Inside the Field: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard

For some, the graduations were virtual. Other got their diplomas in drive-by ceremonies – a few even in drive-in theaters – as teachers and principals got creative in an attempt to honor the Class of 2020. Nothing was normal after the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the United States in March. Jim Furyk attended one of those socially distanced outdoor ceremonies with his wife Tabitha when their daughter Caleigh graduated from The Bolles School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, in May. The guest list was limited to parents, with other family members watching on-line. “It was nice to see the kids get an opportunity to walk, and I think they were anxious to kind of say hello to everyone,” Furyk says. “They hadn’t really had a chance to see the class for a couple of months and went through their on-line schooling. “It was a little awkward, I think, obviously a little bit of a bummer the way it ended.” Caleigh, though, has a lot to look forward to – she is headed to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she will compete on the track team. Helping his daughter, who is a talented pole vaulter, decide on a college brought back a lot of memories for Furyk, who turned 50 on May 12. “I broke my thumb and I signed my letter of commitment to Arizona to play golf with a cast on my hand, so it was interesting,” recalls Furyk, who graduated from Manheim Township High School in 1988. “But going through the process of being recruited by University of Arizona was fun. It was also very time consuming and difficult. You’re trying to figure out your next plan in life and trying to pick a college is always stressful.” That said, Furyk remembers the excitement – and relief — he felt after choosing Arizona over Arizona State, North Carolina and South Carolina. He liked the fact that coach Rick LaRose wasn’t looking to change his unique swing – plus, the weather in Tucson was a plus for a kid who grew up in western Pennsylvania. “He gave us a little bit of rope, and for some students that isn’t a good thing, but for me it was a really good thing,” Furyk says. “Being there with a different golf swing, being very self-motivated, and I worked very hard having that opportunity to kind of grow and flourish and not have someone tell me how to play. He let me kind of grow and learn at my own pace, which was good for me.” Furyk said the COVID-19 crisis limited the time Caleigh could spend on campus at the various schools that she was considering. He and his wife and daughter had hoped to circle back to visit some of the colleges again, but with the nation’s shutdown that wasn’t possible. “I think as a parent you want to provide some guidance and some insight, but ultimately, I wanted it to be, and my wife wanted it to be, her decision,” Furyk says. “I think we’ve always really tried to, and I’ve kind of got a little bit of this from my wife and probably got a little bit from what my parents did, but Tabitha’s always wanted the kids to be able to make decisions and we’ve kind of treated them at times as they’re older or more mature than they actually were. “So, we just tried to provide some guidance and points and what was important, try to help her organize what’s important to you.” Caleigh is thinking about majoring in graphic design, but she is also interested in music. In that regard, Belmont has one of the best schools in the country, both from a creative standpoint and the business of music. “Hopefully, she’ll be able to combine a little bit of that love with the graphic design work as well,” Furyk says. “I think that it’s a good opportunity for her to join the track team there as well and compete. So, it’s something that she likes doing, and I think it’s a good balance. Something she works really hard at and to be balanced for her.” Furyk said Caleigh and her younger brother, Tanner, who recently completed his sophomore year at Bolles, have handled the coronavirus shutdown with maturity. Caleigh, who Furyk says hides her emotions like he does, was just getting back into form after an injury over the winter when track season was halted. Tanner’s lacrosse season was canceled, too. “I think we all gathered where it was going very quickly,” Furyk says. “I think kids may have held out some hope along the way. And then, little by little, they kind of said, maybe this isn’t going to work out.” So, proms had to be canceled, and graduations reimagined. But Furyk thinks the members of the Class of 2020 will be stronger because of what happened, and he expects big things. “The words that I keep hearing, whether it’s from their school, whether it’s from other parents, is that this class had to persevere through a little bit more than most and kind of have a little different finish to their school,” Furyk says. “And so, they’ll always be remembered for that, and I’m sure for the rest of their lives that’ll keep some things in perspective for them and probably also give them the confidence that we all persevere through many aspects of their life.”

