Florida Sports Wire

  PONTE VEDRA BEACH (SportsDay Media) – Four-time PGA TOUR winner and founder of NB3 Foundation, a national, award-winning Native-led nonprofit, Notah Begay III has been named the recipient of the Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company, honoring his character, sportsmanship and commitment to charitable giving. Begay III, 53, will be honored Tuesday, August 25, at the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony in conjunction with the 2026 TOUR Championship. Golf Channel will televise the ceremony as part of a “Golf Central” special from 7-8 p.m. ET at the Southern Exchange in downtown Atlanta. “Notah Begay III has always used his platform to make a meaningful and lasting impact, particularly within his Native American communities, and that ongoing work no doubt reflects the values of character, compassion and leadership that define the Payne Stewart Award,” said PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp. “The PGA TOUR is proud to recognize Notah as the 2026 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award presen...

By JEFF MOELLER, Jacksonville Sports News For Matt Fitzpatrick, it was another successful trip to his home away from home. Over the years, the 31-year-old Sheffield, England native and his family vacationed on Hilton Head Island, and they also attended the annual PGA event there that has dated back to 1966.  When he won the RBC Heritage in 2023 , Fitzpatrick became an instant fan favorite, as he defeated Jordan Spieth in a playoff. Fitzpatrick won on the third playoff hole after hitting his approach shot to within one foot to set up the winning birdie. Late Sunday afternoon, the Hilton Head Island magic was back again. As Yogi Berra once aptly put it, “It was deja vu all over again.”  It was another vintage day on Hilton Head, where residents there and from nearby communities are totally enraptured with the annual tournament. It arguably is the social event of the year with another batch of overflow crowds. Fitzpatrick beat Scottie Scheffler - another Island favorite - in a pl...

  PONTE VEDRA BEACH  — PGA TOUR University announced The Huntington National Bank as an official sponsor, extending the bank’s sports marketing efforts and reinforcing its commitment to collegiate athletics. As an official sponsor of PGA TOUR University, Huntington Bank will support the program’s mission to identify the top players in collegiate golf and provide membership opportunities on PGA TOUR-affiliated tours. The partnership aligns with Huntington’s focus on investing in people and long-term potential. “Our partnership with PGA TOUR University reflects our belief in investing in potential and supporting people at defining moments in their journey,” said Brant Standridge, president of consumer and regional banking at Huntington Bank. “These collegiate athletes have demonstrated discipline, resilience and performance. We are proud to support them as they take the next step in their careers.” As part of the agreement, Huntington will activate a tour-focused media and conte...

  LOS ANGELES and PONTE VEDRA BEACH – For the first time since 2008, “The Skins Game,” one of golf’s most celebrated television franchises, will officially return on Black Friday with Prime Video set to exclusively broadcast the special event globally, produced by Pro Shop and Propagate Content in coordination with PGA TOUR Studios. Slated to compete in the relaunched “The Skins Game” are 2025 FedExCup Champion, 2025 Ryder Cup points leader and seven-time DP World Tour champion Tommy Fleetwood, 16-time PGA TOUR winner Justin Thomas, two-time major champion Xander Schauffele and eight-time PGA TOUR winner Keegan Bradley. The foursome —which has combined to win 34 career PGA TOUR events — will compete at the new Panther National in South Florida, the vision of Jack Nicklaus and Thomas in his debut design. Coverage will begin at 9 a.m. ET on Nov. 28 and lead directly into a historic day of live sports for Prime Video, including the third annual Black Friday Football game and a brand-n...

PONTE VEDRA BEACH -  THE PLAYERS Championship is now accepting applications for its annual Red Coats’ community grant program, which provides funding to eligible nonprofits in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.  The program awards local nonprofits with grants up to $15,000 to support initiatives and projects that benefit the Northeast Florida community. Grants are awarded to organizations supporting youth services, education, character development, health, wellness, sports and military support. Last year, the program awarded grants to 50 local nonprofits, advancing impactful community initiatives across Northeast Florida.  Rusty Pritchett, Captain of the Red Coats, expressed excitement about supporting the work of nonprofits across Northeast Florida, stating, “It is our honor to be able to fund so many deserving organizations in Northeast Florida. The Red Coats take great pride in contributing to initiatives that make a lasting impact in our community.” Th...

