Kyle Stanley led the tournament in birdies, making 25.  In the first three rounds, he never went more than five holes without a birdie but his last birdie of the final round came on the 9th hole.  He played the back 9 in 5 over 41 including an 8 on the par 5 18th.  Below is Kyle’s final round interview from the PGA Tour media center at Torrey Pines.  (Courtesy:  PGATOUR.COM)

JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome Kyle Stanley to the interview room. Kyle, I know it was a difficult day. It’s not the way you wanted to finish. But I know there were a lot of positives out there this week and today. Maybe just talk about those and we’ll chat about the playoff really quick.

KYLE STANLEY: Yeah, I played well. I played really well all week. Obviously, not the finish I wanted. But I think I’ve got to focus on the good things I did.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Talk about the playoff. Well, let’s go back to 18 and the end of regulation and the wedge shot there at 18.

KYLE STANLEY: Yeah, we tried to lay it up close enough so that we wouldn’t put that much spin on it. I think we had 70, 80 maybe to the pin. Thought I had a pretty good shot but just had too much spin.

Q. How do you deal with the emotions of this? How difficult is it?

KYLE STANLEY: I don’t know right now. It’s tough. I mean, it’s really tough to take.

Q. You hit a couple of putts so fast. You didn’t seem to take any time. The one on 18 and even the one on 16, is that normally how you do it, or do you wish you had maybe stepped back a couple times?

KYLE STANLEY: No, not really. I think sometimes I tend to take too much time. The one on 16 almost had the same putt in regulation. So I knew what it did. I just had a little too much pace.

Q. Did you think both of them were going in when you hit them? The one on 18 and the last one or not?

KYLE STANLEY: The one on 18 just broke left. The one on 16 in the playoff, I just hit it too hard.

Q. And did you think you’d have as much emotion as you did going into 18? Were you nervous at all? Could you tell going up that final hole?

KYLE STANLEY: No, I wasn’t very nervous. Looking back, I don’t really know what I was thinking. It’s not a hard golf hole. It’s really a pretty straightforward par?5. I could probably play it a thousand times and never make an 8.

Q. You made a lot of great saves out there. Up until 18 tee or even the second shot, were you proud of yourself for that? I mean, you really grinded out there. You missed some short ones, but you made some incredible putts. How did you feel about what you had accomplished up to that point?

KYLE STANLEY: I felt pretty good. I didn’t hit it very well on the back. I made a nice par save on 14 to get up and down on 15, another really good putt on 16 for par.

Those really kept me in it. Then I guess the birdie putt on 17, I thought I made. I think I had a five or six hole stretch there where I hit really good putts.

Q. On the putt on 18, the downhill putt, Huh had gone before you, made it. What were you thinking speedwise, and where were you thinking leavewise? Did you want to leave it below the hole? It’s tough there because of the water.

KYLE STANLEY: I don’t know about that. He gave me the perfect lie. We knew what the putt did, I just didn’t hit it hard enough.

Q. Your third shot into 18 in regulation when the ball was in the air, did you think it was a pretty good shot and were you shocked that it rolled all the way back in?

KYLE STANLEY: Yeah. I think I landed it — I had to land it 15, 20 feet past it. I didn’t think it was going to spin that much.

Q. What did you use?

KYLE STANLEY: Sand wedge.

Q. Can you talk about the gut check that you have to go through in the last 20 minutes, 30 minutes? And also, sort of ironic, the same day that this happens, your idol also did not hit the winner’s circle. It shows it’s just not easy, is it?

KYLE STANLEY: Yeah, I mean — I know I’ll be back. I’m not worried about that. It’s just tough to swallow right now. I just need to be patient. One of my goals coming into this year was to just keep putting myself in position, and I’ll do that.

Dr Morris Pickens client list includes this weeks 5 time winner PGA Tour winner, Jonathan Byrd who kicked off the 2011 season by winning the season opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua.  Byrd defends his title this week and spoke to PGATOUR.COM about working with Dr Mo and keeping as many constants as possible in his life to manage a career playing on the PGA Tour. 

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, I appreciate that. I haven’t always on the surface approach it that way. I work with Morris Pickens, who is a golf psychologist, and I work with Mike Bender and I work with Randy Myers on physical, golf swing, mental. We’ve just the three last years tried to keep as many constants as possible to be able to manage a career. With golf swing, to work on the same things, have the same tendencies, and then physically have the same things that keep popping up, and then mentally

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CHRIS REIMER: We’ll start off real quick, just welcome our defending champion back to the Hyundai Tournament of Champions here. What’s it like returning as the defending champion?

JONATHAN BYRD: It’s just a good feeling. You know, this is the fifth time I’ve been on?? actually it’s not the fifth time. One of my tournaments I didn’t get to defend. But fourth time. It’s just a good feeling. You know, ever since walking in the airport when we finally got here to Maui, seeing the signage up and my son looking at the picture of me pumping my fist, and he looked at me and he said, “Dad, I think you’re famous.” I said, “At least for this week I am.” But he’s seen my picture all over the place around the hotel and golf course and everywhere, so that’s been fun.

