Morgan joins Sergio Garcia in five-way tie for lead, Stinger lead team race

Morgan joins Sergio Garcia in five-way tie for lead, Stinger lead team race
Jediah Morgan of Ripper GC opened with a 5-under 66 during the first round of LIV Golf Chicago. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf)
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Updated 23 September 2023
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Morgan joins Sergio Garcia in five-way tie for lead, Stinger lead team race

Morgan joins Sergio Garcia in five-way tie for lead, Stinger lead team race
  • While the four other co-leaders are assured of returning in 2024, the 23-year-old Morgan is one of four players currently in the Drop Zone  

SUGAR GROVE, Illinois: Ripper GC’s Jediah Morgan, fighting to retain his spot in the LIV Golf League for next season, opened with a 5-under 66 to share the first-round lead Friday at LIV Golf Chicago.
Morgan is tied with Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia, Stinger GC captain Louis Oosthuizen, Crusher GC’s Anirban Lahiri and Torque GC’s Sebastián Muñoz on a packed leaderboard in which 19 other players ­are within two shots of the lead. Among those pursuers are team captains Brooks Koepka (Smash GC), Dustin Johnson (4Aces GC) and Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers), who each shot 68, and Joaquin Niemann (Torque), who shot 67.
While the four other co-leaders are assured of returning in 2024, the 23-year-old Morgan is one of four players currently in the Drop Zone who face relegation at the end of the season. He ranks 46th with just three points but a big result this week at Rich Harvest Farms could move him above the Drop Zone.
 Non-captains ranked 45th or worse will be relegated but have a chance to play their way back in later this year at the promotion tournament.
“I know where I am and everyone keeps reminding me where I am, so it’s pretty hard to get away from it,” said Morgan, who posted the low round in the field on Sunday at the previous LIV Golf event in Bedminster last month.“So, there’s no point in me trying to act like it’s not there in my head. It’s obviously there.
“But I know if I play well enough, put myself in the position I think to make putts for birdie, then that’s really all you can do.”

Team counting scores

Here are the standings and counting scores for Friday’s opening round of the team competition at LIV Golf Chicago. The three best scores from each team count in every round for their total team score. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.

1. STINGER GC (-13): Louis Oosthuizen 66, Charl Schwartzel 67, Dean Burmester 67

T2. FIREBALLS GC (-12): Sergio Garcia 66, Carlos Ortiz 67, Eugenio Chacarra 68

T2. CRUSHERS GC (-12): Anirban Lahiri 66, Charles Howell III 67, Bryson DeChambeau 68

4. RIPPER GC (-11): Jediah Morgan 66, Marc Leishman 67, Cameron Smith 69

T5. 4ACES GC (-10): Patrick Reed 67, Peter Uihlein 68, Dustin Johnson 68

T5. TORQUE GC (-10): Sebastián Muñoz 66, Joaquin Niemann 67, David Puig 70

T5. SMASH GC (-10): Jason Kokrak 67, Brooks Koepka 68, Matthew Wolff 68

8. RANGEGOATS GC (-9): Thomas Pieters 67, Talor Gooch 68, Bubba Watson 69

9. MAJESTICKS GC (-6): Sam Horsfield 69, Ian Poulter 69, Lee Westwood 69

10. IRON HEADS GC (-3): Scott Vincent 67, Kevin Na 70, Danny Lee 73

11. HYFLYERS GC (-2): Cameron Tringale 68, Brendan Steele 69, James Piot 74

12. CLEEKS GC (-1): Graeme McDowell 70, Richard Bland 71, Bernd Wiesberger 71


Junior Dubai Desert Classic returns for second edition in January 2024

Junior Dubai Desert Classic returns for second edition in January 2024
Updated 07 December 2023
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Junior Dubai Desert Classic returns for second edition in January 2024

Junior Dubai Desert Classic returns for second edition in January 2024
  • The tournament takes place at Emirates Golf Club on Jan. 13 and 14 ahead of the 35th Dubai Desert Classic

DUBAI: Ahead of the 35th edition of the 2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, organizers have confirmed that the Junior Dubai Desert Classic will return in January for a second time, to help young golfers in the UAE and beyond gain competitive experience.

Hosted by Hero Dubai Desert Classic in collaboration with Emirates Golf Federation, registration is now open for the 2024 tournament which will take place on Jan. 13 and 14 at Emirates Golf Club.

The first event took place this year, which saw Briton Joe Jones take the title by two strokes.

The youth tournament, open to players aged 18 and under, will take place just a few days before golf’s top stars compete in the senior event from Jan. 18 to 21.

As part of the 36-hole tournament, golf’s young amateurs will each play one round on the famed Faldo and Majlis courses, with access to the driving range, locker rooms and lounges.

Simon Corkill, executive tournament director of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, said: “The game of golf is growing at a rapid pace across the globe, and it’s no different in the Middle East region with a large number of young players taking to the courses every week.

“As organizers of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, we are committed to nurturing young talent and developing the sport’s stars of tomorrow regularly and the 2024 Junior Dubai Desert Classic reaffirms this. Not only can juniors look forward to a unique opportunity of playing in world-class facilities in a professional-like tournament setting at the Emirates Golf Club but playing against the best young talents in the region will help their game to the next level.”

Organizers have confirmed the winning player will enjoy a range of exclusive prizes, including invites to the Faldo Series Grand Final 2024 and the Shubhankar Sharma Junior Invitational Final 2024.


Michael Thorbjornsen earns exemption into Dubai Desert Classic as No. 1 in PGA TOUR University

Michael Thorbjornsen earns exemption into Dubai Desert Classic as No. 1 in PGA TOUR University
Updated 05 December 2023
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Michael Thorbjornsen earns exemption into Dubai Desert Classic as No. 1 in PGA TOUR University

Michael Thorbjornsen earns exemption into Dubai Desert Classic as No. 1 in PGA TOUR University
  • 35th edition of tournament will be played at Emirates Golf Club on Jan. 18-21

DUBAI: As the No. 1 player in the PGA TOUR University ranking at the end of the fall college golf season, Stanford senior Michael Thorbjornsen has earned an exemption into the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

The Rolex Series event and the 35th edition of the tournament will be played at Emirates Golf Club between Jan. 18 to 21 and is the third year the tournament has offered an exemption to PGA TOUR University’s top-ranked player.

Thorbjornsen competed in the 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic on a sponsor exemption and posted a third-round 64 en route to a T20 finish in his first start on the DP World Tour. He also has four made cuts on the PGA TOUR, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the 2022 Travelers Championship, and he qualified for the US Open three times.

His junior season at Stanford included wins at the Fighting Illini Invitational and Pac-12 Championship, and he was named 2023 Pac-12 Golfer of the Year and a PING First-Team All-American.

Texas A and M’s Sam Bennett (2022) and Texas Tech’s Ludvig Aberg (2023) were the first two players to earn the PGA TOUR University exemption into the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Since their starts in the event, Bennett went on to win the 2022 US Amateur and finished T16 at the 2023 Masters, and Aberg competed for Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup and has wins at the DP World Tour’s Omega European Masters and the PGA TOUR’s RSM Classic.

Thorbjornsen will join world No. 2 and defending champion Rory McIlroy, who will be searching for his fourth Dallah Trophy in January with organizers set to announce more big players in the coming weeks.

Simon Corkill, executive tournament director of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, said: “Helping develop the next stars of tomorrow – both locally and overseas – is very important for us and our partnership with the PGA Tour provides a platform for golf’s young rising stars to not only compete against the world’s best professionals but also gain vital competitive experience that will help them take their game to the next level.

“We look forward to welcoming Michael Thorbjornsen to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January following an impressive year on the PGA Tour University calendar.”

Golf Channel will air all four rounds live of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in the US and Canada, with SKY Sports Golf providing live event coverage in the UK and Ireland.

In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking, PGA TOUR University ranks collegiate players based on their average performance in NCAA Division I men’s team competitions, official PGA TOUR tournaments, and select DP World Tour events over a two-year ranking period.


Tiger Woods has a sloppy finish for a 75 on his return in the Bahamas

Tiger Woods has a sloppy finish for a 75 on his return in the Bahamas
Updated 01 December 2023
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Tiger Woods has a sloppy finish for a 75 on his return in the Bahamas

Tiger Woods has a sloppy finish for a 75 on his return in the Bahamas
  • British Open champion Brian Harman and Tony Finau led the way at 5-under 67, one shot ahead of Jordan Spieth
  • This day was all about Woods, as it usually is whenever he plays, and especially when he has been away for so long

NASSAU, Bahamas: Tiger Woods held up just fine Thursday in his first time competing in eight months, except for limping at the end. That was more about his golf than his fused right ankle.

Woods was holding his own at the Hero World Challenge until a double bogey from a bush on the par-5 15th, followed by two more bogeys. The result was a 3-over 75, eight shots out of the lead and a score better than only two players in the 20-man field at Albany.

Asked what he got out of his round, Woods laughed and said, “Hit a lot of shots.”

British Open champion Brian Harman and Tony Finau led the way at 5-under 67, one shot ahead of Jordan Spieth, who was entertaining as ever. Spieth made only five pars and had one stretch of 10 holes without one until the final hole.

But this day was all about Woods, as it usually is whenever he plays, and especially when he has been away for so long. He expected to be rusty, and it eventually it showed.

“I didn’t have my feels,” Woods said. “Conditions were tough early. I did not finish off the round like I needed to. Kind of went sideways at the end.”

He was 1 under for the round through 14 holes when he pulled his tee shot to the left at the base of a bush. He contemplated his options before decided to try to punch it out toward the fairway or even a bunker, even though he could take the club back only a foot or so.

Woods caught mostly soil and advanced it only a few feet. He punched his third shot back to the fairway and then came up about 40 yards short of the green. He pitched that to 10 feet only to miss the bogey putt.

He found a fairway bunker off the tee on the tough 16th, came up short of the green and hit a weak pitch to 20 feet that led to bogey. Then, he three-putted the par-3 17th from 45 feet.

Woods wasn’t the only player who struggled in his return. Will Zalatoris had back surgery right after he withdrew from the Masters. He had three double bogeys and a bogey in a four-hole stretch around the turn and closed with one more bogey for an 81.

Woods attributed his mistakes to a lack of commitment, that coming from a lack of playing. Instincts gave way to thinking about too many elements as he began to swing.

“Should I do this or not? By then I’m pulling the trigger,” he said. “I shouldn’t really pull the trigger. Hit a bad shot. I kept doing it time and time again. It was a lack of commitment to what I was doing and feeling. I’ve got to do a better job of it.”

He also said he was plenty sore and would resume the process he has come to know all too well — recovery in the evening, back in the gym to get his body ready before the next round.

He still had no regrets about playing for the first time since Saturday at the Masters. He didn’t finish his rain-delayed third round in the April chill at Augusta, and then had fusion surgery on his right ankle a few weeks later.

“I wanted to compete, I wanted to play. I felt like I was ready to compete and play,” Woods said. “I hit it solid most of the day. As I said, I just didn’t mentally do the things I normally would do and I need to do.”


World watches with bated breath as new Tiger Woods emerges

World watches with bated breath as new Tiger Woods emerges
Updated 29 November 2023
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World watches with bated breath as new Tiger Woods emerges

World watches with bated breath as new Tiger Woods emerges
  • The 47-year-old American returns to action at the Hero World Challenge, a tournament hosted by his eponymous foundation

ALBANY: Like waiting for Apple’s latest software update, there is a buzz of anticipation in the golf world. Tiger Woods is about to make yet another comeback.

The 47-year-old American, a 15-time major champion widely considered the greatest player ever to pick up a club, is back in action this week at the Hero World Challenge, a 20-man limited-field tournament hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Woods is a walking orthopedic textbook. To jot down everything his body has gone through and the number of reasons he has had to go under the scalpel would be a litany of medical conditions. 

But on Tuesday, when he entered the media center for a press conference, it seemed we were seeing a different Tiger Woods. The boxer’s swagger was still there, but there was no sign of any limp in his gait.

A lot has already changed over the past few years. Woods is more approachable, more thoughtful in his replies. He does not brush off controversial questions. He is more actively involved in the future of the sport, instead of passively catalyzing its growth with his individual brilliance.

As his latest comeback begins, the questions swirl. Have all his bugs been fixed? Are there any new features of his swing? Will his swing speed increase? Will his batteries have a longer life?

His performance over 72 holes in the next four days will decide the success of Woods Version 6.0. Nothing can tarnish his impeccable legacy and the world certainly will not end if he fails this week, or even in the foreseeable future. However, it will be a beautiful place if he starts contending again in his trademark Sunday red and black.

