Li birdies last hole, wins Qatar Masters by 1 shot

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Australia’s Adam Scott had impressive command from tee to green, hitting nine of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation on the way to a 3-under 69. The 2013 Masters champion’s day might have been even better but for the fact that he took 30 putts. Scott was tied with South Africa’s Justin Harding and Spain’s Jon Rahm with several players still out on the course during the first round of the 83rd Masters Tournament. “Yeah, look, it’s a great start on a kind of tricky day,â€� Scott said. “Even though it wasn’t windy, I just felt it was very hard to get it near any of the pins through the first seven holes, whether I was just slightly out of position or the pins were just tough.â€� Scott, a 13-time TOUR winner, was one of a handful of Presidents Cup hopefuls who enjoyed a solid start, also including Harding, Corey Conners (70), Cameron Smith (70) and 2012 Masters runner-up Louis Oosthuizen (71). Scott, 38, hasn’t won on TOUR since 2016, but finished second at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January. He hasn’t teed up since finishing T12 at THE PLAYERS last month.    “Generally in my career I’m kind of a slow starter,â€� said Scott, who opened with 75s in each of the last two Masters, and 76 in 2016. “Certainly the last 10 years, I don’t jump out of the gates, it seems. So, I don’t know if this is jumping out of the gates, but it certainly is great.â€� Scott started slow again Thursday. He was 1 over through seven holes but birdied the eighth, ninth, 15th, 17th and 18th. His bogeys came at the par-4 seventh and the par-3 12th holes. “I’ve talked a lot about kind of being at peace with the golf course,â€� he said, “and understanding it can give you a lot. It can take it away as well, but certainly I feel like there’s a lot of good karma if you treat it right out there. … A lot of past champions have a great rapport with this golf course and I think I kind of get that feeling too, so it does give you a little pump.â€� Harding off to strong start in Masters debut Justin Harding was playing the Valero Texas Open last week when he asked fellow South African Ernie Els for advice on how to play Augusta National. Preparing for his first career start in the Masters Tournament at age 33, Harding figured there was no one better to ask about it than Els, the 2019 Presidents Cup captain, who amassed six top-10 finishes, including two runner-up finishes, in 23 starts. Els proffered some advice on where to aim and where not to miss, adding that he’d never hit it in the water at the tricky, par-3 12th hole. RELATED: How Tiger’s Thursday went | Tiger accepts Ben Hogan Award | Nicklaus, Player kick off Masters | Day injures back, receives treatment on course “I said, ‘Thanks a lot, you just jinxed me,’â€� Harding said with a laugh after shooting a 3-under 69 in his first-ever round, good enough to take the early first-round lead despite a bogey at 18. Harding made par at the 12th, and if anything could only fault his play on the four par-5s, which he played in just 1 under par. Otherwise, nothing much bothered the late-bloomer, who uses a long putter and is mostly unknown to American fans. He was 422nd in the world a year ago, but his maiden European Tour win in Qatar earlier this season, plus a T2 the next week and three other top-10 finishes, pushed him all the way to 49th and punched his ticket to Augusta. “It’s more about, I guess, how I’m handling myself out on the golf course,â€� Harding said after hitting 10 of 14 fairways, and only 10 greens in regulation but taking just 25 putts. “Not really getting too worked up, no longer going through the highs and lows of emotions.â€� Also, he added, now that he’s started playing well, he can’t seem to stop. “Golf is purely momentum-based,â€� Harding said. “If you take enough confidence into the rounds then you’re bound to play well just pretty much need to get out of your own way.â€� Harding has worked his way up to seventh in the International Presidents Cup standings, meaning he could be playing for Captain Els at Royal Melbourne in December. “It’s in the back of my mind,â€� he said, “but way in the back.â€� Conners rides momentum after win In other news with Presidents Cup implications, Canada’s Corey Conners, who won last week’s Valero Texas Open to get to 10th on the International list, opened the Masters with a 2-under 70. The round was 10 shots better than his Masters debut in 2015, when he went 80-69 to miss the cut. He was first off the tee at 8:30 a.m., and watched Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player hit the ceremonial first tee shots. He also accepted congratulations from Nicklaus on his first PGA TOUR win. “That felt pretty special,â€� Conners said. “Never thought in a million years that Jack Nicklaus would know who I am and it just felt pretty cool.â€� Weir shoots best round in five years It’s been a rough stretch for Canada’s Mike Weir, 48, the 2003 Masters winner and eight-time PGA TOUR winner who has been trying to fight his way back on the Web.com Tour. After going 3 over for his first seven holes, Thursday looked like more of the same, but Weir, who has a new coach (Mark Blackburn) turned it around with three birdies to card an even-par 72. It was his best round since a second-round 72 in 2014, the last year he made the cut here. “All in all, very happy,â€� said Weir, who will serve as one of Els’ assistants at the Presidents Cup in December. “Hit the ball great. I’ve got to sharpen up the putting a little bit.â€� Weir took 31 putts.

