliano Grillo 66 (-5)

T4 Antoine Rozner 67 (-4)

T4 Adrian Otaegui 67 (-4)

T4 Brian Harman 67 (-4)

PGA Tour: Barracuda Championship

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TRUCKEE – There are just four events (three weeks) remaining in the FedEx Cup Regular Season. Starting this season, only the top 70 players at the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship will qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. As of July 19, there are 26 players in the field who have a chance to move into the Top 70 in the FedExCup standings with a win (all players currently at No. 129 or higher in the standings).

PGA Tour rookie Vincent Norrman defeated Nathan Kimsey in a playoff at last week’s Barbasol Championship to earn his first career Tour title. Norrman became the ninth first-time winner of the season (first since Wyndham Clark/Wells Fargo Championship) and second rookie to win on Tour this season, joining Nico Echavarria (Puerto Rico Open).

The last player to earn his first two PGA Tour titles in consecutive tournaments on the schedule was David Duval in 1997 (Michelob Championship at Kingsmill, Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic).

Kimsey’s runner-up came in his PGA Tour debut.

Since 2012, the Barracuda Championship has been played using Modified Stableford Scoring. The scoring system allocates points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole, with the goal of achieving the highest overall number of points. It is the “Elam Ending” of golf.

Modified Stableford Scoring:

Albatross +8

Eagle +5

Birdie +2

Par 0

Bogey -1

Double bogey or worse -3

The Barracuda Championship | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Old Greenwood at the Tahoe Mountain Club, Truckee, CA

YARDS/PAR: 7,480 yards/Par 72

ARCHITECT: Jack Nicklaus

PRIZE Money – Purse: $3,800,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Chez Reavie

PAST RESULTS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 300

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @CudaChamp

Scottish Open, Barbasol Wrap-Ups

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NORTH BERWICK – Rory McIlroy won the Genesis Scottish Open by one stroke over Robert MacIntyre, earning his 24th PGA Tour title and second of the season. The victory comes in his 234th start at the age of 34 years, 2 months, 12 days.

McIlroy tied Dustin Johnson and Gary Player for 26th on the all-time PGA Tour wins list as McIlroy is the seventh player with multiple wins this season. The others: 4/Jon Rahm, 2/Keegan Bradley, 2/Wyndham Clark, 2/Tony Finau, 2/Max Homa, 2/Scottie Scheffler).

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McIlroy moved to No. 3 in the FedEx Cup standings and No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking and became the first player to win the Genesis Scottish Open (2023), Horizon Irish Open (2016) and The Open Championship (2014).

He improved to 11-for-19 to date converting a 54-hole lead/co-lead on Tour (1-for-3 this season) and became the 21st third round leader/co-leader to win on Tour this season.

Tom Kim (T-6) and Tommy Fleetwood (T-6) are the only two players to finish in the Top 10 in each of the last two years of the Genesis Scottish Open. Kim finished solo-third in 2022 and Fleetwood finished T-4.

Scottish Open | Final Leaderboard

1 Rory McIlroy 64 66 67 68 265 (-15)

2 Robert MacIntyre 67 69 66 64 266 (-14)

T3 David Lingmerth 66 70 66 68 270 (-10)

T3 Byeong Hun An 61 70 69 70 270 (-10)

T3 Scottie Scheffler 68 65 67 70 270 (-10)

Scottish Open Full Leaderboard: (link)

Barbasol Championship | Final Leaderboard

1 *Vincent Norrman 66 67 67 66 266 (-22)

2 Nathan Kimsey 69 66 67 64 266 (-22)

T3 Adrien Saddier 68 66 67 66 267 (-21)

T3 Trevor Cone 71 65 63 68 267 (-21)

5 Lucas Glover 63 68 69 68 268 (-20)

*def. Nathan Kimsey with a par-4 at the first extra playoff hole (No. 18)

Barbasol Leaderboard (After 36) – (link)

Straka Enjoys a Deere Run Win

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SILVIS – Despite sitting T-133 after an opening-round (73), Sepp Straka won his second PGA Tour title with final-round (62). Straka became the first player since 1992 to win John Deere Classic with an over-par round during the week.

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Three-time TOUR winner Brendon Todd finished T2 for the second time this season (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am).

Ludvig Aberg (T-4) recorded his best finish in ninth start on Tour.

Adam Schenk posted his third Top-10 in five starts at John Deere Classic (T6/2019, T4/2021, T4/2023).

J.T. Poston finished T6 in a bid to become the fourth player to successfully defend a John Deere Classic title.

Peter Kuest (T-17) became eligible for PGA Tour Special Temporary Membership.

John Deere Classic | Final Leaderboard

Sepp Straka 73-63-65-62—263 (-21)

Brendon Todd 66-65-66-68—265 (-19)

Alex Smalley 66-70-62-67—265 (-19)

Ludvig Aberg 68-64-71-63—266 (-18)

Adam Schenk 65-66-67-68—266 (-18)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Todd Leads John Deere Classic

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SILVIS – Three-time Tour winner Brendon Todd is the only PGA Tour winner among the top five on the current John Deere leaderboard as Eight of the 13 players within three strokes of the lead are seeking their first Tour victory.

The John Deere Classic has produced 23 first-time Tour winners, the most of any event since 1970.

John Deere Classic

Alex Smalley matched his low round of career on TOUR (62).

Peter Kuest will become eligible for PGA TOUR Special Temporary Membership by completing the tournament.

Jonas Blixt can become the first since 1992 to win this event with an over-par round during the week.

Second-round leader Cameron Young carded a double bogey on final hole and sits three back on the crowded leaderboard. Twelve players are within three strokes of the leader.

Cam Young in a Great Place

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NOTE: Due to anticipated Saturday morning thunderstorms, third-round tee times will be approximately 9:55/10:55am (CT/ET) to 11:55am/12:55pm (CT/ET) in groups of three off tees Nos. 1 and 10.

SILVIS – Seeking his first title on the Tour, Cameron Young holds the 36-hole lead/co-lead for the first time during his PGA Tour career.

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Adam Schenk and William Mouw are the only players bogey-free through 36 holes.

With a win, Garrick Higgo could join Brian Harman as the only left-handers to win at TPC Deere Run.

Three-time winner Brendon Todd is the only multiple PGA Tour winner at 9-under or better while Tour rookie Ludvig Aberg carded his low round on Tour (64) thus far.

J.T. Poston sits T-18 at 7-under in a bid to become the fourth player to successfully defend a John Deere Classic title.

Starting on the back nine, first-round leader Jonas Blixt (T-18/-7) posted nine straight pars on the same nine holes he carded the first sub-30 nine-hole score of his PGA Tour career on Thursday (29). Of the players who made the cut, Blixt is the only player to shoot an over-par score (73) in the second round.

There’s some youth in the air at Deere Run. Ages of the leaders:

Young (26), Schenk (31), Higgo (24), Todd (37), Aberg (23), Mouw (22), McCarthy (30), Roy (33).

John Deere Classic Leaderboard | After 36 Holes

Cameron Young 65-64—129 (-13)

Adam Schenk 65-66—131 (-11)

Garrick Higgo 65-66—131 (-11)

Brendon Todd 66-65—131 (-11)

Ludvig Aberg 68-64—132 (-10)

William Mouw 66-66—132 (-10)

Denny McCarthy 68-64—132 (-10)

Kevin Roy 69-63—132 (-10)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour: John Deere Classic Preview

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SILVIS – The John Deere Classic is the 38th of 44 FedEx Cup Regular Season events, with just seven events played over the next five weeks before the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

New in 2023, the Top 70 players (not 125) at the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship will qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

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There are nine players in the field within the Top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, the most at the event since 2012 (9), led by reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year and 2022 Presidents Cup participant Cameron Young (No. 19), who is making his tournament debut, and No. 29 Russell Henley, who finished runner-up at the 2019 John Deere Classic.

