Golf: All eyes on Tiger's comeback and Jordan Slam quest at PGA

TULSA -- Tiger Woods and his incredible injury comeback and Jordan Spieth's quest for a career Grand Slam will seize the spotlight in Thursday's opening round of the 104th PGA Championship.

Woods, a 15-time major champion, and three-time major winner Spieth are grouped with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy in a marquee trio for the first two days at Southern Hills.

Top-ranked Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, 2021 British Open winner Collin Morikawa and second-ranked Spaniard Jon Rahm are among the most fancied players and are together as well, but might struggle to match the Woods group spectator count.

"Tiger's here, so nobody really remembers that I'm here," Scheffler said. "So it's all good."

Woods suffered severe leg injuries in a February 2021 car crash, spending weeks hospitalized and months unable to walk.

His emotional return at last month's Masters ended with a share of 47th and a stamina struggle, but he saw walking 72 holes as a major feat and says he's stronger as another endurance test looms.

"I've gotten stronger since then, but still it's going to be sore and walking is a challenge," Woods said.

Asked if he can win, Woods said, "I feel like I can, definitely. I just have to go out there and do it."

Among those trying to stop him will be Rahm, who comes off a victory two weeks ago at the US PGA Mexico Open.

"He's Tiger. He's a competitor," Rahm said. "He's going to try to win every single time and anytime he tees up, the world wants him to win.

"Yeah, totally expected for the attention to be on him, but it doesn't really change anything of what I want to be doing this week."

Like Rahm, Spieth wants to be having his name engraved on the Wanamaker Trophy. If he wins, Spieth will join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen as the only players to sweep all four major titles in their careers.

Spieth won last month's Heritage title and was second at last week's hometown Byron Nelson event. He expects Southern Hills will be formidable.

"I think it's going to be one of the higher scoring PGAs that we've seen," Spieth said. "It's a great test."

World number four Cameron Smith of Australia, a top-five Masters finisher in three of the past five years, is ready for the struggle of playing in the group just ahead of Woods.

"There can be a lot of external noise with crowds and just a lot more moving parts," Smith said. "Just another thing to really think about. Just make sure to spend a little bit more time worrying about what's happening outside to make sure when you're inside that shot, everything's perfect."

Tricky winds are expected, with the strongest breezes on the first two days.

"The forecast is different every day in this wind," Woods said. "It's supposed to be all different directions. We're going to see a different course almost every day."

That, warns Rahm, also comes with tee boxes made for adjustable distances, changing the holes each day no matter the weather.

"They can truly make it as difficult as they want to be," Rahm said. "They can really, truly manipulate the score out here very easily, even if the conditions are benign and we don't get too much wind."

- Scheffler No.1 swagger -

Scheffler, happy to hide in Woods's shadow, will try to become the first player to win the green jacket and PGA Championship in the same year since Nicklaus in 1975.

"It's right in front of you. It's just really hard," Scheffler said of the course. "You know what to do. It's just hard to actually do it."

Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka sees Scheffler as the man to beat.

"He's number one in the world. That usually has something to do with it," Koepka said. "I think confidence, too. Number one in the world, you've got that swagger when you walk on the range. I know I did.

"I'm pretty sure everybody else that has been number one, you've got a little extra strut. You've got a little something and I think it's noticeable."

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Golf: Na overcomes double-bogey to lead, Spieth two back

Kevin Na rebounded from a double-bogey on the back nine to grab a two-stroke lead after three rounds of the PGA Tour's Charles Schwab Challenge on Saturday, while Jordan Spieth's deft touch on the greens saw him move into a tie for second.

Na shook off the double at the 11th hole to birdie the 13th on his way to a one-under par 69 at a Colonial Country Club layout in Fort Worth, Texas made tougher by breezy conditions.

While the birdies did not fall as frequently as they had in Friday's round of 62, Na still managed three as he moved to nine-under 201 for the tournament.

"I bounced back nicely and kept myself in it," Na told CBS Sports, adding that he had been distracted by a fan at the 11th.

"From fairway in, I am a pretty good player so I think it plays right into my game," Na said of Colonial, a course he considers one of his favourites.

Spieth, meanwhile, continued his impressive putting to shoot 68 and tie with four others at seven under -- Canadian Mackenzie Hughes (65), Taiwan's Pan Cheng-tsung (68) and Americans Jim Furyk (68) and Tony Finau (71).

Spieth, the local favourite and a former champion, still had trouble with his ball striking, hitting only four fairways.

A shot into the rough led to his only bogey of the day at 17 after he had made three birdies on the front nine, including a 37-foot putt at the seventh.

"My speed control has been really good this week," the Texan told PGA Tour Radio.

Pan, who goes by the initials C.T., had grabbed the lead briefly after Na's double-bogey but slipped back by dropping strokes on 17 and 18.

Finau could have been a stroke closer but let a shot slip away at the last after driving his ball into the water.

Sweden's Jonas Blixt, the second-round leader by a stroke, was never in contention after a bogey at the first. He shot a four-over 74 to drop four strokes off the pace.

World number three Justin Rose, the defending champion, also turned in a 74 to sit on five-over par 215 after 54 holes.

American Charley Hoffman had the low round of the day, a 63 in morning play to sit three back. 

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, editing by Ed Osmond/Peter Rutherford)

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Golf: Spieth shares clubhouse lead at rain-hit Genesis Open

LOS ANGELES - American Jordan Spieth surged into a share of the lead during the first round at the weather-hit Genesis Open on Thursday.

The three-times major champion notched five birdies to move five-under-par after 12 holes at Riviera, while South Korean Sung Kang was on the same score through 14 holes.

Only half the field made it to the tee due to a seven-hour rain delay.

Tiger Woods was among those left cooling their heels until Friday.

Play began on time but was halted less than an hour later at the storied course in the Pacific Palisades coastal neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

Officials took the unusual decision to scrap the scores and start the event again, citing poor visibility that had hampered the 30 players who had teed off.

"It never got where you could see where your ball went, barely see the flagstick," said rules official Mark Russell.

"That's not a common thing (to nullify scores), but the committee does have the discretion to do that. We felt in this situation that's the thing to do."

