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PGA TOUR

PGA Tour: RBC Heritage Preview

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HILTON HEAD – The RBC Heritage from Harbor Town is the fifth of eight Signature Events of the PGA Tour season. The tournament includes 43 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, headlined by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 3 Xander Schauffele, No. 4 Collin Morikawa and No. 5 Ludvig Åberg.

The field features:

  • 56 players in the field competed at last week’s Masters Tournament, including seven who finished inside the top 10: Justin Rose (2nd), Scottie Scheffler (4th), Sungjae Im (T5), Ludvig Åberg (7th), Xander Schauffele (T8), Jason Day (T8), Corey Conners (T8).
  • Four past champions: Matt Kuchar (2014), Jordan Spieth (2022), Matt Fitzpatrick (2023), Scottie Scheffler (2024).
  • Seven past FedEx Cup champions: Billy Horschel (2014), Jordan Spieth (2015), Justin Thomas (2017), Justin Rose (2018), Patrick Cantlay (2021), Viktor Hovland (2023), Scottie Scheffler (2024).
  • Sponsor exemptions: Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, Mackenzie Hughes, and Jordan Spieth.

The Masters: It’s Rory’s Time

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AUGUSTA – (Staff Report) – Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy bested England’s Justin Rose in a one hole playoff after they ended up tied after 72 holes at The Masters, the most prestigous golf tournament in the world.

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After Rose missed a challenging birdie putt on the 18th green and putted out for par, McIlroy drained his three foot birdie putt to win the hole and a career Grand Slam of wins at the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship The Open and, now, The Masters.

McIlroy was overcome with emotion and fell to his knees, flipping his putter, after making the putt to win his Green Jacket.

“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” the Northern Irishman said. “I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that — yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.”

McIlroy’s 1-over-par 73 left him tied with England’s Justin Rose, who posted 66 and waited for McIlroy to finish. They both shot 11-under 277 for the week.

Re-playing the 18th hole at Augusta National Golf Club, McIlroy’s approach shot rolled back toward the hole and inside Rose’s ball. After Rose missed a birdie attempt and notched a par, McIlroy didn’t flub another chance for a victory.

“There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on that 18th green,” McIlroy said. “A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.”

It marked the fifth major championship for McIlroy, and his first since capturing the PGA Championship for the second time in 2014.

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McIlroy needed par at No. 18 to win in regulation, but after blasting from a greenside bunker on the 18th hole he rolled a 5-foot par putt too far to the left.

It was a starkly different reaction from when he departed the 18th green following Thursday’s first round, which included a pair of backside double bogeys and dodging the media on the way to the practice area.

Rose spoke briefly to McIlroy after the playoff and later added perspective to what just happened.

“This is a historic moment in golf, isn’t it — someone who achieves the career Grand Slam,” Rose said. “I just said it was pretty cool to be able to share that moment with him. Obviously, I wanted to be the bad guy today, but still, it’s a momentous occasion for the game of golf.”

The new champion — who gave away his two-shot lead through 54 holes with a double bogey at No. 1 — also recovered from a disastrous stretch on the back nine to birdie the 17th hole for a brief one-stroke lead. McIlroy’s bogey on No. 11, double bogey on No. 13 and bogey on No. 14 appeared to send him on track for another final-round collapse at a major.

McIlroy said sending his ball into the creek on a wedge shot on the par-5 13th could have doomed his chances.

“I did a really good job of bouncing back from that,” he said.

McIlroy recovered for a birdie on the par-5 15th hole by drawing a tremendous second shot around a tree, over a water hazard and to 6 feet of the pin, where he two-putted for birdie.

Then he stuck his approach on No. 17 and sank the putt to take the lead.

Rose, seeking his first Masters title, had six birdies and two bogeys across the last eight holes, finishing with a 20-foot birdie putt.

“To make the putt on 18, the one you dream about as a kid, to obviously give myself an opportunity and a chance was an unbelievable feeling,” Rose said.

Rose was the leader after the first and second rounds, and after a tough 75 on Saturday he made a major final-round push. He had only four pars on his card — countering four bogeys with 10 birdies.

Patrick Reed (69 on Sunday) was third at 9 under. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (69) placed fourth at 8 under, giving him four consecutive top-10 finishes at the Masters.

“I was just proud of the way we hung in there and put up a good fight,” Scheffler said.

Bryson DeChambeau, who figured to be McIlroy’s biggest threat and in the final pairing, took the lead after the second hole before stalling with back-to-back bogeys and a string of pars to skid off the path. By the time he double-bogeyed No. 11, he was tied for ninth and seventh strokes back.

DeChambeau’s 75 left him at 7 under, tied for fifth place with South Korea’s Sungjae Im (69).

DeChambeau said his troubles began with a putt on the third hole that scooted well beyond the cup.

“There’s no way that putt goes that far by,” he said. “I just didn’t realize how firm and fast it could get out here. It’s great experience. Won’t let that happen again.”

–Field Level Media

It’s Masters Sunday

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AUGUSTA – Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy experienced his share of “firsts” on Saturday. McIlroy became the first player in Masters history to start a round with six consecutive 3s on the scorecard.

He also had a “second,” as the second player in Masters history to record six consecutive 3s during one round (Jack Renner/1983/R1/Nos. 12-17).

But it was McIlroy’s first time making two eagles in one round at the Masters (Nos. 2 and 15) and he became the first player to do so since 2020 (three players).

McIlroy joined Jordan Spieth (2015), Tiger Woods (2005, 1997), Raymond Floyd (1976) and Johnny Miller (1975) as players with consecutive rounds of 66 or better at a Masters.

And, the big one: McIlroy can also join only five players who have won all four major championships, otherwise known as the career Grand Slam.

If McIlroy completes his career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, he’d be creating golf history:

  • 90 years after Gene Sarazen/1935 Masters
  • 60 years after Gary Player/1965 U.S. Open
  • 25 years after Tiger Woods/2000 Open

As the great sports day of “Sunday at the Masters” is now upon us, McIlroy will not be out there alone. With a final-round score in the 60s today, Bryson DeChambeau (2nd/-10) would join Cameron Smith (67-68-69-69/2020/T2) as the only players to shoot all four rounds in the 60s in a single Masters tournament. DeChambeau owns the most rounds in the 60s at major championships since the start of 2024 (11).

In each of the last eight Masters, the eventual champion sat T2 or better through 54 holes.

Corey Conners (3rd/-8) seeks his best finish in a major championship (previous, T6/2022 Masters Tournament) as he looks to join Mike Weir(2003) as the only Masters champions from Canada.

Patrick Reed (T4/-6), Scottie Scheffler (T6/-5) and Zach Johnson (T10/-4) are the only past Masters champions among players at T10 or better on the leaderboard. Johnson’s 6-under 66 marks a span of 28 rounds since his last round in the 60s at the Masters (68/R4) back in 2015.

The Masters | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

1 Rory McIlroy 72 66 66 204 (-12)

2 Bryson DeChambeau 69 68 69 206 (-10)

3 Corey Conners 68 70 70 208 (-8)

T4 Patrick Reed 71 70 69 210 (-6)

T4 Ludvig Åberg 68 73 69 210 (-6)

Tournament Leaderboard: (link)

The Masters

COURSE: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia

ARCHITECT: Dr. Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones Jr.; Perry Maxwell in 1937

YARDS/PAR: 7,555 yards/Par 72

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: TBD

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Scottie Scheffler

OVERVIEW: (link)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 750

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @The Masters

 

Rose Clinging to Lead at Masters

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AUGUSTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – There’s no shortage of stars jockeying for position midway through the Masters. England’s Justin Rose is eager to see how this plays out. Rose maintained the lead through the second round by shooting 1-under-par 71 on Friday.

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He’s aiming for his first victory at Augusta National Golf Club, though this is the third time he has been at the top of the leaderboard through 36 holes in the tournament.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to knock on the door,” Rose said. “… You’re going to have to play great golf, and you’re going to have to go out there and want it and go for it and get after it.”

Rose stands at 8-under 136 but his lead has been reduced from three strokes to one, and there are several big-name golfers in close pursuit. LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau is in second place after shooting a 68.

“This is what golf is about. Got a lot of great names up there, and looking forward to an unbelievable test of golf,” DeChambeau said.

N. Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (66 on Friday) is tied at 6 under with Canada’s Corey Conners (70).

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (71), Matt McCarty (68), England’s Tyrrell Hatton (70) and Ireland’s Shane Lowry (68) are at 5 under. It looked like Hatton might be in position to catch Rose until bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17.

“We’ve got some great guys on top of the leaderboard, so it should be a fun weekend,” Scheffler said.

Rose has captured one major, the 2013 U.S. Open, and he likes being in the conversation in the big tournaments.

“That’s the company that I expect to keep, and that’s where I have tried to be my whole career,” Rose said. “That’s where I’ve been for a lot of my career.”

Rose had four birdies and three bogeys. After sinking a 7-foot birdie at the par-3 17th hole to get to 9 under, he found the sand on No. 18 and couldn’t save par.

DeChambeau, who holed out from a bunker for birdie on No. 4, played the front nine in 4 under before making a bunch of pars interrupted only by a bogey on No. 16 and a birdie on the next hole.

Patience will be crucial for DeChambeau this weekend.

“It’s not easy to try and be more conservative when you know the leaders are starting to run away from it,” he said.

McIlroy got rolling on the back nine with three birdies and an eagle at the par-5 13th, where he drove it into the pine straw but hit a perfect second shot to 9 feet of the pin.

He said he tried not to be consumed with the notable names on the leaderboard.

“I was just looking for my name,” he said, drawing laughter. “I was not really worried about the others.”

Scheffler, who has won two of the past three Masters, had a couple of costly three-putts Friday. He finished with six birdies and five bogeys.

“Extremely challenging when you get greens this fast and you get that much wind, especially when it’s gusty,” Scheffler said. “It can be quite challenging.”

McCarty, in the Masters for the first time, had a horrid start at 3 over through two holes but bounced back with eight birdies, including four in a row at Nos. 6-9. Even with a bogey on the last hole, he’s at 5 under for the tournament.

Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard (67), Norway’s Viktor Hovland (69) and Australia’s Jason Day (70) are at 4 under.

South Korea’s Sungjae Im reached 6 under for the tournament through 14 holes but slumped late in the round. His 70 left him at 3 under.

Along with Im, the group at 3 under includes Patrick Reed (70), Collin Morikawa (69), Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (68) and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (73).

Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer of Germany missed the cut by one stroke at 3 over after missing a par putt on the final hole. He shot rounds of 74 and 73 in his 41st and final Masters.

“Coming up 18 was mixed emotions because I was still inside the cut line, and even when I made bogey, I wasn’t sure I’m totally out of there or not,” Langer said. “I actually thought 3-over would make the cut, as windy as it was.”

Langer, 67, received countless ovations through the tournament’s first two rounds.

“I always appreciated the beauty of this golf course and the challenges you have to face, pretty much on every shot,” he said. “The support of the patrons and so much more.”

Others falling outside the cut line include Dustin Johnson and Keegan Bradley at 3 over, Fred Couples and Spain’s Sergio Garcia at 4 over, and Brooks Koepka, Australian Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson at 5 over.

“It felt like this was a good week, a good opportunity for me, and unfortunately I didn’t score,” said Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion. “It’s disappointing because I felt I was playing well enough to at least be in the hunt.”

–Field Level Media

Senate Subcommittee on LIV Golf

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WASH DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A report by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations accused the Saudi Public Investment Fund of entering negotiations with the PGA Tour only due to the threat of discovery in their antitrust lawsuit.

The report, released Friday, outlined the subcommittee’s findings from an inquiry into the June 2023 “framework agreement” for a merger between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF’s golf assets, namely LIV Golf.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), chair of the PSI, was among those concerned about “the Saudi government’s role in influencing this effort and the risks posed by a foreign government entity assuming control over a cherished American institution.”

But the subcommittee’s investigation goes further back to before that shocking announcement, when LIV Golf was pursuing antitrust litigation against the PGA Tour for denying golfers the opportunity to play on both tours.

“The Subcommittee’s inquiry revealed that the first significant back and forth about a potential agreement between the PIF and the PGA Tour began with a renewed push from a representative of the PIF to broker a deal on April 14, 2023,” the report said, “and that a key term of the initial Framework Agreement entered into by the PIF and the PGA Tour involved the dismissal, with prejudice, of pending litigation between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.

“On April 7, 2023, a judge in the Northern District of California had ruled in that litigation that the PIF and its Governor, Yasir al-Rumayyan, were subject to discovery and depositions by lawyers for the PGA Tour. This deposition would likely have revealed details of the PIF’s operations and Governor al-Rumayyan’s control over its commercial investments.”

Blumenthal went on to write that “U.S. defenses are inadequate to protect against increasingly sophisticated foreign influence efforts by Saudi Arabia and other malign actors and exposed loopholes within the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) that allow foreign governments to escape accountability.”

The PGA Tour and the PIF have supposedly been in negotiations for some time now, though the PGA Tour has since acquired additional funding for its new for-profit endeavor, PGA Tour Enterprises, from a coalition of sports owners and investors called Strategic Sports Group.

The PGA Tour and LIV have held meetings with President Donald Trump, an avid golfer, in recent weeks, which have not produced any material progress in the talks.

–Field Level Media

Rose Leads Masters After 18

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

AUGUSTA – Justin Rose has won in every corner of the globe. The 44-year old Englishman (born in South Africa) has one Major (2013 U.S. Open), is the oldest player since 50-year-old Fred Couples in 2010 to lead/co-lead through 18 holes at the Masters. Aside from the one Major, he’s finished second and third in the others. Rose won on the European Tour, the Japan Tour, and he’s won in Canada and Australia. In 2016, he won a gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

Rose has a victory at the World Golf Championship and has a FedEx Cup title to his name, and that banked $10,000,000 back in 2018. Add success in the Ryder Cup and it’s just an amazing career.

This weekend, he’s focused on The Masters and his (65) placed him atop the leaderboard after 18 holes, a place he’s now held five times – a Masters record.

Rose carded eight birdies, five on the front nine. He had one bogey which came on the 18th. The round matched his career-low 18-hole score at the Masters Tournament (65/R1/2021/finished 7th).

Three golfers, Corey Connors of Canada, Scottie Scheffler – the defending champion of the USA – and Ludvig Åberg of Sweden are a three shots off the lead.

LIV golfers, Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau are four shots back, shooting (69s).

Collin Morikawa was (-3) after an eagle on 13, but bogeyed three of his last four holes and sits T-27 after shooting E – (72).

Rory McIlroy (T27/E) carded two double bogeys in his last four holes (Nos. 15 and 17). It was his first time with multiple double bogeys or worse in a round at the Masters Tournament since 2014 (R2).

With a hole out from 191 yards on the par-4 14th hole, Fred Couples (T11/-1), in his 40th appearance, makes his first career eagle on a par-4 at the Masters. Couples, at age 65 years, 6 months, 7 days, became the second-oldest to break par in a round at Augusta National Golf Club (Tom Watson/2015/71/R1 at age 65 years, 7 months, 5 days).

Four of the six leaders are international players.

Nick Dunlap finished 18 over with a (90) and will be facing a cut with the top 50 and ties advancing to the weekend. It was the highest 18-hole score on the PGA TOUR since Aguri Iwasaki carded 91 in round two of the 2024 Open Championship.

The Masters | Leaderboard After 18 Holes

1. Justin Rose 65 (-7)

2. Corey Connors 68 (-4)

2. Scottie Scheffler 68 (-4)

2. Ludvig Åberg 68 (-4)

5. Tyrrell Hatton 69 (-3)

5. Bryson DeChambeau 69 (-3)

Masters Preview

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AUGUSTA – The 2025 Masters Tournament is the first major championship of the ‘25 professional golf season. Scottie Scheffler is the Masters’ defending champion and also the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking.

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After missing the 2024 Masters Tournament due to injury, Bernhard Langer of Germany will make his 41st and final start at the Masters Tournament.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, fresh off serving the least expensive Champions Dinner in recent memory, is making his sixth appearance at Augusta National. The 2022 and 2024 Masters champion seeks to become the ninth player with three or more victories at Augusta and with a victory, would join JackNicklaus (1963, 1965, 1966) as the only players to win three Masters Tournaments in a four-year stretch.

Scheffler is also seeks to join Jack Nicklaus (1956, 1966), Nick Faldo (1989, 1990) and Tiger Woods (2001, 2002) as players to successfully defend their title at the Masters Tournament.

Scheffler has never finished outside the Top 20 in five prior starts at the Masters Tournament (T19/2020, T18/2021, Won/2022, T10/2023, Won/2024) and with his last three finishes at the Masters (Won/2024, T10/2023, Won/2022), he’s one of two players to finish among the Top 10 in each of the last three years. Collin Morikawa (5th/2022, T10/2023, T3/2024) is the other.

Rory McIlroy is making his 17th start at the Masters Tournament. He was the runner-up in 2022 which marked his best performance among seven Top-10 results.

McIlroy, as past winner of the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open Championship, is attempting to become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam.

  • Gene Sarazen
  • Ben Hogan
  • Gary Player
  • Jack Nicklaus
  • Tiger Woods

McIlroy’s victory at the 2025 PLAYERS Championship marked his 28th win on TOUR (T20 all-time). He’s seeking to become only the third player to win the PLAYERS and The Masters in the same season, joining Tiger Woods (2001), Scottie Scheffler (2024).

With a victory at this year’s Masters Tournament, Collin Morikawa, the World No. 4 and two-time major champion (2020 PGA Championship, 2021 Open Championship) can join three active players (Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson) with three legs of the career Grand Slam.

The 2023 Open Championship winner and last week’s Valero Texas Open winner, BrianHarman heads to his seventh Masters Tournament where he has missed the cut in his last three appearances. Harman made the cut twice in prior six starts (T44/2018, T12/2021).

England’s Tommy Fleetwood seeks his first PGA TOUR win in his 152nd start; last player to earn first PGA TOUR win at a major championship: England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (2022 U.S. Open); finished T3 at the 2024 Masters Tournament, his best result in eight career appearances

The 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth is making his 12th start at Augusta National. He owns five Top-3 results in 11 prior appearances (T2/2014, Won/2015, T2/2016, 3rd/2018, T3/2021).

In 40 rounds at Augusta National, his 70.95 scoring average marks the lowest of any player with 25-49 career rounds); underwent wrist surgery in August following the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship and returned to competition at the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The 2021 Masters champion and World No. 6 Hideki Matsuyama, the only male major championship winner from Japan, has made 12 cuts in 13 appearances at the Masters Tournament (MC/2014).

The Masters field has 25 different countries and territories represented this year, the most since 2015 (24). A total of 95 invitees are scheduled to compete this year.

Preview | The Masters

COURSE: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia

ARCHITECT: Dr. Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones Jr.; Perry Maxwell in 1937

YARDS/PAR: 7,555 yards/Par 72

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: TBD

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Scottie Scheffler

OVERVIEW: (link)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 750

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @The Masters

PGA Tour: Valspar Championship

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PALM HARBOR – (Staff and Wire Service) – The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing rolls on with the Valspar Championship, which tees off Thursday at Innesbrook Resort.

While it lacks the event status of Bay Hill or TPC Sawgrass the past two weeks, Innesbrook’s Copperhead course is among the favorite tour stops for several players. With a field highlighted by Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas, our golf experts break down the tournament and share their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.

VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Palm Harbor, Fla., March 20-23
Course: Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course (Par 71, 7,352 Yards)
Purse: $8.7M (Winner: $1.566M)
Defending Champion: Peter Malnati
FedExCup leader: McIlroy

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App), 3-6 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
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
–Sam Burns to Beat Xander Schauffele (+110 at DraftKings): Neither player enters in particularly good form, but at least two-time winner Burns is playing a track that he has had tremendous success on in the past — despite missing the cut here last year.

–Corey Conners Top 20 Finish (+120 at BetRivers): This is a strong potential payout for a player who has a pair of top-10s in a signature event and at The Players the past two weeks.

2025 Prop Pick Record: 11-17-1

BEST BETS
–Tommy Fleetwood (+1100 DraftKings) has finished T22 or better in 14 consecutive worldwide starts as he still seeks his first stroke-play victory in the United States.
–Xander Schauffele (+1200) called the state of his game “gross” as he has scuffled to a T40 and a 70th in his first two starts back from a rib injury, but did shoot a final-round 65 here in 2024 and is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 3.
–Sepp Straka (+1600) has been as consistently competitive as anyone to begin 2025, with last week’s T14 adding to a win at the AmEx and a T5 at Bay Hill.
–Justin Thomas (+2000) has three top-10s in his past six event starts, and he has said Copperhead is among his favorite courses on tour. He hasn’t won since the 2022 PGA Championship. He is third at the book with five percent of the money backing Thomas to break his winless drought this week.
–Sam Burns (+2200) has one top-20 result in seven starts this year and missed the cut at The Players, but he has won this event twice.
–Michael Kim (+3000) is already making his 10th start of the season. Fatigue is a concern, with a missed cut last week following five consecutive top-13s.
–Corey Conners (+3500) is a two-time winner on tour who has quietly finished solo third and T6 in marquee events the past two weeks. He leads the field with 16 percent of the money and five percent of all bets at DraftKings backing Conners to claim his third tour win this week.
–Lucas Glover (+6000) is coming off a T3 at The Players as he makes his 20th start in this event.

NOTES
–The field includes 18 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, including eight of the top 25.
–The ninth hole will play from the No. 11 tee this year to add length to the hole and to bring bunkers into play.
–Malnati seeks to join Paul Casey (2018-19) and Sam Burns (2021-22) as the third player to successfully defend a Valspar title in the past seven editions of the event.
–Neal Shipley, the low amateur at last year’s Masters, is in the field on a sponsors exemption. He is joined by Luke Clanton, who earned an exemption by winning the 2024 Valspar Collegiate Invitational before earning his PGA Tour membership through University Accelerated. He is eligible to accept membership upon turning professional at the conclusion of his junior season at Florida State. Blades Brown, 17, will make his fourth start of the season. He tied for 34th at the Mexico Open in his lone made cut this year.
–Vijay Singh set the tournament scoring record of 266 in 2004, while Padraig Harrington set the 18-hole record of 61 in the first round in 2012.

–Field Level Media

PGA TOUR: It’s The PLAYERS

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH – The unofficial “fifth major” of the 2025 PGA Tour season kicks off on Thursday with the first round of The Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass in Florida.

Contested on the famed Stadium Course, one of the year’s deepest fields will vie for one of the tour’s most coveted trophies. Can Scottie Scheffler create history by winning for a third consecutive year?

“The Players Championship is absolutely our busiest tournament outside of the majors and it’s no surprise that Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite this week as he goes for his third consecutive win in this tournament,” BetMGM senior sports trader Matt Wall said.

The iconic 17th hole with its island green will again be the focus of several prop markets at sportsbooks, including closest to the pin and the number of balls hit in the water.

Our golf experts preview the event and provide their favorite prop picks along with the best bets to win this week.

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., March 13-16
Course: TPC Sawgrass, The Players Stadium Course (Par 72, 7,352 Yards)
Purse: $25M (Winner: $4.5M)
Defending Champion: Scottie Scheffler
FedExCup leader: Sepp Straka

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 1-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 2-7 p.m. (NBC/Peacock); Sunday: 1-7 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
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

PROP PICKS
–Michael Kim to Beat Jordan Spieth (-125 at DraftKings): Kim might be the hottest player few people are talking about with five consecutive finishes of T13 or better, including fourth at Bay Hill. His lone PGA Tour title to date came seven years ago at the John Deere, but we like him as a +6500 darkhorse to win this week. Spieth is making his fifth start in his return from wrist surgery and while he has posted a T4 and T9 against softer fields, he has a T69 and missed cut in two signature event starts. He failed to make the weekend here last year.

–Hideki Matsuyama Top 20 Finish (+125 at BetMGM): Matsuyama has four top-10s since 2015 at The Players, tied with Brian Harman for the most of any player in the field. While he has cooled off a bit since winning The Sentry to tee-off the year, he has posted a T13 and T22 in his past two starts, both at signature events, and tied for sixth year last year.

Inaugural TGL Match a Success

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PALM BEACH GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – The first match of the new TGL was a one-sided affair lacking true suspense. But there wasn’t any disappointment or sad faces to be found after Bay Golf Club rolled to a 9-2 victory over New York Golf Club on Tuesday night in South Florida.

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The new venture, which includes Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as driving forces, was played at SoFi Center, a custom-built 1,500-seat arena. It was certainly much different than what golfers typically experience. And that was just fine by Bay Golf Club’s Ludvig Aberg.

“It was awesome. I always said I was so jealous of basketball and football players because they get to do this a lot and we don’t,” Aberg said. “So this whole stadium-like feel is awesome to be a part of, and it gets you going a little bit differently from a normal golf tournament.”

Bay GC clinched the victory on No. 10 of the 15-hole match that lasted just over two hours. The 15-hole course was custom-designed, and the competition is part virtual and part real life.

The high-tech indoor league features six teams and a 15-match season.

“Just to have the ability to showcase our sport,” Woods said of why he’s excited about the venture. “It’s not traditional golf, but it’s golf — and that’s the main thing.”

Players hit tee and approach shots into a simulated screen that has hole layouts, greens, bunkers and anything else you’d see on a golf course. After the ball lands, the rest of the shots and putts are hit inside the facility.

The fans in attendance were allowed to be vocal — kind of different than the marshal at Augusta holding “quiet” or “no noise” signs.

“You don’t hear that at most events,” Woods said, “but you’ll hear that here.”

Wyndham Clark and Shane Lowry also played for Bay Golf Club, while Min Woo Lee sat out.

“I thought it would be a little bit more of a match,” Clark said. “There wasn’t much trash talk to do because we beat them so bad.”

Lowry liked the atmosphere inside the venue, but he needed some time to adjust.

“It’s quite an intimidating place to play golf because it’s somewhere we’re not used to,” Lowry said.

New York’s team consisted of Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Matt Fitzpatrick. Cameron Young was inactive.

Schauffele was surprised his team couldn’t give Bay GC more of a match.

“They played pretty well,” Schauffele said. “It seems like every time their ball hit the screen it was going down the middle, and our ball would hit the screen and be 30 to 40 yards to the right … We have nobody else to blame but ourselves.”

A wrinkle the golfers had to get used to was the 40-second shot clock. A violation results in a one-stroke penalty.

“I didn’t feel rushed,” Fitzpatrick said. “I wish that was in real golf as well.”

Teams rotate possession of the hammer. When used, the hammer doubles the point total of a given hole.

Lowry hit the first tee shot in TGL history to get the festivities going.

Bay GC took a 1-0 lead on the first hole (The Plank) when Aberg made a 9-foot birdie putt.

After Fowler hit his tee shot, he professed to be feeling anxiety.

“This is a new environment,” Fowler said. “So this isn’t something we’re fully used to. You feel the nerves a bit.”

On No. 3 (Set in Stone), Bay GC elected to use the hammer and Clark’s ensuing 7-foot, 7-inch putt was good and worth two points to give Bay GC a 3-0 advantage.

On the fourth hole (Boomerang), Lowry’s 3-foot, 8-inch putt boosted Bay GC’s lead to four.

Aberg came up big on the fifth hole (Craic On) by sinking a 32-foot, 1-inch putt to make it 5-0.

New York earned its first point on the ninth hole (The Spear) to trail 6-1 at halftime.

When Bay GC won No. 10 (Serpent), the victory was clinched — but the remaining five holes were still played due to season tiebreaker reasons (most holes won).

The TGL is starting up one year later than initially planned. The original arena roof collapsed during a storm in November 2023.

The four other teams in the league are Atlanta, Boston, Jupiter (Fla.) and Los Angeles.

Next Tuesday, Los Angeles and Woods-led Jupiter square off in the league’s second match.

–Field Level Media