There was something about the eyes. Jonathan Randolph had just seen one of the “Star Warsâ€� movies, and when he looked at that puppy he and his wife Lacy had adopted, well, let’s just say a light dawned. “I just kept looking at these dogs and they looked like Yoda; eyes way off the side and stuff,â€� Randolph says. “So that was in the back of my mind. When we found her, Yodi for some reason just came out. “Seemed like a good dog name.â€� Indeed, and the name stuck. So did Yodi, a brown and black and white Chihuahua, who has traversed the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour with Randolph for nearly three years now. Randolph and his wife have recently added another traveling companion, too. Their son, Boyd, was born in March, and made his first trip – with Yodi in tow, of course – to A Military Tribute At The Greenbrier in July. “We said it was a traveling circus before, because we had a dog with us,â€� Randolph says with a grin. “And now we’ve got a baby. “It’s a lot more bags and stuff, but when they’re able to be on the road with me it’s just so awesome. It makes you feel a little bit more like home.â€� There are days when an excited Yodi entertains her humans by running circles around the hotel room. And she’s happy to help Randolph when he practices putting on the carpet, picking up golf balls and bringing them back to him. Yodi is still getting used to the new addition to the family, though. When Lacy picks Boyd up, for example, Yodi clamors to be in her arms as well. “She’s definitely gotten jealous, but also shows off like crazy when she knows he’s watching and she’s playing,â€� Randolph says. “She’ll start high stepping around and doing stuff to make him happy, which is pretty awesome.â€� In time, though, Randolph knows the Yodi and Boyd will be thick as thieves. “She’s got a new best friend,â€� Randolph says. “She just doesn’t know it yet. He’s been grabbing at her and doing that fun stuff. … Her life is going to get a whole lot more interesting when he gets mobile and can grab her. “For now, she’s got it made.â€� Yodi, who will be 3 years old in December, joined the family in early 2016. The couple was looking for a dog and Lacy had owned Chihuahuas in the past. When Randolph headed to South America to open the Web.com Tour season, the puppy stayed behind with Lacy at the couple’s home in Oxford, Mississippi. Once the Web.com Tour went stateside in March, their adventure began. “She’s been to almost 40 states,â€� Randolph says. “She’s well-traveled.â€� Yodi is remarkably calm for a breed that is known to be a bit skittish. And she’s perfectly content when Randolph puts her in a carrier and takes her on a plane. “She just sits there and looks at everything,â€� Randolph explains. “We’ve never gotten a complaint. So it’s a credit to her, not to us.â€� Yodi has been a positive influence in other ways, too. The first time Yodi came out to the golf course during competition, Randolph finished birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-par at the 2016 BMW Charity Pro-Am. A year ago at the Albertsons Boise Open, the puppy watched as he played the final three holes in 7 under for the week. “I’m not going to say she’s a good luck charm, but good things happen when she’s around,â€� the Ole Miss grad says. On Tuesday, Yodi made her second straight appearance in the media center at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Randolph’s a member at the Country Club of Jackson, which hosts the tournament, and tied for third last year. “She had a good run here last year so she’s allowed to come back, I guess,â€� Randolph says. “I had my best finish on TOUR the only time she’s ever come to the media center, so it’s good to have her back in here.â€� The family has also been there for the not-so-good times, too, though. Take a month ago when Randolph found himself back at the Web.com Tour Finals after finishing 174th in the FedExCup. He thought his game was rounding into form but he ended up missing the cut in three of the four events – a stretch he called “one of the most devastatingâ€� of his career. Lacy, Boyd and Yodi were waiting for him beside the 18th green, though, and suddenly life was good again. “Just to have them there — it’s hard to put into words, you know, like what that’ll do for you,â€� Randolph says. “But it’s pretty awesome to have the little guy on the road. “Last year I said we were a traveling circus. We are legitimately a traveling circus now with the baby and the dog and everybody, but it’s like the most fulfilling thing ever.â€�

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The Asia Swing culminates in China for the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions where a cavalcade of stars are ready to do battle. It was here that Justin Rose kicked off his big push towards the FedExCup crown, winning with a final round surge over a faltering Dustin Johnson. Can Brooks Koepka continue his charge after winning last week in Korea or will it be another international star like Rose, or perhaps a rejuvenated Hideki Matsuyama? In the last two seasons the winner of the FedExCup (Justin Thomas and Rose) have won during the Asia Swing so everyone knows the 550 points on offer to the winner could be critical. There are seven Chinese players in the field led by Haotong Li. Perhaps it is time for the PGA TOUR’s first Chinese winner? Li is joined by Yechun Yuan, Xinjun Zhang, Yanwei Liu, Bowen Xiao, Wenchong Liang and Ashun Wu. Seven of the top 10 players in the world headline the field. The Golf Channel will provide live coverage for all four rounds. For the opening two rounds coverage starts at 10 p.m. ET (10 a.m. local time) on Wednesday and Thursday. Weekend play gets underway at 11 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local time). MORE: Tee times Here’s a look at the Featured Groups for the first two rounds (FedExCup ranking in parentheses): Brooks Koepka (3) – Hot off his victory in last week’s CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in Korea the newly minted World No. 1 is looking to keep the momentum rolling. He was T2 here a year ago. Justin Rose (NR) – The FedExCup champion has three top 10s at this event including last season’s win in Shanghai. Looking to get his title defense in both off to a big start. 
