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MELBOURNE, Australia – Patrick Reed says he has moved on. His U.S. captain and teammates have moved on. So have their foes this week at the Presidents Cup. As for the partisan International Team fans hoping to contribute to an upset at Royal Melbourne … well, that remains to be seen. “I’m sure somebody’s going to say something out there,â€� U.S. playing captain Tiger Woods said Tuesday. The hot topic, of course, stems from Reed’s two-stroke penalty for improving his lie in the waste area at last week’s Hero World Challenge. The resulting fallout from his explanation, as well as the reaction from some of his peers – including a few International players who weren’t in the mood to offer much sympathy – fanned the flames. PRESIDENTS CUP: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | Data-driven Els | What will Tiger be like as captain? | Inside Internationals’ win in 1998 | Quiz: Who should you root for? Meanwhile, the local media, perhaps trying to incite the home crowd, has labeled him a “villainâ€� and “public enemy No. 1.â€� Unfairly or not, Reed had to defend his honor this week while pleading innocent to some serious golf accusations. He and Woods spoke about the incident, and there was also clear-the-air talk among his teammates. Reed assured them that his mistake was unintentional. During Tuesday’s practice, Justin Thomas even poked fun at Reed by imitating him while addressing a bunker shot. “It’s all in good fun,â€� Thomas explained. “We needle each other all the time but it’s never anything personal.â€� Will the Royal Melbourne fans be as forgiving? Tough to say. Cameron Smith, one of the Australian players who made strong comments toward Reed, is encouraging the crowd to “absolutely give it to not only him but everyoneâ€� on the U.S. team. American Patrick Cantlay, who has partnered with Reed at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event and shared the same practice group on Tuesday, said the International Team is “doing their best to maybe get their fans going and get their fans to heckle him a little bit.â€� A few fans already made their feelings known Tuesday in getting their first look at Reed, but he was nonplussed. He called their reaction “great.â€� “Any time coming to an event like this, especially coming overseas, you expect to have the crowds against you, not on your side. That’s the name of the game,â€� Reed said “So to get the banter back and forth, especially this week, first to Australia. It’s been nothing but amazing.â€� If Australian fans do decide to razz Reed, it could very well backfire against the home team. Reed, of course, has a unique habit of shrugging off hostile reaction, especially in a team event when emotions run so high. He showed that in 2014 in his first appearance on a U.S. national team at the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles, Scotland, when he played to the crowd while posting an 3-0-1 record in a losing effort. His ability to produce in these moments and successfully wear his passion on his sleeve helped create his Captain America mystique. Would anybody really be surprised if Reed channels all this into some type of positive energy to deliver multiple points and justify Tiger Woods’ decision to make him a captain’s pick? Thomas said there are a “group of guys in the world that can play really well pissed off – and he’s one of them … I’m glad to have him on my team because if he has a 15-footer to win a match, I’m glad that he’s on my side.â€� For his part, Reed refuses to be surprised by any potential reaction from the Melbourne crowd. Knowing what to expect, after all, helps mitigate any over-the-top receptions. “Of course they are going to speak out, because they want to get their crowds going and get on their side. That’s the name of the game,â€� Reed said. “At the end of the day, all I can do is control what I can do and how I play.â€� For now, Reed won’t be able to control the pre-tournament buzz that surrounds him. Most players – on both sides – were asked questions about Reed on Tuesday. Discussion looms on how much Reed will play before Sunday’s Singles, and whom might be his partners. Plus, how much Reed wants to partake in that conversation is up to his discretion. “This week might be difficult for Patrick Reed and it could be difficult for his partners,â€� Golf Channel analyst Jim Gallagher Jr. said. “That is the hard part. The captains are trying to deflect it and go forward, but I don’t know if it will keep deflecting because this is growing into a life of its own.