Tank for Tua? The 2020 draft might be almost a year away, but it’s not too early to look at a loaded QB class and where they might all end up.
(Inside Lacrosse Photo: Kathryn Riley)Â Three overtime games highlighted the first round of the Div. I NCAA Tournament, but the top teams held their ground on day two. Seven of the top eight seeds will play in this weekend’s quarterfinals, with Denver’s win at No. 8 Michigan serving as the only
Playing for the first time since his surprising Masters victory, Tiger Woods is back at it for the second major of the year.
The Sharks go up 2-1 after a wild Game 3 in St. Louis was marred by an officiating controversy. Plus, get ready for Game 4 of Bruins-Canes.
INDIANAPOLIS — This was the offseason after the AFC Championship Game loss at New England, and general manager Ryan Grigson swung for the fences in free agency by signing running back Frank Gore, wide receiver Andre Johnson and pass rusher Trent Cole. Only Gore made much of an impact in Indy, and none
Note: This is the third in a series of stories evaluating returning players on Michigan State’s 2019-20 roster. Previously: Kyle Ahrens, Joshua Langford EAST LANSING — Foster Loyer’s high school basketball career finished at the Breslin Center with a flourish. In the 2018 MHSAA state semifinals
Kevin Magnussen has downplayed his clash with Haas teammate Romain Grosjean at the Spanish Grand Prix and said it was a consequence of two drivers fighting hard for position.
There were glimpses of glory from Tiger Woods on Thursday, but ultimately his steady ballstriking was outweighed by sloppy mistakes. He had two double-bogeys on his front nine and two three-putts on the back. Those mistakes wasted a day when he hit the ball well around the demanding Black Course at Bethpage Black. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tee times | Rethinking Tiger’s future | Tiger ‘welcomes’ playing in Olympics Woods played the first four holes of his back nine in 4 under par to reach red figures, but signed for a 72 after bogeys on three of his final five holes. He had birdie putts on nine of his final 10 holes but only played them in 1 under par. He left himself too many long par putts, though, because of mediocre lag putting. Woods missed all five putts he faced from 5-10 feet on Thursday. He is nine shots back of leader Brooks Koepka, with whom he played Thursday. ROUND 1: TIGER HOLE-BY-HOLE No. 10 (par 4, 502 yards): Not an ideal start for Tiger. He needed four shots just to reach the green, then missed a 6-foot putt for bogey. He isn’t the only player to struggle on No. 10, though. Early on Thursday, it’s playing as the second-hardest hole at Bethpage Black. The average score is 4.6. Woods’ 6 is the fifth double-bogey or worse on the hole. It started with the tee shot. Woods hit a high fade with the driver that barely missed the fairway. In a sign of how thick the rough is this week, Woods had to lay up from 201 yards. His biggest error came on his next shot, an 85-yard wedge shot that flew the hole by 20 yards. He couldn’t get up and down from the short grass behind the green. Fairways hit: 0 for 1 Greens hit: 0 for 1 Putts: 2 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: -0.12 Approach: -0.85 Around-the-Green: -0.01 Putting: -0.51 SCORE: Double bogey (2 over through 1 hole) No. 11 (par 4, 435 yards): Woods looks like he has things back under control. He hits the fairway and green, then two-putts from 44 feet for par after burning the edge on his long birdie putt. This is what he needed to settle in after that tough start on 10. Fairways hit: 1 for 2 Greens hit: 1 for 2 Putts: 4 Score: +2 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: -0.05 Approach: -0.92 Around-the-Green: -0.02 Putting: -0.43 Total: -1.22 SCORE: Par (2 over through 2 holes) No. 12 (par 4, 515 yards): Another driver. Another high fade. This one finds the fairway, but it only traveled 277 yards. Tiger has 230 yards left, but at least it’s from the short grass. Woods leads the TOUR in greens hit, so finding the fairways is the first priority and he proves that by knocking it on the green. For the second straight hole, Woods almost rolls in the long birdie putt. It’s another two-putt par. Things are going smoothly after that tough start. Fairways hit: 2 for 3 Greens hit: 2 for 3 Putts: 6 Score: +2 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: -0.08 Approach: -0.57 Around-the-Green: -0.01 Putting: -0.39 Total: -0.79 SCORE: Par (2 over through 3 holes) No. 13 (par 5, 608 yards): Hitting it far is important at Bethpage Black, but not with wedges in hand. Woods has flown the green both times he’s had a shot from inside 100 yards. This time it was with his 87-yard third shot at the par-5 13th. He did save par from behind the green but it’s a missed birdie opportunity on one of the two par-5s on Bethpage Black. On the plus side, Woods has hit three consecutive fairways and made three consecutive pars after that opening double bogey. Fairways hit: 3 of 4 Greens hit: 2 of 4 Putts: 7 Score: +2 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: -0.10 Approach: -0.94 Around-the-Green: +0.19 Putting: -0.39 Total: -0.95 SCORE: Par (2 over through 4 holes) No. 14 (par 3, 161 yards): Two-putt pars are always a good thing at Bethpage Black, but this was another missed birdie opportunity on a course that doesn’t offer many of them. The pin was back-right on this short par-3, but Woods couldn’t get his tee shot onto the back shelf. He has yet to hit an approach shot within 30 feet of the hole. Woods walked off the green with his fourth straight par after holing a 4-foot putt. Fairways hit: 3 of 4 Greens hit: 3 of 5 Putts: 9 Score: +2 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: -0.10 Approach: -0.93 Around-the-Green: +0.20 Putting: -0.39 Total: -1.08 SCORE: Par (2 over through 5 holes) No. 15 (par 4, 484 yards): Tiger’s first birdie of the day comes on one of the toughest holes, the uphill 15th. It’s just the second birdie of the day on 486-yard hole. It started with another strong tee shot, a cut driver that found the fairway for the fourth consecutive time. Then he hit a 208-yard approach to 16 feet. Woods has looked solid. His driver is under control and his iron game is impeccable per usual. His only mistake thus far has been the two wedges that air-mailed the green. Fairways hit: 4 of 5 Greens hit: 4 of 6 Putts: 10 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: -0.05 Approach: -0.55 Around-the-Green: +0.21 Putting: +-0.43 Total: +0.24 SCORE: Birdie (1 over through 6 holes) No. 16 (par 4, 490 yards): That was a good old-fashioned grinding par for Tiger. He missed his first fairway since No. 10 after his drive didn’t cut enough. He gouged one out of the thick stuff, and was able to roll it to within 30 yards of the hole. He pitched to 4 feet and walked away with a par that had to put a pep in his step. Those kind of pars will be important this week. Fairways hit: 4 of 6 Greens hit: 4 of 7 Putts: 11 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: -0.02 Approach: -0.82 Around-the-Green: +0.59 Putting: +0.54 Total: +0.23 SCORE: Par (1 over through 7 holes) No. 17 (par 3, 207 yards): All that good momentum may have gone out the window with a double-bogey on 17, his second of the day. Woods’ tee shot on the par-3 plugged in a bunker. He hit that sand shot to 30 feet, then inexplicably three-putted from the fringe after racing his par putt 8 feet past the hole. This one was a head-shaker. Fairways hit: 4 of 6 Greens hit: 4 of 8 Putts: 13 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: -0.01 Approach: -1.21 Around-the-Green: -0.41 Putting: +0.02 Total: -1.48 SCORE: Double-bogey (3 over through 8 holes) No. 18 (par 4, 411 yards): Tiger makes the turn after a solid par at the 18th hole. He split the fairway and knocked his approach to 18 feet. He makes the turn in 3 over after playing seven solid holes and two head-scratching ones. SCORE: Par (3 over through 9 holes) FIRST 9 STATS Fairways hit: 5 of 7 Greens hit: 5 of 9 Putts: 15 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.13 Approach: -1.13 Around-the-Green: -0.37 Putting: -0.23 Total: -1.64 No. 1 (par 4, 430 yards): A bounce-back birdie, and this was a hard-earned one. It didn’t look like a 3 was possible after Woods’ tee shot landed underneath the trees that protect the inside of this severe dogleg-right. He was able to gouge one out of the rough and onto the green, though. He finished it off with a 14-foot birdie putt. Tiger has two birdies and two doubles. He’s parred the other six holes. Fairways hit: 5 of 8 Greens hit: 6 of 10 Putts: 16 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.12 Approach: -0.86 Around-the-Green: -0.36 Putting: +0.56 Total: -0.74 SCORE: Birdie (2 over through 10 holes) No. 2 (par 4, 389 yards): Back-to-back birdies to start his back nine. The first one was a master-class in scrambling. This one was a textbook 3 on the course’s shortest par-4. He lasered a fairway-wood into the left side of the fairway, then knocked his 110-yard approach to 3 feet. Fairways hit: 6 of 9 Greens hit: 7 of 11 Putts: 17 Score: +1 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.30 Approach: -0.12 Around-the-Green: -0.32 Putting: +0.60 Total: +0.34 SCORE: Birdie (1 over through 11 holes) No. 3 (par 3, 230 yards): Tiger lasered a long-iron within 10 feet on the 235-yard hole but was unable to convert the tee shot for birdie. Still, Woods’ card is only marred by those two doubles. He has three birdies and seven pars on the other 10 holes. Fairways hit: 6 of 9 Greens hit: 8 of 12 Putts: 19 Score: +1 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.31 Approach: +0.54 Around-the-Green: -0.33 Putting: +0.16 Total: +0.70 SCORE: Par (1 over through 12 holes) No. 4 (par 5, 517 yards): Tiger is under par and on the leaderboard after holing a 31-foot eagle putt at this hole. It’s his first eagle at the PGA Championship since 2001, and just his third at this event. He’s played the first four holes of his back nine in 4 under par. He was a 9-foot birdie putt from playing those four holes in 5 under. It’s an incredible turnaround. He played this hole beautifully, hitting a 298-yard drive and then hitting the middle of the green from 210 yards. His long-iron play has been impeccable today. This was the latest example. Fairways hit: 7 of 11 Greens hit: 9 of 13 Putts: 20 Score: -1 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.57 Approach: +0.81 Around-the-Green: -0.32 Putting: +1.10 Total: +2.30 SCORE: Eagle (1 under through 13 holes) No. 5 (par 4, 478 yards): Well, that was a letdown. After an eagle that brought the roars to Bethpage, Tiger three-putted for his first bogey of the day. He raced his 32-foot putt about 4 feet by the hole, then missed the comebacker. Woods is even par despite missing four putts from inside 10 feet already today. Fairways hit: 8 of 12 Greens hit: 10 of 14 Putts: 23 Score: E Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.65 Approach: +0.94 Around-the-Green: -0.32 Putting: +0.08 Total: +1.72 SCORE: Bogey (Even through 14 holes) No. 6 (par 4, 408 yards): Tiger found trouble off the tee on the course’s second-shortest par-4, but he was able to hit the green from the fairway bunker. After three-putting from 30 feet on the previous hole, Tiger makes a tidy two-putt from 50 feet. Fairways hit: 8 of 12 Greens hit: 11 of 15 Putts: 25 Score: E Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.36 Approach: +1.11 Around-the-Green: -0.31 Putting: +0.19 Total: +1.81 SCORE: Par (Even through 15 holes) No. 7 (par 4, 524 yards): That’s two three-putts in his last three holes. Tiger has hit eight consecutive greens in regulation, but after playing the first four holes of the front nine in 4 under par he’s given two of those strokes back because of poor lag putting. Woods had 55 feet for birdie on this converted par-5 but left