Reed Masters win no surprise, nor McIlroy’s putting meltdown

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Webb Simpson has equaled the 54-hole scoring record at TPC Sawgrass as he continues to surge towards victory at THE PLAYERS Championship. Simpson fired a 4-under 68 on Saturday in the third round to move to 19-under 197 for the tournament, an astonishing seven shots clear of New Zealand’s Danny Lee (70). The former U.S. Open champion tied Greg Norman’s 54-hole scoring record from 1994 and is now ready to become the 24th player to have both a major championship and a win at THE PLAYERS on their resume. Simpson carded four birdies and a chip-in eagle on Saturday to go with just two bogeys. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson (69) sits third at 10 under par while there is a five-way tie for fourth at 9-under. Jason Dufner (66), Jimmy Walker (70), PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Xander Schauffele (71), 2016 PLAYERS Champion Jason Day (71) and Charl Schwartzel (73) will need to go deep Sunday to have even a slim chance. Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth shot blistering early 7-under 65s to move into the top-10 but find themselves 11 shots off the lead. No player has ever lost a seven shot 54-hole lead in PGA TOUR history.

Click here to read the full article…

LA QUINTA, Calif. – USC freshman Charlie Reiter missed the Desert Classic’s cut by a shot, but he made some history before departing from his hometown event. Reiter shot 63 to set the tournament course record at PGA West’s Stadium Course. It’s also believed to be the second-lowest round by an amateur in TOUR history. Only Patrick Cantlay’s 60 in the 2011 Travelers Championship was lower. Reiter played his first 36 holes this week in 1 over par but made eight birdies and an eagle Saturday (as well as one bogey). He hit a 227-yard 5-iron to 12 feet to make 3 on the Stadium Course’s par-5 fifth hole. “I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could,� Reiter said. “Every time I made a birdie, I was just trying to make one more and get closer and closer to the cut.� He finished at 8-under 208 (75-70-63). This is the second consecutive year that Reiter, an alum of nearby Palm Desert High, has played the Desert Classic. A 77 on the Stadium Course last year ended his chances of making the 54-hole cut. He started the third round in 67th place. He shot 215 (68-70-77) last year. Reiter, 19, led the field in driving distance this week, averaging 319 yards per tee shot. He is 69th in Golfweek’s individual college rankings. He has already made the cut in one pro event, finishing T65 at the 2017 Australian Open. He earned a spot in that event by winning a junior tournament supported by PGA TOUR player Aaron Baddeley.

Click here to read the full article…

Round 4 of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard takes place from Bay Hill on Sunday. Billy Horschel and Talor Gooch share the lead with Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler, Gary Woodland, Rory McIlroy and more in the hunt on a packed leaderboard. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action, including Featured Groups for PGA TOUR LIVE and newly expanded and extended coverage on ESPN+. Click here for more details. Leaderboard Full tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12–6 p.m. ET. Saturday, 1–6 p.m. Sunday, 1-6:30 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 FEATURED GROUPS Marquee Groups Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood Featured Groups Marc Leishman, Alex Smalley Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Jones Jon Rahm, Aaron Wise Will Zalatoris, Sungjae Im MUST READS Talor Gooch, Billy Horschel overcome demanding day to share lead at Bay Hill Rahm has new putter in the bag Arnold Palmer Invitational would be fitting venue for Will Zalatoris’ first victory Why Adam Scott didn’t have a driver Thursday at Bay Hill The equipment changes that have helped Will Zalatoris in 2022 Jason Day’s mom passes away from cancer Five Things to Know: Bay Hill

Click here to read the full article…