Expert Picks: Safeway Open

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THREE TIED FOR THE LEAD Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, and Matt Kuchar are tied for the lead after 18 holes at The Open Championship. All three opened with rounds of 5-under 65. Click here for Round 1 leaderboard Current scores at #TheOpen: T1. Kuchar -5 Spieth -5 Koepka -5 4. Casey -4https://t.co/hiL0Bw5QZY pic.twitter.com/NYdDXwqAYn— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 20, 2017 RORY’S RECOVERY If scorecards had pictures … pic.twitter.com/dZzaKTUeAw — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 20, 2017 Rory McIlroy carded five bogeys in his first six holes of Round 1 at Royal Birkdale. He’d recover by going bogey-free through his final 12 holes with a back nine that included four birdies for a 32. The 2014 Open Champion finished his day at 1-under (71) and six shots off the lead. Click here for more on Rory’s round WEATHER CENTER The 146th Open Championship teed off in cool temperatures with scattered rains and gusty winds. It ended with sunshine and a slight breeze.  Friday’s weather doesn’t look to be as promising, as there are expected winds of 20-25 MPH, up to 45-MPH gusts, and 90% chance of rain. True Open Championship weather.  Click here for the Weather Hub TAMING ROYAL BIRKDALE Royal Birkdale didn’t show its teeth like it did in Round 1 of the 2008 Open Championship when the first-round leader was only 1-under (winning score ended up being 3-over).  The first-round scoring average this year was 71.92, 1.92 strokes over par. In 2008, the first-round scoring average was 75.88, 5.88 strokes over par. The toughest hole in Round 1 was the par-4 sixth, playing at a scoring average of 4.500. The easiest hole was the par-5 17th with a scoring average of 4.538. Click here for The Upshot DRESSING TO IMPRESS The opening round of The Open Championship brought out the best attire from the closests of the biggest stars. Jordan Spieth showed off his vest game while his buddy Justin Thomas threw it back with the cardigan-tie combo. Meanwhile, Jason Day went his own way with the debut of his Air Jordan 1 golf shoes.  Click here for The Open Style Insider

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Tiger Woods has announced he will release a book about his storied life and sensational career. The 81-time PGA TOUR winner has had a plethora of books written about him over the years, but this will be the first official account coming directly from Woods and those in his small inner circle. “I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, and because of that, there have been books and articles and TV shows about me, most filled with errors, speculative and wrong. This book is my definitive story,â€� Woods said via statement Tuesday. “It’s in my words and expresses my thoughts. It describes how I feel and what’s happened in my life. I’ve been working at it steadily, and I’m looking forward to continuing the process and creating a book that people will want to read.â€� HarperCollins Publishers have secured the rights to the memoir entitled BACK and will publish it across the globe. A release date is yet to be announced. It will cover everything from his childhood, his stellar amateur career, his multiple injuries and personal battles, and of course his compelling professional golf career through his 15th major championship at the Masters in April. The publishers claim the book “is a candid and intimate narrative of an outsize American life: from growing up a celebrated golfing prodigy to shattering centuries-old racial barriers as a young pro; from rising to unprecedented fame and global icon status to battling devastating injuries and personal issues; from enduring years of physical anguish to mounting an astonishing comeback at 43 years old, culminating with the 2019 Masters, where his thrillingly impossible victory captured the imagination and hearts of people around the world.â€� “Meeting with Tiger, speaking with him at length about the process of writing a memoir, I was delighted to discover how much he has to say, and how ready, how eager, he is to say it,â€� editor Shannon Welch said. “He’s at a place in his career and his life where he’s thinking deeply about his story, the highs and the lows, and how it all relates and connects. I think the result will be extraordinary.â€� Woods, who hasn’t played since August and has had arthroscopic surgery on his knee, is due to start his 2019-20 PGA TOUR season next week at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan, a few days after he battles Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama in The Challenge: Japan Skins. He will then focus on his captain duties for the Presidents Cup as he must select his four captain’s picks to round out the U.S. team, which may or may not still include himself, on Nov. 4.

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