Tiger says he’s pain-free after back issues

Hilary Watson, wife of World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson, passed away Wednesday night after a 2-1/2 year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 63. “Hilary was a very special person – bright, principled, accomplished and she had a gift of uplifting those around her,â€� former PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said. “And when Hilary set out to do something, she did it successfully. I’ll always remember the stories of her rodeo days, where she won all sorts of medals and ribbons, even after her illness. Most of all, Hilary was a wonderful mate for Tom, we could all see that. My heart goes out to Tom and his family at this difficult time.â€� The Watsons were married in 1999. Hilary was first diagnosed in October 2017 after experiencing pain in her abdomen. She eventually underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and then surgery in May 2018 to remove a tumor. Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. According to pancreatic.org, for all stages combined, 91% of pancreatic cancer patients die within five years of diagnosis. Yet the illness did not keep Hilary from participating in cutting horse competitions. In 2018, she finished fourth in the National Cutting Horse Association amateur rider of the year finals and followed that with a fifth-place finish in 2019. “I keep popping up where people are thinking, ‘What are you doing? Why are you here?’â€� she told the Kansas City Star newspaper in 2018. “I think that’s what kept me going through all of that, having those shows and being enthusiastic and excited about doing something. “Whether I’m feeling good or not, I was going to still get on that horse. And have some fun doing it. That’s been a godsend for me.â€� This summer, after playing in his last Senior Open, Tom Watson said he was looking forward to spending more time with his wife. “Really happy now doing something a little bit different with my life,â€� said Watson, who won 39 times (including eight majors) in his PGA TOUR career, and an additional 14 times on PGA TOUR Champions. “Being with my wife, Hilary, who loves to ride the horses, and I love to ride the horses, and we’re going to do something different now.â€� Former PGA of America president Ted Bishop, who convinced Tom Watson to captain the U.S. team at the 2014 Ryder Cup, paid tribute to Hilary Watson. “Tom will tell you that Hilary was his hero. … and for many reasons. How these two people dealt with the devastation of the worst that cancer can 
muster up is truly an inspiration to us all,â€� Bishop wrote on Facebook. “Hilary was a beautiful woman who was also one of the fiercest competitors who ever lived. Tom is an eight-time major champion golfer, but more so a man who has always dealt with adversity in amazing ways. It’s a sad day, but Hilary’s fight is over and she leaves us with many beautiful memories.â€� Hilary Watson is survived by her husband Tom and her children, Kyle Charles, Kelly Paige and Ross Donald; her stepchildren, Meg Carr and Michael Watson; and two sisters, Alicia Korte and Christine Holton. According to golfchannel.com, the family will hold a memorial service Dec. 4 in Leawood, Kansas at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be given to the Children’s Bereavement Camp of Crossroads Hospice Kansas or to United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

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IRVING, Texas – The PGA TOUR returns to Texas this week for the AT&T Byron Nelson, which is being played for the last time at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas, the tournament’s host course since 1983. Next year, the event will move to its new home at Trinity Forest Golf Club near downtown Dallas. “Celebrating our 35-year partnership with the Irving community and the Four Seasons is the big theme of this year’s tournament,” said Tim Costello, 2017 AT&T Byron Nelson Tournament Chair. “The best part of our longtime partnership is the impact it’s had on our community, helping raise more than $150 million for Momentous Institute, impacting over 100,000 lives.” The celebration includes a strong field, with four of the world’s top six players – No. 1 Dustin Johnson, No. 4 Jason Day, No. 5 Sergio Garcia and No. 6 Jordan Spieth, the local resident. Garcia not only is the defending champion, but a two-time winner of this event (he also won in 2004). This will be the first time Garcia’s fans in Dallas will have a chance to watch him as the reigning Masters champ. PGA TOUR LIVE will have 42 hours of live coverage during the four-day event. Coverage of the first two rounds will be from 8 a.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET, while the final two rounds will be 8 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET, with a mixture of morning Featured Groups and afternoon Featured Holes (the par-4 14th and the par-3 17th). The broadcast also will be available on Twitter from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. ET on Thursday and Friday. Here’s a look at the Featured Groups (current FedExCup ranking in parentheses): Thursday Brooks Koepka (14), Jason Dufner (57), Ian Poulter (58). Dufner won here in 2012, draining a 23-1/2 foot putt on the final hole. Koepka lost in a playoff to Garcia last year. Poulter is making the most of his recent exempt status change, coming off a tie for second at THE PLAYERS Championship that elevated him 117 spots in the world rankings. Tee time: 8:40 a.m. ET. Jordan Spieth (7), Brandt Snedeker (43), Matt Kuchar (52). Spieth’s best result in his hometown event remains his first one, when he finished tied for 16th as a 16-year-old, having entered the final round in contention to win. Kuchar generally plays well here; his solo third last year was his third-top-10 finish in his last six starts at TPC Four Seasons. Snedeker’s tie for sixth last year was his best here. Tee time: 8:50 a.m. ET. Friday Dustin Johnson (1), Louis Oosthuizen (32), Cody Gribble (47). While Johnson, the FedExCup points leader, hasn’t won in his last two starts after reeling off three straight wins, he’s still playing well, as he tied for 12th last week at TPC Sawgrass. He’s also played well at TPC Four Seasons, with six straight top-20 finishes, including four top 10s. Oosthuizen was in contention last week at THE PLAYERS, finishing tied for second. Gribble, another Dallas native, is making his second start here. Tee time: 8:40 a.m. ET. Sergio Garcia (13), Patrick Reed (84), Jason Day (106). Garcia and Day are past winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson; Day won his first TOUR event here in 2010 and followed with two more top-10s. He’s making his first start here since 2013. The Texas-born Reed is also playing here for the first time since 2013. Garcia is the only multiple winner of this event in which both wins were at TPC Four Seasons. Tee time: 8:50 a.m. ET.

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Matthew Wolff, Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau are tied for the lead at 15 under after three rounds of the inaugural 3M Open, with Wolff and Morikawa both looking for their first PGA Tour victory.

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