it 6 feet short. Woods is back to 1 over par. Fairways hit: 9 of 13 Greens hit: 12 of 16 Putts: 28 Score: +1 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.39 Approach: +1.21 Around-the-Green: -0.31 Putting: -0.60 Total: +1.07 SCORE: Bogey (1 over through 16 holes) No. 8 (par 3, 210 yards): Woods streak of eight consecutive greens hit came to an end by mere inches. His tee shot on the longpar-3 came to rest in the first cut. He was left with a straightforward chip shot but raced it 9 feet by the hole. He missed it, his sixth miss from inside 10 feet today. He’s missed all five of his attempts from 5-10 feet. It’s his third bogey in his last four holes. Fairways hit: 9 of 13 Greens hit: 12 of 17 Putts: 30 Score: +2 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.41 Approach: +1.11 Around-the-Green: -0.57 Putting: -1.04 Total: +0.53 SCORE: Bogey (2 over through 17 holes) No. 9 (par 4, 460 yards): Woods two-putts from 28 feet to walk away with 72, a score that has to be disappointing after making eagle on his 13th hole to get into red figures. He bogeyed three of his last five holes despite steady ballstriking on his back nine. Woods had birdie putts on nine of his last 10 holes but only played them in 1 under par. He three-putted twice on his back nine. Fairways hit: 10 of 14 Greens hit: 12 of 18 Putts: 31 Score: +2 Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: +0.55 Approach: +1.13 Around-the-Green: -0.52 Putting: -1.03 Total: +0.76 ROUND 1 SCORE: 2-over 72
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Tiger Woods is back. Today’s opening round of the PGA Championship is his first competitive round since his memorable victory at the Masters. Woods said he feels “rested and readyâ€� after taking four weeks to enjoy his first major victory in more than a decade. He’ll need all the energy he can muster to tackle a big and brawny Black Course at Bethpage State Park. The 7,459-yard layout is playing even longer because of cold, wet conditions. Penal rough will make finding fairways even more important, especially with so many elevated greens. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tee times | Tiger ‘rested and ready’ | Rethinking Tiger’s future | Tiger ‘welcomes’ playing in Olympics Woods is playing the first two rounds with Francesco Molinari and Brooks Koepka, a group that features the past three major winners. They’re accustomed to facing each other in golf’s Grand Slam events. Koepka and Molinari finished second to Woods at the Masters. It was Koepka who held off Woods at last year’s PGA, and Molinari played alongside Woods en route to victory at The Open. This may be a new date and new site for the PGA Championship, but it is familiar territory for Woods. He won the 2002 U.S. Open here. That’s the only year he won the first two majors of the year. Once again, he’s trying to start the season with major wins at Augusta National and Bethpage Black. History may be on his side. The last time the PGA was played in May, the winner was the same man who’d won the Masters a month earlier. That was Sam Snead in 1949. Woods can tie Snead’s record for PGA TOUR victories (82) this week. He’s also seeking his 16th major championship. Stay here for live updates of his round. ROUND 1: TIGER HOLE-BY-HOLE No. 10 (par 4, 502 yards): No. 11 (par 4, 435 yards): No. 12 (par 4, 515 yards): No. 13 (par 5, 608 yards): No. 14 (par 3, 161 yards): No. 15 (par 4, 484 yards): No. 16 (par 4, 490 yards): No. 17 (par 3, 207 yards): No. 18 (par 4, 411 yards): FIRST 9 STATS: No. 1 (par 4, 430 yards): No. 2 (par 4, 389 yards): No. 3 (par 3, 230 yards): No. 4 (par 5, 517 yards): No. 5 (par 4, 478 yards): No. 6 (par 4, 408 yards): No. 7 (par 4, 524 yards): No. 8 (par 3, 210 yards): No. 9 (par 4, 460 yards):
Officials missed a hand pass by the Sharks’ Timo Meier during the sequence that led to San Jose’s winning goal in overtime Wednesday night, but the no-call was not reviewable, leaving the Blues fuming.