The last time he had microdiscectomy surgeries in his spine, Woods managed to put together a swing that alleviated the pressure on his back and made full use of his Popeye-like biceps. This time, it is the subtalar joint in his ankle that has been fused.

Here is what we know after his interaction with the media — Woods is pain-free in the ankle. However, because of the changes he has made, he does feel sore in other parts of his body. And he is as excited as we are to find out how he shapes up with a scorecard in his hand.

“My game feels rusty, I haven’t played in a while. I’m excited to compete and play and I’m just as curious as all of you are to see what happens. I can tell you this, I don’t have any of the pain that I had at Augusta or before that in my ankle. Other parts are taking the brunt of the load so I’m a little sorer in other areas. The surgery was a success,” Woods said.

As for the future, Woods does not see himself playing more than one tournament a month in 2024. It is likely his season will start with the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, in southern California.

During his time away from the game, Woods has been actively involved as a new player director of the PGA Tour board, sorting out the framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. He hinted the board was working towards meeting the Dec. 31 deadline, which would see an infusion of funds into the PGA Tour and the creation of a new for-profit company.

“I’m pleased at the process and how it’s evolved and also frustrated in some of the slowness and the governance change that we want to have happen,” said Woods.

“And December 31 is coming up very quickly, so there’s a timetable there that we would like to implement some of these changes that have not taken place. All the player directors have spent so many hours and worked tireless hours to make sure we have the best deal for all the players and the PGA Tour,” he said, adding that the Tour was still talking to other potential investors.

Woods will start the first round of the Hero World Challenge on Thursday at 7:52 p.m. Saudi time, paired with Justin Thomas.


‘Petty’ sibling rivalry fires up rising star Lee at Australian Open

‘Petty’ sibling rivalry fires up rising star Lee at Australian Open
Updated 29 November 2023
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‘Petty’ sibling rivalry fires up rising star Lee at Australian Open

‘Petty’ sibling rivalry fires up rising star Lee at Australian Open
  • Min Woo is enjoying the best year of his career, and has broken into the top 40 in the world for the first time
  • The Perth-born siblings will both be in action at the Australian Open because the men’s and women’s events take place at the same courses at the same time

SYDNEY: Australia’s newest golf star Min Woo Lee says that his rivalry with better-known sister Minjee Lee will fire him up as he chases a fourth DP World Tour title this week in Sydney.

The Perth-born siblings will both be in action at the Australian Open because the men’s and women’s events take place at the same courses at the same time.

The 25-year-old Min Woo has long been in his sister’s shadow, with the 27-year-old Minjee winning two majors and consistently one of the best players in women’s golf.

But the colorful Min Woo is enjoying the best year of his career and has broken into the top 40 in the world for the first time.

He won in Macau last month on the Asian Tour and carried that red-hot form into last week’s Australian PGA Championship, where he triumphed by three strokes for a third title on the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour.

He finished tied fifth at the US Open in June and has earned playing rights for the PGA Tour in 2024.

Speaking ahead of the Australian Open, which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, Min Woo told reporters in Sydney that it was a mostly healthy rivalry with his older sister.

“I get a little pissed off when she wins the week after because I got the light on me for a little bit and then four days later or like a week later, she’s holding a trophy,” he said.

“We’re happy for each other. We want to only do well and inspire kids and keep playing good golf.

“So it’s not that bad of a sibling rivalry, but a little petty — from me usually.”

Min Woo’s win in Brisbane last week was also notable for his colorful celebrations, when he put on a chef’s hat at the 17th hole — before victory was sealed — at Royal Queensland Golf Club.

A beaming Min Woo, who appears to relish being in the limelight, also led the crowd in a “thunderclap.”

“I still have to ask my caddie where he got the chef hat on 17,” he said this week.

Like her brother, world No. 5 Minjee is also chasing a maiden victory at the Australian Open, where there is an equal split between men and women for prize money.

Their busy schedules mean that the siblings do not get much proper time to catch up.

But Minjee has watched her brother’s recent success with pride from afar — even if she’s loth to admit it. Typical siblings.

“I’d never say it to his face, but he plays really well and I’m always really proud of him,” she said after winning on the LPGA Tour on the same day that he secured his PGA Tour card for 2024.

“Over the past year he’s been playing great,” she added in Sydney this week.

The mixed Australian Open will take place at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Australian Golf Club across four days.

The nearby Lakes Golf Club is co-hosting for the first two days.