Bill Haas tests positive for COVID-19

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Scott Harrington enjoyed his long-awaited debut as a PGA TOUR member. In his 17th year as a professional, the 38-year-old rookie shot a 6-under 64 on Thursday, leaving him two strokes behind first-round leader Robby Shelton in the A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. With all 21 tour rookies and other Korn Ferry Tour graduates in the field, the first round of the PGA TOUR’s season opener in West Virginia was a chance for the new guys and journeymen to make an impression. Especially for Harrington. “I always did think I was going to get here,” Harrington said. “Even though I’m 38 years old, I feel like I’m every bit as capable of winning out here as any 22 year old. Yeah, age is just a number.” Harrington turned pro in 2003 and played in four PGA TOUR events over the next 12 years. He took time off last year to be with his wife, Jenn, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The disease is now in remission. He locked up his first PGA TOUR card with a runner-up finish last month at a Korn Ferry event in his hometown of Portland, Oregon. In his debut Thursday, Harrington hit just nine fairways and 12 greens in regulation but made four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn. “It was a lot of fun,” Harrington said. “I’ll certainly remember this one for sure. I’ll remember it even more if I can put a few more good ones together.” Shelton made eight starts on tour as a non-member in 2016-17. He has his TOUR card for the first time after winning two Korn Ferry events in May. “I’m fired up,” Shelton said. “Last night it was tough to sleep. I’ve been waiting for this moment all season.” Starting on the back nine on the Old White TPC, the 24-year-old Shelton made the turn at 3 under and birdied Nos. 1-3. The 8-under 62 is his lowest score on TOUR. Defending champion Kevin Na, Lanto Griffin, Mark Hubbard and Zack Sucher matched Harrington at 64. Na’s putter won last year’s tournament. On Thursday, his approach shots got him onto the first page of the leaderboard. He had four birdies over his final six holes. Three of his back-nine birdies were putts of under 10 feet. “I have a lot of good memories here and I’m excited to be back defending,” Na said. “Nice to see my picture up on the wall and have my own defending champion locker. It’s pretty cool.” Hubbard, who won once in 23 Korn Ferry Tour events last season, had a bogey-free round and is looking for his first top-10 finish since joining the PGA TOUR in 2015. “Finishing 40th every week isn’t fun. Grinding to make cuts isn’t fun,” Hubbard said. “I feel like I needed to go back and get that experience and learn how to win again, and this time around I think I’ll find myself in the mix a lot more.” Brian Harman, Sung Kang, Harold Varner III and Jimmy Walker topped the group at 65. Hank Lebioda birdied seven of his first 11 holes in a 67. Bryson DeChambeau had a 68. Former Marshall player Davey Jude shot 70, two months after his father and caddie, David, was among seven people killed in a helicopter accident in the Bahamas.

