Patrick Reed’s latest controversy and the other things in golf that matter right now

This week we head to Silvis, Illinois, and birdie-friendly TPC Deere Run, for the 20-year anniversary of John Deere’s title sponsorship. Designed by Illinois native and former TOUR pro D.A. Weibring, TPC Deere Run is set on an old Arabian horse farm along the Rock River. The scenic course features ponds and ravines, elevation changes and hardwood trees—and lots of red numbers. Players have made 30,042 birdies over the last 17 years at TPC Deere Run, the most of any course on TOUR. Six weeks and eight events remain until THE NORTHERN TRUST and the start of the FedExCup playoffs. With time running out to get into the top 125, some of the players hanging on just inside the cut line include Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson and Stricker. No one plays TPC Deere Run better than Stricker and Johnson, who are a combined 307 under par there since 2000. Could this be a get-well week for them? And keep an eye on this week’s winner, as nine of the past 10 John Deere Classic champions have gone all the way to the FedExCup finale, the TOUR Championship at East Lake. RELATED LINKS: Tee times | Field | Course | Past results PGA TOUR LIVE is scheduled to air from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. After Featured Groups, the coverage will switch to Featured Holes at 4 p.m. The Featured Holes are the 361-yard, par-4 14th, which plays downhill and will tempt the longest hitters to try to drive the green, and the picturesque, 158-yard, par-3 16th, where players will aim for the green on a bluff 40 feet above the Rock River. PGA TOUR LIVE can also be viewed on Twitter from approximately 8 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. Thursday and Friday. (Note: All times Eastern; FedExCup ranking in parentheses.) THURSDAY Brian Harman (11), Wesley Bryan (28), Cody Gribble (74): Right-handed Bryan is the odd man out in this lefty-friendly group. Harman is enjoying his best season after a win at the Wells Fargo Championship and a T2 at the recent U.S. Open at Erin Hills. He’s hanging tough at 10th on the Presidents Cup points list. Bryan became one of four rookies to win on TOUR this season at the RBC Heritage, but has struggled since and is coming off a T46 finish at the Quicken Loans National. And Gribble, who last October won the Sanderson Farms Championship, is trying to snap a streak of three consecutive missed cuts.  Tee time: 8:50 a.m. off 10 tee Zach Johnson (103), Daniel Berger (9), Charles Howell III (17): This group features one of the most popular players in the field in Johnson, a Cedar Rapids native who played for Drake University of Des Moines. Johnson is also the 2012 John Deere champ, has finished T3 or better in five of the last six years, and sits on the tournament’s board of directors. Berger already has one win this season at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, where he went back-to-back, and at fourth in Presidents Cup points he has locked up a spot on the U.S. team. Howell nearly won the recent Quicken Loans National, falling to Kyle Stanley in a sudden-death playoff, despite the fact that he was coming off a nine-week break due to a rib injury.   Tee time: 9 a.m. off 10 tee FRIDAY Ryan Moore (61), Kyle Stanley (14), William McGirt (77): Five-time TOUR winner Moore is the Deere’s defending champion, and is coming off a banner season in which he nearly won the TOUR Championship and finished a career-high seventh in the FedExCup. Moore will try to continue a streak of 23 consecutive sub-par rounds at TPC Deere Run. Stanley’s last start saw him notch his first victory in five years, an emotional win at the Quicken Loans National in the nation’s capital two weeks ago. And McGirt is coming back to the Deere after a one-year hiatus; he shot four straight 69s and finished T41 in 2015.     Tee time: 8:50 a.m. off 10 tee Steve Stricker (121), Bubba Watson (118), Kevin Kisner (8): This group features three-time Deere winner Stricker (2009-2011) along with Watson, who is going for his 10th TOUR victory, and Kisner, who collected his second win at the recent DEAN & DELUCA Invitational in Texas. Stricker, 50, who finished T16 at the U.S. Open, is still competitive on TOUR amid his preparations to captain the U.S. Presidents Cup team at Liberty National in September. Watson, who finished T6 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, is making his first start at the Deere since 2010 (MC). His best finish there is a T17 in 2006. And Kisner has already amassed six top-10s this season, including a win at the DEAN & DELUCA and a playoff runner-up at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. At fifth in Presidents Cup points, Kisner, like Berger, has locked up a spot on the U.S. team that will take on the Internationals at Liberty National in September. Tee time: 9 a.m. off 10 tee

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – PGA TOUR professional and First Tee alumnus Austin Smotherman has been named an official ambassador of First Tee. A Loomis, California native, Smotherman participated in the Greater Sacramento chapter from age 7-18 and developed his golf game and character during his time in the program. As an ambassador, Smotherman will showcase his involvement with the youth development organization and the impact it has on his life to help inspire the next generation. Smotherman is debuting the First Tee logo on his bag this week during the Barracuda Championship in support of the program and its mission to empower kids and teens to build their strength of character through golf. As an ambassador, he will also give his time to meet with participants, donors, and chapter leadership to inspire more support of its mission and participation of the program. “I’m honored to take on this role as First Tee Ambassador,” said Smotherman. “Looking back at my time as a participant, I really value the balance of developing my character while I was also developing my golf swing. Those experiences and the skills I acquired helped shape who I am as a person and now as a professional athlete. They still guide me today as I navigate the ups and downs of this game that I love.” “On behalf of the PGA TOUR, congratulations to Austin Smotherman on today’s announcement regarding his new role as official ambassador of First Tee,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Competing on the PGA TOUR requires hard work and perseverance and his story and the character strengths he developed during his time in First Tee will help inspire many kids and teens as they explore the many opportunities golf can provide. Austin paying it forward is another example of what makes the PGA TOUR – and our members – so special.” During his time in First Tee, Smotherman progressed through the program, transitioning from a participant to a junior coach and mentor to the younger kids. In 2009 and 2010 he played in the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee and in 2011 he earned First Tee – Greater Sacramento’s Core Value Award. In 2016, he graduated from Southern Methodist University where he played on the men’s golf team. After competing for two seasons on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica (2017 –2018) he transitioned to the Korn Ferry Tour (2019-2021) until he earned his PGA TOUR card in August 2021. Smotherman is the third First Tee alum, following Scott Langley (retired) and Cameron Champ, to achieve this milestone. “We are proud to welcome Austin as our First Tee ambassador,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “This is a special moment as we celebrate our 25th anniversary and the lasting impact we are having on youth and alumni across the country as they pursue their careers and passions, both on and off the golf course. His commitment to giving back and dedication to living out his values is an inspiration and will impact many lives.” Launching in 1997, First Tee is celebrating 25 years of enabling kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee creates active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do. These character education programs are offered at golf courses, schools and youth centers in all 50 states and at six international locations.

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