Those are great memories to relive. It doesn’t happen that much for most of us mortals, so you want to enjoy that. They’re just good memories as a family.

But other than that, I was able to get on the golf course on Monday, see the golf course, and out there a little bit yesterday. The course is in better shape than last year, running faster. You get out there and you just get excited to get the year started. Before you get here, it’s hard to get worked up to go again because you’re at home and you like being home. But once you get here, you’re ready to go.

CHRIS REIMER: I was putting the media guide together, and actually you have the lowest scoring average at this course of anybody with eight or more rounds. What is it about this course that you like or fits your game?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, I just enjoy it. I think it’s one of those tournaments where it’s the first tournament of the year, you’ve got wide fairways. That’s great because everybody has got a little rust in their game, and we’re not quite tournament shape ready, most of us. So you need a little bit of room for error. But also, you know, you’ve got to?? in order to play well here, you’ve got to score well and you’ve got to have good touch around the greens, because with the wind and the slope and everything, conditions change pretty quick, so you have to be able to adapt.

I enjoy that part of it. That helps me not get mechanical when it’s that way. You’ve got to adjust to the lies and the wind, and I just think that’s fun.

Q. I just want to ask you this about defending this particular title: It seems like because of the small field that this might be the, quote?unquote, easiest to defend just because of that, and obviously there have been several multiple defending champs. Do you feel that way? Do you feel like if you’re ever going to defend a tournament, this would be the one to do it?

JONATHAN BYRD: I don’t think it’s easy to defend any tournament. The guys that win multiple?? Stuart Appleby, Ogilvy, the ability to be able to defend a tournament and win multiple times, even if it’s a course you always play well, it’s difficult. It’s mentally difficult, because you have expectations, and it’s just kind of managing all that. The guys that do it, great job. But I mean, yes, it helps. 28 guys in the field I think is the number? It’s a lot easier to beat 28 guys than it is to beat 144 or 156. I mean, my son could figure that out, and he’s five.

So yeah, I mean, that’s great. And then a course you enjoy playing, so that all adds to it. But I mean, my approach last year when I got in playoffs, I told people, the worst I’m going to do is finish second in a playoff, so that helps you with your mindset going into the week. This tournament the worst you’re going to do is finish 28th. You’ve got a top?30 finish at the start of the year.

But it’s a good opportunity. You’re going to get four rounds in, you know you’re going to knock some rust off, and yes, I’m trying to have a great week this week, but I’m trying to keep it simple. I’m not thinking about winning, I’m thinking about taking care of the things I need to take care of, and hopefully that gets me in contention with nine holes to go.

Q. The kind of mindset to go ahead and win, have that first one of the year, like the first week, for the rest of the year you’ve got that in your back pocket already, what kind of feeling is that? Does it allow you to play a little more freer? You don’t feel that pressure of I’ve got to win this year, I’ve already got one?

JONATHAN BYRD: The 11th year on TOUR, the two things that have, I guess, given me the most security or been the best feelings or boosts to my seasons was winning here last year, the first tournament of the year. I’ve always won kind of towards the end of the season, whereas just like it was stressful, stressful and then I won, and it was like, “whew.” Winning the first tournament of the year, it’s like, wow. It really doesn’t get much better than that. Going to Sony and you’ve already won a tournament, when 75 percent of the TOUR or 85 percent of the TOUR hasn’t even played yet.

And then secondly winning tournaments, having two?year exemptions, or three?year, it just kind of sets you up when you get that schedule and you’re in the majors. It sets you up. Now you’re in them and you can set your schedule, and you can’t win a major if you’re not in them starting the year.

Those types of things do give you a little more freedom. But it doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to have a free?wheeling mindset. I’ve still gone into tournaments when everything is set up, when my year is set up, and I still get in my own way. So you still have to kind of guard against that, and still, when you approach a tournament, you have to approach it the same way, whether you’re having a bad year or a good year, and then that tends to breed the best results.

Q. Players always tend to have specific goals at the start of the year and they can be winning a major or playing better in tournaments. Are there things for your agenda this year that you want to accomplish that you haven’t? You said 11 years on TOUR. Is it majors? What’s on your agenda for the season?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, there’s some things that are obvious. I’d be stupid not to want to play on the Ryder Cup team. Who wouldn’t want to win a major? Who wouldn’t want to win any tournament on the PGA TOUR? I mean, those are obvious goals. I don’t have to write that down to get motivated to do that.

But there’s?? when I sit down with my team and we think about, look at my stats, look at last year’s season, there are three things that kind of stood out that I need to improve on statistically, and those are the things I try to?? statistical goals and kind of mindset goals. I want to have a little more easy?going, lighthearted attitude on the golf course. That helps me play well, to be a little more cheerful and lighthearted.

And then secondly, I want to improve my par?3 performance. This is going to sound really boring. This is not headline material. But I want to improve my par?3 performance, which is kind of a strategy goal. And then I want to improve my scrambling percentage and I want to improve my putting from 10 to 25 feet, and if I do those things, I’ll play better this year than last year.

