Sleeper Picks: WM Phoenix Open

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After making his first official PGA TOUR start in exactly a year and his first cut since the 2015 Wyndham Championship, Tiger Woods shot a final-round 72 at breezy, warm Torrey Pines on Sunday. He finished the week at 3-under, well back. What did we learn? 1 Woods seems to be pain-free. After four back surgeries in less than four years, priority one for Woods, 42, is to stay healthy. That was the case at the Farmers, where he tested his fused back with all sorts of lies. Woods spent so much time in the long grass, Nick Faldo spoke for many when he said before the final round, “He’s pounded the back more than I thought he was going to have to do.� When it was all over, Woods said, “To be able to take cuts like I did, hit out of weird lies, it’s something that I didn’t know that I could do yet because there’s really no rough in Florida right now. It was nice to get out here and do it in competition.� 2 He is fighting wildness with the driver. Woods hit just three of 14 fairways on Friday (71), Saturday (70) and Sunday (72), and some of his misses were off the planet. Although you wouldn’t know it from the stat line, he was better Sunday, when he split the 10th fairway with a 278-yard opening tee shot, bombed a wind-aided drive 358 yards into the short grass at the first hole, and missed a handful of fairways by just a few paces. Still, he hit a grand total of just nine fairways over the last three days and he was last in the field in driving accuracy. “I feel like I played a lot better today,� he said Sunday. “These conditions, they were tough.� 3 He has been working on his short game. Woods averaged 27.5 putts per round. He also got up-and-down seven times in nine chances for the second day in a row Saturday, after which he was asked what might have happened without his A+ short game. “It would have been snowing,� Woods said, alluding to a score in the 80s. By the time he nearly holed his pitch shot from just in front of the sixth green Sunday, setting up a tap-in for par, his chipping problems from 2015 seemed like a distant memory. “Yeah, these weren’t down the middle, on the green, hit the first putt, one-hand the second one,� Woods said. “These were tough, tough scores. I had to fight for each and every one, and that’s very pleasing. I can grind it out with the best of them.� 4 He still has a nose for the competition. Woods flirted with the cut line in the second round but made it to the weekend with a final-hole birdie. He also scratched out a 2-under 70 in the third round when by his own admission, “I didn’t have it.� Third-round playing partner Brandt Snedeker spoke of being impressed with Woods’ “fight and his grind.� When Woods got to 5-under through 12 holes Sunday, and J.B. Holmes bogeyed, Woods was briefly within five of the lead. He later said he thought a 65 might get him into a playoff, given the windy conditions. 5 His golf mind remains sharp. Woods has won the Farmers seven times, and has two other victories at Torrey, the 2008 U.S. Open and 1991 Junior World. His course knowledge and his usually sharp mental game were a potent one-two punch as he proved the adage that golf is a game of good misses. “I was trying to miss the ball on the correct sides,� he said after the third round, “because I knew I didn’t have it. Trying to give myself the correct angles and I did that most of the day.� He could have said the same after the other three rounds, too.     6 He still brings the crowds. Woods drew the biggest galleries all week. What else is new? Some had seen him before, others were just curious. “Have you ever seen a living legend?� one fan asked. Others still used the occasion to dress up, such as the female fan in a fur tiger suit that had to have been a little warm. Asked about the crowds, Woods said, “Yeah, I haven’t had people yelling like that in a while. It’s been pretty quiet at Medalist and back home.�         7 He is still long. Woods took a healthy rip at the ball all week, and often outdrove his younger playing partners, even with a fused back. His 358-yard drive at the first hole Sunday, his 10th of the day, left one fan marveling, “I can’t even see that far.� 8 He will be busy in his off-weeks. Woods will not play in the Waste Management Phoenix Open or the AT&T National Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but is expected to be back in action for the Genesis Open at Riviera, for the first time since 2006, potentially followed by The Honda Classic at PGA National. “I can feel some of the things I’m doing wrong in my swing,� Woods said, “so we’re going to go back to work.� Said Faldo, “I think I’m going to give him another go. You know, this is one year out; an awful lot of rust. I know how I would feel.� 9 He may just need more tournament play. Snedeker, in the early stages of coming back from a rib injury, said he was expecting to contend after shooting a 65 in the Wednesday pro-am. It didn’t happen for him, underlining the difference between practice and tournament rounds. He doesn’t need to tell Woods. The Farmers was just the first step in what will hopefully be a longer journey back for the 79-time PGA TOUR winner. “It’s nice to have two weeks off,� Woods said. “But it’s more important that I got this tournament under my belt where I can feel some of the things I need to work on because, you know, hometown speed versus game speed is two totally different things. As much as we try to simulate it at home, it’s never the same.�

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With additional time needed to ensure PGA TOUR tournaments are staged in the most safe and responsible manner possible given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the PGA TOUR is announcing further schedule modifications for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, as well as plans for the opening portion of the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Regular Season, the restart of the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season and updates regarding the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule. “The health and safety of all associated with the PGA TOUR and our global community continues to be our No. 1 priority, and our hope is to play a role – responsibly – in the world’s return to enjoying the things we love,� said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Today’s announcement is another positive step for our fans and players as we look toward the future, but as we’ve stressed on several occasions, we will resume competition only when – working closely with our tournaments, partners and communities – it is considered safe to do so under the guidance of the leading public health authorities.� RELATED: Full schedule The PGA TOUR had previously targeted the week of the Charles Schwab Challenge (May 18-24) as the restart of the TOUR season, which has been suspended since THE PLAYERS Championship was canceled on Thursday, March 12. For health and safety reasons due to COVID-19, today’s announcement delays that timeline three weeks – to June 8, starting with the Charles Schwab Challenge – with additional tournaments being repositioned between then and the season’s conclusion, which is the TOUR Championship, ending on Labor Day (September 7). At this time, the TOUR plans to resume play with the first four events closed to the general public but will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of local and state authorities in order to determine the most appropriate on-site access in each market. As such, the TOUR will continually review available COVID-19-related protocols that could be implemented at PGA TOUR events to ensure the health and well-being for all involved. All three events that were previously scheduled between May 18 and June 8 – the Charles Schwab Challenge, Rocket Mortgage Classic and the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide – have been moved to later dates in the calendar. The RBC Heritage, originally slated for this week (April 13-19) but canceled on March 17, has been added back to the PGA TOUR schedule in the week formerly occupied by the U.S. Open, which – as previously announced – has been postponed to September. The RBC Canadian Open, originally scheduled for the week of June 8, has been canceled. Click here for a statement from the RBC Canadian Open. The Barbasol Championship, originally scheduled for July 13-19 opposite The Open Championship, has been canceled. The Open Championship was canceled on April 6. Three invitationals on the updated schedule, the Charles Schwab Challenge (120 players), RBC Heritage (132 players) and the Memorial Tournament (120 players), will see their respective field sizes increase to 144 to provide additional playing opportunities for PGA TOUR members. Summary of PGA TOUR events from 2019-20 schedule affected by date changes or cancellations: • RBC Canadian Open, originally scheduled for the week of June 8-14, has been canceled; • Charles Schwab Challenge, originally scheduled for May 18-24, rescheduled to June 8-14 (former RBC Canadian Open dates); • RBC Heritage, originally scheduled for April 13-19, rescheduled to June 15-21 (former U.S. Open dates); • Rocket Mortgage Classic, originally scheduled for May 25-31, rescheduled to July 2-5 (former World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and Barracuda Championship dates); • the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, originally scheduled for June 1-7, rescheduled to July 13-19 (former The Open Championship/Barbasol Championship dates); • World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and Barracuda Championship, originally scheduled for June 29-July 5, rescheduled to July 27-August 2 (former Olympic Games men’s golf competition dates); • Barbasol Championship, originally scheduled for July 13-19 opposite The Open Championship, has been canceled; • Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, originally scheduled for March 23-29 and postponed on March 12, has been rescheduled as part of the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Regular Season schedule, September 21-27 (opposite the Ryder Cup); • The April 6 golf industry announcement outlined changes to the four major championships as well as the Wyndham Championship and the three FedExCup Playoffs events. Revised 2019-20 PGA TOUR Season schedule • June 8-14: Charles Schwab Challenge, Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas • June 15-21: RBC Heritage, Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina • June 22-28: Travelers Championship, TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut • July 2-July 5: Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan • July 6-12: John Deere Classic, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois • July 13-19: the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio • July 20-26: 3M Open, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota • July 27-August 2: World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee • July 27-August 2: Barracuda Championship, Tahoe Mountain Club (Old Greenwood), Truckee, California • August 3-9: PGA Championship, TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, California • August 10-16: Wyndham Championship, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina • August 17-23: THE NORTHERN TRUST, TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts • August 24-30: BMW Championship, Olympia Fields Country Club (North), Olympia Fields, Illinois • August 31-September 7: TOUR Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia With 22 events having been played through the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the adjusted season-long schedule – subject to change – now consists of 36 events, including three FedExCup Playoffs events concluding with the TOUR Championship over Labor Day weekend, where the 2020 FedExCup Champion will be crowned. With the health and safety of all associated with the PGA TOUR tournaments being of utmost importance, the TOUR will be working with its media partners on production plans upon the restart to the season. CBS is scheduled to televise the Charles Schwab Challenge through THE NORTHERN TRUST (11 consecutive events, inclusive of PGA Championship), and NBC is scheduled to televise the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship, culminating on Labor Day Monday. 