J.T. Poston won the 2022 John Deere Classic in wire-to-wire fashion, earning his second career PGA Tour title and first since the 2019 Wyndham Championship. Poston went on to qualify for the TOUR Championship for the first time in his career and finished the season No. 15 in the FedExCup standings. With a win, Poston would become the fourth player to successfully defend a title this season, joining Max Homa (Fortinet Championship), Rory McIlroy (THE CJ CUP) and Scottie Scheffler (WM Phoenix Open). Five players successfully defended a title during the 2021-22 season, the most since 2007 (5).

Zach Johnson has made 14 consecutive cuts at the John Deere Classic, with his most recent MC coming in 2007. The only other player that has made the cut at the same PGA TOUR event every year since the start of the 2008 season is Matt Kuchar, who has made the cut in each of the last 17 years at the RBC Heritage (DNP/2006). Johnson is making his 21st start at the event, three shy of Jay Delsing for most in tournament history, and with a made cut, would tie D.A. Weibring‘s tournament record for most total made cuts (18). Johnson has recorded seven top-10s at the event, highlighted by a win in 2012 and runner-up finishes in 2009, 2013 and 2014.

One of the tournament favorites, Denny McCarthy, finished T-6 at the 2022 John Deere Classic, his first Top-10 in four starts at the event. Currently at No. 34 in the Official World Golf Ranking, McCarthy is the third-highest-ranked player in the field. He enters the week with three Top-10s in his last six starts, highlighted by a runner-up at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, where he lost in a playoff to Viktor Hovland.

PGA TOUR rookie Ludvig Aberg is making his ninth career start on Tour and his fourth since joining the TOUR as a member via PGA TOUR University. Aberg entered the third round of last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in a tie for third before going on to finish T-40. He enters the week No. 188 in the FedEx Cup standings. Only the Top 70 will qualify.

Luke List, Charlie Hoffman, Webb Simpson, Brandon Wu and C.T. Pan are among the players no longer competing at the John Deere (WDs).

On Wednesday, Brian Gay (WD/back injury) – with Tommy Gainey in;  Justin Lower (WD) – Arjun Atwal (IN)

PGA Tour: Fowler Ends the Drought

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DETROIT – Rocket Mortgage ambassador Rickie Fowler defeated Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin with a birdie-3 on the first playoff hole (No. 18) to record his sixth PGA Tour title and his first since the 2019 WM Phoenix Open.

The Playoff records for the 3 players: Fowler (3-2), Morikawa (1-3), Hadwin (0-1)

Fowler won in the seventh PGA Tour Playoff of the season and the second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic (Cam Davis/2021). Morikawa finished runner-up for the seventh time in 94 Tour starts while Hadwin picks up his fifth runner-up finish in 239 starts on the circuit.

Peter Kuest finished T-4 in his failed bid to become the first Open Qualifier to win on Tour since Corey Conners at the 2019 Valero Texas Open. Kuest’s Top-10 finish earned a spot in this week’s John Deere Classic field.

Stephan Jaeger tied the Detroit Golf Club’s 18-hole scoring record with a 9-under (63) which was the third record (63) of the week.

Max Homa aced No. 15 for his second hole-in-one on Tour.

With rainy conditions all day, preferred lies were in effect for the final round.

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Final Leaderboard

P1 Rickie Fowler 67 65 64 68 264 (-24)*

P2 Collin Morikawa 66 67 67 64 264 (-24)

P2 Adam Hadwin 66 68 63 67 264 (-24)

T4 Taylor Moore 64 67 69 67 267 (-21)

T4 Lucas Glover 69 69 64 65 267 (-21)

T4 Peter Kuest 64 70 65 68 267 (-21)

*Won with birdie-3 on first playoff hole (No. 18)

Full Leaderboard: (link)