Q. Is there a different kind of strategy, playing smarter, playing away from pins, playing toward pins?

JONATHAN BYRD: If you look at stats for guys on par?3s, most guys play them way over par, and I think it’s the mindset when you get on a par?3, you’re on the tee box, you’ve got a perfect lie. Whether it’s 225 yards, I think there’s a tendency to hit it at the flag a little too often. So my mindset is if I have probably a 7?iron down or a 6?iron down with a good pin that I feel like I can be aggressive with, then I will go at that pin. Otherwise I’m going to try to hit a lot of shots in the middle of the green and make a lot of pars.

Q. We talked about with Keegan earlier when you talked about improving on something, and a lot of players, if they’re feeling awkward or feeling like they’re not getting what they need out of their game, I’m going to change this, change my swing, change that. You seem to have had the same swing and the same improvement attitude. Is that kind of the wave of the future for pros that want to play well?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, I appreciate that. I haven’t always on the surface approach it that way. I work with Morris Pickens, who is a golf psychologist, and I work with Mike Bender and I work with Randy Myers on physical, golf swing, mental. We’ve just the three last years tried to keep as many constants as possible to be able to manage a career. With golf swing, to work on the same things, have the same tendencies, and then physically have the same things that keep popping up, and then mentally.

So the more things that we can keep constant, the better, and I’m a guy who will do anything to get better, but that can be a risk if you’re changing too many things, whether it be equipment or golf swing or things like that.

So that’s really helped me. I’ve been injury?free for pretty much the last three years. That’s helped. You can’t play well here when you’re injured because it’s just difficult. And then also just to have gotten good ball?striking?? I’ve gotten good at every category, so now it’s just kind of managing that and keep working on little things and getting better slowly.

And I think, yes, that is the?? that is what the best athletes, the best people in any business, any profession do, they simplify it to something kind of manageable and then they do just this well and not try to do all these things well if that makes sense.

Q. We just had Keegan in here. I was just curious what you thought of the rise of the 20?somethings, how they obviously had a great year last year and almost as many wins as the guys in their 30s. What do you think of that going forward and the future of golf, that type of thing?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, I feel like I keep bringing up my son, but my kids give me great entertainment. My son’s nickname for me, he looks at me and he calls me “old man.” And not kind of like you say, hey, old man, like that. He just has a different tone. He’s like, “hey, old man.” And I feel like that sometimes out here. I mean, I’ll be 34 in January, and just kind of the youth movement, it gets you motivated, it gets you working hard, which I appreciate that part of it.

But it’s almost one of those things, you get a lead in a golf tournament, you don’t want to look back, you want to keep focusing, and there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to look back at some of the guys coming up because they’re good and they’re talented and they’re athletic and they hit it a mile. The best thing for me to do is to try to not go looking for something that’s not there that those guys may have that I don’t have and just kind of keep focusing on what I can do and not look back. But there’s a lot of talent behind me, or in front of me.

Q. Just one thing about being here in Kapalua. There’s a tendency to want to do things because it’s a great place, you’ve got your kids here and so forth. But Ogilvy hurt himself last year, Adam Scott had an injury here before. What do you like to do here and what are you specifically trying to stay away from?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, my kids, we got the same room as we did last year, not from superstition, but we were on the bottom floor of the hotel. We’re on the bottom floor, we’re right next to the playground and right next to the kids’ pool, and that’s kind of what my kids are loving. My kids don’t love the ocean. It’s too rough for them. They haven’t got into snorkeling or paddle boarding; they’re too young. One of my agents is taking his kids zip lining, and my kids aren’t quite that age yet.

I still can get hurt. I tweaked my ankle a couple weeks ago with my son playing football, flag football with him and his friends, but once the tournament season starts, I’m kind of being a little more careful with things. But we love going to the pool. We love walking down the beach, playing in the sand, and just kind of hanging out at the hotel.

And what things am I avoiding? I’ve never surfed. I mean, that would be idiotic for me to try to get on a surf board or to paddle board?? I’m going to paddle board next week when it’s a little calmer. I’m adventurous, but I try to be a little level?headed on that.

Q. Do you like the Monday finish, or does it really matter to you?

JONATHAN BYRD: I think it’s cool. I mean, we’re always trying to look for the best product and get the most viewership, and I think?? when I talk to my friends at home, they love this tournament because they watch it at night, and what better way to finish the golf tournament right before that football game. I think it’s a win?win for everybody.

Click here to see Zach Johnsons make the Shot of the Day at the  Chevron World Challenge

What they said:  Zach Johnson   (3rd round, Chevron World Challenge -  WWW.PGATOUR.COM)

JOHN BUSH: Zach Johnson joins us here after a 4-under, 68 round. Zach, you closed out that round in style.

Comment on the day as whole and also the eagle on 18.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, the day was good. I mean, today wasn’t easy. I didn’t think this was in the forecast. I thought this was kind of comparable to Thursday; yesterday was probably a little bit easier.

It’s windy. I got off to a pretty shaky start, but made some nice saves and then had a lot of opportunities. 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, those were all birdie opportunities. Didn’t make any of those.

Then I got going. Had to put it into neutral on 16 and 17, but ended on a pretty — what did you say? Stylish?

JOHN BUSH: I don’t even remember.

