David Beckham is a billionaire, worth $1 billion by our count—one of just seven living pro athletes (Jordan, Magic, Tiger, LeBron, Federer and retired Romanian tennis ace Ion Tiriac) to manage the feat.
Read more about how Beckham became a billionaire: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maneetahuja/2026/05/20/new-billionaire-david-beckham-on-his-family-team-and-legacy/?utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ForbesMainFB
- Forbes
Tiger Woods is back on U.S. soil for the first time since heading to Switzerland for rehab in early April ... and we've got the first visuals of the golf legend getting off his private jet, after leaving Zurich hours earlier.
50-year-old Woods was photographed stepping off his Gulfstream G550 Wednesday afternoon at Palm Beach International Airport ... and he looked stoned-faced, showing no emotion as he walked across the tarmac, with his pup by his side.
Tiger had been in an exclusive, and ultra-expensive Swiss rehab facility since around April 3, when his PJ took him from Florida to Europe for treatment.
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| Backgrid |
Woods went overseas for help after his March 27 rollover crash and DUI arrest in Jupiter, FL ... after telling the judge in his case that he feared he couldn't privately get help in the States.
The judge gave T.W. the green light, and he was off to Switzerland.
He may be back, but he's still got his DUI case to contend with ... and he suffered a loss in court this week.
Tiger wanted to block prosecutors from accessing his prescription drug records, but a judge ruled in the State's favor, clearing the way for them to see what Woods was taking the day of the crash.
It wasn't a total loss for Woods -- the judge said the information would be limited to people involved with the case.
Tiger is facing two misdemeanors ... one for DUI, and another for refusing to take a urine test after the wreck.
- TMZ
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| Reuters/AP |
Tiger Woods was released on bail on Friday, hours after the golf star’s Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled onto its side and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to officials.
Martin County sheriff John Budensiek said Woods was driving a Land Rover that overturned after attempting to overtake a truck on a narrow two-lane road shortly before 2pm near Woods’s residence on Jupiter Island. The vehicle clipped a trailer, veered off and came to rest on its driver’s side after sliding along the roadway.
The truck had been slowing to turn into a driveway when Woods approached at what the sheriff described as a “high rate of speed” on a road with a 30mph limit.
Woods, who was alone in the vehicle, was able to exit through the passenger side. Investigators said he showed signs of impairment and was subjected to roadside tests before being taken into custody.
Authorities said a breath test showed no alcohol in his system, and investigators believed impairment was due to medication or drugs. No substances were found in the vehicle. Woods refused to submit to a urinalysis test and was charged with DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
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| Tiger Woods stands by his overturned car on Friday afternoon in Jupiter Island, Florida. Photograph: Jason Oteri/AP |
No injuries were reported, though Budensiek told reporters the outcome could have been far worse given the narrow roadway.
Donald Trump called Woods a “close friend” and said he felt “so badly” upon hearing the news during a gathering with media on Friday afternoon in Miami.
“I feel so badly,” Trump said. “He’s got some difficulty. There was an accident and that’s all I know. He’s a very close friend of mine ... an amazing person, an amazing man.”
Woods confirmed he was in a relationship with Trump’s former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, last year.
It is the latest in a series of traffic-related incidents involving Woods. In February 2021, he was seriously injured when his SUV veered off a coastal road in Los Angeles at high speed. In that crash, Woods suffered multiple leg and ankle injuries so severe that, he later said, doctors considered amputation.
Woods was also arrested in 2017 on a DUI charge after police in south Florida found him asleep behind the wheel of a damaged vehicle. He later said he had taken a problematic mix of prescription medications and pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
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| Tiger Woods’ SUV after he rolled it from the road in 2021. Photograph: Étienne Laurent/EPA |
A third incident took place in 2009, when Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home in Windermere, Florida, in the early hours of the morning. Police said he was found injured in the street, while his then-wife, Elin Nordegren, told officers she had smashed the rear window with a golf club to help him out of the vehicle.
The 50-year-old has played a limited schedule in recent years while working his way back from multiple injuries and surgeries, including a seventh back procedure and a ruptured achilles tendon. He has not competed in an official PGA Tour event since July 2024, though he appeared earlier this week in the TGL indoor league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy.
