College golfer drops ball in water, nearly costs team shot at NCAA Championship

Round 2 of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard begins today from Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida. The strong field includes Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action. Leaderboard Full tee times HOW TO FOLLOW (All times ET) Television: Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC) PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Featured Groups); 2:30 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). TOURCast: Get shot-by-shot info in real time with shot tracks and video with TOURCast. TOUR Pulse: Get the PGA TOUR app to utilize TOUR Pulse, which provides users the ability to experience a mix of content, such as video highlights, written hole summaries and stat graphics on every player after every hole they complete. FEATURED GROUPS Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth Max Homa, Patrick Reed, Billy Horschel Viktor Hovland, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day Click here for the Featured Groups roundtable. MUST READS Rory McIlroy starts strong, Jordan Spieth builds on momentum at Bay Hill Bryson DeChambeau's quest to drive the par-5 sixth at Bay Hill continues Corey Conners, Rory McIlroy share lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard Cut prediction: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard Inside the boldest plays at Bay Hill Woods recovering, sends note of appreciation CALL OF THE DAY

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Patrick Reed comes into the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession with a ton of momentum. He’s not only the defending champion (from last year's edition in Mexico) but also comes in fresh off a victory a few weeks ago at the Farmers Insurance Open. All in all, it’s looking like "Captain America" is making a big push to play for Captain Steve Stricker in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits later this year. When it comes to his equipment, Reed is quite the interesting case study. He’s basically a free agent hybrid with his only contractual obligations being to Japanese iron maker Grindworks. Beyond that, Reed is a player who isn't afraid to test the waters across the board. The Grindworks relationship has been a successful one for Reed. Not only did he have the opportunity to put his own expertise into an iron, but it also gave the industry a look at just how detailed Reed is in regards to his equipment. As an ambassador, the 2018 Masters champion has done an amazing job of promoting the Japanese start-up, which from a personnel standpoint, is packed with some serious club making talent. Grindworks CEO Kiyonari Niimi, who is a 40-year veteran of the club making business as well as a member of the honored International Clubmakers Guild (ICG) Hall of Fame, gives the company serious gravitas. So too does former president of the legendary Endo forging house Kenji Kobiyashi. Reed recently gave aspiring TOUR player and APGA regular Charles Penny II the gift of Grindworks after being inspired by an email he read. "I read his email about him as a person, as well as what his dreams and ambitions are in golf and how hard he’s working on it and his goals," Reed said. "And when I sat back and actually read all the stuff that he was saying and all the things that he was trying to get to and his goals and ambitions, I was like, man, this is somebody I would love to try to help out." You can get the full story here. This week at The Concession, Reed will try to keep the momentum going as the season of championships is coming fast and furious. Take a look at what he had in the bag for his victory last year and what he has in play this week. 2020 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship Driver: Ping G400 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X 3-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (15 degrees @ 13.9) Shaft: Aldila RIP Alpha 75 TX (42 3/8 inches) Hybrid: Callaway Apex (20 degrees @ 18.8) Shaft: Aldila Rogue Black 105 TX (40 inches) Irons: Grindworks Patrick Reed Prototype (4-PW) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (50 @ 51 degrees), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (56, 60 at 61 degrees) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat I Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Grips: Golf Pride New Decade MCC Black/White 58 R (2 wraps double-sided tape) Current equipment setup Driver: Titleist TSi3 (9) Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70TX 3-Wood: TaylorMade SIM (15) Shaft: Aldila Rogue Black 130MSI 80TX Hybrid: Callaway Apex Pro (20) Shaft: UST Mamiya Recoil Prototype 95 Irons: Grindworks Patrick Reed Prototype (4-PW) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Wedges: Artisan Proto (51), Vokey SM8 (56-08M), Vokey SM6 (60-04LAD+ @61) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat Ball: Titleist Pro V

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PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Paul Casey drove into Innisbrook and saw his picture on posters and programs, just what he needed to forget the cut he missed last week. He played Friday as though he wants those photos to stay here. Casey holed a 30-foot eagle putt on the 599-yard fifth hole and made short birdie putts on the other three par 5s on his way to a 5-under 66, giving him a share of the lead with Austin Cook among the early starters Friday in the Valspar Championship. No one has ever won back-to-back at the Valspar Championship since it became a PGA TOUR event in 2000. “I’ve never defended a professional event. I would love to do that,” Casey said. “Mentally last year I was hoping I would win, wanting to win. This year, knowing that I have won around here, I have a slightly different approach to it, and I played today quite aggressively and tried to take advantage of the golf course that I knew was going to get very, very tough this afternoon.” Casey and Cook, who shot a 67, were at 6-under 136. Scott Stallings (68) and Sungjae Im (67) were one shot behind, while Dustin Johnson overcame a rough patch early in his round with five birdies on the front nine to salvage a 69. Johnson was two shots behind on a Copperhead course he hasn’t seen in nine years. Joel Dahmen and Sepp Straka, who shared the 18-hole lead at 5 under, were among those playing in the afternoon. Casey last year ended eight years without winning on the PGA TOUR when he closed with a 65 and had to wait to see if Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed could catch him. It was the centerpiece of a resurgence for Casey, a 41-year-old from England who is back among the top 16 in the FedExCup standings.  He opened in the morning calm with a 10-foot birdie putt and did the rest of his damage on the par 5s. The eagle putt followed a blind shot over a hill on the longest hole at Innisbrook. He went bunker-to-bunker on his final hole at No. 9 and made bogey to slip into a tie with Cook. “Everybody is going to make bogeys. If you can just minimize those, it puts you in a good position,” Casey said. He spent the opening two rounds with Johnson, who had to maximize his birdies after his start. Johnson thought he might have had too much club on the par-3 13th and was stunned to learn that it had come up short enough to catch the slope and roll down toward the water, leading to double bogey. On the next hole, a par 5 where he had to lay up from the rough, Johnson had a 104-yard wedge for his third shot that traveled only about 50 yards. There was a reason for that. “As soon as he hit it, he said, `Just don’t go in a divot,'” said Austin Johnson, his brother and caddie. It found a divot. “It was big,” Johnson said, holding his hands about a foot part, which might have been a slight exaggeration. “I mean, it was long. It was deep. It wasn’t … I don’t think it was from a professional.” He managed to get that up-and-down by making a 5-footer to avoid losing another shot. Johnson started the front nine with four birdies in five holes, including one birdie putt from 35 feet on No. 3, and is back in the game. Gary Woodland also played with them and three-putted from 7 feet for double bogey on his last hole for a 71 that was almost certain to miss the cut. Woodland had the longest active cut streak on the PGA TOUR at 22, last going home on the weekend at THE PLAYERS Championship last May. On the other side of the course was 17-year-old Akshay Bhatia in his PGA TOUR debut. Playing on a sponsor exemption, he was at 3 under for the day and even par for the tournament through eight holes until a muffed chip and a missed putt led to double bogey at No. 9 that killed his momentum. Bhatia bogeyed his last two holes for a 72 and finished at 4-over 146 to miss the cut. He plans to turn pro later this year after the Walker Cup if he makes the team. The cheers he heard in some corners of Innisbrook were inspiring, especially behind the 12th green, where the rowdy fans chanted his first name to make it sound like the “Ole” cheer at the Ryder Cup. “It was sick. That was dope,” Bhatia said, adding that he hopes he can hear that at the Ryder Cup “in five, six years down the road.”

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