May 22 2013

3:00 PM

Teenager Guan to play in Memphis

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

The summer of Guan Tianlang continues.

The 14-year-old Chinese amateur has accepted a sponsor exemption into the FedEx St. Jude Classic, the tournament announced on Wednesday.

"Guan's invitation was a no-brainer," said tournament director Phil Cannon. “He certainly has made a big splash in the sports world. And we are excited our fans will get to witness history. It's remarkable that he did not have a three-putt green in 72 holes at Augusta."

Guan, who was the youngest player to participate in the Masters before finishing as the low amateur at Augusta National, is also in the field for next week's Memorial tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance.

The FedEx St. Jude Classic will be his fourth event on a sponsor exemption. As a non-member of the PGA TOUR, he is allowed to accept up to seven sponsor exemptions.

Guan earned his spot in the Masters by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

In his two starts since the Masters, Guan finished 71st in New Orleans and missed the cut last week in Dallas.


June 10 2012

12:02 AM

With this victory: Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson showed no signs of rust Sunday as he won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in just his second start since March. With his victory at TPC Southwind, the first of his 2012 season, Johnson: • Collects 500 FedExCup points and moves to No. 18 in the latest standings with 898 points. Jason Dufner remains atop the standings with 1,735 points.

Extends his fully-exempt status through the 2015 season.

• Becomes the third player to win the FedEx St. Jude Classic in their first start since the event moved to TPC Southwind in 1989, joining Lee Westwood (2010) and Dicky Pride (1994).

• Is the first player since Tiger Woods (1996-2000) to go directly from college and win in each of his first five seasons on the PGA TOUR.

• Has won at least one PGA TOUR event in each of the last five seasons (2008-2012), the second-longest active streak of consecutive seasons with a victory behind only Phil Mickelson’s nine (2004-2012).

•Becomes the 13 th American to win the FedEx St .Jude Classic in the last 14 years (Lee Westwood, 2010).

This victory is Johnson's sixth in 109 career starts. Here's a list of Johnson's PGA TOUR victories:

2008: Turning Stone Resort Championship
2009: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
2010: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, BMW Championship
2011: The Barclays
2012: FedEx St. Jude Classic


10:27 PM

Notes from inside the ropes

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Lyons/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy's hook returned at the worst possible moment Sunday at TPC Southwind.

By Fred Albers, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

There is no doubt Rory McIlroy made great progress this week. After missing three cuts in a row, the Ulsterman almost won the FedEx St. Jude Classic. There are still some problems, however, as he begins defense of his U.S. Open title this week. McIlroy has fought a hook throughout his career and it showed in the final round. Hitting 3-wood on the 18th hole, his tee ball did not even come close to finding land. Under pressure, McIlroy hits a hook and it's a problem he'll try to solve at The Olympic Club.


Athlete: 
There are not many players who can miss more than two months of competition with a back injury and win in their second tournament back on the PGA TOUR.  That's a tribute to Dustin Johnson's athleticism. There might not be a person with more athletic ability on TOUR.  Johnson routinely hits 3 wood in excess of 300 yards but it was his touch around the green that was critical on Sunday. He got up and down from 21 yards for birdie on the 16th and then rolled home a putt of 8 feet, 9 inches for birdie at the 17th to take the lead. The fact Johnson could execute both mentally and physically down the stretch, after missing two months of golf, is remarkable.


Long John:
John Daly once again showed his tremendous talent by posting the best round of the day. His 6-under 64 in the final round boosted Daly to a T19 finish. Inconsistency, though, continues to be a problem. Daly had round of 76 on Saturday. That's a 12-shot difference between his two weekend rounds.

The Duke:
Ken Duke is treating this entire season like a second chance. He lost his playing status a couple years ago but used the Nationwide Tour to regain his card and is making the most of the opportunity. With a final-round 65, Duke finished T7. He has already won more than a million dollars and will be exempt for the 2013 PGA TOUR season. Duke has posted five top 10s already this year but says it could be better. He knows where the improvement must come from.  Duke is 94th on TOUR in three-putt avoidance and had two mistakes in the final round. Duke had three putts at both the third and 16th holes.

