Golf: Molinari and Points ace same hole at Bay Hill

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Buses were brought in from Miami and Orlando. Some 6,000 parking spaces were procured, and 160 portable toilets were added to the grounds. Extra server space was acquired to ensure the website could handle the increased traffic and the media center was doubled in size. These measures were all part of the 50-point checklist the Valspar Championship put into action after Tiger Woods committed to the tournament March 2. “We want everyone to be able to see him,â€� said tournament director Tracy West. And plenty did. She estimated that an additional 40,000 spectators came to Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course last week. Television ratings spiked, as well. West’s team was preparing for the unprecedented. This was Woods’ debut at the Valspar Championship. Now, after his successful week on the Copperhead Course, it looks like the new normal. At least for as long as he stays healthy. Of course, that’s a big ‘if’ for a man who’s had four back surgeries, but the recoils and club twirls we saw last week seemed to signify that he is. “He’s, I think, for real healthier this time because of the different surgery. I can tell by the way he’s swinging and carrying on off the golf course,â€� said his caddie, Joe LaCava. “He seems healthier. That’s the big difference.â€� Woods’ rebuilt back has proven strong enough to support his rebuilt swing. The talent never went away. The long birdie putt he holed on 17 heralded a return to the days when we could expect the unexpected from Woods. No, he didn’t win the Valspar Championship. In the final round, mediocre iron play and poor pace on his putts kept him out of the winner’s circle. Yes, Old Tiger would have probably stormed out of that second-to-last group with a 67. But, if we’re criticizing Woods for falling short Sunday, we’re likely falling into the same trap that we did during his best years. “We all took him for granted,â€� said his old Stanford teammate, Notah Begay. Even Woods’ competitors were cheering his return to contention. His absence provided the space for young stars like Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas to develop, but also showed that no one is capable of creating the environment that Woods does. “(We) got to see some amazing stuff and hear the roars,â€� said Valspar champion Paul Casey.  The familiarity of seeing Woods in Sunday red makes it easy to forget that this was just the 14th round of hislatest comeback. He spent most of the past two years out of the public spotlight, living “minute to minuteâ€� as he struggled with his back injuries. “You have no idea how hard it was,â€� he said. When he returned in January, he was just happy to be there. He simply wanted to play a steady schedule. A few weeks later, Woods looks like one of the best players on TOUR. He should be among the favorites for this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. He first won at Bay Hill in 1991, claiming the first of his six consecutive USGA amateur titles. He shared a victorious handshake with Palmer eight times. He’s won four of his last five starts at Bay Hill. When asked what he wanted to improve before Thursday’s opening round, he didn’t talk about his golf game. “Maybe get a few good lifts in,â€� he said. He wasn’t going to touch a club the day after the Valspar. Woods said he’s working as his own coach this season because no one knows what it’s like to swing 120 mph with a fused back. He’s right. He’s been influenced by all his previous teachers, but, at this point, does anyone need to teach him how to play? He seems to be tapping into his innate talent, and his body seems healthy enough to make the move his mind envisions. He’ll never be able to swing the way he did in 2000, but he’s back to hitting sky-high long-iron shots, shaping his short-irons and displaying deft touch around the greens. “You never lose your instinct. You lose your ability,â€� Begay said. “I don’t think that Nolan Ryan ever forgot how to pitch. Athletes don’t forget. Their bodies just expire.