PGA

Kid Rock and John Daly thought they'd be able to take in the Presidential Debate mask-free and within throwing distance from the stage ... until a staffer caught them.

The singer and PGA Pro -- who attended Thursday night's event in Nashville to support President Trump -- first took their seats sans mask. It didn't take long until both men were approached by an employee working the event who had fresh masks for them both.

Both John and Kid Rock finally obliged, we gotta imagine they would've been asked to leave if they refused.

Daly's lack of caution in protecting himself from the disease is a total 180 from his stance back in August when he withdrew from a PGA event in San Francisco because of COVID.

At the time, Daly said, "People keep asking why I WD from PGA??? California now #1 in cases/deaths, I had knee surgery, I’m a diabetic & I don’t feel comfortable flying. Being too close proximity to even small crowds & risk exposure with my health not worth it! God Bess & y’all be safe!"

Tony Finau -- one of the top golfers in the world -- has pulled out of a PGA Tour tourney this week after testing positive for COVID.

"Earlier today, I received a positive result for Covid-19 under PGA TOUR on-site testing protocols and have begun a period of self-quarantine to protect others around me," the 31-year-old said Tuesday.

"I am feeling well, and am otherwise in good spirits.":

Finau -- ranked #16 in the world -- was supposed to play in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas this week ... but obviously, COVID has derailed those plans.

"I look forward to returning to action as soon as I am able, and I wish everyone at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open a great week ahead," Finau said.

The diagnosis could also prevent Finau from playing in the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas next week, if he had intended on participating.

Finau -- who's 6'4", 200 lbs -- joined the PGA Tour in 2015 and won the Puerto Rico Open in 2016.

PGA Tour golfer Danny Lee says his 6-putt temper tantrum at the U.S. Open was completely "unprofessional and foolish" ... and now, the guy is apologizing for it all.

If you missed it ... Lee went BERSERK on the 18th hole at Winged Foot on Saturday -- throwing a Happy Gilmore-esque fit on the green.

After Lee missed a short par putt, he missed the ensuing bogey putt as well ... and then became visibly pissed off.

So much so, Lee halfheartedly tried to make his next THREE putts from close range ... before finally slamming home the fourth one.

In total, it took Lee NINE shots to complete the hole ... and when he walked off the green -- he threw his putter angrily against his bag. Lee then withdrew from the tournament, citing a wrist injury.

On Tuesday, the 30-year-old said he was sorry for the whole scene ... explaining, "My frustration took over me and combined with injury I had to fight with it for all week."

"Still just an excuse," Lee said. "I shouldn't left like that... and also like to apologize to USGA they did a tremendous job last week at wing foot. On the course and off the course."

Lee continued, "Now I gonna take some time off and think about what I did and starting next time I'll show up as a better person and have better sportsmanship."

Here's further proof pro golfers are a helluva lot better at the sport than you ... even BACKWARDS!!!

PGA Tour's J.T. Poston found himself in serious tree trouble at the 16th hole at the U.S. Open in NY on Friday ... but, like a serious boss -- he creatively found a way out of it.

Instead of snuggling up next to the base of a tree and trying to hit a regular chip shot ... Poston turned around -- and then fired at the green!!!

And, the craziest part?? THE SHOT WAS GOOD ... the ball rolled up and settled about 20 feet from the cup!!

The bad news ... Poston wasn't able to sink the par putt -- and had to settle for a bogey, moving him into serious danger of missing the weekend's cut.

Here's something that'll make you feel REALLY good about your golf game ...

PGA Tour star Bryson DeChambeau just carded a 10 -- YES, A TEN!!! -- on a Par-5 15th hole at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio on Friday ... and it's one of the worst holes EVER by a pro!!!

The entire hole -- from start to finish -- took Bryson 26 minutes to complete ... with 4 commercial breaks!!!

Things were bad right from the jump ... DeChambeau shanked his tee shot off some trees down the left-hand side of the fairway and was forced to take a drop.

He tried to make up ground by pulling out a 3-wood and swinging for the fences ... but overshot and hit the ball out of bounds.

In other words, it went from bad to worse quickly.

Bryson re-dropped -- and instead of playing it safe, he AGAIN went for a power shot to try and get to the green ... and again, he shot out of bounds!!

The announcers couldn't believe it ... especially Jack Nicklaus, who compared Bryson's meltdown to a scene from "Tin Cup" when Kevin Costner's character melts down and can't stop from hitting balls into water.

Meanwhile, Bryson continued to try and power his way back onto the green ... and on his 3rd attempt, he finally got close.

Although DeChambeau was finally out of the trees and in the clear ... there was still more drama -- he claimed one of the OB balls he clanked off a fence earlier wasn't actually out of bounds.

So, Bryson argued with TWO rules officials ... before they finally shut him down.

Eventually, after nearly a half an hour on the hole, DeChambeau chipped onto the green and putted twice for a quintuple bogey!!!

He took so many swings in total, he had trouble counting them all up!!!

Everyone on the broadcast was stunned ... with most guys saying the worst score they've ever carded themselves was a 9, 10 or 11!!

To his credit, Bryson came back and parred the 16th ... but dude now has ZERO chance of making the weekend cut after the blow up.

Tiger Woods is back ... and, yup, dude's still good at golf!!!

Playing on the PGA Tour for the first time since mid-February ... El Tigre is showing no signs of rust at the start of his opening round at The Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

Woods has two birdies through his first three holes ... and has nailed all three fairways and all three greens in regulation.

Of course, it ain't TOO surprising ... dude is the greatest golfer of all time -- but the last time we saw him on Tour at the Genesis Invitational, he finished last among those who made the cut and complained of back pain afterward.

But, Woods looks perfectly healthy to start the day Thursday ... which is not an easy feat, considering the wind his howling at the course and the greens are firm as hell.

Tiger's only 2 back from the lead through 3 holes ... and while there's a long day of golf ahead -- the guy just hit another green at #4 and has yet another birdie putt coming up.

HE'S BAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

PGA Tour stud Nick Watney was forced to withdraw from this week's RBC Heritage tournament after testing positive for COVID-19 ... officials announced Friday.

Watney, who played in the first day of the South Carolina tourney on Thursday, woke up feeling ill Friday ... and, according to PGA Tour reps, tested positive shortly after.

FYI, the Tour tested EVERYBODY prior to the start of the week's tournament ... with all results -- including Watney's -- coming back negative.

The Tour says Watney will now have to undergo strict quarantine and isolation rules to eventually return to action ... and says it's taking precautions for everyone and everything that might have come in contact with Nick at this week's event.

"Nick will have the PGA TOUR’s full support throughout his self-isolation and recovery period under CDC guidelines," Tour officials said in a statement.

Watney played with Vaughn Taylor and Luke List in Thursday's opening round ... but neither golfer has withdrawn -- with both dudes still currently in the middle of their Friday rounds.

A massive fire scorched PGA Tour star Davis Love III's Georgia home to the ground on Friday ... but fortunately, officials say no one was injured in the giant blaze.

Glynn County Fire officials say they responded to Love III's home at around 5:20 a.m. ... but when they arrived, the home was completely engulfed by fire.

Firefighters weren't able to save the house ... but they say no one was hurt -- and add that an investigation over the cause of the blaze is now underway.

"While everyone in our family is saddened at the loss of our home that was filled with so much laughter and incredible memories, we're very blessed that everyone is safe and unharmed," Love III said in a statement.

"We're very thankful to the first responders who made a valiant effort to save our home, and we're keeping things in perspective as people across our community and around the world are struggling with the current unprecedented health crisis."

Love III added, "We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers and your respect for our privacy."

Love III has been a star on the PGA Tour for decades ... winning 21 events, including the 1997 PGA Championship.

Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey's sex solicitation case is headed toward a happy ending for the popular golfer ... he just cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid time behind bars.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Gainey agreed to serve 11-months of probation, take a human trafficking class, do community service and pay fines and fees.

In exchange for completing all of that, prosecutors agreed to drop his misdemeanor solicitation charge ... and even gave him the chance to end his probation early if he quickly meets the requirements of the deal.

Of course, it's a solid deal for Gainey ... who was facing jail time after he was caught up in a major prostitution sting -- dubbed "Operation Santa's Naughty List" -- back in December.

As we previously reported, cops in Polk County, Fla., say Gainey offered money for sex acts to an undercover officer posing as a prostitute on Dec. 8, 2019.

In police footage of the alleged incident, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see clear as day Tommy offering up $60 for a "quick visit" with the woman.

Gainey was arrested ... and at a press conference a few days later, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd ribbed him over it all.

"He's married. He told us that he was here for a charity golf event and it was to be, like, the next morning tee off. He didn't make it. He was a scratch ... We charged him with soliciting. He missed his tee time the next morning."

Here's Eli Manning clearly devastated he ain't playing football any -- AHHH JUST KIDDING!! ELI'S HITTING THE LINKS WITH HIS BIG BRO AND OBVIOUSLY LOVING RETIREMENT!!!

The ex-NY Giants QB -- who just officially called it an NFL career on Jan. 22 -- hit the pro-am at Pebble Beach on Thursday ... and he sure didn't look like a guy who's missing getting hit for a living.

Eli and Peyton were part of a foursome alongside pros Kevin Chappell and Luke Donald ... and the Manning bros actually played pretty well.

