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☆ Koepka storms into Masters lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Koepka, who shared the overnight lead with Norway's Viktor Hovland and Spain's Jon Rahm, returned a spotless five-under 67 to set a 12-under target for the afternoon wave that headed out under menacing skies. Resurgent Jason Day had looked poised to challenge Koepka until he stumbled to a double-bogey, bogey, par, bogey finish for a disappointing 72 that put the Australian in the clubhouse seven behind. While Rahm, winner of three events already this season, was always expected to contend at the year's first major, Koepka was not. "I just take it one shot at a time, one hole at a time, whatever I got in front of me," said Koepka. As Koepka was putting the finishing touches on his round, five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods was teeing off.

☆ The Masters Is Feeling the Shockwaves of LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Andrew Beaton | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ahead of last year’s Masters, an Englishman named Paul Casey was ranked as the No. 25 golfer in the world and there was no reason to believe that would dramatically change anytime soon. Casey was thriving on the PGA Tour. There was no indication that a new Saudi-backed golf league called LIV Golf would upend the sport’s professional landscape or Casey’s career. LIV had been declared “dead in the water” by none other than Rory McIlroy, one of the game’s pre-eminent stars.

☆ Scheffler, McIlroy and Rahm not yet the Big Three but in league of their own
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I just had breakfast with Jon Rahm and that didn't come up," laughed McIlroy, when asked if the three had discussed their dominance. It may be absurd to compare Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, who combined for 34 major titles, to Scheffler, McIlroy and Rahm but on current form the present-day trio are in a league of their own. McIlroy opened his campaign with victory at the CJ Cup and hoisted the trophy at the DP Tour's Dubai Desert Classic. "You can say that (the new Big Three), if we do it for at least five-plus years like many of those players did," said Rahm. World number one Scheffler would not be drawn into the Big Three discussion but put the trio's domination down to a high level of consistency.

☆ Scheffler gets late Masters tee time, LIV Golf players separated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

World number one Scheffler, bidding to become the fourth player to repeat as Masters champion, will go out in the third-last group at 1:36 p.m. Australian Smith, one of 18 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in the field at Augusta National, will set off at 10:54 a.m. ET in the company of 2021 Masters winner Matsuyama on Japan and South Korea's Im Sung-jae. Among other notable LIV Golf players at the year's first major, three-times Masters champion Phil Mickelson will play alongside fellow American Tom Hoge and South Korea's Kim Si-woo. Dustin Johnson, who won the 2020 Masters before making the move to LIV Golf last year, will tee off with Canada's Corey Conners and England's Justin Rose.

☆ Five storylines to follow at this week's Masters
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/8] Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 3, 2023 Scottie Scheffler of the U.S. in action on the 12th hole during a practice round REUTERS/Brian SnyderAUGUSTA, Georgia, April 3 (Reuters) - Five storylines to follow as the best players in the world descend upon Augusta National Golf Club this week for the April 6-9 Masters. SCHEFFLER SEEKS RARE REPEATWorld number one Scottie Scheffler, who arrived at Augusta National last year as the hottest player on the planet, returns in top form and looking to become only the fourth player to successfully defend a Masters title. No player has won the Masters in consecutive years since Tiger Woods accomplished the feat in 2001-02 and prior to that only Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Jack Nicklaus (1965-66) have pulled off the Augusta double. Among those competing will be a prominent group of LIV Golf players that, in addition to British Open winner Cameron Smith, include former Masters champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel. The hole has played to an historical scoring average of 4.77 that makes it the easiest hole at Augusta National.

☆ Couples tells LIV members stop bashing PGA and play golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After signing up with the Saudi backed LIV circuit, some members delighted in taking shots at the PGA Tour as they left their old work place. "If one wants to stop and ask why I'm picking on them, then I'm all for it," said Couples after his Monday practice round. "I just don't think they should bash the PGA Tour or anybody, just go play golf." Three-times Masters champion Phil Mickelson and 2017 Green Jacket winner Sergio Garcia have both been critical of the PGA Tour and the target of Couples' barbs. Speaking at a Champions Tour breakfast, Couples took a shot at Mickelson and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund that is bankrolling the LIV Tour.

☆ Woods and McIlroy fly PGA Tour flag at Masters practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Woods and McIlroy, two of golf's biggest names who have both been vocal opponents of LIV Golf, went out off the 10th tee under overcast skies alongside former Masters champion Fred Couples and South Korea's Tom Kim. There are 18 LIV Golf competitors at this year's Masters, including 2020 champion Dustin Johnson, and while all did not schedule practice rounds on Monday those who did were also greeted warmly by the patrons. Former word number one Johnson, wearing a shirt with the logo of the 4Aces team he captains on LIV Golf, practised with current PGA Tour players Kevin Kisner, Brian Harman and Gary Woodland. Johnson, who won the inaugural season-long LIV Golf individual championship, was excited to reconnect with his former PGA Tour peers and said he does not feel any different being at Augusta National compared to years past. "I still play golf for a living.

☆ Australia's Lee backs 'tough' PGA Tour changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 7 (Reuters) - Reduced fields and no cuts at designated events will be "tough" on players trying to make the grade on the PGA Tour but will ultimately reward good golf, according to Australian Min Woo Lee. The Tour has approved sweeping changes for 2024 in response to the threat posed by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, drawing a scathing reaction from lower-ranked players. Designated events were announced by the PGA Tour last August to get the best players competing against each other more often. Leading players, including world number three Rory McIlroy, have said the changes are necessary for the tour to be more competitive. "So I agree with it because, I mean, good golf, you got toplay good golf to play in the best tournaments.

☆ Rahm returns to world number one with win at Riviera
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Feb 19, 2023; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Jon Rahm reacts following his victory in the final round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament. Spaniard Rahm, 28, made two late birdies to close with a two-under 69 for a two-shot win over home favourite Homa, finishing at 17-under for his 10th PGA Tour title and a fifth win in his last nine tournaments worldwide. "I don't need a ranking to validate anything," said Rahm, who was last ranked at number one in March 2022. "That was a tough week and a tough Sunday. "My streak continues here," said Woods, who has played at the Riviera course 12 times without winning.

☆ Woods struggles to keep calm, shoots 69 in Genesis return
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods said he was trying to stay calm throughout his first round at the Genesis Invitational on Thursday, where he posted a two-under-par 69 in his first non-major PGA Tour event since October 2020. He competed in the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, in December despite developing plantar fasciitis earlier in the month. "Misses, angles, wind - these are all things that have come second nature to a lot of these guys - I haven't really done this in a while," said the 15-times major winner on Thursday. "I was trying to calm myself down all day, trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing out here because I haven't played." Woods, playing alongside Rory McIlroy (67) and Justin Thomas (68), chipped into a bunker on 10, leading to one of three bogeys on the day.

☆ Woods apologizes for tampon prank, poised to make cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After out-driving Thomas on the ninth hole, Woods was caught on camera handing his friend a tampon. Thomas quickly threw the tampon onto the ground as the two golfers had a good laugh. Many did not find it so funny - social media exploded, accusing the 47-year-old of being sexist, taking the prank to mean Thomas hit like a girl. "It was supposed to be all fun and games and obviously it hasn't turned out that way," said Woods when asked about the incident after his second round. "It was just we play pranks on one another all the time and virally I think this did not come across that way."

☆ Netflix exec reveals sports ambitions and what's next for live sports as golf series 'Full Swing' debuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Formula 1 racing saw a boost in TV viewership and fandom since Netflix began streaming docuseries "Drive to Survive." Amid a boom in sports docs, the streamer has tennis series "Break Point" and golf-centered "Full Swing." Netflix unscripted TV head Brandon Riegg spoke to Insider about the streamer's ambitions in live sports. "I wouldn't be surprised," Netflix VP of unscripted and docuseries Brandon Riegg told Insider ahead of the "Break Point" premiere. Also in the works are series on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Six Nations rugby tournament.

"I don't know what that reaction is going to be," said Woods, who will tee it up at the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational this week. "I know that some of our friendships have certainly taken a different path, but we'll see when all that transpires. Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are among the big names who have left the PGA Tour for the lucrative, Saudi-backed LIV Golf. While banned from PGA Tour events, LIV players have been invited to compete at the Masters. Woods called world number one Rory McIlroy the PGA Tour's "ambassador" and said he had been extraordinary at navigating the new, and at times hostile, terrain.

