DeChambeau ties course record with 62 in Round 2

The new Titleist U-500 and U-510 utility irons, which were first spotted by PGATOUR.COM at the Memorial Tournament in May and put it play by a slew of TOUR pros including Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Jimmy Walker, officially have a retail release date set. Titleist has also revealed information about the new designs ahead of the release. The two new utility irons from Titleist are designed to expand the arsenal of shots at the top end of the iron set with constructions that “produce more distance than a standard iron and less spin than a hybrid,� according to the company. While the U-500 and U-510 have differing designs for different golfers and purposes, they’re each made with forged SUP-10 L-face inserts and have “extreme amounts� of high-density tungsten, according to Titleist. The multi-material constructions are designed for higher launch and faster ball speeds. The U-500, which Titleist calls a “player’s iron,� has a smaller profile, thinner topline, thinner sole, and less offset than the U-510; Titleist says the U-510 has a more hybrid-like performance. The U-500 irons have 98 grams of Tungsten on average, designed to lower the CG (center of gravity) compared to its previous T-MB irons, thus creating “increased launch with trajectory control,� according to the company, and a higher MOI (moment of inertia) for stability. “U-500 is the incredibly versatile utility iron that tour players have been asking us for,� said Marni Ines, Director of Iron Development, Titleist Golf Club R&D, in a press release. “It shares a similar size and shape to our prior generation T-MB iron, but has been completely reimagined to give players specialized long iron performance. It’s faster, launches higher, lands softer, and feels better through impact.� The U-500 irons are available in 17, 20 and 23 degrees of loft. The larger U-510 irons, on the other hand, have 95 grams of tungsten on average, placed for a lower and deeper CG for maximum launch, and high MOI for forgiveness. Due to the higher launch and greater forgiveness of the U-510, Titleist has a made a 16-degree 1-iron available, in addition to 18-, 20- and 22-degree options. “U-510 is the launch king,� Ines said. “The larger shape and wide sole allowed us to place the tungsten weighting so that the CG is lower and further back than any iron we’ve developed – and what that translates into is a lot of launch angle.� The U-500 and U-510 clubs each come stock with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 90 graphite shafts at +0.25 inches in length, but they will also be available for custom order at no upcharge. They will sell for $250 each, available in shops worldwide starting on August 30.

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – He raised his putter in the air on No. 9 as his 24-foot birdie putt rolled in the hole. Two holes later, he swung his fist after a grinding par. Tiger Woods was only two shots off the lead as he toured PGA National’s trying back nine, much to the delight of the boisterous fans who’d enjoyed some beverages to survive the hot South Florida sun. The question – “Is Tiger back?â€� – has been asked so often amidst his countless comebacks that it has become cliché, but on this afternoon it was difficult for fans to remember that they were watching a man who had undergone four back surgeries. Woods sits at 1-over 141 through two rounds, four shots behind co-leaders Luke List and Jamie Lovemark. “I’m right there in the ballgame,â€� he said. The enthusiasm was dampened when Woods rinsed his tee shot at the par-3 15th and followed with a three-putt bogey on the next hole, but he inched back toward the leaders with some masterful play on the most difficult hole of the day, the par-3 17th. He hit a cut 5-iron within 12 feet of the hole to make one of the nine birdies there in the second round. Woods almost ended one victory drought here. In search of his first win after his personal scandal, he shot a final-round 62 to finish second to Rory McIlroy in 2012. Now Woods is seeking his first victory since his Player of the Year season in 2013, and it’s not implausible that it could come this week. The cross-country trip from Pacific Palisades to Palm Beach Gardens seemed to serve Woods well. A week ago, he looked lost as he struggled to a back-nine 39 at Riviera to miss the cut by four. Now he’s four shots from the lead. “I love Riviera. I just don’t play well there,â€� Woods said Friday. “We’re back at a golf course I know and I play well here. I felt like I hit a lot of good golf shots, especially in this wind.â€� He’s passing the toughest test of the season. The average score on PGA National’s par-70 Champion Course has been just a touch under 73. Woods is 29th in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting this week. He’s hit more than half his fairways (15 of 28) and 21 of 36 greens. He’s third in proximity to the hole (30 feet, 4 inches). “I’m getting there. I feel like I’ve made some nice tweaks,â€� Woods said. “I’m hitting the ball flush, and on top of that, I’m really controlling the (trajectory).â€� A difficult weekend awaits, but Woods’ game is moving in the right direction.

