Tag: PGA Tour 2019-20

Tiger Woods skipping Honda Classic, so where will we see him next?

Tiger Woods skipped this week’s WGC-Mexico Championship and he’s done the same for next week’s Honda Classic near his home in Florida.

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Tiger Woods will not be playing a home game.

As of 5 p.m. ET Friday evening, the reigning Masters champion was not on the commitment list for next week’s Honda Classic, played near his home in Jupiter, Florida. Woods last played the Honda in 2018 when he finished 12th.

Woods also opted not to play this week’s World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, citing back stiffness that bothered him throughout the Genesis Invitational where he finished last among those who made the cut.

A year ago Woods finished in a tie for 10th in the Mexico Championship while never seriously contending for the title. That was one of five tournaments Woods played leading into the Masters, where he won his fifth green jacket and 15th major championship.

Woods, 44, has played just two tournaments this year. He tied for ninth in the Farmers Insurance Open and finished 68th in last week’s Genesis Invitational, where he was pulling double duty as the host of the event that benefits his foundation.

It’s still unknown what events Woods, ranked No. 9 in the world, will play heading to Augusta National and his title defense in April. Last year, Woods played the Farmers, Genesis, Mexico Championship, The Players and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

He also was scheduled to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational but withdrew with a neck injury.

This year, it’s likely he’ll play the Arnold Palmer Invitational in two weeks, a tournament he’s won a record eight times. Next up could be The Players Championship which falls the week after the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Two weeks later is the Match Play. Two weeks after the Match Play is the Masters.

After the final round of the Genesis at Riviera Country Club north of Los Angeles, Woods said he would spend this week training and resting before turning his attention to his golf game.

Woods, who won the Zozo Championship last fall for his record-tying 82nd PGA Tour title, finished at 11-over-par 295 in the Genesis. It was just the second time in his career that he was last among those who made the cut. At the 2015 Memorial, he shot a third-round 85 – his worst score as a professional – before finishing last.

“Well, I did not do much well today. Good news, I hit every ball forward, not backwards, a couple sideways,” he said with a laugh at Rivera. “But overall, I’m done. I was just off. It happens.

“I got a chance to have the week off this week and do a little prep, a little practicing, some training, be at home and all positive things.”

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Watch: A Sungjae Im tee shot hops out of the water and onto the green

Sungjae Im made one of the wildest pars you’ll ever see at the WGC-Mexico Championship on Friday.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of the wildest pars you will ever see made on the PGA Tour.

If you look at the shot tracker on the Tour’s leaderboard for the WGC-Mexico Championship, you’ll see on the par-3 7th at Club de Golf Chapultepec that Sungjae Im’s tee shot found the center of the green.

Just not on the fly.

Im’s tee shot on the 223-yard par 3 came up just short of the dance floor and landed in the water. The ball then jumped back into the air and landed on the green, 23 feet from the pin with a birdie putt awaiting.

WGC-MEXICO: Leaderboard | Best photos

Im left the birdie putt short but tapped in for the splash-and-save par. The 2019 PGA Tour Player of the Year avoided a crucial dropped shot and walked off the green at 3-under, sitting tied for ninth.

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WGC-Mexico Championship: Round 2 tee times, TV info

Here are Round 2 tee times and TV info for the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship in Mexico City.

The World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship began Thursday at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City, and the field includes some of golf’s best.

First-round leader and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy highlights a field comprised of eight of the top-10 golfers in the Official World Golf Ranking and six of the top-10 players in the Golfweek/Sagarin ranking.

Reigning champion Dustin Johnson is back to defend his title but struggled in Thursday’s opening round with a 5-over 76. Johnson is paired with Francesco Molinari and Abraham Ancer for the first two rounds. The group will tee off Friday’s second round at 1:51 p.m. ET from the first tee.

Round 2

All times listed in Eastern.

1st tee

Tee time Players
12:03 p.m. Collin Morikawa, Benjamin Hebert, Zach Murray
12:15 p.m. Robert MacIntyre, Justin Harding, Charles Howell III
12:27 p.m. Scottie Scheffler, Michael Lorenzo-Vera, Erik van Rooyen
12:39 p.m. Danny Willett, Kevin Na, Victor Perez
12:51 p.m. Brandt Snedeker, Sebastián Muñoz, Matthias Schwab
1:03 p.m. Jason Kokrak, Zander Lombard, Shugo Imahira
1:15 p.m. Shaun Norris, Lucas Glover, Jazz Janewattananond
1:27 p.m. Rafa Cabrera Bello, Ryan Fox, Billy Horschel
1:39 p.m. Kevin Kisner, Xander Schauffele, Paul Casey
1:51 p.m. Francesco Molinari, Dustin Johnson, Abraham Ancer
2:03 p.m. Tommy Fleetwood, Gary Woodland, Rory McIlroy
2:15 p.m. Patrick Reed, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Sungjae Im

10th tee

Tee time Players
12:03 p.m. Lucas Herbert, Tae Hee Lee, Kurt Kitayama
12:15 p.m. Bernd Wiesberger, Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Fitzpatrick
12:27 p.m. Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood
12:39 p.m. Hideki Matsuyama, Marc Leishman, Justin Thomas
12:51 p.m. Adam Scott, Carlos Ortiz, Jon Rahm
1:03 p.m. Shane Lowry, Jordan Spieth, Sung Kang
1:15 p.m. Tyrrell Hatton, Scott Hend, Byeong Hun An
1:27 p.m. Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen, Ryo Ishikawa
1:39 p.m. Corey Conners, Cameron Smith, Matt Kuchar
1:51 p.m. Marcus Kinhult, Brendon Todd, Pablo Larrazabal
2:03 p.m. Lanto Griffin, Graeme McDowell, Branden Grace
2:15 p.m. Matt Wallace, Jorge Campillo, Chez Reavie

Viewing information

All times are in Eastern.

