Tag: Augusta

Ryan Brehm scores a hole-in-one and grabs a share of the lead with Stephan Jaeger and Adam Schenk on 66 after the first round of the Valspar Championship on Thursday; Jordan Spieth, back at Innisbrook for the first time in five years, is on 67 with Tommy Fleetwood making 68

Ryan Brehm turned a good round into a memorable one on Thursday, making a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th hole at Innisbrook for a five-under 66 that led to a three-way share of the lead at the Valspar Championship.

Stephan Jaeger also had a 66, while Adam Schenk joined them with the low score in the afternoon on the Copperhead course.

Jordan Spieth, back at Innisbrook for the first time in five years, had a bogey-free round and was particularly sharp with the putter, making birdie putts of 60 feet and 30 feet on his way to a 67. Also at 67 were former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and Maverick McNealy.

This is the first lead for Brehm since he won the Puerto Rico Open last year in his final start to try to keep a PGA Tour card. It hasn’t been the smoothest road since then. Brehm has made only three cuts this season – one of them at Kapalua – and is coming off an 80 in the second round last week at The Players Championship.

“We’ve been grinding for a little while since then to try and find some good form again, and hopefully [I’ve] been showing signs of good play,” he said.

His ace came with a 6-iron from 196 yards, and he closed with a par. It was his 11th time in the 60s in 43 rounds on the PGA Tour this season.

Jaeger had seven birdies in the morning, which started with temperatures cold enough for some players to wear beanies and extra layers.

Schenk finished his round with a 10-foot par save on the par-3 eighth hole, and then after going bunker-to-bunker on the ninth, made a par putt from 5 feet.

Tommy Fleetwood was at 68, while the group at 69 included two-time defending champion Sam Burns and Justin Thomas, who at No 10 is the highest-ranked player in the field.

Scoring is never particularly low at Innisbrook, which is highly regarded as a tournament course with tree-lined fairways, elevation and not nearly as much water as many courses in Florida.

“I’m not comfortable out there at all, but I don’t think anybody really is – maybe Sam Burns; he’s won it a couple times,” Brehm said.

“But I think it’s a good test of golf. Golf’s not supposed to be easy, I don’t think, and the course does a good job of making you think.”

No one had a tougher start than U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

On the third hole, Fitzpatrick pulled his tee shot out of play. His third shot from the tee found the water, and after a penalty drop, he came up short of the bunker and then from there short of the green. It added to a 9, and he followed with consecutive bogeys.

Fitzpatrick went out in 42, and he bounced back with a 32. Even so, he came into the Valspar Championship having missed three cuts in his last five tournaments.

Spieth hasn’t been able to fit Innisbrook into his schedule since The Players Championship moved back to March, but he wanted to return this year. This is his fourth tournament in the last five weeks, with the Match Play next week.

Before he had a card, Spieth chipped in on the 17th hole and tied for seventh that allowed him to gain special temporary membership on the PGA Tour. Two years later, he won the Valspar Championship in a playoff by making a 30-foot birdie putt. That was in 2015, the year he won the Masters and U.S. Open.

This round was mostly about his putting, the long birdies and equally important, a number of mid-length par putts that kept his round going. Spieth hit only five fairways.

“With only hitting [five] fairways, you do that around this place and shoot under par, it’s pretty solid,” Spieth said.

“I was able to sneak a couple extras with the putter today. I’ve been feeling like my putting’s been working towards where I really want it to be.”

Scottie Scheffler is back top of the world after his victory at The Players, with the American likely to contend in many of golf’s other big events over the coming months.

Scheffler leapfrogged Jon Rahm as world No 1 after a five-shot win at the PGA Tour’s flagship event, with the victory adding to his WM Phoenix Open title defence the previous month and securing a sixth PGA Tour victory in less than 400 days.

The 26-year-old will try to defend titles at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and The Masters over the coming weeks, live on Sky Sports.

Scheffler is now among the favourites every time he plays and is also set to be a key part of Team USA’s Ryder Cup side in Rome this September.

Here are the dates and venues for all of golf’s majors in 2023, along with the details for other significant events in the golfing calendar…

Men’s majors

April 6-9: The Masters – Augusta National, Georgia

May 18-21: PGA Championship – Oak Hill, Rochester, New York

June 15-18: US Open – Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles, California

July 20-23: The Open – Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, England

Women’s majors

April 20-23: Chevron Championship – The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas

June 6-9: US Women’s Open – Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California

June 22-25: KPMG PGA Championship – Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, New Jersey

July 27-30: Evian Championship – Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-Les-Bains, France

August 9-13: AIG Women’s Open – Walton Heath, Surrey, England

Team competitions

January 13-15: Hero Cup – Abu Dhabi GC, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Winner – Continental Europe)

May 4-7: Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown – TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, California

September 22-24: Solheim Cup – Finca Cortesin, Andalucia, Spain

September 29-October 1: Ryder Cup – Marco Simone GC, Rome, Italy

PGA Tour’s key events

January 5-8: Sentry Tournament of Champions – Plantation Course at Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii (Winner – Jon Rahm)

February 9-12: WM Phoenix Open – TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course), Scottsdale, Arizona (Winner – Scottie Scheffler)

February 16-19: Genesis Invitational – Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California (Winner – Jon Rahm)

March 2-5: Arnold Palmer Invitational – Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Florida (Winner – Kurt Kitayama)

March 9-12: The Players – TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (Winner – Scottie Scheffler)

March 22-26: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas

April 13-16: RBC Heritage – Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

May 4-7: Wells Fargo Championship – Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina

June 1-4: The Memorial: Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio

June 22-25: Travelers Championship: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut

August 10-13: FedEx St Jude Championship: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee

August 17-20: BMW Championship – Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, Illinois

August 24-27: Tour Championship – East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia

DP World Tour’s Rolex Series events

January 19-22: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Winner – Victor Perez)

January 26-29: Hero Dubai Desert Classic – Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE (Winner – Rory McIlroy)

July 13-16: Genesis Scottish Open – The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland

September 14-17: BMW PGA Championship – Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, England

November 16-19 – DP World Tour Championship – Jumeriah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE

Senior majors

May 11-14: Regions Tradition – Greystone G&CC, Birmingham, Alabama

May 25-28: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – Fields Ranch East, Frisco, Texas

June 29-July 2: US Senior Open – SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wisconsin

July 13-16: Kaulig Companies Championship – Firestone CC, Akron, Ohio

July 27-30: The Senior Open – Royal Porthcawl GC, Bridgend, Wales

Women’s senior majors

June 29-July 2 – Senior LPGA Championship – Location TBC

August 25-28: US Senior Women’s Open – Waverly Country Club, Portland, Oregan

Scottie Scheffler still looking to improve after winning The Players by five shots and returning to world No 1; 26-year-old says collapse at last year’s Tour Championship made victory at Sawgrass “much sweeter”; Jordan Spieth expects compatriot’s form to continue for long time to come

Scottie Scheffler offered an ominous warning to his rivals by saying he is still hoping to improve after romping to victory at The Players.

Scheffler, whose win at Sawgrass saw him replace Jon Rahm as world No 1, finished five shots ahead of England’s Tyrrell Hatton as he claimed his sixth win in the last 13 months.

The 26-year-old’s trophy-laden year has included triumphing at The Masters at Augusta National last April and twice winning the WM Phoenix Open.

He said: “I’m just hoping to improve. I’m just trying to get a little bit better at a time, not overthink things and fortunately, I’ve been able to see some good results and enjoy some wins.

“I think I’m just comfortable with where my game is. I feel like I’m improving. I’m definitely learning more and more the more I get into contention. I would say I maybe am a bit more comfortable knowing what I need to do.

“I get excited for a good hard test. I feel like that I can find a way to make pars and hang in there. I like the challenge of harder golf courses. This tournament feels like a major championship to me.”

Scheffler squandered a six-shot lead with one round remaining at last August’s Tour Championship and says that disappointment makes his victory at The Players “much sweeter”.

Scheffler added: “It’s a really hard sport. I had put myself in a position all year to where I had a chance to win the FedExCup, and I wasn’t able to get it done. By the time I got home, I was worn out.

Scheffler: Defeat at Tour Championship left me ‘drained’

“I was mentally and physically drained, emotionally drained. East Lake was pretty challenging for me to handle.

“It was obviously very sad and hard and I didn’t expect things to finish that way. But the hard times make the good times that much sweeter.”

On his success, Scheffler added: “I never really thought that much of myself. I always just tried to stay in my own little bubble. I just keep trying to get a little bit better. I never really looked too far ahead.

“I did a good job of being a good junior, then I was a pretty good college player, then I played good on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I always believed that I could make it out here and play well on the PGA Tour but I never expected it. It’s kind of hard to describe the feeling.”

Jordan Spieth, who finished tied 19th at Sawgrass on six under par, does not expect Scheffler’s form to dip any time soon.

He said: “I play against [Scheffler] a lot at home and consistently he’s shooting really low rounds. He’s arguably the best player in the world right now. His golf is pretty incredible. His top 10s are off the charts. He’s just playing that good.

“He’s extremely grounded. He’s got really good parents, a great family structure. [Scheffler’s coach] Randy Smith’s been around for a long time, been with him forever.

“I don’t see it changing. He’s in a good position to be able to continue to do this for a while.”

Watch more PGA Tour action live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday as The Valspar Championship begins in Florida. Early coverage starts at 11.30am.

Scottie Scheffler returned to world No 1 with a five-shot victory at The Players; Tyrrell Hatton birdied seven of his last nine holes to equal the back-nine course record at TPC Sawgrass and jump into second spot

Tyrrell Hatton admitted that even he was surprised by the finish that parachuted him to an impressive runner-up finish at The Players.

Hatton went into the final round nine strokes off the pace and was outside the top-30 when a bogey at the par-five ninth saw him turn in 36 on Sunday, only to surge up the leaderboard with an extraordinary back nine at TPC Sawgrass.

The Englishman followed a 20-foot birdie at the 10th by converting from six feet at the driveable 12th, with Hatton responding to a missed chance from 10 feet at the next by birdieing each of the final five holes to equal the lowest back-nine total in tournament history.

Hatton’s back-nine 29 saw him set the clubhouse target at 12 under, which was enough for second spot as Scottie Scheffler closed out a commanding five-shot win to secure a return to world No 1.

When asked whether he envisaged such a strong end to the PGA Tour’s flagship event, Hatton told reporters: No, especially with how I was hitting it off the tee on the front nine! Yeah, just pretty mad two and a half hours in the end, I guess, from standing on the 10th tee.

“Really happy with how it’s played out. Yeah, good day’s work. If you had said that you would finish second in the tournament and you don’t have to play the back nine, I think you would take that!

Hatton’s strong result follows a top-six finish at the WM Phoenix Open in February and a share of fourth place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the 31-year-old expected to move inside the top 30 in the FedExCup standings.

“I made a comment at the start of this week that after being in the tournament at Bay Hill for as long as I was on Sunday, to only end up with 110 [FedExCup] points was disappointing,” Hatton added.

“Every year we’re all trying to earn as many points as we can. This year’s no different. It might be sixth counting FedEx event of the season, so I’m playing catch-up to a lot of guys that have played quite a bit of golf already.

“Obviously some of the European lads are in the same boat where we play DP World stuff at the back end of the calendar year and we miss some events over in the States. So, yeah, I’m just out here trying to earn as many points as I can and try and set myself up nicely for next year.”

Scheffler took a two-shot lead into the final day and never relinquished top during a dominant victory, with five birdies and two bogeys during a three-under 69 securing a sixth PGA Tour title in the space of 13 months.

“He [Scheffler] is very impressive,” Hatton said. “Incredibly consistent. He’s had an amazing stretch of golf. Played with him last Sunday and it was clear like he didn’t have his best that day, but he still hung around and had a chance there right at the end.

“It’s a pretty tough thing to do to be up there when you don’t have your best golf and still give yourself a chance to win. So, yeah, it’s very impressive what he’s doing.”

Scottie Scheffler will become world No 1 once again if he finishes in top five at TPC Sawgrass following Jon Rahm’s withdrawal; Scheffler leads Min Woo Lee by two shots ahead of final round – watch live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Sunday

Scottie Scheffler says winning The Players is more important to him than regaining the world No 1 spot as he heads into the final round at TPC Sawgrass with a two-shot lead.

The world No 2 will overhaul Jon Rahm if he finishes in the top five at Ponte Vedra Beach on Sunday with Rahm having withdrawn from The Players before his second round due to a stomach virus.

Scheffler is at 14 under after 54 holes, with Min Woo Lee his nearest challenger on 12 under and English trio Tommy Fleetwood (nine under), Aaron Rai (nine under) and Justin Rose (seven under) also in contention to become the first player from their country to win the tournament.

Scheffler said: “I think the ranking is just an algorithm. I would much rather win the tournament than get back to No 1 in the world.

“My focus is going out and having a solid round of golf and the rankings will be the rankings.”

Scheffler: Hard work is paying off

Scheffler is eyeing a second victory of 2023 after successfully defending the WM Phoenix Open last month, while a win in Florida on Sunday would earn the 2022 Masters champion his sixth in a little over a year.

He added: “I prepare to be in these moments. I prepare to come out here and play well.

“When I’m at home getting ready for tournaments, I’m hopeful that I’m going to be in this position, and I’ve been fortunate so far this year that the hard work is continuing to pay off.

“I’ve been on a lot of leaderboards and it’s a lot more fun being in the lead than being 20th. It’s a lot more fun being in the arena and being in the moment.”

Fleetwood: ‘Amazing’ to be in contention at The Players

Fleetwood is still searching for his maiden PGA Tour victory after six on the DP World Tour.

Asked whether that adds any extra incentive, the Englishman said: “No, not really. That’s been a goal, a dream, an incentive as long as I’ve been playing out here.

“I would have loved to have done it by now. I would have loved to have done it multiple times. But I haven’t. Sunday is another chance.

“I think it will be great to go out there teeing off on Sunday with a chance to win The Players. That’s an amazing feeling.

“But what’s important for me is to play like the player that I want to be, and be at that standard with the best players in the world, to keep giving myself more and more chances.

“I haven’t put myself in contention enough at the start of this year, so this is as good a time as any to start. The more I can play like I want to play, the more I give myself chances and hopefully, my time will come.”

Rose: Pebble Beach win has taken pressure off

Rose is two shots behind compatriot Fleetwood after a bogey at the 18th on Saturday.

The 42-year-old is looking to add to the AT&T Pebble Beach ProAm title he landed last month, which was his first victory since 2019.

Rose said: “Obviously I’ve tasted a lot of success on the PGA Tour and the last of couple seasons haven’t been as easy.

“The results haven’t been kind so you scratch your head at times. I think that leads to possibly a little frustration.

“Hopefully the win has taken a little valve off the pressure cooker. You can go into it a little bit more foot down, play a little freer.

“When you’re confident of being on the leaderboard week-in, week-out, you do play in a slightly different fashion.”

Watch the final round of The Players live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Sunday.

Collin Morikawa holds second spot and world No 2 Scottie Scheffler is within four of the lead, with Rory McIlroy 12 strokes off the pace struggling to an opening 76; Watch the second round live on Friday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf, with extra feeds via the red button

Chad Ramey upstaged the PGA Tour’s biggest names to claim a shock lead after the opening round of The Players, where Rory McIlroy endured a nightmare start in his bid to return to world No 1.

Ramey – who had missed the cut in his seven of his previous 10 PGA Tour starts – ripped up the form guide by firing a brilliant bogey-free 64 at TPC Sawgrass, with eight birdies helping the American to a one-shot advantage over two-time major winner Collin Morikawa.

A three-birdie finish from late starter Ben Griffin lifted him to a share of third on five under alongside Justin Suh and Canada’s Taylor Pendrith, with Scottie Scheffler four off the pace after out-performing Jon Rahm and McIlroy in their morning marquee group.

Scheffler birdied three of his last four holes to card an opening-round 68 and current world No 1 Rahm lies seven back after a one-under 71, while McIlroy is in danger of missing the cut after double-bogeying his opening hole and adding four bogeys in a frustrating four-over 76.

How Ramey moved ahead at TPC Sawgrass

Ramey followed three birdies in his opening five holes by draining a 30-footer at the par-four seventh, helping him reach the turn in 32, then continued his progress by starting his back nine with successive birdies.

The world No 225 ended a run of pars by taking advantage of the par-five 16th and jumped into the solo lead when he fired his tee shot at the iconic par-three next to within tap-in range, before signing off his blemish-free card by two-putting from distance at the last.

“Not easy at all,” Ramey said. “I might have made it look that way but it wasn’t easy at all. It was fun, first time to shoot a score on such an iconic course like this – you can’t ask for any more.”

Morikawa held the outright advantage earlier in the day after mixing five birdies with a stunning eagle at the par-five second, where he fired his approach to within four feet of the flag, while Suh made a late charge for the lead when he posted five birdies in a five-hole stretch from the seventh to join the group tied-third.

The limited daylight in Florida meant that the final few groups were unable to finish before play was suspended due to darkness at 6.28pm local time (11.28pm BST), with Suh among those who will need to return on Friday to finish.

Mixed fortunes for golf’s stars

Scheffler is joined in the group on four under by Min Woo Lee, who bogeyed his final two holes after suffering cramp late in his round, with Jordan Spieth starting his back nine with three consecutive birdies on his way to a three-under 69.

Xander Schauffele battled back from being four over with eight holes to play to card a level-par 72, with English trio Danny Willett, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton also in that group eight off the pace, while Hayden Buckley had to settle for an opening-round 73 despite a brilliant hole-in-one at the par-three 17th.

McIlroy mixed two birdies with four bogeys and a double-bogey during a frustrating opening day, leaving him 12 off the lead, with only nine players posting a higher total than the four-time major champion during the morning wave.

Watch The Players throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf, with a host of extra feeds available via the red button.

Rory McIlroy will play alongside Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm for the first two rounds of The Players; McIlroy finished tied-second at Bay Hill and is targeting a second TPC Sawgrass victory; Watch the opening round live on Thursday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf

Rory McIlroy believes his game is showing signs of progress ahead of The Players after narrowly missing out on victory and a return to world No 1 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The Northern Irishman mixed seven birdies with five bogeys during an enthralling final-round 70 at Bay Hill, where a host of players were chasing victory on a star-studded leaderboard, leaving him tied-second and a shot behind champion Kurt Kitayama.

McIlroy has another chance to overtake Jon Rahm as world No 1 at TPC Sawgrass, where he will partner the Spaniard and Scottie Scheffler for the first two days, with the four-time major winner pleased about his form heading into the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

“I still wish I could have had a couple of shots back today, but I guess everyone would say the same thing,” McIlroy said. “It’s one of those days and one of those courses where you’re going to rue missed opportunities and a couple of missed putts here and there.

“I need to take the positives from it, which there is a lot of. We’ve got a massive event next week and I need to try to bring that momentum into Sawgrass. I feel like I figured out the driver a little bit more this week. Yeah, it’s getting there.

“It was a good week. I saw some positive signs. Game’s rounding into form for the bulk of the season. So even though I didn’t get the win, I’m still pretty happy with how everything went this week.”

How McIlroy missed out in Bay Hill thriller

McIlroy responded to bogeying his opening two holes of the day by making back-to-back birdies from the fourth, then charged into contention after cancelling a dropped shot at the seventh with four birdies in a five-hole stretch from the ninth.

The 2018 Bay Hill champion made successive bogeys from the 14th but made a two-putt birdie at the par-five 16th to keep his hopes alive, then missed a 10-foot opportunity on the final green and ended the week on eight under.

“If I look back on today, the one thing I’ll rue is the tee shot on 14,” McIlroy admitted. “I birdied 13 and got on to 14 tee and I honestly thought I was still like one or two behind the lead.

“As I was walking to the 14th green, I looked behind me at the scoreboard, and I was leading by one. If I had of known that, I wouldn’t have tried to play the shot that I played on 14, which was unfortunate.

“I ended up making bogey there and then a bad swing off the tee on 15 and a bogey. I had a chance at the last – hit a good putt and it just missed on the low side – but it was a good week.”

Scheffler pleased despite near-miss

Defending Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Scheffler also had the opportunity to reclaim the world No 1 spot from Rahm, although a final-hole bogey dropped him two strokes off the pace into tied-fourth.

“Today was a lot of fun,” Scheffler said. “Obviously I wish I played a little bit better, but at the end of the day, I put up a good fight. I didn’t have my best stuff today.

“I still gave myself a chance after a few pretty bad mistakes on the front nine, but Kurt [Kitayama] played fantastic golf today. I think to birdie 17 and par 18 to finish and win by one is pretty special.”

What’s next?

Sky Sports Golf will be the home of The Players in 2023, with nearly 60 hours of live coverage from Tuesday-Sunday of tournament week and a host of extra content available for you to enjoy.

Live coverage begins on Tuesday with the ‘Live from The Players’ show at 2pm, while the opening round is live on Thursday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf!

Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland sit one-shot behind Kurt Kitayama heading into the final round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the defending champion Scheffler looking to claim the No 1 spot in the world rankings with a win.

Tyrrell Hatton and Rory McIlroy are in contention at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as Kurt Kitayama shot an even-par 72 to take a one-shot lead into Sunday.

Hatton, who was victorious at the event in 2020, sits two shots behind Kitayama in fourth after shooting a bogey-free six-under 66 on Saturday.

McIlroy, too, escaped bogey-less as he finished four-under on the round to tie for fifth alongside Harris English, leaving him three shots back.

“I think any time you can go bogey-free on the weekend at Bay Hill you’re doing something right,” McIlroy said. “I got myself right into the tournament, into the thick of things for tomorrow.”

Kitayama steadied himself down the stretch as he closed with two birdies over the last three holes to leave with an even-par 72 and a one-shot advantage, the 30-year-old keeping himself pursuing a first PGA Tour victory.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler meanwhile had five birdies over his last seven holes to finish with a 68 and one shot behind along with Viktor Hovland of Norway (66), the latter of whom was runner-up last year.

McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Max Homa all were within range of Kitayama if he were to lose ground or if Bay Hill was baked and brittle as it typically is for the final round.

For now, Kitayama held his own.

“Just proud of the way I fought,” he said.

His two-shot lead was gone when he sent his drive well to the right and out-of-bounds on the par-5 fourth hole, and he went out in 39 as Hovland planted himself at the top and McIlroy made his move with a remarkable bogey-free round of 68.

But breathing down his neck is Scheffler, who has already successfully defended one title this year at the WM Phoenix Open.

He took care of both par 5s on the back nine, hit a lob wedge at a scary pin on the 13th for birdie, and saved his best for the par-3 17th. Even with the wind at his back, his only hope was to hit something that stayed on the brick-hard green. The first thought was a soft 9-iron. He felt the wind switch and decided to hammer 9-iron, and it settled 4 feet for birdie.

Scheffler capped off his birdie-birdie-birdie finish with an approach to six feet on the 18th.

Now the Masters champion is in range of another title that could be enough to take him back to No. 1 in the world.

“Should be another fun one,” he said. “That’s what’s exciting about our new schedule. I think we’re going to have a lot more of this stuff. I’m sure Viktor’s looking to beat me this year and I’m looking to do the same. There’s a lot of talented guys on the leaderboard, though. I’m not going to be too focused on anybody else other than myself going into tomorrow.”

Jon Rahm finds himself in danger of losing top spot in the rankings, opening with a 65 before following with two straight 76s after making five straight bogeys around the turn in the third round.