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season Additionally, the TOUR today introduced the season-opening weeks of the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season, which now has 13 FedExCup events, including – as announced on April 6 by the USGA and Augusta National Golf Club, respectively – the U.S. Open and Masters Tournament. “This portion of our 2020-21 schedule is possible only because of the many partners who have worked tirelessly to grow their events and impact the lives of those in need in their respective communities, and our players, who have embraced the expanded fall schedule in recent years,� said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder. “We’d like to express our appreciation to the leadership of the Safeway Open, Houston Open and Mayakoba Golf Classic – which will conclude our calendar year schedule in Riviera Maya, Mexico – for their flexibility, which allowed for the U.S. Open and Masters Tournament to be played in the fall. The accommodations will help the global golf community maximize the 2020 calendar, which will be incredibly impactful for our fans and put us in a strong position heading into 2021.� 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season Schedule (fall portion): • September 7-13: Safeway Open, Silverado Resort and Spa North, Napa, California • September 14-20: U.S. Open, Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York • # September 21-27: Ryder Cup, Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin • September 21-27: Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Corales Golf Club, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic • September 28-October 4: Sanderson Farms Championship, Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi • October 5-11: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada • October 12-18: THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, Nine Bridges, Jeju Island, Korea • October 19-25: ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Chiba Prefecture, Japan • October 26-November 1: World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, China • October 26-November 1: Bermuda Championship, Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda • November 2-8: Houston Open, Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas • November 9-15: Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia • November 16-22: The RSM Classic, Sea Island Resort (Seaside and Plantation), Sea Island, Georgia • November 23-29: Open week (Thanksgiving) • November 30-December 6: Mayakoba Golf Classic, El Camaleón Golf Club, Playa del Carmen, Mexico • # November 30-December 6: Hero World Challenge, Albany, New Providence, Bahamas • # December 7-13: QBE Shootout, Tiburón GC, Naples, Florida • # December 14-20: PNC Father-Son Challenge, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Orlando, Florida # indicates unofficial event After 10 years, A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier will no longer be on the PGA TOUR’s schedule, as per a mutual agreement by The Greenbrier and the PGA TOUR. “We are very grateful to Governor Jim Justice and his Greenbrier Resort for a highly successful 10 years of partnership with the PGA TOUR,� said Pazder. “Governor Justice’s vision and leadership helped shine a light on the men and women that serve our country through the military and first responder programs he implemented through the tournament, and The Greenbrier Resort was an incredibly unique and world-class venue that our players will always remember and cherish.� Please see link for statement from The Greenbrier Korn Ferry Tour Schedule In addition to the PGA TOUR’s schedule modifications, the Korn Ferry Tour announced the postponement of the Evans Scholars Invitational (May 18-24), as well as the cancellation of the REX Hospital Open (May 25-31), BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation (June 1-7) and Live + Work in Maine Open (June 8-14). The Tour will return to competition with a new tournament to be contested in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the week of June 8-14. The $600,000 event will be held at TPC Sawgrass (Dye’s Valley Course) and operated by the Korn Ferry Tour without fans in attendance. The Dye’s Valley Course served as host of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship from 2013 through 2015. Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is postponing the first six scheduled events of its 2020 season. The tournaments affected are the Canada Life Open in Vancouver (May 28-31); the DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist in Victoria (June 4-7); the GolfBC Championship in Kelowna (June 11-14); the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open in Lethbridge (June 25-28); the Prince Edward Island Pro-Am in Cardigan (July 2-5); and the Osprey Valley Open outside Toronto, in Caledon (July 9-12). The Mackenzie Tour expects to make more announcements in the next couple weeks with additional information about the 2020 schedule, as well as Qualifying Tournament sites and dates. PGA TOUR Champions, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Series-China Information regarding PGA TOUR Champions and the PGA TOUR’s other two International Tours, in Latin America and China, will be announced in the coming weeks.

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