Mentally tough:
John Merrick was happy with his final-round 68 and solo second finish, and was ever happier with his mental toughness during the day.  Merrick could have collapsed following a double bogey on the 12th hole which featured two balls in the water hazard. Instead of folding, Merrick rallied. He one-putted for a six on that 12th hole then birdied two of his last four for the runner-up finish.

Tough finish:
For the third year in a row, the 18th hole took its toll on the leaders. The 461-yard par 4 captured 10 water balls in the final round including three off the tee in the final groups. Rory McIlroy, Chad Campbell and Nick O'Hern all had a chance to win the tournament while standing on the tee at the 18th and all three of them splashed into the water.
Fred Albers is a course reporter for SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. For more information on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, click here.
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7:12 PM

Congratulate D. Johnson on his win

Safe to say, Dustin Johnson is back. After a three-month layoff due to injury, he picked up a win in his second start back at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. This is his sixth PGA TOUR title.

Want to congratulate Johnson on his win? Leave a note below and we’ll deliver it to him.

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2:57 PM

Sunday coverage updates, reminders

The final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic is in full swing. All 76 competitors are on the course with Rory McIlroy leading the way at 7 under. Five others -- Kevin Stadler, Chad Campbell, Dustin Johnson, Nick O'Hern and John Merrick -- are one back while 25 others are in red numbers. Because of the day's early tee times, television coverage on CBS will be tape delayed, but aired at its regular-scheduled time of 3 p.m. ET. The PGA TOUR will not be posting results on its Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/PGATOUR) until CBS has aired the final putt. If it's live coverage you crave, stick with The TOUR Report here on PGATOUR.COM, Shot Tracker ( Click to track) or the TOUR's Twitter feed ( www.twitter.com/PGATOUR), which will feature updates throughout the day.
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12:18 PM

Discuss: Round 4 storylines

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR
Rory McIlroy is only one back entering the final round at TPC Southwind.

LEADERBOARD: FedEx St. Jude Classic | Shot Tracker | Projected FedExCup points

There are dozens of players with a realistic shot at victory Sunday at TPC Southwind. It's one of the toughest courses on TOUR, but someone can always go low, get in the clubhouse, and steal this event.

The field is off on split tees, with the field finishing in the early afternoon.

The day is ripe with stories. Nick O'Hern and John Merrick, who share the lead with Davis Love III at 6 under, have never won. Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson are only one back. Obviously, McIlroy is trying to win the week before his U.S. Open defense, and Johnson is making just his second start since injuring his back this spring.

Even Dustin Morris, a Monday qualifier from Colorado State, is only three back.

So what do you think? Your comments are welcome in the space below, but be please, be nice.


June 9 2012

12:35 AM

Round 3 wrap-up: A lot to Love

Love for the game

Davis Love III, a 20-time PGA TOUR winner, shoots for his first win since 2008 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

