Gone to Play Golf

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterMar 11, 2024, 07:50 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Open Extended Reactions PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The PGA Tour finally got what it wanted at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill this past week

ESPN News Services Mar 10, 2024, 06:21 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ORLANDO, Fla. — Scottie Scheffler became the No. 1 player in golf with his sublime tee-to-green game. He got hot with the putter Sunday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and was simply unstoppable. Scheffler made every important putt to build a three-shot lead

Associated Press Mar 10, 2024, 08:45 PM ET Open Extended Reactions TUCSON, Ariz. — Joe Durant took advantage of Stewart Cink‘s back-nine meltdown to win the Cologuard Classic on Sunday for his fifth PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 4-under 67 to beat three players by 2 strokes. The 59-year-old Durant rebounded from a

Mar 10, 2024, 02:16 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Matteo Manassero carded a final-round 66 to claim his first victory on the DP World Tour in 11 years with a 3-shot win at the Jonsson Workwear Open on Sunday. Manassero is back on the tour for the first time in five years, having lost his

Associated Press Mar 10, 2024, 06:50 AM ET Open Extended Reactions HONG KONG — Abraham Ancer regained just enough of the composure that helped him pull out to a five-stroke lead after two rounds to beat Cameron Smith and Paul Casey in a playoff and win the inaugural LIV Golf tournament in Hong Kong on

Associated Press Mar 9, 2024, 07:11 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ORLANDO, Fla. — Scottie Scheffler was 6 shots behind, losing ground and nearly losing his cool on another tough day at Bay Hill. What saved him was his putter — yes, his putter — that allowed him to end Saturday with a share of

Associated Press Mar 9, 2024, 06:15 AM ET Open Extended Reactions SANYA, China — Lydia Ko and Bailey Tardy each shot 6-under 66s on Saturday and joined Sarah Schmelzel, who finished with a 69, to top the leaderboard after the third round of the Blue Bay LPGA on China’s southern island of Hainan. Ruixin Liu

Associated Press Mar 8, 2024, 07:57 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ORLANDO, Fla. — Shane Lowry set the target Friday at Bay Hill, and as tough as the course plays, he would not have imagined how much company he would have at the top in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Scottie Scheffler chipped in for eagle

Associated Press Mar 8, 2024, 08:07 PM ET Open Extended Reactions RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Joe Highsmith did his best to create some separation in the Puerto Rico Open on Friday, making a pair of late birdies to get the lead before darkness prevented the rain-delayed second round from being completed. Highsmith, the 23-year-old

Associated Press Mar 8, 2024, 06:35 AM ET Open Extended Reactions SANYA, China — Narin An shot a 7-under 65 on Friday to join Sarah Schmeizel in the lead after the second round of the Blue Bay LPGA on China’s southern island of Hainan. Both golfers had a 9-under total of 135 to sit one

Associated Press Mar 7, 2024, 06:46 PM ET Open Extended Reactions RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Rookie Joe Highsmith shot a bogey-free, 7-under 65 on Thursday to share the early first-round lead with veteran Scott Piercy at the weather-delayed Puerto Rico Open. Play was stopped for nearly two hours in the afternoon because of heavy

Associated Press Mar 7, 2024, 07:25 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ORLANDO, Fla. — Shane Lowry knew he was playing good golf because he gave himself a chance to win last week. He also knew his record at Bay Hill was as bad as any course he has played. Good form won out Thursday in

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterMar 6, 2024, 09:46 PM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Open Extended Reactions The Masters — the first major championship of the men’s professional golf season — is only 35 days away, and it can’t get here

ESPN News Services Mar 6, 2024, 07:37 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Former world No. 1 Jon Rahm said the Official World Golf Ranking system is no longer fit for its purpose, making his comments a day after LIV Golf formally withdrew its application to have players receive world ranking points from its tournaments. LIV

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterMar 6, 2024, 07:53 PM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Open Extended Reactions In a move that perhaps strengthens Jay Monahan’s future with the PGA Tour and ensures that Tiger Woods will have an increased role in

Paolo Uggetti, ESPNMar 6, 2024, 10:15 AM ET Open Extended Reactions FOR WILL ZALATORIS, the walk up to the Riviera Country Club clubhouse two weeks ago carried with it a wide range of emotions. Every step was as much a point of pride as it was a reminder of a feeling he knows well, but

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterMar 5, 2024, 08:51 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Open Extended Reactions The LIV Golf League has withdrawn its application for recognition from the Official World Golf Ranking, LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman told

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterMar 3, 2024, 08:05 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Open Extended Reactions Tiger Woods hasn’t yet said whether he will compete in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass — the so-called fifth major — later this

Associated Press Mar 3, 2024, 08:51 AM ET Open Extended Reactions KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, Saudi Arabia — Joaquin Niemann won his second LIV Golf title in three starts, closing with a 4-under 66 on Sunday at LIV Golf Jeddah for a 4-shot victory over Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. Niemann now has three wins

Associated Press Mar 4, 2024, 11:14 AM ET Open Extended Reactions PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Austin Eckroat waited a long time to become a winner on the PGA Tour. Another day didn’t hurt. Eckroat got the first victory of his tour career Monday, topping Erik van Rooyen and Min Woo Lee by 3 shots

ESPN News Services Mar 3, 2024, 01:11 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Despite finishing 33 strokes back, Anthony Kim opted to take an optimistic view following his last-place finish in LIV Golf Jeddah in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. The 38-year-old Kim, who admittedly was dealing with significant rust in his game as he

Associated Press Mar 3, 2024, 07:04 PM ET Open Extended Reactions PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Austin Eckroat left PGA National with a share of the lead Saturday. He left with the outright lead Sunday. He’ll have to come back Monday to finish the job at the Cognizant Classic. A Monday finish awaits at PGA

Associated Press Mar 3, 2024, 10:48 AM ET Open Extended Reactions EASTERN CAPE, South Africa — Jordan Gumberg, an American ranked No. 669, was a surprise winner of the SDC Championship on the European tour Sunday when he beat Robin Williams in a playoff. The final round only went to a playoff after Williams made

Associated Press Mar 3, 2024, 02:03 AM ET Open Extended Reactions SINGAPORE — Hannah Green made a stunning 30-foot birdie at the final hole to clinch a one-stroke victory over Celine Boutier at the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Women’s World Championship on Sunday. Green made six birdies, three of which came in the final three holes,

Associated Press Mar 2, 2024, 06:45 PM ET Open Extended Reactions PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Shane Lowry nearly won at PGA National two years ago. The Irishman has given himself a big chance to get a victory here Sunday. Lowry, David Skinns and Austin Eckroat were tied for the lead Saturday after the third

Associated Press Mar 2, 2024, 10:29 AM ET Open Extended Reactions KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, Saudi Arabia — Joaquin Niemann took six holes to get going Saturday and then ran off six birdies on his way to a 6-under 64, giving him a 2-shot lead in LIV Golf Jeddah as he goes for his second

Associated Press Mar 2, 2024, 01:52 AM ET Open Extended Reactions SINGAPORE — Ayaka Furue of Japan took a two-stroke lead after three rounds of the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Women’s World Championship with a 4-under 68 on Saturday. The 23-year-old Furue, who won the Women’s Scottish Open in her first year on tour in 2022,

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterMar 1, 2024, 09:30 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Open Extended Reactions After a nearly 12-year hiatus from professional golf, Anthony Kim‘s return went about as well as one could have expected in the first round

Associated Press Mar 1, 2024, 06:31 AM ET Open Extended Reactions SINGAPORE — Six-time LPGA Tour winner Celine Boutier had a bogey-free round of 8-under 64 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the HSBC Women’s World Championship. The 30-year-old French player had a two-round total of 7-under 137 on the

Field Level Media Feb 29, 2024, 03:34 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Angela Stanford received an exemption on Thursday to compete in the Chevron Championship, marking her 98th straight appearance in a major tournament. The event is set for April 18-21 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. It will be the