PAUL CASEY

The Crushers are the team champions in the second year of the LIV Golf League.

U.S. Open qualifying starts this week and a dozen or so LIV Golf players already have decided they won't be playing the third major of the year.

Peter Uihlein and Talor Gooch are tied for the lead in LIV Golf's opening event of its season in Mayakoba.

Paul Casey and Jason Kokrak share the lead in Mexico after the opening round of LIV Golf's first tournament of the season.

It sure doesn't sound like Wentworth will be a place for PGA Tour players and LIV Golf players to visit over tea.

LIV Golf has made it official.

Getting to the Tour Championship isn’t all that’s at stake in the second FedEx Cup playoff event.

The PGA Tour is asking a federal judge not to allow three suspended players from LIV Golf to take part in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Luke Donald is Europe's new captain for the Ryder Cup in Italy next year.

Henrik Stenson turned his focus to golf and it was good.

Former President Donald Trump says the Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit has created a “gold rush” for players.

The Saudi-funded LIV Golf series has announced a 14-tournament schedule for next year.

None of the golfers who have opted to join the Saudi-funded breakaway series know if they will be allowed to keep playing at the sport’s four biggest events.

Tiger Woods considers the British Open at St. Andrews to be a historic occasion.

The qualifiers who lingered among the leaders for 36 holes of the U.S. Open came back to reality in the third round.

Australian Cameron Smith overcame a pair of double bogeys to put himself in the mix after the first round of the Masters.

Hideki Matsuyama is a Masters champion and apparently a master host.

As if the Dell Technologies Match Play isn't fickle enough.

The old boys from Blighty will be battling each other with a chance to win their group in the Dell Technologies Match Play.

Maverick McNealy was the last man to get into the Dell Technologies Match Play.

Thomas Pieters hit a chip that ran through the 13th green and landed in a sprinkler hole.

Sam Burns is a winner at the Valspar Championship again.

AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson says Cameron Smith can be overlooked because his game is not long and rarely straight.

Cameron Smith made the longest week at The Players Championship worth the wait.

The longest week at The Players Championship is moving closer to a conclusion.

The PGA Tour is set for beautiful weather at Pebble Beach, with one eye on Saudi Arabia.

Collin Morikawa has had plenty of thinking to do ahead of this week's Dubai Desert Classic.

Formula One racing got a huge boost in interest in North America through the Netflix series “Drive to Survive.”.

The chances of an American golfer being crowned as European No. 1 for the first time were already strong heading into the Race to Dubai finale this week.

Sang Kang was doing everything right except putting his tee shots in play.

The best player on the U.S. Ryder Cup team also happened to be the oldest.

In the post-defeat dissection that’s sure to come for Europe's Ryder Cup team, certainly the disappearing act by Rory McIlroy will be one of the top talking points.

The Ryder Cup is going back to the Americans.

The United States wrapped up the Ryder Cup in record-setting fashion.

All the drama Saturday at the Ryder Cup was to see if Europe could make a game of it.

Europe closed out two matches in rapid succession, then the U.S. closed out another to give the Americans a 10-5 lead with one match left on the course Saturday.

Europe trails the Ryder Cup 6-2 after an opening day that saw Rory McIlroy lose twice and the entire team post only one victory.

The first point of the Ryder Cup went to Europe and its new Spanish Armada.

The United States took a 6-2 lead for its largest opening-day advantage at the Ryder Cup since 1975.

No team in sports embraces the underdog label like Europe's Ryder Cup squads.

The Americans are running out of excuses at the Ryder Cup.

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

Sergio Garcia is still the youngest Ryder Cup player in history.

Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Shane Lowry have been picked by European captain Padraig Harrington to fill out the team for the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

Billy Horschel became the second American after Arnold Palmer to win the BMW PGA Championship following a dramatic final round.

Xander Schauffele is 18 holes away from a gold medal and the podium still feels a long way off.

The hardest part of Sergio Garcia's day was before he even got to Royal St. George's.