☆ Scheffler takes top ranking back from McIlroy after Phoenix Open win
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Scottie Scheffler knocked Rory McIlroy off the top of the world rankings on Sunday after the Masters champion retained his Phoenix Open title in Arizona. Scheffler carded a final round of six-under-par 65 for a 19 under total to claim his fifth PGA Tour title and regain the number one ranking he had held for 30 weeks until October. Scheffler, who took the $3.6 million top prize, won his first PGA Tour title in Phoenix to kick off a run of four wins in six starts. The American won his first major at Augusta National last April and was voted PGA Tour Player of the Year. Spaniard Jon Rahm, who also had a chance to become number one with a win on Sunday, was third at 14-under after closing with a 68, while McIlroy carded a 70 to finish joint 32nd on four under for the tournament.

☆ Fitzpatrick joins Woods and McIlroy's virtual golf league
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] January 8, 2023; Maui, Hawaii, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick hits his tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Kapalua Resort - The Plantation Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY SportsJan 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick has agreed to participate in the tech-focused golf league that is being launched next year by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TMRW Sports in conjunction with the PGA Tour, the company said on Tuesday. The league, whose launch was announced last August, is being billed as a first-of-its-kind experience for golf as each two-hour event will be held on a data-rich, virtual course complete with a tech-infused, short-game complex. Organizers promise a high-energy, greenside fan experience for the short-form version of golf in a coliseum environment with every shot to be shown live on primetime television. Fitzpatrick previously won the 2013 U.S.

☆ McIlroy pips Reed by one shot to win third Dubai Desert Classic crown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 30 (Reuters) - World number one Rory McIlroy won his third Dubai Desert Classic title on Monday after he shot a final round of 68 to finish at 19-under overall, beating Patrick Reed by one stroke. Reed finished with a commendable final-round score of 65 which included an eagle on the par-five 10th hole but bogeyed the 16th to post 18-under overall. I really feel like I haven't had my best all week but I managed my game and played really smart," McIlroy said. This is probably sweeter than it should be or needs to be... A really good foundation for the year." Australia's Lucas Herbert, who had set the clubhouse target at 16-under overall earlier in the day, finished third.

☆ Reed 'not living in reality', says McIlroy after snubbing American
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Reed, who is taking legal action on different fronts since joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf breakaway series, admitted he threw a tee towards McIlroy, who had blanked him, on Monday. "Patrick came up to say hello and I didn't really want him to," McIlroy told a news conference on Wednesday. "I'm living in reality, I don't know where he's living. Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, said that his affiliation with LIV Golf was the reason McIlroy snubbed him. Since my tees are Team Aces LIV tees I flicked him one.

☆ Tiger Woods calls for LIV Golf boss Greg Norman to stand down
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Tiger Woods has called for Greg Norman, the CEO of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, to stand down amid a rift with the PGA Tour. Earlier this year, LIV Golf joined an antitrust lawsuit alongside some of its players, alleging that the PGA Tour threatened to place lifetime bans on players who participate in the LIV Golf series. David Cannon/Getty ImagesThe LIV Golf series is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) – a sovereign wealth fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Woods – who returned to golf earlier this year following serious injuries sustained in a car accident – has previously voiced opposition to the LIV Golf series, and on Wednesday, he reaffirmed his stance. LIV Golf declined to comment on Woods’ latest remarks when contacted by CNN.

☆ Rahm hopes Garcia's LIV switch won't tarnish legacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY SportsNov 17 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm said he hopes compatriot Sergio Garcia's legacy will not be tarnished by his decision to join the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series. When asked if Garcia's switch to the Saudi-backed series could affect the former Masters champion's legacy, Rahm told reporters, "I hope not". He's done a lot for the game of golf, so it would be sad to see that change." Rahm also heaped praise on world number one Rory McIlroy, who has been one of LIV Golf's fiercest critics. Critics say LIV Golf, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, amounts to "sportswashing" by a nation trying to improve its reputation in the face of criticism over its human rights record.

