LPGA’s season opener to be continued

The desert sand of Las Vegas will be replaced by the pink sand beaches on Bermuda this week as a field of now 127 tees it up for the third consecutive autumn at Port Royal Golf Club. Constructed in 1970 by Robert Trent Jones, the windswept 6,828 yards of Port Royal plays to Par-71 (36-35). As wind is always a factor in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, there’s not a heavy penalty for missing fairways. Only two inches of Bermuda bounds the fairways. TifEagle greens are ample targets averaging 6,000 square feet and won’t be as slick as their cousins Stateside in summer time. 88 bunkers and water on five holes will also provide the other defenses outside of the steady sea breeze. The previous two winners should provide ample clues on what it takes to get it over the finish line. Brian Gay and Brendon Todd are notorious for their accuracy off the tee and ability to hole putts. Neither will win any long drive contests on TOUR but are both veteran winners who knew how to keep it out of trouble (check Bogey Avoidance) and get the ball up and down. They both took care of business on the back nine and closed the deal against the next generation. No longer an opposite field event, the purse is $6.5 million with the winner pocketing $1.117 million plus 500 FedExCup points. The winner is also eligible for the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the Masters and all of the other perks awarded to full field winners. Recent Event Winners Recent Winners Last year – Brian Gay (-15, 269) Birdied the first playoff hole to win. … Birdied the 72nd hole to reach a playoff. … Closed with 64, T2 round of the day. … Trailed by as many as four shots on the back nine. … Posted all four rounds 70 or better. … T3 2019. … 44 birdies in 144 holes over two years. … Picks up his fifth TOUR win at age 48. … First win since 2013 American Express. … Entered the week on four consecutive MC. Notables in the field this week: Denny McCarthy (T4) co-led the field with 21 birdies and posted the low round on Sunday with 63. … Ryan Armour (T8) matched his 2019 result as he shared the 36 hole lead. … David Hearn (T8) matched his 2019 result as he closed 67-66. … Kramer Hickok (T8) posted all four rounds in the 60s and was T1 GIR. … Kiradech Aphibarnrat (T11) was T4 Fairways and T4 Putts. … Michael Gligic (T11) only made seven bogeys (T2). … Anirban Lahiri (T11) co-led the field with 21 birdies. … Peter Malnati (T21) led after 18 holes with 63. … Defending champ Brendon Todd missed the cut. … The top 11 players were 10-under or better. … The cut was 1-over par. 2019 – Brendon Todd (24-under, 260 – not entered) Tied the course record with 62 on Sunday to win by four. … Made birdie on holes 2 thru 8 and went out in 29. … Began Round 4 two shots off the lead. … Posted 63 in Round 2. … 17-under on the front nine for the week. … Hit it great and made everything (check table). … Picks up his second TOUR victory in 177th start at age 34. … Won the following week at Mayakoba. … T28 Houston previous outing. Notables in the field this week: Brian Gay (T3) circled 24 birdies (T4). … Hank Lebioda (T4) fired 63 on Sunday. … Fabian Gomez (7th) closed 66-65 and was T2 GIR. … Ryan Armour (T8) posted 25 birdies and was 9th Putting. … David Hearn (T8) led the field with 41 Fairways. … Bo Hoag (T11) posted two rounds of 64. … Russell Knox (T11) only squared four bogeys and was T2 GIR. … Beau Hossler (T24) T2 Birdies with 26 and No. 1 in Putting. … Weather was perfect. … Cut was 2-under. … There was only TWO rounds OVER par in the top 23. … 22 bogey-free rounds. … Scoring average 69.656. KEY STAT LEADERS Top golfers in each statistic on the PGA TOUR (thru 2021 season) are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. Horses for Courses – Butterfield Bermuda Championship

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AUGUSTA, Ga. - The rain was falling softly in the semi-darkness as Tiger Woods stood on the practice putting green awaiting his 7:55 a.m. tee time, while legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were on the nearby first tee preparing to hit their ceremonial first tee shots. Woods sensed something flying over his head. He looked up. "There was a drone flying over the putting green," he said after shooting a 4-under 68 in which he didn't make a bogey, his first bogey-free round here since 2008. "Down one today you could hear the drone over there. You don't hear drones here." Yes, CBS has added drones to the coverage. It was, all in all, a new kind of experience in the first round of the pandemic-delayed Masters at Augusta National. No patrons. No flowers. Strange plot twists. RELATED: Leaderboard | Like ‘old' times at Augusta | DeChambeau bounces back from calamity Paul Casey shot a 7-under 65 to take the early lead, although half the field didn't finish. At 5 under through 10 holes, Justin Thomas had the best round going among the late starters. "I’ve got a lot of golf left," said Thomas, whose best finish in four Masters starts was his T12 last year. "Just go home and get some rest. It’s a long day tomorrow." The rain-delayed first round was suspended for darkness with 44 players, roughly half the field, still out on the course at 5:30 p.m. They'll restart at 7:30 a.m., with round two set to begin at 9:35 a.m. Friday, if all goes according to plan. The way things have gone, that's a big if. Indeed, Thursday was an odd one. Bryson DeChambeau, the most talked about player in golf, double-bogeyed the short par-5 13th hole, the most vulnerable hole on the course, and shot 70, the same score as Larry Mize, 62. Woods began his round at the 10th hole at 10:55. He'd never started a Masters on 10, but then there's never been a November Masters, with daylight a precious commodity. Another difference: no blooming azaleas, or much of anything else. It's just too late in the year. The course does, however, have more Bermuda grass in it than normal, causing the ball to react differently. And it was humid Thursday, like East Lake in September, Casey said. Tony Finau, one of his playing partners, spun his approach shot into the bunker at the first hole. "On a good-looking wedge shot," Casey said. Woods said putts just weren't breaking. Casey said the greens were softer than ever. "There was a shot I hit on number two, a 6-iron to that left hand pin that you can’t hit that shot in April," said Casey, who eagled the hole. "It was just left of the flag. It pitched and stopped instantly, and that shot in April would have one hopped over into the patrons, and probably would have walked off with a 5 instead of a 3." A first-time Masters participant this week could return in April only to find a totally transformed, much firmer and faster course. "They are going to have a rude awakening," Casey said with a laugh. Still, he added, there remained something special about just being here, even with the quirks. Woods agreed. "There’s no patrons, no roars," he said. "Yes, as the camera guys would say, ‘Where did the ball end up? Because we just don’t know.' That’s very different. A lot of firsts today. That’s kind of the way this entire year has been. The fact that we’re able to compete for a Masters this year, considering all that’s been going on, it’s a great opportunity for all of us."

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