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Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

1. Woods on ankle, leg

AP report…”Tiger Woods says he is pain-free when it comes to his right ankle that was fused in April. It’s the rest of leg that remains a work in progress.”

• “And there’s no indication when he’ll get back to work on the golf course.”

• “My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever,” Woods said Tuesday. “That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for.”

• “He compared it with when he had fusion surgery on his lower back. He said the L5 and S1 vertebrae were fine.”

• “But all the surrounding areas is where I had all my problems and I still do,” he said. “So you fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues.”

2. Tiger’s TGL team announced

From a press release…”TGL presented by SoFi, the new tech-forward, prime time team golf league developed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA TOUR, today announced the formation of Jupiter Links Golf Club, the sixth and final TGL team, with an ownership group led by Tiger Woods’ TGR Ventures and David Blitzer. Additionally, Woods is the first TGL player to be announced on Jupiter Links GC’s roster. The announcement was made today by Woods, Blitzer, and Mike McCarley, CEO, TMRW Sports and TGL.”

• “Through its use of technology, TGL is a modern twist of traditional golf and ultimately will make the sport I love more accessible. Having the opportunity to not only compete, but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me. I expect Jupiter Links GC to showcase the golf culture of my hometown as we compete against the best players in the world,” said Woods.

3. Tiger caddies for Charlie en route to top-20 finish

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”The Notah Begay III Boys Junior Golf National Championship wrapped up on Monday at Koasati Pines Golf Club in Allen Parish, Louisiana with Misha Golod (16-18), Lucky Cruz (14-15), Maverick Midthun (12-13) and Kai Molina (10-11) taking home titles.”

• “Golod’s victory was his second straight at this event, as the 16-year-old Ukrainian won the 14-15 division last year. Golod, who has lived in Florida since war broke out in his native country, is expected to sign with North Carolina when the Class of 2024’s early signing period begins on Wednesday.”

• “The other story from the 54-hole championship was Charlie Woods, who closed in 3-under 68 to finish T-17 in the 14-15 division with his 15-time major-winning dad, Tiger Woods, caddying for all three rounds.”

• “Charlie ended up at 2 over for the event, 13 shots back of Cruz – and Tiger walked and carried his son’s bag the whole way.”

4. McIlroy on TGL: “More NBA than LIV”

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”McIlroy compared TGL’s concept on Monday not to anything else in golf but rather to professional basketball.”

• “I think when it’s been branded as simulator golf that does it a bit of disservice,” McIlroy said. “It’s going to be a lot more than that. … We’re trying to bring golf into the 21st century. I think a lot of people will connect with the fact that we’re playing indoors. It’ll look nothing like traditional golf. It’ll look more like an NBA game hopefully. Sort of trying to give people in the arena that court side experience.”

• As it relates to LIV, McIlroy added: “I don’t want to sit here and talk about LIV, but I think you can make an argument that they haven’t innovated enough away from what traditional golf is, or they’ve innovated too much that they’re not traditional golf. They’re sort of caught in no-man’s land. Where [TGL] is so far removed from what we know golf to be.”

5. Butterfield Bermuda picks

Who our betting expert Matt Vincenzi likes….

• Ben Griffin +2500 (FanDuel)

Last year, Ben Griffin slept on the 54-hole lead at Port Royal but struggled in the final round, shooting 72 and slipping to a tie for third place. The 27-year-old came agonizingly close once again a few weeks ago at the Sanderson Farms Championship but missed an eight-foot putt to win the event and eventually lost on the first playoff hole.

Griffin played well once again last week at the World Wide Technology Championship, finishing 13th. The strong performance should increase his confidence as he heads back to a course he absolutely loves. In the field, Griffin ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 11th in Strokes Gained: Putting on Bermudagrass and 21st in Strokes Gained: Short Game. His ability to score on shorter courses make him an ideal fit for Port Royal.

With a few frustrating Sunday’s early in his career, I believe Griffin has developed the necessary scar tissue to win the next time he finds himself deep in contention.

• Taylor Pendrith +2500 (DraftKings)

Taylor Pendrith came close to winning this event back in 2021 when he had the 54-hole lead before shooting a 76 on Sunday. The Canadian is in excellent from coming into the 2023 version of the event. He’s finished 3rd and 15th in his last two starts at the Shriners and World Wide Technology Championship.

Despite being a long hitter, Pendrith has thrived on shorter courses throughout his career. He has top-20 finishes at Pebble Beach, Sedgefield CC, Port Royal and Sea Island. In addition to being short, those courses are all coastal tracks, which the 32-year-old clearly is fond of.

Pendrith is extremely talented but still winless as a PGA Tour player. a weak field on a course where he’s had success is an ideal spot for his breakthrough victory.

6.  Nelly working with new putting coach

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”Nelly Korda comes to Annika Sorenstam’s namesake event on the LPGA hoping to do something the LPGA legend accomplished twice in her career: win an event three years in a row.”

• “Korda was grinding on the practice green Tuesday with putting instructor Eric Dietrich. The pair first began working together around the Solheim Cup, and she has since switched her grip and her putter. Korda said she feels more organized after making the move to Dietrich.

• “Felt like I just have a plan now, or I have tendencies that I know about that I can always go into a drill and kind of work on those tendencies,” said Korda.

• “Where before I was kind of blind going to a putting green. I did it myself.”

7. Donald 2025?

Tom D’Angelo for Palm Beach Post…”The golfers are not the only ones endorsing Luke Donald to return as captain of the European Ryder Cup team.”

• “Four former European Ryder Cup captains were in the field at the TimberTech Championship on the Old Course at Broken Sound, one of them, Irishman Padraig Harrington, winning the event.

• “And all four share the same sentiments of the players who started chanting “two more years” after soundly defeating the United States in Rome, 16½-11½, five weeks ago.

• “The Europeans were expressing their desire for Donald to return for a second run as captain in 2025, when the Ryder Cup moves back to the U.S. and will be played at Bethpage Black in New York. Donald is showing interest in returning. The decision now is in the hands of the European Ryder Cup committee.”