Officialsportsbetting.com Golf Betting Rory McIlroy authors vintage performance in opening 65 at PGA

Rory McIlroy authors vintage performance in opening 65 at PGA

TULSA, Okla. – Many consider Southern Hills’ 12th the best hole on the property. Its fairway turns left around a bunker before diving down to a green protected by the creek that runs throughout the course. The rolling topography and subtle, but scenic, hazard make No. 12 memorable. The PGA Championship’s headliners arrived there shortly before 9 a.m., while the weather was still cool and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. Tiger Woods was already under par after an opening birdie that sent the swelling gallery’s collective imagination preparing for a historic Sunday. Woods, leaning on the formula that netted him 15 major championships, hit iron off the 12th tee to ensure he was in the fairway. Rory McIlroy, whose eight years without a major are full of frustrating first rounds, wasn’t interested in the safe play. Though he acknowledged Tuesday that Woods’ conservative approach cuts down on the costly mistakes that have marred McIlroy’s major scorecards in recent years, he wasn’t intent on emulating it. Not this week, at least. The reimagined Southern Hills gives McIlroy room to wield his greatest weapon. And he did. Despite the creek that runs down the left side of No. 12, McIlroy sent his drive sailing over the bunker that guards the corner of the dogleg. The 354-yard tee shot left him just 86 yards to the green on the 461-yard hole. McIlroy’s wedge play often ignites angst, but he stuffed this one to 2 feet. Not exactly the way Perry Maxwell drew it up. But such is the modern game. “I was playing to my spots, and those guys obviously have a different game plan. It’s just different,” said Woods, who parred 12 after hitting his 195-yard approach to 20 feet. “The game is played differently now, and it’s very aggressive.” Few use that strategy better than McIlroy, who seems capable of winning tournaments with his driver alone. Only a handful of players can keep up with him when he’s driving it his best, which he did Thursday, looking like the player who won four majors from 2011-14, including a couple of eight-shot routes. McIlroy shot 65 on Thursday to take the lead after the PGA Championship’s morning wave, averaging 331.6 yards on all tee shots to lead the field in that metric at the midday mark. His two measured drives traveled 369 and 378 drives. And, to top it off, he missed just four fairways. Throw in his final-round 64 en route to a runner-up at Augusta National and McIlroy is now 13 under par in his last two major rounds. It’s just the fifth time that a player has shot lower than 130 in consecutive major rounds. Front-runners have a good history at Southern Hills, as well. The eventual winner in each of the seven previous majors at Southern Hills (four PGAs, three U.S. Opens) has held at least a share of the lead after 26 of the 28 rounds. Every major winner at Southern Hills has held at least a share of the lead after 36 and 54 holes. McIlroy’s birdie at 12 was part of four in a row as he opened with a 4-under 31 on Southern Hills’ back nine. He added two more birdies at Nos. 2 and 5 to put some history within reach, but bogeyed two of the next three holes. He capped the round by holing a 19-foot birdie putt on Southern Hills’ ninth hole. The 65 was McIlroy’s lowest opening round in a major since the 2011 U.S. Open, which was his first victory in a major. “I think when your game is feeling like that, it’s just a matter of going out there and really sticking to your game plan, executing as well as you possibly can, and just sort of staying in your own little world,” McIlroy said. “I did that really well today. It was nice to get off to that good start and sorta keep it going. “I feel like this course, it lets you be pretty aggressive off the tee if you want to be, so I hit quite a lot of drivers out there and took advantage of my length and finished that off with some nice iron play and some nice putting.” Southern Hills’ two par-5s each played more than 630 yards but McIlroy birdied both after reaching a greenside bunker in two shots. He was 4 under on the par-4s, as well. Both his bogeys came on the front nine’s pair of par-3s, but he also birdied the 221-yard 14th after hitting a 6-iron to 25 feet. When Woods won here 15 years ago, he tactically navigated his way around, leaning heavily on his 2-iron stinger to keep his ball out of the thick Bermudagrass rough. That was before Gil Hanse renovated the course to bring it back to its roots. Fairways were widened and trees were removed. The rough is a more manageable 2 inches this week, bringing the dreaded flyer into play while also giving players an opportunity to execute recovery shots. McIlroy’s play was the highlight of Thursday’s marquee group. Woods struggled to a 74 while Jordan Spieth, who’s trying to complete the career Grand Slam this week, shot 72. McIlroy said the wider fairways made the fans feel farther away but he was excited to perform in front of the day’s biggest crowd. “It’s always a cool group to be a part of,” he said. He put on a show Thursday.

