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Stewart Cink, Webb Simpson share early lead at Sony Open

Stewart Cink follows his shot from the first tee box during the second round of the Sony Open golf tournament Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Jamm Aquino)HONOLULU – Stewart Cink could not remember a more ideal day in Hawaii, and he had a round that matched the occasion. Enjoying a surge in the twilight of his career, the 47-year-old Cink putted for birdie on all but one hole Friday on his way to a 7-under 63 that gave him a share of the early lead with Webb Simpson. Cink already won the season-opener in the Safeway Open in September, his first victory since the 2009 British Open at Turnberry. Simpson holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-3 seventh hole, hit it tight on No.

Niemann finishes with eagle and shares the lead at Sony Open

(AP Photo/Jamm Aquino)HONOLULU – Joaquin Niemann had no regrets about the 18th hole at the Sony Open. “Spent a few days thinking about that last hole, but taking all the positives from the week and pull it out for this week.”They weren't easy days for Niemann. The 22-year-old from Chile is still too young to have experienced the inevitable losses that pile up in this sport. Niemann's only bogey was when he fell asleep on a 25-foot birdie putt above the hole at No. We talked for an hour about the whole tournament, not for that 18th hole.

Masters field at 84 players heading into the final 3 months

55 after closing with a 77 in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to drop to a tie for 23rd. That he accumulated the most world ranking points (463.54) was no surprise. Johnson received credit for the victory with the staggered start based on the FedEx Cup (he tied for third in world ranking points). DIVOTSDustin Johnson earned an average of 25.75 world ranking points in his 18 starts worldwide in 2020. That's more than the total ranking points Tiger Woods earned (19.08) in the nine tournaments he played.

PGA Tour's top 2 rules officials retiring after long careers

White’s father was a stickler for the rules, and White thought he knew them well when he decided to join the PGA Tour. His most memorable ruling was among the more famous on the PGA Tour. Also, Mike Peterson, Pete Lis and Jordan Harris are moving from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour as rules officials. The tour said that became the top-performing tweet for the PGA Tour, also surpassing the Masters graphic. Im then finished out his year by flying to Dubai for the DP World Tour Championship on the European Tour.

California cool, Matthew Wolff takes detour to US Open lead

The only number that mattered to the 21-year-old Californian was a two-shot lead going into the final round. “Anyone in my position would be frustrated, especially with having the lead going into today," Reed said. It’s the U.S. Open, and I have a lead,” Wolff said. “I’m going to try to keep my nerves as calm as they can be. I did everything that I could do up until this point, and tomorrow I’m going to go out there, I promise you I’m going to try my best.”He was at 5-under 205.

Even without hostile NY crowds, this US Open is tough enough

Maybe because the two players atop the leaderboard heading into Round 3 at the U.S. Open are not exactly — how to put this? More irritating, from the players’ perspective, is that Reed seems to thrive in tough spots like the one he finds himself in at the moment. If the past is prologue, almost no one else on the ground at Winged Foot has a realistic shot. The one thing you can be sure of is that Winged Foot will be at the center of the drama. “The wind can make a par-3 course difficult, so put that on a U.S. Open setup, it’s going to be even more so,” Schauffele said.

Reed takes the lead as the real US Open gets started

Patrick Reed embraced every aspect of it Friday when the U.S. Open lived up to its reputation as the toughest test in golf, and so did Winged Foot. Amateur champion and current muscleman who powered and putted his way to a 68, the lowest score on a day Winged Foot played to an average score of 75.25. After an opening round in which 21 players broke par, Winged Foot allowed only three players under par. Because I’m pretty tired.”There's still 36 holes to go, and no indication that Winged Foot is going to get any easier. “I love when it’s hard, when you have to be creative on all different golf shots,” he said.

Johnson, Scheffler favorites for tour's top player, rookie

For the PGA Tour player of the year, the candidates were Johnson, Thomas, PGA champion Collin Morikawa (two wins), Webb Simpson (two wins) and Jon Rahm (two wins). Johnson won the Travelers Championship and The Northern Trust to go along with his FedEx Cup title he won at the Tour Championship. He also was runner-up to Morikawa at the PGA Championship. More interesting will be the vote for PGA Tour rookie of the year. ... Country singer Colt Ford, who once played professionally, is making his PGA Tour Champions debut on a sponsor exemption.

Woods faces a new, stern test to get to FedEx Cup finale

Woods, Charles Howell III, Adam Scott and Paul Casey are the only players who competed in that 2003 U.S. Open (Woods tied for 20th). Amateur at Olympia Fields, which featured five other players in the BMW Championship field, including PGA champion Collin Morikawa. For some, this week is about improving their position going to the Tour Championship, which features a staggered start to par. Woods said he looked at few videos of Olympia Fields before he arrived. This golf course is set up more toward an Open than it is anything else.___More AP golf: https://apnews.com/apf-Golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A hot start for Woods in Boston, just not on the golf course

TigerWoods rubs his neck while on the driving range prior to his round of the Northern Trust golf tournament at TPC Boston, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Norton, Mass. Tiger Woods got off to a hot start Thursday before even hitting his first shot. Once he got on the TPC Boston, it took him a little more time to heat up. Those guys put some pretty hot stuff on their legs, but you become accustomed to it. Coming to a golf course I know helps, said Woods, who has one victory and two runner-up finishes at the TPC Boston.

Hoge in four-way tie for Wyndham lead after two rounds

Hoge, tied for the first-round lead with Harold Varner III and Roger Sloan, kept in front with a steady 2-under 68 to get to 10-under par. Hoge, whose best-ever tour finish was a second at The Greenbrier this season, was asked what it would take for his first PGA Tour win. Like Kim, Gooch shot 65 to get into the foursome on top. He had six birdies, including two of his final three holes, to move up. Kokrak was in a group of seven one shot further back along with past Wyndham champ Webb Simpson, who shot his second straight 66.

Champ can play under tour's latest coronavirus policy change

Champ is among six players and two caddies on the PGA Tour who have tested positive. Ricky Elliott, the caddie for Brooks Koepka, tested positive before the Travelers Championship last week in Connecticut, and then had a negative test. Previously, the tour relied on time-based protocols that required those who test positive to self-isolate for at least 10 days. Champ tested positive on June 23 and withdrew from the Travelers Championship. They would be eligible to play next week if they have two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Simpson returning to PGA Tour after family coronavirus scare

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)Webb Simpson is competing on the PGA Tour again after his family had a coronavirus scare. I mentioned to the commissioner last week that based on our numbers, our stats, I told him the safest place anyone can be in the United States right now is on the PGA Tour," Simpson said. While the PGA Tour has resumed play, the pandemic is keeping the fans away. In the previous three PGA Tour events, the top five competed each week. The Donald Ross-designed Detroit Golf Club is a short course by PGA Tour standards.

Watney bored in isolation, nervous about how he got virus

(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)Monday marked the 10th day of self-isolation for Nick Watney, the minimum required for PGA Tour players who test positive for the new coronavirus. Harris English tested positive Monday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. Watney laughed at the notion he might be responsible for PGA Tour players all getting a WHOOP strap, which can provide early indications of the virus. Since the positive test, Watney has been in his room. 123 in the FedEx Cup standings, and the positive test cost him at least a month of competition.