A step-by-step look at Tiger Woods’ 2018 season

LOS ANGELES — The wind stopped Sam Burns right when he was about to get started with a five-shot lead Saturday at The Genesis Invitational. Darkness stopped him right after two straight bogeys narrowed his lead to two. RELATED: Leaderboard | High winds suspend play at Riviera Thus ended a wild afternoon at Riviera, where the wind was raging so strong that it blew Keegan Bradley’s putt off the green at No. 10 and nearly blew Max Homa’s shot into the hole at the par-5 first. A four-hour delay didn’t make Riviera any easier. Burns, the 24-year-old from Louisiana, went 31 consecutive holes without a bogey and kept Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and everyone else at a distance. When the streak ended on No. 8, it was the start of three inevitable bogeys over six holes. “It’s a hard course with no wind,” Burns said. He was at 10-under par through 13 holes, two shots ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick, who had a most bizarre round by going 10 consecutive holes without a par — six birdies, four bogeys. Johnson, Homa and Wyndham Clark were at 7 under, with Patrick Cantlay another shot behind. The third round was set to be completed Sunday morning ahead of the final 18 holes. Tiger Woods showed up right about the time play was halted. Woods is the tournament host who is not playing as he recovers from a fifth back surgery. The wind was blowing golf balls on the green, and then the PGA TOUR said a piece of communications equipment toppled near the 14th tee and they brought everyone in. Not much changed with the wind when they resumed. Everyone was dropping shots and hanging on for dear life. Johnson had three bogeys against three birdies and was only three shots behind. The greens were so firm, the wind whipping so hard, that even from 99 yards away on the 13th hole he landed the ball some 50 feet short and hoped it rolled out enough to give him a chance. Spieth opened with two birdies, including a 40-footer on the third hole. But he hit two fairway bunkers on the seventh and eighth holes that led to bogey, missed a 3-footer on the 12th and his chip on the 15th was a little firm, and with the wind and slope it rolled out some 40 feet. He dropped six shots behind. For so much of the day, Burns looked impervious to it all. He opened with a steady dose of pars, including one amazing escape on the par-3 sixth, where his tee shot was close to a boundary fence. He played it into the rough and onto the back of the green, and the ball rolled down to 3 feet. But he missed an 18-foot par putt on No. 8, ending his streak of bogey-free holes. Burns missed a short birdie on the ninth, hit a superb bunker shot for a tap-in birdie on the 10th and stretched his lead back to five shots. It all changed so quickly. He three-putted from 50 feet on the 12th. And then his wedge on the 13th was far enough left that it caught a ridge and rolled down a bank into the rough. He chipped to 6 feet and missed the par putt. That’s when play was stopped. Fitzpatrick made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to reach 8 under, and suddenly was two shots behind. Fitzpatrick was at 3 under for the day through 17 holes, the low score of the round so far. Only 12 other players were under par for their rounds, none better than 2 under The average score when play was suspended was 73.3.

