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In 1781, shortly after a devastating defeat at the hands of American forces in Saratoga, the British Army turned its attention south.

It was the fifth year of the American Revolution, and the Brits were beginning to feel the heat. After months of advances south from Canada, they had retreated from the New England colonies in a slow bleed of military bungles. Now, British commanders had rallied around a last-ditch effort to win back the war: siphoning off the American South by way of a blockade. The effort, they hoped, would win over Loyalist support in the South, fracturing the Colonies for good, as they threatened to bring fresh troops to the British side in massive numbers.

Back in golf’s tour wars, things feel like they’re reaching a similar tipping point. LIV Golf has broken through — entering the golf space as a legitimate competitor and winning over players in droves — but those gains haven’t come without a few key losses. The nascent league remains without many paying customers and is still in search of a television deal, key sponsors, and fans willing to pay full price for their tickets. Its players suffered an early legal defeat, and answers to the league’s existential questions in the form of courtroom battles aren’t expected for another year or more.

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The PGA Tour, for its part, is hanging on for dear life. Golf’s establishment is scrambling to meet the moment presented by LIV, frantically shoring up its own line of defense. The Tour’s leadership structure, tournament schedule, and overall business model are all rumored to be on the chopping block as it moves to secure bigger payouts for its top players without harming their quality of life.

Enter Jason Gore, the former pro and USGA player relations aid who, the Tour announced Friday, will be Jay Monahan’s new player advisor. Gore is an extremely popular leadership figure in Tour circles (a rarity in an often insular sport), a trusted voice who has seen the sport through both the player and business lens. His new role would seem to put him in a translator role of sorts, bringing the good word of the players to the Commissioner’s office, and vice versa.

“There’s a certain thing — a certain brotherhood we’ve gotten with the PGA Tour,” Gore told Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio Monday. “I felt like I really wanted to help figure this out. I’m kinda gonna be the players’ voice to the commissioner.”

Though the job titles are similar, Gore’s role will be vastly different from the one he carried out the USGA. At the PGA Tour, it would seem his job is not to advocate for the Tour, but for its constituents.

“I was trying to spread the word about what we do and how we are and what we’re trying to do and what the future looks like, for the USGA to the players,” he said. “This is actually a completely opposite role.”

Rather, Gore says, his job will be the Tour’s blockade breaker — ensuring those who are considering a future away from the PGA Tour have their frustrations heard, and working with the Tour to fix the ones that can be improved.

“This is more of going up to a player and saying ‘tell me what you want,’ tell me what your ideas are to make this better,” Gore said. “Then me going back and talking to the Commissioner and trying out how to make these changes happen because we want to make the PGA Tour better and better to all players.”

Ultimately, the British blockade was unsuccessful. Poor planning resulted in a fragmented British advance, and Lord Charles Cornwallis was forced to abandon his plans and settle his troops in Yorktown. When the Americans arrived in Yorktown in the fall of 1781, they found a moribund British cavalry was missing the legions of Loyalist reinforcements it had promised to enlist. Three weeks later, Cornwallis surrendered, and the Americans had won the war.

Can the PGA Tour stave off the threat presented by LIV? How many players will the upstart league convince to break away from the Tour before that happens? How many can the Tour still save?

Jason Gore is sure to find out in the coming months. Whether he realizes it or not, he just enlisted.

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Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us @golf_com. This week, we discuss the Tiger Woods-led players-only meeting, LIV contract details and more. 

1. Both the Fire Pit Collective and Sports Illustrated reported Saturday some of the details of this week’s Tiger Woods-led players-only meeting that addressed LIV Golf’s threat to the PGA Tour. Among the reported items discussed were the creation of ‘a tour within a tour,’ where there would be 18 no-cut featuring 60 players playing for $20 million purses. Could this work? 

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Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Sure. The super-rich get richer. That pretty much always works. Is it good for fans? Doesn’t sound exciting to me. If you want to fend off the kind of threat the Tour faces, why make it an economic arms race you can’t win? How about differentiating the product? Golfweek on Sunday reported plans for Tiger-and-Rory-led one-day events in non-green-grass arenas. Details to be revealed soon, apparently. It already sounds awful to me, but even as I type that, I can hear the kids saying, ‘OK, boomer.’ On the plus side, at least it’s different. My preference? Roll back the ball for some events  and scrap the cookie-cutter bomb-and gouge courses in favor of more interesting designs. Make the players hit more creative shots. Enforce a shot clock. I know, it doesn’t involve trillion-dollar purses. But it would be more compelling than a lot of the same-old. And you might even turn a profit. Though I realize that several lifetimes of wealth isn’t enough for some. 

Jack Hirsh, assistant editor (@JR_HIRSHey): Sure, it could work, if the guys who are staying on the tour now aren’t jumping to LIV by 2024. But I also agree with Josh: Why basically copy LIV’s format (save for a three-round event). I’ll add to the suggestion of playing more alternate formats (but not the non-grass arena idea) like alternate shot or a team event with the LPGA. Players seem to love the Zurich Classic; why not have a mega-purse team event? All the limited-field stuff does is alienate the mid-level pro.

Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): I’d argue that by stealing some of the things that LIV got right, the PGA Tour is adopting some overdue changes — part of what made it vulnerable in the first place. I have slightly mixed feelings about the no-cut aspect, because we’ve seen some relatively lifeless WGC events over the years. But the fact that we as golf fans would know when we should be watching would be extremely helpful. And because the Tour has built-in advantages — TV deals, decades of history, Tiger Woods, etc. — it wins most tiebreakers.

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): It works for the players’ bottom line ($$$) and the Tour’s (survival), which, like it or not, is the goal. But I have questions. It would create a tournament tier, and go ahead and laugh about the fate of some events, but they mean a lot to those cities and fans. It also creates a player tier. Can others move up to the big events? Or are you stuck with those 60 players, who, obviously, can slide over time? Which leads to my biggest question, and one that Tiger himself has mentioned — if the cash is guaranteed across now an entire season, is that incentive still great to dig it out of the dirt? Let’s hope this doesn’t trickle into the majors.

2. A group of LIV golfers last week filed an antitrust suit against the Tour alleging that the Tour is unlawfully sanctioning them for signing on with the rival circuit, and this week, a handful of legal documents were unsealed, including player contracts. Having seen some of the details, what stood out to you?

Hirsh: For me, the limitations on media availability are the most shocking, considering Phil wanted the rights to his highlights. What he gains in that, he loses in freedom to communicate with the media. These players seemed like they wanted more freedom, but it’s fairly obvious that the price of the millions of dollars from LIV is their freedom to talk to the media. Also wasn’t that Bryson-Brooks feud staged to help them win the PIP? No more of that.

Sens: Agreed on the compromises on the media front. One clause that caught me was the prohibition against saying anything that might bring any person of note into ‘disrepute.’ How are we defining disrepute? What are the new boundaries of decorum? Will a lot of what used to be considered honest and acceptable talk become punishable? 

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Dethier: I was intrigued by the apparel talk! LIV guys are going to be wearing LIV gear like, all the time? At majors, even? It was interesting to read about LIV’s hold over players’ sponsorship decisions and displayed logos, which require approval for something as small as a coffee cup. These contracts are all different, so we don’t have a complete picture, but getting a little window into how LIV will exercise control was telling.

Piastowski: Dylan, why aren’t you wearing your GOLF shirts and hats? But yes, the apparel bit is great. As is this, which may cut into ‘family time.’ This is from Zephyr Melton’s story: “One of the stipulations indicates that players must ‘participate fully in up to 7 additional Service Days’ in 2022, with ‘12 additional Service Days in each following year.’ A Service Day is defined in the contract as ‘any day during which the Player is required to participate in and assist the League Operator and/or the Team Operator with meetings, negotiations and/or other activities with corporate sponsors or other business partners of the League.’”

3. In more court news, Patrick Reed has filed a defamation suit against Brandel Chamblee and Golf Channel, alleging they “have conspired as joint tortfeasors for and with the PGA Tour, its executives and its Commissioner Jay Monahan, to engage in a pattern and practice of defaming Mr. Reed.” The lawsuit uses quotes from Chamblee from his time on the air for Golf Channel and Sky Sports as well as on podcasts to allege damages in excess of $750 million. What are your takeaways to Reed’s move?

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Sens: That pro golf is taking on a whiff of the Jerry Springer Show. Maybe the actual courts will see it differently, but in the court of public opinion, I think the verdict would be that any damage to Reed’s reputation has been largely self-inflicted. 

Hirsh: No matter what becomes of all the other suits, I just can’t ever see Patrick Reed playing on Tour again after this. Should he win, and most seem to agree the lawsuit has very little legal merit, would that then mean no media person could critique a player? That’s part of sports. Interesting he chose not to tee it up in this week’s International Series event in South Korea, which he committed to a few weeks back.

Dethier: I think it’s a sham and a shame. Brandel Chamblee is polarizing, sure, but he does a ton of homework, tries to get it right and generally does. Imagine an athlete in any other sport suing an analyst for offering takes on television. LeBron James might not care for Skip Bayless, but he would never sue the guy. I’m not sure how far this will end up going, but I’m sure there would be some interesting documents that would come through if we reached the discovery phase…

Piastowski: Fan reaction is part of the game. Reed shouldn’t expect to be cheered. He has to earn that. I’ll leave it at that. 

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4. The PGA Tour made a player-focused hire this week, bringing aboard Jason Gore as Senior Vice President, Player Advisor to the Commissioner, a role he similarly held with the USGA. There he was Managing Director, Player Relations, and Gore was widely appreciated by players. “I think about how contentious the relationship was between the players and the USGA, so much so that in 2013 there was massive talk of a player boycott at Merion, right. So for it to — it’s done a complete 180,” Rory McIlroy said. “It’s probably, I would say, if you polled players, I would say it’s probably one of the top two majors now in terms of how the players are treated and the feedback that they can give and Jason has been a massive part to do with that. And the team that sort of worked with Jason, too.” What’s your take on the hire?

Sens: A smart, experienced guy who has the respect of the players. Seems like a smart hire in every way. 

Hirsh: Hugely popular with the players, great move for the tour at a time when stability is not the best. Surprised it took this long. Let’s just hope it doesn’t negatively impact the U.S. Open.

Dethier: His impact on the USGA is tough to measure but undoubtedly significant; he got players back on board with the U.S. Open as an entity. This week’s meeting underscored that the top PGA Tour players are taking control of their Tour; Gore’s hiring will make communication between pros and executives that much stronger.

Piastowski: Smart. Hiring someone who can wear multiple hats is wise. 

5. Tom Weiskopf died Saturday at the age of 79, and he leaves behind a legacy as a major champion, course designer and announcer. How will you best remember him?

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Sens: The beautiful swing. The close calls in majors. I didn’t get to watch him in his prime, but I interviewed him many times in his later years. He was smart and funny and frank. He had a reputation for orneriness, but by the time I met him, he seemed to have softened. He came off as a bit wistful about some of those near-misses. But also content with where he stood. And a terrific designer — with a special knack for short par-4s 

Hirsh: Pardon my youth here, but I will remember Weiskopf most as the architect who brought us the venue for arguably the most electric atmosphere in golf, TPC Scottsdale. While he obviously didn’t erect the grandstands that would become the stadium hole, more people follow golf because of that event and it wouldn’t have been possible without Weiskopf.

Dethier: He loved golf. And he played the hell out of it, too. His run at the majors in the ‘70s — 18 top 10s, seven podiums and an Open Championship title — was incredibly impressive.

Piastowski: The swing. Fluid and effortless. And four Masters runners-up, which is damn impressive. And the lifetime in the game, from player to announcer to designer. So I guess a lot.

6. As the PGA Tour enters the final week of its regular season, we’ll spin things ahead. What will pro golf look like a year from now?

Hirsh: LIV is not done announcing signings; it just depends who those players are going to be. Several are going to be announced next Monday after the Tour Championship, and more could come after the Presidents Cup. I don’t think pro golf will look much different from where it is today because very little will be settled legally by the Tour Championship next year. What will look different is where players are playing. Now let’s look two years ahead, after the new PGA Tour schedule changes really kick in, and maybe we truly learn the results of the Tiger meeting from earlier this week. Maybe that means we see tour pros competing for millions at PopStroke!

Sens: The lower-wattage events should look pretty much the same. But If rumors about Cam Smith are true, the Players Championship will be without its defending champ. Tiger’s invitational will be without some past regulars. And depending on what position Fred Ridley and Co. wind up taking, their little invitational in Augusta could have different invitees. Will LIV events get OWGR points? What shifts will we see in Ryder Cup rosters? I guess my rule would be: The bigger the events, the more likelihood of significant change. Or at least change that the average fan will care about. 

