The Latest: Playoffs are all the rage at Match Play
17 green during a third round match at the Dell Technologies Match Play Championship golf tournament Friday, March 26, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)AUSTIN, Texas – The Latest on the Dell Technologies Match Play (all times local):4:55 p.m. The Dell Technologies Match Play already has a No. ___4:30 p.m.Kevin Na lectured Dustin Johnson and then sent him home from the Dell Technologies Match Play. 64 seed to advance since the Match Play switched to group play in 2015.
Great Scot! MacIntyre battles world No. 1 Johnson to a draw
“It was a tough match,” Johnson said. “Obviously, I was dying to win that match,” MacIntyre said. The Spaniard, whose American home is in Austin, won his second match and thus eliminated Hatton, the No. He missed the birdie putt and Rahm, who would have had a putt from the same range, smile a sigh of relief. Johnson was 10 feet away for eagle, and MacIntyre still had him putt it (Johnson made it).
Cantlay ties course record with 62 and leads at Pebble Beach
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.
Day after rules controversy, Reed wins at Torrey Pines
Reed closed with a 4-under 68 at Torrey Pines, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and finishing off his dominating Sunday with a birdie on the 18th. Without waiting for an official, Reed picked up the ball to see if it was embedded. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce. “I was allowed to kind of put it behind me when the head rules official comes up and says you did everything you were supposed to do,” Reed said. Reed took one extra step by calling for a rules official to confirm, though he had already removed the ball from where it had been.
Viktor Hovland vaults into Farmers lead at wet Torrey Pines
Viktor Hovland, left, of Norway, waits to putt on the eighth hole of the South Course during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines, Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – Viktor Hovland birdied his final for a 7-under 65 on Torrey Pines’ tough South Course on a rainy, miserable Friday, giving him a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open. Reed shot an even-par 72 on the South Course a day after firing an 8-under 64 on the easier North Course. AdThe weather is supposed to clear up for the weekend rounds on the South Course. “I just played really solid and made some putts.”He had just one bogey, on the par-4 15th.
Reed, 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.
Masters field at 84 players heading into the final 3 months
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.
Late birdies let Justin Thomas keep slim lead at Sherwood
Thomas got one good break, made two good birdie putts and wound up with a 5-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead over Jon Rahm going into the final round. Lanto Griffin, who had the lead until bogeys on two of his last four holes, was another shot behind. Got a really, really good round going early on.”Thomas was at 19-under 197. Griffin opened with four straight birdies to take the lead, and he stayed there until the end of the round. Thomas was playing well enough, even if he had little to show for it after opening with two birdies.
Johnson, Scheffler favorites for tour's top player, rookie
For the PGA Tour player of the year, the candidates were Johnson, Thomas, PGA champion Collin Morikawa (two wins), Webb Simpson (two wins) and Jon Rahm (two wins). Johnson won the Travelers Championship and The Northern Trust to go along with his FedEx Cup title he won at the Tour Championship. He also was runner-up to Morikawa at the PGA Championship. More interesting will be the vote for PGA Tour rookie of the year. ... Country singer Colt Ford, who once played professionally, is making his PGA Tour Champions debut on a sponsor exemption.
Rahm's wild day ends with Memorial win and No. 1 ranking
Jon Rahm, of Spain, celebrates after the 18th hole to win the Memorial golf tournament, Sunday, July 19, 2020, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)DUBLIN, Ohio Jon Rahm won the Memorial to join Seve Ballesteros as the only Spaniards to reach No. Replay of Rahm's chip appeared to show the ball moved ever so slightly when he placed his lob wedge behind it. The chip was similar but from a different angle to Tiger Woods chipping in from behind the 16th green when he won the Memorial for the fifth time in 2012. Norlander and Hughes tied at 3-under 285, but the spot went to Hughes because he had the better world ranking.
Big finish for Woods gets him to the weekend at Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio Five months without competition, and Tiger Woods was grinding over key shots and big putts Friday at the Memorial. None was bigger than a 7-foot par putt on his final hole. Woods missed a pair of 3-foot putts early that shut down any momentum, twice missed the green with awkward chip shots in deep rough and had to finish birdie-birdie-par for a 4-over 76. Woods last played Feb. 16 in the cold at Riviera, where he finished last in the Genesis Invitational with a 76-77 weekend. Woods is a five-time winner of the Memorial, and his next victory would set the PGA Tour career record of 83.
