Francesco Molinari cards final-round 64 to win Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard

There are 21 rookies on the PGA TOUR in 2019-20. This page provides a subjective ranking updated weekly. The Arnold Palmer Award winner is determined in a vote by PGA TOUR members who make at least 15 starts. The Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup and the Olympic Games count as one of the 15. Although there was no action on the PGA TOUR last week, one rookie competed and two other recent rookies made headlines. Tom Lewis placed T32 at the Turkish Airlines Open and climbed two spots to 44th in the Race to Dubai standings. Up next for the Englishman is the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa. It’s the penultimate tournament of the European Tour season. A few days prior, the captain’s picks for both squads in the Presidents Cup were announced. Among his four selections, International captain Ernie Els chose 2018-19 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Sungjae Im and Joaquin Niemann, who was on the ROY ballot after securing rookie eligibility as a non-member in 2017-18. The 2016-17 Rookie of the Year, Xander Schauffele, will be making his Presidents Cup debut for the United States. He qualified automatically along with fellow 2016-17 rookie Patrick Cantlay, also a first-timer on the team. They are the most recent American rookies to appear in the biennial competition. * – In the field at the Mayakoba Golf Classic as of Nov. 10. # – Top-10 alternate at the Mayakoba Golf Classic as of Nov. 10. ^ – In the field at the European Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge as of Nov. 10. Through November 10 NOTE: A player’s rookie season (“Rookie Year”) is defined as the season in which he becomes a PGA TOUR member (including Special Temporary Members) and plays in 10 or more events as a member or finishes in the Top 125 on the Official FedExCup Points List or qualifies as a Top 125 – Nonmember, whichever occurs first. Further, for purposes of this definition, a new member (including Special Temporary Members) shall not be eligible for the Arnold Palmer Award if he has previously played in more than seven (7) Official PGA TOUR Money events as a professional in any prior season.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Haotong Li held off Rory McIlroy to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Sunday by a single stroke, denying the Northern Irishman’s bid to win his first title in 17 months. Haotong finished on a tournament record 23-under-par 265 after a final-round three under 69 to win by one shot over McIlroy, who also shot a 69. The 22-year-old from China made a ten-foot birdie putt on the last after McIlroy had ramped up the pressure by reaching the par-5 18th hole in two shots. Haotong started the day one ahead of his Northern Ireland rival and that advantage was quickly gone on the first hole when he made a bogey. However, it was a bogey on the par-5 10th by Haotong that led to a two-shot swing when McIlroy made a birdie there, and the advantage remained with the four-time major champion when his bogey on the 11th was matched with another dropped shot by Haotong on the 12th. But the momentum swung Haotong’s way when he dropped a 20-feet birdie putt on the par-3 15th from the back fringe and McIlroy made a bogey on the 16th after hitting his three-wood off the tee into the waste area. Both players then birdied the last two holes. Haotong’s second European Tour win will lift him to around 32nd in the world rankings, making him the first Chinese player to break into the top-50. England’s Tyrrell Hatton finished third on 20 under after hitting his second shot into the water on the 18th hole, while France’s Alex Levy was fourth with a 269.

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The limp was the most pronounced it had been all week and Woods struggled on a cold, windy day at Augusta National.

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