Tiger Woods injured in single-car accident in California

NORTON, Mass. - Measure his golf in any fashion that suits your fancy, but it is difficult to think that you would start with any word beyond ‘consistent' when it comes to praising Justin Thomas. Brilliantly consistent, to tell the truth, and you can peel back impressive layers to find the way in which he captured the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 for being the top-ranked player in the FedExCup standings at the end of the regular season. A quick look at Thomas' accomplishments this season: * The only three-time winner thus far in 2019-20, Thomas has prevailed in each of the three phases to this season - the C.J. CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in South Korea in the fall; the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui in January; and the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational after the three-month break necessitated by the pandemic. * He has finished in the top 10 in nine of his 15 starts, and in the 12 tournaments in which he went 72 holes, Thomas finished outside the top 18 just once, that being a T-37 at the PGA Championship two weeks ago. * Thomas has missed just three cuts this season and only seven since 2017-18. You would have to go back four seasons to the last time he missed consecutive cuts. (Oh, and he followed those three straight by winning the PGA Championship two tournaments later.) Given this penchant for consistency, Thomas is thrilled that it parlayed into the top spot in the Wyndham Rewards, as he had come up short in that regular-season quest in recent years. He was 17th in last year's Wyndham Rewards Top 10, missing out on his piece of the inaugural bonus pool. He answered by taking home the top prize this year. Again, though, Thomas' remarkable consistency has shined in the FedExCup Playoffs to allow him to make up ground. In 11 FedExCup Playoffs events over the last three seasons, Thomas has two wins and seven top-10s. Only twice has he sat outside the Top 5 in FedExCup Playoffs points after those 11 tournaments. That he was able to overcome the small hole he had dug for himself to rally and win the 2016-17 FedExCup is a special memory, but Thomas is taking great pride in this newest achievement - winning the Wyndham Rewards - and putting everyone in pursuit of him. "It's great coming into the start of the Playoffs No. 1," he said Tuesday in advance of THE NORTHERN TRUST at TPC Boston. "Some people might argue that you want to be chasing, but personally, I like my chances a lot more the further up I am." Yes, he knows those words could raise eyebrows and get folks to recall last year's TOUR Championship. Thomas, having started the Playoffs at 17th in the standings, had roared into No. 1, thanks to a share of 12th at THE NORTHERN TRUST and a win at the BMW Championship. He had everyone chasing him, which is what he liked; but he also started the final FedExCup tournament with a two-stroke lead, which unsettled him. "I mean, it was weird," said Thomas of the first year of the Starting Strokes format that was instituted to reward players for their FedExCup standing. As the leader, Thomas was 10 under before hitting a shot, two ahead of the player who was second in the standings (Patrick Cantlay). Those in third, fourth, and fifth position started 7, 6, and 5 under, respectively, and onward down to players ranked 26th to 30th who started at even par. Thomas concedes he didn't handle the new landscape very well. "Nobody in golf can say that they have ever teed it up on Thursday with a two-shot lead and leading the entire field, so I didn't know how to react - and nobody really would." Which isn't to say that Thomas doesn't want to maintain his No. 1 spot into the TOUR Championship in two weeks, because he most certainly does. It's called experience. "I do know that if I get to that spot once (with a two-shot lead) I tee it up on Thursday in Atlanta, I will have a little bit better idea how to handle it," said Thomas. "I didn't go about it the right way, (but) if I put myself in that position again, I'll handle it a lot better." When he opened with an even-par 70, Thomas was still at 10 under, but tied by Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka, who had shot 64 and 67, respectively. By 36 holes, Thomas was 12 under and one behind Koepka, and through 54 he was 11 under and tied for fourth. Rory McIlroy closed with 66 to finish at 18 under and win the FedExCup by four over Schauffele, with Thomas and Koepka tied for third, five back. So, the format might have left a sour taste in his mouth, but Thomas would love another crack at it. He's taken a huge first step by winning his first Wyndham Rewards and given that he's now triumphed 13 times in 148 PGA TOUR starts as a pro, he's also got his colleagues' attention. "Like always, it's very, very hard to compare anyone to Tiger. You could say it's unfair," said Adam Scott, who demonstrated his diplomatic touch, because the truth is, you are foolhardy and reckless to compare anyone to Woods. But from where Scott sits, Thomas is the guy who presents an intriguing picture. After all, at 27 Thomas has already won a major, two WGCs, two FedExCup Playoffs events, on FedExCup and tournaments in South Korea and Malaysia. "Justin Thomas, when his name is on the leaderboard, he seems like a very good closer. I know he's had a couple close calls, but that's what happens when you're up there all the time. You lose a couple, but he's winning a lot." The Wyndham Rewards is the latest to his trophy case. A second FedExCup is next in his sight.