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This is the final week of the first phase of the reshuffle among Nationwide Tour and q-school graduates. Once the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and the Mayakoba Golf Classic are in the books, the golfers in Priority Ranking No. 25 will be reordered based on earnings.

For many, this week is arguably the most important of the year for the guys slotted 21st and lower if the reshuffle occurred after the Northern Trust Open. I explain why below.

First, for season-long formats that dig into this group, owners are required to pay attention. For some, the results of the first reshuffle can prove valuable. Here is an excerpt of an email thread dating back to Feb. 1 when a gamer began fine-tuning his draft strategy:

Our season runs from the Honda through the PGA. It’s getting down to the wire for my picks and I’m worrying myself over the last few. Can you tell me what the likelihood of Category 25ers who finish with a high ranking on the first reshuffle (top 10 or close to it) will be to play in any regular TOUR event? I am looking at bargain picks like Jarrod Lyle and Harris English. — Shane

Let’s make the simple yet accurate assumption that guys near the top will play more often. Next, my advice is to focus only on the top 20 following this weekend. Here are some facts as it relates to the reshuffle category over a four-year span starting in 2008:

- There have been 13 winners. At the time of their victories, six were inside the top 10. Another six were inside the top 20. The only golfer outside the top 20 was Richard S. Johnson, who won in Milwaukee in July 2008 from the 37th position. (Greg Kraft was on Past Champion status won he won in Puerto Rico in 2008.)

- In addition to the 13 winners, 52 more finished inside the top 125 in earnings in their respective seasons. Of the 52, 19 were ranked inside the top 10 of the first reshuffle of the year. That’s nearly half of the 40 in the sample size (top-10 rankings over four years). Sixteen (or 40 percent) were slotted 11-20. Therefore, two-thirds (35 of 52) of the golfers that finished inside the top 125 sat somewhere in the top 20 after the first reshuffle.

Now, quite a bit of golf remains and four more reshuffles will occur, so the guys in the top 20 still must take advantage of the springboard that was a hot start to 2012. In the last four years, six that ranked inside the top 10 of the first reshuffle failed to finish inside the top 150 on the money list.

This includes Jarrod Lyle twice (2009, 2011). And sure enough, he’d sit fourth in this year’s reshuffle if there are no changes this weekend. (He’s scheduled to compete in Mexico.) English would sit ninth in the reshuffle with no changes. He didn’t commit to Mayakoba.

Of the guys that sat 11-20 in the first reshuffle over the last four years, 13 failed to finish the season inside the top 150 in earnings.

Fantasy golf is often as much about hedging as it is about investing properly. If this dynamic impacts your game, be sure to visit the reshuffle that I update weekly.

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Interview: Johnson Wagner

* Schwartzel beats Woodland 4&2

* Bae upsets Poulter 4&3

* Woods one down to Fernandez-Castano (Adds later matches)

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

MARANA, Arizona, Feb 22 (Reuters) - While three-times winner Tiger Woods had his hands full in his opening match, Charl Schwartzel and Bae Sang-moon both won comfortably at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday.

Masters champion Schwartzel of South Africa eased past big-hitting American Gary Woodland 4&2 while South Korean Bae upset Britain’s Ian Poulter, the 2010 champion, 4&3.

Woods, seeking his first victory on the U.S. circuit in over two years, was one down to Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in a roller-coaster tussle after 11 holes.

In other first-round matches at Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, in-form Korean Yang Yong-eun beat Britain’s Graeme McDowell 2&1 and Dustin Johnson scraped through against fellow American Jim Furyk after 20 holes.

Schwartzel never trailed in his match against Woodland, having eagled the par-five second before going three up after five holes.

“I didn’t make any mistakes at all,” the slender South African told reporters after sealing victory with a birdie at the par-three 16th.

“Gary unfortunately hit a few bad shots, he gave me the holes. But I just kept applying pressure. I hardly missed a golf shot. It was just a good solid round of golf.”

Yang, who became the first Asian male to win a major with his victory at the 2009 PGA Championship, produced sizzling form with seven birdies in the first match out.

“I ran into a man that played extremely well,” a frustrated McDowell said. “I felt like I had to follow him all day long, and I did most of the day, but he didn’t put a foot wrong.

“I made six birdies today. You just run into the wrong guy on the wrong day, and you have got your work cut out. I didn’t take care of business, so I’m disappointed, yeah.”

ISHIKAWA FIGHTBACK

Soon after Yang’s win, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa came from three down after 13 holes to beat American Bill Haas one up before Paul Lawrie edged fellow Briton Justin Rose by the same margin on a breezy, sun-splashed day in the Arizona desert.

Ishikawa birdied 14, 15 and 17 before wrapping up victory on the 18th green against an in-form opponent who won the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust Open on Sunday in a playoff.

“Through the first 13 holes, it was really tough and I wasn’t playing that well,” Ishikawa said through an interpreter. “But the last five holes, I was able to compete with the opponent. This course is suited for me.”

Fernandez-Castano, who described the 14-times major champion as “beatable” during the build-up to this week’s event, holed putts from 13 and 22 feet to birdie the first two holes.

