Cam Smith surged into the lead in Hong Kong on Thursday alongside fellow LIV golfer Eugenio Chacarra. A pair of 7-under 63s put the two at the top of the leaderboard at Hong Kong Golf Club.

The 2022 British Open champ, who is teeing it up at this event for the first time since 2014, carded eight birdies and one bogey while Chacarra played his round bogey-free. In Smith’s last competitive start, he placed T30 at LIV’s Miami event in the stroke play portion. His last victory came in August at LIV’s Bedminster tournament, where he won by seven shots.

“Played really solid,” Smith said. “Was able to put in some good work the first few days while I was here. It worked out today.”

Although Smith is returning to the venue for the first time in a decade this week, he said it’s one of his favorites.

“The course is very refreshing. It’s nice not having to slug your driver on every hole, and actually having to figure some stuff out. it was tricky out there today, a little gusty. It’s a cool track. It’s one of my favorites and hopefully we get no rain.”

Chacarra’s hot start comes at no surprise, as the 23-year-old’s game has been trending all summer long. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy won the Asian Tour’s St. Andrews Bay Championship in August.

“Hard not to be happy with the round at seven under,” he said. “I think I have been playing well the last couple months and a half.”

Smith and Chacarra are not the only LIV golfers in the field in Hong Kong. Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch and Andy Ogletree, who won the Asian Tour’s International Series to earn a 2024 LIV roster spot, are all teeing it up as well.

Ever since Tiger Woods began experiencing physical issues that preventedhim from golfing properly, we still haven’t gotten the legendary player who dominates the opposition without contest. The accident he suffered didn’t help the cause as Woods has undergone various medical procedures in both his injured leg and his back. Currently, he was struggling with a fused ankle that reporters recently asked him about during a press conference. According to Woods, the ankle pain is gone but the rest of his leg is still experiencing some important pain. Every time people get a wiff he might be playing again, the entire world pays attention because golf enthusiasts are always up for a Tiger Woods special.

As per AP, Tiger Woods revealed that while his ankle pain is gone, there are many different leg pains he is currently experiencing. Due to this news, there is still no specific return date from Woods. This is what he told reporters on Tuesday: “My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever. That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for. But all the surrounding areas is where I had all my problems, and I still do. So you fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues. I’m pretty sore after caddying for four days. It was a flat course, thank God.”

Woods was the caddy of son Charlie Woods during the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship. In video footage shown online, Tiger is walking around carrying a bag of golf equipment his son used during the tournament. Woods did this in order to test his strength while walking on a golf course, which was flat in this occasion. Tiger confirmed he may not withstand a much more challenging ground after struggling last weekend. In short, getting to see Tiger Woods back at the highest level is highly unlikely at the moment. Unfortunately, injuries have stained his career throughout the years and prevented him from playing in this later part of his career.

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ new technology-driven TGL launches in January next year; The league will see team events played over 15 holes; McIlroy believes it is the kind of innovation golf needs and contrasted it with the breakaway LIV Golf series

The four-time major winner was speaking at Fenway Park introducing the four-player team for Boston Common when he argued that LIV and its 54-hole, no-cut team play is compared to TGL’s plans.

McIlroy has been one of the most outspoken critics of the breakaway Saudi-backed series, which launched last year, but believes his and Woods’ high-tech competition is exactly what the sport needs to attract a new audience.

“We’re [trying] to be competitive and it’s a different type of golf but it’s not the traditional golf that you see week in, week out,” McIlroy said.

“I don’t want to sit here and talk about LIV, but you could make the argument that they haven’t innovated enough from what traditional golf is or they have innovated too much that they’re not traditional golf.

“They’re sort of cut in no man’s land where as [TGL] is so far removed from what we know golf to be.”

While TGL is a team-based golf league as well, it will be played over 15 holes and combines an oversized simulator with actual shots to a tech-infused green which can change contours depending on the shot.

The league, run by McIlroy and Woods’ technology-focused sports company TMRW, will launch in January next year at the newly constructed SoFi Center in Florida with five of the six four-man teams announced for New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta. All players will be mic’d up during the events to bring fans closer to the action.

