Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Mexico Open at Vidanta (Tony Finau)
THIS WEEK: Wells Fargo Championship, Charlotte, N.C., May 4-7
Course: Quail Hollow Club (Par 71, 7,538 yards)
Purse: $20 million ($3.6 million)
Defending Champion: Max Homa
FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming on ESPN+: Thursday-Friday, 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: @WellsFargoGolf
NOTES: This is the seventh designated event of the 2022-23 season and features six of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. … Homa is seeking to successfully defend a title for the second time this season (Fortinet Championship). No player has successfully defended at the Wells Fargo. … There are 18 players in the field who competed in the 2022 Presidents Cup held at Quail Hollow. … Finau called the three-hole stretch from No. 16-18 the most difficult stretch on the PGA Tour. Dubbed “The Green Mile,” it ranks as the toughest finishing three holes on tour outside of the majors since 2003 among courses that have hosted at least five events. … Justin Thomas won his first career major at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in 2017. … This is the second of four Open Qualifying Series events, with 12 spots available into The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool. The top three players who are not otherwise exempt and who make the cut at the Wells Fargo will earn an exemption.
BEST BETS: Rory McIlroy (+750 at BetMGM) is a three-time winner of the Wells Fargo (2010, 2015, 2021) and is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 3. He set the tournament scoring record of 267 in ’15. … Patrick Cantlay (+1200) missed the cut in his event debut. However, the world’s No. 4-ranked player has six top-10s in 11 starts this season. … Finau (+1600) is coming off a victory in Mexico and is tied with Jon Rahm with four victories since last year’s Wells Fargo. … Jordan Spieth (+1800) lost in a playoff at the RBC Heritage in his most recent start. He’ll be making his first start at the Wells Fargo since 2013. … Homa (+2500), who won the event at TPC Potomac at Avenel last year, also won it at Quail Hollow in 2019. … Matt Fitzpatrick (+2500) is coming off a win at the RBC Heritage and finished T2 at last year’s Wells Fargo at Avenel.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: AT&T Byron Nelson, McKinney, Texas, May 11-14
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: JM Eagle LA Championship (Hannah Green)
THIS WEEK: Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, San Francisco, May 4-7
Course: TPC Harding Park (Par 72, 6,550 yards)
Purse: $2M (Winner: $125,000 per player)
Defending Champion: Republic of Korea
Race to the CME Globe leader: Lydia Ko
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV & Streaming: Thursday-Sunday, 6-9 p.m. ET (All times Golf Channel, golfchannel.com, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App, Peacock)
Twitter: @Intl_Crown
FORMAT: The event will consist of round-robin pool player Thursday-Saturday. One point will be awarded for a win and a half-point for a tie, with the top two countries advancing from each pool. Two semifinal matches will be played Sunday morning, each consisting of two singles matches and one foursomes match. The winning semifinal countries will compete in the final match on Sunday afternoon in the same format.
POOLS
Pool A: No. 1 United States, No. 4 Sweden, No. 5 England, No. 8 Ppls. Rep. of China
Pool B: No. 2 Republic of Korea, No. 3 Japan, No. 6 Thailand, No. 7 Australia
FOUR-BALL MATCHUPS
Thursday Pool A
No. 1 United States vs. No. 8 Ppls. Rep. of China
No. 4 Sweden vs. No. 5 England
Friday Pool A
No. 1 United States vs. No. 5 England
No. 4 Sweden vs. No. 8 Ppls. Rep of China
Saturday Pool A
No. 1 United States vs. No. 4 Sweden
No. 5 England vs. No. 8 Ppls. Rep of China
Thursday Pool B
No. 2 Republic of Korea vs. No. 7 Australia
No. 3 Japan vs. No. 6 Thailand
Friday Pool B
No. 2 Republic of Korea vs. No. 6 Thailand
No. 3 Japan vs. No. 7 Australia
Saturday Pool B
No. 2 Republic of Korea vs. No. 3 Japan
No. 6 Thailand vs. No. 7 Australia
NOTES: The eight countries to qualify for the event were determined by the combined Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings of the top four players from each country following the CME Group Tour Championship last November. Meanwhile, the final field of 32 players was determined after the LA Open last month. … Georgia Hall (foot) and Charley Hull (illness) withdrew over the weekend and were replaced on England’s roster by Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Bronte Law.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Cognizant Founders Cup, Clifton, N.J., May 11-14
Champions Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Insperity Invitational (Steven Alker)
THIS WEEK: Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Duluth, Ga., May 5-7
Course: TPC Sugarloaf (Par 72, 6,987 yards)
Purse: $2M (Winner: $300,000)
Defending Champion: Steve Flesch
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steve Stricker
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV: Friday, 12-2 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
Twitter: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: This is the ninth of 28 events on the 2023 schedule. … The 54-hole event features a 78-player field. … Flesch also won the event in 2018. … Bernhard Langer, the 2013 champion, remains one win shy of breaking his tie with Hale Irwin for the all-time record in Champions history at 45. … Steven Ames holds the tournament scoring record of 15-under 201 set in 2017.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Regions Traditions, Birmingham, Ala., May 11-14
LIV Golf
LAST TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Singapore (Individual: Talor Gooch; Team: RangeGoats GC)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Tulsa, May 12-14
–Field Level Media