Eli -- a 10 handicap -- posted an 8-under total with Chappell ... while Peyton -- an 8 handicap -- carded a 5-under with Donald. Not bad for two old retired guys!!

Of course, the tournament's also filled with a TON of other celebs and athletes ... including NFL legends like Steve Young and Larry Fitzgerald.

But it was another QB who stole the highlight show for the day ... Aaron Rodgers made some tremendous shots on the course -- and even walked in one of his putts!!

And, as for the non-professional athletes, country superstar Jake Owen really had himself a day ... check out these two shots he poured in from distance!!!

Amazing tribute to Kobe Bryant on the golf course Friday ... Tony Finau took the green in a Lakers jersey -- and after the PGA Tour star sank a huge birdie putt, he celebrated with a Kobe follow-through!!

The cool moment all went down at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix, Ariz. ... where Finau honored Bryant at the famous 16th hole for the 2nd straight day.

The 30-year-old golfer -- sporting the classic No. 8 yellow Bryant uni -- hit his tee shot just off the green ... but he channeled his inner Kobe on the ensuing putt.

The roll -- which was about 20 feet total -- wasn't an easy one ... but Finau jarred it. Afterward, he hit the Kobe celly, and the fans went wild!!!

Of course, golfers at the tourney have been honoring Kobe all week ... Finau himself donned the same Bryant jersey in his opening round Thursday.

Other stars like Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas also sported their Bryant swag this week ... and the tributes have been really amazing.

We broke the story, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter were two of the nine people who tragically died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Here's the coolest video you'll see all day!!

Amateur Canadian golfer Laurent Hurtubise -- who was born without most of his right arm -- was competing in the PGA American Express tournament on Thursday ... when he swung away and sank a hole-in-one!!!

It all went down at the 4th hole of the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta, CA ... which is a 151-yard par-3 hole.

Hurtubise has been playing golf since he was 11 ... and has worked his whole life to be an inspiration to people living with similar conditions.

The best part?? He did it with a bunch of pros watching ... and the whole group lost it when he hit the shot!!

"That was the coolest experience I've had on the golf course," Troy Merritt said.

Fellow tour member Greg Chalmers added ... "It landed around the front of the green and we were all watching it closely as it tracked toward the hole and then, bang, it disappeared."

"We all went up in celebration and Laurent went ballistic and maybe let out a few choice words, but who could blame him? It was an incredible shot."

Pro golfer Tommy Gainey -- famously known as Tommy "Two Gloves" -- was arrested in a major prostitution sting in Florida ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 44-year-old was 1 of 124 people busted in an undercover investigation in Polk County, Florida dubbed, "Operation Santa's Naughty List."

According to officials, Gainey was arrested for soliciting a prostitute -- and is facing a 1st-degree misdemeanor solicitation charge.

The sting op was a 6-day investigation using undercover detectives to target prostitution, human trafficking and child predators.

Cops say they used Internet advertisements to arrange meetings between the detectives and suspects.

Officials presented a "Naughty List" showing all 124 people arrested -- Gainey is on the board.

Jail records show Gainey was booked on Dec. 8 and was released on Dec. 9 after posting bail.

Sheriff Grady Judd explained the situation moments ago ...

"He's married. He told us he was here for a charity golf event and it was supposed to be in the next morning tee off. He didn't make it. He was a scratch."

Judd added, "We charged him with soliciting. He missed his tee time the next morning."

Gainey has been a pro golfer since 1997 and joined the PGA Tour in 2008, where he gained notoriety for wearing gloves on both hands, unusual in the sport.

He's never won a major tourney but he's become a fan favorite for the way he dresses and plays -- in particular, he has a unique swing.

Gainey has had major sponsors over the years -- from Under Armour to Adams Golf and A.O. Smith.

Phil Mickelson nearly carded the greatest hole in PGA Tour history Friday -- missing a hole in one on a 353-yard Par 4 ... by INCHES!!!!

Lefty was playing in the second round of the CJ Cup in South Korea ... when he stepped up to the tee box on the 14th hole at Nine Bridges -- and nearly did the unthinkable.

With a driver in his hand ... Phil took a violent swing and ripped a golf ball that hit the green on the fly.

It tracked all the way to the hole ... but had just a little too much heat on it -- and instead of falling, it kicked off the pin and settled just inches away from the improbable ace.

Of course, Phil was able to roll in the eagle putt ... but you just know the dude was fuming over missing history!!

There's only been one Par-4 ace EVER on the PGA Tour -- and it was a wacky 332-yarder by Andrew Magee at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona back in 2001.

There's no video of that shot ... which means Phil's swing Friday would have been truly the most legendary one in PGA Tour history!