Ryder Cup 'injury' envelope has new twist amid COVID threat
As if there wasn’t enough suspense and second-guessing of the Ryder Cup captains in past years, a nod to the COVID-19 pandemic could make things more topsy-turvy than usual this time around. The last time the envelope was actually opened was at the Belfry in 1993, when Scotsman Sam Torrance had to withdraw because of a foot injury and his match against Lanny Wadkins — whose name was in the U.S. envelope — was ruled a tie. Under the current agreement, Stricker would be able to replace a single player with anyone he chooses — from non-playing assistant captain Phil Mickelson to a player who flies in at the last moment.
news.yahoo.comHoward University resumes in-person classes following ransomware attack
In-person classes are resuming at Howard University as the school investigates last week’s cyberattack. Howard canceled all classes on Tuesday after its computer network was compromised by a ransomware attack. CBSN technology reporter Dan Patterson has more on the ongoing investigation.
news.yahoo.comWhite House calls question about whether U.S. should offer COVID vaccine booster at home or donate vaccines abroad a 'false choice'
During a White House briefing on Wednesday, press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. could roll out vaccine boosters to Americans while also donating vaccines to other countries, calling the question of whether to do one or the other "a false choice."
news.yahoo.comJones wins Honda Classic by 5 shots, earns spot in Masters
Jones won the Honda Classic by five shots Sunday, a final round of 2-under 68 good enough to finish the week at 12-under 268 at PGA National. J.B. Holmes was in the final group with Jones, three shots back to start the day, and his chances were gone very quickly. He ended up with a costly final-round 79 for Holmes; second place, where he started the day, paid Hagy $763,000 while the tied-for-46th finish paid Holmes $19,070. AdHe went on to make double bogey there, and when Jones birdied the par-5 third Holmes’ deficit had gone from three to eight shots in about 45 minutes. “You can't get a tougher golf course to win on than this one, in these conditions," Jones said.
Jones survives a challenging day, takes 3-shot lead at Honda
“I'm happy to go low with the ball flight and I'm probably a little more conservative when the wind is up," Jones said. That’s when his woes started, and what became a nine-shot turnaround between he and Jones began. Jones grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie at the par-4 14th. And when Wise made bogey at the par-3 15th, Jones was the outright leader again. “Just keep doing what I'm doing," Jones said.
Wise takes three-shot lead at midway point of Honda Classic
Wise shot his second straight 6-under 64 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead into the weekend at the Honda Classic. The 128 total is the lowest 36-hole score at PGA National since the tournament moved there 15 years ago — and marks the first 36-hole lead of Wise’s PGA Tour career. Wise birdied the last to finish off the 64, the eighth round of 64 or lower surrendered by PGA National this week. He opened with a 69, then shot 62 — the fourth score that low in Honda history at PGA National — Friday. Jones (61), Wise (64) and Russell Henley (64) had the 64s or better Thursday; Hagy, Ryder, Wise, Brice Garnett (64) and Stewart Cink (64) had them Friday.
Conners builds 1-shot lead at Bay Hill as McIlroy lurks
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.
Healthy again, Koepka eagles 17, rallies to win Phoenix Open
“It’s been a wild ride for the last year and a half and very frustrating,” Koepka said. That's where he chipped in from 32 yards for his second eagle of the day to break a tie for the lead. AdFive strokes behind Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele entering the round, Koepka shot a 6-under 65 to finish at 19-under 265. “It was a good day to learn from some mistakes,” Schauffele said. Schauffele and Spieth each drove into the water on 17 to end their chances, then both birdied 18.
Love appointed captain again, this time for Presidents Cup
The PGA Tour has selected Love to be U.S. captain for the Presidents Cup in 2022 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was captain when Europe rallied from a 10-6 deficit to beat the Americans in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, and he was Ryder Cup captain for a rare U.S. victory four years later at Hazeltine. He also was an assistant captain in the Ryder Cup under Corey Pavin in 2010 and Jim Furyk in 2018 and is on the staff of Steve Stricker this year. The Presidents Cup was supposed to be played this year until the COVID-19 pandemic led to the Ryder Cup being postponed one year to this September. ... Tony Finau has 35 finishes in the top 10 since the start of the 2016-17 season on the PGA Tour without winning.
Maui Musings: 5 questions for a new year in golf
And no one is more concerned than Ryder Cup officials. THE RYDER CUPNo other golf tournament relies so much on noise than the Ryder Cup, which is why it was postponed from last September. Phil Mickelson has played in every Ryder Cup since 1995 — Morikawa wasn't even born then. Since the last Ryder Cup, Lefty has finished a combined 84 shots behind in the five majors he made the cut. McIlroy, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas all have had moments of brilliance.
PGA Tour's top 2 rules officials retiring after long careers
White’s father was a stickler for the rules, and White thought he knew them well when he decided to join the PGA Tour. His most memorable ruling was among the more famous on the PGA Tour. Also, Mike Peterson, Pete Lis and Jordan Harris are moving from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour as rules officials. The tour said that became the top-performing tweet for the PGA Tour, also surpassing the Masters graphic. Im then finished out his year by flying to Dubai for the DP World Tour Championship on the European Tour.
Mickelson and late-night range session key for DeChambeau
The first one was early in the week, when he played a practice round at Winged Foot with Phil Mickelson. NEW LIFEThe PGA Tour stop in the Dominican Republic should be a candidate for comeback tournament of the year. Neither the LPGA Tour nor the PGA Tour, or the majors they play, have had fans this year. The only spectators in the U.S. have been on the PGA Tour Champions in South Dakota. ... Sam Horsfield of England, who played his college golf at Florida, is playing the PGA Tour event in the Dominican Republic on a sponsor exemption.
Zach Johnson, normal guy from Iowa, wins Payne Stewart Award
He won as a rookie and reached the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where one of the perks was attending a ceremony to watch Jay Haas accept the Payne Stewart Award. It brought Johnson to tears 16 years later when he was selected Wednesday to receive the Payne Stewart Award. As it enters its second decade, the award now is regarded as the most prestigious on the PGA Tour. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan referred to Johnson as a fearless underdog and a statewide hero in Iowa for his charitable work in his home state. Zach would say hes just a normal guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but in truth, he has one of the most compelling stories on the PGA Tour in the last 25 years, Monahan said.