A look back at the longest PGA TOUR playoffs

LOS ANGELES - Sponsor invite Tae Hoon Kim has spectacularly won his third Genesis vehicle in just over four months with a silky hole-in-one in the opening round of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Kim made an ace on the par-3 16th hole at Riviera from 168 yards with a 7-iron which earned him a 2021 Genesis G80. The Korean is in the field after winning the 2020 Genesis Championship on the Korean Tour last October - a result that yielded a Genesis GV80 and a spot to make his PGA TOUR debut. The 35-year-old, four-time Korean Tour winner also picked up a Genesis GV70 for leading the order of merit on the Korean Tour in 2020 making it three vehicles in just over four months. Incredibly, it wasn't even the first eagle of his round. Starting on the 10th hole Kim birdied from 10-feet before holing out a greenside bunker shot on the par-5 11th for an eagle - sending him to 3 under through just two holes. The ace came after a bogey at the 14th but when he dropped in another birdie at the par-5 1st as he made the turn, Kim sat in second place on the leaderboard. Unfortunately he was unable to maintain the run and dropped four shots in his next three holes but remains 1 under with two holes to play, good enough to be tied for 33rd place.

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Looking for a quiet spot to unwind, decompress and breathe again after Sunday’s exhilarating finish at the 83rd Masters? As of midday Monday, so are the 40 who competed in the major and committed to this week’s RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. It’s arguable that the field of 132 at Harbour Town Golf Links is as deep as it’s ever been, so we’re poised for another terrific tournament. What it gets is a consistently fair par 71 tipping at just 7,099 yards. Scroll past the ranking for more on the course, how Satoshi Kodaira repeated a trend you won’t find at Augusta National and more. Jordan Spieth, Marc Leishman, Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Smith and 2011 champ Brandt Snedeker will be among the notables covered in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. If you’ll accept that professional golfers are golf fans first, then even they appreciate the three days off before the RBC Heritage assumes its position on the stage. Golfer themselves need a minute to digest and comprehend what transpired. Reaction to Tiger Woods’ historic victory at the Masters in the media and social media was as wide-ranging as you’ll ever see. When the feels settle, it’ll be time to get back to business along the Calibogue Sound in the Lowcountry. No one doesn’t love the charm of the tournament that dates back 50 years. On a short track with greens averaging just 3,700 square feet, the first thought about how to tackle Harbour Town should be devoted to approach shots. Predictably, the course annually ranks among the stingiest in greens in regulation. Last year’s clip of 10.7 per round was sixth-lowest of the season. The small targets protect scoring, so hitting a long way isn’t as advantageous. It’s a fact that connects strongly with purists. Last year’s scoring average of 70.847 is indicative of the test in general. So was the average distance of all drives of 273.0 yards, second-shortest of any course measured in 2017-18. It’s quite simple, really. Average and below-average putters can hide, or at least they’re not ruled out based on that weakness alone. The TifEagle bermudagrass surfaces, which are overseeded, are prepped to run no longer than 11-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter. That not only allows for bold strikes with the putter, it also rewards confident short games. Harbour Town always yields a higher percentage in scrambling, so understanding where to miss plays into course management. At least it should! Both Wesley Bryan (2017) and Kodaira (2018) prevailed in their debuts at Harbour Town. So much for the importance of experience, but good golf is good golf. Bryan’s formula leaned on accuracy on approach and salvaging pars, while Kodaira ranked T7 in greens hit and paced his field in proximity to the hole. Eight of the 13 who finished inside the top 10 on the leaderboard placed inside the top 20 in GIR and/or proximity last year. The value of precision rises in direct proportion with the velocity of the wind. Given Harbour Town’s exposure along the coastline, distance control and lower ball flights are at a premium. Such will be the foundation of this week’s challenge as wind will play a role throughout. The tournament will open and close in fair conditions, but a line of inclement weather will move through on Friday, the threat of which will extend into the early hours of Saturday. Course setup and hole locations will be key as a delay could benefit one side of the draw, particularly if it’s playing when the course is most receptive after the threat passes through. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done THURSDAY: Champions One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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The 2019 Presidents Cup Captains have been revealed — Tiger Woods for the U.S. Team and Ernie Els for the International Team. The event at Royal Melbourne in December, 2019, will be the first captaincy for both players, and will continue a rivalry that has lasted more than two decades.  The highlight of that rivalry was their memorable sudden-death playoff at the 2003 Presidents Cup, as they matched scores in a fading light, ultimately resulting in a shared Cup that year. (See details below). A closer look at the Woods-Els rivalry: THE PRESIDENTS CUP Woods and Els have each participated in eight Presidents Cups as players for their respective teams. They’ve faced each other in eight scheduled matches — but only once in Singles. Here are the results of their head-to-head Presidents Cup battles: 1998 Day 1 Foursomes: Tiger Woods-Fred Couples def. Ernie Els-Vijay Singh, 5 and 4 Day 2 Four-balls: Ernie Els-Vijay Singh def. Tiger Woods-John Huston, 1 up 2000 Day 1 Foursomes: Tiger Woods-Notah Begay def. Ernie Els-Vijay Singh, 1 up Day 2 Foursomes: Tiger Woods-Notah Begay def. Ernie Els-Vijay Singh, 6 and 5 2003 Day 2 Four-balls: Ernie Els-Tim Clark def. Tiger Woods-Charles Howell III, 5 and 3 Day 4 Singles: Tiger Woods def. Ernie Els, 4 and 3 Playoff: Woods and Els were selected for a playoff after the U.S. and International teams tied in regulation. They halved the first three playoff holes before play ended due to darkness and the Cup was shared.  