New AWS partnership to transform PGA TOUR media business

LOS ANGELES — Rory McIlroy had a 3-under 68 on Saturday at Riviera and shared the 54-hole lead with Matt Kuchar and Adam Scott going into the final round at The Genesis Invitational. Riviera is a thorough test, and the greens are difficult enough that no one could run away with it. Tiger Woods managed to run the other direction with a 76 that left him 15 shots behind. Kuchar had a two-shot lead at the start of the gorgeous day and kept there with three birdies and no bogeys through 12 holes. But he started to miss short putts, made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch and had to rally with a birdie on the 17th to regain a share of the lead with a 70. Scott holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 67 that gives him a great chance to start his new year off with a win. Scott last played about two months ago when he won the Australian PGA Championship. He has a trophy from Riviera in 2005, even if the PGA TOUR doesn’t count it as an official win because it was shortened to 36 holes by rain. They were at at 10-under-par 203, and the final round figured to be wide open. Sixteen players were separated by four shots. Harold Varner III birdied his last two holes for a 69 and was one shot behind, along with Russell Henley (68). Dustin Johnson, who won at Riviera three years ago, had only two pars over his final 12 holes. That stretch also featured five birdies and an eagle for a 67. He was two shots behind, along with Joel Dahmen (66). Still in the mix was Hideki Matsuyama, who bogeyed his last hole Friday and was the last player to make the cut. Matsuyama played in the final group off the back nine, away from all the attention, and posted a 64. He was four shots behind and very much in the picture. Woods will have to wait another year to win at Riviera, another week to seek his record 83rd victory on the PGA TOUR. In a spot where he couldn’t afford to drop shots, he made more mistakes than he had all week, especially on the greens. He four-putted from 18 feet on No. 13, his second four-putt in as many tournaments this year and the first times since 1998 that Woods had multiple tournaments with a four-putt. He three-putted the 17th for par. He finished with a three-putt bogey from about 12 feet on the 18th. It added up to a 76, leaving him at the bottom of the pack. It was his highest score since he opened with an 81 at Royal Portrush in The Open Championship last summer, and the first time since the PGA Championship in May that Woods had consecutive rounds over par. “I hit the ball quite a few times, especially on the greens, and it was a long day,” Woods said. “I didn’t have a feel for it, I didn’t see my lines, I couldn’t feel my pace and I was just off. … Obviously, there wasn’t a whole lot I did right today, and figure it out tomorrow.” Woods said he wasn’t ready for the WGC-Mexico Championship next week and was not sure when he would play next. The idea is to peak for the Masters, still about two months away. Woods wasn’t alone in his struggles. Sung Kang missed a 2-foot putt during a stretch of three straight bogeys. Ryan Palmer took six shots to get out of a greenside bunker on No. 14 and made 9.

Click here to read the full article…

Jhonattan Vegas (+250 for a Top 20) … Yes, Vegas in Vegas. With the requisite acknowledgment of that cute (but tired) connection out of the way, what shouldn’t be cast aside is his fit for The Summit Club. His driver and irons are his moneymakers, and they yielded over $2 million in 2020-21 with a trio of runner-up finishes among eight top 25s. The Venezuelan concluded the regular season with three top 20s and a T16 at the Olympics. Also rested since the entire month of September and first two weekends of October. Kevin Streelman (+250 for a Top 20) … The 42-year-old arrives having cashed in six consecutive starts, the first two of which top 20s. He has six top 20s in his last 12, three of which in majors. That’s what veteran moxie and taut ball-striking can do even as he embarks on his age-43 season. Completed 2020-21 ranked inside the top 35 on TOUR in total driving, greens hit, proximity, Strokes Gained: Approach and adjusted scoring. Alex Noren (+185 for a Top 20) … Now as an established fifth-year member of the PGA TOUR, the 39-year-old Swede presents as a threat just about every time he appears and despite having yet to connect for a victory in 112 career starts on the circuit. That’s because he’s a 10-time winner on the European Tour where he finished T12 at the Dunhill Links two weeks ago. Prior to it, he completed the Playoffs by going T4-T9 to land at a career-best 33rd in the FedExCup. For the season, he recorded 12 top 25s in 25 starts, largely on the strength of his patented putter (13th in Strokes Gained: Putting). Emiliano Grillo (+225 for a Top 20) … Although he’s fallen off the pace in recent months, the 29-year-old from Argentina always makes sense on unfamiliar greens. His tee-to-green precision slotted him 17th in total driving and third in greens in regulation last season. He also co-led the PGA TOUR in proximity to the hole. Best of all, a midseason improvement with his putter swung the needle into positive territory in Strokes Gained: Putting for a couple of months into the summer. Joohyung (Tom) Kim (+800 for a Top 20) … If you haven’t been introduced to the talent from South Korea, you’ve been missing out. At just 19 years of age, he’s 151st in the Official World Golf Ranking and fourth from his homeland. Only Sungjae Im (21st), Si Woo Kim (46th) and K.H. Lee (59th) slot higher. Nicknamed after Thomas The Tank Engine, Kim is a two-time winner on the KPGA where he’s currently second in Genesis Points (with seven top fives in the last six months) and first in both scoring average and birdie average. He’s also 13th in fairways hit, fifth in greens in regulation and 22nd in putts per GIR. In five starts on the PGA TOUR in 2020-21, he cashed four times, including a solo 64th in THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and a personal-best T15 in Puerto Rico when he still was 18. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. For live odds, visit betmgm.

Click here to read the full article…

Following up on his PGA Tour career-best round on Thursday, Marc Leishman had a 5-under 66 at the AT&T Byron Nelson on Friday, breaking the 36-hole tournament record previously shared by Tiger Woods.

Click here to read the full article…