PGA TOUR
PRESIDENTS CUP
Site: Melbourne, Australia.
Course: Royal Melbourne GC. Yardage: 7,055. Par: 71,
Purse: None.
Television (all times EDT): Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. to midnight (Golf Channel); Thursday, 7 p.m. to midnight (Golf Channel); Friday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 6 p.m. to midnight (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: United States.
Series: United States leads, 10-1-1
Notes: Tiger Woods is the first playing captain in the Presidents Cup since the inaugural matches in 1994, and he is the first captain to pick himself for the team. … Ernie Els is captain of the International team. … This is the third time for the Presidents Cup to be played at Royal Melbourne. In 1998, the International team won for the only time. In 2011, the Americans won with Woods delivering the clinching point. … The International team has a record-tying seven rookies, and the team is represented by a record nine countries. … Gary Woodland, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are playing in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup for the first time. … The average world ranking of the American team is 12.3, the best for these matches. The highest-ranked International player is Adam Scott at No. 18. … Dustin Johnson is playing for the first time since the Tour Championship because of arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Next time: The Presidents Cup will be in 2021 at Quail Hollow Club at Charlotte, N.C.
Online: www.pgatour.com
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PGA TOUR
QBE SHOOTOUT
Site: Naples, Fla.
Course: Tiburon GC. Yardage: 7,382. Par: 72.
Purse: $3.5 million. Winner’s share: $435,000 per player.
Television: Friday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champions: Brian Harman and Patton Kizzire.
Last week: Henrik Stenson won the Hero World Challenge.
Notes: The field is composed of 12 two-man teams, with 14 players coming from the FedEx Cup standings and 10 sponsor exemptions. … Lexi Thompson returns to play with Sean O’Hair. … PGA Tour rookies and former Oklahoma State teammates Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland are playing together. … Thompson was at Tiburon three weeks ago for the CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA Tour. She won at Tiburon in 2018. … Greg Norman started the tournament in 1989 when it was known as the “Shark Shootout” and became a popular part of the silly season. It began at Sherwood Country Club in California, was held one year at Doral on Norman’s White Course and moved to the Norman-designed course at Tiburon in 2001. … Only six players in the field have won on the PGA Tour this year. That includes Brendon Todd, who won two in a row in the fall. He is playing with Billy Horschel. … Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner and Chez Reavie were in the field at the Hero World Challenge last week in the Bahamas.
Next tournament: Sentry Tournament of Champions on Jan. 2-5.
Online: www.pgatour.com
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EUROPEAN TOUR
Last week: Rasmus Hojgaard won the Mauritius Open.
Next week: Australian PGA Championship.
Race to Dubai leader: Pablo Larrazabal.
Online: www.europeantour.com
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OTHER TOURS
Asian Tour: BNI Indonesian Masters, Royale Jakarta GC, Jakarta, Indonesia. Defending champion: Poom Saksansin. Online: www.asiantour.com
PGA Tour Latinoamerica: Dev Series Final Copa Samsung, La Planicie CC, Lima, Peru. Defending champion: Alfredo Adrian. Online: www.pgatour.com/la/en
Staysure Tour: MCB Tour Championship-Mauritius, Constance Belle Marc Plage, Poste de Flacq, Mauritius. Defending champion: New event. Online: www.europeantour.com/staysuretour
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