PGA Tour Brunch on WGC, Puerto Rico
@PGATourBrunch Previews "Moving Day" at World Golf and Puerto Rico Open
World Golf Championship at The Concession - Review/Preview
Brooks Koepka took his eighth 36-hole lead/co-lead on Tour in search of his second World Golf Championship title. Koepka recorded seven birdies before making bogey on his final hole for a 6-under (66).
Koepka has three Top-10s in eight starts this season, including his eighth title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He finished T-38 at last week’s The Genesis Invitational.
Bryson DeChambeau improved by 13 strokes over his first round (77-64) and tied course record with nine birdies.
Cameron Smith tied his career-best score to par through the first 36 holes of a PGA Tour event (68-66). Smith hit 15 of 18 greens and recorded seven birdies en route to his 6-under (66). He is coming off a solo fourth at last week’s The Genesis Invitational.
Matthew Wolff withdrew before the second round and receives last-place unofficial money with no FedExCup points.
Tee Times range from 7:50am-to-1:55pm when leaders tee it up today.
Weather report calls for sunny skies with winds ranging 6-12 mph.
WGC Leaderboard after Second Round:
Brooks Koepka 67-66—133 (-11)
Cameron Smith 68-66—134 (-10)
Billy Horschel 67-67—134 (-10)
Collin Morikawa 70-64—134 (-10)
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: Saturday, February 27th: Noon to 2:30pm (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 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: 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:
Late birdie string give Koepka Lead at World Golf Championship (ESPN/AP)
Concession Delivering a “Thrill Ride” (GolfCom)
“This is not great,” - Viktor Hovland Blow Up (GolfCom)
Morikawa Putter Returns; DeChambeau Found Driver (GolfDigest)
What They’re Saying About Tiger Woods:
Tiger Woods ‘in good spirits’ (ESPN Wire Services)
Mickelson, McIlroy Thinking of Tiger’s Kids (YahooSports)
Surgeons: Return to golf will be challenging (YahooSports)
The Impact and Influence of Tiger Woods (NewYorkTimes)
Puerto Rico Open Review/Preview and Notes:
Competing via the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour points list, Brandon Wu birdied four of his last seven holes in seventh professional PGA Tour start to take his first career tour lead. Of the eight players T-5 or better through 36 holes, Wu is the only American-born player.
Puerto Rico native Rafa Campos is inside the top five after 36 holes on tour for a third time in his career. Both previous occasions came at the Puerto Rico Open (2016 (1st), and 2017 (T-4).
Tommy Gainey, who led after round one with a 7-under 65, followed with a 4-over 76 in round two.
Following a 6-under (66) in R-1 that included a hole-in-one at No. 8, Greg Chalmers (-10) T-2, birdied his last two holes in his second round (No. 8 and 9) to post a 4-under (68). In Chalmers’ three previous Puerto Rico Open starts, followed a T-4 in 2009 with missed cuts in 2011 and 2016.
Puerto Rico Open Leaderboard After Second Round:
Brandon Wu 66-67—133 (-11)
Greg Chalmers 66-68—134 (-10)
Branden Grace 67-68—135 (-9)
Rafael Campos 66-69—135 (-9)
Puerto Rico Open Full Leaderboard (link)
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: 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:
Brandon Wu Holds Slim Lead in Puerto Rico (AFP)
Brandon Wu Shows He’s Ready (USA Today/GolfWeek)
Potential Hometown Hero Story Brewing (GolfDigest)
#SportsBiz, Sporting Goods and the Golf Industry:
Mickelson in Contention for third straight Champions Tour title (ESPN/AP)
Colonial Selling “High End” Tickets (FtWorthStar)
23 Ways Tech Can Help Your Game (GolfDigest)
How Does Golf Course Meet PGA Tour Standards (Bradenton Herald)
This Day in Golf History:
February 27, 1992 - Sixteen year old Tiger Woods made his PGA Tour debut when he played as an amateur at the Nissan Los Angeles Open. Woods shot and opening round (72) but followed that with a (75) and missed the cut. - (Courtesy of Randy Walker), Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Good Read:
Try “TL’s Sunday Sports Notes” - a.k.a. “While We’re Young (Ideas). It’s a great read, gathering some serious “mo” as a subscription column on this same platform. The notes might remind you of a good Sunday morning, old-time newspaper read and it’s delievered each week, once a week. Usually posted at 10pm for a late Saturday night read…like walking to the news stand for the bulldog edition of your Sunday papers … the papers! Try it, you’ll like it - CLICK HERE
