Photo Gallery: THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, Round 1

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GUYANCOURT, France – The U.S. team room at the Renaissance hotel near the Atlanta airport was buzzing Sunday night while anticipating the arrival of its latest winner. Finally, the moment came. “A giant roar when Steve Stricker walked in the room after his victory last night,â€� captain Jim Furyk said Monday, doing his best to suppress a smile. No offense to Stricker, whose wire-to-wire win at the inaugural Sanford International was his third in just seven starts on the current PGA TOUR Champions season. A most impressive performance, to be sure, but even vice-captain Stricker would admit the biggest buzz for the Americans on Sunday was generated by Tiger Woods, who ended his five-year drought on the PGA TOUR by claiming the TOUR Championship. Several of the U.S. players had stayed at East Lake late Sunday to congratulate Woods. Then they gathered at the hotel for a team dinner before jumping on a plane that landed in France at approximately 12:45 p.m. locally Monday afternoon. Their goal now is to end a drought that’s five times longer than Tiger’s – winning the Ryder Cup on foreign soil. It’s been 25 years since the U.S. has defeated Europe on the road, but Furyk couldn’t have asked for a better momentum boost than Woods winning after being uncertain about his golfing future just a year ago. To have Stricker also bring another trophy to the team room was a big bonus. “Nice to have those two guys play so well, and you know, start us off pretty well this week,â€� Furyk said Monday from Le Golf National, site of this week’s event. Of course, now the question becomes: Just how much of an impact will it make on this week’s outcome? European Captain Thomas Bjorn, hoping to avoid any potential bulletin board material, did not want to be dismissive of Tiger’s accomplishment, but he also sought to emphasize that this is a different week, with a completely different set of factors. “I spent 25 years playing professional golf with Tiger Woods on the scene, and anytime he does anything great, that’s a story and that’s where we want to see him,â€� said Bjorn, who can count on having FedExCup champion Justin Rose on his side. “We want to see him at the top of the game. He does so much for the game of golf. Watching that last night, I thought it was brilliant to watch. It was great for the greater aspect of the game. “Coming into this week, these are 24 of the best players in the world and this tournament is what it is. … It has its history and it’s a great battle and it is 12 against 12, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.â€� Furyk agreed that individual success one week can only go so far at a team event the following week. He said Tiger – initially a vice-captain until Furyk made him a captain’s pick earlier this month — has already switched gears mentally. “He won yesterday as an individual, and I know how much that means to him and how important it was,â€� Furyk said, “but he’s flipped that page pretty quickly and is really excited to join his teammates and move forward in that process.â€� Of course, the excitement and adrenaline and rush of success can also be mentally exhausting to handle. Rose and Woods are each coming off highs Sunday night in East Lake, and now must turn around and refocus quickly. Meanwhile, four other Americans will try to shake off disappointment at the TOUR Championship – Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson were the bottom four names on the leaderboard after the final round. Furyk, however, is not worried about that foursome, which has combined to win 65 TOUR events, including 11 majors. “Of course, I think everyone would like to be in good form and feel good about their game,â€� he said, “but it’s a different golf course, different venue, totally different type of golf tournament coming into a match-play event, a team-oriented event and obviously with the big galleries. Just totally different atmosphere this week.â€� There’s also a matter of scheduling. With two sessions each day on Friday and Saturday, players will need to be well-rested for potentially having to play 36 holes in those first two days, followed by the intense Sunday Singles. Of the 12 Americans, 11 played last week at East Lake, with only Jordan Spieth sitting out after failing to qualify. Of the 12 Europeans, six played at East Lake and two more played the Portugal Masters on the European Tour. Four Europeans rested last week, and two of those – Ian Poulter and Alex Noren – were on the range early Monday afternoon. Plus, the U.S. team will need to get acquainted with Le Golf National; only half of the 12 players have ever seen it, compared to the European team, in which every member has played the course in a competitive environment. Le Golf National hosts the annual French Open on the European Tour. “The trick for us, not knowing the golf course quite as well, is getting that preparation in and learning the golf course,â€� Furyk said, “yet also trying to conserve some energy.â€� While the U.S. hope for a Tiger bounce to offset those concerns, the Europeans could also get a bounce if they can beat a surging Woods this week in the early sessions. Asked if Woods was to be feared this week, Bjorn responded: “We don’t fear anyone because we’ve played against them so many times before individually, but we respect our opponents and know what we’re up against. “That, I think, is the key to all this. We’ll go out and do what we can and play our game. What stands on the other side we know is one of the strongest American teams of all time, and we know we’ve got to play our best.â€� Tiger’s at his best – his best, at least, in the last five years. At some point this week, the Europeans will have to respond.

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RIDGELAND, S.C. — Rory McIlroy made two eagles that made the rest of his day feel better Saturday at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina. His 4-under 67 was enough for a one-shot lead and a clear road to return to No. 1 in the world. McIlroy, the reigning FedExCup champion, hit a 6-iron that took the slope and rolled out to 2 feet for eagle on the par-5 fourth. He smashed a 376-yard drive and made his second eagle with a 30-foot putt from the tightly mown grass off the green on the par-5 12th. The rest of the round was even par, a mix of good birdies and sloppy bogeys, and it added to a one-shot lead over Jon Rahm, Kurt Kitayama and K.H. Lee. “You take away those two holes and I was even par for the rest of the round. Felt like it was a little scrappy coming in, but did enough to hang in there and shoot a solid score,” McIlroy said. McIlroy was at 13-under 200, with hopes set on going back to No. 1 in the world for the ninth time in his career, and first time since the summer of 2020. Having been there, all he said he truly cared about was winning. Ditto for Rahm, who had to scrap his way through a series of bogeys for a 70. Rahm started the second round tied for the lead. He was five shots behind when McIlroy made his eagle on No. 12. But the big Spaniard was solid coming in at Congaree, picking off birdies with two good bunker shots and making a great escape for par on the 16th, where he purposely took free relief into the trees because of a tiny gap. “A lot of battle today. I’m proud of it,” Rahm said. “I’m standing on 12 tee … I thought things could get ugly. But I just stayed on my own game and tried to make some birdies coming in and put myself in position for tomorrow.” His only disappointment was not getting into the final group with McIlroy, a power group in the low country. Lee matched the low round of a day made challenging by some tees moved back and some pins in perilous positions. He also made amends on the 17th hole, the toughest at Congaree this week. Lee four-putted — the last three putts from 5 feet — for a double bogey Friday. This time he made one of only three birdies. “Much better than yesterday,” he said. Kitayama is the most curious of the contenders, a 29-year-old Californian who spent two years on the Korn Ferry Tour without much success, and then four years toiling across Asia and Europe, winning three times. He battled Rahm in the Mexico Open and finished one back. He finished one behind Xander Schauffele in the Genesis Scottish Open. Saturday was the first time he had a share of the lead going into the weekend on the PGA TOUR, and he held his own. He was tied for the lead until his 65-foot putt across the 17th green ran some 7 feet by the cup, and he missed the comebacker for par. Aaron Wise, much like Rahm, also had to piece together a game that didn’t feel like it was there. He had consecutive bogeys in the middle of the back nine, but scratched out pars coming in for a 71 and put him in the group three shots behind. Tom Kim had a 69 and was four shots back in his bid to win for the third time before turning 21. The 20-year-old has won two of his last five starts.

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