Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

PGA Tour Brunch

PGA Tees-It-Up at Colonial

by

DALLAS/FORT WORTH – Dallas native and University of Texas alum Scottie Scheffler was the hottest golfer in the Rio Grande as he won his first four PGA Tour titles in a span of six starts but that came to a grinding halt when he missed the cut at the PGA Championship last week. It marked his second missed cut of the season and first of the calendar year. He will be making his third start in the Charles Schwab Challenge (MC/2021, T-55/2020).

Reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Will Zalatoris enters the week after earning his fifth Top-10 in his eighth major championship start. The PGA Championship playoff marked the Dallas native’s second playoff appearance of the season (2022 Farmers Insurance Open).

In bid to become the first major championship winner from Chile, third-round PGA Championship leader Mito Pereira finished T-3 in his second career major start. The PGA rookie will be making his Charles Schwab Challenge debut in his 29th career start.

A year ago, Jason Kokrak defeated Jordan Spieth by two strokes to earn Kokrak’s second career PGA Tour victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Kokrak was the first player since Francesco Molinari (2017-18) to win their first two TOUR titles in the same season at age 35 or older. Kokrak will attempt to become only the second player to successfully defend their title in Fort Worth, Ben Hogan did it on two occasions (1946-1947, 1952-1953).

Most Top-10s in Texas on the PGA TOUR (Since 2013)

Jordan Spieth 16

Matt Kuchar 13

Ryan Palmer 9

Charles Howell II 8

Charley Hoffman 8

Dustin Johnson 8

Charles Schwab Challenge | Tournament Facts

COURSE: The Colonial Club

YARDS/PAR: 7,209 yards/Par 70

ARCHITECT(S): John Bredemus/Perry Maxwell

PRIZE Money – Purse/Winner’s Share: $8,400,000/$1,512,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Jason Kokrak

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @CSChallengeFW

TV COVERAGE: The first two rounds (today and May 27) are scheduled for coverage from 4:00pm to 7:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel. On Saturday and Sunday, coverage is set for 2:00pm to 5:30pm (ET) on Golf Channel and 5:00 to 7:00pm (ET) on CBS.

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage will be featured on ESPN-Plus today and Friday with Main Feed, Featured Hole and Featured Groups from 8:15am to 4:00pm (ET). Weekend times for ESPN+ streaming run from 9:00am to 7:00pm (ET).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live coverage of the PGA Championship with broadcasts beginning at 1:00pm to 7:00pm (ET) today and Friday. Saturday PGA Tour Radio coverage will run 2:00pm to 7;00pm (ET) and Sunday’s final round will air 1:00pm to 6:30pm (or completion of event). PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATourCom.

Thomas Comeback Highlights PGA

by

TULSA – Justin Thomas, the son and grandson of PGA Professionals, defeated Will Zalatoris in a three-hole aggregate playoff to win the PGA Championship for the second time (2017, 2022). He became the 22nd multiple winner of the event.

In doing so, Thomas came from seven strokes back to tie the PGA Championship record for largest final-round comeback, marking the largest comeback win since Justin Rose came from eight back at the 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions.

Thomas has now won in seven straight seasons on the PGA Tour. That can become the Tour’s longest streak if Dustin Johnson does not win a tournament this season.

This year marks the first time in eight major championships contested at Southern Hills that the 36-hole and 54-hole leader/co-leader did not win the tournament. Thirty-six-hole leader Zalatoris finished runner-up for the third time in 48 Tour starts and scored his fifth Top-10 finish in last seven major starts.

Fifty-four-hole leader Mito Pereira made double bogey on No. 18 to finish T-3 but had the best finish by a Chilean at a major.

Final PGA Leaderboard | Southern Hills

*Justin Thomas 67-67-74-67—275 (-5)

Will Zalatoris 66-65-73-71—275 (-5)

Cameron Young 71-67-67-71—276 (-4)

Mito Pereira 68-64-69-75—276 (-4)

*Thomas (2-under) defeated Zalatoris (1-under) in a 3-hole aggregate playoff

Playoff (3-hole aggregate on Nos. 13-17-18)

Justin Thomas birdie (4) – birdie (3) – par (4) 2-under

Will Zalatoris birdie (4) – par (4) – par (4) 1-under

Tiger Withdraws From PGA Champ

by

Tiger Woods Forced to WD From PGA Championship

TULSA – Mito Pereira holds a three-stroke lead over Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris. It is Pereira’s his first lead after any round on Tour. Pereira is the first player since John Daly (1991) to hold the outright 54-hole lead in their PGA Championship debut.

