Bay Hill highlights busiest week of golf this year and LIV returns in Hong Kong

ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

Site: Orlando, Florida.

Course: Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Yardage: 7,466. Par: 72.

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

Television: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC).

Defending champion: Russell Henley.

FedEx Cup leader: Jacob Bridgeman.

Last week: Nico Echavarria won the Cognizant Classic.

Notes: This is the third $20 million signature event of the year, part of a stretch in which four of five tournaments have prize funds of at least $20 million. ... The field features 19 of the top 20 in the world, missing only Patrick Reed, who can't return to the PGA Tour until September. ... Adam Scott parlayed his sponsor exemption to Riviera into a fourth-place finish, which qualified him for Bay Hill through the “Swing 10” based on FedEx Cup standings. ... Jordan Spieth received a sponsor exemption for the first time this year to a signature event. Spieth did not get one for Bay Hill last year. ... Fifty players in the 72-man field already are eligible for the Masters. ... Scottie Scheffler has not broken par in the opening round of his last three tournaments. He is a two-time winner at Bay Hill in the last four years. ... The last two PGA Tour winners were outside the top 50 in the world, Nico Echavarria (59) at PGA National and Jacob Bridgeman (52) at Riviera.

Next week: The Players Championship.

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

LIV GOLF HONG KONG

Site: Hong Kong.

Course: Hong Kong GC (Fanling). Yardage: 6,711. Par: 70.

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

Television: Thursday, 12-1 a.m. (FS2), 1-5 a.m. (FS1); Thursday, 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. (FS2), 1-4 a.m. (FS1); Saturday, 12-5 a.m. (FS1); Saturday, 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Fox One), 1-4:30 a.m. (FS1).

Defending champion: Sergio Garcia.

Points leader: Jon Rahm.

Last event: Anthony Kim won LIV Golf Adelaide.

Notes: Anthony Kim is coming off his first win in 16 years when he rallied to win in Australia two weeks ago. ... This is the third straight year playing in Hong Kong. The Fanling layout is the same used for the Hong Kong Open. ... LIV Golf opened the year with first-time winners in the opening two events (Elvis Smylie and Kim). ... Jon Rahm has not won since late in the 2024 season. He has been runner-up in his last four LIV Golf events, and five of his last six. He won the points title last year without winning, and leads the list this year after two events. ... Tom McKibbin won the Hong Kong Open last year to earn a spot in the Masters. ... Ian Poulter also is a former Hong Kong Open champion (2010). ... LIV Golf still has two more international stops in Singapore and South Africa. The first U.S. tournament is not until May 7-10 outside Washington. ... No one has made eagle at the 288-yard fourth hole (par 4) the last two years.

Next week: LIV Golf Singapore.

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

BLUE BAY LPGA

Site: Hainan Island, China.

Course: Jian Lake Blue Bay GC. Yardage: 6,712. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2.6 million. Winner's share: $390,000.

Television: Wednesday-Friday, 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Rio Takeda.

Race to CME Globe leader: Jeeno Thitikul.

Last week: Hannah Green won the HSBC Women's World Championship.

Notes: One week after the LPGA had its strongest field with nine out of the top 10 in the women's world ranking, only Ruoning Yin from China is among the top 10 playing at Blue Bay. ... The China Golf Association has a category to fill with 20 of its members. ... Six other players from China received sponsor invitations, including former USC golfer Muni He. ... This is the third straight week as part of the Asia swing. The LPGA Tour will have a week off after Blue Bay before resuming the domestic schedule in the San Francisco area. ... The tournament began in 2014 but this is only the eighth edition because of years canceled by travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. ... Bailey Tardy in 2024 is the only American to have won Blue Bay. ... Auston Kim was runner-up last week in Singapore. She is No. 4 in the Solheim Cup standings. ... Nelly Korda played the Seminole Pro-Member on Monday in Florida. She will have been off six weeks when she returns to the LPGA.

Next tournament: Fortinet Founders Cup on March 19-22.

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

PUERTO RICO OPEN

Site: Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Course: Grand Reserve CC. Yardage: 7,506. Par: 72.

Prize money: $4 million. Winner's share: $720,000.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 2:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Karl Vilips.

FedEx Cup leader: Jacob Bridgeman.

Last week: Nico Echavarria won the Cognizant Classic.

Notes: This is the first week on the PGA Tour schedule that has two tournaments. The winner in Puerto Rico gets a two-year exemption and a spot in the PGA Championship, but not an invitation to the Masters. ... Eugenio Chacarra was given a sponsor exemption, the first former LIV Golf player who got an exemption. ... This year's event is marked by youth. John Daly II, the son of two-time major champion John Daly, and 17-year-old Chinese player Zhou Yanhan, were given exemptions. Zhou won seven times on the China tour last year. That got him onto the European tour. ... Also in the field is 17-year-old Miles Russell, the No. 11 amateur in the world who has committed to play at Florida State next year. ... The Puerto Rico Open has been part of the PGA Tour schedule since 2008. Among its past champions are Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau, Branden Grace and Cognizant Classic winner Nico Echavarria.

Next week: The Players Championship.

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

JOBURG OPEN

Site: Johannesburg.

Course: Houghton GC. Yardage: 7,241. Par: 70.

Prize money: 20.5 million rand ($1.28 million). Winner's share: 3.42 million rand ($213,366).

Television: Thursday-Friday, 5:30-10 a.m. (Golf Channel), 10-10:30 a.m. (Golf Channel app); Saturday, 5-5:30 a.m. (Golf Channel app), 5:30-9:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 5-10 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Calum Hill.

Race to Dubai leader: Patrick Reed.

Last week: Casey Jarvis won the Investec South African Open.

Notes: Patrick Reed makes his debut in the Joburg Open, the American's second straight week playing in South Africa. He tied for 29th in the South African Open. Reed still has a comfortable lead in the Race to Dubai. ... A pair of South Africans chasing Reed on the Race to Dubai also are playing. Jayden Shaper and Casey Jarvis also are two-time winners on the European tour this year. ... Eddie Pepperell of England narrowly missed out on a British Open spot when he shot 64 on Sunday in the South African Open and finished in fifth place. ... Jarvis winning back-to-back weeks means South Africa now has six players among the top 100 in the world ranking. ... This is the third straight week for the European tour to be in Africa. It will have two tournaments in Asia in the weeks leading to the Masters. ... The Joburg Open began in 2007 and when Johan Immelman, the father of CBS Sports analyst Trevor Immelman, was Sunshine Tour commissioner.

Next tournament: Hainan Classic on March 19-22.

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

JAMES HARDIE PRO-FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME INVITATIONAL

Site: Boca Raton, Florida.

Course: The Old Course at Broken Sound Club. Yardage: 7,008. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2.2 million. Winner's share: $330,000.

Television: Friday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel app), 7-9 p.m. (Golf Channel-Tape Delay).

Defending champion: Angel Cabrera.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink.

Last tournament: David Toms won the Chubb Classic.

Notes: Former Masters and British Open champion Zach Johnson turned 50 last week and will make his PGA Tour Champions debut. ... The tournament features a 78-man field playing alongside 26 football greats the opening two rounds. ... Among the NFL stars in the field are Marcus Allen, Lawrence Taylor, Anthony Munoz, Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith, Steve Largent and Thurman Thomas. ... Olin Browne is an alternate in the tournament and listed as being part of the field for the Puerto Rico Open on the PGA Tour. ... Among those who received sponsor exemptions are Ken Duke, Gene Sauers and Glen Day. ... Stewart Cink, who won the Champions opener on the Big Island in Hawaii, is making his second start of the year. He leads the Charles Schwab Cup. ... Cabrera has finished in the top 10 in both of his PGA Tour Champions starts this year. ... The course previously hosted a Schwab Cup postseason event.

Next tournament: Cologuard Classic on March 20-22.

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

ASTARA CHILE CLASSIC

Site: Santiago, Chile.

Course: Prince of Wales CC. Yardage: 7,134. Par: 71.

Prize money: $1 million. Winner's share: $180,000.

Television: None.

Previous winner: Logan McAllister.

Points leader: Ian Holt.

Last week: Alistair Docherty won the Argentine Open.

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

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

Epson Tour: Atlantic Beach Classic, Atlantic Beach CC, Atlantic Beach, Florida. Previous winner: Laetitia Beck. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/

Japan Golf Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia: ISPS Handa Japan-Australasia Championship, Royal Auckland GC and Grange GC. Auckland, New Zealand. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://www.jgto.org/en/ and https://golf.com.au/

Ladies European tour: Australian Women's Classic, Magenta Shores Golf & CC, New South Wales, Australia. Defending champion: Manon De Roey. Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/

Japan LPGA: Daikin Orchid Ladies, Ryukyu GC, Okinawa, Japan. Defending champion: Chisato Iwai. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

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

Shane Lowry of Ireland hits from the 12th fairway during the final round of the Cognizant Classic golf tournament, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.

Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.

Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.

“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”

Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.

“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”

The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.

Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.

With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.

Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.

The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."

The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.

Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.

“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”

This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.

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

Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)