THE PLAYERS Championship, Round 2: Leaderboard, tee times, TV times

DUBLIN, Ohio – Titleist has begun its TOUR validation process at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Typically, Titleist brings new product out to PGA TOUR ranges and courses for feedback from the professionals before launching them to retail. That is exactly the case with Titleist’s new utility products, including U500 and U510 driving irons, and TS2 and TS3 hybrids. While Titleist isn’t speaking on the new designs just yet, we can speculate on a few things from the photos taken by PGATOUR.COM on Monday. Firstly, Titleist seems to be establishing cohesiveness between its hybrids and its metalwoods by giving them the familiar “TSâ€� name. In the past, Titleist gave its hybrids different nomenclature — such as the 818 H1 and H2 hybrids — than its drivers and fairways woods. Now, it seems they are fitting right into the TS family. The TS2 looks to be a more forgiving option given it’s larger profile at address, and the sleeker TS3 – likely a lower-spinning or lower-launching product – appears to have a weight port in the toe. Also, with its U500 and U510 irons, Titleist appears to be separating out utility irons from a full set of irons; this is reminiscent of its popular 712U iron of the past. In the past few years, Titleist staffers have used T-MB irons as their driving irons, but those weren’t necessarily specifically made to be driving irons since T-MB irons were offered as a full set to the public. Now, it seems the U500 and U510 irons will stand alone as driving irons. Relatively speaking, it appears the U500 has a sleeker profile than the U510, which offers a larger profile and wider sole; this could mean the U500 is lower launching and the U510 is higher launching and/or more forgiving. Based on media photos provided by Titleist above, it appears that the Project X HZRDUS Smoke shaft will be the stock offering for the new utility clubs should they hit retail in the future. As we await the possible retail release of these products, and more information from Titleist about their designs, check out the photos below taken by PGATOUR.COM on Monday. Titleist U500 iron Titleist U510 iron Titleist TS2 hybrid Titleist TS3 hybrid

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Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed are among the big names in the 156-player field for the AT&T Byron Nelson, which is in year two at the unique Coore/Crenshaw-designed Trinity Forest Golf Club. Eight of the top 30 in the FedExCup will tee it up in Dallas, including defending champion Aaron Wise, who at 21 years, 10 months was younger than every previous AT&T Byron Nelson winner besides Tiger Woods (21 years, 4 months in 1997). Reed will make his first start at Trinity, while FedExCup No. 8 Koepka will look to build early momentum for his PGA Championship title defense next week. This will mark Spieth’s ninth start in his hometown event; his best finish remains the T16 he recorded in his first appearance in 2010, when he was a sponsor exemption. This time around the most notable exemption is Dallas Cowboys quarterback turned CBS broadcaster Tony Romo.    Here’s a look at some of the Featured Groups (FedExCup ranking in parenthesis). Please note that there will be a fan vote on Twitter to determine the second Featured Group on Friday. We will provide the final results near the end of Thursday’s first round. HOW TO FOLLOW GOLF CHANNEL, CBS: Thursday-Friday, 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:45 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups). International subscribers (via GOLF.tv): Thursday-Friday, 12:00 to 22:30 GMT. Saturday-Sunday, 14:30 to 22:00. TWITTER WINDOW: 8 a.m. to approximately 9:15 a.m. Thursday and Friday. RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 1-6:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.COM). THURSDAY Keith Mitchell (21) – The Honda Classic champion is coming off a T8 at the Wells Fargo, his sixth top-25 finish this season, and may be just starting to grasp how good he is. C.T. Pan (30) – Diminutive pro broke through with maiden victory at the recent RBC Heritage, finished T32 at Trinity Forest last year. Kevin Tway (28) – It’s been a feast-or-famine season for Tway, who won the season-opening Safeway Open in Napa, Calif., but later racked up six straight missed cuts. Tee time: 8:20 a.m. ET Brooks Koepka (8) – The highest ranked player in the field, he has six top-25 finishes, including a win at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, this season. Aaron Wise (89) – Reigning Rookie of the Year has fallen off slightly in his sophomore season, with just one top-10 finish in 12 starts. Coming off a T18 at the Wells Fargo. Ryan Palmer (19) – Enjoying rare home game after recently breaking nine-year win drought with partner Jon Rahm at Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Tee time: 8:30 a.m. ET FRIDAY Jordan Spieth (153) – Some home cooking might help Spieth, whose form is a far cry from his FedExCup winning season in 2015. He’s fallen to 39th in the world, and at Trinity will play alongside Stenson, another former FedExCup winner who has slipped to 40th. Henrik Stenson (117) – The 43-year-old is coming off a T28 at the Wells Fargo Championship, and has one top-10 finish in eight starts this season. Hideki Matsuyama (43) – Has rebounded since last season, with seven top-25 finishes in 12 starts, including a T9 at the Genesis Open and T8 at THE PLAYERS Championship. Tee time: 8:30 a.m. ET Fan vote choices: Patrick Reed (62) – Has dropped off slightly on the heels of his Masters-winning season, with just one top-10 finish in 13 starts. Coming off a T28 at the Wells Fargo. Marc Leishman (13) – Opened the tournament with a sizzling 61 last year, which remains the Trinity Forest tournament course record. Already a winner this season at the CIMB Classic. Charles Howell III (10) – Enjoying a banner season at 39, Howell has racked up nine top-25 finishes, including a win at The RSM Classic. Tee time: 8:20 a.m. ET Dylan Frittelli (136) – The consummate world traveler, South Africa’s Frittelli has made nine cuts in 13 starts this season, with three top-25s. Scott Scheffler (NA) – In the midst of a solid season on the Web.com Tour with two runner-up finishes and six top-10s in 10 starts. This will be his third TOUR start of the season. Tony Romo (NA) – Sponsor exemption Romo, an amateur, will be a favorite amongst the locals after playing 14 seasons as quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Tee time: 9:30 a.m. ET

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A little over a week ago, WiIlie Mack III managed to squeeze in 27 holes of practice at iconic Riviera Country Club. Turns out, comedian Adam Sandler just happened to be playing in the group behind him that Sunday, too. "He wasn’t doing any Happy Gilmores," Mack recalls with a chuckle. "But it was fun to meet him." It will be all business this week, though, when Mack returns to the historic club which has counted among its members old-school Hollywood movie stars like Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn to Sandler and many other current celebrities like Mark Wahlberg and Larry David and Carson Daly. He's playing in the Genesis Invitational after receiving the Charlie Sifford Exemption given to a deserving minority golfer as chosen by the Tiger Woods Foundation. It will be Mack's second career start on the PGA TOUR — and second in four weeks. Yes, life is moving fast for the unassuming 32-year-old these days. But make no mistake - this is the byproduct of years of hard work for Mack who once slept in his Ford Mustang in hotel parking lots while playing the mini-tours in Florida and pursuing his pro dream. Mack and his father, a mental health counselor with the state of Michigan, actually started playing golf because of Woods, who is on the mend from a fifth microdiscectomy and won't be able to compete in the tournament he has hosted since 2016. Woods will be onsite, however. "I just remember watching on TV and he was just different than everybody else," Mack says. "I just kind of like gravitated to watching him." To earn the Sifford exemption, well, that was almost beyond belief. "I thanked them probably more than most times for a lifetime," Mack recalls. "But I was just excited and kind of got off the phone and called my dad and he started crying. "So, it was … it was a good day." Mack says he was probably 6 years old when the two first went to the golf course. He reports that he was "horrible" at first but treasured the "good bonding time" with his dad. They'd watch TV and try to imitate what the pros did when they teed it up on courses like Pierce Park and Swartz Creek in their hometown of Flint, Michigan. "We kind of just kept with it," Mack says. "And by the third year I got a lot better. I think after that it kind of just stuck with me, and I fell in love with the game." By the time Mack was 12, he started taking lessons from Jack Seltzer, a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. There was a golf dome about 20 minutes