Cut prediction: 3M Open

Keep that passport handy! The Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Club will provide the backdrop as the third different country in the last three weeks to host a PGA TOUR event. Next week at Mayakoba on the Mexican Riviera will be four different countries in four consecutive weeks. Sadly, Statistically Speaking doesn’t track SG: Frequent Flyer Miles! Yet! The fall portion of the 2022-23 season has provided opportunities to see the world and for the old and new to gather vital FedExCup points. As written in Horses for Courses there are a few familiar faces this week teeing it up in paradise but plenty more looking to force their way into the conversation. The three previous winners of this event have shown the door is open to any and all comers this week at Port Royal. Sitting at only 6,828 yards it checks in as the shortest track on TOUR. The Par-71 is squeezed into a fantastic coastal setting and provides only 19 acres of fairway off the tee. The good news is only two inches of Bermuda/Zoysia frames the short grass and recovery shots are more than possible. Champion Bermudagrass isn’t cut as tightly in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, due to the ocean breezes, but the surfaces will roll plenty true. Winds and weather will affect every aspect of decision-making and club selection this week. Bombers can try and cut the doglegs while plotters can keep it between the yellow lines and both can be successful. Holing putts is required to push up the leaderboard on the weekend. Defending champion Lucas Herbert (not entered this week) won in just his 20th start on TOUR. He’s the only winner of three to break his TOUR maiden here. Port Royal has ranked in the more difficult half of courses played on TOUR for the last two seasons. The inaugural event, where the wind didn’t blow, was the only edition of three played under par. Taylor Pendrith (not entered this week) posted the course tournament record of 61 last season. Brendon Todd (not entered this week) set the tournament scoring record in the absence of wind in season 2020 at 24-under par. The last two winners, 25-year-old Lucas Herbert and 48-year-old Brian Gay each posted 15-under and won by one or a playoff. Key Statistics – Only players listed are competing this week; click stat headline for additional players; Stats from 2021-22 completed season; Butterfield Bermuda Championship does not use ShotLink lasers. – SG: Off the Tee Taking advantage of the lack of length and tight fairways will be interesting to watch. Blind tee shots up and over hills and around doglegs will set the foundation. Finding easier attack angles and short grass should lead to more chances for circles on the card and less stressful pars. Those of you who are curious about KFT graduates’ stats please click here and navigate. SG: Around the Green Finding sandy areas and less than perfect lies will lead to GIR misses. Time to save par and move on. Without penal rough (barely any on the course, period) the artisans around the hole can gain on the field. Putting: Birdie or Better Percentage Found GIR? Time to cash in. Only one of three champions has finished inside the top 10 GIR and that was inaugural winner Brendon Todd (10th) in benign conditions. Hot putting will help keep cool. Scrambling The forecast suggests scattered thunderstorms and unsteady weather so taking aim off the tee and into the greens might be muted. Grinding out pars and moving to the next hole won’t hurt. Of the three winners two have ranked fourth and the other T16 getting the ball up and down. The Bottom Line With a field consisting of only a handful of top players Seamus Power (+2200) sticks out like a sore thumb in the categories above. No wonder why he’s one of the top choices this week at BetMGM! Tyler Duncan (+6600) pops his head up in two of the three categories and could make for a delicious outsider for fantasy lineups and tickets. Odds sourced from BetMGM Sportsbook on October 25, 1 p.m. Eastern. For latest odds check BetMGM. Responsible sports betting starts with a game plan. Set a budget. Keep it social. Play with friends. Learn the game and know the odds. Play with trusted, licensed operators. CLICK HERE to learn more at HaveAGamePlan.org

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Tiger Woods has announced he will release a book about his storied life and sensational career. The 81-time PGA TOUR winner has had a plethora of books written about him over the years, but this will be the first official account coming directly from Woods and those in his small inner circle. “I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, and because of that, there have been books and articles and TV shows about me, most filled with errors, speculative and wrong. This book is my definitive story,â€� Woods said via statement Tuesday. “It’s in my words and expresses my thoughts. It describes how I feel and what’s happened in my life. I’ve been working at it steadily, and I’m looking forward to continuing the process and creating a book that people will want to read.â€� HarperCollins Publishers have secured the rights to the memoir entitled BACK and will publish it across the globe. A release date is yet to be announced. It will cover everything from his childhood, his stellar amateur career, his multiple injuries and personal battles, and of course his compelling professional golf career through his 15th major championship at the Masters in April. The publishers claim the book “is a candid and intimate narrative of an outsize American life: from growing up a celebrated golfing prodigy to shattering centuries-old racial barriers as a young pro; from rising to unprecedented fame and global icon status to battling devastating injuries and personal issues; from enduring years of physical anguish to mounting an astonishing comeback at 43 years old, culminating with the 2019 Masters, where his thrillingly impossible victory captured the imagination and hearts of people around the world.â€� “Meeting with Tiger, speaking with him at length about the process of writing a memoir, I was delighted to discover how much he has to say, and how ready, how eager, he is to say it,â€� editor Shannon Welch said. “He’s at a place in his career and his life where he’s thinking deeply about his story, the highs and the lows, and how it all relates and connects. I think the result will be extraordinary.â€� Woods, who hasn’t played since August and has had arthroscopic surgery on his knee, is due to start his 2019-20 PGA TOUR season next week at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan, a few days after he battles Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama in The Challenge: Japan Skins. He will then focus on his captain duties for the Presidents Cup as he must select his four captain’s picks to round out the U.S. team, which may or may not still include himself, on Nov. 4.

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Round 4 of the TOUR Championship begins Monday from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Dustin Johnson leads by five looking for his first FedExCup title with 2017 FedExCup champ Justin Thomas and 2017 TOUR Championship winner Xander Schauffele tied for second. Who will win the season finale and win the TOUR’s ultimate prize. The opening round began with a staggered leaderboard (click here to see the starting leaderboard). RELATED: Tee times | Staggered start | FedExCup 101 Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Friday-Saturday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (NBC). Monday, 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 1:30-6 p.m. (NBC). PGA TOUR LIVE: Friday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups). Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (Featured Holes). Monday, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Featured Groups), 1:30 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes) Radio: Friday-Saturday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Monday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). FEATURED GROUPS Kevin Na, Cameron Champ Monday: 11:55 p.m. ET Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland Monday: 12:15 p.m. ET MUST READS Small change helps DJ take control at East Lake JT ties personal record What happened? McIlroy explains second shot on No. 18 Eight things to know about East Lake CALL OF THE DAY

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