By Christopher Powers
If you did a deep stats dive, you’d find that Keith Mitchell, despite a lack of strong results, had been hitting the ball very nicely of late, both off the tee and with his irons. During that same deep dive, though, you’d also see his putting numbers from the Valspar Championship, which would cause you to projectile vomit.

For the week, Mitchell lost 12 strokes with the flat stick, the majority of the damage being done on Sunday. In the final round at Innisbrook he lost a staggering 8.92 strokes on the greens, a number that would make lesser men snap their not-so-magic wand in two.

Turns out, while it wasn’t snapped, Mitchell’s putter was actually bent and he didn’t know it. “I realized it was my putter, not me,” said Mitchell, who needed 42 putts in Tampa last Sunday.

The craziest part, is that Mitchell didn’t figure it out until Tuesday at Quail Hollow, when his coach noticed the loft was off by a few degrees. That was a timely find, and it’s helped Mitchell grab the 54-hole lead at the Wells Fargo Championship. On Saturday, he backed up his 67-71 start with a third-round bogey-free 66, which has him two clear of a pair of major winners in Rory McIlroy and Gary Woodland.

The putter, not surprisingly, has been key. Mitchell has gained nearly 3.5 strokes on the greens, good enough to rank 17th in the field. The driving has been elite, as it often is for Mitchell (he’s first in SG/off-the-tee), and the approach game has been strong as well. All-round play usually gets it done at tough golf courses, which appear to be Mitchell’s speciality. If he wins Sunday, he’ll have wins at Quail Hollow and at PGA National, where he won the Honda Classic in 2019.

“Really tough golf courses demand every part of your game,” Mitchell said Saturday. “I’ve definitely played poorly on tough golf courses, but my best weeks have been at the tough ones, Bay Hill, Honda, here. When you hit a bad shot you get penalized, and when you hit a good shot you get rewarded. Some golf courses on the PGA Tour where you can hit bad shots, get away with it and still try to make birdie. You can’t do that here. I think that’s a true test of golf. I don’t think golf would be fun if every course was like this. I just feel more comfortable around a tougher course.”

On Sunday, Mitchell will play alongside another guy who plays tough courses well—McIlroy, who has a pair of wins and a number of high finishes at Quail Hollow. Mitchell shouldn’t feel too scared, though. When he won the Honda, he held off a guy named Brooks Koepka on Sunday.

Here are four other takeaways from Day 3 at the Wells Fargo.

Maddie Meyer
Rory McIlroy reacts on the second green during the third round of the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.

Is Rory going to hurt us again?
Theoretically, Quail Hollow should be the one place where McIlroy can’t hurt us based off his course history. When he won here in 2010 he shot a closing 62, and when he won again in 2015 he went 61-69 on the weekend. He loves the course, it’s tailor made to his game. He should be immune to a Sunday sputtering, the type we’ve seen a few too many times from him since his last win in November of 2019. But all the past success in the world means nothing when he walks to the first tee on Sunday. Unfortunately, it would not be surprising to see him stall, but we’re all sincerely rooting for that not to happen. McIlroy being back in the fold for this upcoming Kiawah-Torrey-Royal St. George’s-Ryder Cup stretch is something we all desperately need.

Quail Hollow’s 18th remains one of the great beastly finishers on tour
Not breaking any news in saying that many of Quail Hollow’s holes are pretty forgettable. The 18th is not one of them. It remains an absolute beast of a par 4 that gives these guys fits and always produces high end-of-round drama. On Saturday there were zero … zero (!) birdies, and the scoring average was well over a half-stroke over par (4.701). The three par 5s all played easier in the third round. It’s a monster.

Maddie Meyer
Gary Woodland walks the 18th hole during the third round of the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.

This is a BIG boy leader board
In other words, it’s a Quail Hollow leader board. We’re not complaining. Mitchell, Rory, Woodland, Luke List, Scott Stallings, Viktor Hovland. If you want to win here, you better be able to smash driver and hit a bunch of greens, something all the aforementioned names do very well. It would be tough to watch this style of golf every week, but a handful of times a year it can be very entertaining.