The venue at Palm Beach State College will host each event and holds approximately 1,600 spectators. TGL will finish before The Masters in April, and McIlroy believes can leverage the increasing popularity of virtual golf compared to the traditional form of the sport.

“More shots were hit on those environments than there were on golf courses [last year],” McIlroy said. “So, as we’re trying to bring the game into the 21st century, it’s important that these ventures happen.

“As golf is such a traditional sport, trying to break that mould and trying to bring it into the 21st century is pretty important.”

Akie Iwai of Japan shot a 9-under 63 on Thursday to lead the first round of the LPGA’s Toto Japan Classic.

Three other Japanese players — Nasa Hataoka, Yuna Nishimura, and Mone Inami — were a stroke back after rounds of 64 at the Taiheiyo Club in north central Japan.

Defending champion Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland was four back after a 67. American Rose Zhang was four back with a 68 in a very crowded field at the top.

Dryburgh’s victory last year was her first on the LPGA Tour. She also received a special prize — a toilet — for the Japanese sponsor Toto, which makes bathroom appliances and fixtures.

“Hoping for another one of these to add to the collection!” she said on Instagram while posing on Tuesday with the sponsor’s products.

Dryburgh said the victory a year ago changed her career.

“I know I can compete out here and win also,” she said. “Competing under that pressure, seeing the shots that you can do under that pressure as well, it gives you a lot of confidence.”

Fifteen of the current world’s top 20 are among the 24 PGA Tour players to have signed for the inaugural season.

All events will be televised and played at a purpose-built venue in Florida.

Serena and Venus Williams, Stephen Curry and Liverpool owners the Fenway Sports Group are among the backers.

While many details are still to be finalised – such as the prize money on offer, the name and owner of one of the six teams, or which team each golfer will play for – here’s what we do know.

What is it?

The league – called TGL – will be run by TMRW Sports, the technology-focused sports company launched by Woods and McIlroy in August 2022.

It will feature six teams of four players, playing each other once in a league format. Only three of the four players will compete in any one event.

Five teams have been announced so far, with names linked to US cities in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

NBA star Curry is involved with the San Francisco set-up, while tennis greats Serena Williams and sister Venus are among those providing support for the LA team. The Fenway Sports Group is involved with the Boston side.

The Sofi Center, at Palm Beach State College, will host each event, which will take around two hours to play and be broadcast live in the US with all players wearing microphones.

The venue can hold approximately 1,600 spectators.

Who is playing?

Woods and McIlroy, naturally. Spain’s Jon Rahm and American Justin Thomas were the next players to sign up.

Two-time major champion Thomas is so far the only player assigned to a team. Atlanta Drive GC announced on 31 October that the 30-year-old would be on their roster.

World number one Scottie Scheffler and his fellow Americans Patrick Cantlay, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele are among those to have also joined.

England will be well represented with Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose all confirmed to play, as is Ireland’s Shane Lowry.

How will it work?

Each event will feature two teams competing against each other with two points awarded to the winning team

There will be two sessions within a match.

The first is nine holes of ‘triples’ where all three players will compete in an alternate-shot format over nine holes. The second session is six holes of ‘singles’, a head-to-head competition which will feature each golfer playing two holes.

Points are awarded for winning a hole and the team with the most points at the end is victorious. In the event of a tie, a nearest the pin shootout will determine the winner.

There will be 15 matches in the league, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals with the victors advancing to a best-of-three final.

The second match is scheduled to place on Tuesday, 16 January.

How will they play indoors?

Each hole will start on a golf simulator, with players hitting tee shots into a huge screen, which at 64ft x 46ft is around 20 times larger than a standard screen.

For shots of around 50 yards or less, players will switch from the simulator to hitting into adaptable greens with 189 actuators and jacks changing the slope of the putting surface for each hole.

Rather than using iconic holes or courses that most simulators allow players to experience, a number of new holes have been designed specifically for the TGL season.

Europe has officially reclaimed the Ryder Cup. Winning 16.5 to 11.5, it leaned on star players and a sensational team effort across the first two days to win the competition for the eighth time in the last 11 editions and seventh straight when hosting the event dating back to 1997.

