Help Centre

Tiger Woods' caddie insists a month-long rest was the best approach his boss could take to this week's US PGA Championship following his emotional Masters triumph.

Woods has not played a tournament since capping one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history with a fifth Masters win at Augusta National last month, his 15th major title.

The 43-year-old withdrew from the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago and many have questioned whether he'll be sharp enough this week on New York's notoriously-tough Bethpage Black course.

But Woods appears intent on maintaining momentum as he renews his quest to chase down Jack Nicklaus' record tally of 18 major titles.

He flew to New York last week to play a practice round and was also among the small portion of the 156-player field who braved heavy rain and temperatures of six degrees to play nine holes in practice on Monday.

Woods' caddie Joe LaCava believes the break will work in his favour.

"Being well-rested is more important than anything," LaCava told ESPN on Monday.

"Winning the Masters took a lot out of him. Playing another tournament ... would have taken a lot out of him (and) probably wouldn't have done him any good, because he would have been too tired."

The winner of 81 PGA Tour events, Woods is among the betting favourites for the PGA Championship, given his resurgence and history - he won the 2002 US Open at Bethpage and also tied sixth there in the 2009 US Open.

LaCava said Woods' game was major-ready, having spent considerable time during the past month practising at his home base of Jupiter, Florida.

"First and foremost, he looks good and he's moving around well," LaCava said of four-time PGA Championship winner Woods.

"He's driving it well, the game looks pretty good, and his short game around the greens looks really good."

Having undergone four back surgeries in his career, Woods will need to manage his body well with cold conditions forecast for New York.

It is the first time the PGA Championship will be held in May, having held in an mid-summer August date until last year.

This will have the affect making the 7400-yard Bethpage course play longer as the golf ball will not travel as far.

Also lengthening Bethpage is the fact rain has lashed New York since Saturday and is set to continue on Tuesday.

Australian golf coach Stuart Deane still has the $US1 million novelty cheque he won from Donald Trump hanging on his wall at home in Texas.

Now Deane, ranked No.2057 in the world, hopes to cash another big cheque after qualifying to play in this week's US PGA Championship.

The 47-year-old Brisbane native was among 20 club pros to gain entry to the year's second major through the PGA Professionals Championship earlier this month.

US-based Deane famously collected $US1 million from Trump in a made-for-television event held on a Caribbean island a decade before the businessman was elected as US President.

In 2006, holding no status on the PGA Tour or its second tier, he progressed through 54 holes of qualifying to win a sudden-death, nine-hole shootout at the Trump Million Dollar Invitational.

Deane says the billionaire was "gracious" and became a friend after his million-dollar victory.

"I've said it all along; he was phenomenal to me," Deane told AAP at a wet Bethpage Black course in New York on Monday.

"He was very gracious; gave me all the time I needed. I used to be able to call him. The whole experience was very interesting.

"People laugh that I've still got a huge novelty cheque on the wall at home with the president's signature on it. It's a fun story."

Deane admits he has not spoken to Trump in more than nine years.

"No; I talked to him quite often for the first few years after I won up until 2010, but now it would be impossible to reach out," Deane said.

Deane will contest his third major, having played the PGA Championship in 2014 and 2017, but will have his work cut out to make the cut for the first time.

Bethpage Black is known as one of golf's toughest tests and with rain soaking the Long Island course it will play much longer than its 7400-yard measurement.

At the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, which has a similar length to Bethpage, Deane shot 84, 81 to miss the 36-hole cut by a significant amount.

"I learned you have to be ready to play in a major," Deane said.

"This weather is going to make preparation difficult, but the big thing is to come and enjoy the experience and play as best we can.

"We have to represent (the PGA professionals in the tournament) well."

Deane qualified for an exemption to last week's Byron Nelson event in Texas but missed the cut.

He has been listed by Australian bookmakers as a 2500-1 chance to win the PGA.

It took eight years and 159 tournaments but South Korea's Sung Kang is finally a winner on the US PGA Tour.

The 31-year-old world No.138 closed with a four-under 67 to finish at 23 under and win the Byron Nelson tournament in Dallas by two stokes from Americans Matt Every (66) and Scott Piercy (64) on Sunday.

World No.3 Brooks Koepka showed he was primed for this week's US PGA Championship title defence as he finished fourth at 20 under after a closing 65.

