By Joel Beall
Welcome to the Dew Sweeper, your one-stop shop to catch up on the weekend action from the golf world. From the professional tours, trending news, social media headlines and upcoming events, here’s every golf-related thing you need to know for the morning of Jan. 20.

Landry staves off collapse at PGA West

Forget sending a distress signal; the S.S. Andrew Landry was lowering the lifeboats. Landry’s six-stroke lead at the American Express had evaporated thanks to three straight bogeys and a par on the second-easiest hole at the PGA West Stadium Course, and was staring down the par-3 17th’s island green, the nerviest shot the property has to offer.

But when everyone was expecting him to drown, Landry answered, and answered with vigour, walking away from the American Express as its new champ.

“I’ve seen [roller-coaster rounds], but I haven’t been a part of them,” Landry said afterwards. “I don’t like being a part of them either … And, yeah, I don’t want to be a part of something like that ever again.”

Sharing the 54-hole lead with Scottie Scheffler, Landry was six under through his first 12 holes Sunday in La Quinta while the rookie was even par, ostensibly making the final six holes a victory lap. But then Landry encountered the aforementioned disastrous stretch, which coincided with Abraham Ancer lighting the second nine on fire to tie things up, and a Scheffler eagle put him one back.

However, Landry—who looked like he needed a life jacket—regained his advantage at the 17th, hitting his tee shot to six feet and converting what remained for a birdie for a one-shot lead. He put the tournament on ice with an approach to five feet at the 18th, his birdie dropping for a two-shot win over Ancer.

It was the second career victory for Landry, a 32-year-old bulldog that’s had to dig every inch of his career from the dirt. That includes this season, missing seven of eight cuts entering the week. “Winning out here is hard,” Landry said. “So just to be able to get the job done, man, it means a lot to be able to be a winner again.”

History will show Landry finished off the American Express in style. In truth, it was an exhibition of survival.

Backstopping strikes again

Reset the “It’s been [X] weeks since the last unnecessary fuss in golf” counter.

The latest involves the return of backstopping, the practice of leaving a ball unmarked near a pin to help a playing partner. The issue reached a fever pitch in 2018 after Jimmy Walker admitted to purposefully doing it for players he liked, and made an appearance last year on the LPGA when Amy Olson hit Ariya Jutanugarn’s ball after waving her off from marking, but had relatively died down over the past few months. That is, until a video emerged of Kevin Na yelling, “Hit my ball!” to a Russell Knox’s bunker shot from Friday’s Tour action:

Come on, @rooknox.

Teach us, please. ? #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/p3CocoZj5G

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 17, 2020

Not a great look, and one Golf Twitter took to task immediately. For those wondering why this evokes hard, compulsory opinions, here’s what Rule 15.3a says: “If you reasonably believe that a ball on the putting green might help anyone’s play (such as by serving as a possible backstop near the hole), you may mark and lift the ball if it is your own, or if the ball belongs to another player, require the other player to mark and lift the ball.”

The rule also states, “If you and another player agree to leave a ball in place to help one of you, and that player then makes a stroke with the helping ball left in place, each player who made the agreement gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes).”

In short, even if the golf balls don’t make contact, both players can still be penalized. Granted, in the big scheme of things, backstopping is trivial. But Golf is already strife with controversy, and the longer this goes on unabated, the greater the chances of it deciding a tournament come into play.

Warren Little/Getty Images

Westwood wins in fourth decade

Lee Westwood was washed up. The former World No. 1 had fallen to No. 125 in the OWGR in the summer of 2018. At 45, Westwood was at an age more conducive to pasture than competition, that dreaded purgatory for those not old enough for the Champions Tour but lacking the vitality to challenge the game’s best.

That was the perception at least. A perception Westwood has knocked into the English channel, winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship four months shy of his 47th birthday. The victory gives Westwood a win in four decades on the European Tour, joining Mark McNulty and Des Smyth as the only players to do so on the Old World circuit.