The last time a round was reset on the PGA Tour was at the 2013 Dell Technologies Championship.

Officials still hope to crown a champion on Sunday, but that will probably only be possible if there are no more delays.

More rain is forecast on Friday, before clearing for the weekend. (Writing by Andrew Both and Frank Pingue; editing by Ken Ferris and Sudipto Ganguly)

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Tiger seeks 15th major, Spieth a Career Slam at 100th PGA

ST. LOUIS - Tiger Woods stalks his first major win in 10 years and Jordan Spieth chases a Career Grand Slam at next week's 100th PGA Championship while top-ranked Dustin Johnson hunts a second major triumph.

The American trio is expected to contend in the year's final major showdown over a 7,316-yard, par-70 Bellerive layout in the last PGA Championship to be played in August. The event moves to May next year.

Woods, a 14-time major champion who hasn't won a major title since the 2008 US Open, underwent spinal fusion surgery in April 2017 after years of back pain and began a comeback last December, rising from 1,200th in the world to 50th.

The former world number one shared second in March at the PGA Valspar Championship, switched to a mallet putter in June and shared fourth at the PGA National and last month led briefly in the final round of the British Open before settling for a share of sixth at Carnoustie behind Italian winner Francesco Molinari.

"I certainly can win again," Woods said. "I feel like I'm starting to hit the ball a little more crisp. And since I've switched putters, I've started to make some putts. When you make putts here and there, it changes everything."

Woods, 42, has won 79 career US PGA titles but hasn't won any event since the 2013 WGC Bridgestone Invitational.

"I've had an opportunity to win a couple times this year," Woods said. "My game has gotten better and good enough where I feel like I can win again out here."

Woods has won four PGA Championships, one shy of the record five won by Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen, but missed the cut in 2015 in his most recent appearance. He last won the PGA title at Southern Hills in 2007.

Third-ranked defending champion Justin Thomas, trying to become the first back-to-back PGA Championship winner since Woods in 2006 and 2007, wants to see Woods win if he's not in the hunt.

"I'm always pulling for Tiger if I'm not playing, or if he has a chance to win and I don't," Thomas said. "I said this at the beginning of the year I think he's going to win if he stays healthy. And it would be really cool for the game, if and when he does.

"But at the same time, I'm trying to make sure that he doesn't do that, for many reasons."

SPIETH ACCEPTS CHALLENGE 

Spieth was third at the Masters and shared ninth in his British Open title defense last month.

But the 25-year-old Texan who took the 2015 Masters and US Open titles hasn't won since claiming his third major crown last year at Royal Birkdale.

World number eight Spieth could become only the sixth player to complete the career Slam -- winning the Masters, US and British Opens and the PGA -- to join a list that includes Nicklaus, Woods, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and South African Gary Player.

"When you have an opportunity to do that, certainly it weighs on you a little bit," Spieth said. "All I can do is embrace the challenge."

Spieth could have become the youngest player to complete a Career Slam by winning last year's PGA but shared 28th at Quail Hollow.

DJ TOUGH TO BEAT

Johnson, coming off a victory in last week's Canadian Open, is an oddsmakers favorite to win the Wanamaker Trophy despite missing the British Open cut.

"I felt like I was hitting it fine," Johnson said. "It was the worst I've ever scored and the only thing I could come up with was I really wasn't focused on the shots and what I was trying to do."

But Johnson, whose lone major win came at the 2016 US Open, feels he can beat anyone anywhere when playing his best.

"If I'm playing my best, yeah, it's going to be very tough (to lose)," Johnson said.

Bellerive is hosting its third major tournament, having been the site of Player's 1965 US Open triumph to complete his career Grand Slam and Zimbabwean Nick Price's 1992 PGA Championship title, the first of his three major crowns.

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Spieth cards 65 to share lead with Schauffele and Kisner

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland - Jordan Spieth has a chance to keep pace with Tiger Woods' major championship tally after vaulting into a share of the third-round lead at the British Open on Saturday.

The defending champion never looked back after making a "dream start" en route to a six-under-par 65 for a three-way tie with Xander Schauffele and Kevin Kisner at Carnoustie.

In perfect conditions for low scoring until a brisk breeze sprang up just as Spieth was finishing, the 24-year-old Texan drove the first green and sank a 12-foot eagle before adding four birdies.

He earned the 54-hole lead at a major for the sixth time in his young career, giving himself a chance of becoming the first since Woods in 2005-06 to win back-to-back titles at the Open.

Schauffele birdied the last for a 67, while Kisner shot 68 as the two Americans joined Spieth at nine-under 204.

They have a two-shot edge over American Kevin Chappell, and a three-stroke cushion over in-form Italian Francesco Molinari.

On a day when Woods electrified the gallery with a 66 that pulled the 14-major winner within four strokes of the lead, Spieth, with three majors already, showed again that he is the man to beat of the next generation.

Unhappy with his swing during the first two days, the 24-year-old found a slight adjustment did the trick, and the first hole provided a massive jolt of confidence.

"I feel like I've been improving each day (but) I know as well as anyone that anything can happen at an Open on Sunday," he said.

"I got a couple of good breaks but I wouldn't say I drew on anything except the adjustments I've made during the week in my game to feel more comfortable over the ball."

'NOTHING TO PROVE'

Spieth will have four major titles before his 25th birthday if he wins on Sunday.

Woods was also 24 when he collected his fourth major in 2000, while Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy were 25 when they reached the mark.

But Spieth is not focused on history.

"I felt like I had something I had to prove to other people at last year's Open, and to myself," he said.

"I don't feel like I have to prove anything to anyone at this point.

"I'm playing golf for me now. I've made a lot of progress over the year ... and I've got an opportunity to make it a very memorable one."

If Spieth was satisfied with his day, Woods was positively delighted to put himself within striking distance in his quest to end a decade-long major drought.

"It's been a few years since I've felt like this," he said after his best score in a major since the 2011 Masters.

He vaulted into a tie for sixth in a group that includes Rory McIlroy (70) and Tommy Fleetwood (71), who were left by the wayside on a day of low scoring.

"I'm right there. I've got a chance at this, which is great. I had to stay within reach," Woods continued.

He got a lucky break at the last, where his pulled tee shot came within inches of landing in the Barry Burn.

