Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The best golfers in the world will tee off for the first PGA Tour major championship of the year at the PGA Championship this weekend in San Francisco, headlining the weekend live sports slate.
All 22-teams in the NBA's bubble will continue to square off Saturday and Sunday in Orlando, Fla. NHL teams will fight to clinch playoff spots and seeds this weekend in series played in Canada. Some of the best soccer players in the world also will be in action in the UEFA Champions League Saturday in Europe.
Drivers will start their engines a few times this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, which will host Cup Series races on Saturday and Sunday in Brooklyn, Mich.
Major League Baseball's shortened season also will provide plenty of weekend action with a handful of games set for national broadcasts on Saturday and Sunday.
But golf will be the main course for sports fans with an appetite for live action of athletes on a major stage.
PGA Championship
The four-day PGA Championship began Thursday and runs through Sunday at TPC Harding Park.
Justin Thomas -- the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking -- won last weekend's tournament and is among the favorites to win in San Francisco. Brooks Koepka has won back-to-back PGA Championship titles and will try to become the first golfer in the history of the stroke-play era to win the major three consecutive times.
"This is a new week with a new field," Thomas told reporters Wednesday. "Guys are all trying hard to win a major. I'm trying to do the same thing."
The 2020 PGA Championship will also be the first major played this year without fans in attendance due to coronavirus pandemic safety precautions.
"I don't know if anyone in our generation has ever played without fans in a major championship," Tiger Woods said. "It will be very different, but it's still a major championship. It will still be the best players in the world."
Woods responded with a simple "of course" when asked if he had a chance to win the 2020 PGA Championship, but he is not among oddsmakers' favorites to win the major. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele are listed as the favorites behind Thomas and Koepka.
"The whole goal is to be the best player," Koepka said. "I'm not out here to just try to compete and have a good time. I'm out here to win."
Woods will tee off with Thomas and McIlroy from tee No. 1 for the second round at 4:58 p.m. EDT Friday in San Francisco. Koepka, Shane Lowry and Gary Woodland will tee off from No. 1 at 4:36 p.m. EDT Friday at TPC Harding Park.
The action will air on ESPN and CBS.
NBA bubble battles
The NBA returned last week to begin a slate of seeding games before the playoffs start in the league's bubble in Orlando, Fla.
This weekend's action includes all 22 teams on the floor at the ESPN Wide World of Sports campus inside Walt Disney Resort.
Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers will face Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers to tip-off the slate at 1 p.m. EDT Saturday on TNT. LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic will be among the other stars in action on Saturday.
Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks battle Doncic's Dallas Mavericks in the final game on Saturday, with an 8:30 p.m. EDT tip-off time in Orlando. That game will air on ESPN.
The Washington Wizards will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first game of Sunday's slate. Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Paul George and Leonard will be among the stars in action on Sunday in Orlando.
Champions League soccer
Lionel Messi and Barcelona will face Napoli in the second leg of their round of 16 Champions League clash at 3 p.m. EDT Saturday in Barcelona. American Christian Pulisic could take the field at the same time for Chelsea in their round of 16 clash against German champions Bayern Munich. Pulisic is questionable for the game due to an injury, but has been impressive in his latest showings and could provide a spark for the Blues.
Messi's squad tied Bayern 1-1 in the first leg and will play Bayern or Chelsea in the Champions League quarterfinals if they slip by Napoli Saturday. Pulisic's Blues have an uphill battle against Bayern after they lost 3-0 in the first leg.
The Barcelona and Napoli game will air on CBS Sports Network. The Blues will battle Bayern on CBS All Access.
Saturday
Golf
PGA Championship: Third-round from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT on ESPN+; 1 to 4 p.m. EDT on ESPN; 4 to 10 p.m. EDT on CBS
NASCAR
Xfinity Series: Henry 180 at noon EDT on NBCS
Cup Series: FireKeepers Casino 400 at 4 p.m. EDT on NBCS
Basketball
Clippers vs. Blazers at 1 p.m. EDT on TNT
Jazz vs. Nuggets at 3:30 p.m. EDT on TNT
Lakers vs. Pacers at 6 p.m. EDT on TNT
Bucks vs. Mavericks at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Soccer
Champions League: Barcelona vs. Napoli at 3 p.m. EDT on CBS Sports Network
Champions League: Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich at 3 p.m. EDT on CBS All-Access
Hockey -- Times, games TBD
Jets vs. Flames
Canadiens vs. Penguins
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche
Flyers vs. Lightning
Blackhawks vs. Oilers
Baseball
Tigers at Pirates at 4:05 p.m. EDT on FS1
Braves at Phillies at 6:05 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
Giants at Dodgers at 9:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
Rockies at Mariners at 9:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
UFC on ESPN+
Beneil Dariush vs. Scott Holtzman at 9 p.m. EDT
Yana Kunitskaya vs. Julija Stoliarenko after first fight
Maki Pitolo vs. Darren Stewart after second fight
Omari Akhmedov vs. Chris Weidman after third fight
Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik after fourth fight
Sunday
Golf
PGA Championship: Fourth round from 10 a.m. to noon EDT on ESPN+; noon to 3 p.m. EDT on ESPN; 3 to 9 p.m. EDT on CBS
Baseball
Braves at Phillies at 1:05 p.m. EDT on TBS
Giants at Dodgers at 4:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
Cubs at Cardinals at 7:08 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Hockey -- Times, games TBD
Stars vs. Blues
Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs
Coyotes vs. Predators
Wild vs. Canucks
Bruins vs. Capitals
Panthers vs. Islanders
Basketball
Spurs vs. Pelicans at 3 p.m. EDT on ABC
76ers vs. Blazers at 6:30 p.m. EDT on NBA TV
Nets vs. Clippers at 9 p.m. EDT on NBA TV
NASCAR
Cup Series: Consumers Energy 400 at 4:30 p.m. EDT on NBCS