Tommy Fleetwood won the key half point in the 11th match against Rickie Fowler. Heading to the par-4 16th with a one-hole lead, Fleetwood hit his tee shot to 23 feet after Fowler found the water. After Fleetwood missed an eagle putt, Fowler conceded a 2-foot, 8-inch birdie putt — and Europe’s victory. Fleetwood’s win on the hole secured at worse a tie for Europe, putting them over the required point total.

“I’m relieved to be honest,” said Fleetwood. “I didn’t think it would come down to the backend. Just to be able to play a part in this week, particularly today, I wasn’t planning on it coming down to us, but I always had it in my mind, ‘Just get your point and whatever happens, happens.’ It was pretty nervy coming down the last few.”

The home team put its horses out early in Sunday singles, and the Euros delivered with 2.5 points between Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy. Entering the day up 10.5 to 5.5, Europe fended off an early U.S. charge and needed only 1.5 points through the other nine matches.

Any thought of a new era of American dominance following their 19 to 9 win at Whistling Straits in 2021 has been put to bed thanks in part to the play of McIlroy. Collecting a 4-1-0 record across the five sessions, the four-time major champion garnered the best record of his Ryder Cup career and the best of any player at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

Hovland got in on the action with a 3-1-1 record, and Rahm once again thrived on this stage with a 2-0-2. Tyrrell Hatton claimed his first Sunday singles victory to put Europe 0.5 points away from winning the cup and put a bow on a stellar 3-0-1 performance.

“It’s been a rollercoaster since I got the job 14 months ago,” said Europe captain Luke Donald. “Something I always dreamed about. These are the times, I have had so many special moments on golf courses. It was just an honor and privilege to captain these 12 guys, incredible guys. They played their hearts out.”

Meanwhile, despite a Sunday surge to get within four points, the American stars were outplayed by their European counterparts. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler went 0-2-2 without a match victory to his name. Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele all had losing records with the lone bright spot coming from U.S. rookie Max Homa and his 3-1-1 mark.

“The European team played some phenomenal golf,” said U.S. captain Zach Johnson through tears. “It really is quite that simple. My guys showed true heart, true grit. A lot of character. They played for each other. I love them. Hats off to Luke.”

The weekend in Rome brought fireworks both on and off the golf course, but make no mistake, Europe won this Ryder Cup on Friday. Racing out to a record 5.5 to 1.5 advantage highlighted by a 4 to 0 sweep in the opening session with heroics from Rahm, Hovland and Justin Rose late, Europe was ready for the fight from the word go.

U.S. was sluggish and lacking energy only to be ignited by a hat, or lack thereof, winning Saturday afternoon’s four-ball session to cut the lead to 10.5 to 5.5 heading into Sunday singles. It was the only session the Europeans lost as Sunday was split down the middle 6 to 6.

Donald could do no wrong for his European side. He inspired them, brought them together, placed them in the correct positions and made Marco Simone a home-course advantage. Donald’s 12 responded with massive efforts rallying around each other and delivering a true team victory in true European fashion.

Rory McIlroy was involved in angry exchanges at the end of a scintillating Saturday at the Ryder Cup that saw Europe move within four points of regaining the trophy.

The Northern Irishman confronted Patrick Cantlay’s caddie on the 18th green and was later ushered away from an ugly-looking scene in the car park by team-mate Shane Lowry.

McIlroy was annoyed at the way Joe LaCava celebrated Cantlay’s 30-foot birdie putt and the row spilled over behind the scenes.

LaCava was close to McIlroy, waving his hat in the air, while the Northern Irishman tried to line up his own putt.

Europe captain Luke Donald, who watched the events unfold from the side of the green, said: “I’ve talked to Rory. He politely asked Joe to move aside. He was in his line of vision. He stood there and didn’t move for a while and continued to wave the hat, so I think Rory was upset about that.”

US skipper Zach Johnson said: “A celebration is a celebration. With a big putt like that on 18 at the Ryder Cup, I think you have every right to celebrate with your team and that’s exactly what I saw.”

Justin Rose and Lowry were also incensed and approached LaCava on the green.

It was an unsavoury end to what had been a fabulous day of golf in Rome.

The hosts hold a 10½-5½ lead going into Sunday’s 12 singles and no side has come from five back to win in the event’s 96-year history. A 10-6 deficit has twice been overhauled, by the US at Brookline in 1999 and by Europe at Medinah in 2012.

