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Today, we'll take you all the way through the 2nd hole of Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and Tiger Woods.
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Justin Thomas iron down the left side here at 10.
Well, there's my first surprise of the day is Justin Thomas with his length and power laying up on the 10th hole, but he has laid that up absolutely perfect for that angle back to that back pin.
Dennis, what's the environment like down there?
It is really amazing.
I mean, there's probably 2 or 300 people up by the green in the corner and it's completely packed up on the right hand side of the tee box here.
There's probably the better part of 1000 people already here on property and we're talking about before most people get up here in LA.
It's a lazy morning in LA usually, but it is gorgeous out here right now, the wind playing down breeze for the players, so it's definitely gettable.
Next entity tournament host, please welcome Tiger Wood.
1992 As a 16 year old amateur, he made his PGA Tour debut.
Now, at the age of 42 years old, Tiger makes his second start of the season.
Just the layup that's going to be just fine.
Up the left hand side should be good.
Boy does he look good, but he looks maybe a little bit better.
I guess we all did back in 1992 on the tee from Cypress, CA Amateur Tiger Woods.
On March 1st, 1992, a 16 year old kid named Tiger Woods made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera Country Club.
That crowd was so loud.
That it was.
Like, kind of deafening.
Since then, Tiger has given that crowd.
Much more to roar about you.
Believe that?
What a pressure pipe.
After teeing it up at the Genesis Open for the first time as a pro in 1997, Tiger backed up 8 consecutive top 25 finishes, including two runner UPS.
Come full circle, you know, to be a 16 year old teen up at the PGA Tour event to now couldn't have ever ever imagined.
He returns this week for the first time in 12 years, this time as tournament host.
Hard to believe that Tiger does not have a win at the Genesis Open.
Couple of runner up finishes worth noting.
In 1998.
It wasn't here at Riviera.
It's down the road at Valencia Country Club as Riviera got ready to host the Senior PGA Championship.
99 finished second to Ernie Els and now KJ, who laid up into the fairway bunker.
John.
Yeah, I think he was expecting that ball to be in the fairway, but it chased into that bunker to get it.
There was a a really good shot and looks like he's going to walk off of here with a an easy 4, which I guess in in all things hasn't been that easy for a lot of players.
Finished 26 last week at Pebble Beach so his game may be starting to round into shape.
Does Riviera fit one specific style of player?
I mean it to me, I would say no.
I mean I think that it's it's really, as I touched on earlier, it's it's a second shot golf course.
Obviously it's important to hit the ball in the fairway to control the ball, but it's not the recipe for success around here.
You have to be a great iron player and you have to put the ball really well to win around Riviera.
But I, I really don't think that it favors one particular player.
I mean, I think that anyone can get around.
It's just all about strategy and and staying patient with it.
Billy Hurley, who just lost a playoff to Jordan Spieth to get on the Player Advisory committee.
I don't know if you had a chance to see that on Twitter, but the video is worth a look.
That was a, a pretty, pretty funny campaign, I guess that they had going and, and Billy did a good job with that.
I saw the video the other day and, and Jordan embraced it pretty well too.
When they talked to him about it, he laughed about it.
And I I just saw another Instagram photo about Jordan Spieth winning the campaign for For the Pack chairman.
Yeah, not often do you see two people running against each other in a campaign where one endorses the other.
That's right.
Pretty creative though by Billy Hurley.
Here's KJ for four.
Oh well.
Not too surprising because this is one of the most difficult courses to putt from three feet.
Then we take a look.
5 out of the past seven years it has been the number one.
Hardest course from three feet.
Tough to read.
Sometimes Poana can get bumpy.
What's the reason?
Yeah, obviously early in the morning they should be in great shape.
But yes, as the day progresses, you'll get the footprints, the balls will bounce a little bit.
And Poana is a tough surface to put on.
It is a tough surface to read if you're not used to it or familiar with it.
But it's just, you know, these greens at Riviera, I feel like they have a lot of little subtle breaks and stuff where they where they cut these whole locations.
What makes it difficult to make these 3 footers?
Well, let's head down to the ground.
Dennis Paulson is with our first of two featured groups.
Perfect live for Tiger and perfect angle.
The problem is it's playing downwind.
This shot you want a little bit more wind in your face, but playing downwind.
Johnny, you mentioned the fact that land short here, you're dealing with a little saddle of the bunker and it's going to skip left.
Flighting this down needs a huge hop.
It's a big one.
Needs another one and that's looking good.
Wow, that's talented right there.
That was well controlled.
Yeah, that was a great shot by Tiger and like you said Dennis, I mean if he flew that about 5 or 10 more yards that ball kicks left in the bunker.
Tiger just here we see him again just float flighted that nicely lands it short of that little saddle that Dennis just talked about.
One hop check like a fourteen time major winner.
And can Justin Thomas follow the leader?
How about this?
Wow.
Well, I mean, I think really that's a a product of leaving the ball in the right position off the tee.
Even though they laid up JT got it all the way down to the end of the fairway.
Hit a little low basically like Tiger did.
One hop kind of checks, releases out like a putt judge perfectly.
And now McElroy.
Can't hit the green from here.
Didn't there's no no chance.
I think he was trying to find a place to play his third from.
There was no chance.
Hit the green from where he was.
Well, when we were analyzing the whole earlier, John, you put two big red XS right where McElroy was.
Yeah, that was really surprising to see him.
You know, I know he hit a three, what, off the tee there?
And, you know, it's golf.
But to see him hit the ball to the right there, I mean, he knows that's the only place you can't hit it.
So just, I guess, a poor swing for him to start off his round.
But now work cut out to get this ball up and down.
We've seen so many players leave these bunker shots in the bunker for their first try.
So, Dennis, I'll ask you, if you know where you can't hit it, Isn't it that gnawing at you in your brain?
How do you block that out?
Well, and that's the whole thing.
I mean, you got to take one part of this whole lot of play and there really isn't a place to miss here at #10 except for left over here by the bottle brush trees, in short.
But then you're not really going for the green and all depend upon the lie.
I didn't get to see the lie, but this is actually very doable if he doesn't have a downhill lie.
Well done.
Hello.
I guess hitting it right's not so bad after.
All.
Huh.
A little smile there about McElroy.
He knows he really stole one with the birdie there on the 10th from where his tee shot was.
Yeah.
Marie.
That was more than doable.
That is worth.
One more look, and even McElroy knows.
I mean that that was just executed perfectly.
I mean it the ball comes out, chips releases like a putt.
He read it perfect.
Just a ho hum birdie.
Well, as if the crowds weren't excited enough, that should get them pretty frothy.
A little chum in the water.
Now.
Birdies on the card and we'll skip back to the T as our first of two featured groups waves up Matt Kutcher, Phil Mickelson and Tommy Fleetwood.
I see everybody guarding their eyes trying to look down the fairway.
Good indicator at the sun now starting to rise and getting down in the canyons of Riviera.
Yeah, it's like they're they're trying to figure out if the group has gotten off the green yet to send these guys on their way.
They should be able to see that they're standing behind the green with their hands folded.
Everybody's out of the way and I'm not sure what's going on here.
Maybe there hasn't been an announcement yet.
Yeah, it looks like they're, they're just confused as to whether or not they're waiting for them.
But looks like they got the green light here.
Well, gentlemen.
And the first to play.
Gentlemen, this is a 732 time 3732 tee time.
The players and Mr.
Kutcher, Mr.
Mickelson and Mr.
Fleetwood first on the tee from Sea Island, GA Please welcome Matt Kutcher.
39 year old Matt Kucher sits 83rd in the race for the FedEx Cup title and 18th in the world.
And Kucher going with a driver there.
I predicted Kucher would be a layup off this 10th tee.
So we've seen Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas layup and Kucher.
Could this be the first one?
No so close.
But yet so.
Far.
So wrong and.
Now look at this shot that he's going to be facing downhill, lie a flop over the bunker.
I mean, such a great tee shot to end up with that kind of result.
Two time champion went back-to-back did Phil Mickelson in O8 and O9 the chief in hand.
Plenty of firepower, good line.
Now cutting a little bit.
That's long.
We can see the ball there so it may not be sitting too badly and we know Phil's got one of the best flop shots ever.
He's going to need it because that's what he's going to have to hit.
No other option.
Well, if you don't know much about Tommy Fleetwood, get ready to have some fun.
A wonderful striker of the golf ball, ranked 13th in the world.
He's been a good player for a long time, all the way back to his amateur career.
Great line.
This is right at the front edge.
Oh little unlucky there, that ball just kind of semi plugged when it landed there instead of bouncing up on the green or just beyond.
Well, how about that?
Would you have thought back Koocher the most times driving the 10th hole for Aaron Badly is a champion here.
Maybe it's Koocher's turn if the 10th has anything to say about it.
2006 John On Sunday you started with Eagle, drove it to seven feet, tiger for birdie.
Well, right to left and this has got some pace.
This is a putt that you got to be careful that it could get away from.
Yeah, it's one of those if you spin this out on the high edge, you can really kind of miss.
But this will be out of the hole.
There shouldn't be a lot in it.
It has a little downhill and it is wind aided right now.
The wind pretty fresh right now at 10.
McElroy from the bunker, Woods from the center of the green, 2 birdies and boy his putting stroke.
John looked great at Tori and he picks up right where he left off.
Yeah, I mean, have you seen anybody ever in the game put on PO Anna greens as good as Tiger Woods?
I mean, that ball rolled end over end perfectly right in the center of the cup.
Great start for Tiger Woods.
Now, Thomas.
Not much in this, just firm it.
Just back up the hill, all right?
And all around good putt.
All around good hold for this threesome.
Flushed it.
Birdie, birdie, birdie.
We are off and running here at PGA Tour Live.
Stick with us.
So much more to come from Riviera.
Yeah.
Set for detonation.
Justin Thomas here on the 11th.
This is just bombs away here for for JT on this 11th hole.
I mean a dead straight hole.
Sometimes they're the most difficult to hit.
But no problem there for Justin Thomas.
So he should have a pretty good go with this screen in two.
In our first look at Tiger Woods new shaft.
Excuse me, it'll be McElroy, then Tiger.
This may have a vapor trail behind it.
After holding out for bunker, he will be amped up.
And now our first look at Tiger Woods with driver in hand.
Johnny replaced the shaft, added some loft to his driver.
What does that do for him?
Well, it's going to give him a little more control, probably get a little bit more spin on the golf ball, which, you know, spin is control.
I know you don't want too much.
So there's a fine line, but this is going to be the the big club for Tiger.
He's done everything in his return.
Well, except drive the ball and that looked a little late there to the right, but he doesn't seem too anxious about it.
And we'll go.
We'll find that one.
But first, Phil Mickelson.
Oh my goodness.
What does he have?
Well, and as Phil looks his over, tries to figure out what to do, we'll watch Tommy Fleetwood.
And this is a great look here from behind Tommy.
That little knobby seal in the bunker.
That's the challenge here, flying it beyond that and stopping it in time.
He's got to stop.
OK, not too bad there.
That's a pretty easy putt back up the hill.
And now to Phil.
Is that lie something he can work with?
It really didn't look that bad to me.
And you know, these are the types of shots that Phil Mickelson loves to play.
I mean, he, he loves the challenge around the greens And you know, he, he's right now just trying to visualize, I'm sure where to, to try to carry the ball or land the ball.
But he is going to send this ball straight up in the air.
And if anybody, anybody can pull this shot off, this is the man you'd want hitting the shot for you.
Look like he caught that.
Obviously a little heavy big divot came out of there, so.
And Kutcher with a better lie, but in the same predicament.
It's such a good tee shot to be to result in this type of angle and pitch easy.
Got a lot of spin on that ball.
That was well done there by Kutcher.
Well, from 1 Olympic medalist to another, we send it down to Dennis Paulson with a special guest.
Gentlemen, thanks a lot.
Kyle Lowry.
When I was told I was going to interview a basketball player, I figured I'd be talking to somebody up here just six feet.
But man, you're here for the All Star Game this week, and you're a golf geek.
Which is awesome.
Yeah, I'm here for the All Star weekend, but I got an opportunity to come out here and watch this.
A great tournament, see a great group in front of me, a great group of guys.
This is fantastic.
It's kind of a dream come true.
We're talking about before we got started here and you said, man, how can you get this many people quiet?
I I don't have that happening when I'm playing my game.
Listen, we've got 20,000 people screaming and hollering.
I think I play a lot better with that than how quiet the fans are here.
Isn't that weird?
You know, as a tour player, my scariest moment ever was at the at Saint Andrews in 2000.
We're on the 18th hole and there's 30,000 people and I could hear a car across the street driving, but Oh my God, they're all paying attention.
This is scary.
It's pretty scary, but you know, these guys are professionals.
This is what they do.
They concentrate on their game.
For my game I need the fans screaming, hollering, yelling, talking trash because it makes it a lot easier for me.
Well, your golf game, you said you're 14 1/2, but you're, you actually have got the bug, don't you?
I love the game.
I play every opportunity I can on during the season, on the road.
