PGA Zurich Class: Jamie Lovemark & Jhonattan Vegas Are Co-Leaders in Round 1

The Zurich Classic is an excellent opportunity for PGA journeymen to capture Official World Golf Ranking and FedEx Cup points while many of the first tier players, except for Jason Day and Rickie Fowler, take a week off. It's going to be a long day for much of the field, as tournament organizers will look to complete the opening round and get as much of the second round completed as possible. Day and Fowler likely will have a tough time completing their rounds before nightfall, but it will be key for both to maintain their current pace in order to climb the standings and remain within striking distance heading into the weekend. Play was interrupted for much of the afternoon as storms rolled through, but Stuard was able to set the early mark as he looks for his first win. Leading the chase pack is Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open champ who hasn't won since 2009, while Fowler (68) and world No. 1  Day (69) remain in the mix after solid starts. Stuard only has one top-25 finish in six starts this season, but he got going quickly in the Big Easy. Stuard made five front-nine birdies and added three more circles on his inward half, signing for a bogey-free 64 that gave him the overnight lead and marked his lowest score of the season. Goosen hasn't lifted a trophy on the PGA Tour since the Vaslpar Championship seven long years ago, but the 47-year-old is contending once again after a 7-under 65. Goosen had six birdies en route to a front-nine 30, including three straight birdies on Nos. 7-9 without making a putt over 12 feet.So which player has the edge heading to weekend play? Share your predictions here at the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Olympics - Golf: Countdown to Rio (2016)

Golf at the the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janero begin in just 100 days. This post is the first in a series providing updates on the course, the players, the selection process and ultimately the competition itself.  The Women’s and Men’s Competitions will each be comprised of 60 athletes with 59 qualified through the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) and 1 Host Country place. The Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) is sanctioned by the IGFand listed at www.igfgolf.org . The OGR is issued every Monday following completion of the previous week’s tournaments from around the world. The Men’s OGR recognizes official prize money tournaments on the following Tours: PGA TOUR, European Tour, PGA TOUR of Australasia, Japan Golf Tour, Southern Africa Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour, Web.com  Tour, European Challenge Tour, Korean Golf Tour, PGA TOUR Canada, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR China. The Women’s OGR recognizes official prize money tournaments on the following Tours: Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA); Ladies European Tour (LET); Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (JLPGA); Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA); Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG); Symetra Tour; Chinese Taipei Ladies Professional Golf Association (TLPGA) Tour China Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour (CLPGA) and the Ladies European Access Series (LETAS) as well as the Ladies' Golf Union (LGU), which administers the RICOH Women's British Open and the United States Golf Association (USGA) which conducts the U.S. Women's Open. The OGR is calculated as follows: Each tournament earns a strength of field rating which determines how many ranking points will be awarded to top finishers. Points are awarded to players based on their finish positions in each event, with performances in stronger field events earning more points in accordance with a points distribution table approved by the IGF.Which players will make the team for their respective countries? Share your picks here at the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

There is a Tiger is Looming in the Ruff

Anticipation is growing that Tiger Woods' return to the PGA Tour will take place sooner rather than later. Tiger Woods checked off another box Monday in his self-described "long road" to recovery, saying that he played his first actual holes of golf in more than eight months. Woods was on hand for the grand opening of the back nine at Bluejack National in Montgomery, Texas, his first course design to open in the U.S. After a brief warm-up session in front of club members and several media members, Woods played a casual five holes alongside friend and Bluejack ambassador Mark O'Meara. As we move into the heart of the PGA Tour season with The Players championship in two weeks and three Majors to follow one has think believe that Tiger's natural instinct - to not just play golf, but play elite golf at the preeminent tournaments against the world's top-ranked players - is looming large. No one believes that Tiger will magically return to the tour and be an overnight sensation - its will take alot of hard work. Tiger is likely to chose a tournament where he is comfortable and has previously won to stage his return. So just when will the new and improved Tiger Woods return? Share your predictions with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Valero Texas Open: Charley Hoffman Wins By One Stroke Over Patrick Reed

Charley Hoffman, a PGA Tour journeyman, made a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Valero Texas Open on Sunday for his fourth PGA victory on tour. Hoffman, age 39, closed with a 3-under 69 at TPC San Antonio  for a one-stroke victory over Patrick Reed. Hoffman finished at 12-under 276 and earned $1,116,000. ''This was my hardest one,'' Hoffman said after a vigorous fist-pump and drill-team leg kick when the winning putt fell at 18. ''Grabbing that lead and holding on to it - it's tough to keep the pedal down and give yourself birdie opportunities and win golf tournaments.'' Playing alongside Hoffman, Reed also birdied the par-5 18th for a 69. He missed birdie putts inside 8 feet on the par-3 16th and par-4 17th. ''Today I was missing a lot of short putts, so I'm shocked I even had a chance,'' Reed said. Reed, who was born in San Antonio, put the pressure on Hoffman with a tap-in birdie at the 18th after reaching the fringe on the 595-yard hole in two. His shot to the green came from the left-hand rough, and had to clear an oak tree and creek in front of the green. Hoffman followed by hitting his third shot from a greenside bunker to set up his birdie. This win bodes well for Hoffman on three fronts - The Players championship in May, the FedEx Cup race and his candidacy for the Ryder Cup team. Which of these three goals are within Hoffman's reach? Send your predictions to the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Valero Texas Open: Brendan Steele Leds By Three Strokes After Round 2

American Brendan Steele finished the second round at the Valero Texas Open at -10 under par, three strokes ahead of Scott Langley. And while this well-established tournament is not among the top tier on the PGA Tour it does provide both journeymen and new PGA members an excellent opportunity to polish their gains as attention turns to The Players next month. Charlie Hoffman has finished T-13 or better each of the last six years at this event, and he is well on his way to another high finish after opening with a 66. Hoffman carded seven birdies against just one bogey, closing with an 11-foot make on No. 18 to reach 6 under as he looks for his first win since the 2014 OHL Classic at Mayakoba. Meanwhile, Jimmy Walker, a native son, won this event last year by four shots over Jordan Spieth. But a repeat seems unlikely after Walker opened with a 3-over 75 that left him 11 shots off the early pace. Walker managed only one birdie against four bogeys and now has an uphill battle simply to make the cut. Which players holds the advantage leading into weekend play? Share your predictions with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Can Lydia Ko Win Back-to-Back-to-Back LPGA Swinging Skirts Titles?

Lydia Ko, the Rolex #1 ranked ladies golfer, will try to become just the third player in the last decade to win an LPGA event three consecutive years when she tees it up in Thursday’s start to the Swinging Skirts Classic. Ko defeated Stacey Lewis in a captivating duel to win the first Swinging Skirts Classic played at Lake Merced Golf Club two years ago. She won again last year, defeating Morgan Pressel  in a playoff. “Obviously, just to say you’re defending a title is tough enough,” Ko said. “If I did end up [winning for a third time], it would be extra special.” Ko’s victory here in 2014 was her first as an LPGA member. It meant so much to her, she had the date she won tattooed in Roman numerals above her right wrist. Sunday promises to be a special day for Ko no matter how she fares. She will celebrate her 19th birthday. “I can’t believe it’s already my third year on tour,” Ko said. “I feel like I’m getting old. “Yeah, I’m growing up. There are girls younger than me. Brooke [Henderson] is a couple months younger. Last year, and the year before, everybody was younger than me. I feel like everything is changing really quickly.” Ko is seeking her fourth worldwide victory this year, her third LPGA title. She will play in the featured pairing Thursday morning with Lewis and In Gee Chun. But let's not count out Inbee Park, Stacey Lewis and a bevy of even younger players emerging out of Asia ... all with very bright futures. So can Ko three-peat this week? Send your predictions to the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

RBC Heritage: South Africa's Branden Grace Wins His First PGA Tournament

Branden Grace's two-shot victory at the RBC Heritage was his first on the PGA tour and it also took the South African to within one spot of his career high in the world rankings. Granted, this tournament typically does not attract many of the world's top 10 ranked players, nonethless a PGA victory is a rare feat for professional golfer. Grace jumped three spots to No. 11 in the world after donning the tartan jacket. It equals his highest standing outside of a two-week stretch earlier this year when he was ranked No. 10 following his victory at the Qatar Masters. While Grace made the most notable jump near the top of the standings, plenty of other players parlayed a big weekend into a rise in the Official World Golf Ranking. That list was headlined by former world No. 1 Luke Donald,  who had fallen to No. 95 in the world last week. After a T-2 finish at Harbour Town, though, the Englishman is back up to No. 68. Meanwhile, OWGR #1 Jason Day faded in the third and forth rounds to finish T23 at -1 under par ... nine strokes off the lead. What does the future hold for the young Grace? Will this victory be the first of many on the PGA tour or simply a one-time, one-off win against a less than overwhelming field? Send us your thoughts here at the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

RBC Heritage: Jason Day and Kevin Chappell Tied for the Lead After Two Rounds

OWGR #1 Jason Day didn't win the green jacket last Sunday at the Masters, but his week at Augusta National did prepare him for another windy test at Harbour Town. The world No. 1 on Friday followed up an opening 67 at theRBC Heritage with a round of 2-under 69. Day made four birdies, three on his second nine, against two bogeys, and hit 9 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens. After a closing bogey dropped him out of the lead Thursday night, Day walked off the course Friday afternoon back on top of the leaderboard, sharing the lead with Kevin Chappell. If there's anything giving Day a difficult time, it's the same windy conditions that vexed players last week at the Masters. "Yeah, you can't chill out here at all," he said. "It's difficult in that you have to position yourself perfectly off the tee, because if you don't, then you've got a lot of trees to deal with. And then on top of, it's similar to Augusta, as well ... there's high trees out there. If you hit it above the trees, the wind is going to take it. If you hit below, it's not going to get affected at all." Day did make two mistakes in Round 2 that led to his dropped shots. He narrowly avoided the water and failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker at the par-3 17th, his eighth hole of the day, and later blew his ball threw the corner and out of bounds at the dogleg-left par-5 fifth. Can Day go on to claim a victory at the RBC Heritage and extend his OWGR lead? Let us know your predictions here at the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Official World Golf Rankings: Danny Willett Vaults into the Top 10 With Masters Win

Danny Willett jumped from #12 to #9 in the OWGR this week following his victory over a downtrodden Jordan Spieth at The Masters. Along with gaining valuable Schwab Cup points and automatic entry into other major championships Willet is well-positioned to capture a spot on Great Britain's Olympic Team (the top 4 OWGR players per country qualify) and the European Ryder Cup team. Meanwhile, there was no change in the top three OWGR slots - #1 Jason Day, #2 Jordan Spieth and #3 Rory McIlroy. Spieth did however gain a few hundreths of a point on Day while putting more distance between himself and McIlroy. Spieth’s record in the major championships strongly suggests that whatever transpired on Augusta National’s 12th will be an afterthought when the Grand Slam season draws to a close. Consider that in 13 majors starts the 22-year-old has finished in the top 5 nearly half the time (six), including victories at the 2015 Masters and Open Championship. This year’s major venues also should give Spieth solace following his collapse on Sunday at Augusta National. The 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, which is arguably a more demanding putting contest than Augusta National and Spieth is still the game’s top putter, followed by Royal Troon for  the Open Championship and Baltusrol for the PGA Championship. What does the future hold for both Willett and Spieth in 2016? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