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – By his own admission, Rickie Fowler hasn’t played much golf. Maybe that’s a good thing. With no expectations but confident after a season that saw him win The Honda Classic among 10 top-10 finishes, Fowler cruised at El Camaleon. He made six birdies and got up and down five times in five chances to keep a clean card in his first round of the new season. “Touch and feel is a big thing coming off of—I think we’ve had roughly a month off, five weeks or so,â€� Fowler said. “So when the feel is somewhat there, it frees you up to know that you can get away with some missed shots and it allows you to swing a bit freer.â€� The highest ranked player in this week’s field (10th), Fowler hit eight of 14 fairways and 13 greens in regulation. He took 26 putts. The 28-year-old has traditionally started his season in Asia, but he skipped the TOUR’s three-week swing in Malaysia, South Korea and China. That left him looking for a place to play, and he had heard glowing reviews of Mayakoba. He hasn’t been disappointed, soaking up the sun with girlfriend Allison Stokke since Saturday. That Fowler’s game seems so well-suited for the 7,000-yard, par-71 Camaleon course has been a bonus. “I had a really fun pro-am group,â€� he said. “I think they ended up going on to win. My crew started off with a win this week, I might as well finish it for the group on Sunday. “But off to a good start. Definitely want to play well down here being my first showing at Mayakoba. Yeah, I couldn’t really ask for much more today.â€� OBSERVATIONS KIZZIRE CITES DUFNER INFLUENCE. The 6-foot-5, Auburn product Patton Kizzire drove into the bunker and bogeyed 18, but his 62 was still his career low by one. It also continued a torrid early-season run in which Kizzire tied for fourth at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and finished T10 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. One of his best results last season? A T5 with partner Jason Dufner at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. “He’s been a good mentor, a good friend,â€� Kizzire said. “He’s taken me under his wing and shown me a few things. We’ll play practice rounds together occasionally and just hang out. We’ll go to football games together and he’s a good one to pick his brain and to play with because he’s awfully confident.â€� MITCHELL SURPASSES FATHER. Keith Mitchell aced the 200-yard 10th hole with a 6-iron on his first swing of the day. It was only 8:30 a.m., and there were so few people around the green that Mitchell and playing partners Tom Hoge and Rob Oppenheim weren’t sure what had happened. “We heard a small clap,â€� said Mitchell, who went on to shoot 5-under 66. “It was pretty subdued.â€� It was his fourth hole-in-one and first since college, and he wasn’t sure where he stood relative to his dad, Jerry, who had made either three or four in his career. Mitchell, a Web.com Tour grad who missed the cut in his first three starts this season, texted his father in North Carolina and went to lunch. He later texted the PGA TOUR the verdict: “1 up.â€�  GOOSEN TURNS BACK CLOCK. Good results have been few and far between for the two-time U.S. Open winner, who was in a large group at 66 despite making bogey at the par-5 fifth hole. Goosen, 48, opened last season by missing seven straight cuts before finishing T2 at the Puerto Rico Open. He wound up 162nd in the FedExCup, and was 176th in strokes gained: putting (-.425). Thursday saw him hit eight of 14 fairways and 12 greens in regulation. He took 26 putts and looked more like the guy who has won seven times on TOUR. HAPPY NEWS FOR CHINA. Xinjun Zhang eagled the par-5 13th hole to join Goosen in the large group at 5-under 66. Zhang and Marty Dou played their way off the Web.com Tour last season to become the first players from China to earn their cards on the PGA TOUR. Now it’s just a matter of staying there. In three previous starts this season, Zhang had finished T37 at the Safeway Open, T44 at the no-cut World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai and missed the cut at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. NOTABLES GARY WOODLAND – A year after finishing second to Pat Perez at El Camaleon, Woodland was at it again, lurking after a 3-under 68 that included an eagle at the par-5 13th hole. KEVIN CHAPPELL – After a season that saw him win for the first time and make a successful Presidents Cup debut, he shot a 4-under 67. It’s been a good time for UCLA golf grads; Patrick Cantlay picked up his first win at last week’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. FABIAN GOMEZ – He’s the leading Latin American player after firing a 5-under 66. KEN DUKE – Monday qualifier got off to a solid start with a 68. QUOTABLES “We got here on Saturday, but didn’t touch a club until Tuesday.â€� – Rickie Fowler (65) on how he’s been making the most of the extracurricular activities at Mayakoba. “I knew my game was in good shape.â€� – Keith Mitchell (66), who made a quintuple-bogey 9 in round one of last week’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open but missed the cut by just one. SUPERLATIVES Streaks: Kizzire birdied holes 8-13, bogeyed 18, and signed for a 62. Easiest hole: The 532-yard, par-5 13th. Among the leaders, only Martin Piller (66) failed to make at least a birdie there. Xinjun Zhang (66) was one of a handful of players who eagled the hole. Shot of the day: Mitchell’s hole-in-one on his first shot of the day was the eighth in tournament history, and the second time a player has started the OHL Classic at Mayakoba with an ace. Thomas Aiken did the same thing in 2015, also on the 10th hole and also with a 6-iron. CALL OF THE DAY SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – Magnolia Lane. Amen Corner. Butler Cabin. “Hello, friends.â€� The Season of Championships continues with the year’s first major. This week’s Masters has a field of 87 players from 22 countries, with six amateurs and 17 first-timers at Augusta National. A couple of guys named Nicklaus and Player will get it all started with their ceremonial first tee shots Thursday morning. THE FLYOVER Don’t be surprised if the 18th green utilizes a new hole location this week. Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said the recent rebuild of that green has “recaptured some areas on the back part of the green that had been lost to encroachment. … The back right, I think, is going to give us an opportunity for a really good hole location. There’s plenty of room back there, but it kind of looks like it’s almost tucked, almost in the bunker, when you’re in the fairway.â€� Ridley said he received some positive feedback during Tuesday’s Champions dinner. Of course, before reaching the green, players must first find the fairway on this uphill dogleg right hole protected by two fairway bunkers on the left. Two more bunkers guard the green. LANDING ZONE Statistically, the hardest hole at Augusta National is the 495-yard par-4 10th. Since 1942 when the Masters began calculating stroke averages per hole, the 10th has played at 0.31 strokes over par. But it’s not the longest par 4 on the course – the 505-yard 11th has played to a cumulative average of 0.30 strokes over par. And in recent years, the 11th has been more difficult than the 10th. The last time the 10th was the most difficult hole was in 2001; since then, the 11th has ranked as the most difficult 11 times, including last year when it played to a stroke average of 4.400 (compared to the 10th’s 4.082, which was its lowest average in tournament history). Here’s a look at the 11th, which starts Amen Corner. WEATHER CHECK From the Masters official forecast: “Thursday’s first round will feature partly cloudy skies, while clouds increase later in the day. Easterly winds at 6-12 mph in the morning, turn southeast at 10-15 mph during the afternoon with gusts up to 20 mph possible late day. A warm front lifts into the area on Friday, bringing a chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms. The front hangs just to the north on Saturday, keeping isolated showers in the forecast. The main cold front associated with this system is expected to approach Sunday afternoon, bringing increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms. After a breezy Friday with gusts of 15-20 mph possible, winds settle down for Saturday, and then pick back up ahead of the front on Sunday when the strongest winds of the week are expected.â€� For the latest weather news from Augusta, Georgia, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK This event, is so different, and is so unique. It’s pure golf. You know, it’s just player and caddie out there playing. We’re prepping together and there’s no other distractions inside the ropes. BY THE NUMBERS (AMEN CORNER EDITION) 3.63 – Jon Rahm’s stroke average at the par-4 11th in eight career rounds. That’s the lowest of any player in the field. 2.96 – Hideki Matsuyama’s stroke average at the par-3 12th in 26 career rounds. That’s the lowest of any player in the field with 25-plus rounds at Augusta National. 4.24 – Phil Mickelson’s stroke average at the par-5 13th in 98 career rounds. That’s the lowest of any player with a minimum of 25 rounds at Augusta National. In case you’re wondering, Tiger Woods’ stroke average at that hole in 82 career rounds is 4.39. SCATTERSHOTS Need a fast start: If you’re not in the top 10 after Thursday’s first round, you can probably forget about winning a green jacket. Since 2006, every winner has been T-10 or better after 18 holes. The last player who wasn’t? Tiger Woods, who opened with a 74 in 2005, which had him sitting T-33 on Thursday night. Woods rallied the next day, shooting 66 and was solo third headed into the weekend. “Obviously you’ve got to get off to a good start in a major and at least build some confidence and kind of get it rolling,â€� said Brooks Koepka, winner of three of the last seven majors but still searching for his first Masters victory. Mickelson’s 100th: On Friday, Phil Mickelson will play his 100th round at Augusta National. “I didn’t even know that until you brought it up,â€� he said when asked about it on Tuesday. “I’ve been fortunate to play a lot of rounds here, and I cherish and love every one of them, even the practice rounds.â€� Challenging prep work. With two inches of rain falling on Augusta National since the start of this week, the course has played softer and the greens have been slower during practice rounds. But with Augusta National’s sub-air system, and no rain expected until Friday, the course conditions could be completely different for Thursday’s first round. That means the players will need to lean on previous experience than on this week’s prep work. “Gotta pull on a lot of history,â€� said Brandt Snedeker. “… Kind of a little tough to get fully prepared.â€� Softer conditions=more contenders. Jordan Spieth said that softer conditions at Augusta National might widen the number of players who could win the tournament. “I think there’s less strategy when it’s softer,â€� he said. Spieth won in soft conditions in 2015, but he’s also contended in firm conditions in 2014, his first Masters start when he tied for second. “I think either way, you just have to step up and play some really good golf,â€� he said. FedExCup leaders: All 30 players who qualified for last year’s TOUR Championship are in this week’s field. In addition, 24 of the top 30 players in the current standings will tee off Thursday, including Corey Conners, who moved from 64th to 13th in the standings after winning the Valero Texas Open. Just two players have won the Masters after winning the PGA TOUR’s event the previous week – Sandy Lyle in 1998 and Phil Mickelson in 2006.

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