Featured holes: Round 2 of AT&T Byron Nelson

Tiger Woods hasn’t announced his intentions to play again in 2022, but the odds that we will see him again seem to be increasing. Woods was seen hitting balls recently at Pebble Beach, where he hosted the inaugural TGR Junior Invitational and the 11th Tiger Woods Invitational. Woods got in some golf, as well. A video posted Tuesday by his TGR Live Events showed him hitting balls during a clinic Monday. He was also seen playing the Peter Hay Course at Pebble Beach, a nine-hole par-3 layout that Woods led the renovation on. Woods’ former college teammate, Notah Begay, recently told SiriusXM that he’s “fairly certain” Woods will tee it up again with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship in December. Team Woods finished second to John Daly and his son, John Daly II, last year after making 11 consecutive birdies in the Sunday scramble format. Charlie recently impressed with a 68 of his own in a junior event, as well. Begay also said Tiger “might surprise everybody” and play in a fall event. The field for his Hero World Challenge was recently announced and three spots for tournament exemptions remain open. The Hero World Challenge is scheduled for Dec. 1-4 in The Bahamas, with the PNC Championship two weeks later. The PNC allows players to compete in carts and Begay said last week from his PGA TOUR Champions debut that “we may see a late-minute introduction of a cart rule” at the Hero, which Woods hosts. Riding in a cart would greatly lessen the impact on his surgically-repaired right leg, which remains the greatest hindrance to Woods’ ability to play competitive golf. “I know that if you just look at the metrics that are related to his golf swing in terms of clubhead speed, ball speed, his ability to execute golf shots, it’s still all there,” Begay said. “Now, walking 72 holes in a competitive environment, that’s the big question mark. But if he finds a way, and if anybody will, it will be him, to be able to deal with the 72-hole walk, the golf’s not the question to me, the heart’s not the question, it’s just a matter of physically can he endure that much stress on the leg.” Woods has not competed since his emotional appearance at The Open in July, where he potentially competed at St. Andrews for the final time. Woods missed the cut with rounds of 78-75, but the scores were overshadowed by the emotional ovation as he walked down the Old Course’s 18th fairway. Woods began the year by making an unbelievable return to competitive golf at the Masters Tournament, little more than a year after his car accident in Southern California. He surprised by opening with a 1-under 71 at Augusta National but the toll of playing competitive golf quickly became apparent. Woods faded with a pair of 78s on the weekend and did not return to competition until the following month’s PGA Championship, where he again made the cut but had to withdraw after the third round. Woods skipped the U.S. Open to ensure his body would be ready for St. Andrews. The only other tournament he competed in outside the three majors was the unofficial J.P. McManus Pro-Am, a 36-hole event in Ireland the week before The Open. Woods left St. Andrews saying, “I have nothing, nothing planned. Zero. Maybe something next year. I don’t know. But nothing in the near future. This is it. I was just hoping to play this one event this year.” Golf Channel commentator Brandel Chamblee praised the swings that Woods made this week, saying Woods “looked great.” Woods is currently tied with Sam Snead atop the PGA TOUR’s all-time wins list with 82 victories, and Begay said he hasn’t dismissed the idea of Tiger attaining win No. 83, though he admitted that it’s “an uphill battle.” “But he’s never backed down from any challenges,” Begay said.

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CROMWELL, Conn. — Jordan Spieth reached the 18th green at TPC River Highlands during his practice round Tuesday at the Travelers Championship. He felt no need to try any shots out of the front bunker. “I know what it does,� he told caddie Michael Greller. Indeed. Spieth’s hole-out a year ago in the first playoff hole against Daniel Berger didn’t just produce a win. It also ignited a celebration that was just as memorable. Spieth’s club throw with his gloved left hand toward the back bank of the bunker. Greller’s casual rake toss to his left. Then the side bump/chest bump between the two. Spieth — and perhaps others in this week’s field — may very well hole out from that same bunker this week. It’s doubtful anyone, though, could recreate the impromptu and unfettered show of emotion that followed. “That was pretty special,� Spieth said. “I don’t think we could do that again, no matter how many times we tried.� It’s a good thing, considering Spieth admitted he basically “blacked out� after his ball rolled into the cup for the unlikely birdie. He knew the shot was a good one but thought the ball would roll a few feet past the cup, so he strained to pick up the read for the comebacker over the lip of the bunker. “Then it drops,� Spieth said, “and you just react.� The fortunate thing, according to Spieth, was that no one got hurt in the process. Spieth said that while he’s thrown clubs in the past, he’s never done it in celebration. But this time, he couldn’t help himself. In typical Spieth fashion, he explained in detail Tuesday how he usually twirls the club after a bunker shot or chip shot, so his hand slid halfway down the shaft instead of staying on the grip. That gave him better accuracy and control as he tossed the club. “If my hands are still on the grip and I really threw it, it could have hurt somebody,� he said. “Instead, it was like throwing a baton, like throwing the middle of the baton.� Meanwhile, Greller’s rake toss — the unsung moment of the celebration — was a nice, high lob to his left. Greller, incidentally, retrieved the rake after the awards ceremony and has it in his home. Then as Spieth climbed out of the bunker, he launched sideways at Greller, who opted for the full chest bump. “Better than the other way around,� Spieth said. “There’s been a lot of pretty bad celebrations on the PGA TOUR. There’s been a lot of missed high fives — I’ve been part of plenty of them. It’s pretty hard to miss when I’m going into Michael for a chest bump.� The holed shot didn’t end the tournament, though. Berger still had a 50-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff, and Spieth followed his celebration by helping to quiet down the frenzied crowd. Spieth’s win was sealed when Berger narrowly missed. “I don’t regret anything of the celebration,� Spieth said. “I thought it just pure emotion. … It felt the moment and that’s where I was living. Then it was OK, I had it now Daniel’s got his turn. You know, let’s chill out. Once that was done, then it was time to celebrate.� Spieth, of course, has seen the replays of the shot many times — “every single day� for the following week or two after the tournament. Then it pops up every now and then on social media. Bill Haas knows what it’s like to produce a highlight moment in a pressure-packed situation. His chip shot from a half-submerged lie in the water at the 17th hole finished inside 3 feet, allowing him to save par in a playoff against Hunter Mahan at the 2011 TOUR Championship. One hole later, Haas won not only the tournament but the FedExCup title. “That was a really good shot that worked,� Haas said Tuesday after walking off the 18th hole (no, he did not try to recreate Spieth’s shot from the bunker). “But I seem to remember the bad ones more than the good ones. The best players remember the good ones more.� Haas is being too humble, of course. After all, he has six TOUR wins along with that FedExCup title. Yet when Spieth and Greller talk about the moment, they don’t focus on the shot. Only what followed. “More about the celebration, for sure,� Spieth said.

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The final round of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open takes place Sunday from Memorial Park Golf Course. Scottie Scheffler looks to win his first PGA TOUR title and leads by one. Matthew Wolff sits a stroke back with four others at 6-under. Leaderboard Tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m. ET or the conclusion of play. Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 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. MUST READS Memorial Park produces wild finish at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open Scottie Scheffler gets mad, sets course record in Houston Bryson DeChambeau using new irons created with 3D printer

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