Europe need to 14½ points to regain the trophy, while the US, as defending champions, require 14 to retain it.

The hosts had dominated the morning alternate-shot foursomes, winning 3-1 to extend their lead to 9½-2½.

But Cantlay won the last two holes against McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick with birdies to eke out a point as the US took the final session 3-1.

The final-green antics led to a chorus of boos from the thousands of fans surrounding the hole.

McIlroy and Fitzpatrick then both missed birdie chances that would have resulted in a halved match at Marco Simone Golf Club.

The world number two was magnanimous when he spoke to the media, saying: “Patrick made three great putts at the end to seal the deal, so hats off to them. They played a great match, and yeah, I mean, a few scenes there on 18 and just fuel for the fire.”

Video footage of a still-riled McIlroy appeared soon after with Lowry guiding his European team-mate away from another confrontation.

The rest of the American players had celebrated Cantlay’s final birdie by waving their caps in the air, a reference to the fact he has not worn a cap all week.

It is understood he is refusing to do because he is not getting paid to play in the biennial contest, and the crowds had been waving caps at Cantlay throughout the afternoon session.

However, in his post-round news conference, he addressed that by saying “it just doesn’t fit, it’s as simple as that”.

And when asked if it was about being paid to play in the Ryder Cup, he replied: “It’s not about that. It’s just about Team USA and representing our country.”

Cantlay and playing partner Wyndham Clark had never led in the match. They were one down from the fourth until Cantlay birdied the 11th. And the American drained two more putts on the 16th and 17th to send the match down the last all square before winning that with yet another birdie.

The top two matches also went the way of the visitors.

Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg were paired together for the afternoon fourballs after dishing out a record 9&7 foursomes beating to world number one Scottie Scheffler, who had tears in his eyes as he was driven away, and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka in the morning.

However, the Europeans were handed a thrashing of their own in the better-ball format as Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa strolled to a 4&3 triumph.

The US had not won the first hole in any of the preceding 12 matches but a Burns birdie put them on the right track. He won three more holes to put them three up by the sixth and Morikawa had two birdies and an eagle in four holes to move them six ahead with six to play.

Successive Aberg birdies kept the Europeans alive but when the Swede missed from 10 feet on the 15th, Burns tapped in to seal just the second full point for the US.

In the second match Max Homa and Brian Harman were also never behind as they beat Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard 2&1.

Homa birdies put the US three up after six holes and Harman holed another on the ninth to push them further clear.

Hojgaard and Fleetwood tried to mount a late rally and birdies on the 14th and 16th gave them hope but they lost on the 17th.

Europe’s solitary point in the afternoon was a first for debutant Bob MacIntyre, who was playing with veteran Englishman Justin Rose for a second time.

They were up against the formidable unbeaten fourball pairing of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

A tight contest was finally swung Europe’s way when the Scot holed a crucial birdie putt on the par-three 13th to move them two clear. Rose then knocked in another at the next as they ran out 3&2 winners.

Europe hold a “sensational” 6½-1½ lead over the United States after a stunning opening day of the Ryder Cup in Rome.

The hosts swept the morning session for the first time to race into a 4-0 lead and held off a spirited US fightback to win 2½ -1½ in the afternoon.

Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose all crucially holed putts on the 18th to pick up half points for Europe.

And England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, playing with Rory McIlroy, secured his first Ryder Cup point in a memorable 5&3 win.

Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, rattled off four birdies and an eagle from the second hole to put his pairing firmly in command of the bottom match against Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.

McIlroy also knocked in a birdie of his own on the seventh as they reached six up.

It ended a run of five defeats in his previous two appearances for Fitzpatrick, while McIlroy picked up his second point of the day, after earlier partnering Tommy Fleetwood to victory.

Ryder Cup 2023 scores and playing stats

“Those putts by Viktor, Jon and Rose make a huge difference,” Europe captain Luke Donald told BBC Sport.

“It was sensational, a dream start for us. This morning was an amazing performance by the guys and this afternoon was tough.

“The US came back, we knew they would. They had a stretch there in the middle where the momentum was turning their way but man, did we turn it back.”

US captain Zach Johnson said he had been “proud” of his team’s “fight and character”, insisting “our time’s coming”.

