Tiger Woods returns to The Match (and extra?), PGA Tour and LPGA Tour shut out 2022

After a forgettable efficiency on the Presidents Cup (he went 0-3-1 at Quail Hole) and a tie for forty fifth at The CJ Cup, Scheffler rolled it higher at Mayakoba final week. He carded a 9-under 62 within the ultimate spherical and tied for third. For no matter purpose, Scheffler ditched the putter he used to win 4 occasions final season and experimented with a brand new one. He went again to the outdated one on the weekend and putted significantly better. The Houston Open shall be Scheffler’s ultimate PGA Tour begin of 2022.

“Rankings are nice; it was positively enjoyable being No. 1 on this planet,” Scheffler advised reporters in Mexico. “It is positively one thing I hope to get again to, nevertheless it’s not one thing that is going to occupy plenty of my ideas.”

Hook ’em: Two sponsor exemptions in Houston went to Cole Hammer and Travis Vick, who teamed as much as assist Texas win the 2022 NCAA championship. Vick, a senior from Houston, is the Eleventh-ranked participant within the World Novice Golf Rating. Vick was the low novice on the U.S. Open this summer season, tying for forty third at 8 over. He missed the reduce at Mayakoba final week after an opening-round 80. Hammer, who can also be from Houston, certified for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay when he was 15. On Monday, Hammer simply missed ending within the prime 40 and ties of the ultimate stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q Faculty, which might have assured him begins within the first eight occasions subsequent season.

All hail the champs: The World Sequence trophy will undoubtedly be on website on the Houston Open this week. Houston Astros proprietor Jim Crane established the Astros Golf Basis in 2018 to make sure that a PGA Tour occasion remained within the metropolis. In 2019, the inspiration spent $34 million to renovate the Memorial Park Golf Course, a municipal course within the coronary heart of Houston, and different amenities. Architect Tom Doak rebuilt the course; four-time main champion Brooks Koepka was a marketing consultant. The Houston Open returned to Memorial Park in 2020 after almost a six-decade absence. Houston residents can play the course for $30 on weekdays.

What’s subsequent on the LPGA Tour?

Pelican Girls’s Championship
When: Thursday-Sunday
The place: Pelican Golf Membership, Belleair, Florida
Defending champion: Nelly Korda
Purse: $2 million

Three storylines to look at:

Loaded discipline: The subsequent-to-last occasion of the LPGA season will embrace a star-studded discipline, together with seven of the highest 10 and 15 of the highest 25 gamers within the Rolex Girls’s World Golf Rankings: Jin Younger Ko (2), Lydia Ko (3), Korda (4), Brooke Henderson (6), Lexi Thompson (7), In Gee Chun (8), Hyo Joo Kim (9), Jennifer Kupcho (11), Celine Boutier (13), Sei Younger Kim (14), Xiyu Lin (15), Hye-Jin Choi (19), Hannah Inexperienced (20), Leona Maguire (21) and Ayaka Furue (22). Final season, Korda rebounded from a triple bogey on the seventeenth gap and made a 21-foot birdie on the 18th to drive a four-way playoff. She made a 23-footer on the primary playoff to win for the seventh time in her LPGA profession.

Lincicome’s return: Two-time Chevron Championship winner Brittany Lincicome will make her LPGA return from maternity go away. She hasn’t performed since lacking the reduce on the KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship in late June. She competed on the LPGA Tour till she was 33 weeks pregnant. Her daughter, Sophia, was born in early August. “Simply slowly getting again to it,” Lincicome mentioned final week. “Clearly a bit of bit rusty, however I am hoping it is like driving a motorcycle and it is simply going to return proper again to me.” Not less than the Tampa, Florida, resident will get to sleep at dwelling this week.

Sorenstam’s occasion: Beginning subsequent yr, the Pelican Girls’s Championship shall be referred to as The Annika pushed by Gainbridge at Pelican and shall be hosted by World Golf Corridor of Famer Annika Sorenstam, a 10-time main champion. The purse for the rising occasion is predicted to be elevated, and event organizers are hoping it turns into the Arnold Palmer Invitational of girls’s skilled golf.

“That is going to be her child, and that has by no means occurred on the LPGA Tour actually with any LPGA participant,” Pelican Girls’s Championship government director Marci Doyle mentioned. “We’re excited to create that, perhaps set that template within the recreation and take all the things to a brand new stage. Once more, it is all about how will we do it higher? I’d say that was a reasonably good one. We’re excited.”

Contained in the Official World Golf Rating

Transferring up

Matt Fitzpatrick
Present rank: 9
Earlier rank: 10

It is the reigning U.S. Open champion’s finest rating of his PGA Tour profession. He has made just one PGA Tour begin this season, tying for thirteenth at The CJ Cup.

Max Homa
Present rank: 16
Earlier rank: 18

Homa and his spouse, Lacey, welcomed their first little one, Cam, on Oct. 30. Thankfully for the remainder of us, daddy duties have not reduce down his time on Twitter.

I simply set an alarm for 4:16am. I ought to ideally be up by 4:15 however that additional minute sounds superb https://t.co/iNnOMNnf8e

— max homa (@maxhoma23) November 1, 2022

Brian Harman
Present rank: 24
Earlier rank: 38

Harman completed solo second at Mayakoba, 4 pictures behind Henley, one other former Georgia star. Harman and Henley are the primary pair from the identical faculty to win and end runner-up on the similar PGA Tour occasion since Patrick Reed and Henrik Norlander (Augusta College) on the 2021 Farmers Insurance coverage Open.

Russell Henley
Present rank: 33
Earlier rank: 59

After so many near-misses, Henley obtained it accomplished on Sunday for a 4-stroke victory at Mayakoba. It was his fourth PGA Tour victory and first because the 2017 Houston Open. He had beforehand gained solely as soon as in six begins when he had a lead or share of the lead after 54 holes.

Taylor Montgomery
Present rank: 65
Earlier rank: 68

The PGA Tour rookie is a top-15 machine. He tied for tenth at Mayakoba, his fifth top-15 end in as many begins. The previous UNLV star is ninth within the FedEx Cup standings. He ranks seventh on tour in birdie common (5.1), third in pictures gained: placing (1.689) and twelfth in pictures gained: whole (1.972).

Transferring down

Collin Morikawa
Present rating: 10
Earlier rating: 9

It hasn’t been an awesome yr for the two-time main champion, principally due to his shaky putter. He took exception to feedback made by Trevor Immelman about his struggles to maintain up with early success. Immelman meant it as a praise; Morikawa wasn’t positive it was.

“Wow, that is arduous to listen to from him. Yeah, I might care much less what he says there, ‘trigger I do not assume that is my bar,” Morikawa advised the Golf Channel. “I feel I’ve obtained a lot extra to enhance. I’ve been close to final on placing; I do not assume I’ve even completed near being common in placing, and if I simply get my placing to be common I feel there’s a lot extra to enhance. I do not know. I do not know the place that got here from, nevertheless it sort of stings there. I do not like to listen to that.”

Dustin Johnson

Present rating: 35
Earlier rating: 31

Johnson, LIV Golf’s inaugural particular person champion and captain of its staff champion, has about 35 million causes to not fear about his OWGR place being at its lowest since 2010. He gained greater than $35 million in purses and bonuses with LIV Golf.

Lee Westwood

Present rating: 124
Earlier rating: 117

The previous world No. 1 golfer was ranked 71st after enjoying in his final PGA Tour occasion on the AT&T Byron Nelson. The Englishman tied for thirteenth on the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship.

Phil Mickelson

Present rating: 160
Earlier rating: 155

Like different LIV golfers, Mickelson’s world rating continues to plummet. It is Lefty’s lowest rating since he was 168th in January 1993.

On the file

It was a great weekend for the Georgia Bulldogs. The UGA soccer staff knocked off No. 1 Tennessee 27-13 at Sanford Stadium to take management of the SEC East. Two former Georgia stars additionally completed 1-2 within the World Extensive Know-how Championship at Mayakoba in Mexico. Henley gained for the primary time since 2017, and Harman completed 4 strokes behind him. Harman, a two-time winner on tour, spoke to ESPN on Monday.

Q: I assume if you must lose, it is good to do it towards one other former Georgia participant?

A: Russell has been enjoying some actually good golf. He obtained shut in Hawaii final yr. I’ve performed with him a number of occasions and his recreation has at all times been actually good. He is gained 4 occasions out right here. The man’s obtained the pedigree, and I do not assume he will get close to the respect he deserves so far as how good his recreation is.

Q: What was working for you in Mexico?

A: That course has at all times eaten my lunch. I feel my finest end there earlier than this week was most likely within the 20s or 30s. I have been hitting the ball significantly better during the last six months than I’ve traditionally on tour. I feel having the ability to hit a number of extra of these greens stored me out of the difficulty that place will get you into. That course ought to arrange good for me, nevertheless it hasn’t up to now as a result of I missed too many greens.

Q: How did you rejoice your solo second?

A: I obtained again from Mexico late Sunday night time and was on a tractor at my farm by 9:45 a.m. on Monday morning. It is simply the best way I sort of disappear. I put my headphones on and work on the piece of property and attempt to get it good. It retains me from practising for a number of days at the least.

Q: Had been you capable of watch Georgia’s win over Tennessee on Saturday?

A: I rushed dwelling from the course on Saturday and obtained to look at many of the third and fourth quarters. I used to be checking my telephone on the again 9 on Saturday. I could not assist myself. I might even inform on my telephone that it was going to go our means.

Q: Had been you involved in regards to the Volunteers going into the sport?

A: I flip-flopped back-and-forth. I could not work out if Tennessee had 2019 LSU vibes or in the event that they have been like Georgia groups from the Mark Richt period. Fortunately, it was the latter.

Q: How good is it to wrap up the 2022 calendar yr close to dwelling at The RSM Traditional at Sea Island in two weeks?

A: I get to sleep in my very own mattress, and Sea Island is clearly a spot that’s close to and pricey to me. With the ability to finish the yr on a great word and play a spot I am very conversant in is sweet. I am going to have some household and associates come out to look at me, so it is a fairly particular event.

Q: Your loved ones has gotten a bit of greater, proper?

A: Our son, Jack, is nearly 3½ months outdated. It has been a logistical problem, however he has been an absolute blessing. He has been unimaginable. My daughter, Cooper, is 6 and Walter, my first son, is 4½. It is plenty of enjoyable.