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NORTH BERWICK, Scotland – The calmest winds that Matt Fitzpatrick has faced at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open came towards the end of his second round. It was as if the weather wanted to rub it in, only confirming what Fitzpatrick already knew. RELATED: Tee times dictate scoring in opening round | Smith, caddie win cars after ace in Scotland “It’s safe to say we got the worse half of the draw,” he said after shooting a 66 that was Friday morning’s second-best score. The luck of the draw is an inherent part of links courses, where a seven-day forecast inspires about as much confidence as an American driving on the left side for the first time. Thursday’s afternoon wave averaged about three strokes higher than the other half of the field. Those same players seemed to face the toughest conditions Friday even though it was their turn to tee off early. The lowest 36-hole score from the late-early starters was 3-under 137. Four players shot that score, including two of the TOUR’s most recent winners, but they were six shots behind leader Cameron Tringale, who had yet to start his second round, when they signed their cards. U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, Travelers winner Xander Schauffele, rookie Kurt Kitayama and DP World Tour member Jordan L. Smith were all tied as the top players from the tougher conditions. Schauffele started his day by making eagle on the par-5 10th. His second shot was an 8-iron from 225 yards that he hit to 15 feet. His 65 was the low round from Friday’s early starters. “It wasn’t that (the wind) was constant. It was that it was kind of coming in and out and pretty strong breezes,” said Schauffele, who’s ranked eighth in the FedExCup after his recent win at the Travelers Championship. “I enjoy the challenge.” Fitzpatrick shot 66 on Friday after bogeying his last two holes. Kitayama, a TOUR rookie who’s won twice on the DP World Tour, shot a 66 on Thursday that was the low round from the afternoon. Smith made a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th as part of his second-round 69, winning cars for both himself and his caddie, a childhood friend. He is one of just two players from this half of the draw to shoot under par in each of the first two rounds. Rickie Fowler, who shot 69-69, is the other. Plenty of the game’s biggest names did not fare as well. Despite those two closing bogeys, Fitzpatrick finished eight shots ahead of playing partners Collin Morikawa and Will Zalatoris, who both shot 71-74. Hideki Matsuyama was 7 over par for 36 holes, while PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas finished 10 over, matching the second-worst 36-hole score of his career in relation to par. It was just the second missed cut in 17 starts this season for Thomas. This is Fitzpatrick’s first start since he won the U.S. Open. He welcomed getting back to work after the whirlwind weeks that followed his win in Brookline. “It’s just been busy with all sorts of stuff so I’m toward get back into regular scheduling,” said Fitzpatrick, who’s 11th in the FedExCup. That includes late tee times on weekends, even when he faces the worst of the weather.

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UPDATED MONDAY, MARCH 14 (10:55 a.m. ET): Final-round tee times for THE PLAYERS Championship will be from 11 a.m. – 1:01 p.m. ET in threesomes off Nos. 1 and 10. (Click here for how to follow the action live) UPDATED MONDAY, MARCH 14 (8 a.m. ET): Round 3 resumed at 8 a.m. ET. UPDATED SUNDAY, MARCH 13 (7:32 p.m. ET): Round 3 at THE PLAYERS was suspended due to darkness at 7:32 p.m. ET. Round 3 is scheduled to resume at 8 a.m. Monday morning. UPDATED SUNDAY, MARCH 13 (3:15 p.m. ET): Round 3 got underway at 3:15 p.m. ET, one hour later than originally scheduled. The 71 players who made the cut teed off in threesomes off both tees. The final group of Sam Burns, Tom Hoge and Harold Varner III is scheduled to tee off at 5:16 p.m. UPDATED SUNDAY, MARCH 13 (1:35 p.m. ET): The approximate start of Round 3 has been adjusted to 2:50 p.m. ET, with tee times running to 4:50 p.m. ET. UPDATED SUNDAY, MARCH 13 (10:20 a.m. ET): Round 3 tee times will be approximately 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET, with players in threesomes off of Nos. 1 and 10. The ball will be played as it lies for the third and fourth rounds after lift, clean and place was in use for the first two rounds. UPDATED SUNDAY, MARCH 13 (8:30 a.m. ET): The second round of THE PLAYERS Championship resumed at 8:15 a.m. ET. UPDATED SATURDAY, MARCH 12 (6:29 p.m. ET): The second round of THE PLAYERS was suspended at 6:29 p.m. ET for darkness. It will resume at 8:15 a.m. Sunday. Sixteen of the 24 groups originally scheduled to tee off Friday afternoon began their second rounds Saturday (no one completed more than four holes Saturday); the remaining eight groups will begin their second round Sunday morning. Twenty-two players originally scheduled to start their second round Friday morning will complete their second round Sunday; none of those players have more than four holes remaining. UPDATED SATURDAY, MARCH 12 (Noon ET): Play resumed at noon ET. Second round tee times for the first wave will be from noon-2:01 p.m. ET. Second wave tee times for Round 2 are scheduled for approximately 5-7:01 p.m ET. UPDATED SATURDAY, MARCH 12 (10:30 a.m. ET): Play will resume at noon ET. UPDATED SATURDAY, MARCH 12 (7:15 a.m. ET): Due to severe weather this morning, Round 1 will not resume until 12 p.m. ET at the earliest. UPDATED FRIDAY, MARCH 11 (3 p.m. ET): Play was officially called for the day at 3 p.m. ET and will not resume any earlier than 11 a.m. ET on Saturday because of forecasted storms in the morning. Forty-seven players still need to complete their first round. “Unfortunately, the weather conditions are not providing us any relief,” Chief Referee Gary Young said Friday afternoon. A “severe” weather system is projected to arrive somewhere between 8-10 a.m. Saturday. “Our desire is to not have anyone on the property at that time,” Young said. TPC Sawgrass has received nearly 3 inches of rainfall in the previous 48 hours, Young said Friday afternoon. The numerous delays mean THE PLAYERS will have a Monday finish for the first time since 2005. “We are into a Monday finish,” Young said. “We know that.” Young said further delays may not leave enough time for a potential playoff, however. THE PLAYERS conducts a three-hole playoff in the result of a tie at the end of regulation. There is no rain in the forecast for Saturday afternoon or Sunday, but players will face with cold temperatures and high winds. The overnight temperature between Saturday and Sunday is expected to drop into the 30s. UPDATED FRIDAY, MARCH 11 (12:40 p.m. ET): Multiple weather delays over the first two days of THE PLAYERS, combined with an ominous forecast, mean the tournament may be headed for its first Monday finish since 2005. After less than half the field completed its first round on Thursday, just four hours of play were completed Friday morning before heavy rain forced players from the course for the second straight day. Forty-eight players had yet to complete their opening rounds when play was suspended because of standing water on the greens and approaching lightning. Despite grounds staff furiously squeegeeing water from the greens, the persistent precipitation finally conquered the course and players were forced off at 11:15 a.m. ET. On Thursday, storms forced players from the course for more than four hours, allowing just 69 players to complete the first round. If players cannot return to the course Friday afternoon, THE PLAYERS is likely headed for its first Monday finish since Fred Funk’s incredible win as a 48-year-old