Casey: Urge for normalcy is impetus for vaccine

After a successful debut last year, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans returns with its unique team format. Many of the game’s biggest names have descended on TPC Louisiana for the opportunity to partner with a friend for the only team event during the FedExCup season. The two-man teams will play four-ball on Thursday and Saturday and alternate shot in the second and fourth rounds. Last year’s tournament included one of the best shots of the year, as Kevin Kisner chipped in for eagle on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith. Smith clinched the title by hitting a wedge to 3 feet on the fourth hole of the sudden-death playoff, which concluded Monday because of darkness. Blixt and Smith have returned to defend their title. They’ll be part of PGA TOUR LIVE’s Featured Groups coverage, as will two of the past three FedExCup champions (Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas), Masters champion Patrick Reed and all three medalists from the 2016 Olympics. The Thursday broadcast will begin at 8 a.m. Eastern, while the Friday broadcast will begin at 9:15 a.m. Featured Holes will begin at 3 p.m. and run until the end of the broadcast at 6:30 p.m. TPC Louisiana’s two back-nine par-3s, Nos. 14 and 17, are this week’s Featured Holes. PGA TOUR LIVE also can be viewed on Twitter from approximately 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. on Thursday and 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Here’s a closer look at what you can see this week on PGA TOUR LIVE (Note: FedExCup rankings in parentheses): THURSDAY Justin Thomas (1)/Bud Cauley (61), Daniel Berger (66)/Gary Woodland (22): FedExCup leader Justin Thomas is teaming with fellow Alabama alum Bud Cauley for the second consecutive year. The duo finished fifth in last year’s Zurich Classic. Thomas won last year’s FedExCup and holds the lead again this season after victories at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES and The Honda Classic. They’ll play alongside Thomas’ Presidents Cup teammate, Daniel Berger, and another of this season’s winners, Gary Woodland. He won earlier this year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Tee times: 8:39 a.m. Eastern off No. 10 on Thursday; 2:08 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 on Friday. Jordan Spieth (28)/Ryan Palmer (84), Wesley Bryan (153)/Jon Rahm (7): The Texas twosome of Ryan Palmer and Jordan Spieth has reunited after a fourth-place finish here last year. Bryan and Rahm are good friends who promise to make a colorful pairing. Rahm’s strong driving and Bryan’s crafty wedge play could make them a dangerous duo. Tee times: 8:52 a.m. Eastern off No. 10 on Thursday; 2:09 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 on Friday. FRIDAY Patrick Reed (6)/Patrick Cantlay (15), Jonas Blixt (162)/Cameron Smith (25): The Patricks are back after a 14th-place finish at last year’s Zurich. They were one shot off the lead at the halfway mark. For Reed, this will be his first PGA TOUR start since his Masters victory. Cantlay picked up his first PGA TOUR title earlier this season at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. They are the only team with two players ranked inside the top 15 in the FedExCup standings and the only team of PGA TOUR winners this season. Smith is coming off fifth-place finishes at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and the Masters. Click here to read Ben Everill’s feature on Smith. Tee times: 1:44 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 on Thursday; 9:53 a.m. Eastern off No. 10 on Friday. Justin Rose (8)/Henrik Stenson (37), Matt Kuchar (58)/Bubba Watson (3): All four of these players competed for their countries at the 2016 Olympics. Three of them won medals (sorry, Bubba). However, Watson is the only one with multiple titles this season. He won both the Genesis Open and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Kuchar earned a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro. Kuchar and Watson are among an elite group of players who have qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in all 11 seasons of the FedExCup. Rose and Stenson, the gold and silver medalists, respectively, have reunited despite a surprising MC at last year’s Zurich Classic. Rose (2015) and Watson (2011) also are former Zurich champions. Tee times: 1:57 p.m. Eastern off No. 1 on Thursday; 10:04 a.m. Eastern off No. 10 on Friday.

Click here to read the full article…

In Gee Chun rallied after losing the rest of her once-sizeable lead, overcoming a bogey-filled front nine to win the Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday.

