Scheffler part of crowded Colonial leaderboard after PGA cut
Colonial Golf Scottie Scheffler hits off the sixth tee during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at the Colonial Country Club, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas. 1 player is back on the course, and tied atop a crowded leaderboard at Colonial. But he was the only in that group without a bogey, rebounding from his missed cut at the PGA Championship. Yeah, I felt like I did a really good job of managing myself around the golf course,” Scheffler said. Scheffler didn't officially commit to playing Colonial until after his premature departure from the PGA.
wftv.comSpieth beats Cantlay with playoff bunker shot to 7 inches
Thinking he might have a chance for a playoff, Jordan Spieth rolled in a 10-foot birdie on the 18th hole in regulation. Spieth’s 56-foot shot from a greenside bunker stopped 7 inches away and he beat Patrick Cantlay with a tap-in par Sunday on the lighthouse hole for his 13th career PGA Tour title — and second straight on Easter Sunday. Spieth, at 13 under after his 5-under 66, finished four groups ahead of Cantlay and waited out the stellar field that had several chances to tie or move in front.
news.yahoo.comHarold Varner III shoots 63 to take RBC Heritage lead
RBC Heritage Golf Harold Varner III watches his drive down the 16th fairway during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton) (Stephen B. Morton)HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — (AP) — Harold Varner III shot an 8-under 63 to take a one-shot lead in the RBC Heritage on Saturday in pursuit of his first PGA Tour victory. Lowry shot 65, and van Rooyen had a 67. Former RBC Heritage champ Matt Kuchar, Hudson Swafford, Sepp Straka and Aaron Wise were 9 under. Swafford shot 66, Kuchar and Straka 67 and Wise 68. Varner birdied four of his first six holes — including that troublesome sixth — and took the lead with a 10-footer on the 16th.
wftv.comColumn: Faint signs of progress at the home of the Masters
It's believed to be the first time that three Black golfers — in this case, Varner, Tiger Woods and Cameron Champ — have been part of a Masters field. A quarter-century removed from Woods' historic first Masters victory, there are still far too few Black players in golf's pipeline. Varner hopes that his Masters debut will help to break down some of those barriers. But, for now at least, we'll have to be content with the faint signs of progress that will be on display this weekend at the Masters. Never before have kids of color had so many players they could relate to at Augusta National.
wftv.comVarner sinks long putt on 18th to win Saudi International
KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, Saudi Arabia — (AP) — Overnight leader Harold Varner III eagled the par-5 last by sinking a long putt to overtake clubhouse leader Bubba Watson and win the Saudi International in dramatic fashion on Sunday. Varner watched his winning putt roll in before throwing down his club and pumping his fists. Watson then jogged over from the clubhouse to congratulate the 99th-ranked Varner on his first PGA Tour title to go with his one international victory, the Australian PGA Championship at the end of 2016. Adri Arnaus shot a 1 over 71 to finish three shots off the lead in third ahead of Steve Lewton and Cameron Smith another shot back in joint fourth. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comTheegala finds an easy path to 64 and lead in Mississippi
Theegala missed three fairways but was out of position just once at the Country Club of Jackson. It also was a big start for Watney, coming off one of his worst seasons. Watney holed a couple of long putts, including a 45-footer for eagle on the par-5 second hole, for his lowest start to a PGA Tour event in 15 months. He made it to the PGA Tour on his first try through the Korn Ferry Tour finals. He earned a PGA Tour card for the first time by finishing 23rd in the Korn Ferry Tour finals.
wftv.comSnedeker takes Houston Open lead; Johnson and fans return
Brandt Snedeker hits his third shot on the 16th hole during the first round of the Houston Open golf tournament Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, in Houston. Snedeker shot a 5-under 65 in the afternoon to take a two-stroke lead in the last event before the Masters. “Drove it great,” Snedeker said. “Around this golf course you have to be in the fairway, otherwise it’s going to be a long day for you. “The golf course kind of forces you into being patient just because you can’t really miss too many greens,” Scheffler said.
DeChambeau blasts his way to 62 and lead in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS – Bryson DeChambeau put on another power display Thursday and it worked just as well as when he won the U.S. Open. “I was not happy it didn't go in, but I'll take a 62,” said DeChambeau, who won this tournament two years ago. It was the perfect recipe for Las Vegas, with the warm desert air and barely a breath of wind. This is the only tournament DeChambeau plans to play ahead of the Masters on Nov. 12-15, which means skipping a pair of big-purse, no-cut fields in Las Vegas and California the next two weeks. DeChambeau played alongside two other big hitters, U.S. Open runner-up Matthew Wolff and Cameron Champ, who hits it as far as DeChambeau without looking as though he's trying as hard.
Hoge in four-way tie for Wyndham lead after two rounds
Hoge, tied for the first-round lead with Harold Varner III and Roger Sloan, kept in front with a steady 2-under 68 to get to 10-under par. Hoge, whose best-ever tour finish was a second at The Greenbrier this season, was asked what it would take for his first PGA Tour win. Like Kim, Gooch shot 65 to get into the foursome on top. He had six birdies, including two of his final three holes, to move up. Kokrak was in a group of seven one shot further back along with past Wyndham champ Webb Simpson, who shot his second straight 66.
Varner III grabs Wyndham lead with career low-tying 62
Webb Simpson hits from the fairway on the eighth hole during the first round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)GREENSBORO, N.C. Harold Varner III tied his career low round with an 8-under 62 to grab the early lead at the Wyndham Championship on Thursday. Varner was three shots in front of Wesley Bryan and Brian Harman among the early starters at the Sedgefield Country Club. Varner had eight birdies, including four in a row midway through the round, without a birdie his first 15 holes. Former U.S. Open champ and past Wyndham winner Webb Simpson was among a large group at 66. A pair of major champions who challenged at the PGA Championship last week struggled in the opening round.
Simpson returning to PGA Tour after family coronavirus scare
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)Webb Simpson is competing on the PGA Tour again after his family had a coronavirus scare. I mentioned to the commissioner last week that based on our numbers, our stats, I told him the safest place anyone can be in the United States right now is on the PGA Tour," Simpson said. While the PGA Tour has resumed play, the pandemic is keeping the fans away. In the previous three PGA Tour events, the top five competed each week. The Donald Ross-designed Detroit Golf Club is a short course by PGA Tour standards.
Schauffele leads Colonial over host of stars in tour return
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)FORT WORTH, Texas The quiet of Colonial made Xander Schauffele feel as though he were back home in San Diego playing with his friends. Colonial is the first of five tournaments in the return to golf that doesn't allow spectators. He was one off the lead, and his tie for second is his best 54-hole position since the Colonial last year. He shot 72 in the final round and tied for eighth. Harold Varner III, still looking for his first PGA Tour victory, started with a one-shot lead and birdied the opening hole.
Varner takes early 1-shot lead over Spieth at Colonial
The leaderboard is a 'who's who' of golf right now, McIlroy said after a 63, with a bogey on the last hole, that left him two behind Varner among the early starters. Dating to the ShotLink era in 2003, it was the lowest score on the PGA Tour by a player who began his round with a triple bogey. I just wanted to make that putt just to get me back to even (for the round), Varner said. No spectators are allowed at the first five events on the PGA Tour. I felt like I gave myself some grace to say, Look, I havent really been practicing a ton of those kind of short-range putts,' Spieth said.
Tour recognizes racial injustice with moment of silence
Players at the 8:46 a.m. tee time paused to pay their respects to the memory of George Floyd for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)FORT WORTH, Texas Colonial already was quiet with no spectators around for the return of the PGA Tour on Thursday. As the PGA Tour commits to amplifying voices and efforts to end systemic issues of racial and social injustices, we have reserved the 8:46 tee time to pause for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection, Monahan said. Harold Varner III, one of four PGA Tour players of black heritage, was the strongest voice. He also pointed to Woods, not only as prolific a winner the PGA Tour has ever seen, but a player with a multiracial heritage.
PGA Tour to hold minute of silence at 8:46 to honor Floyd
FORT WORTH, Texas FORT WORTH, TexasThe PGA Tour is leaving the 8:46 a.m. tee time vacant this week at Colonial as part of a tribute to George Floyd and to support efforts to end racial and social injustice. In a memo to players Tuesday, Commissioner Jay Monahan said there would be a moment of silence in each of the four rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge that will coincide with the 8:46 a.m. tee time. It has quickly become a universal symbol for the racial injustice faced by the black community, the memo said. The PGA Tour has been shut down the last three months because of the coronavirus pandemic, and it returns at Colonial with attention shared among the health and safety of running a tournament and the civil unrest sparked by Floyd's death across the country. Monahan and Harold Varner III, one of three PGA Tour members of black heritage, had a 10-minute conversation last week that the tour posted to its website to try to figure out ways golf could do its part.
Golf makes a conservative return with an eye on the long run
What hasn't changed is his belief that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over just because golf is back. Greg Abbott this week moved the state to Phase III in the recovery that allows outdoor events at 50% capacity. At that time it was very unclear where we would be with safety and testing, Monahan said. Information was changing by the minute.Now that golf is returning, Monahan couldn't predict when spectators would return. The conversation was scheduled before the protests began, and Varner was chosen because he's on the Player Advisory Council and golf was ready to resume.
Koepka ready to get back to work after nearly 3 months off
During his short offseason, Koepka had stem cell treatment on his left knee because the patella tendon was partially torn. As Li Haotong of China was making his debut at the Presidents Cup, Guan Tianlang was preparing to qualify for the PGA Tour Series-China. Ishikawa showed signs of getting back to form last year when he won three times on the Japan Golf Tour, his first titles since 2016 and his biggest year in Japan since 2010. Otherwise, the Japan Golf Tour season doesn't start until a week after the Masters. The last seven rounds on the PGA Tour in Hawaii were played under lift, clean and place rules.