Tiger Woods injured in single-car accident in California

The Premier Golf League has gained some steam, piquing the interest of Phil Mickelson and others. So what is it? How will it work? Here’s the full rundown.

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Xander Schauffele has been sheltering in place in his apartment in San Diego with his girlfriend and their 5-month-old puppy. His brother, who lives eight minutes away, sometimes comes over to play Scrabble, Monopoly and Risk as they while away the time. Like so many other sidelined players, Schauffele is just trying to stay healthy and sane as the coronavirus pandemic rages across the globe. RELATED: Golf in these times: A series of reports from across the country “Haven’t really taken a deep dive in any card games yet,� Schauffele said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday. “… It’s been strange. I haven’t completely lost it, but speaking for myself I’ve lost a sense of purpose in terms of work.� Schauffele, 26, is a four-time PGA TOUR winner who was 12th in the FedExCup when the season was suspended. He came oh, so close to a successful title defense but lost a playoff at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (Justin Thomas), and was coming off a T24 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Now, though, he’s in the same boat as everyone else, waiting for the season to resume. He said he hasn’t touched a club since THE PLAYERS Championship was cancelled nearly three weeks ago. Sometimes he goes out on his balcony to look out at the bay, but venturing outside feels like “walking on eggshells.� He said authorities recently closed San Diego area parks to the public, and he didn’t want to tempt fate or step out of line. “I’m just trying to be a law-abiding citizen here and just do my part, I guess,� Schauffele said. He keeps a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer in his pocket, but has no masks. He sometimes hops on the cardio machine in his living room, and otherwise occupies himself with games, screens and the occasional news article. As it happens, he was already thinking about his health, having had a few more bouts with the flu than he’d like in recent years. He had blood work done at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, but now feels fine while hundreds of thousands worldwide battle the ravages of COVID-19. Schauffele has texted back and forth with Charley Hoffman, a fellow San Diegan who is Player Director on the PGA TOUR Policy Board, but otherwise hasn’t had much contact with his fellow pros. His parents, both in their 50s, are healthy. He’s healthy, too, as are his brother and girlfriend. “I have groceries here; I’m ready for the next two weeks,� he said. “Just waiting for news from the commissioner on how we’re going to adjust our schedule. “I could play in a TOUR event tomorrow,� he continued. “That’s just how I think, though, and what I believe. I feel like I can pick my clubs up and play whenever.�

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. – A couple beers last Saturday and good conversation with those closest to him was enough to get Harold Varner III back in the right frame of mind. He had a self-described “meltdown” earlier that day after flying the green with his approach shot to Sedgefield’s 11th hole in the third round of the Wyndham Championship. Don’t worry, there were no broken clubs. Just a bad attitude. But it was unacceptable to Varner. “Having a bad attitude probably makes me more mad than … playing bad golf,” he said Thursday, after shooting a first-round 66 at THE NORTHERN TRUST. “That’s the only thing you control. You don’t really control what you’re going to shoot or where your golf ball is going to end up, but you control how you approach each shot.” A good mindset was imperative Thursday at the trouble-laden Liberty National, which was buffeted by inconsistent breezes. Varner countered with a hot putter. He gained approximately three strokes on the greens, and that doesn’t include the 22-footer he holed from the fringe on the fifth hole. That was a belated birthday gift for Varner, who celebrated his 31st birthday Sunday. “That’s a lot of … luck,” he said. “There was a clump of mud on one side of it. I was like, I’ll just roll it down there, whatever, and ended up going in. Perfect pace.” Varner finished T3 at Liberty National two years ago. At the time, it was the best finish of his PGA TOUR career (he bested that this season with his runner-up at the RBC Heritage). His good result the last time he played in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty – he finished two back of winner Patrick Reed – had no impact on Varner’s play Thursday, however. “That was in 2019. It’s 2021. Do your job,” Varner said. “The biggest thing for me is … having a better attitude. That’s what it comes down to, especially with the conditions like they are right now, windy.” He shot 68 or lower in all four rounds here in 2019, which was good enough to skyrocket from 102nd to 29th in the FedExCup standings. He didn’t stay in the top 30, however, after finishing second-to-last in the next Playoffs event, the BMW Championship. He still finished a career-best 38th in the FedExCup that season. It’s the only time in his five FedExCup campaigns that he has advanced to the BMW. Varner arrived at Liberty National ranked 72nd in this season’s standings. His runner-up at the Heritage is his lone top-10 thus far this season but his eight top-25s are one off his career high. After one round at THE NORTHERN TRUST, Varner has put himself in position for his biggest FedExCup payday. With a baby boy due in October, some of that would undoubtedly go towards diapers.

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