🏌🏻 Tiger's Meltdown

Good morning. Rise and shine, it's weekend time, and what better way to kick it off than with our special weekend edition of Golf Reporter?

As you plan your rounds or just dream about them, we've put together some exciting content to make your weekend golf experience even better. From Round 2 highlights to Tiger’s meltdown, plus a must know pre-game warm-up routine from Justin Thomas.

Whether you're playing a round, watching the pros, or just enjoying a lazy morning, let's swing into a great golf-filled weekend together!

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ALBATROS
Scheffler, Spieth Lead World Challenge, Tiger Rallies

World number one Scottie Scheffler and three-time major-winner Jordan Spieth opened up a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the PGA Tour Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Friday as Tiger Woods' comeback gathered pace.

Scheffler produced a stunning back nine birdie spree to vault up the leaderboard before a bogey on the 18th denied him the solo lead and left him with a six-under-par 66 to move to nine under for the tournament.

Scheffler was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Spieth, who shot five birdies for a bogey-free 67 in perfect conditions at Albany Golf Club.

Fifteen-time major winner Woods, who is playing his first tournament since undergoing ankle surgery in April, meanwhile bounced back from his opening 75 with a two-under-par 70 that left him in 15th place on the leaderboard at one over – 10 shots off the lead.

Watch the Round 2 Highlights here:

TWEETS
Worth Mentioning

EAGLE
Round 2: The Tiger Woods Meltdown

Four birdies through seven holes at the Albany Golf Course in the picturesque Bahamas. On the 13th, he was still at that number. Then Woods missed a putt from just under a yard away and bogeyed. Then he missed a 2-footer for birdie on 14.

Then, on 15, he dumped his second shot, from the middle of the fairway, into the right greenside bunker. And from there, Woods started to melt down. With little green to work with, he raced his sand shot 33 feet past the hole.

Then he putted his ball about 30 feet past. It ran by the left side of the hole. It finished back in the bunker. He had putted off the green.

After Woods’ putt, Woods underhand threw his putter toward his bag, started to put his glove back on, grabbed his wedge from fill-in caddie and confidante Rob McNamama and worked his way back into the bunker.

He took two practice swings, hit out to 14 feet, walked out and grabbed his putter back from McNamara.

From there, he made his bogey six.

“I think he was so disappointed in the tactical error of missing left in the bunker on his second shot, it carried over, which is unusual,” analyst Curt Byrum said. “But it carried over to the bunker shot and the putt.”

Watch: Every Tiger Woods Shot | Highlights From Round 2

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news

• The USGA and R&A are expected to announce early next week that they will be changing the rules to roll back distance in golf—and not just for elite players.

• Nick Taylor’s epic eagle putt to win the RBC Canadian Open is now being commemorated in the tournament logo for next year.

• PGA TOUR earns top score in Human Rights Campaign Foundation 2023-24 Corporate Equality Index.

• Those high-tech belt accessories at the Hero? Here’s what they’re for.

• Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth becomes first woman to win PGA Tournament Series Event.

• Min Woo Lee leads by three in bid to win back-to-back in Australia.

BIRDIE
Why PGA Tour Pros Aren’t Competing In LIV Golf Promotions Field

LIV Golf Promotions setup: four rounds will be played over the three days, with 36 holes on the final day. The purse is $1.5 million and players must pay a “nominal” entry fee. A total of 73 players will compete for three spots in the 2024 LIV Golf League.

Why aren’t more PGA Tour players featured in the LIV Golf Promotions event? For a player to be able to play the promotions tournament, they still needed to apply for and be granted media releases by the proper deadlines: 15 days in advance for Korn Ferry Tour players and 45 days in advance for PGA Tour players.

While LIV Golf Promotions has been discussed since February, it wasn’t officially announced until Oct. 26, less than 45 days before the first round on Dec. 8.

Players who compete without a release from the Tour will most likely face the same punishments as those who initially left for LIV, but don’t expect the Tour to publicize which players received releases and which did not.

DRIVING RANGE
Justin Thomas’ Pre-Round Warm-Up Routine

Before every round Justin Thomas plays on the PGA TOUR, he goes through an extensive warm up routine, and we have an all-access look at how he prepares for competition.

PAR FOR THE COURSE
December 2: This Day In History

1864: a meeting of gentlemen desirous of introducing the old scotch game of golf in Geelong, Australia was held at the Mack’s Hotel and the nucleus of a golf club was established. The gentlemen who’d gathered at the venue intended to play at Ormond’s Paddocks, West Geelong using twelve recently imported complete sets of clubs.

1929: the PGA Tour, then known informally as ‘The Circuit’ for professional golfers in the PGA, became more formalized. A tournament committee was formed, consisting of Tommy Armour, Al Espinosa and J.J. Patterson. In 1930, Bob Harlow was hired as manager of the PGA Tournament Bureau and worked to formalize a year-round schedule of tournaments.