â€� Some American players simply hope the controversy blows over. International Captain Ernie Els said he’s not making a huge deal about it. “It’s got nothing to do with us,â€� he said. “It’s basically on what’s happened, and I think Tiger’s dealing with it and Patrick’s dealing with that. We’re getting ready to play the Presidents Cup. You know, we think everything’s basically said. There’s nothing more to be said. Reed, meanwhile, said he doesn’t really care what fans say about him. Certainly he hopes it doesn’t cross that fine line separating passion from incivility. “I think the great thing about it is how everyone whenever we’re out there, whether you’re at home and they are giving it to the International Team or whether you’re away and you’re on foreign soil, is even though there’s friendly banter back and forth, they never cross that line,â€� Reed said. “You always stay on the respect side and I think that’s the biggest thing.â€� His captain isn’t worried. Woods played with Reed in last year’s Ryder Cup on foreign soil in Paris. While they lost both their matches against the powerful partnership of Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood, Woods saw first-hand how Reed handles such situations. “I think Pat will be fine. Pat is a great kid,â€� Woods said. “He’s handled a tough upbringing well, and I just think that he’s one of our best team players and is one of the reasons why all of the guys wanted him on the team.â€� Reed just wants to play golf, and he doesn’t mind being in the “underdogâ€� role. In fact, he thrives in it. “If you’re the away team, I just think you have more to prove because if you’re not playing that great, the fans are giving it to you,â€� he said. “… you just have your teammates and yourself out there to pick you up, so just kind of shows you how strong you really can be.â€� Reed has another chance this week to show his strength. Of all the storylines going into the Presidents Cup, his is among the most intriguing. By Sunday, another chapter will be written. Time will tell if it’s the last one.

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Cameron Champ returns to defend his title at the 3M Open as the PGA TOUR’s 2021-22 season inches closer to an exciting conclusion. FIELD NOTES: John Deere Classic winner J.T. Poston hopes to extend his recent run of good play… Hideki Matsuyama is one of six major champions teeing it up… Michael Thompson looks for more magic after winning the 2020 3M… Newly minted pro Chris Gotterup is making his seventh TOUR start this season. He finished T4 at the John Deere… Brandon Matthews is also amongst the sponsor exemptions. The long-bombing Matthews is fourth on the Korn Ferry Tour’s regular season points list… Cole Hammer, Thaya Lim, Dylan Menante and tennis star Mardy Fish also received exemptions… Rookie of the Year candidates Davis Riley and Sahith Theegala are looking for their breakthrough victories. Riley sits 23rd in the FedExCup standings while Theegala is 38th… Other notables in the field include Tony Finau, Sungjae Im, and PLAYERS Championship winners Jason Day and Rickie Fowler. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: TPC Twin Cities, par 71, 7,431 yards. Minnesota native and former world No.1 Tom Lehman was the player consultant for the layout, located about 15 miles north of Minneapolis/St. Paul. It utilizes natural, rolling terrain on the site of a former sod farm – and features lots of water. One of the signature holes, the risk/reward par-4 7th, is named ‘Tom’s Thumb’ after Lehman. Arnold Palmer and his design company were the architects of the club, which opened in 2000. STORYLINES: Just three events remain in the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Regular Season; FedExCup points are at a premium. Martin Laird and Max McGreevy, No’s 126 and 127, respectively, are in the 3M field. Robert Streb, Fowler, and Stewart Cink (No’s 123-125, respectively) are also teeing it up… Mardy Fish, who is from Edina (a suburb of Minneapolis), won 20 times in his tennis career, reached No. 7 in the world, and earned a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics. He retired in 2015 but has become a prolific golfer. He won the LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions three times and the American Century Championship in 2020 – shooting 63 to break Lee Trevino’s course record. Fish becomes the latest athlete to accept an exemption into a PGA TOUR event, including former NFL quarterback Tony Romo and former MLB pitcher Mark Mulder. Stephen Curry, a two-time NBA MVP, played on the Korn Ferry Tour twice. 