B4 | THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 SPORTS SIOUXCITYJOURNAL.COM ON THE TEE | YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEK IN PROFESSIONAL GOLF THIS WEEK ‌PGA TOUR AT&T BYRON NELSON TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas POPULARITY PAYS Yardage: 7,468; Par: 72 Purse: $8.1 million; Winner’s share: $1.458 million PGA putting money where the clout is with Player Impact Program Television: Thursday and Friday, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday and Sunday, noon to 2 p.m. (Golf Chan- DOUG FERGUSON there are players in the top nel), 2 to 5 p.m. (CBS) Associated Press‌ 10 of performance — world he PGA Tour is giving ranking, FedEx Cup points, Defending champion: Sung Kang (2019) away $40 million to the even winning a major — What to know: Hideki Matsuyama returns to compe- Tleading 10 players who who inevitably will be left tition for the first time since winning the Masters. Also move the needle, a term out. playing for the first time since Augusta National is local that’s been around for some Bryson DeChambeau says favorite Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka, who is trying 60 years because it’s a sim- being different helps, and to recover from a right knee injury. The TPC Craig Ranch ple way to define popularity. everything about him is dif- is the third venue in the past four times the AT&T Byron It’s part of the “Player ferent. Rickie Fowler said he Nelson has been played. It previously was at Trinity Forest. Impact Program,” a title that notices kids flocking to the Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, withdrew Mon- doesn’t necessarily move more popular players. “Kids day because of discomfort in his left knee. John Catlin, the needle. JACOB KUPFERMAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS are the best judge of charac- the Californian with three European Tour wins since Octo- But it figures to be popu- Rory McIlroy throws his ball to the crowd after winning on ter,” he said. ber, was given a sponsor exemption. The tournament also lar, at least with 10 players. the 18th hole during the fourth round of the Wells Fargo Yes, performance still awarded sponsor exemptions to Texans Cole Hammer and Some players knew about Championship at Quail Hollow on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. matters. That’s what gets Pierceson Coody, who played in the Walker Cup last week. it more than a year ago a player noticed in the first The winner gets into the PGA Championship next week if when the tour was getting What made this impact They didn’t do that for ev- place. From there? not already eligible. Lee Westwood is playing the Byron ready to roll out the program program difficult to grasp ery player. “I think showing a little Nelson for the first time. Among Dallas-area players in the until the coronavirus pan- was how the tour is deciding McIlroy then sent his bit of your personality,” field are Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris, who demic got in the way. Others who finishes in the top 10. drive well to the right McIlroy said. “You don’t needs a victory to qualify for the PGA Tour postseason. said they didn’t know until It will be measured by an into the gallery, the ball have to be putting out 10 a month ago. One player impact score derived from bouncing to a stop under a social media posts every Next tournament: PGA Championship on May 20 to 23 found out on Twitter. He Meltwater Mentions, Goo- spectator’s chair. The man day, but you can show your probably won’t make the gle searches, Nielsen Brand waited until McIlroy arrived personality through your LPGA TOUR top 10. Exposure, an MVP index because he wasn’t sure what golf game if you want.” Last tournament: Ariya Jutanugarn won the Honda LPGA It goes against the ideal of and Q-rating. This is more to do. McIlroy leaned over to Tiger Woods will make Thailand golf being the ultimate mer- complicated than birdies speak to him at eye level and the list — he likely will lead itocracy. But it has merit, and bogeys. give him a fist bump. Some the list — without playing Next tournament: Pure Silk Championship on May 20 to especially with groups It’s designed to identify laughs were exchanged. this year. Phil Mickelson can 23 backed by Saudi riches players who have the “it” “I said, ‘I’m going to get a make the list without play- trying to lure away golf’s factor, a shorter way of ball out of this, right?’” the ing very well. CHAMPIONS TOUR top players to a team-based saying “Player Impact Pro- fan said. “He said, ‘It de- They have a quar- league. gram.” pends on the shot. If I make ter-century behind them MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CLASSIC “I don’t think it’s going Ty Votaw was commis- it, you get anything you of making tournaments TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga. to be perfect,” Rory McIlroy sioner of the LPGA Tour in want.’ He’s just so down-to- better when they played. Yardage: 6,987; Par: 72 said. “But again, I think it 2002 when he rolled out the earth.” They moved the needle. Purse: $1.8 million; Winner’s share: $270,000 was a prudent move on the five points of celebrity. It McIlroy, facing a flop shot To see the crowds that tour’s part to try to appease started with performance over a bunker to a tucked Woods attracted in his lone Television: Friday, noon to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday some people that were get- and included approachabil- pin, did well to keep it on appearance at the Valspar and Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m. (Golf Channel) ting their heads turned by ity, passion and joy, appear- the fringe. The man got his Championship in 2018, the Defending champion: Scott McCarron (2019) other things.” ance and relevance. That signed golf ball. So did the argument can be made quite It won’t keep the Super was as good a definition as woman behind him, and easily that Woods is the What to know: This was the next tournament Alex Cejka Golf League or the Premier any. It still is. then she pointed to a man needle. was supposed to play following his runner-up finish in the Golf League from tempting A more anecdotal variety behind her because the shot Going forward? McIlroy Chubb Classic last month. Instead, he got into the Regions players with as much money was evident at Quail Hollow apparently nicked him, too. touched on one other trait. Tradition as an alternate when Jay Haas withdrew and as McIlroy has made in his on Saturday in a span of 10 “I’m going to run out of “As Arnold Palmer said, won the senior major. Now he is fully exempt through 2022. PGA Tour career (his victory minutes. golf balls,” McIlroy said to ‘Every person you meet, Steve Stricker has 25 finishes in the top 10 in his 30 starts in the Wells Fargo Champi- Hundreds of fans were another round of laughter. look them dead in the eye, on the PGA Tour Champions. TPC Sugarloaf was the site of onship pushed that over $53 relaxing on the grassy hill Moments like that prob- give them the time of day.’ If the PGA Tour event that was held the week before the Mas- million, the sixth-highest in behind the 13th green. ably fall somewhere be- Arnold were still around, he ters. Scott McCarron won the PGA Tour event twice, while tour history). McIlroy made a 10-foot par tween Q-rating and Google would be No. 1 in that im- Retief Goosen won it once. Both are in the field this week. If the tour offers $40 mil- putt, and as he headed up searches. If this program pact program for the next 50 Cejka is the seventh PGA Tour Champions rookie to win dat- lion, Saudi organizers can the walkway to the next tee, had started a year ago, there years because of just how he ing to the start of the 2020 season, joining Ernie Els, Brett counter with $350 million. fans scrambled to get up and surely would have been a was with people,” McIlroy Quigley, Shane Bertsche, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and It’s not a fair fight. rush to side of the ropes to “Live Under Par” hashtag. said. Mike Weir. Bernhard Langer is the only player to top $30 The PGA Tour offers what take his picture, say some- Even great play and a few “That’s what’s popular. million in career earnings on the PGA Tour Champions. money can’t — creating a thing to him with hopes he more tweets isn’t a guar- It’s being engaging. I don’t Next tournament: Senior PGA Championship on May 27-30 legacy based on history. replied or simply to look. antee to be on the list, and really see anything else.” MLB Rosario walks off Cubs ‌CLEVELAND (AP) the sixth. attempting to bunt. Ped- — Amed Rosario’s bas- Josh Nay- erson popped out, and Eric es-loaded single with lor began Sogard took a called third two outs in the 10th in- the 10th at strike. ning gave the Cleveland second base Willson Contreras was 4 Indians a 2-1 win over for Cleve- for 5 for the Cubs. the Chicago Cubs on land. Jor- Kris Bryant, who was Wednesday. dan Luplow removed from Tuesday’s Rosario, who drove in walked, Bryant game because of a sinus Cleveland’s first run with René Rivera issue, came in to pinch- a sixth-inning double, sin- sacrificed and pinch-hit- hit in the seventh.