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PGA Tour Rolls Into Mexico

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VALLARTA, México – The Mexico Open at Vidanta is a new, official FedEx Cup event, added to the PGA Tour schedule for 2021-22, and the third official event in the modern era of the Tour to be held in Mexico.

Previous PGA Tournaments in Mexico included:

  • World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship 2017-2020
  • World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba 2007-present

World No. 2 Jon Rahm of Spain, the highest-ranked player in the field, is making his 11th start of the season and first since the Masters Tournament (T-27). Rahm’s career-low score on the PGA Tour came at the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship (61/R3/Club de Golf Chapultepec), which he matched at the 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions (R-3).

Abraham Ancer, the highest-ranked player from Mexico in the Official World Golf Ranking at No. 20, is one of four players from Mexico to win on Tour (Victor Regalado, Cesar Sanudo, Carlos Ortiz). Ancer has three Top-10s in seven starts at the World Wide Technology Championship and made three starts at the WGC-Mexico Championship with his best, a T-12 in 2020.

Ancer on the Mexico Open at Vidanta: “Having an event like this creates opportunities for other Mexican players,” he said. “The lessons you learn in an event like this are priceless.”

Mexico Open | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Vidanta Vallarta in Vallarta, México

ARCHITECT: Greg Norman (2015)

YARDS/PAR: 7,456 yards/Par 71

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,300,000/$1,314,000

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: New event on Schedule

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @MexicoOpenGolf 🇲🇽

Wire-To-Wire at NOLA

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NEW ORLEANS – The race went wire-to-wire. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a tournament-record 29-under (259), and became the first team to win the event in wire-to-wire fashion.

Cantlay collected his seventh PGA Tour victory in his 131st start at the age of 30 years, 1 month, 7 days while Schauffele picked up his fifth victory in his 129th Tour starts at the age of 28 years, 5 months, 30 days.

Cantlay became the first player to lose a playoff one week and win a tournament the next since Dustin Johnson (2020).

Billy Horschel and Sam Burns finished runner-up on a Tour event for the ninth and third time, respectively.

Defending champions Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith finished T-21.

Zurich Classic | Final Leaderboard

Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele 59-68-60-72—259 (-29)

Sam Burns/Billy Horschel 62-68-63-68—261 (-27)

Doc Redman/Sam Ryder 61-67-69-67—264 (-24)

Final Leaderboard: (link)

Format: Teams of two players compete in Four-ball (best ball) in first and third rounds, Foursomes (alternate shot) in second and fourth rounds

This Week: Mexico Open at Vidanta

PGA Tour Brunch will post a preview at 12:00pm Noon (ET) on Wednesday.

This Week: Mexico Open at Vidanta (link)

First Look at the Mexico Open (PGATourCom)

Moving Day at Zurich Classic/NOLA

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Zurich Classic | Round 3

NEW ORLEANS – In a bid for their first tournament victories of the season,Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele followed their tournament record 13-under (59) in R-1 with a 4-under (68) in Foursomes in R-2.

The teams of Aaron Rai/David Lipsky and Doc Redman/Sam Ryder seek their first career Tour victory and trail by only a stroke each.

Australians Jason Day/Jason Scrivener and South Africans Branden Grace/Garrick Higgo tied the Foursomes tournament record with a 7-under (65), matching Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer from their R-2 in 2019.

Two of the previous four winning teams have come back from four-or-more strokes after 36-holes (2018 Scott Piercy and Billy Horschel were seven back, 2021 Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith were four back. The defending champions (Leishman and C.Smith) sit T-8 and trail by six strokes.

Billy Horschel/Sam Burns (T-6) at (-14) followed an outgoing nine of 1-over 37 with a 5-under 31 coming in, good for a 4-under (68). Horschel is the only player to win the Zurich Classic in both the individual (2013) and team format (with Scott Piercy in 2018).

The team of Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira withdrew from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans prior to the start of R-2, due to a Pereira back injury.

Tee Times are at 7:20am (local)/8:30am (ET) to 11:45am (local)/12:45pm (EDT)

Zurich Classic | Leaderboard After 36 Holes:

Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele 59-68—127 (-17)

Doc Redman/Sam Ryder 61-67—128 (-16)

Aaron Rai/David Lipsky 61-67—128 (-16)

Cameron Tringale/Wyndham Clark 62-67—129 (-15)

Garrick Higgo/Branden Grace 64-65—129 (-15)

PGA Tour: Pros in Pairs at Zurich Classic

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The Zurich Classic | Tournament Preview

NEW ORLEANS – The Zurich Classic of New Orleans, first played in 1938, has featured its popular two-man team match play format since 2017 and is the only official FedEx Cup event on the PGA Tour schedule that uses a team format.

The field consists of 80 teams (160 players), with each team comprised of two professionals, featuring Four-ball (best ball) during the first and third rounds and Foursomes (alternate shot) during the second and final rounds.

The 2017 Zurich Classic was the first official team event on the PGA Tour since the 1981 Walt Disney World national team championship held at the Magnolia, Palm and Lake Buena Vista courses at Walt Disney World in Florida.

The reigning 2022 PLAYERS Championship winner Cameron Smith and fellow Australian Marc Leishman will return to defend their title. Smith, who won in the inaugural year of the team format (2017) with Jonas Blixt, is the only two-time winner in the team format. Smith leads the Presidents Cup International Team standings, while Leishman is currently No. 12.

Five of the Top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field, but only two of those players are teaming up with world No. 2 Collin Morikawa and partner world No. 5 Viktor Hovland will competing together. They will become the first pair of Top-five players in the OWGR to team up (highest-ranked team since the team format began in 2017, with an average ranking of 3.5).

Spieth Wins for Second Straight Easter

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HARBOUR TOWN – Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win the RBC Heritage, earning his 13th PGA Tour title and first since the 2021 Valero Texas Open. Spieth became the 82nd player to reach 13 wins on the tour and moves to T-72 on the all-time wins list.

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With the victory, Spieth moved to No. 11 in the FedEx Cup standings, his highest position of the season. The playoff was the first in the FedEx Cup era (est. 2007) between two FedEx Cup Champions.

Patrick Cantlay (P2) earns his third top-three finish and fourth top-10 in five starts at the event (T-3/2017, T-7/2018, T-3/2019, MC/2021, P2/2022) while 54-hole leader Harold Varner III (T3) now has three Top-3 results on the PGA Tour, with two coming at the RBC Heritage (T-3/2019 FedEx St. Jude Championship, T-2/2021 RBC Heritage, T-3/2022 RBC Heritage)

Shane Lowry (T-3) has finished in the Top 15 in each of his last five stroke-play events, including a runner-up at The Honda Classic and back-to-back T-3s (Masters Tournament and the RBC).

Cam Davis (T-3) ties his career-low score on the PGA TOUR with a 63, his second instance with the first coming at the 2020 Sanderson Farms Championship.

Defending champion Stewart Cink finished 68th.

RBC Heritage | Final Leaderboard

*Jordan Spieth 69-68-68-66—271 (-13) 5-3

Patrick Cantlay 66-67-70-68—271 (-13) 3-3

Cam Davis 69-73-67-63—272 (-12)

J.T. Poston 68-72-68-64—272 (-12)

Matt Kuchar 68-69-67-68—272 (-12)

Shane Lowry 66-72-65-69—272 (-12)

Sepp Straka 66-71-67-68—272 (-12)

Harold Varner III 67-72-63-70—272 (-12)

Cameron Young 63-73-70-66—272 (-12)

*defeated Patrick Cantlay with a par-4 on the first extra hole (No. 18)

Varner Vaults to Lead at RBC

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HILTON HEAD – Following a bogey-free (63) at the RBC Heritage, Harold Varner III holds the 54-hole lead for the second time of his PGA Tour career, but he is 0-for-1 to date in converting it to a win. Varner will attempt to become the eighth Black player to win on Tour.

Reigning FedEx Cup Champion and 36-hole leader Patrick Cantlay trails by one following a 1-under (70) while Shane Lowry and Erik van Rooyen, both T-2, could become the sixth international winner of the RBC Heritage since 2012.

Of 12 players at 8-under or better, Varner III (1st) and Tommy Fleetwood (T-9) are seeking their first Tour victory.

The last two RBC Heritage champions (Webb Simpson in 2020, Stewart Cink in 2021) each held the 54-hole lead/co-lead but prior to 2020, the event featured seven consecutive come-from-behind winners, with all trailing by at least two strokes going into the final round.

One week following a T-3 at The Masters Tournament, Shane Lowry (T-2) at (-10) is in search of his third Tour victory (2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, 2019 Open Championship). He has two Top-10 finishes in four starts at the RBC Heritage.

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 54 Holes

Harold Varner III 67-72-63—202 (-11)

Shane Lowry 66-72-65—203 (-10)

Erik van Rooyen 69-67-67—203 (-10)

Patrick Cantlay 66-67-70—203 (-10

Cantlay Takes Lead at RBC Heritage

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The RBC Heritage | Third Round 

HILTON HEAD – Reigning FedEx Cup Champion Patrick Cantlay holds 36-hole lead/co-lead at the RBC Heritage and for the eighth time on Tour. He’s 1-for-7 in cashing in for the win to date.

Of 13 players at 5-under or better, Cameron Tringale, Cameron Young, and Mito Pereira are seeking their first PGA Tour win.

Following 15 bogey-free rounds Thursday, the most in any single round at Harbour Town Golf Links since 2003, only two were recorded in Round-2 on Friday, as Matthew NeSmith, and Cameron Tringale accomplished the task.

Defending champion and three-time RBC Heritage winner Stewart Cinkadvanced to the weekend for the 18th time in his 23rd appearance

Competing on a Major Medical Extension in his first PGA TOUR start since the 2019 Shriners Children’s Open, Morgan Hoffmann missed the cut by one stroke. Other notables to also miss by a stroke: Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Kevin Kisner.

Brandon Hagy WD during the second round with a back injury.

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 36 Holes

Patrick Cantlay 66-67—133 (-9)

Robert Streb 68-67—135 (-7)

Cameron Tringale 69-67—136 (-6)

Aaron Wise 68-68—136 (-6)

Erik van Rooyen 69-67—136 (-6)

Cameron Young 63-73—136 (-6)

Joel Dahmen 69-67—136 (-6)

PGA Rookie Smith Leads RBC Heritage

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The RBC Heritage | Second Round | April 15

HILTON HEAD – PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young opened with a bogey-free (63), the lowest first-round score of his Tour career and one stroke shy of his low in any round. Young holds a two-stroke lead, the first lead/co-lead of his PGA Tour career after any round.

Joaquin Niemann has now been T-3 or better after 18 holes five times this season, the most of any player while defending champion and three-time RBC Heritage winner Stewart Cink is T-10. The last player to successfully defend title at the event was Boo Weekley in 2008. Both PGA Tour members from Chile are T-3 or better with Niemann in 2nd at (-6) and rookie Mito Pereira among a group of seven players T-3 at (-5).

Competing on a Major Medical Extension in his first PGA Tour start since the 2019 Shriners Children’s Open, Morgan Hoffmann carded an even-par (71), and is T-71.

Corey Conners is T-3 after posting a (-5) including a hole-in-one (No. 7, 187 yards), his fourth on Tour since the start of the 2019-20 season. He has the most aces on Tour in that stretch with second-most honors going to Martin Laird.

Conners’ holes-in-one have come at the 2020 BMW Championship, 2021 Masters Tournament, 2021 Wells Fargo Championship and 2022 RBC Heritage.

Shane Lowry (T-3) at (-5) has finished in the Top 15 in each of his last four stroke-play starts on TOUR (2nd/The Honda Classic, T-13/The PLAYERS, T-12/Valspar Championship, and T-3/Masters Tournament).

Webb Simpson finished his round with five straight birdies but is six shots off the lead – at a T-32 logjam at (69) after 18 holes.

Reigning FedEx Cup Champion Patrick Cantlay (T-3) at (-5) opened with a (66), snapping a streak of seven consecutive scores in the 70s. Cantlay opened the season with four consecutive Top-10s but has not finished T-10 or better in four starts since losing to Scottie Scheffler in a playoff at the WM Phoenix Open.

Zach Johnson WD during the first round due to illness.

 

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 18 Holes

Cameron Young 63 (-8)

Joaquin Niemann 65 (-6)

Seven players 66 (-5)

Will It Be Another First-Timer at RBC?

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The RBC Heritage | First Round Preview – April 14

HILTON HEAD – Will we see yet another first-time winner at this week’s RBC Heritage join a growing list of PGA Tour players securing their first wins on the circuit?

Nine players have earned their first PGA Tour victory this season, including seven in the last 11 weeks. Most recently, J.J. Spaun won the Valero Texas Open, winning on Tour for the first time in his 147th career start.

Over the years, 14 players have earned their maiden PGA Tour victory at RBC Heritage, including: Hale Irwin (1971), Graham Marsh (1977), Doug Tewell (1980), Nick Faldo (1984), Davis Love III (1987), Glen Day (1999), Jose Coceres (2001), Peter Lonard (2005), Aaron Baddeley (2006), Boo Weekley (2007), Branden Grace (2016), Wesley Bryan (2017), Satoshi Kodaira (2018), and C.T. Pan (2019).

There are 97 PGA Tour past winners scheduled to compete this week at Harbor Town, tied for second-most in an event this season (109/The PLAYERS). highlighted by six players with double-digit wins on Tour: Dustin Johnson (24), Davis Love III (21), Jim Furyk (17), Justin Thomas (14), Zach Johnson (12) and Jordan Spieth (12).

Eight-time PGA Tour winner Stewart Cink is back in Hilton Head to defend his RBC Heritage title. With his win in 2021, Cink earned his third title at the RBC Heritage, 21 years and 2 days since his first victory in the event (2000).

Multiple Wins at RBC Heritage (* in the field this week):

Win, Player, Years won

5 Davis Love III* 1987, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2003

3 Stewart Cink* 2000, 2004, 2021

3 Hale Irwin 1971, 1973, 1994

From The Masters to the RBC is always an easy trip that stacks the talent pool at Harbor Town. This year, 42 of the 90 players in the Masters Tournament field made the trip from Augusta to Hilton Head, including seven players who finished in the Top-10 last week: Shane Lowry (T-3), Cameron Smith (T-3), Collin Morikawa (5th), Corey Conners (T-6), Justin Thomas(T-8), Sungjae Im (T-8), Charl Schwartzel (T-10).

RBC Heritage | Tournament Facts;

COURSE: Harbor Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina

ARCHITECT: Pete Dye

YARDS/PAR: 7,191 yards/Par 71

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $8,000,000/$1,440,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Stewart Cink

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @RBC_Heritage

“Green Hot” Scheffler Takes The Masters

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AUGUSTA – FedEx Cup leader and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the 2022 Masters Tournament, earning his first major championship title and fourth career PGA Tour victory. Amazingly, all four wins have come in his last six starts.

Scheffler became the first player to win four times in a six-start stretch on the PGA Tour since Jason Day in 2015 and the sixth player to win in his first PGA TOUR start as World No. 1 and sixth World No. 1 to win the Masters

Paying tribute to Augusta National, 82-time PGA Tour winner and five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods finished 47th in his first start on the PGA Tour since the 2020 Masters. He said he was “grateful” to be able to compete after suffering leg injuries in a terrible car accident sidelined him all this time. Woods walked with a noticeable limp on Saturday and Sunday and posted his highest scores ever at The Masters.

Players to win the Masters Tournament as World No. 1:

  • Scottie Scheffler, 2022
  • Dustin Johnson, 2020
  • Tiger Woods, 2002 and 2001
  • Fred Couples, 1992
  • Ian Woosnam, 1991