FRANCESCO MOLINARI

One major takeaway from the just-concluded Italian Open at the Marco Simone club outside Rome that will host next year’s Ryder Cup is that the course is being set up to reward accurate tee shots with narrow fairways surrounded by nasty rough and even higher grass beyond.

Rory McIlroy’s first competitive round on next year’s Ryder Cup course was a success.

For Rory McIlroy, it’s a flat-out “no_” U_S_ Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick is open to having LIV Golf players on Europe’s team at next year’s Ryder Cup because he says “I just want to make sure that we win.”.

The Memorial delivered another big lead after 54 holes.

Henrik Stenson has checked out the Italian course staging next year’s Ryder Cup for the first time since being appointed captain of the European team.

Cameron Smith's hopes of winning his first major vanished on the 12th hole during the final round of the Masters.

Sam Ryder brought down the house with a hole-in-one on the stadium 16th hole Saturday in the WM Phoenix Open, where newcomer Sahith Theegala topped a leaderboard as crowded as the course.

Top-ranked Jon Rahm closed with an eagle on the tougher South Course at Torrey Pines for a 6-under 66, trailing leader Billy Horschel by three strokes after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

Hudson Swafford won The American Express for the second time in five years Sunday, breaking a late tie with an eagle in an 8-under 64.

Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas almost surely will be paired together in both foursomes and fourballs beginning Friday at the Ryder Cup.

The man who contributed the most to Europe’s team in the 2018 Ryder Cup triumph will almost certainly be missing from this month’s competition in Wisconsin.

What looked to be a three-man chase at the British Open is turning into a one-man show.

The brisk winds, gnarly rough and slick greens were all expected.

Russell Henley had a 67 and the temporary lead in the fog-delayed U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

Anyone hopeful of a Bryson DeChambeau-Brooks Koepka pairing at the U.S. Open will have to wait.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson’s run of poor form continued in the opening round of the PGA Championship.

Xander Schauffele is in what has become familiar territory.

Hideki Matsuyama shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday and was three shots clear of the field at 11 under when he finished the third round of the Masters.

The fans were limited in numbers but they all wanted the same dose of entertainment provided by Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton shot a 77, while past Bay Hill winner Francesco Molinari took a step back from his progress with a 78. He made three of his birdies on par 3s, the strength of Bay Hill. Through it all, it was the activity outside the ropes at Bay Hill that stood out. The tournament is allowing 25% of capacity — roughly 5,000 fans a day — and when most are watching some of golf's bigger draws such as McIlroy, DeChambeau and Spieth, it feels even larger.

Homa made nine birdies and shrugged off a double bogey on the way to a 7-under 65 in the third round Saturday, joining Tony Finau and Si Woo Kim atop the leaderboard at 15-under 201. Richy Werenski also shot a 65 and moved within a shot of the lead on the Stadium Course at PGA West near Palm Springs. Finau and Kim both shot 67. Kim was bogey-free, while the streakier Finau bounced back from a double bogey on the 13th with three consecutive birdies. Precipitation finally fell in earnest when the final group reached the 18th hole, with Finau and Kim forced to pull out their umbrellas.

Im shot a 7-under 65 on Friday at The American Express to take a one-stroke lead over first-round leader Brandon Hagy and four others. “Visually from the tee box, it’s a course that I really like and enjoy to play, so I felt really comfortable throughout the round,” Im said. Emiliano Grillo (66), Francesco Molinari (66) and Doug Ghim (68) were two shots off the lead, and eight more were at 8 under. After splitting the first two rounds over two courses, the players will all play the once-feared Stadium Course for the final two rounds. Taylor, who also led the Sony Open after two rounds last week, shot a 66 with six birdies on the Stadium Course.

Collin Morikawa hasn’t hit a golf shot in Europe this year. On Sunday, the American could be crowned as European No. “There’s a lot in between now and Sunday that has to happen,” Morikawa said Wednesday, “but winning the Race to Dubai would mean a lot because I want my game to travel. Such are the many strands and quirks to a European Tour season that has become very global in recent years. Reed leads the Race to Dubai standings with 2,427.7 points heading into the 38th and final event of a European Tour season like no other.

Instead of Augusta National members and their guests, the course was filled Monday with Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth, all of them playing a practice round on a course that only looked the same. The COVID-19 pandemic that shut down golf for three months forced a reconfigured major championship schedule unlike any other, particularly at the Masters. "The things that will be the same is it still means the same to us all, and maybe even more so because we return to Augusta National every year. This is the Augusta National hardly anyone gets to see. When it means going to Augusta National to get ready for the Masters — April, November, doesn't matter — it takes the sting off.

Tiger Woods toss a ball down on the 17th hold during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)SAN FRANCISCO Tiger Woods appears to have something new in store for this PGA Championship: his putter. THE FIELDThis PGA Championship might have set a record for most players who decided not to play. He is the 11th player to withdraw from the PGA Championship since the field was first released six days ago. PACKING FOR A SUMMER MAJOR IN AMERICAThe PGA Championship in August for years meant heat and plenty of sweating.

It will go to Royal St. Georges next summer. Its just very strange times for us at the minute, isnt it?Lowry said he has never seen the lunar landscape of Royal St. Georges. Id love if we were playing in front of 40,000 or 50,000 people this week in St. Georges, he said. For the week of the U.S. Open, golf was in its second week of returning from the pandemic, at Harbour Town. So everything that I miss or that I wont get to do this week, Im sure Ill get to do next year.

The 2019 British Open kicked off on Thursday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland and will finish on Sunday, July 21. The tournament is the fourth and final golf major of the year. The winner of the 148th Open will bring home more than the Claret Jug: He'll earn $1.935 million, a slight increase from last year, when Italy's Francesco Molinari won $1.89 million. The runner up will collect $1.12 million. Here's how the top eight finishers will fare:First place: $1.935 millionSecond place: $1.12 millionThird place: $718,000Fourth place: $558,000Fifth place: $449,000Sixth place: $389,000Seventh place: $334,000Eighth place: $282,000