AVONDALE, La. (AP) There's something about the rhythm of life in the Big Easy that appeals to Billy Horschel, who acknowledges that he can be a little "hyper" for even his own liking on the PGA Tour.

Horschel earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans a year ago. It remains his lone triumph at golf's highest level, though he isn't shy about saying that he likes his chances of defending his title.

"Something about this city just puts me at a sense of ease," Horschel said, adding that he's found New Orleans to have the best dining options of any tour stop. "We go out to dinner pretty much every night and we don't talk about golf much. We just talk about other things and we're having a good time."

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HOYLAKE, England (AP) There will be a horseshoe grandstand around the 18th green for the first time at a British Open as part of a number of course changes for this year's tournament at Hoylake.

Organizers say the Royal Liverpool course will be extended by 54 yards compared to 2006 - the last time it held the major - and the green on the first hole has been reshaped and rebunkered to make it the "hardest opening hole on the Open rota." Read More...

LOS ANGELES (AP) Greg Norman and Joe Buck will call the U.S. Open when it moves to Fox next year.

The network signed a 12-year rights deal with the U.S. Golf Association in August to air the Open and its other championships. Fox said Wednesday that two-time British Open champion Norman would join Buck on its lead golf announcing team. Read More...

(AP) -- Tiger Woods is hosting another tournament, this one for recreational golfers on courses that include Merion and Congressional, and a gem north of Boston that a century ago was reputed to be the toughest U.S. Open course.

The Tiger Woods Foundation, which has seven learning centers and funds the Earl Woods Scholarship Program, has been raising money primarily through five events. There's the Tiger Jam in Las Vegas (a charity concert and poker night) and the Tiger Woods Invitational (a private tournament for donors at Pebble Beach). The foundation also benefits from the Quicken Loans National and Deutsche Bank Championship on the PGA Tour, and his 18-man World Challenge in December. Read More...

ST ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) Peter Dawson is to retire next year as chief executive of The R&A after 16 years with the governing body in charge of the Rules of Golf and organizing the British Open.

The R&A says Tuesday that Dawson will step down in September 2015. He will also be also leaving his role as secretary of Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the 2,400-member club whose headquarters overlook the Old Course at St. Andrews. Read More...

DALY CITY, Calif. (AP) A beaming Michelle Wie explained her oversized visor as a necessary new addition after recently discovering wrinkles at age 24, then good-naturedly defended her unique, hunched-over putting stroke because Jack Nicklaus uses it.

Improved sun protection and short game aside, Wie is riding high after a comeback win in her home state of Hawaii last week. Now, she returns to familiar ground in the Bay Area looking to build on her first LPGA Tour victory in nearly four years when she competes in the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic - just up the freeway from her alma mater, Stanford. Read More...

PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) Pinehurst No. 2 is ready for its double dip of U.S. opens.

In less than two months, it will host the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open in consecutive weeks. Read More...