Woods has entered this year’s US Senior Open but has not committed to playing, and his availability for next month’s Masters at Augusta National Golf Club remains uncertain.
An 82-time winner on the PGA Tour, Woods is tied with Sam Snead for the most victories in history and last won a major at the 2019 Masters, his fifth title at Augusta.
- Bryan Armen Graham
Disc replacement probably rules out champion golfer’s appearance in Hero World Challenge
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| Reuters |
Tiger Woods has undergone his seventh back surgery — his second in just over a year — after doctors discovered a collapsed lumbar disc that had caused severe pain and mobility issues.
The 49-year-old golfer announced on social media on Saturday that the latest procedure, a disc replacement, was performed on Friday in New York.
“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” Woods wrote. “The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.”
The operation adds to an extensive medical history for Woods, who has endured surgeries on his back, knees, leg and Achilles tendon over the past decade. He has not competed in 2025 while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in March, and it is unclear when — or if — he will return to competitive golf.
The 15-time Major champion’s latest setback likely rules out appearances in December’s Hero World Challenge, which he hosts, and the PNC Championship, where he has played alongside his son Charlie.
Since surviving a 2021 car crash that nearly resulted in the amputation of his right leg, Woods has played only sparingly — just 15 official events in four years, often withdrawing mid-tournament due to pain.
His most recent competitive round came in the TGL simulator league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy, though his October surgery now makes participation in the league’s upcoming season improbable.
- Field Level Media
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| © Getty Images |
Tiger Woods is setting the standard for his two children with ex-wife Elin Nordegren, daughter Sam, 18, and son Charlie, 16, both of whom are athletes like their dad.
While the pro-golfer, 49, has embraced his daughter's desire to pursue her athletic passions in other sports like soccer and track & field, his son is a rising star in the golf world already.
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| Charlie Woods is rising in the golf world, just like his father before him |
Charlie is an amateur golfer and a rising junior at The Benjamin School, one of Palm Beach's most elite prep schools, recently heading to the state championships and the Class 1A championships with the rest of his high school team.
While the team, the Benjamin Buccaneers, started off strong as the odds-on favorites, they ended up dropping to third place as they proceeded, with their coach Toby Harbeck sharing some insight into the team's trajectory with The Palm Beach Post.
"To this day, I don't know what happened," he opined. "Maybe we were overconfident. We just had one bad round at the worst time possible."
He did name three rising juniors that he was touting as the "stars" of his team, one of which being Charlie. "I've got those three juniors who have played on the team and have quite a lot of experience. My first three guys are going to be really good."
While the coach noted that much of the attention in the media has been around Charlie's track record in the sport, given his father's fame and legacy, he pointed out that when it came to his dynamic behind closed doors, he was a total team player.
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| The junior is a member of the golf team at the elite The Benjamin School in Palm Beach |
"Charlie knows a lot of the attention is going to be on him and he knows not to put himself in an uncomfortable position, but his teammates are protective of him," Toby added.
He even explained that the teen had committed to getting into top physical shape to up his game, especially with the public support of his parents cheering by the green.
"Charlie has come a long way in two years," he noted. "He's lost 10 pounds and is ready to take on that No. 1 role. When Tiger and Elin show up to watch, Tiger is a different person than what you see on TV. Just like Jack [Nicklaus] was."
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| "Charlie has come a long way in two years. He's lost 10 pounds and is ready to take on that No. 1 role. |
The coach then concluded by stating that despite their rougher than expected go at States, he's hoping to keep his team on their toes by playing more away games this season and pitting them against new opponents with a variety of strategies. "You can't get any better by beating the same teams every day."
Charlie made history in 2020 at the PNC Championships, becoming the youngest competitor in the tournament's history at just 11 years old. He entered his first PGA Tour event last year, and in May of 2025, he won the Team TaylorMade Invitational, his first American Junior Golf Association victory.
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| Charlie made it to the final round of his first Junior PGA Championship earlier this month |
The 16-year-old was also in contention for the Junior PGA Championship earlier this month, making it all the way to the final round before ultimately tying for ninth place.