â€� Woods’ due date will come, as it will for all of us, but for now he’s keeping at bay the inexorable marching of time. He ranks second on TOUR in clubhead speed, the only 40-something in the top 30. He’s also inside the top 30 in three of the four Strokes Gained statistics: Approach-the-Green (19th), Around-the-Green (21st) and Putting (23rd). At the Valspar, he ranked inside the top 20 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, Approach-the-Green and Around-the-Green. “I think that I’ve gotten a little bit better than I was a couple weeks ago at Honda, keep getting a little bit better and sharper,â€� he said. He’s ranked highly in the Strokes Gained stats despite his poor play at Riviera, where he shot 72-76 to finish 111th. His struggles were so deep in that second start that it tempered some of the excitement following an impressive T12 at The Honda Classic. When he arrived at Innisbrook, we still didn’t know if this comeback would be full of fits and starts, if every step forward would be followed by two steps back. Nearly winning on a course that he hadn’t seen in more than two decades confirmed that Woods is ready to win, possibly sooner than later. He can remember a putt from 20 years ago, Begay said, but Woods couldn’t rely on course experience or good memories to carry him through this week. He last saw Innisbrook in 1996, in a co-ed exhibition event. The course has been renovated since then. Instead, he simply had to execute to contend at the Valspar. He displayed well-controlled iron play in the winds that swirled during the first three rounds, as well as a deft short game. He needed to hole just two putts outside 15 feet to earn a spot in Sunday’s second-to-last group. He made seven bogeys last week and just one apiece in each of the final three rounds. Only four players made fewer. He still struggles with his driver, but that’s been the case throughout the latter half of his career. He ranks 104th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and 106th in Driving Distance (all drives) because of his reliance on long-irons and 3-woods off the tee. PGA National and the Copperhead Course are two layouts where control trumps distance off the tee, so he could navigate them with something less than driver. In the third round at Innisbrook, he hit long-iron off the tee on seven of the par-4s and par-5s. He used 3-wood and driver three times apiece. He’ll eventually need to hit more drivers. But, after just 14 rounds, it’s appropriate to marvel at the lengths he’s come instead of looking at the heights he once scaled. It’s not long ago that he wondered if he’d ever play golf again. “At this particular moment, don’t question the genius,â€� Begay said. “Just enjoy the music.â€�

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HONOLULU, Hawaii – Former PGA TOUR player Jarrod Lyle has received positive news in his recovery effort against leukemia with doctors saying his recent haploidentical transplant has grafted at 100 percent. Fighting acute myeloid leukemia for a third time in his life, Lyle took the decision to use stem cell therapy to attempt to rid his life of the disease once and for all. Having been unable to find a full bone marrow match for a transplant he went down the path of a 50percent match with his brother Leighton – a move that was given a 25-percent chance of success. Lyle’s doctors had warned it’s basically his last hope of a “cureâ€�. And while the news overnight does not constitute a full recovery, it has him on the right path towards one. “Got the best news today since finding out Briony was pregnant both times. I found out that the transplant I had has grafted 100%. Another big step forward in my journey back to a normal life again. #happylylefamily,â€� Lyle posted on his Instagram account. The PGA TOUR has dedicated this month as ‘January for Jarrod’ – a fundraising effort to help Lyle and his family meet the significant costs he faces throughout his recovery. “It’s of utmost importance for the PGA TOUR family and the golf community to come together and help Jarrod and his family both spiritually and financially during ‘January for Jarrod’ month,â€� PGA TOUR EVP and Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder said earlier this month. “Jarrod would be the first player to support others in their time of need, and now it’s our turn to help he and his wife Briony and their two young children, Lusi and Jemma.â€� To make a non-tax-deductible gift to the Lyle family, do so directly at www.youcaring.com/januaryforjarrod. All proceeds will go directly to the family to offset day-to-day living, family and medical expenses. Lyle has five top-10 finishes in 121 career PGA TOUR starts, with a best finish of T4 at the 2012 Genesis Open. On the Web.com Tour, Lyle has two wins, both coming in 2008, a season in which he finished fourth on the season-long money list. There is no timetable for returning to golf, with Lyle focusing exclusively on his rehabilitation at this time.

