Thirteen players were still on the course after the announcement at 6:10 p.m. local time. The round will conclude Saturday morning.

Detry birdied three straight holes beginning at No. 9, went birdie-bogey at Nos. 13-14 and then grabbed the outright lead by playing the par-3 16th Stadium Hole at TPC Scottsdale to perfection.

He stuck his tee shot inside 3 feet of the pin and birdied to get to 11 under, adding one more at the par-4 17th.

Detry is two shots ahead of Michael Kim, who tied the low round of the day with a 63, and Alex Smalley, who posted a 65. Jordan Spieth (65), South Korea's Tom Kim (66) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa (66) are right in the mix at 9 under.

Justin Thomas (68) is part of a group tied at 8 under, and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler improved on his first-round score by thee strokes, carding a 66 to get to 7 under.

Defending champ Nick Taylor of Canada (66) is at 6 under. First-round leader Wyndham Clark followed a 64 with a 2-over 73 to drop to 5 under, tied for 28th.

The projected cut line was 2 under par. Amateur Luke Clanton had a disappointing end to his second-round 67, as a missed birdie putt at No. 18 left him at 1 under for the tournament.

Had the Florida State golfer made the cut, he would have earned his 20th point in the PGA Tour University Accelerated standings and become eligible for a full PGA Tour membership.

Others on the wrong side of the cut line included Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick (1 under), Billy Horschel (1 over), Max Homa (3 over) and last year's runner-up Charley Hoffman (4 over).

Argentina's Emiliano Grillo made a hole-in-one at the Stadium Hole, the 12th at the famed hole in Phoenix Open history. His shot dunked into the cup without a bounce, and the crowd celebrated by tossing beer bottles down from the grandstands.

It mattered for Grillo's scorecard, too, as he made the cut on the number at 2 under following his 69.

A former World No. 1, Ko birdied six of her final nine holes to climb to 12-under 130 for the tournament. Four players are two off her lead: Yealimi Noh (64), Angel Yin (66), Japan's Minami Katsu (65) and South Korea's Jin Hee Im (66). Lauren Coughlin shot a 67 to occupy sixth place at 9 under.

"I didn't know I was shooting 8 under," Ko said. "After I (went to) scoring and I checked my score, oh my God, I (was) shooting like 8 under. Was pretty good. Yeah, I focused very well and I'm just trying to do my best."

Ko, who began her round on the back nine, reached 17 of 18 greens in regulation and rolled in birdie after birdie, including a three-hole run at Nos. 6-8.

Ko won the Founders Cup in 2019, 2021 and 2023, so if the pattern continues, she's in line for another odd-year victory. What's different is the course and place on the schedule: Bradenton is hosting the Founders Cup for the first time, after it was most recently held in New Jersey during May.

"I don't have any pressure from outside," Ko said. "I mean, I just want to be better than yesterday and that's why I'm here on LPGA Tour. All the good players are here from the world, and so, yeah, I have to be better than yesterday."

Noh was on track to shoot a 63 of her own, thanks in part to a four-birdie run, but her only bogey of the day came on her last hole, the par-3 ninth.

"18 was the only green I missed and a lot of putts dropped in," Noh said. "Tempo was really good today. Just made it simple: Fairways and greens."

Yin kept her card clean while making three birdies and an eagle at the par-5 sixth. Only two players are bogey-free through 36 holes: Ko and Yin.

Yin said she told her caddie she felt dehydrated as she was playing the sixth.

"So I was kind of dizzy," Yin said. "It was good to be able to make an eagle when I'm not feeling that great. I was seeing two balls. So I'll drink more water."

Noh is searching for her first tour victory, while Yin has one title to her name, the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai.

Nelly Korda (68) is six shots off the pace at 6 under. Lexi Thompson shot her second consecutive round of 69 and stands at 4 under. Thompson is playing for the first time since retiring from full-time competition at the end of the 2024 season.

Among the notable names to miss the cut of even par were Danielle Kang (1 over), Stacy Lewis (2 over) and Canadian Brooke M. Henderson (4 over).

Woods had been expected to play at the event even though it had been moved to Torrey Pines South Course in San Diego in the wake of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

The tournament's traditional home at Riviera Country Club is in the hard-hit Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles and was set to hold the Feb. 13-16 tournament, which is hosted by Woods and his foundation. Riviera sits just east of where most of the area's catastrophic fire damage occurred and was not affected by the flames.

Woods has won eight times at Torrey Pines, including the 2008 U.S. Open.

The 15-time major champion's participation for next week's tournament was in question after the death of his mother, Kultida, on Tuesday morning.