“I can’t believe I’m that old,” said Westwood. “It’s getting harder. It’s just nice to come out and keep proving that you’ve still got it.”

Entering the day with a one-shot lead, Westwood held off charges from Tommy Fleetwood, Victor Perez and Matthew Fitzpatrick with a five-under 67 for a two-shot win, his first W since the 2018 Nedbank Challenge and his 25th career title on the Euro Tour.

It also moves him into the top 30 in the OWGR, which would qualify him for the WGCs and majors (although he’s already in the field in three of the four). And, interestingly enough, puts him on the radar as a Ryder Cup candidate. Westwood, a member of 10 European teams, watched the 2018 proceedings as an assistant captain, and seemed to downplay his chances of returning as a player. Nevertheless, in the shower of victory, Westwood allowed himself the reverie.

“And I would love to play another as long as I’m good enough. I wouldn’t want a pick, but if I qualified I would definitely play,” Westwood said. “For now, it’s just nice to come out and keep proving that I’ve still got it.”

Enrique Berardi/LAAC

17-year-old earns Masters, Open invite

Abel Gallegos couldn’t sleep heading into the final day of the Latina America Amateur Championship. Following the final round at Maykoba, the 17-year-old was still in a daze. Only this one wasn’t due to sleep deprivation.

“It’s incredible,” Gallegos said. “I think I’m in a dream.”

Apropos sentiments, as Gallegos—who entered the week sitting 460th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking—captured the LAAC, becoming the first Argentinian to win the prestigious amateur event.

Gallegos hails from a village two hours outside of Buenos Aires and learned the game on a modest nine-hole track named “Little Mules.” Yet his performance was nothing short of prime time. Starting the day three back of 54-hole leader Jose Vega, Gallegos’ nerves were present on the first tee, hitting a wild drive to start the day. But he managed to save par on the first and made the turn in 33, good enough for a one-shot lead. A double-bogey from Vega on the 14th bestowed a three-shot advantage, with Gallegos sealing his triumph with a birdie at the final hole.

¡Abel Gallegos (Argentina) es el campeón del Latin America Amateur Championship 2020!

Abel Gallegos of Argentina is the 2020 Latin America Amateur Champion! pic.twitter.com/wybuxhiV7W

— LAAC (@LAAC_Golf) January 19, 2020

Prior to the week, Gallegos was a relative unknown to the golf world, rarely competing outside his home country. That anonymity won’t last long as Gallegos—who looks less like a golfer, more like an infantry tank dressed in a polo—has earned invites to the Masters and Open Championship.

“It’s an incredible moment,” Gallegos said. “I dedicate the win for all of Argentina.”

Hosung hits playing partner with club

Hosung Choi’s 15 minutes of fame seemed up. But the man with the “fisherman’s swing” is back in the news. Just not the news Hosung wanted.

Playing in the Singapore Open, Choi’s post-shot theatrics officially crossed the Rubicon, as the 44-year-old lost control of his driver and nearly took out his playing competitor:

-Hosung Choi swings
-Hosung Choi throws club
-Hosung Choi’s partner goes mad ?pic.twitter.com/69SwDVErMu

— Harvey Jamison (@HarveyJamison) January 17, 2020

If you’re going to pirouette, you got to stick the landing.

Judging by the negative response the video has generated, it appears social media—tough crowd, that social media—has turned on the player whose celebrity it helped create. Proving you either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

The post 17-year-old earns Masters invite, another backstopping controversy and Hosung nearly takes out partner with club toss: What you missed appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Brian Wacker
Most of the time, the outcome in golf is fickle. Often, there’s little rhyme or reason when it comes to the predictability of who is going to win. Andrew Landry? He’d missed seven of his previous eight cuts prior to this week’s American Express.

So, naturally, on Sunday the 32-year-old Texan won for just the second time in his career on the PGA Tour.

“Winning out here is hard,” Landry said after a final-round five-under 67 that led to a two-stroke victory over Abraham Ancer.

Knowing when it’s going to happen is, too.