Dethier: One year from now, the PGA Tour will be staring down its first season under a new scheme, one that involves a true schism between its Super Tour and its regular Tour. We’ll also be thinking about LIV’s relegation system and evaluating how it has gone in Year 1 of its streaming deal with established teams. Both tours will still exist. They’ll be firmly entrenched in the American Culture War. The online discourse will be plenty toxic. But it will remain intensely interesting!

Piastowski: All good thoughts! I worry about the majors. We want to see the best of the best. There’s a chance that might not happen, which would be incredibly sad. Now, as to where pro golf could be in 25 years … if I’m you, the golf parent, and I’m seeing all this money out there, I’m booking that lesson for junior yesterday. 

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As the LIV Golf drama reached fever pitch over the last several months, Rory McIlroy has been one of the PGA Tour’s most vocal supporters.

As a member of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Committee, McIlroy has more of an insider’s perspective than most, and when the PGA Tour announced that Jason Gore would be joining the PGA Tour as Senior Vice President, Player Advisor to the Commissioner, McIlroy was naturally one of the first players to be asked for comment after his second-round 68 at the BMW Championship.

“I think Jason coming back into the fold, especially with everything that’s happening in the world of golf right now, I think it’s a really — I’m surprised the USGA let him go because he is so good, but it’s a great addition to the Tour,” McIlroy said.

Gore is assuming the role of SVP at the PGA Tour after spending the last three years in a similar role at the USGA, where he was Managing Director, Player Relations. That position was created in the wake of rules controversies and players publicly criticizing USGA championship setups. Gore and his USGA team sought to facilitate greater communication between players and the governing body — a role in which McIlroy said Gore excelled.

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“I think about how contentious the relationship was between the players and the USGA, so much so that in 2013 there was massive talk of a player boycott at Merion, right. So for it to — it’s done a complete 180,” McIlroy said. “It’s probably, I would say, if you polled players, I would say it’s probably one of the top two majors now in terms of how the players are treated and the feedback that they can give and Jason has been a massive part to do with that. And the team that sort of worked with Jason, too.

“But I think having a sort of player advocate nearly, someone that knows what it’s like, has been in your position, and he did a great job,” McIlroy continued. “As I said, the relationship between the players and the USGA is so much better than it used to be.”

Gore spent 20 years as a player on the PGA and Korn Ferry Tours, and his hiring comes at a crucial moment in the sport, as the PGA Tour endeavors to fend off the draw of Saudi-backed LIV Golf. In addition to announcing a new schedule with a number of big-money payouts, the Tour is clearly hoping to do everything possible to keep its current players happy, including using Gore as a facilitator.

“I think just maybe that missing link where Jason can take ideas from players and maybe articulate them better to Jay and his executive team and the board and everything else,” McIlroy said of Gore’s value. “Again, he’s a player advocate. He wants to do everything as well as possible to make the players as happy as possible, and it’s a good addition.”

According to a press release from the PGA Tour, Gore’s first order of business will be “assisting the Commissioner and the Tour’s senior leadership in developing long-range, player-focused strategies that align with the unique needs of the Tour’s players.”

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It’s the first tee and first player off on the last day of the U.S. Open, and Jason Gore is trying to wake up now at 6:30 a.m., let alone play. An odd number of players have made the weekend cut, so Gore, a longtime pro and now the USGA’s player relations director, is playing as a marker this Sunday at Torrey Pines for Wilco Nienaber. That’s Nienaber, a 21-year-old South African who’s 6-foot-2 and maybe 175 pounds — and smacks it twice that weight number off the tee. 

Nienaber swings. Gore hears it. 

“Sounded like a cannon was going off,” he said on this week’s episode of the Subpar podcast.  

Then Gore sees it. Then doesn’t. 

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“He takes it up and over the right-hand bunkers on purpose, and it’s like — I’m making a number up — 320 to carry it, at 6:30 in the morning, and I looked at Casey [his caddie] and I go, I’m not taking that line, dude,” Gore said. “First shot of the day, he hits it 368.9. Or 367 point — he hit it 370 basically, right out of the box. And I’m like, oh, god. 

“And then a couple of times — he hit one on 7 that I just kind of put my head down and shook it and just started laughing. And it wasn’t like — Bryson looks like he’s going to give it a hell of a rip. This guy is kind of like, shooo. I guess just all of a sudden he took it back and everything got blurry and it was gone.”