By Bill Cooney, PGATOUR.COM There is no question Davis Love III has the Ryder Cup on his mind. But the U.S. captain isn't only thinking about riding around in a golf cart and rooting on the team. No, Love has definitely entertained the idea of playing in the event -- something that may not be that far-fetched considering his recent play. The U.S. captain is in line for his best finish on the PGA TOUR this season after carding a 2-under 68 in the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic on Saturday to take a share of the 54-hole lead at 6 under in Memphis, Tenn. "I might just pick myself today and get it over with," Love, a 20-time PGA TOUR winner, told CBS after his round. "No, I’m excited about the way I’m playing. I am trying to make the team. Trying to work my way back up." Love, ranked 63rd in Ryder Cup points, would be the first captain to play in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963. He was tied with John Merrick (69) and Nick O'Hern (67), both of whom he is grouped with for a 8:54 a.m. local tee time. Golfers are teeing off earlier because of the threat of inclement weather in the afternoon. CBS will broadcast the event from 3 to 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Second-round leader Rory McIlroy carded a 2-over 72, struggling to keep his momentum in windy conditions while still ironing out the kinks of some swing changes that he's been working on. But McIlroy was within striking distance, making a birdie on the 18th hole to put himself one shot back with Dustin Johnson (67), Robert Allenby (67), Kevin Kisner (70), Chad Campbell (70) and Kevin Stadler (71). "It was a day where for me I took one step forward and two steps back," McIlroy said. "Every time I made a birdie, I followed it up with a bogey, felt like. It was testing out there, tough conditions and the wind was sort of swirling all over the place and made things tricky. I'm so happy to get back a birdie at the last and one off the lead going into tomorrow." The leaderboard was so crowded that 20 golfers were within four shots of the leaders. Merrick, the first-round leader, and O'Hern are both looking for their first PGA TOUR win. They are also looking to place in the top 25 for the first time this season. They'll be attempting to hold off players such as Johnson, McIlroy and J.B. Holmes (72) -- who was only two shots back and is more than capable of going low at TPC Southwind. The big-hitting Holmes carded a 6-under 29 on the front nine on Friday. For Love, 48, a victory this week would mean a lot. For starters, he hasn't won since 2008. It would also be an incredible accomplishment during an up-and-down season. After a decent start in 2012, Love suffered a torn rib muscle at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard and was forced to withdraw. He didn't return until THE PLAYERS Championship and likely wasn't at full strength until last week, when he tied for 16th at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance. Then Love earned a spot in next week's U.S. Open -- which will be his 23rd appearance in the event -- by going through 36 holes of sectional qualifying on Monday. It sounds like a busy schedule. But as Love said, it beats sitting home on the couch with an injury and not being able to play at all. "(It would) be a lot of Ryder Cup points and get me back going, you know," Love said of a potential victory on Sunday. "Like I said, I started off the year ready to go and excited about the way I was playing and got knocked back a couple times with injuries. And the work has paid off, and I'm still hitting it far enough. I putted really well at Memorial and then the qualifier, so ... I know that I can, you know, I can still do it."

10:28 PM

Early tee times for final round (weather)

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR
The final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic will begin and finish earlier on Sunday.
The final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic will begin earlier on Sunday due to the possibility of inclement weather in Memphis, Tenn. Golfers will go off split tees in threesomes starting at 8 a.m. Eastern Time. The leaders -- Davis Love III, Nick O'Hern and John Merrick -- will tee off at 9:54 a.m. ET. The CBS broadcast will be from 3 to 6 p.m. ET. The SiriusXM Satellite radio broadcast will take place from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. ET. Click here for final-round tee times -- which are listed in Memphis time.
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9:27 PM

Johnson's game coming around

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D. Johnson
It didn't take long for Dustin Johnson to get back in the swing of things. After a two-month absence to nurse a back injury, Johnson tied for 19th place at last week's Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance. He's back at it again this week. Johnson carded a 3-under 67 in the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic on Saturday, and was only a shot off the lead at 5 under for the tournament. "Today is probably the first day where I actually hit it nicely all day long," Johnson said. "So, you know, definitely getting into shape for the U.S. Open." After opening with two pars, Johnson made an eagle 3 on the third hole after hitting his second shot from 215 yards to 7 feet. He also birdied Nos. 13 and 16 before finishing with a bogey on the 18th, when he missed a 9 foot par putt. "The bogey on the last hole definitely hurt a little bit, especially I was in the middle of the fairway with a sand wedge," said Johnson, who is 72nd in FedExCup points despite the fact that he's played in only eight events. "Just caught a gust of wind and flew way too far." Click here to replay Johnson's round

7:48 PM

Does Rory have the best swing in golf?

'Best swing in the game today'

CBS golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch takes a look at Rory McIlroy's golf swing in slow motion.

On today's live broadcast, CBS golf analyst David Feherty called Rory McIlroy's golf swing "the most beautiful swing in the modern era." Is he right? Upon analyzing McIlroy’s swing in slow motion, fellow CBS commentator Ian Baker-Finch called McIlroy’s swing the “best swing in the game today.” What do you think? Is there a better swing on the PGA TOUR than McIlroy's? And if so, who has it?