'TERRIBLE' TWO-IRON

"I didn't know if I carried it or not, if it was in the hazard or rough. It was a terrible two-iron," Woods said.

"I really didn't feel like I really made a bad swing until 18."

His ball stayed dry but with 246 yards left to the hole he decided to lay up from the rough before punching a 100-yard wedge to three feet and saving par.

Earlier, Justin Rose set the tone with the lowest score in Carnoustie's British Open history, a flawless 64 that by day's end had lifted him within five of the lead.

(Reporting by Andrew Both Editing by Christian Radnedge, Neville Dalton)

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Spieth undone by quadruple-bogey at Waialae

Jordan Spieth was basking in the Hawaiian sun until his day fell apart in stunning fashion with a late quadruple-bogey to finish six shots back of first round Sony Open leaders Zach Johnson and Chris Kirk on Thursday.

Defending champion Justin Thomas, who last year opened with a 59 before going on to set the tour's all-time scoring record in a 72-hole event at 253, could not conjure up that same magic as he carded a three-under 67, four back of the leaders.

Thomas had five-times major champion Phil Mickelson's former caddie, Jim 'Bones' Mackay, on his bag since his usual looper is unavailable due to injury.

World number two Spieth, the highest ranked player at the Waialae Country Club, overcame a rocky start and was inside the top five when he reached his penultimate hole, the par-four eighth, where disaster struck and he fell back to even par.

The British Open champion birdied his final hole for a one-under-par 69 that left him tied for 65th on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, but it did little to ease the sting of the quadruple-bogey eight.

Spieth's tee shot at the eighth hole clipped a tree on the left side of the fairway, and his second shot barely advanced after it caromed off another branch. He hit a tree with his next two shots before finally finding a greenside bunker.

The three-times major champion, who is riding a string of six consecutive top-10 finishes and had been installed as the favourite a week after a ninth place finish at Kapalua, declined to speak with the media following his round.

Twice major winner Johnson carded a bogey-free seven-under 63 in the afternoon wave that included a birdie at 18 to grab a share of the lead with early starter Kirk, who stormed into the clubhouse with four birdies over the final six holes.

The duo were one shot ahead of Vaughn Taylor, Kyle Stanley, Talor Gooch and Brian Harman.

"It felt really good, it was nice to get a good start in under my belt," said Kirk, who hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 greens in regulation.

"My swing kind of felt better and better as the day went on. Hit a few loose shots in the front but really kind've tightened it up as the round progressed." (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Peter Rutherford; )

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Spieth struggles, Day shines at Australian Open

SYDNEY, Australia -- Jason Day made a spectacular return to the Australian Open on Thursday, finishing the first round just three shots off the lead as the defending champion Jordan Spieth struggled in tricky conditions.

Day, playing his national open for the first time in four years, made the most of his early morning tee time, rolling in eight birdies in perfect sunshine for a superb round of five-under-par 66.

The former world number one finished the opening day tied for third place with Nick Cullen, as Cameron Davis set the pace with a blistering round of 63 to lead by two strokes from Taylor Macdonald at The Australian Golf Club.

Spieth, playing in the afternoon when the wind had picked up, battled his way to an up-and-down round of one-under-par 70 to end the day seven shots off the lead on a heavily congested leaderboard.

Unable to build any momentum after making bogey at his first two holes, the American dropped three more shots but brightened up his card with six birdies, including a 20-foot putt at the final hole that fell into the cup.

Playing the back nine first, Day dropped a shot at the par-three 15th hole, then double bogeyed the eighth hole, his second last, but was otherwise pleased with his as he chases his first Australian Open title in a rare outing in his homeland.

- 'Good start to the week' -

"I made a couple of mistakes out there with some swings, but made, I think, eight birdies, which was nice and finished at five-under, which is a good start to the week," Day said.

"I think it would have been a little bit disappointing if I came out this morning and shot an even-par round. I think it's definitely out there to shoot a deep one.

"That's kind of the thing, you almost need to come out and capitalise when there's no wind, because it's very warm in the morning, the ball's starting to go a lot further in the mornings and there's no wind."

Davis, also playing in the morning, birdied six of his first seven holes before the wind gusts put a halt to his phenomenal start and he eventually signed for a 63, enough to grab a two-stroke lead over Macdonald, ranked 1,809th in the world.

Davis, who turned professional after winning the 2015 Australian Amateur title, and then helping Australia win the Eisenhower Trophy in 2016, could hardly contain his excitement after chipping in for birdie at the seventh to get to six-under.

The 22-year-old made his only bogey of the day at the ninth but regained his composure and played the back nine in three-under to claim the early outright lead.

"To be able to play the back nine without any bogeys, just keep on making a couple of birdies, I felt like that kind of shows that I was able to not get too far ahead of myself, which has definitely happened in the past," he said.

"That's one of the things I feel like is improving for me."

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Top-ranked Spieth primed for $10 million bonus at East Lake

Jordan Spieth feels good about the quality of his game heading into the season-ending Tour Championship starting in Atlanta on Thursday, even if he is not holing as many long putts as when he won the event in 2015.

Spieth will tee off at East Lake in top spot in the PGA Tour ranking, his sights set on staying there and finishing FedExCup champion to collect the $10 million bonus awarded to the winner of the season-long points race.


A final round 65 at the BMW Championship on Sunday came too late to challenge for victory at that event outside Chicago, but it was a welcome tonic.

“I was pumped to have the round I had on Sunday, to maintain the number one spot,” British Open champion Spieth told reporters at East Lake.

“I was a little off to start the week in my striking. I feel now close to the way I was hitting it the first two playoff events. If it was a major I’d feel very pleased with where things are.”

The top five players in the standings -- Spieth, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Marc Leishman and Jon Rahm -- control their own destiny, meaning that if they win the tournament they also win the FedExCup.

The other 25 in the elite field all have a mathematical chance of being crowned champion, but it would take a freak confluence of circumstances for those outside the top 15 to do so.

Spieth struggled with his swing when he won in 2015, but his short game was sublime.

“It was one of my worst ball-striking rounds of the year,” he recalled. “I just chipped and putted so well I was able to win.

"I don’t want to emulate that at all. That’s a lot more stressful and I haven’t been making putts from outside 10 feet like I did that year consistently, so I can’t rely on that.”

Fellow American Rickie Fowler, sixth in the standings, is also playing well, coming off a tie for second behind Australian Leishman last Sunday.

Fowler thinks a score of 14 or 15 under par might be needed to win at East Lake, his prediction made with the proviso that rain or strong wind could alter his thoughts.

“You can’t fake it at East Lake,” Fowler told Reuters in a telephone interview on the tournament's eve. “There’s some rough there but the course is playable.”

Rory McIlroy shot 12-under before winning in a playoff last year, while Spieth won with nine-under in 2015.

McIlroy has endured a lean season, and this week offers him a final chance to taste victory on the PGA Tour in 2017.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Toby Davis)

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Thomas beats Spieth by three shots at TPC Boston

Justin Thomas rode a couple of lucky breaks to become the first five-time champion on the PGA Tour this season when he won the Dell Technologies Championship in Massachusetts on Monday.

Thomas emerged from a three-way tussle to beat fellow American Jordan Spieth by three strokes at TPC Boston in Norton, with Australian Marc Leishman another shot back in third place.

Thomas carded 66 to finish at 17-under-par 267, while Spieth bogeyed the par-five 18th to shoot 67.

Leishman, who led by two shots with nine holes left, faded with a 70, going out in 30 and coming home in 40.

Leishman bogeyed the last, which allowed Spieth to take the lead in the FedExCup standings, narrowly ahead of Thomas with two tournaments left in the four-event playoff series.

Thomas said it was the first time he had won without having his "best stuff" and downplayed any notion that his victory would reverberate around the tour.

"I wasn’t trying to send a statement," he told Golf Channel. "I was just trying to win a golf tournament."

Thomas, 24, clinched his first major title at the PGA Championship last month, coming from behind over the final nine holes.

He followed a similar route to victory on Monday, this time with some help.

Thomas struck a tree with his tee shot at the par-four 10th hole but had an unobstructed view of the green with his second shot and made an easy par.

Later, after a poor tee shot at the par-three 16th, he received a free drop from a poor lie in heavy rough, because a sprinkler head interfered with his stance.

He was able to place his ball in a much better lie and got up-and-down to save par. That proved to be his last nervous moment.

British Open champion Spieth, meanwhile, licked his wounds after a second consecutive runner-up finish.

He lost to Dustin Johnson last week at the Northern Trust in the first playoff event.

Spieth, three months younger than Thomas, observed that his good friend and rival had taken a couple of years longer to start fulfilling his talent.

"Jealous isn't the word but he probably had some feelings of anxiousness," Spieth, who won two majors in 2015, told reporters.

"I feel like we're very similar calibre of player and I just got a headstart. Obviously he's become a tremendous closer.

"It's tough when you've got somebody that's that good and hot and starts the day two shots in front of you."

After a one-week break in the schedule, the top 70 players in the standings will contest the penultimate event of the season, the BMW Championship, outside Chicago.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Gene Cherry)

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Golf: Day to take on Spieth at Australian Open

Former world No.1 Jason Day will battle two-time winner Jordan Spieth at this year's Australian Open in Sydney, organisers said on Friday.

Australia's top-rated golfer, now ranked No.9 in the world, will be contesting his national championship for the first time in four years at The Australian course from November 23-26.

Current world No.2 and three-time major winner Spieth is returning to defend the crown he won last year in a play-off.

"The Australian Open holds a special spot in my heart," Day said. "I’d love to get my name on that trophy one day -– hopefully this November."

His best result at the tournament was tied fourth in 2011.

Day has 14 top-10 finishes in the 28 major championships he has completed, including victory at the 2015 US PGA Championship. He is also a 10-time winner on the US PGA Tour.

The Australian Open winner will receive a minimum of 32 World Golf Ranking points.

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Spieth, McIlroy favored at soggy PGA Championship

CHARLOTTE -- Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy make their bids for golfing history when the 99th PGA Championship tees off Thursday at Quail Hollow with heavy rain and storms in the forecast.

World number two Spieth, who won his third major title two weeks ago at the British Open, would become the youngest golfer to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the year's last major.

The 24-year-old American, who also won the 2015 Masters and US Open, could become only the sixth man to sweep the four major titles in a career after Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen.

Spieth would be 24 years and 17 days old on Sunday, about six months younger than Woods -- the youngest so far to win all four majors -- was when he won the 2000 British Open to complete his career slam.

And Spieth could become the first player to complete a career slam with a victory at the PGA Championship.

Fourth-ranked McIlroy, a 28-year-old from Northern Ireland, could become only the third player to win five majors before turning 30, joining Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

But McIlroy, missing only the Masters to complete his own career Grand Slam, hasn't won a major since the 2014 PGA Championship.

What he has done, however, is win twice at Quail Hollow and lost another in a playoff. And shown he can play well in wet conditions, notably in taking his first major title at the 2011 US Open at Congressional.

Spieth shies from the favorite role, saying, "I'd say Rory is probably the guy to beat."

Las Vegas oddsmakers agree, giving McIlroy a 7-1 chance with Spieth at 8-1.

Asked what odds he'd give himself, McIlroy cited two wins in eight starts at Quail Hollow -- "8-2, decent odds."

"I've won a couple times. I like PGA Championship setups. They are fair," McIlroy said. "If I'm the favorite, I'm the favorite. I'm happy with that, means I'm playing well."

 Beware the Green Mile

McIlroy credits his improved form in recent weeks, a share of fourth in last month's British Open and of fifth in last week's World Golf Championships event in Akron, with confidence from casinos.

"I think it's partly to do with the upturn in form that I've had over the last few weeks and then my history on this golf course," he said. "I think it's a little bit of both."

Changes have been made to the layout since McIlroy's victories in 2010 and 2015, when he broke his own course record with a 61 in the third round.

"I think the changes are really good," McIlroy said. "It makes the first six holes a lot more challenging.

"I still feel like the golf course gives you plenty of chances. It's going to play long this week with the weather. It will probably play a couple of strokes harder than it used to play."

