US Open returns to Torrey Pines and to prime time
UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION
U.S. OPEN
Site: San Diego.
Course: Torrey Pines GC (South). Yardage: 7, 652. Par: 71.
Prize money: $12.5 million. Winner's share: $2.25 million.
Television: Thursday, 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Golf Channel), 7-10 p.m. (NBC); Friday, 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Golf Channel), 6-9 p.m. (NBC), 9-10 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 10 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel), noon-8 p.m. (NBC).
Defending champion: Bryson DeChambeau.
Last year: DeChambeau won his first major with a six-shot victory at Winged Foot. He finished at 274, the lowest score ever at Winged Foot.
Last time at Torrey Pines: Tiger Woods won in a 19-hole playoff over Rocco Mediate.
Notes: This is the third time in seven years the U.S. Open has been held at an affordable public golf course. ... Bryson DeChambeau will try to join Brooks Koepka (2017-18) and Curtis Strange (1988-89) as the only back-to-back U.S. Open champions in the last 50 years. ... Americans have won the U.S. Open the last six times. ... Phil Mickelson, coming off his PGA Championship victory at age 50, will try to complete the career Grand Slam with a victory. He holds the U.S. Open record with six runner-up finishes. ... This is the final event before the world ranking determines the 60-player field for the Olympics. ... Patrick Reed won at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open in January. Tiger Woods (twice), Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan are the only players to win a U.S. Open and a PGA Tour event at the same course in the same year. ... Only 14 players in the field competed at the U.S. Open in 2008 at Torrey Pines.
Next year: The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Online:
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LPGA TOUR
MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC
Site: Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Course: Blythefield CC. Yardage: 6,638. Par: 72.
Prize money: $2.3 million. Winner's share: $345,000.
Television: Thursday, 7-10 p.m. (Golf Channel-tape delay); Friday, 6-9 p.m. (Golf Channel-tape delay); Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Brooke Henderson (2019).
Race to CME Globe leader: Lydia Ko.
Last week: Matilda Castren won the LPGA Mediheal Championship.
Notes: Brooke Henderson has won two of the last three times in the tournament. ... Matilda Castren is the first player from Finland to win on the LPGA Tour. ... The LPGA Tour has 13 different winners in its first 13 tournaments. They come from eight countries, with the United States leading the way with four titles. ... Henderson leads the LPGA Tour in greens in regulation at a 78% clip. ... The tournament was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ... Jin Young Ko, the No. 1 player in women's golf, leads a field that features five of the top seven in the women's world ranking. ... Lexi Thompson is playing for the third straight week. She won the Meijer LPGA Classic in 2015. ... The LPGA Tour gets its third major of the year next week at Atlanta Athletic Club for the Women's PGA Championship.
Next week: KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Online:
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KORN FERRY TOUR
WICHITA OPEN
Site: Wichita, Kansas.
Course: Crestview CC. Yardage: 6,910. Par: 70.
Prize money: $600,000. Winner's share: $108,000.
Television: None.
Defending champion: Jared Wolfe.
Points leader: Stephan Jaeger.
Last week: Mito Pereira won the BMW Charity Pro-Am.
Next week: Live and Work in Maine Open.
Online:
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PGA TOUR
Last week: Garrick Higgo won the Palmetto Championship at Congaree.
Next week: Travelers Championship.
FedEx Cup leader: Patrick Cantlay.
Online:
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EUROPEAN TOUR
Last week: Jonathan Caldwell won the Scandinavian Mixed.
Next week: BMW International Open.
Race to Dubai leader: Billy Horschel.
Online:
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Last week: Jerry Kelly won the American Family Insurance Championship.
Next week: Bridgestone Senior Players Championship.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Jerry Kelly.
Online:
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OTHER TOURS
Challenge Tour: Spanish Challenge, Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Cadiz, Spain. Defending champion: Ondrej Lieser. Online:
PGA Tour Latinoamerica: Holcim Colombia Classic, Club Campestre del Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia. Defending champion: Andres Echavarria. Online:
European Legends Tour: Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship, Trevose Golf & CC, Padstow, England. Defending champion: New event. Online:
Japan LPGA: Nichirei Ladies, Sodegaura CC (Shinsode), Chiba, Japan. Defending champion: Ai Suzuki. Online:
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