Click here to read the full article…

Tee times for Round 2 have been adjusted after the first round was suspended due to darkness. Justin Thomas, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Brooks Koepka will go right back out at 10:14 a.m. off the 10th tee followed by the group of Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy. Fresh off a bogey-free 68, Tiger Woods tees off on No. 1 with Shane Lowry and Andy Ogletree at 2:30 p.m. while Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Louis Oosthuizen go half an hour earlier at 2:08 p.m. Full tee times & groupings below. * – Denotes amateur ROUND 2 TEE TIMES (ALL TIMES ET) 1st Tee 9:30 AM 1 86 Justin Harding (South Africa) 43 Shugo Imahira (Japan) 37 Nick Taylor (Canada) 9:41 AM 3 59 Chez Reavie 61 Sebastian Munoz (Colombia) 39 Byeong Hun An (Korea) 9:52 AM 5 29 Bubba Watson 56 Matthew Wolff 7 Tommy Fleetwood (England) 10:03 AM 7 74 Francesco Molinari (Italy) 53 Billy Horschel 47 Cameron Smith (Australia) 10:14 AM 9 81 Bernhard Langer (Germany) 60 J. T. Poston 4 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (South Africa) 10:25 AM 11 92 Fred Couples 63 Max Homa 19 Dylan Frittelli (South Africa) 10:36 AM 13 71 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 23 Andrew Putnam 8 *James Sugrue (Ireland) 1:35 PM 15 80 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 54 Jimmy Walker 14 *Yuxin Lin (China) 1:46 PM 17 83 Webb Simpson 77 Marc Leishman (Australia) 69 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 1:57 PM 19 2 Kevin Kisner 38 Adam Hadwin (Canada) 68 Scottie Scheffler 2:08 PM 21 55 Jon Rahm (Spain) 33 Bryson DeChambeau 46 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 2:19 PM 23 49 Patrick Reed 58 Paul Casey (England) 67 Tony Finau 2:30 PM 25 1 Tiger Woods 78 Shane Lowry (Ireland) 12 *Andy Ogletree 2:41 PM 27 17 Jordan Spieth 15 Gary Woodland 9 Ian Poulter (England) 2:52 PM 29 84 Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 50 Si Woo Kim (Korea) 66 Nate Lashley 10th tee 9:30 AM 2 26 Sung Kang (Korea) 79 Erik van Rooyen (South Africa) 9:41 AM 4 36 Danny Willett (England) 24 Rickie Fowler 20 *John Augenstein 9:52 AM 6 13 Phil Mickelson 28 Abraham Ancer (Mexico) 27 Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 10:03 AM 8 65 Adam Scott (Australia) 45 Collin Morikawa 91 Tyrrell Hatton (England) 10:14 AM 10 25 Justin Thomas 31 Matthew Fitzpatrick (England) 88 Brooks Koepka 10:25 AM 12 62 Dustin Johnson 48 Patrick Cantlay 16 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 10:36 AM 14 75 Zach Johnson 35 Justin Rose (England) 40 Cameron Champ 10:47 AM 16 42 Victor Perez (France) 76 Sungjae Im (Korea) 6 Brendon Todd 1:35 PM 18 22 Lucas Glover 51 Corey Conners (Canada) 85 C. T. Pan (Chinese Taipei) 1:46 PM 20 57 Brandt Snedeker 70 Charles Howell III 3 Jazz Janewattananond (Thailand) 1:57 PM 22 90 Larry Mize 18 Andrew Landry 44 *Lukas Michel (Australia) 2:08 PM 24 89 Matt Kuchar 32 Lee Westwood (England) 34 Kevin Na 2:19 PM 26 52 Xander Schauffele 5 Jason Kokrak 72 Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 2:30 PM 28 21 Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 82 Jason Day (Australia) 41 *Abel Gallegos (Argentina) 2:41 PM 30 87 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 73 Lanto Griffin 11 Tyler Duncan 2:52 PM 32 64 Mike Weir (Canada) 10 Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spain) 30 Matt Wallace (England)

Click here to read the full article…