Pereira is seeking to become the first PGA Tour Rookie to win a major championship since Keegan Bradley at the 2011 PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship after recording his highest score (79) in 79 rounds at the PGA Championship and third-highest personal score ever in a major.

In the seven major championships hosted at Southern Hills, all winners held at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

Danny Willett is the last player to earn his first Tour win at a major (2016 Masters).

Zalatoris, Watson Go Low at PGA

by

Bubba Watson Tied PGA Championship Record

TULSA – Will Zalatoris leads after tying the third-best opening 36-hole score (66-65-131) in PGA Championship history. In the seven major championships hosted at Southern Hills, all winners held at least a share of the 36-hole lead.

Bubba Watson equaled the PGA Championship scoring record with a 7-under (63), becoming the third player to do so at Southern Hills (Raymond Floyd/1982, Tiger Woods/2007).

Four-time PGA Championship winner Tiger Woods made the cut for the 18th time in 22 starts at the event while Scottie Scheffler becomes just the third World No. 1 to miss the cut at the PGA Championship

First-round leader Rory McIlroy trails by five shots following a 1-over (71).

Shane Lowry (T-41/+2) extended the longest active streak of cuts made in major championships to 12, dating to a T-8 at the 2019 PGA Championship.

Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay and Daniel Berger among the notables that MTC.

Lee Goes Back-to-Back at Byron Nelson

by

MCKINNEY, TEXAS – Defending champion K.H. Lee became the AT&T Byron Nelson’s first repeat winner since 1980 (Tom Watson), closing with a final round and career low (63) to defeat hometown hero Jordan Spieth by one stroke.

Spieth heads to this week’s PGA Championship and his bid to complete the Career Grand Slam following a win and runner-up in last two starts.

Hideki Matsuyama posted his second-lowest round on Tour, one stroke shy of (61) at Firestone Country Club.

Xander Schauffele played his last 49 holes in 26-under to finish T-5 after making the 36-hole cut on the number (-5).

FedEx Cup leader and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finished T-15 at 19-under.

The field made 2,228 birdies this week, the most on record (since 1983) at any single-course event on Tour while 104 eagles were made, the second-most on record (since 1983) at an event on Tour. The record for most eagles was 114 at the 2019 Barbasol Championship.

Byron Nelson Final Leaderboard

K.H. Lee 64-68-67-63—262 (-26)

Jordan Spieth 67-65-64-67—263 (-25)

Hideki Matsuyama 67-66-69-62—264 (-24)

Sebastian Munoz 60-69-66-69—264 (-24)

Final Full Leaderboard (link)

PGA Tour: Weekend at Byron Nelson

by

AT&T Byron Nelson | After 36 Holes

MCKINNEY, TEXAS – First-round leader Sebastian Munoz follows opening-round (60) with a (69) and retains a share of the lead at (-15) as Amarillo, Texas native Ryan Palmer shot his lowest score (62) in 54 rounds at the AT&T Byron Nelson and 40-year-old PGA Tour rookie David Skinns posted his career-low score on Tour with a (63).

Defending champion K.H. Lee sits three strokes back in attempt to become event’s first repeat winner since 1980 while FedEx Cup leader and the World’s No. 1 ranked player, Scottie Scheffler, sits T-20 at 9-under, despite a triple bogey.

After 36 holes, players within four strokes of the lead represent nine different countries (USA, England, Colombia, South Africa, Chile, Korea, Japan, Ireland, Sweden).

The 5-under cut-line matched the lowest this season in relation to par (for the fourth time).

Jonas Blixt withdrew with illness during the second round.

Byron Nelson Leaderboard | After 36 Holes

Ryan Palmer 67-62—129 (-15)

David Skinns 66-63—129 (-15)

Sebastian Munoz 60-69—129 (-15)

Justin Lower 64-66—130 (-14)

Charl Schwartzel 66-65—131 (-13)

Full Leaderboard (link)

AT&T Byron Nelson | Tournament Facts

COURSE: TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas

YARDS/PAR: 7,468 yards/Par 72

ARCHITECT: Tom Weiskopf

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $9,100,000/$1,638,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: K.H. Lee

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @attbyronnelson

BYRON NELSON ORGANIZATION: (link)

TV COVERAGE: Saturday and Sunday coverage is set for 1:00pm to 3:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel and 3:00 to 6:00pm (ET) on CBS.

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Weekend ESPN+ streaming from 8:00am to 6:00pm (ET).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Weekend coverage on Sirius XM Radio runs from 1:00 to 6:00pm (ET) or completion of event. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATourCom.

Byron Nelson Preview

by

AT&T Byron Nelson | Tournament Preview

MCKINNEY, TEXAS – The AT&T Byron Nelson is one of the premier events on the PGA Tour since 1968. The TPC Craig Ranch, just north of Dallas/Fort Worth, hosts the biggest golf attraction of the year and the most anticipated social event of the spring because of its yearly financial charity commitment to the community.

Three of the world’s Top 10 professional golfers and six of the Top 20 are scheduled to play with Brooks Koepka having to withdraw this week. Dallas resident Scottie Scheffler claimed his first Green Jacket at The Masters, then kept winning and winning to rocket to the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Fellow Texans Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris and Ryan Palmer are set to return to TPC Craig Ranch, as well.

AT&T Byron Nelson | Tournament Facts

COURSE: TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas

YARDS/PAR: 7,468 yards/Par 72

ARCHITECT: Tom Weiskopf

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $9,100,000/$1,638,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: K.H. Lee

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @attbyronnelson

BYRON NELSON ORGANIZATION: (link)

Day Back in the Swing of Things

by

Wells Fargo Championship | Round 2

POTOMAC, Maryland – Jason Day registered his 13th career score of (63) or better on the PGA Tour and his first since the 2021 Travelers Championship. He leads the tournament by a stroke after 18 holes.

Rockville, Maryland native Denny McCarthy opened with a (65), and stands T-3 as he plays a “home game.”

Three PGA Tour rookies are also T-3 and tied career-low on Tour with (65) (Paul Barjon, Aaron Rai, Callum Tarren).

Defending champion and three-time Wells Fargo Champion Rory McIlroy(T17/-3) made five birdies on the back nine (started on 10), tying the most birdies or better he has made on the first nine holes of a tournament in his PGA Tour career (2013 PLAYERS Championship, 2013 WGC-HSBC Champions).

Wells Fargo Championship | Leaderboard After 18

Jason Day 63 (-7)

Joel Dahmen 64 (-6)

Matthew Wolff 65 (-5)

Denny McCarthy 65 (-5)

Aaron Rai 65 (-5)

Callum Tarren 65 (-5)

Paul Barjon 65 (-5)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Rahm Leads at Mexico Open

by

VALLARTA, México – World No. 2 Jon Rahm holds the 54-hole lead/co-lead for the seventh time in his career and is 1-for-6 to date converting to victory. Previously, he did so at the 2020 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.

In his 14th start this season, first-year PGA TOUR member Kurt Kitayamaseeks first PGA Tour victory and second Top-10 finish. The Mexico Open is his best outing since finishing third at the 2020 Honda Classic.

Each of Cameron Champ’s three victories have come when he was inside the Top-four following 54-holes.

Alvaro Ortiz (T30/-6) is best of the three Mexican players after 54 holes (Abraham Ancer (T-35/-5, Carlos Ortiz (T-58/-3)

Stephan Jaeger (T13) makes back-to-back eagles for the first time in his TOUR career; marks second player this season

Moving Day at Mexico Open

by

Mexico Open at Vidanta | Third Round 

VALLARTA, México – World No. 2 Jon Rahm, the highest-ranked player in the field, leads by two-strokes heading into Round 3 of the Mexico Open. Rahm holds the 36-hole lead/co-lead for the seventh time in his career but is 0-for-6 to date converting to victory.

Eight players within four shots of the lead through two rounds seek their first career Tour victory

Four of the five Major champions in the field advance to the weekend

Alvaro Ortiz (T2-5) is best of the 10 Mexican players in the field this week and one of the three to make the cut.

Vaughn Taylor withdrew Friday morning before the start of the second round due to a shoulder injury.

Mexico Open | Leaderboard After 36 Holes

Jon Rahm 64-66—130 (-12)

Alex Smalley 66-66—132 (-10)

Adam Long 67-66—133 (-9)

Andrew Novak 66-67—133 (-9)

Cameron Champ 67-66—133 (-9)

Patrick Reed 67-66—133 (-9)

Trey Mullinax 64-69—133 (-9)

Brandon Hagy 66-67—133 (-9)

Full Leaderboard: (link)