ZACH JOHNSON: I don’t either. I think we’ll go stylish.

JOHN BUSH: And you’re making sure Chevron does their part this week as well.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, that’s right. It’s pretty bold of them to do that. It’s very honorable to, one, obviously to be the title sponsor, but to donate even more to charity, that’s pretty awesome.

Q. I don’t think you need to be asking about stylish.

ZACH JOHNSON: Ouch. Ouch.

Q. I know you don’t want to think about 16, 17, the way you closed on 18, but everyone seems to be struggling with those holes coming down the stretch. Was it just the wind or something more?

ZACH JOHNSON: I think it’s just the wind more than anything. No wind and it’s a very benign hole. The long hitters are probably hitting anywhere from a 2-iron to a 3-wood.

Into the wind like that, I mean, I figure if I hit a driver it’s an easier 3-shot hole. I hit a poor, poor tee shot today. Hit a good one yesterday; I hit a poor one today and I paid the price.

I had a shot on my second shot. Just came out of it. It was not a good shot. But, you know, I might have wrote some notes in my yardage book after that again.

There’s water on every shot. Gotta pucker up a little bit, so …

Q. Just wondering, what was going through your mind on the last shot there? Specifically, to know that you’re taking the lead.

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, I didn’t know I was taking the lead. I had no idea where I stood. I mean, I assumed I was near the lead. I saw the board after either 15 or 16, right in there. I think I was tied or one back.

I assumed Tiger was going to, you know, maybe make another birdie. So I assumed I would have jumped up near the lead.

But what was going through my mind? I hit a good shot. I mean, won of those, when it left my club I thought it was pretty good.

Wind was coming in out of the right; the wind grabbed it and took it left obviously towards the hole.

I was just hoping to get on top, because I knew if it went a little bit long it would come back and I would have a birdie opportunity. That’s all you’re looking for.

Q. What club?

ZACH JOHNSON: 7-iron.

Q. How long?

ZACH JOHNSON: 163. So it’s one of those — I mean, I’m not trying to make twos. I’m trying to have opportunities to make pars, if not a birdie, especially on that hole.

Q. Did you feel like with the way Tiger has been playing, the way he’s been hitting it, and the way he’s been talking about how good he’s feeling about his game, did you feel like he might run away with this?

ZACH JOHNSON: I never really thought about that, to be honest with you. The guy never ceases to amaze me, so you kind of always assume he’s going to play well. That’s a pretty safe assumption based on history, his resume.

I watched the Presidents Cup — from my couch unfortunately — but, yeah, fortunately, and noticed that he looks pretty good. You know, I think it’s health. If he’s healthy and feels good about his health …

And his mechanics look great. I’m not a swing coach, but to me they look good. I think they look really good.

So he’s never going to shock me on the golf course because he’s certainly the best player I’ve ever played with. So, you know, I’ve glad I’m playing this week and I have the opportunity to, you know, go into Sunday with at least a chance.

Q. You mentioned the early opportunities for birdie. Obviously you want those opportunities; you would like to see yourself convert them. How do you look at this round then? Lost opportunity? Is it you’re still in the lead obviously and in good position, but …

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, I think it all leveled out today. I think I played well enough to shoot – under. I mean, I three-putted 17. That was terrible. So there’s one shot there easily, and obviously the bogey on 16.

I had a couple good saves: 2 was awful, and, I mean, I hit a good wedge shot in there to four feet and made par.

Next hole was even worse, and I hit another good pitch there, four, five feet.

So, you know, I lipped out a couple times for birdie after that. I mean, you’re going to do that. I essentially missed two putts that I probably could have made today: One for par and one for birdie.

Overall I’m putting pretty well; speed has been pretty good. I’m encouraged about, you know, the future. To me, this is one of the best events of the year. You can argue — you can argue it’s the best — but it’s one of the best events of the year because you’re playing in a select field, you’re playing with a number of things at stake; obviously a fantastic purse and Chevron stepping up there.

More than that, a great field on a good golf course, no cut. (Laughter.) You know, the best thing about it for me is that I’m playing in December competitively. That gets you going for 2012.

So I just like being able to play in December at some point. The Shark Shootout is next week, but I can’t play. Anyway, you have that ability. I think it’s nice to take advantage of one of those at least.

Q. Given Tiger’s history that you alluded to, and also that he won a U.S. Open on a broken leg, how surprised are you that he’s gone 26 events without a win?

ZACH JOHNSON: Not really surprised. He’s been hurt — I mean, I don’t care who you are. I mean, I’m assuming you probably all have written it, but we all at one point thought he was Superman. Who didn’t? Or some super hero strength. He still might for all I know.

Doesn’t surprise me. If you’re not healthy out here, the depth and the parity and the quality of the talent out here, I mean, if you’re not healthy it’s hard to win.

That and he’s undergoing swing changes. Those are the things that come to my mind. Every time he goes through some swing changes, it takes a little while. Then he gets into it, and it’s, Oh, boy, here we go.

Q. It’s sort of a follow that between your BellSouth win and the Masters win – so between your first win and the Masters win – you went through a stretch where you had an a lot of close finishes but didn’t win.

