MANCHESTER -- Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said Paul Pogba is being kept out by a fresh ankle injury rather than the problem which sidelined him for more than two months.

The midfielder needs an operation to clear up the new injury and is expected to miss around a month, including both legs of the Carabao Cup semifinal with Manchester City.

Pogba hasn't started a game since Sep. 30 but played 71 minutes in two substitute appearances against Watford and Newcastle in December.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Wolves in the FA Cup third round, Solskjaer appeared frustrated at fielding more questions about United's record signing but the Norwegian did take the opportunity to clarity comments made after the defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday that Pogba's need for surgery had been determined by "his people."

"Here we go again, FA Cup third round and you're talking about Paul again," Solskjaer said on Friday.

"Paul came back after a long spell out, played two games, had a reaction and couldn't go to Burnley [on Dec. 28].

"He felt his ankle was sore, we did a scan and it's not the same injury, it's a different injury.

"Of course, when you get that scan and we speak to him, you always consult your own medical people as well like I did when I did my operation, you want the best second opinion and the advice was to have it done. It's not a major one and probably, as I said, three or four weeks [out]."

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Following the 2-0 defeat at Emirates, Solskjaer appeared to suggest Pogba's own medical team had decided he needed to undergo surgery, rather than the club's medical staff. United have insisted they were first to order the scans and Solskjaer has blamed himself for the confusion.

"That's maybe my bad English," Solskjaer said.

"You have the people you trust and speak to, when I had loads of injuries and knee operations I had my people in Norway and Sweden that I spoke to and Paul obviously has people as well that he trusts, and that's important.

"That's more or less it. That's as clear as it can be at this point."

Pogba's absence is a further blow to United, who are already without Scott McTominay for two months because of a knee ligament injury. It leaves Solskjaer with Fred, Nemanja Matic and Andreas Pereira for a crucial month which features the Carabao Cup semifinal with Manchester City and a trip to Liverpool in the Premier League.

"We're still looking [at signings in January] and as I've said so many times we have our targets," Solskjaer added.

"If they become available and if it's something we want to do and the right ones aren't there, then they aren't."

Meanwhile, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane refused to be drawn on whether he will make a move for Pogba in the January window.

"I'm not going to answer. I'm not going to say anything," Zidane said.

"Paul is another team's player. The important thing for him is, because he's got an injury, to come back and play soon and I wish him the best. The important thing is the players I have here."

New AC Milan signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic has vowed to improve the club in his presentation on Friday following his return to San Siro.

The 38-year-old, who spent two seasons with Milan from 2010 to 2012, signed a six-month deal with the Serie A side, having decided to end his two-year stint in MLS with LA Galaxy.

- All major completed transfer deals
- Ibrahimovic becomes part owner of Hammarby

Milan have endured a difficult first half of the campaign, with manager Marco Giampaolo, who had been appointed in the summer, sacked after just four months. The Rossoneri sit 11th in the table after 17 matches.

"I am here to improve things, I have watched the squad from the outside," Ibrahimovic said. "Let's take it one match at a time -- there is a lot of quality in the squad.

"The results are not 'wow,' but it's a marathon not a sprint."

Ibrahimovic also said he has proved many doubters wrong by coming back from a serious knee injury at the age of 35, while playing for Manchester United.

"Before the injury, I had many thoughts, many [people] told me it would be impossible to come back," he said. "I worked hard and to the point I can still play now.

"[It's] impossible to play like I did 10 years ago, but I know what I need to do: instead of running, I shoot from 40 metres!"

Ibrahimovic's return to Milan had been mooted for some time and the former Sweden international said he had been inundated with requests from clubs, despite his age.

"After my last match with Galaxy, [Milan director Paolo] Maldini called me," he added. "We spoke about how I was and about normal things.

"At 38, I had more requests than at 28. I was looking for the adrenaline inside of me, to ensure I get the best out of myself. I spoke to [Milan director Zvonimir] Boban a lot, then a month went by and after [the 5-0 defeat to] Atalanta, there were a lot of phone calls.

"I wasn't a difficult decision. In 2012, I left without my say-so, but that was the situation and I couldn't do anything about it."

England have sounded the final whistle on football as a warm-up activity in training sessions.

Ashley Giles, the director of England's men's teams, has never made any secret of his disapproval of his side playing football. And, after Rory Burns became the latest player to sustain a football-related injury, Giles and Chris Silverwood, the England coach, have decided to ban the activity.

Burns suffered serious ligament damage to his ankle after landing awkwardly while playing football as a warm-up to training on Thursday. He was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the series in South Africa and will fly back to England on Friday night. Jonny Bairstow also suffered a football-related injury in Sri Lanka at the end of 2018 while, in the past, Joe Denly and James Anderson have also been hurt playing the game.

Giles said when he took the job that he was unhappy to see football as part of England's warm-up. But he was persuaded by senior players that it was an important part of the bonding process of the squad and agreed to review it once the World Cup had finished. The injury to Burns appears to have strengthened his resolve.

Giles banned football from Warwickshire when he was director of cricket there. England have denied suggestions football has been banned at all counties as a warm-up activity, saying it is up to each individual county to decide.

The England management team will discuss whether they need to call-up a replacement for Burns over the next day or two. They have, at present, only one reserve batsman - Bairstow - in the squad and are likely to consider Dawid Malan, James Vince and Keaton Jennings as options. But with the squad size still 18 and only two Tests left after this, it is far from certain they will send for anyone.

Meanwhile, Jofra Archer may also have played his final game in the series. He will undergo a second scan on his sore right elbow on Friday after the first one proved inconclusive.

Tennis Australia says "many of the world's best players" will take part in a specially-arranged exhibition match in Melbourne to raise funds for bushfire relief.

It is one of a number of fund-raising events before the Australian Open.

The names of players involved will be revealed in the coming days.

"It is heartbreaking to see the devastation the bushfires are wreaking across the country," said Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley.

Australian men's number two Nick Kyrgios has already said he will take part in the exhibition match at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, 15 January

World number 30 Kyrgios, along with a number of other players, are also donating money for every ace hit in events held in Australia in January to help those affected by the bushfires.

Tennis Australia has committed a 100 Australian dollar (£53) donation for every ace served at the ATP Cup in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.

"We are working closely with the top players and have already had a great response, with many of them keen to help this incredibly important cause," added Tiley.

The Australian navy has evacuated around 1,000 tourists and residents who were trapped in the fire-ravaged town of Mallacoota on the Victoria coast, about 300 miles east of Melbourne.

Thousands of people are also fleeing parts of neighbouring New South Wales, where a week-long state of emergency is in force.

Since September, fires have killed at least 20 people in the two states and dozens remain missing.

The Australian Open, which is the first Grand Slam of the year, starts in Melbourne on 20 January.

ATP Cup organisers have apologised to Moldova after the wrong national anthem was played before their opening match in the new team tournament.

The Romanian national anthem was instead played before their match against Belgium in Sydney on Friday.

"At the start of the Moldova v Belgium match we mistakenly played the wrong national anthem for Moldova," the ATP said.

"We are sincerely sorry and have apologised personally to Team Moldova."

Moldova was one of the last countries to qualify for the inaugural team event being played in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

The European nation is being led by world number 46 Radu Albot, who became his country's first ATP Tour title winner when he beat Britain's Dan Evans at last year's Delray Beach Open in Florida.

Moldova have been drawn in the same group as Britain, who are without the injured Andy Murray, as well as Belgium and Bulgaria.

The ATP Cup sees 24 nations split into six groups across the three Australian cities, with eight teams qualifying from the round-robin stage to compete in a knockout phase in Sydney.

The start of the tournament has been overshadowed by the widespread bushfires which have affected Australia.

The FA Cup third round signals the entrance of the Premier League and Championship clubs to the tournament. Nick Miller previews the action, which kicks off this weekend on ESPN+, focusing on some of the bigger games and storylines to watch for.

JUMP TO: Will Rooney announce himself back into English football? | Will history repeat itself at Molineux? | Who will prevail in the Guardiola derby? | Youngsters to watch | Best chances for upsets | Long shots to watch | Game to watch | Newcastle to snap streak?

Can Everton finally get a win at Anfield?

Everton have not won a game at Anfield since 1999. That's over 20 years and 23 games without tasting success, ever since Kevin Campbell scored the only goal in a game probably best remembered for a young Steven Gerrard being among three players sent off. Such a long run against theoretical rivals almost qualifies as bullying, but this weekend (Sunday, 11.00 a.m. ET on ESPN+) probably represents their best chance for some time of victory across Stanley Park.

That is because you suspect that Jurgen Klopp will very firmly dip into the reserves of his squad, and while the team won't be quite as young or barren as the one they were forced to play in the Carabao Cup against Aston Villa, it won't be too far off. The likes of Adam Lallana and Xherdan Shaqiri will get run-outs, but probably alongside youngsters such as Harvey Elliott, Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg. Carlo Ancelotti would be well-advised to go for the jugular in this one: Everton don't have much to play for in the league so the FA Cup is their best chance of success this season, and the kudos of finally getting that win against the old rivals will do a new manager plenty of good.

Will Wayne Rooney announce himself back into English football?

The club have kept it pretty quiet, but in case you didn't know, Wayne Rooney is now a Derby County player. This closely kept secret was made official on Thursday when Rooney started for and captained his new side against Barnsley. At the weekend, he will likely have a slightly more high-profile opportunity when the Rams face Crystal Palace on Sunday in the FA Cup (Sunday, 9.00 a.m. ET on ESPN+).

So the question is, does Rooney still have it? He's 34, and given how young he was when he started he's an "old' 34, so it will take a little while for him to get back up to speed with English football. But Derby haven't recruited him just to sell a few shirts: he can't just be a famous name back home to do some coaching and make a few personal appearances; they need him. He's obviously not the player he was, but you wouldn't put it past Rooney to produce a moment or two of magic on the grand stage.

Will history repeat itself at Molineux

Since their return to the Premier League last season, Wolves have played Manchester United four times and haven't lost yet, with two wins and two draws. One of those games was in this competition last term, when goals from Rail Jiménez and Diogo Jota won the quarterfinal between the two sides. Wolves followed it up a couple of weeks later with a victory in the league, around the time Ole Gunnar Solskjær's halo was just starting to dim a bit. Now that halo is well and truly in the bin, and it would barely qualify as a surprise if Wolves repeated the trick this weekend (Saturday, 12.30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

Who will prevail in the Guardiola derby?

FA Cup ties on a Monday night (2.55 p.m. ET on ESPN+) still feel a little bit weird, and after a weekend stuffed full of action and romance, it would be easy to forget about Leeds vs. Arsenal. But if nothing else this should be an interesting game because of the managers in either dugout: Pep Guardiola's mentor Marcelo Bielsa, and Pep Guardiola's mentee Mikel Arteta. These are two coaches at either end of their managerial careers, but both ones who play dynamic football so, even on the assumption that it won't exactly be the first-choice teams playing, this should be a cracking game.

There's also the mild intrigue around Eddie Nketiah: the young Arsenal forward has been on loan at Leeds but was recalled by the Gunners because he wasn't really playing. He will be sent out again at some stage, but there's a chance that he could play for his parent club against the one with which he spent the first half of the season. You talk about extra motivation ...

Youngsters to watch

This of course is the time for the kids. These are the games that the big teams understandably decide to excuse their established stars from participating in, and instead take a look at their youngsters. And boy, are there some intriguing prospects among the ranks of the big clubs: we've already mentioned a clutch of those likely to turn out for Liverpool, but there's also Tariq Lamptey and Billy Gilmour at Chelsea, Eric Garcia and Tommy Doyle at Manchester City, Troy Parrott and Jack Clarke at Tottenham, a clutch of kids already on the fringes of the Manchester United team plus a similar bunch at Arsenal. Often these games are glorified youth team encounters, but that doesn't mean they're not worth watching.

The biggest chances for an upset

As ever, the main source of intrigue for the FA Cup third round is the upset, the chance of seeing some plucky upstart making richer and more prestigious foes look silly. Newport County are the team that first catches the eye, if only because they have recent form: they took Tottenham to a replay a couple of years ago and Leicester last season, as well as giving Manchester City a scare. By comparison, this year Millwall (Saturday, 7.30 a.m. ET on ESPN+) will look positively beatable.

Tranmere might be worth a look against Watford, Championship strugglers Luton face beleaguered Bournemouth in a battle of who can take their mind off their league woes the most effectively and Nottingham Forest could beat Chelsea if Frank Lampard's side take their eye off the ball.

The long shot

But if it's proper FA Cup giant-killing you're after, look no further than Sheffield United's opponents AFC Fylde (Sunday, 9.00 a.m. ET on ESPN+), one of only two non-league teams left in the competition. They're certainly an interesting club, more comfortably funded than many their size and who tempted manager Jim Bentley away from League Two Morecambe earlier this season. They're owned by local businessman David Haythornthwaite, who raised eyebrows earlier this year when he erected a pro-Brexit billboard at the club's ground, urging then Prime Minister Theresa May not to "surrender" to Europe.

They also have some extremely tenuous links to FA Cup history: their goalkeeper James Montgomery's grandfather was the cousin of Jimmy Montgomery, the man who was in goal for Sunderland when they shocked Leeds United in the 1973 final. We did tell you it was tenuous.

The game you're not planning to watch ... but should

Middlesbrough vs. Tottenham (Sunday, 9.00 a.m. ET on ESPN+)

On the face of it, this isn't the most interesting tie. It's between two teams who, while in different divisions, are still relatively familiar with each other, have other things on their minds and will almost certainly "rotate" heavily. But it should be interesting to watch, if only because a defeat by Tottenham could signal that things are already starting to unravel under Jose Mourinho.

The defeat to Southampton at the weekend was one indicator that all isn't well, plus Mourinho is already showing signs that the new relaxed and cuddly Jose is actually a myth, and that he is just the same old character he always was. If Boro win, the hope brought about by a good half an hour or so in his first game against West Ham will feel like the most distant of memories for Spurs fans, and who knows what could happen next.

The team that needs a bit of luck:

Newcastle United

Not that they've been particularly hot in the league over recent years, but Newcastle United's record in cup competitions, particularly the FA Cup, is almost comically abysmal. They haven't got past the fourth round in the past 13 attempts, which for a team who have spent all of that time either in the top tier or at the top of the second, is almost impressively incompetent. Only someone with a heart of stone, or a Sunderland fan, would begrudge a Newcastle support, who have suffered only drudgery in recent years, a little joy. But knowing their luck they'll somehow find a way to lose to League One Rochdale (Saturday, 7.30 a.m. ET on ESPN+).

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, England -- Former Newcastle defender Steve Howey can vividly recall the day he was on the open-top bus that was welcomed back to the city by 250,000 supporters, the day after the 1998 FA Cup Final against Arsenal. As it snaked toward St James's Park, there was a sea of black-and-white shirts, all the way from the banks of the River Tyne, ready to greet the players.

"It was kind of embarrassing really," Howey told ESPN. "We had just lost the Cup final [2-0, via goals from Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka], so had nothing to show off to the fans, but the turnout just rammed home how the club had been, and still is, starved of success.

"I actually felt really proud to be a part of it. The football club matters so much to everybody in Newcastle and the fans are absolutely desperate for some kind of success, but unfortunately I don't see that happening anytime soon."

The scenes in 1998 were replicated a year later when Newcastle lost the Cup final again, 2-0 against Manchester United's Treble winners. It had been the same after the 1974 FA Cup final (a 3-0 loss to Liverpool) and the 1976 League Cup final (2-1 to Manchester City). Nowadays, Newcastle fans have given up dreaming of success and even the consolation prize of finishing second.

When Steve Bruce's Newcastle travel to League One side Rochdale in the FA Cup third round on Saturday (Stream LIVE on ESPN+ at 7:25 a.m. ET), they will go there as arguably the most unsuccessful big club in world football.

Historical clubs of a similar stature elsewhere -- think Hamburg in Germany, Torino in Italy, Valencia in Spain -- have all won silverware since Newcastle last brought a major trophy home. It is 65 years since the club won its sixth, and last, FA Cup and they haven't won the league title since 1927. The last time Newcastle won a major trophy of any kind -- the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969 -- was 39 days before man first stepped on the moon. There have been two promotions as champions of the Championship during the past 10 years, but a top-level trophy? Nothing since the 1950s.

"It has been absolutely miserable," says journalist Ian Murtagh, who has reported on Newcastle since 1995. "They are playing Rochdale this weekend and, in recent years, Rochdale have reached the fourth round more often than Newcastle. That tells you everything."

So how has a club of Newcastle's history and stature failed for so long?

On Wednesday, Bruce's team lost 3-0 at home to in-form Leicester in front of 52,178 supporters, a figure just short of the average attendances this season at Manchester City (54,386) and Liverpool (53,098). The club has a huge and passionate following away from home and, as recently at 1996, broke the world transfer record by beating Manchester United to the £15 million signing of Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers.

It is a one-club town, with St James's Park towering above the city like a sporting cathedral. If you are from Newcastle, you support Newcastle. When Kevin Keegan signed for the club in 1982, they were in the second tier and Keegan, England captain and two-time Ballon d'Or winner, dropped down a division from top-flight Southampton to honour his north-east roots -- his father was a coal miner from the area -- and he was dubbed the "Messiah" by the Geordies (a person born in Newcastle).

There is almost a mythical element to playing for Newcastle. Successful centre-forwards wearing the number shirt become icons -- Jackie Milburn, Shearer -- but for all the support and desperation for success, there is a sense of Greek tragedy with the club too.

- Stream the FA Cup on ESPN+: Liverpool vs. Everton, Wolves vs. Man United and more

In 1995-96, Newcastle finished second in the Premier League under Kevin Keegan (after being 12 points clear in February), reached the FA Cup finals under Kenny Dalglish (1998) and Ruud Gullit (1999), and qualified for the Champions League three times between 1997 and 2003.

But since being bought by billionaire businessman Mike Ashley in May 2007, it has been a tale of decline and disharmony, with the club relegated twice from the Premier League -- though they were promoted within a year by winning the Championship on each occasion -- and failing repeatedly in the cup competitions.

The relationship between the supporters and the Ashley regime has also hit rock-bottom. Attendances are falling because of the owner's lack of significant investment. When Miguel Almiron was signed from Atlanta United 12 months ago, he became the club's biggest-ever signing at just £20 million -- 14 years after the previous record signing of Michael Owen from Real Madrid for £16 million. Ashley delved into his pockets this summer to break the record again, by sanctioning the £40 million signing of Brazilian striker Joelinton from Hoffenheim, but he has proven to be an expensive flop having scored just once for the club in 21 appearances.

No Newcastle manager has admitted to being pressured into treating the cup competitions lightly, but whatever the directives, the club has not gone beyond the FA Cup fourth round since Ashley took over.

"The fans feel the club is not giving it a go," John Anderson, whose association with Newcastle as a player and then radio pundit dates back to 1982, told ESPN. "Nobody expects Premier League titles, but they don't give the cups any respect whatsoever. The fans feel the League Cup and FA Cup are the two chances to get some silverware, but successive managers have got to cup games and rested players. So there is pressure on Steve Bruce at Rochdale. He has to play his strongest possible side."

Wednesday's defeat against Leicester has not helped Bruce in terms of his approach to Saturday's game. Three players (midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, and full-backs Jetro Willems and Javier Manquillo) limped off with injuries and were replaced before half-time, while centre-back Fabian Schar suffered a groin strain before the game was 50 minutes old, leaving them to play the rest of the match with 10 men. DeAndre Yedlin suffered a broken hand and played on through the pain barrier, but all five players are expected to miss the trip to Spotland.

"I have 10 players missing out of a squad of 22," Bruce said after the game. "We will try to get a couple back for the cup tie, but there are no guarantees."

For the supporters, it's a familiar story of players suddenly being unavailable ahead of an important cup tie. Alex Hurst, editor of Newcastle fanzine and podcast True Faith, admits the fans have grown tired of history repeating itself.

"When Alan Pardew was manager, the team was in no danger of relegation and we still ended up with second-string sides in cup ties," he told ESPN. "The club just do not see the cup competitions as a priority.

"It's quite funny that the Premier League has introduced a winter break for the first time this season. Newcastle have had one for the past 15 years because we never play on fifth-round weekend. I still live in hope. We had 25 points on Christmas Day and relegation seemed unlikely this time around, but three defeats and all those injuries means that I am now beginning to think we won't win against a League One side."

Howey also fears the worst, with Rochdale lying in wait to inflict more misery this weekend.

"It's been 65 years since Newcastle last won the FA Cup, but that doesn't surprise me given the recent run," he said. "It's just sad, really. In the '90s, we were probably the best team never to win a trophy. We blew a 12-point lead in the title race in 1996 and then lost two Cup finals, but Arsenal won the Double in 1998 and United went on to win the Treble in 1999. We came up against the best teams in the country each time.

"Those days are gone and nobody expects Newcastle to challenge for the title now. The fans are fed up, they want to see the back of Mike Ashley and just want a team to be proud of. But it's hard to see anything changing as things stand."

For Hurst, nothing will change until Ashley sells the club.

"It would be absolutely massive for Newcastle to win something," he said. "It would re-energise the club and the city, but I think it needs Ashley to go first. Once that happens, the positive momentum that would generate would see Newcastle have the ability to be successful, very quickly."

1927. The last time Newcastle won the league, everything was in black and white... pic.twitter.com/S6cCXj5sy9

— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) January 1, 2020

As of now, though, the responsibility for ending the long trophy drought rests with Bruce, a two-time cup winner as a player with Manchester United and the man who guided Hull City to their first FA Cup final in 2014. Even on the day he was appointed manager at Newcastle, Bruce insisted he would treat the cups differently than his predecessors did.

"We got to the FA Cup final at Hull and if you ask the supporters what their biggest day was, getting into the Premier League or getting to the FA Cup final, and they'd say the final," he said. "Surely, as a club, we can win five games. If the draw is kind to you, like it was at Hull, that's got to be an aim. It's not just about staying in the division and being happy with that -- that would be wrong."

In The Strawberry Pub, behind the Gallowgate End at St James's, faded memorabilia from Newcastle's past glories hangs on the walls. There are pictures from the three FA Cup triumphs during the 1950s and a framed shirt from the 1927 title-winning team. Everything is in black-and-white. But nobody expects the walls of The Strawberry to be updated with a colour picture of a Newcastle captain lifting a trophy anytime soon.

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Just a few months removed from his first PGA Tour victory, Joaquin Niemann is making an early bid for his second as he leads the Sentry Tournament of Champions after 18 holes. Here's everything you need to know abut Thursday's first round at Kapalua:

1. Joaquin Niemann, -7

2. Justin Thomas, -6

T-3. Matt Kuchar, -5

T-3. Rickie Fowler, -5

Click here for full leaderboard.

While Niemann was playing his first round, the PGA Tour's social-media team posted a graphic on Twitter of Niemann's goals for 2020. Among them: be more positive about his short game and putting, buy a house, get stronger abs and ... eat more avocados.

Truthfully, Niemann's goals should be much loftier.

At 21 years old, Niemann already owns one PGA Tour victory, which came last fall at the Greenbrier, and played in the Presidents Cup last month, a huge accomplishment for someone of Niemann's age.

"The Presidents Cup was huge for me, for my career, for my future," Niemann said after Thursday's opening round in Hawaii. "During that week I learned a lot. I was with the best players in the world. I played against Tiger [Woods]. I teamed with Adam Scott. ... [International captain] Ernie [Els] told me that, 'This is really important for you. It's going to make you really good. It's going give you a lot of experience, confidence for your future.' "

That future is certainly bright. Ranked 58th in the world, Niemann is poised for big things on the golf course this year, and he has wasted no time in getting the ball rolling at Kapalua.

The young Chilean was all smiles Thursday after making his way to the top of the leaderboard. Maybe those goals have already changed.

In a field with several major champions and established stars, Niemann built a one-shot lead thanks to a bogey-free, 7-under 66 on the par-73 Kapalua layout, which was supposed to play tougher this year with some course changes.

It appears Niemann didn't get that memo. Not known as a great putter, Niemann made his first birdie of the new year by holing a 30-footer for birdie at the par-4 fourth hole. He then birdied three of his next five holes to turn in 4-under 32.

On the back side, Niemann added three more birdies, including one at the par-5 18th, where Niemann got up and down after taking relief from the grandstands.

With conditions expected to worsen with showers and heavy winds over the next few days, Niemann took advantage of more benign weather Thursday, missing just one green.

Collin Morikawa posted a 2-under 71 in his first career round at the Tournament of Champions, but he came inches away from shooting one shot better. He still birdied three of his final five holes, though.

Speaking of the Presidents Cup, the top four players on the leaderboard all played last month in Australia. That includes the guy in solo second right now, Justin Thomas.

Thomas starred at Royal Melbourne, going 3-1-1 for the winning U.S. side, and prior to that he had strung together an impressive 10-tournament run that included two wins, four other top-10s and just once finish (T-17) worse than T-12. The momentum continued to build Thursday as Thomas made five back-nine birdies, including a nifty up-and-down birdie at the par-5 18th, to shoot 6-under 67.

Right behind Thomas are Rickie Fowler, who figures to thrive the rest of the week as the winds pick up, and Matt Kuchar, who used to be known in Hawaii more for his hula dancing than his play. But Kuchar is starting to find his groove in Hawaii. He won the Sony Open last year and is now eyeing a win on Maui.

Another shot back is a large group that includes defending champion Xander Schauffele, red-hot Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay and 20-year-old Matthew Wolff.

Dustin Johnson made five birdies and an eagle and shot under par Thursday. So what was the problem? Johnson also carded four bogeys and a double while hitting three shots into penalty areas. An adventurous 1-under 72 has Johnson six shots back.

With 12-20 mph winds and up to 40 mph gusts expected the rest of the way at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Rickie Fowler was happy to take advantage of more benign conditions Thursday at Kapalua.

“These are probably the best conditions we're going to see all week,” said Fowler after firing an opening 5-under 68, which has him two shots back of leader Joaquin Niemann.

With a reputation for excelling in the wind that goes back to his junior days in Southern California, Fowler was asked whether he’ll have an advantage over the field for the final 54 holes on Maui.

“I don't want to say over the whole field necessarily,” Fowler said before later reasoning that “you can maybe get rid of half in a way.”

With 33 other players in this week's field, Fowler's math would leave 16 or so players left to challenge him for the win.

“I love playing in the wind,” Fowler continued, “but that being said, that doesn't mean I'm going to go play well out there. I have a better chance maybe than most of playing well and getting around, but it's still going to be tough. I'm looking forward to it. I'd like for it to not get blowing too hard. ... It would be nice to see it stay playable, just play tough and [let us] go out and have some fun in the wind.”