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Once upon a time, and as recently as 2016, La Quinta Country Club was not the easiest of the host courses of The American Express. That was the last edition that the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST was the friendliest of the trio, although it wasn’t by much over La Quinta CC. From 2017-2020, La Quinta CC has been the easiest par 72 of all courses in every season. In the context of only the three par 72s used for this tournament, it was comfortably the easiest until 2020 when Nick Tourney was mere percentage points harder. RELATED: Five Things to Know about Stadium Course | PGATOUR.COM Expert Picks As noted in Monday’s Power Rankings, this is the second edition since the greens on Nick Tourney were transitioned to TifEagle bermuda. Also noted, other factors may have (and probably) contributed to a measurably higher scoring average (70.949) compared to previous years. The Stadium Course averaged 71.032 over the same two first rounds last year before settling at 70.809 cumulatively for the tournament. Mildly inclement weather including gusty winds at times can’t be ruled out as having an impact in the second and third rounds. All right, so those are the pieces on the board. With an aggregate 12 scores contributing to your first three rounds in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf – assuming you play four starters per round – the objective is to max out on all six on La Quinta. That much is simple. The question is when. Weather in the first two rounds is going to be perfect, but winds are forecast to freshen for Saturday’s third round. It shouldn’t get crazy out there, but it’s enough to consider modifying your roster for an edge. My fantasy philosophy follows reality. If you’re one of the 156 in the tournament and you know that you’re going to have to take advantage of the easiest course when it’s playing the easiest, you’re going to prefer a tee time on La Quinta CC in the first or second round. So do I as a gamer. If you’re not familiar with this approach, it’s going to feel counterintuitive, and you’re going to want to argue that you should lean on La Quinta CC when the winds blow, but all of the courses still will surrender red numbers on Saturday. That’s insurance. If you back-end for La Quinta CC in the third round, and the wind forecast holds, all you’re going to do is invest in a scoring average that likely will be a little higher and possibly closer to the same on the other two tracks, and then you’ll have wasted the opportunity on a greater probability of very low scores in the first two rounds, not to mention the bonus points that go with low rounds of the day and bogey-free scores. For the course rotation, read my tweet immediately below. Tee times for all three rounds can be found here. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for The American Express (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Sungjae Im Seamus Power Jon Rahm Scottie Scheffler Matthew Wolff You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Si Woo Kim (+200 for a Top 20) … It’s not often when the defending champ lands here, but it makes sense, doesn’t it? While we could say the same thing for close to 100 percent of membership every week, we never know what to expect from this guy in the short-term. Even when he’s humming along, we hold our breath that his back will be fine. The weather won’t be the problem this week, so it’s a good time to exercise an elevated expectation. Of course, the issue with that is that you’ll be swimming among casual gamers that think that he’s an automatic play as the defending champ. In the strategic world of gaming, that slot him as a no-play. DRAWS Rickie Fowler (+240 for a Top 20) … In doses, but yes. He connected for a T3 at THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT and added a pair of middling paydays before separating for the birth of his first child in November. Obviously, we can’t rule out the Nappy Factor in advance of the best of life experiences, nor should we dismiss it in its wake. He also finished T10 and T21 in the last editions of the Amex, respectively, so even as he’s endured a slow slide in form, PGA WEST has been kind. Jhonattan Vegas (+240 for a Top 20) … He’s celebrating the 11-year anniversary of his breakthrough victory at the Amex. While he’s managed only one top 30 in nine returns (T11, 2018), that’s in part due to the dynamic scoring that the tournament yields (a fact that strengthens the support for others who have demonstrated consistently strong form here), but he deserves this endorsement thanks to his own dynamite play over the past 11 months. Sets up nicely in DFS, especially. K.H. Lee (+300 for a Top 20) … He’s been a regular contributor in all formats, and there’s no reason to think he’s going to quit anytime soon. Five consecutive cuts made upon arrival, the first three going for a top 25. Also cashed in his last two trips to PGA WEST. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+225 for a Top 20) Adam Hadwin (+300 for a Top 20) Brian Harman (+300 for a Top 20) Russell Knox (+300 for a Top 20) Alex Noren (+275 for a Top 20) Odds sourced on Tuesday, January 11 at 5 a.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. FADES Russell Henley … He’s a professional and he knew that he was making the trip before the weekend at Waialae, so our speculation concerns only how he’s digesting getting edged by hungry Hideki Matsuyama on Sunday. Henley still closed with 65, so I’m defaulting to him tipping his cap to the champ. At the same time, the energy spent takes a toll. The clincher is that he’s missed four consecutive cuts at PGA WEST. Phil Mickelson … He’s 0-for-2 since rising from tournament ambassador to host in 2020 and, of course, he’s also turned 50 along the way. What’s great is that the 2021 PGA Championship title always is his, but it’s an outlier at this level. Unless he starts connecting top 25s again, he likely won’t be appearing on this page even infrequently. Gary Woodland … In his last 12 starts dating back to Memorial in June, he’s missed seven cuts but also hung up a trio of top-11 finishes. He hasn’t complained about residual pain in his back and as a result of a torn labrum in his hip, but we still must wonder if those injuries in late 2020 generated habits that have been harder to break than usual. Jason Day … It hasn’t penalized many others before him, but it’s still noteworthy that he’s making his tournament debut. The 34-year-old Aussie connected top 15s last summer, but they’ve remained his only top 30s in 10 months. Troy Merritt Francesco Molinari Pat Perez Brandt Snedeker Hudson Swafford Harold Varner III RETURNING TO COMPETITION Cameron Champ … All set to get back after it at Kapalua after shutting it down in the fall due to an injured left wrist, but he tested positive for COVID-19 and couldn’t play. It was the second time that he was bumped from a field due to a positive test (2020 Travelers Championship). Full-season investors will trust that he’s at or close to 100 percent again, but weekly gamers are resorted to slotting him as a flier, if at all. His inconsistency surrounding moments of glory is baffling. Carlos Ortiz … Remember that intense fortnight in the fall? He traveled to Japan for the no-cut ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP only to withdraw at the midpoint with a sore left shoulder. Two weeks later at Mayakoba in his native Mexico, he circled five birdies in his last seven holes and still checked up four strokes back of champion Viktor Hovland. After that gutty performance, Ortiz succumbed to the injury and forewent his only title defense on the PGA TOUR in Houston. PGA WEST guarantees three rounds to test the shoulder and shed the rust. He’s 2-for-4 in the tournament but neither payday went for a top 45, so that cements the decision to use this week for observation only. Joshua Creel … Tested positive for COVID-19 after his opening round at Waialae and was forced to withdraw. The rookie is 1-for-4 on the season with a T40 at Sea Island. Seung-Yul Noh … Late scratch to a sore back in Houston, so he hasn’t pegged it in meaningful competition since Halloween. Still has 12 starts on his Major Medical Extension (link: https://www.pgatour.com/fantasy/medical-extensions.html) to gather 265.815 FedExCup points and retain status, but he hasn’t connected for a top 25 on the PGA TOUR since early summer of 2020. He’s also missed the cut in his last three trips to PGA WEST. Grayson Murray … Missed the cut by two strokes in the Korn Ferry Tour’s season-opening stop in The Bahamas. Since he has two starts remaining on a medical extension, it was the first of up to five rehab starts he can use. The 28-year-old hadn’t played since an injured right knee forced him to walk off TPC Twin Cities during his second round of the 3M Open last July. NOTABLE WDs Charley Hoffman … Although he wouldn’t have