Preview: Tiger Woods at The Open Championship

Click here to read the full article…

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – A new putter and a new driver seemed to breathe new life into Shane Lowry’s game on Thursday at the RBC Heritage. The Irishman admittedly had started the year off on a strong note with a win in Abu Dhabi in the season-opener on the European Tour. But he simply hadn’t been able to build on that momentum – on either side of the Atlantic — in the weeks following his third career win. In fact, Lowry hadn’t broken 70 in four stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR since he missed the cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am back in February. He was a combined 24 over par in those tournaments and had only made the weekend once. On a blustery morning at Harbour Town Golf Links, though, Lowry was back in control — firing a bogey-free 66 that earned him a one-stroke advantage. “Pretty much my whole game felt good,â€� Lowry said. “… I haven’t had that feeling in a while. So, it’s kind of nice.â€� He only needed to use that putter he put in his bag this week 27 times in the first round. Lowry took advantage of all three par-5s, too, getting up and down at each with birdie putts in the 3-foot range. His other birdie putts ranged from 8 to 19 feet. “It was something I’ve been struggling with — my par-5 scoring hasn’t been very good,â€� Lowry said. “I just played them nicely today. I struggled off the tee quite a bit this year, and I managed to find a new driver that I like. I hit that pretty good. And when you do that on par-5s it always gives yourself a chance.â€� Related: Featured Groups, tee times | Insider: Big week for small ball | Kisner keeps perspective as lifelong friend battles tumor Finding the right driver has been a work in progress for Lowry, who even in that early victory struggled off the tee – hitting just four fairways as he shot a course-record 62 in the first round in Abu Dhabi. Lowry estimated he tried 30 different drivers this year before settling on the Srixon one he first used at the Masters and liked so much that it earned another spot in his bag this week. “We’ve done a lot of work and I managed to find one I like and feel like I can trust it there,â€� Lowry said. “So, hopefully it keeps going. Today was the first day that I hit the ball well off the tee. So even it felt okay last week in Augusta, but today was the first real day.â€� Lowry hit 13 of 14 fairways in the first round and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, scrambling successfully for par on the ones he missed. Not surprisingly, then, he ranked in the top three in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, Tee-to-Green and Around-the-Green. “I’m happy with my golf,â€� Lowry said. “My scores haven’t been great as of late. But I felt like I’ve been playing okay. So maybe this is a reward for the perseverance.â€� Lowry has only played the RBC Heritage once previously, finishing tied for 44th in 2017. But he had some success that week – opening with a 66 before giving all that back with a 75 in the second round and eventually finishing 2 under for the week. “It’s just difficult,â€� Lowry said of the Pete Dye creation. “And if you’re 7- or 8-under going into Sunday, you’re going to have a chance to win the tournament, I think. And that’s kind of the way this course plays. You just need to be as patient as you can. “A couple of years ago I got off to a good start and I maybe tried to force it a little bit. So just try to stay patient the next few days. I enjoyed today. It’s nice to shoot a good score. And it’s my first good score in a few weeks. So just enjoy that and just get out there tomorrow and get after it.â€� Friday figures to be a challenge for everyone but particularly those with afternoon tee times when winds of 20-30 mph, gusting to 40, are expected and severe thunderstorms are possible. “You know the forecast is not going to be great,â€� Lowry said. “Yeah, I’ve seen it and knew this was my chance to go out and shoot a good number.â€� Mission accomplished.

Click here to read the full article…

Reigning champion Patton Kizzire and World No. 9 Rickie Fowler headline a list of early participant confirmations for this year’s Mayakoba Golf Classic as tournament officials unveiled a series of player commitments today. Other players confirmed include a trio of Mexican members of the PGA TOUR, other leading Latin American players, a previous FedExCup champion, several past Mayakoba winners and current U.S. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk. “I am always excited to come to Mayakoba, doing so this year as the defending champion makes it extra special,� Kizzire said. “No matter how many PGA TOUR events I win in my career, Mayakoba and the Riviera Maya area will always hold a special place in my career. I feel fortunate to have such a memorable accomplishment in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I’m going to try my best to add some more great memories this year.� Kizzire claimed the title by one stroke over Fowler in an exciting final-round duel last November before going on to win again two months later in Hawaii. Kizzire’s two victories played a major role in helping him to advance to his first TOUR Championship which will be contested next week. Fowler is one of golf’s most recognizable and popular stars and counts four PGA TOUR titles among his total of eight worldwide victories. In the month following last year’s runner-up finish at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, he roared to the title at the Hero World Challenge. Following an 8th place finish at last week’s BMW Championship, his sixth top ten of the season, Fowler is presently 23rd on the FedExCup standings before the season-ending event in Atlanta next week. “I was excited to attend my first tournament at Mayakoba last year because of all the great things I had heard from other guys, wives, girlfriends. And, they were all right. We had a really nice time there. Obviously, I had a good week, didn’t quite get the win. So, I am excited to go back down there and try to get into contention again.� Fowler said. Jim Furyk has also announced his intention to compete at Mayakoba in November. The veteran has won 17 times on the PGA TOUR during his career, including the 2003 U.S. Open, and is the only player in PGA TOUR history to shoot 59 or better on two occasions with a record-setting 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship and a 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship. In 2018, a record number of three players will represent Mexico on the PGA TOUR all season long—including here at Mayakoba in November. Abraham Ancer of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, concluded his 2017-2018 season in 60th place on the FedExCup standings after earning a total of $1,676,695 in his second season as a PGA TOUR member. Additionally, Carlos Ortiz and Jose de Jesus Rodriguez earned TOUR membership via the Web.com Tour. Rodriguez, from Irapuato, Guanajuato, will be a PGA TOUR rookie, while 2018-2019 will mark the third season in which Guadalajara’s Ortiz competes as a TOUR member. Additionally, the Mayakoba Golf Classic will once again feature the top players from Latin America as Emiliano Grillo, Jhonattan Vegas and Joaquin Niemann will tee it up in the Riviera Maya this year. Grillo, from Argentina, is ranked no. 59 in the Official World Golf Ranking, while Venezuela’s Vegas is no. 83. Grillo’s best finish at Mayakoba came last year when he tied for ninth place, while Vegas has competed in each of the last seven editions of the event with a best finish of T10 coming in 2016. Niemann will be embarking on his first full season as a professional and as a member of the PGA TOUR. The Chilean was the top ranked amateur in the world upon concluding his amateur career, which was highlighted by a victory at the 2018 Latin America Amateur Championship. In his first 12 PGA TOUR starts as a professional, Niemann notched four top-10 finishes including a sixth-place showing in his pro debut at the Valero Texas Open. Also confirmed for this year’s event are 2014 FedExCup champion Billy Horschel and 2013 PGA Champion Jason Dufner as well as five other past Mayakoba Golf Classic champions including Pat Perez (2016), Charley Hoffman (2014), Harris English (2013), John Huh (2012) and Brian Gay (2008). These champions have a combined 13 career victories on the PGA TOUR. “It speaks volumes about Mayakoba and our tournament that we are able to make such a wonderful field announcement with these great player commitments and are still two months to go until tournament week,� said Tournament Director Joe Mazzeo. “With another strong field shaping up, we are certain to have an event full of excitement and action. Surely, we’ll be adding to this great field with other big names and we look forward to announcing more great players in the coming weeks.� The Mayakoba Golf Classic will once again award three special exemptions for Mexican professionals, assuring tremendous representation of Mexico at this year’s event, as is tradition.  

Click here to read the full article…