☆ Padraig Harrington: Golfer gives fans $100 to buy beers for moving out of shadows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Surging towards an emphatic victory at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship – the PGA Tour Champions season finale – drinks were already set to flow for the Irishman, but Harrington seemed determined to start the party early. Approaching one fan at the sideline, Harrington handed over a wad of cash – to be spent specifically on beers. In May, Justin Thomas admitted to being blown away by the eye-watering $18 price of beer at the PGA Championship in Tulsa, and it seems similar calculations were on Harrington’s mind in Arizona. In carding 27-under, the Irishman matched the PGA Tour Champions record score in relation to par, equaling Jack Nicklaus’ effort at the Kaulig Companies Championship in 1990. Harrington poses with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship trophy.

☆ Fox hunting Nedbank Golf Challenge title after opening round 64
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - New Zealand’s Ryan Fox carded seven birdies and an eagle for an opening round 64 to take a one-shot lead over Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald in the DP World Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club on Thursday. Fox, 35, is hoping to become the first New Zealander to be crowned Europe’s number one in the coming weeks having emerged as the closest challenger to Rory McIlroy at the top of the tour rankings. Victory at Sun City will move him above his rival ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and the son of former All Black flyhalf Grant Fox started his week well, with just one dropped shot on the par four third hole, having battled on the course in his three previous visits. Donald managed a faultless 65, including five birdies on his back nine, while Italian Guido Migliozzi sank three birdies in his last four holes to card a 67 for third place on the leaderboard. Reporting by Nick Said Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A supercar broker for celebrities like Elton John and Nicolas Cage shares what his job is like: 'I've bought cars in saunas, in swimming pools, and on airplanes'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Tom Hartley buys and sells classic cars at his private estate and showroom in northern England. "I've bought cars in saunas, in swimming pools, on airplanes — you can't name where I haven't bought a car," he said. Courtesy of Tom HartleyHartley said he gets about five customers a day and takes visitors by appointment only. Courtesy of Tom HartleyDespite being around expensive cars 24/7, he's never owned one himself. "I always say when you walk on the Hartley estate, everything has a price, except my wife."

☆ Serena among big-name investors behind Woods and McIlroy's TMRW Sports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory Credit: Danielle ParhizkaranNov 2 (Reuters) - TMRW Sports, a tech-focused company co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, announced on Wednesday a star-studded investor group that includes tennis great Serena Williams and seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton. The team of investors also includes four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, three-times tennis Grand Slam winner Andy Murray, Japanese two-way standout Shohei Ohtani of Major League Baseball and two-time women's World Cup champion Alex Morgan. According to TMRW Sports, the initial investment group's sports experience also includes team ownership in every major league and ranges across F1, NFL, NBA, Premier League, MLB, NHL, MLS, tennis, esports, surfing, and golf. TMRW Sports -- pronounced 'tomorrow sports' -- was launched in August with the goal of using technology to help create new pathways for the next generation to enjoy sports. "Connect Ventures is thrilled to work alongside this world-class group of investors to support Tiger, Rory and Mike's vision to further accelerate the evolution of sports and make it more accessible for all."

☆ Serena Williams, Justin Timberlake are among big-name investors in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's sports venture
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Co-founders Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Founder, CEO Mike McCarley Courtesy: TMRWSportsTiger Woods' and Rory McIlroy's new sports startup — which is already planning a new golf league — is drawing some big-name investors. TMRW Sports' first project is its TGL golf league, which was launched in partnership with the PGA Tour this summer and comes as professional golf is being disrupted by the arrival of upstart league LIV Golf. TMRW Sports is looking to draw in younger sports fans with a format that makes the golf league more compatible with prime-time television. McCarley said the company sought investors who were passionate about golf and would represent a diversity of expertise and backgrounds in media and entertainment. Rendering of the custom built arena where the TGL golf league will play.

☆ Ryan Fox: Heir to cricket and rugby excellence, New Zealand golfer blazes his own trail
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Central Press / Hulton Archive / Getty ImagesThen came Wallace’s son-in-law Grant Fox, a name that needs no introduction to anyone familiar with rugby. Both Wallace and Fox were individually honored during Queen Elizabeth’s reign for services to their sports. If that wasn’t enough family sporting heritage, Wallace’s brother and son – George and Gregory – both played first-class cricket for Auckland. “It’s pretty cool to be the third generation of my family to represent New Zealand,” Fox told CNN’s The Jazzy Golfer. Marty Melville / Getty ImagesNot playing his first tournament until 18, Fox was a late bloomer, but made up for lost time emphatically.

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