- Ahad Sanwari
Scottie Scheffler worked harder than he imagined and got the result everyone expected at the PGA Championship: A most pleasant walk to the 18th green with another major title secure in the hands of golf's undisputed No.1 player.
Scheffler was flawless when he had to be on the back nine of Quail Hollow, leaving the blunders to Jon Rahm and everyone else trying to catch him on a final day that turned tense until he pulled away.
Scheffler overcame an early stumble to card a closing 71 and finish 11 under par, five shots ahead of fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau (70), Harris English (65) and Davis Riley (72).
The 28-year-old is the 10th straight American winner of the PGA and joins the late Seve Ballesteros as the only players since 1906 to win each of their first three majors by three or more shots.
"This back nine will be one that I remember for a long time. It was a grind out there," Scheffler said.
The margin doesn't match up with the grind. That much was clear when Scheffler raised his arms on the 18th green and then ferociously slammed his cap to the turf, a brand of emotion rarely seen by the 28-year-old Texas star.
Scheffler was five shots ahead coming to the last hole when he won his first Masters green jacket in 2022. He was four shots clear of the field when he won at Augusta National last year. And he had a six-shot lead at Quail Hollow.
But this sure didn't feel like a walk in the park.
He had a five-shot lead standing on the sixth tee. But with a shaky swing that led to two bogeys, and with Rahm making three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn, they were tied when Scheffler got to the 10th tee.
Incredibly, two hours later Scheffler closed with a bogey that no one predicted he could afford.
Rahm wound up seven shots behind, but the two-time major champion was the only serious threat. His chances began to fade when he failed to birdie the 14th and 15th holes, the two easiest holes on the back nine and the last good scoring chances.
A bogey on the 16th hole went he went from rough to bunker. Having to take on a dangerous pin at the par-3 17th, it bounded over the sunbaked green into the water for double bogey. And his last tee shot went left off the grassy bank and into the stream for another double bogey.
"I knew it was going to be a challenging day. Finishing off a major championship is always challenging," Scheffler said after being presented with the Wanamaker Trophy.
"I didn't have my best stuff ... but stepped it up on the back nine."
All that work to make up a five-shot deficit at the start of the day and Rahm closed with a 73 to tie for eighth.
"Yeah, the last three holes, it's a tough pill to swallow right now," said Rahm, his first time seriously contending in a major since he left for the Saudi riches of LIV Golf two years ago.
"I'll get over it. I'll move on. There's a lot more positive than negative to think about this week. I'm really happy I put myself in position and hopefully learn from this and give it another go in the US Open."
Scheffler finished at 11-under 273 and picked up his 15th victory in just his sixth year on the PGA Tour. Dating to 1950, he is the third-fastest player to go from one to 15 tour wins, behind only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, and even then by a matter of months.
Scheffler came into the PGA Championship off an eight-shot victory in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. And then he won a major by five. It was the first time since Woods in 2000 that a player won consecutive PGA Tour starts by five shots or more in the same season.
With PA
- Doug Ferguson and Phil Casey
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| Phil Mickelson has taken regular shots at the PGA Tour over the past three years (Image: Getty) |
Phil Mickelson's feud with the PGA Tour has continued after Wesley Bryan was suspended for participating in a LIV Golf event. Earlier this month, LIV introduced The Duels, a new format that saw six professionals from the Saudi-sponsored circuit team up with social media influencers.
Stars such as Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, plus Mickelson and Bryan, were all part of the mix. Bryan, who has barely figured on the PGA Tour recently, seized the opportunity presented by LIV after gaining prominence as a content creator with a successful YouTube channel. Although he doesn't have an active PGA Tour card, his involvement led to him being suspended by the tour, with an infuriated Mickelson taking to social media to demand an intervention by Donald Trump's Department of Justice. "Here's a question," he began. "Normally when an entity violates independent contract law, they deny that it happened and forces the contractor/individual to prove that it did.
"In this case, the PGA Tour blatantly admits they are illegally banning an independent contractor, so why doesn't they DOJ step in and enforce the law? Why does the individual have to sue to enforcer the law? DOJ do your f****** job!" It was the latest in a long list of grievances Mickelson has aimed at the PGA Tour since his involvement with LIV Golf was first mooted three years ago...
