WEBB SIMPSON

The PGA Tour is seeking to assure players they will have a say in the tour's new partnership with the Saudi funders of LIV Golf.

The final Match Play could be the last chance for some players to get into the Masters.

Cole Hammer think it's cool to see his name atop the leaderboard.

Max Homa moved into position to defend his title at the Fortinet Championship, shooting a 5-under 67 to share the 36-hole lead with Danny Willett at the PGA Tour’s season opener.

Shanshan Feng was planning to retire after 10 years of professional golf.

Tony Finau, coming off his third career victory on the PGA Tour, and Taylor Pendrith shared the first-round lead at 8-under 64 on Thursday in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

One of the famous lines of Bobby Jones often cited by Jack Nicklaus is that a golfer's career is not complete without winning an Open at St. Andrews.

Rory McIlroy fought off a sinus bug to shoot an 8-under 62 on Thursday for a share of the first-round lead with J.

The 2022 U.S. Open most certainly has not been supersized.

Here's a look back at key anniversaries from the U.S. Open.

The world's No. 1 golfer is part of a crowded leaderboard at Colonial.

Everyone went into a tailspin on a tough day of wind and cold at the PGA Championship.

First-round leader Rory McIlroy's stellar start turned into a stunning slide down the leaderboard.

Tiger Woods is wearing Nike apparel this week as always.

Sixteen players have made it to the weekend in the Dell Technologies Match Play.

As if the Dell Technologies Match Play isn't fickle enough.

The Players Championship offers the richest prize in golf.

Megan Watanabe is the first woman to be president at Riviera Country Club.

The curtain has dropped again at The Greatest Show on Grass after a one-year hiatus.

Formula One racing got a huge boost in interest in North America through the Netflix series “Drive to Survive.”.

Rory McIlroy is playing so well he wishes the year wasn't about to end.

Sungjae Im has run the tables in Las Vegas.

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

Patrick Cantlay has earned a spot in his first Ryder Cup.

Sam Burns shot an 8-under 64 at Caves Valley to share the first-round lead with Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy at the BMW Championship.

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

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.

The opening round of the British Open saw 47 players break par at Royal St. George's.

The brisk winds, gnarly rough and slick greens were all expected.

Russell Henley made the most out of his return to Torrey Pines.

Fans clamoring for a showdown between heavyweights Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau will have to wait.

The feud between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau is the dominant storyline heading into the U.S. Open.

Lexi Thompson shot a bogey-free 5-under 66 on Saturday to take the lead into the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time in her career with a one-shot edge over teenager Yuka Saso.

High school junior Megha Ganne shot a 4-under 67 on Thursday to become the first amateur in 15 years to have a share of the lead after any round at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Phil Mickelson held on to his lead at the PGA Championship despite struggling on the back nine.

Jordan Spieth returns to competition after four weeks off following the Masters.

Stewart Cink maintained his five-stroke lead and set another scoring mark at the RBC Heritage with a 2-under 69, moving closer to a third victory at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Cameron Smith birdied the difficult 17th and 18th holes at Harbour Town to shoot a 9-under 62 and take a one-stroke lead over Stewart Cink at the RBC Heritage.

Justin Rose picked one of the toughest days at Augusta National for his lowest score in the Masters.

Justin Rose picked one of the toughest days at Augusta National for his lowest score in 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.

The first tee times are 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and 7:45 a.m. on Sunday. Full tee times are below. AdThe total purse of The Players has jumped again, with $12.5 million up for grabs this week. The two-time Players winner is at 3-under and in a tie for 43rd going into Sunday. A look at Sunday's final-round tee times for The Players Championship.

Morikawa walked off the 12th hole with his seventh birdie in eight holes, stretching his lead to five shots with two par 5s still to play. He made bogey on both, shot a 5-under 67 and suddenly had four-time major champion Brooks Koepka and Billy Horschel on his tail. “I didn’t play great the last six, but a lot to learn from heading into tomorrow,” Morikawa said. Horschel also had a late rally with an eagle on the par-5 17th hole and shot 69. “I just kept rolling in birdie after birdie.

It's just sometimes results take a little bit longer.”There are photos to illustrate what Koepka did to his clubs, but those stay among his posse. A lot of players feel that way, but not to the point of naming their son after Riviera (Johnson's youngest is River). “I feel like it’s a tough golf course,” Johnson said. “Generally, the quality of golf course they’re played on is at a very high standard and Riviera fits that category. I feel like if you’ve had a good week here, it’s a good measure certainly generally of where your game is at.”

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.

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.

Five-time and defending champion Tiger Woods dropped a turn-back-the-clock round of his own, relying more on experience than current form to post a 68. “There is a sense of ease when I come here, just because I understand how to prepare for this golf course,” Woods said after hitting 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. Small wonder, then, that Woods flashed a wide grin when asked what was most encouraging about the round. “This golf course, as much as I’m trying to attack it, it can bite back,” he said. Still to be determined is how much firmer the greens and the rest of the golf course will get.

Paul Casey matched his lowest score at the Masters with a 7-under 65, giving him a two-shot lead among half the field fortunate to play in perfect scoring conditions. It was the fifth hole, which he bogeyed all four rounds last year when he won the Masters. He was joined by Xander Schauffele, a runner-up to Woods last year, who had seven birdies in his round of 67. The delay was the last thing the Masters needed with limited daylight hours leading to the two-tee start. The loudest cheer — applause, certainly not a roar — came for Nicklaus and Player hitting tee shots so early that they couldn't see where they landed.

Also, it’s the first bogey-free round for Woods in a major since the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine. The 43-year-old Englishman is leading the Masters after shooting a 7-under 65 in the opening round. But he turned things around in his return to Augusta National, which was delayed for seven months by the coronavirus pandemic. ___2:05 p.m.Tiger Woods is off to a strong start in defense of his Masters championship. He has six top-10 finishes at Augusta National, including a second-place finish in 2010 and a tie for second in 2016.

It's November, and I think everybody just has to embrace that we're here and we're playing and that's a great thing." In some respects, this Masters is a celebration of what golf has done and a sendoff the sport has never had. For many, it signaled the start of golf season, whether that meant playing or watching. “All the Masters I've watched over the years in Ireland, the golfing season started normally the weekend of the Masters,” British Open champion Shane Lowry said. “I think when The Open Championship was canceled, I had serious doubts we'd play a Masters this year in 2020,” McIlroy said.

He holed a 10-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead, and then followed with a 30-foot birdie putt up the slope on the par-3 17th. It was another grind for Tiger Woods, the Zozo Championship winner last year in Japan, who could only manage a 71. 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. And when Griffin holed his birdie putt on the 14th, Thomas missed badly from just inside him.

Dustin Johnson holds up the FedEx Cup trophy after winning the Tour Championship golf tournament on Monday, Sept. 7, 2020 at Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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.

Known for his friendship with President Donald Trump, Herman overcame a four-stroke deficit in the final round at Sedgefield Country Club. He had a final chance to tie on the 72nd hole, but his 8-foot birdie putt slid left of the cup. Herman got into the playoffs, jumping from 192nd to 54th in the race for the 125 spots. Herman had two birdies and an eagle from 59 feet on his first five holes to catch up to Kim. It was quite a week for Herman, who had three birdies over his final four holes Friday simply to make the cut.

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.

Tom Hoge watches his drive on the ninth hole during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club on Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Hoge, tied for the first-round lead with Harold Varner III and Roger Sloan, kept in front with a steady 2-under 68 to get to 10-under par. Hoge, whose best-ever tour finish was a second at The Greenbrier this season, was asked what it would take for his first PGA Tour win. Like Kim, Gooch shot 65 to get into the foursome on top. He had six birdies, including two of his final three holes, to move up. Kokrak was in a group of seven one shot further back along with past Wyndham champ Webb Simpson, who shot his second straight 66.

Webb Simpson hits from the fairway on the eighth hole during the first round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)GREENSBORO, N.C. Harold Varner III tied his career low round with an 8-under 62 to grab the early lead at the Wyndham Championship on Thursday. Varner was three shots in front of Wesley Bryan and Brian Harman among the early starters at the Sedgefield Country Club. Varner had eight birdies, including four in a row midway through the round, without a birdie his first 15 holes. Former U.S. Open champ and past Wyndham winner Webb Simpson was among a large group at 66. A pair of major champions who challenged at the PGA Championship last week struggled in the opening round.

He has not made it to the Tour Championship since 2017, the year of his last victory. CLUTCH PARFormer Masters champion Charl Schwartzel had reason to celebrate on Friday without ever being in the hunt at the PGA Championship. That got the attention of the PGA of America, which gave him an exemption into the PGA Championship. The LOCALiQ Series for players on the Canadian, China and Latin America circuits for the PGA Tour now has a conclusion. STAT OF THE WEEKIn the last five years of the PGA Championship, players have posted all four rounds in the 60s without winning 16 times.

The best player in golf? 1, and Justin Thomas can return to the top if they win the World Golf Championship this week in Memphis, Tennessee. Rahm was asked Tuesday if he considered them the best players in the world while they were at No. But it would be foolish of me to say that I'm not here thinking I'm the best player. Rahm understands the world ranking enough to realize it's a product of two years, not one week.

Hideki Matsuyama of Japan hits on the 17th fairway during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament, Saturday, July 4, 2020, at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)DETROIT Matthew Wolff had a roller-coaster round that went well enough Saturday to give him a three-shot lead in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Wolff shot his second straight 8-under 64 to move into position for his second PGA Tour victory. He was at 19-under 197 at Detroit Golf Club. None of the top five players is at the Detroit Golf Club, where Simpson (No.

(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.

Both golfers shot bogey-free rounds, with Todd making five birdies on the front nine and Johnson five on the back. Todd said the round became a game of whatever you can do, I can do just as well. Its hard to miss the leader boards obviously, so (Johnson's) name was up there from a pretty early point, Todd said. Mackenzie Hughes, who led after a 60 on Thursday, shot his second straight 68 for sole possession of fourth place. Nick Watney withdrew just before the second round of last weeks RBC Heritage Championship.

McCarthy became the third PGA Tour player to test positive for the virus since its restart and the second this week, joining Cameron Champ who withdrew on Tuesday. Gordon, a 23-year-old Vanderbilt graduate playing his fourth PGA Tour event on a sponsor's exemption, is 12-under 128 after 36 holes. The Travelers field continued to shrink after Denny McCarthy tested positive for the coronavirus. McCarthy, who shot an opening-round 67, said he began began feeling sick Thursday night and tested positive for the virus on Friday morning. McDowell and Brooks Koepkas caddies both tested positive.

Jim Furyk shot a 12-under 58 on the same par-70 TPC River Highlands course four years ago, the lowest score in a tour event. I kind of joked walking off there that 59 wasn't even the record because of Jim's 58, Hughes said. Phil Mickelson, paired with McIlroy in his first competitive round since turning 50, was one of five players to shoot 64. Patrick Cantlay also shot 60 at TPC River Highlands as an amateur in 2011. The Travelers is the third event on the tour calendar since golf resumed.

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.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. Nothing can top the first time Webb Simpson won on Father's Day, a U.S. Open title eight years ago at Olympic Club and hearing his father's laughter on the phone to share the joy. Crazy day, Simpson said. "U.S. Open on Father's Day, Ill never forget calling my dad after on the way to the press conference, and when he picked up the phone, he just was laughing. So Im going to miss that laugh today for sure. Simpson, Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton were tied at 20 under at one point late in the round.

The U.S. Open has been scheduled to end on Father's Day every year since 1976, but it was moved to September this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The RBC Heritage filled the spot on the schedule and Simpson, now a father of five, became a winner for the second time this year with a record score at Harbour Town. It was a crazy day, Simpson said. It was a tough runner-up finish for Ancer, trying to become the fifth straight winner of the RBC Heritage to capture his first PGA Tour victory at Harbour Town. Until the first tournament back at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, the area around Harbour Town was crowded with the start of summer vacation.

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.

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.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The PGA Tour is calling its first tournament back a success. Its been just over three months since the PGA Tour canceled the final three rounds of the Players Championship in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said they learned quite a bit this week and they plan on sharing that information with commissioners of other leagues in the sports industry. There were no positive tests for COVID-19 from any of the players or caddies last week at Colonial Country Club. Also, of note, the Korn Ferry Tour, the feeder tour to the PGA Tour, moves from Dyes Valley to the King & Bear for a tournament that begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday.