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CROMWELL, Conn. — An 18-hole round of golf often plays out like a five-act saga. You start slow, catch fire, hit a wall, swear you’re taking up tennis, then finish with a flushed iron shot that has you counting down the minutes until your next round. A 72-hole stroke-play tournament, then, ventures toward three-volume epic,

1:56 PM ET Associated Press MUNICH — Viktor Hovland held off a final-round charge from Martin Kaymer to become the first Norwegian winner of a European Tour event at the BMW International Open on Sunday. Hovland (70) finished on 19 under to beat Kaymer by two shots after the German shot 8-under 64 in the

JOHNS CREEK, Ga.—In different ways at this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Nelly Korda and Lizette Salas—both at 15 under, five shots clear of the field and set for a final-round clash—are women unburdened. For Salas, the catharsis came in the form of an emotional Thursday press conference, when she spoke publicly for the first

7:11 PM ET Associated Press AKRON, Ohio — Three opening birdies gave Steve Stricker an eight-shot lead in what looked to be a runaway in the Bridgestone Seniors Players Championship on Saturday. By the end of the day, Stricker was hanging on at Firestone. Stricker started missing greens and missing putts until his lead was

If Bubba Watson goes on to win the Travelers Championship for a fourth time on Sunday, he won’t remember what happened on the back nine on Saturday at TPC River Highlands. If he comes up short, though, a few wasted shots could prove to be nightmare-worthy. Those wasted shots, of course, came with the putter,

CROMWELL, Conn. — The PGA Tour created its $40 million Player Impact Program to reward its megastars. The guys who stop fans in their tracks, who need neither an introduction nor a last name. Tiger. Phil. Brooks. Bryson. Rory. Jim … Furyk? Nah. Jim … my Walker? Try again. We’re talking Jim Herman, the 43-year-old

7:12 PM ET Associated Press CROMWELL, Conn. — We pause now to fondly remember Bubba Watson’s neon pink driver, which broke apart mid-swing on the second tee in the Travelers Championship on Friday. And, if the three-time Travelers winner is going to have luck like this over the weekend, please spare a thought for the

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Heading into the 13th hole of her second round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Friday, Nelly Korda sat comfortably inside the top 10 at five under, poised to make a weekend run but far behind leader Lisette Salas. Six holes later? Well, what happened next has to be seen

8:17 PM ET Associated Press JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Nelly Korda realized there were low scores available Friday at Atlanta Athletic Club. For the longest time, she couldn’t find them in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. And then the birdies came in bushels, one after another, six straight to close her second round that put

Following a first-round one-under 69, Brooks Koepka sounded a lot like a guy who was destined for an early exit at the Travelers Championship. “I’m awful the week after a major,” he said. “Because it takes so much out of you.” Fast forward to the 18th fairway on Friday, Koepka’s ninth hole, and suddenly he

CROMWELL, Conn.—Bubba Watson grew up in Bagdad, Fla. He splits his time between Pensacola and Scottsdale. But the man is at home in Connecticut. And he was this close to never coming back. Watson, a three-time winner of the Travelers Championship, is once again contending at TPC River Highlands thanks to back-to-back 66s. “When you

8:18 PM ET Associated Press JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Lizette Salas was in her happy place Thursday, and not just because she kept bogeys off her card at tough Atlanta Athletic Club and posted a 5-under 67 for a one-shot lead in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Her game is rounding into form as the

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — When Lizette Salas stood on stage for her post-round press conference, she laughed as one of the TV techs came out to lower the microphone for her. “It’s not good for my confidence when they do this every time,” she said, smiling at the assembled media. Salas had just finished her

12:41 AM ET While COVID-19 restrictions are being eased across the United States, PGA Tour players who travel to The Open in England next month will face protocols and procedures more strict than any they have seen in months. According to a “Player Information Update” sent this week and obtained by ESPN, The Open at

Between the cross-country travel, getting beat up by Torrey Pines and the overall intensity of the U.S. Open, a natural letdown was to be expected for the big boys in the Travelers Championship field. Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, etc. Of course, we rarely hear tour pros actually admit to such a theory. “Yeah,

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Depending on the strength of your memory, you might recall seeing the Highlands Course at the Atlanta Athletic Club during the 2011 PGA Championship (winner: Keegan Bradley), the 2001 PGA (David Toms) or even, going way back, the 1976 U.S. Open (Jerry Pate). The course plays host to the KPMG Women’s

11:55 AM ET It has been an interesting month for Jon Rahm. He started the month by withdrawing from Memorial after testing positive for COVID-19. Last week he won the U.S. Open. Now, as he nears the end of the month, he’s celebrating by blasting Queen’s “We Are The Champions” and using the U.S. Open

Steve Stricker will be the U.S. Ryder Cup captain this September at Whistling Straits, but there’s a very good chance none of his 12 players will have matched something he already accomplished this year. At 54, Stricker has long been a part-time PGA Tour player, but when he tees it up, he can still hang