Mito Pereira rides confidence with a 63 to lead Shriners Children’s Open

Billy Maxwell, who grew up next to a golf course and led a full life of golf as a top amateur and successful touring professional before becoming a golf course owner, has passed away at the age of 92. Born on July 23, 1929, Maxwell was raised in his family’s home off the fourth green at Abilene (Texas) Country Club. The sport became his passion as Maxwell developed into a leading amateur who won the 1951 U.S. Amateur and helped North Texas State College win three straight NCAA Division I Championships (1950-1952). At North Texas, Maxwell teamed with fellow future Texas Golf Hall of Fame members Don January and Joe Conrad all three championship years, which in fact followed the school’s first-ever NCAA title in 1949. In September of their second championship year together, Maxwell advanced to the finals of the U.S. Amateur at Saucon Valley Country Club in Pennsylvania. Before a tournament-record crowd of approximately 7,000, he defeated career amateur Joe Gagliardi, 4 and 3. At age 22, Maxwell became the second-youngest U.S. Amateur champion at the time. Following college, Maxwell served in the U.S. Army before turning professional in 1954. He had a successful PGA TOUR career, winning seven times, including three wins in 1961. His final victory came at the 1962 Dallas Open Invitational, a year in which he finished a career-best 12th place on the money list with nearly $32,000. Although he never won a major championship, Maxwell performed consistently well at the three U.S. majors, finishing with eight top-10s, including ties for fifth at the 1962 Masters and 1963 U.S. Open and PGA Championship. Also in 1963, Maxwell competed in his first and only Ryder Cup at the former Atlanta Athletic Club site, now occupied by East Lake Golf Club. Though a rookie at age 34, he had a sterling performance as the only player to go 4-0-0 to help the U.S. cruise to a 23-9 victory over Great Britain. Maxwell teamed with Bob Goalby to win his first match in foursomes, then teamed with Billy Casper twice to win in four-balls and concluded with a 2-and-1 singles victory over Christy O’Connor. Once Maxwell’s playing began to wind down, he turned his attention to the business side of golf, partnering with fellow Texas touring professional Chris Blocker in 1971 to purchase Hyde Park Golf Club, a public course in Jacksonville, Florida, that was designed by famed Scottish architect Donald Ross and opened in 1925. Once home to the PGA TOUR’s Greater Jacksonville Open and site of LPGA great Mickey Wright’s first professional victory, Hyde Park was where PGA TOUR players such as Dan Sikes, Mark McCumber and Charles Raulerson honed their game as youths. After Blocker died in June 2016, Maxwell’s daughter and husband, Melanie and Tommy Bevill, took ownership of Hyde Park. But Billy remained dedicated to the course he owned for more than four decades until his passing.

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Round 2 of The Genesis Invitational begins Friday and The Riviera Country Club is once again the site for one of the most challenging weeks of competition. World No. 1 Jon Rahm, defending FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Bubba Watson and defending champion Max Homa are just some of the big names in the deep field. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action, including Featured Groups for PGA TOUR LIVE and newly expanded and extended coverage on ESPN+. Click here for more details. Leaderboard Full tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (CBS). Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (CBS) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 2–8 p.m. ET. Saturday, 2–7 p.m. Sunday, 1-6:30 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course • Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups • Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes FEATURED GROUPS THURSDAY Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Cameron Champ Justin Thomas, Sam Burns, Cameron Smith Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Hideki Matsuyama FRIDAY Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Hideki Matsuyama Dustin Johnson, Max Homa, Adam Scott Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Cameron Champ Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler MUST READS Joaquin Niemann takes three-shot lead at The Genesis Invitational Riviera Romance – Stars align as Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and big names start well in LA Experience the Genesis of Tiger Woods Inside My Swing: Max Homa Five Things to Know: The Riviera Country Club

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They first met when Tiger Woods was 5 years old. The elder man, one of the most successful in the game’s history, was present when Woods made his pro debut. And they were frequent neighbors at golf’s most exclusive gathering. Woods knew Sam Snead for decades. Now he’s pursuing the legend, trying to beat a record that once seemed unassailable. The chase for 82 begins at this week’s PGA Championship, where Woods can tie Snead’s record for PGA TOUR victories. Their first encounter took place at an exhibition at Calabasas Country Club near Los Angeles in the early 1980s. Snead was the star attraction, playing two holes with nine different groups. “I was this little snot-nosed kid at 5 years old that he had to play the last two holes with,â€� Woods recalled a few years ago. “I remember it was a par 3. You know, I’m 5, I can’t carry it very far. I hit it into the water and he tells me to go pick it up out of the water … when my dad was alive, he would tell me that I was slightly competitive even at that age and I didn’t like him telling me to pick the ball up, because my dad always taught me you play it as it is, there’s no such thing as winter rules. “So I went in and played it and I made bogey on that hole, the par 3, and I made bogey on the last hole. I still have the card at home. He signed it and he went par-par and I lost by two.â€� Woods retorted by offering his signature to Snead, who was taken by what he had just seen on those two holes. “I’ve worked for years to get the hitch out of that swing of mine,â€� Snead said afterward, “and along comes this kid. I think I’ll toss my clubs in a lake someplace.â€� Their paths crossed 10 years later, when Woods made his PGA TOUR debut. Snead, who was being honored by the tournament now known as the Genesis Open, watched Woods play in the pro-am. He was impressed by the way Woods had developed over the previous decade and offered these prescient words: “He looks like he’s going to be a force on the TOUR,â€� Snead said. Even he couldn’t predict how successful Woods would be. Snead kept a close eye on Woods’ progress during their annual reunion at the Masters Champions Dinner, which Woods earned an invitation to after his record-setting win in 1997. Now his latest Masters victory has him on the precipice of Snead’s incredible record. To celebrate Woods’ chase for 82, we compiled this Tale of the Tape comparing the two legends. Born Snead: May 27, 1912 (passed away May 23, 2002) Woods: Dec. 30, 1975 PGA TOUR wins Snead: 82 Woods: 81 First event as a pro Snead: Won 1936 West Virginia Closed Pro Woods: Finished T60 at Greater Milwaukee Open First win Snead: 1936 West Virginia Closed Pro Woods: 1997 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open Age at first win Snead: 24 years old Woods: 21 years old Career winning percentage Snead: 14% (82 of 585) Woods: 23% (81 of 352) 81st victory Snead: 1961 Sentry Tournament of Champions Woods: 2019 Masters Age at 81st win Snead: 48 years old Woods: 43 years old Starts needed to reach 81 wins Snead: 385 Woods: 352 Earnings for first 81 wins Snead: $372,322 Woods: $118,309,570 82nd win Snead: 1965 Wyndham Championship Woods: TBD Age at 82nd win Snead: 52 years old Woods: TBD Seasons with 5-plus wins Snead: 8 (2nd all-time) Woods: 10 (PGA TOUR record) Most events won 5-plus times Snead: 3 (T2 all-time) Woods: 7 (PGA TOUR record) Cut line fame Snead: Oldest player to make a PGA TOUR cut  (67 years, 2 months, 21 days at the 1979 Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic) Woods: Made the cut in a PGA TOUR-record 142 consecutive starts Nickname Snead: Slammin’ Sammy Woods: Tiger, Big Cat Famous quote Snead: “Of all the hazards, fear is the worst.â€� Woods: “Hello world.â€� Family ties Snead: Uncle of eight-time PGA TOUR winner J.C. Snead Woods: Uncle of LPGA player Cheyenne Woods Trademark fashion Snead: Porkpie hat Woods: Sunday Red shirt Back-to-back Snead: Received medical discharge from U.S. Navy in 1944 because of back injury Woods: Four back surgeries, including spinal fusion in 2017 Home state Snead: West Virginia Woods: California

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