The closing three-hole stretch at Quail Hollow, "The Green Mile," offers water and hazards galore in a classic tough finishing run.

"It will be an exciting finish if there's a few guys up around the lead at that point," McIlroy said.

 Matsuyama, DJ in title hunt 

World number one Dustin Johnson says he has once more found the form that delivered him three consecutive titles in February and March before a fall and back injury on the eve of the Masters derailed his campaign.

And he's happy to have it wet so the course plays longer with the greens holding better.

"That there is going to cut the field in half," Johnson said. "It's hard. It's long. You can't fake it around here. Everything has got to be good.

"It's a little soft. The greens will be a little more receptive. That doesn't make it any easier. You've still got to make your shots."

And everyone will be watching Japan's Hideki Matsuyama after his closing 61 to win the WGC Akron title on Sunday.

"What Hideki did was pretty impressive," McIlroy said. "He's playing well and he hits it plenty long to contend around here. His confidence is high coming into this week. I'm pretty sure he'll be a factor this week."

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Spieth says putting on right track as he eyes PGA Championship

Jordan Spieth won the British Open without putting at his very best, he said on Wednesday, while predicting that he was on track to fine-tune the stroke in time for next week’s PGA Championship.

Spieth will attempt to complete the career grand slam at the year’s final major at Quail Hollow. Before that, however, is the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational starting in Ohio on Thursday.

The Texan has won 11 times on the PGA Tour, including three majors, but does not have a World Golf Championships title on his resume, something he can rectify at Firestone Country Club in Akron.

First round tee times on Thursday have been brought forward due to a forecast of thunderstorms, with the last groups starting at 9.30 a.m. ET (1330 GMT). Spieth tees off at 8.10 a.m. with Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and Australian Jason Day.

Spieth acknowledged his putting had let him down at times over the past year or so, but sounded confident that he had figured out the problem.

“I’m starting to pin-point it (the problem) and it’s in set up,” he told reporters. “If I’m correct and I can put enough reps in, we can get it ready by Thursday of next week.”

With the PGA Championship in Charlotte coming three weeks after the British Open, Spieth does not have to wait long for a chance to complete the modern grand slam.

"The PGA, if I'm healthy and playing well, I'll play in 30 of them," he said.

"I believe I'll have plenty of chances to win. It doesn't have to be this year.

"I believe I'll do it some day, so if it happens next week, fantastic. If it doesn't it's not going to be a big-time bummer. Getting three legs of it is much harder than getting the last leg, I think, though it's easy for me to say."

Turning his sights to this week, the world number two sounded enthusiastic.

"I’m excited to get started here at Firestone,” said Spieth, who won the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open before claiming the third leg of the slam at Royal Birkdale less than two weeks ago.

“The course is extremely pure. Hopefully we don’t get a ton of rain because it’s playing perfect right now.”

Spieth did not want to let Wednesday’s news conference pass without explaining the wayward drive at the 13th hole in the final round at Birkdale that led to his taking a penalty stroke and a drop on the practice range.

He was particularly aggrieved by media reports that said he had hit the drive 100 yards wide right.

“Essentially it was 20 yards off line," he said. "I hit balls further off line than that on a regular basis. Look, it wasn’t a good shot but I’m capable of hitting worse shots than that. I’ve been waiting to back myself up on that for a while now.”

While Spieth and Rory McIlroy have dominated the headlines recently, Dustin Johnson is still occupying the world number one spot, despite a relatively lean recent stretch.

Johnson hopes to find form this week as defending champion against a field that includes all of the world’s top players.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Toby Davis)

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Spieth emerges from epic duel to win British Open

SOUTHPORT, England - Jordan Spieth survived a roller-coaster final round at the British Open to claim his third major title after beating fellow American Matt Kuchar by three strokes in a thrilling duel at Royal Birkdale on Sunday.

Spieth carded a one-under-par final round of 69 to finish on 12-under for the tournament but, after three days of consistent golf by the American, it was a remarkable day of highs and lows for the 23-year-old.

The Texan, who won the U.S Masters and U.S. Open in 2015, joined Jack Nicklaus as one of only two players to win three legs of the career grand slam before turning 24. Tiger Woods was 24 when he won his third different major.

Spieth began the day with a three-stroke lead but saw that evaporate on the front nine, where he made four bogeys and a birdie to enter the turn sharing the lead with Kuchar on eight-under, before he steadied himself and surged to victory.

Clutching the Claret Jug awarded to the winner, Spieth, the youngest American to win the British Open and the youngest from any country since a 22-year-old Seve Ballesteros in 1979, said his victory was "a dream come true".

"I drank some wine from the Claret Jug when Zach Johnson won it two years ago and people said that was bad luck. I started to believe them too after nine holes today," he added.

"I'm going to take this back to America which may upset a few of you all but I'll return it. Thank you very much, what an incredible honour."

REAL DRAMA

After his struggles on the front nine, the real drama began when Spieth drove wildly into the dunes, striking a spectator, on the 13th hole.

He was forced to take a penalty stroke after deeming the ball unplayable and, after a lengthy series of deliberations, he played his second shot from the edge of the practice range next to the television trucks.

Spieth scrambled to make a creditable bogey out of the par-four hole but that still handed the lead to 39-year-old Kuchar, who was playing the more solid golf as the wind rose and temperature fell.

However, the sight of his rival alone at the top of the leaderboard appeared to click a switch in Spieth who responded with a birdie on the par-three 14th, where he was close to a hole-in-one.

"When that (birdie) putt went in was my first vocal appreciation of the day. And I knew that we had momentum on our side and we were tied.

"All of a sudden I felt and believed that I could win that golf tournament, when 30 minutes prior and really the entire day after the fourth hole I didn't feel that way," he said.

He then brilliantly sank a 45-yard putt to eagle the par-five 15th and followed that with birdies on the 16th and 17th to banish any thought of a repeat of his U.S. Masters meltdown last year.

As he received the trophy Spieth paid tribute to compatriot Kuchar, saying he had enjoyed the battle and describing him as a great champion and class act.

"I believe Matt Kuchar will win a major championship. And I believe that he'll do it sometime soon. He's a great champion and he's such a great person," Spieth said of his rival, who had been given underdog backing from the Birkdale crowd.

China's Li Haotong finished third on six-under-par after a superb last-round 63 left him on the range hoping, in vain, that a few more bogeys from the leading pair might give him a shot at a playoff.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy produced his best round of the week with a 67 to leave him on five under for the tournament and tied in fourth place with Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello who shot 68.


(Editing by Ken Ferris, Toby Davis and Clare Fallon)

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Spieth in charge after amazing Grace shoots 62

SOUTHPORT, England - Jordan Spieth led the British Open by three shots and Branden Grace posted the lowest score at a men's major championship in a dramatic third round at sun-kissed Royal Birkdale on Saturday.

American Spieth fired a flawless 65 to finish on 11-under 199, three clear of his compatriot Matt Kuchar (66) while South African Grace conjured up a majestic 62 to achieve what no player had done in 441 previous majors.

There have been 31 rounds of 63 in the sport's biggest tournaments and Grace's feat prompted a standing ovation at the 18th green as he saluted the packed galleries at Royal Birkdale.

"I honestly had no idea that was something historic," the world number 35 told reporters.

"I knew I was playing well and I was just in the zone. I didn't know 62 was the lowest ever but now it makes it even more special. If my caddie knew he never said anything; good on him!"

   
Spieth, twice major champion, had taken time out from his warm-up session to watch Grace sink his final putt but the world number three was not distracted.

The 23-year-old calmly collected three birdies on the front nine and with Kuchar keeping pace, the pair kept the rest of the field at arm's length.

Kuchar wobbled with a double-bogey at the 16th before fighting back to birdie the 17th on the way to a 66 and Spieth drained a 12-foot putt at the last to give himself a cushion as he bids for a first British Open title.

"It was a really solid round and I'm very pleased with the position I'm in," Spieth told reporters.

"Mentally, it was quite tough today knowing the conditions were good for scoring. But I made a nice start with the birdie at three and I didn't have too much stress in the round."

American Brooks Koepka, the U.S. Open champion, went round in 68 to finish at five under, level with 20-year-old Canadian Austin Connelly who continued his remarkable run at his first major with a 66.

World number two Hideki Matsuyama of Japan carded 66 to join Grace at four under, one ahead of American world number one Dustin Johnson (64), defending champion Henrik Stenson (65), Spain's Rafael Cabrera Bello (67) and American Chan Kim (67).

World number four Rory McIlroy made an early charge with three birdies but the Northern Irishman's hopes of a fifth major title faded with a double-bogey at the 10th hole and he ended at two under.

That was level with England's Ian Poulter, who started the day three shots behind Spieth but failed to take advantage of the conditions and made five bogeys in a scratchy 71.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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Spieth copes best in grim conditions to lead British Open

Jordan Spieth handled the miserable conditions brilliantly in the second round of the British Open on Friday as he took a commanding two-shot lead into the weekend at Royal Birkdale.

The American star survived the driving rain and gusting wind to shoot a one-under-par 69 and sit at six-under at the championship's halfway point.

That was one of just eight rounds under par as the field toiled in the conditions, and it sufficed for the 23-year-old Texan to hold a two-stroke lead over his fellow American Matt Kuchar, on his own in second place at four under par.

"Honestly, right now I'm happy to be inside, first and foremost," said Spieth, the Masters and US Open winner in 2015, after his round.

"But I feel great right now. I don't think I even felt this way at the '15 Masters after Friday."

Spieth has plenty of experience of going out in the last group on the weekend in a major, but he admitted he will still feel the nerves when he tees off on Saturday.

"Anytime you're in the last group on a weekend in a major -- and this is, I think, probably a dozen times I've had at least a share of the lead in a major championship -- you get nervous.

"And I'll be feeling it this weekend a bit."

He will go out with Kuchar, with the 39-year-old, who has never won a major, building on his opening 65 that had him in a share of the lead with a solid 71 earlier in the day.

When Kuchar went out it was windy, but at least it stayed dry, and the giant Florida-born player could very well have done better but for two bogeys in the last three holes.

"Conditions were really hard today, certainly what we expect coming over here," said Kuchar, whose best finish in a major to date is tied third in the Masters in 2012.

Brooks Koepka had been level with Spieth and Kuchar overnight but the current US Open champion struggled a little more in the afternoon rain -- which at one point forced a temporary halt to play as greens became waterlogged.

Koepka ended up with a 72 that saw him drop back to three-under overall, level with England's Ian Poulter, runner-up at Birkdale in 2008 who shot 70 on Friday.

Scotland's Richie Ramsay is two-under, while behind him Rory McIlroy has given himself a chance going into the weekend.

The 2014 Open champion built on his strong finish to his opening round on Thursday, when he shot a one-over 71, to fire a 68 that left him at one under par.

On Thursday McIlroy was five-over through his first six holes -- on Friday he was three-under after the same stretch.

There were dropped shots at 13 and 15 but a birdie at the long 17th helped complete a satisfactory day for the world number four.

"To be in after two days and be under-par for this championship after the way I started, I'm ecstatic with that," said McIlroy.

- Stenson shaken by burglary -

Reigning Open champion Henrik Stenson will be around for the weekend despite struggling to a 73 after revealing the rental house where he is staying had been burgled.

The incident happened while the Swede was playing his first round on Thursday.

As well as all his clothes for the week, Stenson had other valuables stolen, although his family were not present at the time of the burglary.

"I had to get some new gear and so on. But all in all we're in good shape. And nothing happened to any person, which is the main thing," he said.

"I was happy that my family wasn't there, and maybe a little disappointed I wasn't. But what can you do?"

Only nine players were under-par after two rounds, with the cut falling at five-over.

Among those missing the weekend was last year's runner-up Phil Mickelson, but 2015 champion Zach Johnson shot the round of the day with a 66 as he made the cut on one-over.

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No one will dominate again like Tiger, says Spieth

SOUTHPORT, England - Golf is unlikely ever to be dominated again by a single player in the way that Tiger Woods ruled the sport, world number three Jordan Spieth said on Tuesday ahead of this week's British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Spieth has come the closest to any player of repeating the kind of dominance that Woods enjoyed, producing a magnificent 2015 season when he captured the U.S. Masters and U.S. Open titles and came close to winning the Open and U.S. PGA Championship.