Landry’s only other victory on tour came in 2018, at the Valero Texas Open. How’d he play in the weeks leading up to the event? Pretty much the same—at least results-wise—with four missed cuts and a T-42 in his five previous starts.

Even tracing back to his days on the Korn Ferry Tour (then the Web.com Tour), the unpredictability was there. In the week prior to his win at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club in 2017, Landry missed the cut at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay.

Maybe there is something here after all, at least when it comes Landry. There were clues.

The only other time Landry came close to winning on the PGA Tour was in 2018, at the same track where he won on Sunday, the Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

“You look at guys like Tiger Woods, they’re playing a limited schedule for a reason,” Landry said during the week. “Tiger Woods isn’t going to show up at the RBC Heritage because that golf course does not fit him. So that’s kind of what we do as players, we build our schedule around golf courses that fit us. So this is one of them, it fits me.”

In 2018 at the American Express, Landry lost in a playoff to Jon Rahm after squandering a two-stroke lead on the final day. That afternoon, Landry needed to make an 11-foot birdie on the 72nd hole just to force overtime.

He nearly blew it this time, too. After making the turn in 33 and tacking on three straight birdies to open the back nine, it looked like Landry would cruise to his second career title. He led by six over Ancer and was on his way.

Until it all began to unravel.

It started with a three-putt bogey from 60 feet on the par-3 13th, followed by another three-jack from 12 feet on the par-4 14th and when Landry failed to get up and down from left of the green at the par-4 15th, his lead was all but gone.

After a par that felt like a bogey on the par-5 16th, it was.

Ancer, who closed with a 63 that included four birdies over his final eight holes, was in the clubhouse and tied for the lead.

Then there was Scottie Scheffler, who appeared to fall out of contention with three bogeys in his first six holes but was suddenly in it again, one back after an eagle at the 16th.

“I’ve seen [roller-coaster rounds], but I haven’t been a part of them,” Landry said. “I don’t like being a part of them either. I told [my caddie] on number 15, I said, Let’s go get this job done, like, quit messing around. And, yeah, I don’t want to be a part of something like that ever again.”

Then, the unpredictable. Again.

Having just blown the lead and playing the 166-yard 17th, Landry stuck his tee shot over the water that surrounds the par 3 to five feet. It was a nervy shot in the best of circumstances. Then he coolly made the putt for birdie to move one ahead of Ancer and two clear of Scheffler.

“That’s a tough shot, especially with the number that we had today,” he said. “I knew 9-iron was just not going to — I would have to flush one to get it to the front edge. And so having to chip something down, and when there’s water completely around the whole entire green, is a tough shot and especially in that moment. But I just held on and hit a great golf shot there.”

Landry then repeated himself on 18, sticking his wedge to within a few feet of the hole to set up one last birdie.

“I played some good golf throughout the week, and my golf swing just did not feel super comfortable today,” he said. “It started out all right and got a little loosey goosey there.

“So just to be able to get the job done, man, it means a lot to be able to be a winner again.”

It had to. Because not many, including Landry, could have seen this one coming.

The post Andrew Landry again belies his form chart and wins appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
This season has been a sweet ride for Andrew Landry. In his first year of full-status on the PGA Tour, the 30-year-old has logged five top-10 finishes, including a win at the Valero Texas Open. Landry, who came to fame following an out-of-nowhere run at the 2016 U.S. Open, has jumped 124 spots in the world rankings, and currently sits 19th in the FedEx Cup standings. That prosperity will continue at Carnoustie, as the R&A announced on Wednesday he’s in the Open Championship field.

“I have been sitting first on the reserve list all week and just got the email that I will be playing in the 147th Open Championship,” Landry said. “What a year this has been and can’t explain how blessed I am!”

This will be Landry’s Open debut and just his second career major appearance.

Landry gets the call due to Bernd Wiesberger dropping out of the tournament. Wiesberger hasn’t played since April’s China Open, sidelined with a wrist issue.

“Unfortunately, I was forced to withdraw from The Open Championship today due to my wrist injury,” Wiesberger said. “The healing process has not put me into a position where I can train, let alone play, at the level I would like to. Hope to have better news coming soon! Thanks for all the support!”