ranked highly among ownership percentages in any format, this is a bummer. The 2007 breakthrough champion of the Amex was slated to end a two-month break after a sore back forced him out just before Houston. The same malady knocked him out during the third round of last year’s annual trip to the Coachella Valley. Because he’s sustained inspiring form this long, remain patient if you’re in a full-season format. After all, he retained this commitment until after the deadline, so that’s the silver lining. Martin Laird … This is his first withdrawal after a commitment deadline and before the opening round since Valspar in 2019, so it’s uncommon for him. Also, since joining the PGA TOUR in 2008, this is his first-ever DNP in the Amex. That said, we’re not going to miss him since he cashed in only one of the last four editions. He’s better suited as complementary material in deeper long-term formats, anyway. RECAP – SONY OPEN IN HAWAII POWER RANKINGS Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Corey Conners 11th 2 Marc Leishman T36 3 Webb Simpson T61 4 Cameron Smith MC 5 Sungjae Im MC 6 Hideki Matsuyama Win 7 Kevin Na T20 8 Russell Henley P2 9 Talor Gooch T27 10 Kevin Kisner T3 11 Charles Howell III T36 12 Billy Horschel T36 13 Matt Jones MC 14 Abraham Ancer MC 15 Seamus Power T3 Wild Card Jason Kokrak T17 SLEEPERS Golfer (Prop) Result Joel Dahmen (top 20) MC John Huh (top 20) MC Chan Kim (top 20) MC Peter Malnati (top 20) MC Aaron Rai (top 20) MC GOLFBET Bet, Result Hideki Matsuyama, Marc Leishman & Corey Conners all to make the cut (+120) Matsuyama, Win; Leishman, T36; Conners, 11th BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR January 18 … none January 19 … Brian Harman (35); Tommy Fleetwood (31) January 20 … none January 21 … none January 22 … Graham DeLaet (40) January 23 … none January 24 … Jim Knous (32) Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. 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Paging Pat Perez. Si Woo Kim is wondering when you might pay up. The young South Korean – he’s still just 26 years old — is one of the TOUR’s most enigmatic (read: fiery) talents, but Perez is indebted to him after Kim managed to keep it cool for the last eight months. Perhaps that will help Kim channel his best play more often, and help fans see the wicked sense of humor and infectious personality that Kim keeps hidden in competition. His talent is undeniable. He earned his TOUR card when he was just a teenager, and is the youngest to ever win THE PLAYERS after earning the title at age 21. Kim shot a 60 in his first victory, at the 2016 Wyndham Championship, as well. He is the defending champion of this week’s The American Express. But for all his incredible accomplishments, Kim can confound with his struggles. Forrest Gump’s famous saying about a box of chocolates also can apply to Kim’s game. You never know what you’re going to get. Last year, he shot the highest recorded score on a par-3 in TOUR history. He hit five balls in the water on TPC Southwind’s 11th hole and signed for a 13. The next week, he was in a playoff at the Wyndham Championship. His win at the 2021 American Express came just a year after he shot a first-round 87 in the same event and withdrew with a bad back. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Kim has 37 rounds on TOUR of 5 over or worse. He has 49 rounds of 66 or better in the same time frame. Kim has snapped more clubs than he cares to remember, or count. But it is a source of great pride when he says he hasn’t broken one in over eight months. And that is where Perez comes in. Last April, Kim was in contention in the second round of the Masters Tournament when he snapped his putter in frustration on the 15th hole. He had to use his fairway wood on Augusta National’s famously slick putting surfaces the rest of the way, but still finished the round just three off the lead. Snapping sticks had become almost routine for Kim, and Perez wagered $100,000 that Kim couldn’t stop doing it. But he has, which begs the question: When does Perez have to pay up? Kim’s caddie, former TOUR player Brian Vranesh, figured the end date should have been the turn of the calendar. But the two players didn’t make it clear, so Perez is technically still alive in the wager. That hasn’t stopped Kim from reminding the veteran Perez, always with a big smile, that he hasn’t forgotten about the $100K. Kim says his days of snapping clubs are behind him; he’s trying to mellow