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Conflicting Events For Golf At Pebble Beach And Saudi Arabia

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PGA TOUR

AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

Site: Pebble Beach, California.

Courses: Pebble Beach GL (Yardage: 6,972; Par: 72); Spyglass Hill GC (Yardage: 7,041; Par: 72); Monterey Peninsula-Shore (Yardage: 6,957; Par: 71).

Prize money: $8.7 million. Winner’s share: $1,566,000.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-7 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS).

Defending champion: Daniel Berger.

FedEx Cup leader: Hideki Matsuyama.

Last week: Luke List won the Farmers Insurance Open.

Notes: The field has been decimated by more than two dozen players at the Saudi International for appearance money, a group of Pebble Beach regulars that includes Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Kevin Na and Paul Casey. … Patrick Cantlay at No. 4 is the highest-ranked player and the only one from the top 15 playing. … The field includes Peter Jacobsen and Tom Lehman, both in their 60s. Jacobsen won the tournament in 1995, about 18 months after Jordan Spieth was born. … Spectators and amateurs return this year after being left out a year ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because there was no pro-am, only Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill were in the rotation. This marks the return of the Shore course at Monterey Peninsula. … Pebble Beach is being held a week earlier because of the NFL adding an extra game. This typically is Super Bowl week, and the Phoenix Open prefers to be held the same week. Phoenix is now next week before the West Coast wraps up at Riviera. … Among the newcomers in the celebration rotation are Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, retired soccer star Mia Hamm and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Next week: Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Online: www.pgatour.com

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ASIAN TOUR

PIF SAUDI INTERNATIONAL

Site: Economic City, Saudi Arabia.

Course: Royal Green Golf & CC. Yardage: 7,048. Par: 70.

Prize money: $5 million. Winner’s share: $900,000.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-5 a.m., 6:30-9:30 a.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 3:30-8 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Dustin Johnson.

Order of merit winner: Joohyung Kim.

Last event: Sadom Kaewkanjana won the Singapore Open.

Notes: The tournament was part of the European tour schedule the last two years until the relationship ended. Now it is part of the Asian Tour. … The new title sponsor is the Public Investment Fund, which has led to appearance money doled out to attract the strongest field in Asian Tour history. The field includes six of the top 20 in the world ranking and 21 of the top 50. … Dustin Johnson is the defending champion and a two-time winner in the three-year history of the tournament. … Greg Norman runs LIV Golf Investments, which has pumped $300 million into the Asian Tour for 10 new tournaments. The Saudi International is not among the 10 new events. … Ian Poulter slipped to No. 59 in the world after missing the cut in Dubai. He is trying to get back into the top 50 to earn a Masters invitation. … The Saudi event offers the most world ranking points of any tournament this week. … Phil Mickelson is skipping Pebble Beach, where he is a five-time winner, to play in Saudi Arabia. … The tournament has been held the previous three years against the Phoenix Open.

Next event: Royal’s Cup on Feb. 24-27.

Online: https://www.asiantour.com/

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LPGA TOUR

DRIVE ON LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Fort Myers, Florida.

Course: Crown Colony Golf & CC. Yardage: 6,526. Par: 72.

Prize money: $1.5 million. Winner’s share: $225,000.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. (Peacock); Saturday, 2-5 p.m. (Peacock).

Defending champion: Austin Ernst.

Race to CME Globe leader: Danielle Kang.

Last week: Lydia Ko won the Gainbridge LPGA.

Notes: The 54-hole tournament ends on Saturday, with a 36-hole cut on Friday. … The tournament last year was held over 72 holes at Golden Ocala. … Jin Young Ko returned to No. 1 in the world without having played this year. She is expected to make her LPGA season debut during the Asia swing next month. … Danielle Kang has won and finished second in her two starts this year. She has decided not to play this week. … Nelly Korda is playing her third straight week before taking a long break, meaning she won’t play the two events on the Asia swing. … The field features five of the top 10 in the world Korda, Inbee Park, Yuka Saso, Nasa Hataoka and Brooke Henderson. … Laura Davies is playing on a Hall of Fame exemption. … Television coverage is limited to the LPGA’s website in the morning and NBC’s streaming outlet Peacock in the afternoon with tours going on in Saudi Arabia (Asian Tour) and the United Arab Emirates (European tour).

Next tournament: HSBC Womens World Championship on March 3-6.

Online: www.lpga.com

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EUROPEAN TOUR

RAS AL KHAIMAH CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Course: Al Hamra GC. Yardage: 7,325. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2 million. Winner’s share: $333,333.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel-Tape Delay); Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel-Tape Delay).

Defending champion: New event.

DP World Tour points leader: Viktor Hovland.

Last week: Viktor Hovland won the Dubai Desert Classic.

Notes: The European tour has replaced the Saudi International with a new tournament from the United Arab Emirates. … Ras al Khaimah will host another event on the same course next week, marking a full month in the Middle East. … The highest-ranked player in the field is Richard Bland of England at No. 53. … While the field has been depleted by the appearance money offered in Saudi Arabia, the bigger names come from the past. That includes three Ryder Cup captains in Colin Montgomerie, Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington … Harrington is coming off a tie for ninth in Dubai. He has finished no worse than 20th in his last four tournaments dating to late last year. … Former Masters champion Danny Willett is playing.

Next week: Ras al Khaimah Classic.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

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KORN FERRY TOUR

PANAMA CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Panama City, Panama.

Course: Panama GC.

Prize money: $750,000. Winner’s share: $135,000.

Television: None.

Previous winner: Davis Riley (2020).

Points leader: Brandon Harkins.

Last tournament: Brandon Harkins won The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.