PGA Tour Brunch on WGC and PR Open
@PGATourBrunch Examines Second Rounds of World Golf and Puerto Rico
By TERRY LYONS, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of PGA Tour Brunch
World Golf Championship at The Concession - R-2 Preview & Notes
Webb Simpson and Matthew Fitzpatrick top a tight leaderboard at the World Golf Championship at The Concession. Simpson looks to become first American player to win in the State of Florida since 2019 The Honda Classic.
Fitzpatrick opened with 66 for the second week in a row.
Rory McIlroy is trying to join Dustin Johnson as the only players with all four World Golf Championships titles.
Since 1999, there have been six first round leaders to go on to win the WGC with the most recent being Patrick Reed in 2014. Reed is attempting to defend a PGA Tour title at a different venue for the third time in his career, as this tournament switched from Mexico to Bradenton, Florida because of COVID travel restrictions.
This season’s winner of the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open, Brooks Koepka, now T-3 (with a -5 (67), seeks to become first multiple winner this PGA Tour season. No player has won multiple tournaments through 19 weeks, the longest streak to start a season since 1994 when Nick Price won his second tournament in the 21st week of the season.
WGC Leaderboard after First Round:
Webb Simpson 66 (-6)
Matthew Fitzpatrick 66 (-6)
Brooks Koepka 67 (-5)
Billy Horschel 67 (-5)
Sergio Garcia 67 (-5)
Kevin Kisner 67 (-5)
Full Leaderboard: (link)
Key Information on World Golf Championship:
PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $10,500,000/$1,820,000
DEFENDING Champion: Patrick Reed (2020 Leaderboard link from Mexico City)
PAST RESULTS: (link)
PAST CHAMPIONS of Event: link)
FEDEx CUP Winner Share for points: 550
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedEXCup @WGCWorkday
TV COVERAGE: Friday, February 26th: 1:00pm to 6:00pm ET on Golf Channel. Saturday, February 27th: 2:30pm to 3:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel and then 2:30pm to 6:00pm (ET) on NBC. Sunday, February 28th: 12:00 Noon to 2:30pm (ET) on Golf Channel and then 2:30pm to 6:00pm (ET) on NBC.
STREAMING: PGA Tour Live will offer streaming coverage of Featured Groups on Friday from 11:00am to 6:00pm (ET); On Saturday (8:00am-2:30pm ET) and Sunday (8:00am-2:30pm ET) PGA Tour Live will stream Featured Groups. Featured Holes will be streamed only on Saturday (2:30pm to 6:00pm ET) and Sunday from 2:30pm to 6:00pm (ET).
PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Friday, February 26 - 12:00 noon to 6:00pm (ET); Saturday, February 27 (1:00pm to 6:00pm (ET)) and Sunday, February 28: (1:00pm to 6:00pm (ET)) on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com.
TOURNAMENT SITE (link)
What They’re Saying About the WGC:
Simpson, Fitzpatrick Lead; Dustin Johnson Struggles (ESPN/Associated Press)
Finau, Rahm Paired Up Again (PGATourCom)
What They’re Saying About Tiger Woods:
Tiger Woods Transfered to Cedars-Sinai in LA (ESPN News Services)
How Tiger has Embraced Second Act (ESPN)
Why Tiger was a Driving Solo to TV Shoot (LA Times)
Puerto Rico Open R-2 Preview and Notes:
Tommy Gainey birdied five of his last seven holes to take his fourth 18-hole lead/co-lead on the PGA Tour. Gainey offset two bogeys with nine birdies in his seventh Puerto Rico Open start to post a 7-under (65), his lowest score on the Tour since round three of the 2019 Barbasol Championship (T39).
Gainey has dropped to T-4 after early morning play Friday. Gainey was (+1) after 10 holes this morning.
Puerto Rico native Rafa Campos opened with 6-under (66) (T-2) in his bid for a third Top-10 finish in the Puerto Rico Open.
Greg Chalmers aced the par-3 eighth hole to shoot a 6-under (66) (T-2), his second hole-in-one in event history.
Following missed cuts in his last four Puerto Rico Open starts, Robert Garrigus offset a lone bogey with seven birdies in his round to shoot a 6-under (66) and is in the log jam of seven players at T-2.
Puerto Rico Open Leaderboard After First Round:
Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey - 65 (-7)
Seven players - 66 (-6)
Key Information on the Puerto Rico Open:
PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $3,000,000/$540,000
DEFENDING Champion: Viktor Hovland (2020 Leaderboard link)
PAST RESULTS: (link)
PAST CHAMPIONS of Event: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points Awarded/Winners Share: 1,756/300
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedEXCup @PuertoRicoOpen
TV COVERAGE: Friday, February 26: 10:00am to 1:00pm ET on Golf Channel. Saturday, February 27: 2:30pm to 5:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel. Sunday, February 28: 2:30pm to 5:30pm (ET) on Golf Channel.
STREAMING: Will be covering WGC.
PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Will be covering WGC
TOURNAMENT SITE (link)
What They’re Saying About Puerto Rico Open:
Gainey Finishes with One Shot Lead on Crowded Board (PGATourCom/AP)
Puerto Rico Tee Times, Notes (Golf Digest)
This Day in Golf History:
February 26, 2012 - Playing in only his fifth PGA Tour event, John Huh won an eight hole sudden death playoff against Robert Allenby at the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico. Then 21-year old Huh made the playoff when Allenby blew a two stroke lead with a wayward tee shot on the final hole of regulation. - (Courtesy of Randy Walker), Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