“It looks like the European team executed golf shots a little bit better than we did, and that’s golf, so you tip the cap to Luke [Donald] and his team,” he added.

It was, however, the first time the US have not won a single match in a day and it is the joint-highest lead after day one, level with Europe in 2004 and the US in 1975.

“The fact that the Americans didn’t win a full point was incredible and just shows the heart, grit and determination that the European team has,” McIlroy told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.

“We have a ton of momentum and we’ll try to ride the crowd’s energy to win both sessions [on Saturday].”

That momentum was carried over from an electric atmosphere in the morning session that amped up 30 minutes before the first balls were struck.

Five-thousand fans packed into the stand surrounding the first tee, with thousands more lining the fairway on both sides all the way up to the first green.

The hosts were sensational from the off and the leaderboard was all blue from the moment McIlroy holed a birdie putt on the fourth as Donald’s men produced the fast start he had craved.

To illustrate Europe’s dominance, they did not trail in any match and won 22 holes to the Americans’ 10 as the defending champions suffered a demoralising morning.

Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton won the top match and their 4&3 win was equalled by Hovland and Ludvig Aberg.

Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka were 2&1 victors, while in the bottom match McIlroy and Fleetwood also came through 2&1, as Europe won all four opening session matches for the first time.

How the afternoon session unfolded

It was a different story in the second session. Aside from Fitzpatrick and McIlroy’s romp, the other afternoon matches were all more tense affairs that the US, arguably, could and should have won given they led late on in all three.

Wildcard picks and best friends Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, protecting a 100% record in fourballs, had been sent out first by US skipper Zach Johnson.

And when Thomas birdied the sixth hole, they gave the US a first lead in any match – an astonishing six-and-a-half hours after the first shot had been hit at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

The Americans looked to be cruising to a first full point at two up with five to play against Hovland and Hatton but then errors, which have blighted both their games in recent times, crept in.

That opened the door for Hatton and his birdies at the 14th and 16th holes to level the match were heartily welcomed by the majority of the estimated 55,000-strong crowd.

Hovland then holed from 25ft for a birdie at the last, gravity helping his ball drop into the hole with its final revolution. It proved crucial because Thomas was only 4ft away and he duly registered the first US half point.

The following match was equally tight, with Rahm and Nicolai Hojgaard pegged back from two up after eight to all square by world number one Scottie Scheffler with wins on holes 10 and 11.

Brooks Koepka edged the Americans in front with a birdie on 15, but Rahm holed his second chip-in of the day to win the par-four 16th with an eagle.

The Spaniard’s wild celebrations were matched by an unusually animated Scheffler after he won the 17th to put the Americans one up with one to play and guarantee at least another half point.

A half point is all they would get though after Rahm produced another eagle to win the 18th, ramming a 33-footer into the hole at pace.

“There was definitely a bit of Seve magic on that one,” said Rahm, referring to the late Seve Ballesteros, who has a space dedicated to him in the European team’s dressing room.

“He definitely pulled that one towards the hole.”

Koepka, meanwhile, complained about Rahm’s behaviour on the course, saying: “I want to hit a board and pout just like Jon Rahm did. But, you know, it is what it is. Act like a child. But we’re adults. We move on.”

It is not clear what the Spaniard did, or on which hole, to attract the ire of his opponent.

That left one match out on the course, with Rose – partnered by Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre – at his grinding best, refusing to allow Americans Max Homa and Wyndham Clark breathing space.

Three times he won a hole on the back nine to reduce the deficit to one.

The final time was with a par on the 17th to send the match down the 18th and Rose nailed an eight-footer, before beating his chest in a fashion reminiscent of Ian Poulter, as he gave Europe a five-point lead after day one.

Saturday’s foursomes announced

Donald has kept with the same foursomes pairings for Saturday morning that were so successful on Friday.

McIlroy and Fleetwood will be first out and face Spieth and Thomas at 06:35 BST, while Hovland and rookie Aberg will play Scheffler and Koepka.

Lowry and Straka are in match three against Homa and Brian Harman, with Rahm and Hatton facing Patrick Cantlay and Schauffele in the final game.

Europe need 14½ points to regain the Ryder Cup, with the US requiring 14 to retain it.