7:30 PM ET ESPN News Services SAN DIEGO — Rory McIlroy, who can return to world No. 1 with a win this week, opened the Farmers Insurance Open with a 5-under 67 on Torrey Pines North on Thursday and is tied for third. Sebastian Cappelen and Keegan Bradley had the low scores of the opening

10:33 AM ET Associated Press Thomas Pieters birdied four of his first six holes and overcame a mid-round blip to take the lead on Day 1 of the Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour on Thursday. The Belgian player dropped three shots combined on the 10th and 11th holes of his first round, but

6:33 PM ET Associated Press NASSAU, Bahamas — Jared Wolfe won The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar on Wednesday for his first Korn Ferry Tour title, closing with a 3-under 69 in strong wind for a four-stroke victory over Brandon Harkins. A winner each of the last three years on PGA Tour Latinoamerica,

4:14 PM ET SAN DIEGO — Rory McIlroy has a chance to return to No. 1 in the world this week for the first time since late in 2015. That’s not something he saw coming as recently as July, when he missed the cut at The Open, playing at Portrush, Northern Ireland, near his hometown.

5:37 PM ET SAN DIEGO — Jordan Spieth didn’t like watching many of his friends play the Presidents Cup last month at Royal Melbourne, a golf course he enjoys. What he didn’t like so much was being at home and not participating. “For me personally, it really sucked,” Spieth said. “I hated not being there

4:05 PM ET SAN DIEGO — Tiger Woods is set to begin the 2020 part of his PGA Tour schedule this week at the Farmers Insurance Open, looking to keep the momentum going after an impressive conclusion to 2019. Ranked sixth in the world, Woods, 44, won the Zozo Championship in Japan, finished fourth at

1:07 PM ET SAN DIEGO — Tiger Woods is a good bet to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021. That’s because officials announced Tuesday that the Hall of Fame is lowering its age to be eligible for induction to 45 or three years retired. Woods will turn 45 in December

8:49 AM ET NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. — There is not much vanity on display in the Nicklaus home, the one that overlooks a pool and Lake Worth Lagoon, a waterway to the Atlantic Ocean and where the most accomplished golfer in the game’s history has resided since 1970. Jack Nicklaus moved here just after

4:40 PM ET Don’t worry, it won’t look like this for the Masters. Augusta National doesn’t even look like this now. But photos that surfaced in recent days via Google Earth show a dormant Augusta National, with work being done on the land purchased from nearby Augusta Country Club, as well as a new building

9:34 AM ET Associated Press LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Gaby Lopez ran in a 30-foot putt for birdie Monday to defeat Nasa Hataoka in a seven-hole playoff that took an extra day to finish at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. It was Lopez’s second LPGA victory. Lopez and Hataoka, ranked sixth in the