McIlroy, Scott, Kuchar share lead at Riviera; Woods falters

SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods was unaware of the tragic passing of friend and NBA legend Kobe Bryant as he was trying to set a new mark for all-time wins on the PGA TOUR at the Farmers Insurance Open.  RELATED: Golf world reacts to passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant The news of Bryant and his daughter being on board a downed helicopter that took several lives in Los Angeles filtered across Torrey Pines midway through Woods’ final round, but his caddie Joe LaCava decided not to pass it on until the round was over.  As more and more fans caught up with the news, an eerie quiet filled the vast course, something Woods assumed was more about his inability to make a serious charge towards victory, rather than anything else. Even with spectators calling out for him to “Do it for Mamba,â€� a nod to Bryant’s nickname, Woods remained unaware of the tragedy.  When he walked from the course, LaCava finally broke the news, and Woods was clearly shaken.  “It’s unbelievable, the reality that he’s no longer here,â€� Woods told reporters. “I just can’t imagine what their entire family’s going through right now. It’s just shocking. “LeBron breaks his record and he passes today. I grew up a die‑hard Laker fan, always have been my entire life. That’s all I remember, and he was part of the most historic franchise in all of the NBA.â€� Woods and Bryant became close having started their professional careers around a similar time frame. They often worked out together and would engage each other in discussion on what it took to be at the top of their chosen athletic endeavors.  “When he retired we’d work out at Equinox together. I was always getting up early, he’d get up early, we’d work out,â€� Woods said. “We really connected on more the mental side of it, the prep, how much it takes to be prepared. “For me, I don’t have to react like he does in my sport, we can take our time, but you’ve still got to pay attention to the details and that’s what he did better than probably any other player in NBA history. He paid attention to the details, the little things.   “The amount of hours that he spent in the gym in the offseason and during the summers to work on shots and do all the different things, it looked like it came natural to him on the court during game time, but he spent more hours looking at film and trying to figure out what’s the best way to become better. That’s where he and I really connected, because we’re very similar.â€� Along with the work ethic, Woods also revered Bryant’s toughness both mentally and physically, another trait he tried to share with the five-time NBA Champion.  “What made him so impressive is that he was dominant on the offensive side … we know that, but he would lock up on (defense). He played their best guard and shut ’em down for all 48 minutes. That’s what made him so special, he played both ends of the court,â€� Woods continued.  “There are maybe two guys, three guys in the entire NBA history that you can say that, that would do that. He was up for that challenge. And one of the more impressive things that I’ve ever witnessed is when he ruptured his Achilles and he went to the foul line, made his shots. “Ultimate toughness, ultimate competitor, and one of the most shocking, tragic days that I’ve ever been a part of in a very quick span here … Life is very fragile as we all know. You can be gone at any given time and we have to appreciate the moments that we have.â€� On the course Woods’ chase for an 83rd PGA TOUR win and ninth win at Torrey Pines started in crazy fashion. Starting five back of the lead Woods looked to be in huge trouble early when he made a sloppy bogey from the fairway on the first hole.  But on the second he took dead aim from 141 yards and after two hops his ball disappeared into the cup for what would’ve been an insane eagle. Incredibly though, despite going all the way to the bottom of the cup the ball hopped back out and settled next to the pin. Woods had to settle for a tap in birdie.  Three pars followed before Woods gave himself a great look at eagle on the par-5 sixth from 18 feet, but the putt slipped under the cup. Birdie there had him just three off the lead at the time. Woods, who has seven Farmers Insurance Open titles and a U.S. Open win at Torrey Pines, would not get any closer. He had great looks at birdie on the par-4 seventh and the par-3 eighth but failed to connect and failed to birdie the par-5 ninth.  A bogey at the 10th made thoughts of a win extremely distant and despite birdies on the final two par 5s he would settle for a T9 finish, his 13th Farmers Insurance Open top-10 from 19 starts.  Woods is currently tied with Sam Snead with 82 PGA TOUR wins, the most of all time and will next be seen at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on Feb. 13.

