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CAMERON SMITH

Playing in hometown was ‘amazing’ for Nease grad Tyler McCumber

Nease High grad Tyler McCumber finished T-22 at The Players Championship on Sunday. Poston, St. Simons Island, Ga. T-35 Lanto Griffin, Ponte Vedra BeachGriffin couldn’t follow his 4-under third-round score on Sunday, grinding out a 1-over 73 day. T-41 Zach Johnson, St. Simons Island, Ga. T-58 Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra BeachThe former University of Florida golfer was 2-over 74 on Sunday and finished 1-over 289 for the tournament.

Ponte Vedra Beach resident Cameron Smith leads local golfers at Players on Saturday

Cameron Smith, who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, had a 7-under 65 during the third round of The Players. We take a look at the golfers with south Georgia and north Florida ties entering the final round of The Players. Cameron Smith of Ponte Vedra Beach had the best Saturday among the local golfers. Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra BeachThe former University of Florida golfer carded a 1-under 71 on Saturday, his second 71 of the tournament. Tyler McCumber, Ponte Vedra BeachThe Nease High and University of Florida graduate, and son of 1988 Players winner, Mark, fired his second even-par 72 of the tournament.

Steele takes lead with 61 to get another chance in Sony Open

Brendan Steele lines up his putt on the ninth green during the third round at the Sony Open golf tournament Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)HONOLULU – Brendan Steele knows he can play well at the Sony Open whether it's windy or calm, in sunshine or rain. One year after Steele lost a late lead at Waialae and lost in a playoff, he delivered the lowest score of his career Saturday in ideal conditions with a 9-under 61 that gave him a two-shot lead going into the final round. “You hope that you come back and you play well and erase whatever negative memories there are,” Steele said. It was wide open on Saturday, and it's not likely to be any different in the final round.

Nick Taylor gets a break and a birdie and leads Sony Open

Nick Taylor hits from the eighth fairway during the second round of the Sony Open golf tournament Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Taylor gave himself at least some separation with a gap wedge to 6 feet for birdie on No. 8, and then even his worst swing of the day turned into a birdie on the par-5 ninth. “I think it's probably harder out here to make double (bogey) and there's a lot of birdie opportunities,” Taylor said. Cink already won the season-opener in the Safeway Open in September, his first victory since the 2009 British Open at Turnberry.

Niemann finishes with eagle and shares the lead at Sony Open

(AP Photo/Jamm Aquino)HONOLULU – Joaquin Niemann had no regrets about the 18th hole at the Sony Open. “Spent a few days thinking about that last hole, but taking all the positives from the week and pull it out for this week.”They weren't easy days for Niemann. The 22-year-old from Chile is still too young to have experienced the inevitable losses that pile up in this sport. Niemann's only bogey was when he fell asleep on a 25-foot birdie putt above the hole at No. We talked for an hour about the whole tournament, not for that 18th hole.

Dustin Johnson paints a by-the-numbers Masters-piece

“It was 19 (under) before?” Johnson asked a Masters official to his right in the interview room late Sunday afternoon. Told it was 18 under (shared by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth), Johnson flashed a shy grin. Predictably perhaps, both were old news by the time Johnson stretched out to a four-shot lead heading into the final round. On four other occasions, Johnson had at least a share of the lead after 54 holes and failed to cash in. I’ve never this much trouble gathering myself.”Not on a golf course, perhaps, because inside the ropes, Johnson knew where he was headed.

Not good enough: Smith runner-up despite four rounds in 60s

On the heels of shooting 67, 68 and 69 over the first three rounds, Smith finished with a 15-under total that would've been good enough to win most years. “It would have been cool to do that and win,” Smith said “I would take 15 under around here for the rest of my career. Smith, playing up ahead in the next-to-last threesome, brilliantly scrambled for birdies at the seventh and ninth holes, leaving him two behind at the turn. “I wouldn't say I brought my best stuff, especially my longer stuff,” Smith said. Unfortunately for Smith and Im, Johnson was even better.

Dustin Johnson buries some major memories, wins the Masters

Tiger Woods helps Masters' champion Dustin Johnson with his green jacket after his victory at the Masters golf tournament Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)AUGUSTA, Ga. – Nothing ever comes easily for Dustin Johnson in the majors, except for when he slipped his arms through that Masters green jacket Sunday. Johnson overcame a jittery start that conjured memories of past majors he failed to finish off. His five-shot victory was the largest at the Masters since Woods won by 12 in 1997. “As a kid, you're dreaming about winning the Masters, having Tiger put the green jacket on you. No one had a better finish than defending champion Tiger Woods, but only after the five-time Masters champion posted the highest score of his career — three balls in Rae's Creek for a 10 on the par-3 12th hole.

Final round: Johnson's toughest opponent could be himself

“See ball, hit ball, see putt, hole putt, go to the next,” he said. A moment later, McIlroy added, “I think he’s got one of the best attitudes toward the game of golf in the history of the game. “I know what it takes,” Johnson said after Saturday’s round. I’ve been in the situation a lot of times.”The third round began with 10 players separated by one shot. In complete command of nearly every other facet of his game, Johnson sounded like a golfer looking forward to the final round of a member-guest instead of the Masters.

Dustin Johnson's pursuers at Masters hardly a Murderers' Row

Mexico's Abraham Ancer, South Korea's Sungjae Im and Australia's Cameron Smith were at 12-under 204 through 54 holes, four shots behind Johnson's pace-setting score. Ancer and Im are playing the Masters for the first time, which doesn't bode well for their chances. But he was hardly a contender, going to the final round 11 shots off the lead. “Anyone with a four-shot lead is expected to win,” Smith said. “I watched the Masters growing up so many times that I feel like I’m used to playing this course,” Im said through a translator.

Rahm joins the lead and the large pack chasing green jacket

Tiger Woods remains in the mix with one birdie and seven pars to complete a 71, leaving him four shots behind. As the sun broke through the clouds when the second round ended, it revealed a Masters that even without spectators was shaping up to be as exciting as always. Rahm joined the lead pack at 9-under 135 with a wedge to 5 feet for birdie on the par-5 13th to resume his second round, but the next par 5 meant just as much. The cut was at even-par 144, a Masters record and a reflection of how rain has affected this Masters in November. That included Woods, who won his fifth green jacket last year by coming from behind for the first time in a major.

The Latest: Johnson ties Masters' 54-hole record at 16 under

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.

Round 2: Green jackets brace for more red numbers at Masters

The green jackets who run the Masters knew moving the tournament from April to November meant ceding some control. The scoring average for Round 1 — which wasn’t wrapped up until Friday morning — settled at 71.41, the lowest ever at the Masters. His tee shot found a muddy stretch well left of the fairway, but after a search he couldn’t find the ball. He bogeyed the next two holes, turning the rest of his round into a desperate rescue effort. Afterward, Rahm, one of his playing partners, was asked whether he was involved in the search for DeChambeau’s wayward tee shot at the third.

Johnson, Thomas part of 4-way share atop Masters leaderboard

What two days have shown is that Masters experience only goes so far on a soft course with rye grass that isn't grown in quite the way it usually is in April. Another Masters rookie, Sungjae Im (70), was in the group another shot behind that included Patrick Cantlay (66), who contended for the green jacket last year. “You have to really throw all the past knowledge out the window this week, as weird as it is,” Thomas said. Johnson quickly became the first player this week to reach 10 under with three birdies around Amen Corner. The two-time Masters champion shot 68 in the morning on a long, soft course.

Johnson joins Masters lead after round of record scoring

The opening round was delayed nearly three hours at the start by heavy rain, and with limited daylight in November, there was no way to complete the round. Greg Norman still holds the record for lowest opening round, a 63 in 1996, the year he lost a six-shot lead to Nick Faldo in the final round. There were 53 rounds under par in the 92-man field and 24 rounds in the 60s, both Masters records for any round. The previous mark was 47 rounds under par in the second round of 1992 (83-man field). This is his fifth Masters, and not only his lowest score, but the first time he has shot par or better in the opening round.

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.

'Mad Mike' will try to launch his steam rocket again for 'Homemade Astronauts' TV show

'Mad' Mike Hughes stands beside his rocket in his roadside launch area near Amboy, California on Nov. 27, 2017. Hughes aims to launch to high highest altitude ever this upcoming Sunday, Aug. 11. Saturday, "Mad" Mike Hughes, with the help of his partner Waldo Stakes, will try (after a couple of close-call attempts) to reach 5,000 feet (1.5 km) in the air while riding his steam-powered rocket. Related: 'Mad' Mike's Steam Rocket Grounded by Craigslist Water HeaterOne of the other two teams is led by Ky Michaelson, described by the Science Channel as the "real-life 'Rocketman,'" is the first civilian to ever build and launch a crewless rocket to space. He hopes to become the first civilian to both build and successfully launch a crewed craft to space.

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