Golf

Tiger Woods is off crutches and walking without a limp ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

The golf legend was out in Port St. Lucie, FL. watching his son, Charlie, play in a junior tournament Sunday ... and Woods was moving around the course without much issue at all.

A witness tells us Tiger -- who is still wearing a sleeve on his surgically repaired right leg -- was in great spirits, alternating between walking holes and riding around in a golf cart for others.

We're told Tiger was speaking with fans throughout the tournament ... thanking them for encouraging words while he was following Charlie around the track.

Of course, the images are a very positive sign for Woods ... considering they're the first time since his Feb. 2021 accident that he's been seen without any sort of walking aid.

As we previously reported, Woods horrifically injured his leg in a rollover car crash in Los Angeles ... suffering comminuted open fractures that required a rod, screws and pins to fix.

As late as July, Woods was still using crutches to help get around.

What's better than hitting a hole-in-one? Apparently, hitting one in front of Gary Player ... 'cause golf star Paige Spiranac did just that this week -- and the reaction she got from the legend was priceless!!

Spiranac was teeing off with Player at the Berenberg Invitational in Bedford Hills, NY on Monday ... when she put a sweet swing on an iron on the Par 3 14th hole at GlenArbor Golf Club.

Immediately, Player knew the stroke was a good one ... as soon as the ball left her clubface, Player shouted, "Good shot!"

Turns out, it was an amazing one -- because it eventually trickled into the hole!!!

Spiranac -- who has more followers on Instagram than Tiger Woods -- couldn't believe it ... and neither could Player, who went crazy with her in celebration!!

The two hugged ... and then Player let out a huge laugh!

"Made a hole in one in front of legend Gary Player yesterday," Spiranac said of the shot on Tuesday. "Coolest moment of my life!"

Paige is no stranger to good golf shots -- she's one of the best in the world after all -- but something tells us this might be #1 on the list going forward.

This is INCREDIBLE!!

Jordan Spieth almost sent himself into Lake Michigan on the 17th hole at the Ryder Cup on Friday ... but somehow managed to land an insane recovery shot in the process!!

It all went down during the first day of Ryder Cup action at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin ... when Spieth was facing a tough shot in thick grass and couldn't even see the pin.

But, the 28-year-old took his best swing, lost his balance and started tumbling towards the water.

The dude managed to stay on his feet the whole time, but it definitely required some quick thinking as he navigated through the steep terrain.

But, the best part?? Spieth was so busy trying to stay dry that he didn't see his shot land about 10 feet from the hole!!

It was a remarkable effort from the 28-year-old ... but unfortunately, it didn't help Team USA win the hole ... as Justin Thomas ended up missing the putt.

Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia won the hole and the match for Team Europe ... but man, what a helluva moment for Spieth.

The wives and girlfriends of USA's Ryder Cup team have made it to Wisconsin to cheer their men on against Team Europe ... with the group of ladies rocking matching outfits!!

Brooks Koepka's fiancee, Jena Sims, posted the snap on Thursday ahead of Day 1 of competition ... showing all the WAGs wearing leather pants, white button-down shirts and black blazers.

Of course, Brooks and Jena got engaged earlier this year ... and have been together for years.

Paulina Gretzky -- Dustin Johnson's fiancee -- is also in attendance once again this year ... which means DJ will most likely take on paparazzi duties once again at this year's Ryder Cup Gala.

Bryson DeChambeau is also back at the Ryder Cup this year ... and his girlfriend, Sophia Phalen Bertolami, will be supporting from the crowd.

Collin Morikawa's gorgeous GF, Katherine Zhu, is also front-and-center among the group of gals ... and you better believe she'll be the Open champ's biggest cheerleader.

Patrick Cantlay's new girlfriend, Nikki Guidish, is also making her RC debut ... after the couple went public with their relationship earlier this year.

The Ryder Cup is full of awesome events for both the golfers and their WAGs to have fun and mingle amongst the star-studded bunch ... so we're sure this is just the first of many shots of the ladies together.

'Harry Potter' star Tom Felton fell violently ill during a celeb golf tournament, collapsing and unable to leave the course on his own two feet.

Felton was playing at Whistling Straits in Kohler Wisconsin Thursday when he suffered an apparent medical emergency and passed out. Tournament medical staffers were quick to attend to the actor, load him up on a cart and take him for further evaluation.

It's currently unclear what triggered the episode or what his current condition is ... but the good news, Tom was conscious and appeared to be smiling when he was taken away.

Felton, who turned 34 yesterday, is competing in a celebrity-style Ryder Cup Tournament before the real deal kicks off this weekend. He's representing Ireland.

Felton rose to global fame as Harry Potter's foe Draco Malfoy in the popular book series turned film franchise. He's an avid golfer and has participated in several tournaments over the years.

We've reached out to Tom's rep for comment and to check in on how he's doing ... so far, no word back.

Donald Trump just can't stop taking shots at Joe Biden ... this time he shaded the current POTUS out on the golf course, saying there's no way in hell #46 could outdrive him.

Donald threw the jabs after smashing a drive on a tee box in front a crowd of golfers ... saying, "You think Biden can hit a ball like that?!"

"He couldn't get it passed the first tee!"

The onlooking golfers loved the remarks ... cheering on Donald as he got back into his golf cart to set up for his second shot.

Of course, clowning Biden is nothing new for Trump, who also took a dig at the President during a boxing match news conference earlier this month.

At that event -- a pre-fight media sesh for the Vitor Belfort vs. Evander Holyfield clash -- Trump said he'd want to box Biden because he knows it'd be an easy victory.

"I think he'd go down very, very quickly," Donald said. "Very, very quickly."

Tiger Woods is gunning to eventually come back to the golf course ... so says his pal Steve Stricker, who said Wednesday the legend is rehabbing with the intent of playing again.

Stricker -- the captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team this year -- made the revelation during a chat with Dennis Paulson and Carl Paulson, explaining El Tigre has been making strides toward picking up his clubs again.

"I've talked to Tiger a lot," Stricker said. "He's a part of this Ryder Cup family. He won't be able to be a captain's assistant this time around just because of his ongoing rehabilitation to try to get better and to try to play golf again, and that is going well."

Stricker added, "[Tiger] is progressing. He's doing well, things are moving in the right direction."

Many have doubted Woods would ever compete in a golf tournament again after he suffered horrific leg injuries during a car crash last February.

The 45-year-old shattered and broke bones in his right leg -- needing a rod, screws and pins to fix the damage -- and he was still on crutches and moving gingerly as of July.

Stricker, though, made it clear Wednesday that Tiger is hoping to play again ... and has still been very involved in the Ryder Cup process.

Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy ain't fazed by going up against a 4-time major winner on Tuesday ... telling TMZ Sports he's gonna whoop golf superstar Brooks Koepka's ass on the links -- for charity!!!

El Pres is facing off against Brooks (who will be playing left-handed) in a $250,000 match on September 7 ... with the winner getting the huge chunk of change sent to the cause of their choice.

We spoke with Dave at the Slice app pop-up at Brooklyn Pizza Masters ahead of the big event ... and he says he's fully expecting 250k to hit the Barstool Fund afterwards -- courtesy of Mr. Koepka.

"He's mentally weak," Portnoy tells us. "I think he's a bum and I think I'm gonna beat him pretty easily."

"Brooks Koepka is a country club kid," he added. "He's not used to people talking trash to him and I'm convinced he's mentally weak."

Dave says he's been crushing it on the course leading up to the competition ... and is fully preparing to live rent-free in Koepka's head.

We also spoke with Portnoy about Barstool sponsoring the Arizona Bowl this upcoming college football season ... and he said they're gunning to make it "the most unique bowl in the history of bowl games."

Portnoy will be in the booth with Dan "Big Cat" Katz when the time comes ... and hopes the game will lead to even more exciting events in the future.

But for now, he's focused on getting that dub against Koepka.

Golf fans will now have to find a new way to troll Bryson DeChambeau ... 'cause the PGA Tour just announced it will no longer allow fans to shout "Brooksy" at the star golfer.

At various tournaments throughout the past year, fans have ribbed Bryson with the jeer ... and he's hated it -- snapping at patrons nearly every time.

Of course, the shade is a nod to Bryson's beef with fellow golf star Brooks Koepka -- and it's something Koepka fans have gotten plenty of joy out of the last few months.

But, PGA Tour commish Jay Monahan said Tuesday the taunts will no longer be allowed ... calling the "Brooksy" remarks "disrespectful."

"The barometer that we are all using is the word 'respect,'" Monahan told reporters. "And to me, when you hear 'Brooksy' yelled or you hear any expression yelled, the question is, is that respectful or disrespectful?"

"It has been going on for an extended period of time, and to me, at this point, it's disrespectful. And that's the kind of behavior we're not going to tolerate going forward."

Monahan said the "Brooksy" comments -- and any other acts deemed disrespectful by fans -- will now result in a ban from events.

It's got to be refreshing for Bryson to hear ... 'cause just a few days ago, he reportedly told one fan to "Get the f*** out!" after the person had screamed "Great job, Brooksy!" at him.

Dude's been pretty good despite it all -- so, begs the question ... could the ban now lead to even better performances from the superstar going forward??

LeBron James is giving high praise to his old teammate and friend, J.R. Smith ... shouting out the ex-NBA hooper as he begins his NCAA golf career ... saying, "So happy and proud of you my brother."

The 2-time NBA champ -- who skipped college for the NBA in 2004 -- was officially cleared to suit up for the North Carolina A&T State University men’s golf team on Tuesday ... paving his way to finally becoming an NCAA athlete.

James is showing serious love for the 35-year-old freshman on Twitter ... saying, "Love you kid! Best of luck you student/athlete ... GO AGGIES ⛳ TEAM."

But, it isn't just a gimmick for Smith -- the guy's even been spotted walking around campus and hitting up classes ... and has said he's serious about bettering himself.

"It was probably one of the most exciting feelings I've had in a while," J.R. told the Undefeated after being cleared to join the golf team.

"I really didn't know how it was going to go ... but to be able to actually call myself a student-athlete is a great feeling."

Patrick Reed -- one of the best golfers on the planet -- has been hospitalized ... after the PGA Tour star says he's been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.

The 31-year-old former Masters champ announced the scary news in a statement to Golf Channel's Todd Lewis ... saying, fortunately, all signs are pointing toward him getting back to 100 percent health soon.

"I'm on the road to recovery," said Reed, who had been battling an ankle injury before his bout with the serious lung infection. "Once I'm cleared from the doctors -- I look forward to returning [to golf]."

Reed added, "I wish you all the best and I can't wait to get back out there!"

Reed -- who's been in a Houston-area hospital since Friday -- has pulled out of this weekend's BMW Championship while he continues to fight off the pneumonia.

It's unclear if Reed's diagnosis was in any way related to COVID-19.

Reed has been one of the most consistent golfers on the PGA Tour the past few years ... famously winning the Masters in 2018 and the Farmers Insurance Open last January.

Crushing news from Gary Player ... the golf legend has announced his wife of 64 years has died from cancer.

The 3-time Masters champ announced the horrible news on his social media page Wednesday ... saying, "The unthinkable has happened."

"My childhood sweetheart, my rock, and my soulmate Vivienne has lost her battle with pancreatic cancer," Player said.

"I cannot describe the deep sense of sadness I feel at having lost the one person who has always meant the world to me."

Player explained he met Vivienne when he was 14 years old ... and called it "love at first sight."

The two eventually got married in 1957.

"She fully supported my career and raised our six children almost single-handedly while I was touring the world playing golf," Player said. "She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and a wonderful human being who cared so deeply for others and lived her life in service to others."

The 85-year-old golfer continued, "Vivienne taught me the value of love, faith and trust. She taught our children those same values, and they were blessed to have a mother who lived those values every single day."

NBA guard J.R. Smith is gunning to take his talents to the links -- the hooper has enrolled at an HBCU in hopes of making it on the golf team!!

35-year-old Smith -- who skipped college ball for the NBA Draft in 2004 -- is taking full advantage of his newly acquired free time by becoming a student at North Carolina A&T.

Of course, the 2-time NBA champ has not played in the league since winning a ring with LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers in 2020 ... going all last season without a team.

Now, J.R. is looking to join another team -- A&T's golf team.

"Golf is one of those games that can have you feeling really high or it can bring you down to your knees and humble you," Smith told WFMY.

"To have that feeling and knowing that all of the game is pretty much on my own hands and I don’t have to worry about teammates to pass the ball to, receiving passes and playing defense -- I can just play my game and have fun."

Smith says he learned the game from Hall of Famer Moses Malone ... and is waiting on the NCAA to sort out his eligibility, according to ESPN.

Forget eagles and birdies ... baby bears are now clearly the best animal you'll see on a golf course -- 'cause 3 invaded a North Carolina green this month, and it was ADORABLE!!!

The cute scene all went down last Friday in Lake Toxaway ... when a course employee caught three cubs causing quite the scene on one of the holes.

In the footage, you can see as 2 bears wrestled ... another picked a fight with the flagstick, rolling around with the pin and biting the hell out of it!

The shenanigans went on for about a minute ... with the 3 stomping all over the carefully curated grass without a care in the world.

Eventually, the trio of cubs ran off ... which was probably the best news for all of the golfers on the course, as the person who shot the vid said the bears' Mom was close by.

Morgan Wallen's loyal fans are gonna love this ... he's out and about, taking a golf trip with buddies -- but it's another strong sign he's getting ready to come out of hiding.

Morgan and friends were on the links Wednesday down in Puerto Vallarta, so there's a good chance the country music superstar is gonna be getting sand in his boots again. Whether that's on a beach or in a bunker ... who knows?

The way he was grinning while riding around in his golf cart -- he stands out in that hot pink trucker cap -- we'd guess Morgan was hitting 'em straight during this round and generally having a good ol' time.

It's been a while since he's had reason to smile.

The trip down Mexico way comes on the heels of Morgan's sit down with Michael Strahan ... where he finally spoke out about the night he casually dropped the n-word to friends at the end of a drunken night out in Nashville. He apologized, said he'd been to rehab and got council from Black leaders about the pain associated with the epithet.

Positive update from Tiger Woods ... the golf star is now putting significant weight on his surgically repaired leg -- just five months after the limb was nearly lost in a car crash.

El Tigre was seen in Los Angeles this week with his girlfriend, Erica Herman, and while he's still crutching around and wearing a protective sleeve ... the 45-year-old showed he's clearly able to put most -- if not all of -- his body weight on the leg.

Woods was spotted outside of his Beverly Hills-area hotel standing on the leg, and even appearing to walk a bit on it as well.

Of course, it's great news for Tiger ... 'cause after his rollover crash in L.A. on Feb. 23 -- many wondered if he'd ever be able to use his right leg properly again.

Woods suffered comminuted open fractures during the accident, and needed a rod, screws and pins to repair the damage.

Woods has spent most of his time recovering in Florida ... though he has now made at least two return trips to L.A. since the accident.