Giannis Antetokounmpo says he had hoped his talk with Jason Kidd before the coach’s firing Monday had stayed between them. “It’s kind of uncomfortable, especially for a guy like me,” the Bucks star said.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was listed with a concussion on the team’s first injury report ahead of the Super Bowl.
With 5.9 seconds remaining, Joe Ingles scores on the inbound play to send it to overtime.
SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods’ pro-am round for the Farmers Insurance Open confirmed the 14-time major champion’s reasons for optimism while simultaneously showing the distance he must traverse to win his 80th PGA TOUR title. He had his share of highlights, including approach shots knocked stiff at the first and final holes and a 25-foot eagle putt at the 17th hole, but also missed a frustrating amount of short putts and had a recovery shot bounce backward after striking a tree. Woods hit his driver hard and his irons high, but his final score of 2-under 70 on the shorter North Course seemed to be an accurate assessment of his day. He had several close approach shots, but didn’t consistently give himself birdie putts within 15 feet of the hole. Most of his misses were just off the fairway or green, though. Two tee shots – at Nos. 5 and 16 – were the only egregious misses. The latter was his sloppiest hole of the day. He was visibly frustrated as he walked to his ball after his failed attempt from the trees, rushing his pre-shot routine before hitting his ball on the green. The frustration shows that Woods still has a standard he expects to meet, even if it isn’t as high as it once was. Unlike the years when he was hampered by back pain, he isn’t content to just be able to swing the club. Even though he admitted that his expectations are tempered by the fact that he hasn’t played on TOUR in a year, Woods talked Wednesday about compiling a schedule that best prepares him for the Masters. The year’s first major is on his mind. The clubhead speed and confidence that make him optimistic about this comeback were on display Wednesday. So fresh is this start that it’s easy to forget that Woods played in this event last year, missing the cut with rounds of 76 and 72. His back already hurting, he lasted just one more round before shutting it down. There’s no pain this year. “I haven’t felt this good in years, so I’m excited about it,� Woods said. “I want to start feeling what it feels like to be out here and hit shots, grind out scores, and that’s something that I’ve been looking forward to.� This is just his second official PGA TOUR start since the 2015 Wyndham Championship. Success won’t be measured in a result this week, though. More important will be what happens 5, 10 or 15 starts from now. He hasn’t played more than 10 events since 2015, and his Player of the Year season of 2013 is the last time he made more than 15 starts. Woods would not elaborate on his upcoming schedule, though. The Genesis Open remains the only other tournament to which he has committed. Woods said he’s been playing golf six days per week, and that, unlike last year, he’s unencumbered by limits on how many holes he can play or balls he can hit. He’s still trying to learn how he can swing with the limited mobility that comes with a fused back. Woods no longer works with an instructor, choosing to experiment on his own. “I’d like to meet somebody who can swing it over 120 miles an hour with a fused back. Do you know anybody?� Woods asked rhetorically. “No one understands that, so I have to rely on my own feels and play around with what my body can and cannot do.� How he swung Wednesday, during what he termed a “hit and giggle� affair where entertaining his amateur partners was a priority along with learning a renovated North Course he’s played just once in competition, pales in importance to his performance Thursday, when he tees off at 10:40 a.m. with Charley Hoffman and Patrick Reed on the South Course. Woods is a seven-time champion of this event, and the winner of the 2008 U.S. Open here, but he hasn’t played on a Sunday at the South Course in five years. His victory at the 2013 Farmers Insurance Open was one of five wins that year. Torrey Pines has changed greatly since his first victory here, in 1999. He shot 22-under par that week. Three of the past four years, the Farmers Insurance Open has been won with a score that’s single-digits under par. Both courses have been renovated since Woods’ first win, and the rough was thick enough Wednesday to make searching for balls a struggle. “The greens are definitely very spring, and it’s going to be a challenge this week,� he said. “It’s going to be a little bit harder to make birdies than it has been in the past. It will be a great challenge.� How Woods handles it is of supreme interest this week, but success will be measured in a matter of months, not days.
SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods’ pro-am round for the Farmers Insurance Open confirmed the 14-time major champion’s reasons for optimism while simultaneously showing the distance he must traverse to win his 80th PGA TOUR title. He had his share of highlights, including approach shots knocked stiff at the first and final holes and a 25-foot eagle putt at the 17th hole, but also missed a frustrating amount of short putts and had a recovery shot bounce backward after striking a tree. Woods hit his driver hard and his irons high, but his final score of even-par 72 seemed to be an accurate assessment of his day. He had several close approach shots, but didn’t consistently give himself birdie putts within 15 feet of the hole. Most of his misses were just off the fairway or green, though. Two tee shots – at Nos. 5 and 16 – were the only egregious misses. The latter was his sloppiest hole of the day. He was visibly frustrated as he walked to his ball after his failed attempt from the trees, rushing his pre-shot routine before hitting his ball on the green. The frustration shows that Woods still has a standard he expects to meet, even if it isn’t as high as it once was. Unlike the years when he was hampered by back pain, he isn’t content to just be able to swing the club. Even though he admitted that his expectations are tempered by the fact that he hasn’t played on TOUR in a year, Woods talked Wednesday about compiling a schedule that best prepares him for the Masters. The year’s first major is on his mind. The clubhead speed and confidence that make him optimistic about this comeback were on display Wednesday. So fresh is this start that it’s easy to forget that Woods played in this event last year, missing the cut with rounds of 76 and 72. His back already hurting, he lasted just one more round before shutting it down. There’s no pain this year. “I haven’t felt this good in years, so I’m excited about it,� Woods said. “I want to start feeling what it feels like to be out here and hit shots, grind out scores, and that’s something that I’ve been looking forward to.� This is just his second official PGA TOUR start since the 2015 Wyndham Championship. Success won’t be measured in a result this week, though. More important will be what happens 5, 10 or 15 starts from now. He hasn’t played more than 10 events since 2015, and his Player of the Year season of 2013 is the last time he made more than 15 starts. Woods would not elaborate on his upcoming schedule, though. The Genesis Open remains the only other tournament to which he has committed. Woods said he’s been playing golf six days per week, and that, unlike last year, he’s unencumbered by limits on how many holes he can play or balls he can hit. He’s still trying to learn how he can swing with the limited mobility that comes with a fused back. Woods no longer works with an instructor, choosing to experiment on his own. “I’d like to meet somebody who can swing it over 120 miles an hour with a fused back. Do you know anybody?� Woods asked rhetorically. “No one understands that, so I have to rely on my own feels and play around with what my body can and cannot do.� How he swung Wednesday, during what he termed a “hit and giggle� affair where entertaining his amateur partners was a priority along with learning a renovated North Course he’s played just once in competition, pales in importance to his performance Thursday, when he tees off at 10:40 a.m. with Charley Hoffman and Patrick Reed on the South Course. Woods is a seven-time champion of this event, and the winner of the 2008 U.S. Open here, but he hasn’t played on a Sunday at the South Course in five years. His victory at the 2013 Farmers Insurance Open was one of five wins that year. Torrey Pines has changed greatly since his first victory here, in 1999. He shot 22-under par that week. Three of the past four years, the Farmers Insurance Open has been won with a score that’s single-digits under par. Both courses have been renovated since Woods’ first win, and the rough was thick enough Wednesday to make searching for balls a struggle. “The greens are definitely very spring, and it’s going to be a challenge this week,� he said. “It’s going to be a little bit harder to make birdies than it has been in the past. It will be a great challenge.� How Woods handles it is of supreme interest this week, but success will be measured in a matter of months, not days.
THE OVERVIEW He hasn’t won a PGA TOUR event in five years and hasn’t won a major in nearly 10 years. In the last 28 months, he’s made just four starts worldwide, as back injuries have kept him sidelined while conjecture about his future reached a crescendo. We haven’t seen him compete at a TOUR event in a year. And yet Tiger Woods is the dominant storyline entering this week’s Farmers Insurance Open. It’s easy to understand why. “He’s the most compelling story in golf – maybe in sports,â€� CBS analyst Nick Faldo said this week. The network is beginning its 49th year of PGA TOUR coverage at the Farmers, the first of 21 TOUR events it will broadcast in 2018. Just like a year ago, when Woods last played on TOUR, CBS will offer a heavy dose of all things Tiger. (In addition, PGA TOUR LIVE will also have extensive coverage of Woods – click here for the complete schedule). The fascination with Woods – the 79-time TOUR winner with 14 majors – may never go away. Although he’s far removed from his last appearance in the winner’s circle (the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in early August of 2013), he’s never really drifted from the consciousness of golf fans. The curiosity factor of whether he can successfully come back from his plethora of back injuries is the focal point now. “The world superstar sometimes doesn’t do justice to the superior superstars,â€� said CBS anchor Jim Nantz said when asked why we remain so drawn to Tiger. “There’s a level there that’s reserved for just a few – [Tom] Brady, [Michael] Jordan, Woods. I’m talking about contemporary superstars. Megastars. “Imagine if Tom Brady had taken a step away from the game and we didn’t really see him compete for five years. And I know it hasn’t been five years for Tiger, but it’s been five years since he won. And all of the sudden Tom Brady is going to go and throw the jersey on and No 12’s on the field again. What is that going to look like this Sunday? Man, I’m watching. “Like Jordan decides to come out of retirement after all these years and he’s going to play a real game again, not an exhibition. What will that look like? I gotta see that. My day is going to be scheduled around that. “That’s kind of where we’re at with Tiger.