High winds suspend play at The Genesis Invitational

NASSAU, Bahamas – Tiger Woods had just signed for a second-round 66 and done all his interviews when he decamped for the short-game practice area at Albany Golf Club. He’d gone seven for seven in scrambling to get within six of leader Patrick Reed (66) at the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event he has won five times. But that wasn’t enough. With caddie Joe LaCava and a couple of security guards standing by, he hit pitch after pitch with the sun low in the sky. A handful of fans stood outside the ropes, watching him work. The moment was a reminder that whatever else Woods is – tournament host this week, captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup Team next week, 44 years old later this month, catalyst for the ONE Bahamas Fund to support relief and rebuilding efforts for those affected by Hurricane Dorian – he is still, unmistakably, a player. He’s at 82 official PGA TOUR victories, and 15 major championships, and he is very, very serious about nudging those totals upward still in 2020. “I just think it was less windy,â€� he said of his score being six shots better than the day before. “It was a little bit easier today. Scoring conditions were a little bit better. “I didn’t hit the ball as well as I would like starting out, missed a few greens,â€� he added. “Other than No. 2, I missed all the – every green in the correct spot, so I had easy chips and I had to make a couple. But I got it going on that back nine, which is nice.â€� Woods made eagle at the par-5 11th hole, birdied three of the next five holes, and managed to par the difficult 18th, which he’d double-bogeyed the day before. His sharpness comes as no surprise, given that he won the ZOZO Championship in his last start (No. 82), but it is a comfort, knowing that at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne he will be the U.S. Team’s first playing captain since 1994. He was on the short game area at Albany for over an hour, and one sensed it was serving dual purposes. Related: Leaderboard | Reed leads after second-round 66 | Els to go with gut on Woods’ singles matchup Yes, Woods was working on his game, but he was also in a sort of contemplative bubble amid the swirl of activity that is his life. When will he play? When will he captain? Which of his assistants (Steve Stricker, Fred Couples, Zach Johnson) will he deputize to fulfill the captain’s role while he’s out there between the ropes with a club in his hand? As he hit pitch after pitch, such questions could wait. “Yeah, I’m playing a minimum of two,â€� he’d told reporters, when asked how many matches he would play. “Does that help you?â€� He smiled, and everyone laughed along. (All team members must play twice, at minimum.) The laughter died down. “We have gameplans for next week,â€� he continued. “We’ve got guys that haven’t played. DJ’s coming off an injury, a surgery. We’re going to take it day by day, see how guys feel. We’re going to communicate with one another and work through it.â€� Was it good to see captain’s pick Reed playing so well? Yes, Woods said, adding that he was doing so with a new set of irons and new putter this week. Are players already experimenting with each other’s golf balls for the foursomes at Royal Melbourne? Yes, again. How has his game improved since getting surgery on his left knee in August? “I can drive the ball a little bit better because I can rotate,â€� he said, “and I can putt the ball better because I can get down and read putts again.â€� His game, he added, felt sharp coming into the Hero, and it still does. “His swing right now is so smooth,â€� said Bubba Watson (73, 1 over total), who played with Woods in the second round. “It’s pretty nice to watch.â€� With so many variables in play this week and next, and so many question marks going into the Presidents Cup, Woods can count on the one thing that’s almost always carried him through: His game is there.

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A round of golf is full of strategic decisions. Should I aim for this flag or go for this par-5 in two? Is the wind helping or hurting? Playing on the PGA TOUR and the LPGA Tour is about more than just hitting shots. Professional golfers must assess the data, calculate the risks and use insights in real-time, skills that take time to master. That's why Aon created the Risk Reward Challenge, to honor those players who are consistently able to make informed decisions and execute the desired shot on the holes that require adept decision-making. This season-long challenge showcases how the world's best players analyze risk and utilize data-driven insights when it matters most. The Aon Risk Reward Challenge mirrors the work that Aon does with its clients. Just like a caddie uses data to help his player make the right decision, Aon uses proprietary data and analytics to advise and deliver insights that drive outcomes for its clients. This will be the Aon Risk Reward Challenge's third season on PGA TOUR. Nick Taylor won last year's competition. "It was a huge honor to win the 2019-20 Aon Risk Reward Challenge, and I feel very fortunate to have pulled it off. Strategizing on each Challenge hole throughout the year added an extra element – it felt like a tournament within a tournament. I'm glad our strategy and risks paid off. It's an accomplishment I'm really proud of, and I'm looking forward to competing for the trophy again this season." On the LPGA Tour, Aon honored players' request to use the $1 million prize to fund a new tournament, the Drive On Championship. That event provided valuable playing opportunities for LPGA members after many events were cancelled by the pandemic. With Aon committed to providing equal pay to the best men and women in the world, the $1 million first prize will once again be presented to the Aon Risk Reward Challenge winner on each tour. The season-long competition is based on players' performance on a selected hole each week. The holes that comprise the Aon Risk Reward Challenge highlight the most decisive and strategic shot selections from around the world of golf. On the PGA TOUR, this includes the 18th hole on Torrey Pines' South Course, a reachable par-5 that is guarded by water; the drivable par-4 17th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the scenic par-5 finishing hole at Pebble Beach and Riviera Country Club's classic par-4 10th hole, which players can reach off the tee but they must be wary of the deep bunkers that guard this tiny green. This program authentically builds on the process a player undergoes when determining and executing a strategy and has successfully engaged players, caddies and fans by providing an in-depth look at the designated holes and asking them to consider how much risk they want to undertake in their pursuit of the $1 million prize. Enjoy following along as the world's best players showcase the importance of strategic decision-making. To learn more about the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, click here.

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The first time admittedly was tough. And the second? “It was suffering from the get-go,â€� Camilo Villegas says. With those words came a smile of satisfaction, though. After all, the uber-fit Villegas enjoys testing his limits – and that’s exactly what he did that day when he rode with countryman Santiago Botero. Botero is a former professional cyclist from Colombia who has competed in the Tour de France three times – even winning a stage and donning the famous polka dot jersey for capturing its mountains classification in 2000. Botero represented his country in the Olympic Games four years later, too, the same year Villegas became a golf pro. Villegas was home in Medellin that day and had called a friend to see if he wanted to join him for a ride. His buddy showed up with Botero, the former individual time trial world champion who has since become one of Villegas’ close friends.  Suffice it to say their ride that day in 2007 was a bit more challenging than the 37-mile climb up the hill behind his home that Villegas took the first time he got on a bike. And he absolutely loved it. The passion born that day has continued. In fact, Villegas – who has inspirational tattoos saying “Attitudeâ€� and “Positive Energyâ€� on his right and left wrists, respectively — has been known to say that he has “obsessive cycling disorder.â€� When Villegas got back to his home in Jupiter, Florida, after those initial rides, he bought a bike. He doesn’t take it with him to tournaments – Villegas does spin classes and elliptical and cardio to stay in shape – but his off weeks are a different story. When the Colombian is at home in the Sunshine State, he usually rides five times a week. Tuesday and Thursdays, he bikes about 35-40 miles per day. The weekend when most of us rest are his big days – he’ll ride about 75 miles on Saturday and 60 or so on Sunday. Villegas’ longest ride? Well, he estimates that was 130 miles. And how long does it take? “It all depends,â€� he says. “You do the math. If you’re going solo and average about 22, 23 miles an hour.  If I’m going with a group, the group gets rolling around 26, 29, 30. “If you go to Colombia, it’s going to take a longer time.  If you go in Florida, it’s going to be a lot faster because it’s flat.â€� A ride that long, though, certainly isn’t the norm. Get close to 100 miles in a day and Villegas says your day is basically over. “You don’t have energy to do much more,â€� he explains.  And fatigue certainly doesn’t help Villegas’ golf game. The 36-year-old Colombian, who earned a degree in business from the University of Florida, is one of the most fit players on the PGA TOUR. Cycling is just one part of his workout, though. “You’ve got to mix it with a lot of things,â€� he says. “Obviously, when you start cycling so much, you’re going to get a pretty tight IT band and hamstrings and stuff.  You have got to balance it out.  “When I’m on the road, obviously, I do weights and a lot of explosive stuff and I do a lot of stretching and mobility.  No, it’s my peaceful spot, but the workout portion of golf-related stuff is another thing.â€� Villegas has developed a tight circle of friends who ride – both in Jupiter and his childhood home — many of whom are professional cyclers. He’s never ridden with Paul Casey, a TOUR player who rides seriously, but they talk about the sport frequently and he plans a trip  to the Italian Alps in 2018 that is similar to the one that the Brit took several years ago. No matter where he rides, though, Villegas enjoys the experience. The physical factor is obviously a part of it but he also finds a mental benefit to the journey. “It kind of keeps me in balance just because it’s a quiet spot,â€� Villegas  explains. “We come out here, there’s a lot going on.  I go home, I have family and friends, a little more social life.  “When I hop on the bike, I just try to follow a wheel or make the boys follow my wheel.  There’s a lot going on, but it’s a quiet spot.â€�

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