In five previous appearances, Wiesberger’s best Open finish was a T-64 in 2013.

Keegan Bradley is now the first alternate for next week’s Open, followed by Adrian Otaegui and Aaron Wise. The Open begins on July 19. Jordan Spieth is the defending champ.

The post The Open 2018: Andrew Landry in Carnoustie field as Bernd Wiesberger withdraws with injury appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Tom Landry was a giant in Texas, a Hall of Fame football coach with two Super Bowl rings. Andrew Landry, at 5-foot-7, is not a giant anywhere, though he came up large on behalf of the Lone Star State on Sunday.

Landry, no relation to Tom (as far as we know), is a Texan through and through, from head to pointed toes on the cowboy boots the Valero Texas Open awards its winners. Not his first pair of cowboy boots, of course. “Got a couple pair at home,” he said.

Landry closed with a 68 to win by two strokes. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

This was a win made in Texas. Landry is a native of Port Neches, outside Beaumont and east of Houston, and a resident of Austin, who won in Texas hill country in San Antonio. He birdied his first three holes on the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio on Sunday, parred his last seven and won by two.

“A lot of hard work,” Landry said of the key ingredient to his first PGA Tour victory, coming at age 30.

His has been a gradual ascent to the pinnacle, not a steep one. He won twice on the Adams Pro Tour and twice on the Web.com Tour on a nine-year journey en route to his inaugural PGA Tour title.

The Landry name ought to be a familiar one to those outside Texas, too. Most recently, Andrew lost to Jon Rahm in a playoff at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January. And two summers ago, he held the first-round lead in the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club after shooting the lowest opening score (66) in the championship’s 117-year history. He played in the final pairing of the fourth round and eventually tied for 15th.

He had his PGA Tour card in 2016, lost it for 2017, and regained it this season via his Web.com Tour performance. It was his loss to Rahm that was the impetus for his win on Sunday.

“It helps because you get yourself in that situation and you continue to learn,” he said. “You know, losing in that playoff when I was continuing to hit good shot after good shot, just not making any putts. Normally that’s a strength of my game. Now here we are, a winner.”

He also learned from his Oakmont experience, where after taking the first-round lead he suggested to his father that he was going to win, “something of that nature,” he said. This time, he did not look beyond the shot at hand.

Landry poses with the Valero Texas Open Trophy and his family at TPC San Antonio after winning his first PGA Tour title. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

“I just told my wife, ‘We’re not talking about what we’re going to wear, we’re not talking about any of this. I’m just going to go out and play golf. We’ve got a lot of golf left and this golf course can bite you in a hurry. If we stay in the present I think that it’s going to help out a lot.’ And that’s kind of what we did today.”

Landry played a near flawless weekend, a single bogey in 36 holes, to prevail over Trey Mullinax and Sean O’Hair. He entered Sunday tied with Zach Johnson, potentially a future World Golf Hall of Famer. He separated himself from Johnson with three birdies to start his round and finished with a four-under-par 68, while Johnson shot 72 and finished fifth.

Maybe it did not help in the crucible of a final round in contention, but a Landry, on Sunday, in Texas, there’s history there, and this Landry created some more.

The post Andrew Landry wins Valero Texas Open, adds his own chapter to the ‘Landry legend’ in Texas appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but it didn’t need to be for Andrew Landry, who earned his first career PGA Tour victory on Sunday at the Valero Texas Open. His final-round, four-under 68 gave him a 17-under 271 total, and a two-stroke edge over Trey Mullinax and Sean O’Hair, who tied for second.

Landry, 30, had a share of the 54-hole lead and immediately built on it Sunday at TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks course, making three consecutive birdies to open his round and then another at the par-4 sixth. He made just one more at the par-4 10th, and then gave it back at the 11th, but followed with seven straight pars to close out his round. After spending the majority of his last few years on the Web.com Tour, Landry’s work paid off, his first win fittingly coming in his home state of Texas in front of several family members.

“Lot of hard work, obviously. Today was a grind, especially on the back nine, didn’t hit that good of a wedge shot [at the 18th], good two-putt there, so, we’ll take it,” Landry said.

The University of Arkansas alum remains a bit of an unknown to golf fans, despite nearly taking down Jon Rahm in a playoff at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January and making an appearance at the top of the leaderboard at the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, eventually tying for 15th in his only major championship start. He’ll get a few more cracks in the majors thanks to his Valero win, including an invite to the 2019 Masters, but he’s still focused on continuing to put together a strong 2018 campaign.

“We’re trying to get to the Tour Championship this year, and that’s kind of my goal still,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but this will definitely help.”

While it’s his first PGA Tour win, it’s Landry’s third as a professional, the first two coming on the Web.com Tour in 2015 and 2017. It’s clear he’s got plenty of game, and it was on full display this week, as Landry ranked first in the field in greens in regulation, first in total strokes gained and second in scrambling. Even so, the win comes after a rough stretch for Landry, including missing four straight cuts before tying for 42nd at the RBC Heritage.

For Mullinax, who shot a course-record 62 on Saturday but closed with a 69, and O’Hair (Sunday 66), their T-2 finish is the best for either of them all season and a career-best result for Mullinax. Jimmy Walker finished in solo fourth at 14-under 274, and Zach Johnson in solo fifth at 13-under 275.

The post Andrew Landry earns first PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By E. Michael Johnson
Andrew Landry made a timely change in the shafts and lofts of his irons heading into this week’s Valero Texas Open, and it might have been just what he needed to capture his first PGA Tour title.

Landry switched to Nippon 105-X shafts from KBS Tour-S in his Ping iBlade irons. He also changed the lofts, having the 4- and 5-iron bent 1 degree weaker, while the 6-iron through pitching wedge was altered a half degree weak.

Landry came into the week ranked 98th in greens in regulation but hit 73.6 percent for the week at TPC San Antonio, despite only hitting 10 greens Sunday. It took enough pressure off to the point where he only had four bogeys for the entire week and only two over the final 61 holes.

The play typified Landry’s all-or-nothing season. Since a playoff loss to Jon Rahm at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January, Landry had four consecutive missed cuts before a T-42 at the RBC Heritage. For the season he has missed as many cuts as he has made (six), but has made the weekends he worked the count with four top-10s (including three finishes in the top four).

The iBlade features a super thin face to provide added ball speed, and an elastomer insert behind the face helps dampen vibration while helping allow the face to flex at impact. A high-density tungsten plug in the toe area helps boost stability on off-centre strikes as well.

That technology along with a couple of well-timed tweaks proved a winning combination for Landry in San Antonio.

Andrew Landry’s equipment at the Valero Texas Open

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Driver: Ping G30 (Aldila Tour Blue 65X), 9 degrees

3-wood: Ping G, 14.5 degrees

5-wood: Ping G, 17.5 degrees

Irons (3-PW): Ping iBlade

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 (52, 60 degrees)

Putter: Ping PLD

The post The clubs Andrew Landry used to win the Valero Texas Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
Even after falling back with a two-under 70 on Saturday at PGA West’s Stadium Course, Jon Rahm was still very much a factor trailing by just two strokes heading into the final round of the CareerBuilder Challenge. On Sunday, he played like he did over his first two rounds, carding a five-under 67 to get to 22-under 266, which was eventually enough to earn a spot in a sudden-death playoff with Andrew Landry, who made birdie on the 72nd hole to force extra holes.

Landry went toe-to-toe with Rahm in the playoff, matching him with pars on the first three holes, but the Spaniard finally rolled in a birdie putt after taking dead aim at the flag on the fourth extra hole, the par-4 18th, for his second career PGA Tour victory.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Rahm said. “I had a good feeling going into today, and to play the way I did and give myself a chance. Props to Andrew, to birdie 18 from the right rough, having to birdie it, it’s a heck of an accomplishment.”

Landry’s clutch putt at the 18th gave him a final-round four-under 68, which featured five birdies and his only bogey of the week. He continued to impress in sudden death, going shot for shot with Rahm before just missing a 10-foot birdie try of his own as he was gunning for his first PGA Tour title.

“To follow all the shots that I hit, I didn’t miss one fairway, had a make-able birdie putt every single time, it’s amazing that he kept up,” Rahm said. “One of us had to do it, and either one of us would have been a well-deserving champion. Congrats to him, hard to explain what this means right now.”

The victory jumps Rahm over Jordan Spieth to the No. 2 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking. Rahm now heads to Torrey Pines next week where he’ll look to defend his title.

“It’s hard to believe, to be honest, passing Jordan Spieth, three-time major champion, I only have two wins, he’s got 10-plus, right?” Rahm said. “It’s, again, I said it many times, I never thought I was going to be at this point in my life right now, especially the way I won both victories. It couldn’t be anymore different than the other. Incredibly proud of myself, my whole team, my caddie Adam, he does an outstanding job of keeping me calm.”

As for Landry, the solo second finish is the best of his career on the PGA Tour, and his third in the top 10 during the 2017-’18 season.

“Just fun. This is a good atmosphere, obviously, to be in and I made a lot of good putts today and especially the one on the last hole and it’s a tricky pin right here, there’s a lot of putts that just kind of didn’t want to break and just kind of held and it was just a good week,” Landry said.

Finishing two back at 20-under 268 was John Huh, who didn’t appear to be a factor through 36 holes, sitting at seven under after rounds of 68 and 69. But he vaulted up the leader board on the weekend with rounds of 65 and Sunday’s six-under 66 to earn a T-3 finish, his first in the top-five since the 2013 Barracuda Championship, where he also tied for third.

Also finishing at 20 under were Adam Hadwin and Martin Piller. For Hadwin, it’s his second straight top-three finish at the CareerBuilder. It’s Piller’s second top-five in his last four starts.

Kevin Chappell and Scott Piercy finished in a tie for sixth at 19-under 269.

Sam Saunders posted the round of the day, an eight-under 64 to finish T-8 at 18-under 270. It’s his first top-10 finish in six starts this season, and it’s the best result of his career in this event, where he never made the cut prior to this week in his previous six tries.

Austin Cook, the 54-hole leader, struggled on Sunday, carding a three-over 75 to finish in a tie for 14th at 16-under 272.

The post Jon Rahm defeats Andrew Landry on fourth playoff hole for second career PGA Tour win at the CareerBuilder Challenge appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By E. Michael Johnson
Jon Rahm, after an up-and-down third round on the Stadium Course at PGA West, where he shot a two-under-par 70 despite four bogeys, played much steadier during a final-round 67. The Sunday showing put him in a playoff at the CareerBuilder Challenge with Andrew Landry, which he would win on the fourth extra hole to claim his second PGA Tour title.

Rahm had chances to close it out in regulation and again on the first playoff hole, but missed makable putts. He then won on the fourth playoff hole by rolling in a 12-footer for birdie. The putt capped a relatively strong day on the greens that saw Rahm post a .990 strokes gained/putting mark on the day with his TaylorMade Spider Tour Red putter.

Jumping to No. 2 in the world with the win, Rahm seemingly took control of the tournament with a 210-yard tee shot on the par-3 13th that settled two feet from the cup. He followed that up with a 68-yard lob wedge to four feet for another birdie at the 14th.

As usual, Rahm used his driver—TaylorMade’s new M4 model—as an effective weapon, averaging 309.8 yards off the tee. The club features the company’s Twist Face technology where the fast is slightly curved so that it is more open in the high toe area and slightly closed in the low heel area to promote better accuracy on mishits.

The shot Rahm hit on the 14th, however, proved critical. He pulled it off using TaylorMade’s new Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedge, a club that boasts more relief on the heel and toe along with weight removed from the back area. It all promotes a higher center of gravity to bring the ball flight down on the high-lofted club. The wedge also features grooves cut all the way across the face for an added spin on shots struck near the heel or toe. For Rahm, on that shot, whatever the spin, it was just the right amount.