The Masters: Danny Willett Bests Jordan Spieth and Wears His First Green Jacket

England's Danny Willett acheived something on Sunday that only two other players have done in the long, storied history of the Masters, shooting a bogey-free 67 to win. Spieth claimed that he walked to the first tee Sunday with confidence, but he played tentatively to start and needed a few fortuitous breaks to stay in front. When he finally started swinging with conviction, he ran off four birdies in a row, burying a 15-footer on 6, stuffing an approach on 7, making a stress-free birdie on 8 and rolling in a 21-foot sidewinder on 9. Even though he was on the verge of becoming the youngest three-time major winner since 1923, Spieth stewed Saturday evening when he met with the press. A half hour earlier, he made an unforced error on 17 and butchered the 18th to add an unexpected dose of drama to the toughest Masters in nearly a decade. From four shots ahead to one, it now was anyone’s game Sunday, and Spieth joked that he’d “go break something really quick” and be fine. This win positions Willett as a force to reckoned with at The Players and the three remaining major this year. But what will be the short and long term effects for Jordan Spieth? Does he have the ability to bounce back and contend at the upcoming majors or will his collapse dampen his otherwise bright outlook? Send your predictions to the Pro Golf Tour:  http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

The Masters - Round 2: Spieth Holds Two Stroke Lead Over McIlroy (play in-progress)

With blustery conditions dictating play on Friday Jordan Spieth holds a 2 stroke lead over Rory McIlroy who currently stands at -3 under par. Only ten players are under par for the tournament thus far. Jason Day's game has stalled an now is T19 at +1 over par for the event with play in-progress.Spieth capped off the only bogey-free round in the wicked wind at Augusta National by making a 15-foot par putt on the 16th hole and hitting an 8-iron into 6 feet for birdie on the final hole for a 6-under 66 and a two-shot lead, the first step in his bid to win another Green Jacket. Jason Day couldn't keep pace. On the verge of tying for the lead late in the round Thursday, Day dropped five shots in three holes and had to settle for a 72. Rory McIlroy pulled to within two shots of the lead until he made two bogeys over the last three holes.When a day of big wind, big numbers and far too many putts for Ernie Els was finally over, it felt as though nothing had changed from last year. Can the young Spieth hold onto his lead heading into the weekend? Let us know your predictions here at the Pro Golf Channel: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

The Masters: Round 1 Leaderboard (play in-progress) - Spieth Takes the Lead

Despite his weak performances during the past two months, 2015 Masters defending champion Jordan Spieth has jumped two a 2 stroke lead in Round 1 ahead of Aussie Jason Day and Irishman Shane Lowry. Are we about to see the return of the recent  OWGR #1 player Jordan Spieth? We truly hope so. Day is still on the course sitting at -4 under par, while Rory McIlroy - seeking to complete his career grand slam - is at -1 under par on the 8th hole. While it is still early in Round 1, the performances of Spieth, Day and McIlroy bode well for a weekend of stunning golf among the top players in the world and some future up and comers. One amateur name to keep an eye on is Stanford junior Maverick McNealy who qualified as a sponsor's exemption. Walking in the college footsteps of Tiger Woods and Patrick Rogers, McNealy currently leads the Stanford men's collegiate team. It is much too early to predict who will be in contention on Augusta's back nine come Sunday afternoon, yet the cream is beginning to rise to the top so far. Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

The Masters - Countdown: Practice Rounds Underway

Players young and old, grizzled and green, technical and instinctive, will join forces to tour Augusta National. The three- or four-man groups are essentially a meeting of the minds, with players and caddies exchanging tidbits of information about where to miss, how putts break and why different wind directions affect club selection. Even Spieth, who at 21 became the youngest Masters champion since Woods, needed some help along the way. Last year, he played nine holes with two-time champion Ben Crenshaw and Woods. Spieth’s caddie, Michael Greller, spent 45 minutes with legendary looper Carl Jackson (who was on the bag for both of Crenshaw’s titles) before the weekend rounds, talking about every hole. Greller compared it to meeting Michael Jordan and breaking down the NBA Finals. “Certainly picked his brain a little then,” Spieth said of his time with Crenshaw. “As you could imagine, with any of us when we’re out there playing with someone else, you don’t want to just get questioned about every single hole and this and that. So it was kind of light, just here and there.” So what would it be like for a first-timer to be mentored by a Ben Crenshaw or Tiger Woods? Share your comments with us at the Pro Golf Channel: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