His birdie at the par-five second was astonishing as he hit his drive well right into a small bush before striking a superb second shot to just short of the green and then getting up and down.

However, the Spaniard bogeyed the par-four fifth after missing the fairway to the right for his lead to be cut to one up before Woods took control with birdies at the seventh and eighth.

One up at the turn, Woods lost the 10th after pulling his drive left into desert scrub and also the par-five 11th, where Fernandez-Castano hit his third shot to three feet.

In other matches, Hunter Mahan battled past fellow American Zach Johnson after 19 holes and Italian Matteo Manassero never trailed on his way to a 3&2 win over American Webb Simpson. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Frank Pingue; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

(updates)

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Results from the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana, Arizona on Wednesday (U.S. unless stated)

Results:

Bobby Jones bracket Dustin Johnson beat Jim Furyk 20th hole Francesco Molinari (Italy) beat Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 20th hole

Ben Hogan bracket Steve Stricker beat Kevin Na 2&1 Yang Yong-eun (South Korea) beat Graeme McDowell (Britain) 2&1 Hunter Mahan beat Zach Johnson 19th hole

Sam Snead bracket Ryo Ishikawa (Japan) beat Bill Haas 1up Paul Lawrie (Britain) beat Justin Rose (Britain) 1up

Gary Player bracket Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) beat Gary Woodland 4&2 Bae Sang-moon (South Korea) beat Ian Poulter (Britain) 4&3

- -

Matches:

Bobby Jones bracket Luke Donald (Britain) v Ernie Els (South Africa) Jason Dufner v Peter Hanson (Sweden) K.J. Choi (South Korea) v Kyle Stanley Brandt Snedeker v Retief Goosen (South Africa) Adam Scott (Australia) v Robert Rock (Britain) Bo Van Pelt v Mark Wilson

Gary Player bracket Rory McIlroy (Britain) v George Coetzee (South Africa) Kim Kyung-tae (South Korea) v Anders Hansen (Denmark) Sergio Garcia (Spain) v Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) Keegan Bradley v Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) Jason Day (Australia) v Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain) Simon Dyson (Britain) v John Senden (Australia)

Ben Hogan bracket Martin Kaymer (Germany) v Greg Chalmers (Australia) David Toms v Rickie Fowler Matt Kuchar v Jonathan Byrd Bubba Watson v Ben Crane Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) v Aaron Baddeley (Australia)

Sam Snead bracket Lee Westwood (Britain) v Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) Robert Karlsson (Sweden) v Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) Nick Watney v Darren Clarke (Britain) Tiger Woods v Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) Webb Simpson v Matteo Manassero (Italy) Alvaro Quiros (Spain) v Martin Laird (Britain)

- - - -

(Editing by Tom Pilcher. To comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com) ((tom.pilcher@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 7933; Reuters Messaging: tom.pilcher.reuters.com@reuters.net)

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In a rematch of their third-round match from last year, the 14th-seeded Yang once again knocked off McDowell. The Korean was 1 down after suffering a bogey at the fifth. But he bounced back with consecutive birdies from 10 and 12 feet and never trailed after that. McDowell, a No. 3 seed, was just 1 down through 12 after a Yang bogey, but Yang matched McDowell’s birdies at the 13th and 15th holes. It’s the third consecutive year Yang has won his first-round match. It was a disappointing day for McDowell, who played well (13 of 17 GIR, 10 of 13 fairways, six birdies) but did not get the payoff. “I felt like I had to follow him all day long, and I did most of the day,” McDowell said, “but he didn’t put a foot wrong.”Yang’s next opponent: Hunter Mahan

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

MARANA, Arizona, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The FedExCup playoffs, the PGA Tour’s lucrative four-event season finale, have been extended for a further five years, commissioner Tim Finchem said on Wednesday.

Launched in 2007, the playoffs will continue to offer $35 million in total bonus money to players based on their finish in the points standings, including a $10 million jackpot for the overall winner.

Finchem said that FedEx had extended its umbrella sponsorship until the end of the 2017 season.

“We’ve seen it grow, it’s become a big part of what the PGA Tour is all about,” Finchem told reporters at Dove Mountain on the first day of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

“It has had the effect of pulling our season together. We’re going to try to make some adjustments in the next couple of years to do that with the FedExCup in an even more impactful way.”

While not disclosing any financial details, Finchem said there would be further growth in the FedExCup over the next five years.

“How that plays out in terms of the distribution of dollars we’re not sure, but we’re certainly going forward, not backwards during this term,” Finchem added.

American Bill Haas won the 2011 FedExCup and its $10 million bonus after beating compatriot Hunter Mahan in a thrilling playoff for the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. (Editing by Alison Wildey)

MARANA, Ariz. (AP)—The PGA Tour is keeping the FedEx Cup for at least five more years with a significant sponsorship renewal.

Commissioner Tim Finchem announced Wednesday that FedEx has extended its umbrella sponsorship through 2017. That’s the final piece of sponsorship renewal that the tour navigated through a troubling economic climate.