â€� Nantz, who has been a part of CBS’ golf coverage for more than three decades, said he has “not given upâ€� on Tiger making a successful comeback. But he has tempered expectations this week, saying that simply making the cut “would be for him a good start.â€� Faldo, meanwhile, not only will be focused on how Tiger navigates the Torrey Pines fairways – Woods missed eight consecutive fairways to end last year’s first round – but also wonders about the 42-year-old’s fatigue factor. Faldo said playing in the heat of TOUR competition is much different than the relaxed atmosphere at last month’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, when Tiger showed some encouraging signs. “Does he have the stamina for a tournament week, the consistency, because you’ve got to keep out of that lovely 4-inch rough,â€� Faldo said. However it turns out, Nantz and Faldo will be there to describe the action – and the rest of us no doubt will be captivated by Tiger’s latest return. A winner here last year. His last three worldwide starts: two wins and a runner-up. Hottest player in golf unless it’s … What’s he done since the last time we saw him on U.S. soil? Three wins and three more top 10s in seven starts. In terrific form but Torrey Pines hasn’t been kind to him lately – three MCs and a T61 in his last four appearances. PLAYER COMMENT THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER THE FLYOVER When Tom Weiskopf renovated Torrey Pines North prior to last year’s tournament, he reversed the nines, thus making the old 6th and 7th holes (with ocean views) the new 15th and 16th holes. In addition, Weiskopf improved both holes. He reduced the green slope at the par-3 15th, and now thinks it can compete with the South course’s No. 3 hole as one of the most memorable at Torrey Pines. “No, I think it’s better than that one,â€� he told media members during a course preview. As for the par-4 16th, he lowered the green by 10-12 feet to create a bowl effect so that that approach shots might bounce their way onto the putting surface. “It was not a good hole in my estimation,â€� Weiskopf said. “We made it much better.â€� THE LANDING ZONE Long and into the wind — that pretty much sums up the 504-yard par-4 12th at Torrey Pines South. No wonder it ranked as the toughest hole on the course last year and the fifth toughest of the 900 holes played on the PGA TOUR last season, with a stroke average of 4.435. Bunkers guard both the landing area and the green. Just 52 percent of all drives found the fairway last year, while 41 percent of all approach shots found the green. Here’s a look at where all drives landed in 2017. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “A weak cold front will move across S. California on Thursday that will bring a strong on-shore flow. This will likely produce some low clouds and patchy marine layer fog Thursday morning before lifting for the afternoon. Can’t rule out a few sprinkles, but most areas should remain dry. It will be much cooler with highs in the upper 50s. High pressure returns Friday into the weekend providing moderate off-shore flow. This will lead to warmer temperatures Saturday and Sunday.â€� For the latest weather news from San Diego, California, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK The more attention you guys have on Tiger, the better for me, quite frankly … Hopefully I keep playing good and give you guys something to talk about, but it’s not bad that the attention’s on Tiger. It’s good for golf, it’s good for all of us. BY THE NUMBERS 7,698 – Scorecard yardage at Torrey Pines South, which made it the second-longest course on the PGA TOUR last season (behind Erin Hills/U.S. Open at 7,741 yards). 50.5 – Percentage of fairways hit at Torrey Pines North last season. Just three other courses had tougher fairways to hit. 8 – Wins by Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines – seven in the Farmers Insurance Open, along with his 2008 U.S. Open win. That ties for most wins by Tiger on any course on the PGA TOUR (also eight each at Bay Hill and Firestone). SCATTERSHOTS We’re now 10 weeks into the 40-week regular season of the FedExCup race. Of the top 10 players entering this week, just four were in the top 10 at this time a year ago – Jon Rahm, Pat Perez, Brendan Steele and eventual champ Justin Thomas. Rahm, No. 2 in FedExCup points, is the highest ranked player in the field this week. … San Diego native Xander Schauffele made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2016 Farmers Insurance Open and also played in 2017, each time failing to make the cut. But now he’s a two-time TOUR winner and the reigning Rookie of the Year. “I’ve yet to play the weekend, so small goals set first,â€� Schauffele said about this week. “Can’t win a tournament unless you play Saturday, Sunday, so we’re looking forward to having a good week.â€� … Another player with San Diego ties is Charley Hoffman, who was born nearby. Hoffman is making his 21st start in the Farmers; he has two top-10 finishes and 11 made cuts. He’ll be one of Woods’ partners in the first two rounds along with Patrick Reed. … The first four times Rickie Fowler played the Farmers, he was a cumulative 33 under with 13 rounds under par and a best finish of T5 (in 2010). The last four times he’s played here, he’s a cumulative 10 over with 3 rounds under par and a best finish of T61.
Gun Runner’s final race might be a bit of a challenge. The 4-year-old colt is the overwhelming 4-5 favorite for Saturday’s $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.
Ben Roethlisberger said Wednesday that he doesn’t agree that Mike Tomlin didn’t have the Steelers ready for their eventual playoff loss to the Jaguars.
The Vegas Golden Knights are the toast of hockey and arguably the finest expansion team of all time. You’ll forgive those who run Vegas sportsbooks — a group that takes a bath on every Knights win — for failing to join in on the Sin City-wide party.
QB Derek Carr said he has an existing relationship with new Raiders coach Jon Gruden and that he is eager to be pushed by him. “I want him to be really hard on me because I want to win,” Carr said.