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Tournament ambassador Phil Mickelson leads a field of 156 players at this week’s CareerBuilder Challenge, as the PGA TOUR returns to the mainland after starting the 2018 portion of the schedule in Hawaii. Three courses will be used this week in La Quinta, California – the Stadium Course at PGA West, the Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta Country Club. Players are paired for the first three rounds in twosomes, with their pro-am partners also joining the group. The cut in the 72-hole event will be made after Saturday’s third round. PGA TOUR LIVE makes its 2018 debut with coverage from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday. Click here to sign up. PGA TOUR Radio will have coverage all four days, as will Golf Channel. Here’s a look at this week’s featured groups (current FedExCup ranking in parentheses). Tee times shown are for each group’s appearance on the Stadium Course at PGA West. Click here for full tee times. Hunter Mahan (92), Ryan Palmer (202): Mahan made five starts in the fall and is making his first start of 2018; he’s showing signs of a resurgence after a couple of frustrating seasons. Palmer was a cumulative 84 under at this tournament during a four-year stretch prior to missing the cut a year ago. Stadium Course tee time: Thursday, Rd. 1, 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. local) Patton Kizzire (1), Bill Haas (130): After moving into the FedExCup lead with his win at last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, Kizzire stated: “Our ultimate goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the year. We’ve got a long way to go.� If he wants to know what it takes to win the FedExCup, he can pick the brain of Haas, who won the title in 2011. Stadium Course tee time: Thursday, Rd. 1, 1:10 p.m. ET (10:10 a.m. local) John Daly (210), Mike Weir (N/A): Weir won here in 2003 and is making his 16th career start in this event. Daly, now a member of PGA TOUR Champions, is making his 13th start; his best finish is a tie for seventh 21 years ago. The last time these two were paired at a PGA TOUR event was the 2006 Buick Open. Stadium Course tee time: Friday, Rd. 2, 1:10 p.m. ET (10:10 a.m. local) Patrick Reed (108), Brandt Snedeker (162): Reed won this event in 2014, making a tournament-72-hole record 32 birdies. Snedeker has two top-10 finishes here in seven starts, but is making his first appearance here in three years. Besides Haas, Snedeker (2012) is the other past FedExCup champ in the field. Stadium Course tee time: Friday, Rd. 2, 1:20 p.m. ET (10:20 a.m. local) Jon Rahm (20), Bubba Watson (184): Rahm followed a win on the European Tour with a runner-up finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He’s making his second start here. Watson has five previous starts, including a tie for second in 2010, but hasn’t played here the previous six years. Stadium Course tee time: Saturday, Rd. 3, 12:50 p.m. ET (9:50 a.m. local) Zach Johnson (34), Phil Mickelson (37): Mickelson returns for his second year as tournament ambassador; in his 14 career starts here, he’s won twice (2002, 2004). Johnson has missed the cut here the previous three years. This will be the 12th event in their lengthy PGA TOUR careers that they’ve been paired together in at least one round of a stroke-play event. Stadium Course tee time: Saturday, Rd. 3, 1:20 p.m. ET (10:20 a.m. local) Peter Uihlein (51), Sam Saunders (149): Saunders’ grandfather Arnold Palmer won the inaugural event here in 1960 – and then made it his last PGA TOUR win in 1973. Palmer won this event five times; Saunders and Uihlein have yet to win on the PGA TOUR but would each love to break through in the desert. Stadium Course tee time: Saturday, Rd. 3, 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. local)

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