Rickie Fowler Takes Early Lead at the Honda Classic

Rickie Fowler had a quick answer in Thursday’s first round of the Honda Classic. With a 4-under-par 66, Fowler moved right back on a leaderboard, one shot off the lead. “I have a lot of confidence in my game and where my swing is at,” Fowler said. “Get some putts to go in, and it could be fun weekend.” Fowler, 27, immediately went into attack mode at PGA National’s Champion Course in a bid to give himself a chance to win his fifth title in his last 21 starts. Playing mostly in strong winds, he posted the day’s only bogey-free round, hitting 11 of 14 fairways and 15 greens in regulation. He missed four birdie chances of 11 feet or less and didn’t make a putt of more than 3 feet on the back nine. “I felt like I hit a lot of good quality golf shots today in the wind,” Fowler said. “Hit a lot of good putts, too. Unfortunately, they just weren’t going in. Hopefully, that will start tomorrow.” The wind died down toward the end of Fowler’s round, but he was sharp even when it was blowing.“Kept it fairly stress free on myself,” Fowler said. Can  Fowler rebound from his recent loss and capture this week's trophy?  Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Bubba Watson Wins Northern Trust Open - Re-claims OWGR #4 Position

Bubba Watson finished the Northern Trust Open at -15 under par fellow American Jason Kokran. In doing so Watson moved back into the #4 position in the OWGR, on slot ahead of Rickie Fowler. Watson staged a late rally to finish one shot clear of both Adam Scott  and Jason Kokrak at Riviera Country Club,  his second win there in the last three years. The victory allowed Watson to move past  Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson to No. 4 in the newest rankings, extending an impressive run of consistency that has seen the southpaw ranked no lower than No. 9 since his win at the 2014 Masters. While his 72nd-hole chip-in left him one shot short of another win, Scott moved up six spots in the standings to No. 13, just behind an idle Jim Furyk who was passed by Hideki Matsuyama. Kokrak's search for his first PGA Tour win continues, but his runner-up finish allowed him to move up 95 spots to No. 115. As for Jordan Spieth ... well his dismal play continued by missing the cut. McIlroy turned in a lackluster performance finishing at T20 or -6 under par. Can the Big Three - Spieth, McIlroy,  and Day - come out of the cellar as the tour moves to the Florida swing, with all eyes looking forward to the Maters in early April. Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

A Tale of Two Jordans - Spieth Fighting to Make the Cut at the Northern Trust Open

Jordan Spieth's stunning rise to the #1 Official World Golf Ranking last year was was nothing short of stunning.  Amen! Enter calendar 2016.

After a strong start by winning the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and an impressive world tour. young Jordan struggled at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last week and his play this week during the first round of the Northern Trust Open was dismal. Will he or will he not make make this week's primary cut after shooting +4 over par. We will no by the end of today. For now, Spieth's #1 OWGR is not in jeopardy, however, if he does not able to turn his game around in the near future, both Rory McIlroy and Jason Day are definitely within striking distance atop the OWGR. To view leaderboard early in Round 2 visit: http://www.golfchannel.com/tours/pga-tour/2016/northern-trust-open/

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Vaughn Taylor Beats Phil Mickelson By a Single Stroke

Phil Mickelson's quest for another winner's trophy at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am can up one stroke shot short of the 39 year-old American Vaughn Taylor today on the Pacific coast. View the complete leaderboard at:  http://www.golfchannel.com/tours/pga-tour/2016/att-pebble-beach-national-pro-am/ .  Taylor shot an incredible -7 under par in the final round to finish at -17 under par for the tournament. By contrast Mickelson shot an even par 72 - simply put, just one more birdie or one less bogey by Mickelson would have sent the tournament into a play-off. Meanwhile, wunderkind Jordan Spieth likely had his worst showing of 2016 finishing at just -7 under par ... a full ten strokes behind Taylor. What do these results foretell about the balance of the 2015-2016 wrap-around season for Taylor, Mickelson and Spieth? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Mickelson Holds One Stroke Lead in Round 2 of the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach

With the 2016 PGA Tour rounding into shape Despite getting off to a strong start at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am,  Phil Mickelsonwas left shaking his head about a decision he made before the round.
Mickelson finished T-11 last week at TPC Scotsdale but he felt like he wasn’t getting enough run with his tee shots.
That led the southpaw to switch to a new version of his Callaway driver before Thursday’s opener at Spyglass Hill, a choice he came to regret even after shooting a 4-under 68. “Well, like an idiot I switched drivers, and today I hit a few shots that I haven’t hit,” Mickelson said. “I hit some shots I didn’t care for today. So I’ll go back to my other driver.” Mickelson is playing for the fourth straight week, a stretch that began with a T-3 finish in Palm Springs. He started on what is typically the hardest of the three courses in rotation at this event and carded a round that included five birdies against just a single bogey. The early returns from his switch to swing coach Andrew Getson have certainly been promising, and Mickelson hopes to continue that trend this week as he seeks his fourth Pebble Beach title. After taking last week off Jordan Spieth is currently 8 strokes off the lead. His 2016 playing schedule has been very heavy since the beginning of January and likely needs another respite before he is considered fully 'tournament-ready' for the brutle season season which lies ahead - 4 majors, 3 more WGC events, the Olympics and the Ryder Cup. So which player has the edge this weekend at Pebble Beach? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Jordan Spieth Makes 2016 US Mainland Debut at the AT&T Pro Am at Pebble Beach

Following his 'world tour' at the new OWGR #1 player Jordan Spieth will make his 2016 US mainland debut this week at the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am at the breath-taking Pebble Beach course in Carmen By the Sea.