72-HOLE RECORD: 263, Matthew Wolff (2019) 18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Scott Piercy (first round, 2019), Bryson DeChambeau (second round, 2019), Matthew Wolff (third round, 2019), Lucas Glover (fourth round, 2019) LAST TIME: Cameron Champ won for the third time on the PGA TOUR after a final-round 5-under 66. Champ’s bogey-free Sunday effort featured birdies on three of his first eight holes. He added two more on the back nine and held off Louis Oosthuizen, Jhonattan Vegas, and Charl Schwartzel, who all tied for second at 13 under. Champ gutted out the victory after suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion. He hadn’t notched a top-10 result on TOUR since a T8 the previous October at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. Keith Mitchell finished fifth, while 54-hole leader Cameron Tringale shot a 3-over 74 on Sunday to drop into a tie for 16th. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. ET. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course • Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups • Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes

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SAN DIEGO — Top-ranked Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas made the birdies they needed to keep pace on the easier North Course at Torrey Pines on Thursday and shared the lead with hard-charging Adam Schenk after two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas tied for lead at Farmers Insurance Open Schenk made eight straight birdies to shoot a career-low, 10-under 62, also on the North Course, and joined Rahm (65) and Thomas (63) at 13-under 131. The 30-year-old Schenk, who grew up on an Indiana sod farm, started his impressive run of birdies on the fourth hole and ended it on No. 11. He also birdied Nos. 16 and 17 in his bogey-free round. All three leaders opened Wednesday on the South Course, where Rahm won the U.S. Open last year for his first major. Rahm also got his first PGA TOUR victory in 2017 at Torrey Pines, a municipal facility on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The final two rounds will be played on the South Course. Schenk recorded the longest consecutive birdies streak at this tournament since 2003. “I lost track of how many I made in a row, but there was a lot of low scores on the North Course yesterday and I knew there was a lot of gettable holes and I needed to keep going if I wanted to get up on top of the leaderboard and hopefully stay there throughout the weekend,” Schenk said. “So I know I had to try to keep the pedal down and not get satisfied with how many birdies I made.” Schenk struggled to hit fairways, but his approaches were good enough to give himself reasonable birdie chances. “Just a lot of long putts,” he said. “It’s not like I was hitting it to 10 feet every time making the putts. I had a lot of lengthy ones.” Schenk said he made eight birdies in a row in an age-group championship in his early teens. “So I had done it before, obviously not on the PGA TOUR, on this stage. I just lost track and knew I had some par 5s coming up and wanted to take advantage of them. Luckily I hit some good shots on 9 and then 10 I made a long putt.” The Farmers Insurance Open is being played Wednesday through Saturday. Rahm closed his opening round Wednesday with an eagle for the best score of the day on the South Course. The Spaniard birdied five of his first eight holes on the North on Thursday before making his only bogey. “I mean, it wasn’t bad yesterday, it certainly wasn’t bad today,” Rahm said. “I managed really well today and it feels good because if you tell me before the round I’m going to hit four fairways and shoot 7-under, I’d tell you that something out there must have been really good, which today was. For how little fairways I hit, I was able to hit a lot of those greens from the rough, which is not the easiest thing to do.” Thomas, playing the Farmers Insurance Open for the first time since 2015, had nine birdies in his bogey-free round. “I played well, I drove it well, something you’ve got to do out here on the North Course,” Thomas said. “I mean, both courses, but if you drive it well, you’ve got a lot of wedges, a lot of short holes, four par-5s. Made some nice putts when I needed to, just kind of some of those short mid-rangers and it was a solid day.” Cameron Tringale shot a 65 on the North and was one shot behind the leaders. Peter Malnati was two back after a 66 on the North. Billy Horschel, who opened with a 63 on the North, struggled through a 1-over 73 on the South and dropped five shots off the lead. He made a double-bogey 6 on No. 14. The featured afternoon threesome of Jordan Spieth (78), Rickie Fowler (76) and Bryson DeChambeau (72) all missed the cut, with the big-hitting DeChambeau grabbing his wrist in apparent pain on several occasions.

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