Australia's Matt Jones produced his best result of the season as he tied for fifth, six shots behind Kang, after shooting 65 67 over the last two rounds.

Most players had to complete their third rounds before tackling the final round on a marathon final day.

Kang had to play 27 holes and said he decided to just relax and have fun despite a lack of sleep.

"Yesterday we finished too late and I didn't get enough time to sleep. I only slept about three hours," he said.

"When my turn came up I tried to really focus on it and it worked out great. I am so happy right now."

The success is indicative of the rise of South Koreans on the US tour.

In 2003, K.J. Choi was the only South Korean-born player and now there are 15.

Matt Every only needed half a round to go from a four-stroke deficit to a one-shot lead at the PGA Tour's Byron Nelson tournament in Texas but he has 27 holes left to play on Sunday.

Every opened the rain-delayed third round with a chip-in eagle, then had four birdies in a span of five holes to take a one-shot lead from South Korea's Sung Kang before play was suspended because of darkness with their lead group though nine holes.

Only 12 of 83 players finished the third round.

"It was like a normal round of golf for me, it felt like it," said Every, whose two PGA Tour victories were both at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, in 2014 and 2015.

The start of the third round at Trinity Forest was delayed six hours because of heavy rain.

Kang matched the course record with a 61 in the second round to take a four-stroke lead over Every into Saturday after the two also played together the first two rounds.

But Every had a six-under 30 on the front nine on Saturday to get to 18 under.

Tyler Duncan, also in the final threesome, was third at 15 under a day after his wayward tee shot on his only bogey in the second round hit his wife on the head - she was OK.

Australia's Matt Jones capitalised on the soft conditions to pick up five shots through 11 holes in the third round, climbing to tied seventh at 12 under.

Also at 12 under was Brooks Kopeka, the world's No.3 who will go to the PGA Championship at Bethpage next week as the defending champion.

Koepka has four consecutive birdies late in his second round, then started Saturday with birdies on the first two holes. But he was only one under through 10 holes when play stopped.

Sweden's Marcus Kinhult has carded a four-under-par 68 in the British Masters third round to join England's Matt Wallace at the top of the leaderboard going into the final day.

Overnight leader Wallace, who went bogey-free in the opening two rounds, started well on Saturday with back-to-back birdies in the first three holes but lost ground on the back nine and settled for a round of 70 that allowed Kinhult to get into contention.

The duo moved to 14 under for the tournament at Hillside Golf Club, setting up a thrilling final round.

"I was trying to take a note out of Tiger's (Woods) book... let them try and catch you, but I probably hit two bad shots, and that's it... that's what happens in golf," Wallace, who had a bogey on the 12th hole and a double bogey six on the 15th, said.

"I'm pretty happy with how I handled myself out there today. I'm obviously frustrated with dropping a couple on the 15th. But I showed different character to not let it affect me too much and then step up on the next hole, which is tough."

Kinhult shot five birdies on the day and had an eagle on the 11th and was satisfied with his effort in difficult conditions.

"It was tough in the wind today but I managed to post a good score, so I'm happy," Kinhult added.

"I won the Lytham Trophy a few years ago and it's just right around the corner. I just like to be here. I like how the course is set up. You have to manage your game a little bit different."

Scotland's Richie Ramsay was two shots behind the leaders in third after a round of 71. His compatriot Robert MacIntyre was fourth alongside tournament host Tommy Fleetwood.

The best Australian was Dimitrios Papadatos, who shot a three-under 69 to be six shots off the pace.

Scott Hend is another four shots back after going one over in his third round, Jason Scrivener is two shots behind him and Lucas Herbert is the last Australian under par, but he's an insurmountable 14 shots off the leaders.

South Korea's Sung Kang shot a magnificent 10-under 61 in tough conditions to bolt to a four-stroke halfway lead at the PGA Byron Nelson tournament in Dallas.

Matt Jones is the closest Australian on the leaderboard sitting nine shots behind. Jones followed up his impressive first round total of 65 with a disappointing 70 to close the second round at seven-under 135.

Kang, who is a Dallas local, said he could hardly move his body on an unusually cold May day in north Texas but notched six consecutive birdies en route to a 16-under 126 total at Trinity Forest.

Americans Matt Every (65) and Tyler Duncan (66) were equal second to Kang on 12-under, with big gun Brooks Koepka (66) a stroke further back.

"I live in Dallas and I've never seen the weather like this in May," said 31-year-old Kang.