Lilia Vu shot an immaculate round of eight-under 64 to recover from six strokes back and overhaul local favourite Natthakritta Vongtaveelap; Vongtaveelap’s hope for forcing a play-off was dashed on the final hole

American Lilia Vu rode a hot putter to claim her maiden LPGA crown with a one-shot victory over home favourite Natthakritta Vongtaveelap at the LPGA Thailand on Sunday.

Trailing the local rookie by six strokes at the start of the day, 25-year-old Vu unleashed eight impressive birdies, including five straight from the eighth hole to end her campaign with an immaculate round of eight-under 64 for a 22-under 266 total at Siam Country Club Old Course.

“Yesterday my dad told me that just one good round and I could win. That’s all I kept thinking about,” said Vu, whose maiden tour victory came after three third-place finishes in 2022.

“Basically today I just blacked out and tried to birdie every single hole I could,”

The UCLA alumni came up short again at the Ladies European Tour in Saudi Arabia last week where she settled for another third place.

“I knew I was going to win, it was just when… and I finally did,” she added.

Vu became the third American to triumph in the event after Lexi Thompson in 2016 and Jessica Korda in 2018.

Playing her first LPGA tournament, Vongtaveelap’s lack of experience took a toll with the 20-year-old golfer enduring a mixed final round featuring seven birdies offset by a double bogey and four bogeys to sign off with a one-under 71 and 267 overall.

Her hope for forcing a play-off was dashed after her birdie attempt at the last landed a foot away from the pin.

Thailand will have to wait for a second local winner after former No 1 Ariya Jutanugarn prevailed in the 2021 edition.

Another Thai golfer, Atthaya Thitikul, was third after a final-round 68 got her to 268.

Maja Stark of Sweden and French Celine Boutier settled at joint-fourth on 271, one ahead of top-ranked Lydia Ko, who finished joint-sixth on 272.

Jon Rahm replaced Scottie Scheffler as world No 1 after finishing two shots ahead of Max Homa at the Genesis Invitational, where Tiger Woods also made a comeback; Download and subscribe to the latest Sky Sports Golf podcast

Jon Rahm’s dominance, an eventful comeback for Tiger Woods and more players switching to LIV Golf feature in the latest edition of the Sky Sports Golf podcast.

Henni Koyack and National Club Golfer editor Alex Perry join regular host Josh Antmann to reflect on another busy week in the sport, where Rahm secured a fifth worldwide win in nine starts and moved back to world No 1 with Genesis Invitational victory.

The panel discuss whether Rahm can continue his hot streak during the Florida Swing and beyond, plus give their take on Max Homa’s runner-up finish and an encouraging return to PGA Tour action from Woods.

Subscribe now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Spreaker

Koyack – a good friend of Woods – gives her view on the scrutiny surrounding the 15-time major champion giving Justin Thomas a tampon for outdriving him during the opening round at Riviera, plus describes how he performed in his first non-major PGA Tour start since October 2020.

There’s chat around Thorbjorn Olesen’s impressive DP World Tour victory and whether he could be a dark horse to feature at the Ryder Cup this autumn, plus about the news surrounding Team Europe hopeful Thomas Pieters being among the LIV signings for the new season.

Lydia Ko’s Saudi Ladies International victory also gets a mention, along with the launch and success of the ‘Full Swing’ series on Netflix – accessible by Sky customers via Sky Q and Sky Glass.

Download and listen to the latest Sky Sports Golf podcast and don’t forget to subscribe via Spotify, Spreaker or Apple Podcasts! If you’d like to contact the podcast, then you can email at golf@skysports.com

Watch the DP World Tour and PGA Tour action again this week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage from the Hero Indian Open begins on Thursday from 7.30am on Sky Sports Golf, with Featured Group coverage from the Honda Classic then beginning at 12.30pm on the same channel ahead of full coverage from 7pm.

Tiger Woods carded a final-round 73 to finish tied-45th in PGA Tour comeback; 15-time major champion was making his first official appearance since The Open in July; Woods expected to feature at The Masters from April 6-9

Tiger Woods admits he is unsure whether he will play competitively again before The Masters after making an encouraging return to PGA Tour action at the Genesis Invitational.

Woods marked his first competitive start since The Open last July – and first PGA Tour appearance outside of a major since the Zozo Championship in October 2020 – with a final-round 73 at Riviera Country Club.

The 15-time major champion has regularly stated he would be unable to commit to a full playing schedule, following career-threatening injuries sustained in a car crash in February 2021, although Woods remains hopeful of competing in all four majors

“Well, I am sure you will see me in some place,” Woods told CBS. “Competitively, I don’t know.

“My goal each and every year from here going forward is to play in all the majors – I am not going to play too much more than that. My body and my leg and my back just won’t allow me to play much more than that anymore.

“So that was my goal last year and I was able to play three of the four and this year, I can hopefully play all four. That is going to be my schedule going forward because of all of the limitations I have.”

Woods birdied his opening hole but made three bogeys in a five-hole stretch from the sixth, then mixed two birdies with as many bogeys on the back nine to end under par for the tournament.

“My game is fine,” Woods said after his final round. “Yeah, it is rusty. I made some silly mistakes here and there and I didn’t quite pick up the speed of the greens each and every day fast enough, like I normally would if I was playing.

“But overall, I feel like I hit the ball like I have been hitting it at home. I just had to bring it out here where I had to walk from point A to point B and that was always the difficulty of it.

“I am just so thankful for all my team for getting me ready each and every night, morning, to at least give myself a chance to go out there and play. I was able to do it.”

The story of Tiger’s Sunday

Woods recovered from missing the opening fairway to roll in a 15-foot birdie at the par-five first and holed from 12 feet at the third to save par, having found the greenside bunker with his approach.

The former world No 1 got up and down from the back off the fourth green to continue his bogey-free start but missed from four feet to save par at the next, with Woods then failing to convert an eight-foot birdie chance after a brilliant tee shot at the par-three sixth.

Woods found fairway bunkers off the tee at both the eighth and ninth, leaving him unable to get up and down on both occasions and seeing him close a front-nine 37 with successive bogeys, then failed to take advantage of the par-five 11th after two-putting from eight feet.