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Major Specials 2025
Type: To Win A Major 2025 - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler+160
Bryson DeChambeau+350
Xander Schauffele+350
Ludvig Aberg+400
Collin Morikawa+450
Jon Rahm+450
Justin Thomas+550
Brooks Koepka+700
Viktor Hovland+700
Hideki Matsuyama+800
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PGA Championship 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+450
Scottie Scheffler+450
Bryson DeChambeau+800
Justin Thomas+1600
Collin Morikawa+2200
Jon Rahm+2200
Xander Schauffele+2200
Ludvig Aberg+2500
Joaquin Niemann+3000
Brooks Koepka+4000
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AdventHealth Championship
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Kensei Hirata+2000
Mitchell Meissner+2200
SH Kim+2200
Neal Shipley+2500
Seungtaek Lee+2800
Hank Lebioda+3000
Chandler Blanchet+3500
Pierceson Coody+3500
Rick Lamb+3500
Trey Winstead+3500
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Regions Tradition
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Stewart Cink+550
Steve Stricker+650
Ernie Els+700
Steven Alker+750
Miguel Angel Jimenez+1200
Bernhard Langer+1400
Jerry Kelly+1600
Alex Cejka+1800
Retief Goosen+2500
Richard Green+2500
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US Open 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+500
Scottie Scheffler+500
Bryson DeChambeau+1200
Xander Schauffele+1200
Jon Rahm+1400
Ludvig Aberg+1400
Collin Morikawa+1600
Brooks Koepka+1800
Justin Thomas+2000
Viktor Hovland+2000
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The Open 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+500
Scottie Scheffler+550
Xander Schauffele+1100
Ludvig Aberg+1400
Collin Morikawa+1600
Jon Rahm+1600
Bryson DeChambeau+2000
Shane Lowry+2500
Tommy Fleetwood+2500
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Ryder Cup 2025
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USA-150
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PGA Championship: Tee times, groupings for Rounds 1-2PGA Championship: Tee times, groupings for Rounds 1-2

NOTE: Full tee times, groupings at bottom The tee times are out for the year’s first major. There’s plenty of star power in the featured groups for Thursday’s first round at TPC Harding Park. This will be the first major held at San Francisco’s municipal gem, and while there will not be any spectators on site, it is setting up to be a memorable week for the first major in more than a year. Storylines are aplenty. Can Justin Thomas win a second PGA after last week’s win in the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational? Is Tiger Woods capable of a 16th major title and record-setting 83rd PGA TOUR victory? Can Jordan Spieth complete the career Grand Slam? Will Jon Rahm win after reaching No. 1 in the world? How will Bryson DeChambeau’s big-bombing style of play fare in a major? And can Webb Simpson win another major across Lake Merced from the site of his 2012 U.S. Open triumph? Not only is this the season’s first major, but with only two weeks remaining in the regular season, this is an important week before the start of the FedExCup Playoffs. Here’s a look at the groups to watch, as well as the full-field tee times (Note: All times Pacific; FedExCup ranking in parentheses): 8:11 a.m. PT: Gary Woodland (30)-Shane Lowry (130)-Brooks Koepka (96) This group comprises the winners of the past three majors. Koepka is going for the PGA three-peat after his runner-up at last week’s World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Woodland won last year’s U.S. Open just down the California coast in Pebble Beach. He was runner-up in the 2015 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Harding Park. And Lowry is the last man to win a major, with his emotional win in The Open Championship. 