First tee: The upcoming weekend in golf

By foxsports
Published

PGA TOUR

John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill, Thursday through Sunday.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel; Saturday and Sunday 3-6 p.m. on CBS.

LAST YEAR: Steve Stricker opened with an 11-under-par 60 and shot 62 in the third round but still had to hold on down the stretch to win the tournament for the second consecutive year, by two strokes over Paul Goydos. The 46-year-old Goydos, who in round one became the fourth player in PGA Tour history to shoot 59, was six strokes behind Stricker entering the final round. He was within two strokes after a five-foot birdie putt on No. 17 but hit his approach into the water on the final hole and carded a bogey. That made it easy for Stricker, who holed an eight-foot birdie putt on the penultimate hole to make his bogey on the final hole inconsequential.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach at Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, Calif., and Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif., Friday through Sunday.

TV: Friday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday, 6:30-9:30 p.m. EDT, and Sunday, 7-9:30 p.m. EDT, on the Golf Channel each day.

LAST YEAR: Ted Schulz holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to claim the first victory of his Champions Tour career by one stroke over Tom Pernice Jr. Schulz, in the 12th start of his rookie year on the senior circuit, won for the first time since his second victory on the PGA Tour, the 1991 Nissan Los Angeles Open. The 50-year-old Schulz, who quit as a touring pro in 2000 and is director of golf at the University of Louisville, claimed the lead by opening with 68-64, then held on while closing with a 70.

LPGA TOUR

U.S. Women's Open on the East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., Thursday through Sunday.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 5-9 p.m. EDT on ESPN 2; Saturday and Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on NBC.

LAST YEAR: Paula Creamer, only four months removed from surgery on her left thumb, shot a steady 2-under-par 69 in the final round to claim the first major title of her career, by four strokes over Na Yeon Choi of South Korea and Suzann Pettersen of Norway at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. The 23-year-old Creamer, playing with her thumb bandaged and limited to 40 practice shots per day because the injury was not yet healed, had to play 52 holes in the last two days after heavy rain halted play in round two. With her three-stroke lead after 54 holes down to two, Creamer holed long par-saving putts on the seventh and eighth holes before virtually putting the title away when she sank birdie putts of 10 feet on the 14th hole and four feet on the 15th.