But the 23-year-old American was unable to maintain that extraordinary level of performance in 2016 and says those hoping for a new king of golf may be waiting in vain.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up. What Tiger's done, I just -- having experienced a year like he continued to do for years. It just takes a lot out of you. It's very tough to do," he told reporters.

"What I'm saying is, I doubt you'll see a dominance like that maybe ever again in the game. I just think guys are learning, guys are getting stronger.

"Guys are winning younger, playing more fearless, even in major championships, and I just think that it's so difficult now.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up for a domination like that whatsoever," he added.

However, the Texan believes that the sport will still provide plenty of drama even without an undisputed number one.

"I think it's going to be a very exciting time. You'll see a group of 10-to-12 guys over the next 15, 20 years that are going to have a lot of different competitions that come down the stretch with each other.

"It's different than one person being the guy to beat. But I think it's exciting, exciting for us as players. You just never know, and if you play well, you're going to have a chance with these other guys who are equally as capable," he said.

Spieth will probably always be judged against his remarkable break-out year and he said that his current form was not far off that level - even if he now acknowledges there won't be many years like 2015.

"I haven't been making as many putts as I did that year this year," he said. "I've struck the ball better than I did in '15. I've actually been in better positions. If you took hole by hole, I've been in a better position tee to green than I was that year.

"If I putted the same as '15 I'd be having a better year right now. It's hard to do. So, certain parts of the game I think I've improved on. And others ... it's just fluctuated. And that's how it will go. It will go like this," he said.

"I recognise that, being five years in now, and five years doesn't make me a veteran but it helps me realise ... how things go.

"Last year I was pretty caught in 2015, and this year I'm not. This year I recognise that that kind of year, hopefully, we can have another one or two like that.

"But if we keep on trying to improve each part of the game, stick to the process, then we'll have the results that we want."

(Reporting by Simon Evans,; Editing by Neville Dalton)

source: nSOUTHPORT, England - Golf is unlikely ever to be dominated again by a single player in the way that Tiger Woods ruled the sport, world number three Jordan Spieth said on Tuesday ahead of this week's British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Spieth has come the closest to any player of repeating the kind of dominance that Woods enjoyed, producing a magnificent 2015 season when he captured the U.S. Masters and U.S. Open titles and came close to winning the Open and U.S. PGA Championship.

But the 23-year-old American was unable to maintain that extraordinary level of performance in 2016 and says those hoping for a new king of golf may be waiting in vain.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up. What Tiger's done, I just -- having experienced a year like he continued to do for years. It just takes a lot out of you. It's very tough to do," he told reporters.

"What I'm saying is, I doubt you'll see a dominance like that maybe ever again in the game. I just think guys are learning, guys are getting stronger.

"Guys are winning younger, playing more fearless, even in major championships, and I just think that it's so difficult now.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up for a domination like that whatsoever," he added.

However, the Texan believes that the sport will still provide plenty of drama even without an undisputed number one.

"I think it's going to be a very exciting time. You'll see a group of 10-to-12 guys over the next 15, 20 years that are going to have a lot of different competitions that come down the stretch with each other.

"It's different than one person being the guy to beat. But I think it's exciting, exciting for us as players. You just never know, and if you play well, you're going to have a chance with these other guys who are equally as capable," he said.

Spieth will probably always be judged against his remarkable break-out year and he said that his current form was not far off that level - even if he now acknowledges there won't be many years like 2015.

"I haven't been making as many putts as I did that year this year," he said. "I've struck the ball better than I did in '15. I've actually been in better positions. If you took hole by hole, I've been in a better position tee to green than I was that year.

"If I putted the same as '15 I'd be having a better year right now. It's hard to do. So, certain parts of the game I think I've improved on. And others ... it's just fluctuated. And that's how it will go. It will go like this," he said.

"I recognise that, being five years in now, and five years doesn't make me a veteran but it helps me realise ... how things go.

"Last year I was pretty caught in 2015, and this year I'm not. This year I recognise that that kind of year, hopefully, we can have another one or two like that.

"But if we keep on trying to improve each part of the game, stick to the process, then we'll have the results that we want."

(Reporting by Simon Evans,; Editing by Neville Dalton)

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Spieth holes bunker shot to win Travelers in playoff

Jordan Spieth holed a bunker shot to win the Travelers Championship in a playoff on Sunday and become the second youngest player in the modern era behind Tiger Woods to post 10 PGA Tour victories.

In a finale that would have done Woods proud, Spieth sank his 60-foot sand shot at the first extra hole for birdie to edge fellow American Daniel Berger at TPC River Highlands.

The precise execution enabled Spieth to overcome a back nine meltdown in which he putted poorly and almost allowed fast-finishing Berger to steal victory.

Spieth carded a closing 70 to Berger’s 67, the pair finishing at 12-under-par 268, two strokes ahead of compatriot Charley Hoffman and New Zealander Danny Lee.


“For the bunker shot to go in, that was awesome. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a moment like that again,” an excited Spieth said in a greenside interview after clinching his 10th victory at the age of 23 years, 10 months and 29 days.

Woods was the youngest since detailed records began in 1983 to reach 10 victories. He was 23 years, six months and four days when he posted the milestone.

A flair for the dramatic is nothing new for Spieth, who also holed a bunker shot for his first victory at the 2013 John Deere Classic.

“It’s incredible. It feels like we’ve been out here for a long time but it’s only been four years,” he said.

"At least this one had good speed going in. I've always taken some crap from my peers about the John Deere one potentially going off the green or in the water.

“I feel very fortunate to play golf for a living. That was my dream growing up. To live for these moments and produce moments like that, I feel very lucky, very blessed.”

The former world number one did not feel so blessed after missing two putts from inside four feet on the back nine to almost fritter away what had looked like being a comfortable victory. He then struck a tree with his drive in the playoff, only to get a fortuitous bounce.

“It was a battle,” he said. “That putter let me down a little for most of the round. I felt more comfortable in the bunker than from four feet (and) I got really lucky to hit the tree and have it go in the fairway."

The playoff loss deprived 24-year-old Berger of a second victory in three starts, having won the St. Jude Classic two weeks ago.

