Tiger Woods Makes His Return to Pro Golf at the Hero World Challenge

While the Hero World Challenge has a hand-picked field and is not a PGA sanctioned event it does mark Tiger Woods' return to pro golf following a 15 month lay-off. This boutique tournament will be a good, yet unassuming test for Tiger to determine if he is ready to re-join the PGA Tour. Expectations are low yet anticipation is high for the former OWGR #1 player.  Tiger desperately wants to surpass Jack Nicklaus's "majors" milestone and the clock is ticking, week after week, month after month, year after year. Shining a beacon of hope is Tiger's long-time friend and nemesis is Phil Mickelson who has won majors, most recently the Open Championship, in his 40s. Regardless of what we each may feel about Tiger's 'personal' life the vast majority of pro golfers and fans alike would be excited to see him return in early 2017. Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour.

A Tribute to Arnold Palmer the "King" of Professional Golf

It is not simply the number of major tournaments won, not Arnie's Army, not his private jet, not the boost in TV rankings nor his charitable giving that set Arnold Palmer apart from the rest of professional golfers. Arnold Palmer, an American Medal of Honor recipient from President George H. W. Bush. Arnie's ultimate gifts were a bona fide passion for the game of golf which resonated worldwide and his profound compassion for people in need. While the golf world mourns the loss of one of the all-time greats Arnie's leaves this temporal earth a little better place than when he arrived. Well done Arnie, well done. May you rest in God's eternal peace. Share your tributes to Arnold Palmer here at the Pro Golf Tour.

LPGA: Korea's In Gee Chun Captures 2nd Career Major at the Evian Championship

With a decisive four stroke win to claim her second LPGA major tour victory perhaps South Korea's In Gee Chun is about to become a household name with ladies' golf. Chun finished at -21 under par at the Evian Championship  - the LPGA's 5th major tournament - four stroke better than So Yeon Ryu also from South Korea. Chun had more to smile about winning the Evian Championship Sunday than any player who ever teed it up in a major. She went lower over 72 holes in a major than any man or woman in history. With a dramatic par save at the last, Chun shot 69, posting a four-day total of 21 under, the lowest total in relation to par in major championship golf. In Gee set a new major championship record - male or female - for 72 hole score in relation to par with her four-day total of 21-under par. Also broke the LPGA major championship 72 hole scoring record previously set by Betsy King (267, 1992 LPGA Championship) with her four-day total of 263. In Gee broke the 54 hole scoring record at a major previously set by Annika Sorenstam (199, 2004 LPGA Championship) with her three-day total of 194. She joins fellow South Korean Se Ri Pak (1998 McDonald’s LPGA Championship and U.S. Women’s Open) as the only players in LPGA history to record their first two LPGA wins at major championships. Gee now ranks #4 in the ladies Rolex Golf Rankings and appears set to sustain her rise on the world stage. What is next for Gee? Send your comments to the Pro Golf Tour. 

LPGA Evian Major: In Gee Chun Holds a Two Stroke Lead After the 2nd Round

In Gee Chun may not be a household name on the LPGA Tour, however, her dazzling play of -13 under par after two rounds at the Evian Championship in French countryside overlooking Lake Geneva is quite impressive. Olympic bronze medalist China' ShanShan Fend sits at -11 under par going into weekend play. Because the Evian Championship is considered the LPGA's unofficial "5th Major" there is alot at stake for all players as the season 2016 season nears an end. Rain showers mixed with clouds and sunshine made for an added challenge during round one of the Evian Championship, where Sung Hyun Park and In Gee Chun topped the leaderboard with bogey-free rounds of eight-under par, 63. They hold a one-stroke lead ahead of Olympic bronze medalist Shanshan Feng and rookie Annie Park. Sung Hyun Park, a non-member on the LPGA Tour, is making her seventh start on Tour this week and plays some of her best golf in major championships, having held the lead earlier this summer during the U.S. Women’s Open where she ultimately finished T-3 for the week. She has finished outside the top-13 just once in her six appearances on Tour. Which player has the edge going into weekend play? Send your picks to the Pro Golf Tour. 