Woods, 49, has not competed in an official PGA Tour event since The Open, but he has played in the PNC Championship with his son Charlie. He also has competed in his new TGL simulator golf league.

The Spaniard collected six birdies against two bogeys to pull into a tie with Steven Alker of New Zealand at 7-under 139 in the PGA Tour Champions event at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Jimenez is seeking his 14th career win on the Champions Tour and first since the 2022 Boeing Classic.

"I would love to (win)," Jimenez said. "It's one more round, Steve's playing very well. I played with him yesterday, he's a very solid player. A few guys there, Carlos also won last year here. OK, I've been playing well, I have to focus on myself and let anything happens.

"... I've been hitting solid and playing very well and I hope tomorrow I can finish up there."

Alker, who is bidding for his ninth career Champions Tour victory, shared the first-round lead with Englishman Simon Griffiths.

On Friday, Alker had three bogeys to offset three birdies on the front nine before carding three more birdies to close his round. The reigning Charles Schwab Cup winner finished with a 70 and joined Jimenez with a two-stroke lead over Tim O'Neal (71 on Friday).

"Yeah, I had a little bit of a slow start; I was 2 over after four," Alker said. "Just had to get going, give myself a bit of a kick in the butt. Then got it going, made a bunch of birdies kind of through the middle there. And again, strong finish, par on 18. Would have liked to have made birdie but pleased with the day the way I started."

Griffiths plummeted into a tie for 24th place after carding a 77 on Friday.

Defending champion Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina, who set a 54-hole record (209) at the course in 2024, shot a 3-under 70 on Friday to move into fourth place at 4-under. He sits one shot ahead of a nine-golfer contingent that includes South African Ernie Els, who won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai last month.

Els, who entered the week atop the Schwab Cup standings, carded a 71 on Friday,

Angel Cabrera of Argentina shot a 68 in the second round to reside at 3-under with South Korea's K.J. Choi (69), Justin Leonard (70), Scotland's Colin Montgomerie (70), Denmark's Thomas Bjorn (71), Australia's Greg Chalmers (71), Stewart Cink (72) and Adilson da Silva of Brazil.

He shot a 3-over 74 on Thursday in Round 1 at TPC Scottsdale.

Fowler, 36, has six career wins, including the 2019 WM Phoenix Open. He also was the runner up in 2010 and 2016.

He was scheduled to play with Billy Horschel and Sahith Theegala on Thursday. They now will play as a twosome.

Wyndham Clark shot a 7-under 64 on Thursday to take the Round 1 lead.

The round was technically suspended due to darkness just before 6:15 p.m. local time. Nine players still had one or two holes to play at the time of the announcement.

Clark's 7-under-par 64 at TPC Scottsdale was one better than Taylor Moore and Lee Hodges. Justin Thomas is in the mix after opening with a 5-under 66.

Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, made four straight birdies beginning at No. 8 to get his week rolling. The first two came from 16 and 14 feet out, and his fourth of that stretch was a simple 4-footer after a picture-perfect approach.

While Clark's most recent win on tour came at the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 12 months ago, Thomas is still on the hunt for his first win of any kind since the 2022 PGA Championship. He started his round on the back nine and brushed off an early bogey by making three birdies on each nine.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, in his second start of the season, had a wild back nine that featured two eagles and a double bogey along with two birdies. Combined with a 2-over 37 on his front nine, he settled in at 2-under 69.

Other notables include Canada's Corey Conners and South Korea's Tom Kim at 4-under 67, Jordan Spieth at 3-under 68 and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan at 1-under 70.

Kupcho and Madsen posted rounds of 6-under-par 65 at Bradenton Country Club and built a one-shot lead over Angel Yin, Lauren Coughlin and South Korea's Jin Hee Im.

Kupcho made just one bogey against seven birdies, four of which came on the back nine. The former major winner hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation and was happy with her game overall.

"I hit the ball pretty well," she said. "I think when I needed to not hit an iron shot as well it worked out, and when I needed to smash one, the ball went as far as it needed to go. It kind of just was a day of everything was going right."

Kupcho, 27, won three times in the 2022 season, including the Chevron Championship for her first major, but since then she has yet to return to the winner's circle.

"I think 2024 was honestly, aside from the three wins, three-win season, it was one of my best seasons," Kupcho said. "It was the most consistent for sure of all my seasons, so I think just trying to like improve on that. And I think really last year I kind of fell in love with the game more, so I think I'm just kind of like bringing that into this year."

Madsen started her day on the back nine and opened with six pars in a row before she got on the roller coaster.

She sank three birdies in a row to finish her first nine and kept it going with birdies at Nos. 1 and 2. A bogey-birdie-bogey stretch followed, but she righted the ship and added her last two birdies at Nos. 7 and 8.

"I was very pleased with the round," Madsen, 30, said of her season debut. "I didn't really know where my game would be at going into the round so I did have a little slow start just with pars, but I think my iron game was the better part."

Madsen, like Kupcho, is searching for her first win on tour since 2022.

Coughlin, 32, is coming off a breakthrough season that saw her win her first two LPGA Tour titles and play for the winning U.S. Solheim Cup team. She put six birdies and one bogey on the card Thursday.

"There are definitely still things I need to work on and get better, but a lot of what I do in my full swing, like I've been able to keep it strong for a really long time," Coughlin said. "So just not making any changes in the stuff I was doing really well, but then working on the areas that I need to focus on and try to get better in those areas, but, again, not neglecting anything that I do really well."

Jin Young Ko of South Korea and Celine Boutier of France are part of a large tie for sixth at 4-under 67. Nelly Korda opened with a 3-under 68, and Lexi Thompson, who retired from full-time competition after 2024 but is playing this week, had a 2-under 69.

Rose Zhang, who won the tournament last season when it was held in New Jersey in May, is not in the field to defend as she returned to Stanford for classes.

The PIF is the financial backer of the LIV Golf League, which has lured some of the PGA Tour's stars with its big-money contracts and tournament paydays.

In a statement issued Thursday, the PGA Tour said commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott met with Trump on Tuesday.

"We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and long-time support of the game of golf," read the statement, which was signed by Monahan, Scott and player-director Tiger Woods. "We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men's professional golf."

More than 18 months have passed since the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF announced a "framework agreement" for an alliance that shocked the sports world. The parties blew past a self-imposed Dec. 31, 2023, deadline to finalize the deal.

The only real news last summer came in June, when PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan met with PGA Tour representatives in New York the week of the framework agreement's one-year anniversary.

Trump does have standing and credibility with the LIV founders.

His Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami is hosting an event in April, as it did in 2023. That year, Trump courses in Washington, D.C., and Bedminster, N.J., also held LIV events.

The duo wound up a shot ahead of seven players after the first round of the PGA Tour Champions event at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. Five more players turned in rounds of 71 to sit two strokes back, with nine others firing rounds of 72 to finish the day at 1-under par.

In all, 23 players are crowded within three strokes.

Alker couldn't gain any momentum in the first 11 holes, trading two birdies and two bogeys. A birdie at 12 put him at 1-under par, and he then concluded his round with three consecutive birdies to finish at 4-under.

"It's always tough out here," Alker said. "We've got two days to go. It's going to be a crowded leaderboard. It's that type of golf course where it's going to be crowded, you know what I mean, unless someone takes off. It's just hard to make birdies and you've just got to stay on it all day, so it will be tight."

Griffiths started his round on the eighth hole and opened with two consecutive birdies, adding birdies at Nos. 13 and 17 before a bogey on the par 4 No. 3. He regained the shot with a birdie on the fourth hole, another par 4.

"Yeah, very happy," Griffiths said. "Started on No. 8, hit two good shots on the front edge, managed to two-putt for birdie. Birdied the next to go 2 under, which is a nice start here, you've got something in the bank. You've got a tough golf course. Hit a few good shots, a few iffy shots, but yeah, I'll take 69 all day long out here."

Defending champion Ricardo Gonzalez, who set a 54-hole record (209) at the course in 2024, shot a 1-under 72 to finish in the group tied for 15th.

Ernie Els, who won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai last month, is in the group tied at 1-under. He entered the week atop the Schwab Cup standings.

Alker was the Tour Champions Player of the Year in 2024 for the second time in three years.

Scheffler has won this tournament twice, including his first PGA Tour victory in February 2022.

"It's a weird feeling because it feels like a lifetime ago, but at the same time, it feels like I just started out here. It's kind of a weird balance," Scheffler said Wednesday. "I really don't know how to describe it because I think about, what was it, three years ago? I feel like you could have told me it was 30 years ago or three months ago, I wouldn't really know the difference. I feel like that's just how life is sometimes."

Time has flown as Scheffler found unmatched success, beginning a run of three consecutive PGA Tour Player of the Year awards.

Scheffler, 28, likened the feeling to the birth of his son.

"... I can't really remember a lot of what life was like before Bennett came, and it feels like he's been with us for forever, but he's only 9 months old," Scheffler said. "I think that's just how life is. I'm really happy with the way things have turned out out here, and it's been a lot of fun, and I'm hoping to continue to play golf out here for a long time."

Since joining the tour in 2020, Scheffler has won 13 times, including the Masters and The Players Championship twice each. He has won all four majors as well, plus nine runner-up finishes overall and 10 times in third. He has made 112 of 131 cuts. He captured the gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games last summer and the season-long FedExCup title last fall.