8:22 a.m. PT: Jordan Spieth (90)-Dustin Johnson (25)-Justin Rose (135) Two former FedExCup champions, Spieth and Rose, are in this group. All three players are former World No. 1s, as well. It’s been three years since Spieth’s last win, but he could still complete the Career Grand Slam this week. All three are former U.S. Open champions, as well. 8:33 a.m. PT: Justin Thomas (1)-Tiger Woods (48)-Rory McIlroy (5) A combined five FedExCups are in this group. McIlroy and Woods are the only two-time winners of the FedExCup and Thomas is in good position to join them. He took a large lead in this season’s standings with his win at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Woods is seeking his record-setting 83rd PGA TOUR victory. Woods and McIlroy have already hoisted trophies at Harding Park. Woods won the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship here, while McIlroy claimed the 2015 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. 1:47 p.m. PT: Rickie Fowler (79)-Bryson DeChambeau (4)-Adam Scott (35) DeChambeau’s revamped game takes on a major for the first time. He has a win and seven other top-10s this season. Fowler is trying to win his first Grand Slam event. Scott is making his first start since the season resumed. He won early this year at the Genesis Invitational down in Southern California. 1:58 p.m. PT: Jon Rahm (10)-Phil Mickelson (62)-Sergio Garcia (132) Jon Rahm is the youngest player in this group, but he’s also the only one to hold the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking. He lost that mantle after Thomas’ win at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, but he still is one of the favorites. Rahm won recently at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. He’ll be in a comfortable group. Garcia is his Spanish countryman, while Mickelson is a fellow Arizona State alum. Mickelson is coming off a runner-up finish at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, his best showing of the year. Garcia is third in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee this season, which will be handy at Harding Park. Here are the tee times and groupings for Rounds 1-2 of the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park. (NOTE: ALL TIMES PACIFIC) Thursday: Tee No. 1 (7:00 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (12:25 p.m. PT) Brian HARMAN – Sea Island, GA Jeff HART – Solana Beach, CA C.T. PAN – TAIWAN Thursday: Tee No. 1 (7:11 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (12:36 p.m. PT) Andrew LANDRY – Dripping Springs, TX Rod PERRY – Port Orange, FL Nate LASHLEY – Scottsdale, AZ Thursday: Tee No. 1 (7:22 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (12:47 p.m. PT) Sung KANG – REPUBLIC of KOREA John O’LEARY – Sterling, VA Dylan FRITTELLI – SOUTH AFRICA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (7:33 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (12:58 p.m. PT) Erik VAN ROOYEN – SOUTH AFRICA Russell HENLEY – Columbus, GA Carlos ORTIZ – MEXICO Thursday: Tee No. 1 (7:44 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (1:09 p.m. PT) Ryan PALMER – Colleyville, TX Kevin KISNER – Aiken, SC Michael THOMPSON – Sea Island, GA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (7:55 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (1:20 p.m. PT) Bud CAULEY – Palm Beach Gardens, FL Lucas GLOVER – Jupiter, FL Tyrrell HATTON – ENGLAND Thursday: Tee No. 1 (8:06 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (1:31 p.m. PT) Alex BEACH – Stillwater, MN Rich BEEM – Austin, TX Shaun MICHEEL – Memphis, TN Thursday: Tee No. 1 (8:17 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (1:42 p.m. PT) Rafa CABRERA BELLO – SPAIN Ryo ISHIKAWA – JAPAN Jason KOKRAK – Hudson, OH Thursday: Tee No. 1 (8:28 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (1:53 p.m. PT) Bernd WIESBERGER – AUSTRIA Danny LEE – NEW ZEALAND Vaughn TAYLOR – Augusta, GA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (8:39 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (2:04 p.m. PT) Keith MITCHELL – St. Simons Island, GA Matthias SCHWAB – AUSTRIA Brendan STEELE – Idyllwild, CA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (8:50 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (2:15 p.m. PT) Joel DAHMEN – Clarkston, WA Luke LIST – Augusta, GA Victor PEREZ – FRANCE Thursday: Tee No. 1 (9:01 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (2:36 p.m. PT) Mike LORENZO-VERA – FRANCE Marty JERTSON – Phoenix, AZ Tom LEWIS – ENGLAND Thursday: Tee No. 1 (9:12 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (2:37 p.m. PT) David MUTTITT – Albuquerque, NM Mackenzie HUGHES – CANADA Harris ENGLISH – Sea Island, GA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (7:05 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (12:30 p.m. PT) Scottie SCHEFFLER – Dallas, TX Danny BALIN – White Plains, NY Tom HOGE – Fargo, ND Thursday: Tee No. 10 (7:16 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (12:41 p.m. PT) Mike AUTERSON – Milford, OH Rory SABBATINI – SLOVAKIA Nick TAYLOR – CANADA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (7:27 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (12:52 p.m. PT) Tony FINAU – Salt Lake City, UT Danny WILLETT – ENGLAND Patrick CANTLAY – Jupiter, FL Thursday: Tee No. 10 (7:38 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (1:03 p.m. PT) Martin KAYMER – GERMANY Jason DUFNER – Auburn, AL Jason DAY – AUSTRALIA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (7:49 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (1:14 p.m. PT) Daniel BERGER – Jupiter, FL Xander SCHAUFFELE – San Diego, CA Steve STRICKER – Madison, WI Thursday: Tee No. 10 (8 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (1:25 p.m. PT) Henrik STENSON – SWEDEN Collin MORIKAWA – La Canada, CA Zach JOHNSON – Cedar Rapids, IA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (8:11 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (1:36 p.m. PT) Brooks KOEPKA – West Palm Beach, FL Gary WOODLAND – Topeka, KS Shane LOWRY – IRELAND Thursday: Tee No. 10 (8:22 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (1:47 p.m. PT) Jordan SPIETH – Dallas, TX Dustin JOHNSON – Jupiter, FL Justin ROSE – ENGLAND Thursday: Tee No. 10 (8:33 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (1:58 p.m. PT) Tiger WOODS – Jupiter, FL Rory MCILROY – N. IRELAND Justin THOMAS – Louisville, KY Thursday: Tee No. 10 (8:44 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (2:09 p.m. PT) Louis OOSTHUIZEN – SOUTH AFRICA Max HOMA – Valencia, CA Matt FITZPATRICK – ENGLAND Thursday: Tee No. 10 (8:55 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (2:20 p.m. PT) Abraham ANCER – MEXICO Charl SCHWARTZEL – SOUTH AFRICA Joohyung KIM – REPUBLIC OF KOREA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (9:06 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (2:31 p.m. PT) Corey CONNERS – CANADA Zach J. JOHNSON – Farmington, UT Chez REAVIE – Scottsdale, AZ Thursday: Tee No. 10 (9:17 a.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (2:42 p.m. PT) Scott PIERCY – Las Vegas, NV Alex KNOLL – Jim Thorpe, PA Andrew PUTNAM – Phoenix, AZ Thursday: Tee No. 1 (12:30 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (7:05 a.m. PT) Tyler DUNCAN – Columbus, IN J.R. ROTH – Boyne Highlands, MI Christiaan BEZUIDENHOUT – SOUTH AFRICA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (12:41 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (7:16 a.m. PT) Lanto GRIFFIN – Jacksonville Beach, FL Rich BERBERIAN JR. – Hooksett, NH Joost LUITEN – NETHERLANDS Thursday: Tee No. 1 (12:52 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (7:27 a.m. PT) Jim HERMAN – Palm City, FL Rob LABRITZ – Pound Ridge, NY Shaun NORRIS – SOUTH AFRICA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (1:03 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (7:38 a.m. PT) Adam HADWIN – CANADA Brandt SNEDEKER – Nashville, TN Xinjun ZHANG – CHINA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (1:14 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (7:49 a.m. PT) Kevin NA – Las Vegas, NV Patrick REED – The Woodlands, TX Robert MACINTYRE – SCOTLAND Thursday: Tee No. 1 (1:25 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (8 a.m. PT) Matthew WOLFF – Agoura Hills, CA Bubba WATSON – Bagdad, FL Graeme MCDOWELL – N. IRELAND Thursday: Tee No. 1 (1:36 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (8:11 a.m. PT) Tommy FLEETWOOD – ENGLAND Viktor HOVLAND – NORWAY Hideki MATSUYAMA – JAPAN Thursday: Tee No. 1 (1:47 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (8:22 a.m. PT) Rickie FOWLER – Murrieta, CA Bryson DECHAMBEAU – Clovis, CA Adam SCOTT – AUSTRALIA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (1:58 