Andy Sullivan was among the last to make the field at the British Open and part of the first group out when play began.

Brandt Snedeker had a 68 for his lowest start to a British Open since 2012.

Louis Oosthuizen and Sergio Garcia are among Olympic qualifiers who aren't going to Tokyo next month.

Paul Casey is going for his third straight victory at the Valspar Championship.

No one needed to see the colorful blooms at Augusta National to realize this will be a much different Masters than the last one.

The Masters features only six players, three of them amateurs, who have never played in the Masters.

It also gave him a two-shot lead over DeChambeau and set up a rematch from last week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Stadium Course at Sawgrass is more about position that power, though DeChambeau appears capable of winning on just about any course at the moment. He shot 64 and was three shots behind, along with Doug Ghim, who is making his debut in The Players. Also four shots behind was Brian Harman, who began his day by holing a wedge for eagle and shot 69. For DeChambeau, it's a chance to stamp himself as the favorite as the Masters nears, if he's not already.

Conners surged into the lead with a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th hole — his second eagle on that hole in two days — for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot advantage over former Bay Hill winner Martin Laird (67). He was two shots behind, along with Viktor Hovland and Lanto Griffin, who each had a 68. The forecast featured plenty of rain Saturday, which figures to make Bay Hill play longer and tougher, while also keeping the greens from getting as crusty as they were last year when Tyrrell Hatton won with a closing 74. He won at Bay Hill in 2011 on a final round so tough a 75 was enough to get the job done. He played in the morning, had a pair of birdies and came to the 16th, the easiest at Bay Hill.

He shot 1-under 71 as he goes for a second victory at Pebble Beach in the last five years. A pedestrian round that included bogeys on two of the par 5s left Spieth two shots out of the lead with three holes to play. Spieth didn’t have to contend with what he predicted to be a “mean” day at Pebble Beach. The raging wind was more of a stiff breeze along the ocean holes that Pebble gets all the time. He made bogey on the easiest hole at Pebble Beach from the middle of the fairway on the par-5 second hole, coming up well short of the green, pitching short of the putting surface and missing a par putt from 5 feet.

What two days have shown is that Masters experience only goes so far on a soft course with rye grass that isn't grown in quite the way it usually is in April. Another Masters rookie, Sungjae Im (70), was in the group another shot behind that included Patrick Cantlay (66), who contended for the green jacket last year. “You have to really throw all the past knowledge out the window this week, as weird as it is,” Thomas said. Johnson quickly became the first player this week to reach 10 under with three birdies around Amen Corner. The two-time Masters champion shot 68 in the morning on a long, soft course.

The opening round was delayed nearly three hours at the start by heavy rain, and with limited daylight in November, there was no way to complete the round. Greg Norman still holds the record for lowest opening round, a 63 in 1996, the year he lost a six-shot lead to Nick Faldo in the final round. There were 53 rounds under par in the 92-man field and 24 rounds in the 60s, both Masters records for any round. The previous mark was 47 rounds under par in the second round of 1992 (83-man field). This is his fifth Masters, and not only his lowest score, but the first time he has shot par or better in the opening round.

Play has been suspended in the second round of the Masters, with 48 players yet to finish. While the second round won’t be completed until Saturday morning, Langer is assured of getting through. Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Cameron Smith and Abraham Ancer all have a share of the lead after finishing the second round at 9-under 135. ___11:50 a.m.Dustin Johnson is pulling away from the field in the second round of the Masters. The second round is underway at the Masters, and the first round hasn't quite finished up yet.

Five-time and defending champion Tiger Woods dropped a turn-back-the-clock round of his own, relying more on experience than current form to post a 68. “There is a sense of ease when I come here, just because I understand how to prepare for this golf course,” Woods said after hitting 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. Small wonder, then, that Woods flashed a wide grin when asked what was most encouraging about the round. “This golf course, as much as I’m trying to attack it, it can bite back,” he said. Still to be determined is how much firmer the greens and the rest of the golf course will get.

Defying his lackluster form not to mention a history of slow starts at these hallowed grounds, Woods shot a bogey-free 4-under 68 on Thursday in the opening round of the Masters, a tantalizing display by the defending champion in his quest for a record-tying sixth green jacket. Woods hasn't played much this year, returning warily from a five-month layoff to play a half-dozen tournaments leading up to the Masters. It was only the second time he's broken 70 in the opening round at Augusta, matching the 68 he shot to begin the 2010 Masters. More telling, it was his first bogey-free round in a major championship since the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine. “I got off to a fast start today, which is good, but I think everyone is,” Woods said.

But DeChambeau wasn’t able to back that up Thursday in the opening round, shooting a 2-under 70 to end the day five strokes behind leader Paul Casey. It’s still Augusta National, and it’s the Masters. DeChambeau hit his drive 313 yards into the pine straw behind a tree. Not a 5, the score to shoot for for everyone else at Augusta National, from Bobby Jones to President Dwight Eisenhower to Tiger Woods. “Sometimes I can get a little greedy, and I like taking risks,” DeChambeau said.

Paul Casey matched his lowest score at the Masters with a 7-under 65, giving him a two-shot lead among half the field fortunate to play in perfect scoring conditions. It was the fifth hole, which he bogeyed all four rounds last year when he won the Masters. He was joined by Xander Schauffele, a runner-up to Woods last year, who had seven birdies in his round of 67. The delay was the last thing the Masters needed with limited daylight hours leading to the two-tee start. The loudest cheer — applause, certainly not a roar — came for Nicklaus and Player hitting tee shots so early that they couldn't see where they landed.

Also, it’s the first bogey-free round for Woods in a major since the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine. The 43-year-old Englishman is leading the Masters after shooting a 7-under 65 in the opening round. But he turned things around in his return to Augusta National, which was delayed for seven months by the coronavirus pandemic. ___2:05 p.m.Tiger Woods is off to a strong start in defense of his Masters championship. He has six top-10 finishes at Augusta National, including a second-place finish in 2010 and a tie for second in 2016.

Lee completed an 8-over 78 at Winged Foot, but decided after the round he couldn't continue. ___3:20 p.m.Paul Casey had the second score under par Saturday at Winged Foot, which told only half the story. “In all honesty, I kind of wanted to walk in after the first five, six, seven holes,” Casey said. ___2:05 p.m.Alex Noren showed the leaders that low scores can be had at Winged Foot in the third round of the U.S. Open. Typical for a U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Woods, Charles Howell III, Adam Scott and Paul Casey are the only players who competed in that 2003 U.S. Open (Woods tied for 20th). Amateur at Olympia Fields, which featured five other players in the BMW Championship field, including PGA champion Collin Morikawa. For some, this week is about improving their position going to the Tour Championship, which features a staggered start to par. Woods said he looked at few videos of Olympia Fields before he arrived. This golf course is set up more toward an Open than it is anything else.___More AP golf: https://apnews.com/apf-Golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tom Hoge watches his drive on the ninth hole during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club on Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Hoge, tied for the first-round lead with Harold Varner III and Roger Sloan, kept in front with a steady 2-under 68 to get to 10-under par. Hoge, whose best-ever tour finish was a second at The Greenbrier this season, was asked what it would take for his first PGA Tour win. Like Kim, Gooch shot 65 to get into the foursome on top. He had six birdies, including two of his final three holes, to move up. Kokrak was in a group of seven one shot further back along with past Wyndham champ Webb Simpson, who shot his second straight 66.

The 23-year-old Californian delivered a 6-under 64 in the final round, including a signature shot that fans will be talking about for decades. He hit more fairways and greens, and picked up more strokes with the putter over four days than anyone else in the field. Two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka talked a good game, but crashed in his effort to three-peat with an uncharacteristic closing 74. Asked whether he expected to win his first major this soon, he looked puzzled for the first time all day. So once it bounced, I was like OK, I will take it anywhere.I peeked around right and looked around the tree, and it looked really, really good.It was.

Collin Morikawa poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. Since then, he has played 28 tournaments around the world and already has three victories on the PGA Tour, one of them a major championship. That alone puts him among the elite, except that Morikawa didn't need to win the PGA Championship to feel that way. When I woke up today, I was like, This is meant to be. This is where I feel very comfortable, Morikawa said. Rare is Sunday at a major with so many possibilities at the beginning, at the turn and down the stretch.

He looked behind him and realized his hopes of winning the PGA Championship had suddenly, startlingly vanished. Collin Morikawa's on-a-rope drive had stopped 7 feet away, just behind Casey, on the 16th green. What a shot, Casey said when asked what went through his mind when he saw Morikawa's ball come to rest. The 43-year-old Casey shot 4-under 66 to finish at 11 under, tied for second with Dustin Johnson and two shots behind the champion. And watching Collin come down ... and what a shot he hit on 16, he deserves it.Oh, there were places to nitpick Casey's game.

Li Haotong of China, hits from the fairway on the 10th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in San Francisco. He also played a World Golf Championship last week with middling results, but he found his form in San Francisco. Brendon Todd, who shared the 18-hole lead with Day, settled for a 70 and joined them at 135. Li, who primarily plays the European Tour, went back to China in March when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down golf. If the lead holds, Li would be the first player from China to hold the lead after any round of a major.

BLAINE, Minn. Michael Thompson birdied two of the last three holes Sunday for a 4-under 67 and a two-stroke victory in the 3M Open, finishing off his second PGA Tour win seven years after his first. Thompson finished at 19-under 265 at TPC Twin Cities. With Long in the clubhouse, having played five groups ahead, Thompson had two putts to win. Finau was the only one in contention this weekend who'd already secured his U.S. Open spot, thanks to his seventh-place finish in the FedEx Cup standings last year and No. His tee shot was well wide of the fairway, and his fourth try from the rough did not reach the green.

Richy Werenski celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole to give him the lead of the during the first round of the 3M Open golf tournament in Blaine, Minn., Thursday, July 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton- King)

Richy Werenski celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole to give him the lead of the during the first round of the 3M Open golf tournament in Blaine, Minn., Thursday, July 23, 2020. The 24-year-old, who's winless on the PGA Tour, followed up with a 67. You know youre playing good golf, Finau said. Thompson, who played in the first group of the day with a 6:50 a.m., moved even with Werenski on the 194-yard 17th hole. The big thing is just try not to overpower the golf course, stay within myself, make good, comfortable swings, Thompson said.

Casey watched plenty on TV, and he was watching more than the golf. PAIRINGS WITH A PURPOSEThe PGA Tour has four groups of featured pairings for its PGA Tour Live," and then the rest of the field is supposed to be relatively random depending on a player's category. Oak Hill last hosted the PGA Championship in 2013 won by Jason Dufner, while Tiger Woods won his fourth PGA Championship at Southern Hills in 2007. DIVOTSHilton Head has some of the smallest greens on the PGA Tour, and Abraham Ancer hit 65 out of 72 of them in his runner-up finish. FINAL REBUTTALFascinating stuff. CBS analyst Nick Faldo, watching Koepka tee off on the 18th hole and telling viewers he would listen to what Koepka had to say.

During his short offseason, Koepka had stem cell treatment on his left knee because the patella tendon was partially torn. As Li Haotong of China was making his debut at the Presidents Cup, Guan Tianlang was preparing to qualify for the PGA Tour Series-China. Ishikawa showed signs of getting back to form last year when he won three times on the Japan Golf Tour, his first titles since 2016 and his biggest year in Japan since 2010. Otherwise, the Japan Golf Tour season doesn't start until a week after the Masters. The last seven rounds on the PGA Tour in Hawaii were played under lift, clean and place rules.