ZACH JOHNSON: Right.

Q. What happens with that? Do you lose confidence at all? Do you start to doubt that you can close out a tournament?

ZACH JOHNSON: That’s a great question. No, I mean, I don’t think I ever doubted. I was more frustrated. I just felt like everything was pretty good and it just wasn’t coming together when in contention, quite frankly.

So I felt like my game was good, but I needed a little bit of polishing, ironing out some aspects of my game. That would have been the summer of ‘06 is when I hired Dr.Morris Pickens, my sports psychologist.

Some of the work that we did together, compound that with what I’ve done with my swing coach and Mike Bender — and then all of my other the other coaches, for that matter — it seemed to elevate my game.

Certainly Augusta was the pinnacle of that. For the most part, I’ve been riding on a similar plane since then, I guess you would say.

Yeah, I just want to be in contention and hopefully have the ability to win coming down the stretch. I love that. That’s why I play. If I mess up, you know, whatever. I’m going to mess up a lot, but I still want to be in it.

Q. With all you said about Tiger and the guy’s respect, et cetera, any day you pick up five or six shots in a round on Tiger Woods has to be a good day, doesn’t it?

ZACH JOHNSON: I think any day I pick up five or six shots on anybody in this field is a good day. I mean, it doesn’t matter who you are.

But, yeah. When he’s out front he’s tough to beat. I’m very happy with today, no doubt about it.

Q. You just talked about being in contention. Now you are in contention. What changes your mindset from the first three days to tomorrow?

ZACH JOHNSON: Honestly, I would have to correct that. I don’t think I am in contention. I think I have the ability to get in contention. I’m not out of it.

To me, contention is like the last hour of the tournament, last three, four holes, whatever it is. That’s being in contention. I mean, there is so much golf ahead. Anything can happen.

Unfortunately, bad, but fortunately good. So, I mean, you got to look at it as you have the ability to get in contention and the opportunity to get in contention.

That’s kind of my approach.

Q. You played well here in the past. I think runner-up one year; T5 another year.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah.

Q. How do you view this, as sort of the end of 2011 or a tune-up for ‘12?

ZACH JOHNSON: Combination of the two. I mean, exactly that. It’s a great way to end your year if the opportunities presents itself.

Then it’s a great way to, you know, catapult into 2012. We were talking about it the other day — Furyk win here two years ago?

JOHN BUSH: ‘09.

Q. (No microphone.)

ZACH JOHNSON: McDowell won last year. We’ll go with Furyk. Furyk played really well. He won the tournament, and I don’t think he won in ‘09. So there you go. That’s my example. Stick to it.

Q. Obviously the wind has been the story this week. The par-5s have generally been a place where most of you guys have been able to take advantage in this tournament.

ZACH JOHNSON: Right.

Q. That hasn’t been the case this week. Is it strictly the wind?

ZACH JOHNSON: It’s definitely the wind. I think there is a couple things, the wind being the first and foremost thing.

Second would be undershots, right, because — assuming a lot guys are hitting the hazard and whatnot. It’s the wind while putting, plays havoc.

I don’t know what those guys say, but it seems like every other green, nearly every green, there are shadows around the hole and I cannot read the putt. I mean, it’s hard. You have to feel it with your feet because the shadows play such havoc in reading greens.

I would like to see what other guys are saying about that, because it is so frustrating. But that’s the way it is.

Q. Have you had that same problem in past years?

ZACH JOHNSON: Shadows? Yeah, I hate putting with shadows. Just really occurred to me this week. I mean, I just try to feel it, commit it, and hit it. I don’t think I’ve made one outside of like three feet when there’s been shadows.

I hit one today on 10. I had four feet for birdie. I hit it straight, it went right, and I had three feet coming back and it went right.

So, whatever. It’s frustrating. But it’s part of the game.

Q. To go back to the 54-hole lead, do you maybe not give that as much credence because some guys seem to have such a difficult time playing with that going into Sunday?

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, I mean, like I said, being in the lead or near the lead going into Sunday is just the opportunity to be in contention the latter part of tomorrow. That’s really all it is.

If I was 3-over, I probably wouldn’t have that potential or opportunity. If I had a six-shot lead, you know, obviously I would prefer that, but you’re still not in contention.

That’s just my opinion. Just depends how you define it. I look at being in contention as having the ability to win coming down the stretch of the golf tournament.

JOHN BUSH: Anything else?

Zach, thank you, sir. Good luck tomorrow.

ZACH JOHNSON: Thanks.

Players were nominated by the PGA TOUR Player Advisory Council (PAC) and Player Directors. The awards are determined by a member vote, with PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 official money events in 2011 eligible to vote. The winners are expected to be announced the week of Dec. 12.

Nominees for the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as the PGA TOUR Player of the Year are Keegan Bradley, Luke Donald, Bill Haas, Webb Simpson and Nick Watney .

2011 Player of the Year nominees

KEEGAN BRADLEY Entered 29 events during the 2011 season featuring playoff victories at the HP Byron Nelson Championship and the PGA Championship. Four top-10 finishes. Ranked 20th on the final FedExCup points list and 13th on the Official Money List with $3,758,600. LUKE DONALD Entered 19 events during the 2011 season featuring victories at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and the Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. Led the TOUR with 14 top-10 finishes including a playoff loss at The Heritage. Ranked third on the final FedExCup points list and first on the Official Money List with $6,683,214, earning the Arnold Palmer Award. Earned Byron Nelson Award and Vardon Trophy for lowest adjusted scoring average. BILL HAAS Entered 27 events during the 2011 season featuring a victory at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola that clinched the overall FedExCup title. Seven top-10 finishes, including playoff losses at the Bob Hope Classic and The Greenbrier Classic. Ranked first on the FedExCup points list and seventh on the Official Money List with $4,088,637. WEBB SIMPSON Entered 26 events during the 2011 season featuring victories at the Wyndham Championship and a playoff victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Twelve top-10 finishes, including playoff losses at the Zurich Classic and The McGladrey Classic. Ranked second on the FedExCup points list and second on Official Money List with $6,347,353. NICK WATNEY Entered 23 events during the 2011 season featuring victories at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the AT&T National. Had a total of 10 top-10 finishes. Ranked ninth on the final FedExCup points list and finished third on the Official Money List with $5,290,673.

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Justin Leonard joked that he hasn’t gotten an invoice from either one. Yet.

But if Leonard keeps playing the way he did on Friday at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, Dr. Morris Pickens and Dave Stockton Jr. will surely be sending their bills to his Texas home.

Leonard fired a 63 on the Palm Course, which was his low round of the season, to seize a share of the lead in the final event of the PGA TOUR’s Fall Series. He’s tied at 12 under with Bio Kim and Henrik Stenson, two strokes ahead of Nick O’Hern.

Leonard has won 12 times on the PGA TOUR, including the 1997 British Open, but he has yet to finish in the top 10 in a decidedly sub-par 20111 season. He even missed the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup for the first time in his career.

“It hasn’t been a good year,” Leonard acknowledged. “I’m looking forward to the year being over.  But it’s nice to have a chance this week to finish it off on a good note.”

Leonard credits the turnaround to some chances he made in the last few months. He sought the advice of Pickens, a sports psychologist based in Sea Island, Ga., and Stockton, a putting whiz, as well as putting in the hours with his long-time swing coach Randy Smith.

Leonard first met with Pickens on Sunday at the British Open, then the two continued their work at Greensboro and spent a day together in Dallas about a month ago. Under his guidance, Leonard has changed the way he practices to include more targeted drills rather than randomly ramming putts into the hole.

“I’m kind of moving around and each one kind of has a finish, whether it’s making 90 percent in order to be done,” Leonard said.

As far as the invoice is concerned, “I haven’t gotten it yet,” Leonard said. “We were supposed to chat about it last week, and he was very sympathetic to how I played (Leonard missed the cut). So I think he’s waiting for a good week and then it’s going to come.”

This certainly appears like it could be the week.

Complementing Leonard’s new practice strategy is Stockton. The two hooked up after the Frys.com Open and  spent several hours together in San Diego 10 days ago.

Leonard, who used just 26 putts on Friday, felt the time has paid dividends as well. He made seven birdies and holed a wedge from 114 yards at the 14th hole for eagle in the 63.

“The things we talked about really resonated with me,” Leonard said. “I mean, getting back to being more natural and getting my hands a little more forward and really speeding up my routine, which has been great, because I’m kind of getting out of my own way a little bit. So it’s good.

“Haven’t gotten that bill yet either, but hoping for another phone call on Monday or Tuesday

This season, Dr Mo has been working with PGA Tour rookie William McGirt.  McGirt who has quickly become a fan favorite is just happy to be playing golf for a living.

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A few weeks ago, Williams McGirt found himself walking the line.   The autograph line.

He was just loading his car. But every time he made the roundtrip from the TPC Boston locker room to the parking lot, a new bunch of kids were waiting with programs, flags, tickets, whatever. And, yes, they wanted his autograph.

Another week, another new experience. McGirt chuckled.

Yep, he signed them all.

“I signed anything that was put in front of me,” said the 32-year-old rookie. “It’s something I decided I’d do. As a kid I was snubbed a few times and I knew how it felt.”

One more thing. His signature is legible. Not just two initials and lines.

“One thing I wanted to make sure of is they could read my signature,” he said. “Why are you going to take the time to sign something if they can’t read it when you hand it back?

“At the Deutche Bank (Championship), I handed a flag back and the lady said, ‘Hey, this is the first one I can read.’ The flag was full.”

A little thing? Maybe. But McGirt knows that each piece of this PGA TOUR puzzle has a point and a purpose. Like his brain coach Dr. Morris Pickens preaches, “Play every round, every shot, every tournament for all its worth.”

McGirt has done just that this year. His rookie year. After six years playing every mini-tour imaginable and a year on the Nationwide Tour, McGirt has embraced his first season in primetime. And, while it hasn’t been without its bumps and bruises, he’s heading into the Fall Series with a new-found celebrity and a solid chance to keep his card.

Chances are you couldn’t have picked McGirt out of a lineup a month ago. You’d figure he was from the Carolinas when he spoke, but other than that? Not really.