Gore’s bosses may have written the Distance Insights Report, but Gore got the audio and visual version of it.

That report, released in early February of 2020, was developed by the USGA and the R&A as a summary of what the governing bodies perceive to be golf’s distance problem. It was advanced earlier this year, when an update addressed three proposed equipment rules — a 46-inch limit on the driver shaft, down from 48; and updates on ball and driver testing. And it also discussed “research topics/areas of interest” — specifically, “the potential use of a Local Rule that would specify the use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances,” and “a review of the overall conformance specifications for both clubs and balls.”  

Of course, then there’s Nienaber, who could hit 250 with a toothpick.   

Subpar co-host Colt Knost asked Gore: “Do you come back and tell the rest of the USGA, uh, guys, we might have a problem here in a few years.”

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“I mean, I went to [the USGA’s] Thomas Pagel and like, listen, I’m like an open book when it comes to this, and I’m like, how do you stop it? Do you want to stop it?” Gore said. “Like this guy, he’s a freak and I think it’s going to come, you know, full circle and so that’s my question, all right, how do you stop it? 

“So you’re going to stop him from hitting 370 and roll it back X amount and now he’s going to hit it 350? There’s people out there that are just better trained, more stronger, faster, bigger and better fit, and like it’s just, hey, we don’t do this to roll that car window down anymore, either, so when times move on, you’re just going to start seeing these kids come out and they just know more than we do. So how you going to stop it?”

So … how do you stop it, Jason? Co-host Drew Stoltz asked: “Is there an answer for it?”

“I don’t know,” Gore said. 

“I don’t either,” Stoltz said. 

“I’m sure there’s going to be more conversations about it, and I’m dead honest with you: We don’t know. We don’t know how to stop it. We know there’s issues, right? There’s resource issues. There’s land issues. There’s all of these things, and we know if this starts to keep going in that direction, then, you know, it’s going to be too expensive to maintain a golf course. We’re going to run out of land. 

“It’s going to be this over here and this over here so we know there’s a problem, but we don’t know exactly what, how to solve that. And that’s why we’re still going through the — trying to get advice from the manufacturers and so many other outside agencies. And that’s the issue. We don’t know. We don’t know.”

To hear the complete Subpar podcast, please click below:

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Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by the USGA’s Senior Director of Player Relations Jason Gore who weighs in on the distance debate and what they can do to counteract the bombers on Tour.

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Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by PGA Tour Winner Jason Gore who describes just how good Tiger Woods was at 12 years old.

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On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar, PGA Tour winner Jason Gore joins former PGA Tour pro Colt Knost and jicky jack legend Drew Stoltz for an exclusive interview. The Senior Director of Player Relations for the USGA talks playing with Wilco Nienaber at the U.S. Open, signing an endorsement deal with Bugle Boy while playing on Tour, and the possibility of making a return to competitive golf on the Champions Tour.

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The final full-field PGA Tour event of the calendar year, the RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort, finished on Sunday in St. Simons Island, Ga. Here’s what you missed.

Who won: Charles Howell III (three-under 67, 19 under overall) *Beat Patrick Rodgers on the second playoff hole.

How it happened: Charles Howell III led by one after 54 holes, but Howell, Webb Simpson and Patrick Rodgers were all tied at 18 under with just a few holes to play. Rodgers, who was bogey-free on the day, shot 62 (five-under 30 on the back) to take the clubhouse lead at 19 under. Minutes later Simpson missed a birdie putt on 18 that would have tied Rodgers and then, in the final group, Howell missed his birdie chance to win from 22 feet, leading to a playoff between him and Rodgers. After pars on the first playoff hole, the par-4 18th, they returned to the 18th tee a second time and Howell drained his birdie putt to win.

A long time coming.

Charles Howell III wins @TheRSMClassic.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/GNqq5kkkw0

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 18, 2018

Why it matters: The 39-year-old Howell turned back the clock to win for the first time since the Nissan Open in 2007, when he beat Phil Mickelson in a playoff. It’s the third career PGA Tour victory for the long-time pro. It also improves his playoff record to 2-4. Last year he lost a playoff to Kyle Stanley at the Quicken Loans National.

Notables: Simpson finished alone in third at 18 under, Cameron Champ (16 under) was sixth, and Zach Johnson and Kevin Kisner (15 under) tied for seventh. Tournament host Davis Love III finished six under, tying for 65th.

Best shot: Rodgers, from 85 feet, 5 inches on the par-3 12th hole, for birdie.

Forget two putts.@PRodgersGolf is now one back.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/ivo5vrvEbe

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 18, 2018

Best finish by an insurance salesman: Former Tour winner Jason Gore, who now focuses more on his insurance business, was in the mix after 54 holes, trailing Howell by one, but he shot 72 on Sunday and finished 13 under and tied for 15th. The 44-year-old won once on the PGA Tour and seven times on the Web.com Tour, banking more than $6 million in his career. He received a sponsor’s exemption into the event.

Best closing round: Rodgers followed his Saturday 61 with an eight-under 62 on Sunday. Per Golf Channel’s Justin Ray, it’s the closing 36-hole record on Tour.

Best birdie from a terrible lie: Howell didn’t let a bad break slow him on the 10th hole.

Another bad lie, another great shot.

Charles Howell III makes birdie from a sand divot.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/O56PzYIOC3

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 18, 2018

Best quote: “My kids are now to the age where they are in to it, they are into sports and golf and all of that. So they get what’s going on and they get that I have failed a lot of times, unfortunately. It was different today.” — Howell

Up next: The World Cup of Golf begins Thursday in Australia, but the majority of the golf world — and non-golf world — will be focusing on “The Match” between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, which is at 3 p.m. ET on Friday.

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An insurance salesman is contending to win on the PGA Tour. Yes, you read that correctly. Jason Gore, former Tour winner and current insurance salesman, is in second place through 54 holes at the RSM Classic.

Gore is making the most of a sponsor’s exemption this week, shooting 68-63-66 in his first three rounds in Sea Island. All of that has come during a week in which his boss “let me off to play.” Gore’s “real job,” as he calls it, is selling insurance for Kirkland Gore, a company he shares and helps run.

According to Gore, the company has existed for three years, and he’s really been enjoying it. It keeps him playing plenty of golf, too. He’s brought those good vibes to the RSM this week.

“I’ve been playing a bunch of golf, just been doing a lot of client golf. It’s been fun,” Gore said. “Actually realized that I love the game again, that I actually love playing it. Sometimes you get out of here and you just beat yourself up, especially a year that was bad.”

What a shot and putt.@JasonGore59 is 5-under on the back nine today.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/fuXnVByH6d

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 17, 2018

At his peak, Gore was the 77th ranked player in the world, back in 2005 after he won three straight Web.com tour events and a PGA Tour event just six weeks later. But in the early 2010s, Gore sustained a back injury that required surgery. His game was never quite the same.

Thanks to host Davis Love III and tournament director Todd Thompson, Gore was able to snag one of the sponsor’s exemptions. And now, he’s made just five bogeys in 54 holes and trails Charles Howell III by one stroke. Sunday awaits.

“I haven’t played a weekend in so long, I don’t know what to do. I’m just going to go one shot at a time,” Gore said Friday. “I’ve got nothing to lose. This is fun for me. Like I was telling them earlier, I’m an insurance salesman now. I totally love being at home and just — so this is just — this is just kind of fun.”

Chucky Three-sticks closing in 

Charles Howell III has not won on the PGA Tour in over a decade, despite remaining relevant as the 84th-ranked player in the world. Can he get it done Sunday at the RSM?

If Howell can seal the deal, it’ll be an impressive, wire-to-wire victory, and his first since the 2007 Nissan Open. Howell finished second at two events during the 2017 season but never fully got the job done. If you’ve got a flier bet on Howell to win this week or just a big CHIII fan, channel some good vibes with this video recap after he beat Tiger Woods in match play.

Champ of all areas

Cam Champ, ever heard of him? Surely you have. Champ is the big-hitting youngster who won at the Sanderson Farms event weeks ago and who is personally reinvigorating the distance debate. Like Gore, Champ is just one stroke behind Howell and, yeah, he’s still hitting it really far. Only this week, he’s also dominating with the flatstick. Champ has gained 6.2 strokes on the field over the two rounds on the Seaside course (which is the only course where Shotlink is being used this week), which is best in the field. The 23-year-old has made 15 birdies in his last 31 holes.

Seven birdies on Saturday.@Cameron__Champ pulls within one of the lead heading into Sunday at @TheRSMClassic.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/DB5gg4TmoN

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 17, 2018

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