out. One settling influence has been age. Another has been his relationship with Ji Hyun Oh, a Korean LPGA Tour winner. He arrives for this week’s title defense ranked 39th in the FedExCup thanks to four top-25s in seven starts, and the importance of his performances is magnified with this being a Presidents Cup year. Kim’s lone appearance on the team came five years ago, but a full-strength Si Woo would undoubtedly be a boon to Trevor Immelman’s squad. Kim’s resolve continues to be tested, but he’s also shown he can compete with the best. His performance in the final two weeks of last year’s regular season is Exhibit A. How else do you explain a player setting an unfortunate scoring record one week and finishing runner-up the next? It helped that Kim was able to have fun with the moment, as an opportunity to show off his sense of humor. He was reliving the drama with Kevin Na while they flew from Memphis to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the Wyndham Championship, when they turned Kim’s misfortune – and Na’s 16 a few years earlier at the Valero Texas Open – into a fun piece of content on social media. “He was telling me about the 13 and I was like, ‘Is that a record?’ and turns out it was, so of course now he has that record and I have the record for (highest score on) par-4s,” Na said. The pair posed for a photo and posted it on social media, with Kim holding up three fingers and Na four. “Highest par3 score ever by me. 13 today. Highest par4 ever score 16 by @kevinna915. Record breakers here!!😂 and finish(ed) with 14 club(s) 👏👏,” Kim posted to Instagram clearly proud of his restraint. On Korean social media he added, “I set a new record for the most at-bats on a par-3 today and Kevin Na, the record holder for the most at-bats on a par 4, is next to me.” They said they’ve turned their ‘disasters’ into a ‘memory’ with wide smiles. “It’s just his character and my character,” Na said. “I can make fun of myself and I’m OK with it and he is the same way. He’s got a great sense of humor and I know his English isn’t perfect, but you’d be surprised how much he understands and what he says. He has some great one-liners that he delivers in English, let me tell you.” Na, who has become something of a mentor to Kim, believes the heretofore hot-and-cold Kim’s budding maturity will translate to lower scores, and greater consistency, going forward. “He’s fearless,” Na said. “As a player he is very aggressive and that’s why he is a little bit up and down. When he is hot and aggressive, he’s going to make a ton of birdies and that’s how he wins. He gets in the zone and he is just dangerous. Dangerously good. And he can blow fields away. “But sometimes he plays too aggressive,” Na continued. “I’ve seen that, and it can go the wrong way. And it’s been his composure. He tends to get hot, and it costs him strokes out there. But he’s young and working on that. He has all the talent in the world and I keep telling him how good he is and he has a lot of good years ahead of him.” Kim has always been precocious. The son of a scratch golfer, he got started in the game by tagging along with his father to the driving range. Si Woo made his mind up at 8 that he would play professionally, and won four national titles before making the Korean national team at 16. He was 17 years, 5 months and 6 days old when he made it through the final PGA TOUR Q-School in 2012, making him the youngest-ever to earn a TOUR card through the qualifying tournament. But regulations meant he couldn’t play on TOUR until he turned 18 in late June of 2013, leaving him with just six starts to keep his card. He missed the cut in all of them. Back on the Korn Ferry Tour for two seasons, he won in 2015 to graduate back to the big stage. He wasted little time in collecting his first TOUR win, at the Wyndham in August of 2016. “People forget he got his TOUR card at 17 and he’s now only 26 years old,” Vranesh says. “I was fortunate enough to play out here for one year and I didn’t get here until I was 31. I couldn’t even imagine what he’s done at his age. At 26 I was trying to find $1,000 to play on the Gateway Tour and he’s a veteran playing for millions every week. And look, maturity takes time no matter how good you are. But Si Woo is taking important steps in life, and I think the growth will continue. “We had some issues last year and he took a look in the mirror after some of those and now he knows he’s a top player and he’s on TV a lot and you have to act the right way at times.” A win followed at the following year’s PLAYERS. He was two back starting the final round but won by three after an impressive short-game performance. That win, at the site of countryman K.J. Choi’s biggest victory, earned him a spot on the International Team for the 2017 Presidents Cup. “At first he was pretty quiet and stayed in the background a little but as the week went on you could see his personality grow,” teammate Marc Leishman says. “He certainly wasn’t short on confidence, and I say that in a good way. It was a little surprising but good to see his passion.” Kim went 1-2-0 but also authored one of the International Team’s most memorable moments, when he tried to emulate Patrick Reed’s famous shush in the midst of the United States’ record rout. Few would dare such a gesture during such a lopsided competition. It takes a certain amount of gall. Two down on the 11th, Kim watched Daniel Berger chip in from off the green to seemingly go 3 up. But he calmly knocked in his birdie putt before giving the raucous New York crowd the shush sign. While he was unable to find his way back to the team that nearly pulled off the upset in Australia in 2019, Kim is intent on catching the eye of 2022 International Team captain Trevor Immelman. “I hope I can get back on the team,” Kim says. “I want to compete with the best players in the world and we have a little unfinished business there. I need to focus on consistent results to get back there. I need to be more consistent for sure. Some weeks I am really good, and others really bad, and I can’t keep doing that. I’m working on it.” That’s music to Immelman’s ears. “Sometimes I think the problem with Si Woo is he hits the ball so effortlessly perfect a lot of the time that he holds himself to that standard almost all of the time,” Immelman says. “It’s pretty hard to hit that mark repeatedly. “But as he gains experience and finds ways to work around his tough times, he becomes a player to watch for sure. Anyone who wins THE PLAYERS has the skills to beat anyone on their day.”
Kyle Kuzma has averaged just over 15 points per game in his five-year NBA career. If the 26-year-old Washington Wizards forward can keep that figure higher than his handicap, he’ll be happy. He’s currently a 15 handicap and is consistently breaking 90 on the golf course. While Kuzma grew up down the street from the PGA TOUR’s Buick Open outside Flint, Michigan, it was not until Summer 2020 that he caught the golf bug. While in the NBA Bubble at Disney World, Kuzma began spending his off-days on the course, as golf was one of a handful of leisure activities offered to the players. Kuzma, then a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, left the Bubble with a championship ring and a commitment to working on his short game. Recently, in a video for Skratch, golf influencer Roger Steele linked up with Kuzma, as the two explored historic Langston Golf Course, the second racially-desegregated golf course in Washington D.C. Steele and Kuzma mingled with some of the regulars, took a few cuts on the course and may or may not have slipped in a few mulligans. At PGATOUR.COM, we had our own questions for the budding golfer. PGATOUR.COM: How’d you get into golf? KYLE KUZMA: I got into golf briefly in college. I had a lot of golf friends that played college at the University of Utah. And then I kind of went away from the game after I got drafted into the NBA, obviously had a lot of different focuses, but when we had the NBA Bubble in Orlando, I just got out back on the golf course with a few of my assistant coaches and fell in love with the game. I had a bunch of fun with a bunch of guys and I’ve been hooked since. PGATOUR.COM: Yeah, so about that bubble. When they said you guys could only do so many things and golf was one of them, how did guys in the NBA react? KYLE KUZMA: Well, it’s not that many guys that play golf in the NBA. I mean, there’s a bunch, but there’s not that many regulars. We had a few options. It was either golf, fishing or bowling. Fishing is kind of dirty and bowling is inside. So, I think golf was an easy way just to be outside and still just have fun and enjoy your time within that bubble. It did its job for sure. PGATOUR.COM: “The Last Dance” came out before that and we saw Michael Jordan and ScottiePippen playing golf into the NBA Finals. You were on the Lakers and won the championship in the Bubble. Were you still playing golf by the time the NBA Finals were happening? KYLE KUZMA: Oh yeah, we were playing golf all throughout the playoffs. Every off-day, even in the Finals, I got out there and golfed. It’s not a real taxing sport. If it’s not cart-path only, you can get out there and just drive up to your ball and hit it, get back in your cart and chill. It’s an easy sport on your body and it’s good for the mental. When you’re playing basketball at a high level, it fries your brain, and having something to do that has nothing to do with basketball and get your mind off of it is great. PGATOUR.COM: How do you think golf has helped you just relax and improved your mental health? KYLE KUZMA: It’s helped my mental health in extreme amounts – sometimes – obviously, I get out there and I might hit the ball really good. And then the next one, I might lose a couple balls. It’s up and down, but at the same time, it just does a great thing because it gets you out of your own reality. It’s only you and the ball out there, minus some friends, but a bunch of times, you may just be out there drinking, having a good time and having fun. That’s what the game’s about, just having fun. PGATOUR.COM: In terms of friends, who have become some of your golf buddies within the NBA? KYLE KUZMA: I golf a lot with Jason Kidd. I golf a lot with Alex Caruso, but it’s so many guys. So many guys actually golf. I know Jayson Tatum, we’ve talked a bunch about golf, Donovan Mitchell golfs, Karl Towns golfs, I’ve golfed with Devin Booker, who is another good guy to golf with. It’s all over the place. The popularity within our sport is gaining traction. PGATOUR.COM: You’re 6’9” and we’ve seen some crazy swings on social media, especially during the Bubble. Who has the wildest golf swing you’ve seen? KYLE KUZMA: That I’ve seen in person? Well, I don’t think it really counts because we were in the Bubble, but JaVale McGee is like 7’2” and he was playing with clubs that were for a guy probably about 5’10.” Obviously, his swing is going to be pretty nasty out there just because of those dynamics. PGATOUR.COM: For you as a 6’9” guy, I’m sure you’ve had to find custom clubs and what not. How has it been adjusting to the sport with your size? KYLE KUZMA: It’s been pretty easy. I’m a Puma-sponsored athlete and Puma works in conjunction with Cobra, so the Cobra guys down in Carlsbad, they’ve done a great job with me, just helping me out, makingsure my clubs fit, making sure I have extended clubs, making sure my clubheads are slanted exactly for me and my swing. It’s been pretty easy, but it’s definitely been a challenge being taller than most. PGATOUR.COM: In the Skratch video, we see you at Langston Golf Course in the Washington D.C. area, which obviously has a lot of history. What was that experience like? KYLE KUZMA: It was very cool. I always love playing golf courses, but even more at historic golf courses and Langston was a very interesting one. It’s one of the oldest African-American courses and it’s just great to get out there and play where a course has been over years and years and years and many people have passed and come through it. It was a pretty unique opportunity for me. PGATOUR.COM: What was it like hanging out with host Roger Steele for the day? KYLE KUZMA: Oh man, hanging out with Roger was real dope. I think he’s a fantastic influencer of the game, especially him being different from what most would say a golfer should look like. I think he adds an element to the sport that is really innovative and he’s just pushing the game along. He’s a fantastic person and I really enjoyed my time out there with him. PGATOUR.COM: For you, as a kid from Flint, Michigan, the state has had a lot of PGA TOUR events and has a rich golf history. Where did golf fit in growing up? KYLE KUZMA: Michigan has amazing courses for one, and I’ve always known that about the state. The Buick Open used to be in my hometown in Grand Blanc, right outside Flint, so being from that state, you kind of grasp that. PGATOUR.COM: Did you ever go to that tournament as a kid or did you experience kind of the hoopla of the town during that time? KYLE KUZMA: You experienced the hoopla more than going. For me, especially when I was a kid, it waseither basketball or football. That’s all I really cared about. I didn’t really play other sports and didn’t even care about any other sports. That’s all I focused on, but you knew when the Buick Open was in town, it was a big deal. You have a lot of famous people coming to town, a lot of good golfers from all over the world. You definitely can feel it. PGATOUR.COM: When you think about Michigan and D.C., what are some opportunities that you may now have to give back to the community using the game of golf? KYLE KUZMA: For me, I have a big platform. If you follow me, you’ll see things like me loving the game of golf or me loving wine or me loving cigars. I think it’s really unique because we’re going into a new era within the game of golf. You see a lot of different people playing the game, picking up clubs from all different races, all different minority groups. I think it’s great for the game, as it continues to grow, you get different faces playing the game. PGATOUR.COM: How important is it for young kids to see a face like yourself playing golf, even as a hobby? KYLE KUZMA: I think it’s big time because there’s just so many outlets in life. I know kids who are underprivileged or kids that look like me, you’re never really thinking of picking up a golf club. You know, golf’sa great sport for networking, it’s a great sport to have fun and it’s amazing. PGATOUR.COM: Have you watched a lot of PGA TOUR golf and are there some players you’ve enjoyed watching? KYLE KUZMA: I love Bryson. We conversate here and there and I love what he does for the game. He’s so scientifically sound with his analytics. That’s something I really love. Obviously being a Tiger [Woods] fan, everyone loves Tiger. I love Phil Mickelson. I think he’s a great man and an even better golfer. With me, picking up golf and being real passionate about it has allowed me to really study the game and learn about it more. PGATOUR.COM: What’s the best part of your game right now? KYLE KUZMA: Definitely my short game, which is kind of funny because everyone’s like, I’m backwards because usually that’s the hardest part. And I’m terrible at driving. That’s probably my worst, but if I can get anywhere 130 yards or less, I’ll use my pitching wedge, I’ll use my 56 and I’m good. PGATOUR.COM: Most people would say a mid-range jump shot is the most difficult part of the NBA, but you seem to have that down. KYLE KUZMA: (Laughs) That’s true. That’s very true. PGATOUR.COM: Now in the Skratch video, you say you want to go to Tahoe (for the American Century Championship). That’s the goal. How far is your game from being in pro-am events? KYLE KUZMA: I mean, about three years. I need three solid years. I’ve only been playing for about two years now. I’m an under-90 golfer, so that’s pretty good. I think in three years, I’ll be even better. I don’t want to just go just to have fun. I want to go and win. For me, I got a ways to go first. I want to be competitive. PGATOUR.COM: I like how you say “under-90.” Do you have a handicap yet? KYLE KUZMA: My handicap right now is about a 15. So it’s getting low. It’s getting down there. PGATOUR.COM: In the video, you’re rocking a red Ferrari jacket. How do you think you could help innovate golf fashion out there? KYLE KUZMA: I think golf is a sport that is heading into a new era. You want to keep it as traditional as possible because it is important, everything has been the same for hundreds of years, but I don’t think there should be limits on what you can really wear out there. Visually, you see me wearing a Ferrari jacket and the jacket is no different than having a pullover on. I’m a Ferrari fan, I love their work and it made sense to go out there on the golf course with it. PGATOUR.COM: Now that you’ve seen all of these things in golf over the last few years, what were some of your misconceptions about golf that you now see differently? KYLE KUZMA: I always used to be scared going to a course because I thought it was really serious, but when I’m getting out there and playing with my friends, we’re just really just out there drinking and having fun.Sometimes it’s about going out there just to get away, escape your personal life, go out there and have a little fun and talk to people. PGATOUR.COM: What are your long term goals in golf, especially because I’m sure you’re competitive with some of those NBA guys that you mentioned? KYLE KUZMA: If I can be in my 40s and become almost scratch, I think that’s a good goal right there. PGATOUR.COM: I’ll spell that Skratch on paper. KYLE KUZMA: No pun intended, by the way.
Two-time NBA blocks leader Myles Turner is expected to be out beyond the Feb. 10 trade deadline, sources told ESPN, as the Pacers’ center recovers from a stress fracture in his left foot.
