Pebble Beach and Saudi International again share top billing

By The Associated Press

PGA TOUR

AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

Site: Pebble Beach, California.

Courses: Pebble Beach GL (Yardage: 6,952. Par: 72); Spyglass Hill GC (Yardage: 7,041. Par: 72); Monterey Peninsula CC-Shore (Yardage: 6,934. Par: 71).

Prize money: $9 million. Winner’s share: $1.62 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 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: Tom Hoge.

FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm.

Last week: Max Homa won the Farmers Insurance Open.

Notes: The field features only three of the top 20 players, led by U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. But this is one week where the star is the venue. … Jordan Spieth, an AT&T ambassador, plays every year and won in 2017. … Kevin Kisner makes his first start of the year. He intended to play the Sony Open until getting sick. … Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and retired San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey are among the athletes playing the in pro-am. … Also playing is Welsh soccer star Gareth Bale. … Among the six U.S. Open champions in the field is Geoff Ogilvy, making a rare appearance on the PGA Tour. … Joel Dahmen is making his first start since his wife gave birth to their first child. … Pebble Beach will host the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time this summer. It previously hosted the U.S. Open six times and the PGA Championship in 1977. … This is the fourth straight week of non-elevated events. Pebble is followed by two consecutive $20 million purses at the Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational.

Next week: WM Phoenix Open.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

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ASIAN TOUR

PIF SAUDI INTERNATIONAL

Site: King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia.

Course: Royal Greens Golf & CC. Yardage: 7,048. Par: 70.

Prize money: $5 million. Winner’s share: $1 million.

Television: None.

Defending champion: Harold Varner III.

2022 Order of Merit winner: Sihwan Kim.

Notes: The 126-man field features all but two players from the top 50 earners in LIV Golf last year. The exceptions are Charles Howell III and Martin Kaymer. … Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson are among those competing for the first time since Oct. 30 when LIV’s inaugural season ended. … PGA Tour members who received conflicting event releases to play the Saudi International include Cameron Young, Cameron Champ, Sebastian Munoz and Mito Pereira. … The Daily Telegraph has reported that Pereira will be joining LIV this year. … Jack Thompson of Australia is in the field after he was medalist at the Asian Tour qualifying tournament. … Andy Ogletree is in the field. He played one LIV event last year and finished last, and the former U.S. Amateur champion was suspended from PGA Tour circuits. … Bubba Watson will be playing for the first time since the PGA Championship last May. He now is No. 164 in the world ranking. The field has eight of the top 50 in the world ranking.

Next week: International Series Oman.

Online: https://asiantour.com/

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EUROPEAN TOUR

RAS AL KHAIMAH CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Course: Al Hamra GC. Yardage: 7,400. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2 million. Winner’s share: $333,333.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3:30-8:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3:30-8 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Nicolai Hojgaard.

Race to Dubai leader: Victor Perez.

Last week: Rory McIlroy won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Notes: The third straight official event in the United Arab Emirates is the latest to the Middle East swing. Nicolai Hojgaard won the inaugural event last year. … The field does not include anyone from the top 50 in the world ranking. … Shaun Norris and Adrian Otaegui are in the field. Both are regulars on LIV Golf and are playing Ras al Khaimah instead of the Saudi International on the Asian Tour. … The European tour is a week away from the arbitration hearing on whether it can uphold regulations on players who have joined LIV Golf. … Padraig Harrington has played the entire Middle East swing. The three-time major champion finished fourth in Abu Dhabi. Last week in Dubai, he opened with an 81 and then shot 65. He still missed the cut. … The European tour goes from a Middle East swing to an Asian swing, with the next three tournaments in Singapore, Thailand and India.

Next week: Singapore Classic.

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: 70.

Prize money: $1 million. Winner’s share: $180,000.

Television: None.

Previous winner: Carson Young.

Points leader: Chandler Phillips.

Last week: Ben Silverman won the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.

Next week: Astara Golf Championship in Colombia.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/

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LPGA TOUR

Last tournament: Brooke Henderson won the Tournament of Champions.

Next tournament: Honda LPGA Thailand on Feb. 23-26.

Race to CME Globe leader: Brooke Henderson.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Last tournament: Steve Stricker won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

Next week: Trophy Hassan II in Morocco.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steve Stricker.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/champions.html

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OTHER TOURS

Sunshine Tour/Challenge Tour: Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open, Royal Cape G, Cape Town, South Africa. Previous winner: JC Ritchie. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/ and https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/

Ladies European Tour: Magical Kenya Ladies Open, Vipingo Ridge GC, Kilifi County, Kenya. Defending champion: Esther Henseleit. Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/

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