Pebble Beach has a weekend without amateurs. LIV starts in Mexico
By The Associated Press
PGA TOUR
AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM
Site: Pebble Beach, California.
Courses: Pebble Beach GL (Yardage: 6,972. Par: 72) and Spyglass Hill GC (Yardage: 7,041. Par: 72).
Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $3.6 million.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-7 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel); 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS).
Defending champion: Justin Rose.
FedEx Cup leader: Chris Kirk.
Last week: Matthieu Pavon won the Farmers Insurance Open.
Notes: Pebble Beach is now a signature event, meaning a smaller field of 80 players (down from 156) and 80 amateurs that play only two rounds. Previously, the leading 25 amateurs played all four days. … Ten players are making their debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which includes Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player. … Rory McIlroy is playing the tournament for the first time in 2018, when he brought his father as an amateur partner. … With 80 players, Pebble Beach and Spyglass are the only two courses in the rotation. … Justin Thomas qualified by being among the top 30 in the world. … The leading 10 players outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup get into the next two signature events. The list went further to reach 80 players because of amateurs who are playing. … Jordan Spieth is among four past champions in the field. … Sony Open winner Grayson Murray and Torrey Pines winner Matthieu Pavon led the five players in the three-event “swing” who earned spots at Pebble.
Next week: WM Phoenix Open.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/
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LIV GOLF LEAGUE
LIV GOLF MAYAKOBA
Site: Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Course: El Camaleon GC. Yardage: 7,116. Par: 71.
Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $4 million.
Television: Friday, 1-6 p.m. (CW app); Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (CW Network).
Defending champion: Charles Howell III.
Points champion: Talor Gooch.
Notes: The Saudi-funded lead begins its third year with 13 four-man teams, up from 12 the previous two years. The biggest addition was Masters champion Jon Rahm, who signed in December and has his own team. … Mayakoba previously hosted a PGA Tour event until it began hosting LIV Golf a year ago. … Talor Gooch won the individual points list last year and has switched team to join Smash Golf with captain Brooks Koepka. … Crushers with Bryson DeChambeau as the captain won the team title. …. Among the switches since last year was Peter Uihlein (4 Aces) and Matthew Wolff (Smash) going to Range Goats. … Cameron Smith has fallen out of the top 30 in the world by having ranking points available only at the Masters or European tour events in his native Australia. … Andy Ogletree will play with Phil Mickelson’s team after earning graduation through the Asia Tour’s International Series.
Next week: LIV Golf Las Vegas.
Online: https://www.livgolf.com/
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EUROPEAN TOUR
BAHRAIN CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Al Mazrowiah, Bahrain.
Course: Royal GC. Yardage: 7,261. Par: 72.
Prize money: $2.5 million. Winner’s share: $416,667.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 5-8:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4-8:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 3:30-8:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: New tournament.
Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.
Last week: Thorbjorn Olesen won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
Notes: This is a new tournament on the European tour schedule, and the fourth of five straight weeks to start 2024 in the Middle East. … The tour was last in Bahrain for the debut of the now-defunct Volvo Tournament of Champions in 2011. The tournament moved the following year to South Africa and ended in 2014. … The field is led by Rasmus Hojgaard, who was runner-up last week in Ras Al Khaimah. Also playing are Jorge Campillo and Pablo Larrazabal of Spain. … Harrison Endycott of Australia is among five PGA Tour players in the field through the exemption that grants five spots to those finishing between No. 126 and 200 in the FedEx Cup. Four of the five missed the cut last week. … Keita Nakajima tied for fourth in Ras Al Khaimah last week. He won the Japan Golf Tour money title last year, giving him an exemption on the European tour and a partial card on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Next week: Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/
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KORN FERRY TOUR
PANAMA CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Panama City.
Course: Panama GC. Yardage: 7,534. Par: 72.
Prize money: $1 million. Winner’s share: $180,000.
Television: None.
Previous winner: Pierceson Coody.
Points leader: Aldrich Potgieter.
Last week: Aldrich Potgieter won The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.
Next week: Bogota Championship.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/
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LPGA TOUR
Last week: Nelly Korda won the Drive On Championship.
Next tournament: Honda LPGA Thailand on Feb. 22-25.
Race to CME Globe leader: Lydia Ko.
Online: https://www.lpga.com/
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Last tournament: Steven Alker won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
Next tournament: Chubb Classic on Feb. 16-18.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steven Alker.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions
OTHER TOURS
PGA Tour of Australasia: Vic Open, 13th Beach GL (Beach and Creek), Barwon Heads, Australia. Defending champion: Michael Hendry. Online: https://pga.org.au/
Sunshine Tour and Challenge Tour: SDC Open, Zebula Golf Estate & Spa, Limpopo, South Africa. Defending champion: J.J. Senekal. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/ and https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/
Royal & Ancient GC: Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific, Siam CC, Chonburi, Thailand. Defending champion: Eila Galitsky. Television: Thursday-Friday, 2-5 a.m. (Golf Channel); Friday-Saturday, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Golf Channel). Online: https://www.randa.org/championships/womens-amateur-asia-pacific-championship
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