"I checked the weather yesterday and I knew it was going to be really cold and windy so I tried to prepare for how far the ball was going to go this morning and it worked out great.

"It was so cold I couldn't really move my body but I missed it in the right spots where I needed to miss it."

World number 138 Kang has not had a decent result since a tie for sixth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and is seeking his first PGA Tour win.

Koepka sounded up for the chase.

"I don't need to catch him tomorrow ... but I feel like I'm playing really well and I like my chances," he said ahead of his PGA Championship defence next week.

Local Jordan Spieth also showed form before his next attempt for a career grand slam of majors.

"Very pleased," a beanie-wearing Spieth said after his 67 left him nine shots behind Kang.

"I improved on yesterday which already was a solid day. I feel good on the greens. One or two tee balls cost me a shot or two but all in all we had some very difficult conditions."

Spieth marvelled at Kang's score.

"What Sung is doing now is absurd given what we faced," he said.

Meanwhile, only two Australians joined Matt Jones above the cut. Cameron Davis is at six-under 136 after shooting 69, while Curtis Luck sits at four-under 138 after his 67 bettered his 71 effort in the first round.

Compatriots John Senden, Rod Pampling, Stuart Deane and Todd Balkin all missed the cut, as did former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo after carding 74 to miss the cut by 10 strokes.

Australian fans wanting to watch Adam Scott, Tiger Woods and Jason Day tee off at the PGA Championship in New York can brace themselves for an "all-nighter" on Thursday.

Masters winner Woods will begin his quest for a 16th major title at 10.24pm (Thursday AEST) at the 10th hole at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale.

He will play with defending champion Brooks Koepka and British Open titleholder Francesco Molinari, both of whom launched challenges on the final day of the Masters.

Woods, Koepka and Molinari will be preceded two groups ahead by Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson, while Australian Adam Scott is scheduled to tee off even earlier at 9.40pm (Thursday AEST).

Scott will play with Spaniard Sergio Garcia and American Justin Thomas.

World No.15 Day is in the other half of the draw. The highest-ranked Australian on the PGA Tour will tee off on the first with gallery favourite Phil Mickelson and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy a few hours after Woods at 3:38am (Friday AEST).

Jordan Spieth will start his quest to complete the career grand slam at 3:16am (Friday AEST) with world No.1 Dustin Johnson and Spaniard Jon Rahm.

John Daly, who has been granted permission to ride in a cart, will tee off at 2:55am (Friday AEST) with two other previous champions, fellow American Rich Beem and South Korean Y.E. Yang.

Tee times are flipped on the second day, so those who play the first round early play the second round late and vice-versa.

Other Australians competing at next week's PGA tournament include Brendan Jones, Ryan Fox, Lucas Herbert, Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Stuart Deane and Craig Hocknull.

Matt Wallace has moved into position for his fifth European Tour win in two years by shooting five-under 67 to take the second-round lead at the British Masters.

The Englishman was 12 under overall and a stroke clear of a trio of players on Friday including Sweden's Niklas Lemke, who made eight straight birdies - one off the professional golf record - in shooting 64.

Lemke is tied with England's Ross Fisher (65), Belgium's Thomas Detry (67) and Scot Richie Ramsay (67).

The best placed Australian is Scott Hend, who shot a three-under 69, to be five shots off the lead in equal 11th.

Wallace won his first title in Portugal in 2017 before three more in 2018, when he was unfortunate to miss out on a wild card for the Ryder Cup outside Paris.

He is determined to continue his rise and has recently started working with fitness expert Dr. Steve McGregor, who counts former world No. 1s Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood among his previous clients.

"If I look at the bigger picture of the next three or four years, it's very similar to (British Open champion) Francesco (Molinari)," said Wallace, who was playing on the Alps Tour and at No.1672 in the rankings this time four years ago.

"Three years ago, he wasn't where he is now and I want to be doing what he's doing - Ryder Cups and majors and competing at every single event pretty much."

Further down the pecking order is Australian Dimitrios Papadatos who shot one-under 70 to be seven shots off the pace, while Lucas Herbert is a further shot back after his two-under 68 in the second round.

Fellow Australian Jason Scrivener is 10 shots back from Wallace after he shot a two-under 70 following his opening round par.

Wallace has yet to drop a shot this week after starting with a 65.

