Will Zalatoris shoots 61 after making seven consecutive birdies

KAPALUA, Hawaii – Kevin Tway is listed as a Sentry Tournament of Champions rookie but his preparation at the Plantation Course in Kapalua started 15 years ago as a 16-year-old kid. Tway, son of eight-time PGA TOUR winner Bob, opened his first tournament round at the venue with an impressive 7-under 66 for the early lead on Thursday despite being sick with an ear and sinus infection. Generally first timers don’t do great at Kapalua but Tway recalled some important reconnaissance from his teenage years. After winning the 2003 RBC Canadian Open, Bob had his ticket to Maui for early 2004 and decided to bring the family out a week early for a vacation and extended preparation. But a freak injury meant it was Kevin doing all the prep work. “It’s weird, we came a week early and I played with dad the whole week before, but on one hole dad took a huge divot and a centipede had come up from the ground and he went to flick it away and it stung him,â€� Tway recalled. “His finger swelled up to like the size of a golf club grip, so he couldn’t play that entire week, so he just watched me play the course. He was just kind of watching me play for his preparation.â€� Teenage Kevin went home to return to school before the tournament proper but after claiming the Safeway Open this season for his first PGA TOUR title he returns to Kapalua playing for real. Running third in the FedExCup, Tway was forced to pull out of the pro-am after a few holes Wednesday after feeling “like I was walking on a water bed.â€� But it didn’t hold him back on Thursday as he knocked in a seven birdies in a blemish free day. “When you’re making a lot of birdies it makes everything better. I was just trying to drink a lot of water. But I didn’t think I was going to play that good, to be honest … still a little dizzy,â€� he said. “I hit the ball well, kept the ball in play, made a few putts, controlled my ball in the wind. “It’s windy where I’m from in Oklahoma so it’s kind of like I was at home. Each shot’s difficult so you’re just focused on the trajectory and where I need to land it and where I need to miss it.â€�

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AUSTIN, Texas – Atmosphere (www.atmosphere.tv), the worldwide leader in streaming TV entertainment for businesses, today announced a content agreement with the PGA TOUR to bring both highlights and dedicated golf programming to the Atmosphere platform and its audience of 60 million monthly viewers. “Atmosphere has built an innovative platform with significant reach along with an active, engaged audience,” said Norb Gambuzza, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of Media and Gaming. “We’re extremely excited to work with Atmosphere to deliver a dedicated PGA TOUR channel onto its platform with a goal of engaging more fans.” Launching today, the channel features a mix of tournament coverage highlights, tournament recaps and footage from the PGA TOUR’s most iconic moments. Additionally, the PGA TOUR’s highlights will be played on Atmosphere Sports, the platform’s popular sports news channel. The partnership is the latest in Atmosphere’s continued growth into sports throughout 2022, starting with the launch of Atmosphere Sports in March and continuing in September with RealMadrid TV, a channel dedicated to one of Europe’s most popular football teams and which features live matches. “With golf being one of the most watched sports in the world, we’re immensely proud to be partnering with the PGA TOUR to provide businesses with a viewing experience tailored to their spaces,” says Blake Sabatinelli, Chief Operating Officer at Atmosphere. “The addition of golf to our platform has been one of the biggest requests of our fans, but also one of the hardest to obtain, so to have the world’s most competitive golf tour on Atmosphere shows just how far we’ve come in 2022, and how much further we can grow in 2023.” Atmosphere is available in over 45,000 venues worldwide across restaurants & bars, gyms and health clubs, medical waiting rooms and more. Optimized for viewing in public spaces, Atmosphere’s engaging content encompasses viral video compilations, news and sports coverage, lifestyle, extreme sports, art, and ambient nature, designed to complement every business environment. Atmosphere’s self-service ad portal also provides streaming customers with the ability to run promotions to its captive customers within the content for free. For more information, visit the Atmosphere website. Follow Atmosphere on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