Finchem already has kept the PGA Tour fully sponsored—only Tampa, Fla., is missing a title sponsor—along with extending the television agreement through 2021. Now it can keep its FedEx Cup, which culminates with four big events and a $10 million bonus for the winner.

Finchem did not get into financial details, though he says there will be “some growth” during the next five years. The FedEx Cup offers a total bonus pool of $35 million.

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Major winners Darren Clarke and Yang Yong-eun will head a quality field at next month’s Ballantines Championship in Seoul, organisers said on Wednesday.

Clarke faces stiff competition from local favourite Yang, world number eight Adam Scott and American Dustin Johnson among others at the Blackstone Golf Club in Seoul from April 26-29.

British Open champion Clarke said he was excited to take his prized Claret Jug to a new part of the world.

“(It) has been travelling around the world a lot with me,” said the Northern Irishman, who captured his first major title at Royal St George’s last July.

“It will be great to take it to another place that hasn’t seen it before.

“I have heard a lot of good things about the course at Blackstone,” added Clarke, looking to add to his success at the 2008 Asian Open at the fifth edition of the Ballantines event.

“It is tough but fair, with a lot of risk and reward so you’ve got to think a little bit and figure out your way around it, which I will look forward to.”

Johnson lurks as a threat, having finished fourth at Blackstone last year, as do 2011 runner-up Miguel Angel Jimenez and his European Ryder Cup team mate Ian Poulter.

Yang, who became the first Asian to win a major title at the 2009 PGA Championship, where he held off a charging Tiger Woods, will hope for more joy on home turf this year.

The 40-year-old, who can rely on home support, has missed the cut in the past two Ballantines Championships.

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer; Editing by Clare Fallon. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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SINGAPORE (AP)—Yani Tseng of Taiwan, the No. 1 player in the world, will seek to win one of the few big tournaments she hasn’t yet conquered in her young career when she tees off at this week’s $1.4 million HSBC Women’s Champions.

The 23-year-old Tseng dominated women’s golf last year and is off to a hot start in 2012 with her victory at last week’s LPGA Thailand.

But a win in Singapore has eluded her since the tournament began in 2008, and she faces a field of 63 golfers featuring 18 of the 20 top-ranked when play starts Thursday at the par-72 Tanah Merah Country Club.

“Every year I have come closer and closer to winning this tournament,” Tseng said Wednesday. “All the best players are playing here this week and the golf course is really challenging so I can’t wait to go out there.”

Tseng solidified her hold at No. 1 with seven 2011 LPGA Tour victories last year, including major victories in the LPGA Championship and Women’s British Open. She had 12 worldwide victories last season and the five-time major champion has 33 career worldwide professional wins.

“Winning five majors at the age of 23 is very impressive,” world No. 3 Suzann Pettersen said. “She makes us even work harder.”

Australia’s Karrie Webb, who won last year’s tournament, compared Tseng to some of the greatest players in women’s golf history.

“I’ve played my career with Annika (Sorenstam), Se Ri Pak and Lorena (Ochoa) and now Yani,” said the 37-year-old Webb, who has 38 career LPGA Tour victories. “I’ve played with the best.”

American star Michelle Wie, ranked 18th in the world, said after she graduates from Stanford University next month she should have more time to focus on golf.

“I’m on track to graduate this March, so it’s going to be interesting,” Wie said. “It’s going to be the first time in my golfing career that I won’t have school, or school work to do.”

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

MARANA, Arizona, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A dumb-founded Keegan Bradley said even he was taken aback by his excessive spitting as he watched television replays of his play during the final round of last week’s Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.

Bradley ended up losing a three-way playoff for the title at Riviera Country Club, where fellow American Bill Haas triumphed, and was initially surprised his on-course expectorating had sparked widespread criticism on Twitter.

However, once he saw for himself via the telecast how much he spat during his pre-shot routine, the PGA Championship winner issued a public apology on his Twitter account.

“To be honest with you, I really had no idea I was doing it,” Bradley told reporters at Dove Mountain on Tuesday while preparing for this week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

“And I feel bad.

“It’s something that I’m going to work on and I just ask everybody to just kind of bear with me as I go through this, because it’s something I’ve done without even knowing it. I’m going to truly work on it.

“It might take some time but I will do my best to stop. It’s something that I’m glad that’s come up, because I’m able to kind of nip it now. It’s just a thing where I’m watching myself.”

Bradley, who clinched his first major title by beating compatriot Jason Dufner in a playoff for last year’s PGA Championship in Atlanta, conceded his lengthy pre-shot routine was also a concern.

“It’s about visualisation,” the 25-year-old said. “It’s kind of my way of staying not stagnant. It’s something that you don’t even really realise you’re doing when you’re in the heat of it.

“I will take a look at it and see if there are any improvements that I can make. But it’s something that I’ve been doing and it’s been working. Coming down the stretch, it (the time) does come up a little bit.

“But it doesn’t seem to affect my ability, which is the most important,” added Bradley, who earlier was presented with his trophy for winning the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.

Bradley has been drawn to play against Australian Geoff Ogilvy, tournament champion in 2006 and 2009, in Wednesday’s opening round at Dove Mountain.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Ian Ransom)