FedEx Playoffs: Dustin Johnson Wins BMW - Moves into FedEx Cup #1 Position

Dustin Johnson is on fire. He began the final round leading Casey by three, posted a five-under par 67 at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., on Sunday and defeated Casey, who also shot 67, by three. Johnson completed 72 holes in 23-under par 265. The victory, his third of the year and 12th of his career, gave Johnson an edge over Day in the race for player of the year. They are tied for the tour lead in victories with three. One of Johnson’s victories came in a major championship, the U.S. Open, and another in a World Golf Championship event, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Day’s three victories do not include a major, though he won the WGC-Dell Match Play and the Players Championship. Johnson also leads the tour in scoring average, top 10s, and earnings. Day, however, withdrew from the BMW Championship midway through his round Sunday with a spasm in his lower back. Johnson, who set a course record with a 63 on Friday, stumbled early on Sunday with two bogeys that enabled Casey to pull into a tie through three holes. Johnson responded with four birdies in his next five holes to pull away from Casey and stretched the lead to five. Can DJ close the deal at Eastlake's Tour Championship with a win to capture his first FedEx Cup and close the gap in search of the OWGR #1 position held by Jason Day? Send your comments to the Pro Golf Tour today.

McIlroy Wins Deutsche Bank Classic While Reed Maintains FedEx Cup Lead

Rory McIlroy moved up two spots to No. 3 in the OWGR after erasing a six-shot deficit at the Deutsche Bank Championship. This marks his highest ranking since he dropped to fourth following a missed cut at the U.S. Open. Meanwhile Jordan Spieth slipped to #4 OWGR.  This week's BMW Championship marks his first start while ranked outside the OWGR top 3 since the 2015 Masters, which he won. England's Casey let a three-shot lead slip away Monday at TPC Boston, however his runner-up finish was still enough to move him up eight spots to No. 22, equaling his best ranking since January 2012. PGA champion Jimmy Walker climbed four spots to No. 15 after his third-place result in Boston, tying his best position since last August. OWGR aside, America's Patrick Reed still maintains the #1 position in the race for the FedEx Cup with just two tournaments on the 2015-2016 docket.. Two questions remain: Who will finish this season as the OWGR #1 ranked player - Jason Day or a tbd? And second, who will win the FedEx Cup? Share your picks with the Pro Golf Tour.

FedEx Cup Playoffs: Patrick Reeds Wins the Barclays and Secures USA Ryder Cup Spot

The wins that came so quickly – the quartet of trophies that stamped his name as one of the rising stars of American golf – had begun to collect dust. The wait for trophy No. 5, a gentle foot-tapping that stretched back to January 2015, had become more and more frustrating. “It’s like, all right, what do I need to do to get over this hump?” Reed said. The answer, it turned out, was patience. Through the sea of runner-ups and ties for 10th, Reed stayed the course and remained committed to a game plan that had proven so successful in the past. That patience was rewarded Sunday at The Barclays,  where Reed rallied for a one-shot victory that turned a solid year into something much more palatable. Reed had plenty to play for entering the first postseason event. There was the trophy, sure, as well as many FedEx Cup points which vaulted him to the #1 position ahead of OWGR #1 Jason Day. He has clinched a spot on the US Ryder Cup team - currently ranked #4. How will season end for the youg Reed? Send your picks to the Pro Golf Tour.

Olympic Golf: Inbee Park - Gold, Lydia Ko - Silver and Shanshan Feng - Bronze

Much like Ledecky last week, Park’s victory was never in doubt. Not after beginning her day with three consecutive birdies starting at the third hole. Not after making the turn a half dozen clear in her race to a gold medal. And certainly not when she birdied two of her last three to leave all drama to those vying for the silver and bronze. The cold figures added up to a closing 66 for a 16-under 268 total. Most weeks, Park would do well to stay with those detached numbers. The South Korean is fondly described as methodical, some have even described the 28-year-old as detached and virtually void of emotion on the golf course. How will these results impact the LPGA and ladies golf around the globe? Send us your comments at the Pro Golf Tour. Golf is definitely back in the Olympics!!!

Olympic Golf: Justin Rose Wins Gold Medal by One Stroke Over Henrik Stenson

Justin Rose won the highly coveted Olympic gold medal for Great Britan with a dazzling wedge shot into the 18th hole yesterday in Rio to edge out Sweden's Henrik Stenson by a single stroke. Yes, golf is back at the Olympics. Amen. Golf in the Olympics was supposed to be a continuation of the theme. At the 11th hour, the world’s top players were dropping out, giving the impression to many—and most consequentially, to the International Olympic Committee—that the Olympics didn’t matter to golf’s top performers. The Zika virus, security concerns and the environmental, political and economic crisis rocking Brazil made Rio de Janeiro an unready problem spot for the world’s biggest gathering. Men’s golf in Rio turned out to not just exceed expectations. From the first practice rounds early last week to the medal ceremony on Sunday, it was the most joyful and proud golf tournament of the year, and perhaps many years. After Justin Rose won with the sweetest of wedge shots from tight zoysia turf on the wonderfully conceived 18th hole of designers Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott’s Olympic Golf Course, the game’s power brokers—Tim Finchem of the PGA Tour, Mike Davis of the USGA, Pete Bevacqua of the PGA of America, Martin Slumbers of the R&A and others—all sat in the front row of the grandstand, seemingly connected by one continuous collective smile. And now its the ladies turn. Share your picks with the Pro Golf Tour.

Olympic Golf: Australia's Marcus Fraser Hold Lead After the Second Round

Marcus Fraser cruised along largely unchallenged after three birdies across his first 11 holes. But bogeys at Nos. 12 and 16 combined with the round of the day from Belgium’s Pieters cost Fraser his solo lead after 17 holes. From there, two solid shots and a lag putt for a closing birdie got him into the clubhouse in 2-under 69 and back up by one before Moving Day in Rio. He’ll be chased this weekend by Pieters, a 24-year-old two-time European Tour winner, and Sweden’s Stenson, the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year who’s less than a month removed from his Open win. In addition, Rose, a 15-time PGA and European Tour champion and the 2013 U.S. Open winner, is just four off the pace. But where are the Americans? Can Dustin Johnson, Bubba Waston, Rickie Fowler or Patrick Reed break through in Round 3? Share your picks with the Pro Golf Tour . 

Olympic Golf - Round 1: Australia's Marcus Fraser Takes Early Lead

Currently at 90th in the Official World Golf Ranking, Australia's Marcus Fraser earned one of two Australian bids after four of his countrymen – Jason Day, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones – opted to skip the Games. The 38-year-old took full advantage of his good fortune, recording the lowest round in Olympic history. Fraser, the current order of merit leader on the Asian Tour, is a three-time European Tour winner who most recently claimed victory at the co-sanctioned Maybank Championship in Malaysia this past February. Six players sits within four shots of the lead after Round 1, but  two big names to watch are Stenson, who’s coming off his first major win at The Open, and Great Britain’s Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champ who recorded the first hole-in-one in Olympic history on Thursday and is looking to win on his sixth continent. Meanwhile, Great Britain's Justin Rose made the first ace in Olympic golf history Thursday at the par-3 fourth hole during the first round of men's golf in Rio.Which golfers are best positioned to bring home the gold medal? Share your picks with the Pro Golf Tour.

PGA Championship: Jimmy Walker Wins 1st Major By One Stroke Over Jason Day

It's time to check another name off the list of "Best Golfers Never to Have One a Major" - 37 year-old American Jimmy Walker. Walker jump in the Official World Golf Rankings from 48th place to the 15th best player in the world. While Walker will not be representing the US in the Olympics, he has moved into 14th place in the 2015-2016 FeDex Cup standing and assured himself a spot on the 2016 US Ryder Cup team.  Walker once rose to 10th in the world in April 2015, fresh off his fifth  PGA Tour win in 18 months at the Valero Texas Open, but a winless drought thereafter saw him nearly slip outside the top 50 in the world for the first time in three years. A testament to the strength of recent major champions, Walker at 48th in the world was the lowest ranked major champion of the last five years, dating back to 108th-ranked Keegan Bradley's PGA win at Atlantic Athletic Club in 2011. Prior to Walker, all but one of the past nine major champions has been ranked 12th or better at the time of their victory and seven of them were sixth in the world or higher. What does the future hold for Jimmy Walker on the PGA Tour? Share your thoughts with the Pro Golf Tour.

US Ladies Capture Their First International Crown Tournament

The US team led by Stacy Lewis won its first International Crown defeating South Korea, England, Taiwan and Japan. Cristie Kerr's 3-and-2 victory over England’s Mel Reid clinched the championship for the US ladies, including Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller. Kerr closed out Reid on the 16th hole when Reid’s birdie try from the fringe that would have extended the match raced past the hole. Unaware of the importance of the match, Kerr found out she had clinched the title when Lewis and Piller ran onto the green to congratulate her. The win gives the U.S. its first International Crown after the Americans were shut out of Sunday Singles two years ago in the event’s inaugural playing. Lewis defeated Japan’s Mika Miyazato, 3 and 2, in the second match off on Sunday, while Piller took down Chinese Taipei’s Yani Tseng, 4 and 3, in the match behind. Shortly after Kerr’s win, Lexi Thompson was closed out by runner-up South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu, 2 and 1, but it didn’t matter. Can the US ladies continue their success against the Europeans in the Solheim Cup in 2017? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour.

Open Championship: Henrik Stenson Wins First Career Major - Are There More to Come?

Cross one more name off the list of greatest players never to have won a Major. With a stunning performance in The Open, Henrik Stenson claimed the Claret Jug for his own at Royal Troon today and then declared, “This one’s for Sweden.” Job well done! Anybody who witnessed Stenson’s battle royale with Phil Mickelson – who threw everything he had at the 40-year-old Swede – will ever forget what unfolded on the famous Ayrshire links. Put simply, it defied belief. Stenson played 36 holes with Mickelson over the weekend and likened it to a prize fight. They traded shot for shot, blow for blow, and pulled away from the rest of the field as if they weren’t there. The winning margin was three strokes, which is something in itself, but the gap between Stenson and JB Holmes, in third, was an incredible 14. If Mickelson, who started the day one stroke behind, had been offered the 65 he scored before setting off in the final round, he would almost certainly have taken it. No one could have predicted that Stenson would better it by two and claim victory by three, setting a record-breaking score for the Championship of 264. Parnevik, who led by two heading into the final round at Troon in 1997, but lost out to Justin Leonard, was watching from afar and rooting for his countryman. “Good luck this weekend Henrik Stenson,” he tweeted. “Finish off what I never did. Sweden has waited long enough.” He need not have worried. “I felt like this was going to be my turn,” said Stenson, who had previously had three second place finishes and six thirds in Major Championships.Are there more Major victories in Stenson's future? Share your predictions with the Pro Golf Tour.

Open Championship - Update: Phil Mickelson Holds One Stroke Lead After Round 2

Despite wind and rain Phil Mickelson says the pressure is off going into the weekend. He's already tasted from the Claret Jug. Mickelson's closest pursuer, however Henrik Stenson, doesn’t have the same advantage. He never won The Open Championship, he’s never won any major in 41 starts. Entering the weekend in solo second, one stroke behind Mickelson, Stenson knows it may be difficult trying to avoid pressing for his first major win. “What does he have – five majors?” Stenson said of Mickelson. “Yeah, it’s going to be easier (for him) in that way. It’s always harder to push the first one over the line, I would imagine, than the fifth one. Outside of the last two Open Championship winners, Zach Johnson (5th) and Rory McIlroy (T15), no other player inside the top 20 on the leaderboard has won The Open. Mickelson, at age 46, would be the fourth oldest winner of a major should he seal the deal this weekend. But he says his experience, not his age, will be an advantage. Especially the experience of winning the Open three years ago, his last career win. “I don’t feel the pressure like probably a lot of players do to try to win the Claret Jug because I’ve already won it, and that takes a lot of pressure off me,” Mickelson said. “The desire to capture that Claret Jug puts a lot of pressure on. The fact that I’ve done it relieves some of that. Which player has the edge going into weekend play? Send your picks to the Pro Golf Tour.

Open Championship - Update: Phil Mickelson Leads Field By 3 Strokes After Round 1

American Phil Mickelson shot an opening round -8 under par to finish Round 1 three strokes ahead of Germany's Martin Kaymer and America's Patrick Reed. Kaymer and Reed are both Olympic-bound. Meanwhile, defending champion Zach Johnson sites at -4 under par. Scotland's own Colin Montgomerie had the honour of hitting the opening tee shot of The 145th Open at Royal Troon today. this week’s Open promises to deliver a measure of competitive clarity to a season defined by distractions and dissension. And the wildly premature declarations of a Big 3 have at least been tempered by parity and a party crasher. If Jason Day is the byproduct of Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy as the Australian joked last year, Dustin Johnson has evolved into a freakish hybrid of all three in recent weeks. Johnson overcame the demons of past major misses at Oakmont last month, with or without a one-stroke penalty, and added a World Golf Championship to his resume in his follow-up start. That Johnson seems just as adept on the links of Scotland as he is on the fields of Oakmont only makes his status as a potential game-changer that much more imposing. Last year at St. Andrews, Spieth was paired with Johnson for two deflating days and watched as DJ took a one-stroke lead after opening with rounds of 65-69. “I played with Dustin the first two rounds and thought, 'Man, there’s nobody beating him this week,'” Spieth said. “He was just absolutely tearing it up.” But as impressive as Johnson’s run has been, the other members of golf’s foursome de jour could just as easily be considered the favorite, including McIlory, the 2014 champ who was dubbed the Ringo Starr of the game’s Fab Four by some in the U.K. media this week. Which player(s) has the advantage moving into a predicted rainy and windy Round 2? Share your pick's with the Pro Golf Tour.

LPGA: Brittany Lang Wins US Women's Open in Playoff With Anna Nordqvist

Brittany Lang made her major breakthrough by winning the US Women's Open for the first time.Lang rose 20 spots in the global Rolex Rankings to No. 20 after winning the U.S. Women's Open in a three-hole playoff for her first major title. She defeated, Anna Nordqvist,  jumped four spots to No. 11 despite an ill-timed penalty that cost her a shot at the title. After another close call at the U.S. Women's Open, Amy Yang jumped three spots to No. 6. Gerina Piller's T-8 finish at CordeValle was enough to move her up one spot to No. 15, earning her an Olympic bid in the process. Lydia Ko, the world's number 1 ranked ladies player finished at -4 under par T3. All of the above players have their tickets punched for the Olympics in Rio this August. Moreover, the future looks bright for young Brittany Lang as she eyes additional wins on the LPGA. With the rise of Asian and Europeans players on the LPGA tour what does the future hold the US women's chances of regaining the world number one position? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour.

