Tiger returns to Riviera where it all began

Rickie Fowler and Bryson DeChambeau posted back-to-back 66s and take a 36-hole co-lead into the weekend in the desert, where low scores have dictated the history. Fowler looks to avenge a playoff loss two years ago. Can he close or will someone else shine at TPC Scottsdale? Rount 3 tee times Round 3 leaderboard HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN TELEVISION: Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m. (GC), 4-7 p.m. (CBS). Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Saturday, 12 p.m.-7 p.m. (featured holes). Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. (featured holes). RADIO: Saturday, 2-7 p.m. Sunday, 1-7 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com) LIVE NO. 16 VR EXPERIENCE: Saturday, 2-7 p.m. Sunday, 1-6 p.m.  NOTABLE PAIRINGS (All times Eastern) Brandt Snedeker, James Hahn, Patrick Reed 12:30 p.m. off 1st tee Justin Thomas, Bill Haas, Cameron Smith 12:40 p.m. off 1st tee Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Phil Mickelson 1:10 p.m. off 1st tee Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, Daniel Berger 1:50 p.m. off 1st tee

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Defending champion and two-time winner Dustin Johnson will lead the limited field of 34 winners in this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, the traditional re-start of the PGA TOUR season after the six-week holiday break. Johnson won by eight strokes last year in the first of three wins during the 2017-18 season. His first win at Kapalua was in 2013. The Golf Channel will carry primetime coverage starting at 6 p.m. ET for all four rounds. PGA TOUR Radio’s coverage is 4 p.m.-10 p.m. in the first two rounds; 3 p.m.-8 p.m. ET on Saturday; and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. ET for Sunday’s final round. Here’s a look at some of the Featured Groups for Thursday’s first round at the Plantation Course (current FedExCup ranking in parentheses): Patrick Reed (82) — Since 2014, Reed is a combined 68-under par at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. His 68 under during that stretch is tied for second with Dustin Johnson, trailing Jordan Spieth by eight strokes. Jon Rahm (129) — Rahm finished inside of the top 5 in 25 percent of the 20 starts he made last season and also comes off a win at the Hero World Challenge (an unofficial TOUR event). Round 1 tee time: 4:40 p.m. ET (11:40 a.m. local) Jason Day (36) — Day is one of two players who have qualified for the TOUR Championship in each of the last six seasons (Dustin Johnson is the other). Francesco Molinari (173) — Last season, Molinari was one of two players who ranked inside the top 10 in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green (Dustin Johnson was the other). Round 1 tee time: 4:50 p.m. ET (11:50 a.m. local) Xander Schauffele (2) — Schauffele has made 20 or more birdies in two of his last three events on TOUR. It took him 57 events to record his first three events making 20 or more birdies compared to his last three events where he has recorded 20 or more birdies twice. Rory McIlroy (186) — McIlroy is making his first start at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Since 1997, just three players have won the Sentry making their first appearance at the event (1997 Tiger Woods, 2002 Sergio Garcia, 2008 Daniel Chopra). Round 1 tee time: 5 p.m. ET (Noon local) Webb Simpson (24) – The reigning PLAYERS champion has played a total of 199 rounds since the start of the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season. In those 199 rounds, he has played 20 percent at a score of 66 or better. Simpson’s 40 rounds of 66 or better is the most on TOUR by five rounds. Bubba Watson (N/A) — A big part of Watson’s success in his three-win 2017-18 season was his performance on par 4s and on the greens. Last season, Watson played the par 4s at 46 strokes better than in the 2016-17 season and three-putted once every 38.4 holes compared to once every 28.4 holes the previous season. Round 1 tee time: 5:10 p.m. ET (12:10 p.m. local) Brooks Koepka (4) – Last season’s PGA TOUR Player of the Year led the TOUR in final round scoring average, playing 12 of his 15 final rounds at par or better including two rounds of 63. Keegan Bradley (47) – His win at the BMW Championship was his first on TOUR in 2,227 days. Bradley was one of 11 players to end a victory drought in 2018 of more than 1,600 days between victories on TOUR. Round 1 tee time: 5:20 p.m. ET (12:20 p.m. local) Billy Horschel (53) — Last season, Horschel hit 67.80 percent of his fairways and 71.75 percent of his greens in regulation marking his best Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation Percentage in a season on the PGA TOUR. Justin Thomas (63) — Thomas has played nine of his 12 rounds under par and 10 of 12 of his rounds par or better at the Plantation course at Kapalua. Thomas has a career scoring average of 69.92 at the Sentry. Round 1 tee time: 5:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local) Bryson DeChambeau (8) — In his last five starts, DeChambeau has played 17 rounds under par and has a stroke average of 67.2. Dustin Johnson (146) – In winning last year, Johnson made a field-tying best 23 birdies. Even more impressive is the distance of his average birdie putt made measured less than 5 feet. In the ShotLink era, he’s the only PGA TOUR winner to make more than 20 birdies and average less than five feet (4-10) per birdie putt made. Round 1 tee time: 5:40 p.m. ET (12:40 p.m. local)

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The game’s top players tee it up at Le Golf National just outside of Paris, France, for the 2018 Ryder Cup. The first Ryder Cup was played in 1927 but since 1979 the competition has consisted of two days of four-ball and foursome matches along with one day of singles matches. The 2018 Ryder Cup begins Friday, September 30, here’s what you need to know on the unique team format. WHERE: The location of the Ryder Cup alternates between Europe and the United States. TEAMS: In 2018, U.S. players gain points at every non-opposite PGA TOUR event, World Golf Championships event and major through the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive, which concluded on August 12, 2018. The top eight in the Ryder Cup points standings qualified automatically: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson. The four remaining slots on the U.S. team are captain’s picks by Jim Furyk. The first three were announced following the Dell Technologies Championship: Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Tony Finau became the final captain’s pick on Monday, September 10. The European Team, captained by Thomas Bjørn, is comprised of the first four players from the European Points List, followed by the leading four players from the World Points List and completed by four wild cards. European Points List qualifiers: Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood. World Points List: Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren and Thorbjorn Olesen. Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson were the captain’s picks. FOUR-BALL: Each member of a two-man team plays his own ball, so four balls are in play on every hole. Each team counts the lowest of its two scores on each hole, and the team whose player has the lowest score wins the hole. If the low scores are tied, the hole is halved. FOURSOMES: Each two-man team plays one ball per hole with the players taking turns until each hole is complete. Players alternate hitting tee shots, with one leading off on odd-numbered holes, and the other hitting first on even-numbered holes. The team with the low score on each hole wins that hole. If their scores are tied, the hole is halved. SINGLES: each match features one player from each team. The player with the lower score on each hole wins that hole. If their scores are tied, the hole is halved. Unlike stroke play, players don’t have to complete each hole in match play. If a player concedes a stroke – almost always a putt – to his opponent, the opponent picks up his ball, takes the score he would have made on the next stroke and moves on to the next hole. POINTS SYSTEM: Each match is worth one point, with matches ending in a draw worth 1/2 point to each side. The first team to reach 14 ½ points (of the 28 points available) wins the Ryder Cup. If the matches end in a 14-14 draw, the team holding the Ryder Cup retains it. The United States team is the defending champion headed into the 2018 Ryder Cup. The three days of the matches consist of 28 total matches, each of which is worth one point. There are no extra holes in Ryder Cup matches. Should the two sides be tied after 18 holes, each side earns a halve (1/2 point). 

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