The 47-year-old responded to a poor pitch from the rough and dropped shot at the 12th by holing a long-range birdie at the par-four next to get back under par for the tournament, only to card a three-putt bogey at the 15th to slip back level-par for the tournament.

A brilliant tee shot at the par-three 16th set up a third birdie of the day for Woods, who failed to add to his tally at the par-five next and then signed off an encouraging week with a two-putt par at the last.

When could Woods return?

Woods could consider the Arnold Palmer Invitational from March 2-5 his next competitive start, an event he has won a record eight times at Bay Hill, although that would leave limited recovery time from this week’s appearance in California.

The Players at TPC Sawgrass would be another option a week later, with this year’s event marking the 10th anniversary of Woods’ second victory at the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

Should Woods decide against competing in either of the two Florida-based events, then it would be unlikely we would see him back in action before the opening men’s major of the year at Augusta National.

Woods finished 47th at The Masters last year and will be hoping to improve on that performance from April 6-9, live on Sky Sports, four years on from winning the Green Jacket for a fifth time.

Rafa Cabrera Bello bounces back from a double bogey at the iconic 17th hole at Amata Spring Country Club to take a two-shot lead; watch the second round live on Saturday from 5.30am on Sky Sports Golf

Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello overcame a setback at the iconic 17th hole at Amata Spring Country Club to claim the halfway lead in the Thailand Classic.

After starting from the 10th and making birdies on the 11th and 12th, Cabrera Bello ran up a double bogey on the 17th, which has an island green only accessible by boat, but responded with seven birdies in the next nine holes and covered his inward nine in just 30 shots.

The resulting 65 gave the former Ryder Cup player a halfway total of 13 under par and two-shot lead over Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti, with Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen part of a six-strong group on 10 under.

“The 17th is a tough hole and it was pretty windy,” Cabrera Bello said. “I got a wind gust, I didn’t hit that bad of a shot, but it is what it is.

“I just kept my head down and kept focusing on what I was doing. The birdie on 18 put me right back on track and I played an excellent front nine.

“I’ve been doing a lot of work over the break on my swing and trying to make it better. I feel some weeks it really clicks, other weeks it’s not quite there.

“I’m trending in the right direction and happy the swing is feeling good this week and I’m making good scores.”

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat lies four shots off the lead after adding a bogey-free 67 to his opening 68 and is relishing the experience of playing on home soil.

“It’s amazing. It’s one of the best moments I’ve had in the last two years,” Aphibarnrat said.

“Playing in front of my family, my dad, my mum, my wife was walking around yesterday, my manager, my friends. It’s been a lovely week so far.

“I haven’t seen many Thai fans over the first two rounds, but over the weekend there are a bunch of them coming over. It has been a pleasure to play at my home course as well, Amata Spring is such a lovely golf course.”

Watch the Thailand Classic throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 5.30am on Sky Sports Golf.

Scottie Scheffler claimed a fifth PGA Tour victory and a first win since The Masters with a successful title defence at TPC Scottsdale; Rory McIlroy finished tied-32nd and loses world No 1 ranking for the first time since October

Scottie Scheffler ended Rory McIlroy’s stint at the top of the world rankings after completing a successful title defence with a two-stroke victory at the WM Phoenix Open.

Scheffler held off a strong challenge from playing partners Jon Rahm and Nick Taylor during a thrilling final round at TPC Scottsdale, with a bogey-free 65 enough to earn the American a fifth PGA Tour title and a first since April.

The 26-year-old carded an eagle and four birdies to end the week on 19 under and comfortably ahead of closest challenger Taylor, who birdied the last to match Scheffler’s final-round 65, with Rahm five strokes off the pace in third.

Victory sees Scheffler becomes the seventh player to successfully defend his title in Phoenix and moves him to fifth in the FedExCup standings, with his latest success also meaning he will jump above McIlroy – who ended the week tied-32nd – as world No 1.

How Scheffler returned to world No 1

Rahm and Taylor immediately halved Scheffler’s overnight advantage with birdies at the first, only for the Masters champion to roll in from 10 feet at the par-four next to restore his two-shot cushion.

Scheffler converted from a similar distance at the par-five third to match the birdies of his playing partners, including from 20 feet by Rahm, then holed a crucial par-save at the fifth after a poor first putt ran 10 feet past the hole.

Rahm had made an up and down from the fifth fairway – after pitching out from behind a tree before birdieing the next to move within one of Scheffler, with Taylor rolling in from 35 feet to join the Spaniard in tied-second.

Taylor scrambled par at the seventh and claimed second on his own when Rahm bogeyed the next, with the Canadian joining Scheffler in making a close-range birdie at the ninth to stay one behind at the turn.

Scheffler lost his outright advantage when Taylor flicked a wedge at the tenth to three feet and made a fifth birdie of the round, while Rahm had to make a 20-footer just to save par at the next and remain within three of the lead.

Taylor took advantage of the par-five 13th but found himself one behind when Scheffler drained a 30-foot eagle to get to 18 under, while Rahm made birdie and then salvaged a par at the 15th after almost holing from the drop zone.

Scheffler received relief from near the grandstand at the par-three 16th and recovered from an average chip to nail a 15-foot putt for par, which was enough to extend his lead when Taylor failed to get up and down from left of the putting surface.

Another birdie at the driveable par-four 17th extended Scheffler’s cushion heading to the final hole, where a par was enough to claim his first win of the season and make him the first player since Hideki Matsuyama to make back-to-back Phoenix Open victories.

Taylor birdied the last to claim solo second and Rahm – one of three players who could end the week as world No 1 – finished third with a three-under 68, while four birdies in the last six holes lifted Justin Thomas to fourth spot.

Jason Day’s back-to-back 68s over the weekend earned the Australian a top-five finish and England’s Tyrrell Hatton was in the group a further shot back, while a hole-in-one at the par-three seventh from Rickie Fowler helped him finish in a share of tenth on 10 under.

Scheffler “proud” to be back No 1

Scheffler’s successful title defence comes at the same venue where he made his breakthrough PGA Tour title win 12 months ago, with the latest victory seeing him returning to the world No 1 ranking he held for 30 weeks from his WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play win last March to McIlroy’s successful CJ Cup title defence in October.

“I’m just proud with how I fought today,” Scheffler said. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but I grinded it out. I wasn’t hitting it good off tee, my irons didn’t feel as sharp, but I played a great round of golf today.

“I started to build some momentum early today and saw some putts go in, so I’m really grateful with the result. It [returning to world No 1] feels pretty good!”

What’s next?

The PGA Tour heads to California next for the Genesis Invitational, where 23 of the world’s top 25 and all the leading players in the FedExCup standings are due to feature at Riviera Country Club.

Tournament host Tiger Woods will headline the field as he makes his first official start since missing the cut at The Open in July, with the event his first appearance in a non-major PGA Tour event since the Zozo Championship in October 2020.

Watch the Genesis Invitational throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Early coverage begins on Thursday from 2.30pm on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage from 7pm.

‘Full Swing’ is a new Netflix documentary series following the biggest names in golf across the PGA Tour, majors and more; eight-part series launches from February 15 on Netflix, which can be accessed by Sky customers via Sky Q and Sky Glass

Former world No 1 Jordan Spieth hopes the PGA Tour can follow in Formula 1’s footsteps and bring a new audience to golf with the launch of a new behind-the-scenes Netflix series.

Full Swing is a new immersive series following some of the biggest names in golf throughout the PGA Tour season, both of and off the course, with cameras also covering all four of the men’s majors and the storyline of the power struggle involving the Saudi-backed LIV golf circuit.

All eight episodes are available from Wednesday February 15 on Netflix – which can be accessed by Sky customers via Sky Q and Sky Glass – with Spieth joining players including Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick in a stellar line-up.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive has received rave reviews since its debut in 2019, with its never-before-seen footage and interviews, and Spieth is eager to see if a golfing equivalent can bring the same increase in interest.

“Well, I’m an F1 fan because of Drive to Survive,” Spieth said. “I’m one of however many million Americans that it reached and went outside of your typical F1 fanbase, which was already massive and global.

“For golf to see the Drive to Survive success and then have the opportunity to be a part of trying to get out of the typical golf fanbase, kind of what [F1] did, get global with it. 250m members (approximate Netflix total) is larger than your typical who tunes in to see a round of PGA Tour golf!”

What can we expect?

The opening episode – titled “Frenemies” – focuses heavily on childhood friends Spieth and Justin Thomas, tracking the pair in all areas of their life and sharing unseen footage from last May’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

“I had a blast,” Spieth added. “I gave access in places I don’t normally and shared a lot of it with Justin [Thomas].

“We really, really enjoyed that process of kind of giving a glimpse into what our day-to-day is, given how close we are.

“Then the [other] names that showed up in order to do it, especially this last year with how wild professional golf was. I mean, what a year to start filming! So you get that kind of access, too.

“It should have a pretty profound impact on growing the game of golf and hopefully brings more fans to the PGA Tour specifically, but it was really cool to see the majors step in as well and offer that kind of access that they don’t normally give.”

Gabe Spitzer, documentary series director at Netflix, said it was a “no brainer” to jump into the project once it had the support from golf’s biggest tours, while Chad Mumm, chief creative officer with Vox Media Studios, is excited to see sports fans enjoy the finished product.

“We were really lucky to have amazing access, not just from the governing bodies of the sports, the PGA Tour and all the majors, but from players like Jordan and his peers who let us into their lives in a way that I don’t think anyone’s ever seen before,” Mumm said.

“This will be pro golf like you’ve never seen. We’ve had cameras in places where cameras are never allowed before. We spent a ton of time with players off the course and really get a chance to get inside the world of professional golf. Get ready for a deep, new look.”

Watch “Full Swing” from Wednesday February 15 on Netflix, which can be accessed by Sky customers via Sky Q and Sky Glass. Non-subscribers can get Sky Sports here.

Keep up to date with all the latest golf news, reviews of the week’s tournaments and a look ahead to forthcoming events with our podcast; if you would like to contact the podcast then you can tweet Josh using @JoshAntmann or email at golf@skysports.com

On this week’s Golf Podcast, host Josh Antmann is joined by Rob Lee and journalist Ewan Murray, with Jon Rahm’s stunning start to the season high on the agenda.

In the first episode of the year, they look back at Rahm’s second PGA Tour of the title at The American Express in California, and Victor Perez’s triumph at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

There’s also a review of the inaugural Hero Cup, which saw Continental Europe beat Great Britain and Ireland as Luke Donald got a chance to assess hopefuls for his Ryder Cup side later this year.

The trio discuss the latest development’s with LIV Golf, including a new television deal in the US.

Finally, there’s a look ahead to this week’s tournaments, with the Farmers Insurance Open taking place at Torrey Pines, and the Dubai Desert Classic featuring Rory McIlroy.

Don’t miss an episode of the Sky Sports Golf Podcast. Subscribe now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Spreaker

Collin Morikawa cards seven-under 66 on Friday to take two-shot lead in Hawaii; JJ Spaun and Scottie Scheffler his closest rivals, as Jon Rahm drops back to sixth alongside Matt Fitzpatrick; Watch third round on Saturday on Sky Sports Golf from 5.45pm

Collin Morikawa took the lead on the second day at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, pulling ahead of JJ Spaun and Scottie Scheffler.

The American ended the day with a seven-under 66, for a total of 16-under 130.

It gave him a two-shot lead in front of Masters champion Scheffler and 86th-ranked Spaun.

Jordan Spieth, like Morikawa, fired a second-round 66 to grab fourth place at 13 under and South Korea’s Tom Kim is in fifth at 12 under following a 69.

Jon Rahm dropped down the leaderboard to a share of sixth alongside England’s Matt Fitzpatrick on 11 under.

The Tournament of Champions, which includes 39 players, is the first of 17 designated PGA Tour events with elevated purses this year. In the past, this event was limited to players who won a tournament the previous year, but the 2023 field was expanded to feature players who did not win in 2022, but did reach the Tour Championship.

