Kim leads Grant by 3 strokes at LPGA opener

Brooks Koepka shot a final-round 68 to win the U.S. Open for the second straight year on Sunday, becoming just the seventh golfer in 115 years to go back-to-back.

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WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Farmers Insurance and the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour today announced the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series, a string of three events in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Los Angeles designed to further the APGA Tour’s mission of bringing greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour Famers Insurance Fall Series will include: • Sept. 20-22 – APGA Tour Valley Forge, Bluestone Country Club, Blue Bell, PA, $25,000 purse • Oct.17-19 – APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Atlanta Championship White Oak Golf Club at the Clubs of Peachtree City, Atlanta, GA, $25,000 purse • Nov. 7-9 – APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale – Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles, CA, $30,000 purse The APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series will also feature a $15,000 bonus pool that pays an additional $7,500 to the player who is awarded the most points from each of the three events. Additionally, the top-3 ranked players from the Fall Classic, who aren’t previously qualified for the 2022 APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational will be invited to play in the 2022 APGA Tour event at Torrey Pines that is played opposite the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open®. “As proud supporters of the APGA Tour and its work to grow diversity in golf, Farmers is honored to help extend the APGA Tour season by sponsoring the Fall Series and bringing more awareness to the talented players competing in these events,” said Jeff Dailey, CEO of Farmers Insurance. “We believe this extension will help create more playing opportunities inside the ropes for many impressive athletes while also championing programs and initiatives that can generate connections within the golf industry as a whole.” The three APGA Tour Famers Insurance Fall Series tournaments will each feature two separate youth-focused events. Each event will include an Advocates Foundation Farmers Insurance Youth Program that will bring kids from economically challenging backgrounds to the golf course for an introduction to golf, as well as career, health and wellness discussions. Additionally, the APGA Tour will partner with local First Tee Chapters to provide golf clinics and instruction to youth participants who are more experienced in golf. The clinics will be conducted by APGA Tour players, many of whom were either First Tee participants themselves or are currently volunteering their time with First Tee Chapters. In Los Angeles, the Advocates Foundation Farmers Insurance Youth Program at Chester Washington Golf Course will include 100 young people for a discussion on health, wellness and careers topics. Essay winners receive scholarships and an opportunity to attend the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open. APGA Tour players will also conduct a clinic for the youth participants, and students will have a chance for additional prizes. Sponsoring the APGA Tour Famers Insurance Fall Series is the latest in a series of actions Farmers has taken to help advance its commitment to diversity and growth in the game of golf. The national insurer has provided funding for APGA TOUR events and the organization’s athletes, sponsored players including Kamaiu Johnson and Willie Mack III, hosted the first-ever APGA event at a PGA TOUR tournament at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open and provided Mack with a sponsor’s exemption into the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open. Additionally, Farmers recently expanded its relationship with the Advocates Foundation and donated $110,000 for the organization’s career-and-wellness-focused youth programs. “As a Farmers Ambassador, it has been impressive and humbling to follow an organization that is doing so much to help provide resources and awareness to further diversity in the game,” said Rickie Fowler, “At last year’s Farmers Insurance Open, I was able to play a practice round with AGPA Tour star Willie Mack and meet several other APGA Tour players. Hearing their stories and spending time with them only furthered my understanding and appreciation for what Farmers is doing to support their development and the APGA Tour as a whole. Helping to remove the financial burden associated with the game is a top priority for both Farmers and the APGA. Ensuring players have access to the tools and support they need allows them to better focus on their career path and development in the game. Farmers was recently announced as the presenting sponsor of four Black College Golf Coaches Association events occuring in 2021-2022, as an additional step to help support and grow diversity in professional golf. The Black College Golf Coaches Association’s mission is to enhance and preserve Black college golf programs by fostering the development of coaches and players. “Farmers has been incredible in supporting our tremendous growth the past couple of years,” said APGA Tour CEO Ken Bentley. “Farmers and CEO Jeff Dailey have continued to strengthen the relationship by not only increasing financial support but by joining our efforts to help talented high school and college minority players. Together we are helping to bring greater diversity to the game of golf.” “The APGA Tour has been a blessing to me and my fellow competitors,” said two-time APGA Tour winner and Farmers Insurance Ambassador Kamaiu Johnson. “The APGA Tour gives us a place to develop and compete inside the ropes while helping us grow and make connections through the golf and business world as well. Farmers has played a massive role in the growth of the APGA Tour and the support that we receive as players. For me, personally, I am so thankful for all that Farmers does to support diversity to help golf better resemble the world we live in.” “The APGA Tour continues to grow and improve and much of that is due to Farmers,” said APGA TOUR champion and Farmers Ambassador Willie Mack III. “It’s exciting to know that we get three more events with the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series as we all work to chase our dreams of playing full-time on the PGA TOUR.” For more information about Farmers commitment to the game, visit Farmers.com/Golf.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Why is Tommy Fleetwood – and not Rory McIlroy — in the final group Sunday at THE PLAYERS Championship? “I think I’m the better-looking one, so they put me in the last group,â€� Fleetwood said with a wry smile. Well, Fleetwood does have the most-impressive hair on the PGA TOUR, but that’s not the reason why. It actually goes back to the fact that he finished Friday’s second round approximately 40 minutes earlier than McIlroy. Fleetwood was the first player to sign for 12 under that day and assumed the clubhouse lead. McIlroy eventually joined him as the co-leader and in the final group for Saturday. Since Fleetwood was first in on Friday, that meant he had the honors off the first tee Saturday. Eighteen holes later, Fleetwood and McIlroy stood on the 18th green, each at 14 under, with the final twosome still undecided. Leader Jon Rahm, at 15 under, was guaranteed one spot. McIlroy could’ve joined him at that number but missed his 10-foot birdie putt, then finished off his tap-in par. Fleetwood followed with his par putt from 5 feet. RELATED: Pins and needles | Why Woods and Na were laughing at 17 | St. Patrick’s Day finish | How Island Green is playing Usually, it’s first-in, last-out, except when both players are in the same group and finish with the same score. Then it reverts to whoever struck the first tee shot. Hence, Fleetwood will join Rahm at 1:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, while McIlroy tees off 10 minutes earlier with Jason Day, who is at 12 under. It might seem like a small issue, except for the fact that McIlroy has been in the final group nine times in worldwide events the last two years and failed to convert a single one into victory. McIlroy seems more concerned about taking advantage of the four par 5s at TPC Sawgrass. He was 6 under on those holes in the first two rounds but played them at even par on Saturday. “Definitely an area that I need to really concentrate on and try to make the most of those holes because it is getting difficult out there,â€� McIlroy said. “Definitely with the conditions the way they might be tomorrow, you’ve got to take advantage of the easier holes.â€� As for being in the final group with Rahm – taking his first 54-hole lead in his TOUR career – Fleetwood said it doesn’t make much difference to him. “The course is the same and the atmosphere between the second to the last group or the last group won’t really change,â€� said the Englishman. “It’ll be good to be in the final group again. That will be all weekend that I’ve played in the final group, so that’s something to be very happy about.â€�

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