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ATLANTA – The fans were understandably beside themselves, but they were not the best measure of Tiger Woods’ red-hot start, 6-under for the first seven holes as he shot a third-round 65 to take a three-shot lead at the TOUR Championship at East Lake. No, his fellow players were the best measure. They couldn’t help but look away from their own games to see what all the commotion was about. “Unbelievable,â€� said Tony Finau (67, T6). “It really is. I was looking at the board and it said 6 under through seven; that’s incredible. I played a practice round with him Tuesday and, you know, his ball-striking ability is incredible and you know when he’s making some putts he’s going to make some noise.â€� Woods distanced himself from playing partner Justin Rose (68) and even Rory McIlroy, who was one of three players to shoot 66 and is tied with Rose at 9 under, three back. Kyle Stanley (67) and Jon Rahm (68) were tied for fourth at 6 under, six behind. “The crowds were electric because of it,â€� Rose said of Woods’ hot start. “He was running the tables there. He was hitting good shots and making the conversion putts.â€�  Somehow, Rose regrouped, refusing to let the pandemonium throw him off his game. Still, many others were left shaking their heads at Woods’ front-nine 30, which included a bogey at the brutally hard, 230-yard, par-3 9th hole. “He was 6 under through seven on, I think, the tougher (nine),â€� said Paul Casey (66, T6). “I tend not to pay much attention to what’s going on most of the time, but I’ll be honest, it’s been a while since we’ve seen that sort of display from Tiger, so it’s kind of cool to pay attention to it.â€� With each sonic boomlet that went up over East Lake, Casey and his caddie, John McLaren, looked at each other and smiled, trying to deduce just how low Woods was going. “We heard the roar when he was obviously on one,â€� Casey continued. “We’re like, ‘Oh, what’s he done there?’ Then another roar, and then he was 10 under and I was like, ‘Hang on, I’ve missed one somewhere.’ It was cool. I mean we all want to win, but when you’re bumbling around at 3- or 4-under-par and he’s now 10, now you’re a spectator, almost.â€� Woods had a much less exciting back nine, making one birdie and one bogey. Afterward, even he was left shaking his head at his turbo-charged front nine. “Yeah, I got off to a nice start there,â€� Woods said. “I made some nice putts. Good Lord. I left myself in good spots, too, so I was able to take a run at some of the putts. Other than No. 3, every putt was uphill, so it was nice. I felt like I could free-wheel it, and they went in.â€� Woods hit 10 of 14 fairways, a key stat at East Lake, and for the third straight day made over 100 feet of putts. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (+5.104). OBSERVATIONS MCILROY EYES BIG FINAL-ROUND PAIRING: The final twosome on the final day of the TOUR Championship at East Lake will offer a study in contrasts, although each man wears the same brand of clothing and each has won the TOUR Championship and the FedExCup. Tiger Woods is making everything, and is first in Strokes Gained: Putting (+5.104). Rory McIlroy is making nothing, and is 23rd in SG: Putting (-1.711). “I gave myself plenty of chances,â€� McIlroy said, “and I think the biggest thing today was only just that one bogey, and it was a silly bogey from the middle of the (seventh) fairway, as well. “Five birdies out there, one bogey, it’s playing tough,â€� he added. “Got to put your ball in the fairway, put yourself in position, and for the most part, I did that today.â€� McIlroy, who hit 8/14 fairways, hasn’t won since the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard early this season. Woods hasn’t won since the 2013 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, but he is 42 for 44 (95 percent) at closing out a victory when he has the outright 54-hole lead. “Look, he’s a notoriously great front-runner,â€� McIlroy said, “but if I go out and I play similar tomorrow like I did today, I’ll have no complaints.â€� NOTABLES JON RAHM – Missed a 10-footer for birdie on 18, but still has an outside chance after signing for his third straight 68 to get to 6 under, T4 with Kyle Stanley (67) six shots back. BROOKS KOEPKA – Chased a surprising second-round 78 with a 67. PHIL MICKELSON – Shot 76 and is in last, continuing to prove this isn’t the place to miss fairways. He’s at 42.86 percent driving accuracy for the week, and -1.959 Strokes Gained: Putting. DUSTIN JOHNSON – Three-time winner this season was as good as he’s been all week while posting 67 to get to 4-under total and T8. Birdied four of his last six holes. PATRICK REED – Masters champion’s struggles here continued with a 72 (+8 total). BRYSON DECHAMBEAU – FedExCup No. 1 and two-time Playoffs winner found some game as he hit 8/14 fairways, his best of the week, and holed out from the fairway for eagle at the 17th hole while shooting a 4-under 66. He’s still 2-over for the week, though. QUOTABLES He was running the tables.He’s a notoriously great front-runner.I’ve heard the roars all day … what an atmosphere. SUPERLATIVES Low round: 5-under 65 by Tiger Woods, his second of the week. Longest drive: 368 yards (Jason Day/No. 3) Longest putt: 77’ 1â€� (Keegan Bradley/No. 13 for birdie) Toughest hole: The 230-yard par-3 9th (3.300). Easiest hole: The 533-yard par-5 6th (4.167) had four eagles, 17 birdies and no bogeys. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the final round of the TOUR Championship, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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