Well, I am back from a week’s vacation, and just in time to discuss a first-time winner on the PGA TOUR: Ted Potter Jr. Now, I must admit I was a bit partial to Troy Kelly in the playoff -- I had the great opportunity to work with Troy some towards the end of last year on the Web.Com Tour -- but am very happy for Potter and his first win.

Ted hit a lot of great shots during the three-hole playoff, but the one that stuck out for me was that short little pitch shot on the second playoff hole just short of the green. How many times have we all been in this situation? Just short of the green, need to carry a small greenside bunker onto the front portion of the green, and then let it release some. It doesn't seem too difficult, but with the tournament on the line and a lie that seemed a bit skinny and tight, it was a certainly a situation that would test anyone.

TRAVIS' TIP

When facing these tight lies around the greens, here are three keys to learn from Potter's technique:

1. Start with the clubshaft forward and return it forward at impact. It's very important to use the leading edge some on this shot, so creating a forward leaning clubshaft is paramount in order to help manage this lie.

2. Short arm swing with a hinge. It is so easy to create too much movement during the backswing on this shot. This excessive movement creates an environment to decelerate through impact. Keep the arm swing conservative but be aggressive with the hinge allowing the clubhead to still work up the plane.

3. Turn the chest towards the target. Ted did a great job of keeping his chest turning through the shot, supporting this downward movement of the clubhead. It's so easy on these shots to try to help it with the hands at impact, so create a good hinge during the backswing and trust yourself through impact and turn the chest through the shot.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

Ted Potter Jr. earned his first win on the PGA TOUR on Sunday at The Old White TPC. With his victory at The Greenbrier Classic, Potter: • Collects 500 FedExCup points and moves from No. 173 to No. 51 in the latest standings. • Earns a spot in the British Open based on finishing among the top 2 players on a cumulative money list that began at THE PLAYERS Championship and ran through The Greenbrier Classic (joining Marc Leishman). • Becomes the third Greenbrier Classic winner in as many events to post a come-from-behind victory (joining Stuart Appleby and Scott Stallings). • Breaks a streak of five consecutive missed cuts entering the week. Overall, has made seven of 16 cuts this season. • Is the sixth first-time winner of the season and the second rookie to win (John Huh/Mayakoba Golf Classic). Potter wins at the age of 28 years, 7 months, 29 days. He is the 10 ^th player in his 20s to win this season, with his win the 11 ^th by that group.

Ted Potter Jr. became the second rookie to win a PGA TOUR event this season with his playoff victory over Troy Kelly at The Greenbrier Classic. Potter closed out his final-round 64 eagle-birdie to get into a playoff and then birdied the third playoff hole to secure the victory. Want to congratulate Potter on his breakthrough victory? Leave a note below and we'll send it to him!

Ted Potter Jr. finished eagle-birdie to force a playoff with Troy Kelly at The Greenbrier Classic. The 28-year-old Potter, a rookie on TOUR this year, tied for 13th at the Sony Open in Hawaii for his only top 25 finish of the season. Kelly, in his second stint on the PGA TOUR, had a chance on the par-5 17th to take a one-shot lead, but missed his 10-foot birdie bid. He holed a par putt from just inside four feet on the par-3 18th to earn his spot in the playoff. A year ago, it was rookie Scott Stallings making a birdie on the 18th (the first playoff hole) to earn his first PGA TOUR victory. Both Potter and Kelly will be hoping to do the same in just a few moments. Stay with the TOUR Report or follow @PGATOUR for live playoff updates.

ORLANDO – Thomas Bjorn and Bo Van Pelt withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard on Wednesday.

Van Pelt, who had a knee injury, was replaced by Ted Potter Jr. while Marc Leishman, who tied for third last year, landed Bjorn’s spot. Michael Bradley is now the first alternate.

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Ted Potter Jr., who is playing in just his second PGA TOUR event, has moved within a shot of the lead currently held by Camilo Villegas.

Villegas is 8 under through 15 holes while Potter is tied for second with David Toms. Villegas and Potter, who has played 14 holes, are playing the Nicklaus Course, while Toms is through 13 at La Quinta.

Potter should have come to the Coachello Valley with confidence. The Nationwide Tour grad tied for 13th in his PGA TOUR debut at the Sony Open, shooting three rounds in the 60s at Waialae last week.

Another rookie, Bud Cauley, is among three players tied at 6 under through 14 holes at La Quinta. Also in that group are Brandt Snedeker and Kevin Sutherland, both of whom are playing the Nicklaus Course and are through 12 and 13 holes, respectively.

FEDEXCUP: Current standings | Weekly leaders | More By Chris Dunham, PGATOUR.COM Does anyone enjoy the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation more than Bill Haas? The reigning FedExCup champion has found no shortage of success in seven starts in La Quinta. The 2010 champion and 2011 runner-up has posted 20 consecutive sub-70 rounds here. In seven starts, Haas has just one round over par and no finish lower than a tie for 34th (2005, in his event debut). This week presents the 29-year-old’s second opportunity to get a quick start on his title defense. His first attempt didn’t go as well as hoped when Haas started 2012 with two even-par 73s while more than half the field was posting red numbers at Kapalua. Bookends were key for Haas en route to the 2011 FedExCup title. Of his seven top-10 finished, Haas had three to open his year and one to close the FedExCup season. If he doesn’t have a good week here, Haas will be behind his schedule from the last two years and will need to make up ground elsewhere. With more than 30 events ahead, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to rack up points, though. FRAZAR ENTERS THE PICTURE: Sticking with golf is looking like a very good decision for Harrison Frazar. It took 355 starts for Frazar to break through with his maiden victory (last year’s FedEx St. Jude Classic). Prior to that, Frazar hadn’t finished inside the top 10 since the 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship or the top 3 since 2005 at Disney. Now Frazar is off to one of the best starts on TOUR, earning a tie for fifth and a T2 in two 2012 starts -- the only player with two top-5 finishes -- and a fourth-place standing in the FedExCup race. ROOKIE SECONDS: While the Sony Open in Hawaii has not featured a rookie finisher inside the top 10 since 2009, the Humana Challenge is far more welcoming to the first-year TOUR pros. Three rookies -- Chris Kirk, Keegan Bradley and champion Jhonattan Vegas -- finished inside the top 10 here last year. Interestingly, that trio all ended the season with victories and spots in the top five of PGATOUR.COM’s Rookie Rankings. Ted Potter Jr. (T13 at the Sony Open) is off to the best start in this year’s class.

When Bubba Watson and Ted Potter Jr. won tournaments in New Orleans and Valdosta, Ga., on Sunday it marked the first time lefthanders had won on the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour in the same weekend.

Watson won for the third time in 10 months when he beat Webb Simpson in a playoff at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Potter’s victory at the South Georgia Classic presented by First State Bank & Trust Co. was the first of his career.

Potter was the fifth different lefthander to win on the Nationwide Tour.  The others are Greg Chalmers (2008 Henrico County Open, 2005 Albertsons Boise Open), Eric Axley (2005 Rex Hospital Open), Steve Flesch (1997 Nationwide Tour Championship) and Vic Wilk (1994 Knoxville Open).

Nine lefties have won on the PGA TOUR – headed by Phil Mickelson’s 39 victories.Mike Weir has eight wins, Bob Charles six, Flesch four, Watson three and Sam Adams, Ernie Gonzales, Russ Cochran and Axley one each.

Both Watson and Potter have a chance to make it two-in-a-row this week. Watson is playing in the Wells Fargo Championship while Potter tees it up at the Stadion Classic at UGA.