Patrick Reed hospitalized with pneumonia, withdraws from BMW Championship

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Following the Arizona Legislature’s passage of HB 2772, which would authorize fantasy sports and sports betting in the state pending action from Governor Doug Ducey, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings today announced that they will expand their existing commercial relationship to provide DraftKings market access for retail and mobile sports betting in Arizona, pending regulatory approvals. As part of this agreement, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings have also announced plans to operate a premium retail sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale. “When DraftKings became the first Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR last summer, a number of possibilities opened up to innovate together,” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings. “This momentous effort to pursue a first-of-its-kind sportsbook with the PGA TOUR is a testament to the vision of both organizations that we believe will ultimately benefit Arizona sports fans who want to legally bet on sports.” The PGA TOUR and DraftKings plan to create a visually stunning “19th hole” experience at TPC Scottsdale where fans can gather year-round to place wagers, watch sports and enjoy quality food and beverage options. The PGA TOUR and DraftKings are working closely with the City of Scottsdale and the Thunderbirds, the host organization of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, to develop the project and maximize economic, tourism and charitable benefits to the local community. Several locations are being considered at TPC Scottsdale for the retail sportsbook, with details to be announced at a later date. “The PGA TOUR commends the State of Arizona and Governor Ducey for their forward-thinking approach to legal sports betting.” said Norb Gambuzza, Senior Vice President of Media and Gaming at the PGA TOUR. “We are thrilled to work with DraftKings – along with the City of Scottsdale and the Thunderbirds – to explore a one-of-a-kind sportsbook experience at TPC Scottsdale and the world-class Waste Management Phoenix Open. ‘The People’s Open’ is one of the most attended events in golf and with this announcement we look forward to taking the fan experience to another level.” Pursuant to the expanded agreement, DraftKings will also become the exclusive sports betting partner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open hosted annually at TPC Scottsdale. Additionally, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings will collaborate on co-marketing initiatives and exclusive hospitality experiences to position TPC Scottsdale as a premier global destination for sports bettors and avid golf fans. DraftKings is the Official Daily Fantasy Game and an Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR. Fans can find the latest available daily fantasy golf contests as well as golf betting markets by downloading the DraftKings apps via iOS and Android. This partnership is the latest in a string of progressive and industry-leading sports betting initiatives by the PGA TOUR. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, the TOUR instituted a robust integrity program in collaboration with Genius Sports and later that year announced a global partnership with IMG ARENA to license its official, live scoring data to betting operators all over the world. The TOUR’s Official Betting Operator category was launched in 2020 and the organization continues to evolve its innovative GolfBet partnership with The Action Network. The TOUR is a platinum member of the National Council on Problem Gambling and is aligned with the American Gaming Association as a Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly public service campaign partner to educate golf fans on responsible sports betting.

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HAMBURG, Germany — Bryson DeChambeau shared a one-shot lead with Richard McEvoy heading to the final round of the Porsche European Open on Saturday. Both golfers seek their first European Tour title. DeChambeau started the third round ahead by a shot. But McEvoy carded a 3-under 69 for the Englishman to lead the tournament at 12 under. DeChambeau had to birdie the last hole to tie him with a 70 at Green Eagle Golf Courses. Right behind them were Masters champion Patrick Reed (69), and Austria’s Matthias Schwab (70). McEvoy’s momentum — he went out in 32 — was stalled by a three-hour delay for lightning in the area. But after winning in France last week on the Challenge Tour, he’s enjoying his attitude and form. “I prevailed last week so fingers crossed I can finish it off again tomorrow,” he said. Unlike McEvoy, DeChambeau was grateful for the stop in play. It gave him time to refocus and get his game back in order. He made three birdies on the back nine. An American hasn’t won this event in 38 years. Reed briefly held the lead on his own after play resumed and he birdied the 11th, but he was overtaken by DeChambeau and McEvoy and dropped a shot on the 13th.

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As Joshua Creel finished a five-week stretch on the road with a PGA TOUR card in hand for the first time, all he wanted to do this week was head back home, sleep in his own bed and see his wife and dog. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans. His wife, Alex, was supposed to head to the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance to watch him play for the weekend but she found out someone in her office had contracted COVID, so she went to get tested before leaving. Positive. Plans spoiled. Not only could she not go to see her husband get a TOUR card, but he also couldn’t return home either when the tournament ended. “I’m in the city I live in, and I can’t even go to my house,” Creel said with a laugh. Initially instead of flying home, Creel flew to Fulton, Mississippi, this week and spent a couple days with his close buddy, Chad Ramey, who is also preparing for his first start as a PGA TOUR member at next week’s Fortinet Championship. After a couple days practicing and hanging out, Creel headed back to Edmond, Oklahoma, and is staying with a buddy this week and practicing at his home club while his wife, who is expecting their first child, a baby boy named Colt in January, quarantines at their home. “I went and talked to her through the front window, but that’s as close as we’ve gotten to each other, so that’s frustrating,” Creel said. “I haven’t slept in my own bed for six weeks, so I was looking forward to that. And it was a pretty big bummer that she wasn’t able to be out there Sunday and celebrate with my parents and myself. So, it’s been frustrating, but it is what it is, so I’ll go to work next week then come back and enjoy her and my dog.” Despite the inconveniences to his preparation this week and the disappointment that his wife can’t head with him to Napa, Creel, who turned pro in 2012, is fired up to have the opportunity to get back to work next week as a TOUR member. “Obviously a dream come true to be teeing it up on the PGA TOUR as a member. I’m excited,” Creel said. “Going to keep doing what we’ve been doing the last couple months and pick good targets, get good numbers and see what happens. But the game feels good. I’ve been playing well now for a while.” As far as momentum goes, Creel has about as much as any TOUR rookie will heading into the TOUR’s season-opener. In mid-June, he was outside the top 100 in the Korn Ferry Tour Points Standings and looking up fall Q-School information. Now, he’s a Korn Ferry Tour winner and heading to the big show after finishing the Korn Ferry Tour Finals with back-to-back top-10s. “I laugh with my friends because it’s been a wild ride, I’ll tell you what,” Creel said. “The emotions from looking into Q-School to locking up a Korn Ferry Tour card for next year to going on and winning and then ultimately getting my PGA TOUR card. It’s been something else, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” It’s the journey to get here that has made it all the sweeter. After leaving Central Oklahoma as the 2012 NCAA Division II Player of the Year, Creel struggled to breakthrough. He finally made it to final stage of Q-School in 2016 for the first time but finished T131, which was only good conditional membership and four starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017. He was playing mini tours mostly and never lost the faith in his game or that he could make it, but his bank account was starting to. “There was one time in 2017 where my dad said, ‘Hey dude, your bank account is running real thin,” Creel recalled. “Just point blank you’re either going to have to play better or find something else to do, and I ended up winning a mini-tour event the next week to give myself a little bit of a cushion. But, yeah, never wanted to quit because I was upset about how I was playing but there were a couple times where financially there it was getting tough.” That period proved critical. He not only improved his course management out on the mini tours, but he learned to win. In 2019, he got fully exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the first time and now the Cheyenne, Wyoming, native will tee it up next week as only the second TOUR member ever from Wyoming. “I’m not one to ever get down about much and I was never really discouraged at all about where my game was or where I was going to have to play over the years,” Creel said. “So, yeah, just steadily improved and parlayed that into a PGA TOUR card.”

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