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PGA Tour: Houston Open

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The PGA Tour shifts from its Florida Swing to Texas for this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which begins today at Memorial Park Golf Course.

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World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler seeks his third consecutive victory against a solid field. Our golf experts preview the event and provide their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.

TEXAS CHILDREN’S OPEN
Location: Houston, March 28-31
Course: Memorial Park Golf Course (Par 70, 7,435 yards)
Purse: $9.1M (Winner: $1.638M)
Defending Champion: Tony Finau (2022)
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3:30 p.m. (GC), 3:30-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @TXHouOpen

PROP PICKS
–The Field vs. Scottie Scheffler (-400 at BetMGM): There is little question that Scheffler is the best — and hottest — golfer on the planet. There’s also a good reason why it has been seven years since anyone has won three consecutive starts on tour — it’s really hard to do. It’s certainly not the strongest field of the year, but there is enough talent lurking around Memorial Park to believe Scheffler will have a difficult time making it three straight ahead of the Masters.

–Si Woo Kim to Beat Tony Finau (-110 at DraftKings): Kim is coming off a T6 at the Players in his most recent start and has a pair of other top-15 results in his past five starts overall. Finau is the defending champion, but that came in the Fall of 2022 on a much firmer golf course. He believes his hard work off the course will translate into quality results soon, but his recent track record includes a missed cut last week after a T45 at the Players.

–Wyndham Clark Top 10 (+130 at BetMGM): The only player better than Clark in each of his past two starts has been Scheffler, and he also won at Pebble Beach earlier this year. A career-best fourth in the world rankings, Clark is in excellent form and knows Memorial Park well from his T16 in the Fall of ’22.

2024 Prop Picks Record: 18-17-1

BEST BETS
–Scottie Scheffler (+275 at BetMGM) is trying to become the first player to win three consecutive events on tour since Dustin Johnson in 2017. He has a T2 and a T9 in Houston the past two seasons. He opened at +300, but those odds have shortened slightly with Scheffler third in both total bets (7.0 percent) and money (19.5 percent) backing him to win this week.
–Wyndham Clark (+1200) has finished runner-up to Scheffler in each of his past two events. He’s the second biggest liability at BetMGM, where Clark is second with 18 percent of the money supporting him to win. A caution flkag, as Clark is battling an injured back, suffered Monday when he was lifting weights.
–Sahith Theegala (+1600) is a Spring, Texas resident and has consecutive top-10s entering the week. Those factors have contributed to Theegala being the book’s biggest liability as he leads the field with 19.5 percent of the total money backing him since opening at +2200.
–Will Zalatoris (+1800) makes his tournament debut while coming off consecutive top-5s in his past two starts. He’s the third biggest liability at the book this week.
–Tony Finau (+2500) won by four shots in 2022 but has a lone top-10 in eight starts this season.

NOTES
–The event returns to a spring date after being contested in the fall each of the past four seasons. It was not played in the 2023 calendar year.
–This is the fourth playing at Memorial Park, which first hosted the tournament in 2020.
–The top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking after this event will qualify for the Masters if not already exempt. The highest-ranked players in this week’s field who are not yet exempt are No. 57 Tom Hoge, No. 63 Mackenzie Hughes and No. 66 Alex Noren.
–Padraig Harrington, who won on the Champions Tour last week, is in the field on a sponsor exemption.

–Field Level Media

Bad Back: Clark Intending to Play

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Wyndham Clark is optimistic that he will be able to compete in the Texas Children’s Houston Open after sustaining a back injury earlier this week. The tournament starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

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Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world and reigning U.S. Open champion, said Wednesday that he was injured while lifting weights on Monday.

“I was in Scottsdale, I was working out,” Clark said. “Body’s been really healthy and I just got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and back went. It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn. I’m trending in the right direction, I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day.”

Clark, 30, acknowledged that his team of therapists has helped in his recovery, so much so that he was able to play in a nine-hole pro-am on Wednesday.

“I was in pretty bad shape (Tuesday), but fortunately I have a great team that has gotten me to be able to swing and hit,” Clark said. “I was only really able to chip and putt, then I did a bunch of rehab and I was able to hit balls today. So just in a short time I’ve improved a ton and I think I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

Clark acknowledged that he’d like to play in this tournament with The Masters approximately two weeks away. That said, he’ll let his back ultimately make that decision.

“I’m going to give it my best effort (Thursday), and hopefully I can play and compete,” he said. “If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Valspar Championship

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PALM HARBOR – The PGA Tour concludes its annual “Florida Swing” with this week’s Valspar Championship, which begins Thursday on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla.

The field features two of the top 10 players in the world rankings, and our golf experts preview the event along with their favorite prop picks and best bets to win this week.

VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Palm Harbor, Fla., March 21-24
Course: Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course (Par 71, 7,340 yards)
Purse: $8.4M (Winner: $1.512M)
Defending Champion: Taylor Moore
FedEx Cup Leader: Scheffler

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @ValsparChamp

PROP PICKS
–Matt NeSmith to Beat Webb Simpson (-110 at DraftKings): NeSmith tied for third here two years ago and is coming off a solid T26 at The Players after missing three of his previous four cuts. Simpson has plummeted to 235th in the world rankings and hasn’t finished better than T30 in his past seven starts dating back to September.
–Cameron Young to Finish Top 20 (+120 at BetMGM): Young is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory, which could come this week against a softer field. He’s +500 to win the tournament, but we like the safety net and a still solid payout until Young proves he can close on Sunday. He followed three consecutive top-20s with a T36 at Bay Hill and a T54 at The Players.
–Doug Ghim to Beat Min Woo Lee Round 1 (-110 at DraftKings): Ghim has quietly put together five consecutive top-20 finishes, highlighted by a T16 at The Players. He also finished T27 here last year and has more course knowledge than Lee, who is playing many PGA Tour stops for the first time as a tour rookie. Lee is the bigger household name, but he hasn’t been in top form, posting a T54 at TPC Sawgrass and a T44 at Bay Hill after a T2 at the Cognizant Classic.

2024 Prop Picks Record: 16-16-1

BEST BETS
–Xander Schauffele (+800 at BetMGM) wasn’t able to close the deal on Sunday — again — at The Players. Can he rebound mentally to claim a win against a more modest field? He does have five top-10s in seven events this season. His is the book’s biggest liability this week, as Schauffele leads the field with 19.4 percent of the money backing him to win.
–Sam Burns (+1100) followed four consecutive top-10s with a T30 and a T45 the past two weeks. But the 2021 and 2022 Valspar champion also finished sixth at Innisbrook last year. Burns is third this week with 6.4 percent of the total bets backing him.
–Jordan Spieth (+1400) opened the year with a third at The Sentry and added a T6 in Phoenix but has a missed cut and a DQ among his past three starts. He won the Valspar in 2015 and tied for third last year.
–Justin Thomas (+1400) is coming off his second missed cut in three starts following a string of seven consecutive T12s or better. He’s BetMGM’s third biggest liability this week, having drawn 10.9 percent of the total money.
–Brian Harman (+2000) missed out on a playoff at The Players by a single shot following a T12 at Bay Hill. He has missed the cut in five of his past six appearances at the event. Harman is the book’s second biggest liability as he has been backed by the second most bets and the third most money at 9.2 percent in both markets.

NOTES
–World No. 7 Patrick Cantlay withdrew on Sunday, leaving No. 5 Xander Schauffele and No. 8 Brian Harman as the lone top-10 players in the field. No. 20 Tom Kim also withdrew over the weekend.
–The closing three holes on the Copperhead Course are known as the “Snake Pit,” featuring a pair of difficult par-4s sandwiching the 200-yard par-3.
–University of Florida teammates Fred Biondi and Ricky Castillo are in the field. Biondi is coming off a T32 in Puerto Rico, while Castillo will be making his non-major PGA Tour debut.
–European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is among the sponsors invites, along with Ryan Palmer.
–Vijay Singh holds the tournament scoring record of 266 set in 2004, while Matt NeSmith (Round 2, 2022) and Padraig Harrington (Round 1, 2012) share the 18-hole record of 10-under 61.

–Field Level Media

The PLAYERS: Crowded at Top of Leaderboard After Round 1

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -World No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 6 Xander Schauffele shared the lead at 7-under par as the morning wave of the first round of The Players Championship was wrapping up Thursday.

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Both took advantage of soft greens and light winds to card opening 65s at TPC Sawgrass, although they did it in distinctly different fashions.

McIlroy recorded 10 birdies, the most he has recorded in 41 career rounds at TPC Sawgrass. The Northern Irishman reached 8 under through 15 holes before finding the water left with his drive on the par-4 seventh hole, going on to record a double bogey.

McIlroy made up one of the strokes with a birdie on his final hole of the day at the par-5 ninth. Along with the 10 birdies and the double, he had a lone bogey and just six pars on his scorecard while finding the water twice.

“Much, much improved on the approach play today, which was nice to see,” McIlroy told reporters, adding that he chose to “grind” on the range rather than taking Monday off following a final-round 76 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “I needed to clean up the technique a little bit, needed to clean up some things. Honestly, just needed to put the time in.”

Schauffele’s bogey-less card was mundane by contrast with seven birdies and 11 pars. He was happy to be playing in the morning, with the wind starting to pick up as the afternoon wave teed off.

“I wouldn’t want to re-hit a few of those shots today, I can tell you that much,” Schauffele said. “I definitely need to clean it up.”

Canada’s Nick Taylor recorded six birdies in a bogey-free round to finish one stroke in back of McIlroy and Schauffele.

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, who entered the Top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time this week, eagled two of the four par-5s en route to a 5-under 67 in his first round at The Players. He added a pair of birdies against a lone bogey.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox hit the first hole-in-one of the week, recording just the 14th ace in the history of the event at the famed par-3 17th hole.

McIlroy downplayed what appeared to be a disagreement with playing partner Jordan Spieth about where McIlroy’s drive crossed into the water.

“I think Jordan was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing,” McIlroy said when asked if Spieth’s actions were needless. “I was pretty sure that my ball had crossed where I was sort of dropping it. It’s so hard, right, because there was no TV evidence. I was adamant. But I think, again, he was just trying to make sure that I was going to do the right thing.

“If anything, I was being conservative with it. I think at the end of the day we’re all trying to protect ourselves, protect the field, as well. I wouldn’t say it was needless. I think he was just trying to make sure that what happened was the right thing.”

–Field Level Media

Scheffler to Defend at PLAYERS

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will begin his defense at The Players Championship paired alongside fellow Americans Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas for the first two rounds.

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Coming off a dominating victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he beat the entire field by two strokes on Sunday, Scheffler is the first defending champion to arrive at TPC Sawgrass as the top-ranked player in the world since Rory McIlroy in 2020. The event was ultimately canceled that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scheffler will begin his quest for a repeat in the afternoon wave on Thursday, teeing off in at 1:40 p.m. ET in one of the marquee pairings released Monday. The trio will tee off at 8:35 a.m. on Friday. Fowler won the Players in 2015 while Thomas claimed the trophy three years ago.

Thursday’s afternoon wave will include other marquee groups comprised of defending U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark playing with fellow former champions Collin Morkikawa and Brian Harman, while young American stars Tony Finau and Will Zalatoris will play with former Open champion Shane Lowry.

McIlroy is coming off a disappointing Sunday at Bay Hill, where he stumbled to a final-round 76. Rather than grab his opportunity to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, McIlroy saw the distance between him and Scheffler grow further with a tie for 21st.

The 2019 champion finished T33 at last year’s Players. He will tee off at 8:35 a.m. on Thursday in a featured group along with Jordan Spieth and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.

Also teeing off in the morning wave of the opening round will be the group of Patrick Cantlay, 2004 Players champion Adam Scott and rising Swedish star Ludvig Aberg.

They will all be looking to get off to a fast start to put pressure on Scheffler, the +500 pre-tournament favorite at DraftKings and +550 favorite at BetMGM.

“Everybody, I guess, now is kind of looking up at me at the top of the rankings and trying to take me down, so in order to stay up there, you got to put in a lot of work,” Scheffler said on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Next Up -> The PLAYERS

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The 2024 PGA Tour season gets serious this week as the Tournament Players Club hosts the annual PLAYERS Championship, otherwise known as “The Fifth Major.”

LAST TOURNAMENT: Arnold Palmer Invitational (Scottie Scheffler); Puerto Rico Open (Brice Garnett)

THIS WEEK: The Players Championship, Ponte Vedra Beach, March 14-17
Course: TPC Sawgrass (Par 72, 7,275 yards)
Purse: $25M (Winner: $4.5M)
Defending Champion: Scheffler
FedEx Cup Leader: Scheffler

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m.- 6 p.m.
X: @ThePlayers

NOTES: This is the 50th playing of the event, which began in 1974, and the 42nd edition at TPC Sawgrass, which became the venue in 1982. … Scottie Scheffler is the first defending champion to arrive at The Players ranked No. 1 in the world since Rory McIlroy in 2020. McIlroy won in 2019 and the event was ultimately cancelled the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. … There are 22 players in the field making their event debuts this week, including Sweden’s 10th-ranked Ludvig Aberg and Nick Dunlap, who turned pro after winning the American Express in January. … Tiger Woods, the 2001 and 2013 champion, is not in the field. … Each of the past four winners of The Players entered the week ranked in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking. … The three hole-in-ones at the signature 17th hole last year marked the first time there were multiple aces on that hole. … LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman holds the tournament scoring record of 24-under 264 set in 1994.

BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+650 at BetMGM) is coming off a five-shot victory at Bay Hill, and also won The Players by five shots last year. His seven PGA Tour wins since 2021-22 are the most of anyone during that span. … Rory McIlroy (+1500) missed the cut last year and has an average finish of 34th over his past four appearances. However, he did win in 2019 and was in contention last week until a 76 on Sunday. … Justin Thomas (+2300) finished T12 at Bay Hill after going 72-73 over the weekend. The 2021 Players champion has only one finish worse than T12 in his past nine worldwide starts. … Wyndham Clark (+3400) is a career-best fifth in the world rankings following his runner-up last week. The defending U.S. Open champion also won at Pebble Beach last month. … Shane Lowry (+3400) has finished T4 and third the past two weeks. … Tom Hoge (+7100) set the course record with a third-round 62 en route to finishing T3 last year.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Valspar Championship, Palm Harbor, Fla., March 21-24

Scheffler, Lowry Lead at Bay Hill

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ORLANDO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Scottie Scheffler of the USA and Shane Lowry of Ireland survived a breezy afternoon to each shoot 2-under-par 70 and claim a share of the lead Saturday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational played at Bay Hill CC..

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Wyndham Clark fired a 1-under 71 to sit third, with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (72), Will Zalatoris (71) and Russell Henley (72) in a three-way tie for fourth.

Scheffler, who won this event in 2022, struggled on the front, going out in 38, but birdied five of his first seven holes on the back nine to surge toward the front.

Zalatoris briefly held a five-shot lead with his four birdies from Nos. 3-8 on the front, but stumbled with a bogey at No. 14 and double-bogeys at Nos. 15 and 18.

Harris English, who enters Sunday in seventh place, and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy tied for the day’s low round, shooting 68.

McIlroy, in a tie for eighth at 5-under, moved quickly up the board with a blazing, bogey-free 30 on the back nine that included six birdies.

-Field Level Media

PGA Tour: This Week

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ORLANDO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The PGA Tour tees up its fourth signature event of 2024 this week, while tournaments will also be played in Puerto Rico, China and Hong Kong. Be sure to visit www.pgatourbrunch.com

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PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Cognizant Classic (Austin Eckroat)
THIS WEEK: Arnold Palmer Invitational, Orlando, Fla., March 7-10
Course: Bay Hill Club & Lodge (Par 72, 7,466 yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $4M)
Defending Champion: Kurt Kitayama
FedEx Cup Leader: Matthieu Pavon
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. (GC), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @APInv
NOTES: This is the second of three player-hosted invitationals along with Tiger Woods’ at the Genesis and Jack Nicklaus’ at the Memorial. It’s also the fourth of eight signature events, featuring a $20 million purse and 700 FedEx Cup points. Player-hosted signature events are the only ones to feature a 36-hole cut, with the low 50 and ties advancing to the weekend. … Tony Finau is the only eligible player among 70 who is not competing this week. … Kitayama seeks to become the first player to successfully defend at Bay Hill since Matt Every in 2015. … The API has three qualifying spots available for The Open Championship to those not already qualified. … European Ryder Cup players Nicolai Hojgaard and Shane Lowry are in the field on sponsors exemptions, and will be joined by 2018 Players champion Webb Simpson. … North Carolina junior David Ford will make his first start on tour after winning a vote of his peers at the 2023 Palmer Cup. … Payne Stewart holds the tournament scoring record of 264 set in 1987.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+650 at BetMGM) has gone T4-1-T15 in his past three starts at Bay Hill. He hasn’t finished worse than T17 in his past five starts on tour, but Scheffler is seeking his first official tour win since The Players last March. … Rory McIlroy (+900) won the API in 2018 and was the runner-up last year. He has six top-10s at Bay Hill since 2015. … Viktor Hovland (+1400) makes his first start since a T19 at the Genesis. … Min Woo Lee’s (+4500) late charge for a T2 at PGA National helped earn a spot in the field. He enters the week a career-best 31st in the world rankings.

THIS WEEK: Puerto Rico Open, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, March 7-10
Course: Grand Reserve Golf Club (Par 72, 7,506 Yards)
Purse: $4M (Winner: $720,000)
Defending Champion: Nico Echavarria

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HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 2:30-5 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
X: @PGATour
NOTES: This is the 16th playing of the event, and the winner will earn a spot in next week’s Players Championship if not already qualified. … Echavarria is seeking to become the first player to successfully defend in Puerto Rico. He tied the tournament scoring record of 267 first set by Chesson Hadley in 2014. … Aaron Wise, who withdrew from the Masters last year to focus on his mental health, is making his first start since last year’s U.S. Open. … Daniel Berger has made three of four cuts since returning from an 18-month absence due to a back injury. … Puerto Rican Rafa Campos is making his 15th event start, with his best previous finish a third place in 2020.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: The Players Championship, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., March 14-17

Eckroat Wins in Monday Finish

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PALM BEACH GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Austin Eckroat won the weather-delayed Cognizant Classic by three strokes Monday to capture his first career PGA Tour title in the tour’s first event of the season in Florida.

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Eckroat was 15 under through seven holes Sunday when play was suspended due to darkness at PGA National’s Champion course. He added three birdies and a bogey on the back nine Monday morning to card a 4-under 67 for a winning score of 17-under 267.

South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen had been the leader in the clubhouse after finishing at 14 under on Sunday. He posted a final-round low of 63 and tied for second with Australia’s Min Woo Lee (final round 67).

Five players tied for fourth at 13 under, including rookie Jake Knapp (66), who was picked up his first career win at the Mexico Open at Vidanta last week. South Korea’s Kyoung-hoon Lee (66), Cameron Young (66), Ireland’s Shane Lowry (71) and England’s David Skinns (71) were also at 13 under.

–Field Level Media

Sorry Charlie!

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HOBE SOUND – Charlie Woods was unsuccessful in his first attempt at qualifying for a PGA Tour event.

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The 15-year-old son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods carded a 12 at the par-4 seventh hole and finished 16-over 86 on Thursday at Lost Lake Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. The pre-qualifying event was one of four for the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, a tournament formerly known as the Honda Classic.

The younger Woods was 4-over par through his first six holes. He rebounded from a disastrous performance on the seventh to piece together six straight pars before recording a double-bogey on No. 14.

One of Woods’ playing partners was Olin Browne Jr., who is the son of the three-time PGA Tour winner by the same name. He carded a 2-over 72 on Thursday.

The top 25 finishers and ties will advance to the event’s Monday qualifier at the Tesoro Club’s Palmer Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla. From there, four players will earn a spot in the field for the Cognizant Classic on Feb. 29-March 3 at PGA National Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

–Field Level Media