Straka falters, then regains lead at windy Pebble

You’ve heard about the 16th at TPC Scottsdale. The party atmosphere, upwards of 20,000 golf fans filling the grandstands that circle the par-3 hole. The cheering, the booing, the craziness, the drama — it’s unlike any other setting in golf. You want to be part of it; alas, you can’t get to the course. Not to worry. Thanks to virtual reality, the 16th hole can come to you. A live 360 and VR experience will be available for all four rounds of this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. The live VR experience can be viewed on Samsung Gear VR headsets on a global basis through the “PGA TOUR VR Liveâ€� app available on the Oculus store. In addition, the “PGA TOUR VR Liveâ€� app will launch on Daydream by Google – available on the Google Play Store – at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Fans can also view 360 content through the TOUR’s mobile app. The app will be compatible with a Google Cardboard. For fans who don’t have a headset, the 360 video experience will be available on Twitter and Periscope during all four days of the event, and for the first time ever, via the PGA TOUR app on iOS. Using any smartphone, fans will be able to watch live, 360 video from the 16th hole. Fans can find the coverage starting on Feb. 1 at twitter.com/PGATOUR, by following @PGATOUR on Twitter and Periscope, or by downloading the official PGA TOUR app from the App Store.  “The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during the Waste Management Phoenix Open is one of the most exciting in golf,â€� said Rick Anderson, PGA TOUR Chief Media Officer. “We look forward to bringing that excitement to our fans who can’t physically be at the tournament through live virtual reality. They will be able to experience all the thrills from home.â€�  How it works As the exclusive live virtual reality provider of the PGA TOUR, Intel will produce the live VR experience with Intel True VR technology, providing unprecedented access to areas on the course that can’t be experienced – even by fans on-site. Intel True VR uses panoramic, stereoscopic camera pods to create a more natural and realistic view from any direction for a more immersive VR environment. Up to eight cameras will be placed around the 16th hole, in addition to a dedicated sideline reporter bringing a unique aspect to the experience. Teryn Schafer will be reporting live for the duration of the tournament. “Intel True VR technology turn sports into amazing immersive experiences, and Intel is always working with our partners to deliver new ways for fans to get closer to the action,â€� said David Aufhauser, managing director, Intel Sports Group. “We’re thrilled to work with the PGA TOUR to continue delivering compelling experiences with Intel True VR technology at the Waste Management Phoenix Open by leveraging our technology – from the cameras to the data processing to our application platform – to create interactive ways for fans to participate.â€�  Users viewing via Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, and the PGA TOUR app will have the ability to select 4 different camera angles or the VRCast (produced specifically to highlight the best content from all 8 cameras at the 16th hole). CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON INTEL TRUE VR TECHNOLOGY Ways to watch -NEW! PGA TOUR mobile app VR viewer -Twitter via @PGATOUR  -Periscope via @PGATOUR -NEW! Google Daydream via PGA TOUR VR Live app -Samsung Gear VR via PGA TOUR VR Live app How to watch Step-by-step on the PGA TOUR mobile app: 1. Download the PGA TOUR app from the App Store or the Google Play Store 2. Open the app and follow the prompts for camera/location/etc. 3. Click the hamburger menu in the top right 4. Select either Leaderboard (if live) or Video (if not live) 5. If Leaderboard is selected, a red banner will appear with a VR icon on the right. Tap on the VR icon, then tap a video to watch. Choose Cardboard or Panoramic. If Cardboard, load phone into Cardboard device and use the Gaze Controls by focusing the cursor/dot on the desired menu object. If Panoramic, pan phone or swipe left/right to see content 6. If Video is selected, a VR tab will appear at the top of the screen. Click Live VR (if live – notated by red color) or click On Demand VR (notated by blue color). Tap on a video to watch. If Cardboard, load phone into Cardboard device and use the Gaze Controls by focusing the cursor/dot on the desired menu object. If Panoramic, pan phone or swipe left/right to see content. VR history at the PGA TOUR THE PLAYERS Championship in 2017 marked the first time Twitter distributed a live 360 VR experience during a major sports event. Following THE PLAYERS, the PGA TOUR and Intel announced an exclusive relationship to produce and globally distribute live virtual reality (VR) and live 360 video at six PGA TOUR events in 2017 and 2018. The TOUR Championship and Presidents Cup in 2017 also featured live VR coverage. Highlights from the three events in 2017 are available to watch on-demand through the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR VR Live apps. The collaboration between the PGA TOUR and Twitter follows the live streaming relationship announced in 2016. Twitter’s early round distribution of PGA TOUR LIVE coverage, viewable weekly at pgatourlive.twitter.com, has averaged almost half a million unique viewers each day, and more than 70 percent of those are under the age of 35. 