Jared C. Tilton
Phil Mickelson looks on from the third green during the third round of the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.

Phil Mickelson’s first round was such a tease
What some Phil pessimists feared turned out to be very, very true—Thursday was a tease of the highest order. His seven-under 64, which gave him the solo lead after 18 holes, did not end up being a sign of things to come for the weekend. Friday and Saturday, Mickelson came all the way back to the pack and then some, shooting 75-76 to fall outside of the top 50.

It’s a shame, because Lefty has been grinding his face off of late and it looked like he was finally reaping the rewards. But the irons, which were red hot Thursday, failed him in the second and third rounds. Friday he lost 0.759 on approach, which paled in comparison to the nearly 4.2 strokes he lost on approach Saturday. That’ll lead to some ugly numbers at Quail Hollow. Hopefully, we’ll get more of the Thursday version of Phil in the near future, though those days are becoming fewer on the big tour for the 50-year-old.

The post Keith Mitchell and his not-bent putter in the lead, Rory giving chase and Quail Hollow’s 18th hole remains a beast appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we’re pretty sure we’ve seen this movie before. An American dressed in all black just imposing his will South of the Border. Yep, we’ve definitely seen this movie before:

Of course, this had a slightly different ending with Patrick Reed taking home a trophy instead of getting his eyes gouged out like Johnny Depp. But overall, the good guys won. And if there’s anything we can all agree on these days, it’s that Patrick Reed is one of the good guys. Wait. No? OK, well, we’ve got a lot to discuss then.

WE’RE BUYING

Patrick Reed on Sundays: To be clear, I’m not giving Reed credit for being resilient and overcoming adversity at Club de Golf Chapultepec. This mess of him morphing from Captain America into Captain Controversy is his own making. But I am giving him credit for not succumbing to final-round pressure and being able to close out (big) golf tournaments better than just about anyone else these days. In addition to a green jacket and being a Ryder Cup hero, Reed now has two World Golf Championships, two FedEx Cup playoff events, and eight PGA Tour titles. Before turning 30. That is quite a résumé. And yes, he won just days after Brooks Koepka and Peter Kostis called him out for breaking the rules.

Apparently it’s easier to shush the haters at altitude. Although, Team Reed went on a Twitter blocking rampage following the victory, targeting everyone from fans to members of the media to fellow tour pros:

Oops! pic.twitter.com/uenL4bW0a8

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) February 25, 2020

Jeez. Not even Bryson DeChambeau has Eddie blocked! Anyway, congrats to Patrick Reed on the win and congrats to me on not getting blocked. Yet.

Viktor Hovland: Now here was an overwhelmingly popular victory. Hovland picked up his first win as a pro and the first for the country of Norway on the PGA Tour. Not surprisingly, Norwegian announcers absolutely lost their minds when he drained a 30-foot birdie putt to win on the final hole:

Viktor Hovland's win, as heard in Norway. ??? pic.twitter.com/mEcDvGXePI

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 24, 2020

What a talent, what a personality. This 22-year-old has superstar written all over him. We just hope he can overcome the Curse of Coco Beach.

Erik Van Rooyen: First of all, the South African more than held his own at the WGC-Mexico Championship with a T-3 finish. But just as impressively, the dude shreds on the guitar:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B55dsyclvcS/?utm_source=ig_embed

Great song, great playing. It’s almost enough to look past those joggers he wears on the course. Almost.

This bathroom: A bathroom is usually the least exciting room in a house, but that’s not the case for this man:

My Masters bathroom? pic.twitter.com/syMRVUfkmD

— Gregg Thompson/The Pond (@golf69ski88) February 19, 2020

Couple more for you: pic.twitter.com/GovniQcEYM

— Gregg Thompson/The Pond (@golf69ski88) February 19, 2020

Absolutely beautiful. And how about that toilet tucked away? That’s an Amen Corner everyone can appreciate. If this were a match, MASTERS bathroom is Tiger Woods and your typical master bathroom is Stephen Ames.