You know, I think the game and the NBA, the golf game, he's taking a bug to all the NBA players.
There's something competitive that we all love to do.
It's fun.
This is something we can get out there and all do together.
Thanks your time.
We're here to be with me for a couple holes.
We'll be hanging out watching Tiger play some golf.
I can't wait.
I'm excited all.
Right, guys, back to you.
Now Phil has third shot on the 10th stay.
Stay.
Yeah, feel very fortunate there.
You, that ball, that ball of his didn't roll back in his pitchmark that it made in the sand so.
And as we watch Phil somehow try to figure out a way to save Par, we can report that Tiger Woods, his drive never came out of the trees down the right side, so he's going to re T and replay the shot.
So what's the ruling if it stays in the tree?
Well, if you if you can't identify the ball which these towering eucalyptus trees out here at Riviera, you can tell how difficult it'd be to get up there and identify a golf ball, then it's deemed to be a lost ball.
So his only option is to to go back to where he last played the previous shot with a penalty and Tigers playing his third.
So a little bit of a hip and a hop for Tiger Woods on the first two holes.
Birdies.
The 10th is first of the day and then loses a ball in the trees here at 11.
Much better swing there the second go around.
He, you know, looked a little late on that first swing, left it out to the right.
But that swing definitely looked like he released the club nicely and and was able to get it back in the fairway.
So see if he can maybe knock it on the green and make a bogey and get out of here.
All right, Dennis and Kyle are down with Justin Thomas.
He's set to play his second here on the 11th.
Right down the center of the fair.
We're still back at the tee, guys.
I'm not going to lie to you because I'm not.
I'm not going to be able to see him hit it to the green as a green is cleared.
Tigers ball though, guys, actually I think it would between the trees and got down in the branca through there.
They couldn't find it in the long grass.
I Paul had to come out of the eucalyptus tree, but that ball was 30 right at his target line.
Second one stripe is Thomas is set to play now.
Immediate reaction would indicate that he does not like it, and for good reason.
Yeah, not his, not his best swing there, but he's got a lot of green to work with.
I mean, missing that to the right would be the the mistake there.
So over there on the left side, it's just all going to be lie dependent.
And somewhere in there is Rory McIlroy.
But first it will be Tiger.
And this John would be his third shot.
This will be his fourth shot.
He played his third from the tee, so this will be his fourth.
So, you know, if he could somehow knock this on or up around the green, he could still manage to get out of here with a bogey.
I guess mathematically still a pars in play.
I work left to get that one up and down just to save bogey.
So Tiger off the tee hits the right trees and now with his fourth shot hits the left trees.
Back to 10 with Cooch.
Yeah, I think great drive, tough result where that tee shot ended up, but an easy four there for Matt Coocher.
I don't think he's going to be too disappointed walking off at the off that green with a par.
Well, so far the 10th 5 birdies, 5 pars, 4 bogeys and a double.
Can order anything on the menu here at the 10th, can't you?
Yes, you can.
I mean, it's again, it's kind of what we touched on at the beginning of the show here, talking about how good of a short, drivable par 4 this really is and how difficult it can be.
Great look here by our camera crew, they worked so hard to bring us the best shots from around the course.
All right, great.
Save there for Mickelson.
Hard working, par there for Phil.
It's a misleading stat that the 10th is one of the easiest screens at Riviera to putt because nobody's hitting the green.
Yeah.
I mean, everybody like we see here, Fleetwood putting from really only about 12 or 13 feet, but he's just off the edge of the green, so.
Enough to McElroy at 11.
Third shot.
Oh, and that is where he did not want to to hit that golf ball, especially with a look like a little flighted kind of lob wedge shot that he tried to to play to that back pin there on 11 so well.
What started with so much promise, 3 birdies on their first hole.
The day has turned to consternation.
Tigers getting ready to hit his fifth.
McElroy is long in three and Justin Thomas is way left.
Dennis and Kyle down with us.
Tiger is fifth shot now.
Yeah, this ball just got in the rough, sitting down a little bit.
And the wind, they really missed the weather today.
I mean, they're say 5 or 6 miles an hour.
It's blowing what, 8:00 to 12:00 right now maybe.
Right now, Dennis.
Easy.
In Tiger's face, out of the left, this is all about control the ball on the ground.
It's pretty well George right there.
Very.
Good shot, Very good.
Shot we saw him hit a nice controlled wedge.
John on his 1st hole does it again here out of the Kakuya.