Yet his approach is to consider the full picture, appreciating that he loses more often than he wins. It's the nature of the sport, and it drives him to be more competitive and aspire for more success.

"Golf is a game where I think you're constantly failing. Sometimes it seems like as golfers we kind of love the punishment, just getting beat up every week by this game and trying to get the best out of ourselves," he said.

"That's why I focus so much on how I approach things, and I focus on my attitude and how I'm approaching things mentally because that's what makes a successful week for me is if I'm prepared and if I have a good attitude. That's what I'm trying to focus on when I go out and play, and I feel like if I can do that over 72 holes and play some decent golf, then I'll have a chance," Scheffler added.

He credited support from family, friends and a team of coaches and others.

"There's certain times when I need to be called out, and then there's certain times when I'm doing things the right way," Scheffler said. "But overall, I just think having a great support team out here has been one of the most important aspects of my journey out here on (the PGA) Tour."

Scheffler missed most of last month due to a hand injury from a cooking accident over the holidays. He tied for ninth in his season debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last week.

Scheffler was happy overall with his play, noting he still may have to shake off some rust. He's very comfortable at TBC Scottsdale for "the People's Open," calling it a lot of fun to battle the golf course and the atmosphere of "a pretty hectic crowd out there," especially at No. 16.

Thinking about how times have changed, Scheffler said when he first played this tournament, he would get to the No. 16 tee and not many people would know who he is. Now spectators chant his name during practice rounds.

"It's cool to be able to get in that environment and have people cheering for you," Scheffler said. "The cheers for you immediately stop if you miss the green or don't make birdie, so that part is a little bit tough.

"It's really cool to be able to play in front of our fans, and this is a week when we get to play in front of a lot of them," he continued. "As a player, I think it's a special week. It's a lot of fun. Like I said, I have great memories of this tournament, so every year getting to come back, I'm reminded of those things."

Our golf experts preview the event and provide their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.

WM PHOENIX OPEN

WM Phoenix Open, Scottsdale, Ariz., Feb. 6-9

Course: TPC Scottsdale (Par 71, 7,261 Yards)

Purse: $9.2M (Winner: $1.656M)

Defending Champion: Nick Taylor

FedEx Cup leader: Sepp Straka

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday: 4-8 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS); Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 9:15 a.m.-8 p.m. ET; Saturday: 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

X: @WMPhoenixOpen

PROP PICKS

--Hideki Matsuyama to Beat Justin Thomas (-110 at DraftKings): Sure, Matsuyama has trended backward with a T16, T32 and T48 in three events since winning The Sentry. But he's also a two-time winner at TPC Scottsdale, where Thomas has yet to win in 10 previous attempts. He does have four consecutive top-10s in the event, but this is a course Matsuyama has a lengthy history of success at -- including a T2 in 2015 and a T4 the previous year.

--Sepp Straka Top 20 (+175 at BetRivers): Straka held the 54-hole lead at Pebble Beach before settling with a T7 after posting a 72 on Sunday. That followed a win at The American Express and a T30 at the Sony Open, so Straka is playing some excellent golf to begin 2025.

--Hole-In-One During Tournament (Yes -115 at DraftKings): So much of the attention is placed on the famous 16th hole, where there have been just 11 hole-in-ones over 38 years, and none since Carlos Ortiz made one in 2022. So while the payout isn't as enticing as +250 on the 16th hole seeing an ace specifically, we like the better likelihood on one of the four par-3s on the course surrendering a hole-in-one.

2025 Prop Pick Record: 4-6-1

BEST BETS

--Scottie Scheffler (+275 at DraftKings) won the event in 2022 and ‘23 and has four consecutive top-10 finishes at TPC Scottsdale. Despite his status as the heavy pre-tournament favorite, Scheffler leads all players in the field by a long ways with 23 percent of the total bets and 18 percent of the money backing him to win this week.

--Justin Thomas (+1400) has a previous best event finish of third in 2019 and is seeking his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship. After a solo second at the AmEx, Thomas finished T48 last week.

--Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) is also a two-time event champion (2016-17) and won the season-opening The Sentry.

--Tom Kim (+2800) is coming off a strong showing at Pebble Beach, where he finished T70 despite scuffling to a final-round 70. Kim enjoys playing to a raucous crowd (recall the Presidents Cup), and he's second in the field with 7 percent of the money backing him to win.

--Nick Taylor (+6000) beat Charley Hoffman in a playoff last year after finishing second to Scheffler in 2023. He also collected his fifth career PGA Tour win at the Sony Open last month.

NOTES

--The field features 29 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.

--This is the final event for players not otherwise qualified to earn spots via the Aon Swing 5 in next week's signature event at The Genesis Invitational.

--Jordan Spieth, who finished T6 here each of the past two years, makes his second consecutive start following wrist surgery.

--Florida State junior Luke Clanton will become eligible for PGA Tour membership if he makes the cut this week. He needs one point to reach the required 20 in the PGA Tour University Accelerated program.

--Arizona State senior Jose Luis Ballester Barrio of Spain is in the field as a sponsor exemption. He's currently No. 2 in the PGA Tour University ranking. Another sponsor exemption, two-time Arizona state high school champion Frankie Capan III, is seeking his fourth consecutive made cut this season.

--Mark Calcavecchia (2001) and Phil Mickelson (2013) share the tournament scoring record of 256.

Besides, tour stars don't need added monetary incentive to be persuaded to come to TPC Scottsdale.

Twenty-nine of the top 50 in the world rankings, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and fan favorite Justin Thomas, will be on hand for this week's PGA Tour stop that begins Thursday in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Famed for its raucous crowds and the par-3 16th Stadium Hole, TPC Scottsdale is a favorite stop for many on tour thanks to its character.

"I can't believe this is the 11th time I've played in the tournament. I didn't know that was possible," cracked Thomas, 31. "... It's fun, the couple times being able to get myself in contention on Sunday and play in those last couple groups. The energy is very high. Yeah, it's a place that I look forward to coming every year."

Canada's Nick Taylor won on the second hole of a playoff against Charley Hoffman last year. Before that, Scheffler had gone back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.

"I think it's a unique test because not only are you battling the golf course, but there can be a pretty hectic crowd out there," Scheffler said. "I think it's a lot of fun. It's something we don't see as much throughout the year, but it's really fun to come here and experience it."

The 2022 victory, when he beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff, was the first of Scheffler's career. What a difference three years can make; Scheffler is now the undisputed best golfer in the world and owns 13 tour titles.

After he injured his hand while cooking over the holidays and missed most of January, Scheffler made his season debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last week. He tied for ninth place, shooting 67 in both the first and fourth rounds to bookend his week.

"Still shaking off a little bit of the rust, but I think that'll only improve as I continue to get out here and play," Scheffler said. "It was definitely good to get a week under my belt last week and did some good things. Did some things I can improve on but overall was happy with the season debut."

The field also features Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, who went back-to-back at the Phoenix Open in 2016 and 2017 and kicked off the 2025 season with a victory at The Sentry. Former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and up-and-comers Sahith Theegala and Tom Kim of South Korea are others to watch.

The most intriguing storyline of the week may have nothing to do with beer-soaked fans or the names at the top of the leaderboard.

Florida State golfer Luke Clanton is one point away from earning full tour status via the PGA Tour University accelerated pathway. If he makes the cut at the Phoenix Open, where he's playing on a sponsor exemption, he'd reach 20 points and would qualify for his tour card.

Clanton has already made eight cuts on tour, seven last year.

"It's been a lot of preparation over the last couple months for this," Clanton said. "It's been amazing. Every single PGA Tour event you play you've got a lot of people watching you, and you just kind of have to stay in your zone and do what you need to do."

Peter Kuchar passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday at the age of 73, his son confirmed to GolfChannel.com.

Peter Kuchar was Matt's caddie when he won the 1997 U.S. Amateur and was a regular in the PGA Tour galleries.

"My Pop was a huge fan of sport and passed on his love of competition to me," Matt Kuchar said in a statement. "He was a wonderful person -- an incredible grandfather, a loving husband and best friend to my mother, and the best father I could have ever hoped for. An avid pickleball player and outdoorsman, Pop was a man of great character and a character in his own right.

"He is the person that introduced me to the game of golf, a tie that will always remain between us. Those memories, and so many more, will be with me and our family forever. He will be missed more than words can express. We appreciate the support and privacy while we grieve as a family."

Matt Kuchar, 46, is a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour.

He was replaced in the field for this week's tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz., by Sweden's Jesper Svensson.

Collin Morikawa's Los Angeles Golf Club beat McIlroy's Boston Common Golf 6-2 on Tuesday night in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

England's Tommy Fleetwood joined the Los Angeles lineup, taking over for Sahith Theegala, and he helped the squad win each of the first three holes. Los Angeles was up 5-0 before Keegan Bradley defeated England's Justin Rose in singles at the 12th hole.

However, Fleetwood then topped McIlroy on the 13th hole. Boston got one more point on the 15th and final hole when Keegan Bradley defeated Rose, but it wasn't nearly enough.

Boston's third player on the night was Australia's Adam Scott.

