Tiger’s but back, but for how long?

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PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Adam Scott has dealt with rain at Riviera Country Club before, so he knew it was all about fresh socks on a marathon Genesis Open Friday. The 2005 winner of the event – which is deemed unofficial as it came after just 36 rain affected holes and a playoff with Chad Campbell – joined former FedExCup champion Justin Thomas on top of the leaderboard midway through the second round. Having not started their assault on Riviera Country Club until Friday morning thanks to heavy rains on Thursday the pair shot 5-under 66s in the morning before facing a quick turnaround for the second round. Both players were five deep again in their second trip around to move to 10 under, with Thomas through 12 and Scott through 11 holes. J.B. Holmes sits third at nine under through nine holes of his second round. Holmes’ 8-under 63 was the best score of the opening round. Luke List (15 holes) and Jordan Spieth (yet to start round two) are the next best at seven under. With less than 30 minutes between rounds on Friday, Scott was quick to point to a small veteran move as to how he dealt with the continuing wet conditions. Fresh socks. “You always feel better with fresh feet,â€� Scott grinned while holding up the wet pair from earlier in the day at his locker. “It’s a good veteran move, and it helped me carry over the momentum from the morning.â€� Despite his lone bogey over 29 holes coming from the three-putt, Scott continued a trend of putting well at Riviera Country Club. “I just like the greens. Like I think I’m a good putter from above the hole and a crappy putter from under the hole, and I seem to hit it just above the hole and I drip them in nicely,â€� he added. But while the Australian was putting well, Thomas was putting better. His efforts certainly caught the eye of playing partner and tournament host Tiger Woods who incidentally struggled on the greens to sit one under. “It was just amazing how well and how good JT putted today, he made everything,â€� Woods said of Thomas. “He made tough conditions look easy.â€� Thomas led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting over the completed first round and sat second in the field midway through his second round. If he hadn’t of lost a ball in a tree during the afternoon, he’d likely lead the tournament outright. “I’m striking it well. I putted really well today, which is nice, and I just, when I hit it in the rough or I hit it in trouble, I’m just kind of getting it around the green or getting it on the green,â€� Thomas said. MUST READS Putter haunts Tiger Woods opening round at Riviera Bridgestone’s new e12 Soft and e12 Speed golf balls designed for feel and distance Tiger, Phil keep pushing each other Cameron Champ’s grandfather helped pave the way 50 years later, Sifford’s cigar-less victory still resonates in L.A. “I just managed my emotions really well today and tried not to let the weather get to me.â€� It is an attitude he hopes to continue when he returns for the 7:00 a.m. local restart. “It’s hard playing 30 holes, but it’s really hard when it’s raining and it’s soft. My legs are tired, so I just need to go home and rest and get some food and try to go to sleep as early as I can because tomorrow’s the potential to be another long day,â€� Thomas said. Scott said he has a few more veteran moves up his sleeve heading to what shapes as a very long weekend… not that he will reveal all of them just yet. “The challenge is keeping the momentum. It’s a whole new day, starting fresh. You warm up and see what side of the bed you wake up on kind of deal,â€� Scott said. “The key again, just like when I changed rounds today or in between rounds, is to go out and keep that momentum going and not lose it, so I think that will be the goal for the rest of the weekend. “If I can finish off this nine holes really good tomorrow and turn it around for the afternoon and play some more good golf, I’ll be right there for Sunday.â€� Only if he changes his socks of course.

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Perspective needs a refocus. That is one of the many byproducts to the pandemic that has enveloped our world and created excruciating fear and pain. That view of the Waste Management Phoenix Open from two months ago, for instance. You likely have a vision of the enclosed stadium at the par-3 16th, the incomparable hijinks and one-of-a-kind merriment that generates layers of attention and entertainment. It is unique, it is loud, and it is dynamic. But right now, it is incumbent upon you to look at it differently. Perhaps refocus with a filter of the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley or any of the other four groups in dire need of help during this coronavirus crisis that were gifted charitable dollars to by what is at the heart and soul of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The Thunderbirds. They aren’t ever on that stage at No. 16, but they are somewhere far more important. Standing in the shadows, supporting of their community always, but especially in a time of urgent need. Like right now. “It highlights their generosity, that in this pandemic they’re thinking of others, thinking of those who need it most,� said Webb Simpson. Back on Feb. 2, Simpson defeated Tony Finau in a playoff, winning the WMPO with a closing rush of birdies. Simpson and Finau, and everyone else at TPC Scottsdale, were basked in sunshine that day, but nearly two months later we are all gripped by uncertainty. Simpson, however, is sure of this: “That I love the (Waste Management) Phoenix Open for many reasons.� Those reasons increased exponentially last week when it was announced that the Thunderbirds Council had approved a gift of $1 million to charities that had been severely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the initial gifts went to the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley, St. Mary’s Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul. The Thunderbirds followed up this week with donations to both the The Human Services Campus and Family Promise of Greater Phoenix. Impressive as the number is, it is even more so when you consider this: That this was “emergency community funding,� said Chance Cozby “and outside of the charitable funds that the Thunderbirds Charity will donate from the tournament. That giving is still to come.� Cozby, the Executive Director of the WMPO and “Big Chief� of the Thunderbirds, had announced weeks ago that this year’s tournament would generate $14 million to Arizona charities. That the Thunderbirds Council – which manages the Thunderbirds Charity – at its monthly meeting agreed to keep that number intact and earmark another $1 million in immediate emergency assistance adds yet another glowing chapter to the history of this philanthropic group that dates to 1937. But it was community need, not applause, that led the Thunderbirds Council to act. “People needed help, and as quickly as we could offer it,� said Cozby, who used the Boys and Girls Club as a shining example. “Many kids in the valley have parents who are considered to have ‘essential jobs.’ Maybe they’re firefighters or first-responders, but in any case, these kids need a place to go. It takes about $105,000 to keep the Boys and Girls Club open for a week, so that’s a lot of money.� Similarly, Cozby said The Human Services Campus feeds and nourishes the homeless in downtown Phoenix. That need takes on a greater urgency during a crisis and it registered with the Thunderbirds Council. Ditto the opportunity to purchase 32 mattresses for the Family Promise of Greater Phoenix charity. “When you look at all that has happened, we know we are fortunate because our tournament was played; it’s over,� said Cozby. “We can look in the rear-view mirror. It’s all so unbelievable.� But instead of resting on yet another annual success, Cozby, his WMPO team, and the Thunderbirds stepped up. The move to offer $1 million in emergency charitable funds deserves a standing ovation, but Cozby would prefer it ignite a spark in the philanthropic arenas and remind people that the PGA TOUR has surpassed the $3 billion mark in charitable giving. “We weren’t looking for recognition for this. We wanted zero,� Coxby said. “But we looked at it and thought if we could offer a feel-good story, maybe offer hope at a time when there hasn’t been much, then that would be worth it.� These are, he concedes, challenging days, unprecedented times. But Cozby is of brilliant golf pedigree and knows what the sport and the PGA TOUR are capable of. His father, Jerry, is a member of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame, a legendary club pro whose three sons – Cary, Craig, and Chance – all played at the University of Oklahoma and the quality and character run deep in this family. “I’ve always felt that the PGA TOUR was one of the best, if not the best, at using its platform to raise charitable dollars for the community,� said Cozby. “So, if (providing $1 million in emergency funds) inspires others to give more, then it’s a win for the game of golf in general.�

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