Jon Rahm wins U.S. Open for first major title

Tiger Woods was 16 when he made his PGA TOUR debut at Riviera Country Club in ’92. As he makes his 13th start at the Genesis this week, it remains the only tournament he has played 10 or more times without winning. Here’s a win, though: The Genesis benefits his foundation. Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas comprise a Featured Group in a tournament loaded with big names, not to mention big drives (Cameron Champ, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson). Watson will try to become the first since 1956 to win the tournament four times. A win would also make him the first since Phil Mickelson (2008, ’09) to successfully defend at Riviera. And speaking of Lefty, he is coming off his 44th career victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. PGA TOUR LIVE will have coverage from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET for the first two days, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for the final round Sunday. We will move to Featured Hole coverage at 3:00PM/ET both days. Featured Hole Coverage consists of the 14th (Par-3) and 16th (Par-3). PGA TOUR Twitter window will be from 9:30 a.m. to approximately 10:45 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, and 11 to 12:15 a.m. Sunday. A Fan Vote on Twitter will determine the second Featured Group on Friday, with final results announced at the end of Thursday’s first round. PGA TOUR Radio on Sirius XM will air from 12-6 p.m. ET Thursday and Friday, 1-6 p.m. Saturday, and 1-6:30 p.m. Sunday. Here’s a look at the Featured Groups on Thursday and Friday (current FedExCup ranking in parentheses): THURSDAY Cameron Champ (11) – The early leader for Rookie of the Year, Champ played on the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption last year. Dustin Johnson (81) – Has played well of late and clearly loves Riviera, with seven top-10 finishes there in 11 starts.    Bubba Watson (82) – Has the best record at Riviera of the three long-hitters in the group, with three wins in the last five years. Tee time: 10:11 a.m. ET off 10th tee Xander Schauffele (2) – In second in the FedExCup standings by a scant 8 points, he’s the only other player besides No. 1 Matt Kuchar with multiple TOUR wins this season. Jordan Spieth (182) – FedExCup champion in 2015 showed positive signs at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am despite lackluster weekend and T45. Phil Mickelson (6) – Comes in as one of the hottest players in the game after registering his 44th career win at the AT&T on Monday. Won here in ’08, ’09. Tee time: 10:22 a.m. off 10th tee Bryson DeChambeau (9) – Five-time TOUR winner has four wins in last 10 starts worldwide and is making his first TOUR start since the Hawaii swing. Matt Kuchar (1) – FedExCup leader is enjoying a career revival at 40 after wins at Mayakoba Golf Classic and Sony Open in Hawaii. Jon Rahm (27) – Superstar from Spain is making first Genesis start, but has four top-10s in his last five starts this season. Tee time: 3:11 p.m. ET off 1st tee Tiger Woods (167) – Only two-time FedExCup winner is making just his second start of the new season after a ho-hum T20 at Farmers Insurance Open. Rory McIlroy (55) – FedExCup winner in 2016 looks close to winning again after T4 at Sentry Tournament of Champions and T5 at Farmers Insurance Open. Justin Thomas (14) – FedExCup champ in 2017 has three top-5s in six starts this season. Last year’s T9 was best finish at Genesis in four starts. Tee time: 3:22 p.m. ET off 1st tee FRIDAY 10:22 a.m. ET Woods/McIlroy/Thomas off 10th tee 3:11 p.m. ET: Champ /Watson/Johnson off 1st tee 3:22 p.m. Mickelson/Schauffele/Spieth off 1st tee FAN VOTE FRIDAY CHOICES: 10:01 a.m. ET: Charl Schwartzel / Ernie Els / Kiradech Aphibarnrat 10:11: Matt Kuchar / Bryson DeChambeau / Jon Rahm 10:32: Jhonattan Vegas / Jonas Blixt / Adam Scott 10:43: Davis Love III / Jim Furyk / Fred Couples

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Scottie Scheffler almost made it through another round at Colonial without a bogey, this time with wind gusting through the trees at Hogan’s Alley. The world’s top-ranked player has the lead alone after the third round. Scheffler, whose only bogey at Colonial so far this week came at No. 17 on Saturday, shot a 2-under 68 with wind gusts of around 30 mph and temperatures in the upper-90s. His 11-under total was two strokes ahead of Brendon Todd, whose third-round 65 was bogey-free, and Scott Stallings (70). Consecutive birdies to start the back nine gave Scheffler a two-stroke lead. He had a 20-foot chip-in from the left edge of the green at No. 10, then hit a 357-yard drive and 250-yard approach at the 621-yard 11th before pitching to 6 inches. Scheffler’s bogey was a three-putt from 37 feet at No. 17, where his 5-foot par chance slid just left of the cup. He got that stroke back with a 31-foot birdie on his final putt of the day. The only bogey-free round other than Todd was a 68 by Harold Varner III, who was alone in fourth place at 8 under. After Scheffler missed the cut last week at the PGA Championship, his first cut since his season debut in October, the Masters champion goes into Sunday’s final round with a chance for his fifth career PGA TOUR victory — all in a span of 10 starts since mid-February. More gusty wind and high temperatures are in the forecast for Sunday The last PGA TOUR player with five wins in a season before the start of June was Tom Watson in 1980. Todd got to 9 under with a 31-foot birdie putt at the par-3 eighth hole that put him 5 under for his round. It was his second birdie of at least 30 feet — the other came at No. 2 after he opened with an 8-foot eagle putt at the 551-yard first hole. Beau Hossler and Stallings began the third round tied with Scheffler for the lead. Scheffler had also been part of the lead after 18 holes, when a Colonial-record eight players were tied atop the leaderboard. Hossler and Stallings had pars only through the first six holes, but fell out of the lead when both missed makeable par putts at No. 7. Hossler’s 8-footer was possibly pushed by the wind and skimmed the right edge, while Stallings lipped the hole from 3 1/2 feet. Stallings was quickly two strokes off the lead after bogey at the par-3 eight hole, where he missed a 5-foot par chance. He had another bogey at No. 10, but three birdies over his last seven holes got him even for the round after a finishing four-footer. Hossler ended with consecutive bogeys for a 73 that dropped him to 6 under and in a three-way tie for ninth that included Mito Pereira (68). Pereira finished with a 50-foot putt at No. 18 for his third birdie in the last five holes for a round of 68 to put him at 6-under 204. It comes a week after Pereira blew the PGA Championship lead and missed getting into the playoff with Justin Thomas and Dallas-area resident Will Zalatoris because of a double bogey on the 72nd hole. Thomas, the world’s fifth-ranked player, and Zalatoris both shot 3 over the first two rounds to miss the Colonial cut.

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