WE’RE SELLING

The Premier Golf League: The CEO of the potential new league, Andrew Gardiner, stepped out of the shadows and presented some interesting ideas like shotgun starts and four-man teams, but it might have been too little too late after Rory McIlroy said he’s “Out” and that he wants “to be on the right side of history.” With no Rory and Tiger/Phil barely on the right side of 50, it doesn’t seem like the PGL stands much of a chance. Even with Twitter gems like this:

https://twitter.com/premgolfleague/status/1230949491970379776

“Thank you Tiger”: Speaking of Tiger—well, not really—this was trending on Twitter on Friday and had golf fans freaking out that Tiger Woods was hanging it up:

https://twitter.com/xxJAHOOxx/status/1230127379760189440

Instead, it had to do with a Japanese wrestling referee Tiger Hattori retiring. PHEW!

This shot: My Golf Digest pal Christopher Powers loves (over)using the headline, “This is it, this is the best/worst (insert something) ever. But this is one case in which it applies. So without further ado . . . This is it, this is the most embarrassing golf shot ever hit:

My brother's friends first shot at St Andrews is unforgettable pic.twitter.com/DsKHW3TizB

— Tom (@culley999) February 21, 2020

There are shanks and then there’s this. Just brutal. And it occurred on the opening hole of the world’s most storied course and in front of a gallery. Talk about a nightmare.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour begins its Florida Swing with the Honda Classic, AKA that event with the Bear Trap. Unfortunately, because of the new(er) schedule, it can’t corral many of the PGA Tour’s stars, even the many who live in Jupiter and could walk to the course.

Random tournament fact: Keith Mitchell won last year and got quite the headline in the local Palm Beach Post:

Wow. Very unkind headline today. @pbpost pic.twitter.com/MtuZRXjvmj

— Peter Robbins (@gatortakes) March 4, 2019

Ouch.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—A PGA Tour pro will get attacked by an actual bear: 10,000-to-1 odds

—My wife will ever go for a bathroom like that: 1-MILLION -to-1 odds

—Patrick Reed doesn’t care what this no-name golf writer thinks of him: LOCK

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Brooks Koepka going all GQ. Literally.

It’s fashion, bro.
Had a good time talking with @gq
Check it out here: https://t.co/o0WfyRqBC0 pic.twitter.com/ZAUzcnJwEb

— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) February 25, 2020

Nicely done, Brooks. As someone who also did a shoot with GQ, I know there’s no better way to pad your wardrobe without spending a dime.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK (INVOLVING PUTTING GREENS)

Introducing Bryson DeChambeau’s “towel guy”:

Speechless. #TowelGuy @NoLayingUp pic.twitter.com/8D666VrpOc

— mdw (@mdw3344) February 20, 2020

Turns out, he was creating shade so Bryson could see the laser attached to his putter. True story. Still, quite a look. And how about Colin Montgomerie practising his putting at a PGA Tour Superstore?

When it rains in Phoenix where else to practice but @PGATSS pic.twitter.com/grpOdp0kFV

— Colin Montgomerie (@montgomeriefdn) February 22, 2020

No laser for Monty. Old school.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Check out 84-year-old Mary Ann Wakefield draining a 94-foot, full-court putt at an Ole Miss basketball game to win a new car:

LEGEND! 84-year-old Mary Ann Wakefield sunk this 94-foot putt to win a new car ?

(via @OleMissMBB) pic.twitter.com/Rkq2GDD8yk

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 23, 2020

Good for her. Rory McIlroy might want to take some notes.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I just suck at chipping.” —Viktor Hovland’s brutal assessment of his short game following his win in Puerto Rico was nearly as entertaining as that winning putt:

Viktor was asked about a bad chip he hit earlier in the round and this was his response… pic.twitter.com/lhVO1iBMRi

— Skratch (@Skratch) February 23, 2020

Although, with ball-striking stats like this, he could chip like my boss and still win on tour:

Highest Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee per round since the U.S. Open:

Viktor Hovland, +1.03
Rory McIlroy, +1.01
Cameron Champ, +0.82

Highest Strokes Gained: Approach per round since the U.S. Open:

Justin Thomas, +1.04
Collin Morikawa, +0.98
Viktor Hovland, +0.95

(min. 30 rounds)

— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) February 24, 2020

OK, maybe not my boss, but you get the point.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

The political mudslinging has gotten particularly nasty as we approach November’s Presidential election. First, Donald Trump knocked Mike Bloomberg swing’s speed:

Mini Mike is a short ball (very) hitter. Tiny club head speed. KEEP AMERICA GREAT! https://t.co/5DUj16jtZf

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2020

Then this past week, Bloomberg hit back with this billboard:

https://twitter.com/Mike2020/status/1230924914468773890

What a country.

THIS WEEK IN PGA TOUR PRO-WAGS PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Jimmy Walker and Erin Walker shared their first cooking video together:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

@tourwifetravels and I grilling up steaks and making homemade pasta. Our first IGTV – kids screaming, dogs barking – #realife @central_market @heb @kowsteaks @fiestaspices

A post shared by Jimmy Walker (@jimmywalkerpga) on Feb 21, 2020 at 12:46pm PST

First of all, it’s tough to beat steak and pasta. Secondly, Netflix might be calling about filming a new cooking series.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Golf’s ultimate showman took in a show during a trip to NYC:

Last night we went to the play ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and Ed Harris was beyond incredible as was the entire cast.
That is all I have to say about that.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 21, 2020

Thanks for the rec, Phil, but I wish you’d stopped by the office.

THIS AND THAT

Charles Howell III has now passed $1 million in earnings for 20 consecutive seasons and the 40-year-old is closing in on crossing the $40 million mark for his career. . . . Nineteen-year-old Stephanie Kyriacou, the 90th-ranked amateur golfer in the world, won the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville by eight shots. Something tells me there aren’t actually 89 amateur golfers better than her right now. . . . And apparently, there are some degenerates out there betting on which golfer gets to the tee box first:

All time bad beat for first golfer to the tee box (via: @NVanWyhe1) pic.twitter.com/ZnXQMptCte

— Barstool Sportsbook (@BSSportsbook) February 23, 2020

This makes me feel a lot better about myself.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What’s the dumbest golf bet I’ve ever made?

What’s the most embarrassing golf shot I’ve ever hit?

Has Patrick Reed blocked me on Twitter yet?

The post Patrick Reed’s Twitter blocking rampage, a Tiger Woods scare, and the most embarrassing golf shot ever appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Feinstein
In 1981, John McEnroe, the defending champion and No. 1 seed, opened the U.S. Open tennis tournament against Juan Nunez, a 24-year-old Chilean, who had to play his way through three qualifying matches to get into the main draw.

With threatening clouds scudding overheard, Nunez played the match of his life—for one set. He took McEnroe to 6-all, then won the tiebreaker to win the set, 7-6.

The reaction in Louis Armstrong Stadium was thunderous. Almost everyone in the crowd was on their feet, cheering for Nunez. McEnroe shook his head in disgust, then won the next three sets, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2. As always, he was blunt about what he was thinking as he waited out the Nunez ovation after the first set.

“None of those people even heard of the guy before the match started,” he said. “Then, he wins one set and they’re cheering like he’s a member of their family.” He smiled. “Did they really think a guy ranked 193d in the world was going to beat me?”

McCarthy
Upsets like the one that McEnroe nearly endured in the 1981 U.S. Open are commonplace in golf.

No, most of them didn’t. Because in tennis, guys ranked 193d in the world don’t beat guys ranked No. 1 in the world. But in golf, it happens.

Sunday’s Honda Classic was yet another example. NBC and most in attendance got exactly what they wanted: three-time major champion Brooks Koepka and hyper-popular Rickie Fowler—both of whom live within 10 minutes of PGA National Resort and Spa—making back nine charges to get to eight-under-par and tie for the clubhouse lead.

But a couple of groups back, someone named Keith Mitchell wasn’t going away. Mitchell came into the tournament ranked 162nd in the world, his best finish on tour this season, a T-14 at the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in the fall—won by Koepka.

Koepka’s biggest win as a pro? You pick from the three majors he’s won the last two years. Fowler has been criticized by some for only winning five times on tour. His biggest win was the Players Championship in 2015. Mitchell’s only victory as a pro had come in a mini-tour event.

And yet, there was Mitchell, having birdied three of the previous six holes to match Fowler and Koepka at eight-under, standing over a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th green with a chance to win. And, there was Mitchell, draining the putt for the victory.

How long had it been since there had been such an unlikely victory on the PGA Tour? You have to all the way back to…January—six weeks ago when Adam Long, then ranked 417th in the world, stared down Phil Mickelson for 18 holes on Sunday and drained a birdie putt similar to Mitchell’s to win the Desert Classic.

The 54-hole leader at the Honda was Wyndham Clark, a tour rookie who squeezed onto the big tour this year by finishing 25th on the Web.com Tour last year—grabbing the last tour spot available. Clark shot a two-over-par 72 to finish seventh.

Vijay Singh, who turned 56 last month, also had a chance to win, until his tee shot found the water at 17 on the tournament’s 71st hole. A Singh victory would have been an amazing story, too, but in a different way. He hasn’t won on tour since 2008 and would have been the oldest man—by almost four years—to win on tour. Singh, though, is a Hall of Famer with 34 tour victories, three of them majors. He’s not Juan Nunez by any stretch.

Upsets happen in all sports, but they happen with far more frequency in golf. The greatest sports upset of my lifetime was the U.S. Olympic hockey team’s shocking 4-3 win over the seemingly omnipotent Soviets in the 1980 Olympics. That was a once-in-a-lifetime event, so remarkable that two movies—one good, one bad—were made about it.

The Boston Red Sox World Series victory in 2004 was celebrated across the sports world, not because the Red Sox weren’t an excellent team, but because they came from 3-0 down in the American League Championship Series to take down the hated Yankees and then ended an 86-year World Series drought by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals. How often have teams come from 3-0 down in postseason baseball series to win? The Red Sox are the list.

The NFL’s greatest upset was Super Bowl III, when the New York Jets—a 17-to-19-point underdog, depending on which history book you read—beat the Baltimore Colts, 16-7. No one knew how good the Jets were because the NFL and AFL hadn’t merged yet and the assumption, based on the first two Super Bowls, was that an AFL team couldn’t compete with the NFL’s best.

Kevin C. Cox

Two years ago, few people gave the Philadelphia Eagles a chance in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, but, with backup quarterback Nick Foles, starring in a made-for-Disney performance, the Eagles won. People forgot they were 15-3 prior to the game, not exactly the 162nd best—or, for that matter 417th best—team in football.

A year ago, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County became the first 16th seed to win an NCAA Tournament basketball game, when it beat top-seeded Virginia. It only took 136 games for a 16th-seed to beat a one-seed. It may take another 136 before it happens again.

But golf history is littered with stories even more surprising and dramatic than Mitchell’s and Long’s. Frances Ouimet comes to mind and, no, I didn’t cover the 1913 U.S. Open, though I suspect Dan Jenkins did. Jack Fleck over Ben Hogan in 1955 at Olympic is another example.

Fast forward to 2003 when Ben Curtis, a PGA Tour rookie ranked 396th in the world, won the Open Championship, outdueling Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III and Thomas Bjorn down the stretch. A month later, Shaun Micheel—who had never won before on the PGA Tour and would never win again—hit one of the great shots in golf history on the 18th hole at Oak Hill (a 7-iron to a foot) to clinch the PGA Championship.

A year after that, Todd Hamilton beat Ernie Els in a playoff in the Open Championship. Hamilton, however, had won 11 times in Japan and had won the Honda Classic—how about that?—earlier in the year. But, after that victory in Scotland, he never won again.

Getty Images (4)
Golf has enjoyed occasional unknown winners in majors.

After his winning putt on Sunday, Mitchell, who is 27, noted that even though he’s not that much younger than Fowler (30) and Koepka (28) he’d been watching them, “for years,” while he was grinding on mini-tours and then the Web.com Tour.

“Everyone has to win their first tournament somewhere,” Mitchell said. “This was mine.”

Actually, that’s not quite true. Many players spend years on tour and never win a tournament. Many others never reach the tour. That’s why Paul Azinger was completely correct when he said, “this would be a life-changing moment for him,” as Mitchell stood over his final putt on 18.

A win on tour makes you a PGA Tour member forever. It means you have a job for at least two years and (unless it is a tournament played opposite a WGC event) means you are in the Masters.

Mitchell was asked how many majors he has played in. He smiled and said, “Zero.” Then he added, “well, actually half-a-major. I played in the Players last year. That counts as half-a-major doesn’t it?”

No, it doesn’t, but that doesn’t matter.

What matters is that Mitchell has a lot more than the tangible rewards (including the first prize of $1,224,000) in the wake of his victory. He has the memory of making that putt on 18 to win and, in the process, defeat two very famous players.

It was certainly a memorable finish. But one more likely to occur in golf than in any other sport.

The post Golf shouldn’t apologise for its unknown champions. If anything it should be celebrating them more appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A friend had texted Mitchell the headline and he read it a few minutes before teeing off on Saturday and again on Sunday. It proved useful motivation for the 27-year-old, whose lone victory as a professional until this week came at a mini-tour event in 2016.

“Everyone gets their first win somewhere,” Mitchell said. “I wanted this to be mine.”

Eighteen months ago, the former All-American from the University of Georgia had a chance for one, in a sense, when he faced a 15-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole of the Web.com Tour’s Portland Open. Making it would secure his card for the PGA Tour.

But Mitchell missed, and, worse yet, he had thought that he needed to make eagle on the hole, which might explain why his chip on the par-5 18th at Pumpkin Ridge’s Witch Hollow Course had scooted so far by the hole in the first place.

He made it to the PGA Tour a year later and finished in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup standings to keep his card but never forgot the missed putt at Pumpkin Ridge, or the other opportunities, like the one in the Dominican Republic last year when he finished second, that had slipped by.

“I actually thought about [the putt] this morning on the car ride over here because the feeling of missing out on an opportunity or the feeling of, I don’t want to say losing, but the feeling of putting yourself in the position to win or to succeed and then not coming through or not taking the moment as yours,” he said. “It’s something I’d struggled with in the past because you want it so bad. If you think that way, it’s never going to be a good outcome.”

It didn’t help any that he came into the Honda ranked 218th on tour in putting. Neither did opening with a pair of bogeys. After beginning the day just a stroke off the lead, Mitchell suddenly found himself playing catch up.

The leaderboard got awfully crowded, too, with Vijay Singh and Lucas Glover, both major champions with oodles of big game experience, among a handful of notable players nipping at the lead.

But after playing his first 11 holes in one over, Mitchell kept his cool and rattled off three birdies in his next four holes. Among them was one on the 160-yard par-3 15th over water, where he flagged his tee shot to a few feet and made the putt to break from the pack of players at seven under.

Koepka and Fowler pulled even, each making birdie on the par-5 finishing hole, leaving Mitchell to his own devices and the memory of another 15-footer, this time for the win.

“It was awesome,” Mitchell said. “I wish I could come up with a better word than that. But just having a chance to play — coming down the stretch against Rickie Fowler and Brooks, those guys are the best in the world, and they’ve been out here proving themselves. I’m just pleased that I could prove myself against guys like that in such a great field and a great tournament.”

With it comes a job on the PGA Tour for the next two years. Also a trip to the Masters. It will be his first major.

The post Keith Mitchell buries a winning putt and the label of relative unknown appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
The final round of the final regular-season event on the Web.com Tour had all angst and agita you’d expect when PGA Tour cards are on the line, even if the final results didn’t necessarily reflect it. As it turned out, the top 25 on the Web.com money list entering the WinCo Foods Portland Open were the same 25 coming out on Sunday, only the order changing.

That said, somebody might want to check on Keith Mitchell come Monday morning. With back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, he needed another coming in to move from 36th on the money list inside the top 25. After burning the left edge with a six-foot birdie try on the 16th hole, then leaving a 20-foot birdie attempt on the 17th hole one revolution short, the 25-year-old former Georgia All-American, who shot a Saturday 62 to get into Sunday’s final twosome, still had a chance on the par-5 18th at Pumpkin Ridge G.C.’s Witch Hollow course to bump out Roberto Diaz for the final PGA Tour card.

Mitchell, who led the tour in eagles this season, confidently blasted a driver 330-plus yards, but tugged his second shot left, missing the green on the short side as his ball game to rest in a shortly mowed area. Mitchell’s third shot surprisingly raced 20 feet by the hole and, despite the benefit of seeing playing partner (and eventual winner) Brice Garnett roll in an almost identical putt, Mitchell hit his too hard and too far right. He’d have to settle for a par, a closing 70, T-6 finish and, ultimately, the No. 26 on the money list.

Adding insult to insanity, Mitchell said afterward that he had been told on the 18th tee he needed to eagle the last hole rather than birdie to earn his card. It might explain the chip shot and his poor birdie putt.

“I only learned in the trailer what I really needed,” he said.

Mitchell, who started the week No. 36 on the money list, described the final few holes as “the most stressful I’ve ever been. … There were a couple shots out there I was almost numb. “It’s really, really, really disappointing.”

When you see this birdie miss on the 17th, you’ll understand why.

So, so close.@K_M_Mitchell can secure a @PGATOUR card with a closing birdie at the last.

Otherwise, @BobbyDiazz will earn the 25th card. pic.twitter.com/7ZG753qeDI

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 28, 2017

The fate of a pair other players on the “bubble” weren’t as dramatically painful, but still remained disappointing.

• Rob Oppenheim, No. 26 on the money list to start the week, closed with a 76 to finish T-65 in the tournament, falling back to No. 27.

RELATED: Somehow, Rob Oppenheim is on the bubble for a PGA Tour card, again

• After a 65-70 start, No. 27 Martin Piller, who skipped the second-to-last Web.com Tour event to watch his wife, Gerina, compete at the Solheim Cup, shot 74-75 on the weekend to finish T-60 and drop to No. 28.

And then there was the story of David Skinns, an Englishman who started the week 115th on the money list. His target wasn’t the top 25 so much as the top 75, which would secure him full Web.com Tour status in 2018 and a spot in the Web.com Tour Finals Series

Skinns started the week 115th on the money list, and started the day projected at 107th, but a closing 64 moved him into T-2 for the tournament and bumped him to 58th on the money list, securing his Web.com Tour status for 2018 and giving him a spot in the Web.com Tour Finals. He was one of two players to move inside the top 75, along with Ben Kohles. Brady Schnell fell from (75th to 77th) and Samuel Del Val (74th to 76th).

WEB.COM TOUR MONEY LIST (Top 25 earn PGA Tour cards for 2017-’18)
Brice Garnett, $368,761
Sam Ryder, $314,306
Abraham Ancer, $295,528
Andrew Landry, $292,939
Stephan Jaeger, $278,364
Talor Gooch, $271,316
Kyle Thompson, $266,312
Andrew Putnam, $266,296
Chesson Hadley, $264,350
Ben Silverman, $256,906
Nate Lashley, $252,160
Adam Schenk, $236,792
Andrew Yun, $222,856
Ted Potter, Jr., $207,368
Austin Cook, $206,515
Zecheng Dou, $203,630
Conrad Shindler, $203,483
Aaron Wise, $199,922
Matt Atkins, $192,029
Xinjun Zhang, $186,306
Brandon Harkins, $172,162
Lanto Griffin, $169,689
Beau Hossler, $164,326
Ethan Tracy, $161,211
Roberto Díaz, $157,823

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