 By Jeff Moeller, Florida SportDay HILTON HEAD - Si-Woo Kim is looking for consistency. The 29-year-old South Korean golfer topped the leaderboard at a 15-under 198 after three rounds of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island Saturday. Kim has a tight one-shot lead over Justin Thomas (-14) and Andrew Novak (-14). Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is four strokes off the pace at -11 and tied for seventh. Through the first two rounds, Thomas led the field with a -12, but he ended Saturday with a two-under 69. Thomas was assessed a one-shot penalty from a waste area on the par-5 second hole. He notified a rules official that his ball moved a fraction while he was removing loose ground near it.   Kim sank five birdies and had one bogey -on his final hole - on a windy, sunny afternoon, finishing with a five-under 66.   He captured the Players Championship in 2017, becoming the youngest player at 21 to win the event. However, Kim has strug...

 PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA and ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA – 3M and the PGA TOUR today announced a five-year extension of 3M’s title sponsorship of the 3M Open through 2030. The Minnesota-based company has been a partner of the tournament since its inception in 2019. Hosted by the nonprofit 3M Open Fund, the extension will continue to bring the world’s top golfers to TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., through 2030. The 2025 3M Open will be held July 21-27 at TPC Twin Cities, where Jhonattan Vegas is expected to defend his 2024 title. The 2025 event will be televised on CBS/Paramount+, GOLF Channel, PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ and distributed internationally via the TOUR’s World Feed “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with 3M and a passionate Minnesota fan base that supports every sport in every season, including the 3M Open from day one,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “That same passion from 3M is on display each summer as they invest in their community and positively impac...

  Second-Round Leaderboard Pos. Player R1 R2 Total 1 Wyndham Clark 65 65 130 (-14) T2 Xander Schauffele 65 69 134 (-10) T2 Nick Taylor 66 68 134 (-10) T4 Matt Fitzpatrick 66 69 135 (-9) T4 Maverick McNealy 67 68 135 (-9)   Wyndham Clark (1 st /-14) First player in THE PLAYERS Championship history to open with two consecutive rounds of 65 or better Fourth player in tournament history with a 36-hole score of 130 or better; each of the previous three won by four strokes 129 (15-under), Webb Simpson, 2018, TPC Sawgrass (66-63) 129 (15-under), Jason Day, 2016, TPC Sawgrass (63-66) 130 (14-under), Wyndham Clark, 2024, TPC Sawgrass (65-65) 130 (14-under), Greg Norman, 1994, TPC Sawgrass (63-67) 130 ties his lowest opening 36-hole total on TOUR (others: 2020 WM Phoenix Open/finished T34, 2020 Shriners Children’s Open/finished T13) Fifth career 36-hole lead/co-lead in individual stroke-play events on TOUR; 1-for-4 in converting to victory (2023 Wells Fargo Championship) Second consecut...

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA –  Jim Coleman, a volunteer with more than 15 years of service at The Classic in The Palm Beaches (formerly The Honda Classic) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was selected as the 2022-23 PGA TOUR Volunteer of the Year. With the award, the PGA TOUR will donate $10,000 to the charity of Coleman’s choosing – the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the long-time primary beneficiary of The Classic in The Palm Beaches.     Coleman was first introduced to volunteering in 2000 as a standard bearer. He continued to volunteer at many PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions events before officially becoming the Standard Bearer Chairman at The Classic in The Palm Beaches in 2008. In 2012, Coleman advanced to Volunteer Chairman, a position he held through last year’s event. Coleman will continue to stay involved with the tournament and assist incoming Volunteer Chairman Jay Levine.      “I am humbled to be the 2022-23 PGA TOUR Volunteer o...

PONTE VEDRA BEACH ( www.sportsdayjax.com )   – The PGA TOUR today released its 2024 FedExCup Regular Season and FedExCup Playoffs schedule, with events interconnected like never before to deliver maximum drama and consequence, as the TOUR returns to a calendar-year schedule for the first time since 2012.  The FedExCup Fall portion of the 2024 FedExCup Season, which will finalize the top 125 for the 2025 season, will be announced at a later date. The 2024 FedExCup Regular Season, consisting of 36 events, begins in January with the “Opening Drive” at The Sentry and Sony Open in Hawaii – where all players start with zero FedExCup points and look to get off to a strong start in the race for the FedExCup. The Wyndham Championship once again serves as the culmination of the Regular Season, with only 70 players advancing to the FedExCup Playoffs. The Regular Season schedule includes the 50 th  playing of THE PLAYERS Championship and the four Major Championships, eight Sign...