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NEW YORK – Discovery and the PGA TOUR today announced plans to form a pioneering strategic alliance to create a new international multi-platform home for golf, delivering the sport’s most exciting moments, players and championships to passionate fans around the world on every screen and device.  The alliance will seek to benefit the game worldwide, helping to drive golf’s fan base and grow the sport around the world. The unprecedented 12-year relationship, to begin in 2019 and carry through 2030, would include global multi-platform live rights, outside the United States, to all PGA TOUR media properties totaling approximately 2000 hours of content per year, including the six Tours operating under the PGA TOUR umbrella and nearly 150 tournaments annually, including THE PLAYERS Championship, the FedExCup Playoffs, and the Presidents Cup. In addition to live linear rights in 220 markets and territories, the alliance will include the creation of a dedicated, PGA TOUR-branded, OTT video streaming service that will capitalize on Discovery’s direct-to-consumer product and platform expertise as home to the Eurosport Player. Discovery expects to invest more than $2 billion over the course of the alliance, including licensing of the PGA TOUR’s international media rights and building a global OTT platform available outside the United States, with a gradual increase of annual investment during the term. Building on a heritage of world-class coverage and storytelling, Discovery will broadcast the PGA TOUR on its portfolio of pay-TV and free-to-air channels, digital and short-form platforms, and will work with the PGA TOUR on how to capture all access to the action and its extensive non-live and library rights for all media platforms. David Zaslav, President and CEO, Discovery, said: “Today is a fantastic day for golf fans around the world as Discovery proudly partners with the PGA TOUR to create something that has never been done before. The long-term partnership between the PGA TOUR and Discovery will create the new global Home of Golf, including delivering over 2000 hours of live content year-round and this prestigious sport’s greatest moments, stories and players across all of Discovery and Eurosport’s global distribution channels, including television, mobile and digital platforms.  Following our successful first Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Discovery will contribute its strong global distribution and promotional infrastructure, in-market relationships, global sports expertise with direct-to-consumer platforms and brands to create a valuable new long-term Home of Golf offering in every market outside the US.� Jay Monahan, Commissioner, PGA TOUR, said: “This is an exciting next step for the PGA TOUR, which presents a tremendous opportunity to accelerate and expand our media business outside the United States, better service our international broadcast partners, and drive fan growth with a deeply experienced strategic global partner.  This partnership aligns very well with the opening of PGA TOUR offices in London, Tokyo and Beijing in recent years and will support our long-term objectives of growing the game of golf. It also will deliver more value to our sponsors as it presents a tremendous opportunity to engage new and diverse audiences around the world.� Since 2007, the PGA TOUR has negotiated all of its non-U.S. broadcast rights deals on its own. The alliance between Discovery and the PGA TOUR will capitalize on the two organizations’ expertise in managing international multi-platform rights and launching the new digital service.  Working together, the parties expect to execute on a robust international distribution and broadcast partner strategy for the portfolio of some of golf’s most prestigious tournaments featuring the world’s greatest players, optimizing reach across free-to-air, pay-TV and digital. The collaboration brings together two highly complementary global brands and storytellers with a rich heritage in sports, uniting the PGA TOUR’s rich content, production assets, media rights and worldwide media partner associations with Discovery’s deep expertise and relationships in local media markets worldwide, its vast marketing and promotional platforms globally and its proven record in maximizing multi-platform engagement around the biggest and most watched sports events. The business will be led by Discovery’s Alex Kaplan, President and General Manager of the new Discovery and PGA TOUR venture. Kaplan previously was EVP, Commercial for Eurosport Digital where he helped grow the Eurosport D2C business to over 1 million subscribers.  Prior to joining Discovery, Kaplan was Senior Vice President, Global Media Distribution, for the NBA, responsible for global direct-to-consumer strategy and business operations. Prior to the NBA, Kaplan spent 10 years at DIRECTV/AT&T, where he led the organization responsible for DIRECTV Sports and oversaw Revenue and Entertainment products and services.  The full management team will be announced in due course and include the PGA TOUR’s Thierry Pascal as Senior Vice President and Head of Distribution. Kaplan said: “I am incredibly excited to work with David Zaslav and JB Perrette to take international coverage of PGA TOUR golf to the next level.  We can’t wait to get started and build a world-class global platform and long-term distribution strategy to turn the vision of this partnership into a reality.  By joining forces with the outstanding PGA TOUR team, led by Jay Monahan and Rick Anderson, we have a unique opportunity to build an amazing product that will serve the fans with the golf content they love on every screen.� Discovery has demonstrable experience in managing global sports rights, optimizing viewership and engagement on its own and partner platforms. For example, Discovery is the Home of the Olympics in Europe and, through its leading sports brand Eurosport, shows premium and fully localized sports coverage all year round on TV and Europe’s number one OTT streaming service, Eurosport Player, in 54 markets. Discovery provides world-class expertise in international sports rights and distribution and is the European gatekeeper for all TV and multimedia rights for four Olympic Games (2018 – 2024).** For the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Discovery established more than 40 free-to-air broadcast partnerships, delivering every minute of the Olympic Games via OTT for the first time across Europe. It also struck innovative social media partnerships to reach younger audiences, such as establishing Snapchat’s first Olympics collaboration in Europe. Discovery delivered record-breaking TV and digital viewership for the Games, including 63% of the population in Europe interacting on Discovery’s own free-to-air, pay-TV and digital platforms and those of its broadcast partners.

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