PGA golfer arrested in Florida prostitution sting

TORONTO — Tony Finau birdied the final hole Saturday for an 8-under 62 and a share of the RBC Canadian Open lead with defending champion Rory McIlroy. “I didn’t finish the way I wanted to yesterday and I think all it did was kind of light a fire in my belly to get after it today,” Finau said. “That’s pretty much what I did. I made some birdies and I just played really clean golf. ” McIlroy had a 65 to match Finau at 11-under 199 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. “I’m just happy to give myself a chance, be in the final group,” McIlroy said. “Once I saw, I think Tony had got to 10 or maybe 11, I think I was on like 8 or 9 at the time. I just said to myself, `Let’s just try to get yourself in the final group.’” McIlroy had to wait three years to defend his 2019 title because of the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled golf’s fourth-oldest championship the last two years. “I need to set myself a number and be super aggressive,” McIlroy said. “I know I’m going to have to make some birdies out there to win this thing tomorrow.” Finau had the best round of the week, eagling the par-5 ninth in a front-nine 29 and making four birdies and a bogey on the final nine. He won the FedExCup Playoffs opener last season at Liberty National for his second PGA TOUR victory. “I knew I was playing well, but at any given moment on this golf course you can make a number,” Finau said. “So, there’s no reason to get ahead of myself. I just tried to stay in the moment as much as I could and put together a nice round all the way to the end.” PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas (63), Colonial winner Sam Burns (65), Wyndham Clark (68) and Alex Smalley (67) were 9 under. Thomas eagled the par-5 15th. “It was very — it was easy,” Thomas said. “I mean I just, I played really solid. I didn’t do anything great. I just didn’t do anything bad. … I took advantage of some of the opportunities when I had them there in kind of the middle of the course and just stayed patient and waited for my run.” Clark led after each of the first two rounds. “I got off to a little bit of a slow start.” Clark said. “I was nervous, a lot of people out here, hadn’t been in contention in a little while. But then I calmed down and I really felt good about my game.” Nick Taylor was the top Canadian at 5 under after a 67.

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The PGA TOUR is putting service excellence at volunteers’ fingertips – literally.  Underscoring its Fan First initiative, the TOUR recently unveiled an array of new fan-focused, personalized digital options on the PGA TOUR mobile app for Apple and Android users that will significantly enhance volunteers’ ability to help tournaments deliver the ultimate on-site fan experience. With just a few swipes, volunteers can use the app – available to be downloaded free of charge in the App Store and through Google Play – to help fans locate their favorite players on the course; navigate each hole using satellite imagery; obtain real-time scoring and highlight video; find restrooms, concessions, dining options and hospitality venues; access an interactive pairings sheet; and even purchase tickets.  The user-friendly platform operates like a centralized digital toolkit, leveraging GPS locator technology and state-of-the-art customization tools to create a highly interactive, personalized resource for volunteers and tournament fans alike.   “The PGA TOUR app is designed to reimagine the way spectators experience tournaments on-site, while providing volunteers with the tools to quickly and efficiently deliver world-class service to our fans,� said Ali Quinn, Senior Product Manager, PGA TOUR Digital.  “With countless activities occurring simultaneously and a multitude of information for volunteers to absorb, the mobile app is sure to become an essential asset in volunteers’ service arsenal.� In addition to using the PGA TOUR mobile app themselves to address many of the questions that fans experience at tournaments, volunteers will play an important role in serving as ambassadors for the newly-enhanced platform.  By recommending that fans download the app and create a profile to personalize the digital experience, volunteers can help fans more fully enjoy the breadth of opportunities available to them at TOUR events.  Online profiles enable users to receive updates, take advantage of special offers, and follow leader boards at tournaments throughout the year.  In addition, fans at home will find the app invaluable for quickly accessing player stats and other information to enhance the broadcast viewing experience. To download the PGA TOUR app, users may visit the App Store, search “PGA TOUR,� click on the blue PGA TOUR logo, and hit “download.� Once the app is downloaded, fans can search for desired information or use the bottom tab bar to navigate through the various menu options. For more information about the PGA TOUR mobile app, visit www.pgatour.com.

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News flash: Brooks Koepka wins non-majors, too. Any golfer would love to strut around with the label of a guy who rises up only for majors – he’s won four of them, so it’s not like it’s entirely inaccurate – but his body of work includes victories in three other tournaments on the PGA TOUR. Last year’s edition of THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES is among the competitions that he’s conquered. The Club at Nine Bridges on Jeju Island 60 miles south of mainland South Korea hosts for the third consecutive year. Scroll past the projected contenders for how the course has played, how those in the field should plan to attack it and more. POWER RANKINGS: THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Joaquin Niemann will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES launches the latest iteration of the Asian Swing. It spans three weeks. The inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan is on deck and the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China is in the hole. All three tournaments are 78-man invitationals with no cut. This week’s contest incorporates both South Korean professionals via the Official World Golf Ranking and members of the KPGA. Two spots also are reserved for Asian Tour members. The majority of the field consists of PGA TOUR members in order of the 2018-19 FedExCup standings. Nine Bridges is a stock par 72 extending to 7,241 yards this year. That’s not long by today’s standards, but it’s 45 yards longer than last year’s tournament. The par-4 sixth, 15th and 16th holes are an aggregate 89 yards longer, the first two of which courtesy of new tees. Meanwhile, the par-5 12th is down 44 yards. At 554 yards, it’s the second-shortest of the four par 5s. Similar to how Golf Club of Houston’s par 5s stand tall against other sets on the PGA TOUR, the par 5s at Nine Bridges have proven to be challenging, averaging 4.88 and 4.70 in the first two editions, respectively. Koepka ranked T4 in par-5 scoring en route his title, but he paced the field in par-4 scoring. The bentgrass greens are large, so hitting them in regulation is priority one. Last year’s field averaged 13.5 per round. But at just 10 feet on the Stimpmeter, they’re slow for TOUR members. The size and speed help ease the course when gusty winds brush over the island, which is often. However, breezes are forecast to be light to moderate throughout the tournament. And with 4-5 feet of rain in recent weeks soaking the property, scoring likely to go lower than last year’s 70.946. Rain might fall on Friday, but they’ll be caught up by Saturday even with an extended delay given the latitude and limited field. Daytime highs will flirt with 70 degrees. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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