2007 Day 3 Foursomes: Tiger Woods-Jim Furyk def. Ernie Els-Adam Scott, 4 and 3 2013 Day 3 Foursomes: Ernie Els-Brendon de Jonge def. Tiger Woods-Matt Kuchar, 1 up. 2003 PRESIDENTS CUP Tiger Woods was sitting on one side of the patterned couch with muted colors. Ernie Els was on the other side. At the time, they were ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the world, respectively, and on a collision course that neither could have imagined a few days later. The man sitting between them never learned to play golf. He dealt in more serious issues. Nelson Mandela — fours years after completing his historic term as the first post-apartheid president of South Africa — gently placed his left hand on Woods’ arm as the two golfers shook hands. All three were smiling. It was a show of great sportsmanship … and a foreshadow of how the week would end. The 2003 Presidents Cup, held at Fancourt Resort in George, South Africa, goes down as one of the PGA TOUR’s most legendary events. There was Mandela, his presence providing the event with unprecedented gravitas. There were the captains — Gary Player for the International Team, Jack Nicklaus for the U.S. Team. Els and Woods were at the top of their games, and the Internationals were not yet burdened by the long losing streak that haunts the current generation. But as delicious as the set-up was, the ending was just as memorable. With the two teams tied at 17 points following the completion of Sunday’s Singles action — Woods defeated Els 4 and 3 in their match — Presidents Cup rules required a sudden-death playoff between two players to determine the winner. Woods and Els had been pre-selected by their respective captains to participate in the playoff, and so the showdown began, the outcome of the entire tournament now weighing heavily on their shoulders. On the first playoff hole (no. 18), both players converted par putts inside 10 feet. On the second playoff hole (no. 1), Els drained a 12-foot par saver after missing the green to halve the hole. On the third playoff hole (the par-3 no. 2), Woods’ tee shot landed 90 feet from the pin; Els was 45 feet away. After their birdie attempts, Tiger was left with a 15-foot par putt and Els had a 6-footer. In the fading light, Tiger made his putt, punching the air in celebration. Els calmly followed by making his par putt to again halve the hole. That’s when the action stopped and the conversations heated up. Believing it unfair to continue play in the darkening skies, captains Nicklaus and Player discussed the possibility of simply calling it a tie and sharing the Presidents Cup. Then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem was involved, and the two captains also consulted their respective sides. Finally, it was declared a tie, with Nicklaus and Player raising their hands together in a show of unity the likes of which golf may never see again. “I think it’s the perfect decision,” Woods said that night. “The way the week has gone, it’s the right decision for the game of golf.” Els called it a “fitting finish” in the spirit of The Presidents Cup. “We really beat each other up,” Els noted, “and at the end of the day, I think we were so evenly matched, it would have been unfair to myself and Tiger to win or lose the Cup. It’s a team event, and to play in the darkness, you bring luck into it, also. “I think it was a fair decision.” TALE OF THE TAPE PGA TOUR SHOWDOWNS Woods and Els have played in the same PGA TOUR event a total of 213 times. Woods won 52 times; Els won 10 times. On eight occasions, they both finished either as the winner or runner-up. A quick look at those eight events: 1999 Nissan Open: Els won by two strokes at Riviera, with Woods finishing T2 (Ted Tryba and Davis Love III) 1999 National Car Rental Golf Classic at Disney: Woods won by one stroke at Magnolia Golf Club, with Els finishing solo second. 2000 Mercedes Championships: Woods beat Els in a sudden-death playoff at Kapalua. 2000 Memorial Tournament: Woods won by 5 strokes at Muirfield Village, with Els finishing T2 (Justin Leonard). 2000 U.S. Open: Woods won by 15 strokes at Pebble Beach, with Els finishing T2 (Miguel Angel Jimenez). 2000 Open Championship: Woods won by 7 strokes at St. Andrews, with Els finishing T2 (Thomas Bjorn). 2002 Genuity Championship: Els won by 2 strokes at Doral, with Woods finishing solo second. 2009 The Barclays: Els and Woods finished T2 (with Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker) at Liberty National behind winner Heath Slocum. Click here for more on the Els-Woods battles SAME GROUP Woods and Els have played in the same group in 20 different stroke-play events for a total of 31 different rounds. Woods shot the lower score 17 times; Els shot the lower score eight times; and they shot the same score seven times. Tiger’s low round while playing with Els was a 62 in the final round of the 2012 The Honda Classic. Els’ lowest score was a 65 in the third round of the 1998 Bay Hill Invitational. That was the first time Woods and Els were paired in their TOUR careers. The last two tournaments they’ve been in the same group was at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in 2012 and 2013. Their stroke averages when in the same group: Woods is 69.19, Els is 70.68. They’ve been in the same group in the final round five times. The results: 1998 Bay Hill Invitational: Els won, Woods finished T13 2000 Mercedes Championships: Tied in regulation, with Woods beating Els in a playoff. 2002 World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational:  Woods finished fourth, Els finished T15. 2009 World Golf Championships-CA Championship: Woods finished T9, Els finished T20. 2012 The Honda Classic: Woods finished T2, Els finished T21.

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