He had missed 13 of 25 cuts and was ready to head from the Wyndam Championship in Greensboro to Knoxville for a Nationwide event when Justin Leonard missed a putt and McGirt grabbed the final spot in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. People noticed.

Then he played so well at The Barclays, he made it to the Deutsche Bank. More people noticed. Don’t forget about his wife, who once went four months seeing him just 8 days during the stretch, signaling his position — he needed to move up one spot — from the gallery, too.

He didn’t make it past Boston, but he didn’t stop playing. Last week, he played anyway, finishing T42 at the Albertsons Boise Open. Now, it’s four huge weeks in a row, starting at this week’s Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

McGirt enters this stretch run at 137th on the money list. By the end of it, he hopes to be nestled inside the magic top 125 — hey, 125th will do — and planning his 2012 schedule.

“It’s more excitement than anything,” he said before heading out for a practice round. “If you go into it dreading it, you’re setting self up for failure. I’ve gone in embracing it every week. ”

So why change it? When he did forget that for a bit earlier this year? He had to snap himself back.

Like every rookie, McGirt has faced the challenge of having just a day or two to learn new courses. He’d only played five of the courses on the PGA TOUR schedule prior to this year, so since he had the chance to get to Vegas early? He jumped on it, arriving at TPC Summerlin last Thursday afternoon. Of course, that came on the end of a Boise-Vegas-Atlanta-Vegas trip, so… he’s pacing himself.

He might just play nine holes today. Depends. The point is, he finally has the luxury. Good planning.

“I kind of struggle with desert golf, mountain affect,” he said. “At altitude the ball goes so much farther out here. All of a sudden you’re hitting irons, 20, 25 yards longer.”

And there’s the terrain. “When I miss fairways at home, I’m in trees,” he said. “When miss them here, you’re down in the rocks with rattlesnakes and scorpions.”

This season has been an adventure. His game has been thisclose and this . . far. . away. He’s embraced it all and one reason is Sarah — the two met at Wofford College and have been married seven years — has, for the first time, been traveling with him.

“Last year she was still working and I couldn’t wait to get home,” McGirt said. “Now, we go home and after two days we’re ready to go again. We’ve both had a blast.”

Sometimes it has been little things, other times, big things like playing — and winning — a pro-am with Carlton Fisk as a partner or watching buddy Keegan Bradley throw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game. Yes, McGirt is a serious fan, too.

“I went to a game up there seven or eight years ago and I was hooked first trip up,” he said. “Been a huge Red Sox fan since. It’s just the whole atmosphere. Everyone is so into the game.”

And Bradley? “I could see him the whole time,” he said. “I told (the people he was sitting with) he’s so nervous. It would be easier for him to hit a 6-footer for par than throw out this pitch.”

He was right.

This year, McGirt has made an effort to play practice rounds with veterans like David Duval, Jerry Kelly and Rory Sabbatini. He likes to pick their brains and learn. “You can’t,” he said, “put a price on that.”

Until the Playoffs, McGirt’s season was up and down. The best example was at the Waste Management Phoenix Open where he made his first PGA TOUR cut. He was looking at a top-10 finish, too, until the last two holes. And two 3-wood shots.

At the 17th, he wanted to get it in front of the green and hit the perfect shot. “Then it bounces left, really hard, rolls off the green and off the front left part into the water,” he said.

At 18, the 3-wood doesn’t turn over. “So I fall from right around top 10 to 24th and ended up making half what I would have if par-par,” he said.

“…The thing is, I’ve played a lot better every single week than where I finished and how I’ve scored.”

What cost him at Deutsche Bank? A triple at the 14th in the final round. His tee shot hit and bounced into the rough. The marshal moved to avoid it and they never found the ball.

McGirt, who has only skipped one tournament he’s been eligible for this year, can’t do anything about the past, but he can bear down on his future. Four weeks, four chances to work his way into the top 125.

“Going in, I know what I need to do,” he said. “I probably have to make little over $200,000, but that’s just one good week out here. If can play well for a couple weeks, then everything will be fine.”

He’s already entered q-school, just in case. He’s prepared. But, like last year when he skipped a stage, he’s hoping to make a nice call at the end of the year.

“Trust me, nothing more that I would enjoy than calling the TOUR office and saying, ‘Hey, I need a refund.’

“I know how much I enjoyed calling them last year for a $500 refund. I’d love to call them for a $5,000 refund.”

Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM and can be reached at melaniehauser@gmail.com. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR. Follow her on Twitter @melaniehauser.