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MOLINE, Illinois – The 2018 John Deere Classic helped raise a record $13.45 million for 534 local and regional charities, an increase of $1.18 million over the previous year, tournament officials announced Wednesday at John Deere World Headquarters. Tournament officials said each participating charity will receive an 8.2 percent bonus payment on top of the money raised through the Birdies for Charity program – 64 percent more than the tournament guarantee of a five percent bonus. The John Deere Classic now has helped raise a total of $107 million for charity since the tournament began in 1971, with $104.5 million – 98 percent – coming since John Deere assumed the title sponsorship in 1998. “The John Deere Classic is thrilled to announce that the tournament has helped raise $13.45 million for 534 deserving charities in 2018,â€� said tournament director Clair Peterson. “Everyone involved with this charitable mission is proud and very appreciative of the individual donors, companies, and local foundations who made 2018’s charitable total the largest in tournament history.â€� The $13.45 million total works out to $35.88 for each of the Quad Cities’ 375,000 residents, again making the John Deere Classic the No. 1 in per capita contributions on the regular PGA TOUR. Overall, the John Deere Classic ranks among the top three in charitable giving on the PGA TOUR. This year, 2,355 birdies were recorded from Wednesday through Sunday during the John Deere Classic pro-am and tournament rounds at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. Individuals who pledged a penny per birdie would donate $23.55 to their designated charity or charities. Other individuals, foundations and institutions donate lump sums. John Deere Classic officials on Wednesday also gave away a two-year lease on a Lexus NX – courtesy of Lexus of Quad Cities – to one of two finalists who came closest to guessing the exact number of birdies this year.  Both received a key, and the person whose key started the car won it. The free Lexus NX lease program annually serves as an incentive to potential donors to participate in the Birdies program. Lexus of Quad Cities also provided courtesy cars for John Deere Classic contestants and on-course evacuation vehicles. “Birdies for Charity is extremely grateful that Lexus of Quad Cities has made such a strong commitment to the John Deere Classic and to the hundreds of charities we serve in the Quad Cities and neighboring communities,â€� said Birdies for Charity director Kristy Ketcham-Jackson. “The opportunity for Birdies for Charity donors to win a two-year lease on a Lexus NX adds an extra incentive and an element of fun and excitement to the pledge drive and to tournament week itself.â€� The total amount donated to the charities is the result of a three-pronged fundraising effort: The tournament’s Birdies for Charity program enables individuals, companies, and foundations to pledge to a charity or charities of their choice either a minimum of one cent for each birdie recorded at the tournament from Wednesday-Sunday or in lump sum donations. Because John Deere underwrites the administrative costs of the Birdies program, 100 percent of each Birdies pledge collected goes to the core mission of the designated charities rather than to administrative, operational, or fundraising activities. The Bonus Fund consists of tournament revenues, direct donations, a John Deere Foundation matching grant, as well as proceeds from special events, such as this year’s Lee Brice concert during tournament week. After Wednesday’s announcement, officials distributed checks to charity representatives who attended the event. For the third consecutive year, three lucky charities in attendance received an extra $1,000 each in a blind drawing. Checks will be mailed to charities that did not pick them up in person. Michael Kim, 25, won the 2018 John Deere Classic with a record-setting score of 27-under-par, becoming the 22nd player in tournament history to win his first PGA TOUR event at the Quad Cities event. The John Deere Classic, which includes Birdies for Charity, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in the John Deere Classic tournament offices at 15623 Coaltown Road, East Moline, Illinois.  Since 1971, the tournament has helped raise $107 million for charity.

