ZACH JOHNSON

Gooch matched the low score of the round — Taylor Moore had a hole-in-one on the 17th hole at Seaside for a 65 — and was at 13-under 129. Moore and Mackenzie Hughes of Canada (68 at Seaside) were two shots behind. Still seeking his first win, Gooch hasn't missed a cut in six starts this fall and has finished 11th or better four times. “Obviously I’m playing well, but I think my game has made a turn for some good stuff in some ways. Munoz, who matched the tournament record with a 60 in the first round at Seaside, birdied his last hole to share second with Huh.

Talor Gooch of Oklahoma had no problem with 25 mph wind that swept over Sea Island.

Phil Mickelson is returning for his 13th consecutive Ryder Cup, this time without his clubs.

Expect the unexpected will be the motto for the world’s best golfers this week as they get a crack at links golf for the first time in two years in the British Open at Royal St. George's.

The R&A said Ryan Moore, runner-up at the John Deere Classic in Illinois, chose not to accept the exemption for the highest finisher among the top five at the PGA Tour event. Johnson, who won at St. Andrews in a playoff in 2015, was at the John Deere Classic and had to be tested before getting on a charter flight. He did not play the third or fourth round with any other player who is at the British Open. The PGA Tour had this issue a year ago with positive tests. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson said he came in contact with a person who had a positive COVID-19 test and withdrew.

Zach Johnson is the latest player out of the British Open.

Rain overnight and more during the third round left the TPC John Deere soft and prone to low scoring, and just about everyone took advantage. He led by one shot over Brandon Hagy, who is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory in his 93rd career start. Ten players were within three shots of the lead, all of them knowing what it would take in the final round — birdies. Even so, he still has a chance at his first PGA Tour title. Of the 20 players within five shots of the lead, seven have never won on tour.

John Deere Classic Golf Zach Johnson tees off on the 16th hole during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament Thursday, July 8, 2021, in Silvis, Ill. (Jessica Gallahger/The Dispatch – The Rock Island Argus via AP) (Jessica Gallagher)SILVIS, Ill. — (AP) — Sebastian Munoz never knows when the switch will come on and the putts start to fall, but he recognized it happening Thursday in the John Deere Classic. Munoz was motoring along when he closed with five straight birdies at the TPC Deere Run for an 8-under 63, turning a solid day into a share of the lead with Chesson Hadley. “It's funny because when I make a lot of birdies, I usually play a little more safe and pick my spots. That will leave the three-time John Deere champion some work to do Friday afternoon to make the cut. “I'm not used to getting up at 5 in the morning anymore to play,” Stricker said.

Louis Oosthuizen has repeatedly put himself in contention at majors with his syrupy swing and easygoing nature.

The R&A said on Tuesday it was optimistic that Royal St. George's could have as much as 75% capacity for the British Open on July 15-21. “The big uncertainty for us is clarity with the government and health authorities around social distancing, and that will determine what the atmosphere will be like at the Open,” Slumbers said. What he wants to avoid is the chaos that erupted on the 18th hole at Kiawah when Phil Mickelson was swallowed up by the crowd and had to fight his way through to the green. 115) won the PGA Championship. I don’t think anybody will doubt him after this one, but I think it’s just wild.” — Jordan Spieth on Phil Mickelson winning the PGA Championship at age 50.

The British Open could have big crowds at Royal St. George's.

Phil Mickelson had a clear picture that he could win a major championship at age 50.

Phil Mickelson doesn’t need to be reminded of his age at the PGA Championship.

The PGA Championship has developed a reputation of being the fairest test of all the majors.

Hideki Matsuyama shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday and was three shots clear of the field at 11 under when he finished the third round of the Masters.

No one needed to see the colorful blooms at Augusta National to realize this will be a much different Masters than the last one.

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.

Instead of Augusta National members and their guests, the course was filled Monday with Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth, all of them playing a practice round on a course that only looked the same. The COVID-19 pandemic that shut down golf for three months forced a reconfigured major championship schedule unlike any other, particularly at the Masters. "The things that will be the same is it still means the same to us all, and maybe even more so because we return to Augusta National every year. This is the Augusta National hardly anyone gets to see. When it means going to Augusta National to get ready for the Masters — April, November, doesn't matter — it takes the sting off.

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.

A balky putter cost him any shot at a second U.S. Open title. Unable to get much going from the start, Johnson closed out his tournament with a even-par 70 on Sunday in final round. The 2016 U.S. Open champion opened this year's tournament with a 3-over 73 and never really got on track at Winged Foot. “I felt like I hit a lot of good putts, just none that went in the hole,” Johnson said. Fred Couples (1979), Brad Faxon (’83) and Phil Mickelson (’90, ’91) and are among previous low amateurs at the U.S. Open.

