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Players Championship the centerpiece of the road to the Masters. LIV Golf in Singapore

PGA Tour

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Course: TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium). Yardage: 7,352. Par: 72.

Prize money: $25 million. Winner’s share: $4.5 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (NBC).

Defending champion: Rory McIlroy.

FedEx Cup leader: Collin Morikawa.

Last week: Akshay Bhatia won the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Notes: The Players Championship will have its smallest field in history at 123 players, down from 144 players last year as part of the PGA Tour’s plans for smaller fields. … Brooks Koepka is playing, an addition to the 120-man field along with two other players to allow for groups of three during the weekday rounds. … Collin Morikawa has taken over the top spot in the FedEx Cup after a win at Pebble Beach and two top 10s in signature events at Riviera and Bay Hill. … Now that LIV Golf has OWGR points, The Players has only 46 of the top 50 in the world ranking. … The winner gets a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour. … Fourteen players are making their debut in The Players Championship. … Three of the last four winners at The Players went on to win a major that year — Rory McIlroy (Masters), Scottie Scheffler (Masters) and Cameron Smith (British Open). … Five of the last six tournaments at TPC Sawgrass were decided by no more than one shot.

Next week: Valspar Championship.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

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LIV Golf League

LIV GOLF SINGAPORE

Site: Singapore.

Course: Sentosa GC (Serapong). Yardage: 7,406. Par: 71.

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $4 million.

Television: Wednesday, 9-11 p.m. (Fox Sports app), 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. (FS1); Thursday, 9-11:30 p.m. (Fox Sports app), 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. (FS1); Friday, 9:30-10:30 p.m. (FS2), 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (FS); Saturday, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. (FS1).

Defending champion: Joaquin Niemann.

Points leader: Jon Rahm.

Last week: Jon Rahm won LIV Golf Hong Kong.

Notes: This is the fourth straight year for LIV Golf playing in Singapore. … Jon Rahm won for the first time since 2024. In his last five individual LIV events, he has four runner-up finishes and a victory. … LIV Golf has two events left for players to try to get into the top 50 in the world ranking to earn a Masters invitation. Thomas Detry is at No. 61 in the world after his runner-up finish in Hong Kong, while Elvis Smylie is at No. 73. LIV currently has 10 players eligible for the Masters. … Singapore recently hosted the HSBC Women’s World Championship on the LPGA Tour. … Sergio Garcia (2018) and Ian Poulter (2009) have won the Singapore Open when it was held at Sentosa Golf Club. … Rahm has gone from No. 84 to No. 36 in the world since the start of the year. … LIV will go to South Africa next week for the first time before returning to North America with an event in Mexico City a week after the Masters.

Next week: LIV Golf South Africa.

Online: https://www.livgolf.com/

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LPGA Tour

Last week: Mi Hwang Lee won Blue Bay China.

Next week: Fortinet Founders Cup.

Race to CME Globe leader: Jeeno Thitikul.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

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European tour

Last week: Dan Bradbury won the Joburg Open.

Next week: Hainan Classic.

Race to Dubai leader: Patrick Reed.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

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PGA Tour Champions

Last week: Zach Johnson won the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational.

Next week: Cologuard Classic.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions

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Korn Ferry Tour

Last week: Doc Redman won the Astara Chile Classic.

Next tournament: Club Car Championship on March 26-29.

Points leader: Ian Holt.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour

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Other tours

Epson Tour: IOA Golf Classic, Alaqua CC, Longwood, Florida. Previous winner: Gina Kim. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/

Ladies European Tour: Women’s Australian Open, Kooyonga GC, Lockleys, Australia. Television: Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (Golf Channel app). Previous winner: Jiyai Shin. Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/

PGA Tour of Australasia: Heritage Classic, Heritage Golf and CC, Chirnside Park, Australia. Defending champion: James Conran. Online: https://golf.com.au/

Sunshine Tour: The Courier Guy Playoffs: The Serengeti Playoffs, Serengeti Estates, Johannesburg. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

Japan LPGA: Taiwan Foxconn Ladies, The Orient GC, Taipei, Taiwan. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

Korea LPGA: Rejuran Championship, Amata Spring CC, Chonburi, Thailand. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://klpga.co.kr/

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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