Major challenge: Can these guys reach double digits?

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tommy Fleetwood’s wife Clare battled for a peek of her husband all day. Marc Leishman’s wife Audrey used her short stature to her advantage when politely asking to push through the ropes at Amen Corner a few times before giving up. Even Tiger Woods’ own mother – who knows every shortcut and special viewing secret at Augusta National – was unable to get more than a few glimpses of her boy. Welcome back to the Masters, Tiger. As expected, the patrons moved in a wave, engulfing the 10:42 a.m. trio of Woods, Leishman and Fleetwood at every turn. Those walking along would routinely merge into those who had chosen to stake their claim on a viewing spot ahead of time. As each grandstand was passed, the unmistakable rumble of footsteps evacuating the structures would begin. Everyone wanted to see Tiger, and plenty wanted to show their affection. At Augusta National, only players, caddies and the bare minimum television cameraman get inside the ropes. There is no special treatment. And so standing back behind crowds — 30 and 40 deep at places — were family members and friends and media. There were even a few members in Green Jackets walking a hole or two. “I don’t really expect to see any shots,â€� Clare said early in the round. “But it is a good day for a walk.â€� Fleetwood’s wife recounted how they had been talking prior to the tee times being announced and she had voiced getting Woods would be the worst-case scenario – and then sure enough the times flashed on the screen. “Worse case for me!â€� she quickly reminded her man. Fleetwood himself enjoyed the marquee group and fought hard to a nice even-par round. Leishman immediately decided to treat the scenario as a positive. “If I can’t handle it now, I mean I never will,â€� Leishman said of the masses. “But the way I looked at it, if you’re going to win here, you got to play in front of crowds like that, with energy like that. “So I looked at it as a positive and preparation for later in the week.â€� The admiration started early for Woods, who claimed “the nerves really were just normal. I wasn’t flying high. I wasn’t jittery, I wasn’t any of that stuff.â€� They stood and cheered for him at the range when he arrived just under an hour before his tee time. When he signed a glove for a man in the disabled viewing section he got his first raucous cheer. The seas parted from the clubhouse door to the practice putting green and the crowd encouraged voraciously as his tee time neared. They stood and hollered a little more as he was introduced on the first tee for the first time since 2015. And it continued as he marched down the opening fairway in a seemingly endless chorus until one clever patron broke up the Woods love-fest with a very audible “Marc you’re the man!â€� — making all three break into a giggle. Woods returned the love by hitting his opening shot – and a few others – outside the ropes. It meant he would ply his trade right amongst a select few lucky patrons. At one stage, they were a little too eager. With Woods looking to punch a shot from well right of the 11th fairway he moved everyone well back. But once he made contact with the ball they surged forward and into the path of the shot, stopping it from chasing toward the putting surface. “It was a great shot there. Unfortunately people ran out and it clipped them. Otherwise it’s just short right of the green, an easy up-and-down from there, where I was trying to leave it,â€� Woods said after the round. On the course, Woods was a little more animated and agitated but otherwise he was certainly loving being back in major championship golf. In the end, Woods’ 1-over 73 wasn’t overly special, but it was better than it could have been as he fought back hard from some mistakes. It was no secret everyone out there wanted a charge. They wanted a low number. You could feel the collective will of the crowd trying to push short putts forward or errant shots back on line. They wanted to roar. There was an early one thanks to a birdie putt on the third hole, but back-to-back bogeys sucked the life back out of the throng. They lifted again at the par-3 sixth hole when Woods hit it tight off the tee. But he failed to convert, and the sighs reverberated around the pines. A run of pars came before the hordes of people were bummed with a bogey on 11 and a water ball into Rae’s Creek on 12. Failure to birdie the par-5 13th also hurt. But those who stuck around were rewarded on the 14th hole when Woods made his second birdie of the round. They let him know even if it was more a roar of relief. A more pronounced reverberation came on the par-3 16th – the sight of his infamous chip-in in 2005 – when he coaxed in another birdie. And while a red number start didn’t materialize – they still stood on the 18th green and warmly welcomed the four-time champion back. “The crowds have been incredible. It’s been awesome this entire comeback,â€� Woods admitted after finishing the day in a tie for 29th. “I could have easily let it slip away. And I fought hard to get it back in there, and I’m back in this championship. There’s a lot of holes to be played.â€� You can bet those with weekend tickets certainly hope he is right.  