Friday

Golf Channel: 2-7 p.m.
SiriusXM: 1-7 p.m.

Saturday

Golf Channel: Noon-2:30 p.m.
NBC: 2:30-6 p.m.
SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.

Sunday

Golf Channel: 1-2:30 p.m.
NBC: 2:30-7 p.m.
SiriusXM: 2-7 p.m.

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Opening-round 64 gives Kyle Stanley early lead at Puerto Rico Open

Kyle Stanley made birdie on four of his opening five holes on Thursday to take an early two-shot lead at the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open.

Kyle Stanley started hot and cruised to the top of the leaderboard on Thursday in Puerto Rico.

The 32-year-old made birdie on four of his opening five holes and played the back nine at Grand Reserve Country Club bogey-free, carding an 8-under 64. Stanley holds a two-shot lead after the first round of the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open, an alternate event for players who didn’t qualify for this week’s World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.

Stanley seeks his third PGA Tour win, with the last one coming at the 2017 Quicken Loans National.

Peter Uihlein, Josh Teater, Emiliano Grillo, Chris Couch, Henrik Norlander and Rhein Gibson are all T-2 at 6 under.

A young, rising star on Tour, Viktor Hovland sits T-14 at 4 under, as does three-time PGA Tour winner Jhonattan Vegas. Defending champion Martin Trainer is 2 over, T-93.

Puerto Rico Open: Leaderboard | Tee times

Second-round action begins at 6:10 a.m. ET from Rio Grande, with coverage on Golf Channel from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET.

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Peter Kostis speaks candidly about break with CBS, future of golf on TV

Former CBS analyst Peter Kostis touched on several topics this week when he appeared on a No Laying Up podcast.

Peter Kostis was an institution in televised golf – at least until CBS chose not to renew his contract for 2020. Perhaps no one is in a better position than Kostis, a CBS analyst since 1992, to analyze the future of golf broadcasts and the challenges networks face.

Kostis touched on several of those topics this week when he spoke on a No Laying Up podcast. He also spoke candidly to host Chris Solomon about his break with CBS and how much influence he believes the PGA Tour has in the network’s coverage.

Kostis, 73, touched on the way CBS delivered the news that his contract wouldn’t be renewed, and why he believed that decision was made. He said he believes that the Tour told CBS its broadcast team needed to get younger and that it served as an initial catalyst for change. He also believes the Tour took issue with him not being a “cheerleader” in his analysis and coverage.

News broke in October that neither Kostis nor Gary McCord would be returning to the network in 2020.

Asked by Solomon if he was aware of any documented performance issues that would have led CBS not to renew, Kostis had this to say:

“I asked (CBS Sports chairman) Sean McManus why he was doing it. Was it something I did or didn’t do, whatever? He said, ‘No, we just feel like things have gotten a bit stale and we want to go in a different direction.’ That was the exact quote. He denies it now but that was the exact quote and that’s what he told Gary as well, in a separate call.”

CBS declined to comment when reached by Golfweek.

On the No Laying Up podcast, Kostis also said he declined an on-air send-off that CBS had offered during the San Diego or Phoenix Tour stops. After some thought about the offer, he called back with his answer: “I’m not retiring. I’m not going to have a retirement party. You’re not renewing my contract so I’m not going to acquiesce to that.”

Kostis repeatedly referred to the Tour’s involvement in TV coverage and what he believes is a desire for both promotion of the product and control over it.

As an example, he referenced a post-round interview with a winner (whose name he did not give) who also happened to be a PGA Tour rookie. Kostis began with a question about the two-year Tour exemption and upcoming Masters start the player had just earned. He said he later received criticism from CBS – which had come from the Tour – for failing to preface the interview with a comment about the number of FedEx Cup points the player had won.

Kostis said he ignored the feedback and then pointed out that by the end of the season, he was no longer doing the post-round winner interview, even if he had been out walking with that player.

“I’m not going to be disingenuous and just pump up FedEx and be a spokesman for the Tour, I don’t work for the Tour,” he said.

He named cost as a major hurdle in the quality of Tour coverage going forward – particularly as rights fees soar – and explained that it affects everything from analysts (like himself and McCord) to experienced cameramen to number of cameras available.

The full No Laying Up podcast is available here.

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Tiger Woods collapses down the stretch, finishes last at Genesis Invitational

It was a tournament to forget for host Tiger Woods at the Genesis Invitational.

