LIV Golf convinced Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman to join Saudi-backed series with stake in franchise
Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman were given more than just a nice paycheck to leave the PGA Tour for LIV. The Australian golfers received a 25 percent stake in the Punch GC franchise, LIV CEO Greg Norman told The Sydney Morning Herald this week. Smith, the 2022 Open Championship winner, is the first top-10 player to join the Saudi-backed golf series. "You've got to think about it from Cam's perspective, he completely understood one thing that other people are struggling to understand: the value LIV Golf brings, and that new value is the franchise," Norman said. Players who leave for LIV are banned from PGA Tour events and their ability to play in the majors remains a huge question mark.
wftv.comNot everyone seems to mind the Saudi-Pebble Beach tradeoff
Adam Scott was among the first batch of players the Saudi International announced as playing its Asian Tour event next month, and now he no longer is on the list. The means he won't need a conflicting event release from the PGA Tour, nor will he be required to play the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am twice over the next three years, the stipulation for PGA Tour members going to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi tournament spokesman said only that Scott's playing schedule has changed, and he will only play Abu Dhabi and Dubai before preparing for “the big block” of PGA Tour events.
news.yahoo.comAussie duo Leishman and Day take 3-shot lead in QBE Shootout
NAPLES, Fla. — (AP) — Marc Leishman holed out for eagle for the second straight day as he and Jason Day posted an 8-under 64 in the modified alternate shot format Saturday to build a three-shot lead in the QBE Shootout. Leishman made eagle on the 10th hole during the scramble in the first round. In modified alternate shot, both players hit tee shots and then they picked the best one and alternated shots from there. Leishman and Day had six birdies to go along with Leishman’s holed shot for eagle. All but one of the 12 teams posted scores in the 60s with the exception of Georgia alumni Brian Harman and Hudson Swafford, who had a 71 and were in last place.
wftv.comDay, Leishman lead Aussies to 1-shot lead at Tiburon
NAPLES, Fla. — (AP) — Jason Day and Marc Leishman had 12 birdies, two eagles and finished one shot short of the record for the scramble format, posting a 16-under 56 that gave the Australian duo a one-shot lead Friday in the QBE Shootout. Day is making his first start in the unofficial event hosted by Greg Norman since he teamed with Cameron Tringale to win in 2014. They were one shot ahead of Corey Conners and Graeme McDowell and the defending champions, Harris English and Matt Kuchar. The record for a scramble format — players pick the team's best shot and each plays from there, including putts — is 55. The second round will be modified alternate shot — both players tee off and they alternate shots the rest of the way — with fourballs for the final round Sunday.
wftv.com4 tied for lead in suspended 1st round of Houston Open
HOUSTON — (AP) — Marc Leishman, Russell Henley, Talor Gooch and Luke List shared the lead Thursday in the suspended first round of the Houston Open, with List still on the course when darkness stopped play. Leishman, Henley and Gooch each finished at 5-under 65, while List had three holes left when play was called for the day. “We knew we weren’t going to finish so just trying to get as much as we could in,” List said. He's playing for the fifth time in the last six weeks. He's playing on a sponsor exemption.
wftv.comEnglish wins Travelers, beating Hickok in 8-hole playoff
Hickok had missed a 36-foot birdie putt and finished the playoff with eight consecutive pars. English sank a 28-footer on the 72nd hole to emerge from a three-way tie and finish at 13 under. Hickok lipped out on two long birdie putts that would have won it; on the sixth playoff hole, English missed a seven-foot birdie putt to win. English finished the fourth round birdie-bogey-birdie, skipping after the ball and pumping his fist after the final hole of regulation. This year, he shot 64 in the final round and was the leader in the clubhouse for several hours at 12 under but settled for third.
wftv.comReed, Noren beat the rain to take 1st-round lead in Farmers
Reed, Noren and Scottie Scheffler — who was one stroke back — all played Torrey Pines' easier North Course and will play the South Course on what could be a wet Friday. After a 321-yard tee shot, he hit his approach to 16 feet and made the putt. Noren, from Sweden, also took advantage of nice weather to get a low score on the North Course. Yeah, I think anytime you shoot 68 on the South Course here you’ve got to be pretty happy." He was replaced by fellow APGA player Willie Mack III, who shot a 2-over 74 on the South Course.
Kevin Na has a big finish and wins the Sony Open
Chris Kirk putts on the 13th green during the third round at the Sony Open golf tournament Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, in Honolulu. Na finished one shot ahead of Joaquin Niemann and Chris Kirk, and only one of them got a consolation prize. Niemann chipped in for birdie from 55 feet on the par-3 17th and got up-and-down with a long bunker shot on the 18th hole for a 66. Needing nearly 150 FedEx Cup points at the Sony Open, his tie for second was worth 245 points. He looked comfortable even when the Sony Open appeared to be slipping away.
Johnson gets 2-shot lead and another crack at FedEx Cup
Dustin Johnson selects a club from his bag on the practice range during practice for the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, in Atlanta. It's not like I've got a two-shot lead going into the final round, Johnson said, who speaks from experience of once losing a six-shot lead in the final round of a World Golf Championship. 1 seed a year ago, opened with a 70 and was in a three-way tie for the lead after one day. Imagine if he gets it going at East Lake while staked to a two-shot lead. Ten shots is surmountable over four days if somebody gets really hot.Horschel and Hughes at least have that chance.