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New gear at the Ryder Cup is usually limited to custom footwear, but this week, Xander Schauffele will be taking on Whistling Straits with a new driver. The Olympic gold medalist is moving from an Epic Speed Triple Diamond to an Epic Speed Triple Diamond LS. According to Callaway, the switch is the final piece in the optimization puzzle that began when Schauffele made the switch into the Chrome Soft X LS ball (the LS stands for low spin) in early June, before a run that saw him finish in the top-10 in the U.S. Open and win the Olympic men’s golf competition. Schauffele is committed to using the ball for its across-the-bag performance, but the lower spin rate was compromising his ability to hit the tight draw he prefers off the tee. In a quick-fix solution ahead of the TOUR Championship, Callaway TOUR rep Kellen Watson, installed a Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 7 X shaft to help Schauffele squeeze out some more spin with his driver. Schauffele continued his East Lake success that week, shooting the third-lowest 72-hole score of the week to finish fifth in the FedExCup. However, for Schauffele and Callaway, a solution that allowed him to keep his Graphite Design Tour AD BB 7 X shaft in play was the ultimate goal. According to Callaway’s Johnny Wunder, Xander and the Callaway team were in pursuit of the following Trackman numbers. Stock shot: 2,200-2,400 RPM 5-yard draw: 2,200-2,400 RPM Fairway finder: 2,600-2,700 RPM Fade: 2,400-2,600 RPM Working with Watson; Callaway’s Senior VP of Global Sports Marketing, Tim Reed; and his father, Stefan, Xander discovered a switch that helped him attain those numbers. He switched to a 10.5-degree Callaway Epic Speed LS Triple Diamond head (set to 9 degrees) with the Tour AD BB 7 X shaft. The head is designed to create less spin, but tuning down the loft – which opens the face, a look Schauffele prefers – added the RPMs Schauffele was looking for and allowed his draw to fly slightly higher and farther.

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Jerry McGee thought he might be in line for some good luck that week. He had come to the Florida Panhandle in April of 1975 to play in the Pensacola Open. One night before the tournament began, he and his wife Jill had dinner in a local restaurant. "We ordered oysters and I found a pearl in one of mine," McGee told the Morning Journal of Lisbon, Ohio last year. "I guess that was a good omen." It was, indeed. After opening with a 69 that left him five strokes off Andy North's lead, McGee steadily climbed the leaderboard. He led by one stroke through 54 holes thanks to consecutive 66s and ended up beating Wally Armstrong by two strokes. The win was the first of four on the PGA TOUR for McGee, who died Wednesday at the age of 77 just weeks after moving to Florida to be closer to his family. His son Mike, who is married to LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam, posted on Facebook that McGee was admitted to the hospital on Saturday. "He went downhill quickly," Mike McGee wrote. "Lots of complications that had been brewing. We were blessed that my parents moved to Orlando and we could all say our goodbyes and be together. "He had struggled for a while and I really believe that after many years of us wanting them to move closer that he finally acquiesced because he knew this was coming. Once my Mom was settled here he was at peace." McGee, who was born July 21, 1943 in New Lexington, Ohio, was a fixture on the PGA TOUR in the 1970s and PGA TOUR Champions from 1993-2004. He started out playing baseball and football but became interested in golf after his parents divorced and his mother later married a club professional. "When I was 14, some friends of mine took me to Firestone to watch the tournament; it was the Rubber City Open at that time," McGee told the Tribune Chronicle of Warren, Ohio in 2014. "And from that day on, I wanted to play professional golf." McGee played at Ohio State, then turned pro in 1966 and joined the PGA TOUR the following year. He made 404 starts and won four times, including twice in 1979, and played on the victorious U.S. Team at the 1977 Ryder Cup at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. "Outside of my family, playing on that team was the greatest thrill of my life," McGee told the Morning Journal in 2020. "To be one of 12 golfers picked to represent your country, I still get chills thinking about it." The slender 5-foot-9, 160-pound McGee was known on TOUR for his short game. He played in 26 majors and posted a trio of top-10s, including a tie for fifth in his 1972 Masters debut. "It's ironic the Masters is next week," Mike McGee wrote on Facebook. "That was by far his favorite week of the year and during his radiation treatments for cancer years ago, he played Augusta National in his mind." McGee was plagued by nagging injuries during his career and eventually sidelined by hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar, in 1981. He took a job as director of golf at Oak Tree Country Club in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, where he go on to work for 12 years. During the last year of his employment at Oak Tree, McGee had a sign on his desk that said: 1993. It was a reminder that he would be eligible for what is now known as PGA TOUR Champions that year. "Everybody asked, ‘What's that,'" McGee recalled in a 2005 interview with the Tampa Tribune. "I just kept it between me and well, me. That was the year I turned 50, when I could join this tour. I gave it a shot. I've done well." McGee made 318 starts on the Champions Tour and posted five top-three finishes. He earned more than $3.2 million in a dozen seasons, including the 1999 campaign that was interrupted by surgery to remove cancerous tumors on the left side of his neck and the base of his tongue. After the surgery, McGee had 6 ½ weeks of radiation. He returned to PGA TOUR Champions four months later and ended up playing in 130 more tournaments before retiring after the 2004 season. "I was so lucky," McGee told the Tribune Chronicle. "I've gone to places, met people, that I would never had the opportunity to without the game of golf." In addition to his wife Jill, Jerry is survived by his brother, Don Holden (Joel); his daughter, Roxane Love-McGee; his son, Michael McGee (Annika Sorenstam); and his daughter, Michelle McGee (Mark Riley); along with grandchildren, Dylan Love, Ava McGee, Will McGee, and Liam Riley. There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to the Youngstown State women's basketball team.

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