THE NORTHERN TRUST OPEN: Hot Sheet

1.

Captain America, welcome back to the concrete jungle.

THE NORTHERN TRUST’s 2016 champion Patrick Reed has had quite the whirlwind past couple of weeks. Reed earned his first major championship title and sixth PGA TOUR victory at the Masters Tournament two weekends ago, winning by one stroke over Rickie Fowler. He then took a bite out of the Big (Green) Apple, and by the looks of it, his post-Masters media tour tastedpretty sweet. He….

• sat on #NBACelebRow and mingled with some pretty big names;
• did a little green Reeding with CBS This Morning;
• had a putt-putt playoff with Kelly, Ryan and Don Draper;
• revealed his pump-up and chill-out songs on #CheddarLIVE;
• rode the bus to flavortown;
• got a hand cramp from signing another pin flag (not really).

Do you all remember when Reed broke the gavel at the New York Stock Exchange back in 2016? That broken gavel turned out to be Reed’s good luck charm, as he went on to win THE NORTHERN TRUST later that week. The NYSE presented Reed with a new, unbroken gavel, effectively closing the #GavelGate scandal. #shhhhhh

2.

Now on the tee, The Ridgewood Country Club.

The Ridgewood Country Club is hosting THE NORTHERN TRUST for the fourth time in the event’s history, and it’s safe to say The RCC knows a thing or two about crowning some seriously good champions and prepping them for future success. Just ask Vijay Singh, who won THE NORTHERN TRUST in 2008 and then went on to be crowned the FedExCup champion just a few weeks later. Or Matt Kuchar, our 2010 champion, who went on to finish a career-best 2^nd in the FedExCup standings. Oh yeah, and then there’s one of our golf boys Hunter Mahan, who finished a career-best 6^th in the FedExCup standings after his win here in 2014.

While plenty of storylines have yet to unfold, one thing’s for sure: The Ridgewood Country Club, founded in 1890 (making it one of the oldest country clubs in America), has played a key role in golf’s history, hosting some of the most prestigious events: 1935 Ryder Cup, 1974 U.S. Amateur, 1990 U.S. Senior Open, and 2001 Senior PGA Championship, to name a few. THE NORTHERN TRUST’s 2018 champion will be in very good company.

3.

Every stroke matters.

We hope you’ve timed your pre-round stretching and warmup routine down to mere milliseconds like Justin Thomas, because there’s no time to waste! In T-125 days, the world’s best golfers will arrive at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey, for their chance to win THE NORTHERN TRUST, catapult up the FedExCup standings and hoist the FedExCup at the season’s end. If this doesn’t scream do-or-die drama, then we don’t know what does.

Speaking of Justin Thomas, the reigning FedExCup champion has kept his No. 1 spot in the FedExCup standings for the eighth week in a row. THE NORTHERN TRUST’s 2017 champion Dustin Johnson put up a T16 performance at the RBC Heritage this past weekend and has moved from No. 7 to No. 5 in the FedExCup standings, but remember: no one’s spot is secure. Anything can happen—just ask Satoshi Kodaira. The 28-year-old Japan native sunk a 24’,6” birdie putt to win the RBC Heritage in a playoff over Korea’s Si Woo Kim and earn his first PGA TOUR victory in just his 15^thstart. Hey, we gotta keep you guessing, right?

4.

Out here, there are no assigned seats.

ICYMI: the PGA TOUR launched a new brand campaign last week, Live Under Par, that plays off golf’s unique scoring language and captures and celebrates the energy and spirit of today’s TOUR. It is our goal to immerse spectators into every aspect of the game and to “join the PGA TOUR,” and here at THE NORTHERN TRUST, we encourage you to share your stories, experiences and “Did you see that?!” moments with us.

Remember, the front row is always moving, and that’s exactly how it should be. And we also know that every fan will walk into THE NORTHERN TRUST this year in search of different experiences, so we offer affordable ticket types and packages to meet everyone’s needs. The Family Plan, for instance, provides two adult grounds tickets, unlimited youth admission at the gate and two $10 concession vouchers for families seeking a day at THE NORTHERN TRUST (Thursday- Sunday) without breaking the bank. For those who don’t want to miss any of the FedExCup Playoffs action, don’t worry, the $195 weekly pass is perfect for you. VisitTHENORTHERNTRUST.COM for more detailed information, or call 844-868-7465. And don’t forget! Kids 18 and younger are admitted free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult, and there is no limit to the number of youth fans admitted with that ticketed adult. #growthegame

5.

I need a hero!

The MET area has proudly boasted a strong contingent of hard-working, passionate and dedicated volunteers over the years. Check out this article(go to pages 60-64) in MET Golfer about the vital role volunteers play in ensuring tournaments like THE NORTHERN TRUST run smoothly. If it weren’t for the 1,800 men, women and children—across 23 committees—who volunteer their time, THE NORTHERN TRUST would not be possible. Since 1967, THE NORTHERN TRUST has generated more than $46.2 million for New York/New Jersey Metropolitan-area charities, and our volunteers play a key role in making these charitable contributions happen. As Executive Director Julie Tyson put it, “They [volunteers] are truly the unsung heroes of every PGA TOUR tournament, no question.”

If you’re interested in being a hero, visit THENORTHERNTRUST.COM and click “Event Info” followed by “Volunteer Information.”