INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PGA TOURS
WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Mexico City.
Course: Chapultepec GC. Yardage: 7,355. Par: 71.
Purse: $10.5 million. Winner’s share: $1,787,560.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 2-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, noon to 2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-7 p.m. (NBC).
Defending champion: Dustin Johnson.
Last WGC: Rory McIlroy won the HSBC Champions.
Notes: Tiger Woods decided to skip the first World Golf Championships event of the year, saying he was not ready. Woods is among three players from the top 10 not in the field, joining Brooks Koepka and Patrick Cantlay. Cantlay is having surgery for a deviated septum. … Dustin Johnson won last year for his 20th career victory, and now needs 15 years on tour to become a Lifetime Member. … Johnson has not won since Mexico last year. … The course is at roughly 7,500 feet altitude. … Two Mexicans are in the field this year. Abraham Ancer earned his spot from the top 50 in the world, and the tournament is allowed to add the highest-ranked Mexican player, Carlos Ortiz. … Jordan Spieth became eligible by reaching the top 50 in the world with his first top-10 finish of the year at Pebble Beach two weeks ago. … Brendan Todd, Lanto Griffin and Sebastian Munoz all qualified as top 10 in the current FedEx Cup, while Collin Morikawa qualified through top 50 in the world. Scottie Scheffler and Sung Kang were added from the world ranking to fill a field of 72 players. … Johnson has won two of the three years the tournament has been in Mexico. The other was Phil Mickelson, who is not eligible this year.
Next WGC: Dell Technologies Match Play on March 25-29.
Online: www.pgatour.com
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PGA TOUR
PUERTO RICO OPEN
Site: Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Course: Coco Beach Golf & CC. Yardage: 7,506. Par: 72.
Purse: $3 million. Winner’s share: $540,000.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 2:30-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Martin Trainer.
FedEx Cup leader: Justin Thomas.
Last week: Adam Scott won the Genesis Invitational.
Notes: Martin Trainer did not make the 36-hole cut in 24 of his next 27 events on the PGA Tour after winning in Puerto Rico. His best finish was 34th in the 34-man field at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. … The winner earns an exemption in the PGA Championship, but not in the Masters. … The tournament dates to 2008 and has been played every year except for 2018, when Puerto Rico was recovering from Hurricane Maria. … Tony Finau won his only PGA Tour title at the Puerto Rico Open in 2016. … Scott Brown won in 2013. Of note that year was 19-year-old Jordan Spieth as runner-up, which sent him on his way to the PGA Tour. … Scott is the third Australian to win in seven PGA Tour events this year.
Next week: Honda Classic.
Online: www.pgatour.com
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LPGA TOUR
Last week: Inbee Park won the Women’s Australian Open.
Next tournament: Founders Cup on March 19-22.
Race to CME Globe leader: Inbee Park.
Online: www.lpga.com
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Last week: Scott Parel won the Chubb Classic.
Next week: Cologuard Classic.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Scott Parel.
Online: www.pgatour.com/champions
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EUROPEAN TOUR
Last tournament: Min Woo Lee won the ISPS Handa Vic Open.
Next week: Oman Open.
Race to Dubai leader: Lee Westwood.
Online: www.europeantour.com
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KORN FERRY TOUR
Last week: Andrew Novak won the Lecom Suncoast Classic.
Next week: El Bosque Mexico Championship.
Points leader: Davis Riley.
Online: www.pgatour.com/kornferry
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OTHER TOURS
Sunshine Tour: Tour Championship, Serengeti Estates, Kempton Park, South Africa. Defending champion: Jean-Paul Strydom. Online: www.sunshinetour.com
PGA Tour of Australasia: Isuzu Queensland Open, Pelican Waters GC, Pelican Waters, Australia. Defending champion: Jordan Zunic. Online: www.pga.org.au
Ladies European Tour: Australian Ladies Classic Bonville, Bonville Golf Resort, Bonville, Australia. Defending champion: Marianne Skarpnord. Online: www.ladieseuropeantour.com
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