“I played great today so I’m not going to be too upset,” said Berger, who sportingly gave Spieth a thumbs-up gesture when his rival holed the winning bunker shot.

“It’s just Jordan doing Jordan things.”

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris / Ian Ransom)

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Spieth wins emphatically by four shots at Pebble Beach

Jordan Spieth focused on "boring golf" and shrugged off an unexpected birdie drought in the final round as he clinched his ninth PGA Tour victory, by four shots, at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California on Sunday.

A commanding six strokes ahead overnight, the world number six carded a bogey-free two-under 70 on a picture-perfect afternoon of unbroken sunshine on the Monterey Peninsula.

"It's unbelievable," Spieth, 23, told CBS Sports after becoming the first player since Tiger Woods to win nine times on the PGA Tour before the age of 24.

"Today I hit 17 greens, it was kind of a dream round for ball-striking when you are leading by a bunch and I finally got one (a birdie putt) to go on 17.

"Boring golf," double major champion Spieth said with a smile after totalling 33 putts on Sunday compared to 23 the previous day.

"I apologize but that was kind of the game plan. That's what was needed today and fortunately that's what we did to close it out.

"We could afford to make a couple of mistakes if I needed to ... fortunately we didn't and we just stayed ahead."

  
The Texan finished at 19-under 268, while fellow American Kelly Kraft, the 2011 U.S. amateur champion, fired a 67 for second place at 15-under, with compatriot American Dustin Johnson (68) a further stroke back.

Spieth, who won the Australian Open in November, has finished no worse than ninth in any of his past six starts worldwide.

He had produced a putting masterclass that yielded eight birdies at Pebble Beach on Saturday but his putter cooled down on Sunday as he recorded just two birdies at the same venue despite playing rock-solid golf from tee to green.

A two-putt birdie on the second hole was followed by a string of 14 consecutive pars that kept his closest challengers at bay before he picked up another at the par-three 17th, sinking a curling 30-footer before hoisting his putter skywards in celebration.

Asked by six-times major winner Nick Faldo how he had managed to putt so well on the bumpy poa annua greens at Pebble Beach during the third round, Spieth replied: "It's all speed work.

"I'm not thinking too much about the stroke, finding a point, kind of a mid-point in the putt, and dialling in the speed ahead of time ... training my hands for the speed of the greens and then from there just trying to hit it around that spot."

Australian world number one Jason Day, rebounding from a disappointing 75 in the third round, chipped in for eagle at the par-five 14th on the way to a 67 and a three-way tie for at fifth at 12-under.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in St. Augustine, Florida; Editing by Andrew Both)

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Spieth, Day share lead at weather-hit Pebble Beach

SAN FRANCISCIO -- Australia's top-ranked Jason Day fired back-to-back birdies Saturday in finishing an eight-under-par 64 second round to grab a share of the lead at the PGA Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Day matched Americans Jordan Spieth and Derek Fathauer on 10-under par after 36 holes in the event, which is contested over three courses -- Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula.

Fog halted the second round Friday evening with 121 players yet to finish. The third round began even as the final golfers were concluding the second in hopes of finishing the event by Sunday night.

Day fired seven birdies in 12 holes at Pebble Beach before being halted Friday, closing with a run of three in a row.

He took a bogey at 13 when he resumed but answered with birdies at the par-5 14th and par-3 15th then closed the round with three pars in a row.

Spieth, a former world number one now ranked sixth, completed his round Friday, firing eight birdies at Spyglass Hill in a 65 to grab the clubhouse edge.

Fathauer parred one last hole at Pebble Beach on Saturday morning to complete a round of 64 to stand on 134, 10-under like Spieth and Day.

From there it was a hefty four strokes back to a fourth-place US pack on six-under -- Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Rick Lamb and Brandt Snedeker.

The schedule was fouled from the start with heavy rain and high winds late Thursday leaving all courses unplayable with 81 players forced to finish the opening round on Friday morning.

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Spieth and Reed inspire U.S. foursomes sweep

CHASKA, Minnesota - A fired-up Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed set the tone as the United States took early control at the Ryder Cup on Friday with a stunning 4-0 sweep of the opening foursomes matches against holders Europe.

It was the first sweep by the U.S. in an opening session since 1975 at Laurel Valley, and gave the hosts a perfect start in their quest to end a run of eight defeats in the past 10 editions.

"It's a good start," U.S. captain Davis Love III told reporters after a chilly, overcast morning at Hazeltine gave way to bright afternoon sunshine.

"But it's long way to go. There's a lot more points out there. Keep doing the same thing over and over every session."

Thunderous roars of "USA, USA, USA" echoed across the ultra-long Hazeltine National layout as twice major winner Spieth and fellow young gun Reed beat European heavyweights Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson 3&2 in the top match to secure the first point.

Olympic champion Rose and British Open winner Stenson went 3-0 when paired together at Gleneagles two years ago and they were sent off first by captain Darren Clarke in a bid to give Europe a fast start.

"Any time you are take on Rose and Stenson, it's never simple," Reed, who sank an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-five 16th to seal the win, told reporters. "We had a great game plan coming in, we stuck with it.

"Just hit a lot of greens. In alternate shot you have to do that, give yourself opportunities. And we were lucky enough to be able to hit a lot of greens and have good looks."

Soon after, U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar completed a 5&4 demolition of an out-of-sorts Lee Westwood of England and Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters in the anchor match with massive galleries cheering them all the way.

PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson came from one down after 11 holes to beat Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Germany's Martin Kaymer 4&2 before Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler delivered the most surprising point of the morning for the Americans.

Fan favourites Mickelson and Fowler were wayward off the tee for most of the session and trailed Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Englishman Andy Sullivan by two after 14 holes before scraping through a fluctuating contest to win one-up.

"All points are big here," said Mickelson, 46, competing this week in his 11th Ryder Cup. "This is a match I felt more pressure than any other Ryder Cup.

"But Rickie was able to get the best out of me and I hit some good irons. We showed a lot of heart to win that match."

The U.S. have lost the Ryder Cup at home just four times since the matches began in 1927, and are bidding to end a run of three successive defeats in the competition. (Editing by Tony Jimenez/Andrew Both)

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