‘Excited’ Niemann wins 1st LIV Golf title in playoff

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Tiger Woods said his potential appearance at next week’s The Honda Classic will depend on how his body responds to a week’s worth of competition at the Genesis Open. Woods’ immediate playing schedule beyond this week remains up in the air, but he’s hoping to add the first tournament of the Florida Swing. PGA National is about 30 minutes from Woods’ home in Jupiter, Florida. Asked Tuesday what he will need this week before making a decision, Woods replied: “Just not to feel sore, to feel like I can play all-out again within, what, three days off? … To be able to go at it full bore again. “That’s something I’ve been trying to do at home and trying to simulate rounds where I go full bore at it, but it’s never the same as in a tournament. I try to get myself as fired up as possible to try and hit shots as hard as I would in a tournament, or shape shots and do all the weird things I like to do, but it’s just not the same.â€� After his last start at the Farmers Insurance Open, Woods said the only thing sore was his feet. “I’m not used to walking,â€� he joked. “I’m used to being in a cart playing 36 holes.â€� Woods has played The Honda Classic four times, three as a pro. He tied for second in 2012; in his last appearance in 2014, he withdrew after three rounds. While knowing he was dancing around the issue, Woods said it would not necessarily be a bad sign if he doesn’t feel like he can play next week. “I think it would be a great sign if I do play,â€� he said. “I think it would be a smart sign if I didn’t play. How about that?â€�

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THE OVERVIEW Some players prefer to rest the week before a major championship. Phil Mickelson, on the other hand, prefers to play. “Some people feel like if they win, they’ve expended too much energy and don’t carry it over,â€� Mickelson said. “For me, I’ve actually won two of my five majors winning the week before and I think it would be momentum that I would carry over to the U.S. Open. That’s why I would love to play well and hopefully come out on top.â€� No one has played better than Mickelson in Memphis over the last five years since he added the FedEx St. Jude Classic to his schedule before the U.S. Open. Since 2013, he’s never finished worse than T11 with 15 sub-70 rounds and two runner-ups. No one will confuse TPC Southwind with Oakmont or Shinnecock, but the course setup has given Mickelson the opportunity to work on sharpening his mental game and accuracy — two things that are absolutely imperative at the U.S. Open, long considered the toughest test in professional golf. “I feel the best way for me to prepare for the U.S. Open is to get in contention and get sharp mentally and with my game,â€� Mickelson said. “That’s what playing here in Memphis does. Precision is a key factor at this course. “[TPC Southwind] doesn’t beat you up with length, you don’t have to go out and bomb it. You’ve got to be precise with every shot off the tee.â€� Mickelson will not only need to be precise off the tee this week, but at Shinnecock as well. Given his strong history in Memphis, Mickelson spent the early part of the week logging practice rounds at the Long Island course, even getting in a practice round with Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright. “I feel like all areas of your game are going to be tested and skill is going to be a huge factor, especially chipping and putting around the greens,â€� Mickelson said. “Very challenging but very fair. It’s not hack-it-out rough, it’s fairway height, but the greens are so difficult that it’s hard to get the ball close and I love the challenge.â€� While Mickelson has his sights set on Shinnecock, he isn’t looking beyond this week. Given his respect for TPC Southwind and the tournament, Mickelson admitted he’d love to somehow find a way to fill two holes in his Hall-of-Fame resume over the next two weeks. “I very much would like to win [the FedEx St. Jude Classic],â€� Mickelson said. “Winning earlier this year meant a lot to me, and I’d love to add a couple more this year and this is an ideal spot. I know I’ll be in it on Sunday, I just hope I shoot low enough to pull through.â€� THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER Phil Mickelson Very few players have a better track record at TPC Southwind than Mickelson. His last five starts include two T2s and a T3. With the U.S. Open on tap, this has turned into a perfect week to sharpen his game. Joaquín Niemann Already has Special Temporary Membership on TOUR with three top 10s in his first five starts as a pro. His ability and fearless nature were on display during the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, where he finished T6. Brooks Koepka Played the FedEx St. Jude Classic last year before going on to win the following week at the U.S. Open. Last four starts at TPC Southwind feature a T2, T3 and a scoring average of 68.56. Much of his recent success this season — he finished runner-up at the Fort Worth Invitational — can be attributed to a healthy wrist. THE FLYOVER A closer look at TPC Southwind’s finishing hole, the 453-yard par-4 18th. Last year, it played to a stroke average of 4.140, making it the sixth most difficult hole on the course, and ranked as the 15th most difficult closing hole on TOUR last season. Just like its shorter but slightly more severe cousin, the par-4 12th, the 18th’s primary defense is water. A total of 839 shots have ended up in the water since 2003, fifth most of any hole on TOUR during that span. THE LANDING ZONE The 485-yard fifth ranked as the toughest hole on the course during last season’s tournament, with a scoring average of 4.240. Finding the fairway is the biggest challenge, as the hole ranked as the second toughest to hit, with just 28 percent of the field finding the short grass off the tee during the final round. A large tree on the right side of the fairway comes into play, while the left side is lined with spectator mounds. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “High pressure will influence the weather on Thursday and Friday with mostly sunny skies and hot afternoon temperatures. Humidity levels will increase each day and by Friday the heat index will approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A weak front is forecast to drop down into Tennessee by Sunday and could produce a few scattered thunderstorms.â€� For the latest weather news from Memphis, Tennessee check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK I think a lot of it reminds me of the golf course that I grew up on. Bermuda green, a lot of familiar tee shots, and overall, it just feels like I’m back home. I know it’s Memphis, but it reminds me a lot Florida. BY THE NUMBERS 4 – Daniel Berger became the fourth back-to-back winner at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, joining David Toms, Lee Trevino and Dave Hill. 4,964 – Since 2003, TPC Southwind has surrendered 4,964 balls in the water. The total number of balls in the water is 1,562 more than TPC Sawgrass with 3,707. 6 – Since 2007, six of the 11 FedEx St. Jude Classic champions have qualified for the TOUR Championship. SCATTERSHOTS There’s something about TPC Southwind that prepares a player to win the U.S. Open. The last two champions (Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson) played the week prior in Memphis before going on to win their first major title. In the ShotLink era (Since 2003), six FedEx St. Jude Classic champions did not find the water at TPC Southwind en route to their respective victories and three of the last four champions at this event since 2014. Phil Mickelson is a combined 41-under par, recording 18 of 20 rounds of par or better and 90 birdies or better. Mickelson has record four top 10s in five starts at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, tied with Billy Horschel for the most top-10 finishes at this event in this stretch.

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Korean star Sungjae Im has withdrawn from the PGA Championship at Southern Hills after testing positive for COVID-19 while in Korea for a domestic tournament last week. The two-time PGA TOUR winner returned home for the first time in nearly three years to compete in the Woori Financial Group Championship but withdrew before the start of the first round on Thursday. Korean media reported that COVID-19 positive patients must observe a seven-day quarantine and are not permitted to travel within 10 days of the initial positive test date. The 23-year-old Im is expected to fly back to the U.S. this weekend. The PGA Championship, the year’s second major, starts on Thursday, May 19. Im is currently ranked 11th on the FedExCup standings, thanks largely to a second TOUR win at the Shriners Children’s Open in October and four other top-10s. He finished tied eighth at the Masters Tournament last month for his second career top-10 in a major and is touted to follow in the footsteps of countryman, Y.E. Yang, who became the first golfer from Asia to win a major at the 2009 PGA Championship. He has featured in the last four editions of the PGA Championship, with a best of T17 last season when the event was played at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. Scott Stallings will replace Im in the field.

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