Moriya Jutanugarn shoots 66, leads by 1 shot in Los Angeles

DUBLIN, Ohio – Tiger Woods had trouble finding his best rhythm after his group was put on the clock in the opening round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. The 81-time PGA TOUR winner and five-time winner at Muirfield Village still scratched out a 2-under 70, five back of Ryan Moore’s early 65. But he took heart in the knowledge that last time he won the event, in 2012, he also opened with a 70. RELATED: Watch PGA TOUR LIVE | Leaderboard | Tee times | Featured Groups | Chasing 82 The trio of Woods, FedExCup reigning champion Justin Rose and defending Memorial Tournament champion Bryson DeChambeau were officially put on the clock with eight holes to go in their round. But they’d been chasing from the start after all three needed to take time scrambling for pars on the 10th hole, their first of the day, and Rose made a tough double bogey on the par-5 11th right after. “That was frustrating, because we still had the last eight holes we were on the clock. (So) I did have to speed up,â€� Woods said. “We walked quicker. We got to the ball, slowed it back down trying to get in our natural rhythm.â€� While Woods said the trio tried all the little tricks to get back in position, DeChambeau was assessed a bad time on the par-5 fifth hole, meaning another could have resulted in a penalty. “It’s one of those things where we’re trying to get back in position, but unfortunately the way things work sometimes … when we tried to speed up and tried to get back into it, we kept making mistakes to not allow ourselves to catch up with the group ahead of us,â€� Woods said. “The group ahead of us, JT (Justin Thomas) doesn’t take a lot of time, Rory (McIlroy) plays quick, and Jordan (Spieth) was 7-under through 13 holes. So they’re obviously playing fast. And we were obviously not.â€� All the same, Woods was able to card two birdies in his last three holes to rescue what had been a pedestrian round. Woods was decent off the tee, hitting 11 of 14 fairways, but then hit just 10 of 18 greens. “It was close to being easily a few more under par. It was soft enough; it was gettable. And I just didn’t quite do it,â€� Woods lamented. “I had a couple loose irons. But look at the scores, they’re all getting after it today. I was close to being out there with them. “I just need to not make a couple loose mistakes like I did today, and it could have easily turned and shot 5- or 6-under par today.â€�

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First Tee, a youth development organization that helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf, is expanding its relationship with PGA TOUR Superstore, thanks to a $9.5 million grant from PGA TOUR Superstore and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The new grant will help First Tee reach more children across the U.S. and strengthen First Tee's curriculum for teenage participants. PGA TOUR Superstore and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation have supported First Tee for more than a decade, helping First Tee grow from reaching 260,000 kids in PGA TOUR Superstore markets in 2011 to more than 1.5 million young people in 2019. This new grant will help First Tee focus on the critical teenage years, where in the U.S. one in five public school children drop out before they finish high school. Beginning in 2021, more than 1,300 First Tee teenagers will have the opportunity to participate in an annual five-week leadership development program at PGA TOUR Superstores. Additionally, 40 teens from across First Tee will be selected annually for a week-long summit at West Creek Ranch in Montana, an inspiring retreat space owned by PGA TOUR Superstore owner, Arthur M. Blank and with an intended purpose of growth, education and coming together to make a difference. "We are committed to being a positive influence in our communities and truly believe in the purposeful impact sports can have in developing and supporting youth," said Arthur M. Blank, Chairman, PGA TOUR Superstore and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. "This is the embodiment of the First Tee's mission and we are proud to support them. For more than a decade, we have built a strong partnership with the First Tee and will continue to work together to empower young people with core values such honesty, integrity and sportsmanship that will help them succeed throughout the course of their life." Currently reaching kids through programs at 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,600 youth centers, First Tee is opening the door to more kids and teens across its network, especially inviting those who are in underserved communities, to have access to programs and new opportunities. By leveraging the relationship with PGA TOUR Superstore, the investment will also allow First Tee to provide continued support to chapters located in PGA TOUR Superstore markets nationwide. "We are grateful for leaders like Arthur Blank and his family of businesses who understand the power of investing in young people and their communities through First Tee," said Jay Monahan, Commissioner, PGA TOUR and Chairman, Board of Governors, First Tee. "First Tee's ability to connect with and empower the next generation in intentional and innovative ways is realized through partnerships like this one. Thank you to Mr. Blank and his store executives for investing in our future." "The new leadership program and summit will be game-changing opportunities for the young people involved, and we are sincerely grateful for the support of our work and our chapters in Superstore markets," said Greg McLaughlin, Chief Executive Officer, First Tee. Mr. Blank, Chairman and owner of the PGA TOUR Superstore, has donated more than $3.6 million to First Tee since 2011. He is also owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, MLS' Atlanta United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and three ranches in Montana, and co-founder of The Home Depot. In 2019, the PGA TOUR assumed responsibility of the First Tee and re-organized it as a nonprofit subsidiary PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (First Tee).

