Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy finished the first round as co-leaders and are on the course in the second round, but they have already been passed.
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Tiger Woods called out both the law enforcement involved in George Floyd’s death and the destructive protests that have ensued.
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Don’t tell Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm the fight for a Green Jacket is a two-horse race. While Patrick Reed (-14) and Rory McIlroy (-11) are certainly in command of the tournament, Fowler (-9) and Rahm (-8) are not about to wave the white flag just yet. As we have seen many times at Augusta National – anything can happen on Sunday at the Masters. Ask Greg Norman. Ask Jordan Spieth. No lead is safe. Norman led by six in 1996 and lost by five. Spieth hit the par-3 12th hole still in control of a second win in 2016 and dumped two balls into Rae’s creek. Anything can happen. And so while the two rivals in the final group can take all the attention – those behind can go under the proverbial radar and try to make their Sunday charge. “I can’t control anyone else, other than putting birdies up on the board,â€� Fowler said. “We’re definitely in the golf tournament. I’m going to need to play the front nine well tomorrow and put myself really in the mix for when this golf tournament starts, which is the final nine holes. “They are fierce competitors, and we’ll see, maybe we can put a few numbers up there and sneak up on them.â€� The record for biggest comeback belongs to Jack Burke (1956) and Gary Player (1978) – they came from eight back to win. More recently, Nick Faldo was six back of Norman in 1996, and Danny Willett was five shots back with six holes to play in 2016 against Spieth. “The big thing is I’ll need to make some key putts, whether they are for birdie or pars, not to fall further behind, and to really put ourselves in a position to go win this tournament,â€� the 2015 PLAYERS champion added. “We’re ready to do that. Tomorrow’s a chance for us go do something pretty cool.â€� Fowler has recent history of getting it done from behind. While an 18-man unofficial event like the Hero World Challenge might not be a major, it was still against some of the best players on the planet last December. He started seven shots back. And he won by four. When he won at TPC Sawgrass in 2015, he started Sunday three back and shot 6 under over the last six holes to push into a playoff he would eventually win. Fowler says he will need to make little or no mistakes to replicate those famous wins. Saturday was a great test case, as he posted a scintillating 7-under 65 without a bogey. He will also draw on the experience of a year ago, when he started just one back of the leaders but shot 76 to fade to 11th. “Last year I may have gotten maybe too defensive or too aggressive and you learn from that and move on,â€� he said. “It wasn’t the finish that I wanted last year; it would have been nice to take advantage of the position we were in, making the turn and only being a few back, but we didn’t. “But I’m definitely playing this golf course the best I have, ever, as far as how comfortable I am on each and every hole, playing all the holes well. Definitely I’m hitting a lot more greens than I’ve ever hit here, and probably driving it the best I have here. “So looking forward to keeping that going. Fairways and greens will be big tomorrow. Just keep me on the putting surface and hopefully in the right spot, and we’ll go make some putts.â€� Rahm matched Fowlers bogey-free 65 and figures he might as well try to do the same Sunday. The Spaniard feels he has nothing to lose. Always an aggressive player, Rahm will try to get hot early and place the seeds of doubt in those behind him. “If you can get a really good start on that front nine and post a good score again, that back nine can be extremely long for the leaders,â€� Rahm said. “We know what can happen on that back nine on Sunday. It’s happened many times where a big lead disappears or even get cut down. Hopefully I’m one of those who plays good tomorrow and has a chance.â€� Henrik Stenson (-7), Tommy Fleetwood (-6), Bubba Watson (-6) and Marc Leishman (-6) are the only other players within the record eight shot margin.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Dustin Johnson has missed nine birdie chances from 10 feet or closer at Liberty National, which ordinarily might annoy him. He’s hitting it so well that he still leads THE NORTHERN TRUST. Johnson birdied three of his last six holes Friday, finishing with an approach to eight feet on the 489-yard closing hole, for a 4-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead over Jordan Spieth (64) going into the weekend. Johnson has won this FedExCup Playoffs opener twice at other courses. He was at 12-under 130. “I’ve got a lot of control with the golf ball and hitting a lot of really nice shots and rolled in a couple putts today which is nice, but still feel like I left quite a few out there,” Johnson said. “I’m in a good position heading into the weekend, and if I can keep swinging the way I am, I think it’s going to be a good weekend.” The weekend does not include Masters champion Tiger Woods, and neither did Friday. Woods, who opened with a 75, withdrew a few hours before his second round was to begin because of what he described as a mild strain to the oblique that he says was causing pain and stiffness. It’s the first time Woods withdrew in the middle of a tournament since February 2017, two months before fusion surgery on his lower back. He said he was hopeful to play next week at Medinah. Spieth might be finding some form at just the right time. Winless in more than two years, he started the PGA TOUR’s Playoffs at No. 69 in the FedExCup with no assurance of staying among the top 70 who advance to next week at Medinah. He might be one round away from thinking more about winning. Spieth was on the same score (131) that he was going into the weekend last week at the Wyndham Championship, where he followed with a 77 and missed the 54-hole cut. His shots have been tighter, his misses not that severe and he even got some good fortune on his final hole that led to a birdie and a spot in the last group with a familiar face. Johnson and Spieth have played together at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am each of the last five years. The opening Playoffs event has a strong cast of contenders, with Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed two shots behind, and Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy among those another shot back. McIlroy was just happy he wasn’t farther behind. He walked off the par-3 14th with a double bogey because of a two-shot penalty from the bunker. McIlroy went to remove a small stone next to his ball, but realized when he touched it and it disintegrated that it was a clump of wet sand from a brief storm delay. The original ruling was a penalty. The PGA TOUR reviewed it as McIlroy played the last four holes, spoke to him after the round and determined that was no intent to improve his lie. His 70 became a 68. “The reason I called someone over is I don’t want anything on my conscience, either,” McIlroy said. “I feel like I play the game with integrity and I’m comfortable saying that I didn’t improve anything. I thought it was a rock. It wasn’t. I moved my hand away, and then I was like, `I don’t know if I’ve done anything wrong here.’ “It came down to me and they said, `OK, are you comfortable telling us you didn’t improve your lie?’ And for me, I am comfortable saying that.” Missing the cut meant the end of the season for at least two dozen players who would not be among the top 70, which includes Bubba Watson. Sergio Garcia would appear to be a casualty having started at No. 65 and not making it to the weekend. The first step for Spieth was to make sure he stayed in the top 70. Now it’s about contending. “The important thing for me is not to get ahead of myself,” Spieth said. “Historically, I’m a very consistent player. I’ve lost a bit of that. I still have the firepower but that consistency is what I’m trying to get back, and there’s certainly going to be times where I’m out of position over the weekend. It’s about limiting mistakes. One bogey over 36 holes is somewhat unrealistic week to week. But if I can hold it close to that for the next 36, again, that firepower is still there. And it would certainly shoot my confidence up.” Johnson’s year has been quiet since winning a World Golf Championship in Mexico City for his 20th career victory. Another year passed without winning a major. He was runner-up in the first two majors, but he hasn’t finish better than 20th since the PGA Championship. He feels the consistency in his swing is returning. And while he’s not making everything, he’s making enough and likes the way he’s rolling it. “I feel like I’m stroking it well right now,” he said. “I worked on the stroke a lot the last couple weeks and feel good and I have confidence in it.”
