Day: January 24, 2017

Drivers love new NASCAR format, fans get a look in a month (Sports Betting News)Drivers love new NASCAR format, fans get a look in a month (Sports Betting News)

FILE - This Feb. 21, 2016 file photo shows fans gathering on the grass in front of the grandstands of Daytona International Speedway before the NASCAR Daytona 500 Sprint Cup series auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. NASCAR is dramatically changing its format for the upcoming season, cutting every race into stages that reward points in hopes of making every lap matter. The overhaul announced Monday, Jan. 23, 2017 assigns three stages to every race. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

At a crossroads with its core audience and eager to attract younger fans, NASCAR took a huge swing at shaking up its model with a progressive new format. With breaks between the stages – long enough for the segment winner to be interviewed, for television to air a block of commercials and for fans to grab a beer and a bathroom break – the system has been radicalized from NASCAR’s origins.

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Tiger and Torrey, and a mixed bag of memories (Sports Betting News)Tiger and Torrey, and a mixed bag of memories (Sports Betting News)

FILE - In this June 26, 2016, file photo, Tiger Woods stands on the 18th green during the trophy ceremony for Quicken Loans National PGA golf tournament winner Billy Hurley III in Bethesda, Md. Woods discusses his impending return to Riviera for the Genesis Open in February, the hometown tournament that golf's aging superstar has skipped since 2006. Despite his love for the venerable course, Woods has never won there. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Tiger Woods was quick to set the record straight, with a smile. As he gets ready to embark on his 21st season on the PGA Tour, a reporter mentioned to Woods that he had won at Torrey Pines ”seven or eight times” and asked how much his comfort level was a factor in deciding where to start his year. ”Eight times,” Woods replied.

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Tiger and Torrey, and a mixed bag of memories (Sports Betting News)Tiger and Torrey, and a mixed bag of memories (Sports Betting News)

FILE - In this June 26, 2016, file photo, Tiger Woods stands on the 18th green during the trophy ceremony for Quicken Loans National PGA golf tournament winner Billy Hurley III in Bethesda, Md. Woods discusses his impending return to Riviera for the Genesis Open in February, the hometown tournament that golf's aging superstar has skipped since 2006. Despite his love for the venerable course, Woods has never won there. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Tiger Woods was quick to set the record straight, with a smile. As he gets ready to embark on his 21st season on the PGA Tour, a reporter mentioned to Woods that he had won at Torrey Pines ”seven or eight times” and asked how much his comfort level was a factor in deciding where to start his year. ”Eight times,” Woods replied.

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Featured Groups: Farmers Insurance OpenFeatured Groups: Farmers Insurance Open

SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods’ return to the PGA TOUR, and Torrey Pines’ scenic vistas, will be the focus this week at the Farmers Insurance Open. PGA TOUR LIVE will have coverage of Woods’ first round on TOUR since August 2015 when he plays in the tournament’s marquee group alongside Jason Day and Dustin Johnson. PGA TOUR LIVE will begin with Featured Groups coverage at 11:45 a.m. Eastern on Thursday and Friday. The coverage will move to Featured Holes coverage of the South Course’s par-5 13th and par-3 16th, at 3 p.m. Live coverage also will be available on Twitter at 11:45 a.m. Eastern on Thursday and Friday. Coverage will last for approximately one hour. Here’s a look at this week’s other featured groups (Note: FedExCup ranking in parentheses.) More from the Farmers Insurance Open: Tee times | Expert Picks | Power Rankings THURSDAY Brandt Snedeker (T111), Justin Rose (22), Brooks Koepka (20): The Olympic gold medalist, the defending champion and another promising young player are featured in this group. Rose, who was victorious last year in Rio de Janeiro, is coming off a runner-up finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Snedeker has five top-three finishes in 10 appearances at this event, including two wins. His love affair with the tournament was immediate, as he shot a first-round 61 at Torrey Pines North as a PGA TOUR rookie. Koepka, who won the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan in November, also finished second at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Tee time: 12:30 p.m. Eastern off No. 10 at Torrey Pines North on Thursday; 1:30 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 at Torrey Pines South on Friday. Jimmy Walker (99), Rickie Fowler (85), Phil Mickelson (72): This group is a battle between the generations, as it features a player in his 20s, 30s and 40s. Mickelson, 46, is a San Diego native and the local favorite. He has won this event twice and arrives this year off of a promising season debut at the CareerBuilder Challenge (T21), his first event since two surgeries for sports hernia. Fowler, 28, owns three PGA TOUR victories, including the 2015 PLAYERS. The Farmers is something of a hometown event for Fowler, who grew up an hour away in Murrieta. Walker, the reigning PGA Championship winner, is a six-time TOUR winner. The 38-year-old has finished in the top 10 in four of his past five starts at this event. Tee time: 12:40 p.m. Eastern off No. 10 at Torrey Pines North on Thursday; 1:40 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 at Torrey Pines South on Friday. FRIDAY Hideki Matsuyama (2), Daniel Berger (17), Emiliano Grillo (36): The past two winners of the PGA TOUR’s Rookie of the Year award are playing alongside another of the game’s young stars in this group. Matsuyama, 24, is second in the FedExCup standings after winning the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions and finishing second in two other starts. Matsuyama has won four of his past seven worldwide starts. Berger, 23, and Grillo, 24, each own one PGA TOUR title. Tee time: 1:30 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 at Torrey Pines South on Thursday; 12:20 p.m. Eastern off No. 10 at Torrey Pines North on Thursday Dustin Johnson (76), Jason Day (114), Tiger Woods (N/R): The group features the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, World No. 1 and arguably the game’s greatest player. Eight of Woods’ 79 PGA TOUR victories have come at Torrey Pines. He’s won the Farmers Insurance Open seven times, including four consecutive from 2005-08, and earned his most recent major at the 2008 U.S. Open. Johnson, who won three times in 2015-16, has finished in the top six in his past three tournaments. Day won the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open. Tee time: 1:40 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 at Torrey Pines South on Thursday; 12:30 p.m. Eastern off No. 10 at Torrey Pines North on Friday

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Davis ‘expecting to play’ vs Thunder (Sports Betting News)Davis ‘expecting to play’ vs Thunder (Sports Betting News)

Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis says he’s ”expecting to play” when New Orleans hosts Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. Davis, who sat out Monday’s victory over Cleveland because of a right thigh bruise, says he took part in five-on-five work on both the offensive and defensive ends during Tuesday’s practice. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry says the team will monitor how Davis’ right leg responds to practice.

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