Expert Picks: Barbasol Championship

Webb Simpson knows what it’s like to win THE PLAYERS Championship in May. This week, the defending champ will play the first two rounds with a player who knows what it’s like to win at TPC Sawgrass in both March and May. Tiger Woods is the only two-time PLAYERS champion to win at the Stadium Course in different months, and he’ll get a chance to add another victory to his resume after the tournament’s return to March for the first time since 2006. Meanwhile, Simpson will be battling PLAYERS history – no defending champ has successfully defended. But given how he dominated last year, cruising to a four-shot win while matching the course record with a second-round 63, perhaps the confidence will spill over into a second straight win this week. Here’s a look at some of the Featured Groups (FedExCup ranking after The Honda Classic in parentheses). Four more Featured Groups will be announced on Monday at 4 p.m. ET. HOW TO FOLLOW (all times ET) TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday, 2-7 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (NBC). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.- 7 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday, 8:30 a.m.- 7 p.m. (Featured Groups). Sunday, 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. (Featured Groups). LIVE ON TWITTER: Thursday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. – approx. 8:30 a.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – approx. 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. – approx. 9 a.m. RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 12-7 p.m. Saturday, 1-7 p.m. Sunday, 12-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.COM). International subscribers (via GOLFTV): Thursday-Friday, 12:30 to 23:00 GMT. Saturday, 14:00 to 23:00. Sunday, 13:00 to 22:00. FEATURED GROUPS THURSDAY Webb Simpson (38) – In addition to his 63, he set PLAYERS records for largest 36-hole (5 shots) and 54-hole (7 shots) leads last year. Patrick Reed (52) – Due to the schedule change, he’s making his second PLAYERS start since winning the Masters last April. Tiger Woods (105) – In his 17 opening rounds at TPC Sawgrass, just one was in the 60s  — a 67 in 2013 when he won for the second time. Rickie Fowler (6) – Had three rounds in the 60s when he won in 2015; every other round since 2013 has been in the 70s. Brooks Koepka (8) – His last competitive round at TPC Sawgrass was a course-record tying 63 in Round 4 a year ago. Jordan Spieth (180) – Tied for fourth in his first PLAYERS in 2014, then missed the cut in his next three starts. FRIDAY Matt Kuchar (2) –  Two top-10s in 14 career starts; of course, one of those was his win in 2012. Phil Mickelson (9) – Won THE PLAYERS the first time it was held in May in 2007 but hasn’t had a top-10 finish since then. Rory McIlroy (15) – Missed the cut in his first three PLAYERS starts, then had top-10 finishes in the next three. Xander Schauffele (1) – FedExCup leader tied for second last year in his first PLAYERS start. Justin Thomas (5) – Feast or famine on the weekend for the former FedExCup champion – four rounds of 68 or better, and three rounds of 75 or higher. Justin Rose (11) – Reigning FedExCup champion. In 15 career starts at TPC Sawgrass, he has just one top-10 – a T4 in 2014.

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INZAI CITY, Japan (AP) — Tiger Woods shot 4-under 66 in the third round of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP on Sunday to widen his lead to three strokes over local favorite Hideki Matsuyama. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tiger chases Snead’s record | Monday finish determined for ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP Because torrential rain washed out play on Friday, the second round of the PGA TOUR’s first tournament in Japan was moved to Saturday. To make up for the lost day, the players started the fourth round immediately after finishing the third to get in as many holes as possible. After a bogey on the par-4 first hole, Woods carded six birdies at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club course to finish three rounds at 16-under 194. His only other bogey came on the par-5 14th. Matsuyama stayed in contention with a 65 that featured six birdies against a lone bogey. Woods, who has led from the opening round, is making his first start in his 23rd season on the PGA TOUR, needing one victory to reach 82 wins and tie the career record held by Sam Snead. Any holes they can’t get in Sunday will be played on Monday morning. Rory McIlroy fired a 63 that included an eagle on the par-5 18th hole, six birdies and a lone bogey, and was in seventh place.

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The PGA TOUR’s Player Advisory Council has approved a new rule that will dramatically impact how players and caddies read greens. Gone will be the highly-detailed books that use technology to reveal the secrets behind the smallest slope on a putting surface. Instead, players and caddies will be required to use approved yardage books that only provide general information about a green’s contours. A player or caddie can add additional notes to his or her yardage book, but those notes will be limited to information garnered from first-hand observations and experiences. Players were informed of the Local Rule, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2022, in a memo sent Monday by the PGA TOUR. “The purpose of this Local Rule is to return to a position where players and caddies use only their skill, judgment and feel along with any information gained through experience, preparation, and practice to read the line of play on the putting green,” the memo read. Beginning in the new year, players and caddies will not be allowed to use yardage books from 2021 and prior. The TOUR will work with yardage book providers to develop the parameters of the new, approved books, which will be marked “Committee Approved Book” on the cover. Players and caddies can continue to take handwritten notes that could aid with green-reading. Those notes can only be based on first-hand observations or experiences, including viewing of television broadcasts, however. Notes from old yardage book that meet these parameters may also be transferred into the new yardage books. No devices, levels or other technology may be used to gather notes about a green’s contours. No information may be copied from another source into the approved book, either. This eliminates players copying the notes from the old greens-reading books into the new book. In addition to this new Local Rule, a Tournament Regulation will be amended to extend the prohibition on using any device to test the conditions of the putting greens to include all practice greens, and during all official practice rounds and Pro-Ams. Based on the direction of the PAC, the Local Rule and new Tournament Regulation will be presented to the PGA TOUR Policy Board at the Nov. 8 meeting, for Jan. 1, 2022 implementation.

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