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By Golf Channel Public Relations

THEN NEWLY-ENHANCED FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS continues this week, bringing the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season to a thrilling conclusion for the first time in the month of August. Coverage of the final two events will air exclusively on GOLF Channel and NBC with the BMW Championship and the TOUR Championship.

Following Patrick Reed's victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST, the FedExCup Playoffs have been narrowed to the top-70 players for this week's event, The BMW Championship, being staged at Medinah Country Club (No. 3) outside of Chicago and taking place Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 15-18. Complementing NBC Sports' linear live tournament coverage of the Playoffs, PGA TOUR LIVE coverage on NBC Sports Gold on Thursday and Friday morning will lead into live coverage on GOLF Channel (3-7 p.m. ET). GOLF Channel and NBC will combine to air live weekend coverage from Noon-6 p.m....

By Mark Vigil

Guest contributor Mark Vigil is The Wall Street Caddy.

LAMMAS IS A PAGAN FESTIVAL that was once celebrated throughout Ireland and Great Britain in early August to mark the harvest of the season's first wheat crop. It is also referred to as the Gule of August.

Shakespeare understood the importance of the pagan festival. In Romeo and Juliet (1.3.19) he says "come Lammas Eve at night she (Juliet) be fourteen" — a strong symbolic reference given Juliet's ultimate destiny.

Over time, the Catholic church recognized the holiday, and somehow on the liturgical calendar it coincided with the feast of St. Peter in chains, which recognizes Peter's deliverance from prison.

In medieval times it was customary for the congregation to bake fresh loaves of bread from the new wheat harvest and bring them to the church to be blessed by the priests. The loaves of...

FUN ANECDOTE FROM TIGER WOODS.

If Sam Snead told any other five-year-old to do something, I'd bet he'd do it. But not Tiger Woods.

Another thing: Playing the ball down on every course, no matter what, is pretty smart if you want to get better. It's too late for me, though. I'm rolling it over. And half the time I'm not keeping score.


Source: PGA TOUR Video: 'When Tiger Woods Met Sam Snead'

DUSTIN JOHNSON FOLLOWED AN OPENING 63 with a 67 on Friday to take a 1-stroke lead at the halfway point of The Northern Trust, the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Jordan Spieth is in second at 11 under after rounds of 67 and 64.

"I'm in a good position heading into the weekend," Johnson said, "and if I can keep swinging the way I am, I think it's going to be a good weekend."

Woods exited Liberty National on Friday after shooting 75 in the first round.

"Due to a mild oblique strain that led to pain and stiffness, I have to withdraw from The Northern Trust," Woods said in a statement. "I went for treatment early Friday morning, but unfortunately I'm still unable to compete."

Tiger's participation at next week's BMW Championship is in doubt, although he is "hopeful" he can play the event at Medinah, where he has won two PGA Championships.

"Woods had played only 17 official tournaments after his first back surgery in April 2014," reported the Associated Press, "and the fusion...

WRITING FOR MORNING READ, veteran golf scribe Mike Purkey says "not since Tiger Woods was at his peak has there been this clear of a delineation – both in world-ranking points and nearly everyone's perception – between the best player in the world and everyone else."

Purkey explains why Koepka has a clear path to the FedEx Cup trophy and, at the moment, a peaceful reign as the king of golf:

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THE FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS ARE still kind of odd, right? They're constantly changing, and I wonder if it's in a good way. Sort of like those awkward teen years, which, 13 years in, the playoffs now enter.

This year it's goodbye PGA Championship, hello FedEx Cup Playoffs, in August. Not a bad idea, I suppose, if you're hellbent on finishing before the NFL kicks off.

There are three playoff tournaments instead of four: this week's Northern Trust, then the BMW Championship, then the finale, the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta. Also probably a good thing.

There's more money (from $35 million to $65 million) and only one winner at the Tour Championship, the FedEx Cup champion. (No individual tournament winner.)

I won't attempt to explain the points system, but I'll point you to the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs Primer,...

THIS WOULD ADD SOME EXCITEMENT to golf. And do absolutely nothing for soccer.

This is the work of standup comedian John Crist.


Source: VIDEO: If Golf and Soccer Swapped Announcers ...

BERNHARD LANGER NEEDS A BIG HOUSE to display his numerous trophies.

The German golf legend won the Senior British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes last weekend. It was a record fourth win in the event.

"It's always special to walk down 18 in a major," Langer said, "but especially over here. The people are so knowledgeable about golf, and it's tremendous how they even came out in these conditions and cheered us on in the rain."

Langer now has 11 senior major titles and a total of 40 victories on the Champions Tour....