from Mack's house so he could practice during the cold, snowy winter months. Although Mack played football, basketball and baseball, too, he knew his 5-foot-7 frame wasn't exactly built for long-term success in those sports. Golf was different, though, and Mack had several scholarship offers, eventually deciding to play at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida. "I wanted to get out of Michigan, for sure," Mack says, weighing sunshine versus snow. "I didn’t even go to any of the other schools. I just went there and fell in love with it." While at Bethune-Cookman, Mack won 11 tournaments and his career goals came into sharper focus. "I always dreamed to be on the PGA TOUR when I started golf," Mack says. "But probably when I was in college and I won my ninth tournament, I kind of was talking to my parents and I was telling them I wanted to try and maybe make a career out of it. "It might not have worked out, but I wanted to at least give it a shot. And then here we are today.” It hasn't been easy. And he's not where he wants to be — yet. But Mack has come a long way from those days when he'd curl up in his car in hotel parking lots when he couldn't find a buddy's couch to crash on early in his golf career. He'd park between two cars in hopes of keeping a low profile so the nighttime security guards wouldn't chase him off. "I got caught a couple of times, but I would just go to another parking lot and try to get some sleep," Mack says. If he had a good payday and could cover his entry fee for his next event, Mack might splurge on a motel room or treat himself to something better than fast food. He did most of his practicing at Orange County National in Winter Garden, Florida, just outside Orlando, where as an added bonus, he could use the shower in the locker room. "The good thing about sleeping in the car was I got up early and practiced as long as I could because I knew I was going back to that car," Mack says. "So, I stayed out there as long as possible." His vagabond lifestyle lasted about 18 months. While there were times it almost seemed oddly normal, Mack says, there were others when he wondered what in the world he was doing with his life. "But I would talk to my dad and just think about what he said about not giving up and how hard times don’t usually last," Mack says. "So, I'm glad I got through those hard times and I think it made me a better person and a better golfer today." Eight years down the road from those lean times, Mack is playing at Riviera in his second TOUR event. He feels more prepared than he was at the Farmers Insurance Open, where he was a last-minute addition to the field after his good friend Kamaui Johnson had to withdraw when he tested positive for COVID-19. Mack also has straightened out an equipment issue that plagued him as he shot 74-75 at Torrey Pines. On Friday afternoon after he missed the cut, the TaylorMade folks discovered his driver had a crack in it. "I hit four fairways in those two days and usually the best part of my game is driving and putting," Mack says. "So, I was kind of confused why it was going so far right every hole, but I got that figured out." Mack's practice at Riviera was a confidence-builder, too. "(It) was just more of a tree-lined course and kind of an up-North feel which I’m used to," he says. "So, it just kind of fits my eye a little bit better." His goal this week is obviously to win, while a top-10 finish would get Mack into the next TOUR event. But if that doesn't happen, he hopes to take some momentum with him back home to Orlando. "Hopefully this won’t be my last time playing in a PGA TOUR event," says Mack, who has also played in one Korn Ferry Tour event and another three on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica. "But if I don’t win or come in top-10, I definitely will take everything I can out of the experience and work harder than I am now." Mack now has a two-year sponsorship agreement with Farmers Insurance that helps cover his expenses on the Florida Professional Golf Tour, where he leads the money list, and the Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour, a non-profit that seeks to bring more diversity to the game. And Mack understands how important it is to carry on the legacy of Sifford, who was the first African-American to play on the PGA TOUR. "It’s kind of like the Jackie Robinson of golf," Mack says. "And who knows if Tiger would be who Tiger is today if it wasn’t for him." Or whether Mack would be the man he is, either.

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