Mickelson stirred controversy even before the LIV was launched. 'Leftie' openly criticised the PGA Tour with accusations of greed, particularly over the issue of media rights. "There are many issues, but that is one of the biggest," he said in an interview with Golf Digest.
"For me, personally, it's not enough that they are sitting on hundreds of millions of digital moments. They also have access to my shots, access I do not have. They also charge companies to use shots I have hit. And when I did 'The Match' - there have been five of them - the tour forced me to pay them $1million each time.
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| The three-time Masters champ has never been one to mince his words (Image: Getty) |
"For my own media rights. That type of greed is, to me, beyond obnoxious." Adding to his grievances, Mickelson asserted that the Tour controls an estimated "roughly $20billion" (£15bn) in media assets and countless digital memories that, in his opinion, rightfully belong to the players.
The Tour defended itself against Mickelson's remarks, maintaining that the majority of players are satisfied with how the organisation operates. One executive countered Mickelson's assertions to GOLF.com, saying: "I've never seen anybody be really interested in how we generate the money.
"There's some conversation about it now because, you know, Phil's making stuff up that's just not true. But in general, they're happy that there's a lot of money that comes from it."
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| Mickelson was left furious by Wesley Bryan's suspension (Image: Getty) |
Moreover, the Tour emphasises that over half of its approximately $1.5m [£1.13m] yearly revenue is apportioned to the players, aligning with the norms of other professional sports organisations.
Mickelson hasn't held back in his criticism of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. In November 2023, Mickelson weighed in on rumours that Monahan might be ousted from his position if a deal between the Tour and PIF was struck.
He took to social media to assert that "golf is in this situation entirely because of [Monahan]". He accused him of "losing trust with his players" and stated that "there's no unity or path forward with [Monahan] involved in my opinion as well".
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| Jay Monahan has been slammed by Mickelson (Image: Getty) |
Mickelson also disclosed a $1bn [£750m] peace proposal he had offered to the Tour before jumping ship to LIV. He said: "Before I left I brought a $1bn commitment from a current PGA Tour partner to have 8 elevated events and give equity and ownership in these events to the players. JM's quote was: 'I don't believe the league is going to happen so we won't be doing that'. No vote, no discussion."
A year into the existence of LIV, Mickelson called for an apology from the PGA Tour. That followed suggestions in a leaked memo that those who had publicly criticised the PGA Tour would face harsher treatment than other defectors if they performed a U-turn.
Mickelson said: "What a colossal waste of time. Not a single player on LIV wants to play PGA Tour. It would require a public apology and restitution to LIV players for paying millions to Clout media to disparage all of us. A better topic is future sanctions for the many players who now come to LIV."
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| Mickelson was complaining about the PGA Tour even before leaving for LIV (Image: Getty) |
PGA Tour loyalist Tiger Woods reportedly orchestrated a pointed snub to Mickelson by blocking him from attending a private dinner celebrating past champions before the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews in 2022.
According to revelations in Alan Shipnuck's book 'LIV and Let Die', it was claimed by an anonymous source: "He (Woods) talked to a handful of other [past champions] to get their blessing and then went to the R&A and told them, basically, no one wanted Phil there and it would make the night weird and awkward. Whose side were they going to take, Tiger's or Phil's? That's an easy choice."
Mickelson continues to be a vocal supporter of LIV Golf. Explaining his standpoint on The Joe Pomp Show earlier this year, Mickelson shared his perspective on why their events are more family-friendly.
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| Tiger Woods blocked Mickelson from attending a private dinner at The Open, it was claimed (Image: PGA TOUR via Getty) |
"You go to a LIV event, you feel different," he said. "Here's why: You have music going when you're out on the course. We don't hear little people saying stuff.
"So you're not as anxious about having your kids be quiet. There's a fan zone like on the course where you can sit down, take a break, grab some drinks. It's like a little hang. You can take a nap.
"They have a kid zone by the clubhouse where, again, you can take a nap, play putt-putt, play games for them and entertain them with a big screen so you can still see what's going on with the golf.
