Dell Technologies Championship Preview: TV Information, Field, And More

The FedExCup returns to TPC Boston this weekend, but this time something is different.

No longer is the championship sponsored by Deutsche Bank, instead, it has been rebranded as the Dell Technologies Championship. The reigning champion of the tournament, Rory McIlroy will be present for the Labor Day weekend tournament and enters it ranked No. 43 in the FedExCup after beginning the FedExCup Playoffs at No. 44.

McIlroy had an impressive comeback at last years event after being tied for 67th overall after an opening round 71. But he posted a final round 65 as he was able to close and eclipse a 6 stroke lead Paul Casey had entering the final round in 2016. That six stroke come-from behind win happens to be the largest in the tournament’s history.

But this year looks to be different at the  Dell Technologies Championship. For starters, McIlroy won the FedExCup in 2016 and looks to be nowhere close to being able to do that this time around. The favorites heading into this weekend are the top 6 in the FedExCup standings.

1. Dustin Johnson
2. Jordan Spieth
3. Justin Thomas
4. Hideki Matsuyama
5. John Rahm
6. Rickie Fowler

Justin Thomas Wins the 99th PGA Championship

It was some kind of roller coaster ride today [Sunday] at Quail Hallow.The Leader board changed several times. It was a day of highs and lows. Golf is a game of patience and self control. Justin Thomas exemplifies these two skills. He had one heck of a Round but kept his cool throughout the whole day.  He even tipped his cap to Lady Luck on the Birdie at 10.  What transpired was simply astonishing.  His journey to winning was nothing short of epic.

It all started at the 7th Hole where he made a good birdie. He kept the same tee shot on the 8th and wasn’t about to lose a stroke. He would end up Paring the Hole. With this bit of momentum he went down the 9th Hole and Birdied it.  At this point he was still off the lead by a few strokes. And then Hole 10 happened and it was a godsend.

He got on the Green in 3 strokes but he had a difficult Putt to make. Calmly and coolly he Putted the ball, it went right up to the Cup and stopped right on the edge.  It looked like one of those missed opportunities, Justin Thomas rolled his eyes and thought that he missed it.  But then after a few long moments it rolled in. It was instantly a game changer and a pivotal moment in the day. The tides had turned in Thomas’ favor.

With the momentum on his side suddenly anything could happen. Justin Thomas was now atop the Leader board.  He made some solid shots on the dreaded 12th and 13th Holes.  He even had an amazing Birdie on the 13th and was really finding his groove.  He was now -8 with sole possession of the lead.

He played the Back 9 just perfectly, mind you this was the toughest part of the Course. He entered the Green Mile, 16th 17th and 18th, with confidence. And it was this confidence that lead him to make an outstanding tee shot over the water on 17.  He would go on to Birdie it from a distance of just a few feet.

And that would pretty much seal it for the Championship. Well done! He finished the Tournament -8 on the day, he made sure that he had some breathing room at the 18th, so he could clinch it. What an amazing Game. As I said before Golf is about patience and self control, Justin Thomas played the Course and not the Leader Board. It was something to watch!  Congratz on his first Major Tournament win!

Kevin Kisner Holds on to the Lead at PGA Championship

It was a wild one yesterday [Saturday] at Quail Hollow, where the PGA Championship was being played. Round 3 of the Tournament couldn’t get any wilder. Yet Kevin Kisner played calm cool and collective, just as he has done all tournament.

After Round 2 he was up -8 on top of the Leaderboard.  He was really playing well. During Round 3 he had some real competition, from Hideki Matsuyama and Chris Stroud.  After the 7th Hole which each of them Birdied, Kisner was up a stroke at -9, while Matsuyama and Stroud were tied at -8. That would be as close as they would get. Kisner played the Front 9 perfectly. The Front 9 had been playing harder than the notorious Back 9.  Yet Kisner had a few Bogeys down the Back 9. His only real blemishes came on Holes 12, 16, and 18.  He finished the day -7 and 1 over

His only real blemishes came on Holes 12, 16, and 18. He finished the day -7 and 1 over on the Round. It was a far cry away from the 67 he posted on Round 1 and Round 2. The Championship is still up for grabs.

Hideki Matsuyama played well.  He was constantly nipping at the heels of the Leader. He had some shots that he missed that were makable. I mean there were some that just touched the rim of the cup.  His Birdie at the 7th was really remarkable.

There were times when he saved himself by Paring the Hole.  He got into similar trouble as Jordan Spieth, on the 12th and 13th. Who could forget the pine straw shot that Spieth made on Friday. It was just disastrous.  But Matsuyama played them differently. He stayed in the rough but kept the ball above the Holes. It was really amazing when he got out of trouble and was only punished a Bogey.  He really is good at chipping and has a real awareness of the Greens.  He finished the day -6 and 2 over on the Round.

One of the big stories of the day was Jason Day, who started out -6 and tried as he might to hold on to it. His Round 3 play was wild. I mean seriously it was a real roller coaster ride! At one point he was hitting a waist high Bunker Shot.  At another point he was hitting out of the trees. Then he was hitting out of the pine straw. There was a point where he was even hitting out of the water!

I mean come on, how does that happen? He had one leg in the water hazard and one foot on the slope. It was a remarkable shot but man did he have a rough day. He ended up Bogeying several Holes on the Back 9. I mean you could tell that he was really struggling to hit his tee shots.  He had some missed chances for Birdies on the Front 9 but the Back 9 did him in. He Bogeyed on the typical 12th and 13th as well as the 17th. He would go on to Quadruple Bogeyed the 18th.  He finished the day Even and for the Round he was +6.

The PGA Championship continues today on CBS, as the Final Round pairings begin at 2:30 PM.

Look for Kisner to try and keep the lead.  He has been playing well and has a level headed approach to this Golf Course, Quail Hallow. I expect to see Matsuyama to eventually tie for the lead as he is playing exceptionally well. Also look for Stroud to be a dark horse contender for the PGA Championship.