Philadelphia, PA – PGA TOUR - JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN, TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada - The PGA Tour Fall Series kicks off this week in Las Vegas.
Justin Timberlake, fresh off his hosting duties at the Ryder Cup, will turn his attention towards his own event at the TPC Summerlin.
Last year, Kevin Na fired four rounds in the 60s en route to a 2-stroke win over Nick Watney. That was Na's first win in 211 PGA Tour starts. Both players are in the field this week, as are plenty of other big names.
Ricky Barnes, Stewart Cink, J.B. Holmes, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III and Vijay Singh will be among those trying to grab the title away from Na.
Since this event returned to a 4-day tournament in 2004, the winning score has been 22-under 66 or better. Na's total of 261 established a new 72-hole scoring record for the event.
Obviously, players will have to rack up a lot of birdies this week if they want to contend.
This is the first of four events in the Fall Series, as players fight to get inside the top 125 on the money list in order to retain their tour card for next year.
Golf Channel has three hours of coverage all four days this week.
The PGA Tour heads to California next week for the Frys.com Open, where Bryce Molder was a playoff winner over Briny Baird last year.
EUROPEAN TOUR
ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP, Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, St. Andrews, Scotland - Martin Kaymer, Paul Lawrie and Peter Hanson, who were part of Europe's miracle comeback win at the Ryder Cup last weekend, will all be in the field this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
This event rotates over three courses - the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns - for the first three rounds as the players compete with amateur partners.
Michael Hoey opened with three straight 66s, before carding a 68 in the final round last year. That gave him a 2-shot win over Rory McIlroy. It was Hoey's third European Tour title, and he picked up No. 4 earlier this year in Morocco.
Not only will Hoey battle three Ryder Cup stars from the European team, he'll also have to compete against the team's four assistant captains - Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Paul McGinley.
U.S. Ryder Cupper Dustin Johnson also will be in the field as will Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen.
Golf Channel will cover all four rounds this week.
The European Tour heads to Portugal next week for the Portugal Masters, where Tom Lewis won by two last year in his third professional event.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
SAS CHAMPIONSHIP, Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, North Carolina - Kenny Perry and John Huston battled through all three rounds last year, with Perry coming out on top by one shot.
Perry went 66-69-70, while Huston posted rounds of 69-66-71 to end one back in second place alongside Jeff Sluman.
The win for Perry was his first on the Champions Tour and he earned No. 2 earlier this year at the ACE Group Classic. Since missing the cut at the U.S. Senior Open, Perry shared third place twice and tied for 21st at the Boeing Classic.
Perry, and six others in the top 10 on the money list, are all in the field this week at Prestonwood Country Club. Eight of the last nine winners of this event are also playing this week.
The busy Golf Channel will cover all three rounds this week.
The Champions Tour remains in North Carolina next week for the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, where Mark Wiebe beat James Mason in a playoff last year.
WEB.COM TOUR
NEEDIEST KIDS CHAMPIONSHIP, TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, Potomac, Maryland - A new date and a new name mark this event.
Last year at the University of Maryland Golf Course, Steve Wheatcroft ran away from the field en route to a 12-shot win at the Melwood Prince George's County Open. He carded an 11-under 60 in round two and that followed his worst round of the week, an opening 66.
Wheatcroft closed with an eagle to finish at 29-under 255, which set a new tour scoring record by three strokes. Chris Smith first set the old record of 258 in 1997 and Daniel Chopra matched it in 2004.
Last year, the tournament was played the first week of June and now will be the first week of October, and has been renamed Neediest Kids Championship.
Wheatcroft is playing the PGA Tour event in Las Vegas this week, but nine of the top 10 players on the Web.com Tour money list will be at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
Golf Channel will have tape-delayed coverage all four days this week.
The tour heads to Florida next week for the third-to-last event of the year, the Miccosukee Championship, where Jason Kokrak won by seven in 2011.
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