Morikawa, who finished last year winless, got off to a sizzling start on Friday, birdieing four of the first five holes. He added three more birdies on the back nine before concluding with three consecutive pars.

Scheffler charged into contention by rolling in birdies on each of the final four holes, making putts of less than eight feet each time. His round included nine birdies and two bogeys.

“Just similar to yesterday, pretty solid, made some good putts,” Morikawa said. “Obviously it played a lot harder with kind of the wind, and just the fairways rolling pretty fast.

“You’ve just got to play shots and kind of hit ’em to good spots, and thankfully we were able to take advantage of enough holes today to kind of keep those birdies going.”

Spaun bogeyed the par-four fourth hole but didn’t give away another shot. He finished with six birdies.

“I drove it well again,” Spaun said. “I don’t think I hit a really bad tee shot. It’s kind of hard to miss fairways out here, other than hitting it too far. But, yeah, I kind of tried to stay mistake-free. I had one three-putt, and that was kind of the only blunder of the day.”

Spieth’s round was highlighted by eagles on two par-five holes, the fifth and 15th. He also had four birdies and a bogey. Xander Schauffele withdrew in the middle of the second round due to an ongoing back ailment.

“This is not getting any better,” he said. “It actually feels worse when I swing.”

Watch the featured groups on day three of the Sentry Tournament of Champions from 5.45pm Saturday on Sky Sports Golf with full live coverage of the third round from 9pm.

Whitworth’s 88 LPGA wins are the most on any professional tour, exceeding the men’s PGA Tour record of 82 shared by Sam Snead and Tiger Woods.

Record-breaking former LPGA Tour player Kathy Whitworth has died at the age of 83.

Whitworth’s 88 LPGA wins are the most on any professional tour, exceeding the men’s PGA Tour record of 82 shared by Sam Snead and Tiger Woods.

She won six major titles – the Titleholders Championship in 1965 and 1966, the 1967 Western Open and the Women’s PGA Championship in 1967, 1971 and 1975, the latter year also marking her induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Remembered for her rivalry with 13-time major winner Mickey Wright, Whitworth later became the United States’ first Solheim Cup captain in 1990.

LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a statement on the organisation’s website: “The golf world and the world in general lost one of its most incredible women with the passing of Kathy Whitworth.

“Kathy was a champion in the truest sense of the word, both on the golf course and off.”

Whitworth’s partner Bettye Odle added: “It is with a heart full of love that we let everyone know of the passing of the winningest golf professional ever, Kathy Whitworth. Kathy passed suddenly Saturday night celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends.

“Kathy left this world the way she lived her life, loving, laughing and creating memories.”

Ockie Strydom and Scott Jamieson share lead on 15 under after three rounds of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek; South African Strydom equals Jamieson’s course record of 63; watch the final round live from 9am on Sunday on Sky Sports Golf

Ockie Strydom matched Scott Jamieson’s course-record 63 to join the Scot at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Jamieson followed Friday’s record-breaking effort at Leopard Creek with a two-under 70 to sit on 15 under alongside Strydom, who raised South African supporters’ hopes of another home champion with a surge up the standings.

The 37-year-old is yet to win on the DP World Tour but gave himself every chance as he eagled the second to set the tone for a third round featuring eight birdies between the fourth and 15th.

But for a bogey at the short 16th, Jamieson’s record would have stood for just 24 hours but as it was, Strydom had to settle for equalling it as he finished with two pars.

Jamieson, the overnight leader, steadied himself after an up-and-down front nine featuring three bogeys and two birdies, coming home in 34 for a share of the lead, with the pair’s nearest challengers two shots back on 13 under.

That three-strong group is made up of South African pair Oliver Bekker and Dean Burmester, both of whom carded four-under 68s, and England’s Dale Whitnell, whose 66 featured two eagles – one of them holed from a greenside bunker at the driveable par-four eighth.

The tournament has had a home winner in seven of the past nine editions, and the list of candidates to make it eight in 10 also includes Branden Grace and Dylan Frittelli, who are three back on 12 under along with Adrian Otaegui of Spain, whose round of 65 was bettered only by Strydom on the day.

English pair Nathan Kimsey and Eddie Pepperell began the day tied for second on 10 under but shot 74 and 73 respectively to drop off the pace.

Watch the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from 9am on Sunday.

Victor Hovland three shots clear heading into final day after third-round 64, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger; continue to watch the Hero World Challenge golf throughout the week, live on Sky Sports Golf on Sunday from 4pm.

Viktor Hovland carded six birdies on the back nine and fired a blistering eight-under-par round 64 to extend his lead to three strokes at the Hero World Challenge on Saturday in Albany, Bahamas.

Hovland sits on 13 under after 54 holes as he vies to repeat as champion of the event, with Scottie Scheffler within striking range at 10 under after his six-under 66.

Cameron Young (third-round 68) and Justin Thomas (66) are five shots back at eight under.

Hovland has led or tied for the lead in all three rounds, and made 10 birdies on Saturday, one more than his career-high in official PGA Tour events, recording the low round of the day. His round included two bogeys, including the par-four 18th.

“I missed probably like a 10-footer on the first hole and lipped out and I kind of thought, Here we go again,’ but after that it was a lot of putts that went in,” Hovland said.

“You need that on a day like today when the winds are down and you can be a little bit more aggressive. That’s the only way you can make that many birdies, so that was a lot of fun.”

Hovland would be just the second player to successfully defend a title at the event, joining event host Tiger Woods in 2007.

Scheffler did his best to stay close, posting five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 15th. There are two eagles so far from the 20-player field and Scheffler has both of them.

“I played really solid, kept the ball in front of me, hit a lot of fairways,” Scheffler said. “Felt like I did a good job just keeping the course in front of me and giving myself some changes.”

Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa shot matching 69s to sit six shots back at seven under in a tie for fifth. Jon Rahm (68) sits solo seventh at four under, nine shots back.

Continue to watch the Hero World Challenge golf throughout the week, live on Sky Sports Golf on Sunday from 4pm.