"So when you go there, you feel calm. You feel comfortable. It's like, 'OK, our kids had a great time. I was relaxed. I wasn't worried'. I think that's the number one reason why LIV is going to be successful."
- MARK WHILEY
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| Tiger Woods missed the majority of last season after undergoing back surgery. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo |
Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods will tee up for his 2025 season debut at The Genesis Invitational next week at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, he said Friday on social media.
Woods made the announcement just three days after the death of his mother, Kultida. Woods, host of the annual tournament, missed the cut in July at the British Open, his last PGA Tour tournament appearance.
He made just five tournament appearances last season before undergoing season-ending back surgery. Woods, 49, played alongside son Charlie, 15, in December's PNC Championship.
He also participated in two matches alongside his Jupiter Links Golf Club teammates in TGL, the new tech-infused golf league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy.
The Genesis Invitational will be held Feb. 13 to 16 at on Torrey Pines South Course. Hideki Matsuyama is the defending champion. Woods withdrew in 2024 because of illness.
The tournament is normally played at the Riviera Country Club, but was moved because of the southern California wildfires.
TROON, Scotland -- Tiger Woods' major championship season ended with another missed cut in the 152nd Open Championship on Friday, and golf fans won't see him again on the PGA Tour this season.
Woods carded a 6-over 77 in the second round at Royal Troon Golf Club, leaving him with a 36-hole total of 14-over 156. The cut line was 6 over.
Woods has now missed the cut or withdrawn in six of his past seven majors.
It was Woods' worst score to par after the first two rounds in 23 starts at The Open; his previous worst was 9 over after 36 holes at St. Andrews in Scotland in 2022.
It was his second-worst score to par after 36 holes in a major -- he was 16 over in two rounds at the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, during the only other stretch in his career when he has missed the cut in three straight majors.
The fifteen-time major champion was tied for 149th when he walked off the course, ahead of only four of the 153 other golfers competing in the last major of the season.
"Well, it wasn't very good," Woods said. "I made a double there at 2 right out of the hopper when I needed to go the other way. Just was fighting it pretty much all day. I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and consequently made a lot of bogeys."
Woods, 48, said he won't compete again until the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event he hosts in the Bahamas, Dec. 5-8. He also plans to compete in the PNC Championship -- another unofficial event -- in Orlando, Florida, with his son, Charlie, Dec. 19-22. Woods was able to compete in each of the four majors this season but didn't get the results he was hoping for. After setting a Masters record with his 24th consecutive made cut and finishing 60th at Augusta National Golf Club in April, he missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open.
"I loved it," Woods said. "I've always loved playing major championships. I just wish I was more physically sharp coming into the majors. Obviously, it tests you mentally, physically, emotionally, and I just wasn't as sharp as I needed to be. I was hoping that I would find it somehow, just never did."
Woods competed in just one other PGA Tour event this season, the Genesis Invitational outside Los Angeles in February, and he had to withdraw in the second round there because of illness.
"I'd like to have played more, but I just wanted to make sure that I was able to play the major championships this year," Woods said. "I got a lot of time off to get better, to be better physically, which has been the case all year.
"I've gotten better, even though my results really haven't shown it, but physically I've gotten better, which is great. I just need to keep progressing like that and then eventually start playing more competitively and start getting into kind of the competitive flow again."
After posting an 8-over 79 in the first round, Woods wasn't much better Friday. He made a double bogey on the par-4 second after missing a 4-foot bogey putt. After draining a 22-foot birdie on No. 6, Woods picked up another bogey when he missed a 5-footer on No. 9.
After making the turn at 3-over 39, Woods made three more bogeys on Nos. 12, 14 and 17. He missed a 3½-foot par putt on the par-3 14th.
Over two rounds, Woods was 7 over on the par-3s, which ranked next-to-last in the field. He lost 3.77 strokes to the field in putting and 4.19 on approach.
"Yeah, anytime being out with Tiger is great," said Patrick Cantlay, who played with Woods and PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele in the first two rounds. "He's a great competitor and fun to be with. We had a great pairing, especially having my buddy Xander in the group. The three of us had fun."
Cantlay, who was 1 under after carding a 3-under 68 on Friday, was asked whether he had any sympathy for Woods' plight since returning to competition after serious injuries he suffered in a car wreck in February 2021.
"I wasn't out on tour [in the] early 2000s," Cantlay said. "I'm sure those guys don't have any sympathy after going through what they went through. I'm always pulling for him, as I think the rest of the world of golf is."
- Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. -- Charlie Woods, the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods, earned his way into his first USGA championship on Wednesday when he had the leading score among qualifiers for the U.S. Junior Amateur next month at Oakland Hills.
Charlie Woods recovered from a bogey, double bogey start at Eagle Trace Golf Club to finish with a 1-under 71 to be a medalist from his qualifier, one of four players to qualify from the site.
"I didn't play great my first two holes, but I played really good for the last 16," Charlie Woods said. "I just told myself not to make any more bogeys or doubles and I took advantage of some nice birdie looks when I had them."
Tiger Woods was 14 when he qualified for his first U.S. Junior, reaching the semifinals. He won his first U.S. Junior Amateur a year later at Bay Hill in 19 holes and is the only player to win the U.S. Junior three straight times.
Players have to be under 19 before the championship ends.
The U.S. Junior Amateur is July 22-28 at Oakland Hills in the suburbs of Detroit. Charlie Woods will be among 264 players who will go through 36 holes of stroke play on the North and South courses at Oakland Hills to determine which 64 players advance to match play.
Tiger Woods is a nine-time USGA champion: three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs, three straight U.S. Amateurs and three U.S. Open titles.
"The USGA means a lot to me," Charlie Woods said. "I want to win USGA championships and hopefully one day the U.S. Open."
- Associated Press
Tiger Woods will be given a special exemption into PGA Tour Signature Events starting next year, the U.S.-based circuit's Policy Board approved during a meeting on Tuesday.
According to a memo obtained by Reuters, an additional Signature Events sponsor exemption will be created to recognize Woods in his own category having reached an exceptional lifetime achievement threshold of more than 80 career wins.
The 48-year-old, who counts 15 majors among his 82 wins on the PGA Tour, has been playing a limited schedule for years due to several injuries and has not automatically qualified for these events.
In his four starts this year, Woods has withdrawn from one event, finished last among those who made the cut at the Masters and then missed the cut at the PGA Championship and last week's U.S. Open.
Signature Events are limited-field tournaments featuring top players with increased prize money. In 2024, three of the eight Signature events featured a 36-hole cut while the remaining five did not have a cut.
For 2024, the top 50 players from the previous season's FedExCup points list through the Tour Championship were eligible to participate in all Signature Events this year.
- Reuters
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| USA TODAY Sports |
Fifteen-times major winner Tiger Woods said this could very well be his final U.S. Open, after carding a three-over-par 73 that left him at seven over for the week to miss the cut at Pinehurst on Friday.
The former world number one has kept a limited competition schedule after a horrific 2021 car crash and was non-committal about whether he would tee it up in his national open again after missing the cut at last month's PGA Championship as well.
"I thought I played well enough to be up there in contention. It just didn't work out," said Woods, who accepted a special exemption to compete this week.
"As far as my last Open Championship or U.S. Open Championship, I don't know what that is. It may or may not be."
The American was one of several notable names sent packing on Friday, as a brutal Pinehurst course exacted its toll.
Phil Mickelson's (76) latest campaign for a career grand slam never had a chance as he finished near the bottom of the leaderboard at 15-over par.
His LIV Golf colleague Dustin Johnson (75), who won in 2016, hit the road as well after finishing nine-over par, while twice PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas (74) left North Carolina at 11-over par through 36 holes.
American Max Homa (75), who finished this year's Masters tied for third, and Norwegian Viktor Hovland (68) had both been on the hunt for a maiden major but each missed the cut at six-over par.
World number one Scottie Scheffler (74) struggled with his putter on Friday but just made the cut at five-over par through 36 holes.
"I just couldn't get the putts to fall," he told reporters. "This golf course can be unpredictable at times, and maybe it got the better of me the last couple days."
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| AP Photo |
PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — Tiger Woods was among those on Pinehurst No. 2 for the first full day of U.S. Open practice before the sun could break through the clouds and climb over the trees.