What Jon Rahm had in the bag at the CareerBuilder Challenge

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

Driver: TaylorMade M4 (Aldila Tour Green 75TX), 9.5 degrees

5-wood: TaylorMade M3, 19 degrees

Irons (3): TaylorMade P790; (4-PW): TaylorMade P750

Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind (52, 56 degrees); TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe (60 degrees)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Red

The post The clubs Jon Rahm used to win the CareerBuilder Challenge appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
It was going to be a difficult task for Jon Rahm to follow up a career-low round, but he did a good job of it on Friday at the CareerBuilder Challenge despite a rocky start. The Spaniard posted a five-under 67 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, which has him at 15-under 129 through 36 holes, one back of leader Andrew Landry.

Rahm, 23, began his second round just like he did the first, opening with consecutive birdies at the 10th and 11th holes of the Nicklaus Course, but then made his first bogey of the week at the 12th, and sandwiched two birdies between another bogey on the following three holes. After all that he was two under through six holes and was able to settle in, making nine pars and three birdies the rest of the way.

“It wasn’t as pure as yesterday. They were good shots, but just off. Same with the putts. It was very close, very close,” he said. “And I think everything clicked on number, I think it was my 15th hole, number six. I hit a great drive and I started hitting really pure shots.   “I had close birdie putts over the last four holes and made two of them, so I think that kind of clicked. But I just was hanging in there because I knew I was going to have a bad stretch of holes at some point and it’s always great if those bad ones are birdie putts.”

After an impressive opening two rounds, Rahm heads to the Stadium Course at PGA West on Saturday, which will provide the stiffest test of the week for the No. 3 player in the world.

Leading the way at 16-under 128 is Landry, who fired a seven-under 65, also on the Nicklaus Course. Many will remember the University of Arkansas alum from when he earned a spot in the final group on Sunday of the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, but Landry has put together a solid resume since, winning his second Web.com Tour event in 2017 and registering six top-five finishes. His 2018 season on the PGA Tour is off to a promising start, including a T-7 finish at the Safeway Open and a T-4 at the RSM Classic. Landry, who has yet to make a bogey this week, will also face the Stadium Course on Saturday.

At 14-under 130 is Jason Kokrak, who shot a five-under 67 on the Nicklaus Course. Three players are right behind him at 13-under 131, including Zach Johnson thanks to his eight-under 64 on the Nicklaus Course, which tied for the lowest round in the field on Friday.

Among a group four shots back at 12-under 132 is Nick Watney, who posted a five-under 67 at La Quinta Country Club to go with his opening round seven-under 65 on the difficult Stadium Course at PGA West. The five-time PGA Tour winner has had his share of struggles in recent years, mainly due to a back injury that sidelined him for nearly all of 2016. That made it easy to forget that he was once one of the top players in the world, rising to as high as No. 9 in the Official World Golf Ranking during a breakout stretch from 2011 to 2012 that saw him notch three victories, his last coming at the 2012 Barclays. He’ll begin his weekend on the Nicklaus Tournament Course in contention, a spot he hasn’t found himself in in quite some time on tour.

Watney was joined at 12 under by Brandon Harkins and Brian Gay. Austin Cook, Kevin Na, Adam Hadwin, Scott Piercy and Brian Harman sit five back in a tie for 10th at 11-under 133.

Maverick McNealy, who hopes to capitalize in his limited starts on the PGA Tour, is at 10-under 134 after posting a four-under 68 on the Nicklaus Course.

Like most Phil Mickelson rounds, Friday’s second-round four-under 68 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course was an eventful one. The five-time major champion made three birdies and two bogeys on his opening nine to turn in one-under 35, which he followed with a strong final stretch that included four birdies and a bogey on his last six holes. Mickelson, who hopes to make a move on Saturday at the Stadium Course, sits at six-under 138, 10 shots off the lead.

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