Los Angeles (2-0-0) returns to action against the Atlanta Drive GC on Feb. 17, the same night Boston (0-1-1) faces The Bay Golf Club.

LAST TOURNAMENT: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Rory McIlroy)

THIS WEEK: WM Phoenix Open, Scottsdale, Ariz., Feb. 6-9

Course: TPC Scottsdale (Par 71, 7,261 Yards)

Purse: $9.2M (Winner: $1.656M)

Defending Champion: Nick Taylor

FedEx Cup leader: Sepp Straka

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday: 4-8 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS); Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 9:15 a.m.-8 p.m. ET; Saturday: 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

X: @WMPhoenixOpen

NOTES: The field features 29 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. ... This is the final event for players not otherwise qualified to earn spots via the Aon Swing 5 in next week's signature event at The Genesis Invitational. ... Jordan Spieth, who finished T6 here each of the past two years, makes his second consecutive start following wrist surgery. ... Florida State junior Luke Clanton will become eligible for PGA Tour membership if he makes the cut this week. He needs one point to reach the required 20 in the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. ... Arizona State senior Jose Luis Ballester Barrio is in the field as a sponsor exemption. He's currently No. 2 in the PGA Tour University ranking. Another sponsor exemption, two-time Arizona state high school champion Frankie Capan III, is seeking his fourth consecutive made cut this season. ... Mark Calcavecchia and Phil Mickelson share the tournament scoring record of 256.

BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+275 at DraftKings) won the event in 2022 and ‘23 and has four consecutive top-10 finishes at TPC Scottsdale. ... Justin Thomas (+1200) has a previous best event finish of third in 2019 and is seeking his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship. ... Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) is also a two-time event champion (2016-17) and won the season-opening The Sentry. ... Taylor (+6000) beat Charley Hoffman in a playoff last year after finishing second to Scheffler in 2023. He also collected his fifth career PGA Tour win at the Sony Open last month.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: The Genesis Invitational, San Diego, Calif., Feb. 13-16

LPGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions (A Lim Kim)

THIS WEEK: Founders Cup, Bradenton, Fla., Feb. 6-9

Course: Bradenton Country Club (Par 71, 6,465 Yards)

Purse: $2M (Winner: $300,000)

Defending Champion: Rose Zhang

Race to the CME Globe leader: Kim

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 2-3 p.m. (NBC Digital), 3-5 p.m. (GC)

Streaming (NBCSports.com, golfchannel.com, NBC Sports App): Thursday-Friday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 2-3 p.m., 3-5 p.m.

X: @LPGA

NOTES: World No. 1 and Bradenton resident Nelly Korda won last year's LPGA Drive on Championship at Bradenton CC, while Zhang won the Founders Cup played in Clifton, N.J. Zhang is not in the field to defend her title this week as she has returned to Stanford for classes. ... Lexi Thompson, who is playing a limited schedule moving forward, is in this week's field along with two-time major champion Brittany Lincicome. ... Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko has won three of the previous 13 editions of the Founders Cup (2019, ‘21, ‘23).

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Honda LPGA Thailand, Chonburi, Feb. 20-23

LIV GOLF LEAGUE

THIS WEEK: LIV Golf Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 6-8

Course: Riyadh Golf Club (Par 72, 7,464 Yards)

Individual Purse: $20M (Winner: $4M)

Team Purse: $5M (Winners: $3M)

Defending champions (Jeddah): Individual (Joaquin Niemann); Team (Crushers GC)

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV/Streaming: Friday: 10:15 a.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 10:05 a.m. (FOX, LIV Golf Plus)

X: @livgolf_league

NOTES: This is the first of 13 events on the 2025 schedule, which will be followed by the Team Championship. ... It's also the first LIV event to be contested under the lights, with Fox Sports beginning its broadcast deal with the league. ... The field consists of 13 four-player teams competing in daily shotgun starts over 54 holes. ... Niemann cruised to a four-shot victory at LIV Golf Jeddah last March.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Adelaide, Australia, Feb. 14-16

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

LAST TOURNAMENT: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai (Ernie Els)

THIS WEEK: Trophy Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco, Feb. 6-8

Course: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Par 73, 7,329 Yards)

Purse: $2.5M ($400,000)

Defending champion: Ricardo Gonzalez

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Els

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Saturday: 8-11 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

X: @ChampionsTour

NOTES: This is the 49th playing of the Trophy Hassan II, dating back to 1971. It's the third year in Rabat for the Champions, and it was a DP World Tour event from 2010-19. ... The 66-player field features five World Golf Hall of Fame members: Els, Colin Montgomerie, Retief Goosen, Jose Maria Olazabal and Padraig Harrington. Els won the event in 2008, Harrington in 2007 and Montgomerie in 1997.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Chubb Classic, Naples, Fla., Feb. 14-16

Taylor won the Sony Open in Hawaii in a playoff last month, and he's returning to the site of another extra-holes victory when he defends at the WM Phoenix Open this week in Scottsdale, Ariz.

