RICKIE FOWLER

Top-ranked Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas made the birdies they needed to keep pace on the easier North Course at Torrey Pines and shared the lead with hard-charging Adam Schenk after two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open.

Top-ranked Jon Rahm closed with an eagle on the tougher South Course at Torrey Pines for a 6-under 66, trailing leader Billy Horschel by three strokes after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

Jon Rahm is back in the California desert for The American Express after a two-year break.

Talor Gooch is one round away from his first PGA Tour victory.

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama had three birdies in five holes on the back nine and eagled the 18th for good measure for a five-stroke victory at the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship.

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama held on to a one-stroke lead at the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship after a 2-under 68 which included a bogey on his last hole to make things interesting for Sunday's final round.

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama overcame cold temperatures and often steady rain showers to shoot a 2-under 68 and take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship.

CJ Cup Golf Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his second shot on the first hole during final round of the CJ Cup golf tournament, Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker) (David Becker)LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Rory McIlroy capped off a big weekend in Las Vegas on Sunday by surging past Rickie Fowler and holding off Collin Morikawa to win the CJ Cup at Summit for his 20th PGA Tour title. McIlroy was nine shots behind going into the weekend at that tournament and closed with rounds of 66-62 to win. McIlroy made birdie and just like that they were tied, along with others farther along in the round. McIlroy and Fowler in the final group were tied at 22 under going to the back when Fowler made another mistake.

Rory McIlroy picked up his 20th victory on the PGA Tour when he least expected it.

“I haven't been there a lot the last couple of years, so it's nice to be back in that position,” Fowler said. Nine players were within five shots of the lead, and anything goes at this tournament. He holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 73 and was four shots behind. He didn't make birdie until the 15th hole and had to settle for a 72, leaving him eight shots behind. He holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th to take the lead, and he had another birdie putt from that range on the eighth hole.

Rickie Fowler is back in the spotlight in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Sam Burns won the Sanderson Farms Championship last week and is trying to put it behind him. Key to this week was not to let last week linger. “What we tried to do is just last week is last week,” he said. "This week is Shriners and preparing for this week, trying to make sure Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday that we are giving ourselves the best opportunity to play well this week. While Burns remained hot, that wasn't the case with some others who contended last week at the Country Club of Jackson.

Sanderson Farms Golf Sung Kang of South Korea adjusts his glove prior to driving off the 18th tee during the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship golf tournament in Jackson, Miss., Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. “Last few weeks I wasn't driving it very good, but my iron play was pretty sharp and my putting was pretty good,” Kang said. Las Vegas marked the return of six more Ryder Cup players on both teams, and the Europeans seemed to fare well. The par on his penultimate hole is what he savored because of the momentum he saved, especially with how he finished. He knew the eagle putt was good before it reached the hole.

Sang Kang was doing everything right except putting his tee shots in play.

Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka are finally getting their day in the sun.

The PGA Tour is moving the Farmers Insurance Open off a big NFL Sunday.

Steve Stricker has filled out his U.S. Ryder Cup team with six captain's picks.

Russell Henley shot a 6-under 64 on Friday to open a four-stroke lead halfway through the Wyndham Championship.

Wyndham Championship Golf Sung Kang hits out of a trap on the 18th hole during the first round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) (Chris Seward)GREENSBORO, N.C. — (AP) — Russell Henley shot an 8-under 62, his lowest round in more than two years, to take the lead Thursday in the suspended first round of the Wyndham Championship. He had with his lowest round on the tour since a career-low 61 at the John Deere Classic in 2019.Henley has played some solid golf of late. He was tied for the 36-hole lead at the U.S. Open in June, then had two straight top-20 finishes before missing the cut at the British Open. “I would like to play well this week and get a chance to play next week and keep getting my game into place,” Scott said.

Russell Henley shot an 8-under 62, his lowest round in more than two years, to take the lead Thursday in the suspended first round of the Wyndham Championship.

3M Open Golf Cameron Tringale acknowledges the crowd after finishing the third round in the lead at 12 under par in the 3M Open golf tournament in Blaine, Minn., Saturday, July 24, 2021. Tringale, who tied for third last year at the TPC Twin Cities, eagled the par-5 12th and had three birdies in a bogey-free round. Winless on the PGA Tour, the 33-year-old topped the crowded leaderboard at 12-under 201. He posted a 37 for a 66 that left him four strokes behind Tringale. It's currently ranked as the hardest par 5 on the PGA Tour.

