Defending champ Max Homa, Danny Willett share lead in Napa
Max Homa moved into position to defend his title at the Fortinet Championship, shooting a 5-under 67 to share the early 36-hole lead with Danny Willett at the PGA Tourโs season opener Homa won twice last season and will play in next week's Presidents Cup as a captain's pick.
![Hadley has 4-shot lead at delayed Palmetto Championship](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Y3FaD3y4DGIiO62-qqgeTYc7oGI=/800x533/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OT6XMOHS7FCILPFHAAFU6GPET4.jpg)
Hadley has 4-shot lead at delayed Palmetto Championship
Chesson Hadley moved a step closer to his first PGA Tour victory in seven years, opening a four-stroke lead over Harris English at Palmetto Championship at Congaree before the third round was halted severe storms and lightning with one hole remaining Saturday.
![Nick Taylor gets a break and a birdie and leads Sony Open](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/IxQ2bUL8HQ-E7QoGs8QQ5OFvWDE=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PPZSXLZOSVB65NI7PX44A3CCE4.jpg)
Nick Taylor gets a break and a birdie and leads Sony Open
Nick Taylor hits from the eighth fairway during the second round of the Sony Open golf tournament Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Taylor gave himself at least some separation with a gap wedge to 6 feet for birdie on No. 8, and then even his worst swing of the day turned into a birdie on the par-5 ninth. โI think it's probably harder out here to make double (bogey) and there's a lot of birdie opportunities,โ Taylor said. Cink already won the season-opener in the Safeway Open in September, his first victory since the 2009 British Open at Turnberry.
![Niemann finishes with eagle and shares the lead at Sony Open](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/dL4YquFqfyBlVEaCu3J19uFipNE=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ABSSK5ZCJNCTRP746NDALLUN34.jpg)
Niemann finishes with eagle and shares the lead at Sony Open
(AP Photo/Jamm Aquino)HONOLULU โ Joaquin Niemann had no regrets about the 18th hole at the Sony Open. โSpent a few days thinking about that last hole, but taking all the positives from the week and pull it out for this week.โThey 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](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/UYJ1TX1hRKIhlNJK4_NzEcYEVJY=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BJ3LTBN6RNDMHFWMBYL4SEQSOQ.jpg)
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](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/iaWAjzHx6vdHL0B3Wj1pA8AWtc8=/1600x1200/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5CZSTJMY7BFJFEKXNZL4QKGM5U.jpg)
PGA Tour's top 2 rules officials retiring after long careers
Whiteโs 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.
![The Latest: DeChambeau bombs away, pulls away to win US Open](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/llHKPjEsot0Gm9InOc1Hjc1RsR4=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JUJGVVISEJGARODL5G357R7Z2U.jpg)
The Latest: DeChambeau bombs away, pulls away to win US Open
He led DeChambeau by two strokes entering the final round. Wolff shot 75 to finish second, six strokes back. Overnight leader Matthew Wolff was 2 over, picking up his second bogey on No. It was an ugly start to the final round for Rory McIlroy and Harris English. Leader Matthew Wolff is at 5 under and started his round with a drive that hit the fairway.
![California cool, Matthew Wolff takes detour to US Open lead](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/kSBlyIkcYHjKdwGrbvb1Hb-OIGo=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KHRKTAIHF5DIRNP6TW5DOCQHAU.jpg)
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. โAnyone in my position would be frustrated, especially with having the lead going into today," Reed said. Itโs the U.S. Open, and I have a lead,โ Wolff said. โIโm 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 Iโm going to go out there, I promise you Iโm going to try my best.โHe was at 5-under 205.
![Even without hostile NY crowds, this US Open is tough enough](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Bu4m63TZkn4r6kMwOVlchSF5N80=/1600x1067/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/K34HRISF4RC45CAEAFKA3GEDDM.jpg)
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 โ how to put this? More irritating, from the playersโ 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. โThe wind can make a par-3 course difficult, so put that on a U.S. Open setup, itโs going to be even more so,โ Schauffele said.
![Reed takes the lead as the real US Open gets started](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/0a3LCBM5jlnXWGsB-9RRZBYZLxs=/1600x1067/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SA76JSM6LRD6JDSFOP5X4WKDHQ.jpg)
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 Iโm pretty tired.โThere's still 36 holes to go, and no indication that Winged Foot is going to get any easier. โI love when itโs hard, when you have to be creative on all different golf shots,โ he said.
![Johnson, Scheffler favorites for tour's top player, rookie](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/_5eG8wwcaSvBsj_vAKpHc1CD8mU=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2JQI7O6Z2ZGENO766O7V6RL6IQ.jpg)
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](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/ppkkz4rJfpu5RmreyHgs6JrMNoQ=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KBSTEDRFKZDJJLC5MDK4C6L43Y.jpg)
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
![Dustin Johnson wins by 11 shots and is back to No. 1](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/ljca2aCrpf3l6uXqTBG2U1fKZaI=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TKOBYSG25BF3NHT5PIZZD3JL4A.jpg)
Dustin Johnson wins by 11 shots and is back to No. 1
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.
![A hot start for Woods in Boston, just not on the golf course](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/QS8IptKDhahpeVwCmLJn4oBDxSg=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VGRDI65OF5CT5BBP4NHELMRWWI.jpg)
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](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/dJdt1DL0x3MjTSgfgsK48PB_5yY=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TIYDUMQLPFDJBDLHBMK64UZXBI.jpg)
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](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/lI_zmVEm5oEkMnWkzotzKa-N_Ps=/1600x1028/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AAF7GJHMFJDSHNBQTBIAGFWBJA.jpg)
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](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Jv3u2RWAUKdhMtCL6ryto4JwFPY=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JS6TP3QMBZHS3D7JZBCLGCZ6BE.jpg)
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](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/_600YtAPoD-7ELRNLEw96jRghlc=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CDVQKSVZWRETJG27IZV53VF52E.jpg)
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.
![Hatton, Kang share lead on a tough day at Bay Hill](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/7X94PMvsngJAvY_c359jFjbb870=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FZCIWZL2VRES3LG2JAEKP63ZPM.jpg)
Hatton, Kang share lead on a tough day at Bay Hill
He battled through a tough test at Bay Hill on Friday and was only surprised by what he saw when he finished. 8 and felt he made Bay Hill harder than it was โ and it was plenty difficult โ for a 73 that still left him within two shots of the lead. He was he first player since Camilo Villegas in the 2013 Honda Classic to go from the first-round lead to a missed cut. The average score was 74.08, the highest at Bay Hill since the opening round of 2011. Hatton and Kang were at 7-under 137, the highest score to lead at Bay Hill in 10 years.
![Steele takes 1-shot lead at midpoint of The Honda Classic](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Jo-T8L4y6Jrkbp0AgcpN57W52FY=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/Y35FTEEHHRHFTCEHUW4X4XZ76I.jpg)
Steele takes 1-shot lead at midpoint of The Honda Classic
Steele shot a 3-under 67 on Friday, getting to 5 under for the week and putting himself a shot clear of J.T. This is Steeleโs ninth time playing the Honda and the first time heโs ended any round at PGA National with the lead. I don't feel like it's a course you can just jump out your first time and have it nailed. ... Michael Thompsonโs record streak of Honda rounds without a ball in the water on the Bear Trap is over. Thompson put his tee ball on the par-3 15th in the water, his first such mistake in 30 Honda rounds at PGA National.