And although Northern California is in dire need of continued precipitation to help break our multi-year drought, the weather forecast - not unlike last weekend's Super Bowl - calls for clear, balmy conditions ... perfect for players and fans alike traveling to the Monterey Peninsula. Spieth will play the next two weeks in California, starting this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, amid a stretch of nine events in 12 weeks that will culminate with the Masters. At age 22 and boasting the top spot in the world rankings, Spieth insists he’s no worse for wear.“I feel great. I feel very rested now,” Spieth said Wednesday. “It’s amazing what a solid week back here of kind of rest and regeneration will do. My speeds are where they need to be, my rest is back, everything feels good. Following an “off-season” that included stops in Korea, Australia, China and the Bahamas, Spieth is not hurting for passport stamps. But his game has also appeared unaffected by the additional miles he has logged, with his eight-shot romp last month in Hawaii followed by a pair of top-5 finishes abroad. What does 2016 hold for our new wunderkind? Share your thoughts with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Hideki Matsuyama Captures the WMPO By One Stroke Over Rickie Fowler in Playoff

Rickie Fowler shot a 4-under-par 34-33=67 in the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open to post 14-under 270, and then lost on the fourth hole of sudden death to Hideki Matsuyama, dropping his playoff record to 2-2. 

After opening in 65-68-70, Fowler was in the final threesome T2 with Matsuyama and three adrift of 54-hole leader Danny Lee. He had come-from-behind in each of his three TOUR wins and was looking to add his fourth title in his 152nd pro start -- and his fifth worldwide victory in the last nine months. Fowler missed birdie at the par-4 first (from 5'8") but connected from 3'11" at the par-5 third to join a four-way T1. He took the top spot with a pitch-in birdie-3 at the 10th and had a two-shot lead heading to the short par-4 17th after birdie-4s at 13 and 15. The 27-year-old drove the green (with driver) but it never stopped, going over the green into the water to square his first bogey in 22 holes. Back at the 17th for the fourth hole of sudden death, he hit less-than driver this time, but he found the water left and it was over, settling for his ninth career runner-up and second at the WMPO (2010). Will this loss shake Fowler's confidence as we move into the core of the 20-16-2017 season? Doubtful - this young man appears to have the drive and determination to bounce back. Share your thoughts with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Scores Tighten as Round 2 of the Waste Management Phoenix Open Begins

As the 2015-2016 season moves into high gear we are beginning to see the world's top golfers converge on the US PGA tournaments.

Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler have returned to the US to content in the Waste Management Phoenix Open this week, with world #1 ranked Jordan Spieth resting up for the Farmer's Insurance Open followed closely by the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Jason day should be back to full form later this month. Early in Round 2 at the WMPO.  Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, Ireland's Shane Lowry and Rickie Fowler from the US cling to a one stroke advantage over the likes of William McGirt and Rickie Fowler.  While the WMPO is not a Major nor a WGC event, a win here can surely boolster the confidence of a second or third tier player with hopes of moving up the OWGR and FedEx Cup rankings as well. More on the leaders for the Rio Olympics in another article. For now let's patiently wait to see who captures this week's trophy before getting too carried away with unmerited prognostications for who the victor(s) may be for this un-prescendeted season ... which also includes four majors and the Ryder Cup. Share your musings with us here at the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Younghan Song Win's SMBC Singapore Open By One Stroke Over Jordan Spieth

The Asian leg of the Jordan Spieth Worldwide Tour has come to a close, as the 22-year-old wunderkind will now head home for some much needed downtime. He gave the crowds plenty of reason to cheer over the prior fortnight, and his game has shown no signs of slipping since he lapped the field in Hawaii. Spieth clearly feels a sense of duty to the global game as the world's top-ranked player, and he built his early-season schedule accordingly.

Of course, with that honorable obligation reportedly came a couple of seven-figure appearance fees. Regardless of motivation, Spieth has taken an aggressive approach to the beginning of what will be a busy year. "He's 22," you might think. "He'll be fine." That may be the case, and Spieth appears no worse for wear. But he has already begun to talk about the toll these pay-for-play jaunts have taken. "We are kind of beat up mentally. Physically, we're not 100 percent right now," Spieth said a week ago in Abu Dhabi. "It shows in certain places." We've seen this level of commitment from Spieth before. He surprised many when he returned last summer to the John Deere Classic, eschewing Open Championship prep in advance of his quest for a third straight major. Earlier this month, he told media members to expect him at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions every year he is eligible. He was lauded for the latter statement, and he quieted any criticism of the former decision with his performance at St. Andrews.Will the young Spieth be rested and ready for the AT&T Pebble Beach tournament? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour.