2022 PGA Championship odds, field: Surprising picks, predictions by same golf model that nailed the Masters

PGA Championship 2022 picks for Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, and the field at Southern Hills Country Club

Even with all of the young talent on the PGA Tour, you still have to look all the way back to 1922 to find the youngest winner of the PGA Championship. Gene Sarazen won it that year at 20 years and five months, but no golfer in this year's event will be younger than Joaquin Niemann, who is 23 years and six months as play begins with the first 2022 PGA Championship tee times on Thursday. For a youngster, Niemann is a respectable 35-1 in the 2022 PGA Championship on Caesars Sportsbook. Niemann has already won once this season at the Genesis Invitational, but withdrew from the Zurich Classic before he tied for 25th at the Byron Nelson Classic. Does he have what it takes to hold his own against other experienced favorites like Scottie Scheffler (11-1), Jon Rahm (11-1), or Rory McIlroy (14-1)? Before locking in your 2022 PGA Championship picks, be sure to see the latest golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine's proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, it's up almost $9,000 on its best bets since that point, nailing tournament after tournament.

At the 2022 Masters, McClure's model was all over Scottie Scheffler's first career major championship victory heading into the weekend. In addition, McClure's best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright at the 2021 Open Championship, even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 long shot. The model was also all over Jon Rahm's (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner. 

This same model has also nailed a whopping eight majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now that the PGA Championship 2022 field is taking shape, SportsLine simulated the event 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected 2022 PGA Championship leaderboard.

Top 2022 PGA Championship predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2022 PGA Championship: Spieth, a three-time major champion and one of the top favorites, stumbles at Southern Hills and doesn't even crack the top 10. He comes into the PGA Championship 2022 with a lot of momentum. He won the recent RBC Heritage and finished second at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

But his season-long track record isn't strong outside of that. He finished out of the top 25 in the prior six tournaments, a span that included two missed cuts, one of which came at the Masters. He's hitting the ball far this season, but not accurately, ranking 129th in driving accuracy percentage. The putter has let him down too, as he ranks 175th in strokes gained in that category, making him a golfer to fade in 2022 PGA Championship bets, according to the model.

Another surprise: Viktor Hovland, a 22-1 long shot, makes a strong run at the title. He has a much better chance to win it all than his odds imply, so he's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.

Hovland is one of the PGA Tour's youngest stars at 24 years and eight months old, and he's already had wins in two PGA events this season as well as one on the European Tour at the Dubai Desert Classic. Although he has yet to finish better than 30th in either of his PGA Championship appearances, that shouldn't weigh heavily against him due to the change in venues from year to year. Hovland's success this season has often corresponded with his driving accuracy, and in four events in which he was at least 14 percent more accurate than the average of the field, he has two wins and two top-10 finishes.

How to make 2022 PGA Championship picks

The model is also targeting three other golfers with odds of 20-1 or longer who will make surprising runs. Anyone who backs these long shots could hit it big. You can only see them here.

So who will win the PGA Championship 2022? And which long shots stun the golfing world? Check out the 2022 PGA Championship odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected 2022 PGA Championship leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed eight golf majors, including this year's Masters.

2022 PGA Championship odds, field

Scottie Scheffler 11-1
Jon Rahm 11-1
Rory McIlroy 14-1
Justin Thomas 14-1
Collin Morikawa 16-1
Dustin Johnson 18-1
Jordan Spieth 20-1
Cameron Smith 20-1
Patrick Cantlay 20-1
Viktor Hovland 22-1
Xander Schauffele 22-1
Hideki Matsuyama 28-1
Shane Lowry 30-1
Will Zalatoris 30-1
Brooks Koepka 35-1
Joaquin Niemann 35-1
Sam Burns 40-1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 40-1
Daniel Berger 50-1
Corey Conners 50-1
Tony Finau 50-1
Tiger Woods 50-1
Max Homa 55-1
Louis Oosthuizen 60-1
Cameron Young 65-1
Tyrrell Hatton 65-1
Tommy Fleetwood 65-1
Jason Day 65-1
Keegan Bradley 80-1
Adam Scott 80-1
Abraham Ancer 80-1
Billy Horschel 80-1
Gary Woodland 90-1
Patrick Reed 90-1
Jason Kokrak 90-1
Talor Gooch 100-1
Si-Woo Kim 100-1
Justin Rose 100-1
Harold Varner 100-1
Marc Leishman 100-1
Seamus Power 100-1
Russell Henley 100-1
Sergio Garcia 100-1
Webb Simpson 100-1
Thomas Pieters 125-1
Matthew Wolff 125-1
Aaron Wise 125-1
Sebastian Munoz 125-1
Alex Noren 125-1
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 125-1
Maverick McNealy 125-1
Cameron Champ 125-1
Rickie Fowler 150-1
Sepp Straka 150-1
Jhonattan Vegas 150-1
Charl Schwartzel 150-1
Bubba Watson 150-1
Davis Riley 150-1
Erik Van Rooyen 150-1
Kyoung-Hoon Lee 150-1
Tom Hoge 150-1
Brian Harman 150-1
Adam Hadwin 150-1
Luke List 150-1
Keith Mitchell 150-1
Matt Kuchar 150-1
Kevin Na 175-1
Mito Pereira 175-1
Kevin Kisner 175-1
Cameron Davis 200-1
Sam Horsfield 200-1
Chris Kirk 200-1
Russell Knox 200-1
Bernd Wiesberger 200-1
Joel Dahmen 200-1
Robert Macintyre 200-1
Ryan Palmer 200-1
Branden Grace 225-1
Lanto Griffin 250-1
Matt Jones 250-1
Cameron Tringale 250-1
Ian Poulter 250-1
Francesco Molinari 250-1
Anirban Lahiri 250-1
Mackenzie Hughes 250-1
Stewart Cink 250-1
Lee Westwood 250-1
Lucas Herbert 250-1
Adri Arnaus 250-1
Ryan Fox 250-1
J.J. Spaun 250-1
Kevin Streelman 250-1
Min Woo Lee 250-1
Nicolai Hojgaard 250-1
Martin Kaymer 300-1
Carlos Ortiz 300-1
Oliver Bekker 300-1
Dean Burmester 300-1
Justin Harding 300-1
Patton Kizzire 300-1
Garrick Higgo 300-1
Henrik Stenson 300-1
Joohyung Kim 300-1
Troy Merritt 300-1
Lucas Glover 300-1
Pablo Larrazabal 300-1
Richard Bland 300-1
Brendan Steele 300-1
Padraig Harrington 350-1
Harry Higgs 350-1
Adam Schenk 350-1
Shaun Norris 350-1
Scott Stallings 350-1
Beau Hossler 350-1
Rikuya Hoshino 350-1
Zach Johnson 350-1
Laurie Canter 350-1
Takumi Kanaya 350-1
Hudson Swafford 400-1
Bio Kim 500-1
Daniel Van Tonder 500-1
Ryosuke Kinoshita 500-1
Chan Kim 500-1
Sadom Kaewkanjana 500-1
Yuki Inamori 500-1
Chad Ramey 500-1
Jason Dufner 500-1
Kramer Hickok 500-1
Jinichiro Kozuma 500-1
Ryan Brehm 750-1
Y.E. Yang 750-1
Alex Cejka 750-1
John Daly 750-1
Wyatt Worthington 1000-1
Shawn Warren 1500-1
Rich Beem 1500-1
Shaun Micheel 1500-1
Ryan Vermeer 1500-1
Colin Inglis 2000-1
Tim Feenstra 200-1
Zac Oakley 2000-1
Matthew Borchert 2000-1
Brandon Bingaman 2000-1
Kyle Mendoza 2000-1
Alex Beach 2000-1
Casey Pyne 2000-1
Austin Hurt 2000-1
Jared Jones 2000-1
Tyler Collet 2000-1
Michael Block 2000-1
Sean McCarty 2000-1
Dylan Newman 2000-1
Nic Ishee 2000-1
Paul Dickinson 2000-1
Jesse Mueller 2000-1

2022 DP World Tour Championship: Storylines to follow as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm headline field in Dubai

The Race to Dubai culminates this weekend with a $10 million purse up for grabs

This week's DP World Tour Championship marks the end of the season on the DP World Tour and the conclusion of a very tumultuous year for that league. Amid an increased strategic alliance with the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf drama that has coursed up and down the tour, the focus has hardly been on the golf.

Still, there's an opportunity for the focus to shift back to the course entirely with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton teeing it up at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai for a $10 million DP World Tour Championship purse and, additionally, the top spot on Europe's season-long race (tantamount to the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup).

Let's take a look at a few things to know about this week's finale in Dubai and set the stage for what could happen.

1. Down to seven

Though anyone in the field can win the DP World Tour Championship, the list of golfers who can win the season-long points race is down to seven. Despite playing just nine DP World Tour events this season, McIlroy leads the race narrowly over New Zealander Ryan Fox, who has played 23 events. Those two are the most in control of their own destiny in Dubai. Here are the scenarios:

• Rory McIlroy: If he wins this week or finishes ahead of the other six, he wins the season-long race
• Ryan Fox: Has to win or finish ahead of McIlroy (and everyone else) by a wide enough margin
• Matt Fitzpatrick: Has to finish in top two and have McIlroy finish worse than seventh and Fox not win
• Tommy Fleetwood: Has to win and have McIlroy finish worse than third and Fox worse than second
• Viktor Hovland: Has to win and have McIlroy finish worse than fourth and Fox worse than third
• Shane Lowry: Has to win and have McIlroy to finish worse than seventh, Fox worse than fifth and Fitzpatrick worse than second
• Adrian Meronk: Has to win and have McIlroy to finish worse than 16th, Fox worse than eighth and Fitzpatrick worse than second

The scenarios are complex for everyone other than McIlroy and Fox, and given how well McIlroy plays on this golf course (see below), he truly controls his own destiny in ways the other six do not.

2. No defending champion

Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa will not defend his title from last year. Morikawa said he has "some upcoming personal commitments", and therefore won't attempt to become the first since Henrik Stenson in 2013-14 to go back to back at the season-ending tournament.

3. Rory's double

McIlroy has won three FedEx Cups and three season-long races on the European side, but he's never held both at the same time. Considering the level at which he's playing -- 3.0 strokes gained per round since June 1, which is laugh-out-loud good -- and with the FedEx Cup currently under his belt, this is probably his best opportunity to do something that has never been accomplished. In his last eight events worldwide, McIlroy has more wins (2) than finishes outside the top eight (1).

4. Matt Fitzpatrick's magical ending

I'm not sure Fitzpatrick has gotten the credit he deserves for his 2022. He has 11 top 10s across all tours and has improved his strokes gained number for the 11th (!!) consecutive year. His U.S. Open title was a highlight, but it does feel as if he's been a little lost in the shuffle since then. This is an opportunity to, like Morikawa a year ago, punctuate a fantastic season that included a major win with the best topper of all on the DP World Tour. Fitzpatrick has won two of the last six DP World Tour Championships (Rahm has two others), and to make it three of seven in this field would be extraordinary.

5. LIV Golf presence

There are LIV players in the field -- Richard Bland and Adrian Otaegui will both tee it up -- but none of them have a chance to win, which is not a scenario DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley wants on his hands. What's perhaps more interesting is that the No. 7 player in the points race, Thomas Pieters, is not teeing it up in Dubai. He announced in October that he was going to miss time because he and his wife were expecting their second child, so it's likely that's why he won't be here. However, his name has recently been in the LIV rumor mill, which as we've seen with LIV, could be nothing at all but could end up being something. Only time will tell, though Pieters' presence at the finale will certainly be missed after the great season he's put together.

2022 RSM Classic predictions, expert picks, odds, field rankings, golf best bets at Sea Island

The PGA Tour wraps up its year at Sea Island this week

Just one week separates golfers from the end of the playing calendar as competitors head to Sea Island, Georgia, for the 2022 RSM Classic. Before PGA Tour members can solidify their holiday plans and embark on their well-deserved vacations, one last chance at collecting hardware awaits.

World No. 12 Tony Finau was originally set to headline the field fresh off a dominating performance at the Houston Open. Having to withdraw Tuesday afternoon due to an injury, the field has officially become wide open. In his place, a number of players will look to sprint into the offseason courtesy of a strong showing at the RSM Classic including eight major championship winners such as Jason Day and Justin Rose.

While the pair fell short of Finau's effort in Houston, the two former world Nos. 1 have performed admirably this swing season. Each possessing an impressive résumé, other players hoping to make a stride in this direction are Denny McCarthy, Taylor Montgomery and Matthew NeSmith, all of whom are still in search of their first victories on the PGA Tour.

Keith Mitchell, Brian Harman, Harris English and a slew of Sea Island residents will join them at the RSM Classic. With only 72 holes until the end of the competitive year, players look to put it all on the line this week on the Atlantic coast.

Event Information

Event: 2022 RSM Classic | Dates: Nov. 17-20
Location: Sea Island Golf Club (Plantation, Seaside) -- St. Simon Island, Georgia
Par: 70 | Yardage: 7,005 | Purse: $8,100,000

2022 RSM Classic field, odds

• Brian Harman (16-1): Harman is one of many members of the Sea Island mafia, and is arguably playing the best of the bunch. Fresh off a runner-up performance at Mayakoba, Harman returns home for his 11th appearance in the RSM Classic. In addition to his close call in Mexico, Harman has added results of T23 at The CJ Cup in South Carolina and T15 at the Shriners Children's Open. The 35-year-old has not claimed a victory since 2017, but this should be as good a chance as ever given his current form and familiarity with the property.
  
• Seamus Power (20-1): The Irishman was Talor Gooch's closest pursuer for the majority of last year's tournament before finishing T4. Power arrives this time around in fantastic form with his last two tournaments reading: WIN, T3. His iron play has been surprisingly subpar in his five starts this season, but if his scoring clubs can cooperate, he should be in with a chance come Sunday.
• Jason Day (22-1): Day continues to impress to start the 2022-23 season as he added another quality result last week at the Houston Open in the form of a T16 finish. The ball striking continues to be his strong suit, and his short game is beginning to show semblances of seven years ago when Day was far and away the best player in the world. 
• Tom Hoge (25-1): The missed cut at Mayakoba may have come as a surprise, but Hoge should enjoy a nice bounce-back spot at Sea Island. Playing in this tournament the last eight years, Hoge's closest call came just a season ago when he finished T4. This year, he comes in as one of the best players in the field with top-15 finishes at the The CJ Cup in South Carolina, Zozo Championship, Shirners Children's Open and Fortinet Championship.
• Taylor Montgomery (30-1)
• Denny McCarthy (30-1)
  
• Joel Dahmen (30-1)
• Keith Mitchell (35-1): The RSM Classic has been unkind to Sea Island residents in the past, but Mitchell looks keen to change that. The bomber comes off his best finish of the season at the Houston Open where he found the top 10 on the leaderboard. One of the best drivers of the golf ball in the world, it will be the other aspects of his game that will be tested around the Plantation and Seaside courses. He has connected on top-15 efforts in two of his last three RSM Classics as he continues to get more comfortable hosting a home game. 
• Mackenzie Hughes (35-1)
• Sahith Theegala (35-1)
• Matthew NeSmith (35-1)

2022 RSM Classic expert picks

1	Matt Kuchar
Winner (40-1): The former Sea Island resident appears to have discovered the fountain of youth to kick off the 2022-23 season. Collecting three straight top-30 finishes to kick off his campaign, Kuchar now returns to a spot on the calendar with which he is all too familiar. Playing in the RSM Classic 10 prior times, the 44-year-old has collected five top-25 finishes thanks to a valiant effort from his short game. His long game is currently very much in tune, and if able to match this ball striking with the short-game efforts of the past, Kuchar could enter the winner's circle for the first time since 2019.
2	Andrew Putnam
Contender (40-1): Putnam's length, or lack thereof, allows him to compete at only a handful of golf courses throughout the PGA Tour season. Sea Island should be one of them as he arrives a perfect 7 of 7 making his way to the weekend thus far and includes a runner-up finish at the Zozo Championship and a T12 result at the Shriners Children's Open. He ranks inside the top 20 in this field in strokes gained approach, strokes gained around the green and strokes gained putting in his last 24 rounds.
3	Stephan Jaeger
Sleeper (80-1): The 33-year-old is quietly playing some very consistent golf. Jaegar has missed only two cuts in his last 11 tournaments and boasts finishes of T9 at the Houston Open, T13 at the Wyndham Championship and solo fifth at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He possesses a tremendous short game and often takes care of business on par 5s. He will need a sound effort from his ball striking to claim victory, but hefty dose of wedge shots may allow just that.

Tony Finau poised for exciting run in 2023 as five-time PGA Tour winner continues to gather confidence

Finau could be poised to rock the world starting when the calendar turns to January

How many golfers have engendered more excitement about this upcoming year than Tony Finau? The list is not long, especially following Finau's victory at the Houston Open over the weekend where he defeated Tyson Alexander by four to cash his third win in his last seven PGA Tour starts.

This is not the level success many envisioned Finau enjoying this year. Finau finished T19 at the small field Tournament of Champions in January but didn't notch a single top 25 until the Mexico Open the first week in May where he finished T2. Since then, he's been on the tear of his career, at least in terms of victories.

"Yeah, this is definitely the most all parts of my game have been clicking, but I would say I've played a lot of good golf for a while," said Finau after his win in Houston. "I didn't have a lot of wins to show for it, but I've pieced together a game, and that's what you have to do out here. You know, with my experience, again as I alluded to, trying to be more of a precision player, because I don't lack speed, so learning how to drive it in the fairway, working on my wedge game, working on my putter, those are all things that I worked extremely hard on.

"And I feel like I've been a very solid player for a long time, but it's exciting for me that I'm getting better, and that's all I can ask of myself is try and get better in the areas that I really need to. And then remember why you are where you are. I think I don't go too far away from the DNA of my game, and how I see the game and I think I'm kind of bearing the fruits of how I see the game now and I'm able to hit the shots that I can see, which is pretty cool."

Including that Mexico Open, Finau has seven top-five finishes in 15 starts, including three of his five career PGA Tour victories. It runs deeper than that; with an improved short game, Finau is one of just eight golfers who has been averaging over 2.0 strokes gained per round -- top-five level in the world -- since June 1, and he's closer to No. 1 than he is to No. 8.

• Rory McIlroy: 3.0 SG/round
  
• Tony Finau: 2.6
  
• Patrick Cantlay: 2.4
  
• Xander Schauffele: 2.4
  
• Jon Rahm: 2.4
  
• Dustin Johnson: 2.3
  
• Will Zalatoris: 2.2
  
• Daniel Berger: 2.0

This is where the excitement comes in. McIlroy is obviously playing at a top-tier level, but Finau is not that far behind. Whether he can sustain that into a new year that begins with some monster tournaments and includes four majors in seven months remains to be seen, but it's clear that Finau has kicked it into another gear.

"I've always felt like I've been very mentally strong," said Finau on Sunday. "Sometimes I feel like once my game matches up to my mental attitude, I feel like I can be a great player. I feel like I've been a good player, showed some brilliance in spurts, but being consistent, to be consistently great takes a full game both mental and physical, and I feel like, honestly, my physical game is starting to match up to my mental. I've always been tough, I've always been strong mentally. Having a game that matches that is, I think, a great combination and I'm starting to see that with myself."

Statistically, Finau is over-performing in all four major categories compared to his career averages. That is seemingly unsustainable, though none of them are that far beyond his baseline. Are we looking at a player making the leap into another category altogether, or simply a stretch of hot golf that will bolster the Wikipedia page?

There's a difference, though, in winning 3M and Houston Opens and doing it at Riviera and the Memorial. Will this recent mini-jump be enough to push Finau over the top at some of the elevated events (or even majors) in 2023?

The answers to those questions will go a long way in determining whether the excitement surrounding the No. 12 player in the world going into 2023 is justified. Though Finau has thrived at major championships in the past (10 top 10s in 26 starts), he has yet to truly contend late on a Sunday. Even more perplexing is the fact that he's never risen past the No. 9 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings -- but that seems like it's going to happen over the next year.

The First Cut podcast crew is back to bring you their recap of the Cadence Bank Houston Open. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you made me list the players I'm most excited about watching and evaluating in 2023, McIlroy, Finau, Rahm, Jordan Spieth and (perhaps in an upset) Matthew Fitzpatrick are probably a personal top five. They all encapsulate the crossroads of intrigue, upside, talent and pieces of the unknown in ways most other players, at least at this juncture, do not.

Finau could go winless in 2023 or he could win two majors and become the PGA Tour Player of the Year. His long-term history and recent performance meld to create maybe the widest spectrum of outcomes of any player in the world right now.

One thing is for sure, though: Finau is playing with a refreshed belief -- he said on Sunday that winning creates a confidence that is "contagious" -- in himself and his game. His ceiling is high because his gifts are off the charts. He figured out how that can translate to wins in 2022. With that year and this history under his belt, what will he figure out in 2023 and beyond?

Rory McIlroy believes Greg Norman departing as LIV Golf head is key to coexistence with PGA Tour

The world No. 1 took his most public jab yet at the leader of the rival golf league

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has made it no secret that he's not a fan of LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman. On Tuesday, he made that opinion crystal clear as he prepares to compete at the DP World Tour Championship. Speaking to the media ahead of the European finale, which McIlroy seeks to capture across from his FedEx Cup crown on the PGA Tour, the 33-year-old laid out what he believes needs to occur for peace to be reached in the world of men's golf.

"There's a few things that I would like to see on the LIV side that needs to happen," McIlroy said. "I think Greg [Norman] needs to go. I think he needs to just exit stage left. Look, he's made his mark, I think now is the right time to sort of say, 'Look, you've got this thing off the ground, but no one is going to talk unless there's an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences.'"

Norman, the current CEO and figurehead for LIV Golf, has been at the center of headlines in recent weeks; the Telegraph recently reported on a potential departure from his current position with the rival league. That report was later denied by Majed Al Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and leader of Saudi Golf, and the Australian has since been vocal of LIV's success and the debt of gratitude he believes those on the PGA Tour owe.

"Every PGA Tour player should be thanking LIV, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, because the PIP program wouldn't have been increased without LIV," said Norman. "Prize money wouldn't have been increased without LIV, all these other things that have been introduced by the PGA Tour because of LIV. Competition is the best thing in life, in business and in sport. LIV is not going to go anywhere. LIV is just going to get better and better and better, and LIV Golf has only just begun."

This direct assertion from Norman may have been the cog for McIlroy's plea for his removal. Later asked whether this claim was warranted, the Northern Irishman couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"I've said this a million times: Tiger is the reason that we are playing for as much as we are playing for," McIlroy said. "Tiger is the reason that stature of our game is where it is. The generation of Tiger and the generation coming after Tiger have all benefited from him and his achievements and what he's done for the game of golf.

"I don't think Tiger should be thankful to anyone for anything. I think everyone else in the game should be thankful."

LIV Golf and the PGA Tour -- as well as the DP World Tour -- are currently in battle not only on the golf course but also in the courtroom. With an antitrust lawsuit from LIV Golf claiming the PGA Tour illegally suspended players for competing in LIV Golf events, and a countersuit from the PGA Tour claiming LIV interfered with player contracts still needing to reach their conclusion, it is clear no movement in potential peace talks will be made until those are put to rest.

"It's obviously been a very contentious year in golf," McIlroy said. "And I've said this: The best thing for golf is to have all the best players playing together, and what's happening right now, that's not happening. So I fear for the game when that's going on.

"It's contentious because there's lawsuits going on and people suing people; it's very, very messy. So again, if all that stuff can be sorted out one way or the other, then you can get to the stage where there's forgiveness and people can have dialogue and come to some sort of common ground or compromise. But again, once all this is happening, it's very hard to do that."

2022 Houston Open leaderboard, grades: Confident Tony Finau snatches third victory in last seven starts

The five-time PGA Tour winner may only just be getting started now that his confidence is paying off

"Winning breeds confidence," said Tony Finau throughout the week of the 2022 Houston Open. Claiming his fifth PGA Tour title -- and third in his last seven tournaments -- with a dominating performance at Memorial Park Golf Course, Finau's confidence is just now beginning to shine through. As quiet as it may have been, or may be, it is most certainly present. If Houston is any indication of what Finau is truly capable of, the rest of the PGA Tour should take notice.

Finishing the tournament at 16 under, Finau appeared to play a different golf course en route to besting the field by four strokes. Beginning his week with a benign opening nine, the 33-year-old found a different gear during his inward half on Thursday, playing it in 5 under and ascending to the top of the leaderboard.

Finau didn't look back from there as rounds of 62, 68 and 69 followed his first round of 5-under 65. Occupying the pole position for the entirety of the week, Finau slowly sucked the air out of the golf tournament thanks to a consistent long game and a new-found confidence with the putter in hand.

"I'm putting it better than I've ever putted it, more consistently and I know that's the part of my game I've always needed to be better at, so that on the technical side, for sure," said Finau at the onset of the weekend. "But the belief's there because of some of the success I've had over the last 16 months of my career, and I put myself in another nice situation this week."

Not only has Finau's belief transformed over the last 16 months, but so has the perception of him as a player. Long known as someone unable to seal the deal on Sundays, the American experienced his fair share of agonizing moments during a winless drought that lasted more than four years.

"I've always had belief, but the confidence when you win is contagious," said Finau. "I've always been a very hopeful person. I work extremely hard, and now I'm starting to bear the fruits of that labor, of all that work."

This drought has since turned into a deluge of victories as he now boasts four wins over the span of his last 32 tournaments. With so much success in such little time, and this subtle confidence of his now matching the obvious talent, what could be next for Finau?

While the PGA Tour, and golf as a whole, has turned into a young man's game with new stars like Tom Kim popping up on every corner, Finau is a stark contrast. He is now 33, five times a winner, a member of the last four United States teams between the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, and has consistently factored in at least one major championship per season since 2018.

Are 10 career victories and a major championship in the cards? Sixteen months ago, any response other than "no" would be complete lunacy, but here we are. A confident, persistent Finau has the potential to attain such accolades. In an era that features so much parity, Houston could be another building block towards just that. Grade: A+

Here are the grades for the rest of the leaderboard at the 2022 Houston Open.

T9. Scottie Scheffler (-6): The No. 2 player in the world holed out to end his tournament and his year on the PGA Tour. That's fitting considering only one player in the world got the ball in the cup with more efficiency than Scheffler throughout 2022. His T9 ends a nice little three-tournament fall after posting two top 10s and a T45 over the last month. This actually looks pretty similar to how last fall went, and we all know about the spring that followed. Scheffler finished second this week in strokes gained tee to green, which is notable because it's a reminder that if the putter bounces back starting in January, we could be in for another run from somebody who I think is still pretty underrated in the golf world. Grade: B

T22. Sahith Theegala (-4): Theegala will be in the field next week at the RSM Classic, and he goes into the last event of the fall with a little bit of momentum. He finished T22 in Houston after a T6 at the Fortinet and a T5 at the Zozo Championship earlier in the fall. Most importantly for him, he's hitting the ball as well as he is all fall. His approach numbers in Houston were fabulous, and his last season shows that his best iron play comes in batches. It's not difficult to envision Theegala notching his first victory on the PGA Tour at the last event of the year and making a bit of a leap heading into the brief offseason. Grade: B+

T22. Aaron Wise (-4): I'll take any opening I can to write about Wise. This is his third consecutive top 25 this fall, though it feels a bit like a wasted opportunity. He was lights out on and around the greens this week, but could not get his normally reliable irons going and finished 63 in approach and 54th off the tee. That's not a massive concern regarding Wise because his recent history doesn't suggest he's in a tee-to-green slump; rather, it's one that he'll likely look back on and wish that he had his usual stuff because he likely could have made at least a bit of a run at Finau on the weekend. Grade: B

T39. Harris English (E): After missing February through May with an injury, English did not play well to close out the 2021-22 PGA Tour season. His fall has been a bit better. He's made five of six cuts and had his second-best driving week of the last six events in Houston. After thriving on the Ryder Cup team last fall, English got a bit lost in the shuffle with everything that was going on in the golf world and because he wasn't playing well (or at all) for most of the year. It would be great to see him get back in the mix at the RSM and beyond as he works his way back toward being a top 30 player in the world. Grade: B-

Tiger Woods commits to 2022 Hero World Challenge, his second of three potential December events

The Big Cat could play up to three different events over the next two months

After playing just nine rounds over the first 10 months of 2022, Tiger Woods is prepared to nearly match that over the next month and a half. Woods announced Wednesday that he will play the self-hosted Hero World Challenge from Dec. 1-4 in the Bahamas.

Woods joins a field he recruited, which includes Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Tom Kim. Most of the top 20 golfers in the world will be in attendance for this four-round event at Albany Golf Course, and while it is not considered an official PGA Tour event, the Hero World Challenge does receive Official World Golf Rankings points. (Tiger could use a few of those after missing so much time over the last two years.)

In addition to the Hero World Challenge, Tiger will tee it up on Dec. 10 at the seventh edition of The Match alongside Rory McIlroy. Those two will square off against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in a 12-hole exhibition at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.

Additionally, Woods is expected to play alongside his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship on Dec. 17-18. Though he has not officially committed to the PNC, this will likely be the third consecutive year he and Charlie would play in that event. If Woods commits to the PNC, we will see him play seven rounds over 18 days in December after he was on the course for just nine rounds over the first 334 days of 2022.

Woods finished 47th at the Masters then withdrew after the third round of the PGA Championship and missed the cut altogether at The Open in July.

Tiger has not played the Hero World Challenge since 2019 when he finished fourth, four back of winner Henrik Stenson. It is expected that he will ride in a cart for The Match and the PNC (if he plays), but it's unknown whether he will walk or ride in a cart for the Hero World Challenge.

While the immediacy of Woods' golf ambitions is encouraging for what his 2023 schedule will look like, don't expect him to show up at many more events beyond the major championships, if he even plays all four of those. It was at the Hero World Challenge last year that Tiger advised everyone to be conservative about projecting his playing schedule going forward.

"I don't foresee this leg ever being what it used to be, hence, I'll never have the back what it used to be, and clock's ticking," said Woods. "I'm getting older. I'm not getting any younger. All that combined means that a full schedule and a full practice schedule and the recovery that it would take to do that -- no, I don't have any desire to do that. But to ramp up for a few events a year ... as Mr. [Ben] Hogan did -- he did a pretty good job of it, and there's no reason that I can't do that and feel ready."

We'll see how many events is "a few events a year," but there's certainly reason for optimism with Woods filling up his December with golf.

Tiger Woods beats out Rory McIlroy in race to collect top prize from PGA Tour Player Impact Program

The 15-time major winner beat out his friend and business partner to secure his second consecutive PIP bonus

Tiger Woods winning a golf competition in 2022 would have been a remarkable thought at the start of the year, but he'll have to settle for a big win off the course. Woods has finished first in the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program for the second consecutive year, this time coming in just ahead of his friend and business partner, Rory McIlroy, according to the Associated Press.

Woods took first last year even though he didn't play a single competitive round of golf on the PGA Tour. That first-place finish was worth $10 million; this one was significantly more, however, as the overall purse for the PIP was raised from $40 million in 2021 to $100 million in 2022, according to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan earlier this year at the Tour Championship. Woods only played nine total rounds in 2022, but each one of them received significant attention from everyone in the golf world, which is broadly the way one ranks highly in the annual PIP. He played four at the Masters, three at the PGA Championship and two at the Open Championship at St. Andrews.

The Tour has upped its prize money across the board this year and into 2023. Not only did it take the PIP fund from $40 million to $100 million, but it also expanded the pool of recipients from 10 to 20, raised several PGA Tour purses to $20 million and continues to invest in the FedEx Cup prize fund (it moved from $15 million a year ago to $18 million this year).

Woods was a lock to win this prize again from the moment he taunted Phil Mickelson on Twitter after Mickelson bragged that he had won the 2021 prize when in fact he had not.

🤷‍♂️ whoops 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/SkMTGerVOB

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 2, 2022

According to the AP, McIlroy received $12 million for coming in second place, which puts his annual PGA Tour earnings at right around $40 million. This is significant because it's nearly twice as much as the most he's ever earned before. His previous career-high earnings came back in 2019 when he won the FedEx Cup and $15 million first prize to go with another $8 million in the regular season.

As was pointed out in the AP, there were two rubrics used this year to determine the PIP.

Two lists were in play — the original PIP plan that used such metrics as social media engagement, brand exposure, Q-rating, Internet searches and awareness, and the new criteria that leans more on media mentions and broadcast exposure than social media.

The PIP also was expanded to 20 players instead of 10, and using both lists for 2022, some 23 players are expected to receive bonus money from the $100 million program.

This influx of money was built to combat LIV Golf and the players who have left the PGA Tour for significant raises from moving from the Tour to LIV. Interestingly, one of LIV's participants actually had one of the best takes about Tiger and the PIP I've seen. Pat Perez spoke about it at the Genesis Invitational way back in February when he was still part of the PGA Tour.

"It's kind of a joke, but like I said, the PIP program's kind of a joke," said Perez. "Give Tiger the 40 [million] and say we owe you another zero. They owe Tiger $400, $500 million easily. There should be no program. Here you go, here's 50, thanks for being incredible, here's the money we owe you because you brought in hundreds of millions of dollars to us. Guys like me, to be able to make, you know, a couple million dollars a year is unbelievable and it's only because of him. It's only because of him, you know. So like I said, I'm in line with Tiger. But if Phil is pushing for more money towards our tour and fighting for it, that'd be great, but he seems to be so on the Saudi side that it's hard to believe that he's actually fighting for that."

Mickelson finished second to Tiger in last year's PIP.

The top 20 players in the PIP this year will be expected to play the Tour's new elevated schedule in 2023, which includes 13 non-majors with massive prize money and, ostensibly, all the top players in the world. McIlroy and Woods were vital to creating the unity for this to come about during a meeting in Delaware during the FedEx Cup Playoffs earlier this year.

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth to play in seventh edition of The Match

For the first time, four major champions will play The Match later this year

The Match is returning, and this year's edition might be the most star-studded of them all. What began back in 2018 on Thanksgiving with Tiger Woods playing Phil Mickelson in a head-to-head round has endured for four years in many different versions. This one -- with Woods and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy facing Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas -- features 24 major championships and four of the best golfers of the last 30 years all on the course together.

This seventh edition of The Match will be played on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. ET at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, and will serve as a platform to benefit Hurricane Ian relief efforts. Unless Woods plays in the Hero World Challenge, which he hosts Dec. 1-4, this will be his first public golf appearance since this summer's Open Championship at St. Andrews. It will be his third appearance in The Match overall.

Can’t wait to play in Capital One’s: The Match with @McIlroyRory against @JustinThomas34 and @JordanSpieth to raise money for Hurricane Ian relief. See you boys under the lights on December 10th. pic.twitter.com/IdaVY6HGV8

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 7, 2022

Woods has mostly been absent from the golf world since missing the cut at the Old Course in July, though he does have some playing opportunities coming up. Between this, his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas and the PNC Championship, which he and his son have played in the last two years, we could see a lot of Tiger before the end of the year.

Though McIlroy and Thomas appeared in an exhibition with Woods at Big Cedar Lodge after the 2020 U.S. Open, neither they nor Spieth have appeared in any edition of The Match. Here's a look at the first six iterations of The Match.

The Match results

This version of The Match will be limited to 12 holes, which as the DeChambeau-Koepka match taught us, is the perfect length for a made-for-TV golf event like this one. As with all other versions of this exhibition event, it will be broadcast by Turner Sports on TNT.

Woods and McIlroy recently co-founded TMRW Sports, a company that is "harnessing technology to build progressive approaches in sports, media and entertainment" and announced their impressive investor list on Wednesday. This version of The Match is not affiliated with TMRW Sports despite the business partners' involvement.

2022 Mayakoba leaderboard, grades: Russell Henley cruises to win at World Wide Technology Championship

Henley reigned supreme this weekend with a dominating effort at Mayakoba

The 2022-23 PGA Tour season may be trending towards becoming the year of redemption after Russell Henley successfully captured his fourth career victory at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. Following in the footsteps of Keegan Bradley and Mackenzie Hughes, Henley's triumph at El Camaleon Golf Course broke a five-year drought from the winner's circle and marked his first trophy raise since the 2017 Houston Open.

Finishing the week at 23 under, Henley not only shattered his winless streak but also plenty of scoring records along the way. Both the 36-hole and 54-hole records fell at Mayakoba earlier in the week, and ultimately gave way for Henley to possess the tournament scoring record as well -- matching Viktor Hovland's 23-under total in 2021.

For Henley, this week in Mexico, where his putting finally matched his exquisite iron play and accurate driving, was more than overdue. Ranking second, sixth and third in strokes gained approach the last three seasons on the PGA Tour, Henley has experienced his fair share of gut-wrenching and heartbreaking moments in the final stages of tournaments.

Earlier this year, Henley went into the weekend at the 2022 Sony Open in full control of his game. Playing the final 36 holes in 8 under, the Georgia alum was tracked down by Hideki Matsuyama through a herculean effort that featured consecutive rounds of 7-under 63. 

Falling in a playoff at Waialae Country Club just months earlier, Henley missed out on extra holes entirely at the 2021 Wyndham Championship. Commanding a three-stroke lead entering the final round, the 33-year-old carded four back-nine bogeys including one on his 72nd hole which resulted from a three putt from 25 feet away.

"I just tried to learn from my past and my screw ups," said Henley. "That's kind of what I took from the last two events that I played from the start of this season and just tried to learn what I am doing wrong and how can I get better with it. All those events that I didn't close out, they hurt. You don't know if you'll ever get to win another one. It's so hard out here. To come down 18 with a four-shot lead, it was just really cool. It's still just ... I don't even know what to say."

These moments of pain only make this moment of joy at Mayakoba that much deeper and that much more meaningful as Henley came into the event having failed to convert his last five 54-hole leads into victories.

The consistency in which Henley has been able to put himself in this position should be applauded, yet consistency is hardly rewarded in the game of golf without the accompaniment of hardware, especially on the PGA Tour. With such a strong tee-to-green, presence -- similar to Bradley almost -- it does make the mind wander and imagine what this win will do for Henley's confidence and if this consistency of his can translate into even more titles.

The First Cut podcast crew is back to bring you their recap of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

From 2013-18, Henley was one of the best putters on the PGA Tour before completely falling off with the putter in hand. While Henley has experienced his troubles the last handful of seasons with the flat stick, his victory at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship illustrates exactly what he is capable of when that club cooperates. 

A non-major champion -- although a 54-hole leader at the 2021 U.S. Open -- and a non-participant in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups for the United States, conventional wisdom and the sheer depth of the PGA Tour suggests that will not change in 2023. But don't be surprised if come major championship season or come the time for Zach Johnson to make his captain's selections for Rome if there isn't a moment when Henley's name isn't at least brought up in conversation. Grade: A+

Here are the grades for the rest of the leaderboard at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. 

T3. Scottie Scheffler (-18): After a quiet fall, Scheffler lit up the course at Mayakoba on Sunday with a 9-under 62 and the round of the week at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. It was what we grew accustomed to from him early in the year, and though he didn't win, his finale made it easy to envision him bridging 2022 to 2023. Grade: A-

"I feel good, game feels good," he said. "I hit it nicely this week outside of the few, you know, bad breaks. And a few things go my way, a few more putts go in, I could have been right in the tournament, but obviously Russell's playing great golf right now and hopefully he just continues to cruise."

Went back to his old putter over the weekend and looks to have paid off... https://t.co/4fWgEheTXl

— Patrick McDonald (@AmateurStatus) November 6, 2022

T15. Collin Morikawa (-15): Morikawa had his best finish of the fall this week at Mayakoba, and it coincided with his work with a new putting coach. More interestingly, he popped back at analyst Trevor Immelman after Immelman suggested that Morikawa has been struggling a bit because of how difficult it is to live up to the ridiculously high standard he set for himself early in his career by winning so often (including two of his first eight majors). Morikawa's response was ... kind of odd.

"Wow, that's hard to hear from him," Morikawa told Golf Channel. "I couldn't care less what he says there because I don't think that's my bar. I think I've got so much more to improve. I've been near last on putting. I don't think I've even finished close to being average on putting. If I can just get my putting to be average, I think there's so much more to improve. I don't know where that came from, but that kind of stings there. I don't like to hear that.

"I don't know if it that was a compliment, I'll be honest. If he did, maybe it came off wrong from what I heard. For me, I've never seen a ceiling. I just want to keep improving. Obviously we took a couple steps back this year. It's just trying to get better every day and trying to improve on little things. I expect myself to play well. I set really high goals for myself. It just sucks when they don't come through."

This has to be a misunderstanding here because Immelman in no way was trying to offend Morikawa. He was simply saying that high bars early in one's career are difficult to return to, which is true. Morikawa's response was not commensurate with what Immelman's posture toward him. Grade: B+

T10. VIktor Hovland (-16): It wasn't the three-peat Hovland envisioned, but Hovland has now shot scores of 67-69-63-65-67-65-62-67-65-69-66-68 over the last three years at Mayakoba and lost to nine of 393 competitors in that timespan. That is, of course, preposterous. Grade: B-