A five-time winner on tour, Taylor has gone to a playoff to win each of his past three titles. He made an improbable 72-foot eagle on the fourth playoff hole at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open to best Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, a career highlight for Taylor as he became the first Canadian to win his national open since 1954.

Eight months later, he held off Charley Hoffman at the Phoenix Open by making birdie on the second playoff hole.

"I guess you get confidence when you get in those situations the more you pull out successful outcomes," Taylor told reporters Tuesday. "But I'm just as nervous in those situations as probably anybody else.

"I feel like I have more clarity in those playoffs of what I'm trying to do. Anything you try to work in golf, if you're over a swing or a putt and there's doubt or there's indecision, it's probably not going to end up well, and for some reason in those situations, I have a lot of clarity and no doubt."

Taylor has a 3-0 record in playoff situations on tour. He pointed out that if each of those three went the other way, his career would be "a different story."

"To be on the other side of that every single time has really been kind of a catapult of where my career has gone," he said.

Taylor was neck and neck with Colombia's Nico Echavarria through four rounds last month in Honolulu. No trouble: He birdied the second playoff hole and Echavarria couldn't match it.

"It definitely helped," said Taylor, ranked No. 29 in the world. "I was only in the first two signature events, so it really opened up my schedule, the majors, obviously. To kind of end (2024), didn't play my best, but to be able to start the year, regroup in the offseason and do well was great."

The 36-year-old is +5000 to win this week at BetMGM as he faces a strong field headlined by Scottie Scheffler and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, both back-to-back champions in Phoenix in prior years.

If Taylor is to do the same, he said he'll need to keep a winning mindset Thursday through Sunday.

"I think so much in golf is taking advantage of the opportunities that you're given, if it's anywhere from trying to get your PGA Tour card that I've had to deal with in the past or keeping your card or -- I feel like in those situations in the past, I've been able to take care of or take advantage of those opportunities," he said.

"Again, I just feel like I have more clarity when I'm trying to win. It's not necessarily I'm stepping on the tee expecting to win or be there in the last few holes, but just get back to the simple things of the process, and I've done a really good job when I get in those moments."

Woods did not reveal a cause of death for his mother, who reportedly was responsible for the 15-time major winner wearing red as his signature look in final rounds on Sundays.

"It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning," the 15-time major champion wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible. She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom."

Kutilda Woods was in attendance at her son's TGL match in South Florida last week, prompting him to give her a quick message before his Jupiter Links Golf Club faced co-owner Rory McIlroy's Boston Commons Golf.

"Hey Mom," Woods said. "Not gonna suck tonight, OK?"

Woods made good on that statement, as his team recorded a 4-3 overtime win over McIlroy's squad.

Woods famously honored his mother during his acceptance speech for the 2024 Bob Jones Award, the USGA's highest honor.

"My mom doesn't get enough credit," he said. "Everyone thought it was my dad (Earl) when I went on the road, which it was, but mom was at home. If you don't know, mom has been there my entire life. She's always been there through thick and thin."

Kultida married Earl Woods in 1969, and Eldrick "Tiger" Woods was born in 1975.

The letter, shared on social media by Golf Magazine on Sunday night, follows the lead of Justin Thomas, whose memo last month implored golfers to be more accommodating to the sport's broadcast partners as a means to connect with the fans and improve television viewership.

"We've taken a lot of heat over the past few weeks about slow play," Hoffman wrote. "And yeah, it's an issue-for our fans, for us as players-cutting down field sizes will help, but only by a few minutes a day. As players, we still need to make a concerted effort to speed up. Pace of play has been a challenge my entire 20 years on Tour, and it was an issue 20 years before that.

"Golf is a tough game, and when conditions get extreme, it takes time to play it the right way. We all need to take responsibility to be ready when it's our turn to play and having the awareness to realize that we are out of position and speed up even before the rules official shows up. We do it all the time, we just need to be more aware of it!"

Hoffman, 48, is a four-time winner of the PGA Tour, the most recent the Valero Texas Open in 2016.

The native of Poway, Calif., outside San Diego has served multiple terms on the Player Advisory Council and twice served on the higher-level policy board of the PGA Tour.

"We have a responsibility to work with our broadcast partners -- whether that's doing on-course interviews or just giving fans a better look at what we do out there," Hoffman wrote. "But just as we help them, we need to make sure our Tour and our players are being properly highlighted. We're the best players in the world competing on the best tour in the world. That should always be the focus -- showcasing the thought, skill, passion, and competition that makes our game great."