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (8:33 a.m. PT) Jon RAHM – SPAIN Phil MICKELSON – Rancho Santa Fe, CA Sergio GARCIA – SPAIN Thursday: Tee No. 1 (2:09 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (8:44 a.m. PT) Paul CASEY – ENGLAND Ian POULTER – ENGLAND Webb SIMPSON – Charlotte, NC Thursday: Tee No. 1 (2:20 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (8:55 a.m. PT) Matt WALLACE – ENGLAND Matt KUCHAR – Sea Island, GA Marc LEISHMAN – AUSTRALIA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (2:31 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (9:06 a.m. PT) Sepp STRAKA – AUSTRIA Ryan VERMEER – Omaha, NE Si Woo KIM – REPUBLIC of KOREA Thursday: Tee No. 1 (2:42 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 10 (9:17 a.m. PT) Sebastian MUNOZ – COLOMBIA Justin BERTSCH – Naples, FL Benjamin HEBERT – FRANCE Thursday: Tee No. 10 (12:25 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (7 a.m. PT) Bob SOWARDS – Dublin, OH Kurt KITAYAMA – Chico, CA Richy WERENSKI – West Palm Beach, FL Thursday: Tee No. 10 (12:36 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (7:11 a.m. PT) Haotong LI – CHINA Benny COOK – Caledonia, MI Jorge CAMPILLO – SPAIN Thursday: Tee No. 10 (12:47 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (7:22 a.m. PT) Byeong Hun AN – REPUBLIC of KOREA Talor GOOCH – Edmond, OK Sungjae IM – REPUBLIC of KOREA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (12:58 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (7:33 a.m. PT) J.T. POSTON – Sea Island, GA Joaquin NIEMANN – CHILE Harold VARNER III – Gastonia, NC Thursday: Tee No. 10 (1:09 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (7:44 a.m. PT) Ken TANIGAWA – Scottsdale, AZ Emiliano GRILLO – ARGENTINA Cameron TRINGALE – Mission Viejo, CA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (1:20 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (7:55 a.m. PT) Brian STUARD – Jackson, MI Jim FURYK – Jacksonville, FL Billy HORSCHEL – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Thursday: Tee No. 10 (1:31 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (8:06 a.m. PT) Matt JONES – AUSTRALIA Jazz JANEWATTANANOND – THAILAND Kevin STREELMAN – Wheaton, IL Thursday: Tee No. 10 (1:42 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (8:17 a.m. PT) Jimmy WALKER – Boerne, TX Davis LOVE III – St. Simons Island, GA Keegan BRADLEY – Woodstock, VT Thursday: Tee No. 10 (1:53 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (8:28 a.m. PT) Cameron SMITH – AUSTRALIA Denny MCCARTHY – Palm Beach Gardens, FL Cameron CHAMP – Sacramento, CA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (2:04 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (8:39 a.m. PT) Troy MERRITT – Meridian, ID Wyndham CLARK – Denver, CO Chan KIM – Gilbert, AZ Thursday: Tee No. 10 (2:15 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (8:50 a.m. PT) Doc REDMAN – Raleigh, NC Jason CARON – Greenlawn, NY Brendon TODD – Athens, GA Thursday: Tee No. 10 (2:26 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (9:01 a.m. PT) Judd GIBB – Fort Dodge, IA Lucas HERBERT – AUSTRALIA Mark HUBBARD – Denver, CO Thursday: Tee No. 10 (2:37 p.m. PT); Friday: Tee No. 1 (9:12 a.m. PT) Shawn WARREN – Portland, ME Marcus KINHULT – SWEDEN Adam LONG – St. Louis, MO

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Davis Love III and his call for the wildDavis Love III and his call for the wild

When Davis Love III was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last year, he came ready with props. The wooden driver he used in his first U.S. Open in 1998. The metal one his son Dru had in the bag when he made his Open debut earlier that summer with Love caddying. The crystal vase his father won for leading the first round of the Masters the year Love was born and the identical one he received for doing the same in 1995. And a turkey call. But not just any turkey call. This one was made by Neil Cost, who Love called the “Tiger Woods of hand-carved turkey call makersâ€� during his induction speech. As accomplished a golfer as Love is, as consummate a professional, he is equally invested in the things he loves doing outside the ropes. Cooking barbecue, for one. Snowboarding in the winter. Hunting deer and catching tarpon and red fish. Turkey hunting is his favorite, though. “Everybody always asks me, if you had to pick one thing, what would you pick? And I said, well, can I pick per season?