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Akshay Bhatia is making his PGA TOUR debut at this week’s Valspar Championship. You may want to keep tabs on him – he’s 17 years old and has the golf world buzzing as the next big thing. Bhatia, playing on a sponsor exemption, is paired with Chase Wright and Kramer Hickok, with the threesome teeing off in the last group of the day off the 10th tee Thursday at 2:31 p.m. ET. This won’t be the last TOUR event you’ll see him at this year. Bhatia, a tall, thin lefthander from Wake Forest, North Carolina, already has a spot at The RSM Classic next fall, thanks to his recent win at the Jones Cup Invitational. He’s currently ranked eighth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Here’s five things you should know about him. 1. He plans to turn pro soon. Bhatia, who doesn’t turn 18 until Jan. 2, 2020, is hoping to participate in the Walker Cup in early September at Royal Liverpool. If he does so, he would be the first high schooler to ever play for the U.S. team at that amateur event. Winning the Jones Cup last month was a big step in earning that honor. After the Walker Cup, Bhatia will turn pro instead of opting to remain an amateur and play in college. “That’s definitely a goal of mine to make the team and to represent the United States once again,� said Bhatia, who three months ago was one of the 16 amateurs included in a U.S. Walker Cup practice session. “After that, I think I have a pretty good game plan as far as turning pro and my scheduling going forward.� 2. School, quite frankly, doesn’t suit him. Bhatia was in eighth grade – which, mind you, wasn’t that long ago – when he had a discussion with his dad Sonny, who noticed that Akshay simply wanted to concentrate on playing golf, practicing golf, competing in golf events, etc. “You know what – let’s just not go to college. Let’s not do it,� Sonny told his son. Akshay quickly agreed with the move. “I’m an 8th grader,� he said. “Of course, I’m going to say no to school.� “I have never liked school,� Akshay explained. “I’ve never been very smart going in, sitting in a classroom – and I have the worst attention span when it comes to it. I just love being outside. I love playing golf and I love competing.� That doesn’t mean he wasn’t tempted. He visited a couple of colleges, and spoke to a few college coaches, including at Oklahoma State. He said if he had gone to college, it would’ve been either in Stillwater, Oklahoma, or in Palo Alto, California at Stanford. “I’m not saying college is a bad thing, because so many great players have come out strong. Playing four years at college and trying to win a national champion is probably one of the best feelings and one of the greatest things.� It just wasn’t for him. 3. Akshay’s interest in golf started with his older sister. Rhea Bhatia is about four years older than Akshay, who was a child when he first saw his sister swinging a club. “He wanted to play really badly at first but was too young,� Sonny told the Raleigh News and Observer, the family’s hometown newspaper in North Carolina. “I said, ‘Watch your sister and your time will come.’ They’ve both been playing golf ever since. Both love golf.� Rhea, the 2015 4A Regional champion as a high schooler, played two years on the women’s team at Queens University of Charlotte. 4. He first gained national attention in 2017. That’s when, as a 15-year-old, he won the Boys Junior PGA Championship – and set several records in doing so at the Country Club of St. Albans. Akshay took control of the tournament with a second-round 61, then finished at 22 under for a three-stroke victory. His winning score was five strokes better than Pat Perez’ previous mark. During that week, Akshay made 24 birdies, as well as two eagles, and suffered just six bogeys. More important, he realized he was pretty good at this game. “I told my dad prior to the tournament, ‘I’ve just never played good enough to win a big event… I don’t think I’m ready to be good enough,� Akshay recalled. “That week, it changed my whole outlook on my game.� 5. He’s enjoyed plenty of cool golf moments. There was the 63 he shot at famed Pinehurst No. 2, when it was playing at 6,300 yards during a U.S. Kids World Golf Championship event. Oh, and he also aced the par-3 17th at that course, which has hosted three U.S. Opens, a Ryder Cup and a PGA Championship. In 2014, he participated in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National, the weekend before the start of the Masters. He was among 88 juniors who advanced their way to the finals, and his family was there to enjoy the moment. “So humbling and such a great experience,� dad Sonny told the News and Observer. He’s had lunch with Jack Nicklaus at a Walker Cup event – and heard Nicklaus say, “You know, when I went to college, I didn’t learn much.� Said Akshay: “Which is funny, because you know, arguably the best player in the golf.� At the recent Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship, Akshay shot a tournament-record 10 under at TPC Myrtle Beach en route to winning the event. Afterward, Akshay said Johnson “is a mentor of mine. It was an amazing week.� Then during a practice round this week at the Copperhead Course, Akshay played with Jon Rahm. “I have a friend that is good friends with him, so he hooked me up with the invitation to play with Jon,� Akshay explained. “… I just asked him some stuff about what his experiences was when he was playing in his first PGA TOUR event and just got to know him a little bit. Hopefully in the future, I’ll be talking to him more.� Earlier this week, Akshay ran into DJ again and they had a short chat. “It’s cool because I’m slowly building relationships out here and for the future,� he said. “It’s going to be great just to lean on them a little bit.�

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