A tale of two lefties at Pebble Beach ends with a twist

Two-time PGA TOUR winner Scottie Scheffler, who won the 2022 WM Phoenix Open and the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in a three-week span, has officially signed a multi-year deal with TaylorMade Golf. While the exact terms of the deal are unspecified, TaylorMade says that Scheffler will continue to use a Stealth Plus driver and P-7TW irons, which he used to win both events this year, and he’ll add Stealth fairway woods. The 25-year-old will also be using a TaylorMade staff bag. It’s important to note that prior to this announcement, Scheffler had been an equipment free agent throughout his professional career. That meant he could play with any 14 clubs of his choosing. Since joining the PGA TOUR, however, he has been using TaylorMade irons. During his rookie campaign, he employed TaylorMade’s P730 irons. He then switched to the company’s P-7TW irons at The American Express in 2021 and has been gaming them since. “TaylorMade equipment has been integral in my career for many years, and I couldn’t be more excited to formally be a part of their roster of elite golfers,” Scheffler said in a press release. “I’ve worked with TaylorMade’s team on Tour for multiple seasons and their commitment to getting the right equipment in my bag was a driving force in joining Team TaylorMade. Continuously working to get my game to the highest level will always be at the forefront of my approach and I am thrilled to combine my passion for success with that already established culture at TaylorMade.” In addition to his long history with TaylorMade irons, Scheffler also switched this off-season into a TaylorMade Stealth Plus 8-degree driver. According to TrackMan feedback from Scheffler’s initial TaylorMade testing session, Scheffler picked up an average of 3.4 mph ball speed compared to his previous gamer (177.4 mph vs. 174.0), resulting in 11.1 more yards of total carry (305.8 yards vs. 294.7). Scheffler switched into the TaylorMade Stealth Plus driver at The American Express in 2022, and he’s used the driver during both of his two PGA TOUR victories. “We are humbled that Scottie chose to commit his equipment future to Team TaylorMade,” said David Abeles, TaylorMade’s CEO and President, in a press release. “As he has proven with his two wins in his last three starts, Scottie’s game and champions mindset have driven his ascension to No. 5 in the world. Our goal as a company has been and will always be to attract the best players in the game and Scottie’s decision to join our team has us motivated to continue to push the limits of innovation across all product categories.” Scheffler will make his first start as a TaylorMade staffer at THE PLAYERS Championship this week.

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Sam Burns was 10 days away from celebrating his first birthday when David Toms picked up his breakthrough win on the PGA TOUR. Toms was 30 years old that Sunday when he won the 1997 Quad City Classic and about to become a father for the first time. His son, Carter, and Burns would go on to become good friends, playing baseball and later golf together while growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana. “He’s spent a lot of time around the house, gone on vacations with us, played a lot of PlayStation upstairs,â€� Toms recalls. “Just watched them grow up — and watched him become a great golfer.â€� The two boys went to Louisiana State, Toms’ alma mater, although Burns had the most collegiate success, winning the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s top collegiate golfer as a junior before turning pro that year. And even now, in his second season on TOUR, Burns has the former PGA Championship winner’s ear. “It’s great,â€� Burns says. “You can’t put a price on that — just having somebody who’s been on here for however long he has, 20-plus years, he’s had an incredible career, major winner, he’s won out here 13 times or so. “So just to be able to see it firsthand and then be able to talk to him about it, that’s really a really special for me and I think it’s something that he enjoys talking about. Yeah, it’s been very beneficial for me.â€� Ask when the two first met, and neither man is exactly sure. Toms thinks it might have been at Dixie Ball Park at a youth baseball game. Burns seems to remember attending a youth golf clinic Toms was giving when he was maybe 6 or 7 years old. One thing Burns is clear on, though, is driving three hours from Shreveport to Fort Worth, Texas, to see Toms win the Crowne Plaza Invitational. It was his 13th – and turned out to be his last — PGA TOUR victory and came a week after Toms lost a playoff to K.J. Choi at THE PLAYERS Championship. Burns, who got engaged last week at the RBC Heritage, lists that win at Colonial Country Club as his favorite golf memory in his PGA TOUR bio. “I just remember there was a big buzz about him playing,â€� he says. “… Everybody kind of knew he was playing well, and you knew that was good golf course for him. One of the things I remember was I was watching when he holed the wedge for eagle. That was pretty cool to see. “And I just remember everybody was really excited to watch and, you know, as a 14-year-old kid watching any PGA TOUR player, much less a guy that you knew, in contention that it was just a really special moment.â€� Toms remembers Carter and Burns coming to New Orleans to see him play in what is now known as the Zurich Classic. He took them into the locker room and introduced them to some players, including Rickie Fowler. Burns plays in the same tournament this week with his partner Cameron Champ. “It was fun and I’m sure that’s been good for Sam being around professional golf even before he was playing amateur golf,â€� Toms says. “So, I’m sure he feels pretty comfortable in that situation.â€� Toms remains a valuable resource for Burns now that he’s in his second year on TOUR. Sometimes the questions are as specific as how to play a particular hole. Or, he might ask Toms about scheduling or whether a certain golf course would suit his game. “I mean, anytime I have any questions about a golf course, there’s probably a 99 percent chance he’s played it if it’s out here,â€� Burn says. “So yeah, I’ve leaned on him for stuff like that for sure.â€� “He’s a great kid,â€� Toms says. “He’s comes from a good family. So, he has a lot of good advice already, but I think it’s probably a good thing for him that somebody like me, that he’s close to has, you know, done this for a long time. “He’s got the golf thing figured out. You know, it’s more just about, you know, how to do this, how to do that. I mean, he can hit every shot, but … he’s just trying to learn as much as he can.â€� When Toms was growing up in Shreveport, he looked up to another of Louisiana’s favorite sons, Hal Sutton, who is eight years older. Sutton won 14 times on the PGA TOUR, including THE PLAYERS Championship and PGA in his signature 1983 season. “What he did for me and all the guys my age, was give us something to shoot at, you know, local guy playing great,â€� he says. “And I think I was probably able to do the same thing for Sam and a bunch of the kids that grew up in our area.â€� The 52-year-old Toms is now a regular on PGA TOUR Champions. He picked up his first victory on the circuit last year at the U.S. Senior Open – with Carter carrying his bag on Thursday and Friday after Toms’ regular caddie, Scott Gneiser, had chest pains and had to be taken to the hospital. Burns keeps tabs on how his friend is playing on the 50-and-over circuit. And he’s grateful for all Toms’ advice – and says the best has been to trust himself. “Just play my game and just believe in what you’re doing,â€� Burns says. “I think you can get out here and kind of get sidetracked and wondering what everybody else is doing, how they’re playing and all that. “So, I think one of the things that he’s really tried to tell me it was just be yourself and just kind of focus on what I have going on.â€�

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The Charles Schwab Challenge returns once again to Colonial Country Club, and the field is deep as always. Headliners include Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa. Jason Kokrak returns as the defending champion. The winner of the event will pocket 500 FedExCup points. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action, including Featured Groups for PGA TOUR LIVE and newly expanded and extended coverage on ESPN+. Click here for more details. Leaderboard Full tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 2 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. (CBS). Sunday, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (CBS). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 1 p.m.–7 p.m. ET. Saturday, 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course • Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups • Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes FEATURED GROUPS THURSDAY Marquee Group Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Jason Kokrak (10th tee) Featured Groups Billy Horschel, Sam Burns, Talor Gooch (10th tee) Collin Morikawa, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed (10th tee) Featured Holes: No. 4 (par 3), No. 8 (par 3), No. 13 (par 3), No. 16 (par 3) FRIDAY Marquee Group Jordan Spieth, Max Homa, Daniel Berger (10th tee) Featured Groups Will Zalatoris, Justin Rose, Kevin Kisner (10th tee) Viktor Hovland, Mito Pereira, Tom Hoge (10th tee) Featured Holes: No. 4 (par 3), No. 8 (par 3), No. 13 (par 3), No. 16 (par 3) MUST READS The First Look Inside the Field Power Rankings Expert Picks Bubba Watson withdraws due to injury

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