He commented about limited opportunities for golfers to play their way into Signature Events, pledging as a Player Advisory Council member to monitor how the AON Swing 5 is included in the process.

He was more critical of players reducing their PGA Tour participation yet finding time to play in the new TGL (which features 24 players) and other non-tour events.

"If we truly care about strengthening our Tour, we should be supporting as many PGA Tour events as we can," Hoffman wrote. "Many of you keep saying you want to play fewer events, yet you still find time for TGL, Race to Dubai, and other non-PGA Tour events, and that's going to continue regardless of field size.

"The best competition happens when the best players go head-to-head in a deep, competitive field-not in small, limited-entry events that leave deserving players on the outside looking in. This Tour was built on open competition, where anyone with the game to compete has a chance to prove it against the best. That's what has made our Tour special for generations, and we need to keep pushing for that."

McIlroy, buoyed by an eagle late in the round, secured the title at 21-under 267 for a two-stroke victory at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

It's McIlroy's 27th victory on the PGA Tour and a good start to 2025 after he won twice last year.

A day earlier, McIlroy, 35, said he rarely played well during the tour's early California swing, but he certainly was up to the task in the windy and sometimes chilly conditions.

Ireland's Shane Lowry birdied the last hole for a 68 and a four-round total of 19 under to take second place. Lucas Glover (67) and England's Justin Rose (68) shared third place at 18 under.

Russell Henley (67) and Australia's Cam Davis (69) tied for fifth place at 17 under, while South Korea's Tom Kim (70) and third-round leader Sepp Straka of Austria (72) were seventh at 16 under.

The eagle on the par-5 14th hole gave McIlroy a 4 under score across the first five holes of the back nine, stretching his lead to four strokes. He reached the green with a driver and 7-iron before sinking the 26 1/2-foot putt. He had parred the hole the previous two days.

Then McIlroy tacked on a birdie on No. 15 and even Glover's birdies on the final two holes weren't enough to catch him. Nor was Rose's chip from the fringe that rolled in for an eagle on No. 18.

Straka slumped with just one birdie -- but two bogeys -- across the first 13 holes. He had three more birdies and two bogeys on the final five holes as he was denied picking up his second victory of 2025, following last month's win at The American Express.

Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1 in his first tournament of the year, shot 67 in the final round and finished among three golfers tied for ninth place at 15 under.

Kim posted her second straight 5-under-par 67 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club to finish the LPGA's season opener at 20-under 268. World No. 1 Nelly Korda made a late push, with nine birdies in her round of 65, but she fell short and placed second at 18 under.

Sweden's Linn Grant shot a 69 to take third at 15 under and Australian Minjee Lee fired the best round of the week -- a 10-under 62 -- to move up to a tie for fourth with South Korea's Jin Young Ko (65) at 14 under.

It marks Kim's third win on the LPGA Tour and her second in a three-month span. In early November, she broke through at the Lotte Championship for her first victory stateside since the 2020 U.S. Women's Open.

Kim had to birdie three of her last four holes to make sure Korda wasn't too close on her heels.

"(At No. 16) I saw exactly on the line so just trust that," said Kim, 29. "Yeah, just hit it and then good result.

"18 is like I want to make birdie because just little downhill and downgrain, but still good line for me, yeah."

Kim was pleased with the result after working over the winter on shaping her shots in different ways.

"All my career, I'm use a draw. I'm really good draw player," Kim said. "But 130-yard inside game is not too good, so I want to change my shape and then working on it and then make it."

Kim admitted she was monitoring Korda's rise up the scoreboard, "and then focus again (on) my game."

Korda rang up four birdies with a bogey in a five-hole stretch early in her round, then bogeyed again at the par-4 eighth. She caught fire from there, alternating birdies with pars from Nos. 9-15 to get to 17 under and put Kim's lead in striking distance.

"This is what I love about golf, being in the hunt on a Sunday going down the back nine," Korda said. "Yeah, I mean, I played well. I wish I had a couple of those putts back this week. I three-putted 9 twice for par, and when you kind of think about it that way, you're never going to be happy with the outcome."

Korda, a seven-time winner last season, could only manage pars at Nos. 16 and 17, and she didn't know how far ahead Kim was by that point.

"I didn't really know how I was standing when I was on 18 because the leaderboard was kind of facing towards the grandstand, but I knew that I had to birdie to even have a chance," Korda said. "But A Lim just played really well this week and props to her. Congratulations on a great victory to her."

Lee's sterling round featured eight birdies, an eagle at the par-5 15th and no bogeys.