With his streak of birdies from No. 13 to No. 2 after starting at the 10th hole, Lemke came close to equaling the record set by former British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia in 2009 and matched by Australia's James Nitties at the Vic Open in February.

Australia's world No.22 Marc Leishman has been forced to miss the Byron Nelson, the lead-in event to the US PGA Championship.

Runner-up last year, Leishman withdrew from the Dallas tournament because of a back injury.

"My lower back just flared up a bit on Monday night and Tuesday," Leishman told pgatour.com.

"I think I slept on it a bit funny.

"I was hoping it'd be good by today because I really love the tournament but it wasn't feeling too flash this morning so I decided to withdraw and seek some more treatment."

A four-time PGA Tour winner, including this season's CIMB Classic, Leishman is hopeful he can take his place in next week's PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in New York.

"I'll get it more thoroughly checked out and worked on but I hope it just needs some rest and I'll be OK for next week," he said.

In Leishman's absence, Matt Jones led the way for the Australian contingent with an opening round six-under-par 65.

Starting on the back nine, Jones's round included an eagle on his 15th hole - a 301-yard par 4.

He drove the green before sinking a nine-foot putt.

Leader Denny McCarthy's 63 was even better than it might look at first glance.

He double-bogeyed his fourth hole before roaring back with 10 birdies for a one-stroke advantage over fellow Americans Tyler Duncan and Tom Hoge.

The links-style Trinity Forest layout is designed to be played in firm conditions with a prevailing southerly breeze.

But conditions on Thursday were quite the opposite. Persistent rain over the past week has left the course unusually soft while the breeze was from the north.

Brooks Koepka did not get the luxury of seeing the full Trinity Forest layout before the opening round but that did not keep him from shooting a six-under-par 65.

Koepka, who next week will defend his PGA Championship title, saw the back nine during a Tuesday practice round but never got a chance to see the front nine as rain washed out the pro-am event on Wednesday.

Undaunted, the world No.3 three still compiled eight birdies in the morning wave on Thursday morning and trailed McCarthy by two strokes with half the field back in the clubhouse.

A Texas-based Australian swing coach, who once won $US1 million from Donald Trump, will use the US PGA Tour's Byron Nelson event to sharpen up for next week's US PGA Championship.

Stuart Deane, a Brisbane native who is the teaching pro at Texas Star Golf Club, is about to kick off a huge two weeks of tournament golf.

The 47-year-old received an exemption to this week's Byron Nelson event courtesy of winning the Northern Texas PGA Section Championship last year.

Deane also secured a third trip to the US PGA Championship - to be held at New York's famed Bethpage Black course next week - when he was among 20 club pros to gain entry to the major via the PGA Professionals Championship earlier this month.

"This will be my fifth time competing in the Byron Nelson. It is always a privilege to play out there," Deane said.

"It (is) really cool to play the Byron Nelson and the PGA Championship in back-to-back weeks."

Deane famously pocketed a $US1 million check from Trump a decade before he was elected as US President.

In 2006, holding no status on the PGA Tour or its second tier, Deane progressed through 54 holes of qualifying to win a sudden-death, nine-hole shootout at the Trump Million Dollar Invitational.

The made-for-television event was held on a Caribbean island.

"I've still got the big cheque on my wall at home," Deane told AAP in 2017.

"I know people who work for the Trump organisation who joke with me, 'You're the only one who has got a cheque from the President'.

"Mr Trump was great. I used to be able to call him on his cell phone and say G'day.

"He was incredibly gracious to me and everything I did, it was absolutely awesome."

The $1 million helped Deane's attempt to secure a PGA Tour card, but injuries crippled his hopes before moving into golf teaching.

Deane recently resigned as director of golf coaching at the University of Texas at Arlington and is now the head pro at Texas Star Golf Course.

The 1990 Brisbane Golf Club champion will tee up in his third major next week, having qualified for the 2014 and 2017 PGA Championship.

Also in the Byron Nelson field, which is being held at the Dallas area's Trinity Forest Golf Club, is Australian star Marc Leishman.

Leishman has been tipped to win by PGA Tour fantasy experts given he finished second last year and has five top-10 results this season.

Joining Leishman and Deane at Trinity Forest are fellow Australians Cameron Davis, Matt Jones, Curtis Luck, Rod Pampling and John Senden.

Headlining the Byron Nelson field is three-time major winner Brooks Koepka and Dallas native Jordan Spieth.