â€� Love says. “But honestly if I had to pick one thing, it would probably be spring turkey hunting. I just like turkey hunting. It’s the most challenging, entertaining thing.â€� Unfortunately, the season, which generally runs from March until mid-May, conflicts with some of Love’s favorite golf tournaments. Tournaments like THE PLAYERS Championship, the PGA TOUR’s showcase event that he was won twice, and the Masters, the major championship he always seemed destined to win. But Love, who turns 54 on Friday, makes time whenever he can. The hunt starts early in the morning, about a half hour before the sun even comes up. The sounds as the forest comes to life are mesmerizing to Love. “That’s the best thing, you go out there, it’s dark and … then you hear a few birds starting to wake up and an owl hoots and the turkey gobbles and the birds get going and the crows get raucous and the turkeys gobble at the crows,â€� Love says, a smile crossing his face. The turkeys have spent the night in the trees. You didn’t know that? Well, you’re not alone, and Love was patient as he explained what he calls the “chess matchâ€� of hunting them. “Turkey hunting is one of those sports like fly fishing that people don’t casually do it,â€� Love says. “It’s like you have to be kind of all in. There are a lot of intricacies to it. “Calling turkeys is probably one of the most challenging things to learn in hunting.â€� Love has a collection of turkey calls, so many he joked that night in New York City, that his wife Robin would probably like them all to go to the Hall of Fame to “keep Dru and I from making racket in our house.â€� While he says many people just go to their local outdoors shop, he has some real keepsakes like that one by Cost. “Having one handmade or you make them or historical stuff is a whole‘’nother little world,â€� Love says. The calls are as varied as the clubs in Love’s golf bag. Yelps, cackles, clucks, gubles, kee-kees and even purrs emit from diaphragm, slate and box calls, each one designed with to elicit specific responses from the turkey. And then the games begin. “The gobblers gobble to assemble hens and you’re calling hens and trying to get him to come out of his way for you to get close enough to see him or shoot him,â€� Love explains. “And so there’s, there’s a lot of back and forth. You’re not just sitting in a tree waiting for a deer to walk by. There’s a lot of back and forth and a lot of strategy. You kind of know what they want to do during the day and you kind of have to get ahead of them or in front of them.â€� Love remembers the first time he took his daughter Lexie turkey hunting when she was a kid. She, too, was amazed by the cacophony of sounds she heard on that serene spring day. “I took her out there and the owls just let off and they were just going bananas, and she’s like are those monkeys?â€� Love says. “I said, no, we don’t have any monkeys in Georgia. But you don’t hear that. “People just don’t hear those sounds unless you go down in the swamp in the spring. You can’t imagine turkeys talking. Even if you’re a deer hunter, sometimes you don’t, you just really don’t hear that because you’re not out there in the spring.â€� A wild turkey, which grows up eating nuts, berries and insects, is more muscular and lean than his domestic cousin. His legs are powerful and he can reach speeds of up to 25 mph. The meat is predominately dark and has a more intense, gamey flavor. “It’s free range. Organic,â€� Love says. “We hunt and we always say if we’re shooting something we’re eating it. We’re not just shooting something just to shoot it. “But they’re not that good, they’re tough and chewy. Like your yard rooster, he’s not quite as good as the Sanderson Farms chicken that you get at the grocery store. “Nobody’s serving a wild turkey really for Thanksgiving. They’re serving the ones from Mr. Sanderson’s farm.â€�

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