Tommy Fleetwood (NR) – Has been knocking on the door of a PGA TOUR win for some time. Still flying high from his Ryder Cup efforts. Three top-25s previous here, but no top 10s. Tee times: Rd. 1 (9:55 p.m. ET); Rd. 2 (10:50 p.m. ET) Jason Day (21) – Finished strong last week in Korea to be T5 and comes off the back of a T11 here on debut last season. Australian set to take a break for baby No. 3 after this start so wants maximum points. Tony Finau (NR) – Did everything last season except win. An impressive 11 top-10 finishes and a sixth-place finish in the FedExCup. Now it’s time to take it up a notch again. Was T11 here last season. 
Hoatong Li (NR) – Crowd favorite looking to be the first Chinese player to win on the PGA TOUR. Best finish in the event is a T7 three years ago. 
 Tee times: Rd. 1 (10:45 p.m. ET); Rd. 2 (9:30 p.m. ET) Rory McIlroy (NR) – Six times he’s played and his worst return is a tie for 11th two seasons ago. Making his PGA TOUR season debut and expecting to make an immediate splash. 
 Dustin Johnson (NR) – Took a sizable lead after 54 holes last year before a Sunday stumble. Revenge is on his mind in his season debut. Won the event in 2014.
 Francesco Molinari (NR) – A winner here in 2010. Returns this season in the form of his career having claimed multiple worldwide wins last season, including the Open Championship. Tee times: Rd. 1 (10:55 p.m. ET); Rd. 2 (9:40 p.m. ET) Patrick Reed (NR) – The Masters champion is ready to let his clubs do the talking once more. Was T7 here a few years ago and is looking to better that to kick off his season. Jon Rahm (NR) – Spanish sensation ready to kick-start his 2018-19 PGA TOUR season. Finished midfield on debut at the event last year – something that doesn’t sit well with his personal standards.   Alex Noren (57) – Two good rounds mixed in with two not so good ones last week in Korea was still good enough for T18 finish. Noren’s accuracy off the tee and into the greens should spell success here although he’s yet to find a top 10 in five previous starts. Tee times: Rd. 1 (9:45 p.m. ET); Rd. 2 (10:40 p.m. ET)

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The essence of every additional event – as this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship is designated, the first of five this season – is to provide playing time for the golfers who did not qualify for the concurrently contested invitational. While these tournaments have been considered an expectation for some time, inherent to the competition is the bonus of a surprise champion no matter how characterized. A year ago, Ryan Armour was a journeyman with four seasons of PGA TOUR status and over 100 starts dating back to 2007. He was a Web.com TOUR Finals graduate at the age of 41. What transpired at the Country Club of Jackson was nothing short of remarkable and impossible to predict. Scroll past the ranking for what he achieved, how the course has tested in its first four years as host and more After opening with 6-under 66 to co-lead the Sanderson Farms Championship last year, Armour held outright advantages after 36 and 54 holes before galloping through the tape to post 19-under 269. His five-stroke margin of victory equaled the tournament record. He was essentially untouchable, finishing third in both fairways hit and greens in regulation while leading the field in proximity to the hole and strokes gained: putting. Excelling in more than one of those areas is commonplace for most champions, but to flourish in all drifts into career-defining stuff. This is all that the Country Club of Jackson has known. All four of its winners were first-timers, each was locked in with the putter en route to victory and each is committed to this week’s tournament. Nick Taylor (2014) and Cody Gribble (2016) were PGA TOUR rookies. Peter Malnati’s triumph in 2015 was his first top 10 in 22 career starts. The test is a stock par 72 capable of stretching 7,440 yards. The only significant modification since last year occurred at the par-5 third hole. A new tee has extended it by 29 yards — it can now play 590. It reflects the increase of overall yardage. Bermudagrass canvasses the entire property with two-inch primary rough laying in wait for wayward drives and 6,200-square foot greens rolling up to 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. Last year’s scoring average of 71.828 both places Armour’s execution on a pedestal and deserves a double-take in reaction to it as the Country Club of Jackson stands tall. Hitting greens in regulation is a soft spot with little terror to salvage par if in that predicament, so aggressive strategies are rewarded more than they’re penalized. This is validated in the consistency of its resistance in yielding distance off the tee, fairways hit, proximity to the hole and par-5 scoring, as the course easily has ranked inside the top half-hardest in each stat in every season. Rain is all but guaranteed during if not throughout the opening round when it might not touch 60 degrees. It could feel slightly colder, too, given a moderate wind out of an easterly direction (read: not prevailing). Dry, warmer conditions move in but more precipitation cannot be ruled out through Saturday. The stage for the finale is for a classic autumn day in the South. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings (WGC-HSBC) TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Sanderson Farms), Sleepers (WGC-HSBC), Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done (WGC-HSBC), One & Done (Sanderson Farms), Twitter live fantasy show * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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