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PGA Tour resumes in California while the European flagship event is at Wentworth

2023-09-12 22:20
The PGA Tour resumes with its “FedEx Cup Fall” portion of the schedule in Napa, California
PGA Tour resumes in California while the European flagship event is at Wentworth

PGA TOUR

FORTINET CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Napa, California.

Course: Silverado Resort and Spa (North). Yardage: 7,213. Par: 72.

Prize money: $8.4 million. Winner's share: $1.512 million.

Television: Thursday-Sunday, 6-9 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Max Homa.

FedEx Cup champion: Viktor Hovland.

Last tournament: Viktor Hovland won the Tour Championship.

Notes: This starts what the PGA Tour is labeling the “FedEx Cup Fall.” Players outside the top 70 will compete over the next seven tournaments to finish in the top 125 to keep full tour cards for 2024. ... The leading 10 players outside the top 50 will earn spots in the first two $20 million signature events in 2024, Pebble Beach and Riviera. ... The field features only five players who finished among the top 50 and are guaranteed all the $20 million events next year. That includes defending champion Max Homa. ... Justin Thomas is playing for the first time since missing the FedEx Cup playoffs. He was a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup in two weeks in Italy. ... The FedEx Cup points earned after the first playoff event carry over into the fall portion. ... Winners of the fall events get into the Masters. ... The field includes five players who won during the 2022-23 season. ... Kevin Kisner is playing for the first time since the Travelers Championship in June.

Next tournament: Sanderson Farms Championship of Oct. 5-8.

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

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EUROPEAN TOUR

BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Virginia Water, England.

Course: Wentworth GC (West). Yardage: 7,267. Par: 72.

Prize money: $9 million. Winner's share: $1.5 million.

Television: Thursday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Shane Lowry.

Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.

Last week: Vincent Norrman won the Horizon Irish Open.

Notes: The flagship event of the European tour has one of its strongest fields, including all 12 members of the Ryder Cup team, captain Luke Donald and four of his five assistants. ... The European team arrives at Wentworth from a practice session at Marco Simone. ... Shane Lowry has not won since his victory at Wentworth a year ago. ... Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge are playing their second straight week on the European tour. Horschel won the BMW PGA Championship two years ago. ... Adam Scott and Tom Kim are in the field. Scott played in the Irish Open last week and missed the cut. ... Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm are among those playing for the first time since the Tour Championship in Atlanta two weeks ago. ... The tournament dates to 1972. Arnold Palmer was the first American winner in 1975. Horschel is the only other American winner. ... McIlroy has a substantial lead over Rahm in the Race to Dubai. Adrian Meronk, left off the Ryder Cup, is third in the standings.

Next week: Cazoo French Open.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

SANFORD INTERNATIONAL

Site: Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Course: Minnehaha CC. Yardage: 6,729. Par: 70.

Prize money: $2 million. Winner's share: $300,000.

Television: Friday-Sunday, 4-6 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Steve Stricker.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steve Stricker.

Last week: Steve Flesch won the Ascension Charity Classic.

Notes: Steve Stricker is playing for only the second time in the last two months. He leads the PGA Tour Champions with five wins this year. ... Stricker has not finished worse than a tie for eighth in his 14 starts this year. ... Stephens Ames is not playing this week. He is second on tour with four victories. ... The tournament began in 2018. Sanford Health, the title sponsor, was instrumental in helping PGA Tour circuits get back to golf during the COVID-19 pandemic with its mobile testing. ... Stricker is a two-time winner of the Sanford International. ... Stricker, Ames, David Toms and Bernhard Langer all have multiple victories this year. ... Steve Flesch now has three wins in the last two years. ... Bernhard Langer tied for 10th in St. Louis, his 220th top 10 in his PGA Tour Champions career. He moved ahead of Ames to No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup. ... Kevin Sutherland was runner-up last week for his first top-five finish of the season.

Next week: Pure Insurance Championship.

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

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KORN FERRY TOUR

SIMMONS BANK OPEN

Site: College Grove, Tennessee.

Course: The Grove. Yardage: 7,368. Par: 72.

Prize money: $1.5 million. Winner's share: $270,000.

Television: Thursday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday-Sunday, 1:30-4 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Previous winner: Brent Grant.

Points leader: Ben Kohles.

Last tournament: Chan Kim won the Albertsons Boise Open.

Next week: Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.

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

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LPGA TOUR

Last week: Minjee Lee won the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Next week: Solheim Cup.

Race to CME Globe leader: Celine Boutier.

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

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LIV GOLF

Last tournament: Cameron Smith won LIV Golf-Greenbrier.

Next week: LIV Golf-Chicago.

Points leader: Cameron Smith.

Online: https://www.livgolf.com/

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OTHER TOURS

Epson Tour: Guardian Championship, Capitol Hill GC, Prattville, Alabama. Defending champion: Maria Torres. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/

USGA: U.S. Mid-Amateur, Sleepy Hollow CC, Scarborough, New York. Defending champion: Matthew McClean. Online: https://championships.usga.org/

USGA: U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, Stonewall GC (North), Elverson, Pennsylvania. Previous winner: Krissy Carman. Online: https://championships.usga.org/

Japan Golf Tour: ANA Open, Sapporo GC (Wattsu), Hokkaido, Japan. Defending champion: Tomoharu Otsuki. Online: https://www.jgto.org/en/

Challenge Tour: Portugal Open, Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort, Vau Obidos, Portugal. Defending champion: Pierre Pineau. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/

Ladies European Tour: VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, Golfpark Holzhausern, Ennetsee, Switzerland. Defending champion: Liz Young. Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/

Sunshine Tour: Vodacom Origins of Golf-Western Cape, Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Defending champion: New event. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

Japan LPGA: Sumitomo Life Vitality Ladies Tokai Classic, Shin Minami Aichi CC (Mihama), Aichi, Japan. Defending champion: Amiyu Ozeki. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf