News

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to caddie for the best golfers in the world? The new episode of Local Knowledge takes you deep inside the ropes of the PGA Tour, examining the ever-evolving job of the tour caddie. It’s come a long way. Since the days of Jack Nicklaus, who famously says he

9:32 AM ET THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — A trip to Augusta National is possible this week for Tiger Woods, and perhaps that memorable trip down Magnolia Lane and the accompanying good-vibes jolt from being on the property will spark something we have yet to see in 2000. Whenever it is that Woods heads to Augusta

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Patrick Cantlay has never seemed particularly fond of the spotlight. He’s quiet, goes about his business and lets his game speak for itself. It should come as no surprise, then, that while two of the world’s top three players duked it out in what felt like the main event, the laconic

Jon Rahm reached No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career in August. His reign lasted just two weeks, though, with Justin Thomas unseating him following a victory at the WGC-St. Jude Invitational. Sunday at the Zozo Championship, Rahm had a chance to reclaim the top spot in the Official World

9:54 PM ET THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Somewhat lost in the madness that was last year’s Masters was Patrick Cantlay, the soft-spoken, stoic former amateur phenom who has one of the smoothest swings in the game if not the pro resume to match. Cantlay made an eagle at Augusta National’s par-5 15th during the final

They started the closing 18 holes of the 77th Italian Open tied for the lead on 19 under par. And they were both level par for the final round when they came to the 72nd tee, still ahead of the chasing pack. So nothing had changed between Englishmen Ross McGowan and Laurie Canter, you might

10:07 PM ET Associated Press THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Justin Thomas wasn’t playing poorly. It only felt that way Saturday at the Zozo Championship at Sherwood, where being a few shots under par means losing ground. He was 3 under and already had lost the lead he had at the start. The final hour changed

It’s always fun to look at statistical trends as you try to forecast what might happen in the final round of a PGA Tour event and who wins the tournament. And there are a lot of data points to digest regarding Justin Thomas, who has a one-stroke lead on Jon Rahm after 54 holes at

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — There will be birdies. Probably an eagle, or two, or three, as well. When you have two of the world’s top three players battling to win a tournament, that tends to be the case. Add in one of the easier PGA Tour setups you’ll ever see, well, pars will feel like

10:15 PM ET THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tiger Woods will not defend his Zozo Championship title. He basically took himself out of contention through nine holes on Thursday. The 83rd PGA Tour title that would set the all-time record would be pursued another time. But he will get a final-day pairing with Phil Mickelson, meaning

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — It wasn’t perfect, by any means, and he’s still way closer to the bottom of the leader board than the top. But Tiger Woods made eight birdies on Friday, signed for six-under 66 and looked an altogether different golfer than the guy who hacked it around Sherwood on Thursday. “Overall I

9:20 PM ET Associated Press THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Justin Thomas went from a fast finish one day to a fast start the next, and it carried him to a 7-under 65 on Friday and a one-shot lead in the Zozo Championship at Sherwood. Thomas wasn’t particularly thrilled, except for his position, mainly because the

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tony Finau is every bit of six-foot-four. He’s one of the few PGA Tour players that could be mistaken for an NBA or NFL player. He’s 31 years old, active and fit. In short, he’s not the type of person you’d expect to have a rough bout with COVID-19. And yet,

Under different conditions, maybe in a different era, Tiger Woods would have made a huge move. Improving by 10 shots from his first round in the Zozo Championship at Sherwood Country Club, Woods fired a 66 on Friday. And he didn’t gain a single stroke on the lead. That’s how frantically the birdies and eagles

10:14 PM ET THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tony Finau is feeling good, all things considered. And he’s relieved. Not only is he on his way back after contracting the coronavirus, but he has a big tournament to look forward to next month. “The silver lining for me is I’m 100 percent going to play in

When Firestone Country Club’s par-5 16th hole—which would eventually be affectionately known as “The Monster”—was created by Robert Trent Jones during a redesign ahead of the 1960 PGA Championship, Arnold Palmer called it “ridiculous.” Not only was it extremely long, but its green was guarded by a new pond Palmer found during the tournament won

9:14 PM ET Associated Press THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Sebastian Munoz twice holed out for eagle from a combined distance of 219 yards. He also had eight birdies. Throw in a wild tee shot for double bogey, three bogeys and only five pars and it added up to an 8-under 64 and a one-shot lead

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Historically speaking, the matchup of Tiger Woods vs. Par 5s has been one-way traffic. Less a battle; more sheer demolition. Woods has feasted on the holes we used to call three-shotters, leading the PGA Tour in par-5 scoring 10 times in his career. On Thursday, the par 5s got some revenge.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Jordan Spieth has his father, Shawn, caddieing for him this week at the Zozo Championship because his normal looper, Michael Greller, is mourning the death of his mother. On the surface, the senior Spieth did just fine Thursday, as Jordan shot a respectable two-under 70 to begin the tournament. But upon

8:22 PM ET THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tiger Woods does not do schedule hints. Unless it is the most obvious of tournaments — such as a major championship, or the events that benefit his foundation — there is rarely any advance confirmation. Years of banter and evidence can be provided as proof. So it came

Before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted competitive golf at every level around the world, the International Golf Federation was already reviewing what to do with the World Amateur Team Championship. The biennial competition dates back more than 60 years and remains a signature event on amateur golf calendars. But the administration of the separate women’s and

2:30 PM ET THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — While praising the PGA Tour for the way it has handled the return to competition during the coronavirus pandemic, Phil Mickelson also expressed doubt about having a limited number of spectators return at the Vivint Houston Open, especially given the tournament is only a week prior to the

Two months out from the start of the U.S. Women’s Open, the USGA announced that fans will not be allowed onsite at the Champions Golf Club in Houston for the championship. The decision falls in line with the USGA holding the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in September with no spectators. Additionally, the LPGA has

Anyone who has ventured to a golf course this summer can attest that business is booming, the game’s relatively safe confines during the pandemic welcoming a resurgence for the sport. And according to Golf Datatech, it’s not just courses that are enjoying the revival. Golf Datatech, an industry research firm, announced Wednesday that United States

3:21 PM ET THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Adam Scott tested positive for COVID-19 at the Zozo Championship and withdrew from the tournament Wednesday, as required by PGA Tour protocols. Scott, the 2013 Masters champion who won the Genesis Invitational earlier this year, was replaced in the field by Jim Herman. “While it’s difficult news to

The PGA Tour announced on Monday it will allow the most number of fans, by far—2,000—since the COVID-19 outbreak at the Vivant Houston Open in two weeks. That decision got the attention of Phil Mickelson. So much so that he is considering not playing the PGA Tour event as his final tune-up for the Masters,

9:30 AM ET ESPN Betting Insiders The PGA Tour heads to Thousand Oaks, California, for the Zozo Championship at Sherwood Country Club. Defending champion Tiger Woods returns to action for the first time since missing the cut at the U.S. Open. Phil Mickelson, fresh off his second senior tour win in two tries, is also

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tiger Woods is the defending champion this week, and a win would break an all-time record, but all anyone wanted to talk about on Tuesday was a tournament three weeks away. The Masters begins in 23 days, and Augusta National has a knack for overshadowing everything else in golf. Nine of

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open ended with a missed cut on Friday afternoon, but it was the events of that weekend that triggered vehement debate in the golf world. And, for once, it had nothing to do with Tiger. It was exactly one month ago that Bryson DeChambeau put the finishing touches

8:11 PM ET THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tiger Woods is defending his Zozo Championship title this week with an eye on the Masters in three weeks. And the run-up to what usually is the first major championship of the year is strange to say the least, he said. So odd, in fact, that Woods said