Not coincidentally, the big question heading into Round 1 was whether the century-old course would prove too tough even for the world’s best golfers. In five previous Opens played at Winged Foot, only two players have ever finished the tournament under par. We’ll find out whether, and how much, the USGA feels stung by the assault on par beginning with Round 2. And there’s plenty of spots left on those fast greens where a clown’s mouth would actually be a welcome distraction. “They certainly were looking to have the lowest scores (in the first round), given the conditions that we have as well.

Kim has broken 70 in nine of his last 10 rounds, including all four at TPC Harding Park to finish tied for 13th at the PGA Championship. He has continued that stellar play at Sedgefield Country Club, where he won his first PGA Tour event in 2016. Redman had a 63, while Oppenheim set a career low on tour with a 62 in second at 16-under. Redman, 22, is also seeking his first PGA Tour win. The PGA Tour moved up tee times, grouped competitors in threesomes and sent them off on the first and 10th tees to beat the bad weather expected later Saturday.

He won as a rookie and reached the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where one of the perks was attending a ceremony to watch Jay Haas accept the Payne Stewart Award. It brought Johnson to tears 16 years later when he was selected Wednesday to receive the Payne Stewart Award. As it enters its second decade, the award now is regarded as the most prestigious on the PGA Tour. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan referred to Johnson as a fearless underdog and a statewide hero in Iowa for his charitable work in his home state. Zach would say hes just a normal guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but in truth, he has one of the most compelling stories on the PGA Tour in the last 25 years, Monahan said.

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.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)SAN FRANCISCO Jason Day took his first step toward a return to the spotlight in the majors Thursday at the PGA Championship. Koepka is the two-time defending champion, presented the opportunity this week to become only the seventh player in the 160-year history of major championship golf to win the same major three years in a row. After a slow start, Koepka powered his way six birdies and made a series of key putts for par and one 12-footer for bogey that gave him an ideal start to this major. Woods is used to tournament golf in the COVID-19 era. He made the adjustment and tied for second last week at a World Golf Championship.

Casey watched plenty on TV, and he was watching more than the golf. PAIRINGS WITH A PURPOSEThe PGA Tour has four groups of featured pairings for its PGA Tour Live," and then the rest of the field is supposed to be relatively random depending on a player's category. Oak Hill last hosted the PGA Championship in 2013 won by Jason Dufner, while Tiger Woods won his fourth PGA Championship at Southern Hills in 2007. DIVOTSHilton Head has some of the smallest greens on the PGA Tour, and Abraham Ancer hit 65 out of 72 of them in his runner-up finish. FINAL REBUTTALFascinating stuff. CBS analyst Nick Faldo, watching Koepka tee off on the 18th hole and telling viewers he would listen to what Koepka had to say.

FILE - In this June 21, 2018, file photo, Zach Johnson walks off the 18th green during the first round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. The tournament director for this week's Travelers Championship thought about encircling the 18th green at TPC River Highlands with giant video boards that could be filled with images of fans watching the golf and cheering from home. (John Woike/Hartford Courant via AP, File)CROMWELL, Conn. The tournament director for this week's Travelers Championship had an idea. How about filling the natural amphitheater around the 18th green at TPC River Highlands with giant video boards showing fans watching the golf and cheering from home. All the net proceeds from the golf tournament go to more than 150 Connecticut charities.

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.

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.

Johnson declined to comment on actual revenue numbers, but tells CNBC Make It that this year, the MN Millennial Farmer social media brand will make him at least five times more money than his actual crops. How much money the MN Millennial Farmer brand brings inThe MN Millennial Farmer brand now includes YouTube videos, public speaking engagements, farm tours, merchandise and the recent debut of the "Off The Husk" podcast, backed by Farmers Business Network, his biggest sponsor to date. Gagliese estimates the sponsorship vertical of MN Millennial Farmer could bring in between $5,000 and $15,000 per branded post. To date, Johnson's YouTube channel has received over 70 million views. Gagliese points out that if the MN Millennial Farmer brand is making much less than what he has predicted, it could be a missed opportunity.

British Open winner Zach Johnson shared the ride home with fellow American golfer Jordan Spieth, but also shared a traditional drink from the championship trophy, the Claret Jug. CBSN's Contessa Brewer shares a picture of the memorable moment.