The Masters - Countdown: 2016 Player Picks

This evening the annual Masters Champions Dinner will be hosted by Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Billy Payne and defending champion Jordan Spieth. And what is on the menu? Likely some Texas barbeque selected by Spieth and a major swirl of speculation about who is most deserving of the OWGR #1 ranking. While only the Almighty knows the end from the beginning allow the Pro Golf Tour to suggest some favorites. Jason Day, current OWGR #1 player, has shown the brilliance that propelled him to the top spot and the PGA Tournament victory last summer. Rory McIlroyis desperately seeking to capture the career grand slam. A win at Augusta would put him in position at the age of 27. Of course their is Jordan Spieth - 2015 Masters defending champion who started the 2015-2016 on fire as the OWGR #1 player, yet who has struggled quite severely over the past two months. Then their are other past champions including Bubba Watson, a two-time winner, and Zach Johnson who has added an Open Championship trophy to his bucket list since his Masters win in 2007. And what about the dark horses such as Dustin Johnson, Hedrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and the Martin Kaymer? We believe that any of the players mentioned above are worthy contenders. Share your picks for this week's Masters and just whom will wear the esteemed 'green jacket' come Sunday evening with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Jim Herman Wins Shell Houston Open - First PGA Win for the Journeyman

Little known Jim Herman captured multiple benefits after his breakthrough victory at the Shell Houston Open: a trip to the Masters, a bid at Kapalua and a two-year exemption. But he also made a big jump in the latest world rankings. Herman, 38, held off Henrik Stenson for a one-shot victory at the Golf Club of Houston, a win that marked just his sixth career top-10 finish in 106 starts. After entering the week at No. 191 in the world, Herman vaulted all the way to a career-best No. 68 - only one spot behind former world No. 1 Lee Westwood. Herman wasn't the only player to make a move up the rankings after a strong week in Houston. Rafael Cabrera-Bello's fourth-place showing was his second top-5 finish in as many weeks, and it moved the Spaniard up three more spots to a career-best No. 33. Daniel Berger and Russell Henley both finished T-5, a result that bumped Berger six spots to No. 53 and Henley nine spots to No. 80. Stenson and Dustin Johnson finished one and two shots behind Herman, respectively, but both moved one step closer to world No. 1 as a result. Stenson jumped Adam Scott to No. 6, while Johnson edged ahead of Justin Rose at No. 9. OWGR #2 and defending Masters' champion Jordan Spieth finished at T13. What does his lackluster performance the past two months portend for this week's Masters? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour: http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/

Hoffman Leads the SHO By Two Strokes, Spieth Seven Strokes Off the Lead

Charley Hoffman is making his tenth start in this event, and he has never missed a cut. That streak is likely to continue after Hoffman opened with an 8-under 64, one shot off the course record. It gave him a one-shot lead over Dustin Johnson and Roberto Castro and marked his sixtenth sub-70 round at Golf Club of Houston – more than anyone else at this week’s venue. “Houston has treated me well,” Hoffman said. “The rough is not too long. It’s nice to get the good contact on the ball from the fairway, and somehow I usually putt fairly well.” Hoffman was a mainstay on leaderboards last season, notching seven top-10 finishes, but he remains in search of his first such result this season and surprisingly sits at No. 125 on the latest FedEx Cup standings. For Hoffman, it’s been a case of being close yet not closing strong. Meanwhile Master's defending champion and 'former OWGR #1 Jordan Spieth sits 7 strokes off the lead with play in-progress in the 2nd round. He will surely make the cut, however, can he contend on Sunday and gain some much-needed confidence heading into The Masters? Share your predictions with the Pro Golf Tour:  http://progolftournaments.blogspot.com/