Cameron Tringale made a short par putt on the treacherous par-5 18th hole at the 3M Open for a 5-under 66 and a one-stroke lead Saturday over Gary Woodland and Maverick McNealy.

3M Open Golf Rickie Fowler watches his tee shot on the second hole during the first round of the 3M Open golf tournament in Blaine, Minn., Thursday, July 22, 2021. Looking for a late push in the FedEx Cup standings, Fowler carried over the strong play Thursday with a 7-under 64 in the first round of the 3M Open. There are two weeks remaining after the 3M Open to qualify for the playoffs. Dustin Johnson, who withdrew with a back injury after an opening 78 in the 3M Open last year, opened with a 70. “I’ve seen this golf course now for about 20 years,” Merritt said.

Rickie Fowler carried over his play from the final round of the British Open to Thursday’s opening round of the 3M Open in Minnesota, shooting a 7-under 64 for a share of the lead.

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama was withdrawn from the Rocket Mortgage Classic after testing positive for COVID-19.

Bryson DeChambeau grew up watching the Olympics and wishing that someday he would be able to take part.

Fowler had five holes to play Tuesday morning in the rain-delayed qualifier at Brookside and The Lakes, and he needed three birdies. From over the back of the 18th green, his chip was about a full turn short before peeling away to the right. Former major champions Padraig Harrington, Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner were among those who joined Fowler at 5-under 139, one stroke short. He also missed from 15 feet for birdie on the 17th, all those putts snapping off hard at the hole. He was tied with Fowler when his approach to the 18th was 3 feet short of the hole, giving him a birdie to get into the playoff.

Rickie Fowler will have to sit out another major this year.

Schaake also was medalist at his local qualifying and will be making his Open debut. “I need to get ready for Torrey,” Schaake said. He played poorly while trying to qualify for the PGA Tour event this week at Congaree in South Carolina. He was an alternate for the U.S. Open qualifier at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head and thought about not even showing up. One spot is reserved in case a player were to win a second PGA Tour event since last June.

One of the longest days in golf just got a little longer.

One minute, Jon Rahm was headed for a blowout victory in the Memorial.

Memorial Golf Xander Schauffele reacts after missing a putt on the 13th hole during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament, Thursday, June 3, 2021, in Dublin, Ohio. Morikawa felt good vibes from an old putter and posted a 6-under 66 in rain-softened conditions Thursday morning at the Memorial. That gave him a one-shot lead over Adam Long among early starters, with Xander Schauffele in the group two shots behind. The weather was bad enough that the first round was suspended twice, with only half the field finishing the round. He won a playoff at Muirfield Village last year in the Workday Charity Open, a one-time event to replace the pandemic-canceled John Deere Classic.

Collin Morikawa has the early lead at the Memorial on a day only half the field finished.

The Ocean Course played to a scoring average of 73.0, 2 1/2 shots easier than Friday's second round. Instead of moving, it felt like the major champions and world-class players chasing Mickelson were standing around watching him. Brooks Koepka's 69th shot of the day was a 7-foot putt for par that would have kept him tied with Mickelson. But this is a round where I'm walking up the 18th going, man, this could have been special today,” Spieth said. “If I were at 4 under and the lead was only 7, then things could be different,” Spieth said.

The leaderboard was mostly static in the third round of the PGA Championship, even though the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island played easier.

Corey Conners made it look stress-free amid the wind and havoc of Kiawah Island.

He goes into the PGA Championship having missed his last two cuts. Now it's back to playing golf and hitting shots.”The invitation to the PGA Championship was not surprising. He went three full seasons without winning as he coped with the first real struggle he's had in golf. “It's not like he's giving me bad information or we're working on the wrong things,” Fowler said. Fowler didn't bother to respond, even when pressed.

Rickie Fowler is having the first big struggle of his career.

The PGA Tour is awarding a $40 million bonus pool to the top 10 players who move the needle in golf, regardless of how they perform inside the ropes.

Jordan Spieth shot a 5-under 67 to move into a tie for the lead heading into the final round of the Valero Texas Open.

Reed, who won in 2018, says he doesn't keep a lot of golf photos in his office or around the house in Houston. Kuchar rolled his putt up to 3 feet, Scheffler hit wedge to 40 feet for his fourth shot and Kuchar won the hole. Kuchar won his consolation match. Long won the British Amateur last summer and will play in the Masters next week. The Austrian Golf Open returns to the European Tour schedule and will be played the week after the Masters.

Jones won the Honda Classic by five shots Sunday, a final round of 2-under 68 good enough to finish the week at 12-under 268 at PGA National. J.B. Holmes was in the final group with Jones, three shots back to start the day, and his chances were gone very quickly. He ended up with a costly final-round 79 for Holmes; second place, where he started the day, paid Hagy $763,000 while the tied-for-46th finish paid Holmes $19,070. AdHe went on to make double bogey there, and when Jones birdied the par-5 third Holmes’ deficit had gone from three to eight shots in about 45 minutes. “You can't get a tougher golf course to win on than this one, in these conditions," Jones said.

“I'm happy to go low with the ball flight and I'm probably a little more conservative when the wind is up," Jones said. That’s when his woes started, and what became a nine-shot turnaround between he and Jones began. Jones grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie at the par-4 14th. And when Wise made bogey at the par-3 15th, Jones was the outright leader again. “Just keep doing what I'm doing," Jones said.

Garcia thought he had plenty of time to get from the range to the 10th tee to start his round. Then he fired off a 7-under 65, capped off by a birdie-birdie-eagle finish for a two-shot lead over Brian Harman. AdWhen darkness brought the first round to a halt — 21 players didn't finish — there already were 13 scores of 80 or higher. “For some reason, it just kind of fits my eye,” said Garcia, who won The Players in 2008 and has twice been runner-up. British Open champion Shane Lowry took bogey on his final hole for a 68 and was tied with Corey Conners and Matt Fitzpatrick.

“I was standing on the wood at the back left of the green, right when you walk up there, just off the green,” Allenby said. A PGA Tour digital media specialist recently reviewed the entire broadcast and said it was never shown. One person who saw it was PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, who had been returning from a meet-and-greet and paused to watch Allenby putt. MICKELSON 101Eight regular PGA Tour events did not have corporate sponsors in their title names. The British Open was not considered an official PGA Tour victory.

Whether it's good golf or good breaks, it's making him feel a lot better about his game at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He shot a 5-under 67 at Spyglass Hill on Friday for a one-shot lead over Daniel Berger going into the weekend. Berger shot a 66 at Pebble Beach by going 2-3-2 along the ocean on a day filled will sunshine and a Pacific breeze. Mickelson hit two shots in the ocean on the 18th at Pebble Beach and took a quadruple-bogey 9 for an 80. “It’s just when it happens, it’s obviously really nice.”The cut was at 1-under 143 after 36 holes on Pebble Beach and Spyglass.

Patrick Cantlay follows his shot from the seventh tee of the Pebble Beach Golf Links during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Pebble Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Patrick Cantlay looked just as good Thursday at Pebble Beach as the last round he played 18 days ago. That tied the course record at Pebble Beach last matched 24 years ago by David Duval, and it gave Cantlay a two-shot lead in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Bhatia hit all 18 of the small greens at Pebble Beach, the first player to do that at Pebble since Ryan Palmer in 2008. AdIt helped being at Pebble Beach, typically the easiest course when the weather is dry and relatively calm. The AT&T Pebble Beach and Honda Classic offered him exemptions.

And no one is more concerned than Ryder Cup officials. THE RYDER CUPNo other golf tournament relies so much on noise than the Ryder Cup, which is why it was postponed from last September. Phil Mickelson has played in every Ryder Cup since 1995 — Morikawa wasn't even born then. Since the last Ryder Cup, Lefty has finished a combined 84 shots behind in the five majors he made the cut. McIlroy, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas all have had moments of brilliance.

