What’s slower?

Holmes or my recap??

BOOM.

Price is still the same, folks, WEATHER DELAYS NOT INCLUDED!

Emergency 9

Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the Genesis Open that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road.

Kentucky’s Finest

We get it. J.B. Holmes is slow. He’s also a five-time champion and five-time top-10 finisher at Riviera plus he’s only missed one cut in 13 trips. The veteran had no problem with the length or course conditions as he opened with 63. He then stormed back from four shots behind Justin Thomas to win by a shot. Bet you didn’t see that coming!

Missed the Mark

Louisville is famous for its horses, bourbon and Justin Thomas. Gamers like me who had him in OAD were already spending their money with his four-shot lead. Oops. He was a passenger in the final threesome at WMPO as Rickie Fowler won but I didn’t imagine him trashing out a four-shot lead, especially with the putter. I needed a Makers after that.

See?

I added Si Woo Kim to my preview this week after his T-4 at Pebble Beach and he responded with 68-66 on Sunday to hit the podium. My bit of analysis for adding him was “I give up” so yeah. I didn’t have him figured for a wind player but his 66 on Sunday afternoon was the lowest of the day in gnarly conditions. Noted.

Oh the Wind and the Rain

None of these names should surprise with the windiest conditions of the week on Sunday: Marc Leishman 68 and Dustin Johnson 69. The Aussie joined Charles Howell, III with four rounds in the 60s for the week. Howell hit the top 10 for the first time since his win in 2007 and he plays here annually. Johnson looked dead and gone in Round 1 but rallied over the final three rounds to take his usual place in the top 10. He remains the only player in recent memory to win this tournament in his 20’s. #Veterans.

Holywood Figures out Hollywood

Matching Holmes with the round of the week, Rory McIlroy broke his string of T20-T20 and cashed T4. It never hurts to lead the field in Strokes-Gained: Off-the-Tee. Three starts in 2019 and nothing worse than T5.

Bubba-Land

Thanks to all those who read and I harp on #PlayAll72 almost weekly. The three-time champ was sitting comfortably on the final green in regulation in solo eighth. Four putts later he was T15. Ouch. He’s never cashed worse than T17 but this one stings OAD players.

#Play72

Remember when Xander Schauffele was four-over and had six bogeys on his card in Round 1? He birdied his final hole of the round and went on to only make four bogeys over the final three rounds. Scratching and clawing, somehow he found a way to T15, his fourth top 25 in four starts this season. He’s a quick study as he was T9 in his debut last year. … Hideki Matsuyama improved daily from tee-to-green and his final round 67 moved him to T9. This is his second 67 on the West Coast Swing on Sunday that pushed him into big cash (T3 Farmers).

Worry? About What???

Jordan Spieth had the lead most of Round 1 before Holmes made an ace and took over with 63. He posted 81 on Sunday. Sean Martin has more details:

Adam Scott played in the final group and entered the last 18 holes in the top five in Strokes-Gained: Putting. He missed everything in the final 18 holes, needing 32 holes to finally put 76 of them on the card. He turned a podium into T7. The good news is he gained over five shots during the first three rounds. Something is brewing.

Study Hall

Thomas led the week with 23 birdies while Tiger Woods (T15) racked up three eagles, including two in Round 3. … Howell had the cleanest card with five bogeys and no others. … Oh look! Michael Thompson in the top 10 (T7) three weeks running. … Jon Rahm (T9) has hit the top 10 in all five 2019 events. That shouldn’t be terribly surprising but this was his first visit. … Brendan Steele streak of seven straight is done here. … Mother Nature vs. The Grounds Crew was an excellent battle. Getting done on Sunday was fantastic! Bravo!