Book praised by Rory McIlroy finds way onto PGA TOUR

Golf’s future in the Olympics is expected to extend into 2024, thanks to a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board. In a meeting held Friday at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Executive Board approved the inclusion of all 28 sports that were held at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. That includes golf, which made its return to the Olympics program after a 112-year absence. The recommendation is scheduled to be ratified by all IOC members at the 130th IOC Session held on Sept. 13 in Lima, Peru. That’s also when the host city for the 2024 Summer Games will be announced – either Paris or Los Angeles. The International Golf Federation released a statement Saturday: “The IGF is gratified to learn of the IOC Executive Board’s decision to include golf in its recommendation for the Olympic Games Programme in 2024. We look forward to learning the outcome of the final vote at the IOC Session in September. “We were always confident that golf would deliver exciting men’s and women’s competitions in Rio de Janeiro and even at that, it exceeded our expectations. Now, we are excited to build upon the success from last year as we prepare for the 2020 Games in Tokyo and, hopefully, beyond.â€� Golf had previously been approved for 2020 in Toyko, with the men’s and women’s competition held at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Golf’s return to the Olympics in Rio was considered a success, especially by the players involved. Justin Rose (gold), Henrik Stenson (silver) and Matt Kuchar (bronze) were the medalists in the men’s competition, with Inbee Park (golf), Lydia Ko (silver) and Shanshan Feng (bronze) grabbing podium spots on the women’s side. In a non-traditional golf country, players were pleased to see a significant amount of fans at the new Olympic course designed by architect Gil Hanse and his team. “To look at the support that was out here, to look at the guys that came through, won medals – I think it speaks for itself,â€� Kuchar said after winning bronze. “This event has gone over, I think, fantastically well.â€� The fan support should be larger in Tokyo. According to a 2015 study by the R&A, there are 2,383 golf facilities in Japan, second most in the world next to the United States. Included among the estimated 10 million golfers in the country are Hideki Matsuyama, the fourth-ranked men’s player in the world, and Harukyo Nomura, ranked 18th among all women’s players. Korean golf fans, who made up a big contingent for the women’s event in Rio, should have an even larger presence in Japan, its next-door neighbor. Eight of the current top 14 women’s players in the world are from South Korea. If Los Angeles gets the 2024 Olympics bid, the host venue is expected to be Riviera Country Club, the annual site of the PGA TOUR’s Genesis Open. If Paris gets the bid, the host venue will be Le Golf National, the host course at next year’s Ryder Cup.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Former No. 1-ranked amateur Colt Knost is calling it a career after missing the cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he told golfchannel.com. “The game has just changed so much,� Knost said after shooting 70-72 to miss the cut by one. “Guys hit is so far, and I don’t. But you know, I’m excited for what I have ahead.� Knost already does a radio show with SiriusXM and said he will turn to broadcasting fulltime. Related: Leaderboard | Amy paying it forward The 34-year-old reached No. 1 in the world amateur ranks after winning the 2007 U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links, and played for the winning U.S. Walker Cup team. He turned pro and won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour. Upon graduating to the PGA TOUR he reached a high of 79th in the FedExCup (2016) in a 13-year professional career. One high point: Knost hit all 18 greens in regulation and shot a second-round 63, with 10 birdies, at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2016. This, despite three-putting his last hole. He would lead the field in greens hit and finish T3, but a wrist injury came soon after. “I was playing so good,� he said, “and then I got hurt. It was just frustrating. It just sucks to end this way.� The injury kept him from playing his best, or in some cases even playing at all. Playing on a Major Medical Extension this season, the Scottsdale resident had three starts to earn 322 points, or equal to No. 125 on the 2016-17 FedExCup points list. He missed the cut at the Safeway Open and Sony Open in Hawaii, and needed a victory at TPC Scottsdale. Knost thanked his family, friends and sponsors on Instagram, saying, in part, that he had the greatest job in the world for a very long time and he’s ready for the next chapter.

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PALM HARBOR, Fla. – This may not be the old Tiger Woods, but it was easy to forget that as his long birdie putt curled toward the hole. Woods had struggled all day to hit his irons close or strike his putts with the proper pace, but that first victory was now within reach after his birdie at the second-to-last hole. “All you want is a shot going up 18,â€� his caddie Joe LaCava said. “Now I’m thinking, ‘We have a shot,’ so I’m pretty jacked up.â€� It didn’t matter that the Copperhead Course’s 18th hole was the toughest of the day. Woods has made a career out of pulling off improbable shots at the most opportune times. He’d proved it again with that unlikely birdie from 44 feet. Woods hit a long-iron off the final tee, leaving himself a 7-iron into the final green. He was in between clubs, as he was throughout the final round, but took the shorter one to leave himself an uphill attempt at birdie. Even he couldn’t connect on a second consecutive putt of some 40 feet. His par on 18 left him one shot behind Paul Casey, who claimed his first PGA TOUR title since 2009. Woods’ 70 on Sunday left him in a tie for second with another player clad in red and black, Patrick Reed. It was still Woods’ best finish since a runner-up finish at the first event of the 2013 FedExCup Playoffs, THE NORTHERN TRUST. “I had a chance today,â€� he said. “Unfortunately, I just didn’t quite feel as sharp as I needed to with my irons and played a little conservative because of it.â€� Woods could only manage two birdies in the final round. He started the day by reaching the par-5 first hole with a long-iron second shot. His tap-in birdie tied him for the lead. He had to wait 16 holes for his next one. He came up short, but his first trip in more than two decades to Florida’s west coast gave fans the glimpse of Woods’ greatness that they came to see. The tournament had to bring in buses from Miami and Orlando, add more than 6,000 parking spots and saw ticket sales jump more than 35 percent. Even his peers, happy to have Woods back on TOUR after his dark, injury-riddled days, were rooting for his success. “It was … a week where Tiger played some good golf and (we) got to see some amazing stuff and hear the roars,â€� said Paul Casey, the tournament’s winner. “I said a couple times if I don’t win this thing I actually want Tiger to win it.â€� It was the first time Woods started a Sunday this close to the lead since the 2015 Wyndham Championship. He fell out of contention there with a back-nine triple-bogey. This time, Woods was in it until the end despite a sub-par ball-striking round. He hit 14 greens Sunday but needed 32 putts, his first time all week that he exceeded 30 putts. “I was just grinding and try to put myself in there,â€� he said. Woods only had three birdie attempts from inside 10 feet Sunday, and two of those were on par-5s he reached in two (with irons). He three-putted the par-5 14th for par, though, and it seemed to end his chances. Woods walked after his 2-iron shot that ended up on the front of the green. He wanted to leave an uphill birdie putt but was overly cautious and left himself 8 feet for birdie. The miss left him two back of Casey with the Copperhead Course’s intimidating Snake Pit ahead of him. Woods played them 1 under but it wasn’t enough. Sunday was his worst performance of the week in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green (+0.65) and Strokes Gained: Putting (-0.95), despite gaining more than a stroke with his putt at 17. He missed a 13-foot birdie putt at the par-5 fifth hole after missing a 5-footer for par on the previous hole. He hit a long-iron within 10 feet on the 228-yard, par-3 eighth hole but lipped out that putt and missed a 16-foot birdie putt on 13 before missing his 10-foot attempt at the par-5 14th. “He hit it pretty decent, but I wouldn’t say great,â€� LaCava said. “Basically, it was the speed of the greens that caught him.â€� Woods blamed his iron play, but not his nerves, for falling short. “I’ve been here before a few times,â€� he said. Woods keeps getting closer and closer to his 80th win. He’s been inside the top 15 at the end of each of his past seven rounds. Woods was four off the lead entering the weekend of The Honda Classic. He twice got within four shots of the lead in the final round. He was never outside the top 10 at the Valspar Championship, even though this was his tournament debut. He played with Brandt Snedeker in the second-to-last group on both Saturday and Sunday, starting the final round one shot behind rookie Corey Conners (who shot 77 to fall to T16). Woods was seeking his first victory since the 2013 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, and trying to win one week after Phil Mickelson claimed his first win since that 2013 season. It was not to be. Woods’ victory quest will continue next week at a course where he’s been winning for nearly three decades. He won the first of his six USGA amateur titles there at the 1991 U.S. Junior Amateur and he shared a victorious handshake with Arnold Palmer eight times as the winner of Palmer’s tournament. This will be his first appearance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard since his 2013 victory. He’s won four of his past five starts at Bay Hill. “I believe my game is progressing,â€� Woods said. If it continues, victory does not seem far away.

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