55 after closing with a 77 in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to drop to a tie for 23rd. That he accumulated the most world ranking points (463.54) was no surprise. Johnson received credit for the victory with the staggered start based on the FedEx Cup (he tied for third in world ranking points). DIVOTSDustin Johnson earned an average of 25.75 world ranking points in his 18 starts worldwide in 2020. That's more than the total ranking points Tiger Woods earned (19.08) in the nine tournaments he played.

He quickly distanced himself from the pack with an eagle on the second hole, then followed with birdies on Nos. Mickelson drove into a batch of pine trees, then actually went backward when his second shot ricocheted off one of the trees. ___12:30 p.m.Dustin Johnson eagled the second hole at Augusta National to move into the lead alone in the Masters. On the 575-yard, par-5 second hole, Johnson followed a 363-yard drive with an approach that ended up 3 feet from the pin. ___8:10 a.m.Vijay Singh has withdrawn from the Masters because of illness after completing 10 holes in the second round.

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2019, file photo, Tiger Woods celebrates after winning the Zozo Championship golf tournament at the Accordia Golf Narashino country club in Inzai, east of Tokyo, Japan. The Zozo Championship is the second Asia-based event to move to the United States this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. PGA champion Collin Morikawa was at Sherwood back then, as a young spectator looking for an autograph (he didn't get it). The happiest memories belong to Woods, who won his tournament five times at Sherwood and was runner-up on five other occasions. The Zozo Championship made its debut last year in Japan, and it was a big success despite rain that wiped out one day and led to a Monday finish.

( (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. – This is no ordinary road to the Masters. Four of the top five players in the world are at Shadow Creek, with top-ranked Dustin Johnson pulling out after his positive test for the coronavirus. Rory McIlroy thinks Shadow Creek might be even better than what Florida offers because of the bentgrass greens that are fast with big slopes. “It's not a bad place to prepare for Augusta,” McIlroy said Wednesday. McIlroy is at Shadow Creek and Sherwood the next two weeks.

Rickie Fowler watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in San Francisco. Fowler's silly mistake a miss from 6 inches on the sixth green cost him a weekend starting time at the PGA Championship. Tringale's error signing an incorrect scorecard saved him a couple hours of waiting around before he headed home, as well. They were among the 75 players to miss the cut at Harding Park, meaning an early departure from San Francisco. It marks the first time he's missed a cut at the PGA since 2012 at Kiawah.

He shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of this World Golf Championship event. He won on this course in 2018 before the event became a World Golf Championship in 2019. Todd took the lead back to himself on the next hole with a 22-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth. Todd hit into the rough off the tee and couldnt sink a 13-footer to save par. Todd hit his approach 166 yards to 3 feet on No.

Todd trailed defending champion Brooks Koepka after the first round by two strokes. Rickie Fowler closed with birdies on his final two holes for a 67 and 131 total just behind Todd. Koepka had the lead to himself at 10 under before falling apart on his back nine with a double bogey and two bogeys. Todd won back-to-back tournaments last November for his first win on tour since winning the Byron Nelson in 2014. That put Todd atop the leaderboard at 9 under, and his putter helped him birdie consecutive holes including the big putt on No.

The defending champ matched his career best with an 8-under 62 to take a two-stroke lead over Rickie Fowler and Brendon Todd after the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Then Fowler two-putted for bogey after putting his tee shot in the left rough on his final hole to finish at 64. He hit his tee shot on the par-3 No. ... Tee times for the second round were moved to Friday morning to avoid predicted thunderstorms. ... With no fans allowed at an event that has benefited St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital since 1970, St. Jude had to get creative to raise both money and attention for a hospital that never bills its patients.

(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)DUBLIN, Ohio The PGA Tour first started going to Asia in 2009 with the HSBC Champions, a World Golf Championship. David Lipsky wouldnt have guessed then how that would parlay into his best shot at finally getting a PGA Tour card. The Dunhill was a co-sanctioned European Tour event, which put him in the top 10 in the Race to Dubai. Being among the top 10 in points at the end of the season at least can get him into opposite-field PGA Tour events, and it will go a long way toward a PGA Tour card for the fall of 2021. Lipsky reached the final stage of Q-school in 2012 the last time it awarded PGA Tour cards and finished poorly.

Doc Redman is interviewed after the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament, Thursday, July 2, 2020, at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)DETROIT Doc Redman took a step toward remaining among those to make the cut in every event since the PGA Tour resumed, opening with a 7-under 65 to share the early lead Thursday in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Redman went from being a Monday qualifier last year at the Detroit Golf Club to finishing second at the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic. He is hoping to take the next step on Sunday with his first PGA Tour victory. With no fans out here, it almost feels like its not a golf tournament," Lashley said.

(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.

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.

Players return to a new set of rules, starting with mandatory tests for the coronavirus when they first arrive and having their temperatures taken before they can get to the parking lot. Of equal concern is what they do off the golf course, even with a designated hotel. And I think its an important week because golf can show that we can play in a socially distant manner, he said. But he recognized the importance of getting through this week without incident, so that golf can continue until just short of Christmas. I think its important to make sure that we go through all these things because I want to play, Koepka said.

Another appeal to the Sunday made-for-TV exhibition, The Match: Champions for Charity, is a chance to see Tiger Woods swing a golf club for the first time in 98 days. One difference is the players will be in their own carts, whereas the four PGA Tour players last week carried their bags. Mickelson won their first made-for-TV match over Thanksgiving weekend in 2018, a pay-per-view event that ran into technical problems and was free for all. Woods was going for his seventh straight PGA Tour victory when Mickelson beat him at Torrey Pines in 2000. After this exhibition, golf has two weeks before the PGA Tour is set to return at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.

(AP Photo/Jenna Fryer)Fans who had been starving for live sporting events had their appetites somewhat sated last weekend. Network executives knew the first weekend with multiple live events would draw good numbers but for the most part they exceeded expectations. It is also only the second weekend this season that Bundesliga matches were viewed by over 100,000 fans on Fox Sports 1. Fox's strong weekend continued with the NASCAR race at Darlington, South Carolina, averaging 6.32 million. Tirico anchored the golf coverage from his home in Michigan, while Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon called the NASCAR race from Charlotte.

It was the first live golf on television since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down golf and other sports on March 12. We dont want them having to wear masks and be doing what weve been doing for the last number of months. McIlroy criticized Trump on the McKellar Journal podcast this week for politicizing the pandemic and says he would not play golf with him again. Tirico raised McIlroys name as being among those who have played with Trump and what they talk about on the golf course. I guess the ones that dont, I dont get to see as much.

Rory McIlroy delivered the money shot Sunday as live golf returned to television for a Skins game that revealed plenty of rust and raised more than $5 million for COVID-19 relief funds. Down to the last shot, McIlroy barely stayed on the shelf left of the pin, measured at 13 feet. The final carryover gave McIlroy and Johnson $1.85 million for the American Nurses Foundation. Fowler's seven birdies were worth $270,000 in a separate fund from Farmers Insurance, while McIlroy made four birdies in regulation worth $175,000 and Wolff had three birdies for $135,000. The last live competition on TV was March 12, the first round of The Players Championship.

(AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)Live golf returns to television on Sunday, and it might not look entirely familiar except for the players. The only rake on the golf course will be carried by a PGA Tour rules official. Farmers Insurance is pledging $1 million toward birdies and eagles that goes to healthcare workers, and PGA Tour Charities has an online donation program during the telecast. Within the golf community, the golf course is a big part of why people are excited about it, McIlroy said on the podcast. The PGA Tour has had 10 tournaments canceled or postponed since the last one completed, the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Tirico is one of many announcers who has had to trade the press box for a home office. Tirico will be in the corner of his office in Michigan, some 1,300 miles away. The soft return of golf includes testing for COVID-19, thermal readings, social distancing and limited access. Rich Lerner from Golf Channel is doing play by play, with NBC analysts Paul Azinger and Gary Koch. You could get a lot of people become Matt Wolff fans if he has the game he showed in Minnesota, Tirico said.

Steele shot a 3-under 67 on Friday, getting to 5 under for the week and putting himself a shot clear of J.T. This is Steele’s ninth time playing the Honda and the first time he’s ended any round at PGA National with the lead. I don't feel like it's a course you can just jump out your first time and have it nailed. ... Michael Thompson’s record streak of Honda rounds without a ball in the water on the Bear Trap is over. Thompson put his tee ball on the par-3 15th in the water, his first such mistake in 30 Honda rounds at PGA National.