After Wednesday’s rain moved out, the wind moved in and things got testy at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
By day’s end, only eight of the 20 players managed to shoot under par and it was ball-in-hand with the wet conditions. Four players were tied for the lead with three-under par 69s — including two principals from last year’s final round — defending champion Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa, the newly-wed.
Hovland was the first and only player to get to four-under when he drove the short par four 14th (276 yards) and rolled in a three-footer for eagle. But he gave one back thanks to an errant drive at the 16th to finish in a tie with Morikawa, young Tom Kim and Sepp Straka, who got in at the last minute when Tiger Woods was forced to withdraw.
Friday’s forecast calls for more wind, which should make the Albany course challenging for the second straight day.
Sam Burns was alone in fifth, the only player sitting at two-under par 70.
Toughest day was Jordan Spieth’s opening round. Jordy hasn’t played much this fall and it showed. Jordy was alone in last place thanks to a four-over par 76. His scorecard had four bogeys, a double and a triple at the par five 15th where he lost a ball on his tee shot.
Tiger Woods Plays Analyst For Golf Channel:
He was the world’s No. 1 for 683 weeks and Tiger Woods is great in the broadcast booth as well.
Woods joined the Golf Channel for an hour and here were a few of his observations:
On his physical condition: “I just can’t walk for any extended amount of time. The body is not what it used to be and that’s the reality of it all.”
On his pal Justin Thomas: “J.T. — I think he’s just learning to play on a daily basis — where his bad (day) is pretty good.”
On Jordan Spieth: “We always called him “The Golden Child.”
On Tom Kim: “First met him on Tuesday. He’s humble, very well spoken, excited about the game — has a LOT of talent.”
On Jon Rahm: “One of the best drivers on Tour. He’s learning to manage his emotions. It’s cool to see the passion he has on and off the course for our sport.”
Best player(s) who haven’t won a major: “Xander (Schauffele) and Patrick Cantlay.”
On getting to No. 1 and remaining there: “They’re both hard. Getting there is the hardest — you have to prove yourself.”
On his future: “I realize I’m not going to be able to play much longer.”
PGA Tour Hires Big Gun On Capitol Hill:
The PGA Tour is lining up another big gun in the fight against LIV.
According to the political news site Axios, one of House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy’s closest friends and confidants — Jeff Miller, and his firm Miller Strategies, has been retained by the PGA Tour to fight for the Tour in the halls of Congress.
Miller, the firm’s CEO, has spent the last 25 years as a major fundraiser in the Republican Party, including during the recent 2022 election cycle and for the 2020 Donald Trump campaign.
The Miller Strategies website describes the firm as “a full-service government relations firm dedicated to effective strategy and advocacy, and uniquely positioned to help clients navigate the complexities of the Administration and Congress.” Sources in the Axios article state that Miller will be tasked to promote the PGA Tour and its interests in Washington, including “shining a light on the competition.”
