We have hit mid-week during the last week of the PGA Tour season. Thirty PGA golfers still have work to do as the winner of the FedEx Cup wins $10 million. Stakes are also high on the Web.com Tour as the third event of the four-tournament Web.com finals happens this week, in Columbus, Ohio. The top 25 on the Web.com Finals money list will earn PGA Tour Cards for next season.
In today’s news, TaylorMade can now breathe after signing its two biggest stars to new deals, as they were set to become free agents. In addition, Euro Tour players enjoying Porsche hospitality, Justin Thomas gets burned by Daniel Berger, and Jim Furyk receives the presitigous Payne Stewart Award.
TaylorMade Makes Two Big Moves
The big news of the morning: TaylorMade has re-signed the top two golfers in the World Rankings, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson. The two were set to become the two most coveted free agents since Peyton Manning was being courted by half the NFL in 2012.
Day has been with TaylorMade for ten years, DJ nine. It basically guarantees that TaylorMade will have exposure at every big-ticket event for the foreseeable future. Details of the new deals have not yet been released.
Both Day and Johnson tweeted about their new deals this morning.
.@TaylorMadeGolf helped me get to world no.1 & I'm choosing them to help me stay there. Proud to be #TeamTaylorMade! pic.twitter.com/1kkIcOkNlV
— Jason Day (@JDayGolf) September 21, 2016
I've been a part of the @TaylorMadeGolf family since day one. Excited to keep playing the best gear in the game! pic.twitter.com/luXZm5nk8U
— Dustin Johnson (@DJohnsonPGA) September 21, 2016
TaylorMade put out a video showcasing the two stars as well:
In their rise to the top, one thing has remained the same—@JDayGolf and @DJohnsonPGA choose performance. #TeamTaylorMade pic.twitter.com/wkCQ5dkLM8
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) September 21, 2016
Web.com Finals: Round 3
The Web.com Tour has received a lot more attention than usual lately, with their finals happening this month. The first two rounds are done, and this week, the tour goes to Columbus, OH for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship at the Scarlet Course.
The top 25 on the money list after the four week finals will receive their PGA Tour card for next year:
Notables who have secured their card:
1. Michael Thompson
2. Bryson DeChambeau
7. Scott Stallings
9. Andrew “Beef” Johnston
Notables who still have work to do:
14. D.A. Points
16. Rory Sabbatini
20. Cheng Tsung Pan
25. Greg Owen
33. Stuart Appleby
T48. Andrew Landry
63. K.T. Kim
T78. Erik Compton
Speaking of the Web.com Tour, news of Michael Thompson’s victory at the Albertson’s Boise Open spread a long way:
To the victor go the spoils. ? pic.twitter.com/hURV9XKPqo
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) September 21, 2016
Drive of the Week
This week’s European Tour event is the Porsche European Open. With Porsche being the host sponsor, there is great potential for the players to do something awesome.
@Thomas_Pieters and @Coelsss tested speed yesterday ????? pic.twitter.com/YNBp88anFZ
— PorscheEuropeanOpen (@PEO_18) September 21, 2016
Thomas Pieters, who was recently named to the European Ryder Cup team by captain Darren Clarke, and the long-hitting Nicolas Coelsarts were given test drives.
Man of the Year
Jim Furyk was recently names the recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, an honor that is given each year to the man the committee believes best exemplifies great values on and off the course, and good sportsmanship.
PGA.com posted the video of Furyk’s emotional speech:
ICYMI, here's Jim Furyk's incredible Payne Stewart Award acceptance speech: https://t.co/ewlfKoq8A5 pic.twitter.com/gzxUcUSvf9
— PGA.COM (@PGAcom) September 21, 2016
Past winners of the award have included Ernie Els (2015), Nick Faldo (2014), Steve Stricker (2012), Gary Player (2006), Tom Watson (2003), and the trio of Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer (2000).
Congrats to #TeamRBC's Jim Furyk on receiving the Payne Stewart Award tonight @playofffinale https://t.co/AVFSSFvmM8 pic.twitter.com/QnzSsAaID8
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) September 21, 2016
American Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III had some nice words about Furyk:
Congrats to my friend Jim Furyk on receiving the Payne Stewart Award tonight. Great player and a better person.
— Davis Love III (@Love3d) September 20, 2016
Furyk is considered one of the contenders for Love’s last Ryder Cup Captain’s pick. It is probably encouraging to Furyk that Love has a high opinion of him.
Picture of the Day
LPGA Golfer Paula Creamer of the U.S., in France, took a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower at night.
??❤️ pic.twitter.com/GLWHmsWY3M
— Paula Creamer (@ThePCreamer) September 21, 2016
The LPGA is off this week after the Evian Open was played last weekend. The Evian Open was the fifth and final major of the year, and was won by South Korea’s In Gee Chun. With Chun’s victory, the five majors were won by five different players, from five different countries.
Paula Creamer finished T55 after shooting 73-72-75-69 (+5).
Video of the Day
Brutus the Buckeye, one of the most beloved mascots in all of sports, had to cut off a shot from a player of a rival Big Ten School. This week’s Web.com Tour event, the third round of the finals, takes place at Ohio State University’s campus.
When Brutus the @OhioState Buckeye sees a Big Ten opponent … https://t.co/IMXxlpCkCG
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) September 20, 2016
Twitter Exchange of the Day
Justin Thomas, in the midst of the best season of his very young career, and a hopeful for the last Ryder Cup Captain pick, is at the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta, Georgia. Thomas commented on the pureness of the East Lake terrain, which led to a funny response from Daniel Berger, who is also there.
wow funniest thing I've heard from u boog!
— Colt Knost (@ColtKnost) September 20, 2016
you enjoying your first time here?
— Daniel Berger (@DanielBerger59) September 20, 2016
Thomas gave Berger some respect:
damn you boog. Well played
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) September 20, 2016
Justin Thomas is currently 12th in the FedEx Cup Standings going into the final event. He will need a win and some help to take home the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize. Thomas has an impressive five top three finishes on the season, including a victory at the CIMB Classic.
Berger is further back in the standings at #26. Berger also has one victory on the season, at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Berger is the reigning Tour Rookie of the Year, an award that is expected to go to one of Emiliano Grillo, Smylie Kaufman, or Si Woo Kim.
