Open and shut: Spieth authors epic British win

NAPA, Calif. — Kevin Tway made a 10-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff Sunday to win the season-opening Safeway Open for his first PGA TOUR title. The son of eight-time PGA TOUR winner Bob Tway, the 30-year-old former Oklahoma State player beat Ryan Moore on the par-4 10th after Brandt Snedeker dropped out on their second extra trip down the par-5 18th. After strong wind died down in the late afternoon on Silverado’s tree-lined North Course, Tway birdied the final two holes in regulation for a 1-under 71, then birdied all three holes in the playoff. “In the playoff I made three birdies, so that was pretty good,” Tway said. “I’m kind of at a loss for words.” Moore birdied three of the last four in a 67. “I didn’t get off to the best start and my swing didn’t feel that great,” Moore said. “So I just had to grind a little bit and kind of find a little key for the day.” Snedeker, three strokes ahead entering the day and five in front with 11 to play, had four back-nine bogeys in a 74. “No one to blame but myself,” Snedeker tweeted. “I have to find a way to win today.” The nine-time PGA TOUR winner bogeyed the first three holes on the back nine, birdied the par-5 16th, bogeyed the par-4 17th and parred the 18th, missing from 9 feet. Luke List eagled the 18th for a 67 to finish a stroke out of the playoff with Troy Merritt (68), Sam Ryder (69), Aaron Baddeley (69) and Sungjae Im (71). “Obviously, we all kind of knew the wind was going to be crazy warming up this morning,” List said. “There was debris flying everywhere. I was just anticipating a really tough day and it was.” Phil Mickelson tied for 17th at 8 under after a 72. “It was challenging but yet very playable conditions,” Mickelson said. “Actually, I played pretty good. I hit two balls out of bounds on the fifth hole trying to go for the green, but other than that, I played pretty well.” Fred Couples had a 75 to tie for 41st at 5 under in his final start in a regular PGA TOUR event. “For a while I didn’t think we were going to play and then when we played, I didn’t really play,” the 59–year-old Hall of Famer said. “Then I just started hitting and hoping for the best. Two-time defending champion Brendan Steele had a 75 to finish at 3 under.

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NEW YORK CITY – Skratch and Mastercard today announced a two-part series documenting the journey of APGA Tour Player of the Year Kamaiu Johnson – who won the inaugural Mastercard APGA Player Achievement Award in 2022 and with it an exemption to play on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, beginning in December. Over six episodes, ‘Relentless Pursuit’ will follow Johnson as he competes on the APGA for the award, prepares for PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and eventually finds out whether he is able to keep eligibility status or qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour and continue the path to the PGA TOUR. “This past season on the APGA Tour was a dream come true and I’m incredibly grateful to have received the Mastercard APGA Player Achievement Award, giving me the opportunity to compete on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica,” remarked Johnson. “I’ve worked extremely hard to have an opportunity like this and I’m excited to share my story through the ‘Relentless Pursuit’ series. Support like this is incredibly important to all of us out on the APGA Tour as we hope to share our stories and provide inspiration to the next generation of minority golfers.” The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as a non-profit organization with a mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The Mastercard APGA Player Achievement Award is an initiative to promote the top performer from the APGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Player Development Program, a 12-member subset of the APGA Tour focused on developing minority golfers who have shown success on the APGA Tour and who support its mission. Johnson earned the award after winning the 2022 Mastercard APGA Tour Championship to earn the top spot in the Player Development Program in 2022. He also captured a $50,000 first place prize from the event’s $150,000 purse, each the largest in APGA Tour history. The 29-year-old has four APGA titles in the last three years and has competed in events on the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour. The Mastercard APGA Player Achievement Award will provide Johnson with financial support to play on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, which tees off December 1-4, 2022 at the 116 Visa Argentine Open presented by Macro in Buenos Aires, Argentina followed by the Neuquen Argentine Classic in Chapelco, Argentina before moving to Santiago, Chile from December 15-18 for the Scotia Wealth Management Chile Open presented by Volvo. “Mastercard is focused on creating an equitable and inclusive society, including a commitment to increasing diverse representation,” said Rustom Dastoor, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications, North America at Mastercard. “Together with the APGA and Skratch, we are proud to highlight the stories of APGA players, in addition to providing unforgettable opportunities and resources to support their personal and professional development.” A teaser for the first season was released earlier today on Skratch’s social channels including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The first episode will launch tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 20 and will feature Johnson winning the 2022 Mastercard APGA Tour Championship followed by the release of the second episode on November 2 which will include an appearance from 2022 PGA TOUR Rookie of Year Cameron Young. Season 2 will be released in 2023. “We are excited to work with Mastercard to launch this series and highlight the incredible stories of the individuals playing on the APGA Tour,” said Skratch General Manager Sam Raeburn. “Skratch strives to support diversity in golf, attract a millennial audience and reach a more diverse fan base and we believe this series will do just that.”

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Police in Dublin, Ohio, released a report Tuesday that provided more details about the crash in which PGA Tour player Bud Cauley and three other people were injured Friday night near Muirfield Village Golf Club.

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