It's his first time playing a U.S. Open on this Donald Ross gem in 19 years, and so much of it is new to him because of a restoration project from a decade ago that replaced rough with native sandy areas and wiregrass bushes.
As for Adam Scott, there is nothing new about playing in the majors — this is 92nd in a row, the longest active streak — only about the way he got into the 156-man field.
A week ago, he walked off the 36-hole qualifier in Springfield, Ohio, as the first alternate after losing in a playoff to Cam Davis for the final spot from that site.
“Leaving from Springfield, there was a lot of uncertainty, I would say,” Scott said. "By Friday, and fully understanding how this field works, I was feeling a lot better about myself. It's funny, not having been in that position there is a lot to finding out how a field gets filled. And it's complicated.
“I'm grateful I haven't been in this position too much.”
The USGA set aside six spots for anyone who moved into the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking published Monday, and the rest go to alternates.
Scott was No. 60 last week, almost certain to fall out. But there also was the delicate issue of Grayson Murray, who took his life on May 25, still listed among the top 60. The USGA wanted to honor Murray's position in the world ranking — it will stay there for another week — though it said it would remove his name as it related to its top 60 category.
Scott fell to No. 61 — Billy Horschel, already in the U.S. Open, was one shot away from bumping Scott to No. 62 — but still extends a streak in the majors that dates to the 2001 British Open.
It looks close only on paper. In fact, Scott learned his qualifier would be the fourth site selected for alternates. Of the six spots held back, only one would be taken by Canadian Open winner Robert MacIntyre. That left five spots.
“I can do that math,” Scott said with a smile.
He also had to go through U.S. Open qualifying five years ago, what he said then is no different now. Getting into the major is great. But the goal is to win.
What awaits is a Pinehurst No. 2 course among the most challenging. In three previous U.S. Opens, only four players have finished under par — Payne Stewart (1 under) in 1999, Martin Kaymer (8 under), Erik Compton (1 under) and Rickie Fowler (1 under) in 2014.
“This is pretty typical U.S. Open in the sense that par is a great friend to you all week,” said Webb Simpson, a former U.S. Open champion who had to qualify this year for the first time since 2011. "It’s a brutally hard golf course.
“You have to be incredibly disciplined. You have to accept 30-footers all day.”
Woods has a full week beyond the golf. He had scheduled a mid-morning news conference, only to postpone that until later in the week. He also is being given the Bob Jones Award on Tuesday night, the USGA's highest honor.
Still to be determined is whether — when? — he will accept the Ryder Cup captaincy for the 2025 matches. And he was in New York on Friday for a PGA Tour Enterprises board meeting with the Saudi financiers of LIV Golf.
He played with Fowler, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, with son Charley walking along with him now that he's out of school for the summer.
Scottie Scheffler wasn't on the course after winning the Memorial by one shot on a Muirfield Village course that was tough enough to feel like a U.S. Open.
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Among those playing in the afternoon was David Puig of Spain, a 22-year-old who plays on the LIV Golf circuit and is a reminder of what else is at stake this week. The world ranking published Monday will be used to determine who plays at the Paris Olympics.
For Puig, it's simple — and daunting. If he makes the cut, he will get the second spot that goes to Spain. If he misses, it goes to Jorge Campillo.
Also in the field was Maxwell Moldovan, who just graduated from Ohio State, turned pro and was second alternate in Ohio a week ago. It took a sequence of events for him to get to Pinehurst, and it worked out perfectly for him.
No one at the Memorial was able to bump Scott out of the top 61. Because Scott was the first alternate at Springfield, that spot went to Moldovan. He didn't find out until Neal Shipley — the low amateur at the Masters and his Buckeyes teammate — messaged him at 5:20 a.m. Monday.
Moldovan had to win a playoff over Troy Merritt just to be second alternate. The final round of the Memorial had a huge bearing on his immediate future.
“I did a lot of leaderboard watching and OWGR searching, and a lot of my friends were trying to crunch numbers and see what I needed,” he said. “I'm thankful how it all worked out.”
- DOUG FERGUSON
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HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler drilled his opening tee shot — straight down the middle, of course — with a grandstand packed with spectators behind him. What got his attention was when he looked back from the green and saw that it was empty.
Thousands of fans didn't want to miss the Masters champion on Saturday in the RBC Heritage, and Scheffler didn't disappoint.
His shots were like lasers into the greens as he quickly worked his way into the lead and stayed there. One last birdie on the 18th hole at Harbour Town gave Scheffler a bogey-free 63 and a one-shot lead over Sepp Straka.
“It felt to me like the crowd was coming with me today, and there was definitely a lot of cheers out there,” Scheffler said. “I’ve always enjoyed playing in front of a crowd. It may not look like I’m paying much attention to them out there, but I can feel their energy, and it’s great to have the support.”
He won a green jacket last week, perhaps a plaid jacket from Harbour Town this week. Scheffler wasn't kidding when he talked about how much he hates to lose.
At stake Sunday is a fourth win in his last five starts, and a chance to become the first player since Bernhard Langer in 1985 to win the Masters and the next PGA Tour stop on the schedule. The only other Masters champion to do that was Gary Player in 1978.
“I think when I’m playing my best, sometimes it feels like I’m competing against myself a little bit out there, trying to keep pushing and stay as focused as I can,” Scheffler said.
“At the end of the day, we're out here competing against the best players in the world. I love competing against these guys, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of coming out and competing tomorrow.”
Scheffler was at 16-under 197. Straka made a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 65 to get within one shot. They will be in the final group Sunday, with a different wind and thunderstorms in the forecast.
Two-time major Collin Morikawa made one mistake late, coming up short of the 16th green and missing a 10-foot par putt. He had a 68 and was two shots behind. Masters runner-up Ludvig Aberg (68) was among those three shots back.
All of them are chasing the No. 1 player in the world in the midst of a dominant stretch of golf not seen since Tiger Woods in his prime.
Scheffler has gone 51 consecutive holes at par or better at Harbour Town. He posted his 39th consecutive round at par or better dating to the Tour Championship last August.
“I think we all expect him to play well, and there’s nothing I can do about it,” Aberg said. “All I try to do is focus on myself and make sure that I hit the shots the way I want to and then see where that takes me.”
Scheffler started three shots behind and already was tied for the lead with a tee shot to a pin at the back right corner of the 221-yard seventh hole, converting a 10-foot birdie.
Even the bad breaks led to birdies. On the reachable par-4 ninth, his drive stopped short of the bunker on a down slope of grass, leaving him a flop shot to a short pin with the green running away from him. All he could manage was a pitch to 35 feet. He rammed home the birdie putt, and never really stopped until finishing with a 7-foot birdie on the 18th.
For a moment, it was setting up as a duel with Aberg, the Swedish stud who has been a pro for 10 months and already is regarded as Scheffler's biggest threat because he never seems to miss. But he missed a drive on the 12th into the trees and made bogey to fall out of a share of the lead, and Aberg had to settle for pars the rest of the way.
The crowds were particularly large in the warm and sunshine, often lining the entire fairway two- and three-deep to watch golf's newest sensation. Scheffler has three wins and a runner-up finish in his last four tournaments.
The only player to beat him was Stephan Jaeger by one shot in the Houston Open — Scheffler missed a 5-foot putt that would have forced a playoff. They played together for the first time since then and Jaeger held his own with a 67.
Against Scheffler these days, that's just not enough.
Scheffler wasn't entirely prepared for this week. Winning can be draining, even more when it involves a Masters green jacket. He flew home to Dallas on Sunday night, spent two days with his pregnant wife, managed nine holes of a pro-am at Harbour Town and here he is again.
Patrick Rodgers is the only player within five shots of Scheffler who has yet to win on the PGA Tour. The former Stanford star has felt his game was in a good place and he was hopeful of getting another chance. And then he saw Scheffler's name starting to rise on the scoreboards as he was starting his round. Rodgers hung in there with a 68.
“It feels inevitable at this point,” Rodgers said. “His ball-striking is incredible. For me to have a chance tomorrow, I’m going to have to play 18 great holes. And I’m looking forward to the challenge."
- DOUG FERGUSON