US Women's Open: Mirim Lee Holds One Stroke Lead In Round 2 (play in-progress)

When Mirim Lee from South Korea walked off the course following her record-tying round, she described her day with words usually not heard when talking about the U.S. Women's Open. ''So today's round was easy day - easy round, yeah,'' Lee said. She sure made it look that way when she became the fifth golfer to shoot a round of 8-under par at the U.S. Women's Open on Thursday, making 10 birdies on the way to a 64 to take the early lead at CordeValle. With the greens not quite as firm as they likely will be later in the week and the wind not playing a major factor, there were low scores to be had throughout the field - at least for the opening morning of the tournament. ''I definitely expect it to change,'' said Christie Kerr, who was three shots behind Lee in a tie for second. ''I don't think the USGA likes when we shoot 8-under on their golf course. You have to expect it to change, and if it doesn't, then you'll have opportunities to score.'' Lee is the first woman to shoot that much below par at the U.S. Open since. Which lady holds the advantage going into weekend play? Moreover, will world #1 ranked Lydia Ko make a charge for the winner's trophy on Sunday? Share you picks' with the Pro Golf Tour. 

Dustin Johnson Beats Jason Day to Win WGC Bridgestone - Moves to OWGR #2

With his impressive win on Sunday over OWGR #1 Jason Day, Dustin Johnson put a lock on his #2 OWGR position inching closer to #2 ranked Jordan Spieth.Moreover, DJ  virtually assured himself a spot on the US Oylmpic golf and Ryder Cup teams.  For the second time in as many starts, DJ has knocked a prominent player down a peg in the Official World Golf Ranking. Johnson deposed Rory McIlroy at No. 3 with his win at the U.S. Open, and now after claiming the WGC-Bridgestone he has edged ahead of Jordan Spieth at No. 2 in the world by only 0.002 points. It marks a career-best ranking for Johnson, who turned 32 last month. Elsewhere in the rankings, Thongchai Jaidee and Francesco Molinari both benefited from high finishes at the Open de France. Jaidee rose 20 spots to No. 37 in the world, while Molinari's runner-up result helped him move up 23 spots to No. 55 in the latest standings. Scott Piercy's runner-up at Firestone, his second such result behind Johnson in as many starts, moved him up 18 spots to a career-best No. 25 in the world. Matt Kuchar finished T-3 in Akron, jumped two spots to No. 15 while Kevin Chappell moved up six spots to a career-best No. 32 after a T-3 finish. Next up, the Open Championship. What will be DJ's fate? Share your comments with the Pro Golf Tour.

WGC Bridgestone: McGirt Holds 4 Stroke Lead Over Spieth, Lingmeth & Day in Round 2

William McGirt had a hot putter in the first round lead at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational  going out early and besting the field by three shots; while Jordan Spieth  stole the show down the stretch, closing with four straight birdies after a rough start to shot 68. Here’s the skinny with 54 holes to play at the esteemed Firestone Country Club. McGirt is still riding the momentum of his first PGA Tour victory at the Memorial earlier this month, and he’s off to a great start at the WGC-Bridgestone as he tries to become the only player to win both tournaments in the same year other than Tiger Woods who has done it four times. McGirt started fast, carding four birdies on the front side and turning in 31. He made five straight pars on the back side before carding circles on two of his last three holes for a 6-under 64. While there were better scores than Spieth’s 68, including Day (67) and Walker (67), nobody battled harder than the two-time major champion. Spieth opened in 37 and was 2 over with four holes to play before closing with four straight birdies to rocket up the leaderboard and finish Round 1 in a tie for fifth. Defending champion Shane Lowry decided to defend his title at the WGC-Bridgestone instead of playing the French Open, opened with a 6-over-76. The Northern Irishman was coming off his best-ever finish in a major at the U.S. Open, a tie for second after entering the final round with a four-stroke lead. Almost every round on the PGA Tour a player does something that makes your jaw drop. That was the case with Hideki Matsuyama on the par-5 16hole 16 on Thursday. Staring at a 297-yard approach, Matsuyama pulled driver off the deck and hit his ball through the green. From there his eagle chip lipped out and he tapped in for birdie. Which players hold the advantage going into weekend play? Send your pick's to the Pro Golf Tour.