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The Loop

Forward Press: Tiger talk, Rose returns to New Orleans and a possible battlefield promotion

Last week the Valero Texas Open was usurped by the Snapping tales of four young lads from America crashing the Bahamas, armed with tequila shots and a cell phone. This week’s Zurich Classic is not in danger of a similar fate, what with the lead Bahamas snapper Rickie Fowler teeing it up in New Orleans along with co-headliner Jason Day.

Instead, the attention may switch away from the Zurich to Tiger Woods, who has until Friday evening to commit to next week’s Wells Fargo Championship. Our Tim Rosaforte feels that’s where things are headed and with Tiger entering the U.S. Open, surfacing at the Sage Valley Invitational to give a full bag clinic and in general, signaling a return to the game after multiple back operations.

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In recent years Woods was often lambasted for ill-timed announcements or waiting until the last second to enter a tournament. But in this latest case with a back that could still be fickle, it’s hard to blame him for holding out, even if it disrupts news from the tour’s marquee event.

Your basic no-win. Except for golf, which will enjoy having him back.

In New Orleans, Justin Rose defends a title he won in exciting fashion last year.

Golf Channel kicks off coverage Thursday and Friday from 3-6 PM ET, with bonus weekend early round coverage from 1-2:30 PM ET. CBS airs live weekend coverage Saturday and Sunday from 3-6 PM ET.

Brush Up On Your Better Than Most Calls!

Fifteen years since Gary Koch’s famous call of Tiger’s epic putt in the 2001 Players Championship, the event gets a re-airing Tuesday night at 8 PM ET on Golf Channel.

In case you were in solitary confinement for the last fifteen years:

The LPGA Tour Heads To Texas

Inbee Park will not defend her title at Las Colinas Country Club due to a thumb injury, but plenty of other stars are on hand for the, gulp, Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC.

Is that the VATSPJTBC? Let’s just go with the Texas stop.

Cristie Kerr, Hee Young Park, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Sei Young Kim and Minjee Lee will be teeing it up. Veterans Paula Creamer, Laura Davies, Shanshan Feng, Anna Nordqvist, Karrie Webb, Se Ri Pak and Suzann Pettersen add great depth and star power to an impressive field.

Golf Channel kicks off Thursday/Friday live coverage at noon ET, followed by more live weekend play from 3-6 PM ET.

Web.com Tour Includes Battlefield Promotion Watch

Former social-media star turned ace golfer Wesley Bryan goes for his third win of 2016 and a “battlefield promotion” to the PGA Tour in the great state of Indiana.

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The United Leasing & Finance Championship airs at 6:30 PM ET on Golf Channel Thursday and Friday, followed by 7 PM start times on the weekend.

Alex Myers with the story of Bryan winning in Mexico last week with his social media guru caddie Chad Coleman.

British Summertime Is Almost Here, Mercifully

The European Tour heads to the China Open, another middle-of-the-night on Golf Channel event that does not excite the senses. Thankfully the tour gets to Europe in a few weeks with the Irish Open, but until then your headliners in China are Nicolas Colsaerts, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and YE Yang.

In 2015, Wu Ashun made European Tour history by becoming the first Chinese player to win an event on home soil. He returns to defend. Golf Channel opens up coverage Thursday morning at 12:30 AM ET, followed by a 5 AM ET start Friday and weekend starts at 6 AM ET leading into Morning Drive.