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THE PLAYERS Championship titleholder Rory McIlroy, the only man with two victories at Quail Hollow Club, makes his first start since Augusta as a traditionally strong field returns to Charlotte to begin the final push before the PGA Championship. Reigning FedExCup champion Justin Rose is back after a two-year hiatus, having placed third in his last visit in 2016. Jason Day is the defending champion, seeking to become the event’s first back-to-back winner and join McIlroy as the only multiple winner. FIELD NOTES: Justin Thomas returns to Quail Hollow for the second time since making the 2017 PGA Championship his lone major title to date. He tied for 21st a year ago. … All told, the lineup boasts 14 of the top 30 in the current FedExCup rankings. … Phil Mickelson is back for his 16th visit in 17 editions, still seeking an elusive first Quail Hollow win. He owns 12 top-12 finishes in the event, including a share of fifth last year. … Though Tiger Woods elected to bypass Quail Hollow this year, the lineup features his three predecessors as Masters champion: Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia and Danny Willett. … Zack Sucher, sidelined 19 months in 2017-18 by an unspecified injury, will attempt his first TOUR start since the 2017 Travelers Championship. He’s made six starts this year on the Web.com Tour. … Two men are set to keep perfect Wells Fargo Championship attendance – Rory Sabbatini and J.J. Henry. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points. STORYLINES: McIlroy returns to a place where he has finished outside the top 10 just twice in eight visits, though one was last year’s tie for 16th. He won in 2010 with a final-round 62, then again in 2015 with a Saturday 61. … Webb Simpson, whose home lies minutes from Quail Hollow, seeks to reverse his current fortune on home turf. He’s missed the past two Wells Fargo cuts, though he also has a pair of top-5 finishes in his back yard. … Day’s victory last year marked just the second time since the tournament began in 2003 that anyone has posted four rounds in the 60s. Lucas Glover was the first, doing so in 2011. … Just one of the past nine defending champions has managed a top-25 finish, when McIlroy took fourth in 2016. Five of those nine never made it to Sunday. COURSE: Quail Hollow Club, 7,554 yards, par 71. Now a perennial top-10 entry among the PGA TOUR’s toughest courses, Quail Hollow hosts its second Wells Fargo edition since a year off to conduct the PGA Championship. The course ranked as the fifth-toughest on TOUR last season, ahead of two major venues (Augusta National and Bellerive). It was an undisputed No.1 after hosting the 2017 PGA, showing its teeth after a Tom Fazio upgrade that included three redesigned holes. Originally laid out by George Cobb in 1961, the course already was known for its “Green Mile� closing stretch which is annually rated among the toughest on TOUR. Quail Hollow was the original site of the Kemper Open (1969-79) and later the World Seniors Invitational (1980-89) before the TOUR made its return in 2003. For those visiting the Charlotte area, must-play courses include Birkdale GC (Huntersville, N.C.), The Tradition GC (Charlotte, N.C.) and Skybrook GC (Huntersville, N.C.). Book your reservations via TeeOff.com. 72-HOLE RECORD: 267, Rory McIlroy (2015). 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Rory McIlroy (3rd round, 2015). LAST YEAR: Day rallied from a mediocre start for his second victory of the year, recording a pair of birdies along the vaunted “Green Mile� to rise two shots clear of Nick Watney and rookie Aaron Wise. Day carried a two-shot advantage into the final round, but spun his wheels by playing the first 15 holes in even-par while Wise pulled alongside. A 10-foot birdie at No.16 gave Day sole possession of the lead again, and his tee shot at the 230-yard 17th took four bounces before kissing the flagstick for a kick-in birdie. Day collected his 12th PGA TOUR victory, moving within one of Adam Scott for second all-time among Australian pros. Watney drained a 59-foot birdie at No.18 to tie for second with Wise, who recorded his best career finish. HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:45 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (featured groups). Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (featured groups), 3-6 p.m. (featured holes). International subscribers (via GOLF.tv): Thursday-Friday, 11:00 to 22:00 GMT. Saturday-Sunday, 13:00 to 22:00. RADIO: Thursday-Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Adam Svensson was in prime position to shoot 59 in the second round of the Wyndham Championship after going 9 under through 13 holes. Alas, he could only manage pars the rest of the way and signed for a 61 that left him tied for the lead at 11 under after the morning wave of players had toured rain-soaked Sedgefield Country Club. He hit 13 of 14 fairways, 16 greens in regulation, and made 132 feet of putts. “Got a little nervous,â€� said Svensson, a 25-year-old Canadian who is 171st in the FedExCup, but projected to move up to 59th. “But I was happy with the way I played.â€� After struggling to 31 putts in the first round, when he ranked 136th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting, Svensson used his new claw grip to perfection Friday, taking just 25 strokes on the greens. With 59 in play, fans flocked to his group to watch him play the final four holes. Svensson shot 61 at the Sony Open in Hawaii this year, so the round was not a total shocker despite his struggles. Danny Sahl, who also caddies for Vijay Singh, but has been helping Svensson try to keep his PGA TOUR card, was especially unsurprised. This is their fourth week together, and Svensson finished T15 and T18 in the first two, the 3M Open and John Deere Classic, respectively. He worked on switching to the claw putting grip at the Barracuda Championship last week, missing the cut. “Tee to green,â€� Sahl said, “he’s the best I’ve seen besides probably Vijay in his heyday. His demeanor and distance control were still there as we got closer to that famous number.â€� Before the tournament started, Sahl told Svensson to just go out and play, no pressure. That’s a lot easier said than done, but Svensson has responded. He said he was standing in the 14th fairway Friday when it occurred to him that he could shoot 59, assuming Sedgefield was a par 70. Suddenly nervous, he missed the 14th green with his approach, but got up and down for par. He duck-hooked his drive on 15, bouncing back nicely with his next two shots before pushing his short birdie try well right of the hole. He now need to birdie two of the last three. He birdied none. Still, a 61 is nothing to sneeze at, and Svensson makes this the sixth season in the last decade in which a player has shot multiple rounds of 61 or below on TOUR. (Steve Stricker 2009, Troy Merritt 2015, Ryan Moore 2012, Chez Reavie 2017, Troy Matteson 2009.) “Same game plan,â€� he said of his weekend plans. “You know, we play aggressive at some flags and we shoot wedges from other ones. I think I learned a lot from the Sony Open, shooting 61 as well. I just played too aggressive trying to get out front and tomorrow I’m just going to play my normal game.â€�

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