Rahm builds 4-shot lead at Memorial in his quest to be No. 1
Jon Rahm, of Spain, watches his chip to the 18th green during the third round of the Memorial golf tournament, Saturday, July 18, 2020, in Dublin, Ohio. Rahm was four shots behind as he played the 12th hole at Muirfield Village. McIlroy was 10 shots back after a 72, not a bad effort on this day where the course average was 73.07. Rahm played in the group in front of Finau and saw him reach the 11th green in two, a sure birdie. Also in front of him is a Muirfield Village course that won't be getting any easier.
Big finish for Woods with hopes of making cut at Memorial
Tiger Woods watches his shot from the fifth tee during the second round of the Memorial golf tournament, Friday, July 17, 2020, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)DUBLIN, Ohio Five months without competition, Tiger Woods was grinding over key shots and big putts Friday at the Memorial, and the 7-foot par putt on his final hole at the Memorial might have been just enough. Woods missed a pair of 3-foot putts early that shut down any momentum, twice missed the green with awkward chip shots in deep rough and had to finish birdie-birdie-par for a 4-over 76. Making the turn, Woods had an awkward lie with his ball in the collar of a bunker. Woods is a five-time winner of the Memorial, and his next victory would set the PGA Tour career record of 83.
Finau, Palmer share early lead at Memorial as Tiger hangs on
Tony Finau hits from the second tee during the second round of the Memorial golf tournament, Friday, July 17, 2020, in Dublin, Ohio. That kind of score isn't happening at Muirfield Village, where the greens are getting faster by the hour. The way Muirfield Village is playing, both are impressive. Woods, a five-time winner at Muirfield Village, has never missed the cut in 17 previous times at the Memorial. But I battled back well.Palmer played the Workday Charity Open last week at Muirfield Village and missed the cut.
4-way tie for lead at Heritage as another wild finish looms
Tyrrell Hatton of England had one of six rounds at 63 as he tries to win back-to-back starts for the second time in his year. Abraham Ancer rode his strong iron play to a 65, while Ryan Palmer had a 66 to join the lead at 15-under 198. A week ago at the Charles Schwab Challenge, 14 players were separated by three shots going into the final round. The six rounds at 63 marked the third time since October that at least six players shot 63 in a round. There were seven such rounds at the RSM Classic in November, about 80 miles down the Atlantic coast at Sea Island.
Simpson, DeChambeau contend at Hilton Head in different ways
DeChambeau made six birdies on his final nine holes, missing a 5-footer on No. DeChambeau had the honors and let Simpson go first so he could figure out what to do. Simpson poked his hybrid 221 yards down the fairway on the 334-yard ninth hole. DeChambeau opted for a 3-wood, mainly because he feared his driver would go well over the green. DeChambeau says his fitness plan is a 2-to-1 ration of carbs and protein and I literally just have it.
With a swing and silence, PGA Tour gets back to business
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)FORT WORTH, Texas With one swing met with silence, the PGA Tour got back to business Thursday at Colonial. Ryan Palmer was selected to hit the opening tee shot at the Charles Schwab Challenge as a Colonial member who raised money for COVID-19 pandemic relief through his Pros For A Purpose campaign. The last PGA Tour event was March 12 at The Players Championship for the opening round. The tour first announced there'd be no fans the rest of the week, and by the end of the day canceled the tournament and eventually 10 more. Players also were told they should handle their own clubs, and caddies should wipe down flagsticks after handling them.
Rahm takes the lead at Torrey Pines with McIlroy lurking
He was at his best Saturday at Torrey Pines, holing a chip for birdie and a full gap wedge for eagle to start his round. “It was nice to shoot a good third round here and get myself a little bit closer,” McIlroy said. The group another shot behind included Tony Finau, Patrick Reed and Brandt Snedeker, a two-time champion at Torrey Pines who birdied his last two holes to salvage a 72. McIlroy is playing for the first time since late November and didn't appear to pick up too much rust during his break. This is his second time playing Torrey Pines, and it feels suited for him, even if he struggles like everyone else on poa greens.
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.