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Phil Mickelson still loves golf. On Sunday, it loved him back as he became the oldest major champion in the sport’s history.

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FEATURED GROUPS The fight for positioning heading into the FedExCup Playoffs is beginning to intensify and this week’s PGA TOUR LIVE coverage sets us up with some bug guns trying to surge even further forward. We have proven winners on the dock with the likes of Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Marc Leishman and Rickie Fowler lined up among others at the Quicken Loans National – and there will also be featured hole coverage at TPC Potomac’s 14th and 17th holes. PGA TOUR LIVE will broadcast between 7 a.m. Eastern and 6:30 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday. The coverage will switch to Featured Holes at 3:30 p.m. Featured Hole Coverage consists of the 14th (Par-4) and 17th (Par-3) on Thursday and Friday.
 PGA TOUR LIVE also will be available on Twitter for approximately 90 minutes, beginning at 7 a.m. Here’s a look at this week’s Featured Groups. Click here to subscribe to PGA TOUR LIVE. (Note: FedExCup rankings in parentheses) Related links: Tee times | Field | Course THURSDAY Si Woo Kim (27), Jimmy Walker (99), Billy Hurley III (102): The PLAYERS Champion joins with the defending PGA Championship winner and the defending Quicken Loans National winner. Kim is always entertaining. You never know just which version of the young Korean star you’ll see. While he followed up his PLAYERS win with a missed cut and a WD he was in the thick of it at the U.S. Open before finishing T13. Walker has been putting fatigue issues behind him and building towards the major winning form of last year while Hurley III is looking to once again provide one of the more emotional performances of the season as he did on the way to victory last year. Tee time: 8:10 a.m. Eastern off 10th tee. Rickie Fowler (9), Marc Leishman (14), Adam Hadwin (12): Three winners this season headlined by Fowler who has been threatening to grab more trophies to go with his one from the Honda Classic. With two top-5’s in his last three starts, including contending heavily at the U.S. Open, Fowler is ready to go the extra mile. Leishman is desperate to make another statement in the FedExCup race as he takes his last start before the Open Championship. His third child, and first daughter, is due next week. He will take a mini break and as such wants to rack up another high finish. Hadwin continues to forge forward this season with the clear goal of making the Presidents Cup – Leishman is a likely teammate. Tee time: 8:21 a.m. Eastern off 10th tee. FRIDAY Patrick Reed (53), Billy Horschel (16). Bill Haas (26): Reed, fresh off a T5 finish last week, joins two former FedExCup champions in this exciting trio. Reed’s fireworks have been turning up of late, but only for three of four rounds. Is this the week he brings it together for all four? Six of his last seven results have been inside the top 25. We call that trending. Horschel is playing with a freedom after his win at the AT&T Bryon Nelson and the fact his off-course situation is more settled while Haas has quietly put together a consistent season and comes off a T5 at the U.S. Open. Tee time: 8:10 a.m. Eastern off 10th tee. Justin Thomas (3), Kevin Chappell (25), Wesley Bryan (24): Thomas will be ready to roll. The disappointment of missing out at the U.S. Open coupled with last week’s missed cut will have his competitive juices flowing. Not to mention he watched Jordan Spieth win again – and called the bunker shot – which will have him wanting to add a fourth win on the season. Three top-10s in his last five starts… expect great things. Joining Thomas are fellow winners this season in Bryan and Chappell. Chappell loves tough courses, Bryan loves using his imagination. Both sit inside the top 25 of the FedExCup looking to move in deeper. Tee time: 8:21 a.m. Eastern off 10th tee.

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