When Tiger Woods looks back on the 2020 Genesis Invitational, he’ll have fond memories of his role as tournament host.

His memories of his performance won’t be as fond.

Back where it all started in 1992 when he made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera Country Club as a 16-year-old amateur, Woods struggled to even make the weekend cut and proceeded to roll out performances of 5-over 76 on Saturday and 6-over 77 during Sunday’s final round.

For the fourth consecutive day, Woods struggled in every aspect of his game. Wayward drives, short approaches and poor putting culminated in an 11 over finish, putting Woods at the bottom of the tournament leaderboard.

GENESIS: Best photos | Leaderboard

The lone bright side of the round came on the par-5 17th and 1st holes, where Woods made birdie and eagle, respectively.

Entering the week looking for his record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour title, Woods’ next opportunity to break away from Sam Snead may come at either the Honda Classic or Arnold Palmer Invitational. Earlier this week Woods elected to skip next week’s WGC Mexico Championship.

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Tracker: Follow Tiger Woods’ final round at Genesis Invitational, shot-by-shot

Follow Tiger Woods’ Sunday round at the Genesis Invitational with shot-by-shot analysis.

Tiger Woods is back where it all started in 1992 when he made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera Country Club at just 16 years old.

Flash-forward to 2020 and the 44-year-old Woods is now hosting his own Tour event, the Genesis Invitational. Despite his success on the West coast, Woods has never won at Riviera, and that trend will continue this weekend.

Woods opened with a 2-under 69 on Thursday then collapsed with a 2-over 73 on Friday, making the weekend cut by just two strokes. He followed that with a disappointing 5-over 76 on Saturday.

Woods tees off at 1:14 p.m. ET Sunday afternoon alongside Brendon Todd and J.J. Spaun. Follow his final round with shot-by-shot analysis.

GENESIS: Best photos | Leaderboard | Updates

Pre-round

If you missed the action on Saturday, get caught up here thanks to the PGA Tour.

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Tiger Woods still not a factor after rough Saturday at Genesis Invitational

Tiger Woods struggled in every aspect of his game once again on Saturday at the Genesis Invitational.

On paper, a Saturday group featuring Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth is must-watch TV.

In reality, it was a round you could only stream online and one that Woods would like to soon forget.

Woods, this week’s host at the Genesis Invitational, started Saturday on the driveable par-4 10th hole and made a mess of the rest of the back nine at Riviera Country Club, ultimately signing for a 5-over 76, walking off the course in 65th place, fourth from last place among those who made the cut.

The 15-time major champion made the turn at 5-over 41 after a trio of birdies on Nos. 11, 14 and 16, but the real damage came at No. 13. Woods four-putted for the second time in as many events this season, this time from just 18 feet, making a disastrous double-bogey.

GENESIS: Best photos | Leaderboard | Updates

It was just the 14th time in Woods’ professional career that he’s four-putted.

Then Woods got into a bit of a rhythm, making two birdies in the opening three holes on the front nine. He then gave a shot right back with a bogey on No. 4 before making four straight pars and a fifth bogey to end the day on his final hole.

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One Tiger Woods stat that’s climbing this season? Four putts

Tiger Woods third-round score at the Genesis Invitational took a hit when he four-putted the 13th green on his way to double-bogey.

After a ho-hum opening round at his Genesis Invitational, the wheels fell off for Tiger Woods on Friday and the struggle continued on Saturday.

Woods entered the week at Riviera Country Club in search of a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour victory at the course he made his Tour debut at 16 years old. Now he’s playing for pride.

It’s not often a 15-time major champion looks like the common weekend hacker, but that was the case on the par-4 13th hole for Woods, where he four-putted for just the 14th time in his career.

After beautiful drives on the previous two holes, Woods found the left rough on No. 13 but was able to reach the green with his approach, some 18 feet from the pin. His birdie putt was short, and his par putt caught the edge and released to six feet. Whether it was a mishit or lack of concentration, Woods missed the come-backer for bogey and tapped-in for double-bogey six.

Related: Tiger Woods by the numbers
Tiger Tracker: Follow Woods’ Saturday round

Unfortunately for Woods, this hasn’t been a rare occurrence. The last time he teed it up on Tour he four-putted at the Farmers Insurance Open on the first hole of Friday’s second round.

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Tracker: Follow Tiger Woods’ Saturday round at Genesis Invitational, shot-by-shot

Follow Tiger Woods’ Saturday round at the Genesis Invitational with shot-by-shot analysis.

Tiger Woods is back where it all started in 1992 when he made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera Country Club at just 16 years old.

Flash-forward to 2020 and the 44-year-old Woods is now hosting his own Tour event, the Genesis Invitational. Despite his success on the West coast, Woods has never won at Riviera, and it looks like that trend will continue this weekend.

Woods opened with a 2-under 69 on Thursday then collapsed with a 2-over 73 on Friday, making the weekend cut by just two strokes.

Follow along for shot-by-shot of Woods’ Moving Day third round alongside Adam Hadwin and Jordan Spieth.

GENESIS: Best photos | Leaderboard | Updates

Pre-round

Miss yesterday’s action? Get caught up here thanks to the Tour’s highlights.

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