Latest news with #CologuardClassic
USA Today
18-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jerry Kelly shoots 65, leads PGA Tour Champions major at Regions Tradition
Jerry Kelly shoots 65, leads PGA Tour Champions major at Regions Tradition Jerry Kelly is 18 holes away from a third PGA Tour Champions major. Kelly fired his second 65 in three days on Saturday to get to 15 under and take the outright 54-hole lead at the Regions Tradition. Already with one win on the Champions tour in 2025, Kelly, 58, is looking for a second and his 14th win overall on the circuit. His previous two major wins came in the Kaulig Companies Championship in 2020 and 2022. On Saturday, he sounded happy with his overall game. "I'm happy that I found something that was working really well with the swing and the putter in the end. I really got back to my putting stroke and not worried about being too perfect and I putted better," he said. "It's just more of the same tomorrow, just got to keep the pedal down with these guys." Y.E. Yang sits a shot back at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. He fired a 67 on Saturday and is 14 under. Steven Alker and Charlie Wi are tied for third at 13 under. Alker also has a win this season, at the Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Arizona, where Kelly is the tournament ambassador. Alker, 54, is gunning for his 10th win overall on the circuit. Tied for fifth at 12 under are three golfers: Angel Cabrera, Boo Weekley and Chris DiMarco. First- and second-round leader Richard Green is now tied for 10th. He went bogey/double-bogey on Nos. 9 and 10 on his way to 3-over 75. John Huston aced the 10th hole, his first hole of the round, with an 8-iron from 157 yards. It's the third time in 23 years that a player has made a hole-in-one on the first hole of his round.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Katie Couric shares what she wishes she knew about colon cancer before her husband died at 42 years old
Katie Couric has advocated for colon cancer awareness since losing her husband to the disease in 1998. He was diagnosed at 41 years old, with symptoms like fatigue and digestive changes. Detecting colon cancer early is key to treatment, and innovations with AI and blood tests can help. When Katie Couric's husband, Jay Monahan, was diagnosed with colon cancer at 41 years old it was a complete shock. By the time he was diagnosed it was already stage 4. He died 9 months later, weeks after his 42nd birthday. "Colon cancer didn't even cross our minds. He of course had symptoms, and in hindsight, I wish we had known what they were," Couric told Business Insider. Monahan had been tired, but that was understandable as a busy lawyer and legal analyst for NBC News, and a parent to their two daughters. That fatigue, and some digestive changes, were vague symptoms of his illness. They're common early signs of colon cancer that can be easy to miss. At the time of his diagnosis, in 1997, the recommended age for colonoscopy was 50. Today, it's 45 — changed in 2021 in a response to a concerning rise of colon cancer among younger people. Since his death, Couric said, she set herself on a lifelong course to help others catch their colon cancer before it's too late. "Two of the worst words in the English language are 'what if.' You don't want to be wondering, 'What if I had gotten screened?' when it's too late," Couric said. "I hate to be that blunt, but it's true." Couric spoke to BI during Colorectal Awareness Month as part of her partnership with Cologuard Classic by Exact Sciences, a PGA tournament to support patients and caregivers affected by the disease. After 27 years of advocacy, Couric shared what she now knows about how to spot colon cancer signs early, and new breakthroughs that could transform how people are diagnosed and treated. The past two decades have shown a disturbing pattern of colon cancer diagnoses showing up more often in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Potential factors like diets high in processed foods and red meat, drinking habits, and microplastics could all be driving the rise of colon cancer in younger people. Couric said she's grateful that there's now more awareness of major symptoms of colon cancer, such as: Fatigue Unintentional weight loss Changes in bowel habits Blood in stool One reason colon cancer is misdiagnosed or missed is that symptoms can be vague and attributed to other digestive illnesses. While the recommended age to start screening for colon cancer was lowered to 45 in 2021, Couric said she finds it "very disturbing" that only about 20% of people between 45 and 49 have been screened. "If you or someone you know falls into that category, please get your butt to the doctor!" she said. But don't wait for a blood test or other future innovation to be ready if you're worried about your risk now. Colon cancer is very treatable when detected early, so getting screened is crucial. Colonoscopies are one option, especially for people with known risk factors like a family history of colon cancer or polyps, or digestive diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. Another less-invasive option for people with average risk is a stool test, which can be done at home. "I've learned the best test is the one that gets done, so do your research and figure out what works best for you," Couric said. She said her advice is to pay attention to anything out of the ordinary, get medical attention, and advocate for yourself at the doctor's office. "The important thing is to talk to your doctor and if your doctor isn't taking either your symptoms or desire to get screened seriously, find another doctor, preferably a gastroenterologist," Couric said. Major scientific breakthroughs such diagnostic blood tests and innovations driven by artificial intelligence could prevent colon cancer, and make it more treatable than ever, Couric said. "I'm excited to see the capabilities that AI will have on new treatments and screening opportunities," Couric said. The FDA approved a first-of-its-kind blood test for colon cancer screening in 2024. It works by detecting warning signs in the blood, such as DNA shed by tumors, although it's not a substitute for other screening such as colonoscopies. AI is already being used to further colon cancer research. It can organize datasets so scientists can better understand the difference between healthy and diseased cells, leading to breakthroughs like the "gut atlas," a map of 1.6 million cells which make up the most comprehensive look at the human digestive system to date. It could even make screenings more accurate by helping doctors spot polyps and other abnormal growths, although more refining is needed to cut down on AI-related false alarms. Read the original article on Business Insider
NBC Sports
10-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Steven Alker wins Cologuard Classic playoff for ninth PGA Tour Champions title
Watch the best shots and moments from the final round of the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, taking place at Bay Hill Golf Course in Bay Hill, Florida. TUCSON, Ariz. — Steven Alker won the Cologuard Classic Sunday for his ninth PGA Tour Champions title, beating Long Island club pro Jason Caron with a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff at La Paloma Country Club. 'Just got to keep knocking on the door,' Alker said. 'You just grind away. I've been top-10s, top-5s, just been in the hunt, so it's just being patient, just working hard on the body this preseason.' Alker and Caron each shot 5-under 66 to finish at 12-under 201. Alker played the back nine in 5 under with an eagle on the par-5 11th and birdies on Nos. 15-17. Caron birdied the final three holes of regulation. Alker won the first playoff in the 11-year history of the event for his first victory since the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in January 2004. The 53-year-old New Zealander into second place in the Charles Schwab Cup standings behind Ernie Els. 'Just to get over that hurdle and get that one,' Alker said. 'The game's just been feeling good, just consistent week in and week out. This is what I want, just to give myself chances. Moving forward, I've got a Schwab Cup to defend, so I've got to get it going.' The 52-year-old Caron is the head pro at Mill River in Oyster Bay, New York. He's winless in 13 career starts on the 50-and-over tour. Greg Chalmers, the leader after each of the first two rounds, missed a chance to join the playoff when his 8-foot birdie try on 18 slid past. He had a 71 to tie for third at 11 under with fellow Australian Rod Pampling (67). Els was fifth at 10 under after a 70.
USA Today
10-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Two of the PGA Tour Champions best 'out of nowhere' stories face off in playoff in Tucson
Two of the PGA Tour Champions best 'out of nowhere' stories face off in playoff in Tucson Two of the PGA Tour Champions best "out of nowhere" stories rallied late Sunday to force a playoff. Steven Alker's journey is well-known by now. He Monday'd into a Champions event in Seattle, parlayed that into a top 10, and before you knew it, he had nine top-10s and a win during his breakout 2021 season. He later won the Charles Schwab Cup in 2022 and 2024. Club pro Jason Caron hasn't yet accrued Alker's level of success but his path has been similar. In the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship, he finished tied for 32nd, which was good enough to earn him a spot in the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. He would tie for fourth there, which got him into several Champions events. In 2024, he would play in eight of then, make the cut at seven of them, including three top fours. He would go on to reach the Champions tour season finale in Phoenix last November, which also guaranteed him his tour card in 2025. "I'm not really supposed to be here," he said then at Phoenix Country Club, but he keeps doing his best to prove that to be untrue. So that's their backstories. Sunday at La Paloma Country Club in Tucson, Alker and Caron each posted 66s to finish tied at 12 under after regulation, forcing a playoff in the 2025 Cologuard Classic. Caron birdied the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to get there. Alker birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th, as each man tracked down Greg Chalmers, the 18- and 36-hole leader. On Sunday, Chalmers bogeyed two of his final seven holes and settled for a 71 to finish at 11 under, tied with fellow Aussie Rod Pampling, both men a shot short of bonus golf. The playoff between Alker and Caron didn't last long. They went back to the 18th hole and Alker birdied it while Caron made par. It's Alker's ninth win and 58th top-10 in 78 starts on the Champions tour. "It's huge. It's been, what, 13, 14 months since my last win. Just to get over that hurdle and get that one," he said. "The game's just been feeling good, just consistent week in and week out. This is what I want, just to give myself chances. Moving forward, I've got a Schwab Cup to defend, so I've got to get it going." Alker had two bogeys in his first seven holes but responded with four birdies and an eagle over his last 10. "It's a lot of fun. And the competition's just getting so good. The Aussies coming out and the new blood, so it's getting good. "You've just got to keep getting better." Stewart Cink celebrates gender reveal with shirt color Stewart Cink was in Tucson as well this week and before the final round, he did an on-camera gender reveal. His son (and one-time caddie) Reagan and his wife Olivia are due in September and before Sunday's action got underway, Cink had a pink and a blue polo shirt on his bed, then opened an envelope to announce boy or girl. Spoiler alert if for those who didn't watch the video: it's going to be a boy. Winners on the PGA Tour Champions in 2025 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Ernie Els Trophy Hassan II Miguel Angel Jimenez Chubb Classic Justin Leonard Cologuard Classic Steven Alker
Associated Press
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Steven Alker wins Cologuard Classic playoff for 9th PGA Tour Champions title
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Steven Alker won the Cologuard Classic on Sunday for his ninth PGA Tour Champions title, beating Long Island club pro Jason Caron with a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff at La Paloma Country Club. Alker and Caron each shot 5-under 66 to finish at 12-under 201. Alker played the back nine in 5 under with an eagle on the par-5 11th and birdies on Nos. 15-17. Caron birdied the final three holes of regulation. Alker won the first playoff in the 11-year history of the event, moving the 53-year-old New Zealander into second place in the Charles Schwab Cup standings behind Ernie Els. The 52-year-old Caron is the head pro at Mill River in Oyster Bay, New York. He's winless in 13 career starts on the 50-and-over tour. Greg Chalmers, the leader after each of the first two rounds, missed a chance to join the playoff when his 8-foot birdie try on 18 slid past. He had a 71 to tie for third at 11 under with fellow Australian Rod Pampling (67). Els was fifth at 10 under after a 70. ___