Two of Dr Morris Pickens PGA tour players made it into this weeks Tour Championship in Atlanta.  Nick Watney started the Playoffs ranked number 1 after having two wins in 2011 at the WGC-CA Championship and AT&T National.  Watney’s standing at No. 7 in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup is more about what he did in the Regular Season and less about what he has done over the three Playoff events. Watney began the year with five consecutive top-10 finishes, including his first of two wins in 2011 at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship at TPC Blue Monster at Doral. Following that victory, Watney never fell below No. 7 in the FedExCup standings and rose to No. 1 after his second victory of the year at the AT&T National at Aronimik. Watney led through the remainder of the Regular Season and into the first event (The Barclays) of the PGA TOUR Playoffs. A T10 at The Barclays kept him inside the top 5 in the standings, but a final-round 80 at the Deutsche Bank Championship resulting in a T61 finished moved him back. He finished T22 at the BMW Championship

No one started his season better than Byrd. After becoming the first player to hit a “walk-off” hole-in-one to win the 2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in his final event of last season, Byrd won the first event of the 2011 season with a playoff victory at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua.  Byrd had an up-and-down season the remainder of 2011 with five top-10 finishes, including a playoff loss at the Wells Fargo Championship, but he also missed nine cuts. After spending most of the year in or close to the top 15 in the standings, Byrd entered the Playoffs in his lowest position of the year at No. 24. A T5 at The Barclays moved him back into the top 15.

Dr Morris Pickens works with PGA Tour superstars such as Nick Watney, Jonathan Byrd, Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover, Zach Johnson, John Rollins, Chris Stroud, Kyle Stanley, William McGirt and Justin Leonard.  On the Nationwide Tour he works with Josh Broadaway, Matt Davidson, Elliott Gealey and Kyle Reifers.  His NFL players include Oakland Raiders, Richard Seymour and San Diego Chargers own  Nate Kaeding. 

Courtesy PGATOUR.COM

By Mike McAllister

NORTON, Mass. — Although Nick Watney is the best golfing Watney at TPC Boston this week, he may not be the most famous.

His cousin Heidi Watney is an on-field reporter for the Boston Red Sox. Given her association with Boston’s most beloved team, her fame extends throughout New England — which cousin Nick quickly realized during Thursday’s pro-am.

The golfing Watney, however, is hoping to sew up a spot in the top five in FedExCup points by winning the Deutsche Bank Championship. He took a nice first step by shooting a bogey-free 4-under 67 in Friday’s first round.

The highlight of his round was an eagle at the par-5 18th when he hit a 4-iron with his second shot to inside 10 feet and drained the putt.

“I saw Matt (Kuchar, one of his playing partners) was definitely right behind me and he hit a 4-iron,” Watney said. “He was a few yards behind me, so I figured it was a perfect club and I was finally able to make a putt. It was the longest one I made all day.”

Watney produced the best score in his threesome, which consists of the top three players in FedExCup points. Watney is third in points, while No. 2 Kuchar shot a 2-under 69 and FedExCup points leader Dustin Johnson shot a 3-under 68.

Johnson bogeyed two of the three par 5s during his round, but got back those two strokes with an eagle on the 18th.

A win by any member of the top three players would basically wrap up a top-five spot going into the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, no matter what happens at the next event, the BMW Championship.

The Baclays starts the Fedex playoffs with Hurricane Irene shortening it to a 54 hole event.    Nick Watney who works with Dr Morris Pickens currently sits as the top seed.   Courtesy of pgatour.com, here are answers to many of the questions circulating Plainfield Country Club.

1. When will the third — and final round — of The Barclays be broadcast on TV?The airtimes on the Golf Channel (1-2:30 p.m. ET) and CBS (3-6 p.m.) will remain the same. On Sunday, CBS will show the final round of the 2010 Barclays, as well as some taped coverage from Saturday’s final round.

2. What happens to the Live@ coverage on PGATOUR.COM? Well, it will be tape delayed on Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET and running through 5:30-6 p.m. There will be no Live@ on Sunday.

3. Can I still listen to the PGA TOUR Live coverage on Sirius/XM? Absolutely. That coverage will air from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. There will  be no coverage on Sunday.

4. Is there any possibility that The Barclays would be extended to next week in order to complete 54 holes? Definitely not. The tournament will conclude one way or another on Saturday.

If the entire field can complete the full 54 holes, the man who leads at the end will be the champion. If play is curtailed by weather, the tournament reverts to the 36-hole leaderboard and the FedExCup points will be distributed accordingly.

Either way Matt Kuchar has a great chance of successfully defending his title at The Barclays. He currently owns a one-stroke lead over Dustin Johnson and Vijay Singh.

5. Would the win be an official win?If 54 holes are completed, yes. If  the tournament has to revert to 36 holes, the win would be unofficial but the FedExCup and money earned would be official.

6. What is the forecast for Saturday?Well, it isn’t good. Showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected in the morning and steady rain with more electricity in the afternoon. Players will be sent off Nos. 1 and 10 in threesomes from 7-9 a.m. on Saturday in hopes of completing play before the worst of the weather arrives around 2 p.m.

7. What if two players are tied at the end of 54 holes? Weather-permitting, there will be a playoff.

8. What about the ticket situation?All four competition days at The Barclays were sold out. So Saturday’s tickets will be honored for the final round. Anyone holding a ticket for Sunday will receive good-any-day passes to the 2012 Barclays, which will be held on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park.

9. When was the last 54-hole tournament on the PGA TOUR?That would be the 2009 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Interestingly, that event was won by Dustin Johnson, who starts the final round of The Barclays one stroke off the lead held by Matt Kuchar. This will be the 26th 54-hole event on the PGA TOUR since 1990.