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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Play Yellow, a program benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals), announced today its newest brand ambassador Peter Malnati, winner on the PGA TOUR of the 2016 Sanderson Farms Championship. Peter and his family join Jack and Barbara Nicklaus and fellow TOUR professionals in support of Play Yellow and its mission to bring the entire golf world together to help the 10 million kids treated at local CMN Hospitals each year. Peter explains, “My wife and I have had the wonderful opportunity to visit Children’s of Mississippi and interact with the patients many times. I’m thrilled to be able to support the hospital here, and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals more broadly as a Play Yellow ambassador. CMN Hospitals treat more than 10 million children each year, and the Play Yellow initiative supports every one of them. To be even a small part of such a powerful mission is a great honor for us.” Since 2013, the Sanderson Farms Championship has raised more than $9.1 million that has gone towards the Children’s of Mississippi capital campaign. Last November, Children’s of Mississippi celebrated the grand opening of the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower (joining the existing Batson Tower), an expansion with top-of-the-line equipment that will help to treat more than 180,000 sick children each year. The Sanderson Farms Championship raises money for Mississippi’s only children’s hospital, Children’s of Mississippi. Last year, the Championship raised $1.45 million – the most money raised in the history of the tournament. “We are proud to have Peter Malnati and his family join Play Yellow,” says Chad Phillips, SVP, Play Yellow. “Peter will be a force for good for the golf community that supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. We are excited to have his passion and drive to change kids’ health to change the future.” Launched in 2019 alongside Jack and Barbara Nicklaus and CMN Hospitals, Play Yellow strives to bring the entire golf world together and raise the critical funds needed by CMN Hospitals and the patients they serve. Like most nonprofits, children’s hospitals rely on donations. More kids need the specialized care that children’s hospitals provide than can afford it, creating a significant funding gap that donations help close allowing CMN Hospitals to put necessary dollars toward advancing and improving research, care, and treatments. Play Yellow brings golfers together for a good cause. Play Yellow was inspired by a family friend of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus named Craig Smith who was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma as a young teenager. As Craig battled cancer, Jack and Barbara looked to support him and his family. One way was for Jack to wear a shirt in Craig’s favorite color, yellow, which Craig said brought Jack luck from week to week. Over the years, Jack could be seen wearing yellow on tournament Sundays and major championship Sundays. Who can forget Sunday of the 1986 Masters Tournament when Jack wore a yellow shirt to honor Craig and went on to win his record sixth Green Jacket? Years later, Play Yellow was born. CMN Hospitals has raised more than $7 billion in unrestricted funds for 170 children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada. Changing kids’ health through children’s hospitals isn’t just about helping those in critical situations — it’s also about the research, preventative care, health and safety education that help build healthier communities. By improving medical treatments, equipment and facilities, children’s hospitals can not only address the most challenging health issues of our day, but also prevent and prepare for those to come. When we change kids’ health, we change the future — for all of us. About Play Yellow Play Yellow, a program benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, launched alongside Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, brings together the golf community to help the 10 million kids treated at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals every year. Inspired by Jack’s family friend Craig, who was diagnosed with childhood cancer, and his lucky color yellow, Play Yellow engages golfers in raising critical funds for children’s hospitals. Through special events like Family Golf Day, local tournaments, corporate partners, and Play Yellow Sundays on the PGA TOUR, Play Yellow helps change kids’ health and change the future. For more information, visit playyellow.org and follow on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals that support the health of 10 million kids each year across the U.S. and Canada. Donations go to local hospitals to fund critical life-saving treatments and healthcare services, along with innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, child life services that put kids’ and families’ minds at ease during difficult hospital stays and financial assistance for families who could not otherwise afford these health services. When we improve the health of all children and allow them the opportunity to reach their full potential, we also improve our communities for years to come. Together, we can change kids’ health. Together, we can change the future. To learn about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and your local children’s hospital, visit cmnhospitals.org.

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The 2018-19 PGA TOUR season begins this week with the Safeway Open in Napa, California. It’s the first of 43 regular season events, to be followed by the reformatted three-event FedExCup Playoffs next August. The Golf Channel will provide live coverage for all four rounds, with the first two rounds starting at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local time) on Thursday and Friday. PGA TOUR Radio will air live coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET for each of the first two rounds, and 4 p.m. ET on the weekends. Here’s a look at the Featured Groups for the first two rounds (last season’s final FedExCup ranking in parentheses): Jason Dufner (100) – One of 23 players to have qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in 11 or more seasons. Hudson Swafford (156) – Missed the FedExCup Playoffs but had a strong finish to the regular season with two top-15 finishes in his last three starts. Wesley Bryan (163) – Ranked second on the PGA TOUR last season in putts per round with a 27.36 average. Tee times: Rd. 1 (3:20 p.m. ET); Rd. 2 (10:40 a.m. ET) Phil Mickelson (21) – California native has collected 11 of his 43 career PGA TOUR wins in his native state. Brendan Steele (56) – Two-time defending champ looking to become first player since Steve Stricker (2009-11 John Deere Classic) to win the same event three consecutive years. Sangmoon Bae (202) – The 2014 Safeway Open champ regained his PGA TOUR card with a victory in the 2018 Web.com Tour Finals. Tee times: Rd. 1 (3:30 p.m. ET); Rd. 2 (10:50 a.m. ET) Andrew Landry (37) – Led the Safeway Open field last season in Strokes Gained: Putting while finishing T-7. Michael Kim (81) – Won his first PGA TOUR event last season at the John Deere Classic by making 30 birdies – highest total at any TOUR event since 2016. Jhonattan Vegas (95) – Had the sixth highest clubhead speed on the PGA TOUR last season at 121.87 mph. Tee times: Rd. 1 (10:40 a.m. ET); Rd. 2 (3:20 p.m. ET) Patrick Cantlay (20) – One of five players with an active cuts made streak of 10 or more events. Brandt Snedeker (40) – One of 10 players who has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs every year. Fred Couples (230) – Making his first start in this event since 2009 when he finished T-66. Tee times: Rd. 1 (10:50 a.m. ET); Rd. 2 (3:30 p.m. ET)

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