ERNIE ELS

It was hard not to think about Saudi-funded LIV Golf at the Presidents Cup.

So much has changed since the International team nearly won the Presidents Cup the last time.

Tom Kidd won the first British Open at St. Andrews.

Here's a look back at key anniversaries from the U.S. Open.

Steve Stricker completed at a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the Regions Tradition, closing with a 4-under 68 for a six-stroke margin and his fourth PGA Tour Champions major title.

If you didn't know much about pro golfer Steven Alker before he turned 50, there's a reason.

Steve Stricker is back to golf after six months and it looked as though he was never gone.

Matt Kuchar finds the PGA Tour's guideline on requiring releases to play conflicting events to be awkward.

Kevin Na has matched his career-low with a 61 to lead the Sony Open.

Cameron Smith got the new year off to a record start at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith are putting on a record scoring show at Kapalua.

Cameron Smith was going the wrong direction at Kapalua.

The hardest part of Sergio Garcia's day was before he even got to Royal St. George's.

The opening round of the British Open saw 47 players break par at Royal St. George's.

Alex Cejka won the Regions Tradition on Sunday in only his third PGA Tour Champions start, beating defending champion Steve Stricker with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

Dustin Johnson holds the trophy after winning the Northern Trust golf tournament at TPC Boston, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, in Norton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1554.

It was to put myself in position to have a run in the FedEx Cup. 6 in the FedEx Cup, securing his place among the top 30 who go to East Lake for the Tour Championship. 99 in the FedEx Cup and appeared to waste his opportunity when he was 4 over through 14. It was his fifth victory in a FedEx Cup playoff event, tied for most with Rory McIlroy. 57 in the FedEx Cup, in danger of missing the Tour Championship for the second straight year.

He won as a rookie and reached the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where one of the perks was attending a ceremony to watch Jay Haas accept the Payne Stewart Award. It brought Johnson to tears 16 years later when he was selected Wednesday to receive the Payne Stewart Award. As it enters its second decade, the award now is regarded as the most prestigious on the PGA Tour. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan referred to Johnson as a fearless underdog and a statewide hero in Iowa for his charitable work in his home state. Zach would say hes just a normal guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but in truth, he has one of the most compelling stories on the PGA Tour in the last 25 years, Monahan said.

Li Haotong of China, hits from the fairway on the 10th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in San Francisco. He also played a World Golf Championship last week with middling results, but he found his form in San Francisco. Brendon Todd, who shared the 18-hole lead with Day, settled for a 70 and joined them at 135. Li, who primarily plays the European Tour, went back to China in March when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down golf. If the lead holds, Li would be the first player from China to hold the lead after any round of a major.

Jordan Spieth putts on the 10th green during the first round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Thursday, June 18, 2020, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)Ian Poulter and Mark Hubbard set the pace for good scoring through a brief spell of rain at Hilton Head. Spieth didn't figure to be part of the conversation until bouncing back from a triple bogey with eight birdies for a 66. It was the kind of break Spieth has seen far too often during three years without a victory. He was on such a roll that Spieth began to contemplate eight straight birdies to end his round. Michael did a great job of reminding me that today when it wasnt going well on my front nine, Spieth said.

(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Tiger Woods won't have to wait until he's 50 to enter the World Golf Hall of Fame. Woods has 82 victories on the PGA Tour, along with five on the European Tour and victories on the Japan Golf Tour, Asian Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia. Meanwhile, Cisco Systems announced partnerships with six players, divided evenly among the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. On the PGA Tour, it signed Keith Mitchell, Viktor Hovland and Chez Reavie. He wroked primarily for Golf Magazine, and contributed to Golf Digest, Golf World and PARGolf.

Rickie Fowler hits from the second tee during first round of the Tournament of Champions golf event, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. 4, which he called his best shot of the day, his other six birdies were all from 10 feet or closer. Thomas, who won at Kapalua three years ago, played bogey-free and made five birdies over his last eight holes for a 67. That was barely enough to offset his double bogey on the par-5 ninth and four other bogeys, most of them because of wild tee shots. His only mistake was a tee shot into the weeds right of the third hole for a double bogey.

He raised his hands over his head in applause to salute a brilliant play by Justin Thomas that led to another hole won. His match won, Woods took the radio and inserted the ear piece as he resumed his role as U.S. captain. Ernie Els and his inspired International team won the day, and won it big. The middle three matches is where the International team seized control in the opening session. It was only the fourth time the International team has led after the opening session, and it was their largest margin after one day.

Tiger Woods was a senior in high school, six months away from winning his first U.S. Over the next two decades, no one finished runner-up to Woods more than Els, a rivalry as one-sided as the Presidents Cup. The Presidents Cup starts Thursday, and Woods is attracting all the attention as the first playing captain in 25 years. Els, unlike Woods, has no influence on the outcome except for his plan and his leadership. "He told us his plan early on, and he's going 100% on that.

(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)Ernie Els filled out his International team already loaded with newcomers by choosing two more Presidents Cup rookies with his captain's picks Wednesday night. Day is playing the Presidents Cup for the fifth time, but first as a captain's pick. He would be the first playing-captain since Hale Irwin at the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994. Unlike the Ryder Cup, where the captain's picks are decided two weeks before the matches, the Presidents Cup is still six weeks away. Niemann, the first player from Chile to be in the Presidents Cup, earned his PGA Tour card the year he turned pro.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Joaquin Niemann of Chile poses with the trophy after winning A Military Tribute At The Greenbrier held at the Old White TPC course on September 15, 2019 in White Sulphur Springs, WestWHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) - Joaquin Niemann is going to give International Team captain Ernie Els something to think about when he makes his captain's picks for the Presidents Cup. Niemann birdied the final three holes to finish at 21-under 259 at Old White TPC, which has quickly become one of his favorite venues. "It's a really good team this year. In 2017, Niemann finished tied for 29th as an amateur at The Greenbrier after receiving a sponsor's exemption. Niemann is the first third-round leader to win at The Greenbrier since its debut in 2010.