Langer leads Chubb in hunt for Irwin’s wins mark

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Willie Mack, fresh off of two starts on the PGA TOUR, and ranked collegiate golfer Mahindra Lutchman from Florida A&M University, shot 4 under-par 68s to take a share of the first round lead in the APGA Tour at World Golf Village tournament Monday at the renowned King & Bear layout. Mack is the Flint, Michigan, native who played in both the Farmers Insurance Open and The Genesis Invitational as a sponsor exemption in recent weeks after a decade as a top player on the APGA Tour and other pro golf series. Lutchman is a senior at Florida A&M in nearby Tallahassee who is the No. 3-ranked player in the APGA Collegiate Golf Ranking compiled by PGA TOUR University. They are two shots clear of second place finisher Daniel Augustus of Bermuda, and three shots ahead of a group that includes Landon Lyons of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a two-time winner on the APGA Tour this year. The field of 49 players is competing for $25,000 in prize money with the tournament final round tomorrow on the 7,279-yard, par 72 golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Mack, who sank a 30-foot putt for birdie on No. 12, was happy with the way he handled the blustery conditions. "When the wind is blowing, you need your short game and that was working for me today," he said after carding five birdies but closing with bogey on the par-5 18th hole. Did the PGA TOUR experience help me today? Definitely." Mack was 1 under after 14 holes in the Farmers Insurance Open first round before eventually missing the cut there and at The Genesis Invitational. Lutchman, who is joined in the field by teammate and APGA Collegiate Ranking No. 1 Mulbe Dillard, bogeyed the first hole but vaulted into contention with all pars and five birdies, including on 17 and 18. Dillard shot a three-over 75. If Lutchman and Dillard can retain their rankings through the spring college golf season, they will be provided with exemptions into the APGA Tour summer events along with expenses and entry into the Pre-Qualifying Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament. The APGA Tour at World Golf Village is the fourth tournament of the landmark 2021 season, featuring a record 13 events and $350,000 in prize money, almost double from the 2020 season for the tour, whose mission is to bring greater diversity to the sport of golf. The tournament is being conducted under social-distancing and health/safety guidelines in conjunction with regional authorities.

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The global swing of the PGA TOUR continues as we find ourselves in China with a star-studded field set to do battle at Sheshan International Golf Club. It’s the first of four World Golf Championship events for the season, which brings with it an increased purse and of course a solid 550 FedExCup points to the winner. The 72-hole stroke-play tournament features a 78-player field, with no cut. Highlighting the field are defending champion Hideki Matsuyama – who became the first player from Asia to win a World Golf Championship event at last year’s HSBC Champions and followed by winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational later in the season – and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson – who won the Mexico Championship and the Dell Technologies Match Play. Between them, the two players hold all four of the current World Golf Championships titles. For the first time in history, the PGA TOUR also welcomes players from China as members in the field. Zecheng Dou and Xinjun Zhang are rookies in 2017-18 after graduating from the Web.com Tour. They are part of a seven-man Chinese tilt. Here are the featured groups. China is 12 hours ahead. All tee times are Eastern Time. Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm The two players who hold all four WGC trophies in Matsuyama and Johnson are joined by the powerful Jon Rahm, who many predict will finish his career with a boatload of titles. Matsuyama finessed his way to a brilliant win last season and will be hoping to do so again, while Johnson starts his season looking to reassert his position as the world’s best now that the likes of Justin Thomas are coming for his mantle. Tee times: Wednesday 10:50 p.m. (ET) off 10 tee; Thursday 9:40 p.m. off 1st tee Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, Paul Casey Eventually, Paul Casey is going to turn one of these perennial contention weeks into a victory – so why not this week as he has two top-10 finishes in the tournament prior to it taking official WGC status. Rose also had a top-10 finish in his past at the venue and will be looking to kick-start the new season in style. Kuchar will be inspired to play well in the land of ping pong – where he’s already putting his considerable skills to the test against the locals. Tee times: Wednesday 10:40 p.m. (ET) off 10 tee; Thursday 9:30 p.m. off 1st tee   Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Haotong Li Hatton is the hot hand, having won the last two European Tour events he entered at the Dunhill Links and Italian Open, while Fitzpatrick is also a recent trophy hoister having claimed the European Masters. They are joined by one the locals big hopes in Li who is no stranger to big event pressure having finished third at The Open Championship last season. Tee times: Wednesday 10:30 p.m. (ET) off 10th tee; Thursday 9:20 p.m. off 1st tee   Jason Day, Henrik Stenson, Brooks Koepka Day started his season last week in reasonable form with a T11 finish in Korea but the key was the return of his putting. With some rust shaken off in his tee and iron play he could be a huge factor. Stenson was tied for second last season in China and T11 the year before … his pure striking is suited for success. And of course the reigning U.S. Open champion will be hoping to start his season with a serious bang as he kicks off his 2017-18 campaign. Tee times: Wednesday 9:50 p.m. (ET) off 10th tee; Thursday 10:50 p.m. off 1st tee

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