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Each day at THE PLAYERS Championship, PGATOUR.COM’s staff writers will dive into the big issues and questions everyone is discussing. Webb Simpson shot a final-round 73 to win by four over Xander Schauffele (67), Charl Schwartzel (67) and Jimmy Walker (67). What moment/shot/round will you remember about the winner this week? Ben Everill (Staff Writer): For me the end of all hope for anyone else came in round three when he holed out from the back bunker on the par-5 11th for an eagle. That ball tracked on the green for a long time and never looked like missing. That’s when you know something special is afoot. Sean Martin (Senior Editor): The putt on the 15th green in the second round, from the chipping area long of the green. He hit it too hard. His ball was headed 10 feet past the hole, but it hit the back of the cup and dropped straight in. It was his sixth consecutive birdie, and all Webb and his playing partners, Jhonattan Vegas and Tyrrell Hatton, could do is laugh. It was clear that he was in the midst of a magical round. Mike McAllister (Managing Editor): Despite a performance in which his putter meant everything, I’m going with the hole-out from the bunker on Saturday at the par-5 11th for eagle. To me, that was the “OK, we’re seeing something specialâ€� moment. Cameron Morfit (Staff Writer): I’ll remember Simpson rolling in that par-saving putt on 18 on Saturday. Message to the field: If you want back into this tournament, I’m not going to help. Tiger Woods birdied six of his first 12 holes and shot 69. He finished T11, but even he sounded impressed. Was this an even bigger step in his comeback than his runner-up at the Valspar Championship? Everill: Absolutely. This was against the best field in golf and showed the rust – and any excuses – are now gone. As far as I am concerned, Woods is starting on equal pegging with everyone now and a magic four days could be just around the corner. Martin: It was, but you still have to wonder about his inability to finish off his rounds. He was 14 under par on Nos. 1-13 on the weekend, and 4 over on the final five holes. Yes, there are some hard holes in that stretch, but he also failed to birdie the par-5 16th both days. There are a lot of positive signs, but those finishes were a bit disconcerting. McAllister: Yes, I’d say on this course, against the best field in golf, to produce the kind of golf he displayed on the weekend has to be his bigger confidence booster of the season. Now if he can just solve the late-round fade … Morfit: Somehow this felt different, and more significant, than the Valspar. Tiger was flighting it how he wanted to, moving the ball both ways, putting well. He couldn’t overcome two mediocre rounds (72-71) on Thursday and Friday, but his game looks pretty sporty going into the summer. Xander Schauffele tied for second in his first look at TPC Sawgrass, which isn’t supposed to happen on such a technically demanding course. Simpson wasn’t known as an ace putter. What was the biggest surprise of the week for you? Everill: Simpson’s dominance was certainly a surprise. He didn’t just win, he killed them. The other surprise for me was Jason Day failing to find a birdie on the back nine on Sunday. Maybe he was just finally out of gas. Martin: I think Jimmy Walker’s second-place finish. It has been a tough road since he was diagnosed with Lyme disease, but he’s starting to turn the corner. This second-place finish came on the heels of a T20 at the Masters and T4 at the Valero Texas Open. He’s risen to No. 49 in the FedExCup. McAllister: Two 63s that tied the course record is probably the biggest surprise. I didn’t expect the scores to be this low. The winning score of 18 under is the lowest in more than two decades. Morfit: Simpson. I’d forgotten how good he is when he’s on. Justin Thomas came into the PLAYERS at No. 1 in the FedExCup, but now he’s also No. 1 in the world, taking over for Dustin Johnson. Thomas says he absolutely loves TPC Sawgrass. Is he your early pick to win the 2019 PLAYERS? If not, who is? Everill: What an achievement for Thomas. Holding the FedExCup title and world No. 1 at the same time. But I would take Jason Day as my PLAYERS favorite. Winner in 2016, T5 this week and clearly in the midst of a revival back towards the top of the golfing spectrum. Martin: Jason Day. He’s rededicated to the game after a winless 2017 and it is showing. He won the Wells Fargo Championship and finished fifth this week. That’s two top-five finishes in his past three PLAYERS. McAllister: Jack Nicklaus is the only three-time champion of THE PLAYERS. Think Tiger might like to join him in the record book? A year from now, with more reps and a smoothing out of the issues he has with the game, Tiger will be in better shape to contend than he was last year. Plus, he’s already won once on a Championship Sunday on St. Patrick’s Day (2002 at Bay Hill) – and that’s when THE PLAYERS Championship ends next year. Morfit: Patrick Cantlay has the look of a PLAYERS winner, and for a while I thought it was going to be this year. I’ll take Cantlay for 2019.

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