in 2005. “I would say, if we do not get back out on the golf course by the end of the day, then we are into that situation,” chief referee Gary Young said. “We’ve been crunching some numbers, and yes, we are coming close to that point now. We’ve received about 2 1/2 inches of rain at this point in the last 24 hours. The golf course has reached a point where it’s unplayable, and we will ride this out as long as we can this afternoon. If a window of opportunity presents itself, we’ll get back out there later today.” Young said the forecast suggested this outcome was more hopeful then probable. While the storm could pass, the expected deluge could leave the course in need of some significant love before it is playable again. “In our meetings with Wade Stettner, our meteorologist, and looking at future models, there is the possibility that this area that’s settling in right now could move slightly to the north. We are right on the border of the models that we were looking at,” Young said when explaining why players were not being sent home early. “We were on the southern border of this system, and if for some reason it lifts a little bit to the north, it could provide us a window of opportunity. At that point we’ve got to evaluate the golf course and make sure that it is in proper condition for us to get back out there.” As the players sought shelter, the forecast showed continuing rain and lighting at least through 4 p.m. ET. As for Saturday, more severe winds have prompted a gale warning. Officials are likely to send players off split tees after the second round is completed and a cut made, and are also considering foregoing a repairing between the third and fourth rounds. “At this point, we’re just battling, trying to make up for lost time. We also know that the conditions we’re going to be facing tomorrow with the winds that are predicted, the pace of play is going to be slower as well,” Young added. “In speaking with Wade, they’re anticipating some winds that could be in the area of 60 miles per hour as it comes through. So, we’re going to prepare for that overnight. The superintendent and his crew are going to need proper time to pick up debris and get the golf course back in condition. So, there’s a lot of variables involved.” UPDATED FRIDAY, MARCH 11 (11:15 a.m. ET): Play was stopped for Round 1 at 11:15 a.m. ET due to dangerous weather as a large storm system continued to hit TPC Sawgrass. The first round resumed at 7:15 a.m. ET and the morning wave of Round 1 was completed at 7:48 a.m. ET. UPDATED THURSDAY, MARCH 10 (6:36 p.m. ET): The first round of THE PLAYERS Championship was suspended due to darkness at 6:36 p.m. ET. The first round is scheduled to resume at 7:15 a.m. ET on Friday. The first wave of second-round tee times is scheduled for approximately 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Fifty-four of the 72 players in the afternoon wave began the first round Thursday (none completed the round). No one in Thursday’s afternoon wave completed more than seven holes Thursday before play was suspended due to darkness. UPDATED THURSDAY, MARCH 10 (3:14 p.m. ET): Round 1 resumed at 3:14 p.m. ET. Nearly a half-inch of rain (0.45 inches) fell on TPC Sawgrass during the delay of 4 hours, 14 minutes. Sixty-nine of the 72 players in the morning wave completed the first round Thursday (all but the group of Hank Lebioda, Henrik Norlander and Taylor Pendrith). UPDATED THURSDAY, MARCH 10 (11 a.m. ET): More than one inch of rain (1.3 inches) fell overnight at TPC Sawgrass, delaying the start of the first round one hour to 7:45 a.m. Play was suspended at 11 a.m. ET due to dangerous weather. Seventy-two players were able to get their rounds started before the suspension. Will Zalatoris (11 holes), Harold Varner III (11 holes) and Tommy Fleetwood (10 holes) were tied for the lead at 4 under before the horn sounded. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9: PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – PGA TOUR officials are confident they’re prepared for what is shaping up as a potentially tricky stretch of weather at THE PLAYERS Championship. On the eve of the opening round at TPC Sawgrass the extended forecast calls for a high likelihood of thunderstorms over the opening three days. Perhaps more ominously, there could be four different wind directions throughout the tournament. As an ominous precursor, the Stadium Course was evacuated early Wednesday afternoon as storms approached the area. Saturday could prove especially challenging with 20-30 mph sustained winds, and even heavier gusts, expected out of the west/northwest. Thursday brings an 80% chance of storms and winds of 10-18 mph out of the west/southwest. The forecast for Friday sits at 90% chance of storms with an east/southeast wind of 6-12 mph. “Rain and thunderstorms are likely both Thursday and Friday as a frontal boundary drops into northern Florida and stalls,” TOUR meteorologist Wade Stettner said in his forecast Wednesday. “This front is forecast to bring periods of rain with embedded thunderstorms over the two-day period.” Temperatures are also expected to drop significantly on Sunday with a high of just 54 degrees. The wind will switch to a 12-22 mph challenge out of the north/northeast in what, weather depending, would be the final round. “By Saturday morning a strong cold front is forecast to arrive and bring additional thunderstorms,” Stettner’s forecast continued. “This front should clear Ponte Vedra Beach by noon Saturday with dry conditions for the remainder of the weekend. Gusty winds will develop behind the front on Saturday with peak gusts over 30mph at times. Much colder temperatures are forecast this weekend.” In anticipation of the high weekend winds, and the potential for weather delays over the opening two days, officials will pay especially close attention to green speeds and pin locations during the set-up process. With the natural drainage on and around the greens only a few pin locations would be severely affected by rain, but high winds could render some spots unusable. For example, it’s unlikely there would be a hole close to the water at the par-4 fourth and island 17th holes. “We will once again meet this afternoon with the agronomy staff with the latest information at our disposal and obviously adjust our plans accordingly,” Chief Referee Gary Young said. “We are confident we will be as prepared as possible for what lies ahead. We are meticulous in every aspect but it is certainly fair to say Saturday’s winds are a point of focus for us, particularly as we could be finishing up Friday’s round on Saturday, so that affects Friday’s set up as well. “We need to keep in mind we could have a good amount of Friday’s round playing in that Saturday wind,” Young continued, “and they are opposite winds, so we need to find something that works well for both and that’s a challenge.” While in perfect weather officials would prepare and maintain firm and fast greens, the current forecast calls for a gradual decrease from top speed – as the tournament begins Thursday – to as much as an inch or an inch and a half slower speeds by Saturday. That would presumably eliminate the possibility of balls oscillating and even rolling away on the putting surfaces. Officials will take care to make it a gradual change rather than a big overnight shift so players don’t have to make significant adjustments. “Thankfully we’ve got time to make adjustments because we know what’s coming, so that helps in the planning,” Young said. “We have our target speeds for the high winds and we just need to get to that as slowly as possible.” Defending champion Justin Thomas was hoping for the best but also preparing himself for the worst. “I’ve heard horror stories from Tiger and Freddy and some guys about having to hit 5- or 6-iron into 17 on those cold north wind days, and I haven’t experienced that,” Thomas said. “When you get wind and cold temperatures like that, it’s just a different animal, and it’s really just a survival-type thing. “It’s not like I’m going into this week preparing any differently… I don’t get too wrapped up in the draw or what’s the weather going to be like Friday or what’s the wind going to be, because at the end of the day, weather people are wrong all the time.” Adam Scott, the 2004 champion, has experienced tough weather at TPC Sawgrass before. THE PLAYERS the year prior to his victory here, and the tournament the year after it, were played in tricky weather. “It’s a long time ago, but I was around for Davis Love’s win in 2003 when it was horrible, and Fred Funk’s win in 2005, that wasn’t good weather either,” Scott said ahead of his 20th PLAYERS start. “I think we played almost 36 holes on Monday that year because of all the weather delays. When this sort of weather happens the guy who really has his game in shape comes to the top. He can make those adjustments on the fly when he stands on the tee and it is a different wind than the day before, but you just easily pick the shot you need to compensate. Those in control of their swings will be the ones to watch.”

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