Click here to read the full article…

Happy New Year! The 2022 portion of the PGA TOUR schedule kicks off in Hawaii at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and boasts an impressive field of winners from 2021. Harris English looks to defend his title at Kapalua, while 38 of the 39 PGA TOUR winners from the 2021 calendar year are teeing it up. FIELD NOTES: Phil Mickelson will peg it at the Sentry Tournament of Champions for the first time in 21 years … English looks to become the first person to successfully defend his title at the Sentry Tournament of Champions since Geoff Ogilvy in 2009 and 2010 … The golfer eligible to tee it up this week and not in the field is Rory McIlroy … Xander Schauffele didn’t win a TOUR event last year, but he’s in the field thanks to his gold-medal performance in Tokyo last summer. Schauffele won this event in 2019 … Other winners of the Sentry Tournament of Champions who are teeing it up again including Justin Thomas (2017, 2020 – won THE PLAYERS in 2021), Jordan Spieth (2016 – won the Valero Texas Open in 2021), and Patrick Reed (2015 – won the Farmers Insurance Open in 2021) … First-time TOUR winners who are making their maiden trips to the Sentry Tournament of Champions include Cameron Davis, Joel Dahmen, Talor Gooch, Lucas Herbert, Garrick Higgo, K.H. Lee, Seamus Power, and Erik van Rooyen… World No. 1 Jon Rahm is back in action for the first time since the Fortinet Championship. No. 2 Collin Morikawa is also teeing it up and has a chance to overtake Rahm for top spot in the world. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort, par 73, 7,596 yards (yardage subject to change). The Plantation Course is one of two at Kapalua (The Bay Course being the other) and has long been home to the TOUR’s winners-only event. Opened in 1991, this was the debut design from Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The duo did a hearty renovation in 2019. The course is the only on TOUR that plays to a par 73 and it features massive elevation changes, big fairways, and of course, wonderfully dramatic ocean views. STORYLINES: Mickelson, who won the 2021 PGA Championship at 50 years old, last played the winners-only event in 2001. He’s won it twice before (1994, 1998) when it was played at La Costa Resort and Spa in California … With 2022 underway, many stars have their eyes set on the Presidents Cup. There are plenty of International hopefuls teeing it up in Hawaii, including past team members Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Si Woo Kim, Sungjae Im, Branden Grace, and Abraham Ancer. The Internationals will be prime to takedown the American team, likely to include many from the victorious Ryder Cup squad from September … Only three times in the last 13 years has the winning score at the Sentry Tournament of Champions not been at least 20-under par (the average winning total is 22-under) … There were only 12 rounds over par in 2021… Players who are coming into Hawaii with some “off-season” momentum include Brooks Koepka (who took down Bryson DeChambeau in The Match), Viktor Hovland (who won the Hero World Challenge), and Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak (who won the QBE Shootout). 72-HOLE RECORD: 261, Ernie Els (2003) 18-HOLE RECORD: 62, K.J. Choi (3rd round, 2003), Graeme McDowell (4th round, 2011), Jason Day (4th round, 2015), Chris Kirk (4th round, 2015), Xander Schauffele (4th round, 2019). LAST TIME: Harris English could not have started his year any better. English, who captured the Sentry Tournament of Champions for his first victory on TOUR since 2013, would go on to win the Travelers Championship in June as well. He was also part of the victorious American Ryder Cup team. English’s win at Kapalua came in a playoff over Joaquin Niemann. The duo both finished at 25-under through 72 holes after Niemann fired a sizzing Sunday 9-under 64 (tied for the low round of the week). Although English missed a 10-foot eagle try on the 72nd hole that would have won him the tournament outright, Niemann struggled in the playoff and English’s 6-foot birdie was all he needed to take the title. Interestingly enough, the only reason English was in the field was because he made the TOUR Championship in 2020. Given the abbreviated schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sentry Tournament of Champions for 2021 expanded its field to include all those who made it to the TOUR’s season finale. Justin Thomas – looking to defend his title from 2020 – finished one shot out of the playoff. Ryan Palmer finished fourth alone, while Xander Schauffele and Sungjae Im finished tied for fifth. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 6-10 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 6-10 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Sunday, 4-6 p.m. ET (NBC), 6-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Saturday, 3:15 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups). 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (Featured Holes). Sunday, 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m. (Featured Groups), 4 p.m.-8 p.m. (Featured Holes). PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ Radio: Thursday-Friday, 4–10 p.m. ET; Saturday, 5–10 p.m. ET; Sunday, 3–8 p.m. ET. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) Note: The weekend TV windows could change based on NFL windows.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…